When It Rains, It Pours.....

 Ain't that the truth??

But that kind of rain is not what I'm talking about.  I'm actually not even talking about any kind of rain.  I'm talking about salt.  Specifically, "Morton's Salt."

(Yes, I'm bored now that Spooking Season is over.  😞)

Many, many blog seasons ago, I started a series of posts about my collections. 

I forget where exactly I left off, but I know I never finished...because I have many collections.  My philosophy:  If one of something is good, MANY more of them would be better.  But I know I never did "this" collection, because it isn't much of a collection...and it was one of my later-acquired habits.  So here we go:  Collections - Part ????

Anyways...who doesn't know the Morton Salt Girl??? The iconic little girl with the big umbrella holding a package of trailing salt.  But, (here comes your history lesson LOL), she isn't as popular as I thought she would be amongst collectors.

Morton Salt traces its roots back to 1848 (I won't bore you with those details) but "back in the day," people had to deal with salt that clumped together in damp or humid weather.  In 1911, Morton's came up with a genius solution:  Add an anti-caking agent to the salt.... i.e., magnesium carbonate.  (Now most salt has calcium silicate added instead).  The result:  free flowing salt, and the dawn of a new era for cooks and diners alike. The company soon adopted the slogan "When it rains, it pours."

The iconic little girl was not actually added as the company "mascot" until 1914.

{Back}

There have been seven versions of the Morton Salt Girl since her debut.  The 8-year old (bet you didn't know her age, did ya???) has had curly hair, then straight, then curly again.  She's had pigtails and a bob, and been a blonde as well as a brunette.  Her yellow dress, however, wasn't added until 1941.

No, I don't have all 7 versions, but I do have popcorn salt....does that count???

Oh....and some tenderizer....

Boring I know...but the non-boring stuff in my world these days are things I rather not breathe more life into by putting into words.  And, yes...I am still putting away Halloween.

As for stitching, I want to thank everyone who ventured an opinion on my flower floss.  Whether you're a stitcher or not, each and every input was appreciated and considered.

I felt like Goldilocks and the Three Bears....I kept trying floss, and one would be too dark, one too orange, one too red....but then, I think I found one that was just right (at least I think so).

In the top vine the lightest flower floss (on the right) is the original called-for DMC 436.  To the left of it is one I really liked (DMC 310) but, after studying it a bit, decided it was a bit too "shocking" for the muted, "moody" (thank you Marly...that's the perfect descriptive) colors of the rest of the piece.

So, I ended up with DMC 435 (that's what is on the bottom vine flowers).  Thank you Color Queen for your patience with me in my venture into this unknown and new color-changing world.

As for hooking....There's nothing to discuss.  Sorry Mummy Dearest.

There's so much ugliness in the world right now, I will leave you with this photo of my neglected little plant in my laundry window.  I went to the lake for an extended "unplugging" and came home to these beautiful blooms.

Always remember, there are unexpected and undeserved miracles in this world. I believe in them, but not in coincidences.

A Marly Dilemma

 I am trying to escape to the lake as I am desperately in need of some unplugging and recharging. BUT, before I leave, I wanted to ask for your help in a kind of Marly-ish dilemma.  

Those who follow Marly (Samplers-and-Santas) know that she just can't follow a cross stitch chart. 

I in no way mean that in a negative sense....In fact, I admire her courage and creativity and her down-right mad talent for changing up the "called-for" linens and flosses of a design.

Me? Not so much.

Actually, me....not at ALL.

I am a slave to whatever the designer calls for and it causes me great angst when I cannot find the called-for linen and/or floss.  (Really and truly.)

I just don't visualize.  When Marly suggests swapping this for that, or "editing" a design, I just screw up my nose and puzzle.

And each and every time (well, at least as far as I can recall),  I am the first to admit that her changes were nothing short of brilliant when I see her final result.

So.....that brings me to Salem Village.

It is a design by Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm which I started years ago.

