Happy New Year!!!!!

It's been such a wonderful start to the new year for me.   I spent the last 4 days sitting on the sofa stitching while watching the entire series of Upstairs Downstairs.  I started it at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday and this morning (Saturday) watched the final segment before heading off to work.  I fell asleep a few times and had to rewind, but it's all I watched for the last 4 days. Day and night.  What fun.   Next up...Homeland (series 1 & 2) which was a Christmas present from Sara and Debbie...I'm so excited.  I did watch some of it when we got free Showtime last year, but needed to get it since I don't subscribe to Showtime.  Love my DVR.    Sara told me to stay home today since it was so darn cold, but I had to confess to her that I didn't want to because my behind was sore from sitting so long (didn't know that could happen) and my neck and shoulders hurt from all the stitching.  

On Monday, while I work, as I was reading different blogs I commented to Sara that when I went to one of the designers blogs there wasn't a word about stitching on it.  Sara looked me in the eye and said, "have you ever read Salty Yarns blog?"  Since I compose it of course I had read it before, but then I realized what point she was trying to make.  So, in the spirit of a New Year and turning over a new leaf...I shall write about stitching at least once on every blog posting.  On the right you will see one of the gifts I stitched as a Christmas present for Judy who started working at Salty Yarns in the fall.  It's the High Seas Biscornu and Fob (Fab Reilly designs).   The minute it came into the shop I just knew I had to  stitch it. And since Judy is all about the ocean right now,(she just moved down),  I just felt it would be perfect for her.    I had a great deal of fun stitching it and paired it with lighthouse scissors to complete the gift.  I was a stitching maniac all November and December and managed to complete about 9 projects, for employees, Stitch 'n Bitch secret santa gifts and friends.  Last week I managed to complete the Lizzie Kate Mystery Christmas Sampler, although I did add a few beads to give it some dimension.  I also completed my first 2014 project, started Wednesday night, Lizzie Kate, "A Little Snow".  A cute easy stitch and since snow is our January topic in the shop it is perfect...of course now I have to get it framed.... Since I finished something,  I got to start a new project, (although I've got a few still being worked on), but Linda and I are going to work a project together and we begin on Sunday so I wanted to get my fabric prepped and perhaps even begin since I'm also sure Linda is doing the same thing.  This is definitely going to be a race to see who  can stitch the most each week.  We've decided that we're going to meet here in the shop every Sunday in order to get this etui done, otherwise we'd end up putting it off for another year.  .  We've had it for at least  3 years and keep talking about it but never start so 2014 is the magic year of accomplishment for us. It will be a race to see who gets the most done.  While we are both working on the roof of the project, I have a feeling she is working on the front side and I'm busy with the back side.  The strain of so much overone stitching made me decide  to stitch Lizzie Kate's 2013 Flora McSample's Stockings.  So Thursday I  finished Noel on 28 ct. over 2 (much bigger than I had envisioned) and since it was larger than I had imagined I stitched the alphabet sampler stocking over 1 on 28 ct. on Friday, our first official snow day.    It's cute, and will be perfect on a tree, but I have to say the over 2 stocking would actually hold a small gift so I'm thinking I like that one better.  Sara suggested I do the third stocking on 25 count over 1 to give some perspective on size with a different count.  We'll see.  Now that I've discussed stitching I can  talk about what went wrong with our Christmas.  It started with my Mary wanting a new lounge chair to match the furniture that "fell off the back of a truck" last year, (when the man came to me in the shop to unload his truck of furniture from North Carolina).  So she and I went over to a popular furniture store in Delaware and after sitting on 100 (at least) such chairs she finally picked out a black leather one. (By this time I was willing to gift her anything, no matter what the cost just to get the hell out of there.)  In the meantime while I was waiting for her to settle on a chair, I did pick out a display cabinet for Sara for Christmas so she could display her smalls.  Anyway, the furniture company arrived with the delivery the week before Christmas.  When they pulled the chair off the truck Mary said, "That's not the chair I picked."  The chair was a cocoa and fabric, so back in the truck it went.  We were told they couldn't deliver again until after Christmas....well these things happen.  Well, Thursday I heard a knocking on the door, and  they had  arrived with the chair again.  I went out to direct them and when I saw the chair on the truck I called Mary and asked her to come down as  I felt  they were delivering  the same chair.  She walked down the stairs and the words began to fly.  Usually Mary doesn't cuss like a sailor (that's Sara), but I'm telling you yesterday she let it fly.  Her final words were "I don't even want the friggin chair anymore, especially from you so credit my mother's card and I'm done."  