Rainy Days and Mondays

Don't worry!  I'm not really down...but it's a Monday and I'm kinda tired of rainy days...lol.  They do make me sleepy so I don't know how much I'll accomplish today but I'm determined to get something accomplished.  

I did get caught up on the Soed Idee Quaker SAL.  I am loving this pattern.  I find the motifs to be so unique and dainty...which makes this hard to put down once I get started.  I'm stitching this on 28 count Antique Ivory over 1 with Belle Soie Cranberry silk floss.  Here is where I am after completing part 9 on Saturday.  

I'm still making progress on The Romantic Stitcher by Passione Ricamo.  I'm stitching this on 32 count Natural over two.  Only a few thousand stitches until I'm finally off this skirt and onto the more interesting part of the pattern.  Last I checked I have completed almost 70%!  

I was all set to take one of my finished projects to the framer today, when I woke up to dark skies and rainy weather.  Not to mention it's not supposed to get out of the 40's today.  Yeah....I think it will be a very nice stitching and movie watching day!  Stay tuned though...I will get there sometime this week!  

I wanted to thank those who have been praying for Little Miss Sassy Pants.  She had a miserable weekend, poor wee lass.  While the Doctors said she did well and the surgery went well, we won't know for a while if the surgery helped with her lazy eye.  She had eye pain and a sore throat all weekend.  I haven't heard yet this morning how she's doing.  Hopefully she is better this morning.  Please continue to pray that the surgery worked and she doesn't have to go through this again!  

And on that note, I'm off to see about getting some stitching done.  I hope you are having a blessed day and have a great start to your week.  Happy Stitching! 

Friday Catch-up

Good Morning!  It's finally Friday...and this crazy week is almost over.  Today my dear Little Miss Sassy Pants is having surgery on her eye.  I'm praying everything turns out ok.  Thank you for those who have been praying, I will update when I know more.  We are hoping to see the family later on today.  

I have good news to report about The Romantic Stitcher!  I have finally finished stitching the white portion of her skirt....whew!  That seemed never ending!  Now just a little more of the blue area to the left and I'll be back to some more interesting part of the pattern.  According to Pattern Keeper I am over 60% finished so we are on the downward slope now!  I can't believe I've made it this far only 1 1/2 months into the piece!  I guess I have incentive as I have other things I really want to stitch.  As I suspected, I haven't been able to keep up my 500/day average though I came close last month.  I was able to stitch on average 472/day.  I've already failed so far this month...lol.  I was only able to put in a little over 300 yesterday as I had my annual eye exam and they dilated my eyes.  The bright light of my stitching lamp bothered my eyes so I had to wait until the evening until I could see well enough to stitch again.  Good news though...my eyesight hasn't changed enough to require new glasses and I still don't need glasses to drive...not bad for a soon to be senior citizen!  (I turn 65 in October).  Here is where I am as of this morning.  

Speaking of the eye doctor...while waiting for my eyes to dilate, a young mother walked in with a 3 yr old and a 9 month old in tow.  They sat next to me and I couldn't help thinking now much like my DIL and her little ones they were.  As I made cooing sounds to the littlest one, I saw out of the corner of my eye, the 3 yr old giving me the side eye.  Haha...so much like Little Miss Sassy Pants...she finally walked over and sat by me while we discussed the strawberries on her shirt....she could name all the colors and could count all 8 of them!  She was delightful and made me miss Miss A even more (I didn't have either of the girls this week...funny how only a few days away can make me miss they so much).  It made my day to see those little ones.  

I woke up to the sound of thunder this morning...and we had storms roll through yesterday too.  I've been praying for the folks out west as they have sure had some terrible storms with some loss of life.  I have always had a fear of tornadoes...so I always keep an ear out for weather updates.  I also have friends and family living in some of those tornado prone areas.  Stay safe my friends!  

We had a blast on opening day!  My knee cooperated until almost the very end of the day.  I'm thankful!!  Miss Q was good for most of the day, even slept part of the game with noise cancelling headphones on...and Little Miss Sassy Pants cheered along with the rest of us while the O's did their best and won the game!  It's always a great feeling to leave the ballpark with a win under their belt!  

