Cousin's Get Together and Completed Pieces

Once again this year, five cousins and I got together for a couple of days of good food, great company and fun times. This year we were in Salzburg...does it get any better than that?


The weather was fantastic, the view...well, the view was magical as it always is.


We did some things that I've never done before.


We celebrated a birthday and talking until our throats were sore...at least mine was!


Thank you all for including me and I sure look forward to next year!

I've completed a few pieces I'd like to share. I posted this one pretty regularly while stitching it. I now have it back after my sister completed it. It is absolutely amazing. The pictures don't do it justice, that's for sure!


Susan and Steve....you outdid yourself with this!


The tray is unique and perfect.


I've always said that if my stitching looks good...just wait until Susan finishes with it...it will look great! You can see more pictures of it on The Camera Lenz if you would like.

I've also completed this piece which I call Chickens And Eggs.


It's canvas with beads.


I tried to make each part a different stitch and used many different threads and beads.


It's a bright and bold piece.

This next one, called Albuquerque, is also done.


It's also canvas and beads although a different style.


The beads are all very large and the piece is very different than anything I've done before.


The colors are also very atypical for me.


But I like the way it looks and feels.

I'm now attempting some cutwork or drawnwork. I'm not sure what it's called. The best book I have on it is a very old Austrian book and it is called "Durchbruchstickerei". That literally translates to "breakaway" so I'm not sure exactly what it is. But that's okay.

Blues Chapel and Last Words and Other Stuff

Want to see something really incredible? Please check out my sister Susan's Blues Chapel and Last Words . What is it, you ask? It is her two solo but related art installations . It is now open in Columbia, SC and runs through the 16th of February. If you haven't seen what she does, you'll definitely want to check it out. If you have seen her work, then you are already a fan and know where to find her blog!

I am plugging away on Sometimes Together, my blackwork and stones piece. It's really full and pretty and I am completely addicted to it! If you click to enlarge, maybe you can see that the beads on the "in between" patterns are all outlined with a corresponding color. It's slow work but very worth it. And I can't tell you how good I am at starting and tying off the thread now! Susan...you will be so proud of me! No more long strings covering the back!


I know I need to change the setting on my camera to get clearer close up pictures but I keep forgetting. Maybe some day....

I've been thinking alot about my family these days, especially my Mom and Dad. A year ago, they were here. We had such a wonderful time. Even in cooking, I think of them.


Dad, you would have LOVED this! And look how green it is! Mom, you would be proud...I used only about 5 drops of oil! It was healthy, good and pretty!

And another picture for you, Dad...


My poinsetta is still alive!!!!! You are the master of keeping the stupid things alive for years and years and years.....I wish I could give this little one to you.

Cousins' Get-Together and Blackwork And Stones

I got pictures from the Cousin's Get-Together and want to share a few of them with you. These were taken at the Get-Together at the end of November. I posted about the weekend here and now, I've got the "people pictures" to share!


From left to right, Anita, Heidi, Monika, Sigrid, me and Renate, my sister-inlaw.


This is a good picture of us all. Left with the blue scarf is Anita, me in the white coat, Sigrid has the orange scarf, Renate in the way back, Heidi with the orange coat, Monika on the right and her husband Walter to her right. Yes, he is half-saint, hanging out with so many women!


We sure had a good time! And fortunately, it wasn't all that cold. The hot Christmas wine helped with any chills though. I am always the designated drive so I'm drinking hot "children's punch". No we didn't drive and no I couldn't have even helped find the way back to the farmhouse where we stayed! ha ha The get-together is a yearly thing and I'm sure looking forward to it next year!

My Blackwork and Stones now has a name.....Sometimes Together.

This is the last colored block on the piece. It's very pretty, I think. I like the colors. I was afraid that the white beads wouldn't be seen but they are great.

And, for the first time, here's a picture of the whole project.


You can see where I've started working on the "holes" on the left side. Neither of the black blocks are finished. I haven't quite decided what I want to do. I've got it narrowed down to three options so as I work on them, the "right" thing will pop into my head and I'll just know. The spaces between the blocks will also be worked but that's still a long way off. I hope you like it!

I'm not sure how much I will be writing over the next couple weeks. So just in case it isn't alot, I want to wish you all a good holiday and merry Christmas. However you spend it, I hope that you all find the true spirit of Christmas filling your hearts.