Meanwhile I'm telling her to watch her language and don't blame the men delivering the chair, while at the same time apologizing to them for her language and attitude.  It was the same two delivery men so they were getting use to taking the chair off the truck and putting it back on.  Although I have to say, while I'm sure they deliver many items I'm surprised they didn't realize this was the same friggin chair as last time because one of them said the same thing they said before...."it looks cocoa to me."  Now I just got a call from Mary that the furniture store salesman has called and is coming up with many excuses, and has yet to say, I'm sorry, which is what she wants.  After the first delivery, Mary went back to the store to point out the correct chair a 2nd time, which makes her even madder...since the store is about an hour away.   The chair she keeps picking out is Black Leather and the chair they've sent twice is cocoa and fabric.  I mentioned to the delivery people that perhaps the item number was confused on the chairs, apparently both chairs had the same item #, which is what they are saying is the problem...wouldn't you think they would have noticed this the first time around.  Anyway, Mary finally has her chair, after New Year's but the chair is situated and I'm pretty sure her behind has been in it.  The other Christmas problem we had was....Christmas morning I awoke around 4:30 and felt that it was a little chilly, but I pushed the thermometer up and kept plugging along.  After letting the water run for 30 minutes I knew there was another problem.  So when I was sure Mary and Brian were up I called them and asked if their place was cold....which it was but they plugged in electric heaters and said don't worry about it.  However, since everyone was coming to my house Christmas day for dinner and gift exchanging I said I was worrying about it because this was not only a heating issue but a hot water issue.  To do the huge pile of dishes I was using to make a Christmas dinner I needed hot water.  Since 4:30 I was heating water in the microwave and using it to wash dishes but that was  getting "old" fast.  So Vernon was called.  Sara's first response was to run to the office to see if I had paid the bill...which I knew I had so that couldn't be the issue.  When she saw I paid it on December 1st we started making plans to get heat for the day.  I figured no one would answer the phone on Christmas day so we were thinking of heaters from the hotel and me microwaving hot water. (starting to remind me of Nashville and me trying to melt butter over a candle...I'm old school I can handle just about any problem).   However, Christmas afternoon they answered the phone and actually delivered oil on Christmas Day.  I told Vernon to hold on to the delivery man as I wanted to give him a nice tip for coming out but apparently the only person not happy with coming was the delivery man and gave Vernon attitude so Vernon said, "No way are you tipping that asshole. Vernon went out and was saying how sorry we were that he had to come out, but we're on automatic with them so we couldn't understand why we ran out."  The serviceman apparently didn't give a damn and wouldn't even speak to Vernon, apparently he was solid "pissed off" at us for having the nerve to call in for oil.  We're on automatic people...delivery once a month....didn't happen in December...if you had shown up I wouldn't have had to call you!  After that I decided I'm done with oil deliveries and I'm having another method of heat put in.  And that was my Christmas Day...it's never easy, but I've learned to go with the flow.  Even with that I had a wonderful Christmas and I've had an even better week after Christmas.  While we did open on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, we had our first snow day on Friday after New Years....and that's so much fun.  A day when you thought you would have to work, but instead you get to stay home.  Whoppee!!! It's a good thing.  While the pitiful snow we got was over by morning, we had a day of rain on Thursday and I felt it might result in black ice beneath the snow and decided we shouldn't open.  When I called Sara and told her what I thought she just said, "It's fine with me."....what she didn't tell me is she was sick.  Vernon got the flu right after Christmas and apparently Sara caught it Tuesday.  She sounds terrible today (we're back at work) and I've tried to get her to go home and rest, but she's having none of it.  We decided to have a stitching session, but now I'm blogging and she's playing games on her phone so stitching has ended for the time being.  Stacy Stinson did come in and we exchanged gifts....thankfully she always brings me Christmas treats, which I started eating immediately, and this year she included a woolen needle pouch,  which she made,  with 2 packs of needles and a Big Toe needle threader inside...so cute.  Stacy's mother is our finisher and Stacy use to hand everything she did over to her mother to finish.  But with classes, etc., she's been finishing her own pieces and she's doing a beautiful job of it.  These needle pouches are adorable and I'll be putting mine in my stitching bag when I leave today.  Christmas just never ends.  It's really quiet here now though.  I think all visitors have left town....because we've seen very few today.  There is a lone surfer out today...28 degrees and he's surfing....oh, my God, to be young and stupid.  Well I've got to get back to stitchin.  Hope you are having a great weekend.  Talk to you soon.    