Last, I have been throwing in a few little finishes as I've been going along.  I had this little oval frame and popped Joy by Gentle Pursuit Designs from the 2024 JCS Christmas Issue into it.  I started out putting it in a round frame but it just didn't look right...so this is where it lives now.  I enjoyed stitching this one!  All those specialty stitches are fun for me to do!  

I also found this fun frame to put He Loves Us (a freebie by Teresa Kogut for Easter).  It's not exactly what I was looking for, but I'm happy with the way it looks.

I'm also starting a gift for a friend.  We have decided to do our annual "swap" of Christmas/Birthday gifts in July.  I found a pattern I think she will like ... but I won't be showing it on here until she has it in her hands.  I'm hoping I can put enough stitches in Romantic Stitcher that I can work  on this one afterward.  So much to do...so little time!  

And on that note, I'm off to get some stitching done!  I hope you all are safe from the storms, and enjoying the spring (or fall) weather, wherever you are.  Stay safe, and Happy Stitching!  

Happy Opening Day!

The guys have been talking about today for a couple of weeks now!  It's Opening Day in Baltimore for the Orioles today!  We have tickets (kind of a tradition since Ben was little) and it's always a celebratory atmosphere in Maryland (if you're on O's fan, that is).  Even little Miss Sassy Pants is excited (she loves her Birds!!).  I'm writing now, as I know later today I'll be exhausted.  The sun is shining but we are expecting storms, so there's no telling how long this day will be, and if I know my guys (and I'm pretty sure I do) they will stay until the last out is called.  I'm hoping my knee cooperates as well as the weather...so we'll see.  Here is a past picture of us on Opening Day many years ago.  

It's also the last day of the month...so I thought I would recap a little of what I've done this month in stitching.  Some days it feels as though I'm not really accomplishing much so I thought (mainly for my own encouragement) I would post before and after pictures of what I've been able to stitch this month.  First up is Romantic Stitcher.  I think by number of stitches I'm about half way through the pattern.  That's so encouraging!  Here is where I started this month...  

And here is where I finished up last night...  

I've also been working on the Soed Idee Quaker SAL.  Here is where I started on the first day... 

and here is where I finished up part 8 on Saturday.  

That is all that has been published so far.  The new parts come out on Saturday on their website.  I also threw in a little Christmas Ornament that is the April JCS Ornament challenge piece.  

Stitched on 36 count mystery fabric over two, this is Joy by Gentle Pursuit Designs from the 2024 JCS Christmas Issue.  I wasn't sure I would like it, but after it was finished I thought it turned out quite nicely!  I love all those specialty stitches!  

So I guess that's all that I have to share for now.  I hope I still have time to stitch today, I have stitched 1125 days in a row. I would hate to break my streak now!  LOL  I hope you are having a fabulous day whatever you put your hand to...and enjoy your stitching! 

Wednesday, Wednesday

Whew!  My Mom always used to say, "So goes Monday, so goes the week."  For that very reason, I try not to have anything scheduled for Monday...and try to make it as productive as I can.  Monday turned out to not be very productive at all...haha.  I did get my hair cut and got to see my friend, the hairdresser, and catch up on all the news since she left at the end of December....but that was about all I got done.  I was too tired, too sleepy, and too distracted to get anything done.  However...  Yesterday I had Miss Q here...and she had a Dr appointment so her Mom picked her up early.  She was happy most of the day...thankfully!  She loves to smile...more than her sister did at this age...and that just melts my heart!  And because her Mom picked her up early, I had a little more stitching time than most days when I have the girls...so I guess I made up a bit for Monday when I didn't get much done at all!  

I finished part 7 of the Soed Idee SAL!!  The next part comes out on Saturday.  Here is where I am now...  

Then I pulled out my poor neglected Romantic Stitcher.  I know it looks like there are a lot of holes at the bottom of her skirt...but those will eventually be filled in with beads.  I'm going to wait until the rest is finished before I add those.  Here is how she looks now... 

