This sampler was stitched by my Mom for DH and I when we got
married. Its from the same Better Homes and Gardens book that
I got my pink sampler, and my log cabin sampler from. So I've
really gotten my money's worth from that book.

This is a lovely piece, beautifully stitched by my Mom. Her main
craft things were needlepoint and plate painting, doing only a couple
of small cross stitch projects and two medium sized ones. She
doesn't do needlework any more because of her bad back, but she has
rediscovered knitting and loves to do that.

The second picture shows the piece framed and hanging in our
living room. This picture was taken last fall, which is why you can see
all the Halloween/Autumn decorations scattered around. The framed
pieces hanging on either side of the cross stitch are embroidered
postcards from the first world war. Six were from my family, and six
I picked up during one of my trips to England. They are so lovely and
delicate, and I've got a different one for each special occasion.

I'm taking a day off of work today because Winter has officially (finally)
arrived here and we're experiencing either snow, or freezing rain, or
snow pellets depending on where you live. Here, north west of Toronto,
we are getting a bit of freezing rain, but mainly snow pellets. Toronto
is getting mostly freezing rain, and east of the city they are getting snow.
I don't like to take time off work just because of the weather, but when
the trip to work, and the trip home are likely to take almost as long as
the time I spend actually working (5 1/2 hours) then it's just not worth it.

So I'm spending part of the day doing chores, and part of it on the
computer, and part will be spent cross stitching. I should finish either
my Prairie Schooler Prairie Garden, or the red snowflake sampler, but
I have the itch to start a new project. Should I resist or should I give in?
I've seen many stitchers noting in their blogs that they've allowed them-
selves a new start for New Years, regardless of how many WIP's they might
have in progress.

DH and I spent the weekend packing away Christmas, and giving the
living room a good clean. Every year, while packing away box after box
of decorations and ornaments, DH complains that we're running out of
storage space and there's no more room to put it all. And telling me
that I've got to quit bringing new stuff home. But every year he manages
to jam it all into the allotted space somehow.

Rupert has developed a taste for Listerine mouthwash! He keeps getting
into the linen cupboard where I store the big bottle, jumps onto the
shelf, arranges himself on the towels stacked behind the bottle, and
proceeds to sniff and then lick the outside of the bottle neck. I have to
keep chasing him away and then wash the bottle neck. I figure that it
must be the alcohol content, because when I use the non-alcohol type
of mouth wash he doesn't bother. He likes shampoo too. But for that
he prefers to wait until we're in bed, and then he gnaws on our heads/
hair. Does anybody else's cats do this sort of thing?