Lessons Learned

Reflections while baking cookies: Lessons Learned

1) softened butter is not the same as melted butter
2) planning on 5 different kinds of cookies sometimes means having 4
3) experimenting with baking a new type of cookie when you need them is not such a great idea
4) try to pay attention when you mother teaches you how to bake cookies...you may need to know 40 years later

Everyone in my family knows the story of Wanda's No-bake cookies. My mom tried to save them...she baked them. She froze them. She tried to feed them to the birds. Well, they were not really edible but they make a great story, one that the next generation is already laughing about. I feel pretty much that way today. I planned on baking 5 different kinds of cookies (three American and two Austrian) to take to my mother inlaw so she had cookies for holiday guests. I made the American ones first....peanutbutter/peanutbutter with chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookies and molasses cookies. The molasses cookies were sort of different. No surprise there...I couldn't find molasses so I used something called "sugar beet" which is similar but not really the same. But fine...these cookies were all good and I am happy. Then came the vanilla Kipferl. I can't really complain about the taste....they taste totally like what they are supposed to taste like. But they look so weird!!! I think some of them look maybe okay but some of them look like vanilla worms! Or maybe vanilla crabs!


OK...but so far, so good. I'm doing alright. How hard could "cut" cookies be? You know...the kind of cookie that you flatten out with a rolling pin and use cookie cutters? I just know I was taught how to do this. And I had dreamed of the perfect little cookies with jelly filling...I even went in the basement and got my rolling pin!

I just have no idea what went wrong.


They had holes in them! And they didn't hold their shape! and they were sort of chewy in a carmel sort of way!

I tried sprinkling them with powdered sugar.

I tried baking them longer than called for.

Nothing really helped. I did finish making them all but I am NOT giving them to my mother inlaw! Mommy......where ARE you????????

Get-Together With Cousins, Progress on Piece

Happy 1st of December to everyone from cold and rainy Munich! Things are really starting to be very holiday-like here. Christmas time means many things, one of which is getting together with family and friends. I had a wonderful weekend experience getting together with the female cousins. I had met them all before and I spent a little time with a couple last year on the ski slopes. And I know my sister inlaw fairly well. But the chance to get together with everyone? Wow! I was so honored to be invited! We met at one cousin's house in a beautiful little town in Tirol. We enjoyed the music program and festivities in Rattenberg. Rattenberg is a medieval town known for it's glass refining businesses.


Because of the many glass products, you can imagine how bright and beautiful everything is. The town was completely decorated for the Christmas program in almost a medieval way with candles in all the windows, big barrel fires, torches lighting the streets and the smell of hot wine and food everywhere.


I for one cannot take photos at night but this one turned out sort of okay. This was the grand finale of the program. The angel in the middle, sitting on a big swing, sang in a clear and strong voice.


It was magical. After the singing, the church bells rang. They must have rung for a good 15 minutes. I personally could listen to the bells ringing for hours - I love the sound. After the program we had an incredible meal in an amazing restaurant which was the old train station restaurant. The food was absolutely perfect! After a nightcap in a local bar, it was off to bed. The next morning our day started out right with a great big breakfast at the farmhouse where we stayed.


We couldn't have asked for better weather. We visited the "der lustige Friedhof" or, as it is called in English the "merry cemetery" where funny tombstone verses from all over the area have been collected and are displayed. I'm sorry, I couldn't find a translated link but if you go to this link and click on the photos you can see at least what it looked like. After that, we went to Kufstein to a huge Garden store. It was amazing! The place is huge, I think at least 5 big halls and anything and everything you can imagine for Christmas was there. Everything imaginable to make your own wreaths or decorations to ones already made. Poinsettias in every size, shape and form and every other plant associated with Christmas and winter. In one hall, ornaments and decorations were grouped together by color. In another, by what it was. They also had a wonderful orchid display, bonsai trees and herbs. There were, however, no Christmas trees. It's still too early for that. A real tree is put up on Christmas Eve here and they are all down by the 6Th of January.



We all headed back to our own homes from the Garden store (after having some trouble just getting out of the parking lot there!) with good memories and a happy mindset to start December. To all the cousins.....thank you so much for inviting me! I had a wonderful time! I did learn though that being around so many people with so many conversations and topics that I need to get my German....faster!!! ha ha ha

I know this is a long post but I did want to share the great weekend. I'm almost done....I want to share a couple more squares on my Blackwork and Stones project.





