We've woken up to a snowstorm! Looking out my front window, I can almost make believe we are in Maine. Not that any Mainer would ride a bike in this kind of weather - though it doesn't stop the hardy Dutch folk I see biking past. The kids are pretty excited and are hoping for some snowman-playtime later. I am, too!

My camera and 'puter are acquainted now, but there is a new (unfamiliar) photo editing program on this machine, so you will have to pardon me for the less-than-ideal pictures. Hopefully they will at least give an idea of the actual subject!

I'd mentioned receiving some wonderful gifts. Cathy sent me this gorgeous hardanger heart for Valentine's day. Max is convinced that's a huge diamond in the middle! :-) Carol, I actually have bought my first chart that includes hardanger, thanks to your inspiration!

Carol sent me Matter's Choice, by Carriage House Samplings, and the Lakeside Linens Antique Gold to stitch it on! I can't wait to start. Thanks a lot, Carol! (Because I can't seem to adjust colors with the new photo editor, I can't get a decent picture of this lovely linen. Sorry!)

Annemarie sent me another CHS - A Haunting Mermaid - and also Marion the Librarian from La-D-Da. Guess who knows my tastes! Thanks, Annemarie, these are bound to get my needle flashing again!

Von made me a beautiful card with Maine birds on it. I love it - and her card-making skills are super. She included two lovely skeins of Vikki Clayton silks and several freebie charts that I didn't have. Thanks, Von!

And the day of the burglary, Maria sent me a fat quarter of 28 ct Quaker cloth in a lovely springtime purple/pink (apple blossom?) and a huge stash of DMC! (Again, until I can figure out how to adjust the color/contrast, I can't get a decent picture.) I guess I'm still an honorary floss floozie - thanks, Maria!

The kids are playing with their Play-Doh farm set and not squabbling too much (well, except for Rowen). I'm wondering if I should put the last few stitches into the Quaker mystery sampler (part one) or if I should try again to get the right color for Max's dragon wings. Or maybe I should get my Quilts4Kids square done. I accomplished so little stitching during the past three weeks - and now there are several projects that I really want to start on. I'm doing Houses of Hawk Run Hollow as part of an informal SAL but I haven't started it yet. I got a few new designs on Sunday at the crafter's fair in Zwolle that I'm eager to begin (more on that in a later post). And I've begun thinking I should try to get my holiday stitching done before we go to the US this summer, so I can take it with me (though this is probably overly ambitious).