Merry Christmas to all...

Christmas seem to come so fast this year, one minute it was Thanksgiving and now its that blessed time "Christmas" wow where has the time gone.  I have been busy stitching away when I can since I started Ann Grimshaw... so here's an update

28 ct Ivory Cashel, Mulberry Gumnuts Silk, 1:1

I haven't been doing any genealogy stuff, probably won't resume in earnest till after the new year, but you never know.  I have been organizing my office and doing other stuff instead, like a little online shopping.  I have really been enjoy the holiday movies on TCM.. 

TCM Holiday Snapshots
Earlier this week a fan reached out wanting to see all the holiday spots we show on the air. We made this reel for him, and we hope you enjoy seeing this too. Happy holidays from everyone here at TCM!
Posted by Turner Classic Movies: TCM on Thursday, December 17, 2015

So Merry Christmas from warm Washington DC...

 

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Hello everyone... due to technical difficulties (my laptop crashed) I have been away.  I now have a HP PC (more later)up and running.  I can't get my camera going, so I think I will have to resort to my old digital kodak.  I have been stitching, and I have updates.. Will post soon.  It has just taken a while to get back into computer function mode.  I had sort out password on things and get other things loaded and up running for the house and household, but I'm almost finished.  I just didn't want my fellow stitchers thinking I vanished down a hole. 

Speaking of vanishing, did any of  you see "The lady Vanishes" on PBS, it was AWFUL! what a waste.  You just can't touch Hitchcock, and speaking of Hitchcock, TCM will be doing Sundays with Hitch in September, showing all his movies so if your a Hitch fan like me, its something to grab your stitching and watch... or DVR, if a game is on at the same time. 

Will post more soon..

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Progress...ah beautiful spring!

I have made some solid progress on Quaker Virtues...

28 ct Cream Lugana, with Gumnuts threads

Im going to be adding the cranberry for the letters, and gold for little motive fillers and light blue for the "Virtue"words.. At least that's my plan so far, I might get the other 2 colors of the blue (which is Denim in the Gumnuts line, and 2 shades lighter in the Cranberry.  What do you think?

It has been a glorious day, in the upper 60's, a day one should really be outside not inside stitching and sorting out things.. but alas I have been working through 20 years of magazines, Victoria, Southern Living, Bon Appetite, Coastal Living and some others, they have to go... or a least be thinned down.  The one group of magazines that will never go, is my "Just Cross Stitch" and "Samplers and Antique Quarterly".

However today was not only glorious temperature wise, but it was Melvyn Douglas day on TCM. Today is Mr Douglas's birthday, they had a great lineup of his 30's movies, "The Shinning Hour", "Toy Wife", "She Married her Boss", "I'll Take Romance", "Prestige", "Fast Company", "Our Wife" and one I had never seen "Dangerous Corner", the DVR is running on.  But tonight they are starting a new feature with Cher.

She will introducing films she has chosen featuring "A Woman's World" from working women to motherhood and women on the home front during the war years.  Now you are probably wondering why Cher, well she is a big classic movie fan.  Tonight's lineup is "motherhood" starting with "Mildred Pierce", then "Stella Dallas" which Barbara Stanwyck at her best, "Penny Serenade", "Bachelor Mother" and "Made for Each Other".  These are all wonderful movies... this feature will be shown every Friday evening starting at 8pm, if you want to learn more check it out HERE.

So tonight I will be stitching on with Cher's picks, but for now I will leave with..

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Working on the last row...

Well I'm finally on the last row of Happy Christmas, I so want to finish this.. So I can start Ann Grimshaw from Scarlet Letter.

40 ct lakeside Linen Luna, Gumnuts Silks

 I have made some excellent progress on Jan Houtman's 9-11...

40 ct Ricamo, Gumnuts Silks

It really is coming along, really enjoyable when I'm taking a break downstairs.  The weather here as been really strange, it's been warm the past few days but this evening a cold front is pushing through with some strong winds.  They have assured us all that this will not be a repeat of the Derecho that we had last June that left us without power for 3 days.  Unfortunately it is suppose to hit around dinner time.  The temps will be back in the 40's with the hint of flurries.  Last week it was freezing here, and down in the teens at night. 

Im almost through my biography of Loretta Young, and we are down to last week of her films.  Starting February 1st we begin 31 days of Oscar, most the time its alot of the same, that they show but this year they are showing it by Studio, starting with Warner Bros, first. 

As far as Downton Abbey, I have a mixed feeling about it, having it for just an hour you really don't have a chance to get the meat of any story line, there are so many things going on at the same time.  But I'm still watching. 

