Nature's Beauty and Destruction

 These pictures are the result of a thunderstorm on Thursday, July 26, 2012 in Hallton, PA where our camp is.  Two trees came down in the storm.  Fortunately they fell onto the car and not onto camp.  We were able to lodge a log under the tree that was leaning onto the car to hold it up from falling any further and they backed the car out from under the tree.  Then we were able to clear a path and get the car out.  The tree that was on the car fell into another tree and lodged in the tree so it didn't fall totally on the car or it would have destroyed the car.  My brother in law was able to drive the car home.  The driver's side mirror is missing, the windshield is broken and the front fender is dented.   There is also a big dent in the door frame.  But the main thing is no one was hurt.  The car can be fixed or replaced.   It sure made for an interesting evening driving to camp dodging down power lines and trees and riding in the rain. 

Deer in backyard









All these pictures below are
of our camp in Hallton, PA.  These
were all taken over Memorial Day
before any destruction was
done from the storms.

 These are three deer that were in my yard this morning 7/27/12 waiting for breakfast.  The two fawns were walking right up to me but then my cat came along and scared them away.    So great to see nature's beauty after yesterday's destruction.

Deer in backyard at home

Katie on 3rd rock in Sping Creek

Katie at Camp in water

House on the Rock, Hallton, PA

House on the Rock



End of the Trail Hallton, PA



House on the rock



Spring Creek, Hallton, PA



End of the Trail - front view

Spring Creek, Hallton, PA

Hallton Bridge, PA 

Hallton Bridge, Hallton, PA

Hallton, PA bridge

Some FInishes and Amazing Grace Update

BABY BIB

QUILT SQUARE

BABY BIB

AMAZING GRACE UPDATE

Lizzie Kate Mystery Sampler - Part 1

I decided to do the Lizzie Kate Mystery Sampler.  This is Part 1 and the pictures show the progress I made.  Part 1 is totally completed except for adding some beads.   Part 2 should be arriving in the mail within the next week.   I will be anxiously awaiting for the mailman to bring me Part 2.

Amazing Grace

I can't believe that so much time has passed since my last post and that so much has happened in my life since the last post.

On January 11, 2012 my dear brother in law, Stan, went home to be with the Lord, after a 6 week battle with cancer.  He got sick around Thanksgiving and was in the hospital until he passed away.  He endured a major stroke and many surgeries during that time and I spent a lot of that time at the hospital with my sister.  It seemed like he always got worse in the middle of the night and that is when we were called to the hospital most often.  He always liked us to come in the middle of snow storms also. 

What brings me to the title of this post was that at my brother in law's funeral Amazing Grace was played on bag pipes.   I had started this piece a long time ago and sat it aside (like I seem to do with many projects).  But since the funeral it has been on my mind and I decided to pull it out and start working on it again.   I am making progress on it but it has been slow progress.    We are under a winter storm advisory today so I plan on doing more stitching as I am not going out in the snow only less its absolutely necessary!  So here are some pictures of my progress so far!!  

 This is where I had left off at and had sat it aside and then some progress pictures.  Sorry for some of these being sideways.  I don't know why that happens!    These pictures show approximately 3 weeks of work.   I would get lots more accomplished if the frogs would stay away and if my cats didn't think that they need to help me stitch!!
 

Progress #1

Progress #2

Progress #3

Progress #5 as of 2/10/12

Progress #4

 And on a happy note I am ending with a picture of my great niece, Evelyn "Evie".   She is my brother-in-law's granddaughter and was the proud and joy in his life!!



Until next time I hope you have all enjoyed this brief update!!

Wine Bags and Pickle Ornament

Wine Bag #1

Wine Bag #2

Ok this blogger is giving me lots of grief!!!!  It won't let me stick the pictures where
I want them to go!  But anyway here are two of the wine bags and a picture showing what it looks like with a bottle in it.

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

Wow I cannot believe how time is flying by and how long it has been since I posted on my blog.  It is definitely time for an update!!!   Well one reason for no updates is because I have not had anything to show cross stitch wise.  I fell in July and hurt my foot, shoulder and arm really bad.  The foot has pretty much recovered but can't say the same for my neck, arm and shoulder.  MRI is showing 3 bulging discs in my neck which are pressing on the nerve that runs down my arm giving me all the symptoms of carpal tunnel.  So because of my arm going numb I have not been able to hold a needle to be able to stitch.  I have just started stitching again within the last month and I have three finishes to show.

 I am going to Connecticut for a baby shower on Black Friday so no shopping for me.  These are the bibs I made for the shower. Sorry the Care Bear is sideways.  I don't know why my camera on my phone does that!

On another note it has been three years since I started my blog.  So much has happened in my life since I have started this blog.  I have been through a divorce, almost lost my house to foreclosure and many other things have gone wrong.  But I think the worse is over and by the grace of God I will be able to move on to a much better life.  I have so many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  My girls, who have stuck with me through all of this, my family, my health, a roof over my head, a job, good health (except for trouble with my arm) and a great new guy in my life!!

Updates in my Life and Stitching

 I started this Kustom Korner Stitch a Long called Sunlit Irises around the end of March.  A new page comes out on the 15th of each month until the design is done.  There are 12 total pages but pages 10, 11, and 12 will come out together as they are not full pages.  Last weekend which was the first weekend of April I stitched in a Virtual Stitch In.  The photo on the left was before I started stitching for the weekend and the picture on the right was what I had accomplished.  It doesn't look like a lot but I did manage to get about 1000 stitches accomplished.  I am hoping to have page 1 finished this weekend.

Here is a picture of my new truck.  My van decided it didn't want to run anymore (transmission went out) and I had to get home last Friday on the back of a flatbed.    I really didn't want to have a vehicle payment but I didn't have much of a choice.  At least now I have something that is reliable and I won't be stuck alongside the road.

Duck

Pig

 

Rhino

 

Here are three more squares for the baby blanket I am working on.  I really got to get busy stitching on this again as baby is due in about three weeks.  I now have 11 squares done - 13 more to go.  They look really cute but I sure hate stitching over 2.  That is why I had to take a break and started working on the  Sunlit Iris SAL. 

For those of you who follow my blog my niece loved her wedding sampler!