Alzheimer's, Stitching and Estate Sales, Yay!

Dear friends,
I have tried to write a blog post many, many times since my last post.  I have so much to say and to show you that I just get overwhelmed.  And, I'm tired.  So, I do nothing.  I'm going to try again by taking one or two bites out of the elephant and then, if successful, I'll come back and do it again. 

Sometime. 

Soon. 

Maybe.

First - thank you to all of you who have asked about my parents, and my mom, in particular.  They have settled in nicely and we've all gotten into a pretty good rhythm and are enjoying each others company.  My folks pretty much have the house to themselves during the day and in the evening, we are there to socialize and offer whatever help we can. 


This is the former dining room turned bedroom for them.

My mom's Alzheimer's has progressed, and is continuing to progress, faster than I would have thought.  I was sure I had a pretty good understanding of how retched this disease was but until seeing it day to day, I didn't have a clue.  

What I really hate is when she smiles and waves at someone, and they don't respond in kind.
It's hurtful.
It's sad.
I want to punch those people in the throat.
Sorry, but I do.

Not only are the memories of who we are fading from her, but her memory of how to do things we think so simple and ingrained are becoming a mystery as well.  My goal is, and has always been, to protect her and to make sure she never feels embarrassed, humiliated or without dignity.  I try to remember to ask if she'd like assistance with a task before jumping in and just doing it.  I don't always remember.  Simple things are becoming a challenge.  I try to remember to cut her food for her before serving, so she's not embarrassed that my dad or I have to cut it for her, in front of others at the table.  I offer to help her select her outfits hoping she'll know that I enjoy doing it.  I gently remind her that I am here for her, for whatever she needs.  We all are.  She was in the hospital last week mainly due to dehydration.  I beg, plead and cajole her to drink water but as with many, it's hard to get her to do it.  The hardest times though are when she wants to go visit her parents, who have long since passed.  She misses them terribly.  I wish I could find a way to ease that pain.  That aside, there are plenty of happy moments that make us smile and be happy that we are all together and we cherish those moments! 
I'm so glad they are with us.

Now... for some stitching related news!

My Joyful World SAL is coming along nicely, I think.





It's sitting in front of my little fairy garden, in a galvanized bucket, that Julie gave me last year for my birthday.
If you're part of the SAL on FB, I apologize that you're seeing this picture again! 

I changed the January, April, May and August blocks to suit my own personal taste.  I also decided to add our households names and birthdates under their birth month block and I have to admit, I love how it looks.  I hope to have the outline completed for September before the 10th, when the next pattern is released.  We'll have to wait to see if I decide to keep that block as designed, or change it up a bit.  This has been a fun project and it is stitched on 35 count, over one, with various DMC, silk and over dyed flosses.  I'm not really keeping track of colors.  If I use one, I toss it in a bag and I may or may not use it again.  If I want to add another color, I grab one from stash.  The August block is from a Cricket Collection Scottie mitten freebie.

I have managed to get a small bit of work done on Plum Street Samplers A Yuletide Welcome.  I can't wait to get this one done and really, just love everything about it.  I have debated and debated about how to do the grassy area because even though it's a Christmas sampler, I'd like to leave it out year round (if I can find wall space).  I think I've resolved that - but a pic will have to wait till next time.  I started the grass area during the Olympics and my goal is to have it done by the time the Olympics are concluded.  I may just stitch till then and call it done, regardless of what's been done.  

I almost hate to show you all the stitching related estate sale finds I've stumbled upon recently!  Seriously, fabric (more specifically, lots and lots of cross stitch linen), buttons, bed linens (glorious, hand embroidered and pieced together linen sheets and pillow cases), DMC thread boxes and lots and lots of floss, ribbon and old embroidery hoops and all kinds of other goodies.  Far too much to show in one post so here a few pics of my finds.

First, this is the home of the most recent sale I went to in Grosse Pointe.  Quite the grand house and not what most of the estate sale homes look like, but it's always fun to go in something this big, just to see the house and decorating.  The gardens in the back were absolutely spectacular.

