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Thursday, April 18, 2024

Here We Go! And the April Doodle

"Where are we going to today?" I asked Mr. Pinker

"How about Grenada Lake, "he said with a grin. 

"Oh, boy! I know what that means! You are looking for a fishing hole, " I said with smile. 

"Maybe, " said Mr. Pinker as he eyed the new lures he had just bought. 

We packed up our chairs, tied on our kayak and trucked on down the road. 

Welcome, y'all and Happy Thursday. Today I thought I would share a bit of our camping adventures and one of our favorite free camping spots among other things. 

Soon Mr. Pinker and I came to the town of Oxford, Mississippi. As we turned into the Walmart parking lot, I batted my eyes and said" Look! How lucky are we!!!! A Goodwill is right next door!" 

"Oh, we are lucky , " sighed Mr. Pinker but in all honesty he loves a good thrifting trip too.  After we picked up a few snacks at Wally World, the old red truck and raggedy camper pulled into the Goodwill where I made a fabric haul. Now there are no photos for evidence, but I can assure you that I was doing a happy dance when I bought all of this fabric for a song. 😀💓

By evening,  we made our way to Skuna Turkey Primitive Camping area at Grenade Lake.

 "Let's check out this area, " said Mr. Pinker. There is supposed to be 6 sites with water, picnic tables, bathrooms and  grills. " 

Down the tree lined road we went. The campsites were along a little loop. "Which site catches your fancy? " asked Mr. Pinker. 

"Oh, any of them. I am not picky". Around the loop we went. I did not say anything. 

"OK, 😌 let's go around the loop again, " said Mr. Pinker. And so we did. 

"I like this site, "  I told him , but then he pointed out a 4 wheeler trail right beside it. "Oh , bummer! I am sure we will have lots of visitors here. How about the one close to the bathrooms?"

This site has a four wheeler trail down the hill and to the water. 

"Sounds like a plan, " said Mr. Pinker.  

Up the small incline we went . Perfect! It was flat enough. 

 A nice peaceful campsite. 

"I'm going to check out the bathrooms, " I said to sweet hubby. 

The women's bathroom boarded up. 

 I strolled down to the small building only to find the women's side was boarded up. "No bathroom for me, " I yelled back to Mr. Pinker who just shook his head.  

I made my way to the men's side . "By golly, the men have facilities, " I chimed to no one in particular. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Pinker checked out the water spigot. "No water! " he shouted. 

"Well at least our tanks are filled, " I said . "Maybe they will turn the water on in April. " Thankfully , we were all snug as a bug in a rug with all of our basic needs in Raggedy Annie , the old truck camper, but it is always nice to know that a bathroom or water is nearby if needed and available .  

That evening the temperatures dropped, and the winds howled. Mr. Pinker and I retreated to the comfort of our camper. We would be up for a new adventure tomorrow. 

Before drifting into Slumberland, I worked on a darling vintage bunny embroidery. This Days of the Week embroidery can be found as a freebie at French Knot's website along with other fabulous designs.

So sorry for the dark photo and wrinkles. 

I will share more on the camping later, but for now I would like to share the April doodle which is several days overdue. Please do forgive me.  This month's doodle is dedicated to my love of birds. I adore watching birds in the wild. How about you? 

One year I had couple of  reddish feathered friends visit and build a nest on my porch eave. 



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If you are interested in stitching this piece,  just grab , the images. For printing tips, refer to the post Tips for Printing which has loads of tips from my sweet friends. 

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My doodles are hand drawn and are never perfect. 

I used the basic stem stitch in stitching this design after color tinting it with crayons and colored pencils. I also heat set it once  I was back home. 

 If you have missed any of the other heart doodles, I do invite you to visit the previous posts by clicking the colored links. ❤

 Block 1 A Winter's Night

Block 2  Country Mail Delivery  

Block 3 A Country Spring Day

The youngins' will be here this afternoon after school and then off to the ballfield we will go. Both the grandsons are staying very busy with Spring ballgames and tournaments. Fingers crossed they will hit a home run, but more importantly that they have fun. Have a beautiful day, Sweeties and...

As always...

Happy quilting and stitching, ya'll

Melisa

"Happiness is enjoying the little things. "

Hugs and Stitches and Warm Spring Wishes !!!🤗❤🧵

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy . Love and miss you., Amo ❤❤
There were so many butterflies at Grenada. 

Ya'll come back now, ya hear ! 

