Easter a day early little long with pictures!

On April 24, 1921 Chelma Adele Thiele was born in Missouri. She was one of the most unique people I have ever known, unlike any of the other mothers I met as a child and, as I grew up, and even after I became a mother myself. She was shy, but gave so much of herself to her family and others.

Her craft was crocheting and my daddy loved to sit and watch that crochet hook move so fast (he watched me too, when I grew up and took up the hook :) But, she did two cross stitch pieces in her life....and this is the one I still have today after many years.

Mother was taken from us in the aftermath of Katrina. She married my daddy during WWII, and they moved to the Mississippi gulf coast when I was three years old and that's where I grew up and married.

Her birthday falls on Easter this year and I thought I would honor her by sharing her with my friends. She loved to laugh, so when the SS class I taught gave me a picture frame along with flowers I knew which picture would go in it. This was her last visit to my house. In the grouping, a baby picture and one as she looked when my daddy courted her :) You can also see my little sal finish I made into a pillow and the needleroll friend Sally gave me in an exchange. The pin keep bunny, friend Lavon gave me just because I loved it when I saw it.

Next up is Anna's Bird by Goode Huswif which I stitched in Mother's honor, renaming it Chelma's Bird., as beautifully unique as she was.

Thought I'd have this little sampler done by now, but only close...maybe tonight.

Did finish a prairie schooler ornament from their cranberry Christmas book. I chose a non-Christmas fabric cause the green matched both the trees of the ornament and the washed out green of the ric rac. Just had fun with this one and added the yellow/gold stars :)

That's it for now. Happy Easter, everyone, and please do remember why we celebrate this time. What a time of renewal, of strength, faith and the hope that is in us.

Love,

Babs

the sweetest kind of gift

It's not always something you hold in your hands, but rather in your heart. I have to share this stitching story with my stitching friends.

I started in the cyber world with Cross Stitch Pals with Amy. It was a time of secret pals and I loved making my pals happy with those little surprise gifts for four months until the "unveiling". The time before we knew who our secret pal was.

For some reason that I never really knew I had two pals who got my name and didn't honor the game. I still had a lot of fun sending, but the receiving was another thing. Two times this happened and two times very thoughtful people adopted me.

One was Sally who was so good to me I felt guilty. She sent so many things I will never be able to make it up to her. She and I have become really good friends through our stitching buddy group which she joined after that round of secret pal.

The other one called herself Bo Peep and she began to write me on the board calling me the little lost sheep. I spent so much time and energy trying to find out who she was but no one seemed to know...not even Amy or the other regulars. That round ended with me never knowing who had taken care of me but she crosses my mind from time to time.

I found out today. She was and is my youngest daughter, Karen, who was a part of the secret pal thing both sending and receiving. This is how she knew exactly what to say and what to send. She had her ways of getting things to me from people in other parts of the country so I just stayed confused.

She called me today while I was out and told me just like that. She said "Mom, do you remember Bo Peep who rescued you on secret Pals? That was me" Just like that after all these years. I cried right there in the middle of the bookstore.

That is Karen to the right...she has a tender heart and is always reaching out to help someone. The sparkle left her eyes when her husband died in 08 and I keep waiting for it to return. She always had laughing eyes. She has a weakness for silk threads but doesn't cross stitch anymore.

The few stitches at the top are the few stitches I put into a French sal called Spring Bouquets. I know, I know. I really am going to work on the challenges.

hugs,

Babs

snowed in, January challenges, heads up on a blog

I have 52 blog readers! 52! I am humbled and amazed and am trying to check out anyone I don't follow so I can. Hello to all of you!
The picture at top is Herman and me Christmas at dd Karen's house. I show it off so you can see how healthy he is getting after the year of cancer, surgeries and chemo. It started off at the bottom, I hit the wrong button so now it's back on at top. Oh well. Blogger in training..that's me!

My daughter Tami started a new blog that any of you who want to renew yourself physically and spiritually during this new year should check out. She doesn't always have internet at this time and has to post sporadically, but catches all her days up when she does post.

Yes, North Alabama and even farther south is shut down. Because we don't experience this often, the expense of winter machinery (snow plows, etc.) is not cost effective so our streets and roads become impassable quickly. This causes chain reaction of school and business closings so here we are.

Here's the snowman my grandkids created yesterday. He's tall and 20; she's 16.

I am behind on challenges, but to be anything else would not be me :( A couple days found me not stitching at all except for what you're going to see in these pics coming up.

First up is Apple Tree Sampler by Hawkins House worked on 36 ct. with Belle Soie silks.

Second is Quaker Harmony by My Big Toe done on 32 ct with Weeks dye works.

