A Pause in the Journey

Giveaway #1 Results and Giveaway #2

2012-02-09T20:38:00.001-07:00

I'm jumping in a little earlier than promised, since I had a little gift of time this evening. My book group was canceled, so I'm taking care of business. Lots of you out there have recently gotten rid of some items and would rather not have more, and I understand perfectly. That means we had only a few giveaway participants, so their chances were great.

For Giveaway #1, Giovanna will get the fabrics, and JHM will be get the Winter Whitework Sampler. Ladies, if you'll drop me an email note with your snail mail addresses, I'll send your prizes.

Since we're on a roll, let's have giveaway #2. This time, the prizes are in pairs.

Our first pair: Winter Into Spring and Summer Into Autumn by The Drawn Thread.

My pics are a little too small, but I know you can find better pictures online. Both are kits, complete with threads, fabric, beads, etc.

Our second pair: The Violet Sampler and Garden Recipe, also by The Drawn Thread.

The Violet Sampler is a chart only, and you'll have to find a cute little dragonfly charm along with your supplies.

The Garden Recipe package contains silk ribbon, bow charm and rose quartz hearts.

If you'd like to be entered in either or both drawings, just let me know in the comments. I'll draw names Monday evening and let you know by Tuesday.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who commented and emailed with hugs and good thoughts and very interesting tales after my last post. Ours is a situation that most of us don't expect, so we're feeling our way along rather blindly. We're also laughing as much as possible (there's so, so much to laugh about) and looking forward to having my brother and sister-in-law here for a few days. They'll be staying with me for what my SIL is calling "the royal wedding". I appreciate all of the kindness and smiles that fill the comments, not just now, but all the time. I share with my sister and daughter, who are smartasses (thank goodness), just like I am.

'Til next time, make some big fun.

February WIPocalypse

2012-02-06T19:30:00.001-07:00

It doesn't feel like it's been almost a month since I posted ... it seems longer! Yep, it's been quite the month. I think I'll start with the happy stuff, like a new finish. Look below and you'll see my newest finished EEF Limited Edition Santa.

So sorry about the dim and crooked picture. The sun came out yesterday and this morning, but I was unprepared for photography at all the right times. I put his backing fabric and cord floss in the pic with him. He's from a 1994 (geez, I'm slow) Ewe & Eye & Friends kit. I had previously given him an incorrect birth year, but I've edited my sidebar and the post he's pictured in. I hadn't worked on him since the last time I took my mom to chemo more than two years ago, so I feel like I've really accomplished something by finishing him. I'm gonna treat myself and take him to the finisher tomorrow.

For those of you keeping score, that's my second finish of a WIP this year. I haven't been resting on my laurels (such as they are) since I finished Santa. I started a new pair of socks (no picture yet) ... well, two new pair ... long story for another time. I started the EEF Napa Valley Sampler that will be a gift for friends, but I haven't made enough progress yet to show you a picture.

I have to explain a little about what I've been up to. My dad's getting married again, which has brought so many mixed feelings from our whole family that I can't possibly explain here. I guess it'll have to be in my memoirs (uh huh, when pigs fly). Anyhoo, we were told that we'd have to pick up some things (picture a room full of so, so many items) that had belonged to my mom and my grandma. We were also told that these things would be "unavailable" if they weren't claimed by a certain date. So my sister and I (in not-quite-panic mode) went over and started to weed out some things that no one would want to have, and then we've been parceling out the things that we know someone would want. We didn't want anything to disappear without looking at everything.

I've become the keeper of many items in my basement, just in case someone wants the opportunity to go through some old pictures or would like something they weren't sure about earlier. Sharing was/is important to us, so we want everyone to have chances to decide. I've also become the proud owner of many beautiful things (an antique wardrobe, old quilts, needlework, jewelry, etc.) that had to be put away. It's taken some time to find space and clean out Nikki's (she thinks it's still hers) closet to make room. We've all come to the obvious, shared conclusion that we'd rather have my mom than have her things.

So why am I telling you all this? I've added a new WIP to my list. It's an old needlepoint canvas that Mom started in 1987 (we found the receipt ... the woman never threw things away!). My sister and I can both remember when Mom bought it at The Needleworker, a shop in Denver. She bought it with all the fibers and took a class to learn the stitches and techniques, and she was incredibly excited. Mom called it the Calico Cat (so did I in my WIP list), but Kitty Cat was on the receipt. Who knows? My sister wants me to finish it so we can share it. Is that like a little sister, or what? Take a look ...

Yep, the 80's called and we answered! Notice the water stains at the bottom? I could only find some of the fibers (they were a mess, which was such a surprise), but I'm gonna take it with me to a needlepoint shop to see if they can help me match one wool. The only areas that haven't been stitched are that wool and some DMC colors that I'm pretty sure I can figure out. All the hard stuff has been done. So why did Mom stop working on it? Why do any of us stop working on something? Another bright, shiny object comes into view ... y'all know how to complete that story.

My sister and I kept all of Mom's WIPs and not-yet-started projects we'd like to stitch, and we gave away some needlepoint canvases (nothing hand-painted) that had been started long, long ago. But we have some things that need good homes, and we'd like to offer them to you. So I'll be giving away a couple of things at a time, in upcoming posts, until they're gone. How's that?

First on the list are three 28-count (two are identified, and one we're pretty sure about) fabrics.

Ugh, that's a horrible picture! Sorry about that. There's Jubilee Amaretto (center), Jobelan Bay Rum (we don't know which one is bay rum), and an unidentified fabric. Each piece is 18-by-18 or larger. All three will be given away together.

Also, here is The Drawn Thread's Winter Whitework Sampler.

This sampler pack contains silk floss, beads, buttons, snowflake charm and silk ribbon.

I'll do two drawings. If you're interested in owning and loving either the sampler or the fabric, just let me know which you'd like to have, or if you'd like to be in both drawings, in a comment. I'll draw names the old-fashioned way on Thursday, February 9, and let y'all know about a winner on Friday. Sound good?

I have work to do! I'm off to get busy. Make some fun.

January WIPocalypse

2012-01-13T14:38:00.002-07:00

Hopefully, this will be a pretty fast post, because it's happening during my free time at school. I've been spending my time at home getting a couple of things accomplished. Of course, in my life, there are always a great number of things on my to-do list, but I've been able to scratch off a couple of items.

As my first WIP finish for the year (hooray!), here are a few looks at Jeffrey's Stocking by Shepherd's Bush.

So sorry about the kooky lighting in this picture. I rushed to get home to catch some natural light, and I could only get direct sun right before it dropped behind the mountains.

Isn't this a great green glass leaf?

And look at the little snowman button! How do they do that face? OK, I know you're saying, "She spends way too much time with little kids." In my defense, their enthusiasm for wondering is contagious. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. Anyway, as soon as I get this back from the finisher (no way am I sewing it together myself, incompetently), little Blake will have a stocking.

One more finish to add to my list, unofficially, was a pair of socks for a friend.

Tada! They're knitted from bamboo yarn, so they're very soft and they'll wear well. I'm thrilled with the brown and blue tones of the yarn.

I haven't decided which WIP will bite the dust next. I'm leaning toward something smaller, since I feel like I'm on a roll. I'm also suffering from a little stitchy ADD, and it's hard to stick to anything. We'll see what strikes me.

That's it for now. Update completed. My long weekend starts at 3:30 ... woo hoo! Make some fun.

2012, How I Love Thee!

2012-01-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

Look! My blog finally got a facelift! It's about time, huh? I know it's not much, but it's something. Maybe at some future date I'll grow some courage and really branch out.

New Year's Day is one of my favorite holidays. Unless you're having a party, there's not much to prepare. All that's required most of the time is that you've made appropriate plans, or no plans at all, and have enough celebratory beverages on hand. We visited my swain's brother and sister-in-law on New Year's Eve, left there early, and then relaxed. It was good. Then on New Year's Day, we went to see friends for black-eyed peas and collard greens, and then watched the Broncos lose. Ugh, what a season. Now we have to watch post-season; a heart-stopping proposition. If we make it past one game, we'll be stunned.

For Christmas we took a 2200 mile road trip to visit the swain's son and family in Santa Monica. It was interesting and fun. The highlight, besides meeting his California grandchildren, was seeing a friend I hadn't seen for 16 years. I saw sweet Estrella as a mom for the first time and met her young daughter. What can compare with getting to know a new three-and-a-half-year-old new best friend while having lunch and sitting on the beach? We went on some killer walks, enjoyed fabulous weather, saw the tar pits (yes, I'm a big, fat geek), we stopped in Nevada for golf (a great course that was the source of much poor-golfing hilarity), and had a wonderful time together. It's what we do, thank goodness.

Does it sound awful that I deserted my daughter and grandsons for Christmas? Don't worry ... we had a fun-filled evening before we left and a great visiting day after returning, so I got to see my boys during my break from school. I honestly can't imagine leaving them during another Christmas vacation for a long time. Keagan's new mission is to help his mom with everything possible, including Blake's diaper changes. He thinks he's 12 and can do anything on his own. His newest words are football, high chair and Grandpa (for my dad). Blake is growing big and pudgy and trying to roll over. What a pair at four and 21 months!

Well, kids, I'm not much for planning and goal-setting when it comes to stitching. I wrote that as if you don't already know what a bird-hopper I am! This year could be different, because I've signed up for Measi's WIPocalypse. If you'll glance at the sidebar, you'll see my list of WIPs that I'm carrying over into 2012. The list is long (she whined pitifully), and I'd love to whittle that WIP list to a mere fraction of its present size so I can stitch more things. Here's what I'm up against:

Holy cow! Yep, I piled them on the bed (and a few are missing) just to get a look at the size of my mission. If you look carefully, you'll see a little hooked piece that's begging to be finished. There are also some ancient (as in 1980's) pieces and some unidentified objects. I'm hoping for great changes to the pile, since I have only a couple of gifty things to stitch this year (uh huh, we've heard that before).

One project that won't be in the mix is my swain's stocking, which is Bertie's Stocking from Shepherd's Bush. Here are a few pics ...

I love the little froggy in the vegies. This stocking goes with mine (Tina's Stocking), so gardening is the theme.

My newest WIP to join the pile is Jeffrey's Stocking for Blake. I just couldn't quite get it finished with all the Christmas and trip preparations, but I've been working at it. Here's where I am ...

Isn't it looking good? So far, he hasn't noticed that he didn't have a stocking this year. It's been a fun stitch, and the colors are dreamy for someone who loves purple. Maybe by next week it can be my first WIPocalypse finish! Cross your fingers for me, because I still haven't taken down my Christmas tree (about 400 ornaments, OMG), and my little house needs a good cleaning.

I'm off to get something accomplished and maybe stitch a little. I'll do my best to get back next week (always the same story, huh?) for an update. Almost all of my students returned to school this week with colds, so think germ-killing thoughts for me. And make some fun!

Oops!

2011-12-07T20:35:00.001-07:00

And I thought I'd be right back! Honestly, what happens to the days/weeks/months? They just keep flying by, and there's so, so much to do. But I'm here now with some pictures to share.

Like many of you bloggy girls, I start projects and then set them down in favor of working on (usually starting) something else. I've never been very disciplined in my stitching endeavors, maybe because life requires us to be disciplined in other ways, and I need stitching to be fun. Whatever the reasons, here are some of the projects I've put aside to make room for new projects. First up is my Shepherd's Bush Neck Roll Pillow. No, the lace isn't sewn on yet, and this is where I left it last spring ...

... when I picked up the Yellow House Sampler again. It's an old Sheepish Designs piece from long, long ago. Isn't it pretty? I was feeling so great about my progress during the summer ...

... when this came along. I just couldn't resist starting (and foolishly thinking I'd finish) the Ann Wheatley 1829 Sampler, Attic Needlework's summer SAL led by Margaret. It's a NeedleWorkPress beauty stitched on the recommended 40-count Vintage Pearled Barley with Belle Soie silks. She's been a dream to stitch, and stitching with Belle Soie for the first time has made this project truly wonderful. I'm looking at this picture, and I could've sworn that I was farther along. No surprise there, huh?

Sadly, I set her down (sniff) when I figured out that I had not one, but two Shepherd's Bush stockings to stitch for some favorite menfolk this year. I'll show them to you next time. I know, don't any of you hold your breath!

One of the many chores that have kept me busy over the last few months is pictured below. Last summer, I had more wood flooring put into my little townhouse, and then painted the upstairs hallway and stairwell. The latest (and last until next summer) painting project was to update my two-story living room during the week I had off at Thanksgiving. In order to accomplish such a lofty (literally!) goal, it was necessary to rent scaffolding and put it together. Putting it together, with the help of my swain (the man in my life - thanks, Anna, for the suggestions to rename him), was a two-hour Laurel and Hardy film. Luckily, all we have are a few stills. The picture below shows the new color, a brownish taupe against the whitish ceiling and the top of the 12-foot scaffolding.

The most unexpected aspect of the scaffolding was the constant sway, which made me seasick on the first day. The height wasn't difficult to get used to, and we were able to do a great job, if I do say so myself. And my swain? He worked above and beyond the call! What a wonderful man! Not a cross word was exchanged during the exhausting two-day process, but there were many laughs. As we were taking apart the scaffolding (think of very heavy, six-foot, metal pieces), we forgot to hold onto the end pieces. To our horror, they fell away from us, making a perfectly circular hole in one freshly-painted wall, and taking out a chunk of newly-painted mantel. Oh, the naughty, naughty words that were shouted! But then we had to laugh at our own stupidity and get out the spackling. It could've been, should've been, so much worse!

I'm leaving you with my favorite picture of the season. Yep, it's 20-month-old Keagan and three-month-old Blake, Santa's helpers. The only safe way Nikki can get a picture of them side-by-side is to have them lie on the floor. It works pretty well, doesn't it? Although Nikki's are simple pictures, her method reminds me of that woman who puts her baby on the floor and creates incredible scenes around her while she sleeps. Check out her blog.

That's Keagan's smile-for-the-camera face. What a little ham we've created! He loves his little brother, constantly offering hugs and kisses. The most wonderful part of my week is walking into their house. Keagan yells HI, runs to me, waits while I set down whatever I'm carrying and take off my coat, then holds up his arms for hugs. Together we find Blake and give him some kisses. Is there a better reward? No way!

I'll be back as soon as I can drag myself back down here to the computer (brrrr, the basement is cold) with pictures of stockings and my plans for WIPocalypse. I know, I just had to sign up for it. Doris, the undisciplined, attempts to pare the project pile. We'll see what shenanigans follow a stitchy commitment. 'Til later, make some big fun.

An Update? Really?

2011-09-08T19:55:00.001-06:00

Are you surprised yet? I hope someone is, because I am! It's been so long since I updated pictures on my computer that I had forgotten how to do it. Where have all the brain cells gone (sung to the tune of "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?")? I used to have some, right up until I went to college ... never mind. Anyway, I was successful at figuring out what I knew a while back, and here are some pics.

Keagan was the recipient of my first baby sweater. Do I have a picture of him wearing it? NO! Nikki has it somewhere, but she's a little too busy to bother right now. All I have is this knitting-complete-but-not-really-finished picture. You'll have to trust that it was finished and Keagan wore it and looked terribly cute (of course). I was amazed at how easy it was to knit. No kidding! I even knitted little button holes that worked. I feel smart every time I look at it!

Socks have been a big item for me since I started knitting, so I have to show you the few pair that I've completed. This first pair are top-down socks made of wool.

By the way, the pair I had started when I left you a year ago (the post before last) were finished and have been worn by the man in my life (there has to be something better to call him) for a year. He wears them and tells everyone that I knitted them. I think that's a good thing.

Next up are some toe-up socks. My first pair of this type worked out pretty well. The yarn is wool and a little bamboo, so they're very soft. They're mine ... heh, heh, heh ... and I'm very happy with them.

The lovely camo socks below were also toe-up using the same pattern as the pretty purple ones, but I had an issue. I knitted them for the man in my life (really ... new name needed), but they won't fit over his heel! The only way I know to fix this problem is to pull the bind-off out and bind off more loosely. Or should I pull out the ribbed part, add some stitches and re-bind off loosely? Staci, queen of knitting, if you're reading this, please give me a hint. I thought about ~~screaming and ripping them to shreds~~ just tossing them in a drawer, but they're a wonderful blend of wool and cashmere, so they're ~~stupidly expensive~~ incredibly soft and cozy. The color ... eh, not so great for me, but someone loves them. Suggestions about how to handle the too-small bind-off would be appreciated. I suppose I could take them to the LYS where I've spent a ~~crapload of~~ little money on yarn and ask for some help.

Finally we've arrived at some stitching. I finished the Ewe & Eye & Friends Small Sampler #6 and personalized it for a happy anniversary. I used the recommended DMC threads and 40-count Sandstone, and it turned out great. Oh wait ... I used an overdyed floss for the alphabet. It's hard to tell in my bad picture, but I satin-stitched the insides of the leaves and put my own stuff in the cartouche, including a queen-stitched heart. I used to think these pictures were all clickable to make them bigger, but that hasn't worked lately. Figuring it out doesn't fit into my plans for the evening. ***Edited: The clicking does work! Holy cow! As usual, I'm in the dark.***

That's enough stuff for now. I've got some stitching to do! Next time I'll show you what I've been working on but haven't finished (evidence of ADD).

Tomorrow would've been my mom's 75th birthday. The special day reminded me that a few of you have asked about my dad. He's doing rather well, despite the case of Shingles he has. If, like me, you've had them, you know that isn't a happy way to spend your time. He's been dating, which is fine but weird. I could tell you stories, but you'll have to wait for my book to be published (don't tempt me). Life changes often, and we adjust in whatever ways we can, right? For those of you who have asked about him, thank you. That was extremely kind of you to remember him.

TGIF tomorrow! Is it just me, or do these short weeks seem long? Enjoy your weekend and make some fun.

Wonders Never Cease

2011-08-28T16:52:00.001-06:00

That's one of my favorite quotes. The first, but not most important, wonder is that I'm posting (holy cow)! I know you thought you were rid of me, but I've returned from real life to blogland. I've been hanging around here and there when I have time, commenting on a few blogs, but until today, I haven't felt the urge to get back to writing with the community. My excuse? I don't have one. Life here is busy, just as it is for all of you. Maybe the urge just wasn't strong enough to drag me back.

The next wonder, which is far more fascinating, is a new grandson. Blake Michael introduced himself at 4:27 pm on August 18. He's another little precious for this grandma to spoil rotten, and I'm getting started right away.

Below is big brother Keagan (today's wonder #3) pictured with his mom a couple of months ago (a while back as toddlers go, but it's one of my favorites). He's now a big 17-month-old wild child, as he should be. Since Blake came home to join him, he's been the sweetest big brother anyone could ask for. Contrary to what you might be thinking, Nikki does know where babies come from. We're not the type of family to shy away from a gift. Considering that Nikki spends her days (and nights) with a newborn and a toddler, she's very cool, calm and collected. Their dad works long hours and comes home ready to hold whoever needs it.

So, yeah, life's busy. I've been back to school for three weeks, so there's much less time to spend with Keags and Blake than I'd like. That lottery win still hasn't materialized!

It's been so long since I've posted that I don't know where to start on the stitching and knitting front. I thought about starting with what I'm working on now, but I've been very lazy about taking pictures of the few (remember ... I'm the world's slowest stitcher) things I've done. So I'll leave you with a pic of Keagan's stocking, completed in November 2010. It's a Shepherd's Bush, of course, to match the others. This one is Brett's Stocking.

I'll give you a few more looks in my next post. Hopefully it'll be less than a year away! Make some fun.

Places Being Seen, Things Being Done

2010-07-31T17:34:00.000-06:00

Thank you for all of your kind and welcoming comments! Returning to blogging after a long absence is kind of like going back to school after having been sick for several days. It's scary in some weird way. I appreciate your help in coming back.

How about some pictures of what I've been doing? Below is The Yellow House Sampler from Sheepish Designs. I love working on it and looking at it when I'm not working on it.

The fabric is 40-count Iced Cappuccino ... the lightest IC I've ever seen, in fact, and I'm using one DMC thread over two. It's been such a long time since I've worked with regular old DMC that I'd forgotten how much I like it. A little voice in my head is telling me to dunk it in come coffee when I finish. We'll see.

Below is the new pair of socks I'm working on. As you can see, hopefully, the second sock isn't gonna match up exactly with the first. I know the idea is to make them look the same, but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to see how it turns out.

I love the colors so far, but they aren't for me. They're for a special birthday gift in September. Someone gave me a pattern for toe-up socks, but it'll take me a little time on the internet to figure out how to start them. The pattern makes beginning sound extremely complicated, so I'll be searching for a video (the internet is a wonderful thing) to help me.