Merry Christmas

What a merry Christmas I had....and today I'm starting to  feel better.  The day after Christmas I felt like I had a hangover and yet I didn't have anything to drink.  But prior to the big day we were on overdrive down here.  First the shopping...oh, my...shopping, shopping and more shopping.  Then the wrapping....oh, God why did I buy all this stuff that now has to be wrapped....then it's the menu revisions and the food shopping and then the final insult to time...cleaning the house....or the attempt to clean the house.  Since I have yet to finish all of this by myself,  I was determined to get everything done in time for the family to come to my house Christmas Day for dinner.  Sara traditionally had me over for breakfast and then everyone comes to my house for dinner where I have gifts for everyone and they bring me gifts.  But for the last two years I didn't go to Sara's in my attempt to get the entire dinner done with no help before they all get to my house.  For the past several Christmas' I  have failed and have  had to call Sara to have her come over and help Christmas afternoon.  But I was determined this year.  I made lists, I had a schedule done and each was revised nightly as I changed recipes, etc...yes, I just knew this was my year.  I was ready for the count down....Monday I shopped for ingredients and started my baking.  I had everything purchased but due to rain and I was exhausted since I had spent the morning at the church hall where we had set up a little church while our church is being repaired from the fire, and with the usual final day running last minute errands, I ended up grocery shopping at dinner tine.  I ended up only bringing into the house what I knew I would have to have for Monday's baking.  I was definitely going to get Monday's jobs done, even though I was running behind.  I was feeling good and excited and I began with the Cheesecake.  By 10 p.m. that was done....yeah....one job checked off the list.  Now the sweet potato pie...well, I left the potatoes in the car so that would have to wait.  So instead I decided to work on the food basket I give to my minister and the deacon Christmas Eve.  However, it was a bleak reminder that our minister was killed in the tragic fire in November, but we still have our Deacon so I was determined to get her gift done.  Cranberry bread, done...chocolae peanut butter cookies...done...chocolate peppermint bark...bagged and tagged...yes, I'm on schedule.   I finished making the pickled peaches and pickled beets and put them in the frig to cool.   In checking recipes on my Ipad, I saw crockpot candy and thought...yes, that's cool I'll try that. (this is why I get in trouble every year).  I add it to my todo list...oh, no another item...I need to stay off the internet.  And  because I didn't have cashews it meant another trip to the grocery store.  I had a few more gifts to wrap to I switched from baking to wrapping.  Everything got wrapped, with one exception...a couple of things for Izzie I forgot about.  But everything else was done...no bows but  bows were on the schedule for Christmas morning early, so no problem. .Yes this was going to be my year.   Tuesday morning loomed early for me as I got up around 4:30  to 5:00 a.m.  So I was ready to go early and decided to bring in the groceries, and get something else done.  Coleslaw dressing....done and all I would have to do on the 25th was put the coleslaw together.  Yeast bread for cinnamon rolls, done and rising....so I got the sweet potatoes cooking so I could make sweet potato pie from scratch.  Yes, I was definitely on schedule....and then Michael (my 12 year  old grandson) came over.  We decided to get cashews for our crockpot chocolate so we went shopping.  When we returned we made our crockpot chocolate covered cashews (interesting, delicious and easy...but still takes a little time to set up and then when it's done  you have to put it in little cups for giving.)  It was interesting but makes a whole lot so be prepared if you try this at home.  Michael got bored with the shaping of the candy and went home....O.K., now that I'm alone this is taking longer than I expected.    Sara was taking the gift to our deacon since I refuse to attend the  children's Christmas Eve service.....kids running around, screaming and talking make me nuts in church so on Sunday I always attended the 8:00 so I didn't have to contend with the kids whose parents seem to be o.k. if their little darlings never sit down in church.  Unfortunately since the fire we are only able to have one united service at 9:00, in the church hall, so I am forced to contend with the little rug rats.   Sara doesn't seem to mind as much so she attended Christmas Eve service  so she could undress the altar for me and bring me the linens to clean.  So that gave me an extra couple of hours to work as well on  Christmas Eve.  Oh, yes I just knew I was going to make it.  I went to bed Tuesday night still convinced I was on schedule.  But I got up , well I got up the first time at 2 a.m. and gathering up all the wrapping supplies and got them in a pile.  Then I went back to sleep and got up again at 4:30 and started panicing because I was afraid the 21 pound turkey I purchased frozen solid on Monday afternoon wouldn't  be thawed by Wednesday morning.  So first thing I did was google cooking frozen turkey and was assured that the turkey could be cooked regardless of frozen state.  However after I finally lifted it and took off the wrapping I saw that it was thawed so I knew it was my lucky day.  So I got the stuffing ready and stuffed the bird and shoved it in the oven at 6:30 a.m.  Then I put the sauerkraut in the crock pot, put a load of wash in, and got the sweet potatoes ready so I could put them in the oven...love candied sweet potatoes.  As I was getting things ready to go into the oven at their appointed time I was patting myself on the back thinking I was finally going to get everything done.  I peeled the regular potatoes for boiling so they would be ready for mashing,  got the cinnamon  roll bread out of the refrigerator so it could go through the 2nd rise and then I decided to get the living room ready and gifts in place.  I wrap each persons gifts with a different paper so it makes it easier to tell whose boxes are whose.  So I  got out the vacuumed the living room floor, dusted and placed the gifts in their proper place and then began to work on the dining room table.  I knew I was going to make it because I only had left, the two vegetable dishes, a sauteed brussel sprouts dish which was easy although I did have to fry the shallots, and a puff pastry w/asparagus which was also easy.  Then I had to make the merangue for the sweet potato pie and I was done...O.K., almost done.  I still had to clean up the porch and finish the dining room.  I decided to take a bathroom break and while I was reading a page of my book as I sat(my break for the day..I was multi-tasking) I heard the patter of little feet.  I just knew it couldn't be any of the kids because it was just 10:30 in the morning.  Certainly they weren't done at their house.  But then I heard "nan" and my goals just moved further out of reach.  But no problem, I just had to make sure to pull the turkey out of the oven by 11:00, get the sweet potatoes basted and then pull them out and I could do the vegetable dishes in the afternoon before reheating all the finished dishes....yes, I'm not as certain as I was earlier, but I still have confidence in myself.  Why those children who woke up around 8 were downstairs with me by 10:30 is a mystery, but it's Christmas Day,  I'm a grandmother and delighted they want to come see me no matter what the house.  So I meet them in the living room to ooh and aah the new toys they brought down for me to see.  But of course, staring at piles of gifts in my house was too much so one by one they started opening gifts swearing they didn't care if there were none left when everyone came over tonight.  Around 11:30 Mary announced that she smelled something burning...oh, crap!  Of course the Turkey was in the oven 1/2 hour too long...well I like my meat well done so I'm cool, but the sweet potatoes hadn't been basted regularly so their tops were a bit on the too done side, but after tasting one I said, "the underside is fine, it's the top that looks burnt and I'll eat that."  Mary wanted the kids to go back upstairs so I could finish my job, but they didn't want to go so I said the hell with it and called Sara.  Another Christmas without reaching my goals wasn't going to kill me...it might kill Sara but she's getting use to my Christmas day 911 call and I think she might miss it (I'm sure she'd like to experience missing the call and I think next year will be the year).  Yes, next year I'm going to start the whole procedure a day earlier and have everything basically cooked and just have to heat it up Christmas Day.  This gives me a whole year to make plans and make lists.  Yes, 2014 is going to be my year!  Of course Sara is saying, "this is ridiculous, next year we're doing this at my house."  We'll see. 