I leave you with Lucy who was busy helping me with the grocery list...

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Getting closer on Happy Christmas....

 I'm getting closer to finally being finished with Happy Christmas...I'm getting down to the last row.

40 ct lakeside Linen Luna, with Gumnuts Silks

40ct Cream Ricamo, with Gumnut Silks

I also have been working away on my larger piece, Jan Houtman's 9-11. This piece is a little more slow going..  Lately though I have increased enthusiasm, I have been listening to my Kindle.  When I'm working on JH 9-11 I listen to Sherlock Holmes and upstairs I listen to Loretta Young bio called "Hollywood Madonna", I'm half way through it.  It has taken me some time get use to the Kindle, I had been using my portable Sony CD player, so this October when we were going to Florida I bought one for the trip.  I was able to use my Audible account with it along with buying books from the Kindle store.  I have always loved to read, the books between my mother and myself was a bit much when I went to settle up her things (I'm still working on it).  So the other problem I have is not possessing the physical book.  But I guess I'm saving a tree, and my library is now in the cloud.  I still have uses for my bookcases since some books aren't digital, such as stitching books and genealogy books.  The only thing that I do not like about the Kindle books is the when you put it on text to voice it reads everything, including footnotes if there are any.  But I do definitely get more stitching done while listening to a book, I guess because I have always enjoyed having someone read to me.

So as soon as I finish Happy Christmas I will be starting Ann Grimshaw, as part of Nicola's Scarlet Year Challenge.    You can read about here.  Its going to be big year for Nicola, but its also going to be a big year for me, I will be turning 60.  Anyone can join in to Nicola's Scarlet Letter Year.
Scarlet Letter samplers range from beginner to advanced, so a stitcher of any caliber can participate.
Here is my combo for Ann Grimshaw.

40ct Vintage Luna, with Gumnuts Mulberry

 

As far as TV viewing, we got the 4th episode of Downton and its not getting much better, still bland. But we have been enjoying Loretta Young as Star of the Month on TCM, and with them showing most of her pre-codes. As SOTM we are given a celebration of her body of work.  Last week's viewing was not a truly her films, such "Suez" which is really more about Tyrone Power and "Kentucky" which is more about other things but not Loretta, even though its one of her few color films.  This week are pre-war romantic comedies, one with one of my favorite male actors, Warner Baxter; the movie is "Wife, Husband and Friend".  So this promises to be interesting evening of films.

I leave with my stitching buddy Sasha..

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Happy Christmas Update and some surprises...

Max and I have been taking down Christmas decorations.. also I have been bothered with a sinus infection, but doing much better now.

I also have been doing some stitching but only on Happy Christmas, I'm really trying to finish it up.  I have done a little on JH 9-11, but not enough to show.  



Here's the update on Happy Christmas...Santa brought me some new charts and things, here's just a few...
 

Sorry for the fuzzy picture, sometimes I still get confused with this camera...  On the TV viewing front while I stitch, I'm really excited about Loretta Young being star of the month this January.  She was such a beauty.  Also we have gone through three episodes of  "Downton Abbey" and I'm I have been very disappointed..  I know others on the Facebook page are enthralled, but to me the punch and spark has gone out.  Mary comes off as a brat, and neither her nor Matthew seems to have a lot warmth for each other as they did in Series I and II.  All he does is moan over Lavinia and the money and she just is busy grabbing for the money.  The one bright hope was of Edith finding happiness, which faded last night when Maggie Smith made her comments about him so they would be over heard and he left Edith standing at the alter.  An this thing with Ethel wanting help, not wanting help, wanting help, is driving me nuts.  I know across the pond they see it with commercials, but we get ours edited and cut to fit the PBS time slot, to me its all a plot to get you the uncut DVD version.  I have my own grips with PBS, that's why my diet of TV viewing is mostly TCM.  PBS has alot of people getting rich, and they keep asking for more money and show even less and less of new stuff.  Alot of its repeats over and over.  All we get that's new is Sherlock and Downton Abbey, and every two to three years a Ken Burns and that's it, at least that's the way it is here in the DC Metro area, where we have 4 PBS stations which all show the same thing and are glamoring for the same bucks.    Anyway that's my rant, and don't get me wrong I will still watch next's week episode of Downton Abbey, maybe something good will happen. 

So I leave you now with Beau and Annie...

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Moving along... slowly

Progressing slowly on Happy Christmas..

For a sampler that is so small it seems to be taking forever....Well football season is starting.  Tonight is the first preseason game with the Bills

In the meantime, I enjoyed Claude Rains day on Sunday when they showed all three of the "Four" movies in order.  It was great.  Love the Lane Sisters and the added sister Gale Page.  Actually my husband has a secret yen for Priscilla.

