The Best of all Complaint Letters, an Award, and Mail!

This has to be one of the funniest and wittiest complaint letters I've ever seen. If you've already read it, pass it on. It is well worth the time. Check it out here. I so appreciate a good wit. Thanks to Sadie to letting us know about it. Some people just have a real gift for communication. LOL


I had another fun day in the mail. I've been trying to catch up on some JCS Christmas issues. I only have about five years worth, but I wanted 2005 to have at least the last six. I ordered it on E-Bay from a reputable seller and thought I'd been shafted. After touching base with her, she said she sent it media mail. From GA to NC it took 22 days to get here, but it's here. I also received the chart, By Her Hand, by La-D-Da as the giveaway prize from Sherry. It's awesome!
Thank you.

Beth has given me an award that I love. This one is a little different, but so nice. You know how this works, so I'm spreading the love by naming five others to award. So without further ado,

Kathy K - your generous and giving spirit is apparent to all
Deborah - with all of your own trials, you always have an encouraging word for everyone else
Rene - you really introduced me to a group and showed me what it could be like to have real internet friends
Donna - your Stitching For a Cure is pure love. We all thank you.
Meari - as busy as you are, you keep up with everyone, give help & tutorials, and post an awesome blog.

Snow?!! Giveaways, and Stitching (barely)

Wow, I won a giveaway from Beth and I love it! She sent me the Northern Pine Designs "Ebb Tide" and the canvas that goes with it. Thank you so much, Beth!
We here in the Raleigh area did get about 5-6 in. of snow; it's been a long time for us to have any. Here's the view of the front,

then the back, ( I know, it looks pretty much the same.)

and the front steps. Interesting how the snow blew and left it this way.

I have stitched a little on a Bride's Tree ornament for January. This is Rosewood Manor's House in the series.


And lastly, this a reminder of enjoying life to the fullest....

Click on the picture and you get the full effect. Yes, Montana absolutely loved the snow.
Oh, to be young and free!

The Big Event

"Montana"

Well, as you can see by the picture, you know what our big event was today! Isn't he adorable?! And we have a thing for states, I guess LOL. Since our Indiana died right before Christmas, the house has seemed so empty. And even though here's proof that our cat, Zoe, has decided to be a little more approachable after seven years,

we hate coming home with no dog at the door. So DH & I decided to go for it again and we got another golden retriever puppy. His father is English (white) and his mother American (golden), so his coat will be lighter than a regular golden. He's so cute and into everything. It is totally established already that he's a hog and a messy eater to boot. He not only puts both paws in to help him eat, he lays down on the floor to finish! Too funny.

Here's DH with him, me, and then naturally, we had to make a stop at my mom's.




And yes, if you see circles under my eyes, it's because we're losing sleep, either to take him outside or hear a sporadic yelp. He's a little younger, so the trips outside are a little more frequent for a week or so. You know, I'd forgotten about this part... Reminiscent of having a baby in the house, though not to that degree.
I have learned some new information. If you want your children to come visit, get a puppy. Not that we mind the visits, of course. But it is cute to see them rush over to check out the new addition.


All but one have come, and she's coming Sun. from college with her boyfriend and best friend. I'll be sure and post her picture, along with some other things. I've posted about oldest DD's wedding, DS's graduation & soon to be wedding, so I want to post about her, too.
Back to the puppy, interestingly enough, Montana could care less about the cat - totally ignores her. She's all paranoid and will come sniff him when he's asleep, but stays away. I think she still might sit on my lap at night, but we'll just have to wait and see if she thinks we've betrayed her. Poor baby.

On the blogging front, I have been totally shocked this week. I won two giveaways in two days!
Thank you Beth and Sherry. I will post as soon as I receive them in the mail. What fun!

Another thank you to Janet for giving me an award. I know several of you have already done this, so I'll try not to duplicate. I am supposed to list 5 of my addictions and name 5 bloggers who I think are "Fabby."

So here are my 5 addictions:
1. God
2. Family
3. Cross Stitching and buying stash
4. Reading
5. Computer time!