If you click to enlarge the photos, you can see the details better. I can't tell you how much I enjoy working on this piece! Not only because I am designing it but because, well, it's colorful and happy and has so many neat things going on! More progress pictures soon!



And lastly, the house is decorated! It's great! The tree is beautiful...I used the big balls this year since last year I used only the smaller decorations. It looks fantastic but no pictures to post until I get one that is good. So far, they are too dark or too light or just not right. I don't think I often capture the true royal purple of the decorations. But some day.......

Home Safe And Sound

Hi Everyone! I'm back from the States. I haven't had the chance yet to catch up on what everyone's doing but give me a couple of days. I did want to let you all know that I have safely returned home.

I got everything done in the States that I wanted to. My storage room is now cleaned out and I sorted through my junk...I mean treasures. I got rid of alot of stuff and the rest of it is being kept at Mom and Dad's. I only have 5 boxes there now.


My storage area wasn't all that bad, once it was sorted out. The stuff on the left was trash. It sort of hurts to think that I paid all that money for all those years for this!! But it's over now. I also got Mom and Dad's house ready for winter. You know...bringing in the plants, putting the summer furniture away, etc.

There were a few very nice days there in Western Pennsylvania. Fall was in its glory.


The lake is down about a foot and a half, according to Dad. He tracks that kind of thing so he knows.



If you look to the right in the lake, you'll see the island. It shouldn't be showing at all. Maybe there will be enough snow this winter to make up for the lack of rain this summer and the island will be covered once again.


New England is the place famous for its fall colors but I think Western PA is just as nice!


Lots of critters came to say hello...it's that time of the year. Dad put up the bird feeders (which sometimes end up being squirrel and chipmunk feeders) while I was there. Turkeys will eat there too in the winter. In fact, I think Mom and Dad somehow have an animal neon sign that says..."Welcome! We're Open! Good Food!"


I was home for Dad's 75th birthday. It's been probably 15 years since I got to spend his special day with him. We played alot of chess (the chess board was his 70th birthday present....I stitched it and my sister Susan made the board. Click to enlarge it. It's blackwork.) while I was home. And you aren't going to believe this but it's true...I won one!!!! It's the first game I ever won and we've been playing for over 40 years!!!! Of course, I immediately called the whole family to tell them! I was in seventh heaven!!! Good game, Dad!!!!

Dad's Visit and Finished Quilt

I've missed you all! I promise to get caught up with what you are doing soon. In the mean time, let me tell you about my week with Dad....

It was a whirlwind trip for him, just six nights. We packed a heck of a lot into the trip though and we had a wonderful time. After spending a day relaxing here in Munich, we headed north and east. We had some problems getting out of Munich...that dreaded word "STAU". That means traffic jam. And it took us almost two hours to get to the Munich Airport! It got better after that but we spent the whole day on congested autobahns and running into interesting situations...like trying to be back on the autobahn after tanking up and finding the on-ramp was just closed. No warning, no nothing. So we had to go 12 kilometers in the wrong direction just to get back on!

Our first stop was Cousin Elizabeth. She is 87 years old and lives in a senior home just south of Dresden. She is completely clear and shows no signs of slowing down!


Her apartment is tiny and there wasn't really a way to get a picture without shooting it directly into brightness of the window. Her sons and one of her daughter in-laws were there as well. We had a great visit and then headed on to Seifhennersdorf where the get together was.


Saturday morning we decided to go "country hopping". At this place in Germany, we could easily drive in the Czech Republic and in Poland. We had a blast...and we were only gone 3 hours! The above pictures is the Czech Republic. It pretty much all looked like this...as did Poland.

The get-together was incredible. The Hungarians made the gulasch and brought the wine. I guess that should go without saying! The gulasch was made in a huge kettle outside and took hours. The meat was deer, wild boar and who knows what else. I didn't ask.

This type of Hungarian gulasch is like a soup. Oh...did I mention that they use alot of spices? Like hot pepper paprika. In my youth, I was know to eat really hot things....mostly because I'd take a "dare" and eat the stuff to get out of doing the dishes or something. But at this point in my life, hot and spicy aren't really on my menu too much.

