Was I AWOL??

It seems like the past few days/weeks have flown by and were busier than usual!  I have missed blogging and am glad to finally take the time to make a post!

I have been checking your blogs, and it seems like everyone is moving along, having good days!

Much has been going on and I have tons to tell!  I even have stitching to show!!!

But first, I am so sad to read that Prairie Schooler is closing up--they are retiring!!!  I just caught a glimpse of the the final charts they've released--lovely, of course, but I hate to see them leave!  I think they're my favorites!

I've had a foot in the road recently--I already told about my trip to Fargo for my Music Convention!!  Here are a few photos I never shared.  I'd never been there before, so we took a tour and got to see a few sights around the city. We visited The Heritage Hiemkomst Interpretive Center, where we saw a Stave Church and a replica Viking Ship.

 

We also attended a wonderful piano recital at the Presbyterian Church.

My favorite was probably the Fargo Theatre, complete with the Mighty Wurlitzer.  A lovely man demonstrated the organ, and then accompanied a silent movie--one with Buster Keaton!!!  It was so silly but very funny!

I guess I never said that I was elected to national First Vice President, and will serve that for four years.  Then I'll step up into the National Presidency!  A big honor!!

Here is a poor photo of part of the installation, and also the lovely roses from my state, that were left in my hotel room!!!  So sweet!

I headed back to Memphis for a quick trip, and did my fun visit to Stichers Inc!!  I always pick up a few things, but didn't get them photographed yet!  I bought a few lovely threads from a friend on Facebook.....

And, I went into a wonderful fabric store, that had little shopping bags full of fabric scraps for $6.50!!  Well, I have never been one to walk away from a bargain!  There was one full pound of fabric in the bag!  I couldn't see in the bag, so that made it even more enticing!! THEN, when I got home I grabbed it and I LOVE my new fabrics!!  These are perfect sizes for little ornaments.  Most were Moda Fabrics--so cute!

 

My husband had an annual meeting in Destin, FL. It was at the SanDestin Golf & Beach Resort.  We drive there almost every year.  It's so pretty there--we love the place--but it was terribly hot!!  Oh well, it was a nice change of scenery.  Now he had a Saturday night meeting.  I needed to get back home so I didn't have to miss church because I'm the organist and it's hard to get a sub!  Our city has just gotten an air service--I mistakenly thought it was jet service.  I really did!!  So my husband took me to the airport in Destin to fly back alone to Madison MS.  Can you imagine the look on my face when I was told to get in this contraption????

It was an 8 passenger prop plane, and we had nine passengers, so a cute little 9 year old girl sat in the co-pilot seat and off we went!!!  What an experience!!!!  Very loud.  Very not luxurious!  Very much NOT what I was expecting!  It did bring back many memories of flying with my father in a 4 person plane--as a child!  Well, the good thing was that it took 1 hour/20 minutes to get home, and it takes about 6 to drive because the traffic is so bad!! Below is a photo of the pilot flying....this was my view!  You can barely see a little hair bow in the co pilot seat!!!

I just got back last night from Brevard Music Center in Brevard, NC.  It's about 30 minutes from Asheville.  We flew on Delta--not the above-mentioned air service!!  LOL!!!
We spent one night at the Grove Park Inn--one of my favorites!!  So beautiful and up in the moutains!  The left photo is the Inn--the right photo is my view from my breakfast table!  Gorgeous!

 

I found this so unique--the various donut flavors are on dowels, stuck in a section of a cut tree!  Isn't that different??

Then it was on to Brevard Music Center.  They have an open-air amphitheater and the music just flows around the mountains....so lovely!  This photo shows the orchestra getting ready for a performance.

We had our meetings and meals in a lovely room, overlooking trees and a lake with geese!  They had  beautiful Steinway in there!

I've gotten quite a bit of stitching done!  I will have to show more as I can get it collected up!  I desperately need a finishing day!!!  I don't want to ever have a stack as tall as one I had about a year ago!!  I stitched this sweet little BBD St Patrick's stocking on the plane. Isn't it cute??  It's on a hand dyed 30 ct. linen.  So fun!  I will show more finishes later--and I did stitch all 3 of the Lizzie Kate Sled Dudes!  I showed a finished one previously, and I've got to finish the other 2 on the sleds!  I really like those!

When I got home from Brevard, there was a wonderful envelope from England waiting for me!!  It was from sweet, sweet Jacquie, and I just knew I would love whatever it was!!  She sent a precious note to me, written on this beautiful lavender-themed note card.  A little package wrapped in pink tissue was in there--and it contained a wonderful handmade lavender sachet!  I LOVE IT!!!  Jacquie stitched some pretty lavender on it--TINY count--very lovely!!  And it just smells divine!  Thank you so much for thinking of me, Jacquie!  I have enjoyed our friendship so much!  I think of you when I walk by and catch a delightful whiff!!  I will put it somewhere that I want to smell sweet, but right now I have to leave it where I can enjoy looking at it!!!  Many thanks, friend!

Well, this was a LONG post, but I have been out of pocket!  I will post some finishing soon, I hope!!  I really want to jump into that stack of fabulosity!!!!  

I started stitching another of the St Patrick's stockings, because it was the most convenient thing to start then!  I am going to recycle some old stitching, and I have some great ideas for those things.  So, keep in touch and I will share all of that soon!

Thanks for stopping by, and come back soon!

Frances