Here are the 5 people I have nominated for the Fabby award:
Gabi
Kathy K
Kathy H
Mare
Shelleen
Now if you winners will please go and do likewise! :)

Tidbits

Several people have asked for information on the key-chain with our dog's photo etched on it. There are very few places that do this type of work, but TJ's Engraving and Gifts is in Cary, NC. It's a mother/daughter operation out of the home. You can also find them on the web at http://www.giftsbytjs.com/

Stitching has been a little better lately and I finished this ornament during last Friday's SAT. Haven't decided how to finish it, so will decide after more ornaments are done. Design found in the Zweigart pamphlet Needle Art.

This is my first ornie finish as part of a monthly Ornament SAL this year. The January Bride's Tree ornie is my stitching for this week. I'm about halfway, so the finish should be soon.

I'm pleased to be part of a Friendship RR this year using this chart from Carriage House Samplings. We'll be starting sometime in February. What fabric to use? Which threads? I'm thinking hand-dyed mint/celery green or similar, but beyond that, I'm not sure. The threads or at least some of them would definitely have to be switched out then, so we'll see. Any suggestions?

My friend Kathy does such phenomenal stitching that I nagged her to post here on Blogger. She graciously humored me and started a new blog. All of her gazillion finishes aren't posted on it, but she has links to her pictures. She's always stitching something new and has been working on several large pieces, including Holland Landscapes by Chatelaine. I keep pestering her to give an update and she has promised me today that it's coming shortly. Gorgeous does not even describe it. Seeing that piece stitched is enough to make you drop everything and sign up for the group to go ahead and download it. So, if you get a chance, stop by her new blog and give her a welcome to Blogger. Kathy's been stitching and online for years, and I'm sure many of you already know her. Some of you may not, however, and you're in for a stitching treat. (Just ask to see a picture of her Egyptian Garden framed.)

And lastly, my DH and I may have a big event this weekend, but don't know yet. When I get all the details, I'll be sure and share it. Thanks for reading and commenting - it's always an encouragement! :) Take care, everyone.

The Strangest Thing......

I can't explain it nor can anyone else.
Remember our "sweet" cat, Zoe? Much sarcasm here - the one we dubbed the demonic one. This is the cat that from day one as a tiny kitten wouldn't sit in anyone's lap, even when placed. She has been the skittish, ever-ready-to-play & attack-anything-moving cat. She acts as if she has multiple personalities and none of them nice. Woe unto the person that picks her up for more than two seconds.
She is truly an enigma.
Zoe is at the door waiting when I come home and stretches up, meows like she wants me to come see her, but when I do, she runs away. I try to fool myself into believing that there's a sweet cat in there somewhere that just can't get out. Haha She tolerates me the most and will rub up against my legs and butt me with her head, but we're always suspicious of this as it's behavior she uses when she's has no food in her bowl. She really gets totally obnoxious when food is gone. We're so surprised sometimes when she comes around us and there's actually food there.
One of the funniest things DH said recently was when I was gone for a weekend. He called me laughing to tell me he couldn't believe I'd gone off and left him with no food in the house for Zoe. LOL My DH has joked for years that if she were bigger, she'd off us in our sleep. When DH & DS were at a Carolina Panthers game awhile back, they brought the mascot out and put her on the screen. Both DH & DS looked at each other in amazement and said it was a bigger clone of Zoe. Are you getting the picture here? Affectionate she's not, but entertaining, yes.

She looks pretty ferocious here, but it's a false alert. Sometimes she just opens her mouth and it stays that way for a minute. :)
Now to the strange part.
Ever since our our dog died a few weeks ago, we've wondered if Zoe missed him. I've seen her go to the stairs at night and look around and we wonder if she's looking for him. But now when I sit on the couch, she'll come lay on my lap. My DH, DD, and I just sit there dumbfounded. This cat is 8 years old and not one time has she ever remotely done this. She's still skittish and the least little thing will make her jump off, but tonight she lay there for an hour or so. We've never really heard her purr, either, but she actually was making mittens one night and I thought I caught a faint sound. I'm thinking I'm getting delusional here. I don't know whether she's lonely and desperate or she thinks we are! Hmm....don't think I can credit her with that much of a sweet nature - must be her. :)
Now, the interesting part is - what happens if we decide to get another dog in the next year or so - I have a feeling it's going to rock her world!
But it really is the strangest thing......
Anyone else ever experience anything weird like this with your pet?
Mind you, I'm not complaining - it's nice; but I am somewhat mystified.

