And the cleaning is almost finished....

Today I had two things left on the list -  a trip to the library to stock up on books for the New Year long weekend and to "spring clean" the kitchen.   The library trip is done and these books followed me home!

The kitchen is half done and there are only the oven and saucepan cupboards to do tomorrow.
While cleaning out the linen cupboard I found these.  

A small box which when opened contained this piece of embroidery.

The HDHBEM did this when she was around 8 years old.   The back is as neat as the front.   My Grandmother did the crochet edge.

In the same linen cupboard but tucked away in a far corner (out of shame I imagine) was my first piece of embroidery.   Done at around 8 years old too -  how much more crude the stitching. 

 I sure had a long way to go on the improvement road.   However I will say in my defence that this was my first piece.   Fifty years down the stitching road I feel I can confidently say I am better than I was.  The piece above, that the HDHBEM did was not her first piece but she tells me it was the first she gave away.  Looks like it came back to her.   My Grandmother did the crochet edge on my piece too. 
The linen cupboard had lots of treasures screwed up in a bag -  several crochet cloths by Grandmother, one crochet cloth by me and a tatted mat, again by Grandma.   You'd almost think this was the first time I had cleaned the line cupboard out!   That is not so, but I had forgotten about these pieces.

This afternoon I have edged around all the pieces of linen for the projects for 2012.   Scissors, needles and threads are sorted and I'm ready to go.   But I promised the HDHBEM I would knit a lacy edging for one of her "Hospice Cardigans" and so I want to ensure I have that completed this year.   Tomorrow I hope to have a photo of that and of the collection of "Hospice Cardigans" - the HDHBEM is concentrating on finishing her current sweater before this year closes.

At the library today I got an audiobook with10 CDs; that should ensure we both have a productive New Years weekend.   The weather is lousy -  we have had constant heavy rain for 24 hours now and they say that there are still two days of rain to come.   Where oh where has the summer gone to?

Well until tomorrow.