I hope your day was as much fun as mine and you had plenty of time with your family too.  There is just nothing better for Christmas than children and grandchildren...too much fun!   

Thanksgiving...Hope you had a safe and delicious day!!!!

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and made it to your destination with no problem.  Fortunately we stayed here in Ocean City, well Sara and I did, our Mary and her family drove to

Baltimore for the day to spend Thanksgiving day with Brian's family.  So it was pretty quiet here which was fine because this has been a really bad week for us.  Tuesday I was sitting at home, T.V. blaring, soda by my side and needlework in my hand when I got the call from Sara..."Mom, the church is on fire and someone died."  Of course that led to a lot of speculation and at one point during the day I was told Father David had died.  Just as I was coming to grips with the grief of that statement,  I was called and told he wasn't dead but was in critical condition at the hospital  It was someone else (as it turns out the man who set himself on fire while in  Shepherds Crook, our food pantry), and of course that let to Shepherd's Crook catching fire.    Anyway, as I was taking some relief in that and the fact that it was the offices on fire not the church, which is attached, and  seemed to be weathering the fire alright.  Anyway, by the 6:00 p.m. news Tuesday, Father David had died, the church offices were destroyed and the church suffered water damage and smoke damage.  When your parish priest dies it is similar to a family member dying.  I know he will be replaced eventually but this process can take a couple of years and in the time it takes,  people will once again be leaving to go elsewhere.  While I do serve on the Altar Guild, December is my month, I'm just not sure how I'll feel walking back in there knowing David died here...it's a sad reminder...and we're in flux once again.  Our church has been devasted in the last 20 years due to a couple of ministers who should  never have become ministers.  We were just getting our church moving forward in a positive way with Father David and now this.  So I'm feeling down about Father David's passing on, his wife and 3 children now without him, especially difficult at holiday times and our church which will now go through another period of turmoil.  Mercy, it's almost too much to handle.  I've always been told that God doesn't give you more than you can handle....I hope this is true.  Because in the coming weeks we will have to pull together for each other and to help Brenda and the boys get through this.  Anyway, that's my week, and I did have a wonderful dinner at Sara's.  She did the turkey, candied sweet potatoes, stuffing and dressing (glad I finally learned the difference...duh)..sauerkraut, and a sweet potato pie, and I did the cinnamon rolls, sautéed brussel sprouts (Sara's Favorite), mashed potatoes (my favorite), sweet pickled peaches (tradition), pickled beets and a new pie, Sour Cream Apple, so to say we had plenty of food is an understatement...there were 4 of us, but today we had the next day turkey sandwiches which are sooo good.  To help me weather the storm I am also stitching like crazy.     Sorry for the awful photo's of my works in progress but I just couldn't take the time to iron them just to show you what I've done...obviously I have a way to go on both of them.  But I've also finished 7 Christmas gifts, and a Thanksgiving etui for Sara which I will put up on the blog later.  The first picture you see is a SamSarah Design that Sara saw from the truck show when Patti was here for Jamboree.  It's a series called...Flock....and the series consists of several charts with the different sections and a set of specialty buttons.  While it is cute when it's done, it's too contemporary for me but Sara just loved, loved, loved it...so I'm stitching it.  It really is a nice stitch, some of the charts are fast and can be done in one night so that's always exciting.  I ran out of 4 of the colors last night so decided to start a new project until I got the colors from the shop.  So then I started doing Drawn Threads "Give Thanks" and I adore this piece.  I'm a strong advocate for Drawn Thread anyway, and have stitched several of her charts.    I pulled the wrong fabric count but decided to use it anyway so I'm stitching it  over 2 on 28 ct., in the silks suggested, except for 2 colors we didn't  have in stock when I first pulled this so I've substituted (as usual).  But this piece is fun and interesting...oh so interesting.  She uses many specialty stitches in each element so the vase that I'm currently working on is using at least 4 specialty stitches....fabulous.  I can't wait to get back to it.  Because I do have to pay attention I won't bring that to work with me.  But since Lizzie Kate's  "A Little Snow" arrived today....well you know I'll work on this right in the shop...nothing better than a new project.  Fun, Fun, Fun.  I am endlessly entertained as long as I have my stitching.  The weather is beautiful this weekend, especially since at first they were calling for rain this weekend, but the sun is out, and the temp. is around 50 during the day but down in the low 30's at night.  I hope you are enjoying the same glorious sky.  Hope you are enjoying the holiday, brief though it is for most, especially those who had to leave their Thanksgiving table to go to work...ugh!  Talk to you soon.