I was so excited to find all of these calico buttons!  Aren't they pretty? 

What shall I use them for?  Any ideas?

                                                           More buttons I found.  I think the card was maybe a dollar. 

I might put these on a sweater. 

I thought these embroidery hoops were amazing and for a quarter a piece,

I couldn't just leave them there, could I? 

Some are marked... some not.

                                                     

More estate sale finds next time.

Finally, Rob and I went to a concert last week and had a great time although the concert (Brian Ferry of Roxy Music) wasn't all that great.  The music doesn't always have to be great to have a great time, right?

We have another concert coming up this weekend - Sarah McLachlan and Josh Grobin.  Rob is not too excited about this one.  I'm mostly looking forward to hearing Sarah but I love Josh too, so I'm sure it'll be a good time.  We're going to that one with Sheila and her DH, Moe.  Can't wait!

Until next time, have a great rest of summer and be kind to everyone!

Peace,

Terri

New Starts, New, Old Friends and New Beginnings (not necessarily in this order)

Dear friends!

I hope this finds you well and happy.

I have had a great last few weeks but have been virtually absent from blogging, Facebook and Instagram. 

Thank you for the many notes of concern. 

My folks were in town for an almost three week visit. 

It was wonderful! 

They will be moving to Michigan to live with us in late April or early May.

You may or may not know that my beautiful mom has Alzheimer's disease, as did her older sister and as does her younger sister.

We used the time of their visit to figure out what did and didn't work well for them.  As a result, we will be making some home renovations to accommodate them and hope to be ready (or almost) for them when they move.  I will have to take some before and after pics to show you when it's all done, which may not be when they move, but at least we have a plan. 

Her having Alzheimer's, as it is for everyone, is absolutely devastating, heartbreaking and painful. 

It seems to me to have progressed quickly but she is still functional and still knows who we are (thank God).  She has a lot of confusion though and really needs someone to watch over her at all times.  Moving in with us is a safety net for her and for my dad and
we are very happy to have them join our family. 
My mom loved being around Sophie and Gracie (and the rest of us too) so I think this is a great move for her. 
My dad will be joining Rob's golf league which he is very excited about.  He hasn't been able to go play a round of golf (and trust me, he's GOOD) in a couple of years so that should be fun for him.  All in all, the stress of caring for someone with Alzheimer's will be spread among several people rather than all on my dad.

"It's a good thing." 

In stitching news, I have completed the gorgeous, yellow house on the Yuletide Welcome Sampler from Plum Street Samplers (Paulette).



I totally love how this is turning out and have decided what to do with the grass so that I can leave it out year round but you'll have to wait for that!

Love this deer.

I recently put this aside to start on a SAL called Joyful World.  I'm sure you've seen this on many blogs/facebook/instagram posts.  The first block, with its darling fox, drew me in but I still resisted.  

The problem was, the 2nd block sort of put me off - it was a couple of ducks in love but they just didn't do it for me.   Then I saw the March block, thought it was super cute and had to jump in. So, as you can see, I changed the February block to a couple of Shepherd's Bush inspired sheepies and changed the purple flowers to red.  For me, February just had to have some red in it.

Is this a boy and girl sheep in love or a momma in love with her baby? 
You decide! 
I think it turned out pretty cute.  If/when Maja uses sheep in the design, I may have to do something else.
Time will tell.

I am stitching this on 32 count linen, one over one with a combination of fibers in my stash.
I am not keeping track of colors used, just toss them in a bag once I've used a color so they'll all be together to use again, if need be.

The other thing I'm not doing is filling in the lacy corners of the border.  I kind of like the lacey look and think the symmetry will be really pretty.



In fun news, I got to meet Chris from Tot Hill Farm Stitches blog.  She often travels to Detroit and we finally got to meet up.
We had a lovely time chatting and the few hours I got to spend with her really just flew by.  Chris is a fascinating person with great stories about her travels.  I admire her for doing all the things she does when she's on a trip - far more than I'd EVER do by myself.  I look forward to the next time she's in town!