I've been gone for several days. We decided to take a little trip to South Dakota to see Mt. Rushmore (I love it there) again and play some golf. We had some very exciting weather, so there wasn't much golf, but it was a great getaway.

Earlier this month we took a trip to Mesa Verde and the Grand Canyon. Even though I've lived out west all my life, I'd never been to either place. Finally, I've seen what "awesome" means. The Grand Canyon is incredible. You've seen a million pictures of it, I know, so I won't bore you with mine. We took two days to visit the South and North Rims, and the drive between is worth your time. On the way to the North Rim, you can stop at Navajo Bridge, which is 700 feet above the Colorado River. Here are some rafters who waved and told us to jump (I'm sure they meant it in the nicest way).

First you see them close-up, and now here's a view as we saw them from the bridge. Pretty cool, huh? I'm pretty sure I need a raft ride.

Mesa Verde was also amazing. I loved it there, so I'm forcing you to look at one picture.

Thinking of how long these dwellings have been there makes looking at them even better. We got to climb down into a kiva with the other kids (really, there were one or two other adults). On our way home, we went on a crazy road called the Moki Dugway, which was a blast. The pictures taken by other people are much better than mine, and you'll get a great idea of what it was like if you click on the link. If you're ever in that area, do it!

I think that's about it for now. I have one more full week and a day of summer vacation (gasp! sob!!), which has been reduced by almost three full days because of meetings (yawn) that my new principal and the big bosses think I need to attend. Meetings aren't my thing, and I'll be doing my best to learn something, but I'll take my knitting just in case my brain needs some help. I'm naughty, huh? Make some fun.

Where, Oh, Where ...

2010-07-19T16:20:00.001-06:00

... have I been for almost four months? Well, life took me by the hand, sat me down and said, "Get organized." So I did. Chaos of work and real life was making me a crazy person, so I worked on changing a few things.

Regarding work, after making some big changes to our school, our principal resigned to return to a high school classroom. Interesting, huh? Then, because he and the IB program left (short version of a long story), the woman who got my job left. With some help from a few supporters at my school and at the administrative level, I got my job back! I know! How exciting! So, instead of being in a first grade classroom, I'll continue to work with kindergarten through second grade during mornings, and I'll be coaching (yes, you're reading it correctly) other teachers in the afternoons. I'm not certain I'm mature enough to handle the afternoon part of my job, but other people think I am (golly, they've been fooled), so I'll do my best. We have a new principal who seems to be level-headed and has a plan, so we'll see what happens next. I'm hesitantly optimistic about school, which is such a change for me!

During our summer vacation, I've been spending loads of time with this little cutie.

Hasn't he become a tub? Mother's milk has made Keagan a very big boy. He'll be four months old tomorrow and he's weighing in at over 14 pounds. All he wants to do is eat. That's his job until crawling begins ... if he can lift himself. Right now he's working on sitting up by himself. Other than feeling like a milk truck, Nikki is doing well. Her husband, Grady, has taken a better-paying job so she can stay home with Keags. I can't get enough of his smiles and giggles.

On the therapeutic activities front, I finally finished stitching Sarah Esh, so here's her not-so-great picture. How sad that my photography skills haven't improved during my absence. Oh well. She's not framed yet, but she's ready to join other A&E samplers when I get something else stitched. Right now, thanks to a bloggy friend (you know who you are and I love you even though I've neglected you), I'm working on The Yellow House Sampler by Sheepish Designs.

A skill I have acquired while absent is sock knitting. I know! I knit socks! Looky here ...

Shocking, isn't it? Or should I say socking? That's my first pair of socks, and I'm at work on a second pair. In fact, the first sock is finished and I've started the second. I'll show you a picture in another post. This summer I've learned that knitting is much easier to manage than stitching is while traveling. Well, for me it is. So there's been more knitting than stitching going on. I've also completed a felted bag for a friend in Maine and a felted bowl. Wanna see?

As you can see, I haven't lost my obsession for felting. Hey, it keeps me off the streets and out of the bars. Sorry to say, I'm just as slow at knitting as I am at stitching!

So much has happened since I've spent more than a few moments in blogland. Poor Merlin, my old man cat, had to be put down a day after my last post. All of you pet lovers know how that is. Dad's been doing ok, by the way. He struggles, like we all do, but he's working at finding his way through the world without Mom. During some of my chaos removal, I left the man I hung around with behind. That was hard, but it brought along an opportunity to meet a cool, calm, collected and extremely kind man. My mom always used to tell me that thing about one door closing and another one opening. I really hadn't believed it until now. So we'll see. It's nice to have someone to spend time with besides family. And he puts up with my hideous golf game!

I hope that those of you who've read here before will start to read here again. I'll be catching up with what you've been doing and I hope to comment here and there. I've missed you all more than you know. The Sisterhood of the Rose is alive and about to move on. I'll explain where we are with that in my next post. With any luck, four months won't pass before you hear from me again.

Whatever you do, make some fun!

WHOOSH!

2010-03-29T19:45:00.003-06:00

That's the sound spring break made as it flew by. I tried to dig in my heels to slow time down, but no luck. There were even a couple of snowy days during which I could've sat at my computer to post, but I just couldn't do it. I was busy holding a baby and knitting a little and stitching a little and family stuff and ... well, I don't know!

Please forgive some more grandmotherly picture-bragging, but here's a little of my knitting with Keagan (yes, in my here's-my-new-grandson post, I didn't realize the actual spelling was different from my version ... bad, bad grandma). I knitted this Baby Pea Pod (available on Ravelry) in no time a couple of weeks ago. It was super easy and he loves it. Nikki took the pic with her cell phone, so it's awful, but you get the idea. He's just as cute as he was last time.

In other knitty news, I've been working on a pillow from the book One Skein, and when I checked out the photo I took on the monitor screen, it was incredibly out of focus. What I was thinking when I took the pic, I have no idea. Chalk it up to old-lady vision. Anyway, I branched out with the pattern, using different-than-called-for alpaca yarn (oooh, pretty and soft) and larger-than-called-for needles to make a larger pillow (yes, it seems I'm a knitting experimentalist), and it's turning out just the right size. I know! Who knew I could wing it? I know enough to realize that one day this knitty thrill-seeking will bite me right in the butt. Until then, look out. I also knitted a felted bowl from the same book (a great book), but I haven't felted it yet. Pictures of the pillow-in-progress and bowl will magically appear in the next post ... whenever that is. Oh, I almost forgot. I also finished a felted bag for Nikki and another one for me. No pictures because I figured you've got to be bored with the bags. So I really have been doing something with my time.

Then there's Miss Sarah Esh. I've been working on her, but work is a little slow. My goal is to finish this week. Uh huh, dream on. Goals are a good thing, right? So sorry for another awful photo.

That pretty much brings us up to date. I'm hustling through this post to get to my purple chair before my eyes close. Keagan and his mom and dad are doing great, school is as it is, and home is a nice place to be. Make some fun.

Look What the Stork Brought!

2010-03-22T15:44:00.003-06:00

Our little stranger arrived Saturday night, March 20, at 11:29. His name is Keegan. He weighed in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces, was almost 20 inches long, and he's a healthy little guy. Here he is in the arms of his dad, Grady, during his first hour ...

Isn't he a cutie? Nikki is doing very well, and the whole family is headed home today. Since they were still at the hospital yesterday, I had to go hold him again. He was awake for a little while ...

It's unanimous. We'll keep him! I can't think of a good word to describe what it was like to watch my new grandson being born. I was pretty sure I'd wimp out, but I made it through the whole thing. What a way to start spring break.

I'm pathetically behind on blog reading, commenting and posting, but I have some things to do here at home. Hopefully, I'll return tomorrow with some knitting and stitching pics. It's been a while. Make some fun.

On a Happier Note ...

2010-03-01T22:27:00.004-07:00

How about a happier post to cancel out the cranky part of yesterday's post? Good idea! I appreciate all of your comments, and I think it's time to lighten up a little. You're not here to listen to whining and complaining, after all, and I don't really enjoy doing it.

A while back, I promised pictures of Nikki's shower. Warning: the location had some very tricky lighting, so beware of my truly amateur photos. Here's Nikki with her cute mother-in-law. I'm not sure what Nik's looking at, but since she's looking down, there isn't much to see but her tummy! Someone (maybe her mom?) must've made some smartassy remark about her delicate condition.

Here's Nikki and her wonderful friend, Maribel, who hosted the shower. That sweet little guy is Alec, my new best friend. You've never seen anyone as goofy around babies as I am, and I'm happy to report that I got him to laughing pretty hard. A baby laugh is the very best sound in the world. Look at those smiles!

Oh, and the giant bruise on Nikki's arm is the result of an ugly slip down some icy steps, not domestic violence. I'm afraid she got her graceful manner from her mom. I could go on and on, but those are just a couple of pics to show you my happily pregnant daughter. It still doesn't seem possible that she's gonna be a mom. Everyone says this, but how do they grow up so quickly? One minute they're learning to walk and talk, and the next minute they want your car keys.

To show that I really am accomplishing a little something, here's a picture of Nikki's knitting bag in progress. I started it for me, but she loves the colors as much as I do, so as soon as it's felted, it's hers. Another bag for me can wait.

In between bags, because I'm feeling brave, I think I'll give washcloths a try. Something new to sink my needles into. Don't worry, I'm not feeling cocky. A knitting friend assures me that washcloths are a great way to get in some practice and try to become more consistent. We have a plan. I wanna knit socks so badly that I can taste it! Practice, practice, practice.

It's conference week, so today was the first of three 11-hour work days. Our reward is part of Thursday and all of Friday off. Ah ... Friday morning is mine to stitch away. What a treat! For now, my pillow calls. Make some fun.

Is It March Yet?

2010-02-28T10:23:00.008-07:00

Well, another 12 days has passed between posts. It's been a very long couple of months. I've been stitching and knitting a little, but I'm incredibly distracted by life and work. I have quite a plateful right now. You know about Nikki and her son's birth within the next few weeks, and you know about my mom. I've pretty much stopped telling you about my job. It goes back to what my mom said: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

My job will change in a huge way next year. In my former teaching life, I spent 13 years as a classroom teacher in third through sixth grades, with one very interesting year in middle school. Bekah was born in 1991, and I figured out some at-home jobs (data entry and charting needlework for designers) in order to stay home with the kiddos. In 1996, Bekah died and I got divorced, so I returned to teaching in 1997. During that time, I've worked with small groups of kids who need help learning to read, but I haven't had my own classroom.

Because of our district's enormous budget shortfall, all of that's gonna change. My job has been eliminated and I must be "absorbed" into the school I was unhappily assigned to last year. That means that my only option was to accept the offer that my principal made to me. So, after 19 years out of the classroom, I'll be returning next year as a teacher in first grade (gasp!). I know! How scary! How fun!

I love first-graders, so that's not a problem. I'll be able to catch up with all of the math stuff, so that's not a problem. My teammates are very nice, and I've known them for years, so that's not a problem. My only problem is that I work for an ass. A boob. He's an immature, bird-brained, former high school administrator with negligible leadership skills who knows absolutely nothing about literacy and has no intention of learning. In fact, he never passes up an opportunity to display his ignorance or his lack of integrity. He's the only issue I have with the daunting prospect of enormous change. Unfortunately, it's a very large issue.

So now I'm gonna shop around the district to see if I can find a better spot. Because of the budget, there's not much movement in and out of positions, but there are bound to be one or two. We'll see if anyone is silly enough to hire an old lady who hasn't been in a classroom position for 19 years. It can't hurt to try, and I've heard from several former coworkers (displaced by our school's closure last spring) who want to help me get into their schools. I'm updating and polishing up my 13-year-old resume, and thinking about interviews This could be interesting, huh? Things to remember: it's not life or death, only my job; it's good to be employed.

Thank you for allowing me to whine a little bit. OK, a lot. The stress knot under my shoulder blade feels better already. I wanted to explain my distractibility, because my stitching and knitting progress has been so lame lately. Sarah Esh has been occupying my lap (along with Merlin) while in the purple chair. I love, love the Olympics (another distraction), and Sarah's been watching with me. Once in a while I actually put a stitch in. I'm not completely satisfied with my choice of natural linen, but it's growing on me.

My house is largely back to its former self, minus the ugly beige carpet. At home, life is very good. I'm still allowing myself to engage in some slide therapy after school. Whatever helps, right? So here are some pics for you. The teeny tiny kitchen (note the Cedar Hill kitty on the wall and the bag o' magnets on the counter) ...

The living area (sorry about the glaring sun, and the speaker will move to a less conspicuous spot later on) ...

The small dining area with my piano, my parents' dining set from the 50's (I love it), and the crocheted tablecloth I found in a Rhode Island antique store for $35 (I know!) ...

Home is a happy place to be! Too bad I can't retire and spend more time here, huh? Next, after some recovery time, will be the removal of ugly beige carpet and cheap-ass vinyl in the upstairs bathrooms. Ah, something to look forward to.

I leave you today with a very late look at my TUSAL jar. I took the picture on time a few weeks ago but couldn't remember to post it (duh). I like the look of yarn in there.

Make some fun!

More Fobulous February

2010-02-16T20:03:00.005-07:00

Look! I made it back almost as soon as I thought I might. This past week I finished a fob that was started who-knows-how-long ago. It has to be at least seven years, but there's no way to be certain unless I can attach it to another event. Apparently, I can't. You know how things seem to hide once they find their way to a WIP drawer. Or maybe you don't! That thought makes me feel rather lonely.

Anyway, this is a fob from a Sheepish Designs leaflet called Bee Keeper. I stitched it on 36-count natural linen, so it's a little small. Putting it together was harder than I thought it would be. It looked like it'd be easy, and then it surprised me. Note to self: never think finish finishing will be easy. Please don't examine my work too closely. It could be disappointing. And I promise that I'll run right upstairs and tweeze out the little tiny hairs I can see. Ew.

Yes, those little flower clusters are done with silk ribbon. It's been at least a decade since I've tried that, but it wasn't too, too bad. The little bee skep fob is attached to a pair of scissors (I treated myself!) from Yuko. I'm on the lookout for a little brass bee or two to stitch up toward the top. Hopefully, they'll be at my LNS soon.

Slowly but surely, I've been trying to put my house back in order. It's a wonderful feeling to be getting things back to normal (whatever that is), but I want it done now. Here's a pic I took this morning from the top stair. It kind of looks like doll furniture, doesn't it? My eyes think I could just reach in there with my fingers and move a few things around.

I still need to decide which plants (yes, I'm plant-crazed) will go back downstairs, and there are a few more items to be placed, but you get the idea. I have lots of baseboard painting to do, but that will be done here and there over time. The big summer project will be to paint the walls, so stay tuned for more shenanigans. I'll show pics of the dining area (complete with piano) and kitchen on my next post, along with another view of the living area.

My daughter Nikki had a baby shower on Saturday, thrown by her friend Maribel. We had a great time. As soon as I get her approval on some pictures, I'll share one or two with you. There'll be a new baby boy in the family in about a month. Maybe less! I've informed Nikki that it'd be most convenient for me if he could be born before March 19 so I could have my entire spring break (and maybe more) for some serious baby-holding time. As Doris Day would say, "Que sera, sera."

Make some fun.

F Words: Fob and Floor

2010-02-10T19:56:00.005-07:00

Every time I post here, I whine about not getting to the computer to post. Nothing's really changed! It's my own fault. I'm just not using my time in this direction. My sister and I are both having difficulty with stitching motivation. We want to stitch, but we're having a hard time deciding what to do. It'll pass, right?

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I finished my Shepherd's Bush 2009 scissor fob. I showed you the fob stitched on 30-count over two and finished as a pin cushion. Here's the same fob stitched over one and finished as a fob.

I used the ribbon from the kit to trim the pin cushion, and then I found some WDW perle cotton to trim the fob. The front was pretty much stitched as charted.

While stitching the back, I found that those backstitched letters just weren't gonna work. I worked it out with a pencil and a piece of graph paper and charted the letters and numbers to work over one. There was just a little rearranging involved. I'm pretty happy with the result.

Of course, all was NOT fine in 2009, but I'll go along with the sentiment. In Mom's words, if you don't have anything nice to say ... I've been working sporadically on another fob, Sarah Esh, Women of the Mayflower, and some knitting, so maybe there'll be something else to show in the near future. Uh huh, sure.

I can't blame all of the non-stitching time on my mood. Part of the problem involves a big ass project on the main floor of my little townhouse. I've been suffering from beige carpet syndrome (I'm pretty sure it's a real syndrome) since I moved here seven years ago. You know how beige carpet picks up every little bit of dirt and mud and cat puke and clings to it with Superman-type strength? After a few years, it really puts the "UG" in ugly. Well, I've been sick of it for a long, long time. So the carpet left my home about a week ago.

In its place now lies some pretty cool mill run maple. It's got beautiful grains and knots and a mixture of colors from very light to medium dark. I'm loving it! I come home every day and slide on it. My son came over and slid on it. My neighbor came over and slid on it. Simple minds, simply entertained, huh? Can you say "dance floor"?

As you can see, there are no baseboards on yet. Hopefully, all will be completed by Friday, and Dylan will come to help me move the furniture back in from the garage and up from the basement on Saturday (after a little sliding session). Being displaced (willingly, of course) has been disorienting. I like order. I'll take some more pics when work is done. Truth be told, I'm so damned excited about this that I can hardly stand myself. It's nice to have something positive going on. Ya'll are probably thinking, "What? That's it? That's the big deal going on at Doris's house? BFD!" What can I say? We've already established that I'm easily entertained!

I'm nursing another annoying cold, so I'm off to bed. Hope everyone in Snowland is staying warm and dry and enjoying those snow days. There's nothing like a snow day! Make some fun.

Knitty, Knit, Knit

2010-02-01T21:41:00.003-07:00

So much time has passed! I had such good intentions of returning sooner to show you all the knitting that's been going on. It'll be my luck that what they say about good intentions and the road to hell is true. As you can see, Merlin is less than enthusiastic about my new-found habit. He thinks there isn't enough room on my lap for him and my knitting. Actually, for him and anything. He wants me to focus my entire being on holding and petting. Just so I'd really know how he feels, here's what I found after I laid out the bag and went to get my camera.

Merlin knows how to put those knitted items to good use! Below are said items without the furry beast on them. Do you see any long, black, old-man cat hairs?
The pics are especially crappy because I can't seem to get home before dark. After days of trying, I finally gave it up and took the ugly pics so I could get on with the felting. I couldn't wait!
The most interesting and confusing part of this whole adventure is trying to predict how big you have to knit the bag to get the felted bag the size you want. All of this experimentation is getting kind of expensive. Do you think that'll stop me? NFW!! I'll just have to foist my unwanted creations onto unsuspecting friends and family. That'll teach 'em.

The purple bag was 13 x 16 before felting and 10 x 13 after ... about the size of a small purse or a big lunch bag. I knitted so tightly that my knitty teacher was teasing me that I'd end up with a change purse. The teal, cream, taupe bag was 22 x 16 before and 19 x 11 after. I stepped up a needle size and used the teacher-written directions for a bigger bag. It would be pretty close to the size I want if it were a little taller, but it's a pretty great knitting bag. As you can probably guess, I'm going for it again (yes, I am a glutton for punishment). I'm gonna knit the larger bag and make it taller. And I'm gonna do it in the purple colors. I'm in love with those colors. Besides, I need the larger (than stitching) therapy. I'll keep you posted. You were afraid I'd say that, weren't you?

I've been stitching a little also, but there were so many pictures and so little time that I decided to save the stitchy stuff for next time. There's something else interesting going on here, and if the stars are aligned and I make my way to the keyboard for more than a few minutes, I'll fill you in soon. Until then, make some fun.

See Doris Knit, Etc.

2010-01-19T22:02:00.007-07:00

In what seems like a past life, when I was married and had three young kids, I used to knit. I knitted tiny beaded bags out of perle cotton on size 0000 needles (no, that's not a typo). It was like knitting with large tapestry needles. Now that I'm thinking of that little bag, I'll add a pic if I ever dredge it up from the black hole that has consumed my long-ago-abandoned projects. My silly sister gave me (and went as far as signing me up, schedule unseen) a knitting class for Christmas, because I keep saying, "I wanna make one of those felted bags" and "I wanna knit socks." Get ready for my new knitty experience ...

I know! This is the bottom of a buttonhole bag, which you can see here. While you're over there, check out the Mason-Dixon Knitting blog. It's very fun. So, anyway, I intended to bail on my class and try to get into one next month, when life will hopefully look better. But the lady at the LKS told me it'd be good for me. She was right. I was so quickly hooked that, when I got as far as I could after Lesson #1, I went back and got more stuff to start a second bag (because Sharri's gonna cry 'til she gets one) so I wouldn't forget what I'd learned (great excuse, huh?). And looky here (note Merlin in the background checking out the psycho-woman's new habit) ...