Hopefully I'll get some serious stitching done today and tomorrow.  This weekend (starting Friday and running through Monday) will be super busy.  Spring has sprung, and all our usual spring busyness has begun...lol.  Monday is Opening Day for the Orioles.  My knee has been having issues again, so I'm not sure if I'll be going to the game or not.  If I don't go, I'll probably stay home with Miss Q...I'll have to see how my knee feels on Monday.  In a way, I'm kind of sad...but that's life!  Opening Day is almost like a holiday here in Maryland.  The air is full of excitement and promise.  All I can say is LET'S GO O'S!!  

And on that note, I'll get off this machine and go get some stitching done.  I'm looking forward to working on my stitcher.  I hope you have a wonderful stitchy day!     

Monday, Monday...

It is a rainy day here today....and I'll be headed out soon to get my hair cut (finally!!).  It's been a while and my hair over my forehead is hanging in my eyes...and driving me crazy (not that I have that far to go!).  

The rain always makes me sleepy, but I'm also tired from the crazy day yesterday.  I love my granddaughters, but there is a reason I only have them one day a week on separate days...lol.  Our DIL's birthday was Saturday, so we agreed to watch the girls while the kids went out to a nice dinner together.  DH was in charge of Miss Sassy Pants...and I was in charge of Little Miss Q.  Let's just say, after this weekend, I KNOW I couldn't have them both here are the same time if I were alone.  LOL!!  They were only gone about 4 hours...but it was exhausting.  I love the girls, but now I know why we have them while we are young!  It brings to mind the commercial where a family drives up...the grandparents open the door, the kids dump the babies in the grandparents arms and drive away....all the while the grandparents yell..."Don't leave us with the babies!!  Don't leave us with the babies!!!"  

I said all that to say, I haven't got as much stitching done as I would have liked...however, I did stitch the first 6 parts of the Soed Idee Quaker Sampler...and started the current part 7.  

Sadly I haven't touched Romantic Stitcher all week.  Hopefully that will change once I finish part 7!  

I've already had one "dose" of Pick-me-up (otherwise known as coffee) but I think I'll need a second dose!  LOL

So that's all the news I have today.  I'm not sure what the rest of the week will hold, only that I'll have Miss Q tomorrow and Miss Sassy Pants on Friday.  Prayers appreciated, I'll need all the help I can get!  Happy Stitching!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  This has always been one of my favorite days of the year.  The wearing of the green, lucky shamrocks, shenanigans, and smiling Irish eyes!  We actually used to find 4 leaf clovers in our front yard from time to time when I was a kid...and my Dad had the brightest blue eyes along with his lovely brown hair...and loved to tell stories full of blarney.  

I was hoping to stitch a few St. Patrick's Day pieces this year, but this was the only one I managed.  This is called Pot of Gold by Shannon Christine stitched on 32 count mystery fabric (tea dyed) over two.  It was a freebie she included with a hunt for this pattern along with a hunt for discounts on her webpage.  All ready to spruce up my mantle.  It is a fun stitch!  Hopefully next year I can display a few more!  Wish me luck!  (Pun intended!)  

It was a rather subdued weekend, so I got a few stitches in and even started something new!  Here is where I left off with Romantic Stitcher...  

And then I started the new Soed Idee SAL, I'm calling it Red Quaker.  I love the motif I finished, and this alphabet is really pretty!  I'll be working on this off and on when I finish my required Romantic Stitcher stitches.  I'm stitching this on 28 count Antique Ivory over one using Cranberry Belle Soie silk floss.  I'm loving it so far!!  This is a free SAL from the Soed Idee website, they are already on part 6 which comes out on Saturdays.  I'm so far behind but hoping I catch up before the SAL is over.  Here is the webpage where the pattern can be found.  Soed Idee Red Quaker

Later Sunday night the kids came over for dinner.  They always bring so much excitement!  Mike and Miss Sassy Pants had a little Karaoke to Let it Go and You're Welcome....so cute and so funny!  Neither of them can sing too well at this point...lol...but I loved every second of it!  Poor little Miss Q wasn't having a good day...poor little mite, but hopefully she'll have a better day when I have her here tomorrow.  I love the days with the grands, though they usually wipe me out!  I can't believe she's 4 months old already!  I'll leave you with a little Irish Blessing.  I would love to chart this out one day...