Because my folks will be moving in, in the next few months, we've been doing some contracting and some shopping.  Rob and I had a great day looking at closets for the room they will occupy (currently the dining room) and then we hit a fun bar for lunch and a few cute shops.  I thought you might enjoy a few pics.

A beautiful antique desk top cubby….



The shopkeeper's chair.  I have two round-seat chairs that are similar in my craft room that I may have to do this to.
Love.


A collection of fun tape measures:


Either an old box, covered in vintage inspired paper or an actual old cubby.
It was not wood but heavy cardboard.
Loved it.


Darling bunny hand towels.




My new family room arrangement, which used to be my living room.  We moved the brown, family room, leather sofa into the living room where it will better go with the two red, leather recliners my folks will be bringing with them to Michigan.  
The boys hate this room.
HATE.
It's not as lay around comfy as before.
But I kind of love it.
I do need a new shade for the hanging lamp and it will have to be moved back into the corner a bit, but I like the arrangement.
.

This is the little gathering of goodies on the small chest on the left.
It includes a pic of Rob and Matty when he was about 1 month old,
a few stitching treasures and Tyler's first pair of glasses that he got when he was 8 months old.
Treasures, all.




Finally, to go with the blue checked chairs are Rob and me in blue, too.
He's wearing checks, I'm wearing stripes and I didn't notice till we went to take this goofy pic in the mirror that we looked like Mutt and Jeff.


That's it for today, my friends.  Thank you so very much for all the wonderful comments on my last post about how you build your houses.  There are lots of similarities and lots of differences, too.
But, we all get to the same place in the end.

Have a most wonderful week ahead.

Be well.
Peace,
Terri

How do You Build a House?

Dear friends,

Happy day!  I am so glad you've stopped by.

I am happy to report that construction on the big, beautiful, yellow house has begun.

I'm sorry to report that it hasn't been without its complications.

Do construction projects ever go smoothly?  

It has taken days for the roofer to complete her work but I'm happy to say that the roof is ON!

The window installers were the next to show up.  Awesome, isn't it, how a roof and windows can be installed without any supporting structure?  Sadly, the window installer didn't pay attention and hung the double paned windows too far to the right so they had to be removed and replaced.

The installer was pretty upset but what can you do?  I asked if she counted.  

She insists she did.

Said she counted twice.

Said she was sure she counted correctly.

She didn't.

Finally, the 2nd batch of windows were hung and lit.

How do you build your homes?  Do you start at the bottom, layering brick upon brick to build a solid supporting structure?

Maybe you put the roof on first and work from top to bottom, like I do.

Or maybe you start in the middle and work over to one side and then do the other side?

Clearly, there are many ways to build a home and no one way is better than another.

The important thing is to do as I say, not as I do.
(pretty sure I learned that from my momma)

Count.

Count.

COUNT!

I love houses on samplers, I just don't love the construction process.  Do you?

Same thing goes for grass.  I love grassy fields and yards.  I love the way they look, I don't like how long it takes for them to grow!  The grass hasn't quite taken root yet but the Christmas vine is growing and the berries are blooming.  Love it!

I would love a house that looks just like this.  I can imagine the light filled rooms, the gorgeous, Georgian furniture and the carriage house that is surely in the back.  I'm sure there are spectacular gardens and beautiful hills and views to set your heart aflutter.   sigh……

Oh, yes.  I could be happy in my beautiful, yellow, Christmas house.

Thank you so much for stopping by and for leaving a note for me, when you have a second or two.  For me, and all bloggers, they are greatly appreciated.   If you're a new visitor, and especially if you're a new visitor with a blog, please leave me a note so that I may also visit you.

A short blog post.  At least by my standards.

Be well.

Peace,

Terri

A Yuletide Welcome in January

Hello, friends!

I am just back from Florida where I was visiting my folks for a few days.  It was very cool for the Florida area but the sun was shining, the skies were bright and it felt much warmer than the cold 18 degrees it was in Michigan.  