On the stitching front, I'm struggling to get more done. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, but it's slow.
As for goals, I'm starting ornaments for two monthly SAL's, and then want to go back to the Travel Sampler. I'd also like to work on some UFO's (cough), I mean WIP's. I've had one partially done for years that I'd really like to finish for a friend. As you can see, I have a ways to go. I have five teapots done and there are eighteen. They don't take that long to stitch; I just haven't pulled this one out to work on it.

So I'm keeping my stitching goals fairly simple.
Keep up with the ornaments each month
Dare I say finish the Travel Sampler... really need to
Finish one larger UFO and work on others
Stitch a few exchanges or fun stitches in between

Have a wonderful day.

Christmas Tidings

Stocking - NeedleArt by Zweigart

Tree - NeedleArt by Zweigart

Noel - M Designs

These are ornaments that went inside lined tins for three friends of mine as part of our exchange gifts. We all live within two hours of each other and try to meet at our LNS every few months or so. Today was our small Christmas party and we had so much fun. Since DH gave me a gift certificate to the LNS and they had a great sale going on, I felt perfectly free to buy stash. Got several charts and lots of threads (50% off). Cannot beat that.

I'm still in a Christmas stitching mood, so I decided to join Nancy M. & Chris's Ornament Challenge group. I'm giving the link from Nancy's blog - I can't get it to pull up on mine.
I'm also in the Bride's Tree SAL so I want to adapt this particular New England St. Nick for the December ornament.
Below are the wonderful gifts from our exchange. I think I'm set for a long time. :)

Christmas was a blur now, I think. We celebrated with extended family the weekend before (right before we lost our dog), went to see the Dead Sea scrolls that Mon. with brother's family, had Christmas Eve service and gifts with immediate family that night, open house Christmas Day, and then left for wedding rehearsal in FL next day, and wedding on Sat. Wedding was beautiful and very sweet. Came home Mon. and had Christmas party with friends today & trip to LNS. Fun, but busy. I'm looking forward to being able to stitch some this week. I've included a few pictures of the happenings.
All of us at the wedding.....


My mom and me - she turned 88 on Dec. 22 and can still run rings around most of us. Good thing she doesn't read my blog, because she'd shoot me for posting her age. She has battled cancer and congestive heart failure these past few years, so I am very thankful to still have her.

And lastly, as a surprise, my DH gave us all key chains with Indiana's photograph etched onto the silver. A lady does this out of her home locally.














Thank you to all those that read my blog and post comments. They are truly appreciated. Hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the holiday. Happy New Year!

Indiana

Indiana is the name of our sweet golden retriever. We went to the breeder before he was born and chose the mom & dad of the litter & then specified the sex. He was born on Dec. 27, 1999, & at five weeks old, we went and picked him out of the litter. We had to wait to get him until he was eight weeks old. Our three children were gone that weekend and we had him waiting when they got home; he was such a beautiful puppy. Since that time, he has brought us tremendous joy & love. Even though he's a big dog, we wanted him to be indoors with us so we could really have him as part of our lives.
This is the dog that loved everyone & knew no stranger. We used to say that if anyone ever came in the house to rob us, he'd say - Come on in! Party's here!!. My daughter came up with the idea of introducing him as - This is Indiana.....Indiana Bones. Pretty cute, huh, especially since we were all Indiana Jones fans. My DH used to take him out in the truck with him sitting on the console watching it all. Of course, that seat didn't last too long as he grew.
He loved to escape from the outside door & comb the entire neighborhood, as we're attempting to catch him. Of course, all it took was for someone besides the family to call him or be outside. Our neighor's son became the pro at going to get him, for which we are eternally grateful!
Indiana became afraid of the dark or thunderstorms after several years, though we never knew which one exactly started it. Sort of a vicious cycle. Then he'd park himself right by your side or under your feet if he could. He would have given anything to be a lap dog, but he just didn't fit.