The party is over, but we're still here...

Yes, the Stitchers Jamboree is over and the hotel is officially closed.  It's been an exciting summer but we're pooped and glad to have a few months to regroup.  But, of course, the shop doesn't close so we're still here everyday, but that's our fun spot.  And boy howdy did  we have fun this weekend.  Stitchers Jamboree is a wonderful way to end the summer for us.  Imagine a weekend filled with classes and non-stop stitching with old friends and new.  Our stitchers actually  starting arriving on Wednesday.  These are the ladies who want to get a jump on the "pick of new merchandise" before the rest of the ladies arrive, plus they want to rest up before the run for classes begins.  The teachers, Lauren Sauer and Linda (Chessie and Me) arrived on Thursday with yet more stitchers, including Ginny who flew in on the same plane with Linda.  So we actually had time to visit with these ladies and since Lauren and Linda are returning teachers it's always good to catch on what is happening with them as well.  Then Friday our weekend begins.  Sara was busy cooking for 2 days and I was manning the shop...Sara may rethink this in the future as I was calling her every 5 minutes to figure out where new stuff was located in the shop (you'd think I never worked here before).  Adding to the excitement was a North Easter' which hit Ocean City on Wednesday and stayed here for the entire event....high winds, rain off and on all weekend and just miserable weather.  The good news...stitchers really don't give a damn because all they want to do is shop and stitch.  (We are so grateful they don't care...otherwise it would have been a really long weekend of complaints.)  Anyway, Patti (SamSarah Designs) arrived on Friday along with the rest of the stitchers, and the party commenced.  New attendees weren't strangers long as returning attendees are so welcoming to the newbies.  And it's always fun to see so many return....they became old friends to us long ago and we always look forward to seeing them again and catching up on their families as well as their stitching.  Plus...they always bring us show and tell.  I love to see what people have worked on and get ideas myself for projects.  It's inspiring to me.  And I saw a lot of great finishes.  Janice  Meixell was working on the cutest wedding sampler and not your typical sampler.  Her friends are getting married this winter and she picked a snowflake design, stitched white on navy linen and stitched the information in a wavy line through the piece.  Really different and a great idea.  I just would never have thought of that.  (a group of stitchers will always give you great ideas).  Barbara Nunez arrived with a box of her finishes...amazing!  The most unusual in my opinion was her "cigar box" etui.  It was a Jackie DuPlessis kit which she got long ago and what I loved the most was the cute little cigar box.  It was not a real one, but cute none the less and of course the smalls that went inside...well, you know I love a small.  I rushed over to the lobby of the hotel to show the ladies and one of our Jersey Girls said, "I have that in my stash and I haven't done it."  Meanwhile there was a group of us trying to figure out if we could duplicate the kit as it is no longer being produced.  Then she said the magic words..."I'll sell you mine."  Bingo baby...I was on it.  So when she gets home, she's going to send me the kit....I can't wait.  This was better than Ebay....no one was bidding against me and there was no time limitations.  Now it can sit in my stash for years, but at least I'll have it and can look at the little cigar box every day.  Saturday night Theresa Wood and I had our annual ornament exchange.  She stitched one of the darling little Christmas purses designed by Victoria Sampler and shown in the 2012 Ornament Magazine.  I had noticed them last year and had planned to stitch some of those myself...so I was thrilled...one more project off my list.  Thanks Theresa...I just love it.  As I had reported earlier I was struggling to get the little santa I stitched put together and couldn't figure out why this year I was having so many difficulties.  I figured it was my age.  After showing it to Linda and Patti who were sitting there, they along with Theresa informed me I had stitched it on 40 ct.  I don't know what I was thinking, I had just grabbed a small piece of linen and started stitching.  I knew the piece was small but had no idea it was 40 ct. over one.  I loved it, but next year I'm moving up to 32 or 28 for stitching .... the finishing is too difficult with all the angles I'm working around.  But at least I know my magnifiers are working like a charm since I didn't even realize it was 40 ct.  (I think it also might speak volumns about what an idiot I've become that as a shop owner I didn't even realize it... good thing Sara's taking over).  Anyway, the last of our stitchers left Wednesday so now we are getting things back to normal.  Or at least what we call normal.  I'm now busy getting ready for the C.A. Wells memorial weekend.  This is just a fun weekend so there is nothing really to do.  Everyone brings food and we just sit and stitch all weekend.  I am working on an annual piece for the weekend.  It's so much fun coming up with a Halloween memorial piece.  This year I didn't have to come up with the idea, I'm doing a chart by Dames of the Needle, and I'm only changing it slightly, so there is no brain power required.  Whoppee!!!!  As you may have guessed, my brain power is starting to go down hill. 

The end of a perfect weekend....

