Memorial Day!

A little Memorial Day (Decoration Day) history.  A year after the Civil War had ended on April 25, 1866 four young women pay a visit to tend the graves and decorate with memorial garlands of flowers of lost loved ones in a cemetery where both Confederate and Union soldiers killed at the Battle of Shiloh were buried.  After decorating the Confederate graves they walked over to a plot where 40 Union soldiers were buried and scattered magnolia blossoms on the graves.  The news of this compassionate gesture spread.  Soon in many small towns throughout the country people were gathering at Civil War cemeteries and holding "memorial day" services.  Today Memorial Day is recognized as a day honoring all of those who have fought America's wars and is legally observed on the last Monday in May.

We take this day to not only honor the memory of those who so courageously fought for our freedoms but to honor the memories of all loved ones lost.

I've had quite a busy week this week so I'll try and keep this post to a minimum. 

I'm so excited that I have a finish to share.  This piece is headed to my framer tomorrow and I'll be sure to snap a photo of the frame I have picked out for it.  This is Be Thankful by Country Cottage Needleworks.  I stitched it on a 25 count piece of Lugana called Dense Fog over 1.  I made some color changes so here are the details.

Called For                                                         Lorrie's Choice

CC Bamboo                                                     WDW Amber for the flower

                                                                         WDW Whiskey for the pumpkin

CC Roasted Chestnut                                       WDW Rust

CC Sunflower                                                  WDW Squash

CC Khaki Mocha                                             WDW Tiger Eye

WDW Molasses                                                DMC Alternate 3031

WDW Moss                                                      DMC Alternate 469

I'm very pleased with how this one turned out and think it will be lovely in my Fall vignettes.

I also found took the time to cut out two lap quilts from my stash of fabric.  This is Blackbird Designs Madeira line for Moda.  I'm using the same pattern I used on Keith's last quilt (thank you again Teresa) called Crazy Eights by Bits & Pieces.  For those of you who don't know me so well you ask why 2?  I ask why not 2 - LOL!  I'm actually a person who likes to make projects kind of assembly line style and it is just easier to cut several projects while I have all my tools out.  I planned on making one of these for myself and I have plans for one to be a gift.  I'm also in the mood to make a few new pillowcases for myself and thanks to my BFF Allison (she just sent me a package with fabric to make 2 pillowcases and 2 ornaments from pieces she has stitched) I get to start on those this week.

Our guy was here on Thursday to do the pin striping on the Camaro - I just love the back striping and the new wheels arrived on Friday and were installed on Saturday - very shiny!

A few others things I've been up to over the week.  I've worked on baby afghan and it is coming along quite nicely.  I baked a batch of my chocolate chip cookies, a potato salad, and a meatloaf.   I will put the recipes on A Stitcher's Snippets Cooking on Tuesday so check out that tab in the header in a day or two.  I also found time to stop in at JoAnne's and buy a few patriotic decorations for my 4th of July vignettes as well as this lovely new yarn.  It feels just like a soft old t-shirt and can't wait to make a shawl out of it.

I also started reading 2 new books after finally finishing The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani.  I usually love her books but this one did not become enjoyable until 1/2 way through and then felt like not enough was written about that part of the character's lives.

I started reading Stephen King's 11/22/63 and it had me hooked before the end of the first chapter.  This book is about 850 pages long and I'm already 160+ pages into it as it is hard to put down.  I also started Dan Brown's Inferno and again was hooked within the first few pages of this book.  I do love a real page turner!

I am pleased to welcome Brigitte to my blog and look forward to checking out her blog as well.  It is so nice to share ideas with so many talented stitchers.  I get some of my best inspiration by reading your blogs.

Well I think that pretty well wraps up my week.  Expecting another short sleep night tonight as we have been experiencing thunderstorms through the wee hours of the morning here the past couple of nights and are expecting same tonight.