Another bag bottom is ready to go. I'm beside myself in anticipation of the next class, so I'll be showing you more soon (she said confidently). How this new addiction will fit in with the old addiction, I'm not sure. We'll just go with it.

I took some days off last week to be away from people, and I figured I'd start something new to treat myself. I couldn't do it. So I cleaned and sat and watched a movie or two and read some blogs, and there it was. There, in Su's corner of blogland, was just the reminder I needed about a little project, hidden away in my I-wanna-do-this-soon drawer, that I could start and finish in a day. So I did.

It's My Pins, of course, from Shepherd's Bush, stitched as kitted, finished as directed, and stuffed with walnut shells. The ricrac was a little bright for me, so I treated it to a boiling coffee bath to tone it down a little. It didn't help much, but it's cute enough. I appreciate Su's inspiration at just the right moment to get me going.

Then I pulled out the Shepherd's Bush 2009 Fob that I stitched a while back. Anyway, I dragged it out of the WIP drawer and finished it up as a pin cushion. This one is stitched as kitted, finished sort-of as directed (I added knots in the silk ribbon at each corner), stuffed with walnut shells, and photographed (ugh, in artificial light this evening) on the backing fabric I chose (which matches so much better IRL).

I stitched another one over one, which will be making an appearance here as soon as another little button comes in. So another little project is finished and a third is waiting to be finish-finished. Finishing little projects is surprisingly therapeutic.

I'm gonna leave you with many thanks for the uplifting and extremely kind words you've all shared with me about Mom. I sat here last week and cried into my oatmeal more than once, and I probably needed to do that. I'm not gonna tell you how awful work is (except the kids who are lovely), but I'm gonna tell you something positive. I make fun of men a lot, largely because it's so easy (oops, that wasn't nice ... see what I mean?), but I have to tell you about the man I hang around with. He has been nothing but supportive and helpful and understanding during the last few months, and especially since our extremely emotional family Christmas. What a man ... truly. That's just one of the ways that I'm lucky. There are many others, and I'm working at remembering them. And now I'm gonna try to sleep. Make some fun.

One More Post About Mom

2010-01-11T15:57:00.005-07:00

My mom, Estelle Brown, died on January 6. She was the only daughter of Doris and Neill Hartman; the sister of Aldean and Larry; the wife of Don; the mother of Doris, Ron and Sharri; the grandmother of Dylan, Nicole, Rebekah, Monica, Kelly, Josh, Meagan and Seth; and great-grandmother to Korbyn and my unborn grandson. She was everything to all of us and the kindest person we ever knew. To say that her family is heartsick is a gross understatement, but we are all relieved that Mom is no longer suffering. In fact, I'm thinking of Mom holding Bekah's hand right now. She called her illness vile, and it was.

I have some pictures to share with you. First is Mom in possibly her favorite role: Mom/Grandma cooks for the holidays. It's from a few Christmases ago, and she's holding what we lovingly call "red stuff" (only because she thought "red shit" was too vulgar ... she was right, of course), which is second only to my brother's favorite "orange crap". I believe that look is on her face because one of the grandkids asked, "Did you make orange crap, too?"

Next is Mom as Sun Princess for the Sun Bowl in the 50's. Isn't she pretty? My niece Meagan said that when she was little, she thought her grandma was a movie star. She saved some of her fabulous dresses from those days, and they were carefully used for Halloween. Wouldn't this make a great Glenda-Good-Witch-of-the-North dress?

Below is Mom as a little, little girl. I have this picture of her in my bedroom, and she's so cute I can hardly stand it. She reminds me of the sweet little kids at school. I think this could be about the age when my grandma got Mom to stop sucking her thumb by offering her very own rocking chair. Mom got the rocking chair and sat in it with her hands in her lap, staring at her thumb.

Some of you will ask about my dad. He's doing ok for now. Mom said from the beginning that she'd need a miracle, so she and Dad had time to talk about the future. She was a great coach and encourager. We've been with him a lot, but all the family left today. We'll call a lot and drop in to make sure all is well. He has a huge support system of friends in their church. They have plans, and that's a good thing. He is very involved in genealogy, and he wants to travel to see where some of our ancestors lived. Dad and Mom already traveled to Germany and Pennsylvania in the last couple of years, and I think he'll continue with some trips he had stopped planning.

I think another question you'll have is Mom's And They Sinned. She wasn't really feeling like stitching a lot of days, so I've been working on it when I visited their house since October. I picked it up again when we were all at the hospital, and now Sharri has it. She's almost finished (Sharri is one of those super-speedy stitchers). In our minds, it's the perfect gift for someone, but we'll see. I'll be sure to get a picture for you and fill you in on its future.

Thank you all again for your prayers, good thoughts and kind notes. It used to be hard for me to imagine how much comments from people I've never met would mean to me. Next time: stitchy talk and other regular stuff. Make some fun. Do it now.

Christmas and After

2009-12-29T09:59:00.003-07:00

Hi all. I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas with your families. I was able to finish all of my baking and then take charge of Christmas dinner (with some help, of course), even with an hour-and-a-half power outage (I KNOW!) while the turkey and dressing were in the oven. You should've seen all of the menfolk (brother, son, nephews, dad) hustling outside to get wood hauled in and start a fire. The man I hang around with showed up during the outage and saved the wine-drinkers with a fresh bottle. It all turned out great, and my son and I are considering turning the oven off during the roasting next year, just to see if it works out as well.

Mom was going downhill on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (her favorite days of the whole year), so we finally took her to the hospital Christmas Night. As it turns out, we did the right thing. She's perked up a little, and the docs are trying to bring on some improvement, but it looks bleak. My brother and sister-in-law left for home on Sunday to tidy up some work things. I'm picking up my sister-in-law at the airport in a little bit, and my brother will probably come back this weekend.

So I'll be in and out here, but mostly out. I'm gonna leave you with some happy pics of my tree and the stockings. I'll check in when I can. Make some fun. It's really important to make as much fun as you can.

Shores Block 4 and More

2009-12-23T21:15:00.003-07:00

Gee, I thought I'd be back before now. I had taken pics to post and had ideas in my head, and then I didn't sit down at the computer long enough. You missed my whiny how-many-days-left-'til-Christmas-break countdown, you lucky readers. My break started at 3:45 last Friday, but things have been koo koo since before that. During my last week of school for 2009, I was treated to a yukky cold and wicked laryngitis. That made the week extra fun, because I went to school anyway! What did I learn from that? If you go to school without a voice, many kids will whisper. Really!

How about some stitchy stuff? Here is Shores Block 4 all finished up.

Putting the last stitch in that block was delightful. I liked it, but it took so much longer than I thought it would. Doesn't it always? I'll probably put off the start of Block 5 until January, or maybe even February. We'll see. Plans don't work out well around here lately, so I think "we'll see" is the best way to handle Shores for now.

When I finished Block 5, I pulled out the long lost Miss Lila's House. I know! Long time no see, huh? It was my 2009 New Year's start, and I've hardly touched it since January. I've had a very tough time being happy with Miss Lila over one, and I've decided that it's the Needlepoint Silk over one on 30 count linen. I've stitched a lot of over one on 25 to 40 count fabrics, but the stitches on Miss Lila seem very crowded and irregular to me. To test my theory, I stitched the head and neck of the goose with DMC. Could I get a decent pic to show you? Not really. But there is definitely a difference, and I like the DMC better. So what does that mean? It means there'll be some unstitching between now and January 1, and I may restart Miss Lila for my 2010 New Year's start. Damn it! (Excuse me while I take two calming breaths.) Maybe unstitching will be somewhat therapeutic. Uh huh.

Then there's the new man I've told you about. There's been some progress on his suit and mittens since I last showed him to you.

He's pretty cute, isn't he? Wait 'til you see his fuzzy beard and eyebrows. In fact, this sweet Santa has been the one good thing about long days (yesterday we left my parents' house at 7:00 am and returned at about 5:45 pm) at chemo with Mom. There's nothing to do there but hang out and stitch. So when Mom is drowsing or doesn't need anything, Santa is my companion.

So about Mom ... there's no good news. That's probably enough to say. Thank you all, again, for your positive messages (all of you who comment), notes to check up on me (Faye) or say something nice (Lee), and fabulous prizes in the mail (Staci, I took a picture of your gorgeous fabric but forgot to load it into this post!), and good thoughts and prayers. I can never tell you enough how much every word is valued. Your bloggy friendship has been an unexpected treasure, and your blogs have provided me with entertaining info and hilarity, not to mention stashy encouragement (you naughty girls).

Tomorrow or the next day, I'll line up the pics of stockings and tree for you. Today has been a baking day (mmmmmm, cookies and fudge). Tomorrow will be last-minute running around, off to see family at the folks', and then baking in the evening. Make loads of fun.

Since Thanksgiving

2009-12-10T16:47:00.004-07:00

Has it really been more than two weeks since my last post? It has! You know, I used to have some organization in my life. Sadly, it's gone now, and I still haven't adjusted.

Thanksgiving was a fabulous event at the folks' house. We ended up having 15 hungry people sit down to turkey and ham dinner. My sister, sister-in-law and I managed to get everything ready near the planned time, and Mom supervised as necessary. We had loads of fun. My only baking failure occurred when the pie crust I baked for one of the chocolate pies shrank about halfway down the side of the pie pan. Bummer. But in the true sense of accomodation, I covered it up with meringue. Hey, I'm not completely clueless.

I'm including pics for you today only to show you the pathetic lack of stitching progress since my last post. Oh ... my ... gosh! Get out your hankies, because it's rather sad. Here's what's happened to Shores Block Four ...

I know! Almost nuttin'! I'm gonna give it some attention tonight, though, so maybe a stitching miracle will happen and I'll finish the block. Yeah, and the lottery will be awarded to me for last night, even though I forgot to buy a ticket. And then there's the newest stand-up guy I've sort of been working on ...

Pitiful, isn't it? When I told Sharri (my sister) that I was working on this Santa, she said, "Oh, I did that one. It goes really fast." Uh huh, right. I guess I have to actually pull thread through the linen with a needle more than I do other things in order for progress to be made. He'll probably get some more action this weekend. I do enjoy seeing him in stages of completion. Now he kinda looks like he's wearing a hoodie or one of those hats with flaps.

So what the hell have I been doing instead of stitching? Well, let's see. I hung out with the family for Turkey weekend, and we did some fun things. Then I dragged out my tree and spent some days (ok, a week) working after school and in between other activities to get most of the ornaments on it. Today was the first day I've gotten home when the sky was cloudless and the sun was above the horizon, and the east side of my house (where the tree is) was still too dark to get a good pic. Saturday is the day for pics of the tree, so maybe I'll get 'er done.

Then we (my son, niece and I) decorated Mom's tree last Saturday. Dad was all about skipping the Christmas decorations this year, but Mom needs her tree up so rearranging the ornaments (a genetic OCD trait that's been passed on to me and now to my daughter) can be her non-stitching seasonal hobby. We got the job done, and Mom is content.

About Mom: the last chemo recipe didn't do the job the docs had hoped for, so Mom is now in a chemo drug trial. She'll be going once a week for eight weeks, and then there'll be another scan. These treatments require her to go to downtown Denver (about a 45-minute drive when traffic is good, like at midnight), and they take quite a while to complete each time. Because it's a great opportunity for her, the extra inconvenience is worthwhile. The big event the week before Thanksgiving was Mom's fancy new wig. Even though her head has a lovely shape, she wasn't at all fond of her Yoda-esque hair style. Her new hair makes her look a lot more like herself ... very cute. Again, I want to thank all of you who comment and email and ask about Mom and pray/think good thoughts/chant for her recovery. I tell her about everyone out in blogland who is doing what they can on her behalf, and she's very appreciative, as I am. What's most surprising to her about her illness is the number of people who do things to show that they care. That's how she is.

Before I leave you, I hope all of you affected by the gigantic snowstorm and extreme cold are doing OK and staying warm. Brrrrrrr! I haven't had much time to visit blogs, but I'll eventually catch up and read your stories about the storm. Now for some time on the exercise bike and then in the purple chair. Make some fun.

A New Man

2009-11-24T20:54:00.005-07:00

It's been a while since I had a new man in my life (not that I'm dissatisfied). This guy is one of those quiet men. In fact, he never says anything, which is a relief. I get to hold him and work on him when I want to, and he has no say in what I do. He dresses a little funny, but he's pretty cute.

The picture makes him look like he has an earring, but it's just one of the spots. He's covered with them. So here's a look at this year's stand-up-Santa I'm working on. I wanted to wait until he had a cute face before I showed him off. I'll be dragging him around with me in my stitching bag during the holidays (hmmm ... gives me ideas for my son and the man I hang around with), and I'll show you more of him as I make some more progress.

Again I'm late in showing my TUSAL jar. I took the picture on the appointed day, but I haven't worked up the energy to do a post until now. It's looking kind of crowded in there.

I've also been working on Shores Block Four, and I was enthralled with the words and black silk. Hmmm ... I wonder what that means. Here's a little picture of how I put that black silk to use.

I thought that if I made a plan, I'd stick to it a little. I have. A little. I worked on this when I was conscious in my purple chair a few evenings last week. There were three evenings during which I didn't complete a single stitch! I've been cleaning and shopping like the rest of you. 'Tis the season, after all. My entire family is gonna be here this week, and a couple of them could possibly decide to stay here instead of being crowded into Mom and Dad's house. I wanted to be ready with clean bathrooms and fresh linens.

We're gonna have a big and very fun Thanksgiving. My brother, sister and I will all be at the folks' with our kids. There will also be a couple of significant others to bring the dinner total to 17. That's a pretty large crowd for us. Since Mom isn't feeling like cooking, she'll be supervising my sister, our sister-in-law and me from her post on the couch. We've helped for uncountable holiday meals, but the cornbread dressing and mmmm-mmmm-good gravy will still need Mom's sensitive taste-testing. My chocolate pies won't be nearly as pretty as Mom's, but I'm going for it anyway. They're the family favorites, even at Thanksgiving, but they'll be joined by a pumpkin and a pecan. We laugh a lot, so the three of us (joined at times by our eight kids who are unfortunate enough to think they're funny ... just like us) will be enjoying each other and the occasional (OK, more than occasional. I'm a bad influence.) kitchen cocktail while we handle the pre- and post-dinner chores.

Mom had a scan yesterday and will be meeting with the doc tomorrow. We're all worried because she's been feeling so poorly. Keep your fingers crossed and I'll keep you posted. Have a truly fabulous Turkey Day and, above all, make lots of fun.

Whoopee ... Shores Block 3

2009-11-10T18:07:00.007-07:00

Finally, Block 3 is finished! What's taken so long? It would take forever to list all of my excuses, so I'll just say that I've been distracted. There's so much going on here, and I'm ready for the more boring part of my life to reappear. For now, just lots of sighing and a very crooked, dark (it's dark all the time!), wrinkly picture of my accomplishment.

I tried to get a picture of just the mermaid, but I couldn't seem to hold the camera still enough to get the job done. I love her.
I had good intentions of showing you some progress on my most recent start, but I really wanna wait until the face (yes, a face) is finished. Until then, you'll have to be content with the supply picture:
Doesn't it look fun? I know! I'm so excited to be working on another Ewe & Eye & Friends Limited Edition Santa. If this guy ever gets finished, it'll be my third. Gee, that makes me sound like a Santa slut, doesn't it? This Santa is from (get ready) 1994. Yes, kids, you read it correctly. It's been in my stash for 14 years (eeeeek). I know! Am I the worst person you know? The really bad news is that this isn't the oldest item I should've already stitched. There are several kits that are older and probably hundreds (no, I don't think I'm exaggerating) of charts that are older. Do you think an intervention is in order? Or do you wanna come over and check out my cedar chest and file cabinet? Uh huh, I'll bet you do! Anyway ... I took a picture of the picture so you could see what Santa will look like in a few weeks (yes, Delusional should be my middle name) ...

My new plan (really? a plan? me?) is to work on him when I'm hanging out with the man I hang around with. We usually end up watching football (sniff ... poor Broncos ... sob), and I can work on him (Santa, that is ;)) during that portion of the weekend. Another good place to work on him will be when I'm visiting Mom during chemo sessions. We always stitch together then, and this is a perfect take-along project. I'm also gonna give him one evening a week while I work mostly on Shores Block 4. I'm afraid that if I set down Shores for the holidays, it'll somehow work its way more deeply into the dreaded WIP pile, so I have to stick with it. Then, just to give myself some variety (a way to ward off distractability), I'm gonna give Sarah Esh an evening per week. Will some organization in my life help to keep my nose pointed toward my stitching? I reckon we'll see.
Another exciting bit of stitchy news is that I got to pick up my son-in-law's stocking from the finisher (who must be working at the speed of light) on Saturday. As soon as I can remember to get a picture of it when it's still light out, you'll see it.
Finally, yesterday I completed another trip around the sun. My 54th! How can that be? Do you ever feel like you're still in your 20's? Never when I look in the mirror, of course! But once in a while, when I'm skiing or riding on the back of a motorcycle, I feel too young to be in my 50's. That's one of my favorite feelings, and I'm thinking it's a good thing.
Make some fun.

You've Gotta Love a Snow Day!

2009-10-29T15:02:00.006-06:00

What's not to love? It's an unexpected gift of a day at home. Here's the view from one of the front windows.
That was about 9:00 this morning, and the snow is even deeper now. It also has more of that cool snow sculpture from chair to deck rail. It's been snowing since Tuesday night, and it's still going strong. Our school district, in its infinite wisdom (NOT), decided that we should go to school yesterday. The roads were slicker than owl snot, so getting to school was quite a treat. Buses got stuck and had a fender-bender or two. We're all much happier with the decision to let us stay home today. On really bad days, so many kids are absent anyway, and it seems a waste for us to brave the roads.

I've spent part of my day catching up in blogland. My brother was here over the weekend, so we spent lots of time at the folks' house. Work has demanded many, many hours at the computer screen this week, so sitting down to read and comment and post just didn't seem like much of a treat. I found out how much I've missed this morning, and ya'll have been so busy. It's so much easier and more fun to stay caught up.

Here's what I've been working on ...

Yep. Shores Block 3 is nearing an end. It seems like it's taken forever to get this far. Those gingerbread corners were tricky, especially when I was trying to keep track of what was happening on the boob tube. I'm very excited to get to the mermaid. When I wander back upstairs, I'm set to work on her hair. I'm hoping to make some good progress so I can show you what's gonna be in my hot little hands when this block is finished.

I'm running upstairs to get busy and enjoy what's left of this delightful day. Make some fun.

Try, Try Again

2009-10-20T18:34:00.006-06:00

Thanks to all of your comments, I now know that I'm not alone in my frustration with Blogger f***ing up my last post. That thought is somewhat comforting, even if it doesn't fix anything. Maybe it's a sign that I spend too much time on one post. I'll stop analyzing and just move on.

First, here's how I spent some of my free Friday hours.

I know! I resurrected something from the WIP drawer (ok, ok, one of my WIP drawers) and finished it. Yay me! Exercising extreme self-control, I chose Small Sampler, 3rd in a Series, by Ewe & Eye & Friends. I can remember charting this one way back in the olden days, so it's kind of an old friend. I stitched all but the lazy daisy leaves and sheep wool way back in 2004! So why did I wait five years to finish it? Sadly, that's probably a question for a trained mental health professional, and there's no use discussing it here.

Anyway, 3rd Small Sampler is stitched as kitted with Anchor floss on 40-count Sandstone, but I changed the stitches for the sheep wool from Kam's coils (pains in the ass, IMHO) to large, loose French knots. Because of Murphy's Law of Changing Kitted Stitches, I ran out of floss, and it was one of the few colors not in my stash. That issue caused two things to happen: 1) blog reading/commenting sucked up some of my morning, and 2) I had to go to the LNS and buy other things along with the floss. So it turned out rather well!

For those of you keeping score, I returned to Shores Block 3 on Saturday. I'm making rather slow progress, and I'll have a pic for you next time. I'm gonna have to hold the Broncos partially responsible for my lack of progress. Their games have been so unexpectedly exciting that I find myself sitting in my chair with my needle in the air. Sometimes I even have to jump out of the chair and holler. All of that fan action tends to distract me from my stitching! That's my story, anyway, and I'm sticking to it.

My TUSAL picture for the month was technically on time, because it was in the post lost in internet space. I was so proud of myself for doing something on time! Take a look at all those perle cotton orts from Reed's Stocking. They take up a little space. huh?

I was at Mom and Dad's a couple of times over the weekend, and look who's been hanging around over there!

