Hello!!
Another month has flown by and fall is just around the corner. I am thoroughly enjoying laying in bed in the morning instead of getting up at the crack of dawn to take a child to school. Now instead of the crack of dawn, I get to lay there until 7 which is nice, very very nice. I should still get up early and go walking but really, why would I want to do that??? Now if I could only convince Abby that slamming into my room at 5:45 in the morning to use my hairdryer and root lifter is going to lead to her untimely death, (because I am going to kill her if it doesn't stop) I might get to sleep until 7 instead of just laying there.
I am happy to report that the sickies are now almost well again. Abby came down with bronchitis last week but the antibiotics are taking care of it and she is back to eating normally again. Dad is doing okay. He has several Dr. appointments yet but so far things are okay. He seems a tad disoriented and forgetful though. Not like I have any room to talk! I can't even remember my own name these days without wearing a name tag!
Amy came home from college last weekend at the last minute. This meant I had to drive to Lincoln to pick her up. For most folks that would not be a big deal but for me it is. I do not do the interstate. It's too fast and there are too many other vehicles on the road for my peace of mind but as there was no other option, I begged my friend Eloise to ride along with me and we made it there and back with no problems. My entire body hurt the next day though from being so tense the whole trip. It'll get easier I'm sure the more I do it. Kallie was so happy to see her mama...at first anyway. Her tail was going a hundred miles an hour and the tongue was all over the place. Then it was like a switch was flipped and she remembered her mama had left her for over a week, she started to struggle to get down and you could see she was mad just by looking at her. It was pretty funny! Gradually she warmed back up but when Amy started packing again on Sunday the ears started drooping and the tail was tucked between her hind legs. Poor puppy. Gonna be a long year for her. We had a very nice visit while Amy was home and we heard all about her classes and the interesting people she is meeting.
Adam is coming home this weekend for the holiday. He's anxious for some good home cooking and he has all kinds of plans already for his brief visit.
I have been stitching quite a bit. I finished Hare's Christmas but don't have a picture of it yet as it is being pillowized as I type. I have mostly finished The Stitching Lady. Need to find some buttons for it, no way am I paying the price they want for the recommended buttons. I found a large mistake in my stitching as I was stitching the border on the right side. My lady is one row too close to the right so I had to remove the purse that is supposed to be hanging there from her floor stand. I suppose I could do something to make it fit but quite frankly, I don't miss it being there so I'm not gonna bother. The stitching police can come and arrest me if they don't like it. 
Golden Ice is also progressing although I don't feel like it. Dan says I'm moving right along and getting a lot done but I feel like I am standing still. When I compare pictures I can see that progress is happening but just not fast enough for me I guess. 
My friend Doreen and I have a bad case of I wannastartanewprojectitis. I made her promise to finish a couple she has almost complete first and I made the same promise to her. By finishing Hare's Christmas and The Stitching Lady, I have fulfilled my promise so technically, I could start something new and I have my eye on something but I also would like to finish Golden Ice before Fall Retreat. What to do, what to do??
Speaking of retreat, we are having a great response so far. Thanks to all those that posted about it on their blog and helped me spread the word. Mary Ann and I really appreciate the assist!
This past Saturday was our Last Saturday Stitching and there were a few finishes by our ladies so I thought I would share them with you since none of these gals have a blog. First up is Sandy. For as long as she has been attending our LSS group she has been stitching on her Beatrix Potter piece. She has finally got her finished and what a beauty it turned out to be! I have this chart in my stash. Someday....
Next is Linda, showing 3 of her finishes with a little help from Connie. 
And then Linda with a framed (by moi) finish and again a little help from Connie!
Finally we have Eloise with her Nativity finish. Eloise bought this chart several years ago at a shop in Des Moines and it wasn't until she saw the model of it on loan from the old owner of said shop that she remembered she had it in her stash. She stitched it up real quick then and is in the process of getting it stretched for framing. 
I'm going to leave you with a picture I snapped in the parking lot of Hobby Lobby the other night. It was beautiful, far more so than my photography skills could capture. As I was standing there taking the picture I heard a lady in her car say to the other person, what is she taking a picture of? By the time I turned around she had pulled her camera out and was snapping away too! 
Have a great week everyone! Thanks to all my followers, both old and new. I really appreciate the prayers and comments from everyone. You all are the best!
Take care till next time!
Julie
Holiday Lights
5 hours ago
