A weekend project

I cross stitched these beautiful carousel horses two or three years ago but never got around to taking them to the framers. This weekend I was looking for a project and decided that they would look lovely as cushions. Posh cushions obviously that no one will be able to touch or sit against.  I have a spare double sofa bed in my craft room/office and now I can see them every time I work from home or every time I'm in my craft room.   They fit perfectly into a size 18 cushion and the matching material compliments them perfectly. 

They are part of the Fantasy Horse collection produced by Cross My Heart Incorporated. The booklet is possibly out of print now as my copy is twenty or thirty years old but I have seen copies for sale on eBay and Etsy for reasonable money. There are some truly beautiful charts contained within this book and I would certainly love to stitch the  Pegasus and Unicorn. 

It just goes to show that cross stitching is one hobby and collecting charts and kits is an entirely different hobby altogether. I quite often joke with D that I'm not sure I have enough years left to live in order to stitch all the charts in my collection. But then I never admit to him just how many there are and of course all the while I have breath in my body it won't stop me collecting more. 

Mx

For my old school pal

Covid has affected all of us in so many different ways.  For some of us our lives have not really been that badly affected.  The sun still comes up and the sun still goes down.  For me I have continued to work throughout the pandemic and unlike a lot of people I will still have a job at the end of it so I most certainly do consider myself  luckier than an awful lot of people. 

We have all got used to the fact that we have to socially distance and that we may have to choose the right time to go to the supermarket so that we are not stood in queues for what seems like hours.   We have all had to become a little more tolerant of others and the new fashion accessory is now a face covering, and not let us forget that the new catch phrase for the so many of us 'You're still on mute'.

I doubt that any of us thought that one year on from when Covid 19 was first mentioned that we would still be in the midst of such an awful situation and no matter who you talk to they all have an opinion on how the pandemic should of been handled by the government and what to do with those who continually break the lockdown rules.  I  wonder if people are just becoming fatigued with it all now. Even though we now have the vaccines it was always going to take time to reach everyone.  Again I was fortunate as a keyworker to receive my first vaccine at the beginning of January and have my appointment booked for the 16th March for my second.  

All this aside that is not why I have posted the photograph above.  Like many of us I still have friends from my secondary school days and we have been through a lot in the last 45 + years and sometimes we drift a part but when it matters we are always there at the end of the phone.  

One such friend has recently been through what is possibly the toughest time she will ever endure and yet she has done so with the utmost dignity.    This particular friend had been with her partner for the best part of 15 years and having not had the best of relationships with her first husband it was lovely to see her find her soul mate.  They were your typical Darby and Joan.  It was at Christmas that Covid found its way to their door and the whole family went on to have positive tests.  For my friend and her daughter they just felt like they had a really heavy cold and although fatigued recovered well.  Unfortunately her partner seemed to be taking a bit longer to recover. He went into hospital just after Christmas with Covid related complications.  On no less than two occasions she was told he wasn't likely to recover but we all hoped that he may just turn that corner and seemed to be doing well.  Sadly whilst an inpatient they also ran some other tests and discovered that he had got advanced bowel cancer and once again she was given the devastating news that her lovely man would not be returning home. They had talked about getting married but just not taken that final step.  Having received such news plans were made in just three days and they married in ITU on the 23rd January this year not knowing just how long they would have as man and wife.   Sadly her lovely man passed away on February 4th with his new wife of just 10 days by his side.  

I know on these occasions most people would send flowers I wanted something that she could keep by her side and not fade away as flowers do.   I have long been an admirer of the works of Teresa Wentzler, she has created some of the most beautiful charts for cross stitch. Due to her own health she has now withdrawn from designing and in the world of cross stitch some of her charts are much sought after.  She did however make some free charts which are still available on her website here and this little Celtic Cross is just one of them.  It's stitched on 28 count evenweave and is 54 stitches high by 44 stitches wide and contains both cross stitches and specialty stitches as well as mill hill beads.  It took very little time to stitch and I finished it off by making it into a wall hanging. She contacted me this morning to say it had arrived and what a beautiful gift.   

Although I was raised C/E I can't say I have much of a faith anymore, although I hope there is that ethereal place that we all go to once we have done our time on this particular journey.   I completely understand that need to have that solace.  I hope this little Celtic cross will give her that comfort in the days ahead and the life she must continue without her soulmate by her side. 

Stay safe one & all and maybe give those closest to you an extra big hug because we never know what is around that next corner do we. 

Mx

Another hole left in my heart

April 2011 - January 2021

It is with a very heavy heart that we said goodbye to our beautiful boy Buster Black Magic. He came to us in 2014 as a rescue and in a pretty poor state.  Instead of being taken to the groomers they had tried trimming his beautiful coat with scissors.  His beautiful ears were so matted that he looked like Princess Leia and had ulcers which were hidden underneath all that fur were so bad that he had to be treated with antibiotics in the hope that we could save his ears from amputation.

Despite all that he rallied and became the most beautiful boy and the most gentle soul.  He was my little shadow and my best friend. 

We had long known that his health was taking a down turn.  Cavaliers are known for developing heart conditions as they get older and Buster already had a grade 3 mummer when he came to us nearly seven years ago.   Over the last few years he had been put on medication and with each passing year that medication had to be increased or changed.  Just before Christmas he had started to pave the pathway in letting us know that his time was near but he still enjoyed a short walk and big cuddles especially on a Sunday morning. 

It was whilst I was at work that I call from D to say that Buster had fainted in the kitchen and taken a few minutes to come too, frightening the life out of D.  He was calling to let me know that he was taking him to an emergency appointment at the vets and would give me a call when he knew what was happening.  As we have so  many times with Mr B over the past year we ended the call with 'what ever decision you need to make you know you have my full support'.  On this particular occasion again he rallied and returned home but on this occasion the vet had stipulated going out for walks was no longer an option and that we were now on borrowed time and that he would not be with us much longer and to prepare ourselves that just like Monty he may just go at anytime. 

Over the weekend he showed us he still  had a zest for life but by the Sunday evening his breathing had changed and was much more laboured than it had been previously.  Neither of us got much sleep that night and by the Monday morning D had made the decision that it was time to call the vets. 

Due to Covid restrictions D was met at the car and Buster taken into the practice for an examination by his vet Dr Nigel.  When D was called in for his consultation he said B was very chilled and relaxed.  They talked over what was best for Buster and sadly D had to make the decision that it was time for Buster to go and find Monty over Rainbow Bridge. D said the vets were fantastic they have been dealing with us as a family for over 10 years and know all the boys inside and out and D said the nurses were just as upset as he was.  We collected his ashes on Friday.  He is now back home sat alongside  Monty.  No longer with us in body but very much still with us in spirit.    

As with all our boys they have all come with their own little stories and have been much loved and a huge part of our family.  Saying goodbye to a pet is one of the hardest decisions  I think you ever have to make in life and it never gets any easier that's for sure. Selfishly I would of like him to be with us forever but  in the end they rely on us to make the big decisions for them and it has to be the right one for them and not what is best for us. 

So fly high my beautiful boy and enjoy meeting up with Monty and chasing dreams. 

Mx