Child's work.............

I'm in the process of cleaning out closets and painting the inside of them. While cleaning out the hall storage closet today, I ran across two wonderful treasures. This turkey and pumpkin, made out of brown grocery sacks, stuffed with newspapers and painted, the turkeys feathers, head and feet are cut and colored out of construction paper and stapled on the sack. Our son, Gordon, made these treasures when he was 10 years old and in the 5th grade. Gordon is now 41 years old. I can see remember day he came out of school 31 years ago with these two treasures he had made for mom and dad. He was so very proud of himself and, of course, I was very proud of him. We proudly displayed these two items for everyone to see. I used them all through his school years, each October and November, and even a few years after he left home for his travels and work with the Air Force. Then they were put in storage on the top shelf in the closet and mostly forgotten about, until today. They bring back so many memories, some happy, some sad. Well, this year they are going to be the center of our decorations during October and November. I Love these treasures as only a mother would, made out of Love from her child.

Blessings,
Barbara

A hugh surprise...........

We have an outside cat, Shadow, who does not realize she is suppose to hunt for her food! So I feed her every morning and every evening. One of the first things I do everyday is put a scoop of food in her bowl, just outside our back door on the carport. By the time I am ready to take my coffee and go outside she is usually finished eating, and she usually never finishes it all, but the last week I have been noticing that her dish is always turned on its side. Wayne and I figured that the raccoon or the opossum was coming up and eating, BUT.........this morning we discovered who was eating her leftover cat food. A tortoise, as you can see in the photo, he tipped the bowl over and enjoyed his meal. I guess he has been coming for over a week now, so I will just continue to feed him and the cat. I can't stand to see an animal go hungry.

Blessings,
Barbara

September .........

Grandparents Day
Sunday, September 7

The history of our grandparents is remembered not with rose petals, but in the laughter and tears of their children and their children's children.

~Charles and Ann Morse


Patriot Day
Thursday, Septmber 11

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.

~Abraham Lincoln


First Day of Autumn
Monday, September 22

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.

~Elizabeth Lawrence

Something Old - something new.............

After finishing up my last stitching project, I wasn't sure what I wanted to work on, so I just let time take its flow. I was looking through Blogs this past weekend and came across a finish of Blackbird Designs, "Sunflower House", the photo above, and remembered I had this started, so I dug it out, and have decided I would finish it. Since I love sunflowers and collect items with sunflowers, this will be perfect. I think I had the same idea when I started this chart, but oh well, maybe this time I WILL finish it. I do love this chart.

This chart, "Autumn Sampler", is from Little House Needleworks, I love Diane's work and have almost all of her charts, and actually do have several of them stitched up and some kitted up to be stitched. Anyway, I have had these seasonal charts in my stash since she published them. Since I love Fall, this is the perfect chart to stitch. I comes with Belle Soie threads from Crescent Colours. I am going to stitch it on 16 count Aida in Ivory. I might even stitch the "Winter Sampler", who knows!

Sorry the photo's are so light, I just could not get a good photo with the light in my house today.

We are having a beautiful day here in the Ozarks, actually it is almost like a Fall day and I love it. I am so looking forward to the Fall season, and the making of pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bars, well almost everything pumpkin, and apples things also. We will be going to the apple orchard later this month at Marionville, MO to purchase apples, then we'll have apple butter, apple sauce, apple pie, apple cake, apple dumplings, and baked apples stuffed with brown sugar, raisins, nuts, cinnamon and nutmeg. Boy, I'm making myself hungry!

I do hope everyone is having a wonderful, relaxing day, no matter if you are stitching, reading, or knitting. Enjoy yourself and enjoy life.

Blessings,
Barbara

I just talked to our grandson a little while ago, and they have returned to their home in Ocean Springs, MS. They had gone inland to Raeleen's mom (Raeleen is our ex-DIL and our grandchildren live with her). They had no damage just lots, and lots or rain. He said that he and Courtney will be returning to school tomorrow.

