Crochet with thread

I have tried a little piece with crochet thread. I purchased a fine crochet hook with a bamboo needle. I had much trouble making this little square! The threads kept wanting to slip off the needle with every stitch I attempted to make..it was a very slow piece for me to make. As  you can see, the stitches are not very even. It was quite an accomplishment to even get this piece finished!
It is only a small piece, but glad I was at least able to try it out..perhaps I will get better with practice.

We have had a very busy weekend. Hubby was busy putting molding up, and painting rooms. I have been busy packing up boxes, boxes, and more boxes! The pile is getting bigger and bigger. Packing up what we absolutely do not have to live with for the time being..wow..do we have a lot of stuff. A lot of winter stuff that is packed away now and we need to clear it all out.

The house is looking really good. It looks so pretty. All of the updates my husband did is sure to please someone when they walk through the door. I am positive they will want to purchase this home. It is in a lovely neighborhood. 
I have to start detaching my self now...my feelings, my thoughts...detaching myself from Florida.
The past is the past..and yes, I do have a lot of good memories, good times that will always remain in my heart. But our life in Florida will be the past now. We won't be back this way again. Our lives will be changing, the kids are older, our son leaving for the military, our daughter will be graduating school in a few short years. Time marches on. It seemed as though when the children were little time stood still, as if for a moment..but then , well, something happened.
It all changed. Time just went fast forward. I loved the years past while the children grew up, we lived in Florida, I worked at the elementary school. It was a really wonderful time. I worked with handicapped children, and children with special needs. It did something to me. It was a time I will never forget. It made me realize that there is so much more to life, to living, to giving, to loving, to experiencing, to wanting to do more for others.
They were the best years of my life. Working with the children, being in the school while my daughter was there at the same time made it even more special. I was on the same schedule as my children. I was working, but still a stay at home mom in a way. They would both come home, cookies would still be waiting for them.
Our Florida life was wonderful. In the years past. Then, we had moved to North Carolina. I missed Florida so much my heart ached. I missed it greatly and couldn't adjust. We wanted to move back, but most said it wouldn't be the same.
I knew in my heart they would probably be right, and. they. were.
We couldn't live in our old beautiful house that we poured so much love into..that the walls held so many memories in. Although I ride my bike past that house now, the tears well up every time I go past. My. heart. still. hurts. I miss that home, all the memories it holds.
Although, really, it is just a house. Silly me...
But! I am human, and I do have feelings.
Soooooo...here I am ..starting to tear up again.
I guess I am not so sure how I feel about leaving once again!
Things really aren't the same now that we have moved back.
The area is not what it used to be. Days of the past are long gone by. You really can't get back what you once had..but you can always keep beautiful memories in your heart forever.
It's time to move on I guess, God knows what is best for our little family.
I know he will watch over us.
We will be ok.
I will be ok.
I will adjust.
I have to.
Life marches on, and love never ends.

Louise

Packing the house...

I have had a long hard day! Hubby is painting trim and walls all day today. I am packing up the kitchen. I really thought I was done doing this and we wouldn't be doing this again..but ...here I am..one more time! UGGH! My feet and back are hurting so bad and I am about to go to sleep early tonight.
My hubby said though, he doesn't want to move again after this move. Looks like this will be it for us.
I want to settle down, call our new home and town our forever home. I really hope it will be that way for us this time.
It looks very promising.
I am excited, I already have close friends in the area..we even visited with some recently. My husband also has friends that are excited to get together with us when we get there. We just found out another neat thing about the house we have our eyes on...
way in the back of the property there is a creek running through it!!! How country is that?
Ohhh...I am so excited! I sooo hope this house will still be available for us when we are ready to purchase in just a short while.
Between the big country porch, big piece of property, creek out back, cul de sac..it all sounds sooo wonderful. I can just imagine myself in this home.
I can just imagine the leaves crunching under my feet in the Fall, and sometimes the snow sprinkling down in the winter time...
The property already has bird houses around it, and pretty garden areas with walking paths.
I wasn't so sure I wanted to leave Florida at first..but after visiting our new home town, I am starting to become more excited with the thought of it all.
I am originally a northern girl from New York, and I do miss the cooler weather..especially when the brutal summer is here in Florida!! It is literally unbearable and I live inside the house with the air conditioning.
I have become a pro at packing..we do it all ourselves. We rent a truck, pack all the boxes ourselves too.
I think the Lord is looking out for us..he must know the plans he has for us..well, of course he does! A  friend of mine recently moved to a new house and offered up ALL of her boxes from moving...interesting timing..wouldn't you say?!!
She gave us all her boxes and packing paper...then, a neighbor moved in down the block and gave me all of his boxes too.
I guess this time I won't have to go searching for tons of boxes like I normally do.