I hope you all have a great day!  Happy Stitching!   

Happy Pi Day!

Hi Fellow Stitchers!  It's Pi Day!!  I know, I know, I'm such a nerd...but having a BA degree in Math makes me a nerd I guess.  LOL  I stitched this little Pi pie several years ago...and always comes out for a peek on this day...3-14...  

I also have a little celebration as I had a fun little finish last night.  I still have to fully finish it, but I'll get there.  This is He Loves Us a freebie from Teresa Kogut.  I've had it in my stash for a while but I think it's still available and here is the link...  https://teresakogut.com/freebies/cross-stitch/he-loves-us/   I stitched mine on 40 count Light Mocha over two using DMC floss, but substituted a satin floss for the lettering.  You can't see the sheen, but I love how it turned out!  

I've actually been able to keep up with my 500 stitches a day on Romantic Stitcher by Passione Ricamo.  Some days takes me longer to get the stitches in because there is a lot of confetti stitches in certain parts...but more often than not I can get them done in about 2 1/2 hours.  I know...I'm a fast stitcher!  According to the position in the chart I'm a little more than 1/4 done...according to the stitch count I'm about 40% done.  That skirt has a lot of stitches in it!!  LOL  

Anyway, enough spuddling (don't you just love that word?).  

It's time to get some stuff done around here.  Miss Q is home with her parents today so I have a free day...I have so many things I want to accomplish today...so off I go.  I hope you have a wonderful day whatever you are up to today, and have time to pursue the things that make you happy.  Happy Stitching!  

Whew! It's been a roller coaster ride!

Hello Fellow Stitchers!  March sure came in like a lion....let's hope the lamb shows up soon!  And I'm talking about more than just the weather.  

I'm back on a somewhat schedule watching the granddaughters again.  There's nothing better than todder hugs and baby snuggles.  I'm loving the Gigi life!  However it sure cuts into my stitching time.  

I made myself a little challenge...I'm hoping to put 500 stitches in The Romantic Stitcher a day...and so far, I'm doing pretty good.  My hope is to finish it within a few months...let's see how I do now that my challenge is in print!  LOL!  Here is where I left off last night...   

I also challenged myself that if I finished the 500 stitches during the day, I would stitch on a smaller project afterward.  I was  able to finish off A Quiet Place by The Little Stitcher stitched on 36 count Petite Point Natural over two and framed in the little oval frame.  

This is part of the JCS SAL on Facebook.  Thankfully I've been able to keep up...and I really like how this turned out.  

My  next little project will be an Easter piece.  I had a couple of projects lined up for St. Patricks too...but I'm beginning to lose hope that I will get them done this year.  Oh well, there's always next year!  

Well that's all the news that's fit to print today.  I hope you are all safe from the wild weather, and enjoying some stitching time.  Take care! 

Well, it's about time!!

Good Morning!  It's been kind of a crazy week here (I'm beginning to think I live in crazy town).  Little Miss Sassy Pants came to stay over night on Sunday night.  Monday was a holiday but her parents had an appointment with Little Miss Cranky Pants early in the morning.  To save them some craziness we offered to have Miss A stay with us and as always her stay was full of busy fun.  She really is a delight!  Her parents have decided to share the girls and I have each of them one day a week...different days.  So Miss A came back for her regular day (now on Tuesdays)...and again, we had another day of fun.  We made ornaments (each year I measure the girls heights, cut a ribbon, and put them in a clear plastic ornament.  I attach a tag with their name and date and a little saying:  

Inside this little ornament 

You will plainly see 

A ribbon length of (measurement) 

To match the height of ME

I also include how much they grew from last year.  It's going to be a fun thing for their trees when they are older.  I'm not sure what I've done with previous years, but I'm going to search for them and make a box for all the ornaments I make for them.  Hopefully their parents will keep track of them.  

After Miss A left on Tuesday I started a new project (I have a TON of WIPs, but why not start another one?  LOL!!)  I have had this pattern in my stash for AGES.  I'm not even sure when I bought it, but I had it kitted, lost all the items for the kit...kitted it again, found the lost kit...and then decided to use a different fabric.  I had it all set to start on January first, but started something else instead.  I tell you, the older I get the more scatterbrained I become.  LOL!!  I finished a project on Monday and thought...I need something that will keep my interest...and my eyes fell on The Romantic Stitcher by Passione Ricamo.  It's about time she saw the light of day!  

