A Stitch in Time*

Saturday, August 6, 2011

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...

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Monday, July 11, 2011

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
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. :)

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Friday, July 1, 2011

TUSAL update

It's that time again! It's a TUSAL update. That's the Totally Useless StitchALong that I'm happily a part of this year. It's sponsored by Daffycat.

It has been a wonderful month, but there was only a bit of time for stitching, and that happened yesterday.  Here is the latest progress in my little ORT jar:

I'm still working on Paula Vaughan's Wedding Ring Bouquet, and in this piece there's a lot of ecru and white.
Here's a better look



I would post a progress picture of the piece, but I don't feel it's changed much since this picture was taken:
Wedding Ring Bouquet- WIP

Finally, a few peeks of our cats, dog,  and the patio. I love summer evenings!  It's very hot here in the daytime, but in the evening it's quite nice in the backyard!
Deck

Sassy Cat- Our Orange One

Thanks for stopping by today!



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Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Beautiful Vacation in Spain

We recently returned from a long-awaited journey. We visited Spain! It was our first trip abroad, ever. I've wanted to visit this country since I was a young girl in Spanish class--way back when.  Our trip included staying in five different cities, and we also visited several others for the day.

It was a delight in every way. The country was beautiful, the historical sights were stunning, and the people were friendly and welcoming. 

A snippet of the places we visited:

Madrid, Spain in the Evening
Madrid in the Evening

Alcazar of Toledo, Spain
The Stunning City of Toledo

Looking Out of the Alcazar
The Alcazar in Sevilla

Catedral de Santa María de la Sede 
The Cathedral in Sevilla

Alhambra
The Alhambra in Granada

Close to Valencia, Spain
The Mediterranean Sea


Churros and Chocolate
Churros and Chocolate in a Valencia Restaurant


Bridge and Building
Calatrava's Architecture in Valencia

Valencia Cathedral
Cathedral in Valencia

Cathedral of Cordoba
The Mesquita in Cordoba


La Sagrada Familia
Guadi's La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

Park Guell
Park Guell in Barcelona- designed by Guadi

Park Guell
More from Parque Guell

Montserrat
The Monastery at Montserrat


Flamenco Dancer- Palacio Andaluz
Flamenco Dancer in Sevilla

What a fantastic time it was. Now it's back to reality and responsibilities. Maybe some stitching today will ease me back into the routine?

Thanks for stopping by today!

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