Tickled Pink In Stitches

Long overdue update!

2012-02-20T11:00:00.002-05:00

Hi friends and fellow stitchers!

I know it's been a while since I've updated, but my laptop decided to take a vacation without me, and I haven't even received a post card! We'll see how gently I treat it when it returns! LOL I have missed keeping up on my blog, reading e-mails and chatting with friends. I do have a dinosaur in the basement, and am using that at the moment, but it takes forever and doesn't always do what I ask it to do (like print from a PDF file, what's up with that???). Anyway, I have a little block of time so thought I would do my best to get things updated and let inquiring minds know what I'm up to.

So...here are some pics for you! First off are two pieces from Angie Designer. We have a limited time to stitch the sections of the pattern she sends out and when we send in a picture, she sends the next piece on a predetermined day. Here are Sweet Flowers...

And Lavender Blue

I am stitching both on 32 count over one and have changed the colors and fibers to silk threads of my choice.

Here is also Marquoir Yvonne Richer. I have to admit, I was a little shocked when I saw my colors used by someone else on the blog I found this on. http://clarelis.canalblog.com/ There is a link to the pictures people have been sending in. I've been trying to get the second piece of this pattern, but haven't had any luck yet. But I've been stitching this over one as well, and will probably change the pattern up a wee bit as well. I love the letters on this one!!

I had a couple of finishes also, I finished Snow Pretty from Aury TM.

I also finished You can touch the dust...from Lizzie Kate.

I had a stitch date with Astrid and Denise, last week and that's how I got so much done on Lizzie Kate. What an enjoyable day I had with these ladies!! Can't wait to get together again...but it probably should be at my house, and that may take a while with all I have going on. But we'll get to that later.

I also had a stitch date last week with my pals from when I worked at my LNS. It was long overdue, ladies, and it has made me nostalgic for the days I worked with you. I miss all of you!! I hope we can do that again when everyone can come!! This is what I worked on that day...This is The Three Wise Men from Blackberry Lane and is being stitched on 36 ct over one. Yes, I think I'll be completely insane by the time I finish this one. I've never seen so many confetti stitches on such a small piece before. I worked for hours and only got this far. *sigh* But I believe it will be an amazing piece once it's done. Pictures never do them justice!!!

Someone asked me how I was keeping my UCJC (ultimate crazy January challenge) pieces organized. Here are a couple of pictures to show you what I did.

Each set of threads for each pattern has it's own little box, and they fit into a large box with a handle. I found this at Michael's and is actually a photo storage box. I was walking through Michael's one day with DH and he asked if I thought that would work for my threads. What a genius idea!! I've been working with this system for a couple of years now and it really does work well.

The patterns have been copied and then placed in document protectors which I file in a notebook. Only the challenge pieces are in this notebook, so if I'm headed to a retreat and want more than one project I take my notebook and the box of separate boxes of thread. (I hope that makes sense!).

Last is a picture of the pieces I am working on. If they aren't currently in progress, they are taken off the q-snaps and folded and kept in this box. And that is how I'm keeping things straight. Would love to see how you are organizing your challenge pieces!

And on a final note, for those who have been wondering, I finally have insurance approval and am now waiting on a date for surgery. Because of the holiday I haven't been able to reach either clinic, but hopefully tomorrow I will have more news. Whew...if you've made it this far you are a trooper! Thanks for visiting, and if it isn't too much trouble, I would love for you to leave a comment....except you, Astrid, unless you promise not to make a weird comment...LOL!!! You know I'm only kidding!! *Hugs*

Oh, I nearly forgot! Tyler was very critical toward the end of last week and they gave him very little hope. I've been asking for prayers for him here and on facebook, and I just wanted to let you know that he is showing signs of improvement. Our God is a big God, bigger than Leukemia...and bigger than breast cancer. We are still subject to His will, and I keep praying that His will is that Tyler will live. He is still on the ventilator and dialysis, but they are working. His oxygen levels are going up, showing that his lungs are beginning to do their job again, and he has been losing weight showing that his capillaries are not leaking anymore and the swelling from the fluid in his body is going down. All positive signs! Please continue to pray for him if you do pray. It truly is a miracle that he is still with us today!

Update...

