Many, many thanks :)

Yay! Someone actually read my blog, someone whose blog I follow, too!  Well, I subscribed to her blog, and now I publicly follow it (I didn't know there was a difference til today!)

Thank you Jenny for explaining what TUSAL and ORT mean!  I had a general idea but I didn't know if I was correct or not.  I'd been reading so many stitching blogs and there are so many acronyms to catch up on if you're new..

I haven't had much stitching done, as we went off to a place called Tagaytay to visit with a cousin-in- law who I hadn't seen for years -- she and her husband (who is my cousin) migrated-- in her parent's new vacation home, and I had my first zipline ride..  what a thrill!   I had a great view of the crater lake and the valley full of plants and trees below me.  Thank goodness my cousin-in-law was there or I'd never have had the nerve to ride it!  She said she wasn't going to, and I had no plans to, either.. but when I saw my nieces aged 9-13 doing it with no fear, I said to my cousin, "I'll go if you go".. and she did, so I did, too!

By the way that pic is of my cousin and our niece (I took this picture).

Anyway, suffice to say no stitching was done over the weekend but I'll post what I have so far (the Tuscan greeting kit) and the project I want to do.

Here's the Tuscan greeting:  So far it hasn't been so interesting to do because the thread colors are so subtle that they meld into the fabric.. you can barely see the stitches.  Anyway, I'm keeping at it because a.) my family said they doubted I'd do it and b.) in the hope that I get to the other colors soon (gotta get cracking!) and it becomes so engrossing that I'll finish it next week   :)  I mean in 2 weeks.   Or at least within the month.   I'm kind of slow when it's not so interesting.

Down below is the DMC the-original-is-a-painting by M. Baldemor, and part of the proceeds from pattern or kit purchase goes to Unicef.  Aren't the colors striking?  It's a Philippine harvest scene.  The farmer's families make colorful rice ornaments that they hang from their houses when they celebrate the feast of San Isidro Labrador (in English, St. Isidore the Farmer/Laborer), who is the patron saint of farmers.  It would have been nicer if DMC could have kept the cover simpler, showing more of the painting than the lavender swirls.  A side note:  as far as I know the festival wasn't as well known as it is now in the Philippines, until the ad agency (PAC) of the makers of San Miguel Beer (a Philippine beer known the world over for its Cerveza Negra) promoted it along with the beer, back in the late 70s.

First pic up top is the Christmas Angels kit by Dimensions.  I'm debating whether to show the pattern covers of the Mary Engelbreit "Believe" and the oops, Peaches (not Nectarines) in a Bowl, that I mentioned in the first post.  The patterns got wet years ago and the pages are kind of discolored now.  I bought the Mary Engelbreit pattern in San Diego, I think.  The Peaches and Plums pattern I may have bought locally (I think a store in Mile Long arcade, when there were more stitching shops back in the 90s).

Anyway, my next post will feature progress on the Tuscan Welcome and the Peaches pattern.  I also hope to start on the ornaments (whether the ones above or from the Engelbreit kit).  I'm in awe of the skill level of the stitchers whose blogs I follow...  I mean, WOW.

Here's to a happy, productive week ahead!