Mirabilia's new freebie - Gold Butterfly!

Mirabilia has a new freebie, Gold Butterfly! If you go to the freebies, you'll see it. I really like it. It's the second in the series "Bejeweled Bugs." If you remember, the first one was a bumblebee. Check it out.

Gathering Honey Update

Gathering Honey progress as of today. The only backstitching I've done is the lower plants because it had to be done before those challenging french knots. Finally, I can start on the colorful parts. I was getting a little weary of grey stones! I even found a mistake at the top (I saw it when I enlarged my last progress pic), which I'll be frogging out and restitching. That's an added bonus to posting the progress photos. It comes in handy to spot overlooked errors. I think I'll also restitch the bees in the center (because the thread shows through from the back where I carried it from bee to bee). I'm off to put DS/8 to bed since he keeps getting back up.

Fishing Trip

DH took DS/8 fishing for the first time. The first fish he caught was this 1 lb. catfish! He caught several brim, also. He was very excited, though a little leary of the fish flipping around. He tried out his new fishing pole. They used hotdogs, instead of lures though.It was 99 degrees today so tey couldn't stay very long. It was just too hot! (Memphis is under a heat advisory!) Here is DH's Catch-of-the-Day! It was about a 5 lb. catfish! Who knew that catfish love hotdogs?

*Note to Readers: I removed the photos of the fish, due to the comment below. You can still see them, but you have to click on the above links. I didn't dream they would be upsetting to anyone.

Small Victories

I finally got my medication problem resolved and received it in the mail. Thank goodness! Small victory, if you want to call it that.

Stitching Update:
I attempted the french knots again on Gathering Honey WIP. I had searched several websites to see what I was missing. Finally, I figured out that you have to hold the thread at different tautness at different times. I got the hang of it, finally, and I'm on a roll (another small victory.) I found that it takes total focus to do the knots, unlike the full cross stitches. (At least, for me, it does.) I hope to have a progress photo to post soon.

Medusa says, "Give Me A Break!"

I have been trying since April to get a mistake corrected that was made by our health insurance company's meds-by-mail program. (The mail order meds are those that are "maintenance" type that are taken daily). I won't bore you with the details, but it has turned into a nightmare and now I'm completely out of medicine. I've made 7 phone calls and each time was told they had ordered it. To make things even more interesting, the med I'm out of is my hormone. I'm not a joy to be around without it, not to mention what it does to my body.

I went to Dr. Brain#2 yesterday and had an EEG. Can you say "Gluey Mess"? Fortunately, the glue will wash out with a good scrub. I felt like Medusa with all the wires coming out of my head. The Dr. said the EEG looked good. That's good news, because I need all the good brain waves I can get to deal with the incompetence of our meds-by-mail reps.

My car wouldn't start when I got ready to go to the doctor. I had to call my DH and get instructions over the phone on recharging the battery with a battery charger. It was 89 degrees and extremely humid, so by the time I got the van charged, my hair (not to mention the rest of me) was wringing wet. Not a pretty sight, I can assure you. I'm just glad yesterday is gone forever.

In stitching news, I've cross stitched some more areas on "Gathering Honey". I started on some flowers that are french knots. After I would make one knot, the next knot would pull the first knot through the fabric. I got frustrated and thought it best to come back to it later. Well, later, I was able to make 3 "good" knots and I stopped because it was getting late. I'll try to get those flowers stitched so I can post an update soon.

Duct Tape Dress Form

After reading Belinda's blog, "View From an Alternate Dementia", I remembered a great duct tape idea I found online. It is how to make a dress form out of duct tape. It's much cheaper than buying a commerical dress form, and the finished result is a body double of yourself. What a cool idea. If you sew clothing for yourself or someone else, it's a great way to cut down on the fittings. I hope to make one (when I start sewing clothing again). Here's another site that has a lot of information and photos and tips, too.

Progress on "Gathering Honey" WIP

Here's the progress, as of yesterday, on my "Gathering Honey" WIP. I have stitched more since this photo, but not enough for another update just yet. I'll post another update when I get further along. For reference, here's the model photo.

Recycle & ReUse!

When we were at the City Cafe in Holly Springs, MS, I saw several things that caught my eye. I love things that are made from recycled items. For instance, I like tables that are made from old doors. I like the look of an old window becoming a photo frame and old doors turned into tables.
This is the vanity in the women's restroom...

It's a antique sewing machine base, a scrap piece of marble, and a bowl for the sink! The drawers from the old sewing machine are even used as storage! How cool!! I love this idea. There was also a great vintage screen door hanging on the one of the walls as art, but I didn't get a pic of it.

(This is the same cafe where my son cracked the safe and got his prized buttons.)

The 8 Month Search Has Ended

Drum Roll, please.....We have a new pastor for our church!
He is Dr. Steve Gaines from Gardendale, AL.
You can read more about him here.



Our family is looking forward to having Dr. Gaines as our pastor. At the same time, we are praying for our former pastor, Dr. Rogers, who retired recently and has since started chemo treatments for cancer.

Cracking Safe in City Cafe

Last night, DH, DS/8 and I drove to Holly Springs, MS, for a gig at the City Cafe. We had a great time! Family and friends came to hear the music and eat some yummy catfish! DS/8 spied a safe the was as tall as he was. The owner told him to try to crack the combination. He could keep whatever was in it if he could open it. With his ear planted on the door of the safe, he carefully listened to hear the "clicks" as he turned the knob left and right. After many tries, he whispered in my ear, "I cracked the safe and I got the treasure!" When I turned around to see what the "treasure" was, I saw a small jar of buttons! The funny thing is, most children would be disappointed, but he was excited. He has #1: a mom who sews and (quoting him) #2: he has "ideas flying out of his head" all the time about projects we can make. The buttons will find a home in a pillow or something that will remind him of this adventure for years to come. (I think I'll sew the buttons in a fish design on a pillow, if I can talk him into it).

Sad Day in London, Sad Day for All Who Value Life

"I never knew grief felt so much like fear."

Quote from: A Grief Observed - C. S. Lewis

When I saw on t.v. the bombings in London by terrorists, I began to grieve. What goes so wrong in a person's life that makes them hate so strong? It's just horrible. This is the messed up world my children have to grow up in. My heart and prayers go to the families who lost loved ones & suffered injuries.

"Gathering Honey" Stitching Stones

I'm chugging along on the stone path in the "Gathering Honey" project. Hopefully I won't see any more "frogs". As I've said before, I haven't done any of the backstitching yet. You can see what this design looks like when finished...here.

Fireworks and Announcement of New Pastor

On Sunday evening, my DH, DD/23 & DS/8 went to our July 4th Celebration at our church, Bellevue Bapt. The fireworks were awesome! Sunday morning, the announcement was made that a new pastor for our church has been selected. We don't know who it is yet, but he'll be preaching next Sunday. Our Pastor Emeritus, Dr. Adrian Rogers, has started receiving chemo treatments for colon cancer. God bless him and his family.

I have stitched and I have frogged out the beginning of the pathway on Gathering Honey. Now that I'm back on track with the stone path, I'll post a progress pic soon. It has been a fun project so far. The frogging out slowed me down, but the path is stitching up nicely.

My DS/8 saw the Stoney Creek design, Noah's Sub, and asked if he could stitch it. This is coming from a child that already has 3 works in progress (WIPs)! Of course, I said, "Not just yet". What, on earth, have I started?