Today is our Anniversary!

It is hard to believe that Terry and I have been married for 31 years, and what an incredible time it has been. We are definitely 'soul mates' but we are as different as night and day, which makes our time together so much fun and interesting.

Below is a picture of us just before we got married - I made the frame!
Here is a picture of our wedding picture. My computer is not connected to my printer/scanner so this was the best I could do. Terry is wearing a beige 'leisure suit (polyester)', he wanted to wear his 'poly' shirt as well but as you can see he is wearing a cotton shirt and a tie. I made my dress. Money was tight in those days!!
Our wedding present to each other was this Norman Rockwell Plate and
figurine.
They sit on a shelf in our livingroom with a photo of us taking our vows.
Here is a close up of our kiss as man and wife. ---- Note how thin we are!!!
So the story of how we met - you do not have to read it is not required, but I feel that I would like to share it with you.

I moved to Southern California in the summer 1977 and worked at Brooks Brothers in LA (I use to work for BB in Boston) I lived with a friend for about 9 months then got my own apartment in Huntington Beach. My sister moved out and lived with me. Terry lived in the apartment about 3 doors down, there were several other young people also living in the apartment complex (now think Melrose Place for that is how the apartment complex looked) We all kind of chummed around together going to the beach, clubbing, going to art festivals, flea markets, hanging out and playing cards. It was a great summer and fall. One evening several of the guys decided to light the fire pit and play ping pong (part of the complex) and it suddenly became a party. For some reason that evening Terry decided that I was the one for him !! now mind you I didn't participate with the group that much (was dating the son who was a decendent of an exiled French count - or that is what he told me at the time!!!?? ;o))) I was working downtown LA, had friends in the north end of LA and seemed to be on the road a lot.

Well, shortly after the firepit ping pong nite (I was there obviously) my sister sits me down and says - 'do you know that Terry likes you?' Well, of course, I was didn't know that - but being who I was - very up front and no holding back- went over to Terry's apartment and asked him if he liked me!!! Well his response was - yes, of course, the whole gang is great!!! So I then said to him looking him in the eyes - "I mean do you really, really, really like me!!!" Well, Terry sat for a few moments an then looked me in the eyes and said 'yes'. So I then asked him what he was planning to do about it!!

His response was when I ready to stop dating and wanted to settle down we would get married and have 2.5 children!!!! Now you can imagine my surprise at that answer. Well, I went out on my date that nite and told my date, that I could not see him anymore because Terry wanted to marry me!! What a brat I was!!!!, but I never had anyone tell me that they thought I was perfect for them and wanted to marry me and spend the rest of our lives together!! Now remember - Terry and I have never dated, haven't spent any time alone together, just hung out with the others. So what happened next was the whole group was suppose to go to 'Hamburger Harry's' and then off to the Sawdust Festival - yes, you guessed - everyone backed out and it was only Terry and I. It was a wonderful day and about 1/2 way through the day Terry and I were holding hands. We went out to dinner - Mexican- that nite and that was the one and only date we had - I moved in with him (my sister moved in with her boyfriend) - now this is a no no in those days!!!! Now this all happened in the fall around the beginning of February - Terry said why don't we get married this month!!! So in 3 weeks, we made and sent out invitations, planned a menu with friends who were going to help with the cooking, rented chairs and a champagne fountain (our biggest expense) and I made my dress.

We found a retired minister who was willing to come to the apartment complex to perform the ceremony - it was such a fun day and I still cannot believe that I married my friend and that I still to this day wait in anticipation for the garage door to open and know that he is home.

Terry is the best thing that ever could happen to me - he is very smart, extremely funny and has the best disposition of anyone. He keeps me grounded and makes me happy.

Well, if you all read this ' thank you ' and if you didn't 'thank you' just for dropping in.

Roberta - also known as Mrs. Terry J. Smith

Stitching received from friends

Sorry for not being around for a few day - have caught the crude!! and feeling just so so!! This is the 2nd time this year (2010) that I have been sick - after going almost 10 years with hardly anything. It must have something to do with age!!!

Anyway, I received this darling pin keeper from Margaret and I am just now getting around to photographing it. Margaret does beautiful work and I am always thrilled to be on the receiving end.
Below is a PIF from Jill and once again I am thrilled to be on the receiving end from Jill, she also does beautiful work. So now that I have received a PIF I will be setting up a PIF on my blog sometime in the next few weeks.
Well, off to have a cup of tea and hopefully stitch, but may just lay down and read!! Feeling just a bit eckky!!

Thanks for dropping by -------- Roberta

Stitching finished

Well I managed to actually finish the stitching on one project and it will now go in my 'to be finished' pile.

This is A French Trinket Box - it is a group project that my EGA Chapter in Columbus, GA is doing. In looking at what I thought was a finished 'stitched' piece, I realized that I had forgotten to fill in the flowers on The Briar Rose Etui from a Jackie duPlessis workshop. The scary part is that I have already started putting this project together!!!Well once again it is a wet day here in Middle Georgia - at the moment it is raining -but they are predicting sleet and possible snow!!! The weather this past year has been crazy, my poor yard is just a mess with all this wetness.

