STITCHING WITH IRIS

Last night I finished page 12 of Bridge in Monet's Garden. Only 23 more to go (yes there are 35 pages to this design).I started stitching page 12 on 5/14/2012 and finished on 6/22/2012. 

Bridge in Monet's Garden Page 12 Started 05/14/2012 Finished 06/22/2012 39 days to stitch 3780 stitches Stitched on 16Ct White Aida Using DMC floss

Today is Father's Day and I sure do miss my Dad.  He passed away in early July 1980.  That seems so long ago.  Daddy you were the best.

Bob and I spent the morning cleaning up our back porch and patio as we are having our annual picnic for a group of friends next Saturday.  I pray it isn't real hot.  The weather for the next week calls for it to be in the 90s later in the week.  Pray that it cools down some for Saturday.

It shouldn't be very long now until I finish page 12 of Bridge in Monet's Garden.  I did finish stitching one Christmas ornament this week and am a little more than half done with another one.  They are the same design so the 2nd one is stitching up really fast.

I think I will go outside with a book and relax for a little while.

Have a wonderful Father's Day and enjoy your Dad if he is still alive.

Iris

While Americans recognize and celebrate collective achievements such as the writing of the Declaration of Independence, victory in the Revolutionary War, or the landing of a man on the Moon — it is individual accomplishment that is cherished the most. The "stars" of the aforementioned events — Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Neil Armstrong — outshine the collective constellation. One person's contribution can define the course and meaning of history.





When we view the flag, we think of liberty, freedom, pride, and Betsy Ross. The American flag flies on the moon, sits atop Mount Everest, is hurtling out in space. The flag is how America signs her name.






It is no surprise that Betsy Ross has become one of the most cherished figures of American History.






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Happy Flag Day everyone.

I need to write this.  I may not publish it but I need to vent.  One of my great nieces graduated from high school last week.  About 2 weeks ago we got an invitation to a graduation party for her at an amusement park about 3 hours away from us.  My DH hates amusement parks.  The first time in his life he was at an amusement part was about 5 years ago for one of my nieces 50th birthday party.  He had a miserable time and frankly so did it. Everyone went off to ride rides but no one thought enough about me to ask me if I wanted to go along.  My nieces knew I loved to go on amusement park rides.  Then my nieces husband picked up our camera thinking it was his and went off to the rides.  He realized on the 1st ride that it wasn't his camera but he continued to ride many other rides before bringing the camera back.  Bob and I thought someone had stolen the camera.  We didn't report it because we didn't see anyone pick it up.  Bob was furious.  He didn't talk to me all the way home.  My other sister sat off by herself and didn't talk to anyone all day because her daughter said she was coming to the party and then didn't show up.  It was a most wonderful day. When we left the park that day I promised Bob I would never make him go to an amusement park again.  So when I got the invitation a few weeks ago I didn't say anything to him I just called and left a message with my niece that we would not be attending and I happened to mention why.  They have been talking about this party for months and I guess I should have said from the very beginning that we wouldn't be attending.  Also I guess I shouldn't have just called and left a message I should have called in the evening.  My only defense on that one is that I called when I thought about it and I actually never make calls after dinner nor do I answer my phone after dinner.  That is my stitching time, selfish maybe but that is the way it is and I have told my family that.  Anyway last Wednesday my sister calls and asked me why. That she had been crying since her daughter told her Bob and I wouldn't be coming to the party. I explained that it wasn't fair to Bob and I really didn't want to attend without him and I will admit I got a little defensive.  So Thursday I called my niece and told her I changed my mind after talking to my other sister, who will let me ride with them,  and I would attend the party.  Friday I got a letter from my niece really reaming me out.  How she was very disappointed in me that she hoped she brought her daughter up to be a better and more caring person then I am. This is a time for family to get together and enjoy each other's company. For crying out loud it is a graduation party at an amusement park.  Every one will be off riding rides not visiting with each other.  The graduate will be off having fun with her friends not visiting with any of her guests.  Her father's side of the family will sit in a cluster at one end of the table,  my sister and I will sit together at the other end of the table.  The 3 nieces and their children who are there will be off riding rides and doing things together.  I know I am being selfish but I don't want to go sit at a stupid amusement park in the heat and humidity of July doing absolutely nothing all day.  It will be crowded being the weekend after July 4th. I may be getting old but I hate the heat and I hate crowds.  You have to park far away from where the tables are so I will have to walk on unpaved paths to get to the park which will really send my ankle into pain city and I probably won't be able to walk the next day.   However I will go so I don't cause anymore family upset but I am going to make it perfectly clear after the event that I will never go to an amusement park again unless it is Disney World.  I didn't mean to be such a bad person.  So now it is me who has been crying on and off since Friday.  Poor Bob he wants in the worse way to write my sister and niece a letter telling them what he thinks about all of this but I will never let him do that. They will never talk to me again.

OK enough of this feeling sorry for myself.  I will just have to pick myself up and go on with life.  I have to add one more thing to all of this.  I have 7 great nieces and nephews.  I stitched each one of them a birth sampler when they were born.  The one I stitched for this great niece who just graduated was sold at a yard sale because her father found a stitch which I didn't stitch the 2nd leg of the cross and he couldn't stand have something with a mistake hanging in is house.  Also this niece sells Christmas presents she gets and doesn't like (which according to her mother is most of the presents she receives) at yard sales.  OK now I am going to try and get over feeling sorry for myself for real.

I have decided to publish this because writing it all out like this has made me feel a little better.

I have finished 4 more ornaments.

Blueladie Designs - June SAL Stitched on Dying4u 14CT Butter Cream Opalescent using DMC

PS Sunny Days Ornament stitched on Sassy's Fabbys 16CT Crescent Cream using DMC

PS Sunny Days Ornament stitched on Sassy's Fabbys 16CT Crescent Cream using DMC

PS Sunny Days Ornament stitched on Sassy's Fabbys 16CT Crescent Cream using DMC

These ornaments will be going on my ornament tree as soon as they are completely dry.  The tree for the summer is a combination of the PS Sunny Days ornaments and patriotic ornaments that I stitched last year and some red, white, and blue cardboard stars.  When I hang these 4 ornaments I will take a picture and post it.

In a comment on a previous post someone asked me what my new camera is.  It is a Cannon PowerShot SX150IS.    Did I need this new camera, no I did not.  Buuuuuuuuut I wanted it.  I have some extra money to spend now as we just cancelled our annual summer trip to Ocean City, NJ for this summer.  Bummer but it will save me some money. 

I am now going to start stitching some Christmas ornaments when I am not working on Bridge in Monet's Garden.  I think I would like to give some ornaments to the gym ladies this Christmas.  Last Christmas we went to one of the ladies homes for breakfast and everyone had a gift to give out but me.  Would a stitched ornament this year make up for my lack of a gift last year?  I hope so.

OK off to fix dear Bob some dinner.

Have a good week everyone.  Oh by the way I am more than half finished stitching page 12 of Bridge.

I got a new camera last week so yesterday I was taking pictures in my back yard playing with the different lens settings.  Here are some of the pictures I took.

Bob putting mulching straw on the vegetable garden

Pretty yellow flowers in the Wildflower Garden

Gerber Daisies.  They are in a pot.  I was using the zoom lens and got a little close

Minature Rose in a pot

I don't know what this plant is but I forced Bob to buy it a few years ago. It looks so pretty in our shade garden

House Wren.  They have babies in that nesting box in the corner of our porch

Hummingbird in a pot of Penstemon

OK that is it for this first trial of pictures.  There were more but they weren't very good.