Progress

Hi friends! It has been bitterly cold here. Madeleine had school cancelled on Thursday and Friday due to the cold, windchill and snow storm. The boys have not returned to college yet, still enjoying the Christmas break.

Thank you for your encouraging comments on my ornament finish. :)

I am itching to stitch a small, but I am pressing on with Theotokos. Here is my progress.

I listen to two daily radio programs and read a daily devotional by Joni Eareckson Tada every day. Joni and her husband Ken have been reading the Bible together for years. That is something Brian and I do daily also. However, I decided this year to additionally read along with Joni and Ken. They use the Chronological Bible Reading Schedule If you click on that link, you can download a copy of the reading schedule for yourself. I am happy to say that so far I am keeping on track. It really does not take very long each day to read several chapters. I have read the entire Bible before. That was years ago, and I read it cover to cover. This will be different. Joni says that "when you go through the Bible chronologically, you see God's plan of redemption beautifully laid out from beginning to end." 

So tomorrow, after we return home from church, it is Ice Bowl II time. Do you know what that is? If you live in Wisconsin or Texas I guarantee you KNOW. Click here to find out more.

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Queen Bee

Good Morning my friends! The beautiful autumn weather continues here. Love it. Gorgeous colors in the leaves too. =)

I was so moved by "Pumpkins For Cathey" on Friday. So very touched. I have been praying for Cathey for a long time now. I know I am not alone. I just keep thinking how absolutely blessed Cathey is to have sooooooooo many people beseeching God for her.♥ Oh the power of prayer!

I have stitched and finished a tiny, little Queen Bee for myself. This pattern is by Maria Diaz. It is from the Rustic Style Cross Stitch booklet by Cross Stitcher. I love this booklet! I have a handful of patterns I will be stitching from it.

This little bee was stitched on 25ct Antique White linen. I used the DMC called for and stitched two over one.

I knew I wanted to use a yoyo to finish it off. I used fabric from my stash that works very well. =)

For now, I have mounted it onto my linen valence above the kitchen sink.  I made these valences years ago from an old embroidered table cloth. It is all done is greys and pale yellow. Our kitchen is pale yellow. =)

I am excited to begin my first SALs!!! Today I will start stitching Paulette's free SAL . I am stitching Mary's Sampler on 40ct Sandstone linen. I will be starting the Barbara Ana Autumn Delights SAL with Vicki, Annette and Donna on October 1st. Wanna join us? Take a look here.

I have been listening to yet another CD I checked out from the library. This one is The Bible narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier. Well, let me tell you in one word............ POWERFUL!! It is a selection of familiar and important passages from the Old Testament. Wowie zowie! I have only volume 5 & 6 so far. I am on the waiting list for the other 4 CDs. Disappointing only in that the WHOLE Bible is not done. That would have taken nearly 100 hours of recordings. I would listen to it!! There is also some dramatic music provided by leading composers from the Holy Land. Just awesome! Just saying!

I also picked up from the library The Spymistress by Jennifer Chiaverini. Another historical fiction book by her. Looks really, really good!

I have found ONE tea on this planet that I like. ;)

Imagine that, huh?! Otherwise, I just don't drink tea or coffee at all. I DO like Chai Lattes! yum yum!

I baked brownies a few days ago. I bought a bag of Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses. I thought it might be yummy to put a kiss into each brownie top. Well, I found my first pumpkin anything that I don't care for. The flavor of the kisses is toooooooo much for us. Only Jacob likes the kisses. I wonder if he will when he finishes off the bag himself. ;)

I baked Pumpkin Yeast Bread yesterday. We all liked it..... a little. The problem is that my mom has made Pumpkin Bread for decades, and so have I. My mom's is like a desert bread/cake. This yeast bread tastes so similar, except that it is yeast bread and less sweet. I think it has us all confused, do you know what I mean? I think our brains our expecting the yummy, sweet treat from Grandma. So, since the recipe makes two loaves, I am going to attempt to make Pumpkin Bread Pudding today with the second loaf. We will see how that works out.

This is what I look at, on my kitchen window sill, as I wash dishes every day.

I planted these pansies into my pink window planters last week. They are more pinkish purple than pink, but I still love 'em. The pink, white and green sedum and the artemisia 'silver mound' are always in the planters. I put all the planters in the garage over winter. I water them about once a month, and the two perennials stay alive that way. I just replace the pansies twice a year, in spring and fall.  Pansies are my favorite flower. =)

Have a beautiful Sunday friends! Thanks for stopping by. So very glad to hear from you.♥

Stitching and praying,
Vickie

Stitched with prayer

Hello to everyone.  Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments. They mean a lot to me. :)

I stitched this cute little poodle I found here, and made it into a bottle cap magnet.

I found the bottle caps at JoAnn's.  I stitched her on white 28ct evenweave.  I played around with the colors, as they were even louder than this!  I stitched in a piece of pink velvet ribbon you see surrounding her.  I just cut a free fridge magnet to size and glued it onto the back.  I think it is cute. :)

When stitching I pray.  Do you?  I also sometimes try to do memory work.  Last year I memorized the 23rd Psalm that way.

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
² He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
³ He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell^[a] in the house of the Lord
Forever.

I have done other Bible memory verses while stitching.  I am not very good at memory work.  It takes a lot of work for me.  But it is very worth it. :) 

Stitching with prayer,

Vickie