2012-02-16T09:19:00.000-05:00

Hi Folks! Just a tiny update as I have very little time this morning. I hope to update with pictures soon, but for now I just wanted to let you know I'm alive and kicking. I have been a bit under the weather, but am finally feeling better. I've been stitching merrily away, but my laptop crashed and I hesitate to try anything too difficult on the ancient dinosaur we have hidden in the basement. I've already messed up the printer using it so hopefully my blog won't blow up too! LOL

I would like to ask for prayers for Tyler today though. He is having complications due to the bone marrow transplant and his organs are beginning to fail. He was placed on a special ventilator called an oscillator and a special kind of dialysis called CRRT earlier this week and if he doesn't receive a miracle, they haven't given him much hope of living past Monday. The last word last night was the next 48 hours are critical. His parents are clinging to hope as we all are, and my son is so sad, the whole thing is breaking my heart and I feel helpless to help anyone. Please pray for this boy, his parents and the youth group he and his friends belong to. I still hope for a miracle! Our God is able, it's a matter of His will and what is ultimately for His glory.

Last thing I want to mention, I've been getting some strange and inappropriate posts to my blog. I've removed them, and hope I don't get any more. They weren't "bad" exactly, odd, and from places I really don't want to be associated with, and on older posts. I wonder if anyone else has been having similar problems?

Hopefully my laptop will be back from the doc's soon and I'll be able to update with pictures. See you soon!!

Rest...

2012-02-07T13:41:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone!

Well, I'm sorry to report that I haven't done enough stitching to take a picture. I have just been too busy. I don't know what happened...my life is out of control!! LOL The sermon this week at church was on rest and I'm feeling sorely convicted! I'm going to try and schedule more of that into my life, so either I work less (but I'm only working 2 - 3 days a week as it is) or stop meeting up with friends. Well that's an easy choice...goodbye work, hello friends! LOL

Carolyn mentioned in a comment yesterday that I she missed my blogging. Thank you Carolyn! It's nice to know I've been missed. The good news is that I've been too busy! Nothing bad to report except I think I'm suffering from stitching withdrawal. Work has kept me hopping, lots to do there and I guess that's a good thing, except we are falling a bit behind deadlines. I did work 3 days last week, then had a busy weekend. I am TIRED!!

Sunday there was a big sale at my LNS and the ladies I stitched with the Sunday before made plans to meet up at a pizza place to chat then head over to the sale together. What a blast! Astrid, Danielle, Denise, Jill and I had fun discussing our plans for the rest of the day and decided to meet up again next Sunday at Astrid's house. What a treat to be able to meet up with other stitchers and share our passion. They are even talking about having our own little retreat. Any chance to get out with other ladies is a treat for me. I live with all males, even our cat is a male! LOL

I mostly picked up some fabric and threads for some patterns I had bought before, however I did pick up the 6 fat men Lizzie Kate patterns that Danielle was working on the other day. I've seen them on other people's blogs and fell in love with the cute little snowmen. As you can tell, I have a thing for them...a couple of my crazies are snowmen. As Denise suggested, I destroyed the sales receipt so I left no paper trail for DH to find. I remember someone telling me her secret for her addiction to Polish Pottery when we lived in Germany. She hid them in her car and brought them in one at a time, a few days apart, so her husband wouldn't catch wind of her purchases. You can learn a lot from addicted women! *wink*

Yesterday I met up with Gillie in DC. What a treat to see my dear friend again! Thank you so much for taking time out of your visit with your family to see me...even if you did try to get me addicted to beads now. You have perfected the art form of enabling! LOL I must say at one point I was starting to gather a collection of beads, but then I remembered the state of my checking account after the LNS sale the day before and put them all back except one (that one was only 25 cents...I thought I could afford that LOL) Gillie treated me to a Mocha Frappuccino...word to the wise, never offer to treat me at Starbucks, I only like the expensive stuff...rotlf. Then she took me to her daughter's restaurant just off Dupont Circle. Mmmm...what delicious burgers! The lunch was yummy! If you ever get the chance, check out Black and Orange for some gourmet burgers! It was a fun day, and I was sad to leave. I wish you lived closer, Gilllie, there are so many LNS within driving distance to explore!

Ok, lastly...because I know there are some of you who check up on me...on the health front I haven't received a surgery date yet. We are still waiting on insurance approval I guess. I would love to have this all put behind me so the waiting is torture. I hope I hear from them soon! The numb thumb is still giving me a little bit of trouble. I really noticed it when I was trying to pick up beads yesterday. I can't tell you how frustrating it is...LOL...and I've done everything the doctor told me to do. Patience was never one of my strong suits. So it slows the stitching down a bit, and I've been told not to do as much of it...no worries there, I haven't been home long enough to work on it lately!