These turkeys have absolutely no idea how determined my dad (alias, Mr Gun) is to remove them from the premises. The abundance of droppings they've left on Dad's wooden deck and paved surfaces could eventually motivate him to use extreme measures. So far, he's only used the leaf blower and pellet gun, but he owns quite an arsenal. I'm a little worried that one of these birds is gonna end up on my Thanksgiving plate. Before I shooed them out of harm's way, I pulled out my phone camera to get a shot (so to speak).

A few of you have been kind enough to ask (via comments and emails) about Mom. I decided back in June that I was going to try to give only good news, especially since Mom reads here from time to time. Sadly, there hasn't been much good news to report. Mom's been pretty sick (dizzy, weak, feeling generally shitty) for more than a month. After her last scan received less-than-shining reviews from the docs, they decided that they'd gotten all the good they could from the first chemo recipe, and they gave her a month off. She's on a new chemo recipe now, and it's much harder on her. Dad's taking care of Mom, and the rest of us are trying to help, and we're all hoping that this new recipe does some good work. If you have any prayers/good words/positive thoughts left in your hearts, we'd very much appreciate you sending them Mom's way. I know for certain that she'd welcome the help.

Hope you're all having a good week. Tomorrow it'll be half over! Make some fun.

Oh, Please!

2009-10-18T20:38:00.007-06:00

I just spent an hour on a post, hit the button, and nothing happened! Dammit! I guess I'll hit the hay and try again tomorrow. Ugh, damn technology.

Reed's Last Week

2009-10-10T20:44:00.005-06:00

The final stitches were in on Thursday night, and the charms and buttons were put on today. First, a picture without the embellishments ...

And here's a picture with all the fun stuff ...

I'm very happy to have it stitched, and it'll be going off to the finisher as soon as I find a moment next week. This really was the quickest I've ever stitched a stocking, and I have to hand it to all of you who helped me with fun comments. Especially thanks to Anna for lighting the initial fire under me. For the moment, I can say I'm a good mom-in-law, which still sounds funny to me.

As I said I would, I've picked up Shores to start on Block 3. It had to wait a while, because I had some chores to do. There were the usual things (laundry, cleaning, etc.) that we all do, but another chore had to be done a little early this year. It was 18 degrees when I woke up this morning (brrr!), so I had to put my comforter on the bed. To do that, I had to press the cover and wrestle it onto the comforter, press the matching pillow shams and put them on, and then wash the stuff that came off the bed. I know! All just to keep cozy on cold nights. Now you watch ... we'll probably have some nights in the 40's this week, and I'll be wondering what the hell I was in such a hurry about.

You know, I never know when I'm gonna write something here that causes someone out there to come up with a good idea. When I wrote about my plan to stitch in my jammies next Friday morning, Staci, stitcher/knitter/enabler extraordinaire, asked what I'll be starting that day! Is she naughty, or what? I hadn't even thought of starting something new, and I'm not sure I can bring myself to do it. But Staci's suggestion made me think about putting Shores down for the morning and working on something different. Heaven knows, I have lots and lots of WIPs to choose from, so I'll have to pick out something interesting. Maybe something that might be finished in a few hours.

On the health front, the poor little kids have been dropping like flies at school. Most of the second grade was out the first half of the week, and then a lot of the first grade was out later in the week. So many of us are coughing at school that I did extra wipe-downs of the tables and Lysol-spraying of pencils and shared books, computers and doorknobs. I'm staying home this weekend with some unidentified virus that, knock on wood, has only made me cough and have a headache. My doc who roto-rootered my nose last January fixed me up yesterday to try to head it off at the pass, and I feel relatively well. The bad news: no time with Mom or the man I hang around with. The good news: it's a nice weekend to be at home stitching. It's ugly out there! Everyone stay well and make some fun.

Reed's Second Week

2009-10-05T17:56:00.004-06:00

Well, what do you know? I think I'm gonna finish this stocking in a few days! That's record time for me, so thanks for all of the encouragement you've offered. I've been working on it whenever I'm not at work and can avoid my chores. Despite the chunkiness of the materials (18-count linen and cotton perle), I'm enjoying the stitching. So here's this week's Sunday-to-Sunday progress.

We're having a very gray day in the Denver area, so the picture is a little dark, and the colors don't show up well. Those blues I was complaining about look great in natural light. Last week, I was stitching in a sunny Starbucks while waiting for my car to be serviced, and I couldn't believe how perfect the colors looked. So those readers out there who thought the blues looked good, you're right.

Since I'm so close to finishing, I'll stick with Reed this week and then get back to Shores as soon as the buttons and charms are on. Really, Anna, I promise. We have many extra hours at school next week (evening parent-teacher conferences), so when I get my work finished (hey, a girl can dream), I'm gonna have my stitching at the ready. In fact, maybe having my stitching there will motivate me to get all the crap off my desk in a hurry! Hmmm ... a plan is forming in my pea brain. Picture me stitching while waiting for the next conference. Because we'll be spending more time at school next week, we get next Friday off. You know what that means, don't you? Friday morning stitching-in-my-jammies time. Ahhhh, something to look forward to, even if it is eleven days away.

Make some fun.

Reed's First Week

2009-09-28T17:31:00.004-06:00

I have so little to show this week (sniff). I started Reed's Stocking last Sunday (that's eight days ago), and it's really all I've worked on all week. Of course, there wasn't that much stitching time last week, because I stayed late at school or went to school meetings three out of five days (she said whinily). On Friday (the day I long for), I went out with a group of teachers from my school that closed last year, which was extremely fun. I stitched terribly little Friday night, because my poor little eyelids just couldn't be forced to remain open very long after my butt hit the chair. The weekend was kinder, and (to make a short story long) some stitching was accomplished ...

I'm not sure I like the mixture of blues in this piece. I'm tempted to pull them out and use lavenders instead, but that's a lot of unstitching that I'm not really up for. Besides that, Nikki chose it, and she likes it. I'm wondering how much the DMC colors have changed since this stocking was designed. The Shepherd's Bush girls have changed one of the colors since then, but I think it looks a little funky. I suppose I'll just carry on and keep stitching.

Back to the progress thread of this post ... Anna said in a comment, "You could get the stocking done in three weeks definitely, possibly one and a half." Golly, I love her. Despite many previous posts containing visible evidence of my slow stitching, she thinks I'm capable of semi-fast stitching! That thought thrills me to death. When I first read her comment, I poo-pooed her estimate. But now that I've gotten this far, I may actually finish the silly thing in three weeks! Thanks for the encouragement, Anna! Nobody out there hold your breath, but I'm going for it. On October 1st, I'll have to make the decision to continue with the stocking and start Shores Block 3 after a finish, or begin Block 3 and go back to the stocking after that finish. I may go for the first option in the hope that the finisher (you really didn't think I'd sew it together, did you?) could have it to us by Christmas. And why am I boring all of you with this crap? I don't know! Maybe I needed to think it through. Thank you for your kind patience, those of you who are still awake.

I'm off now to get some stitching done before din din. Make some fun.

Yahoo for Shores Block 2

2009-09-21T19:20:00.006-06:00

Yep, I finished Shores Block 2 on Saturday morning. I got up, made some tea, and sat on my ass watching a movie until I finished it. Boy, that felt good! I'll start Block 3 in October.

Later that day, the man I hang around with asked me to go on a little ride in the mountains on the Harley. We looked at the pretty aspen trees turning pink and gold, and then all of a sudden, there was a bear (squeal)! I know! It was so exciting. The man I hang around with was a bear-sighting virgin before I spotted that cub, but this was my second bear in the wild. We made a U-turn to get another look, but he saw us seeing him and ran off to find his mama. There would be absolutely no good reason for us to meet up with his mama, who would not approve of her cub being anywhere near us, so we watched him run up the hill and went on our way. Now for the question you're probably thinking. Doris, where's the picture? Good question. Neither of us had a camera, and I didn't take my cell phone! We're dopes, but we've learned our lesson. No more rides without something for picture-taking!

Now for my TUSAL pic for this month. I really thought I'd be on time, but I came home on Friday and had a drink (ok, two drinks) and sat down to stitch instead of doing a post. And then I had to stitch Saturday morning. Don't I sound like the kids at school? This picture of my jar was taken on the actual day it should've been pictured. I pushed down the stuff so I can fit some more in there soon.

On Sunday I watched the Broncos and worked on Reed's Stocking for the son-in-law (that's still a shock to say), but it looks like so little that I'll wait to show you a pic. It's such a change to be stitching with perle cotton after all of these months of 40-count. The whole time I was working on it, I thought about how chunky it feels. So thick in my hands. I kinda like it ... for a while. My big hope is that I'll have the stocking finished by the time I'm ready to start up on Shores again. I know, I know, but I can dream, can't I?

On Monday (yes, that's today) I wished I was at home stitching on this cool and rainy day. Instead, I was at work (repeat after me: it's good to be employed). And while I'd love to slap a couple of adults upside the head, the kids are wonderful. My new kindergarten buddy, Joseph, calls me Miss Brownie (tee hee). I know! Isn't that so cute? He says it quite loudly when I see him in the cafeteria. The other kids keep correcting him, but he likes that name. I told him it's ok. I love brownies.

Thank you, thank you, all of you positive and sweet commentors out there. Your happy wishes for Nikki and Grady and their babe are very much appreciated. I know I've been a real smartass about it (someone has to do it), but I do hope they'll have the best life ever. In fact, just the thought of it working out any other way is unthinkable.

Hey, I have stitching to do! Make some fun.

Another Week Speeds By

2009-09-16T19:15:00.004-06:00

Oh, my goodness! It's only 7:25, and it's dark! I'm not sure why that's so shocking. Maybe I've been so busy that it's sneaked up on me. Finally, I'm to the point that I can see how my school year may work. I haven't completely adjusted yet, but I'm getting there. Dysfunctional schools require much more personal adjustment. I have to figure out how to do the right thing for kids within a climate/structure where that's not always the intention. Can you tell I've been thinking it over?

Enough shop talk. On to the stitchy talk. Here's a little pic of my progress on Shores Block 2. Just a couple of fish and the remainder of the eel, and this baby's finished. That seaweed took me a long time. I was trying to watch movies while stitching it, and I had to divide my attention appropriately. Also entertaining me during stitching time has The Help on cd. What a great book! I stitched at a much faster pace while listening to it.

When you're stitching something untamed like that seaweed, do you pick out paths to follow? I do! Is it just me? I pick out paths that will make my stitching more efficient (kind of like working my way through a maze), so I'll have fewer stops and starts and shorter carried threads. Could this be that crazy OCD issue I've written about before? Or is it my feeble mind trying to find something extra to work on? Or is it my brain trying to free me from all the other things I have to think about? Hard to say.

Wanna see a couple of planned projects? Below is a picture of the supplies I've gathered to stitch Reed's Stocking by Shepherd's Bush.

To understand why I'm starting it, you'll have to hear a little story. My 25-year-old daughter, Nikki, sneakily (so like her mother) got married this summer (sigh ... I think 30 is a good age to get married, and yes, I realize that this isn't about me.). So I have a son-in-law (oh, my gosh!) who needs a pretty Christmas stocking like the rest of the family. Being a stitchy kind of mother-in-law (Geez, Louise, I'm a mother-in-law), I'll be getting that stocking done ASAP. All of those other projects will have to take a giant step back to let the stocking cut into line. Ready for the good news? Nikki will be having a baby at the end of March (huge gasp)! I know! Then I'll get to stitch a grandbaby stocking ... when not holding that baby, of course. I'm from a family of confirmed baby nuts. We love, love, love babies. It's nice to have something big to look forward to.

Something else I'd like to start is Sarah Esh. It's an OOP reproduction sampler that I was lucky enough to find on Kathy Barrick Dieter's (Carriage House Samplings) Etsy site. It's been on my list of have-to-haves for a long time, and I'm very excited about (eventually) stitching it. In the picture below is my conversion from DMC to Gumnuts Stars (my favorite fiber ... so far) and one Silk 'n Colors that Stars didn't have a close match for. I think the fibers will work out well, but I'm gonna have to have a little fabric spa time in the kitchen to work one of my stash fabrics into a suitably splotchy state. The Lambswool in the pic just isn't vintage enough for me.

It's time for this post to end. It started two hours ago, but my slow-as-a-snail computer needed a restart a while back, and I got sidetracked. Hope you're all having a good week. Thanks so much to you who visit and comment. Comments are like getting little letters from people who understand what's been written.

Make some fun.

It's Really After Labor Day?

2009-09-08T18:48:00.006-06:00

Have you noticed that my recent post titles indicate that I'm struggling with time? I am. Seems like just a few days ago I was spending the Fourth of July on a Minnesota lake. Now Labor Day is over. Yep, I know it happens every year, but it also seems to happen more quickly every year. The new school (sorry, but I can't bear to call it my new school) continues to suck up my time, but I will get used to it.

The long weekend was a fun one. Each Labor Day weekend, the Taste of Colorado is the big event in the Denver area, and they always have an interesting music schedule. The man I hang around with and I are music fiends, so we found some blasts from the past to check out. We saw Grand Funk Railroad (if you remember them, you're old like me), the Spinners (huge crowd) and Robert Cray (not from the olden days). Robert Cray is one of my personal favorites, so I was enthralled, even with the huge outdoor crowd of talking gawkers. Enjoying free music is a great way to relax.

Even though I finished Evil Serpent ten days ago, I'm just now getting around to showing you the finished product. Here's a little picture taken as the sun was coming up one morning.

I changed a few little things. I put Rhodes stitches in the eyes of the peacock's tail feathers, giant eyelet stitches in the flower centers, and I stitched my children's initials instead of Vilma's charted letters.

The directions about how to stitch the grass were unclear to me, so I used satin stitches, as I did for all of the other bird's tail feathers. The date was a little too big and fat for me, so I stitched it over one.

I'm pretty happy with that little finish. This past week, there's been very little stitching (sniff), but I've worked a little on Shores and Women of the Mayflower. Eventually, there'll be enough progress to show you, but not yet. Speaking of progress, I'm gonna go make some.

Make some fun.

Better Late Than ...

2009-08-29T16:40:00.005-06:00

My new work schedule is really getting in the way of my fun. It'll take some time to adjust, but it'd be nice if it happened soon. All of my work tasks are getting done, but my other endeavors are suffering.

Take, for instance, TUSAL. I should've posted a picture more than a week ago, but it didn't happen. So here you are ... One thing I could do on the way home from work is to pick up a newly framed item. Here's a picture of Twined Heart, a little Shepherd's Bush band sampler that I finished a while back.

I think the frame is so pretty that I had to try a close-up picture of it, even though my photographic skills are right up there with any seven-year-old's. Why did I let this project sit unfinished in a drawer for so many years? What was I thinking?

How about a little visit to Eden? Here's my progress on Evil Serpent. I kept thinking that I'd have this finished by now. It's getting close, so maybe on my next post ...
On 40-count, this is a tiny sampler ... only four by six inches ... or so. When I brag about finishing it, I'll show you some of the things I did differently than charted. I'll have to go close-up again, so get ready for some more amateur photos. Maybe I'll finish this weekend!

As soon as Evil Serpent is finished, I'm going back to Shores for Block 2. I've been watching FayeRaye's progress, and I'm gonna try to keep up with her. Debbie asked me if I'm gonna rest between Shores blocks or keep on keepin' on. I think I'll continue to work on a couple of things between blocks. Each block is such a good little project that it just makes sense to have a little different scenery in between.

Happy weekend ... make some fun.

Saturday Is Bath Day

2009-08-22T11:09:00.003-06:00

What? Two days in a row? Don't get used to it.

I had to show you what I accomplished so early on a Saturday. You may remember my old man cat Merlin, aged 17 years. Even though he's suffering from kidney failure (used to be 20 pounds, now down to 11), he's still hanging in. Because he's so old, he doesn't take such good care of himself anymore, so he gets an occasional bath. Merlin would probably exact some hideous retribution (ie, pee in a corner, barf on the carpet ... oh, wait, he already does that) if he had any idea that I'm showing you these pictures. But I couldn't resist, and what he doesn't know won't hurt him. Here he is after his bath. Oh, and in the background is a piece of now-shriveled catnip I brought in for him last night.

I know (gasp)! Isn't he pitiful, but cute? Merlin's a little unsteady on his feet at times, but he's still jumping up on his favorite places. He's especially fond of jumping from my bed onto my lap while I'm stitching. You can just imagine how that turns out. He's our friend, so we'll take good care of him as long as we can. I can tell he's weaker, because this summer there hasn't been any bloodshed (never his blood, mind you) during our tub encounters. I almost feel bad that I don't have any wounds.

That's it for now. Make some fun.

Whew! Week #1 Is Done

2009-08-21T21:04:00.003-06:00

Ahhhhhh, it's finally Friday. The first week with kiddos at school is done, and I'm pooped. I always feel very sorry for the first-graders. Many of them have never been to a full day of school until this week, and they're incredibly tired for the first few weeks. You can actually watch them droop during the afternoons. Poor sweet little kids. I can relate. Today a second-grader told me that I might be a little older than his dad. After I asked how old is dad is, he told me 28. Then I told him that my son is 28, so I'm old enough to be his grandma. His answer? "Huh-uh, I don't think so." I love this kid.

I don't have loads of time to spend here this evening, because I wanna go put my ass in my chair and stitch until I can't keep my eyes open. But I wanna let my stash giveaway girls know what's coming their way. Barb, the new stash queen (because I sent her something a few weeks ago), is the only brave soul to request the Paula Vaughan kit. You rock, Barb! I put three little slips of paper in the cute little Damariscotta dish for the L&L Angel. I swished and swirled them around and pulled out Jennifer, so the angel will be winging her way to Georgia. Thank you again to any of you who have requested my destashing treasures. As soon as I have more stashy stuff to pass on, you'll see it here.

I wish I had a picture for you, but my progress on Evil Serpent has been very slow this week. Maybe I'll have something to show after the weekend. Oh, the weekend. I love weekends. Hope you have a happy one. Make some fun.

A Monday Quickie

2009-08-17T21:20:00.004-06:00

The lesson I'm relearning this week is that time flies whether we're having fun or not! I had such good intentions, but time moves so quickly when that work day takes over.

I'll get business out of the way first, and then we'll go on to fun. Well, I guess the business part of this post is kinda fun. I'll be sending the Shepherd's Bush pillow kit to Diana (no blog?) just as soon as she sends me a snail mail address. Hooray ... another stash piece off to a happy home. No one asked for the bread cloths, so they'll go back into the cedar chest for a little while.

I have two more kits to give away, and then we'll stop until my friend Rhonda (no blog) decides what she wants from the bag I took to her house. The Lavender and Lace "Angel of Summer" kit below needs a new home. I'm thinking that this design uses 32-count Twilight Blue linen, and it includs all of the floss, metallics and beads. Since it was kitted, it has to be more than a decade old. It's a beautiful angel, but I know I won't stitch it.

Then there's this Paula Vaughan "Welcome Summer" kit. It includes an ivory fabric and all of the needed flosses.
If you're interested in either or both of the kits, just let me know by Thursday, and we'll do what we've been doing for a couple of weeks now. If you're new to the game, just look at the past few posts to catch up.

Here's what I've been working on in the little time I've had to stitch. Adam and Eve have appeared in Evil Serpent, as have the birdies. I really wanna finish this one and another A&E so I can put them together. Now if only my schedule will cooperate.

I had a very exciting weekend. On Saturday I met up with an old college friend who I hadn't seen in about 30 years. It was just like we'd seen each other last week! He looks and seems so much the same. Isn't that the strangest thing? We hung around a lot for the year we were in school together, and then we kinda went our separate ways, keeping in touch once in a while. It's good to see old friends. Then the man I hang around with entertained me with a little motorcycle ride up to Estes Park. It was a beautiful weekend, and it was filled up in the perfect ways. Color me lucky!

That's it for today. I'm off to watch The Closer and hit the hay. Make some fun.

Last Day of Freedom

2009-08-11T09:40:00.002-06:00

Yep, I'm whining. It's the last day of summer vacation (sniff ... sob), which is my favorite time of year. I'm very happy to be employed, but I love, love time off. I appreciate every single minute of it. We all know those retired people who complain about being bored. I'll never be one of those people. Bored has always been a dirty word at my house. With all there is to see and do, how can anyone fail to entertain themselves?

As promised, I used an untechnological method to choose recipients for the UFOs and fabric. I got out my pretty little Damariscotta Pottery dish and put little slips of paper in it. Like this ...

Ellen will be receiving Home Sweet Home, Buttoned Hearts will be sent to Loraine (no blog?), and the fabrics will be sent to Pam. If you ladies will send me a snail mail address, I'll get those things out to you ASAP. Thanks to all of you who offered to give homes to my old projects and fabric. For those of you who are wondering, I'm thrilled to be giving stash items away rather than throwing them away. I hate waste! It is my extreme pleasure to keep the US Post Office busy carrying things from my house to yours. And isn't it nice just to get something you want with no strings attached? I love things like that. So enjoy.

