Friday, May 22, 2026

Friday Finds

 And one finish.
After months of cleaning my mom's house,
I finally found some precious items
that I really wanted to keep.
They came home with me on Wednesday. 
Everything I took my siblings did not want.
They dont like my style.


First was this chalkware Uncle Sam.
This was my maternal grandmother's at one point.
I already did purchase one...however
years ago my kitty Peepers knocked it over
when he jumped on my cabinet where mine was.
It broke into pieces.
At least now I have one to replace that one.


This lil cabinet I actually played with when
I was a kid.
It needs some scrubbing,
but then I will add it somewhere.
So many memories of me playing with
the metal dishes that I kept inside.
Not sure where those went, but I dont care.
At least I have the cabinet.


This old snowman was also from my
maternal grandmother.
He was made from old batting and construction paper.
His hat is ripped but I love his charm.


Then I found this old ABC Child of God book.
The pages are thick and I will need to do
some research as to its age.
There was no copyright date on any of the pages.


An electric tree top angel came home with me.
I dont even know if she still works yet.


The best find of all for me was to finally find
my mom's nativity set.
I literally screamed in delight once
I started moving the crinkled paper
around to see what was inside the box.


All of the pieces are there.
I just am not showing it right now.
It will come out at Christmas for sure.
Now I hope I can re-find the manger 
my dad made to go with it.


Now for my finish.
I purchased this pattern from
Primitive Betty in 2008.
Finally got around to stitching it.


Back in the day she had a blog
where she sold her patterns.
Now she has an Etsy shop and sells PDF patterns. 
I wont purchase PDF's.
I want a hard copy of any pattern.
It's just not for me...am so glad I purchased
a few of her patterns from before.
I stitched this on a piece of linen I had.
Grabbed some DMS floss. 


In other news,
the below picture was taken from the internet.
This is our Blue Water Bridge
which connects
Port Huron, Michigan to
Sarnia, Ontario Canada.
(I do not know the name of this 
reticulated tug...it is not a freighter)



In the background is the mighty 
Lake Huron.
In the foreground is our mighty
St Clair River.
The same river that is near me.
Two fun facts I wanted to share with you.
1. The flow of the river right here is
20,000 cubic feet per second.
Compared to the Niagara Falls
at 85,000 cubic feet per second.
2. The river here is 7 feet higher
than at my house.

Going home on Tuesday from my mom's
was a horrible drive.
Heading up looking at Lake Huron
I knew storms were a coming.
Riding and driving along this lake since
I was born, I know the changing colors.
It is hard to explain, but I knew 
I was in trouble that day.
Driving home I hit rainstorms and thunderstorms.
At one point the sky was ever so dark
that I knew it was a bad one.
I kept driving and got through before
the worst came through,
but I had my wipers on high and speed low.
My phone weather app kept telling me
the distance the lightning was from me.
It told me a severe thunderstorm was in the area.
It just kept going off most of my drive home.
My 1 1/2 drive took 2 1/2 hours that day.
Was glad though I made it home safe.

With this weekend being Memorial Day,
please take time to remember
all of our servicemen who lost their lives.
We should be celebrating all of them
 who died so we could be free.
This holiday is not about the BBQ's and picnics,
nor the start of the Summer season.  
It's a holiday to remember our brave
soldiers who lost their lives for us.
God Bless America,
God Bless our service men and women.

Friday Finds Blessings To All!
Janice


Monday, May 18, 2026

I Got On The Bandwagon

Hope all is well with you my friends.
Recently I got on Bob's Facebook.
Started scrolling through and noticed something.
All of the prim folks were purchasing these. 


Target came out with a line called
Threshold Geo Americana.
I had to get on the bandwagon.
Went to my nearest Target and they had nothing.
So I had to order online.


I purchased a few towels for our bath.
The color is navy and tan.


 A perfect addition to our prim bath.
I should have purchased some hand towels too,
but opted not to at the time.


However I had to also purchase their throw blanket.
This is nice because Bob can lay on the couch 
with this wrapped over him now...
which is easier to wash then my vintage
wool blankets I had on the couch.
I keep the vintage afghan on the end 
for when Tundra lays on the couch. 

Do you find yourself on a buying spree
if you spot something online you like?

In other news,


Saturday morning Tundra told me
 a thunderstorm was coming.
Went out to take a couple of pics from our front porch.


Looking in the Southwest direction.
The sky is not as dark in my pics
as it was in person.
Past my neighbors driveway and grass
is the state land we live near.
1400 acres to be exact. 
Those purple flowers in the lower right
are my ever-blooming lilac bushes.
They grow only 6 ft high.
They smell just like a lilac and bloom
throughout the Spring and Summer.