Third is His Flowers by Rosewood Manor, a personal favorite and so little to show for it. It's on 32 ct. Autumn Blush using dmc.
I did put a few stitches in border of Heart of America but not enough to scan :( But, here is the work done on Battle Hymn of Republic; what it looked like when I picked it back up and what it looks like now. The skipping at the bottom was done in fear that I cut the fabric too short...false alarm.

hugs & happy stitching,

Babs

Hello from sunny cool Alabama!

I think I could write a book called "After the chemo is over" by the Care Giver. Or maybe I should call it "Where do we go from here?" also by Care Giver.

I am half way into the second week since Herman returned to Philadelphia and still don't know what to do around here. Everything needs dusting and vacuuming and laundering or folding or mopping, or stitching, etc. etc.

And here I sit. I did some laundry yesterday and cleaned one bathroom which resulted in a panic attack, my 20 yr. old grandson babysitting me last night, and the oxygen running round the clock. I wanted to share this picture with you (which is a rough draft) of the portraits taken outside here before Herman left.


I am sitting in the middle with dd Karen (a widow) on my right and her 16 yr. old dd Sarah sitting on the ground my left. Herman is the one with his hand on my shoulder (of course) and the man in the middle is grandson Andrew mentioned earlier and his 18 yr. old brother also my grandson, Tyler. All three are Karen's children.

Maybe I'll have something stitched to post later. I did get the ornament stitched for buddy in England and mailed off Monday so can't post that picture yet.

Anybody know what to do when you've been a care giver and don't know how to get priorities in order when it's all over?

He is doing ok and is going to a big model train show in Allentown, PA this weekend. That will be fun and relaxing for him and he'll get whatever Christmas he's going to get while he's there. When you get our age and both have hobbies, it's just more fun for us to get what we want ourselves and be thankful that we can do that.

Bye for now,

Babs

Friday finishes and other things

It's been a while, and looking back I'm not sure why I haven't checked in sooner.

Maybe it's because chemo was winding down and my heart and mind was on getting through it without any surprises.

God willing, he's had his last treatment; will go for bloodwork and consult with Dr. Becdash on the 5th and then make plans for returning to work. He came home from Philly, ya'll, on February 17th and he's been here since. He's feeling ok, but he's so run down...his appetite seems to have come back, though. He's proud to show me he cleaned his plate for the last few evening meals...it's been a struggle getting him to eat.

Not much stitching since my last post except for the halloween exchange piece I work on a little bit every chance I get. Can't show that cause it's a surprise and I know she will check my blog when I post :)

But I can show some of the recent finishing on some not so recent pieces.

This is my oldest piece; it's Northanger Abbey by The Sampler Girl I stitched back in 2004, but just made it into pillow this week.

Next comes Say Grace also by The Sampler Girl; it's not quite as old but done in 2009 . I loved this piece the minute I saw it.

Then there is Land That I Love I already shared with you, but now a part of my patriotic scene. Wow! one stitched and finished in the same year :)

Last and least, but not my least favorite for sure is Blackbird Designs which I finished right after I showed you the WIP of it, but too lazy to post.
Oh yes, the little sheepie piece was stitched by dd Tami and was supposed to be pin cushion but decided to frame it. I love all things sheep!

I've read a few books, (listed on the right) but the biggest surprise of September was my Kindle! Baby brother Ed and his wife Twila bought me a kindle just because...the best kind of gift, huh? Everyone is always calling and asking about Herman, but then one day Ed called and said he wanted to know how his sis was doing. Before we'd hung up the phone (he lives in Kansas), he had ordered the kindle and the cover. He called this week and asked if I'd figured out how to use it yet. I told him Sure! you just order a book and read, right? I LOVE it!

Tomorrow, Herman and I are going to try something we haven't done in awhile. We are going to drive to Chattanooga, TN to see the model train display at the Hilton. In case I haven't mentioned before, Herman is a model train (HO & N scale) enthusiast and Luke has come a lot to "play" with him during all this chemo stuff. He will be nine years old this week. Last picture, of course, is Luke, the only grandson that carries his grampa's last name. He tells people that's why his grampa loves him so much.

That's about it for this afternoon. Maybe I'll have some pics of the day trip tomorrow.

BIG thanks and hugs to all of you who have prayed us through these months. It means a lot to me. Just in case ya'll don't know....DJ's (you know, Tickled Pink) birthday is the 18th of this month a day after my hubby's. She'll be one of those "landmark" ages, but she thanks God for everyone of those days and years and gives Him the glory for walking alongside her and even carrying her through this year of surgeries and chemo, setbacks, struggles, tears and laughter...always laughter with DJ. She has been an inspiration for me dropping in via snail mail or email just when I need it the most.

I know she's been an inspiration to many of you and now is a really good time to let her know :)

Love,

Babs