Ok, time to get off this machine and get ready for chauffeur duties tonight. DS is off to Baketball practice and if I'm lucky I'll get a bit of stitching in while he's there. Tootles!

Tout finit

2012-01-31T19:57:00.000-05:00

I'm sure there is someone out there that will correct either my spelling or my use of the French words, but as far as I'm concerned this means I'm finished! Literally I think it means "all finishes". Though they aren't finishes, I AM finished starting my Ultimate Crazy January Challenge....all 31 of them...whew!! On with the show!!

Yesterday I started something I've had sitting around for some time. It's the 1797 Ship Sampler from Carriage House Samplings. I'm stitching it on 40 ct straw over two using DMC floss. I would rather be using NPS, but at this point in time DMC is more in my price range *wink*. I love the feel of this fabric, and the fact that it looks so antique. Can't wait to get back to stitching on this one!!

Today I started another project I bought the weekend before I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was set aside and while I was digging around for projects for this challenge I found it again. In the craziness that ensued my diagnosis I completely forgot I had gotten it...LOL It's amazing the things your mind does when hit with devastating news. This is Quaker Diamonds from Rosewood Manor, stitched on 28 ct Mello fabric from Picture This Plus over one using Verlandi threads. I know I may not be able to put in the lower case letters as in the original pattern they were stitched over one thread while the rest was stitched over two. I will have to see how it goes, I may back stitch the lower case letters in...we'll see. I can always just leave them out.

After today I'm wondering if I really will be able to finish them all....a couple of weeks ago my thumb on my right hand went numb. I'm having trouble feeling the needle which makes it kind of hard to stitch. I am also dropping things at work, not good when you are carrying sheets of glass around!! I saw my doctor today who has advised I probably should take a break...try to keep my arm straight (especially when I'm sleeping) and not to lean on my elbows. She is optimistic that I'll get the feeling back in my thumb so that's a good thing! If things don't improve in a month, I'm to see a neurologist. Oh yay, just what I need, more doctors to see!

I don't think I updated you on the meeting with the plastic surgeon. After reviewing the results of the MRI he's pretty sure I am going to need surgery to fix the issues I'm having with my reconstruction. I have to tell you, I'm not looking forward to more surgery, after finally getting back to work and things getting back to normal, I just wanted to move on. It seems that just when it seems I can put all this behind me, something else crops up. So....I'm not sure yet when the date will be, we are waiting on insurance approval, then waiting on a surgery date. I've been having serious issues with my memory and I'm blaming it on all the anesthesia and other drugs that have coursed through my veins since the beginning of this whole process. Wish me luck, and if I seem like a ditzier DJ when I get back, just blame it on the drugs! LOL

Off to take a night off from stitching (protesting loudly I will admit!!) It may be a little quiet on my blog while I take care of the issues, but I'll be visiting others and seeing how you are getting on! *Hug

Weekend follies

2012-01-29T22:58:00.000-05:00

I hope you had a great weekend, I know I did!! So much going on, and so much fun...I literally spent the whole weekend either stitching, or running stitching errands. Where do I begin?

Saturday I woke up later than I wanted to...I had to run to the store to frame something so I could give it to them today. I ran back home and met up with a former coworker and we dashed off to pick up supplies for a wedding sampler that she wants to make for her brother. You know the ultimate compliment is when someone wants to imitate something you've done.

You may remember that I was a bride's maid in a wedding a few years back for a coworker, and I stitched her a wedding sampler. Now this lady's brother is getting married, and though she doesn't want to stitch something as elaborate as I stitched for her, as she is a novice, she has decided to stitch something a bit simpler, yet very elegant and much to the Bride and Groom's taste. We had fun looking at fabric, floss and getting the supplies she would need to start stitching...then we drove back to my house and I helped her learn the basics. Hopefully she's well on her way to creating something special in honor of their wedding. I had such fun and who knows? Perhaps she'll get the stitching bug as bad as I have it!!

While I was teaching Ms. C, I started my crazy for the 28th. Here is Too Pretty from Aury TM, part of the Snow Row series. I just love this one, it's just too cute!! It's stitched on 32 ct Sea Spray over two using the recommended specialty fibers.

