Birds and Butterflies...

This morning in the pool, a yellow butterfly came and landed on a bush near the water. I smiled. His wings were the happy color of a child’s crayon and he was very familiar to me. Last summer when I was having a difficult time with my dad’s death, these same yellow butterflies surrounded me wherever I went. Thousands of yellow butterflies. Driving in the car, they’d follow alongside. They’d greet me whenever I went outside. I felt protected, as though little angels were hovering near me.

Around that same time, someone sent me a code I could put into the url of my web page. My web page features a drawing of a girl stitching (me?) My web page also features butterfly graphics you can click on to get to another page. When adding the code to the page, the butterflies flew around the stitching girl. It almost made me want to cry. Was Dad saying hello? Saying I’d be fine?

So this morning in the pool, when I saw the familiar yellow butterfly, I said “hi”. And he circled around the fence and came back and sat on the bush. I said “hi” again. He circled and came back to land on the bush. Again I said “hi” and off he went over the fence and a different, smaller butterfly took his place, looked at me and flew away.

Ten minutes later a dove came and sat on a rock by the pool. I said, “I saw the butterflies, thank you”. Then another dove came to sit on the fence and the first dove started inching his way towards the second smaller dove. Mom? Dad? Strangely, I didn’t feel silly telling the second dove to take the other dove’s wing and fly away. I told her it would be OK, just take his wing… I looked away because the yellow butterfly came into view again. When I looked back, the doves were gone. I smiled at the yellow butterfly and said “thank you” and went inside.

Peaceful Paradise

This is my latest release that I've named "Peaceful Paradise". It's stitched on 40 ct Vintage Examplar from Lakeside Linens. The stitch count is 343 wide x 296 height.
Here is the list of colors:
DMC
676
758

Weeks Dye Works

Whiskey

Gentle Arts Sampler Threads

Hyacinth

Gentle Arts Shaker Threads

Fragrant Cloves, Old Blue Paint, Raven, Dungarees


Crescent Colours

Desert Mesquite, Black Coffee, Cherry Tomato, Eve's Leaves, Khaki Mocha, Blooming Crocus, Wild Berries and Old Oak Tree

Summer Exchange Projects

We just finished a summer exchange and I think all the projects were great!

A small animation from my son...

Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

From my sister and it truly is the best cake and frosting recipe:

Best Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsps baking soda
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup hot coffee
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Sift together dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add oil, coffee and milk; mix at medium speed for 2 minutes. (Batter will be thin). Pour into two greased and floured 9 inch x 1.5 inch cake pans. OR two 8 inch cake pans and six muffin cups. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes. Cool cakes 15 minutes before removing from pans. This also makes about 32 cupcakes.

Favorite Icing

1 cup milk
5 Tbs flour
1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the milk and flour in a saucepan. Cook until thick stirring constantly. Cover and refrigerate. In a mixing bowl, beat butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add chilled milk/flour mixture and beat for 10 minutes. Frost cooled cakes. About 12 serving.

Dancing Through Japan