 Another beautiful Sampler and finish provided to us by Carolyn Newman...don't you just love it.  I always did like this piece.  It's a Shakespeare Peddler, "Weeds Make Haste".  It is just full of design elements and is perfect for a gardener,  or for your summer stitching.  Love it.  I also appreciate the fact that this is a nice size pillow,  so it will show up nicely if used on a sofa, etc.  Anyway, you can't see it but Carolyn won a blue ribbon with this piece as well.  She usually enters many, many pieces and darn near wins ribbons on everything.  Good Job Carolyn.  Thanks for loaning it to us.  When you come in the shop look for it.   (This was actually written after the Delaware Sampler Guild was here).  Yesterday the stitchers left after a weekend of  sunshine, a lot of  heat (wow...it was summer here and in the 80's), a lot of talking and a lot of laughing.  A good time was had by all, I think.  So thank you to all the stitchers from the Delaware Valley Sampler Guild.  We loved seeing you all again.  I'm sorry I didn't get much time with you, although I spoke with most of you during the weekend, but I've been taken out of the stitching shop whenever possible and put in other shops (I'm not sure but I think I've been demoted).  And then I took the grandchildren home with me Friday and Saturday so that their mother's could get the food out, etc.  Needless to say it was a busy weekend for us all.  We also want to thank Vera and her stitching group who were having a retreat in Ocean City and spent a lot of time in the shop as well.  That's right...two stitching retreats here and many, many stitchers.  While that makes for a very busy weekend, it's the most fun of all because no one is asking for string, fabrics for sewing, cigarettes, etc., no,  everyone that was here this weekend knew exactly what kind of shop Salty Yarns is and there were no dumb questions.  Alleluia!  Also thanks to Sheila Fitzhugh and Trudy Edwards who were vacationing here (they are also stitchers who come to Spring Retreat) and always bring me wonderful stitching treats.  This year was no different.  What they brought was so fabulous we're going to use them in goodie bags next year.  But first we have to make them....that could be the hitch, although I've already ordered the supplies and I really think I'm capable.  Shiela also brought her beautiful Quaker Christmas II, which is fabulous and allowed us to hang it so everyone could see it....and then left it for the winter so we could display it until she returns next May.  Wow...I have such wonderful stitchers who come here....so generous with their time and talents.  Thanks ladies for the treat and for the models you allow us to use.  We appreciate it.  Theresa Baird brought in her new samplers...oh my, absolutely gorgeous.  She is so talented, and these samplers are unbelievable, as they are full of details and done on 40 ct....fabulous.  Thanks Theresa...your talent for designing is amazing.  This is actually the final day for the hotel for the season, as far as outside renters.  Next weekend is the Stitchers Jamboree and then the hotel is shut down for the winter.  So poor Mary just can't wait.  She and her family has been living at the hotel in a very small space for the last 6 months, so moving back to her home is long overdue.  It gives us all time to rest and start preparing for next summer.  But the shop, Salty Yarns and Sea Trader will still be open  7 days through Thanksgiving and then 4 day weekends after that.  Exiting things happening here as we start working on the changes at the hotel.  Mary is on top of that while Sara is on top of things that deal with the shop.  Both girls did a fabulous job this summer and because of that I've been able to take days off, like today.  Normally, before a big event I'm in the shop or office everyday fighting to get orders placed and bills paid.  But this summer I only went  into the office for a couple of hours one day a week and I've had days off.  I'm really enjoying my semi-retirement...in fact a bit too much.  My mother wouldn't retire....her answer to me when I told her she was no longer working in the shop so she could relax was..."You are to put me back on the schedule...I don't know what you think I'm suppose to do all day but I refuse to sit upstairs and watch your father sleep in the chair."  She worked until the day she died.  However, I am not my mother, I said to Sara, "If you expect me to tell you to put me on a schedule like my mother told me, you are going to be seriously disappointed.  I'm taking the days and you won't even hear from me."  Which she hasn't, although she usually calls me to make sure I'm not dead on the floor.  So far so good!  Anyway, for those traveling to Ocean City for the event this weekend....please drive carefully.  Don't forget your scissors, needles, and any magnification and lighting you need and we'll see you ...starting Wednesday...as some arrive on that date and the rest follow on Thursday and Friday.  Safe travels.

The fat lady sings in 2 weeks...

