Hi Nan

Hi Nan!

Nan is my grandmother. She spends most of the year in Florida. When she and my grandfather are "home" they are a few miles away in Manasquan. But from fall to spring, they're snowbirds.

Anyway, now that I'm a full time working gal, it's hard to make phone calls to say hi to people. By the time I get home, the house is full of busy kids, meals to prepare and what not.

Nan doesn't text, so that's out...she does however read my blog.

So hi Nan! I have a question for you. I have been admiring this cross stitch for over a year and I know that I won't get around to it. If your wrist and hand still allow you to cross stitch can I beg you to make this for me? I'll buy the kit and mail it to you. Pretty please?????

For those of you that know my grandmother, she is a counted cross stitch pro and amazing quilter. Her stitches are perfect and meticulous. I did not get this trait from her!!! I'm a bit of a mess and sloppy with my quilting and embroidery, but I do love doing it. Just don't have as much time as I would like these days. 

So, Nan, what do you say???

This is an Alicia Paulson embroidery kit.

Link here: Winterwoods ABCs

Collections

An afternoon at Nan and GPop's house.....

Welcome to my grandparent's house. I am extremely lucky to have grandparents still in my life.

These are my dad's parents, other wise know as Nan and GPop.

They are the parents of three children, 9 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

They live in Manasquan, just a stone throw from my husband's work and the family millwork business. For those of you that don't know the other side of our life, my dad runs the family millwork business named W.F. Sherman & Son, Inc. It has been a family run business since 1878. It is the oldest running business in Manasquan and a staple in this area.

My kids and I stopped by tonight for a visit and had a great time. We rode bikes in the driveway. The same driveway that all of us learned to ride. Chase had fun pumping up every tire that needed, or didn't need air. Then we headed inside and ventured down to the basement.

My parents and grandparents used to go "bottle hunting". Bottle hunting is when you head out to the woods and poke the ground until you hear a clink sound and dig up old bottles. I remember going a few times as a kid and thinking it was soooo boring. I didn't find thrill in the hunt and I thought it was weird to dig up old bottles. Well, as an adult, I am totally fascinated by this!!! I have a greater appreciation for the bottles and we had a good time looking at the collection.

The small medicine bottles were so interesting and some had really funny sayings on them.

My kids liked the poison bottles that had ridges on them. They were totally confused that people would keep poison in their house and that they didn't have electricity and needed bumps on the bottle so they didn't accidentally drink it at night!

The collection is extensive and my grandparents told me I could take some home.
Yay! The boys and I all picked out a few bottles for our house.

My grandfather collects old woodworking tools. He has them displayed in his basement along with artifacts, photographs and history of the mill. My kids were very interested in the BBGuns.

They got a chance to target shoot and little bit. They also had fun playing with cork guns.

We really had a great time. The boys thought the basement was awesome and want to go back for more target shooting asap. 

So...you had a little peek into some of the collections in my grandparent's house.

Bottles, tools, heights on a door, handmade bowls and memories.

All good stuff.