Happy New Year!! well almost

We had a quiet and blessed Christmas, well since its just us and the cats its very quiet.. I did get a big surprise and new digital camera from my husband.  I got a Nixon D90, its a nice little camera and its taken a week for me to learn how to use, but I think I have gotten the hang of it.  My old (other) camera is a 2001 Kodak, which I love, but it is big and technolog has changed so much, I will never put it out to pasture. 

So here's a picture of my Houtman progress with the new camera. 

So I'm progressing nicely, I think.. even though I have'nt stitched as much as would of liked over Christmas.  Also in the spirit of a stitcher's tradition  there will be a new start tomorrow on New Years Day.  Take a look!

It's a small quaker from Carolina House, called "Merry Christmas".  I'm going to stitch it on Lakeside Linens, Antique Luna.   I have been wanting to try Lakeside Linens linen for a long time I finally got that chance.  I almost got a destroyed package of linen.  If you look at the top of the package its was crumpled and partially torn.  I ordered this linen, along with "Queenstown - Quaker Friends" chart from Wyndham Needleworks.   Well it all arrived right before Christmas like this...

As you can see the chart was massacered from the postal machine, it all was rewrappled in the plastic wrapper with "We Care" oh yes they care... The chart was only $12 dollars, but the linen, well I'm just grateful.. as I said it could of been worse.  I did contact Lydia at Wyndham Needleworks, explaining to her what had happened, offering to take pictures, and explaining I was just letting her know, that I know it isn't her fault.  Well to her credit, she sent me a new chart, I offered to pay and again show her pictures, she declined.  She's the best, I have never had any major issues with Wyndham, it sometimes takes a while to get an order, since its just her and her husband, so I never order anything when I'm in a hurry. If you haven't tried her do, here her link... Wyndham Needlework

I leave you now with some great pictures we took of the kids....with the new camera...

Now isn't this beautiful picture of Annie (the mom cat)

Well here they are the mom and dad, I have never seen two cats that have mated for life!

And my beautiful Rhory Boy, Annie's first born.......

We wish all of you a blessed NEW YEAR!!!!!!! with lots of stitching........and many blessings.. Jean

Season's Greetings

The last three weeks have not been hectic with christmas things, but in health things and some home things.  My DH is needing some surgery, so we have been trying to figure out how to do that since I don't drive anymore.  The solution is our son will be coming home again in January to do the driving, thank goodness.  Also this week my husband took off to get some branches and yard work done, get the vehicles inspected, and just have some down time, so that all got done.  We also got more books and tapes to the library for donations, as we make our way through both familes estate and our stuff.  

I did get some stitching done so here it is.

Maybe one day I will have ironed this before I take a picture.  As I have said many times before I am really enjoying stitching this sampler.  I have tried so many times before but never completed one!  I really enjoy stitching on Ricamo, now they a discontinuing it, sad.  I can stitch on other Newcastle linens, so all is not lost.  But lets move on to something else, what do you do while your stitching?  watch TV, well what do you watch?  I watch old movies, I mean old.  But I also try out new ones when they come to DirecTV PPV, such as "The Help" 

I love this movie, since I'm from the south and this was set in my time.   It was so true, so true.  I had a black maid that raised me, and was with me for my formitive years 1-5 and a little after.  I stayed at her house, I never realized that she was not even related to me, she was always "Aunt Loretta".  Unfortunately she passed when I was 10, she fell asleep smoking in bed.  I hope Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer and Jessica Chastian and Emma Stone, receive a SAG, the preview to the Oscars.  Hope they get a Best Picture nod at Oscar time as well. 



This may be my last post before Christmas, so from our family to yours we wish you a "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year".

Day of Infamy! December 7, 1941

On this day in Infamy, remember those who lost their lives and those survivors, such as my father,CPO SKC Bernard Cantley... Son and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, carrying on the legacy..

ah progress...

Well I have been working away at JH 9-11, for some reason I can't seem to put it down.  I really think its the gumnuts threads and their soft colors, but they are also lovely to work with..So here is my progress for this week

 

 I haven't been stitching for a while on Madison's sampler, but I will I promise.  What I need to get on the stick on is framing Mr. Max's Sampler so that its ready for entry into the Woodlawn Needlework show come February.  In case you have forgotten is Max's Sampler     

Well Christmas is coming, did you know that? of course you did, well you sure wouldn't know that looking around this house.  We are very low key here, since it's just us and the four legged ones   Also for the past two years we haven't put up a tree since the babies would of destroyed it and drove us crazy in the process.  Well this year we are going to try them with the little artificial tree that we put up, but with out the ornaments (don't want to lead them into temptation) I need to finish some shopping and send the cards and money to the grand kids.  I also need to put together Daniel's care package for Christmas.   We got a little distracted when Daniel was up this way and DH (Paul)is having a small medical issue done this week and I think emotions will relax and feel more like Christmas when its over. 

An last but not least I was able to get some pictures of the elusive Annie (the mom cat, the feral one) she is getting better all the time.  She will come a brush your leg every now and then, we can also pet her when we feed her.  An sometimes, just sometimes she will stay on her spot in the TV room while I stitch.  Now that's something!!  This cat never knew the human touch, but in two years she has come along way..  So here she is... my girl

This is her right next to my stitching chair... sorry about the bright eyes... but she just looked so sweet and that's why I took the picture.....

Just zoning out. Can you tell that Im just tickled to death with her.  Well we are, its been such an accomplishment to build the trust and friendship with this lovely girl.  Her Beau, is still and always will be her beau, the male cat she adores but she is discovering that humans aren't so bad either, now her babies are another matter....

Hope your holidays planning and preparing are coming along, hope stitching is in your plans.. If I don't get another progress report in before the holidays, then from our house to yours Happy Christmas and New Year....