Whirlwind World- Photo Heavy and Long

Wow!!! It has almost been a month since I had a post. Most of my readers probably think that I have fallen off the face of the earth. Sorry, I am still around. Things have been just a whirlwind for about the last 6 weeks. First there was the Shop Hop, then I spent about 6 days with my Dad with limited computer access. Since I returned from there, I have had just about meeting myself coming and going and still trying to fit stitching in along the way. Attended 2 graduation parties, hosted my church ladies group, attended a wedding and helped with the reception, along with test driving a couple of cars. (More about this later). As we did last year, we decided to go to South Dakota the week after Memorial Day. It just makes it come out that we are there about every 6 months. Since it is about a 500 mile trip one way, we try to spread it out over the year. During that trip, I finished a prayer shawl, except for the fringe. Photo in later post. We had a great time visiting family in South Dakota with aunts and with siblings and nieces and nephews, including a great picnic with wonderful smoked pork tenderloin.

For two days of the trip we went on up north in South Dakota to visit a cousin that visited us in April. We always have a great time together and when all of us get retired we are going to take an Alaskan Cruise together. The growing season is really different from Kansas to South Dakota and I was amazed to see these flowers in bloom. Love both lilacs and bleeding hearts. The lilacs were along the road across from the cousins house and the bleeding heart is in her yard. I had to get the windmill in the photo because I love windmills. Someday, I should include a photo of my collection of windmill pictures, etc. that I have on one wall in my basement.

On our return trip we brought 2 13-year old nieces home with us for a one week visit. One had visited our house when she was about 3. The other had not been here before. Back in April, Morris bought his own birthday present at 50-inch plasma TV. So here is were we found the girls a lot of the time they were with us. The first evening they found the remote and figured out the reclining love seat.

Samantha (light hair) on the left and Robin (dark hair) on the right

We live on a 3-acre lot so Morris has a riding mower to keep the grass down. The girls had fun driving around the backyard on the Sunday afternoon. They did not get up until noon that day. Then Uncle Morris made them French Toast for lunch.

Robin on the Tractor

Samantha on the Tractor

Samantha is very much into horses and we have some really good friends that have horses. So late on Sunday afternoon we went to their house for a cook out and each of the girls got to ride one of the horses.

Samantha on JD

Robin on JD

Monday, they went grocery shopping with me to get things that they would eat. Both also wanted to learn to stitch and crochet, so I made up stitch bags and selected beginner projects for them. With Monday being my weekly stitch group, they both went with me to the LNS. However, after work Morris stopped by and Samantha came home with him in hopes of going swimming in the neighbor's pool. Robin stayed with me and got her first stitching lesson. She did a great job and was really fitting in with our wild and crazy stitch group. Later that evening after we got home she was visited by the dreaded "cross stitch frog". She got off on some counting and I ended up frogging a lot of her stitching. She really did not get too discouraged.

Tuesday, Morris took the afternoon off from work and took them to the movie "UP". Not sure who enjoyed it more, him or the girls. Then we took them to the American Legion for Bingo. Robin got down to needing one number for a $400 blackout. Had she won that she would have been hooked on Bingo forever. They both liked it quite well. Samantha wanted to know if we could come back on Thursday. I had to tell her they did not play on Thursday. They were fascinated by the ink daubers.

On Wednesday, Morris took the entire day off so we could go to Worlds of Fun, a big amusement park in the Kansas City area. It was rather iffy, if we were going to get to go. It rained early in the morning and it is no fun to go if it is raining or the prospect of thunderstorms. However, it cleared off and we had a wonderful day. They rode all the roller coasters but one. Robin could not get anyone to ride that one with her. It went backwards for half of the ride. I definitely don't do backwards on anything. There was one ride that Samantha did not want to ride called "Cyclone Sam" and Robin talked her into it and when she got off she wanted to go again. That one they rode twice. Morris said the last time he rode that one, his brain was scrambled the rest of the day.