Today, Astrid drove over to pick me up and we raced to Ms. D's house for a stitch day. In our excitement we surprised Ms. D by arriving an hour early. I'm so sorry Ms D!! We were just so anxious to meet up with all of you and spend the day stitching, and laughing, and eating and just enjoying the company of some pretty special ladies. I know one of them mentioned this, and I'm sure the rest of us agreed, it is such a pleasure to spend time with other women who share the same passion. I love my guys, but I must say, it's a joy to socialize with other women. Honestly, don't you agree that men think differently than we do, and after spending lots of time with my guys, I find myself thinking I'm daft for looking at things from a different angle. It sure is nice to have my feminine thoughts validated! LOL I had such a blast with you guys and I sincerely hope we can do this again soon!

I stitched on The Great Escape, a pattern available from the Stitch Specialists yahoo group and designed by Abi. I was a few parts behind but managed to catch up today. The owl is finally finished (I must say, the wheat stitch nearly drove me insane before I finished and there was quite a bit of that one to do, and the next two stitches went pretty quickly after that). So I've learned three new stitches, the wheat stitch, the button hole stitch and the queen stitch. Whew!!

When I got home, I searched around for another project to start. I have had my eye on this pattern for YEARS!! It reminds me of a certain someone, and as I was leafing through some patterns I had found for free floating in the ether on the internet, this one caught my eye. I decided to stitch Luten de Noel on 32 ct antique white over one using DMC 815. Les tites croiz de Ludiveneuh is the designer of this pattern and her freebies can be found on this blog. Just click on grilles gratuites on the left and scroll through her designs. She has quite a few lovely patterns!

And now I'm headed to bed. I scheduled a day off for myself, I must admit the weekend wore me out!! I must be turning into a wimp...LOL This week promises to be full of appointments so hopefully I can squeeze a couple of work days in there. Take care and hopefully tomorrow I'll have another crazy to show you! Goodnight!

Even more craziness...

2012-01-27T23:04:00.000-05:00

Hello crazy fans! Hope you are all safe and sound tonight...lots of weird weather going on all over the place. It was a very mild day today, just a bit on the windy side. I have a friend in Oklahoma, and we were joking on facebook today that if she threw a letter in the air, it would arrive here in Maryland in about 10 minutes via airmail! LOL All kidding aside, the wind really does stir up something in me, I really don't like the wind. I'll be glad for a calmer day. So, I hope wherever you are tonight, you are warm, dry and out of the wind.

I've had a busy past couple of days, but I've managed to keep on starting up new projects. I must admit, it's been getting a bit harder to keep up with this challenge, and I fear I really won't finish all my starts within the year, but it's been kind of fun digging around and finding projects I bought a long time ago, dusting them off, and getting them started at least. Hopefully this will put me on a stash diet for a while and make me think twice before I dash off and buy something new. Ha...I can hear you laughing from here! Ok, so THAT'S wishful thinking, but a girl can hope, can't she?

Ok, with that in mind, here are my most recent crazies...

Number 24 is the Traditional Band Sampler being offered on the Friendly Stitcher's yahoo group. I've decided to stitch mine on 32 count Ivory Jobelan over one (yes I know I'm a glutton for punishment, but I just can't seem to stop myself...LOL) I'm using some leftover Carrie's Creation silk called Epiphany. I love this stuff and I'm so glad I found something else to use the leftover on. This has been a joy to stitch!

Number 25 is called Winter Forest from Little House Needleworks. It is one of the ornaments from last year. This is being stitched on 30 ct Cocoa Weeks Dye Works fabric using the recommended DMC floss. I seriously thought I would have finished this that day, but as I was sitting, stitching, waiting for DS who was at Youth Group at the time, I was invited into a Bible study on Humility...and just how was I supposed to turn that down without sounding like a snob? Truth is, I really enjoyed sitting in on the study and will probably go back next week. But I digress...on with the stitching...LOL

Number 26 is called The Three Wise Men from Blackberry Lane Designs. This is being stitched on 36 ct Summer Khaki Edinburgh over one using the recommended DMC floss. I wish I had had more time to stitch on this last night. As it was, I had an extremely busy day and didn't get started until late last night, and then I was too tired to get much stitching done (and most of the time I spent counting!!) This is going to be a challenge, please wish me luck on this one!! I do love the design though!!

Number 27 was started today and is called The North Wind by Little House Needleworks and is being stitched on 32 Vintage Tundra over two using the recommended Crescent Color threads and one DMC. I had a hard time putting this down to come and write this post...but I figured I should do that as the next couple of days may be a bit busy!

