Framed, Finished, and Grateful

Went to stitching group last night and "Wedding" was framed and ready to go. You can't really tell it by the picture, but the actual frame is silver that changes color a little as it hits the light. My daughter has seen a picture of it stitched and she knows it was being framed. Now the dilemma is - put her off and save it for Christmas or go ahead and give it to her? It really was meant to be a wedding gift, as opposed to Christmas, but it wasn't finished until shortly after the wedding. Decisions, decisions.


Made some decent progress on TS (Travel Sampler) during an SAT this past weekend. Glad to be on an actual motif, instead of one of the two borders. (Glutton for punishment here to have put in two borders (it's Kim R's fault for letting me see her gorgeous sampler borders). It'll be pretty, but it does make somewhat monotonous stitching sometimes. It's good to be stitching some of the fun part now. :)

I'm also really getting in the Christmas mood with stitching and finished up this Mill Hill kit - Poinsettia.

Sometimes it's easy to get so caught up in preparing for Christmas, Thanksgiving is just the first day of the Christmas season. Savoring this holiday is one way to show gratitude for the blessings in my life. As we all know, there's no guarantee for tomorrow. Feeling thankful for the special things today is important.

So here's my list of blessings:
-My Savior, who gives me life & gave us a fantastic church to call home.
-My DH, sweet, loving and hard-working
-My family, (DH, DD & SIL, DS & fiance, DD & BF, and my mother are the constants in my life).
-My mother - she deserves a special place here - I cherish the relationship we have.
-My brothers and all their families, that I love dearly and enjoy so much the times we get together.
-My friends, that I've had for both long & short years (Nancy, Sue, Cheryl, Frances, Terry, Kathy, & Deborah - you keep me sane!) Bless you.
-My dog, who gives me a glimpse of what unconditional love is like! (ok, ok, & my cat, who gives us a glimpse of .....never mind (sigh) LOL
-My health, though I could be doing more to help it.
-My trappings of life - shelter, transportation, jobs, and so much more.
-My country & all those who came before to give us freedom and those that keep us free still. Our country was & is built upon the backs of their sacrifices. Bless you.
-And for you, my cross stitching friends, both near and far. Some I get to see each week or every so often, and some I will never meet in person, but I treasure our friendships. The intangible gifts received through these online boards, groups, and blogs are priceless. Through them we all share a love and passion for needlework that is limitless.
I feel as if I know many of you well enough to share personal tidbits of my life and to gladly listen as you share yours. I've laughed, cried, been challenged to try new ideas, and definitely been enabled! (ahem, Rene & others...;0 ). I love the stitching pieces, the parts of your life you share, your encouragement, your pictures, your blogs, and your love of needlework. It's a privilege to know you here online and consider you all a daily part of life. And special gratitude is given to those that keep all these groups, boards, and blogs going. Thank you for all the personal comments you've made in groups or on my blog. They are so encouraging & I truly do value each and every one.
You all have touched and enriched my life in ways that you may never fully know.
God bless you all & have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Carolyn NC