That color

 The orange of pumpkins and mums.

And the darker rust from oxidation.

The only thing I like to see during the change to chilly temps.

And pumpkin pie.  Because it's that color.

Who am I kidding?  I would eat it if it was chartreuse. 

Have not stitched in several days.  My hand needs attention and maybe an injection in the tendon that runs from inside the thumb to wrist.  

Visited my friend whose home is masterfully decorated with loads of interesting pieces and warmth.  Makes me doubt my sparse preference which seemed so ..... lacking, uninviting, when I came home.  I see photos of the simple and sparse and I love it, but a photo doesn't convey the feeling when you enter.  Need to think about it.  It's lot of dusting/work/expense that a card carrying menopausal crabass may reject. 

The older I get, the more anxious I feel when there is much surrounding me.  I want calm, rest, ease, space in my home.  For me (the introvert), that means less visual stimuli and distraction, more focus on comfort.   My sister (the extrovert) is the opposite and feels hugged by filled rooms, very important to her.  Maybe I should try this in one area, just for the crab of it. 

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DMC 926

 cost quite a bit more than the 53 cents it should have.  That's all I planned to purchase.  And that's not what happened.  My new store's layout is opposite of others I have been in, sewing department is far left, not far right.  Far right takes you to Christmas and holidays.  Row after row, aisle after aisle, and when you do eventually arrive in the sewing department, there is more there.  

I am so thrilled that we have a Hobby Lobby that replaced Michael's that replaced Pat Catan's.  Catan's, as I've said numerous times, stood alone as the best craft store.  Michael's was not comfortable to shop or browse, I do not like their store layouts at all.  Assuming they are all the same, have you shopped at Michael's and do you like the aisle configuration?

So here's my 50% off bargains....

A little tree ($2.50) can be put anywhere that you want a bit of Christmas but have no room for decoration.

Little tree's teen brother that is two foot, ($7.50), and is the same as the parents three foot that I bought a few weeks ago.

A six foot garland of bells that have a very nice tone ($10.99) and will probably purchase another before they are gone. They have a red jingle bell garland on jute for less than that.

The tree topper ($1.50) is hard to find here since most are fancy or sparkled and I bought several at that price.

The six pack of stars ($3.50) match and I love them! 

A pack of 48 snowflakes with silver ties that sparkle ($4.50) and 10 sparkle stars with hangers ($1.75).  Both ornaments came in smaller and larger sizes, they are for sis who likes sparkle but I may get a pack for myself.   HL has small two & three foot trees with a white glitter (not flocking) feathery cedar looking branches, and I may get that for Carole.  Beautiful I'm sure with nothing but these snowflakes and stars.

Oh!  And I got this.

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Brea

 Fat quarter 36 count Needle & Flax.  Paypal or check.  $28, I will pay for shipping in the US.  If interested, use email link on top right or leave comment.  Thanks.

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Our thoughts and prayers

 are with those in the path of the storm.  

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Meet me in the middle EDIT

 ...... or not.

We have counted.  And counted.  And then we counted.  The top is correct and aligned with the linen thread, also the guide line.  The left side is over one linen thread in width to the left which I followed and planned to correct in the bottom.  Each vertical count is proper, yet the left is lower by one full stitch.  

WHY 

Edit - found it.

Raining, cold, furnace is running for two days, and a small piece of fabric has taken control.  

Perfect day for a crabass.  But still many blessings to be grateful for.

I don't have covid, please take care Gail.

The find-

I was counting the four and one spaces of each side of the flowers in the border rather than the tiny squares they rest on (easier for my vision).  All correct except for the that extra stitch between them which added one full stitch, yet still kept the four spaces on one side and one on the other side.  Glad I only stitched one half of the cross, anticipating an error, for easier removal.

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One is the loneliest number

 And the slowest stitching.  

Switched back to Julia's Hunter for a while.  Loving these colors on this linen.  Being my first attempt at working on more than one project, I didn't realize that notes are crucial to stitch sanity.  Not necessary if you follow the chart and colors, but my book's symbols are incorrect and I did not note which colors I subbed for those that didn't show on the dark linen.  Or the corresponding symbol.  Theresa emailed the correct chart for Hunter but it's on my tablet which is usually out of battery by evening.  I'm surprised that no one else has contacted her about their booklet, and wonder why this beautifully printed one of mine is different. 

Which leads me to one.  Over one.  Not only the verse, but the hunter himself, his dog, and a bush.  I'm doing tent and think a full cross may be too crowded.  The bush, shoes and one leg is all I've completed.  I might outline his large coat in tent and try to work a wonky stitch easier than over one as fill-in.  It's quite difficult for me to count these rows and tiny stitches so the outline (if done correctly!) would really help. 

The flowers in the vase are off one in both directions which threw off the placement of the bush, but there is plenty of room for error acceptance in this repro.

And what else has been happening.  The end of zucchini bounty.  So I made lemon zucchini breads for the freezer,

and the zucchini chocolate bundt.  And what could be better with chocolate than pepper crusted bacon?  This is the first time we're having BLTs this summer and we finally got local corn.  At end of September!!   Watermelon is my favorite summer treat and I ate two a week, until this year.  I can't tell you how much money we have spent on bad melons.  Terrible.  Today, from another Amish stand, I took the last chance of the season and spent another $7.  Looked good, cut into it, and it was mush.  When you lose a few bucks on something, do you think .... I could have bought a chart?  Thread?  Packs of fresh shiny needles?  

I hope everyone is well and not as crabby as I am.

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