Tomorrow a former coworker of mine is coming by for me to give her a basic course in cross stitching. Her brother is getting married and she would like to make a wedding sampler for them. We always have a good time together, and I look forward to spending a little time with her. Before that though, I have to run some errands, and afterward is church, so it's going to be a very busy day.

Sunday is going to be a blast I think. Astrid and I are meeting up with some ladies we met in other yahoo groups and Miss D will be hosting a stitching day at her house. I am looking forward to spending time with these talented ladies. I'm debating on whether to take my camera along...some people really hate having their pictures taken. Maybe I'll sneak it in there...we'll see. So, watch this space, I still have a few more days to stitch up some crazies.

Oh, one last thing, the meeting with the Plastic Surgeon went well, and as soon as I have insurance approval I'll be having surgery. Next week will have a few more appointments while I get the ok to have surgery and fine tune what I plan to have done. I'm trying to find a positive thing out of all this, and the only thing I can find is that I'll have a wee bit of time off. I really feel like I've been through the wringer, especially during Christmas. I rarely give myself a day off and I finally realized I'm going to have to schedule a day to myself during the week. Chemo really took a toll on my body and if I'm going to keep up and keep my sanity, I'm going to have to make myself rest more. So...if you don't see as many posts and things, I'm still around, just giving myself a break. And on that note, I'm taking myself to bed. Have a great night...and we'll see you soon with more updates!

Totally Useless...

2012-01-23T19:32:00.000-05:00

Hello!! So much to show you...where do I begin?

Well first is a new SAL I joined for the fun of it this year. This is the totally useless stitch-a-long and you can read all about it on Daffy Cat's blog. Today is the first new moon since the first of January...and this is how many threads I've accumulated since January first. I found this cute little heart shaped bottle at Michael's but I'm afraid it may not be big enough to hold the threads for an entire year. We'll see how it goes!

And now for the crazies! This little beauty was started on the 21st. It was my DH's birthday so I was a little busy and only got to put one thread in this one. It is the Country House Sampler from The Sampler Company By Brenda Keyes done on 40 ct Ivory Newcastle over one with the recommended DMC floss.

I started Quaker Harmony from My Big Toe designs on the 22nd. This is the second "Quaker" I've done from My Big Toe. I love their designs, and I have several of them...it's about time I got some of them stitched!! This is being stitched on 28 ct. Ivory Jobelan over one using the recommended specialty threads (WDW and GA).

Last is my start for today. Let's just say today has been an exercise in frustration. I dearly love these two designs...anyone that knows me knows I collect nativities, and so anything connected to the Christmas story is a big hit in my book! This is called The Wise Men Came (I think...it's the companion piece to Starry Night) from Blackberry Lane Designs. I'm stitching this on 40 ct white Newcastle over one and it's driving me crazy. It will only be 1" wide and 1 1/2" high when I'm done. I fear for my sanity with this one! LOL

Tomorrow I see the Plastic Surgeon and we decide what the next step will be. I talked to my boss today, why he hasn't fired me....(I hope it's because he views me as a valuable member of his team...but sometimes I'm not so sure...LOL) is beyond me but I am truly grateful for his generosity. Hopefully I won't be out of work THAT long...I'll let you know...but honestly, though I hate the thought of having another surgery, in some ways I'm looking forward to taking it easy again. The past few months have been so much harder than I thought it would be. I will admit I was a bit discouraged, but I'm beginning to see the "perks" so to speak. God has been so good, and continues to do what is best for me! See you soon! *Hugs*

This is the stuff...

2012-01-20T21:56:00.001-05:00

Hi folks! Did you miss me? Sorry I haven't been around for a day or so...life keeps kicking me in the shins!

Let's start with the most recent starts...shall we?

I had to work Thursday, stayed later then I thought I would and got a late start on my crazy 19. I didn't get much stitched, but at least I got a start. This is "Too Scared" from Aury TM and is part of the Snow Row series. I love these little quaker snowmen!! It's stitched on 32 ct. Sea Spring over two using DMC floss.

