Hello Neighborhood RR

Here's the start to my Neighborhood of "Heaven and Earth...and Beyond," for our RR starting June 1st. This is the angel from "Heavens Above," design. I'm stitching her 1 over 1 on 36 ct. Her little outfit is so tiny!!! I love it! :))


I think I mentioned to you that I'm asking that the Morbid Pithies and Proverbs from the Workbasket designers be used...and tombies from the different designers. It should be fun to see when it all comes back around! Especially the tombies!


Other than stitching on this, I was able to mail out my HAED RR last week, so that was great to finally get on its way. I simply stitched the "HAED" initials at the top in a Waterlilies color mixed with blending filament in an Old English alphabet. And, it's off!! That was the one I had spent 15 plus hours on just kitting up the threads!



On another more humiliating topic:

Naples is feeling quite sunny and happy as the "snowbirds" aka "winter hawks" have flown back to their summer homes! This leaves our roads once again free of too much traffic, our restaurants open for seating without reservations, and our stores quiet with happily unstressed staff!! Oh, the joys of Summer!! So.....



We went boating today...it was a 4 hours plus trip on water to an island with a "2000 yr. old Native American settlement" grounds to explore. Or so I was led to believe by my sweet DH. We went with one of DH's men's groups who also brought their wives. I went to do my wifely duty...you know, like sex...sometimes you just have to close your eyes and fend!!



Well, I did, fend, that is...windswept, deaf from the motor of the pontoon boat, a little sun-burned, hungry and tired...some 4 hours later...we had seen a narrow shell path through mangrove trees (these are the swampy low hanging trees that snakes and alligators love to hang out on and by), and dense vegetation to several "mounds."



I soon find out on this trek that all it really amounted to was seeing these "mounds," which were actually 2000 yr old "trash heaps." Imagine how glorious it was. DH happily took my picture by a mound. And I took his. Everybody was happy as a lark...


Before we left, I called to tell my daughter where I was going with DH, and she burst into peals of laughter. I'm a very girly girl, love to stay home and stitch and truly am not your trek through the swamp type.

Plus, she knows my DH's record in dragging me off to things like this, and she thinks it's hilarious before I even get started! Does this give you a foreshadowing?? Her husband, a Coastie, and specialist in "search and rescue" and homeland security for this coastal area said, "Sorry, mom, I'm not sure what island you're talking about, and I've never heard of such a Settlement." :)) But, we'll certainly span the hundreds of inlets and islands should you go missing. Such comfort and assurance I get! :p



Here's just a delightful picture of me, wearing my worst clothes, full of enthusiasm and joy at the prospect of hopping off the boat into swamp water to take a trek with DH through those swampy woods that other guides you pay on the Everglades tell you not to go in without an experienced guide!

Plus pics add 10 lbs., so this also just thrills me. Note the smart ladies behind me in the boat who never left the boat and are sipping beer together! But, I'm back in one piece. And, DH is happy for another few months!! Yea!!!

Until we talk again, your swamp-mound educated exploring friend, Deb

PS: Just so you get the full picture of all of this: My hat says, "High Maintenance" in rhinestones. And, my DH gave it to me.

Fairies and Such

Thank you so much for your wonderful comments about your own bookgroups and experiences. It's great to know so many of you have enjoyed the same rewards we have. Margaret, I'm going to suggest the book you mentioned to our group for the Fall.

Our Summer book readings are: Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindburg, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, and I Hate My Neck, by Nora Ephron.

About the fairies!! They are needlepoint canvases by a designer in CA. They are painted on an opalescent and colored canvas so the background doesn't have to be stitched. And they can be stitched with floss, silks or metallics, or Carons or Waterlilies!

I have them from my former needlecraft shop, "Cabbage Rose Needlework." They are $40 apiece at the wholesale price. If you want one, please email me. I only have one copy of each left.

This boy's name is "Liam." The top little fairy is "Dona," and the red-haired one is "Nissa." The ones in yesterday's blog are "Ariel," and, of course, that little trouble-maker, "Puck!"

Love and hugs to all of you!

