Gee, Thanks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.