Found Again-- This Little Blog

I had an incredibly frustrating problem with my blog, and I've been trying to fix it for days.

Years ago I had some gadgets on my blog that are no longer in use. However, the third party service I used kept my blog address. Just this week, my blog was inaccessible to me and any attempt to get to it led to this third party address.

I was finally able to fix it tonight, but that meant reverting back to the original template I had when I started this back in 2006. So that is what you're looking at now. I will fix it up, just don't know when!

Thanks for bearing with me.

Relaxing Afternoon

Spring Afternoon, a photo by loves2stitch2 on Flickr.

Missing relaxing times right now!

Have a great day.

Summer, Why Must You Go?

Summer is ending for me. Work has officially begun, and students return this week.

I love you, Summer of 2011!

Just wish you could have stayed around longer...

White Chocolate Snack Mix

Christmas is a long way off, but in my previous post I talked about starting to plan and stitch some stitched gifts.


Believe it or not, I did just that on Monday. I actually started stitching up some gifts! I will share more about those another day.


Today I wanted to share a recipe that we make at Christmas time. It's also requested by other people year round as it's so delicious and enjoyable to share at parties. It also makes a great gift when you throw it into a cute tin.


White Chocolate Snack Mix


You might want to divide this recipe in half. This full batch is very large.


1 package (10 ozs) mini pretzels

5 cups Cheerios

5 cups Corn Chex

2 cups salted peanuts

1 pound of plain M and M candies

2 packages (12 ounces each package) vanilla chips

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

In a huge bowl (When I make a full batch, I use two large cooking pots and divide the ingredients evenly between the two pots) combine the first five ingredients; set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl heat chips and oil (do one bag at a time, use that amount for the one bowl of dry ingredients) on medium-high for two minutes, stirring after the first minute. Microwave on high for 10 seconds, stir until smooth. Pour onto the dry ingredients that are set aside in the bowl, stir well. Spread the mixture onto 4 waxed paper-lined baking sheets. (2 baking sheets for a half recipe). Cool. I set each cookie sheet in the freezer for five minutes maximum to harden quickly. Break apart. Store in an airtight container. The full recipe makes five quarts.


If you bring this to a gathering, you will find that people think it's rather addicting. I think it's that combination of sweet and salty!

Summer, Summer, Let Me Count The Ways I Love You!

Summer is flying by. Where does time go? I wish I could wind the clock back.












A month ago we were in Spain. That was magical. 
It was a lifelong dream to go there! I feel so happy that I was able to go. 



La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

A bit before that trip in the earliest part of June we were celebrating all kind of  family members' birthdays at our daughter's house.


















A few weeks ago after we returned from Spain we celebrated my mother's huge milestone birthday here at our little abode.


Chocolate Curl Cake- delish!

And a week ago today it was the fourth of July with all its fireworks, food, and laughter. What joy it was to watch our 19 month old grandson experience fireworks for the first time! He's still talking about them. ("Boom, boom..psssh...")



Last week my closest lifelong friend came here for several days. We've known each other for 40 years. Yes, forty years!


    1979 Photo - Where did my neck go? I had one here.


We had a blast driving around, going to Disneyland, talking, shopping, eating out, seeing Midnight in Paris, (loved it!) and sharing memories. There's nothing like having a long shared history with a friend, is there? She and I are quite opposite in many ways, but our friendship endures through time and distance. (A few years ago I dragged her along to a craft- type fair.  I do believe ( based on her facial expression and comments) that she would have preferred going for a triple tooth extraction! It's all good.)

Later this week my mom is coming to visit and we'll do more local outings while trying to stay cool in this presently humid but mostly dry, hot, edge-of- the -desert place where we live.



And the clock is ticking, ticking. Soon it will be time to trudge back to work and get ready for August's school year beginning. The children will be so scared and needy, and that's understandable. They're little. I must be prepared mentally and physically, and organization-wise, too.   I won't complain though, it's been great to have so much time off! No whining here.

It's been the best summer we've had in years. So very relaxing, so full of fun stuff. I feel very fortunate and blessed.

Yesterday I was going to start a new needlework project. I was thinking of stamping some dish towels, and starting some Christmas gifts. I've never done that before. That is to say, I've never worked ahead like that in any area of my life, nor have I ever thought of Christmas in July. On top of that, I haven't started a new needlework project in several years.  That's right, nothing new in years.

Instead, I did nothing yesterday.   That's what summer is to me, too, I guess. Doing NOTHING. I succeeded at that, especially yesterday. 

