This week I have happily finished a couple of small projects which has put me back into the routine of stitching on a regular basis.  I spent most of the weekend cleaning up my sewing room and finding a few treasures that I had forgotten about.  I haven't as yet found the Christmas ornaments that I had finished and needed to be put together, they are however somewhere in my sewing room. 

You know when you put something in a place so you won't forget well guess what, I have forgotten where that place might be.  I know they will turn up and in the most logical place but till then I will continue to stitch more Christmas ornaments.

Tonight I found out a lovely bit of information.  Peter who loves model railroading with my husband told me that he also cross stitches, what a treat.  He saw all the pieces that I have around the house but most are not mine.  That's OK.  Since he likes trains I showed him the HAED of the General.  He loved it but only wants the part that is silhouetted in the top left corner.  He also doesn't stitch on linen so that may be a learning curve.  I don't know if he is up for that.  Maybe I could even get D interested in cross stitch, but then I'm sure that he would want me into trains and sorry for your luck but I have enough UFO's is don't need a new past time.

Well I guess I had better get my act together as I have to do my one thread today.  Barb had the right idea but sometimes the end seems like it will never come.  Ah well if I don't start I won't finish.  Best to all.

Keep on Stitching one thread a day.

A Time to say Farewell

I am sure there are a few of you out there that are thinking OK she is finally going to stop blogging.  Well not yet.  I am going to persevere for a while.  You know it's true about retirement, you have all this time and yet it is not enough and life gets in the way.

A couple of weeks back my stitching sisters gathered together for a wonderful stitching retreat weekend.  Everyone, that could, in our group came and we had a few additions from the surrounding area and it was a great weekend of stitching and friendship.  For me it was a two fold weekend.  Previous to the 2nd annual retreat I had been able to attend a similar retreat in Gananoque and for 14 years my sister-in-law and myself would go to this retreat from Friday to Monday.  Each year generally the same group would go and we would be able to reacquaint ourselves with these yearly friendships.  As all things come to an end in 2008 it was the last time that retreat was held and I missed seeing my friends from that group. 

Then a year ago my stitching sisters decided to organize our own retreat that was much closer to where I live and of course I joined in.  This year was our 2nd annual retreat in Grand Bend and it was a tremendous success.   For me though it had some sad moments not because of anyone attending but because of someone who wasn't there.  

For those of you who have known me over these many years of stitching you have also met my sister-in-law Barb.  Thirty-five years ago I met Barb for the first time shortly before I married her younger brother Don.  Barb started out as all do, my sister-in-law, but over the years we became best of friends.  Her husband in the Canadian military moved frequently as do most in the military but their last posting was in Ottawa and this was when Barb and I became best friends.  This was the closest they had ever been to Barb's family as it was only a 5-6 hour drive depending on the weather. 

Barb, her husband and two daughters would trek down to Brantford for special occasions, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Family Reunion and the four would stay with us.  I remember the first time they came, there were four suitcases and four or more various bags of knitting and stitching.  Barb would never know what she wanted to work on so she brought it all.  We used to say the troops had landed when they arrived as the entire front hall would be stacked with bags, suitcases, pillows etc.  You have to realize that generally in the beginning they were coming on Friday night and going on Sunday afternoon so this was a huge amount of luggage for a weekend stay.  They and Don and I and the two boys hit if off from the very beginning.  She loved to stitch and knit also two of my favorite pasttimes.  The four kids got along famously even though there was a huge age difference,  the guys would watch sports and visit and Barb and I would sit a stitch/knit in a marathon.

When they came at Christmas they usually stayed for a week so the marathon was wonderful.  Of course every visit also included a visit to our local craft store, Mary Maxim known for knitting but has supplies and pattern/kits for cross stitch.   Christmas morning we would be up early, open gifts and have breakfast, get the turkey in the oven, get the vegetables on and set the table.   Then we would sit stitching for the entire afternoon until family arrived.   It was great.   We would laugh and solve all the world problems of course and look at all the wonderful projects that we both had on the go.  UFO's and projects that we hoped to get to at some time in our lifetime. 

Barb usually only did small to medium projects whereas I always pick the large challenging ones.   Barb had one philosophy, to stitch one thread a day.  Any project large or small if you don't start you can't finish.   At the beginning of April Barb went into the hospital two weeks later she was diagnosed and on May 10 she sadly passed on.   At our retreat she would have been my roomie and so the sadness.  She was missed.

As I sit and stitch at home I realize that my stitching marathons with Barb will never happen again.  The world's problems will go unsolved and I have lost one of my best friends.   I remember her philosophy of one thread a day and will try to carry on her resolve but the loss is still there.   I know with time the sadness and emptiness will lessen but the loss will still be there.   So today I will say farewell and as I stitch I will keep fond memories of all the time we spent stitching our marathon sessions. 



Keep on Stitching one thread a day.

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