Startitis

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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.