What about you? Are you staying busy this summer, or are you taking it easy? Have you started any new projects lately?


Thanks for stopping by today, and thanks for your comments. I appreciate  all of them. :)

An Old Sampler Found

Do you ever wonder what will happen to the needlework you stitch after you're gone, or after you no longer have a home in which to keep it? I've thought of this from time to time, and it used to sadden me to see pieces in thrift or antique stores. After some pondering, I switched my view and decided that the thrift store was a better location for an old piece than the local dump. If someone in the stitcher's group of family or friends isn't wanting the piece, at least a piece in a shop has the hope of being loved again.

Recently I came upon a sampler at an estate sale. The estate sale happened to be in a home that one of our family members was purchasing. The owner had stitched it in 1970, and the new purchaser of the home remembered it being displayed on the walls of the master bedroom.

The person who stitched the sampler is now blind, and is in her nineties. She lived in the house for over 30 years!  I love the piece's sentiment, and the warm colors.  I still don't know where I'll hang it, but for now it looks nice sitting on our piano.


Thanks for stopping by today!

TUSAL!

  

Edited to Add: My January 5th TUSAL Progress 
(A Day Late!)
 As you can see, the jar is empty.  I am sure there will be a lot of ORTS in here by next month's update, right??



I have just joined the 2011 TUSAL group, and I am anxiously awaiting comment moderation and my official TUSAL participant number. Updated: I am now officially added, and am number #188 in the list of participants! Let the thread collection begin!!!  Thanks, Daffycat. :)  Before I joined the TUSAL group, I had no idea what TUSAL was as I'm so out of the loop. Here you go, you can check it out. It's sponsored by Daffycat

On the other hand, you probably know about it already, as you are surely in the loop about these things. :)

I like the aspect of anything that's useless, and TOTALLY useless is even better! :)

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by here.

Happy New Year!

January Sunrise

My husband took the photo above a year ago, but it was January so it seemed appropriate to use it today while wishing you a happy new year.

Hope that the year ahead brings you wonderful things!

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I hope I have more time to stitch this upcoming year. I still haven't made any goals or resolutions, but I think I can fulfill my rather small wish on this chilly January evening.

 

Thanks for stopping by today!

What resolutions have you made this year? Have you made any great stitching plans for 2011? Do tell!

Dusting the Blog A Bit

Today someone mentioned to me that my blog had 'dust on it'. She is so right, I haven't been here in a long while.

I was thinking about it the other day, in fact, and decided that I should just post some pictures from the last few months, and thus be 'caught up' and 'to date' on this little blog.

But first, a crosstitched oldie in honor of the season. This was a very unfinished WIP that I completed years after starting it. (like 15 years later, or more...)


It was a Stoney Creek giveaway, and I've yet to have it framed. Oh, procrastination, again! It is truly a seasonal piece called "Home for the Holidays", but it would be nice to have it displayed this time of year, wouldn't it?

Back in October, we visited Disneyland to see the fall decorations and other Halloween features. Here are some photos from that day:




The Main Street Train Station


A Lamppost on Main Street


The Haunted Mansion at HalloweenTime


Sally from Nighmare Before Christmas


Town Square Jack O'Lantern


People on Main Street, Waiting for the Parade



The Balloon Man- One of my Childhood Favorites to See

I always wondered how they managed to carry around all those balloons and not have them get all tangled up together!


Service Dog on Main Street, Disneyland U.S.A

Next time we'll get into November here, and get closer to the present time. Thanks for stopping by today!

I hope you're having a great holiday season.

Norwegian Stuff and More

I decided that I might fit in one more post before a new month begins. We're in the middle of a three day weekend, and I am so, so glad for another day off. For some reason stress is really taking a toll on me this year. That's just the way it goes.

I guess I should battle the stress by more stitching (which I haven't done in six weeks or more) and exercise. Does that sound like a good plan to you? I can't do anything about work stress, so I have to find ways to battle it.

I wanted to first share a photo of what we see in the backyard when we're around in the morning. It shows the prelude to the daily battle between our backyard western scrub jays and our local squirrels. I had never seen squirrels around here until lately. I do think our peanuts beckoned them here! We live in a city that has a population of about 300,400 people. I guess I didn't realize there were too many squirrels around here, too.



And one of the scrub jays:




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About a month ago we went to a Festival celebrating our Scandinavian heritage. We had an absolute blast! The food was great, the music was fun, and we even dressed in native garb and posed for pictures. No, they're not being shared here!

