I'M FINISHED!

I finished 2 cross stitch projects, a couple of knitted dish cloths, and a vacation. We have been on the road for 2 days and will be getting home tomorrow, "Lord willing, and the creeks don't rise."

 I mean that literally . . . . there have been flash flood warnings since we left Hilton Head yesterday. Pretty heavy rains today through North Carolina, West Virginia and on into Ohio. The water is high and fast in some of the rivers we could see along the highway but so far all is well.  

These days it is not very often that I get in my 10,000 steps, and especially on a travel day. Yesterday after a 5-6 hour drive we arrived at Sunset Island North Carolina. Found a place to park the car and headed to the beach. My letter was written and we were on a mission to walk down the beach for several km each way to find Kindred Spirits Mailbox. If you have read Nicholas Sparks novel entitled Every Breath, you will know exactly what/where I am referring to. 

I listened to the audio book on my library app

A little snippet of the 4 page letter I left in the mailbox. I also sat on the bench and read several letters left by others who had been there before us the same day and many days before

By the time we got back to the car in the beach parking lot we had logged on 13,127 steps.(the app my husband used said it was about 100 steps more, but this was on my phone so it is the picture I snapped.  A little further than I expected but worth the walk.

Here are 2 of the cross stitch projects I finished stitching while I was away. They still need to be framed but that will happen later.

This is a chart from 

Black Bird Designs called What Remains. 

I made a few changes to the chart by adding 3 sets of initials in memory of my mom and dad and brother and 2 sets of initials for Mr. O's mom and dad. 

I also charted a sentiment and added it to the bottom of the design. There was to be a row of birds stitched across the bottom but I omitted them and added my initials and the little sentiment and a few additional stitches to balance things out.

The second finish is a small flower basket that was a freebie called Refuse To Wilt,  distributed by Needlework Press during the pandemic. I printed it out with the intention of doing it right away but like many patterns it got crowded out by others and took a while to materialize. 

I know I said I would show you the projects that were hidden away in each of the project bags that went on vacation with me (from my last post) but I don't have everything at my fingertips here in the hotel room so it will have to wait til I get home. 

As promised, here are a couple of cool pics of some starfish and jelly fish from some of our beach walks.

Huge jelly fish washed up on the beach

Some of these starfish looked like they were doing yoga poses for me

one of many many sand dollars

we walked by this caution sign every day

YIKES

  

I have made a decision which book I am going to concentrate on for my quilting projects this year.  My plan is to chose a book and pick several projects from that book to get done this year. None of them are full size quilts so I decided to go with 6.  I think these will be just the perfect thing to whittle down some of my scraps. 

My book choice is Autumn Bouquet by Sharon Keightley.

CANDY BASKETS  33"X33"

HOLLY'S GARDEN 23"X23"

TREASURES FROM THE SCRAP BIN 21"x34"

ITTY BITTY ROSES 12"x12"

(this one might end up a little bigger)

MY LITTLE BOHO 23"X23"

GOOSE CROSSING 75"X75"

This is the largest pattern in the bunch but I will not be doing the full size and I have plans to make some other changes to it as well.

I am getting a late start to this challenge but I think I can pull it off.

 I have wanted to do some of Sharon Keightley's patterns for a while so I am expecting to really enjoy this challenge.

I am excited to be getting home;

So many things I want to get done...

The best way to get things done, is to simply begin.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”