I'd like to mail out two more packages. These projects aren't even UFOs ... they're ancient Shepherds Bush kits (just look at the packaging and charts). First is a selection of bread cloths that I'm giving away together. There's an angel cloth and a shepherd cloth.
I also have a cute little pillow kit. Sorry ... it's a picture of a picture, but you can get an idea of how it looks.

All of these items have fabric, cotton floss and chart. Again, you just have to let me know the item(s) you'd like to have. I'll give you until Friday to make your request. I think I'll try to get it all settled by Friday afternoon, because there's no telling what the weekend will bring.

How about a progress picture? Here's Block #1 of Shores of HRH all finished. That was fun!

I've worked a little on Evil Serpent and I've sat at my sewing machine for a little while, but that'll have to wait until next time. I'm off to play golf and enjoy the rest of the day.

Oh, by the way, the Harley trip to Steamboat Springs was great. We had wonderful weather and saw beautiful scenery. If you don't know about Steamboat, you oughta google the little ski town and see it before developers completely change it. Make some fun!

UFOs and an OMG

2009-08-07T10:29:00.006-06:00

Gee, I was certain I'd be back here before now. Instead of sitting at the computer, I've been filling the last week before going back to school (NO!!!) with fun. Very little stitching is being done, but oh well. I'm forcing my butt into the chair at my computer desk to get this post done, because there are things to do and people to see. Shall we jump right in to the UFOs?

First up is Buttoned Hearts by Shepherd's Bush. I started it long, long ago, but didn't make much progress. It's stitched on 18-count white linen with Medici wools. It comes with the fabric, wools, chart, and buttons. Wanna finish it?

Next is Home Sweet Home, a kit by Emie Bishop (Cross 'n' Patch). I started it in a class I took with her at the Charlotte Market ages ago. This project has a hardanger section in it, which isn't really difficult, but it helps to have had some practice. It comes with the chart, instructions, silks and metallics, and fabric. Wouldn't you like to finish this project?

Those are really the only two UFOs up for grabs today, but here is a fabric assortment I'd love to give away. As you can see, there are several colors. What you may not be able to see is the count variety. These are all evenweave fabrics, but none of them are linens. There's some Linda, Tula, some Lugana (I think), and at least another type I've forgotten the name of. Care to add them to your stash?

That's it for today's selection. If you're interested in having these items arrive at your house, please just leave me a comment by Tuesday, August 11. If more than one person asks for any item, I'll do a decidedly untechnological drawing to pick a recipient. Sound good?

And now for the OMG! Look! It's And They Sinned ... framed!

How's that for speed in framing? The framer did a lovely job of putting my mother of all samplers into a dark cherry frame. I like it! But where to put it? Looks like there's a rearrangement in my future. The stairwell sampler wall will require some space to accomodate the new acquisition. Sounds like an appropriate end-of-vacation (golly, I hate to say that) activity.

That's it until next week. I'm off now to prepare for a weekend motorcycle getaway to Steamboat Springs (gasp!) with the man I hang around with. I know! Doesn't that sound like fun? What a good idea he had. Do you think I'll be stitching while riding on back? Probably not. Have a wonderful weekend and make some fun.

The Last Tuesday in July

2009-07-28T10:05:00.004-06:00

Is it Tuesday already? How does that happen so quickly? I'm amazed at how the summer is slipping by. I keep trying to dig in my heels, but it doesn't seem to be working.

In my mind, feeble as it is, that UFO giveaway idea worked rather well. I had a request from one person for each project, so I'm happy. The bunny band sampler is going to Kate, Barb is getting the log cabin quilt square, and Wanda (no blog) will get the seashells. There is quite a selection of items in my UFO/Never Gonna Stitch pile, so I'll be picturing them for future giveaways beginning with my next post. I truly appreciate giving UFOs a good home. It makes me feel less wasteful.

Speaking of being less wasteful, here's something that I finished from my olden WIP pile. It's Twined Heart from Shepherd's Bush, and I can remember beginning it at an old stitch 'n' bitch session about 12 years ago (gasp). I know! It sat for years in a drawer, waiting for me to put the ribbon and beads on it. What the hell took me so long? It took all of about 45 minutes yesterday afternoon to just get 'er done. So hooray!

What about the new starts? Well, there hasn't been enough progress on Mayflower Women to warrant a picture. I'll see what I can do to remedy that situation. In another moment of weakness, I started the Evil Serpent Sampler from Examplars from the Heart (oops). OK, I've been a naughty girl again. I think I can live with that, because it's really fun to stitch. And look ... it's so cute.

Since I have a newly organized selection of fabrics, I decided to use something I've already spent money on (imagine that!). So Zack (yes, he's visiting again this week) helped me give a piece of 40-count Sandstone a spa day in my kitchen. Under Zack's watchful eye (he follows me everywhere), I soaked the fabric in my jar of coffee from the fridge for an hour or so, and then baked it in the oven until dry. I love the splotches we got. The man I hang around with will be amazed at all of the marvelous things his dog has learned, won't he?

I've also spent some time working on Block 1 of Shores. For some strange reason, the grayish rocks and the blue in the water look like the same color. In real life, it's not that way at all. Let's see ... could it be the camera? Nah ... it has to be operator error. But you get the idea.

That's what's been happening around here. I'll be looking through my files with the idea of dislodging more projects from my collection. You can be certain that there are some oldies-but-goodies in there. After the UFOs are gone, I'll be putting charts up for grabs. I'd better go get busy. Make some fun.

Good News!

2009-07-23T09:11:00.005-06:00

There is good news for our family today! Mom had a scan on Monday showing that chemo is shrinking her tumors and lymph nodes. Isn't that the best news? Mom is a champion at having a positive attitude, and she's extremely encouraged by the new info. I'm pretty certain that she has a record number of prayers/chants/good thoughts from all over the world working for her, so thank you again to all of you who are helping. We could never express how grateful we are for your kindness. My only request is that you keep Mom (Estelle) on your list and continue to do whatever you're doing. Relief is a great feeling. I'm heading over to hang out and stitch for a while during her chemo today.

OK, on to regular stuff. Here's my TUSAL jar for the month, pictured with some friends. You'll notice that I've moved up to a quart-sized jar. I have a feeling that it's the stitchy trash, not orts, that made the move necessary. Do we care about that? Nah.

I've been a busy, busy organizer. Slow, but busy. After my closet got a makeover, I started working on my stash. I've sorted through all of my fabric, identified counts, and put everything into new Elfa drawers (gasp). I know! New drawers in my closet! The Container Store is a lovely place. Sorry ... I've ADD'd my way off the subject. There are now special places for kitted projects (way more than I thought) and WIPs (yes, I found more :O).

I had forgotten about many UFOs that I have absolutely no intention of finishing. You know how that is, right? My tastes and desires have changed in the decades since they were started. So, I hope I'm not veering off into the tacky side of blogland, but I don't know all of the rules. Would anyone like to finish the following UFOs?

First up is Window Sill Shells. My start is on 32-count white linen, two-over-two, and includes chart and start.
Next is a project that someone else started and gave to me, thinking I'd be thrilled to finish it. No, I'm not. It's on linen band and includes floss, beads, dowel for hanging, and instructions.

Last on today's list is a log cabin quilt square with specialty stitches. It could be framed or made into a pillow, and it's almost finished. Most of the diamond shapes on the right need to be unstitched and restitched, and that's the border to the project. Only the border has to be stitched. I think it's on 28-count natural linen, and it comes with floss, directions, chart and start.
If you're interested in any of these UFOs, just leave a comment about which one you'd like to have. If more than one person is interested, I'll draw names in a very unscientific way. If no one is interested, they'll go off into the UFO cosmos ... or something.

Since I haven't finished going through my cedar chest and files (I know ... I've been a hog and this is years overdue), there will be some more destashing to come. I've promised a friend first chance at kits and charts, but she'll want only a fraction of what's leaving the premises. So stay tuned for some stash giveaways.

When not reorganizing, I've been stitching away on my new starts, Shores and Mayflower Women. Next time I'll show you what I've been up to. Believe it or not, there are only three weeks left of summer vacation for me (oh no!), which makes me almost apoplectic. Ya'll know what a brat I am about time off. I've had Zack as a houseguest, because his person has been working nights (poor man ... it's done him in). He's been helping me get my miles walked and my errands done. Merlin (yes, the old man cat is still hanging in there) is not amused, but we've had only one confrontation all week.

'Til next time ... make some fun.

Startitis

2009-07-18T10:03:00.005-06:00

Yes, it's a terrible disease affecting many stitchers, and it's horribly contagious. I've been reading all about it on other stitchy blogs, so I know now how it's transmitted. All you have to do is see someone else's stitchy starts, and you're immediately obsessed with starting something new of your very own. I've been fighting the urge daily. No, many times a day. Ever since I finished And They Sinned, I want to start every single project I have (and there are hundreds ... no kidding), but I've only started two.

First is Women of the Mayflower. It's from the Spring 2004 volume of Fine Lines, so it's been waiting to be stitched for quite a while. It's a design from Olde Willow and is charted for Olde Willow floss. I have the colors, but my purple for the words and other parts was way too pale, so I had to use a darker color from Weeks (which required unstitching many letters, of course). My fabric is 35-count Dye Pot Blend from R&R, and it seems so big after 40-count! I actually started this in the car on the way to Minnesota (before ATS was actually finished), but stopped when I discovered the purple floss issue.
You see, I didn't take ATS to Minnesota. There was only a tiny bit of stitching left to do as I was leaving town, but I didn't want to expose it to all of the travel elements. You know ... dog hair, dog feet, road food, Diet Coke.

Next to join the WIP pile is Shores of Hawk Run Hollow (gasp!). I know! I'm so excited to start this project, which certainly must have drool marks on the fabric and charts from my many longing looks and thumb-throughs while stitching other things. I'm using the NPI silks called for and 40-count Vintage Autumn Gold from Lakeside. A sweet lady at Needle in a Haystack (how rude of me to forget which lady) helped me choose a piece of fabric with less gold and more brown in it ... over the phone! She was incredibly patient. I love stitching Shores, and here's a pic of my progress from a few days ago. With my unfortunate photographic skills (or lack thereof), the color of the fabric isn't like real life.

Finally, here is the WIP I took to Minnesota. It's The Heart's Content Colonial Charm Sampler, which I started about 15 years ago. Isn't that awful? I have so many things in my WIP pile that were started oh, so long ago. I'm gonna try to force myself to work on it at least once a week (uh huh, sure). I love it, but I'm obsessed with Shores and some other projects. What to do?

I just got a call from my niece to let me know that she and my mom will be stopping by after a run through Whole Foods! Eek! I have to get out of my nightgown and wash my face and pick up a few things, so this post has to end. I'll leave you with a sunset from Sugar Lake in Minnesota. I took loads of sunset pictures, and some of them actually turned out.

Thank you to all of you sweet bloggy friends who commented about the completion of ATS. It's so much fun to have encouragement. You'll be happy to know that it's at the framer now.

Oh, before I go, there are two giveaways to tell you about. Marie and Jolene are both having giveaways, so get on over to their blogs and check them out. And make some fun.

Finally Finished!

2009-07-14T19:34:00.004-06:00

I know! It's so shocking! I finally finished my biggest BAP to date. The deed was done last Saturday as I was sitting on the patio with my mom. She asked if it was anti-climactic ... lol. Not at all! When my sister finished, she described how she felt as empty. I don't feel that way. I feel rather liberated. I can move on to other things I've been wanting to stitch. Well, to be honest, I've already moved on!

Since you've already seen the rest of And They Sinned (over and over again), here's a final view of the last section ...

And since I signed mine differently, I had a little space next to the last tree on the right. I used it to add a little bunny and some more initials. This picture didn't come out as well as I'd hoped ... sorry about that.

I'm a little short of time this evening, so I'll show you my new starts (yes, that's plural) next time, along with a WIP I got to work on while riding to and from Minnesota. But first, there will be a few hours (optimistically speaking) spent cleaning out my closet. I'm not allowing myself to do anything fun until that's done. Golly, it's tough to force myself to do necessary tasks when I just wanna stitch!

Make some fun.

A Surprise Trip

2009-07-12T09:43:00.008-06:00

Well, it wasn't really a surprise. We'd been talking about it, and even decided to go the weekend before we left. But there was so much to do beforehand that it felt like a spur-of-the-moment idea. Maybe it was just me ... I didn't think we'd really go. Anyway, the man I hang around with, Zack and I took off on July 2nd for Sugar Lake, near Annandale, Minnesota. We spent almost a week at his family's lake house, which is a beautiful place. The weather was perfect (no exaggeration ... really)! Zack is an excellent traveller, of course, and we laughed our way across six states.

Since I'm a crazed tourist, and I had never been to Iowa or South Dakota, that nice man took the long way home so we could see some sights. Wanna see some pictures? If you don't, there's always the option of that back arrow on your browser, so feel free.

First, here's Zack enjoying a ride through the Bad Lands, where his constant companion declared, "Fifteen dollars to see the Bad Lands? Hell, we just wanna drive through, not stake a claim!" The man has a sense of humor.

We also visited these guys. What a spectacular place! It was even better than I expected.
I wasn't rushed through a single place, so I even had time to add some more squished pennies to my collection. I know. I'm a big dork. You wouldn't believe all the pictures I took.

The Corn Palace (bushels o' fun) was another great spot, but I could've skipped Wall Drug. I'm telling ya, South Dakota has tourism dialed in. We stopped at a rest stop just across the state line, and they loaded us up with materials. There was no way we could miss anything. One stop we had to make was Sturgis. It's weeks before the big Motorcycle Rally, but they're already preparing. My traveling companion needed lots of t-shirt shopping time (hey, a guy has to have the right Harley attire for rides).

I could only fit a few pictures in (I take those pictures that use a lot of memory), but I had to show you how happy Zack was to get home.

I had a huge surprise waiting for me when I got home on Friday. There was a package from Robin, which contained fabulous prizes ...

There's a lovely framed piece, a felted wool pin cushion and wallet, and a little scissors fob. How nice of Robin! Months ago, Robin offered to send a PIF (that she decided to call a RAK) to someone who commented on her blog. I was a lucky recipient! She asked about favorite things (hearts and purple) and fixed up quite a package. I didn't imagine that there would be such great goodies, so I'm extremely thrilled. Thank you, thank you, Robin.

So that's all I have time for today. Next time (hopefully soon) I'll have some pictures of stitchy things and of a big-ass finish (I'm barely containing my squeals of delight). I'd fill you in now, but I haven't taken pictures, and my brother is visiting. I wanna try to beat him at golf today. It's one of the few times I'm competitive ... golf with my brother. Even if he hasn't played for over a year, he can still kick my ass. Maybe I'll have some time to see what ya'll have been up to. I have loads of blog-reading to do. Until later, make some fun.

Lost & Found

2009-06-29T20:38:00.004-06:00

This is the story of how Doris lost items with extreme sentimental value today. First, here is the little bag ...

... which holds fabulous little items: tiny scissors with fancy strawberry scissor weight (queen stitches on 40-count), a little emery, various scraps of paper including something Bekah scribbled on at age 3 ...
... and fits inside other larger bags that have been dragged hither and yon for 15 years or so without incident (except for that time the smiling-but-evil security lady in Bermuda took away the scissors I forgot to put in checked luggage) ...

... so I can take my projects wherever I like.

So what's all of this leading to? This morning I had to have my car serviced, so I took ATS for two hours of stitchy entertainment while I was waiting. In my haste to get from the waiting room to the cashier (hurrying to pay?), I left the little bag at the auto dealership (gasp!). I know! When I figured it out, I felt faint. I called and no one had seen it. So I got in my little car and returned to the dealership, went into the waiting room (interrupting a sales pitch), looked in the little drawers of the table I was sitting next to, and there it was (huge sigh of relief)! Whew! Another crisis averted. Now, do you think I should consider removing some of the little items in case this happens again? Or do you think this has been a large enough lesson to teach me to pay attention? I'm thinking it over. I was extremely lucky/fortunate/blessed to find my little bag almost exactly where I left it.

I shared this little story with you, because I need to slow down and think. Since the last day of school, I've had many trips and falls and spills (I'll spare you the injury list) and forgotten items as I've run and skipped and rushed around without really thinking. My sister asked me how I got a particular scab, and I said, "I jumped up ..." And she said, "Now see there? Why do you have to jump up? Can't you just stand up?" I think I'd better settle for a slower speed of life. I could pace myself. And that, kids, is the lesson for today ...

A quick and happy report before I go: Mom is stitching again, which means she's feeling pretty good. Thank you again for all of your thoughtful messages and prayers.

Still Catching Up

2009-06-24T13:09:00.004-06:00

Maybe I'm just slow, but the after-vacation catch-up is taking a while. First, I forgot to post my TUSAL pic, and I'm now three days late (oops). I'm pretty sure I lost some orts during my travels, but oh well!

I've been working my way back into blogland by reading backwards until I get caught up at each blog I visit. It takes a while to read and click on the interesting stuff, so hours pass and not much progress is made. Ya'll have been busy! I love seeing what's been happening.

On my stitchy front, here's where I stand in Eden. The end is definitely close!

During my little changes here and there, I think I've left too many spaces between the lines of writing. I'm gonna stitch the half-stars on the bottom and make a decision about unstitching the second row. I'm even gonna shorten the motifs by one stitch to help things along. I really don't wanna unstitch and restitch at this point, but I'm not sure just ignoring it is gonna work for me. I just realized that I'm gritting my teeth while I type! Deep breathing may help. Unstitching is part of stitching, right?

This is my short little post for today. There are things to do and places to go this afternoon, so I'm off. Make some fun.

Home Again

2009-06-21T22:57:00.008-06:00

It's always so much fun to be home again after a trip! Going places and seeing friends is wonderful, but I love getting into my own bed. The man I hang around with and Zack picked me up at the airport very late Thursday night. I had Nikki all lined up to take care of the airport chore, but someone else wanted to stay up late (gasp!). I know! It's been many years since a man wanted to pick me up at the airport. Obviously, this is a very nice man.

Anyway, this is my first lengthy time at the computer since I left on June 8. I had thoughts of posting from the road, but I was having too much fun to sit and type. That's a good thing. I have no stitchy pictures for you right now (I was also having too much fun to stitch much), so here are some pretty pictures from my travels. I flew into Burlington, Vermont, stayed a few days with friends down by Middlebury, and then drove to see another friend who lives in Bath, Maine. After a few days there, I drove back to Vermont. I had a couple of driving adventures due to a mixture of crappy Mapquest directions (my theory is that some of their employees think it's funny to send users on crazy trips through small towns) and operator error (me?). I had to use a lifeline on the way back to Vermont when I was in a downpour near Killington. I phoned my friend Diane (a challenge in the cell phone black hole that is Vermont) to ask if I was really and truly on the right track. Eventually, all intended destinations were reached without tears or law enforcement contact.

First, the lupines were amazing all through Maine. There were fields of them by the sides of roads, next to houses ... just everywhere. My mom loves flowers, so here's one of the pictures I took for her ...

We went to dinner one night in Harpswell, Maine, and here's a picture of the sunset we enjoyed on the way back to Bath. Do you see that rock in the bay? There's a seal on top of it, but it's a little tough to see.

And below is a picture of the lighthouse at Popham Beach in Maine. On one of the gorgeous days we had, we walked the beach. Too, too pretty.

And how about a view of the Adirondacks across Lake Champlain? You can't see the lake, but the mountains are on the other side of it. This was taken right down the road from where my friends live in Cornwall, Vermont. I love it there.

I worked very hard at doing my part to stimulate the economy, and a money diet is in effect for the rest of the summer. No buying unnecessary items ... right up until I see that fabric/fiber/project I can't resist. If I'm struck by the urge, there may be a few more pictures you may have to endure in future posts.

Since today was Father's Day, I was over at the folks' house to visit. I brought ready-to-freeze blueberry ice cream over, and Dad helped me with the ice cream freezer. Mmmmm, good! Mom has been through two chemo treatments and is feeling pretty good. We're all pleasantly surprised at this point. So your prayers and good thoughts and chants are working! Thank you again for your efforts.

I'm still hard at work catching up at home and in blogland, and I haven't yet had time to visit everyone. I missed all of you and your news, and it's wonderful to get back into the rhythm of the blogs. When taking much-needed breaks from closet-cleaning (ugh, please save me), stash-reorganization (very scary but so much fun) and general scouring, blogland will be my first choice for procrastination. Stitching will have to be put into the schedule, of course, and we'll see how that pans out. Until the next post ... make some fun.