I cringe though, thinking of having to pack up all of my sewing and stitching supplies...no access to most of it for months till the house is sold! I will keep out my most recent projects and work on them.
Or...perhaps I will just have to buy new things? hee hee
Anyways...I am really tired from today, and tomorrow is a new day with more boxes staring at me ..more packing to be done and more to be accomplished.
I have so much to do.
I look forward to the day when all of this is over and we are settled once again.

Raggedystitches,
Louise

A New Year Of Changes!

Our family is in for big changes this year. My dear hubby has a job transfer and we shall be relocating to another state. I wasn't so sure how I felt about this at first. I guess I am still in shock, hard to believe, being as we are only back in Florida just over a year now! So much work packing, selling the house, moving everything ourselves..
As we get older, it gets harder and harder to do.
We are already looking at homes in the new small country town we will be calling home. There is one home that we are very interested in that looks like the type of home I have always wanted since I was a little girl. It is a big house, two stories,  with a big country front porch and a nice swing on the porch. We wanted to make sure that the master bedroom is on the first floor, which it is, because we are thinking this may be our forever home. The property is over an acre in size and it is at the end of a cul-de-sac. It is all very exciting, but the thought of all the work that lies ahead of us brings me the thoughts of much stress and worry.
There is so much to do, packing, cleaning, showing of the house, hoping the selling/buying pans out perfectly.
I am not worried about being in a new town, being as I have already made new friends and we have already made many new connections, both my husband and I! God has a plan indeed.
Please won't you think of us as we go through yet another transition in our lives.
I have gotten all my tests results back from the doctor and everything was good. Praise God! I indeed have reflux and I have to stay on medicine for that.

We are blessed with a 4 day weekend..so I get to sleep in for 4 full days! Yippie! :)
This weekend will be filled with packing boxes and the beginning of major cleaning..
oh, and of course, burying the Saint Joseph Statue in the front yard!

Raggedystitches,
Louise

Happy Valentines Day!!....and Winners Picked! :)

I hope you all had a very nice Valentines Day. I had a very nice day today :)
I started my day off with volunteering at the church. It is getting easier and easier to vacuum between the pews with all the weight I have lost! ;)
Chatted some with my sweet friend Charlotte that I clean the church with..then on the way home I stopped off at Hobby Lobby..it is on the drive home, how could I not stop there? I picked up a couple of things..here is what I got:

 Have I mentioned that I love the colors red and pink together? Well...I do! I picked up a bamboo crochet hook too..thought I might like to try that a bit. I needed bigger hoops, so thought the sizes 8 inch and 10 inch would suit me well for stitching.
Today was filled with many good things....
We gave our wonderful Son and Daughter Valentine goodies:

 and...a sweet treat of smiles candy for my dear husband!

Peanut Butter Cookies I baked per my son's request!

Popcorn..per my daughter's request!

My Dear Husband surprised me with pretty jewelry..he knows how much I love Brighton jewelry!
He also got me a Brighton tote bag..perfect for my stitchery! Oh, and the tins are perfect for my buttons too. The design on the tote is just the prettiest..I love it so much. He is so very good to me. :) I am very blessed indeed!

inside of tote: the cutest little zippered pocket!

Hubby also brought in roses from the yard...the Good Lord provided us with beautiful flowers on Valentines Day! :) (we live in Florida remember?) lol

I made a nice dinner at home of fried in olive oil chicken cutlets, onion baked potatoes and a spinach, cucumber and tomato salad.
Some gifts I sent in the mail ....
for my dear sweet Niece, a Peanuts Pillowcase that I sewed for Valentines Day:

For my sweet friend Jackie in PA..a pincushion...a surprise she wasn't aware of :)

This design is by Primitive Bettys and it is a freebie..if you want it..you can find it HERE

Now..onto the Giveaway Winners!!
I used my little button basket and wrote down all the entries on slips of paper folded...then I had my daughter pick two names...

And the winners are.........

