Wishing you Happy Easter

Books, Stitching and Rain

After three long weeks I am finally beginning to feel better, my cough is almost gone and this is the 3rd day I didn't need an afternoon nap and this morning I ventured out to the library to pick up a few books that were waiting for me.

Since it's going to be a very wet rainy weekend I can get some reading in while I regain my strength. Here is what I checked out today:

The two books above are both on the same subject The Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, I am curious how each author experiences the trek, if the age difference of each author makes any difference. As a long trail hiker I find this walk has more than peaked my interest and its been a long time since I put on a full pack and hiked,

I have a few other things to read this weekend too a few beading magazines (need to find more things that sparkle and shine) Mother Earth Living.

look something shiny

Earlier in the week I was finally  up to a little stitching so I pulled out this little Hamsa Hand kit, I love the design but the fabric is lacking, I think its a polyester blend, I don't like the feel of it nor do I like the way the stitching looks.

Since I didn't like the feel of the fabric I just decided I needed to stitch something and since my brain was functioning on decogestants and antibiotics I could just stitch this and hope for the best, the first time I removed the hoop I could see tiny little pulls, my medicated brain forgot to add  fabric backing to stabilize it though I am not sure it would have helped.

Oh I did snap a photo of my Rhododendron this morning it is full of blooms and buds I wish I had gotten a photo a few days ago when the sun was shining and the blooms weren't droopy from the rain.

I didn't think it would bloom as much as it has since whe started blooming in mid January with those very mild temps we had, every few days one or two flowers would appear and earlier in the month I noticed lots of buds, right before I came down with this miserable bug so I couldn't weed or pull out

the other shrubs growing in the middle of the bush, but when the sun is shining and the flowers are open she looks lovely.  It is rarely scraggly so I think when the time comes I'm going to give it a good pruning.

Well thats all for now, I'm growing weary so its time for tea and a rest.
Have a wonderful weekend.

Feeling Green

Still Battling the Virus.

I'm still under the grips of this nasty bug, I am seeing small signs of improvement and I don't seem to cough everytime I move a muscle but I am far from feeling healthy.  I haven't been hit this hard by anything in a long my energy is spent before I take a step away from my bed in the morning.

One good thing is I'm not sleeping all through the day, I am not clear headed enough to stitch which is fine because I don't think I could even hold the needle.  Last week went by in a blur and finally a few days ago I was able to read without falling asleep halfway through a paragraph.

I haven't updated my Reading Challenges for 2016 in quite sometime and truth be told I pretty much forgot about them I do keep a list of everything I read so here's what I read for the Color Coded Challenge a wonderful little book the Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain it was just the light reading I needed this week. This is for the color read

For my Cruisin Through the Cozies reading challenge this week I did manage to finish reading:

and I am currently reading;

For the I Love Library Books reading challenge I am read:

Well that's about it for now, I'm tired so off I go with the hope this miserable bug finally leaves me alone so I can get back to living.

Stitching away

Ugh! What a Monday, I woke this morning with a nasty ear ache and sore throat so I'm sipping tea and despite being under the weather I did do my morning walk though it was at a slower pace, my coordination is off and I suspect the ear is infected.

This afternoon I put the final stitches on another Colonial girl hand embroidery I've been working on and off for the last six months or so, this is the 2nd set of 12 blocks.

These are pre-stamped blocks and will eventually be put together as a quilt for a friends soon to be born granddaughter. I am addin my post to the monday stitchery link party over here :http://www.supermomnocape.com/2016/03/07/vintage-embroidery-monday-stitchery-link-party-48/
where you can see what other bloggers are stitching and perhaps pick up the wonderful vintage hand embroidery pattern offered. It's so cute.

Later this week when I am feeling better I'll start the hand embroidery on the Yoga Tree Pose piece

but for now I think I will just stick with the Colonial girls since I have the colors all picked out for them.

March Stitching and Beads

Last month I went off my walking and work out routine and it feels good to be back at it. Lately it’s very easy for me to get sidetracked in the morning and spend more time at the computer or stitching when I know I should be getting in my daily walk if nothing else. When I look up and realize what I’m doing I head outside and get walking. Since March first I've been back on track with a nice return to nature.

This morning my mind feels alive and exhilarated, my whole body is buzzing. Some days you open your eyes on to the same old scene and sometimes you see the endless possibilities. Spring is in the air here in north central Florida, rhododendron and azaleas are blooming, trees buds are noticeable and my garden calls to me. Yesterday I went over to Lowe's to buy a few bags of mulch on sale this week at 5 bags for $5.00 dollars. Not much of a purchase but its a start for what I need to do outside along with clearing away the winter debris and among fallen leaves are twigs and small branches all over and its easier to pick them up before the grass greens and grows for mowing time. I still don't know yet what I'm going to do or how much I will do in my garden all I know is I need to be out there.

On the stitching front I had two hand embroidery finishes and will start the next Hocuspocusville block shortly, today I will be starting the hand embroidery for a small wall hanging I'm making for a friend. I traced it a few days ago, selected my threads and a few beads it's what I'm stitching today for Slow Sunday Stitching here's a link to have a look at what other bloggers are hand stitching this week.

http://www.kathysquilts.blogspot.ca/2016/03/slow-sunday-stitching-in-ditch.html

Yoga Tree Pose

Speaking of beads, on Friday I ventured over to the other side of town to shop at Old Navy for my grand niece Tessa and while over in the area I thought I'd go to Barnes and Noble anyway while driving through the parking lot I came across the Bead Strand, ooh beads and could it be the same shop that was located further down the road where the favorite quilt shop is? Once inside I had my answer and after an hour I had a nice little selection of beads.

from Bead Strand

It was nice to know the shop had moved locations, I had thought it went the way of the other beads shops in the area and went out of business, in this case the store grew into a much larger facility.

from Joann's

The day before I was over at Joann's to pick up a few things I needed for another project and it just so happens I bought a few jewelry findings and beads too. These will keep me busy for a while.