Yes, it's all over but the shouting down here.  But what  gorgeous weekends we've had.  The sun was shining all weekend during Sunfest, biker's weekend which was beautiful during the day, rained one night and so the weekend was a success, and then last weekend for Winefest it couldn't have been more beautiful....so I'd say the fall has started off beautifully.    The temperatures were comfortable in the 70's...not too hot, so you could go on the beach if you wanted and at night you might want a sweatshirt, although many of us don't need one.   Starting tomorrow however, it's suppose to go back up into the 80's...whew I don't do well in heat...I'd like to refer to myself as a delicate flower....however, if you have seen me you would know I was anything but delicate.  Anyway, I'm thrilled that the Delaware Sampler Guild coming down next weekend and having their retreat at the hotel will be able to sit in the rockers on the porch and view the ocean as they stitch.  Our retreaters have been coming down and we have Judy's crew here for Pat Podziomek's birthday...Happy Birthday girl, a  week or so ago and Syd Serson was here from  Pa. for a few days.  It's always so strange to see these ladies here when we're not having an event, as they are always here for events...it's like an early event but Sara doesn't have to do the cooking and I don't have to have a goodie bag ready.  But it's fun to hear about their stitching, and connect with people that know what DMC floss is.    The picture above is the Winter Box from Victoria's Sampler, and beautifully stitched and finished by Carolyn Newman who entered it in the Delaware Fair and of course won with it.  We also have a few other pieces that Carolyn is letting us display so I'll get the others up soon, hopefully.  I'm having my usual issues with getting pictures up.  But I won't give up.  I love this box and also have it in my stash to stitch along with the 2 other boxes from Victoria Sampler.  At the rate I'm going, Sara will inherit all 3 charts (not the finished boxes), but I always have hope I'll get to everything stitched before I go (well if I live to be 300 that might happen, but since I'm 65 and circling the drain...not holding out much hope.    Anyway, Carolyn was gracious enough to let us have this to display in the shop so you can see it up close when you are here.  With the events right around the corner,   Sara has been like a demon ordering supplies and of course I've found some neat things for the goodie bags.  These goodie bags drive me nuts because I'm trying to find new things we haven't  used before and since we've been doing this for a while it's become a lot harder, but I'm ever vigilant and always on the lookout.  Thankfully Ruth at Nordic Needle knows I'll be calling her at the last minute and she can usually help us with the quantities we need or she has excellent suggestions for us...and this year was no different...although it wasn't quite the last minute since we ordered over a week ago.  Now let's keep our fingers crossed that the weather cooperates.    The Sherri Jones kits are in so you know what that means...more pre-stitch for me.  Barbara Nunez and I were trying to get the mermaid purse done by Jamboree as we had taken this class in Hilton Head, several years ago,  so we will be way ahead of others who don't have their kits, but I'm struggling with this.  I can't believe it, but I am.  I'm not sure I'll have it done for Jamboree, but I'm plugging along and hopefully I'll get there.  I'm one of those stitchers who will tear out if I've miscounted, but....I don't have time and for some reason no matter how  careful I've been this piece it has several miss counted placement issues, but I've plugged along anyway.  It still is a beautiful piece and I love it.  I've actually managed to stitch the back in a couple of days so I'm almost home....one more piece to do before Jamboree.  However, I had a tragedy with my ornament exchange.  I stitched an over one santa...it was so cute....and I did back and front and I was thrilled to have it done so early.  Only one problem...it was too small to put together properly, it was star shaped,  so I've had to chunk it and now I've got to start over...damn, I thought I did so well and was ahead of the game.  I can't seem to catch a break sometimes.  Debbie Liming was down for a week and got here last Monday in time to watch Hotel Impossible where The Lankford was featured.  While Sara, Mary and I were a red hot mess (thank you Anthony for showing that!) everyone felt we did just fine.  Sara, Debbie, Mary, Brian, and Vernon held the viewing in the lobby with some of the hotel staff.  I chose to sit at home by myself but called Sara every commercial to bitch and whine about parts of it (O.K. all of it)...because while they mis-represented things a little (like going into Sara's shops and saying while the town was filled (with high school seniors) her shops were empty.  The truth was, she took him into the shops before the shops opened in the morning so no one was in there because it wasn't open yet.  When they filmed in my shop their production person asked people to stay outside until they were done filming.  I'm telling you I was having screaming fits at the T.V. and on the phone with Sara.  But since she and everyone else in the lobby  were partying at the hotel while watching, and booze was flowing freely she just kept saying, "Mom, they have to show somethings wrong so they have a story to tell for t.v.  Calm down and don't worry about it."  I never did calm down and was glad I wasn't in the lobby with them since I seldom drink.  But in the end we all lived through it and we've had a steady stream of people coming in because they saw the show and wanted to see what was  happening here.  I didn't realize how many people saw this until people started coming in and introducing themselves to me and asking all kinds of questions.   It makes it hard to have a discussion with anyone (in this case Debbie) when people are pointing, waving and then just coming up to you and introducing themselves and then chatting us up.  Vernon says he's had  many, many people come in on his shift (he thinks around 300).  I had no idea since I'm never in the lobby unless a stitcher is here.  Who knew.  I was still fielding questions while working in the Shell Shoppe last weekend and also having to go down memory lane with old tenants.  Mercy...it wears me out.  But it's been a lot of positive feed back from the folks who caught the show so it's all good (as Sara would say), but I need to get out of here.....I'm not taking it as well as the girls.  Plus Sara is giving me some serious time off....last week I only worked 2 days....whoppee!!!! It's like snow days in the summer...I don't bath, get out of my P.J's,  although I did brush my teeth....that makes me a better person even if no one else is around.  I also started the annual clean up of my stitching room which after a summer of dumping bags in here resembled a room on hoarders.  I'm even throwing stuff away...oh it's hard sometimes, but I envision the kids having to clean this up when I'm dead and can see the eyeballs rolling and the "what the hell was she going to do with all this stuff".....I just can't let that happen, so I'm going to really start going through this stuff and unload some of it.  I tend to pick up the same charts that have been here forever, think "I'm never going to stitch this now" but then I think, well I'm never going to read all the books on the shelves either but I'm not throwing them out, so I put the chart back in the pile and leave it for another day.  I'm a work in progress.  Anyway, I wanted to thank everyone  for their comments sent to our e-mail, regarding the show...we appreciate your kind comments and I look forward to seeing  several of you over the next couple of weekends.   I will be somewhere on the property, although this weekend I'll be relegated to the Shell Shoppe...I can't figure out if I've been demoted or not, but the events tend to wear me out so being downstairs for me isn't as tiring.  Wait until you see the finish that Debbie and Sara did Sunday.  They had made plans earlier to put their  Sherri Jones Blue Ribbon boxes together during the week  Debbie was here (she's actually here for the nursing convention....but it's only 1 day so she has plenty of stitching time).  Anyway, Debbie got here and discovered she had forgotten to finish it so Sara and I both thought that was the end of the "put together of the box piece".  But Debbie worked all week to get the pieces done that were involved and Sunday during work she and Sara put the boxes together.  They are gorgeous and I've asked Sara to leave it in the shop so stitchers can see it.  Gorgeous!    I did the pre-stitch and decided to put my initials on it in hopes I'd get to keep it at my house for a while.  Since Mary doesn't stitch, all of my stitching will end up with Sara anyway, unless Mary shows an interest later on, so she will get it back and the initials are her's as well....before she got married so we can both take ownership.  When I stitched Hare Pyns for her (the 2nd Sherri Jones class) I put here initals on it so we would each have one.  But Hare Pyns hasn't been finished yet....but at least my piece is done...another whoppee!!!!  Well I've got to go.  I stitched Shepherd's Bush "Fright Night" for Sara to wear and of course, I decided that just putting it in the tin frame and using a black cord wasn't good enough....so after a visit to Michaels for beads, etc., I'm trying to jazz it up, but it's cute as it is so the black cord may end up as the necklace but I'll drive myself crazy tonight trying to make a silk purse out of this .  Wish me luck!