Today I had a stitch date with my buddy, Sonya. I haven't really had any quality time with my stitch buddy in months and it was great to have a day to sit and chat and drink tea and catch up on all the news while we stitched. Today I started the Red House Sampler from The Sampler Company by Brenda Keyes. It's stitched on 40 ct Newcastle over two using the recommended DMC floss. I am having a wonderful time stitching on this piece, the fabric feels so good in my hand and it's just a joy to stitch...or maybe it was just because I was stitching with my friend. Thanks for a great day Sonya, I feel so much better! *Hugs*

As I said, Sonya and I haven't seen each other in ages, and she had a Christmas gift for me. This was a model hanging in my LNS and I have admired it many times...I guess the pattern has been discontinued so it was taken off the wall. I brought it home and have it hanging on my wall. I don't know who stitched it, but what a lovely job they have done. I LOVE it, thanks so much, Sonya!!

I got a package in the mail today, courtesy of Ms. Mouse! We have a little "give and take" going on, and I've been sending her patterns, so she sent me some fabric. I've been hearing about Sparklies fabric and she sent me some "Gingerbread" to give it a try. Oh...what a lovely color, and I'm sure the picture doesn't do it justice...I will have to look around for something to stitch on it...thanks so much, Mouse...I can't wait to stitch on it!!

That's it for the stitching news, the rest is more personal, so if you are squeamish you might want to stop reading now. LOL I have a little update on the health issues I've been having. I had a 6 month check up last week and they felt some lumps which led to a sonogram where they thought they saw some fluid accumulation. That led to an MRI, which turned out that apparently I have some leakage in the reconstruction I had done. I have been wondering (seriously) if that might be the case, I've experienced some discomfort and redness for some time...and though I had it checked out months ago, they, of course, didn't take me seriously. I really should learn not to second guess my instincts. Anyway I will have an appointment with the Plastic Surgeon early next week, so I'll keep you posted. From the research I've done my guess is there is more surgery in my future. *Heavy sigh* I'll share with you that at first I was pretty discouraged. I mean, I was finally back to work, and though I've been tired, things were getting back to normal. I don't know what will happen now, and I don't know how long it will be before I'm back to work. It's funny though, as I was driving to Sonya's today I was listening to a CD that DH had given me for Christmas. A song came on called "This is the stuff" by Francesca Battistelli and here are the lyrics...

"This Is The Stuff"

I lost my keys in the great unknown
And call me please 'cause I can't find my phone

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I've gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
Might not be what I would choose
But this the stuff You use

45 in a 35 sirens and fines
While I'm running behind
Whoa ho ho

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess,
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I've gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
Might not be what I would choose
But this the stuff You use

So break me of impatience
Conquer my frustrations
I've got a new appreciation
It's not the end of the world
Whoa ho ho ho

Oooooh This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff
Someone save me
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I've gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
Might not be what I would choose
But this the stuff You use

Whoa whoa ho ho
This is the stuff You use.

You can hear the song here.

I can so relate to the line.."In the middle of my little mess, I forget how big I'm blessed" and I think this has become my new anthem! LOL I will have my moment of "pity partying" but in the end I'll get over myself and find something to give thanks for and praise the work He's perfecting in me. Thank you to those who have been praying for me and giving me moral support. You know who you are, and you mean the world to me! Love you guys!! *Hugs*

Tomorrow is DH's birthday and we are expecting a snowstorm tonight. I'm not sure what we'll be doing so if you don't hear from me, don't worry...I'll be back as soon as the dust settles. With this news, I'm not sure if I'll continue with the crazy challenge or not, I'll give it some thought over the next couple of days. I'll let you know soon! Have a great weekend!

Is eighteen a lucky number?

2012-01-18T14:41:00.000-05:00

Hi fellow crazies wherever you may be!!

I had a wonderful day visiting with Astrid...I taught her how to stretch and pin a finished piece, and she taught me a new way to make tuna salad. Keep feeding me like that, my dear, and you'll have to build an extra room on your house for me and my stash! LOL

We didn't get much stitching done, but I did manage to make another start...this is Winter from Filigram. The second to last visit to my LNS I was snagged by my BIF (bad influence friend) Sonya, who told me this pattern had my name written all over it. I am stitching it on 36 ct Flax over two using the recommended Gentle Arts threads. I LOVE the way this is coming out, though you can't really see it well in this picture. It will be hard to go back to another start tomorrow.

And on that note I must get ready to take DS to youth group tonight. I have a date with my DH...and a class to attend. See you soon!

Ultimately Challenged...

