Christmas happenings and looking ahead to 2010

As 2009 quickly draws to an end, I thought I would write down my 2010 stitching goals and not procrastinate any more.

* Complete two WIPs (works in progress)

* Stitch Deborah Walker (from the Chester County Historical Society)

* Create 5-6 new With My Needle retail projects

* Create 1 new With My Needle teaching project

* Take at least one class

Many needleworkers like starting a new project on New Years Day. (It doesn’t matter how many they currently have in progress.) Knowing that I would be stitching Deborah Walker this year with my friend, Carol, I decided that I would make her a January 1, 2010 start if my linen arrived in time. I was delighted to receive the linen yesterday. Today I need to prepare the linen so I’ll be ready to start stitching tomorrow.

How about you? Have you made a list of your 2010 needlework goals? Are you going to have a New Year’s Day start?

Being southerners by birth, we fix a very southern dinner on New Year's Day--the main feature is black-eyed peas with ham hocks. The black-eyed peas are supposed to bring one luck during the coming year. Many southerners also fix collard greens, but since neither Tom nor I like them, we don't fix them. Tom always says that the black-eyed peas taste even better the second day, so a few years ago we started cooking them on New Year's Eve, but don't eat them until New Year's Day. (Tom soaked the peas overnight, and they are already cooking.)

With our children living out of town and having other plans, we had a belated Christmas celebration with them. In fact, we've had a full week of celebrating starting with our 39th wedding anniversary on Monday. Before a lovely dinner out, we went to see Young Victoria--the costumes and the scenery were exquisite! We also both learned many things that we didn't know about Victoria.

Carolyn, Greg, and Haiden arrived on Tuesday afternoon, so we let Haiden open his gifts and stocking then with us. (This was his third "Christmas" since he had already opened gifts at his own home on Christmas morning and then more gifts a few days later with his other grandparents.) Thomas the Tank Engine was certainly a very big hit at our house.

Stephen and Michelle arrived very late Tuesday evening (Haiden was already fast asleep), so we had another round of gift opening on Wednesday morning. In the afternoon, we headed down to the Conservatory to see the train display. I forgot my camera (I can't believe that!), but I took this photo on my phone. (Camera phones certainly will never replace "real" cameras, will they?) Then the young couples and Haiden went downtown to see a large train exhibit while Tom and I scurried home to put the finishing touches on our belated "Christmas dinner".

And lastly, here is my progress on Amy Eliza Herbert as of a couple of days ago. Since Tom and I were by ourselves on Christmas Day, I got lots of stitching done on her. (I haven't made much progress since then for obvious reasons.)