Blessings,
Barbara

September.........................

September has arrived, which means Fall is not far away. This time of the year always reminds me of the verses in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under Heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

To each of you on this Labor Day holiday, I wish you every Blessing.

Barbara

Stitching.... and this & that................

This is a freebie from http://mausimomsfreebiesenglish.blogspot.com/ There is a chart for winter, spring and summer also. I just think they are cute and think they would make cute pinkeeps.

This is another freebie, but I can't remember where I found it at. I stitched it with Presencia threads, so it has a different look, but I like it. I'm not sure what I will do with this, maybe an ornament for my Halloween tree.

This is another freebie from Plum Pudding Needleart and I love it. It's going to be made into a magnet to hang on my refrigerator during October and November.

And, lastly, this is a Lizzie Kate design. Since Wayne and I love coffee I thought this would be really cute to hang above my coffee pot. I purchased the banner for it also and it has coffee beans on it.

Sorry for the wrinkles in these designs, I haven't pressed them yet, and you can tell I stitch with a hoop. I use a 5" hoop, because of the arthritis in my hands. When I started stitched I held the fabric in my hand, but over the years Mr. Arthur has come to live with me.

I am still stitching on "Harvest Blessing", and am going to start on "Fall Sampler" from Prairie Grove Peddler.

We have a Severs family reunion tomorrow, so Wayne has all his genealogy stuff out tonight looking through it and making notes about people he wants to visit with tomorrow and photo's he wants to take of different families.

We talked with our son, Gordon, who is stationed in Germany this morning. He had a birthday this past Wednesday and we waited until today to call, because of the time change. He and Tammy are doing very well, but they will be spending another year in Germany because of his job with the Air Force. They are going to try to come to the states for Christmas this year to see family and friends. We also visited with our grandchildren, Eric and Courtney today. They live with their mother in Ocean Springs, MS. They are in the area of the hurricane and, of couse, we are worried about them. Their mother, Raeleen, is a government employee at Keesler AFB there, and she told us that all government employees have been ordered to evacuate the area as of 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning. She wanted us to know that they will be moving to her mother's, who lives farther upstate in MS. Of course, we would prefer that they come here, but for the time being this is their plan, but they know they are more than welcome to come here.

I hope everything is having a GREAT Labor Day weekend. But, remember to be safe.

Blessings,
Barbara

Fall and Halloween stitching.............

Stitching is coming along very well for me these days. I had to resign from my volunteer jobs at church, because of health reasons, and find that I am a more relaxed person and actually enjoy stitching more than ever. The below photo is what I am stitching on now. It is Waxing Moon Design, Harvest Blessings. I am stitching it on 14 ct. Aida called parchment and getting the exact look I wanted. Oh, I am stitching only the pumpkin with the leaves and acorns. I have some pumpkin fabric that I am going to use to make it into a hanging.

This next photo is a couple of freebies I've had forever and don't even remember where I got them from. Since my birthday is on Halloween I love all things that go along with Halloween.... candy corn, black cats, pumpkins, acorns, that Harvest Candy that have out, black and orange jelly beans and WITCHES! You also see the fabric I have for these designs, as I am going to make them into pinkeeps.

This next photo is another finish. It is Heart~in~Hand, Inspiration design. They came in individual cards, and you could either stitch with individually or all on one piece of fabric, which is what I did. I'm not sure what to do with this, but am leaning toward a fabric wall hanging.

I also have a couple of other projects that I am working on, and will share these with you in a few days.

The weather here in SW Missouri is just like Fall, and I am so ready for Fall to come, as it is my favorite time of year. I love the Fall colors, the leaves falling, and wearing Fall clothes. But what I like best about Fall, is sitting on my patio in the early morning hour (6:00 to 6:30 a.m.) with my cup of coffee, bundled up in a warm afghan watching the sun come up and the dew on the grass.

Blessings to All,
Barbara