Over the years I've bought or received various pieces of Rosemaling. This craft comes from Norway--my late grandfather's birthplace.

Here's what I bought at the festival:





And here is the Norwegian flag flying in front of our house on one of Norway's flag days. I'm very glad to be an American, of course, but I think it's fine to acknowledge one's heritage. It's amazing to imagine my late grandfather sailing over here from Norway in 1904, at just age 16, all by himself on that ship. In steerage, of course. Someday I would love to visit his homeland. I've heard it's beautiful. My grandpa lived in Minnesota, but he also visited southern California a few times. He loved the mountains around Los Angeles, and told my mother it reminded him of Norway. Isn't it funny that no matter where we go, our heart always seems to long for home?



Thanks for stopping by today.

Cookies

I can't believe I haven't posted here in over a month. Come to think of it, I don't think I've even stitched a thing in about a month now. Sigh...I really miss it so much. I just can't find the time! Work has been extremely busy this year.

This upcoming weekend I will carve out some time in the day, even if I have the usual list of things that I MUST do. I will cast those aside to enjoy needle and thread.

I baked these cookies a few weeks ago, and I had to take a photo of them. I will share the recipe soon here! We call them "Orange Cookies". They're made with flour, sugar, butter, buttermilk, and a bit of orange juice--and a few more ingredients. The icing has orange juice in it, too. They are puffy, soft, and everyone seems to love them.

Orange Cookies


Thanks for stopping by today, and please come back soon. I promise to post the recipe here very soon. :)

Pretty Pictures

Time for blogging and any other sort of fun pastime has been sadly short in the past several weeks. I haven't had a chance to work on my pretty Summer Queen for awhile now. Sigh. I so hate when life gets in the way of doing the stuff we like to do, but that's how it is.

I spent 13 years at home as a Stay-at-Home Mom. My heart is still at home, even though I'm now in my tenth year at my 'grown up' job as a teacher.

What have these past several weeks brought? I'm sad to say it, but just work, work, and more work. One would think my job would get easier each year, right? Sadly more and more is put upon us, so time spent doing paperwork becomes massive. This has definitely been my most demanding year ever.

On a happy note, I was recently able to turn in paperwork this week that reflected the completion of my Master's Degree. Hurrah! It took me over two years to do it, while many of my colleagues were able to do the program in less than a year. At least it's done.

Also in the 'happy' department is time spent with our little grandson. I get to see him about once a week, as we just don't live 'down the street' but about 20 miles away. What precious times those are! This picture was taken last week while my mom was holding him. He's wearing a onesie our daughter appliqued with his first initial:


I'll end this with a sharing of a gallery of photos I compiled on Flickr. Thanks to all the people who took these gorgeous photos. Enjoy!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thinknsmile/galleries/72157623163594666/

Stitching, Finally!

I finally stitched today--for the first time in two and a half months. It was good to break out my projects again. I decided to work on Oberlin's Minnesota Sampler, and will post a photo soon.

I noticed that the last time I posted here I was home with a sore throat. Believe it or not, I was at home again today with a sore throat and virus. I work with small children and sadly I don't seem to fight off their germs very well. Someone is always sick in my classroom, it seems. Any suggestions on building up immunity? Vitamins don't seem to do the trick.

A few weeks ago we went to a beautiful wedding. Our daughter's sister-in-law got married, and our daughter was the matron of honor. Her baby is due in a few weeks, and that is something we're really so excited about! Here are some photos of that beautiful day. Enjoy!

Our daughter with her sister-in-law:


Our daughter and her husband:


Enjoying the reception:



The Happy Newly Married Couple:






Thanks for stopping by today!

A Picture is Worth How Many Words?

I wish I had some stitching news, but I don't! Instead, I would like to share some photos we took recently.

First of all, it's been so HOT that we were fortunate enough to capture with our camera a hawk standing on our driveway. He was drinking water from our neighbor's sprinklers, and also reaching out to enjoy the sprinkler mist.

We live in an urban area, so we're always a bit surprised to see hawks near us.






The other evening we drove to a park near my mother's house and took some photos of the sunset. I really love the colors in these! Sadly there is smoke in the air with fires burning some 25 miles away from where we took the photos, so that makes the sunset's colors especially orange.








I love this one:




Before sunset, and the smoke is visible:



One more with smoky clouds:



Thanks for stopping by today!