His breath would absolutely knock you over, but he loved you! I used to say, who needs men when you have Indiana. He'd burp, snore, poot, roll around, and whimper while he slept. Mooching or scarfing food was one of his favorite pastimes & he was good, really good at it. It all started when my son had made this really great sandwich he'd been looking forward to. He went to answer the phone and left it on the counter. Well, you guessed it. When he turned around, no sandwich & innocent Indiana is licking his chops! We learned to never leave food in his range or hold something in your hand by your side. He could beg with the best of them by simply looking at you and edging closer. I don't think he ever got full in his life. Food was always something to bargain for, especially peanut butter.
He was always waiting for you at the door with his tail wagging 60 mph. Indiana loved for you to pet him and would sit perfectly still or lean so hard against you, because he relaxed so much, that he would just about knock you over.
He used to be terrorized by our seven pound demon cat (he was 70 pounds), but he figured it out after awhile. She'd whip up on him and he'd just sit there and take it. She'd sail on him and attack his jowls and bite the mess out of him, until he finally got tired of it and trapped her with his paw. Too funny and you'd think he'd have killed her to hear her screech. But then she'd go back again.
Indiana's favorite thing in the world to do besides eat, was to play with DH & DS. They'd get on the floor and wrestle, roll, and heaven knows what else. You'd have thought he was eating them to listen to him growl and bark, but it was all play. He slept in DS' room whenever DS was home and it was always his "safe" room. If there were a thunderstorm or power outage and we weren't around, he'd head up there to stay. Later, when DD was home, he'd sleep in there, too.
This Sun., early in the morning, we unexpectedly lost our sweet dog. His last act at home was trying once again to mooch some food off someone when he collapsed. After the trip to the emergency vet, we learned how bad things really were. There was little warning, and he'd been fine and running around as he always had. At least we know that he was happy and had no suffering. We had to make the decision to let him go and at 5:30 AM Dec. 21, six days shy of his 9th BD, we said good-bye to Indiana.
Strangely now, our house seems so quiet. I didn't realize how often I heard him moving around if I were in another room. He'd shake his head & I'd hear the collar and tags. Funny the things you don't think about beforehand. While we are all really sad about our loss, I know how privileged we were to have him for the time that we did. He was one of the best examples of unconditional love I think I've ever seen. My DH used to tell people jokingly that one of his goals in life was to get his wife and kids to love him the way his dog did. :)
Even though we've had dogs in the past and may do so again in the future, I don't know if there will ever be one quite like him. So I feel blessed to have had him as part of our family. He will never be forgotten.

A Little of This, A Little of That

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted. Do you ever feel that life sometimes is rolling by so fast, you can barely catch your breath. I haven't been able to stitch much this month - you know how December is.



I'm including a few pics of my son who just graduated from NC State Wed. Hard to believe that he's done. Now when it comes to high school, we're all sentimental, because our chickies are getting ready to fly on their own. But college is a little different. We're so darn glad they're out & no more payments, that the sentimentality is almost lost. But DH & I are very proud of him & all his hard work.


Speaking of DH's, mine is a real sweetie. DH & T, the father whose son died recently, are both big Harley fans. T has been wanting a motorcycle cover, so DH had one embroidered to honor his son and the original design was framed for Andrew's mom. The people at the Harley shop were so nice and the cover is just perfect.


The interesting part is that DH was planning to give this to the fire station to give to the parents. Our friends weren't supposed to know it came from DH. But while DH was picking up the cover, he spread it out to show one of the workers there. He heard a voice behind him asking, "What have you done?". Yep - DH didn't even see him come in or know he was there, but T & his son were there to buy a motorcycle cover & saw DH. Well, that pretty much shot the anonymity, but it was so sweet. T started crying & hugging him & then they all started. DH just couldn't get over the odds of T being there then. Best laid plans....
Stitching wise, my time has been consumed with December madness! Eighteen of our family are coming in this weekend for dinner at our house. I've been scrambling to get Mom's & my presents bought. I wasn't planning on decorating too much for Christmas, but I have a decoration Nazi as my youngest, who would be upset if I didn't still decorate. She helped, so I can't complain... :)