37 comments:

  1. Good morning Mrs Pinker! Another trip so soon … wonderful! Such a pity the ladies restrooms were boarded up .. and no water in the standpipe! Hmm …. The temperatures aren’t getting any higher are they? Same here in France. Although last Friday and the weekend were fab .. the first time in a long, long time that we were able to sit out in the garden and chill. Hubby read his book and dozed while I got on with a cross stitch ALL afternoon! More stitching over the weekend when he bimbled off on his motorcycle up to the coast .. Right I must dash for a shower before heading out for a hospital appointment. Have a great day you two! Hugs from Cassie in Bretagne, France.

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    1. Happy Thursday, dear Cassie. I hope your doctor's appointment went well. It is an overcast day here. It just might rain. Yes, the temperatures have been going up and down. I am looking forward to warm , sun shiny days. It sounds like you had a wonderful weekend- how glorious to be able to sit out in the garden and enjoy nature as you stitched. I hope you got a lot accomplished. Perhaps you will get to do the same this weekend. ? I sure hope so. Have a blessed day, dear . Hugs.

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  2. Oh what a great fabric haul. I love hearing about your adventures and how you both just roll through them . Beautiful embroidery! My grandchildren are playing ball as well. This week we have a softball or baseball game every afternoon sometimes they both play. So I have to choose. Have a great day.

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    1. Isn't it so hard when both the grandbabes play at the same time? I hope they are at the same park so that you can hop from field to field. Lol. That is what I did the other night. But with one playing softball and the other baseball they may not be at the same complex. Don't you just ball season? I was over the moon when I purchased the fabric. I already have a plan for some of them. Hee! Hee! Have an awesome day , Joy and enjoy those ballgames. Thank you for the sweet visit. Hugs.

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  3. Have a pleasant time at the ballgame and I hope the grandsons have lots of hits for you to cheer about. Happy stitching!

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    1. Aaaw thank you so much, Gretchen. The kiddos are always entertaining to watch. They seem to be having a good season so far. Have a super day and Happy Quilting. Hugs.

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  4. Block 4 looks adorable, Melisa! Hope Mr. Pinker found a good fishing hole.

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    1. Happy Thursday, Robin. I enjoyed working on the 4th block and it stitched up pretty quickly. I am hoping to work on Block 6 this weekend- trying to get ahead. Oh yes, hubby found his fishing hole eventually. Lol. Have a great day. Hugs.

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  5. I loved your camping story. Sounds like you were snug and cozy in your camper. What fun!

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    1. Aah thank you so much, Linda. We are slowly making the little camper our home on wheels. We had an awesome time . I am already looking forward to the next adventure. Lol . Have a blessed day and Happy quilting. Hugs.

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  6. So glad you had a wonderful time. Nothing like getting back into nature to stir the soul! Thank you for the heart doodles - they're darling! Blessings

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    1. You are so right, Donna. It was so peaceful and relaxing to sit back and enjoy the sites and sounds before us and to get away from the hustle and bustle . We found some great new to "us" camping sites. Thank you for the sweet visit. Stay safe while traveling. Hugs.

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  7. Amazing trees there in Oxford! I enjoyed your camp story. What did you do about the restroom--used the men's? I'm guessing. Cute stitchery you worked on. We have a pair of house finches that make a nest in our porch eaves every spring, too! They have two sets of baby birds every year.

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    1. Happy Thursday, Nancy. Mississippi was a beautiful state to visit. It was a treat to visit this area. Well fortunately we have a bathroom in our camper which includes a shower too. So I felt more comfortable in the camper. LOL. I was wondering what kind of bird's these were. I did not know that they have 2 sets of babies. Thank you so much for the info. As much as I enjoy watching birds I always have trouble identifying them. Have an wonderful day and Happy quilting. Hugs.

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  8. Good morning to you Melisa. I am so happy you are home safe and sound. I've missed your lovely posts and I am so happy they are back. Have an awesome day. Thanks for all your beautiful freebies. You are so talented and creative. Keep them coming. I'll never catchup. Blessings and love coming your way my friend. Debra

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    1. Good morning, dear Debra and Happy Thursday. I hope your day is off to a very lovely start. Aaaw it just warms my heart to be missed; thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am hoping to post a freebie or two in the next coming days. The are a joy and blessing to share. Have a beautiful day and Happy Stitching. Hugs.

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  9. Hello! I'm happy to see your posts again, and enjoyed your little recap. I'm pretty sure those birds are house finches. We have had them make nests in our hanging planters of pink impatiens. I guess they know their feathers match the flowers. Smart!

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    1. I just started to see these sweet birds a couple of years ago . They are beauties ; thank you so much for identifying them, dear. I am familiar with the yellow finches but not so much with these. It is a treat that they are now visiting my gardens. Your house finches are very clever to nest in your impatiens. How interesting. Thank you for the sweet visit and have a wonderful weekend. Hugs.

