Retreat Day

 Hi friends! 💕The Cross Stitcherhood's first ever Retreat Day was a smashing succes! We honored our dear friend Leanne on her birthday. 

Barb baked the delicious and gorgeous carrot cake you see here, that was a favorite of Leanne's.

We can all tell you why!! YUM❣️ You can see us gathered around one of the last samplers that dear Leanne stitched.

Roxanne is missing from the picture as she came later. We had loads of laughter and loads of food too! Ha!

💕The Cross Stitcherhood💕

I designed a pattern for our fist ever retreat day on Leanne's birthday. When I saw the free pattern offered by punochka_stitches a few months ago, I knew we as a group had to stitch it. Then I started thinking even more when we decided to have our retreat day. So I designed the top and the bottom parts. Our group decided they did not want to see this pattern until the actual day. So I stitched mine ahead of time so they could all see it. I passed mine around so they could "sign" their names on mine.

 They will be stitching theirs and bringing theirs to our monthly meetups and we will "sign" our names then. 😊 I have to say I am pleased with the way it came out. Thank you Evdokia for the free pattern. Now I just need RoseAnn to stitch her name. 

This gorgeous sampler, Emma Fisher 1859, from Heartstring Samplery was my new start on Leanne's birthday. 

Everything you see here was gifted to me. 💕💕💕 My friend Anne from IG gave me this entire kit❣️ God bless Anne❣️ And God bless my friend Lisa from my stitch club❣️ She gifted me the 40ct New Castle Champagne linen I am stitching it on. Stitching friends really are the best, right? Right!

I do have a question for you on this sampler. I love it because it is the 23rd Psalm, one I memorized many years ago. I asked our children to memorize it years ago, and I worked with them on it. Not sure they still know it, but.... 

Okay, here is what I plan to do. I am going to stitch my name at the bottom instead of Emma Fisher's name. SO, that means I no longer will stitch the Age 15. What is your opinion on my stitching MY AGE there? Do it? Or no? I sat next to Barb on our retreat day. I asked her as I stitched on this. She said she would not. She said she would get rid of this line all together. She said, "It is none of your business!!" Well, I do not care about my age. I have never been like that. I have never died my hair. So I don't care. I really do care what you think. Please tell me. 

I noticed on August 11th, Brenda Gervais posted on Instagram an antique sampler that she bought because she said, "Aged 51 ~ The listing of her age caught my eye on this sampler dated 1802... a bit unusual." Well that has not left my head. If it was okay with this woman, why not me?

🌊August's Poppy⚓by Cottage Garden Samplings. I stitched this one over two on 40ct lambswool linen with DMC. If you know me by now, you know that I changed the colors a bit. I am making flat finishes out of all twelve months and mounting them with a magnet to this finishing piece I got from Hobby Lobby.

I will now go back to Emerson's Christmas ornament. It is half done. I would love to get it done by the end of the month. Maybe!

I had my test shots of cortisone yesterday in my lower back to if I got pain relief. I got three shots. They did not work. I never felt pain relief. My pain came on as usual in the late afternoon. This is how I have been suffering for over half a year now. They told me to do my usual activities. I did. The treadmill and sit and stitch. And I made sure to sit for a bit longer to really test it. Well that sucked, because my pain went up to a 7. The shots were uncomfortable. One shot was horrid. He said, Hang on. He kept saying, Picture. And they would light up the x-ray under me and he would check his placement. He told me he probably hit a small blood vessel. Um I did not believe him. I think he meant a nerve. I was praying the whole time. I could not even pray during that time I was moaning in pain. I am now in worse pain today. I am praying that subsides. I have to call the nurse today and tell them it did not work. I believe the doctor wants to see me to discuss other options maybe. I do not even know that there are other options left. I did PT and that is supposed to work. Well, it is not. Positive thinking. mm hmm. 

You know what I do on days like this? I am NOT kidding. Ask Brian or the kids. I have done this for years. To avoid getting depressive, I end up breaking out in song. I will belt out like Little Orphan Annie: "Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya Tomorrow! Your always a day away!

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Psalm 46:1

I hope you have a stitchtastic weekend my friends! Thanks for listening. 😘🤗

Stitching and praying,

Vickie