Here's my sweet dad using the selfie stick we got him as a stocking stuffer.

Here's my momma outside their favorite breakfast spot.

I got the sampler that my Rob gave me for Christmas, back from the framer.  I stitched it to linen, being careful not to disturb any of the threads or to further damage the areas that were missing.  

It is now framed using all conservation materials, with museum glass and spacers and I hope it will now last another 200 years.  

Isn't she pretty?

Before I left for Florida, I started work on a Yuletide Welcome by Plum Street Samplers.

I've made decent progress but didn't stitch at all while I was in Florida so am happy to be back home and working on it again.

Here is my progress as of last night:

Love the colors!

I should be able to start on the big house in the next few days.

This is such a fun piece and I'm really enjoying working on it.

It's Christmas but it's subtle.  I really think I could leave it out all year long.

I may have to change the "Yuletide Welcome" to just a field of grass.

Maybe I could add some critters in the grass.

A couple of reindeer, maybe?

A few more peacocks, perhaps?

I'll decide when I get there.

On my trip home from Florida, I had to take the tram from one terminal to the other.

I only carried one bag and it wasn't all that heavy but I did have to schlep it around.

I got on the tram, dropped my bag and held onto the hand rail.

Then it happened.

"Ma'am, please, sit here."

Huh?

A young man (probably in his late teens, early twenties) stood up and asked me to take his seat.

Are you kidding me?

I don't need to sit.  I am perfectly capable of keeping my balance and holding on.

"Keep your seat young man.  I'm fine."

He insisted and was on his feet in a flash and had moved out of the way so I could have his seat.

Really?

Yep, it has finally happened.

I'm now one of the women that folks think they have to give up their seat for.

I could have cried but at the same time I was pleased that such a young man had such nice manners.

There is hope.

Be well my friends and if you're in the path of the storm, stay warm and safe.

Peace,

Terri

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, friends!

Day 1 of 2016 and so much to look forward to!  I hope the coming year is healthy and happy for you!

I have a lot to show you!

I got the Barbara Anna, Love Never Fails sampler back from the framer and gave it to Rob for our 25th anniversary, back in November.  

I know… what's a man want with a sampler?  

But this was significant for a few reasons.

First (and probably most important), I didn't wait until the last second to come up with a gift idea.  Second, I actually remembered to get something.

Three, it's a gift that took time.  

Here it is:

I've given the details previously but it's stitched on 35 count Tin Roof by WDW, with the called for fibers.  I made a few modifications to the pattern, to make it personal.  I love how it turned out and this may be one of my all time favorite stitches. I chose a more rustic, less feminine frame that has just a hint of blue in it.  

Rob liked it too.  I think.  What else could he say???

For Christmas, I got some amazing gifts:

A lovely, sweet, antique sampler, stitched in 1820 by Maria Beckett, gifted to me by Rob.  

There are a few holes in it but it is really lovely.  

The top left is the front of the sampler and the bottom right is the back.  

She was a neat stitcher, wasn't she? 

I believe this is stitched with silk threads as they have quite a sheen to them.  

A timely verse for the New Year, wouldn't you agree?

If Happiness be your pursuit

Plant Virtue and Content's the fruit.

I have to admit, I was a bit leery when I opened the package so I took it out of the frame to inspect.  

I was afraid Rob might have been hoodwinked.

As it turns out, it wasn't EXACTLY as described - it wasn't mounted using conservation framing and in fact, it was behind PLEXIGLAS otherwise known as plastic (yikes), WITHOUT spacers and was simply sitting on a similar colored piece of linen (that hadn't been ironed) so the holes weren't as visible as they might otherwise have been.  

I took it out of the frame, cleaned it up as gently as I could, and gently sewed it to another piece of linen making sure to not disturb or break any of the threads in the already sparse areas.

  I have a new frame ordered and it will be mounted properly when the frame arrives.

I'll show you when it's all complete.

Little pink houses and a sweet verse - what's not to love?

"Little pink houses for you and me."

