You're The Best!

Hi friends! I will start this post by saying YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!! Not one, not two, not three, but FOUR, yes four friends from all different countries yet! are sending or sent me Margaret Sherry cat patterns. THANK YOU DEAR FRIENDS! I will be stitching a pattern up for my mom's birthday in May.😁🐱

I finished the January wreath which was a free pattern, but no longer is. You can still find it for purchase HERE

I stitched this one over one with the recommended DMC on cream 25ct linen. I mounted it as a flat ornament and it lives in my cubby shelf for the month of January!😘


I saw the neurosurgeon on Tuesday for the second opinion. This is the doctor for me. I FEEL so much better with this doctor. He said he treats his patients like family. He said we need to do an MRI first and then have a follow up appointment to see what needs to be done. He did look at my MRI of my neck from two years ago and he said my disc looked bad. I asked him if this will only get worse? He said yes they only get worse. I am now waiting for the insurance to give the go ahead on the MRI. Should I need to have surgery, I feel confident in this surgeon. He has performed the most artificial disc replacement surgeries in Wisconsin.

My purple orchid has begun blooming. This is the one my mom gave me when I had melanoma. I have had it for 3 1/2 years and it blooms every year. Brian also gave me an orchid when I had melanoma. What a coincidence! His is the pink and yellow one. That won't be blooming for a while, as there is just a little shoot coming up now.

Not the best picture, the snow out the window was bright!

So the audio book I just finished listening to is one I never imagined for me. The only reason I chose it is the U-505 connection. U-505? Um, yes. You may have noticed I read many WWII books? I have an interest in that. That started early in my life. VERY early. My grandfather fought in the European Theater in the Army in 1944-1946.

Sgt. Bruno E. Pietura

 My father was VERY into "war stuff" all kinds of war stuff. He had dozens of guns, helmets and well many things on display in our basement. He would talk about them to me. This is when I was 4 through about 6 years old.

To get back on track here, on New Years Day our family of five took a day trip to Chicago, Illinois to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. We took a train. Well we took it home any how. The train had problems and we had to take a Greyhound bus to get down there! That was a let down, BECAUSE I had never taken a train in my life. Yes, Brian and kids had, me nope. So Brian came up with this day trip just to get me on a train, NO KIDDING, and then NO TRAIN! HA! No worries. We rode it home. Very nice. 😊 Sooooooo..... The museum has the U-505 submarine exhibit. Do you know what I am talking about? Because I never knew about this until Brian told me about it. Then I wanted to go see it. Here is a link to the museum exhibit: CLICK HERE  (Scroll down on the page to look around, it is cool!)

Good grief! The book! The book! The book is Playing With the Enemy by Gary W. Moore. This was interesting for me. It is about a young man who is crazy for baseball. Me? I am NOT crazy for baseball. I stayed with it though. I am glad I did. It is his life story. It did make me sad. I chose this book from our library because it was the only one available that had a U-505 connection.
Part Tuesdays with Morrie, part Field of Dreams a true American story of World War II and redemption

Driven by word of mouth and the author's heroic efforts to tell the world his father's story, Playing with the Enemy was a surprise hardcover hit for its independent publisher. Gary Moore's book about his father a baseball phenom whose future in the majors was cut short by World War II and a fateful occurrence during a top secret mission for the U.S. Navy is a warm-hearted memoir of faded dreams and new hope that is destined for the bestseller lists. Filled with memorable characters from an extraordinary time in our country's history, it is a truly redemptive story that will be read and reread for generations to come.

I am back to stitching on my big 'ol BBD AotH sampler. I will have a finish of a block next time.

I hope you have an excellent weekend my friends! I have thanked God for you!

Stitching and praying,
Vickie