I started Tuesday night.  I worked on her on Wednesday, and Thursday, and then...it was Miss Q's day to visit.  Now Miss Q is barely 3 months old.  Babies are a lot of work.  I really enjoyed my time with Miss A when she was a baby.  Miss Q is quite a handful and by the end of the day I'm exhausted.  But...bonding at this age is so important, I'm so glad I'm able to spend time with these precious girls.  So...I didn't have as much time to stitch this week.  Hopefully next week will be a little better.  So...here is where I finished last night (Friday).  

This weekend is International Hermit and Stitch Weekend.  I was promised to have the whole weekend to stitch, let's see how much I can get stitched!  Wish me luck!! 

 As I was typing this, the kids texted to see if they could come over to look through some stuff they have stored here....well there goes the weekend!  LOL  You didn't wish me luck fast enough...hahahahaha.  Happy Stitching!  

I love cardials!

You can probably guess by the amount of cardinals I stitch, that I love them.  They were one of my Mom's favorite birds.  Now when I see them (especially a pair of them) I think of my Mom and Dad.  Lately they have been on my mind a lot.  I found this lovely pattern, and kept circling back trying to decide if I would buy it...and then I did when I saw that it was on sale.  I stitched this on 28 count Confederate Grey over 1 and I adore how it turned out.  

I may redo that finish as it seems kinda tiny in the 4" frame...lol.  Although I do like the look of the woodgrain around the outside.  Decisions decisions...what do you think?

That's all I've been up to lately, except for taking care of my beautiful granddaughters.  

I've had them a lot over the past few days, in fact I'm waiting for one of them right now!  So I'm off to have an adventure on this cold cold day!  I hope you are safe and warm and happily stitching wherever you are today!   

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing you and all your loved ones a very Happy Valentine's Day!  I had one last finish (the Primrose Cottage Friday Freebie for February).  I just didn't have time to fully finish it but thought it was appropriate to post it here today.  Spread the LOVE!

 

I stitch when I'm stressed...

I first want to thank those who have been reading and commenting on my blog.  I'm sorry I've been so slow at answering.  It's been a little crazy here the past few weeks.  I'm bailing out my canoe but the water is rushing in faster than I can bail.  When life gets a little overwhelming, I turn to my stitching to help get my mind off the craziness around me.  Having said that, I've been stitching up a storm!!!  

Since my last post, I've been working on Valentine's Day pieces.  I have decided I want to decorate the mantle of my fireplace for the different seasons.  Right now I have winter pieces there, but I'm ready to switch over to Valentine's pieces.  You saw the first one I stitched last week.  Since then I've stitched four more pieces and today I fully finished all five of them!  Yup, you guessed it, I'm stressed to the max!  So let's get started!  

Last week I finished You Have My Heart by Hands on Design.  Today I fully finished it into a frame I found at Home Goods.  I was so excited to find heart shaped frames, I nearly bought them all but settled on only two.  I was afraid to finish the heart shape into an ornament, and even finishing it this way was a challenge, but I'm satisfied with this finish!  Stitched on 40 count natural over two.  This was a fun stitch!  

Next I stitched Fruit of the Heart by Jan Hicks Creates.  This is stitched on 28 count antique ivory over one.  This came out so cute this small, and it fit perfectly into this little frame I found at my local thrift store.  I love the little hearts on the frame.  

Next I stitched Opalescent Heart by The Sweetheart Tree.  I found this pattern in the June or July 2007  issue of The Gift of Stitching magazine.  I couldn't find paillettes for a reasonable price so I used two different sizes of sequins and while they look ok, I wish I could have had the sparkle of the paillettes.  Should I ever win the lottery, I will buy the correct items to finish this properly...until then I'll settle for the sequins...haha.  It was stitched on 28 count natural over two.  I took a piece out of this frame and substituted the Valentine's Day piece until after February, and then I'll switch the original item back.  I'm trying to be as frugal with my finishing as I can.  I love that I can do that with certain items.  I really like how this one turned out!  

