Cakes! 🥮

I wish I had known this earlier, I would have baked a cake!

This is my Dad's version, adding whipped cream and mandarin oranges. He calls it a Nesta Cake because Nana Nesta in Wales gave him her recipe. Although it never really tastes the same as having it in Britain. 😞
For my British friends, do you have a special recipe you use? I'd love to get it to taste like it should!

So it was movie night on Wednesday at the Commons... Shrek sure knows how to take care of those frogs!

And Kupcakes & Co had Shrek cupcakes, yum!

I just had to wear my ears and crown. Nathan was not impressed... job accomplished! 

Such fun! Next week is Princess Bride, I wonder what I can wear to that?!

Friday's Stitching Ground 🛫

Today brings us to Dulles Airport taking Gman2 to school. Just a little farther away than a four hour drive to Ohio!


My three guys with his luggage. He also brought his Scout backpack to use when he travels over there. I think he's there to study, but he's going to be so busy doing so many other things too!

First to Frankfurt, then to Vienna, and ultimately to Gaming, Austria. He'll be there for the semester, coming home mid December.

First time traveling on his own that far, maybe I should have gone with him?! We might show up there in a couple of months to visit him and take him to see the German side of the family. 🤞

I'm missing him already!

I did stitch on the way to the airport and then on the way back. Yucky rain and all that traffic.
I played with the colours and only need to buy a couple I don't have anything to match it with.

Are you a car stitcher? And I don't mean while driving!

A Perfect Finish... 🐝

...especially for today!

Friday's Stitching Ground 🐝

Today's stitching ground has me stitching at home this evening... catless!
I found this one in my craft room that I had forgotten about, so I thought I would finish it since I'm so close! I started stitching and noticed I needed to frog a bit of it, ugh.

They were kind of next to me though!

How many times have you surprised yourself by finding a WIP you'd "forgotten" about?

News on my Mom 😊

Last week my Mom was admitted to the hospital again, to ICU then the High Level of Care Unit. She had coughed so much she was having trouble breathing. Dad called the ambulance, but he had already taken his sleeping pill so he couldn't follow behind. Their lovely neighbour called because she saw the flashing lights and she ended up taking him there AND STAYED WITH HIM UNTIL SHE TOOK HIM HOME IN THE MORNING! What a blessing she was/is!
They eventually said it was a piece of food that ended up in her lung and became septic. Then her bp was too low, her heart rate too high, and/or maybe the other way around?! So it's back to a pureed food for her and she isn't very happy about it!
At least they try to make it look like what it's supposed to be - mashed potatoes, carrots, chicken, and berries.

More mashed potatoes and beef, but the broccoli and pineapple are kind of hard to make it look what they are.

She'll have another swallow test in 4-6 weeks, but I have a feeling she might need to stay on it for good.


I was able to go see her during the week and stay a night to keep my Dad company. How nice that it was the day she was released from ICU!

Here's Gman1 and his girl, C, visiting Oma on the way home from the lake on Sunday.

Nathan came with me for this visit, and luckily it was the day she could come home!

She's waiting for the "chariot" for discharge!

I delivered her home and she was thrilled to be back.

And finally, she gets to see her Addie!

Here's Dad peeking in on Mom while taking Addie for a walk.
It's such a relief to have her back home, for us all!

This is what I've been working on when I came to visit her in the hospital, and now at home. She asks about it and likes it... I think it might not be for me after all!

😊

The People Chose 🦓

Here's another SAL month with Jo @ Serendipitous Stitching and this time it's Monochrome stitching. I didn't think I had very much, but was surprised at what I found.

As you can see, I made this in 1989, for my parents. Felt like yesterday! I ended up making one for a neighbour too, they had a lovely black cat named Boo so I added that to the blocks.

This is one that Gman2 asked me to make for his friend.

I made this one when the Gmen were in middle school, it was supposed to be for their band teacher when they graduated 8th grade. It looks like I'm giving it to her before Nathan graduates! I still have to add the charms and I thought about adding the concerts they performed and the places they went by stitching them along the border.

I made this one a while ago and still have to properly frame it.

A freebie I finished in time for St. Patrick's Day, but still need to fully finish.

I think that's it, take a look and see what everyone else stitched.

Next month... Bees!

Friday's Stitching Ground 🏊

Today's stitching ground brought me to the pool to cool down after  picking corn in the morning with the youth group. Since I couldn't be at the beach, I figured stitching this after swimming was better than nothing!

That will have to be another post, it was a great week of service projects and fun, with a detour for me visiting my Mom in the hospital. She's still there but hopefully home tomorrow or Sunday at the latest.


Do you like to volunteer anywhere?

Summer Exchange at Needlecraft Haven 📬

I participated in Needlecraft Haven's Summer Exchange and the theme was a cat or dog pincushion. Can you guess what I chose?!

Take a look at Clare's blog - Aimetu's Stitching to see her part in it.

I received it while we were away and then brought it with me to my parents in case I was still there on reveal day. But we came home that day so I opened it then. I sent my package off to Deb and she had me, although we didn't find out until later.

Oh boy, Mom got a package and we see a cat! Ok, maybe they don't look that excited, but I was.

I love what I received from Deb! Aren't they adorable?!

This is the backside, more kitties!

And a lovely card, two pins, and sweet magnet that matches the colours on the pincushion.

Ming and Max approved!

Max helping with the display.

Right now it sits beside me in the great room while I stitch, but I'm sure it will make it's way in my craft room when I'm in there.

This is what I made for Deb.

You can't go wrong with Margaret Sherry!

I put it on an Altoids tin with a puffy top and this was the bottom.

The inside where I added a thin magnet on the bottom to hold needles.

That's a hard one to photograph!


It was a fun exchange and I think I heard something about a Halloween one?! 🎃🕸🕷👻

Friday's Stitching Ground 😺😺

Today was a relaxing day with part of the afternoon stitching with Ming and Maximus, or rather, trying to stitch. I think they're afraid I'm going to leave them again and they're making sure I don't!

I love her! I like her hair better this way... brown like mine used to be.

Do you have many distractions while stitching?

I'm still catching up on blog reading and I've got some posts I need to write, let's see what the weekend brings.

Scavenger Photo Hunt, July 📷

It's the end of July already and time for Katie's I live, I love, I craft, I am me ... scavenger photo hunt this month!

The words for July are...

Cluttered

This actually isn't as bad as it has been in the past, but my craft room can get rather "busy"!

Paddle

Nathan having a little fun paddling around!

Pink

Beautiful pink flamingos in Costa Maya.

Starts with an E

Elevator! How many of us can fit on the cruise ship elevator?! I think a few of us didn't make the frame!

An extra E - Elephants in our room.

Roof

Our friend came over with his drone to take photos of our roof to see how many leaves were still up there. We're on the back deck, watching it fly around.

My Own Choice

Our first cruise with the extended family was on the Enchantment of the Seas in 1999 (left) and now on the Symphony of the Seas. Big difference, but both were great trips!

Have fun cruising the other postings, see you next month!