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  10. I, too, enjoy your camping stories. Thank you for sharing your fun with us. DarleneJ

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    1. Aaah thank you so much, Darlene. I can not tell you how much that means to me. I always feel like I am boring and just ramble. Lol. I am so humbled and grateful for your kindness. Hugs.

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  11. You are definitely having adventures in camping. Hopefully you've missed out on the worst o the storms that have been impacting other areas.

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    1. We have had a great time these last few months meandering about in our truck camper. We are expecting some early morning showers. I always worry about the trees falling. I hope all is safe in your area, Kate. Have a wonderful day. Hugs.

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  12. That is some experience at your first camground. Good thing you have a nice camper with all the necessary facilities. The doodles are so adorable!

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    1. We really enjoyed camping here ; though it would have been nice to have the water. Lol. I am happy that we filled our water tanks beforehand. Thank you so much , Jeanna. Have an awesome weekend. Hugs.

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  13. I'm so glad you're here again, Melisa!
    I love to see that you had such a good time.
    And the embroidery that you share is always beautiful.
    Kisses from Spain

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    1. Happy Friday, dear Isabel. Thank you so much for the sweet homecoming message. We had a great time, but it is nice to be home. Have a wonderful weekend. Hugs.

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  14. That Mr. Pinker has a great eye for a good camping spot. How was the fishing? I too like to watch the birds. We have a robin nesting near the front door. Mama wasn't happy when hubby trimmed the clematis where she built her nest! Love your April doodle!--TerryK@OnGoingProjects

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    1. He does have a knack for finding great spots. He enjoyed every minute fishing. He did not get out in the kayak here but did wear his waders out. He didn't catch any fish here but he had loads of fun. I bet it is a treat to watch your robin visiting her nest. I have never seen a robin nesting before. I bet she misses her clematis. Lol. Thank you for the sweet visit, Terry. Hugs.

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  15. Such a shame the camping area facilities weren't as e expected. I'm sure you still had a great time though.

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    1. It would have been nice if the water was turned on LOL , but fortunately we were surrounded by beautiful landscape and it was a very peaceful area. We had a great time here. Thank you so much for the sweet visit, Jenny. Hugs.

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  16. So glad you enjoyed your camping trip, and saw some beautiful places, Melisa! We're away from home at the moment, too - exploring Tennessee and Kentucky. As soon as we get home, I'll be getting everything ready to work on that sweet April heart!

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    1. Oh how fun, Diann. I can not wait to hear about your adventures. I hope that you will post photos upon your return.  Tennessee has some amazing state parks and they are free to visit.  Will you be visiting Paducah, KY? I have always wanted to visit the quilt shops there, but I know you would get myself in trouble. Hee! Hee!   Safe travels and have a great time. Hugs. 

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  17. So nice to hear from you! It's been a while! The April heart was worth the wait. It is just so sweet. I have to admit I am glad you're home. I've missed your cheery visits, but I am glad you and the Mister are able to have time away and so enjoy yourselves. Good that you were prepared to be self sufficient since the campground wasn't open. Really interesting trees and scenery. Great finds at the Thrift store. Your bunny stitching is adorable. Are you doing the whole set? I found several patterns on her site that I have in my vintage transfers and even some that I have stitched myself. I was so surprised!

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    1. Happy Friday, Ginny! I hope you are having a great day! Aaaw thank you so much for the sweet homecoming message. It sure warms my heart to be missed. I missed you too. Isn't there so many adorable vintage pieces on French Knot? I stitched the whole set and am going to make them into a quilt. I would love to restitch them into tea towels. Have you ever stitched a design on a tea towel? I always worry about my backing ( I'm not very neat. LOL). It sounds like you have a great collection of vintage transfers to enjoy. Hope you have a wonderful weekend . It is a nice day here ; hope you are having some lovely Spring weather. Hugs.

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  18. Sardis and Grenada are great for fishing. If I had known you were there I would have come to visit. I really missed reading your blog. Guess it was withdrawal. Glad you are back. I know you had a great time roaming.

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    1. We loved those areas and I am sure we will go back in the future. Hubby enjoyed fishing at Grenada. It was cooler when we visited Sardis and he never went fishing. We enjoyed walking the beach though. Aaah it warms my heart to be missed. Thank you for bringing a smile to my day. Have a wonderful and blessed weekend. Hugs.

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  19. The April doodle is so sweet! It's looking like a lovely collection already, love the previous ones too! I'm so glad you had a great trip and that you are back, love seeing your pictures too!
    Hugs

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