Deb

PS: In deference to my dear friend, Julie, I've changed the horrendous original font color to something more legible. You were right, Jules!! :)) Everybody probably thanks you for curing their blindness!! LOL

Evening Bookgroup

It was a bittersweet time at Evening Bookgroup tonight. As you may remember, we meet once a month, and we never know how many of our 17 or so members will actually show up to discuss the book we've read for the month.

Bookgroups are fabulous because they give you a chance to really get to know women from all different perspectives. Not just from the polite, socially correct perspective, but in ways that may surprise, shock and maybe even confuse you.

Tonight we met to discuss "The Memorykeeper's Daughter." Which, I'm sure our Bookgroup would highly recommend to you, and we discovered so many things we weren't expecting...at least I did. Some are secret things only for us....but..

First of all, we discovered that one of our friends was just diagnosed with cancer. And, she still insisted on hostessing our Group, told us about her situation, enjoyed wine with us, discussed the book and shared how she intends to be the fighter her parents guided her to be in life. It was inspiring and silenced me in my spirit in a way that I can hardly express.

The book discussion led us to learn how each of us felt about choices made in life, and how quickly they can form or deform a relationship. How in a fraction of a moment a word can be left unspoken and that moment can change the course of a person's life forever. How fragile relationships and people really are, and how we can't possibly hope to understand how another will cope or feel or live with a circumstance or choice they are confronted with in life.

We learned that each of us expresses the artist in us in different ways. Just as one likes to paint, another loves to interior design or work with fabrics, or mixed media or stitch or dance or just draw. That one may be visual in their reading, while another is spacial; and one is "seeing" a scene vividly, and another had no impression of the same scene at all!

Bookgroups are learning experiences in many ways for women who may have stopped growing intellectually. There's something to be said about stretching one's mind and touching upon things that are difficult to look at in the "nice talk" living rooms that we visit to have coffee and stitch in. Sometimes it's good to look at hard things and talk them out!

Every bookgroup I've ever been in...my Wellesley Group of 10 years, especially, was a very extraordinary experience of personal growth for me, and I think for all involved. Something about the venue opens not just our mouths, but our souls, our hearts, our guts and our minds.

In order to face life we have to face the realities of life, and we can't always sugar-coat it. Thank God for women who can get together, form real, intellectual and meaningful relationships, and true support groups.

I'm so happy to be a part of such a women's group. I hope you have or will start one of your own. They are priceless.

I also cherish the stitching friends and relationships I have with each of you who visit me here,

Hugs,

Deb

BTW: You're probably wondering what on earth these fairies have to do with the price of beans!! :)) We also talked about my HAED RR tonight, as well!! They all think I'm a very "feyish" personality and were not at all surprised that I liked stitching fairies and such!! Go figure!

Happy Mother's Day

I just had an unbelieveably happy Mother's Day, and I hope you did, too. Here are some special pictures from my day. My sons called and sent me cards, my daughter did, too. She lives nearby, so she came over for a day spent talking and laughing, having lunch and looking at magazines of beading and doll-making together. We recalled her growing up years and enjoyed those conversations.

My children and DH surprised me with a gift certificate to Elegant Stitch, which is my favorite online shop!! :)) Somebody must have raised them right! And, they tell me there's another present coming tomorrow in the mail, they hope.

Jessica also brought me a new book, "Kept," a Victorina mystery chockful of Dickensian-type characters it seems, and a silver bookmark with a quote by James Barrie, "Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." The bookmark has ribbons of bright green aross the silver with stars and then green ribbons with beads and charms attached. She and I love bookmarks!! :))

The other picture of books are my new read..."Abundance" about Marie Antoinette, and my book-on-tape (which I mentioned before) "A Wrinkle in Time." You can't believe the story behind the bust with these pictures. Remind me to tell you. She's of alabaster and from the 1800's....such an amazing mystery story... for another time!! Stacked on the floor are mirrors to be hung by DH, who never has time.

