Giving Thanks

 Hi friends! I have a Thanksgiving stitch I just finished that I would like to share with you. 🦃Giving Thanks Table Mat by Blackbird Designs 🦃

This pattern was borrowed to me by my friend Beth from my stitch group. The pattern is bigger than this. It is a little more of a sampler. I adjusted it, as I wanted to only stitch the beautiful vine and that big gorgeous turkey! Problem is, I am bad at figuring things like that out. Ugh. This is why my borders are so tight on this piece! I started stitching on the bottom and got to the top and almost had a heart attack! When I was done, I had a quarter inch left from the top feather to the edge of the fabric. I have never done that before! Not like that!! But I pulled it off. It may not look like it in the pictures, but in real life you can see it all just fine. I really wanted to use this piece of linen and it just worked.

This pattern is found in the 2004 Keepsakes Calendar, and yes, it is November's pattern. I used some of the called for DMC, and I switched some, 'cause I am like that! I stitched this one over two on 36ct Toasted Coconut Tree of Life Samplings linen gifted to me by my dear friend Peggy. Thank you so much Beth, Peg and BBD!

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🧡💛🤎November Mini Sampler by From the Heart Needle Art by Wendy. 🤎💛🧡

This sweet mini sampler was a gift I received a few days ago from Donna She thought of me and my cubby when she saw it. 🥰 Well thank you Donna! I dropped everything and stitched it right up. It is perfect! I stitched this with all DMC, some of the called for and some of my own choosing. All one over two on 40ct to make it fit in the cubby.

I would like to now offer this pattern to one of my stitching friends. If you would like this pattern, please be a sidebar follower of this blog. Leave a comment on this post stating you would like this pattern. This giveaway is open to all of my friends anywhere. I will draw the name of the winner on Thursday, December 1st.

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I am now stitching my November's Chrysanthemums. These monthly samplers take about two weeks to stitch up.

My breathing is so very, very much better my friends. I do not feel back to where I was before I had the Methacholine Challenge Test on November 2nd, but very close. My breathing improved dramatically over the course of one week due to Saint Nectarios. Brian and I had told our parish priest what had happened to me and how I was suffering.. We had asked him to anoint me with holy oil. He did on Sunday November 13th and prayed over me. He then gave me this icon of Saint Nectarios and holy oil from Saint Nectarios' vigil lamp. Father told me to use it twice a day under my nose and upon my lips. He also gave me this prayer rope. That is what this bracelet is called in the Orthodox church. A very good, straight forward explanation of the prayer rope (better than I can do) is here: prayer rope 

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. Psalm 100: 4-5

I hope all my American friends have a Blessed Thanksgiving! We are headed to my in-laws this year. I am making my Strawberries and Creme Jello I have made for decades now and sweet potatoes too. We will all gather at Mom's tomorrow to draw names for gifts. That is how we do it on my side of the family. 

If you are traveling, be safe my friends! I hope you are not stressed out if you are hosting. I can only imagine! I only "hosted" once! It was just four of us. That was during COVID. Otherwise we have always alternated years between our parents homes. 

Until next time, you take care, and thank you for stopping by. I appreciate every single one of you!

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

Stitchy Wonderfulness

 Hi friends!  It has turned bitterly cold here. We have light flurries of snow often also.

One of my dear, sweet friends in my stitch group, RoseAnn gifted me a super surprise box full of stitchy goodness this last week. Take a look!

I finished stitching a piece for Thanksgiving. And now am working on my November monthly piece.

📚Friends! This is my favorite book of the year❣️ Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim make up the Thursday Murder Club. What a bunch of characters they are!😂 They are senior citizens who live in a posh retirement village and enjoy figuring out real-life murder cases. These are characters you grow to love. Start with the first book in the series. There are three books now. I got the first book for my Auntie Kathy (remember her?🥰) and she is reading it now. She said at first that she really did not like it. She told me murder mysteries are not her thing. Then she said she got to page 27?, and she said she is enjoying it now. 😊😉I asked her if she likes the characters? She said, Yes! Very much. So friends, go get these books if you want a mystery that is also fun!

P.S. He is a British author. Interesting fact for my British friends.

I am feeling some improvement with my breathing my friends. I am using my increased dose of the Q-var inhaler twice daily and the levalbuterol before I shower in the morning, otherwise my breathing is bad. I also use that before I get on the treadmill. Yes! I have braved it, and gotten back to using the treadmill at a slow speed and for only 15 minutes at a time. I cannot do three times a day like I used to. 😔 I do once a day, and on "good" days I can do twice a day. I hope and pray I am going to get better and better. I want to! I want to breathe well again!

Friends, I have a prayer request. Do you remember our friend Julie? Well now that she has given the okay to share with everyone, I want to share part of her email she sent out to friends. What an example Julie is for all of us!

I saw my oncologist today to get the results of my latest scan. The news is not good. The cancer is growing and I have several large size tumors in my right lung. One of which is blocking off an airway. This makes sense as I’ve been struggling to breathe for awhile now. The cancer has also spread to my liver, kidney and lymph nodes. There is no more available treatment that would not make a difference so that’s not an option anyway. I didn’t like how the treatments were making me feel even sicker so wouldn’t have chosen that road anyway. 

From here, I will be in palliative care and then hospice. I’m not ready for hospice right now as I am still able to do things for myself. I’ll know when I am ready. 