(Sadly, that's all the clearer the cover photo really is and sadly, the frame is not available.)

When I first saw the design, I decided I had to do it as a tribute to my grandmother (8x removed), Mary Easty, and her sister, my aunt (8x removed), who were hanged as witches in Salem.

And, of course I used the called-for linen and the called-for flosses (all DMC).

I guess I knew from the get-go that I didn't care for the colors palette much...but I, being me, had not the courage to change things up and by the time I realized I did not really care for them at all, I had stitched too much to redo. 

So, it was put aside.

In my (rather long) hiatus from hooking The Beast, I pulled it out again....

Stitching (or hooking/punching/whatever) "in season" (as Edgar would say) appeals to me....and this being a bit "witchy" was somewhat seasonal....especially given that my grandmother was hanged on September 22nd.

And, gee....I like the color scheme even less.  (Sorry Lori!)

But, I will finish it....after all, I only have one more house to go....(please don't look for "ditches" Marly!!)  

However, as I started the bottom "vine" border, it occurred to me that, mayhaps, I could change the color of the "bud" and that might make things more appealing to me. 

(It isn't as "wonky" as it appears here...that's because it is on my frame...really LOL.)

Mind you, it won't be a cakewalk taking the 7 I have already completed given how I wind and bury my beginnings and tails) and I don't possess a Lift-n-Snip type scissors, but it is do-able.  The called for floss is DMC 436 ("Tan")....but it is a real peachy type tan (which I have a phobia of as that was the color of the gross Formica counter in our bathroom prior to WWR).  I suppose it works well with the other strange colors like DMC 734 ("Light Olive Green"), but would a darker, more rust-like color work better to "anchor" things??? Or would that be lost amongst the browns of the stems and vine??

What say ye???  And if ye be a stitcher and think a substitution is advisable, have ye any suggestions????  I have a sizable stash of DMC, WDW and GA....so the possibilities could be endless.

HELP.

 

I hope you're keeping your sanity out there....Just when we didn't think things could get any nutty crazier, eh??

All Souls' Day

Farewell October!

Happy Belated Hallows' Eve to you all...and wishing you an eventful All Souls' Day as well.

My apologies for not getting back on with a proper Halloween post, but it was a busier-than-I-thought-it-would-be day. (Ever have one of those days where it seems none of your spells are working?? 😉)

And, well....I also missed All Saints' Day, so here we are at All Souls' Day.

{This was taken a few weeks ago...our leaves are long, long, gone....}

All Souls' Day seems to be an all but forgotten holiday, but I have always found it fascinating....  For modern Christians, it is usually a day of prayer and remembrance for the souls of those who have passed on. For Catholics, if is primarily a day where they pray for the souls of the departed who linger in purgatory so they may be released and go to heaven.

{One of the few gravestones I got up before the ground froze too hard.}

Traditionally and by many still, it is believed that on this day the border between the spirit world and real world dissolves. During this brief period, the souls of the dead awaken and return to the living world to rejoin their living relatives for a short reunion.

In some cultures (e.g., Mexico), the living family members treat the deceased as honored guests in their celebrations and leave the deceased's favorite foods and other offerings at their gravesite, or in "ofrendas" built in their homes. It is a time of celebration, drinking, and dancing.  You likely know it by "El Día de los Muertos" or "Day of the Dead."

{This is a real one and stays out year round....}

In European and Spanish cultures, the holiday is a 3-day affair, beginning on Halloween when, at midnight, the gates of heaven open. November 1st is "El Día de los Inocentes" (literally, "Day of the Innocents" or, as we know it, All Saints' Day. This is when the spirits of children can rejoin their families for a 24-hour period.

{Another real one that stays out all year....}

The spirits of adults can then rejoin their families for a 24-hour period on November 2nd, "All Souls Day."

{In case you're wondering, she's typing "The Raven."}

Visiting hours are almost over, so I best be moving on.

Hold your loved ones close because we never know when those in-person visits might end.