Now I am off to finish picking up the house and then get ready for my Ikebana flower arranging class for tomorrow.

Thanks for visiting - Roberta

Winter's beauty

Of course this title is only for those of us who were lucky to be home all warm and comfy and not out trying to get home from work like my DH and DD.

Being a New Englander, I have always loved the snow and the beauty, peace and calm that came with it. Then reality sets in and one has to shovel!! which when young was not a bad thing!!

Below is some shots that I took mid-day - when all was said and done we got about 3 inches. This is my side yard.
This is part of my front yard.And my little pansies are weighted down with snow.
My front stoop.
Now, of course the squirrels are totally enjoying the feast that I had put out for birds!! It is snowing but this part of the yard is warmer and somewhat sheltered so the snow hasn't started to stick yet. Having received a new camera for my birthday in December, I have been able to snap some pretty good close up shots through my kitchen window of the birds (and squirrels)Have been having lots of Yellow Finches on my Finch sock, but they all took off - maybe they are camera shy!!!
Found this cute little bird house at Walmart and the birds seem to like it.

Thanks for stopping by - the sun is out this morning and I expect that the winter beauty will be gone by this afternoon. Have a wonder day and Happy Valentines Day. Roberta

My two major WIP's for 2010 and a few shots of Gingersnap

2010 has started out a bit on the crazy side - I worked at a temp job, went to a stitching seminar and started cleaning out my stash!!! The cleaning out of stash has not been very successful!!

Below is Sanctuary by the Drawn Thread and it is my intention to have this finished by May of this year - of course I already have a replacement piece for when this is finished!! I started this in 2001, but being the simple minded person I am - I decided to finish this in 2010 since all I have to do is switch the last two number on the date!!! Pretty cleaver, don't you think!!
Dutch Beauty by Permin is my other major Work In Progress. This however, will probably not get done this year since I have several other pieces that I would like to stitch, but my goal is to work on this piece during the months of February, April, June, August, and October. This piece and Sanctuary sit in my kitchen and I work on them in the morning while having my coffee and watching the news - I sometimes will work on them when I am cooking dinner.

Poor little Gingersnap had her 'little' female surgery, but she is such a feisty little thing she keeped nipping at her belly so this is the present the doctors gave her. She was quite bewildered about this little collar. But she is good, she managed to figure out how to get out of this.


She also has been able to undo her collar with her ID tag and her bell - she is a determined little girls - but she is just darling and lovable when she is not terrorizing the other cats!!

Someone asked me What is your Favorite thing to stitch!!

Well, my answer was 'Reproduction Sampers" --- Then I stopped and said no lately I have been doing lots of 'smalls'! Below is 3 classes that I took at a NeedleArts Retreat in Pine Mountain, GA. You will notice that all three classes are 'smalls'.

The three pictures below are of a HummingBird box, taught by Marsha Papay-Gomola.
The stitching on the front cover is mostly surface embroidery and the humming bird is done in 'long and short' stitch over padding to make it 3 dimensional. The ground fabric is linen.
In the class we learn to actually make the box and the little ladybug and the woven needlepad.
On the back cover Marsha put an absolutely beautiful initial - this is for her Mom - Helen and also perhaps for the hummingbird. My hummingbirds is just about done, but is packed away for now - but is in my 2010 work basket.
Below is the Bunny Notebook, which has three padded 3 dimensional animals - the bunny and the three birds. My bunny is just about 1/2 way done and the little Chickadee on the bottom is finished!
On the inside of the notebook is of course, a notebook and under it is the designers name and the date (this is where my name and the date will go) on the other inside page is a listing of stitches and how they look. Marsha gave us all the ones she used and some others, but suggested that we put in the stitches we really like to work with.
Again, a beautiful initial on the back cover - this could be for bunny or perhaps for her husband whose name is Bob.
Now this next class was taught by Barbara Jackson and it is her Succulent Strawberry. It is surface work again done on linen.
This is a darling piece and has lots of speciality stitches. This project should be finished hopefully quickly as it isn't very big about the size of a pear.
I want to thank you for dropping by for a visit. ----------Roberta

Happy New Year

Well it has been a month since I have posted to my blog - What can I say - December was quite the busy month at our house - lots of company - several luncheons, shopping, visiting and of course stitching and cooking!!

It was a wonderful holiday here at the Smith household - below is a picture of our family - bottom of the staircase is husband Terry, me, sister Jean, niece Jenna, daughter Lindsay and then son Jeremy.
Here is Jenna with her fingerless mittens that I made for her.
Jean with her fingerless mittens
Lindsay with her fingerless mittensJeremy received fingerless mittens last year, but would like to have another pair!! So what do you give a young man for Christmas!!?? How about a made by Mom pillowcase! ;o)))
Can you believe he just loved it - I am so glad.
Actually everyone received a handmade pillowcase - one also went to my sister's son, Justin who is working in Quatar.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Holiday season --- Happy New Year to you all.

Roberta