A Gift of Memories

I've been searching for something to give to my 20 year old step grandson. He came into our family when he was 12 and he is dear to my heart. He's moved away to his first apartment and I wanted to give him something for a house warming present that would say to him that he's as much my grandson as the ones I share genes with.

I gave him my "Old Fisherman." I worked on that picture for about 4 years. Just about everyone who knew me at that time saw it because I carried it everywhere. I loved working on it and locking in memories of our daily life...the life that John was not a part of at the time. I loved that piece; I still do, but it was what I needed to give to John. It was like giving him the memories of our family that he didn't have. Now I just have to find the words to tell that to him!

A Different Perspective on Homeschooling and Stitching

A while back I wrote about how homeschooling would take away a lot of hours I like to spend on my various needlework projects, but then I had a different thought. In Germany, boys and girls are taught to knit in 4th grade. It's something that should be passed down to all our children. My Father-in-law told me about how the old fishermen used to sit around mending nets, or making new ones. He showed me how to do it and it is just like Macrame.

Since we homeschool, we have the option of making a curriculum that fits our kids and I'm going to set aside some time each week to pass on a tradition. I won't be able to do it right away, but I will try to work it in.

Celle and Memories

In years to come, when I look at this sampler, I will think about the long conversations I had with my mother and dad while working on this sampler. Since they are 88 and 84, I really treasure this time.

I don't know about anyone else, but I stitch in memories when I do my needlework. I can look around my house at my needlework and remember when and where I stitched so many pieces. I see my son as a toddler when I look at a crewel surrounded mirror. When I see my flower thread sampler, I think of the yearly trip to the Peaks of Otter in Virginia. My needlework charts my children's growing up years and when I go to the houses of some of my friends and relatives, I see the pieces I have done for them and remember that time again.

When I look at Celle, I will remember this vacation and the time I spent with my granddaughter, Eli (Elizabeth Anne), sitting on the porch watching the birds, and the time I spent talking to my folks. I'll also remember the genealogy side trip to Boonsboro, MD where I saw the same mountains and hills my ancestors knew, and the time I spent with one of my favorite cousins when I researched my Hawn family in PA. In every stitch, I think there is a memory.

I also stopped in Charleston on my way back home and saw the Southern Girlhood exhibit there. It was fantastic and being alone, I could spend as much time as I liked viewing it. I went back and forth between the samplers and a nice little bench out front where there was an antiques magazine on the exhibit. Of course, I would love to have had someone to "ooh and ahh" with, but only a sampler lover would have wanted to take the time I took reading each description and looking over each sampler thoroughly.

Free Rice and my Vocabulary

FREE RICE

What fun! This is a wonderful website. You improve your vocabulary while contributing free rice to the world's poor. Not only is a fun, but the vocabulary words chosen are linked to your score, so they are always appropriate for you. If you miss a fairly easy word, you are given more words at that level so you are never overwhelmed.

Why am I not finished?

Well, I've stitched and stitched last year, so why aren't my favorite projects finished? If I had an answer to that, I'd think I won the lottery. Yes, I've stitched, but it seems like my favorite projects have had to take a back seat to the projects I made for others. Why, oh why, haven't I taken photos of them? If I did, I could look at this list and feel like I have accomplished something even if I didn't meet my goals.

So, my New Year's resolution is to take a photo of everything I stitch, no matter how small. I wonder how long it will take me to slip up on that one? Still, if I make a resolution, I will be more apt to do it eventually rather than not at all. I am also going to resolve that one of these projects gets done this year. My best bet is "Grandma Meinen" so that is going to be my target. I also need to get some Christmas ornaments done. A good friend is stitching with me and she is also doing Christmas ornaments so we can keep each other on track. Anyone else is free to join us.