Rob also got me this:

Yes!  Betty Ring's Girlhood Embroidery. 

 I have read about 1/4 of the first book.  

I'm trying to take in all the information and am trying to become as knowledgeable as I can about this

art form that we all love.

These books are inspiring, to say the least, and I've wanted them for a long time.

I know what you're thinking and yes, yes he is!

My final finish for 2015, on the evening of the 31st, was the Mystery Sampler by 

With Thy Needle and Thread.

I stitched this pretty, little piece with all the called for fibers but I did change the alphabet from 

beige to cranberry.

I had the entire alphabet stitched but it just didn't show up so I frogged and restitched.

If I'd known in advance I might do this, I would also have stitched the straight borders around the flowers in cranberry too but I'm not frogging and redoing all that.  You may want to do that should you decide to stitch this using the cranberry letters.

I had a couple of parties over the holidays and they were lots of fun.  

Getting ready for a party is always stressful, no matter what and these were no exception.  

I do bring a lot of it on myself, though.

For instance, I was having some of our guild members over on Saturday.

On Friday, while I was getting ready, Rob calls and says we should go get our flu shots.

It was a pretty day, unseasonably warm for Michigan, so I thought, hmmm, that seems like a good idea. It won't take long and I doubt too many folks will be lined up on this pretty day, so why not.

Here's why not: you might get distracted.

I went to get the shot but they weren't giving them that Friday.

As I was driving home, down a road with deep farm lots, I saw a pine tree with two BIG broken branches laying on the ground.  

I drove past and then thought hmmmm… those would make a great garland.

I turn around, look around and seeing not a soul, I broke off a few branches and tossed them in the trunk (or boot) of the car.

Whew!  Nobody saw me.  At least nobody pointed a rifle at me.

I got in the car, started to drive off and then, stupidly, I decided, 

what the heck.

Why not just load the branches (9 or so feet tall of them) into the car.  The trunk was already full with the big branches I'd broken off of these big suckers so I loaded them in the back of Rob's car.

Yes.  He was thrilled when he found out.  

Driving home, I was getting quite a few looks.  I'm sure they were thinking,

"That's the ugliest Christmas tree I've ever seen" or that's the dumbest lady, ever.  Not sure.

Matt had to help me get them out of the car.  It's a lot easier to jam them in than it is to pull them out.

Believe me.

But, I knew they would make a lovely garland for over the garage and would be worth the minimal effort it would take.

How hard could it be?

Harder than it looks, believe me.

How long could it take to make a garland long enough to cover the width of a 2 car garage?

Not long, right?

WRONG.

It takes hours.

Literally, hours.

It took hours that I should have spent cleaning the house, readying for the party.

Instead, I spent a ridiculous amount of time making the garland and hanging that darn thing.

I hope the folks that live in the house from where I got stole these, weren't planning to use them.

I feel kind of bad.  

Kind of.

Anyway, it turned out really pretty, the house was still in pretty good shape for our gathering, if you didn't look too closely, and I didn't get shot in the process so all was well.  

I don't recommend taking large branches from a yard but this did turn out really pretty.  

Plus, there was the added benefit of Rob's car still smelling like pine for a week.  

So… what's up for 2016?  I think I'm finally going to stitch Paulette's (Plum Street Samplers) "A Yuletide Welcome" which you can read about here:

A Yuletide Welcome

this is the pic from her blog.  It is a gorgeous piece.

I love everything about it!  The house, the santa and the sleigh with the sunflower and that reindeer!  

 I'm anxious to get started!

That'll be my big project and then I'll throw in a few smaller pieces that catch my fancy as I move throughout the year.  

Not exactly a structured plan but it is a flexible plan.

My little family has made their wishes for 2016 and I hope that you have made yours.  

I hope all of our dreams and wishes, and all of your dreams and wishes, come true this coming year.

Thank you so much for stopping by and taking the time to read my ramblings. 

Thank you too for the lovely comments from my last post.  

It's so sweet of you to take the time and it is appreciated more than you realize!

XOXO

Be well,

Peace,

Terri