ANOTHER UPDATE ON MY MADONNA OF THE STREET RUG.

 Why have I dragged my feet for so long on this rug? For some reason, I keep my rug frame upstairs in my craft room and it's probably one of the reasons  Out of sight, out of mind. 

I've not been hooking much this winter.  I had dyed  several shades and thought that I had enough so I didn't bother writing down my own recipe because I was in a hurry that day. 

I ran out of a darker shade, so I had to dye some more by putting a little of this and a little of that until I got very close to the color I needed. So now, I'm hoping that I won't have to dye anymore but I'm not certain that I have enough of a certain shade as they are all in the same bowl. lol...

I haven't done anything on the blue color and just want to finish the background for now. I'll worry about that when I cross that bridge.

I have found that this rug was easy except for the shading of the blue mantel. I could have pulled my hair out, I was so frustrated with my job of shading... It's funny how we run into a wall and we get stuck on some details.

Thanks for your visit and kind comments. I wish you all a great week. The daylight is getting a wee bit longer every day. Take care and be well.

Hugs, Julia

WINTER IS TIME FOR PUZZLES

 In my last post, I showed you the Cats of the World puzzle and I had said it had 2000 pieces, this was an error that I edited this evening.  I want to show you the 2000-piece puzzle that I was talking about. This one also was a challenge, especially at the bottom as I had difficulty finishing the edge.  The reason I got mixed up was that I had difficulty uploading my photo from my iPhone and then totally forgot about it and published my post without the second puzzle. 

This is the 2000-piece puzzle that I put together.  It took most of the table. It measured 38.5X 26.5 inches.

Today I've been helping my husband declutter a storage cupboard of things he seldom or never uses. It was jam pack with assorted things. Some are going to goodwill, some to the dump. Tomorrow, we'll clear another shelf and only keep what is necessary and I'm hoping it will go as smoothly as today. My husband is a packrat. He never throws anything away and I'm the opposite. I get overwhelmed with too much stuff and I easily can detach myself from stuff.  I find it so freeing.

Today we had freezing pellets and the mall was closed but Walmart was open my husband said. The rods were slippery.

Stay warm and safe. Thanks for your comments. I appreciate them.

Julia

FINALLY, THE SUN IS SHINING WITH CLEAR BLUE SKY (Edited)

I have nothing newsworthy to blog about but I thought of dusting my blog with a little post so as to try to have at least something to blog about.  I've pulled a few loops on my rug but nothing worthy of showing, just worked a little on the background. I haven't walked outdoors except to the communal mailbox to fetch the mail.  I admire those who walk even in cold weather. I put on almost 5 pounds this winter so far. I'm not complaining just because...

I've been somewhat inactive for the most part as the sky has been gloomy for days it seems. I guess you could say I've been in hibernation. I need sunshine to function on all my cylinders. lol... I've been doing what is necessary every day but  I've wasted a lot of time just watching some of my favorite YouTube videos. I avoid Facebook and Instagram because I feel they have nothing to offer me personally,   except for making me want more things that I do not need or want anymore as I'm satisfied with what I already have and at 76,  I'm in the winter of my life and I know that material thing won't bring me lasting happiness anyway. By the grace of God, my health is still good except for the usual old age minor discomforts. I'm already yearning for spring and new life.

Here is a picture of the usual after-Christmas puzzle. It measures 38.5 X 26.5 inches. I know that making puzzles is not everyone's cup of tea but I enjoy the challenge. 

Edited: This puzzle only has 1000 pieces and not 2000 as previously mentioned. The other one that I did was a 2000-piece puzzle which I was supposed to show here but somehow couldn't upload the photo because my iPhone was low on battery and I then forgot to upload it before publishing my post.

I think those Cats of the World kind of look ridiculously cute. I started to work on this 1000-piece puzzle after Christmas and finished it in four days. It looked easy but I found it was harder than it looked because some of the pieces were of different sizes and shapes and didn't all fit in straight lines. It was bought secondhand at the church fundraiser and I thought that there were pieces missing but in the end, all the pieces were there. 

I meant to post this photo in my last post but totally forgot about it. 

Wishing you all a peaceful day. Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment. I hope that the sun is shining where you are.

Hugs, Julia

HAPPY NEW YEAR MY BLOGGER FRIENDS

 We made it through another year, marked by so many ups and down and we have survived. Having caring blogger friends to accompany us, and cheer us on, makes it easier somehow.  May you keep on blogging so we don't lose our connection. Having blogger friends to cheer us on is something to be thankful for. 

Counting our blessings is not always easy when feeling overwhelmed or going through some rough spots, but nothing lasts forever.  After the storms, the sun will shine again. We have so many things to be thankful for when we look at the positive side of things.

 I'm thinking about all those who are alone through no fault of their own during the Holidays, those who couldn't make it home to be with their families because of snowstorms, I hope that at least you could connect with families through technology. For those who are sick, I pray for a speedy recovery. May the new year be a better one for everyone in 2023.

May God grant me the ability to accompany you again on your blogs throughout this new year. Best Wishes for a Prosperous New Year.

Hugs

Julia