However, he did present me with the only thing I really asked for today which was a rich and yummy chocolate cake!! Pictured above with Jessica's book. (Probably should have cropped some of that pic. but you can see how we dug into that cake with some gusto!!)

Hearing from my children was the best part of the day. It overwhelms me to think I was and am their mom because I think they give me way too much credit for how wonderful they are as people inside and out. I'm so blessed and always have been that they are my children.

I hope you each had lovely times with your children today. And, for those of you who have furry children...they know you're their moms. I hope your day with them was special, as well :))

Hugs, and happy stitching this week!

Deb in FL

I'm a Virgin...and I Was Tagged

I was simultaneously tagged by 2 friends, so I consider this a double-whammy and I'm giving back this one
---8 Random Things---

As you veterans of taggish stuff know:
1) Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves
2) People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules
3) At the end of your blog you need to tag 8 people and post their names
4) Don't forget to leave them a comment and tell them they are tagged, and to read your blog.

So, now, I'm off to give you my 8 Random Things herein:

1: I very ofen stay up until 2AM to read your blogs and comment on your beautiful things
2: I sleep until 10 AM as a result, but can get up earlier if I have to
3: While I have some pretty night clothes, I like to sleep in my DH's t-shirts best
4: I listen to Christian radio every day
5: My newest CD is "The Evolution of Robin Thicke" and it is so fabulous and sexy!!
6: My newest book on tape is "A Wrinkle in Time," by Madeleine L'Engle
7: I hate doing laundry!
8: My little dog's name is Clara, short for Clarice, and my DH named her after the FBI lady in "Silence of the Lambs" !!! She's a darling little Yorkie. Go figure!

Well, now I have to tag, and I tag: Heidi, Deb in CT, Charlene, Vonna, Sonja, Katrina, and Von

And here's hoping that they don't hate me for it!!! BTW, please understand from now on, I don't do taggies and I'm NOT one who opens jokes and stuff that's emailed to me. I'm just so busy keeping up otherwise on the web, I can't do it all!! Thanks everyone!! I don't want to be mean or unkind...

Deb

My RAK!!

Here it is, the most beautiful biscornu in the world!!! Sonja sent it to me, and it is my first ever stitched just for me piece of needlework!! I'm so delighted and it will forever sit in a place of honor in my house.

I've had good friends give me lovely stitching things over the years, so I'm definitely not complaining, but this is the very first stitched, precious gift ever!!

Thank you so much for thinking of me and taking the time to do this, Sonja. What a special, beautiful gift, and it means so much to me. It has the little tag that reads, "Hand stitched with love," and that was so kind of you, too.

And, here are all the goodies she sent with it!! I don't know how she ever knew that this was one of the books I don't have!! I love all kinds of books, including stories of Russia and the Romanov royal family. I can't wait to start this one. Then, the 1990's needlework mag. with the Brenda Keyes sampler and a fabulous little quilt and stitch baby blanket is great. I have a new grandbaby coming and the quilt will be perfect!!

The biscornu smells so good, and Sonja included a packet of orange sachet which is fresh and so perfect for FL. And, then last but not least 2 little chartlets that I don't have in my stash. I'm smiling and was jumping up and down when I got her RAK!! :)))

I just want to thank each of you who visits my blog so regularly. I'm grateful for your friendship and your loyalty. Reading and commenting on your blogs is a big part of my life, too. It's been one of the best experiences of my life to get to know all of you. Thank you so much! Blog on!!

Deb

MIA

I'm really not missing in action, I've just been really trying to get my HAED RR out the door and my Hello Neighborhood RR planned and organized!!

Also, I just received the most beautiful RAK today, and I have to photograph it for you so you can OOOooo and Ahhh tomorrow! It's now 2:30 AM here and I have to get to bed! I want to slip a quick thank you to Sonja, though, and to tell her that it is the most beautiful biscornu on earth! It is really the only hand-stitched gift I've ever received. I simply adore it! And all the goodies with it, too. I'm posting a pic. in the morning!!

This is about what I'm looking like these days, except I wouldn't dare wear a bikini!! LOL

Thank you for keeping up with my comings and goings! Deb