Today I am heading to my mom's house
to help my friend Ruth set up for the estate sale.
She already brought in 30 tables...
and she thinks we may need more. UGH
Bob will hold down the fort while I am away.
Me thinks something grilled may be for dinner...
if the weather holds up.
I just hope I dont drive into any nasty weather.

Monday Blessings To All!
Janice




Thursday, May 14, 2026

Snippets Of Spring

Here are my Spring displays for 2026.
***WARNING***
Lot's of pics.
















Did you have a favorite?

In other news,
Its time now to drag out my patriotic decor.
I want to get a head start and enjoy our 
250th birthday of AMERICA.

Sunday's Mother's Day lunch was good.
I had BBQ beef brisket top with fried onions,
loaded baked potato and steamed green beans.
Mom had a crab cake with a baked potato
and steamed green beans.
We both had blueberry cheesecake for dessert.
Afterwards I went back home and stitched a bit.
It was nice just spending time alone.
Both my kids reached out to me
to wish me a happy Mother's Day.
I told them ahead of time I was going to
spend most of my day with my mom.
It does take me an hour to drive to her 
studio apartment one way.

Monday my brother, Bob and I met
my friend for lunch in my mom's town
to discuss the estate sale.
I am going to help her out 3 days a week.
Also Monday was my granddaughter's birthday.
Mikayla is now 19.
Michele, my daughter took her over to Canada
 for a few drinks...
because over there the drinking age is 19.
Cannot believe that sweet kid is already that old.

Tuesday we went to lunch with Mikayla,
 Michele and grandson Mikey for her birthday.
Mikey is still waiting to see the hand surgeon.
Afterwards Bob and I went to the meat market
to get our monthly meat to fill our freezer.

Wednesday we had Leaf Filter come in.
They installed gutter guards for us.
Bob will no longer need to clean gutters.
He is ecstatic.

Today I am just going to clean and do laundry.
Catch up on tv shows and watch some Flosstube videos
 while doing some stitching.

Not yet sure our plans for the weekend.
I know Bob will be working the store though.

Snippets Of Spring Blessings To All!
Janice














 

Sunday, May 10, 2026

Sunday Spotlight

Happy Sunday my friends!
 

Look what Bob once again dragged in for us.
This old cabinet.


The right door would not stay closed.
Therefore I decided to place
my antique dough box in front of it. 
This dough box holds some Christmas decor.


Then it needed something else.
So I placed my cake crock to the left.
Crock jug in the middle and my
blue pantry box to the right.


For those who think they are seeing a ghost.
It's just lil ole me. :-)
but I do need to clean our tv screen now. LOL
Enjoying my sunny Sunday spotlight.

In other news,
I will be taking my mom out to lunch
 for Mother's Day today.
We received word from her doctor.
Her hemoglobin is back up to 9.2
so she has a reprieve of going back
for bloodwork for a month again.
I know she was happy to hear the news
from my brother the other day.

Yesterday a thunderstorm rolled in.
Lightning hit close to our house.
Tundra came running to where
I was stitching in my chair and he slid
between my legs head first under the chair.
He hates storms.
He remained there until the storm passed.

To all those mom's out there.
I hope you have a wonderful
MOTHER"S DAY!

Mother's Day Blessings To All!
Janice 





Thursday, May 7, 2026

Whippy Wednesday On Thursday


Reposting because I think something happened.
 Progress for this past month
on my stitching.


Jeny Brimer first,
When you have finished one row and then
you get to to the final letters of the row
underneath...and realize you made a mistake.
Do you frog it out? 
Cut the floss out and re-stitch?
Or just move on?
Do you see my error?
I stitched the teal blue letter "W" wrong.
I am leaving it.
I dont' care.


Added in my grandfather's names/ dates.
Glad I decided to do this pattern for 
my grandfathers as there are lots of the browns and blues.
The motifs will have more color though.
Almost Finished with the letters now.
I do not understand any of these.
They must have had some meaning to 
Jeny though.


While most of the samplers I chose
for my heritage wall had alphabets included
in the patterns...
Jeny Briner does not have an entire alphabet.
Therefore I used my resource book for
 the perfect alphabet to add in my grandparents names.
I went to the alphabets and chose one that 
was seven stitches high like the others in the pattern.
This book also has various sized numbers and lots
of motifs. A great resource book for stitchers. 



Made more progress on Elizabeth Manners 1843.
Finished stitching the quote/ saying. 