I pray that my remaining days will always, always point to the Lord and that I would be a light for Him. “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain”. Philippians 1:21. That is my truth. Jesus is everything to me here on earth but I know I am going to gain so much when I pass from this earth and am welcomed into the loving arms of Jesus. 

“Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”  Galatians 6:2

Thank you for stopping by today friends. I am very glad you did. Your comments brighten my day. The stitching community is like no other, wouldn't you say?🥰 Have a wonderful week!

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

Christmas Star

 Hi friends! Here is my latest finish. ⚝"Christmas Star" by Lacomtesse Point De Croix ⚝

 This is an older freebie that I knew would be perfect for my reindeer tealights! I stitched this one over one on 28ct R&R 18th Century Red linen, a gift from my friend Kathy. 🥰 I used DMC. I mounted this on a milk cap, as I did with my other tea light finishes. Works like a charm. 😉

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The winner of this chart:

Is our friend Vicki/Stichy McFloss! Vicki I will get this out in the mail to you! 💕💕💕

I am now stitching another tiny Christmas piece for myself. One over one on 36ct!

Mom is doing great on her new knee. We visited with her after church yesterday. She gets all around the house without her walker! Not sure she is supposed to do that??

I am not feeling much improvement with my breathing. We have gotten an air purifier. Madeleine has bathed Cally. She also is brushing her daily in her room, away from me totally. Cally really never comes into our bedroom at least. We are taking the "Let's try to be clean freaks" approach now. Anything and everything to help me out here.

Rejoice always,  pray without ceasing,  in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  1 Thesalonians 5:16-18

Thank you for stopping by today! I appreciate your friendship. Truly. I hope you have a nice week. It is very cold here now. Take care.

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

Give Thanks!

 Hi friends! This is the latest little finish I have. 

🦃Holiday Hoopla-Thanksgiving by Brenda Gervais 🦃 I stitched this on mystery 35ct linen and used DMC, VMSS and CC. I added a HUGE orange bow (the ribbon was in my stash). I have most of the Holiday Hoopla patterns, and I enjoy displaying them the same way, hanging from the lovely 154 year old glass door knobs in our apartment.

Would you like to stitch this next? I would be happy to give this pattern to a friend who truly wants to stitch it. All you have to do is be a sidebar follower of this blog here and leave a comment on this post stating that you would like this Holiday Hoopla pattern. I will ship this pattern out to anyone of my friends in the United States this time. And I will draw a name on Monday, November 14th. That is a short amount of time, but I want to get this to you before Thanksgiving. It IS a quick stitch.

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I am now creating Christmas gifts for my dear friends. 🥰

 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”  Psalm 34:19

If you recall, I had COVID at the beginning of July. My breathing never truly returned to normal for me. I went to see a pulmonologist and have been on an inhaler daily since. Well last week the pulmonologist had me do a methacholine challenge test. He wanted to know if I had asthma or not. It is a lung function test to evaluate how "reactive" or "responsive" your lungs are. Well let's just say mine are VERY RESPONSIVE! I had a SEVERE ASTHMA ATTACK. I had to be given a bronchodilator and could not finish the test. I thought I was going to black out. The woman performing the test said she never saw such a response. My pulmonologist says I am allergic to methacholine. The trouble is that now my lungs are very, very irritated and damaged. I was in the Emergency Room twice over the weekend. The doctors assure me my oxygen is 100%, and my lungs sound clear so my lungs must not be damaged long term. I hope and pray this is so. (And yes, we did x-rays and all sorts of test too.) He has increased my inhaler to a stronger dose now. He says it is going to take time for me to heal. Will you pray with me please? I would truly, truly appreciate this very, very much my friends.💕💕💕 I just cannot tell you how very, very difficult this last week has been. I have been literally panting open mouthed to breath and talk and eat. I know one thing. I cannot get COVID or any virus again. I must wear my mask and be careful. It is SO SCARY WHEN YOU CANNOT, AND I MEAN CANNOT GET AIR IN YOUR LUNGS. THE FEELING OF SUFFOCATION IS NOT A GOOD ONE MY FRIENDS. 

Stitching and praying,

Vickie

Redwork Pear

 Hi friends! Here is the November Cubby Shelf Display🦃

Almost of these are stitched over one.

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🍁🥧November Corner Shelf🥧🍁

If you look really hard you can see little Henry's tail in the reflection of Praise God on the bottom shelf. 

🍐Redwork Pears-Berry Pear🍐by Annie Beez Folk Art.

I KNEW, ABSOLUTELY KNEW when my dear friend Lisa gifted me this pattern, that I would stitch mine in WDW RED PEAR! 

Lovely, lovely 💕 PINK color for me! Pinkwork! Ha! 

I stitched mine one over two on 35ct WDW Sanguine linen, another lovely pinky color.🥰 

The wool and backing fabric are all from my stash. I filled my pear with wood shavings. 

And did you know that pink pears actually exist?! No, really.

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I am now working on a Thanksgiving piece.

Mom came home today. Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes for her. She is working hard at her therapy and has a visiting nurse now coming to the house to continue the PT.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

Thank you so much for stopping by today my friends. I cherish our friendship. I appreciate you taking the time to leave me comments here. Thanks! 💗 I hope you have a great week!

Stitching and praying,

Vickie