The last start of '09 or the first finish of '10

I finished the March boot from Redbird Designs "Southwest Seasons" today. It's stitched on 25 count antique white Lugana with DMC, AVAS, and MH beads for the cactus flowers. I have no idea what I'm going to do with the set after I get finished stitching them all. Oh well. I'll figure it out. Here it is before washing and ironing.

We're having arctic weather down here in south central Texas. Our wood stove is not usable yet. The company we ordered everything from was supposed to help us make sure we ordered all we needed. DH was about to put the last piping together when he realized that he needed "fireplace caulk" which we didn't know to order and don't have. Lowe's and Home Depot don't have any such thing.

After calling the wood stove company, DH learned that an equivalent could be had from an auto parts store. Then he had to find an auto parts store that carried it in the color black instead of vivid blue. I like blue, but not on black stovepipe. Anyway, he found some, the pipe will be put together this evening, and then the caulk will be allowed to cure overnight.

DH will cut firewood tomorrow after the tractor gets delivered in the morning. Hopefully, *crosses fingers* we'll have the wood stove fired up tomorrow afternoon. With three space heaters going, the dial on the electric meter is spinning like a top.

I'm next getting out and stitching on the BAP I promised to stitch for my MIL, "Wild Things" from Cross Stitch Pattern Gallery. (This was a limited edition pattern, so don't look for it.) I'm planning to stitch on it until it's finished. Or until it makes me crazy. I've done two pages out of fifteen.