Good grief

 My head is pounding like the carpenter that installed my fun-house stair rail.

I'm stitching the clappers with the darker thread directly over the gold.  It's perfectly fine.  Better?  I think so.  But I realized it was much darker than the top border's gray.   I used the wrong gray and didn't realize it, but it's perfectly fine too.   

Do you dislike those solitary stitches as much as I do?  This time, I just kept running the thread around to the next single.

The red I chose for Santa is Brick from WDW and it is really dark.  Not a purplish red, just very deep cranberry.  Not my usual Christmas red but I think it looks really good on this Faun linen with the other threads.  Until I decide it doesn't and change it.

Last week of the year.  One more closer to summer.

Have a good one!

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Browsing Day

 Hi folks.  Merry day after Christmas ....  Browsing Day!

It's difficult to be familiar with all the talented designers that are not the names we hear over and over.   My Paypal account is empty and I went back to Etsy to see why (being familiar with spending is difficult too).   The suggestions Etsy offered for future purchases included Santa designs, but one in particular tempted me to investigate the designer.  New to me, Twin Peak Primitives in the Netherlands.  Available as downloads and also on Etsy.  I looked closely and saw what appeared to be over one, but reading description stated the fabric was 16 Aida.  So easily done on any count linen over two.  The various snowman designs are sweet too.  Are you familiar with them?  Here are a few ...

Sweet!  I am taking my time to use the generous gift for stitching items from an anonymous friend.  What I choose will be a special reminder of her kindness and thoughtfulness.  

Mark has the large batch of spaghetti sauce on the stove.  It takes hours so we will freeze in anticipation of Carole's visit and stuffed shell dinner.  His Italian family used pork ribs, not meatballs, and after browning they are cooked in the sauce to flavor.  Our visit with her yesterday was very nice, but I can't stop thinking about my friend and her rare cancer.  An excellent nurse, a mother of five, an old soul who takes great pride and enjoyment in caring for her family and home.  

This is the finish of Sprig, I used the white thread for fewer flakes, and this fabric is the only one I've found that goes well with the 730 and 830 DMC series.  

  I considered finishing Sprig as a small pocket, but it will be added to the pile of final finishing.  

The start is NFF's Santa Folk and will be another finished with that fabric.  The far right bell is deliberately absent because I may shorten the width of the design.  I'm sorry I didn't use a dark gray thread for the clapper.  I may add a single thread over the gold, we'll see how it looks. 

 I plan to find a rheumatologist closer to me, and an orthopedist.  Will also proceed with the hair loss issue which was worsened greatly, my wrinkled macula surgery, my cardio appointment which I had to cancel twice, and try to find a GYN since they have left my area. 

I hope everyone has a relaxing day to read, nap, browse, stitch, reminisce, and give thanks.

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Merry Christmas to all

 and to all a good year.

A sad day for Carole as her newest room neighbor fell early morning and broke her neck.  

A sad day for me as I learned of a former coworker having bile duct cancer that is inoperable and not responding to treatment.  

The older we get, sad news will come more often, but there will also be good news to celebrate, helping us endure the bad.

Chris's girlfriend, her grandbaby, son, and parents became ill suddenly, all tested positive.  He was exposed, and in turn, me.  Yes, they are vaxed, but not the baby.  

Hoping as this year ends, the second lacking adequate virus tests and more important antibody testing, we start 2022 with better control.  Is that even possible?

Bless you all.  Be safe.  

I'm downing a quart of orange sherbert.

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Ham it up

 Lots of cookies on a plate, cookies in a bag, cookies in a box, cookies on a tray.  Fancy, plain, colored, sprinkled, iced, rolled, flat, and shaped.  So I decided to make a tray of the Hawaiian sliders with ham and swiss for Carole's aides.  I've made the philly, Italian, meatball, but think this is the best.  Various recipes for the butter dressing, mine has more Worcestershire and no dijon.  They're ready to coat and put in the oven which I'll do tomorrow and send with Chris.  Fill in workers will be there for Christmas and there should be some left for them also.

I really want to try a pistachio shortbread recipe, not sure I will.  I have to make dinner for Chris, his son, their kids.  He expected to have that here.  Nope.  Making Johnny Marzetti casseroles tomorrow, can be made ahead, and Jess can stick them in the oven with garlic bread if she puts her damn phone down.  We'll have to drive out to see Carole.  Coming home for the day would not have worked.  She is sitting in a wheelchair but extensions are required because of the brace.  She's not ready for an afternoon out yet.  And "the girlfriend" that caused a reaction in the beginning, is covid positive as is her family.  No one is ill thank goodness, but still contagious.

It will be close to 60 degrees Saturday, but we started getting the white crap yesterday and it was really cold.  Odd that no snow settled on the repaired lawn area.

Answers to a few questions...

except for the latest from HL, my sparse trees had been purchased at various shops many years ago.

The battery candles are not the moving wick style which are also nice, all available on Amazon.  You can see a video of the ones I purchased here

and another seller here.  The Eywamage Store on Amazon has a variety of styles and sizes.  The moving wick comes flat and also shaped, a lot of options on Amazon.  I just searched for "Eywamage remote" to order extras so each recipient gets one.  Carole loves hers and the nurse saw it from the hall and came flying in to extinguish!

And now as I am finally seated and ready to finish Sprigs, the age old question of what thread to use when your choices are not showing.  White in the top left, called for in the bottom right.  Neither are noticeable but I think white is the better choice. 

Be well, deep breath, have a cookie.

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Winner

 Hi folks.  When I double checked number of emails and comments, I was off one.  So I had to go back and do it again, a little late!  The winner is JAN, the Jan that left the comment, not the email.  Thanks to all, had more email entries than comments for a total of 51.  Please email your address Jan and I will get this in the mail.

Some people think holiday decorating is a pain in the a**.

Does Dr. Zelenak look like he has a problem?

This was Mark's grandfather's, it's empty, and quite old.

Carol is better, they think the mid-night pain meds without food for several hours was the cause.  I'm taking her one of the candles with remote tomorrow, the extras have been shipped.  I think she will love this soft flickering candle.  I do!  

Have a good one!

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Nutella

Unfortunately, the cookie recipe for it cannot be located so I have a jar just sitting in the cupboard, all alone.  It does not get along with the peanut butter.  Since I am responsible for bringing it here and its loneliness, I have no choice but to console it.  One of the main reasons that the flowers on my leggings are becoming shrubs.

My husband thought it would be a good day for a quick trip to Hobby Lobby since I've mentioned it 1000 times in the last year.  Late to the party for Christmas items but can't pass up a clearance sale either.

And clear it was.

I bought a few Tim Holtz ephemera items at 40% off, and spotted a scrawny tree in one of ravaged aisles.  Mark insisted we get it because he knows me well enough, and said I will regret not doing so.  So glad he picked it while I stood at the checkout.  Ten bucks.  Sweet!!  My choices are to be gifts from nephews so I

 saved them some bucks.

Not much time to work on Sprig, but after being pleased with the spool's satin stitch, I caught the threads on the back somehow and they pulled enough to distort and stretch the linen.  Boogies from then on.  So I steamed the linen where it stretched and backstitched the outline one thread in from the edge.  This sort of supported my railroaded satin and I'm pleased with the result.  Finally.  Time to move on.

We had plans to visit Carole today and she called early, very sick.  Can't even keep her pills down, I told her to ask for Zofran.  May not work if it's a virus but hoping it offers some help.

Drawing tonight.

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