They're back

This new finish is from Kathy Barrick, I don't see a date on the chart but it's probably old.  I left off the date and initials, rarely do I add those.

Changed the green and the house color, on 46 count over two.

We've always had loads of cardinals, the majority appear during very cold temps or snow.  They were absent the day after the last photos.  Today there is only about three dozen, the gathering here is behind the suet cakes, waiting their turn.  The few others are on the bird feeder.

Six females in this one.

Same gathering, hard to get them all since many are higher in the twigs.

Many of you seem to enjoy these photos so I took them today again.  They appeared right before the fine snow started falling.  I think that black spot is the Towhee.

Enjoy your day  Be safe.

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The birds

Today, as usual, loaded with cardinals.

Taken at the same time  Quite difficult to catch them together, my movement in the window scatters them.  Three pine trees surrounding the feeder, more were on the ground, and the bare branches along the pines.

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A plan

 Or close to one.

As I sit here in comfort watching Neon Dion and his friends feast against the fricking white snow, my heart aches for those in CA.  Unfathomable tragedy.  And as always, heartless scum start looting.  Enough.

My plan is to work on started-and-abandoned Mary Hughes.  I will continue stitching the bottom section and fill as needed for a drum.  

The bird will be stitched on the drum's top piece.

I really would prefer a very small mono sampler.  Helen asked which was peeking out in a recent post ... 

 2009 free BBD chart Petites Lettres Rouges

Be safe.

Be grateful. 

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Very difficult day

 Handwritten recipes.

Mother, sister, aunts.

 

Going through them is very emotional.  Not only seeing handwriting of loved ones passed, but the memories of gatherings where those dishes were served.  Flood of memories from decades ago when things were so different.  How I miss those women, their focus on family, their laugh, the joy they shared when having everyone gather.

The importance to them of taking pen in hand to a decorated recipe card, and filing in a pretty box what their families requested, was to hopefully pass on.  Little did they know, that many years ago, cursive would be deemed useless.   None can be read by adult grands and great grands.  Not even the title.  I kept what I wanted, not for the recipe itself, but the memory of that dish.  Also found some from the church cookbook of the 60's.  But that's not the way I've ever seen pierogi spelled.

Carole had six boxes of cards in addition to books and magazine snips.  Yes, she loved to cook!

How do younger postal workers know what is on that envelope?  Zip code alone doesn't sort by route or street.  Bills and most mail is in print, but what about script or written greeting cards?  Invitations?  Is reading cursive required for hiring?  Honestly, if looked at closely, why couldn't it be understood with a little effort?  Carole's handwriting is quite scratchy, hard for even me to read.

It's a bird day.

And the trees are loaded with cardinals.  

We have a third piebald, even lighter than the first, but smaller in size.

Hope you are having a good day.  

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Casual cat

Hiya. Is your area as cold as mine?

Every day brings us closer to summer.  

I finished Fred's girlfriend Ethel. Is it 46 count or 48 count? One of those. I thought about giving her a necklace with a charm to reflect the season or holiday, but I don't have the energy or patience to search for them. Would I even hold interest long enough to change them throughout the year? No.  

Ethel may get a small heart charm, Fred may get a bowtie. I'm giving myself one day to decide. I want to finish them and would need to stitch the neck area first if adornments aren't added. 

Regarding the cardiology practice, they are a part of the hospital that closed. Several locations with five docs and two NPs, same name as hospital. They will need to establish the group as a stand alone practice? But no hospital here for them to become staff, continue heart surgeries, or admit patients.  

Hope you're all doing well. Covid is rampant here. Hubs and I are negative, my cousins ​​are positive. When I had my echocardiogram (can't get the results since now closed), he recounted spending a month in ICU in 2021 with failing organs from it. He knows Carole and I from yearly testing, and feels it was certainly her covid that hit her heart and kidneys so quickly.

No holiday decorations to put away this year. Painting will begin soon, found a husband wife team to do it.  

Stay well.

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Close to finish

 We expanded and revised Scott's work in the mini powder room.  Rather than a wood pedestal to enclose/hide pipes, we cut it down the center, added frame, made a door, matched to the wall cupboard.  Much better.

I plan to get baskets to fit along each side, making a shelf midway to hold four.  We could have made this full width but that's too much painted finish, I'd like some naturals/browns mixed in. The wood vanity will blend nicely.

 Haven't decided on the backsplash yet.  

This was Christmas. 

Read this beautiful card from Brenda.

My hubs said, "huh. Every day is Christmas."

My cardiologist canceled my appointment, temporarily closed the practice in order to decide their future.  The hospital closed today. What do I and others needing heart care do now?  The other hospital has a cardio, packed with transferring patients.  I am going there for a CT scan in two weeks.  Their ER and other staff look no diferent than patients.  T shirts, cargo pants, jeans, no uniforms or even cohesive color/matchings scrub tops.  I didn't know who was what, who to ask.  Two women in the hall I questioned were patients' relatives in ER!

That's all. 

Hope you're doing well.

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