But THIS.....well, this is definitely to my liking! Family members...please click to enlarge....check out the sausage on the left-hand plate in the back!!!! Yes....we ALL know what that is!!!!! Oh, and note the little round red pepper sort of in the middle of the left-hand plate. There was an old Hungarian lady that popped those things in her mouth like they were popcorn!! And no....it isn't a little tomato....it's a red-hot pepper!!

I have lots of pictures of the get together that I won't show here. For those who want copies of them, Mom and Dad have a set or you can get a set from me. We had a great time. See how happy Dad is? He's sitting beside his cousin Heinrich. His cousin Mathias was also there. Yeah, I know...it's like they didn't have many names back then! ha ha This was a get-together of Hungarians in Udvari today and the Germans that were deported in 1946-1948. Yes, we have lots of stories but one I would like to share......

A 2nd cousin of Dad's came up to us and started talking about how Dad and he were deported in the same cattle train wagon. And it was an adventure and Dad was his hero for what he did. I was looking at the guy with sort of a blank expression, having no idea what Dad did. And this guy (yes, I think his name was Mathias) asked in astonishment if my Dad had never told him the story. The story was that this guy was about 3 years old and Dad, being 12 years old, lifted him up so he could get some fresh air from the little slit of a window in the cattle car! Dad doesn't remember it at all. The guy was 3....his memories are his own. Dad was 12 and has a completely different set of memories.

OK...on to the next exciting part....my QUILT. It is done! I got it back!! It is completely totally awesome and I can't believe it's mine!!

Peggy Sheehan, the lady who quilted it for me did an awesome job. The quilting is low key because the top has enough going on all by itself. The "Mrs. Foote Dirndl Material" for the back is absolutely perfect. The edges are awesome. (Sister Susan...you get what was left of it. In thanks for providing most of the top material!)

Isn't it great?!

And the size is perfect!! Yes, it's pretty heavy but I am not using it for a blanket but a bedspread. Even hubby was totally blown away with it.

And Abby? Well, it was always HER quilt and she is very happy to have it back. In fact...can you guess where her favorite place to sleep the day away is?? I've posted a slideshow on my photoblog The Camera Lenz showing more pictures of the finished product.

Thanks for bearing with me through this long post. It's an important post though for my family!

Rocks, New Canvas Piece, Company

After long last (well, 26 days to be exact) my rocks are done!


I've gotten quite used to not having a workshop so between the bathtub and the kitchen sink, I do what I need to do.


This picture shows a "before and after". The unpolished or raw piece of marble on the right is washed and brushed but it was a little too big to go into the machine. I display it with the polished rocks as a comparison.


These are all the polished marble pieces along with the polished "creekbed" stones. There are a couple that probably should be re-worked with the next run but I like the crevices and veins.



Polished rocks are kind of like life...not perfect but the imperfections add to the beauty and uniqueness.


My canvas piece is coming along nicely. I don't know why, though, I can't seem to photograph it very well.


I'm getting now to the place where my alterations to the pattern are going to come into play. It's pretty exciting. And...beads? I'm thinking about that too. I've never done beading on canvas but I think this piece may need some beading.



Sonya and Vipin came yesterday for a visit!!! We're not too used to having company but I think we were good hosts. I thought Sonya might like to make the Wienerschnitzel with me, just to see how it is done. We had a wonderful time in the kitchen, along with help here and there from the guys. They mostly stayed very far away from the kitchen scene!



The results were awesome! And every single plate was licked clean. I also had a cucumber/tomato salad to go with the meal and we had watermelon for dessert.



Sonya and Vipin at facing the windows so that they could look out onto our daily view. We enjoyed the slight breeze and shade from the umbrellas on the balcony after our meal. It is such a treat to have family come. We decided that it had been something like 10 or 11 years since Sonya had been to my house. Sonya and Vipin..you are welcome ANY TIME!!! Please come back soon!!!



Sonya and Vipin brought us this beautiful orchid plant. I don't think I've ever attempted to have one of these because I know they are fairly hard to take care of. But they had asked the flower store lady about caring for them so I got the scoop. Abby Cat is not interested in this plant, thank goodness, so I don't have to worry about her eating it. Not like the spider plant!!

Well, the house is back to normal now that the rock polishing machine is packed away in the basement. Things are nice and clean because I had it ready for our company. The weather is looking fairly good for the next week.....things are good. Very good.