The end is officially in sight....

Yes the end of summer is almost officially over.  At least 6 more days, Sunfest will become a memory and Ocean City declares summer is over and our second season begins.  Here we declared summer is over but we have two very busy weekends ahead, Delaware Guild's retreat on the first weekend of October and Jamboree on the 2nd weekend. Here's Sara with her second completed knitting project....done in about 4 hours on 35 knitting needles. The yarn is called Faux Fur and comes in a variety of colors.   I'll tell you at first when she first walked in I said, "Good God, it looks like you're wearing a shag carpet, but after looking at it for a few minutes, it works.  By the next hour I was telling her how cute I thought she looked it in.  Anyway, that girl is really on a knitting jag.  She has also finished one of Noni's "Lipstick Purses" which is now being dried in the shop after felting.  These little purses are sooo darn cute.  Anyway, she's a knitting a rug now again on the 35 needles.  Me, well I'm still doing the old counted cross stitch and loving it.  I've got several projects in the works but getting things done for Jamboree is taking all my time.  But that's O.K....I'm only working days now...whoppee...we've started our off-season hours so we're open 10 - 4 now and I've got my nights to stitch so when I'm not dozing I'm stitching.  And this week I've got 2 days off again...another big whoppee...of course I said I needed 2 days in a row to get my house cleaned up...we'll see what excuse I come up with this time....too busy stitching to pick up the mop!  UPDATE:  O.K., no one called us but Brian looked up the schedule for Hotel Impossible and evidently our show will be aired next Monday (September 23) at 10:00 p.m.  He said Anthony's promo is that we are dilapidated and feuding..and of course I take offense at that since we are outdated but not dilapidated and we are a normal family that doesn't always see things the same way.  But the kids reminded me that he had to say something and he'd already said how well we maintained the building and we were cleaner than any other hotels he'd been to...but don't we think he could have said outdated instead of dilapidated and still make a point?  Anyway, I think all who have visited us for retreats will agree that we need updating to bring us to 2013, but hardly dilapidated.  But I still love Anthony and his crew and they were wonderful to us while they were here, regardless of the amount of crying that went on.  Well, it should make for interesting conversation if nothing else.  We just had Bike Week down here....oh, the noise of it all, however, I hope all the bikers had a good time.  They do bring a lot of money into the resort, not necessarily into Salty Yarns, but they help fill the hotels and I am grateful for that....but I am also grateful that the noise is gone.  Mercy, can you just get on a bike and start the darn thing without revving it up for 15 minutes?   NEW EMPLOYEE....we feel very fortunate to have a new employee with us, and we love that she was one of our retreaters so she knows the store.  Judy Brunclik,  is our new asset,  and she and her husband decided to retire down here...so they are picking out a home in Delaware near Fenwick and Rehoboth so she's a short drive away.  Judy was the main instigator of the stitching project so many of you were involved in earlier this year as a surprise to me.  Which by the way, is still hanging in the lobby of the hotel and has provided us with wonderful compliments all summer.  (how could Anthony call us dilapidated with all the beautiful needlework hanging in the lobby?...apparently I'm not over it).  Anyway, we're still here, busy working away on events and we hope to see you all soon.