With Humble Gratitude and a Tired Body

Design - "Humble Gratitude"

Designer - 4 My Boys

Fabric - 32 count Flax linen 

Fibers - WDW - 2 strands over 2 threads

Started - 13 November 2010

Completed - 20 November 2010

I'm pleased with this finish.  I think I will display on the mantel through the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

I do have a Thankful Heart - just like the pumpkin!

I think this makes for a nice harvesty display.

The "Tired Body" part of this posting's title refers to all the pick-up / clean-up work I accomplished Friday morning.  It takes a WEATHER EVENT to get me motivated! I've mentioned our weather is to get colder soon, with temperatures in the mid-20's by early next week. 

Chip is storing sunflower seeds for the winter

That meant that I could not delay any longer.  So I spent from 9:00am-1:00pm yesterday putting the back patio to rights. The morning started out cold - but bright and clear.  It quickly deteriorated and became grey and windy - and still cold with stinging rain-showers - nice!

A Steller's Jay watched whilst I toiled!

I picked up all the plants in pots after determining whether or not they were cold-hardy.  I felt so guilty trimming the salvias whilst an Anna's Hummingbird darted around.  

Chip is too darned cute! 

But the first frost will kill all the blooms, and the plants stand a much better chance of surviving the winter if they are cut back - sorry hummingbirds!  The entire project took about twice as long as I'd thought it would.  But then all my projects are like that - I'm great at under-estimating both the time and the effort involved - thus: one tired body!

Papa Quail also observed my efforts - can you see him on the curve of the blackberry cane?

My plan for this weekend is to attack the plants on the front porch. I know I will feel so much better once I have Summer finally put to bed.  

  

A Bit of Progress

It's become one of those weeks when I've not been able to snatch much stitching time.  I did manage to sit down to stitch Wednesday evening for about an hour...otherwise...life got in the way, I guess.

I do think that I must have one of the very last blooming annual sunflowers in Lane County, Oregon.  This one is a volunteer, and while small, is quite healthy.   

My mushroom lesson:  from close observation I can state that the ones on the left and the right are the same variety - they are just in different stages of the mushroom life-cycle.

Give Thanks

Design - "Give Thanks"

Designer - SamSarah

Fabric - 28 count Cape Codder R & R linen

Started - 29 September 2004

Completed - 1 October 2004

As we approach Thanksgiving (one week away!) I thought that I would share the above stitch.

The fabric color is highly seasonal - cranberry!

The weather is becoming more like winter and less like autumn.  Yesterday morning was nice and I was able to work outside for a while.

I put out some suet yesterday - thrilling the Steller's Jays.

The California Quail came by for sunflower seeds.

There was lots of chipmunk action in the woodpile. 

One last strong wind will probably finish off the Sweet Gums' leaves.

Around 7:00pm last night it began to rain...then it poured...and continued all night long until about 5:00am this morning.  I will be interested to see what the rain gauge has recorded.

It's Mid-June. No Wait; It's Mid-November!

I've only stitched a bit on "Humble Gratitude" - and now, posting this picture, I can see I need to work on the tail of the burgundy heart as it has come untethered...oops!

The weather in this part of the world has been remarkable, if only because we've yet to have a killing frost.  So I'm celebrating Outdoor Wednesday with an update on all the fuchsias I still have still blooming their little hearts out! 

I'm lazy and did not look at the tags for names...but love this deep purple fellow.

And these two floozies look like something from mid-June not mid-November - at least in this hemisphere!

This shy fellow is darling in its simplicity.

  

This one is Barbie-doll pink!

And these are such elegant little earring blossoms...

Not a fuchsias, but this begonia refuses to give up the ghost!

I need to get a move-on as the weather forecast is now calling for a chance of snow-showers this weekend.  If that does not put a move in my get-along, then nothing will!

Acorns and Eggs

Today I thought I'd share with you the last of the five projects I had professionally framed back in August. 

"One Big Acorn" is quite small - framed it is only 5" x 6".  I chose not to have a mat.  I liked the cleaner look of the stitch and a frame.  Instead I used the border of the piece to delineate the space between the stitching, the "clean linen", and the frame.  With no mat, I was then able to use a very ornate frame - I just wish I had a better photo of the frame.

Design - "One Big Acorn"

Designer - Ewe & Eye & Friends

Fabric - 35 count Vintage linen

Fibers - DMC - one strand over two threads

Started -15 September 1998

Completed - 26 September 1998

Framed - August 2010

The entire acorn is made up of speciality stitches.

and outlined with a robust border...

and the squirrels are stitched over one thread.

I hope you like it - I still do all these years later.

That I think is the true test of a classic design.

Today's Tuesday Garden Party theme is "Gifts from the Garden".

I'm interpreting that to sharing the bounty of the garden.

My friend, Bev has three young hens.  They've started laying eggs.

So now Bev has lovely gifts to share with her neighbors. 

A bouquet from your garden - a most personal gift!

Perhaps you have a Walnut tree or a Filbert or two... 

or how about home-made kimichi and sauerkraut?

You can find more great ideas at An Oregon Cottage.

Crow and Veggies

Look what the mail brought!  I am super-excited to have this selection of crow charts.  I think that "As the Crow Flies" is going to move to the top of my Must Stitch List.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I thought I'd post a few more "Ode to Food" photos from our local Farmers' Market.

Autumn Apples and

Nifty, frilly cabbages...

and the last of the fresh corn.