Mom's Handmade Ornaments

My dear mother always made handmade ornaments for my son John for Christmas. I wanted to show you some of the ornaments as they are on our tree this year as every year. I really think the stocking is beautiful. My mother used silk ribbon embroidery to embellish the stocking. The snowman is just adorable and is an added highlight each Christmas. Mom sewed it and added some fun clothes to Mr. Snowman. The Santa has always been my son's favorite. He's a friendly Santa made of felt with added decorations. My mother was an excellent seamstress. She could upholster and also made many of our clothes, including suits for my father. She also quilted and was a cross stitcher, as well as a needleworker in other mediums, including embroidery, candlewicking, and crewel.

 

Strawberry Picking

On Monday I went to a local farm and picked strawberries. It was so much fun. It so helps that the weather in June is gorgeous. I felt a sense of freedom and peace from walking around the planted fields and picking the strawberries. The strawberries are so delicious. They don't taste anything like what we buy from the store. I can't wait until the raspberries come into fruit. I plan to go back and pick them. I made jam from the strawberries. It wasn't perfectly set, but it tastes good. I also picked some June peas. My college son shelled them for me. I didn't pick enough peas to make much, but they sure were tender and sweet.

Fresh Yellow Squash

I love fresh yellow squash from the garden. It's especially nice when you get just a few, and they're small and sweet. This is the first squash I picked from my garden.

This was so yummy. I put salt and pepper, parsley flakes, and parmesan cheese on the squash, and then my son grilled it. I love summer.

Reading a Good Book

Today I have spent some time considering the art of reading. I am currently reading The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey. It is good, even though the "F" word in used too much for my taste. The story is intriguing, and the blurb on the back of the book states that two of Sakey's books are already scheduled for movies. Do I sense a movie in the Daniel Hayes' book? Perhaps.

I am also reading A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines. My son recommended the book to me for my students to read this upcoming school year. It is excellent, well-written, and thought-provoking. There is definitely going to be a lesson for me to learn in this book.

Is that to say that one book is worthwhile, and the other is not? No, of course not. There is a time and a place for different types of books. It's fun for me to read whodonits, and I will admit to being totally enamored of M.C. Beaton's Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin books.

However, the other side of the story is what Barbara Kingsolver, author of the fantastic novel (and one of my favorites) The Poisonwood Bible, said about reading (and I paraphrase), when you have a world with Middlemarch (by George Eliot) in it, why waste your time reading a book you don't like?

And I think that is the answer. If you like what you're reading, you're not wasting your time, whether it is an old classic such as Middlemarch, a new classic such as A Lesson Before Dying, or a good summer read such as The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes. The important element, at least to me, is that a person reads and reads often.

Lily in Chicago

My son and I went to Chicago yesterday. I saw this beautiful lily blooming outside of the train station as we were waiting for our train that we were going to take to come home. There were quite a few flowers all around the outside of the train station. We sat along the lillies and drank our Starbucks. It was a nice, peaceful day.

Cross Stitch

I am posting a few of my cross stitch finishes as well as a work in progress.

This is the first cross stitch chart I completed so many years ago. My mother and I learned how to cross stitch at a small shop in old St. Augustine, Florida. We both bought kits from the lovely lady who owned the shop. This was mine. My mother bought a chart with a horse and carriage set in Charleston, South Carolina.

I cross stitched this Mother Goose for my baby before he was born. John is now nineteen-years old.

This is a Mary Garry's Cabin chart. I can't remember the name of it. I made it for my special cat Jessie Rose. I know that Mary Garry is not designing anymore.

This is Mockingbird by La De Da. My son wanted me to make this for him last year. John picked out the mat and frame. I really like the way this turned out.

This is my work in progress. It is Fancey Blackett & The Butter Churn by Pineberry Lane. I coffee dyed the linen.

Celebrating

I went to pick up my son from college on Saturday to bring him home for the summer. This is my happy time. It's hard to believe that he has completed two years of college. It is always my favorite time when he comes home for the summer. While I was there, I took some interesting pictures. The first picture is of an American flag hoisted on a crane and flying over the street. I think there was some sort of celebration in the town going on. I know that Saturday was graduation at the university. The second picture is of a blooming hosta that was outside of the house where my son lives. The last two pictures are of the sunset that I took at my home on Thursday night.

St. Valentine's Day

St. Valentine's Day is a very sweet day. My son and husband got me a beautiful and delicious arrangement from Edible Arrangements. I especially love the chocolate-covered strawberries, but all the fruit is delicious. My son got his aunt and Godmother, my sister, an arrangment as well, but with regular strawberries because she doesn't eat sweets. What a nice and thoughtful gift for both of us. The second and third pictures are of a birthday card that my father sent my mother. Even though it isn't a Valentine's card, it has red roses and the sentiments of Valentine's Day. The card is very old and has water marks on it, probably from the flowers that came with it (at least that's what I think). I'm not sure of the actual date, but I think it probably dates back to the fifties. It's a Hallmark card.