My Second Blog Ever!!!!  I'm trying to follow Nicola's awesome blog and stitch a "Scarlet Letter" sampler (which I dearly love) .  I'm currently working on Elizabeth Sheffield's sampler and have been for a while.
I have had to put it aside to work on a birth sampler for a grand-daughter that will be born in late September or early October.  As soon as I finish this birth sampler I will start another one for another grand-daughter that will be born in December.  Am I blessed or what!!!! I have a little grandson who just turned two and is he a joy.   I will try to add to this later.  Thank you for reading this small portion.

I'm brand new at this!!! I may need your help

May 10, 2013 -
I am a brand new blogger.  I have never blogged in my life.  I am in the process of retiring after many years of working for the federal government and thought I might have some extra time and it looks like a great way to journal.  I have never been one to journal my activities or those of my family, but I do believe it to be rewarding. 

I live in rural Kentucky with my husband on a small 16 acre farm in a New England style Saltbox.  I love gardening vegetables, flowers and herbs.  In the past we have had cows, horses, dogs, cats, and birds on the farm, but at the present time we have none of these.  We have raised two sons whom we are extremely proud of and they both now have families of their own.  My husband and I belong to a Baptist church that I was baptized in and where we were married.  I love the Lord tremendously and talk to Him many times a day.

I have always loved working with my hands, but did not start cross-stitching until I was 25 years old.  I purchased my first stamped x-stitch kit and it took me five years to complete.  One Christmas I made little x-stitch pictures on Aida cloth, cut them out and sandwiched them over quilt batting and a piece of gingham, that I had cut with pinking shears, then onto a jar lid and screwed them onto a jar of shelled pecans, then tied a grosgrain ribbon around the metal screwed on ring and gave them as gifts to friends.  I was totally hooked then.  That reminds me, I also love to rug hook the old fashioned way with real wool and primitive designs.  I have made one quilt in my life and totally enjoyed the class I took, but I don't like to piece the quilt, I just like to quilt it. I live within 11 miles of the American Quilt Museum and I go to the quilt show every year, but I still have a little trouble with machine quilting.  I guess this is because I use to watch my grandmother quilt everything by hand, and they are oh so beautiful done that way, especially if the stitches are tiny.  I believe you are supposed to try to get 17 stitches on one small needle.

My true love is "reproduction samplers" and I have more than one going at the same time.  I love the beautiful hand dyed threads/yarn and all the hand dyed linen and we have some of the most beautiful designs to choose from.  I have my favorites and when I learn more about blogging, I will post pictures.

I do hope someone reads my blog.