Hazel and CalamityJr!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations!!
I will contact you by email so you can send me your addresses and I will mail out your goodies to you.
I am so very happy for you! This was so much fun and thank you for participating.
Thank you to everyone for commenting and entering...
I really enjoyed doing this giveaway. It made me happy and warmed my heart. I know I will be doing this again soon!
Raggedystitches,

Sewing Hearts! (Giveaway) :)

It was a very busy day at our house today, lots going on as always..but this evening I finally sat down and  decided to do some little projects with sewing tonight...first a couple of stitches more went into "My Everything" Designed by The Sampler Girl. Thank you to Ms. Linda Lee for passing the chart onto me! It is really such a sweet saying. I am having a lot of fun stitching it up! I decided to use Crescent Colors Hand Dyed Floss in "Cupid" How appropriate ! :)
Here is my progress so far:

Yep..I think I am totally giving up on Q-snaps! They frustrate me so much. They always get loose and my hands hurt when I hold them. I really like the tightness of the hoops lately..although I am not crazy about the circle left on the fabric. I do also like scroll rods too though.....
Now onto what I have been sewing tonight..cute , CUTE!
Look at these little Prim looking cushions for pins!
Just in time for Valentines day. I had this red ticking fabric and wasn't sure what to do with it...I also had some vintage looking lace..I put the two together and ..look what I came up with! :)
Cute right?

I filled them up with crushed walnut shells which is supposed to sharpen your needles as you use the cushions to park your needles with use. Now, I would like to give one of these away...well..ok, maybe I will give two away to two different winners! :) It is Valentines Day coming up after all..and I love to give from my heart...and these cushions need loving homes to go to. :)
They are nice and heavy in weight with the walnut shells in them.so you don't have to worry about them falling over off the table or anything like that. hee hee :P

Soooo..if you would be interested in a heart cushion for your needles and pins...and you are a follower of my blog, just leave a comment (make sure I can get back to you with an email)...and...that's it! I will have my daughter pick names on Tuesday..Valentines Day! :)

Thank you again to all of  you that always stop by my blog..I feel the love!

Raggedystitches,

Mailbox Surprise!

This morning was wonderful. I attended my church meeting and really enjoyed myself. I always love hearing what all the other women have to say about their lives, their faith, and their thoughts on life, God and Heaven. It is so inspiring! I never want the meetings to end.
Upon arriving home a package was delivered to my mailbox! (I just love receiving goodies in the mail) :) I wasn't expecting anything and it was a real surprise. It was from my very sweet friend Melanie in NC. We nicknamed each other, being as she is of Italian descent, and so am I...she is "Mario", and I am "Luigi". lol!!
So, the package was from "Mario"!
She sent me a beautiful handmade necklace with crucifix, bracelet, and earrings that she made herself. She enclosed the most beautiful card with a saying about "Friendship"
"A person can hear,
but a friend listens for the meaning.
A person can look,
but a friend sees the heart.
A person can know,
but a friend understands your dreams."

God has blessed me in this life with those he surrounds me with. Thank you Mario for your gift of friendship and your precious gift that you took the time to create with your own hands. It will be treasured forever!

Freebie!

Stop on over at the Primitive Hare! There is a new freebie up for Valentines Day..just love her blog..so very beautiful, and she is so generous with all her wonderful freebies!
The Primitive Hare

Enjoy!

Louise

Blessed

For many things I know I am blessed. I am blessed for my God, my family, my friends, and most of all, my health. I have had some tests this week, an iodine IV test, and a barium swallow test. I kept having this sensation of food being stuck in my throat. The ENT scoped my throat (not a pleasant experience)..went down my nose and throat, and all looked clear. Then, he ordered the tests.
I will get all results back soon, but when I did the barium test today they informed me that it does look like I suffer from esophageal reflux. What the doctor had assumed. I was put on medications a little while ago without much relief as of yet.
Hoping they can get the medication to where it needs to be soon.
When I came home from the hospital this morning after the barium test, my husband took care of me. He took today off from work so I wouldn't have to go by myself. I am glad for that.
Since being home, I have had stomach cramps and have been laying down most of the day. That stuff will wipe you out!
I hope I never have to drink that stuff ever again! Just the thought of it makes me feel ill!
I thank the Lord that if the only findings they come up with is reflux, I know how blessed I am indeed.
After a little while, I heard the mailman pass the house..my son brought in the mail and was so excited to see two envelopes for me!
One was a chart I had been searching for ....thank you dear sweet Jolene for sending it my way!!
Another was a chart I ordered ...I fell in love with it when I saw how beautiful it was when my dear friend Hazel stitched it up!
It is called Dandy Dreams by Silver Creek Samplers.

 Somehow getting stash in the mail makes one feel so much better! :)
Now back to resting up...
More soon....
Louise