The local news had a special on Andrew Wyeth in correlation to the Phila Art museum show. I learned a few things that I didn’t know about the Wyeths.
NC Wyeth was hit by a train while in his car with his nephew (or grandson) and they both were killed back in about 1945. He had stopped on the back roads of Chester County to view landscape that was misty (this is what artists do). If he hadn’t done this, he would have missed the train. Andrew took this hard and they say that is why his paintings became gloomy and deep.
Andrew at age 88, eats at local places around here like Hank’s diner (where the cast of ‘The Village’ frequented a few years back) and a place called Jimmy Johns (they are famous for hotdogs).
It’s not uncommon to see Andrew (they all call him Andy, even his granddaughter) and son Jamie walking the halls of the Brandywine River Museum. Speaking of his only granddaughter Victoria, she is a tour guide at the museum.

NC illustrated Treasure Island, etc with vibrant movement and color. Andrew’s works are very brown and earth-toned.
Andrew’s sister Ann Wyeth McCoy, recently passed away and left a massive doll collection. I read where many of them will be put in a special museum but many will be auctioned evenutally. I’d love to attend the auction ‘just to see’. One of the Wyeths (a sister) lived on the same road I do. I always wonder when I travel the long length of our road which house she lived in.

Attention stitchers! Here’s something up for sale at the above mentioned auction

Lot 300: 1798 needlework sampler by Rachel Byes, alphanumeric with verse, bottom row with 2 birds holding a basket of fruit flanked by strawberries, 10.75″ x 10″, a few small stains, otherwise excellent Estimate: 300-500.

I just got back from technorati tags as I haven’t been there for a while. I am in the top 100,000 for linking (I’m around 95,000). Thanks to all of you who do link to my blog. If you don’t and keep reading my blog, could you link or put me in your blog roll? I’d love to be in the top 10,000 someday. I’ll be glad to link to you.
I also saw that I was quoted again in a blog about Reese Witherspoon getting paid so much and winning the Oscar. That is very flattering.

Ever read your old blog entries and they are all lined up on one side? I must have used photos that were too large. And my really old, old entries have different colored lettering because I use to have a pale pink background. I would change all of them, but that would take forever. I just highlight the text to read it.

~Update-I added the technorati ‘who links here’ tag again plus a search engine in my side bar. So if you want to see my cross stitching or flowers, type something in and the exact posts I wrote about the subject will come up.

For obvious reasons, I watch Kitchen Accomplished (it’s a kitchen makeover show) every Monday morning on HGtv. Today, Kat the chef, bought the homeowner a panini/grill. Now I have a device similar to the panini and I have a tabletop grill, but this looks so much nicer.

Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler – – contact grill and panini sandwich press makes perfect panini… plus! With 4 separate cooking options, it can handle everything from pancakes to sausages to grilled cheese to steaks, hamburgers, and panini.
Simply change the cooking plates and adjust the floating hinge to use the Griddler as a contact grill, a panini press, or your choice of an extra-large double open grill or griddle. Panini-style handles with floating hinge to adjust to thickness of food.

Removable, dishwasher-safe, non-stick grill and griddle plates. Brushed stainless steel housing. Weighs about 15 pounds. 3-year mfg. warranty. Cuisinart model GR4.

I went and looked on the web an found it here. I get $10 off because it’s over $100 and I get a shipping credit of almost $7. So not bad! I am thinking about a new crockpot too (mine is ancient). And of course I am saving up Macy gift cards (Brian’s dad gets them from Caesars in Atlantic City) I need a few more for my blue Cuisinart stand mixer.

The temps seems to be on the uprise around here. I need some fresh air! And I need to start cleaning up wintertime debris.
Here is a lovely photo I found on Carly Simon’s site to inspire us all to get outside.
(This is the house that her former husband James Taylor built).

I spent a lot of my down time looking at fellow stitcher’s blogs today after trying to get the rest of the kitchen cleaned out (still not finished as I keep running out of boxes-booze boxes are too small). My blog isn’t all about stitching (my turn out seems to be in the low numbers compared to others’ nimble stitching fingers), I really want to thank all you stitchers that take the time to display your talents and talk about stitching in general. If you look at my side bar, you will see a lot of stitcher’s blogs. I add to my blogroll all the time.
Although I have been stitching for going on 30 yrs, I have had many dry, non-productive years. I would buy a chart here and there. I’d start something and then just lay it aside. I was getting like my mom! (Well it’s true and she is still this way). Just meeting you all and doing stitching for the sick kids and others really got my stitching juices flowing again. And because of the internet, would I ever have pals in The Netherlands or even across the country who share this same passion? I think not. You get it! The hoarding of books, buying a variety of stitching fabrics, getting the latest floss-you just get it!
I think we have a special community here. I am proud to be a member.
Keep up the good work. You are the heirloom makers.

Quick update! Workers will be here on April 20th to take a sledge hammer to our kitchen (I hope they do). Then we have to pull off the ‘backsplash’-the ugly thing the previous owners put up. I should have gotten Brian a crowbar for his birthday! The appliances are coming in the next day. That means we need to get the frig cleaned out on the 19th and resituated in the living room for a few days.
So in the next few weeks, we have to empty out the rest of the kitchen, make room in the living room for the cabinets which means taking almost everything out of that space. This isn’t a huge house. Whew, I’m tired just thinking about it.
I am feeling more like myself today. I took an OTC medicine I haven’t taken for ages-Equalactin. One chewable a day (not today-yet), seems to have calmed the raging storms. No belly movement in the last couple of days either.