Next is Valentine's Day 2013 by Passione Ricamo.  I love her dainty and vibrant designs.  I have stitched this a couple of times for other people, but I decided this year I would stitch it for MY valentine.  Again, it fit perfectly in one of the frames I found at Home Goods.  This was stitched on 28 count ivory over two.  The frilly contour of the heart fits it perfectly!  

And last is Rose Heart by Roberta Rankin.  I don't remember where I found this pattern, but it was a freebie.  I stitched this on 40 count antique white over two.  I have stitched this before for others, one was made into a teacup pincushion.  I have always thought this was so pretty, and this year I decided I would make one for ME!  I found this adorable little frame in Target in that little area of inexpensive items at the front of the store.  It was a set of two (the other is an oval) for $3.oo!  It's tiny, but this heart fit perfectly!  

I would have a hard time choosing my favorite of all these.  They will be gracing my mantle starting tomorrow.  I haven't stitched today (I have a running record of 1076 consecutive days not counting today) but I did kit another Valentine's piece (Primrose Cottage Friday Freebie for February) and will start that as soon as I finish here.  I'm not sure how I will finish that one just yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I finish it!  And that's all the stitchy news I have for today.  

If you don't want to hear the family news you can stop reading now (I gave you fair warning!).  I want to thank those who have been faithfully praying for my husband and me.  You hum through life and to be honest, other than the cancer I had 15 years ago, we have enjoyed pretty good health.  Recently my husband (who is a REALLY bad patient) has had a few hiccups.  This latest hiccup started in the form of kidney stones.  Then diverticulitis.  Then more kidney stones.  After two different tries to get rid of them, this last procedure was a little more aggressive which culminated in some pretty scary side effects.  The last procedure was yesterday....what should have been a 2-3 hour procedure turned into a 6 hour marathon.  As I sat in the waiting room stitching...and watching the clock...I saw people arrive, get called back for their "appointments" and leave...and still no sign of my husband.  To say I was biting my nails toward the end was an understatement.  I'm so glad I had my stitching along with me.  You can get a lot of stitching done in a 6 hour stretch!  I won't go into all the gory details, let's just say he had a pretty scary episode when they were waking him up from anesthesia which prompted them to watch him closely for TWO HOURS.  I wish they had told me something...or maybe I'm glad they didn't...but when they finally released him they told him...if you feel at all unwell, call 911.  That sure didn't allay my fears at all.  I have to say, I watched him pretty close and except for one little episode, he made it through the night better than the last time.  I made sure he ate when he got home a fairly bland meal, and kept him moving gently until it was time for bed.  He is feeling much better today.  He will need to make another appointment soon with a different doctor, but I'm VERY thankful for those who have been praying.  I know things could have gone very bad last night but I trust God that it will all work out for the good.  So please keep praying for him until they resolve everything.  I sincerely appreciate your prayers.  I'm thankful for those who have been praying, I'm thankful for things to occupy our hands and minds...and I'm thankful for a merciful God who watches over us.    It's going to be even more busy around here.  I'll answer emails and post when I can.  Until then I hope you understand if it gets quiet in my corner here and there.   Until then....stay safe, stay warm, and keep on stitching! 

Be Like Dory....Keep On Stitching

Seems like ages since I updated my blog...I've been stitching, in between spending time with the youngest granddaughter and being nursemaid to DH.  I'll be like Dory but instead of swimming I'll keep on stitching...lol!!  It's been a crazy week!  (Just looked back to see how long it had been...it's only been a week??  Good heavens WHAT A WEEK!!)  Where to begin?  

Let's start with some stitching.  Because of the nature of my week, I've been trying to find small projects that won't need a lot of paraphernalia to carry around.  I decided to just continue working on the letters to Merry Christmas by Owl Forest.  These are being stitched on 32 count Summer Khaki over two.  I fully finished the letters C and H, though it took longer than the other letters due to being so busy.  That's ok, that's two less letters I need to finish.  Here they are!  