First Summer Vacation Post

2009-06-03T20:04:00.009-06:00

Ahhhh, finally I'm feeling like it really is summer vacation. It took a week. A very busy week. In my last post, I told you that I was going hiking with the girls. I have a few pictures of our adventure to show you. We went hiking up a trail in the Mt. Evans area. Mt. Evans is one of several 14ers (I forget how many, which is awful because I should know that) in Colorado. There was still snow on the trail in places, and it was a little chilly when we weren't walking. We even had some thunder and a little pellet snowfall. Here's a sample of what we saw ...Isn't that beautiful? My sister-in-law, Barbara, asked me on the drive up if I notice how pretty it is here every day. Thank goodness I could tell her that I always notice! I feel lucky every time I look at the sky or the rolling hills or the mountains. Below is a picture of the girls ...

Clockwise from top left you see Barbara, her sister Paula, my niece Kelly, and Paula's daughter Laura. Do you also see our little companion? Zack (faithful companion of the man I hang around with) was the only male to accompany us. As you can see above and below, he was always on the lookout for varmints.

The poor boy had to have walked three times farther than the rest of us, because he was always off the trail, sniffing and checking out every tree, bush, log and pile of poop. What a guy. He required a little assistance when we climbed up some rocks and over a log. In fact, he was high-centered on a log, so Kelly and Laura came to his rescue. Too bad I wasn't fast enough to get a picture of that! Of course, he was too tired to do anything but nap on the ride home.

Would you like to see how things are going in the Garden? The only positive comment I have about hospitals is that sitting there affords some pretty good stitching time. Here's where I am today ...

The lower right tree is at the bottom of the sampler (gasp)! I know! How exciting is that? Those of you who have already stitched ATS will notice that I've changed the words. I don't like abbreviations, like 9-07 for September 2007 (those of you who've been with me for a while already know about my strange OCD issues), so some changes were required to satisfy my needs (just saying that makes me laugh at myself). To satisfy some equally odd need, I tried to make the pond pretty. Well, pretty to me.

Go ahead, call me kooky. I just had to have some ripples where the fishing line is dropping into the water. Maybe by the end of the month ... sorry, but I can't say it. I don't wanna jinx it.

I have to tell you a little about Mom. I told her how incredibly kind all of you have been, and she wants me to thank you for your prayers, chants, candles, good thoughts and happy wishes. Our whole family is thankful for your thoughtfulness. Mom spent a couple of days in the hospital again this week (her blood is being naughty), but she's back home and feeling better.

This will probably be my last post before I go off to New England on Monday. There's so much to do between now and then. I've caught up on a few blogs, but I have a ways to go. I've missed spending time with ya'll. Maybe I'll surprise you from the road with a post or two. My friends have computers, but it's hard to sit alone in a room when everyone else is drinking/laughing/visiting without me. I don't wanna miss a thing! Nikki will be at home with Merlin, so he'll be in good hands.

Later, gators ... make some fun.

PS ... I've tried to make this crazy thing make spaces for paragraphs, but it won't work today (rrrrr, @#!@*#). So sorry if it's difficult to read.

The C Word

2009-05-27T21:58:00.005-06:00

My family has been wrestling with the C word for two weeks. Yesterday it became absolutely real and true. My mom has cancer. The name of the vile monster is extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. It started in her gall bladder and has moved into her liver. Mom is really good at seeming well, but she hasn't been well for quite a while. At this point, she's home and is feeling better.

Amazingly, we're in a calm period right now. At first, we were all panic-stricken, but we're in some kind of place where we're all adjusting and assimilating and working it out. My sister-in-law and niece are here (a little earlier than had been planned a while back), and my brother will be here later this week. Our family gets along really well, so it's always incredibly nice when we're all together. We give each other all kinds of crap all the time and laugh and act silly. Sounds like pretty good medicine, huh?

Mom is especially funny. We have a mental collection of Mom-isms. Mom has a tendency to state the obvious (or obvious to us). Our favorites include, "Brain tumors can be dangerous" and "You know, Michael Jackson looks like a girl". When my folks returned from a tour of Italy, during which they were often treated at lunch and dinner to "regional wines", Mom said at lunch one day, "I really miss my regional wines." So when Mom comes up with one some funny one-liner, we laugh hysterically and repeat it often. What's really funny is that all of us (my brother, my sister and I) inadvertently come up with our own Mom-isms. Apparently, it's genetic!

So this is my big discussion of my mom's illness. She reads this (silly girl), and she isn't comfortable having everyone know all the details of her life or having anyone worry about her. Because I care about her comfort, I'll refrain from writing too much here about what's happening. I will absolutely keep you posted if there is good news to report or good stitching news! My mom is a firm believer in prayer. I am a firm believer in positive thoughts and goodwill. If you have a prayer circle at your church, I hope you will include my mom, Estelle, in that circle. If you are a positive thinker, please think of her name and good health. I'm asking for your help in whatever form it comes. Mom will begin chemotherapy soon, and we're all thinking only the best thoughts. Thank you so much for your sweet comments and kind words.

I finished with packing today at school. Tomorrow I'm joining my sister-in-law (Barb) and my niece (Kelly) on a hike way up in the mountains. With all that's been happening, I've sorely neglected my blog and your blogs. Hopefully, that will improve as my schedule loosens up a little. My next post will include some stitchy talk and pics. I'll leave you today with a picture of my parents, Don and Estelle, just so you can see what all the fuss is about. It was taken when Nikki, my daughter, graduated from college a year ago. I'm using it because it's a particularly good picture of all of them.

Can you believe these people have children in their 50's? They also have a six-year-old great-grandchild! Shocking, isn't it?

Make some fun.

2009-05-17T10:21:00.003-06:00

I've had good intentions. Each day this week, I thought about sitting down to post something, but each day has been so busy. My mom is in the hospital, which is such an extreme surprise to all of us that we hardly know what to do. She hasn't felt well for about a month, and when she went to the doctor, they treated her for an infection. Almost a week later, when she went back, they found some more disturbing things. So poor Mom is in the hospital and we've been entertaining her. In fact, it's hard to say which is worse for her ... being in the hospital or the entertainment we've provided. My brother came into town on Friday, so all three of us have been hanging out with Mom and Dad. I'll update you in a few days, when all of the info is gathered. All I ask is that you bring on all of your good thoughts or prayers or anything else you can muster.

On a happier note, here's a picture from Mom's Day of the three family ATS's. You'll notice that Sharri's finished sampler is in the middle, Mom's is on the left, and mine is on the right. At this point, I could be the next to finish, but now that Mom's sick, I almost feel bad about finishing before her. I know the picture quality is bad, but these pics were taken in Mom and Dad's dark den.

I'm not sure if these are clickable. When I first started blogging, all of my pics were clickable, but lately they haven't been. I can't figure out what I'm doing differently. It would help, probably, if I read the manual that came with my camera, but I have other things I'd rather do. If you have advice for the technologically challenged, bring it on. In the picture below, I tried to get a little closer so you could see Sharri's. As we were laying these out, we started noticing all of the things she forgot to stitch. A flower here, some backstitching there, a missed stitch in another place or two. Sharri is the less left-brained sister. She moves around all over the fabric when she stitches, but I tend to move more methodically through a piece. It's not that I love to stitch that way. It's my fear that I'll be unstitching and restitching several areas because I can't count. Maybe Sharri's more of a risk-taker. Or a better counter.

That's about it for today. I'm gonna allow myself a little time on the deck and then I'm off to the hospital for a while. Only one more week with my sweet little friends at school! Then we teachers pack for two days after Memorial Day (a closing school requires much packing), and it's all over but the shouting. Make some fun.

Let Me Out!

2009-05-09T11:26:00.004-06:00

Help! My calendar has trapped me in a vicious vortex of end-of-school events! I'm a prisoner of my schedule! I've missed you all terribly. This morning has been filled with a very little housework and as much blog-reading as I could manage. I decided that I'd better get a post done, or someone will be sending out a search party. While reading, I had some big fat computer issues. I couldn't see the text part of Simone's blog (so I'm missing out on that giveaway), and then another blog I was visiting started that crazy open-as-many-windows-to-this-blog-as-possible thing. What's that about? Is it Blogger? Is it Explorer? Is it operator error?

My morning school, Lewis Ames Elementary in Littleton, Colorado, is closing this year. We are all so sad to leave each other and go to different schools that we've been denying the future. I was rudely roused from my own denial this week when I learned that I've been sentenced to the darkness of hell next year. The administrators of the program I work for are sending me to the only school I've ever truly abhorred (it's the adults, not the students). The deciders (love that Bush-ism) at that school (and don't forget the administrators at the top) make decisions based upon a lack of literacy experience and a belief that a program (rather than excellent teaching) can save their school. Or maybe it's the Magic 8 Ball in the principal's desk! Anyway, I'm in for a summer-long attitude adjustment. I'll have to stitch even more to work out my demons therapeutically and visualize myself doing my best job ever. I think I can, I think I can ...

Ames is having an open house this week, and I'm on the committee planning it. We've been making, baking and painting dough ornaments to give away (pictures to come later), so I've been a busy girl. Our school was treated to a wonderful field trip to Coors Field (home of the Colorado Rockies) this week for a wild event. If you're interested in seeing part of the excitement that exhausted teachers and students (some kindergarteners passed out on the bus ride home), you can look here.

How about a stitchy pic? If you recall from who-knows-how-long-ago, this was what Eden looked like ...
Today, Eden looks like this ...

Hey, there's a little progress. I like seeing both pictures together like that. I started filling in the pond area with some "ripples" from the fishing line. We'll see how that goes. Of course, the swans are gonna need their own "ripples", so making them all work together oughta keep my mind working. I'm not sure where these creative moments (read: wild ideas) come from, but what the hell! Can it hurt to give it a try? Only the unstitching hurts, right?

On another And They Sinned note, my sister finished her journey through Eden (enormous gasp)!! I know! Isn't that exciting? Sharri is now wondering which bank to rob in order to frame it. Hopefully, I'll get a picture for you tomorrow when we go visit Mom.

I'm off to ... 1) enjoy the fabulous sun on the deck, 2) make and bake some more ornaments, 3) remove the hideous debris of the week in my house, 4) savor a Diet Coke with lemon. Two weeks left until I'm set free to roam the golf course and stitch until my elbow hurts.

Happy Mother's Day, all of you moms out there. Make some fun.

Of Thanks, Frames and Sisters

2009-04-30T18:30:00.006-06:00

All of you sweet stitchy bloggers deserve another giant THANK YOU for all of your kind and thoughtful messages this week. I so appreciate your understanding.

Look what was ready at the framer this week! Yep, it's Lo How a Rose making her framed entrance!

I'm very happy with the way it turned out, and it's now ensconced next to my bed. Lo fits in perfectly.

So now I have to ask you a question. Do any of you, like me, have a knack for choosing the most expensive mouldings? Truly, every time I'm in there to pick out a frame, it's always some hideously expensive moulding, and after seeing it next to my stitching, I can't live without it. I'm somewhat envious of those of you out there who frame your own things. I say somewhat because I don't really wanna do that. I'm stingy with my time, and framing isn't how I wanna spend it. Until I'm retired and have more extra time, I'll keep trying to earn enough money to pay for my framing. I'm still secretly laughing about my dad thinking that my mom and sister and I can frame all three ATS's for $500 (hee, hee, hee). We can never, ever let him know the true total price of all three frames. He'd never recover from the shock.

Wanna hear about a couple of new Sisters? The Sisterhood of the Rose has welcomed two new stitchy buds: Melissa in Vancouver, Canada, and Hazel in England. Exchanging a couple of notes with them has been very fun. Adding these two sweet ladies has put us up to nine members! I'm wondering if one of our members will win Edgar's copy of LHaR. We'll see.

When/if you email me about the Sisterhood (or anything else), it occasionally gets caught in the spam net. If I don't answer right away, I'm not being rude (like usual), I just haven't checked my spam box yet.

Did you see the fabulous prizes that the BBD ladies brought back from France for the lucky winners of their contest? Outstanding items. I want to fondle them. The items, not Alma and Barb. In fact, I'm feeling rather covetous (that feels like a word, but I'm not certain) of those items. But I'm very happy for the winners, and surely they'll enjoy their new treasures.

OK, I'm off to stitch in the purple chair. Wanna know what tomorrow's number is? 3. Yep, three weeks 'til the last day of school. Work has been somewhat drama-filled this week, and I've been less than willing to deal with it. Hopefully, it's just temporary emotional overload, and my serenity will return soon. The end of this school year is bittersweet, as they'll be closing my morning school. I'll save that for another post. Adam and Eve are calling me.

Happy Friday tomorrow ... make some fun.

Little Sampler

2009-04-27T19:24:00.006-06:00

Here's my little BBD sampler.

It's stitched over two threads on 40-count linen from my stash that I coffee-dyed and baked (my new favorite pastime). I used three purples: dark is WDW Eggplant, medium is WDW Purple Haze, and light is DMC 452. The little birdie came from BBD's Sarah Tobias.

I'm happy that I jumped on the big bad Blackbird bandwagon last week and stitched this sampler. The opportunity came along at the perfect time, as I explained to Alma and Barb. My youngest child, Rebekah, was born on April 29, 1991, so I immediately thought of stitching this project in her honor. She would have been 18 this Wednesday, but she died in February of 1996. Because this year seems (to me) like a big milestone year, I felt like I should mark it in some way, but I couldn't decide what to do besides the things I do every year. Stitching this little piece provided me with some much-needed stitch therapy.

I think of Bekah many times every single day, as you mothers out there would guess. Since '96, I've worked her initials (they're in the lightest color in the little sampler) into most of the things I've stitched. It's my little way of keeping her in view, I guess.

I hesitated to write about Bekah here, because losing a child is such a profoundly difficult subject to discuss, even after 13 years. And once the subject is open, some discussion has to happen. While we constantly feel her absence in our family, I think we do a pretty good job of continuing to live in a way that would make her happy and proud of us. Living life as victims with bitterness and despair wouldn't honor her or celebrate her life. We all talk about her and have pictures of her everywhere, not because we need reminders, but because we have great memories of her that we want to share.

I could write a book on this subject, but I'll end by saying that losing Bekah has taught me (is still teaching me) an incredible number of lessons I wish I didn't have to learn in this way. My self-appointed job is to learn and live the lessons as gracefully as possible, so that something good can come from something that feels so wrong.

All Better, Etc.

2009-04-25T15:14:00.004-06:00

Well, thanks so much for everyone's concern for the little pink-bottomed sheep. I fixed him up by unstitching and then restitching the offending area, and here he is ... all better.

The fabric underneath was also stained pink, but you can't see it now that it's covered up with new floss. Poor little sheep. Merlin and I have made a pact to conduct future medicinal wrestling out of range of any needlework and upholstery. I'm thinking a plastic, claw-proof, zip-up kitty suit would be a perfect idea, but I've never seen one of those. Oh, my first million-dollar idea? A prototype could be in the making. Maybe velcro instead of a zipper, though, since I hate to put in zippers.

Here's this month's Totally Useless SAL picture.

My ort and stitchy trash jar has seen some traffic this week. I trimmed some edges off of a piece or two of fabric. I love holding linen with straight-cut edges. I know what you're thinking, and yes, it's probably my old friend, OCD, rearing its ugly head again. As long as I'm not nagging anyone or forcing perfection on those around me, I suppose it's ok if I obsess about things like fabric edges. I also have quite a few orts from this week's project, the BBD contest sampler that everyone is stitching. I've neglected Eden horribly this week in favor of working on that little sampler, and it's finally finished. I'll wait until later to show it to you.

How about a Sisterhood of the Rose update? We've added two new sisters to the list: Kathleen from El Paso, Texas, and Wanda from Regina, Saskatchewan, both of whom are not bloggers. Jennifer in Canada will be keeping us updated on her progress.

Following what's become my usual Saturday pattern, I'm posting while looking an absolute wreck. I got out of bed and immediately went to work finishing this week's project, then took some pictures and read blogs and emails, so many things have been neglected. I'm off to rectify that situation and prepare for some fun later. The number this week is 4! There's so much to be done at school and only four weeks in which to get it all accomplished. Happy weekend ... make some fun.

What I Did During the Not-So-Big Storm

2009-04-18T15:21:00.005-06:00

I haven't told you lately how much I enjoy your comments. I was shocked to see so many today (figuring that weather isn't that exciting), and it's so fun to read them. Thank you all for letting me know you're out there and for making this bloggy stuff too much fun.

Why is bad weather so fun? Because we stay inside and get things accomplished! Here's what I did last night and a little of this morning ...

Yes, it should've been stitched in 2000, but it wasn't. I put 2000 on there because it goes with "years ago". I suppose I could've put "2009 - oops, late again", but it wouldn't fit and it's not exactly a Christmas sentiment. It's the Shepherd's Bush (of course) ornament from the 2000 Just Cross Stitch ornament edition. The bad news is that now I have to finish finish it for the 2009 Christmas Challenge. Please don't make me.

After I finished that cute little ornament, I was putting away some fabrics and things and came across this little scrap that I begged from the LNS when they cut some fabric for me the other day. It had a really ugly splotch on it, and they were just gonna throw it away! So I brought it home and treated it to a little coffee bath and oven sauna, and here's my first piece of coffee dyed (or maybe overdyed because the R&R girls had already taken a whack at it) and baked fabric ...

I know. Someone out there is thinking " big deal" or "whoop-dee-doo" (obviously not a primary teacher, because we're rather easily impressed), but we all have to start somewhere, right? I like it so much that I'm already on the lookout for larger not-quite-loved pieces of fabric from my stash to treat to a spa day in my kitchen. It's the perfect size for my next Christmas ornament (you can hear the wheels turning, can't you?), which I will share next month (the power of positive thinking).

Now for today's ridiculous moment share (or maybe overshare). I told you about poor Merlin, who is doing pretty well, considering. Did I tell you about the semi-violent and terribly messy kitty wrestling matches I've had while forcibly medicating him? Together we've been responsible for multiple pink Amoxicillin spots dripped and splashed on carpets and floors and walls throughout my humble abode. We even managed to sling a spot onto my favorite purple chair (gasp)! I know! That took some scrubbing, let me tell you. Sorry, I'm rambling. As I was gazing upon my almost-constant companion (no, not Merlin, even though he's become velcro kitty), And They Sinned, I noticed (yep, you guessed it) a pink spot (huge sobbing gasp)! I know! It's right there on the spotted sheep's butt!

Thank goodness it's the only spot (that I've found). One of my afternoon tasks will be removing the offending stain (huge pain in the ass, considering that I could be stitching some unstitched area) and replacing it with some clean Straw Bonnet. Medicating cats (even old man cats) can be dangerous to people (no, I haven't photographed my scratches), as well as carpets, upholstery, paint, and (sniff) needlework. Learn from my mistakes, sweet friends.

I'm off now to spend some time on personal grooming (someone's still in their jammies) and laundry. Love ya ... mean it. Make some fun.

Too-late Snow Day

2009-04-17T17:10:00.003-06:00

You've heard (or read) me whine about the fact that the Denver area has had very little snow this winter. We've had too much wind, some good golfing days, and some sit-on-the-deck-in-the-sun days, but very little snow. Two weeks ago, we were supposed to get a giant snowstorm. The forecast even provoked a couple of high schools to postpone proms that were supposed to take place the next day (imagine the limo deposit losses, prepaid flowers and tuxes). Well, the weather was cold and a tiny bit snowy, but the big snow missed us by 25 miles.

Yesterday and today, the weather forecasters were at it again. Big snow ... 10 to 20 inches in the Denver area. So we woke up this morning to not much of anything. It rained all night. It snowed a little throughtout the day, but most of it melted or was washed away by rain. None of it stuck to the roads and sidewalks. At 2:10 this afternoon (about an hour before school lets out), it started snowing. Really snowing. Giant flakes fell, making an extra-fluffy layer of very wet snow on the sidewalks and streets. I think it's snowing at a rate of about two inches an hour (no, I'm not exaggerating).

This was my view (the cell phone camera version) on the drive home, once I was off of the busy street that had bumper-to-bumper traffic and cars trying to get going again after stopping on a hill.

This is what it was like by the grocery store and Blockbuster (a girl has to have movies and tonic water for the weekend, after all).

It took me three tries to get out of my afternoon school's neighborhood. It's in a lower area, so all roads out are uphill. Two roads were completely blocked by school buses and cars that couldn't quite negotiate the stop-and-go traffic along with the hills. I cut over to a smaller neighborhood street and could get a run at an uphill street (a Camry requires a little run-up room). Thank goodness I used to live in that area, so I know the streets and shortcuts.

I'm not whining. Really. I'm thrilled to see much-needed moisture soak the dusty eastern part of our state. This snow is the perfect snowball and snowman snow. It'll be several inches of snowball fight waiting to happen. (All I need is a victim. The man I hang around with would kick my ass in a snowball fight.) I just have a couple of questions. Did so many inches have to arrive quite this rapidly? Couldn't it have arrived on Thursday instead of Friday? Do you have any idea how great it is to have a Friday snow day?