Last weekend I went to a lovely bridal shower for my future DIL. While I was there, I HAD to go visit The Stitch and Frame Shop in Rock Hill, SC. If you ever go near there, go visit. It's great & the people there are so helpful & friendly. And yes, I did pick up some stash that I'm dying to start on. One is They Came Bearing Gifts by The Stitching Parlor. I decided to change a few colors & chose a red sparkly fabric for it. I'm itching to start, but I also need to get back to the Travel Sampler, too.


We had a cookie exchange at our LNS Monday night stitching group - yum yum! I actually did stitch some. Will post a pic later, but I did stitch!

Christmas Carols #2 - Jingle Bells

For all those being hit with snow a little early or even right on time, here's an appropriate Christmas carol for you. I'm in the South & I'm jealous, but only during Christmas time :) While Jingle Bells may not have the hauntingly touching story of IHTBOCD (see 11/20 post), I wouldn't have figured its origin. Actually, there are somewhat differing views on how it really came to be.
One of them states that James Pierpont, a Boston Sunday School teacher (or Savannah - one of the differing controversies...) , taught this to his pupils for Thanksgiving in 1857. It was originally entitled "The One Horse Open Sleigh" - there's a no-brainer LOL - His class learned it very quickly and performed it. Pierpont had been by a friend's home who had the only piano in town. His friend called it a "merry jingle" and thought it would be successful. Little did they both know! The song was changed and brought back out at Christmas. Voila! Instant Christmas song.
Interesting little note about Pierpont - his father was a poet and reverend and his uncle was J. P. Morgan, the famous financier who merged several companies and formed General Electric and the U.S. Steel Corporation (around the 1900's).

"Jingle Bells"
1. Dashing through the snow,
in a one-horse open sleigh,
O'er the fields we go,
Laughing all the way.
Bells on bobtail ring,
Making spirits bright,
What fun it is to ride and sing
a sleighing song tonight!
Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride
in a one-horse open sleigh!

2. A day or two ago
I thought I'd take a ride,
And soon Miss Fannie Bright,
Was seated by my side,
The horse was lean and lank,
Misfortune seemed his lot,
He got into a drifted bank
And then us got upsot!
Oh! Jingle bells ...

Now seriously, doesn't this sound like tons of fun?!

A Tribute to Andrew

I write this post with a heavy heart. One of our neighbor's sons (25) was involved in a tragic accident Tues. night; he had been on life support with little chance of survival. He's an organ donor and they were waiting for the right time to remove the respirator. They removed it Thurs. to see if there were any chance of life. Sadly, there wasn't and his brain had no activity. So they put him back on it to save his organs. Today was his final day.
I haven't seen Andrew much these past few years, as he's out of the home, married and busy with his work as a full time & volunteer fireman - his life's dream. But I remember the teenager who was so friendly, caring and helpful to everyone - the one who came to our house during an unprecedented snow and we all went sledding. He loved his grandmother dearly and spent a lot of time with her. After having his heart broken as a teen during dating (as most teens do), he found the love of his life and married her several years later. His mother told me at the hospital Wednesday that Andrew would be with his stepdad's mom soon (who died earlier this year). They had held out hope for a miracle for him at first, but his condition worsened.
We don't know what will happen tomorrow. Our life is like a vapor that's here for a short time and then vanishes away. We have no guarantees that everything we hold dear in this life will be here tomorrow. This is a grim reminder to me to cherish my loved ones today and be thankful for what I've had so far, regardless of the outcome - not so easy to do, either. I may not understand it all here now, but I put my trust in the One who does. Vonna wrote a post today about our treatment of other people and striving for the best. It again is a wonderful reminder of how to live our lives. Do we want to live for ourselves or others? A very sobering thought, sometimes. I certainly don't attain this the way I should. But it's also true that we can start each moment afresh with the resolve to love others and live our lives in a manner that would make a difference in someone else's life. A true purpose to have - Andrew, you were this type of man. You will be missed.