I got a little bored working with the same colors and fabric, and decided I wanted to decorate my mantle for Valentine's Day, so picked out a couple of small Valentine patterns to hopefully fully finish quickly.  I started with the newest freebie from Hands on Design.  This is called You Have My Heart stitched on 40 count natural over two.  It's supposed to be stitched on 32 I think, but I didn't have it on hand or couldn't find it at the moment...so I did the best I could.  I like them small anyway.  It's supposed to be finished into a heart and I will as soon as I figure out how to do that...haha.  The template will be too big now so I'll have to work a little with it.  

I have more kitted up byt I really like this design by Jan Hicks Creates, also a freebie.  This is being stitched on 32 count antique ivory over one.  I'm hoping it will fit into a little frame I have that I found at the thrift store.  Here is the beginning.  I hope it works up quickly but I guess it will depend on what the family needs right now.  

So what is going on with the family?  Well, first off, I've been keeping the lovely Miss Q a few days.  She was here last Friday and then this past Monday.  She reminds me of that poem...There once was a girl who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead.  And when she was good she was very very good, but when she was bad she was horrid!  LOL!!  The minute she decides she is hungry you better be ready with that bottle!  Otherwise she turns into a demon child with an ear piercing scream.  You can tell when it's coming as she holds her breath, her face turns a lovely shade of purple...and then she lets you have it!  LOL!!  Don't get me wrong, I love this child...but I doubt my ears will ever be the same.  Hahaha.  But...let's start at the beginning.  

I want to thank those who have been praying for Mike.  Please don't stop!!  He has had a rough go, and it's only the beginning.  The procedure last Thursday didn't go as well as they hoped, and he will have to repeat it next Monday.  Lord, give me strength.  I love the man dearly, and I sincerely believe he was in pain, but it was nearly 48 hours of no sleep, no food, and no water which made him even more uncomfortable.  Which also meant I got very little sleep too.  

Friday dawned bright and early when Miss Q was left with me for the day.  She wasn't a happy camper that day either.  I'm not sure if it was her not feeling well, or the noises coming from upstairs where Mike was not entirely too quiet either.  It's possible between her screaming and him doing his thing they kept each other awake.  My nerves were shot by the end of the day when the kids asked if they could come for dinner.  I politely declined and went and screamed into my pillow.  LOL!!  Ok maybe I embellished that last part a little bit....I didn't scream but I sure felt like it.  My mantra for the day was "I love my family" over and over and over and...well you get the idea.  Please laugh with me, I'm really not complaining, I don't mind caring for my family.  Just some days are harder than others.  Saturday and Sunday were spent trying to get the Mr. to eat and drink and I finally dragged him out of the house for some fresh air and a trip to the grocery store to see if something there would make him hungry.  He finally had a little something to eat that night...and by Monday morning he was ready to go back to work.  He had lost 7 pounds over the long weekend.  

Monday afternoon Miss Q came for the afternoon.  Mike was feeling a little better after he returned home from work so he thought he would help with her.  Um...I think she prefers Gigi...lol.  Here is the contrast between him caring for her...and me.  

I'm beginning to think I'm the baby whisperer as even the kids can't put Miss Q down for a nap, but she will for me.  Maybe it's the quiet?  Maybe it's the temperature of the room?  Maybe it's how dark our living room is in the afternoon with the lights out.  Whatever it is, she will nap for around 30 minutes for me if she has a full tummy and the house is quiet.  The kids are in awe.  LOL!!  I let the kids talk us into going out that night to eat.  Tuesday was my rest day, and by then I truly needed a day!  That's when I got most of the stitching done.  I'll have the rest of the week to myself during the day so I'm going to take advantage of it.  Fingers crossed I'll get lots of stitching done!  LOL!!  I think I deserve it after this past week.  There is a storm headed our way tonight with ice/snow/sleet/rain predicted.  I'm praying it misses us, but we'll see.  It will be interesting if they have delays or even days off because of it.  I truly miss my quiet times  haha.  

Please continue to pray for Mike as his next procedure/adventure will be Monday the 10th.  Let's hope they can finally give the man some good news.  Poor man, seriously.  He doesn't do sickness well.  Until the next adventure...stay safe, healthy and warm, and Keep On Stitching!