So there you have my Friday spring snow adventure. The number is 5. If you've been reading and paying attention, you know what I'm talking about. The last day of school draws near. Happy weekend ... make some fun.

Silly SAL and Eden's Happy Couple

2009-04-13T19:58:00.005-06:00

Happy Monday. Have you figured out yet that I love silly stuff? I do. In fact, I'm constantly entertaining myself with a running dialogue of one-liners, smart-ass remarks and ridiculous commentary. It's always happening. Anyway, as I was wandering around in blogland, I found a silly SAL and decided to join up. It's called the Totally Useless SAL, and Yoyo came up with the idea, and it's probably better if you go to her blog and take a look on the left side to see all about it for yourself.

In order to get started, I first wanna show you a picture of how I usually collect orts. Here is a pile of them on the corner of my purple (the crappy pic has bad, bad colors) chair cushion.

When the ort pile becomes annoying, I stuff it into this little cushion ...

Because I'm now a proud member of the Totally Useless SAL, I will now be putting my orts and stitchy "trash" (fabric scraps, fiber labels, etc.) into this lovely pint jar ...

I put yesterday's orts and stitchy trash into it already. After a while, I'll probably start a different jar for the stitchy trash and give the orts their own jar. We'll see. This SAL suits me just perfectly. The next post of my ort jar will be April 25th. Lovely, isn't it?

I know there are many of you out there who are fascinated with Adam and Eve. I'm completely taken with them. Well, my stitchy friends, you may wanna have a look at someone else's idea of the happy couple. If you go to Missy's blog and scroll down a bit, you'll see her ATS in progress, complete with an anatomically correct representation of Eden's couple (gasp). I know! It's funny and quite creative. She's talented and her blog is very entertaining and highly irreverent (my favorite kind of humor). Go check it out, if you dare.

The uncovered A & E are especially funny to my family because of a kindergarten experience that my son Dylan had. He was given a bear picture on which he was directed to draw clothing. Instead of clothing, Dylan drew the missing parts on the bear (that's my boy). Of course, I received a call from a rather disturbed Mrs. Luna. She had kept him in during recess to redo the bear picture in a more acceptable (to her) manner, and I was summoned to her classroom to discuss the matter. As I recall, she was disappointed that I wasn't upset. I laughed more than once while we were talking, but I was pretty mad that she'd made such a big deal about it. Call me crazy, but it seemed a better idea to say, "That's very nice, Dylan, but let's put some clothing on the bear now." Kindergarteners are five and six, and most males of any age (in my experience) have their equipment on their minds most of their lives. My whole family still laughs about it today, 22 years after the incident.

Hope your week is off to a great start. Make some fun!

Comin' Along

2009-04-10T19:22:00.003-06:00

Wow! Another busy week that sped by. I can't quite figure out where my after-work hours are going, but I know that they're going quickly.

I heard from Jennifer (no blog) yesterday, and she has received Lo How a Rose. As soon as she receives her fabric, she'll be stitching away. She's even thinking of starting a blog (gasp)! I know! Once you get started looking around at what everyone else is doing, you just can't help yourself. It's kinda like potato chips or popcorn. Whether she does begin blogging or not, she will keep us updated on her progress. I think it'd be great if Jennifer decides to join the club here in blogland.

You're probably sick of hearing about Eden (or at least you'd like to see something else), but I couldn't persuade myself to do anything else with the little time I had, so here's how ATS is coming along ...

Ugh! Now that I see that picture on the big screen, it's not very good. Sorry about that. Anyway, in the last update (two posts back) I had filled in the grass to the bottom of the spotted sheep. That was March 29, so I guess that's not too bad. I got to stitch so much last Saturday that my elbow was sore. So I had stitch-ass and stitch-elbow. I was waiting for that big snowstorm to happen, but it missed us by about 25 miles (dang it). The weather wasn't pleasant, though, so I used it as an excuse to hang out in Eden.

This is Friday, and the number is 6. Yes, my beloved blogger buddies, six weeks until summer vacation. I've made my plane reservations to fly off to see friends in New England for a while. Plane fare this year is too good for words. I'm already looking forward to laughing so much that my face hurts by the time I go to bed. What could be better than friends who laugh that much? We have so much fun that, if my stitching is out at all, it usually just sits on my lap because I can't stand to miss anything. And Vermont and Maine ... ahhhhh, I love it there.

That's it for now. I'll try to work on something different. Make some fun.

Sisterhood of the Rose

2009-04-03T20:09:00.005-06:00

No pictures, no big news. Just a short (ok, not short) note about the Sisterhood of the Rose, etc. Our line-up has changed, so I wanted to make sure that everyone knows what's going on. My book containing Lo How a Rose is on its way to Jennifer (no blog) in Canada. I sent it on Monday, but according to the clerk who helped me, it could take a week or two to get to her. I'm a rookie at overseas mail, but I really thought it would be there within a week. I know, I know, that's why they call it snail mail. Silly me. Anyway, the book was supposed to go to Valie after Jennifer, but some kind and wonderful friend has sent Valie the chart, so she's given her spot to Annemarie. Annemarie in the Netherlands will then send it to Ellen in Singapore, who will send it to Erica in New York, who will send it to our newest member, Deb in Florida. Sounds pretty great, huh? I promise I won't go through all the places again, but I just love the sound of it.

If anyone else out there would like to get their name on the list now or in the future, please just email me. A sisterhood is always happy to accept new sisters to share in the fun. Don't be shy ... just join in. We're happy to welcome you.

So it's Friday (TGIF), and the number is 7. Yes, for those of you keeping score with me (or not), it's just seven weeks until summer vacation (gasp!). I know! Seven weeks! We can do that. A rather great snowstorm is heading our way (yahoo ... third one in nine days), so tonight and tomorrow Merlin and I'll be spending time in Eden. I thought of working on something else this week, but Eden called out the loudest. Maybe later this weekend, some other poor deserving WIP will holler louder.

By the way, my mom and dad are near Philadelphia right now visiting our fossils (ancestors who settled in Lancaster County in the 1730's) and sight-seeing, and mom didn't take any stitching on the trip (another gasp!)! I know! What could she have been thinking? Well, she thought she needed a break ... until about 36 hours later. Then she was telling me that she probably should've brought something (duh, Mom ... lol). It's all gonna be OK, though. I set her up with the Strawberry Sampler's address (love that shop), and my folks will program the fancy GPS thingy, then Dad will be a little lighter in the wallet, and Mom will be equipped for travel. Whew! Crisis averted. Now the other part of this story is that I have some time to pull farther ahead of Mom on ATS (evil laugh). Hmmmm. Maybe that's why I'm having difficulty hearing any other WIPs call out to me.

I'll be checking in later. Make some fun.

Updates

2009-03-29T16:35:00.005-06:00

Well, it looks like we'll be having a new Sisterhood (Annemarie's idea). Here's the waiting list for our Lo How a Rose chart ... Jennifer (no blog) in Canada, Valie in France, Annemarie in the Netherlands, Ellen in Singapore, Erica in New York. So, welcome, ladies, to the Sisterhood of the Rose. I'm happy to be the keeper of the list, and I can't wait to see how everyone progresses. If anyone else would like me to add their names to the list, just shoot me an email (my address is in my profile). Also, I had never seen Ellen's and Erica's blogs, and both were great treats.

Here's a little update from Eden. I'm now hard at work on Page 4. The last page! My mom is gonna pass me up any day now, that stinker. I'll try not to be too whiny when that happens.
Now for the sad portion of today's post. Thanks to all of you who commented on Merlin's health. I know I've said that Merlin is my old man cat, but have I ever told you how old he is? One day this spring (we don't know the exact day), he'll be 17. He's the oldest cat we've ever had. We didn't have a happy visit to the vet. Merlin's kidneys are failing, and that's very bad for cats. The vet thinks that with some antibiotics (for a secondary infection) and prednazone and vitamins, Merlin could be with us for three to six months. It's hard to say with cats. They can have good days and bad. But when it's time for them to go, you just know. We've experienced it before, so we sort of know what to expect. He's had a great life with us, and we'll be doing all we can to make sure his last months are good ones. Here's a picture of my lap-sitting stitching and computer buddy looking rather spry (today's a good day). He's so dark that it's tough to make out his features.

It's back to work tomorrow for eight more weeks ... then summer vacation. I think I can do that and manage to make some fun while doing it.

My Machine and I

2009-03-27T14:51:00.005-06:00

The sewing machine and I have been very busy. Wait. What kind of machine did you think I meant in the title? Oh, you naughty girls! Before I get to the projects, here's a look at that antique tablecloth I found last week. Of course, it's too small for my little dining table, and after looking at it, I know why. Look closely at the picture below, and you'll see some card suits. Yes, I think it's a card tablecloth! How cute is that? It also has little ties on each corner. I have no idea what to do with it, so if anyone out there plays bridge, let me know.

Next up are my new pillow made from an antique French linen dishtowel and that cute little pin cushion I found. There was nothing at all to the pillow ... just seams up each side with an overlap in the back to make it an envelope.

The pin cushion insert had been stuffed extremely tightly with wool. I took that one out and replaced it with my homemade insert that was stuffed with crushed walnut shells. Then I found some pretty lampwork beads to dress it up a little bit. As some of you suggested, I tried and tried to figure out a way to make that S into a D, but no way (dang it). I'll try to be satisfied with the fact that Sharri will really like it. If she doesn't, or if she lets her naughty dog get hold of it, I'm stealing it and bringing it back home.

Finally, here is my first Christmas ornament of the year. I joined the 2009 Christmas Challenge (what was I thinking?) a little late, and I'm not requiring that I do the first two months of ornaments. If anyone else notices, I'll just tell them I've been busy in Eden, right? Anyway, this is a Shepherd's Bush cutie from the 1999 (I think) ornament issue of Just Cross Stitch. It's on a 32-count linen that I've forgotten the name of (hey, it's been a few years since I got the fabric and set it aside to stitch), stitched over two. I made some pretty cord, and I found out something about me that I've suspected for quite some time. I hate to sew on cord! Really. I believe that's the main reason that I hate to finish finish things. Sewing on cord is the pits. If I had a therapist, we'd probably have to discuss it. Since I don't (sigh), I guess I'll just have to get more practice at it.

I worked on something else, too, but it's not ready for viewing. No telling when I'll drag the beast of a sewing machine out to play again. Maybe the next time it snows like crazy, which could be many months away. Oh, well.

I'm off now to take my old man cat, Merlin, to the doc. He seems to be declining lately, and he needs some attention. This is not attention he will enjoy, I'm afraid. We'll try to make it fun (at least that's what I'll be saying to Merlin).

Lo How a Rose - The End

2009-03-26T10:41:00.005-06:00

Didn't I say in my last post that I'd update on the next day? Ha! Life always has a mind of its own. So here it is ... I'm very happy with it. I've gotten some questions about it, so I'll give the details again. The design is charted with DMC and with WDW, so I chose WDW colors. I had to change London Fog to Pelican Gray so the words would show up on my fabric. It's stitched on 30-count R & R Old Mill Java, and it measures 5 and 3/4 inches by 5 and 1/2. The hexagon in the lower right corner is empty in the design, but I decided to treat it as a cartouche ...

I tried to keep my initials and the year in the same style as the letters that the Brightneedle girls used. Sorry that picture is so difficult to see, but you get the idea. So, hooray, my second finish of the year. That's all? Yep. I'm blaming it on Eden.

My book with LHaR in it is going to Canada tomorrow to be with Jennifer (no blog), who found that the price of the book has become a little silly. I agree. I paid one dollar for the book, and the last price I heard was $30. Yes, booksellers have every right to set their prices according to supply and demand, but some of us would rather splurge on the three F's ... fabric, fibers and framing. So we're starting a little pass-along. When Jennifer is finished, she's gonna send the book to Valie in France. If anyone else would like to join us in our progressive stitch, please email me, and the book will continue to travel. And who knows? Valie may find the book at a more reasonable price while she's waiting. I reckon we'll see.

It's finally snowing here, so I'm gonna drag out the sewing machine and try to get some things finished. Then I'll be back in Eden. Since Lo is finished, I'm gonna keep my mini-rotation (me? rotate?) going on Thursdays. Miss Lila is waiting along with so many others in the WIP basket, calling out to me to pick them up and pay them some stitchy attention. Shall I start today? Maybe, but it's been a while since I spent some days in Eden, so by next Thursday I'll know which project I'm in the mood for. I'm off ... make some fun.

** Oops! I'm editing to say that LHaR is stitched over one on 30-count, which is why it's so small. Sorry I left out that important piece of info. **

Busy Girl

2009-03-23T19:36:00.006-06:00

Yep, I've been a very busy girl, and not much stitching has happened since Friday. First, here are a couple of pics of my four-legged visitor. His name is Zack, and he is the constant companion of the man I hang around with. Since his person is out of town, and his usual sitter is too busy to entertain him, he's here with me. This is how he loves to ride around ...

Here he is wondering why I'm trying so hard to get a good picture of him. His life is based on the belief that everyone loves him (they usually do), and he aims to please. Zack has been a very sweet visitor and a great friend on my walks. We've walked about 12 miles since I picked him up on Saturday. What a good boy.

As soon as Spring Break began at 3:30 on Friday, I headed into downtown Littleton to grab a couple of things at my LNS. Since I was there, I decided to take a little walk to an antique store that's moved in just down the street. I found some fabulous items! First is this little linen pin cushion that has Sharri's initial on it. Of course, she must have it, so it's being refurbished for her. Hopefully, I'll have a picture of it in all its glory soon.

I also found a wonderful antique linen dishtowel, which will soon be a pillow, and an old linen tablecloth that's just perfect for my little dining table. I'll show you those, too, as soon as they're ready for viewing.

My next show and tell is a sampler that was started by someone else and given to me about a year ago. I've never really looked at it closely until Saturday. When I pressed it and started looking it over, I noticed that this poor baby has been incredibly miscounted. Take a look at the top border, and you'll see a horizontal line where none should be. I'm not sure whether that was the first or the last attempt to fix whatever boo boo(s) occurred. The little cherubs are misplaced, and I'm pretty certain that I'll find a few more things that will have to be unstitched before any other stitching is begun. Maybe that's why the orginial stitcher stopped working on it. I'll keep you posted on what I decide to do with it. By the way, it's called The Grapevine Sampler by Threads of Gold. It's on 40-count linen over two threads, so it's right up my alley. We'll see.

Now I must get back to Lo How a Rose (she said excitedly). Could a finish be near? I'll check in again tomorrow.

Gee, Thanks

2009-03-19T13:39:00.014-06:00

It's been one of those more-than-just-interesting weeks, so Blogland has been a great escape during some times when my day has given me a little more than I can handle. Coni and Anna have been especially guffaw-provoking this week. Thank you all for the relief I get from cruising through your familiar and happy cyberplaces.

Thanks also for your funny and kind comments about my new man and his new best man-friend. Sometimes Santa is just what we need in a man. If I can figure out a way to work in another project so I can have a third man, I can use them to imagine what it's like to be Bill on "Big Love". On second thought, I'd be infintely happier with my three Santa men than Bill could possibly be with his wives (apologies to those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about). No drama with Santa men.

Now a thank you to Patti for presenting me with this bloggy award ...

I'm truly appreciative that she finds this little corner of Blogland a good place to be. I'm supposed to nominate eight blogs to receive this award, but that's not my best skill. Because I tend to bend rules and regs and want to do things my own way (look, Mom, I'm admitting it), I'd rather encourage anyone who's reading to look at the comments on my last post (even my blogless mom commented!)and visit each one of those bloggers. They have their own unique styles of stitching and writing, and they're more than worthy of a visit from you. Patti, I apologize if I've driven you nuts by refusing to follow the rules. I can be a pain in the ass.

Finally (she said, feeling like an Oscar-winner who's gone on and on and ...), how about some stitchy talk? Very little stitching was accomplished last night. I was hanging around with the man I hang around with, and then I drove him to the airport at 4:00 this morning. The big stinker is now on a beach in Belize. The plan for this evening is to work on Lo How a Rose, but I may need a nap first. I also should walk my miles (I try to require at least four each day), but a nap may win my attention first.

One more work day 'til Spring Break! Make some fun.

My New Man

2009-03-16T19:16:00.004-06:00

Yep, that's him ... my new man. He's a little chubby, but I loved him as soon as I saw him. And he's not just a stuffed shirt! No, there aren't many like him around. I knew he was meant for me, so I picked him up the other day ... at the finisher's. It's been ages since I picked up a man, so it felt kind of strange. I brought him home to meet the last man I picked up.

Don't they look great together? I think it's the beginning of a wonderful friendship (huge sigh). They're both the strong, silent type. In fact, these two might be the perfect men. I'm anxious to add another one to my collection, but I'll have to work him into my WIPs. If only all men were such willing WIPs (enormous sigh).

You've probably seen these men before. They're limited edition Santas from Ewe & Eye & Friends from ages ago. I've had some hanging around, waiting to be stitched into real stand-up guys. But you all know how that goes. Life happens and priorities change, and before you know it, they're at the bottom of the waiting-to-be-stitched pile. Poor guys. They've been ignored for so long, and they've waited so patiently. I try to make it up to them in important ways. First, I didn't try to finish them myself (we don't wanna imagine what could happen), and then every Christmas season I'll bring them out and put them in a place of honor. Hopefully, they'll forgive my negligence.

I'd better get back to the boys. They're gonna watch "Saving Grace" with me while I stitch. It's good to have company once in a while.

Happy St. Pat's Day! Make some fun.

Lo How a Rose - Week 8

2009-03-13T21:41:00.005-06:00

Finally, the flowers are blooming. I was really tempted to just keep stitching on LHaR until it's all finished. But Eden won't leave me alone! I do love the flowers.

Especially this one ...

Isn't it cute? Little flowers are everywhere! Hopefully, there won't be too many more weeks of updates on this little piece.

Since Spring Break is only a week away, I've already been mentally filling up the free days with stitching ideas, but there are so many other things to do. Many out-of-control and well-hidden corners of my little house are in desperate need of organization. Then there are the carpets that are screaming to be cleaned. We're also gonna have a four-legged guest for a few days (more on that later). And don't forget about skiing and golf! The best Spring Break includes both. Not nearly enough hours to get everything in, so we'll see which activities win out.

That's it for now ... back to Eden. TGIF and happy weekend to all of you! Make some fun.

From the Garden

2009-03-12T18:52:00.005-06:00

This week has sped by! Hooray! Oops. Is that wishing my life away? I don't really wanna do that, but I'm anxious for Spring Break, which is just the appetizer to summer, and that happens eight weeks later. If you've visited me here before, you know how I feel about unscheduled time. Is there anything better than being given the gift of time?

Many hours have been spent in the Garden since you last saw a progress pic, so here's an update. First a before, taken just two weeks and a day ago (really?) ...

And an after ...

Wow ... look at the color differences! They look like two different pieces. One day I'll figure out all of those buttons on my camera. Considering that work really gets in the way of my stitching time, I'm pretty excited about my progress. The bottom of page three is close! Remember the picture of the three ATSs together? If you take a look at my mom's on the left, you'll see where she was two weeks ago. Well, now she's almost finished with the lady and lion section! I think she's gonna speed right by me and finish first (dang it). That's what retirement does for ya.

I'm off now to spend some more time with Lo How a Rose, and I'll be ready to post a pic tomorrow. I'm already starting to think about a reasonably small project to work on one or two days a week after it's finished. Hmmmm ... maybe Miss Lila? Or how about something I'm really close to finishing? We'll see.

Lo How a Rose - Week 7

2009-03-07T17:25:00.004-07:00

Weekends are the greatest, especially when they have extra days. Even one extra day makes the weekend so much more relaxed. Yesterday was a comp day for having worked two 12-hour days for conferences last week, so I pretty much took it off. When Nikki came home from work at 4:00 or so, I still had my jammies on (gasp)! I know! What a slob! I'd spent the whole day stitching, paying bills and doing paperwork. At least I accomplished something.

So here you see my LHaR progress for this week. There are only a few gold letters left, and then it looks like we'll have a flower-a-thon for a few weeks. Just as I thought I'd finished all of the grayish letters, I found that I'd left off two little stitches on that same H that made me crazy last week! LOLOL! Do you think focus could be a problem? Hopefully, my mind won't completely desert me until I get more of my stash stitched.

That's all for this edition of "As the Threads Are Counted (or not)". Tune in again next time, and maybe I'll list the many objects that I misplace and have to search for on a daily basis (the inability to count is only one symptom of my lack of focus). I'm running away to Boulder to make some fun. While I'm away, maybe my mind will become more cooperative.