Tomorrow, the 10th will Lionel Barrymore day,
Saturday, James Mason, YES!

If your not familiar with TCM or what I'm talking about as far as stars with days.  Its August, which means its Summer Under the Stars, every day a new star shines... its great.  Now granted there are some days I'm not thrilled with the star, such as today which was T Mfume, star of Seven Samuri, so today was all Japanese Movies.  Now my FIL (if he was living would of loved it) since he spoke fluent japanese, but not me.

Today, I will leave you with Max, he is such a happy boy, he feels really good.  He runs around and just is such a happy boy... still on meds and fluids every other day...

Lazy days...

Its been a lazy time since we recovered from the heat wave that over took DC the end June through the 6th of July.  Somehow I don't seem to of recovered, I have been running in 3rd gear ever since, but I'm slowly coming around.

As you can see I have been working again on "Happy Christmas"...

I also ordered the threads for "Mary Wigham" which I will also do with Gumnuts silks.  I don't plan on starting it until I finish "Happy Christmas" and get a little further on Houtman's 9-11.

The news has been sad again, so its time to say farewell to "Celeste Holm" and "Ernest Borgnine" He passing was such a surprise.

Celeste Holm, who passed away on July 15th.   I have two favorite films, which are probably everyone else's, "Gentleman's Agreement" and " All about Eve".  She was a driving force with others to help start my favorite channel TCM, she also a fellow Norwegian. Here's the tribute from TCM

Ernest Borgnine, who passes away on July 8th.  I really have only one film that I liked him in "Marty" and "Bad Day at Black Rock".  But we all remember for him for "McHale's Navy", which was my father's favorite show, being a CPO in the Navy and stationed in the Pacific  He also was a friend of TCM.  Here is TCM's Tribute

Tomorrow, July 18th starting at 8pm will be TCM's tribute to Andy Griffith.  I have to admit I didn't really enjoy many of his film appearances, except "Face in the Crowd" but I feel it does poke some fun at the south (put I might be taking things to personally)  I love it when, line by Walter Matthau, about having the vermouth blow a kiss, when making the Martini.  Hope you'all tune in.

TCM will also remember Ernest Borgnine, on July 26, no date has been announced for Celeste Holm.
On another note, the star of the month is "Leslie Howard"one of my favorites, and great company while you stitch.

An last but not least, Richard D. Zanuck, the man who had the insight to change way we seen movies.  He brought us "Driving Miss Daisy" and "Jaws".  

I will leave you now with Max getting fluids, this cat has to be the sweetest boy, he never moves and never complains, he is such a trooper.. such a joy.

Update on JH 9-11

Here is my update on JH 9-11 over one.  It seems to be moving along well.  We had nice holiday, DH got some things done around the house and I got some inside things done.  My BIL has been working and running his new boat down on the Potomac.

On the other hand I had a much needed doctors appt, on my migraines and other things.  So I have been referred back to the neurologist, its been over 10 years since I have seen him, and things have not been getting worse.  Today my BIL took me to have my CT Head Scan, then on the 7th we see the neurologist.  Well we will see if there is something in my head after all. 

We have had some really warm weather lately, but we should be getting some mild weather in the 70's over the weekend.   I need to fix the screen door and some other things, and of course some stitching.  Thought I would make it to  Woodlawn but its not looking very promising...

I will leave you with Sasha...

Great Stitching Weather

Its been rainy with thunderstorms the past few days, it has provided some great stitching weather.

Here's a close up of the yellow

So as you can see it's moving along.  Along with the rainy weather, I have been getting a visit every afternoon from a racoon.  They only come out in the day time when the a really hungry.  She looks like she has given birth to some babies.. So I have been given her some kibble (I don't give it to the kids, since Max can't have it)

Along with my stitching, the movies on TCM the past few days have been a treat.  Yesterday they celebrated Virginia's own, Joseph Cotten's birthday.  They showed two movies that I had never seen.  Today we are celebrating the Nebraska boy, Henry Fonda.  I have seen all but one of the movies "The Long Night" it was a great film noir, with Barbara Bel Geddes, Ann Dvorak, and Vincent Price.  Of course they showed "Mister Roberts" it was my fathers favorite movie, he served as CPO on a supply ship.  But he served on, other ships such as the USS Medusa which was torpedo by the midget sub when it entered Pearl Harbor. 

Tonight and every Wednesday is Joel McCrea night he is the star of the month... But I will leave you with this...