Although you cannot tell from this pic,
am stitching this on 35 count Angel Hair linen,
which has a yellow tone to it.
Also I am loving the rich colors in this piece.


Progress on Faith 1831.
Finished the second swag plus 
the final half swag and border on the right.


Now I need Faith to finish the one over one
saying in the middle.
Either that or I just need to put my big girl panties
on and plug along.
I detest one over one can you tell?


Finally Floral Motif Sampler.
Managed to only get one more motif stitched.


Am loving this pattern though.
Hope to get more stitchy time on this one 
this month....then again I want to stitch
more patriotic...so who knows what will win out.

In other news,
my brother and I met my friend Monday
at my mom's house to discuss her doing
the estate sale for us.
She said it was a lot of stuff...but not the worst
house to set up for an estate sale.
I told her I could help her out 3 days a work...
so that made her feel better.

Bob got out our Blackstone grill and made
chicken kabobs also on Monday for us.
I made potato salad to go with on Sunday.
We had so much leftover we had kabobs for dinner
again on Tuesday and made a rice pilaf.

Also Tuesday, our friend Ed and doggie sitter
came by to see us and his granddog.
We affectionately call him Grandpa Ed.
He and his wife snowbird to Florida in the Winter.
He returned Sunday .
When Tundra saw him get out of his car
he started whining so loud and started
pawing the window.
When he approached the door, he was waiting
for him and was so excited.   
It was a wonderful reunion.

Tonight we are going on a buying pick for our store
 around dinner time.
I received a gift certificate to one of
our fav restaurants nearby, so that will be dinner.
An Italian restaurant....cannot wait.

Hope everyone is enjoying your week thus far.

May Blessings To All!
Janice
 

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Whippy Wednesday

Reposting because I think something happened.
 Progress for this past month
on my stitching.


Jeny Brimer first,
When you have finished one row and then
you get to to the final letters of the row
underneath...and realize you made a mistake.
Do you frog it out? 
Cut the floss out and re-stitch?
Or just move on?
Do you see my error?
I stitched the teal blue letter "W" wrong.
I am leaving it.
I dont' care.


Added in my grandfather's names/ dates.
Glad I decided to do this pattern for 
my grandfathers as there are lots of the browns and blues.
The motifs will have more color though.
Almost Finished with the letters now.
I do not understand any of these.
They must have had some meaning to 
Jeny though.


While most of the samplers I chose
for my heritage wall had alphabets included
in the patterns...
Jeny Briner does not have an entire alphabet.
Therefore I used my resource book for
 the perfect alphabet to add in my grandparents names.
I went to the alphabets and chose one that 
was seven stitches high like the others in the pattern.
This book also has various sized numbers and lots
of motifs. A great resource book for stitchers. 



Made more progress on Elizabeth Manners 1843.
Finished stitching the quote/ saying. 


Although you cannot tell from this pic,
am stitching this on 35 count Angel Hair linen,
which has a yellow tone to it.
Also I am loving the rich colors in this piece.


Progress on Faith 1831.
Finished the second swag plus 
the final half swag and border on the right.


Now I need Faith to finish the one over one
saying in the middle.
Either that or I just need to put my big girl panties
on and plug along.
I detest one over one can you tell?


Finally Floral Motif Sampler.
Managed to only get one more motif stitched.


Am loving this pattern though.
Hope to get more stitchy time on this one 
this month....then again I want to stitch
more patriotic...so who knows what will win out.

In other news,
my brother and I met my friend Monday
at my mom's house to discuss her doing
the estate sale for us.
She said it was a lot of stuff...but not the worst
house to set up for an estate sale.
I told her I could help her out 3 days a work...
so that made her feel better.

Bob got out our Blackstone grill and made
chicken kabobs also on Monday for us.
I made potato salad to go with on Sunday.
We had so much leftover we had kabobs for dinner
again on Tuesday and made a rice pilaf.

Also Tuesday, our friend Ed and doggie sitter
came by to see us and his granddog.
We affectionately call him Grandpa Ed.
He and his wife snowbird to Florida in the Winter.
He returned Sunday .
When Tundra saw him get out of his car
he started whining so loud and started
pawing the wondow.
When he approached the door, he was waiting
for him and was so excited.   
It was a wonderful reunion.

Tonight we are going on a buying pick for our store
 around dinner time.
I received a gift certificate to one of
our fav restaurants nearby, so that will be dinner.
An Italian restaurant....cannot wait.

Hope everyone is enjoying your week thus far.

May Blessings To All!
Janice