One Small Repair

2009-03-05T11:28:00.003-07:00

It started so innocently. It was gonna be easy. And then OCD entered the picture ... again. I know I mention OCD rather often in my posts, and it's true that I'm self-diagnosed (although my daughter Nikki blames me for all of her own OCD traits). But, my goodness, I can turn the simplest task into really hard work.

If you'll think back to my last post, I showed you my progress on Lo How a Rose and confessed that I had made a little boo boo. As I finally sat down to stitch last night (conference week is getting in the way of my fun), I decided to start by fixing the little boo boo, which was one misplaced stitch in the H in HaLF. What do you do when you have just one or two little stitches to fix? I usually try to remove as little as possible from the surrounding area, run my cut threads underneath other stitches, and sneak in there with a needle and thread and repair whatever I've undone. Not so brilliant an idea when it's a letter stitched over-one. It took me a solid hour to do something that should've taken a few minutes! All of those short little threads to pull under not-so-many available threads. Thinking back, it would've been a better idea to just rip out the H altogether and restitch it. But NO! I made it a crazy perfection session.

OK (huge sigh) ... I feel much better now that I have that off my chest. It's occurred to me many times that if I make myself this nutty over a few stitches, I must drive other people over the edge. And there are still people out there who are my friends! So no pics for now ... maybe tomorrow after I've had an evening of sitting and stitching with a vodka & tonic next to me (because of conference week, today is my Friday), and I've completed all of those lovely little letters. I'm so looking forward to it. But first, I'd better stop procrastinating and clean off my desk. There are many more conferences to attend this afternoon and evening.

Make some fun.

Lo How a Rose - Week 6

2009-03-02T18:54:00.005-07:00

I'm finally getting around to posting my progress on Lo How a Rose from last week. I had intended to do it on Saturday, but I got busy with other things (laundry, vacuuming, walking miles, running away to Boulder). After I took this picture, I was smugly admiring my work and found a little boo boo, which will have to be fixed this week (damn!). At the time of my goof, I'm pretty sure I was talking on the phone ... never a good idea for me when counting is required. I consider walking while chewing gum multi-tasking, but that doesn't stop me from trying it more often than I should. Anyway, I'm almost finished with all the words, and then look out, flowers!

We're having the world's most fabulous weather in the eastern half of Colorado. It was close to 70 yesterday and set a record in the 70's today. We hit golf balls and then went hiking yesterday. How can anyone stay inside when it's so beautiful? Boy, did I wanna play hooky today. Nice weather will continue all week, with the exception of wind (ugh ... wind, wind, wind) tomorrow, but we really need some moisture. So all of you who are sick to death of your snow and rain, please send it this way. I'm in true need of a snow day, and Colorado's eastern slope is in need of something wet.

I have a man story to tell. While making weekend arrangements on the phone, the man I hang around with was telling me he needed time to straighten up and do some things before I arrived. So I told him I could stay home and stitch for however much time he needed. Then he said (get ready for this), " You should bring your stitching." Really! That's what he said (gasp)! I know! Amazing. Of course, I only had time to do a little bit, because I had to bite my nails and fret during "The Changeling" (probably not a movie I should've watched). Men can be surprising, huh?

I'm off now to spend some time in Eden.

Old Schoolmarm, That's Me

2009-02-27T15:22:00.003-07:00

Yep, that's how I'm feeling today ... like an old, old schoolmarm. It's the end of the work day, and I can't leave school without telling you the kid story of the week. I was with a first-grade group, and Aden was reading to us. I excused myself to jump up and grab a kleenex because I sneezed and my nose started to run (so attractive). Erin asks, "Oh, do you have a cold?" Without missing a beat, Aden answers, "Nah, she's just old." Does it get any better than that? My ego will never be out of control as long as I have first-graders to keep me in my rightful place.

Now the weekend begins! I'm off to have a very adult beverage and a pedicure. Even an old schoolmarm can have fancy toenails.

And They Sinned and Sinned and Sinned

2009-02-26T17:08:00.012-07:00

Before I get started on ATS, I need to answer a question for Jennifer (no blog), who is interested in acquiring the Lo How a Rose chart. Jennifer, go to Staci's blog and try the link she gives on this post. If that doesn't help, please get my email from my profile and send me a note. We'll discuss.

Last night at the folks' house was not just a birthday dinner (with absolutely fabulous red enchiladas and tacos made by Mom), but a true ATS fest. My mom, sister and I all had our samplers in tow so we could examine and compare. First, here's a progress pic for my ATS:

The instructions (I love this design, but I'd really love to edit those instructions) say to use two colors of green and work diagonally to fill in the grass. The diagonal idea just wasn't working for me, so I knew I would fill horizontally. Then I tried the GAST Green Apple, loved it, tried the Shutter Green (I think), and watched parts of the motifs fade into the background. Out came the Shutter Green! So I'm ending up with my sister's choice ... Green Apple it will be. Below is a close-up so you can see what it looks like.

After dinner, we cleared off the big dining table and laid out the samplers. I think I got a pretty good pic, but I'm not sure it's clickable. So sorry if it isn't.

Mom's (Estelle) is on the left (and she started it last Thanksgiving!), Sharri's is in the middle, and mine is on the right. Mom and I are both using lambswool linen, hers in 36-count and mine in 40-count. Sharri's is on an unknown 36-count R&R fabric (which tells you how long ago she bought it). I hadn't realized how much smaller mine is until we had them all together. I love that 40-count fabric. We're all using GAST, and the color differences are really interesting. Even the men in the house were talking about the color differences!

By the way, watching the men (aged 18 to 75) was hilarious. We girls were completely excited, but they didn't get it at all. They looked and tried to appreciate, but they think this stitching thing is just so silly. Go figure ... they like guns. In a rather disgusted voice, my dad said, "It'll probably cost $500 to frame all of those." None of us dared to mention that it'll almost certainly be more than that. Shhhh ... what he doesn't know won't hurt him.

I took a closer picture of Sharri's so you could see the last section. I really wanna catch up. Why? There's no hurry, except that I have a long, long list of can't-wait-to-stitch projects calling my name. And it's not a race, except that I really wanna finish first (not a chance in hell). Mom will probably finish before either one of us. She's not known as Super Stitcher for nothing. So that's the ATS tour. Hope you've enjoyed it. Of course, I'll get a picture when they're all finished so you can celebrate with us. Now I'm off to work on Lo How a Rose because I didn't get to last night. And then tomorrow's Friday!

Good Advice for a "Foblem"

2009-02-24T20:34:00.008-07:00

You bloggy girls rock! I got so many sweet compliments and good ideas that I needed to let you know how much I appreciate you all (insert big wet kiss here). Annemarie had the perfect solution to my "foblem" (fob problem that wasn't much of a problem, but this is obsessive stitching, after all). Her suggestion is to use the big fob as a pin cushion and make another smaller one for a scissor weight, making a matching set. How smart! To that end, I made a little call to the Needle in a Haystack girls (love those girls) who are putting a little piece of WDW Seafoam (because the fabric makes the fob) into the mail for me tomorrow. How easy was that?

Because I have the "O" word (obsession for those of you with other things on your minds) and because of the BBD girls (who we all adore), I started searching for crushed walnut shells to stuff my new pin cushion and fob. When I googled said product, I found Sharon's blog, on which I learned all I needed to know about buying bird litter in seven-pound (weight, not sterling) bags. Even though I had an idea about what seven pounds of something would look like, it was still rather shocking, so here's a pic of Merlin (my little old man cat who refused to cooperate as I took his picture ... maybe next time you'll see his face) next to the bag.

Like Sharon, I now have what could be a 20-year supply of pin cushion and fob filler. Since I won't be asking a bird to join Merlin and me at home, I reckon we'll have to get busy producing cute little things that require crushed walnut shell filling. I think I just gave myself permission to acquire more stash! Did you like how I quickly justified future stitching expenditures? Please feel free to use that method at home.

Finally, thanks to Deb who sent me some new friends. It's always fun to meet and visit new bloggy buds.

Tomorrow night we're having a double birthday (sis and nephew) family dinner (yay, Mom), which just might provide a multiple ATS photo op. I'll do my best to get pics. Until then, make some fun!

The "O" Word

2009-02-22T12:48:00.006-07:00

I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong. It's not "O" for orgasm (although I could go on about that for a length of time), and (as I've already gone on about in recent posts) it's not "O" for odor. It's the "O" in OCD ... obsessive.

I got a wild hair at about 10 o'clock last night and decided to start something quick and cute, Shepherd Bush's 2009 fob. I'd been stitching on ATS, of course, and I wanted just a little bitty break. Here's a pic of my progress and a few of my pretties, so you can see that I'm a small fob (scissor weight, to me) girl. This cute SB fob is gonna be way too big for my usual stuffed-with-rice kind of fob. I'd already planned to try crushed walnut shells for a filler this time, but at the size this is turning out (ok, I figured out how big the design size was, but I was in denial), it's still gonna be heavy. I like some weight to my scissor weights, but this would be a little too much. I've been resisting the obsessive urge to pull out all the stitching and start over ... over one. Don't get me wrong ... I love Tina's and Teri's designs. I just don't like 30-count over two. So, after several large cleansing breaths, I've decided just to look at it for a day or two and then decide what to do. I'm gonna do a few little over-one practice stitches on the fabric, just to see how they look. It would be really cute over one, and leaving half an inch or so all around the design, I'd end up with about a two-inch square fob. Can you say obsessive? I knew you could! I'll keep you posted, but you can tell that I'm dying to unstitch it, can't you?

On a saner note, here's my progress on Lo How a Rose. I stitched a little on Thursday night and a tiny bit on Friday, because it felt like I was on roll. All letters again! It's kinda fun to think about getting all of the letters done and then having a free-for-all with the flowers.

While ranting about odors the other day, I completely forgot to tell you how much fun I had with my sister Wednesday night. We laughed at everything (it's what we do) for a couple of hours, saw a few old friends, avoided being asked to dance by a man who kept lurking threateningly by our table, and made fun of the pub clientele. That probably sounds mean, but we make the most fun of each other and ourselves, so it's fair.

Back to school tomorrow as the Sprink Break countdown begins ... four weeks to go, which include CSAP testing (a rant always on the tip of my tongue) and parent-teacher conference week, which is brutal. I love time off!

Odors, Etc.

2009-02-19T17:51:00.003-07:00

Thank you to my health helpers out there. Because of your comments, I decided that I'm not crazy (in my nose, anyway) and I emailed my doctor. We'll see what he has to say about my stinky nose.

I have to tell you how the stinky nose thing started. Let me preface my little tale by assuring you that I'm not trying to be mean or ultra-judgmental toward anyone. What I am is shocked and appalled about a student's situation.

Over the last three years that I've worked at my morning school (I drive from one school to another at noon), we've had a student who has often smelled absolutely horrible (words can't describe it). It got so bad a couple of weeks ago that every room she was in smelled horrible also. Parents and students who were at school for the science fair were asking, "What is that smell?" This poor nine-year-old girl comes with four other kids to a small reading group in my room, and at times all of us (including me) have had to find ways to cover our noses and/or scoot inconspicuously away from her. The kids in her class have started making faces and ostracizing her. (The counselor has stepped in with some tolerance education for the other students.)

Teachers and the counselor at our school have spoken to the student (over four years) about the benefits of bathing and wearing clean clothing, generally to no avail. The principal has also had conversations with the student and her mother (many times) about the problem, again with little relief. In fact, the mother refuses to take any responsibility for making sure her daughter is bathed and that her clothes are laundered. She's too busy. As a mom who probably over-bathed her kids, I find this entire situation unbelievable. All I can do is imagine what their house must be like (but not for long). And how could you ignore the fact that your child is filthy? What is wrong with this mother??? (And some info: We've been informed that Social Services isn't interested in grooming. They will step in if the child is in danger due to neglect or abuse.)

So, back to the stinky nose (sighing and stepping off of soapbox, but I could step back on at any moment) ... I thought that the smell in my nose was the smell of my student that I couldn't stop thinking about. In short, I thought that I was imagining the smell in my nose. Then I thought that I was smelling myself.

This isn't the first time that I've thought I was imagining something that was wrong with me. In fact, I try for quite a while to talk myself out of whatever is ailing me. I know other women who do the same thing. I'm not sure what this means, but it makes me think too much. Do we just hate being sick? Do we hesitate to bother a doctor with our complaints? Do we hate to spend the time and money to have a complaint investigated? Do we hate to spend the time being sick? For me, it's yes to all of those things. I wanna feel fabulous all the time, and I'm pretty sure that I can play a large part in making that happen by talking myself into feeling good and/or talking myself out of feeling bad (this does not work with shingles).

Sorry this has turned into a rambling blah-blah-blog. I'm truly distressed by the fact that so many kids are handicapped or enabled or just plain ignored by their parents. This has been just one story. There are many, many others. Tomorrow I'll find something happy to say about stitching.

Too Much Fun

2009-02-18T18:43:00.003-07:00

Well, kids, I have so little stitch-type stuff to report because I've been involved in having some fun (gasp). I know! I'm one of those people who think that, to quote Commander Cody, "You can't never have too much fun!" In my warped and twisted brain, almost everything can be fun, but sometimes it takes a little effort. And then there are the times that require much effort. But I digress.

I was busy most of the long weekend dog-sitting and hanging around with the man I hang around with, so that was pretty fun. Nothing terribly exciting, mind you, but I did purchase two fancy carbon monoxide alarms (woop tee doo) and priced a new, very quiet, garage door opener (yawn). Don't you hate to spend hundreds of dollars on things you can't stitch? Having fun while buying a garage door opener will be a situation that requires some work to enjoy. I'm thinking about that so I'll be ready when it actually happens.

Speaking of hundreds of dollars, the bills have started arriving for my unviewable-because-it's-on-the-inside nose remodeling of about a month ago. Who knew that becoming headache-free would cost so much? Truly a surprise to someone who has so successfully avoided surgery for decades. And here's a strange problem: I've been smelling a bad smell almost constantly for about a week. I usually have a great sense of smell (which can be a handicap when sitting next to a person of the pungent variety), but I can't rid myself of this odd, yucky smell. Just to let you know that I've covered all the angles, I've asked people I know and trust to smell me to see if it's me. It's not, and they would tell me if was. Could it be my upper lip? The inside of my newly remodeled nose? I have no idea! So anyone out there who has some advanced degree in odors and their origins, please fill me in.

Finally, I'll be stitching on Lo How a Rose tomorrow night instead of tonight. I've decided to have a little fun with my sister instead! Yes, kids, I'm going to leave my house on a school night and go listen to some friends play music and maybe enjoy an adult-type beverage (another gasp). I know! It's rather shocking! Wonder if anyone I know will still recognize me. I think I'm gonna have to chant on the way there, "It's good to get out ... It's good to get out ... "

Lo How a Rose - Week 4: Letters Only

2009-02-14T15:29:00.004-07:00

As you can see, it was letters only that were stitched in LHAR ... with no boo boos ... or none that I've found yet. Since it worked so well, I may have to continue with letters for another day and then have a flowers-only stitch day. Whew! Thank goodness there's a plan in place for the next two weeks! ;)

I'll bet I don't even have to report that I'm back in Eden, in the last section of ATS. I've been discussing the filling-in of the grass with my sister, and I think I have myself settled on what I'd like to try. Siobhan also told me what she did, and I've seen a couple of other finished pieces online. If you have some experience with that last section you wanna share, please feel free.

It's one of those cold, cloudy, breezy Saturdays. Since it's Valentine's Day, I'm baking the man I hang around with an apple-blackberry pie. We're gonna have some tasty chile, cornbread (of course) and some of that too-yummy-for-words pie with ice cream. It'll be nice to sit in front of the fireplace on a cold night and maybe watch a movie ... or not.

Thank you to everyone who leaves kind comments. They're fun to read, informative and much appreciated.

Happy Valentine's Day

Final Phase

2009-02-12T17:45:00.003-07:00

I couldn't resist a quick update. All day yesterday, I could think only about finishing that next-to-last section of ATS. So I got home as soon as possible (gee ... almost 7 o'clock), put my ass to the purple chair and finished the pretty little scene (woo hoo!).

Just to give it a little perspective, here's the whole Garden so far ...

Sorry for the blurry pic ... I think I have a problem standing still enough while clicking. But you get the idea. And don't you love the wrinkles and the tangle of threads and needles on the left? Stitching in-hand creates wrinkles, and keeping fibers ready to stitch on needles stuck into my work is my version of convenience. Prettier, wrinkle-free, uncluttered pictures will come at the end. So on to the last section! People have been telling me the ways they've chosen to fill in the last section, and they've caused me to start plotting my own fill-in plan. Before sharing I'll try a little to see how it looks.

Last night was supposed to be Lo How a Rose SAL night, but Adam and Eve and friends tempted me away. Now I'm off to spend some hours on LHAR, take a break from Eden, and think about the upcoming long weekend. My hopes for a blizzard with accompanying snow days will remain unrealized for the near future ... dang it.

Here, Kitty Kitty

2009-02-08T19:33:00.006-07:00

While I was stitching that cute lion with the monkey face, I kept thinking, "here, kitty kitty", and eventually he appeared. The only things missing from this lovely little among-the-flora-and-fauna scene is the lady, a ginger-colored sheep and a blue bird sitting on the lion's butt. I like it, and I won't subject you to a long-winded explanation about what I did (or unsuccessfully tried to do) to the moon. Let's just say that I have a left-brain issue concerning symmetry. But then you know this because I've already told you how I readjusted the whole damn border. This pic shows my progress on page three of the four-page chart. My mom, who is retired and has become Super Stitcher (I think she's secretly stitched SS on her undies), is quickly moving through page two. And she just started the sampler at Thanksgiving!!! Can you believe that? I'm working to keep ahead of her in an attempt not to be the slowest stitcher in the family ... even though I am (sniff ... I feel so genetically cheated). My sister is on the last section but we haven't had a progress report lately. Maybe we can eventually do a three-way finish pic.

See the grassy area at the bottom? That's eight out of ten rows of dull fill-in. I've read about how many of the stitchy bloggers hate to fill in, and I'm right there. So, in an effort to make it not-so-dull, I've been stitching a few cute little fun-to-stitch things and then filling in a needleful of grass. Then I go back to the fun stuff for a little while. I'm the queen of deal-making with myself, so that's the deal. I'm not sure what will be arranged when I get to the last section pretty soon. It has lots of cute little things to stitch, but it's completely filled in with two colors of green. I've seen one completed piece with just the cute stuff and no filling. Anyway, thinking about all the filling-in to come got me to thinking about these two stinkers ...

They're both solidly stitched on 36-count linen over one, and that was more filling (yawn) than I've had to do on anything else. In fact, these two little samplers turned out to be true BAP's. So if I finished these two, certainly I can get through one section of ATS, right? By the way, I have another one of these ready to go but other things have cut into the projects-in-waiting queue.

And to you experienced (or just younger) bloggers: I really wanted to put these two pictures next to each other, but I couldn't figure out how to do it. I continue to be technologically challenged, so it's not as cool as I wanted it to be.

I'm off ... school tomorrow, and not a snow day in sight! We really need a good blizzard around here.

Lo How a Rose - Week 3: Can I Count?

2009-02-06T17:48:00.005-07:00

Here we are after my third week of stitching with the Lo How a Rose SAL, and I still can't count! I had to unstitch and restitch two separate areas, and then I decided to just leave one boo boo in because I'd gone to far to make going back worthwhile (to me, anyway). Even though counting seems to be a challenge, I'm loving the colors.

As I was thinking of Brightneedle and counting, I remembered the difficulties I had with this piece called Sunshine and Shadow ...

I got cocky while stitching this one and decided to work from two different corners (you can see where this is going, can't you?). Because I had made too many of the little checkerboard-type border squares, I found that the two parts I was stitching were gonna miss each other by about ten threads. Bummer. So reverse stitching became the task of several days, because about a third of those cute little over-one motifs had to be removed. Can you say "frustration"? I knew you could. Frustration wasn't the only f-word used during that time. Deep breaths help sometimes, as does vodka. Cocktail, anyone?

Meanwhile, back in the Garden, life is good. I've decided to stitch tonight and have a little show and tell tomorrow. I had the day off on Tuesday after a little torture session (painkiller required) with the nose doc, so I got to stitch for a few hours (my reward). It felt like playing hooky, and I love that feeling.

I'm gonna refrain from commenting on the lady with 14 kids, counting the eight new babies. Everything I have to say, including my many questions, would sound hideously judgmental. And as my mom told me when I was a bitchy, know-it-all 14-year-old, "It's not necessary that everyone knows what you think." I think of that advice before opening my mouth during a potentially controversial discussion, and I'm certain that it's saved me from tasting my toes on more than one occasion. Isn't my mom smart?

Happy Friday!