Here the girls are standing in from of the Mamba. It has one of the highest first drops of any roller coaster. I actually rode this one, but that was about it for me. I left my stomach and lots of other things at the top of that drop. I became the holder of the glasses. They got soaked riding a couple of the water rides and had to go change into dry clothes. Good planning on our part to bring dry clothes.

This is the new wooden roller coaster "The Prowler". They said for a wooden roller coaster, it was pretty smooth. I did not even try it. All in all it was a good day. Robin was asleep before we even got out of the Kansas City area. LOL!!

Since we live in the state capitol of Kansas, Thursday brought a trip downtown to a lunchtime brown bag concert on the capitol grounds and a tour of the State Capitol Building. They have recently reopened the stairway to the top of the dome. It had been closed for years. When I was in school, i had made the trek to the top, but not this time. Neither did Morris. He went part way, but the girls went all the way to the top and outside. It is a total of 296 steps.

Part of the stairway inside the Capitol Dome.

On Friday they went to a birthday lunch with me and then I took them shopping. That was a treat clothes shopping with teenagers. Friday night we had out crochet lesson. They both got the hang of it pretty good. Samantha was loose with her stitches and Robin was tight. Robin's mom, stepdad and 2 little sisters came on Saturday afternoon to pick them up. We were going to have a wiener roast that night, but it was too windy. After all, we live in Kansas, where the wind blows most of the time. The girls are already planning to come again next year. It was different having to play "mom", considering I don't have kids, just other people's kids at different times.

On Saturday, I worked at the LNS and both girls wanted to go with me. We continued on our crochet lessons. Morris came by a little after noon to see who wanted to go home with him. The only one that went home with him was the dogs. I guess the girls were enjoying their time hanging out at the LNS. There was not much stitching going on the entire week that the girls were here. I did not do the movie with them, so I could stay home and stitch.

Are you still with me?

OK, now on the stitching front. After all this is supposed to me a stitching blog. Here is "Aloha" after framing. The mat is a dark burgundy. It is hard to tell in the photo.

I finished the little Snowman that I had started. Now that seemed like a lot of stitching for no bigger than he was. Have found another kit similar to him and have already thrown away the little piece of 18-ct aida that was with it. There is enough room on the other end of the blue piece of fabric for another snowman. Then I will probably have them finished as little pillow for door hangers.


While I was in South Dakota and since I returned, I have also worked on my Notforgotten Farms-Giving Sisters. Now there is one witch done. A start on the cauldron and where the needle is, is the beginning of the second witch. The fabric color did not come out accurate. It is 26-ct white birch heatherfield.


Currently, I am working on a Sunflower Seed design model, While I was at the shop today, I saw another design that she has about ready to do. I want to get this one done right away, because the new one is soooooo neat. I wanted to start it today. Also, I have a birthday present finished and framed. I will be able to post a photo of it next week after I give it to Anita for her birthday. The May Blackbird Designs Stocking booklet is out. Picked it up at the LNS last week when I worked. I have a small start on the one that is all lavender and green. Go figure, since I love purple.

You have endured all of this, to get to the big news. A few posts back I mentioned that I was considering a new car and/or camera. Several commented that I should do both. Well, I did the car part, but now I cannot afford the camera. LOL.

Last Friday, all by myself, I went and test drove a 2008 Ford Fusion and by mid-afternoon I was the proud owner of a 2008 Redfire Ford Fusion. It was a rental car, used in Arizona and has about 34,000 miles. So far, I am loving it. It has the two things I had said I wanted in my next car--- CD player and remote keyless entry. There are also a lot of other gadgets that I am still learning about. I have driven it every day since I got it. Here is a photo taken from an Internet car site. It is not actually my car, but mine is just like this.


Thanks to those of you that have stuck with me for this long and boring dissertation on my whirlwind world. Still have more to tell, but that will be in a later post. I am going to promise again, to try to do posts more often. These things would not be as long, if would just take the time to post more often. One deterrent to posting more often is that it cuts into my stitching time. Your comments and encouragement is very much appreciated.