Stitches

There are many wonderful things that will never be done if you do not do them.  

~Charles D. Gill

It can't be Wednesday already!  We had a relaxing weekend and had friends over for barbecue one evening.     We were even able to enjoy a brief respite in the heat.  Saturday and Sunday mornings greeted us with temperatures down in the low 60's.  It was so nice to open the windows and let the house breath.  We were able to spend some leisurely time out in the backyard Sunday morning enjoying the cool while sipping coffee and reading the morning paper.  I did manage to squeeze in a bit of stitching but no sewing.  This week looks promising for sewing time.  How was your weekend?  Are you able to get some sewing time in this week?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY

Pears

Pears are one of my favorite fruits to eat but only if they are truly ripe.  I enjoy a salad at my favorite lunch spot that includes pears, but sometimes they are as hard as apples and don't have much flavor.  Here are a few pear facts:

* There are over 3000 varieties of pears grown around the world.

* Pears are native to Asia and Europe. The first pear tree was planted in the North America in 1620 in the Massachusetts Bay colony.

* Asian pears were cultivated in China as early as 1134 B.C.

* The Chinese considered the pear, which they call "li," to be a symbol of immortality. The destruction of a pear tree symbolized tragic or untimely death.

* Before tobacco was introduced in Europe, pear leaves were smoked.

* They were given the nickname "butter fruit" in the 1700s because of their soft, buttery texture.

* Most pears (about 95%) sold in the U.S. are grown on the west coast, in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California.

* In Europe, the Bartlett is known as the Williams Bon Chrétien or the Williams. It got its American name when a Bostonian named Enoch Bartlett bought a pear orchard and, not knowing the pears already had a name, began distributing them as Bartlett pears.

* Towns with an abundance of pear trees often included the word Perry in the name of the town.

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COUNTED X STITCH UPDATE

I have been busy working on my counted cross stitch project.

This is the top left corner.  Just a touch of metallic gold thread added for sparkle.

Here is the center panel near the top.  I have seen similar vistas while traveling through Arizona and New Mexico.

And then, of course, this is the top right corner.

Here it is all together.  The piece is really moving along and I should have no problem completing it before my December 15 deadline (self imposed, of course).

Design:  Desert Mandala

Designer:  Martina Weber / Chatelaine Designs

Fabric:  Antique White Belfast 

Stitched:  2 strands of DMC floss over 2 threads

1 strand of Treasure Braid over 2 threads

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FINAL THOUGHT