2012-01-17T22:32:00.000-05:00

Good evening! Hope you have had a good day! I hesitate to tell you about mine...seems my days are full of craziness and if I tell you what happened today you may begin to think that I make this stuff up. I assure you I don't, and believe me I would rather this kind of stuff happen to someone else! LOL

I'll begin with the crazy for today. I've decided to soldier on and try to accomplish the UCJC (ultimate crazy January challenge). I've had this pattern sitting in my To Do pile for a while now. I love this little pattern. I had a giveaway back in October and had given this pattern away to Babs *waving to Babs*. I decided I would like to stitch it and went back and found another one and got all the supplies. It's been crying softly since and I finally got it started today. It's a hardanger piece, so wish me luck because I've only ever done one other one! LOL I am stitching it on 32 count white linen over two and using the recommended materials.

Now for the interesting bits. I was calmly minding my own business at work today when my cell phone rang. It was DS and he sounded a bit flustered. He asked if I could come home....right away...some stranger had rung the doorbell, and before he could get to the door, he heard him trying to open the door. Silly me had hung a bow on the door and the peep hole was covered, so he opened the door to see if it was one of his friends...it wasn't. The guy said he knew we had lived in the house since 2005 (not true) and we had switched from Comcast (also not true) and wanted to offer us a deal if we switched back. DS told him we didn't want to switch, and the guy asked if there were someone else he could talk to. When DS told him no, he realized that was a mistake...so he called me right away. I was only 10 minutes away and came as quick as I could. I saw the guy (he was wearing an orange coat) and as soon as he saw me, he began to run out of the neighborhood. If he had been legitimate I'm sure he would have cornered me and tried to get me to switch cable companies...so I'm pretty sure he was up to no good. DS also told me that right before the guy rang the bell the phone had rung and our caller ID said "out of area". DS doesn't answer those calls, and there was no message left on the machine. I'm pretty sure he was after something, and I'm thankful I work close enough to home that I could come right then. Of course I was the only one working in the store, and had to text my boss...all I said was "family emergency, going home". I then locked the door and left. I'm lucky to have such an understanding boss when it comes to family emergencies and illness.

We left shortly after that for a mad dash to my LNS for supplies for tomorrows crazy...dinner at Peace a Pizza, and basketball practice. I'm beat!! I'm headed to bed because I have a date with Astrid tomorrow, if I can get a halfway decent night's sleep tonight! See you tomorrow!

Crazy catch up...

2012-01-16T19:55:00.003-05:00

Hello, My name is DJ and I'm a startaholic! This is where you're supposed to say "Hello DJ" LOL Isn't that how support groups for addicts are supposed to start?

I know, I missed a day reporting, but I promise you, I've been stitching, amongst other things! So overnight I decided I would continue starting, though I don't know if I'll actually make all 31. I would love to stitch on some of the ones I've already started, but ... I can't stop myself from starting.

Sunday I was lost in a fog all day. I came down once to post my stitching, but the computer wasn't behaving and I had to shut it down and restart, and then I just seemed to lose interest. LOL So here is what I started yesterday.

This will be a 15 sided biscornu when I'm finished. It's stitched on 28 count black cashel over 2 using Seashell waterlilies silk thread and mill hill seed beads 20161. It is outlined with DMC 923. It was designed by Kathrin Ellison of Gitta's. The pattern can be found on Katherin's blog under her March 2011 entry and the tutorial to assemble it can be found on Gitta's site. Look under her freebie link.

Today I woke up early, got ready and headed into DC to see a Wizards game, The DC Wizards are a basketball team. We had some time to kill before the game started so we found a place to eat. I love their sandwiches!!

Did you happen to catch the Chinese characters on the awning? Yep, that's right, we were in Chinatown area of DC...you know how you can tell? Well I guess the characters gave it away, but so do the bike racks...

and this gateway. LOL

Then we decided to take a quick peek inside the National Portrait Museum. This building used to be the national engraving and mint building (I think that was the name, don't quote me) and it is HUGE!! We got a little turned around in here and should have dropped bread crumbs to find our way out. I was mesmerized by the exhibits. We saw a picture of a young Abraham Lincoln...

And one of John Brown who was an advocate to free the slaves...doesn't he look maniacal? I told DS that spiked hair was nothing new, and I'm pretty sure they didn't have gel back in his day...I wonder how he kept it so well spiked? If I had been John Brown, I think I would have chosen to have my portrait painted on a day other than a bad hair day!

The architecture in the building is amazing!!

They had the patent copy of the Singer Sewing Machine on exhibit...along with some other patents, but I thought this was pretty neat!

And I thought this was an interesting way to display the preamble to our constitution...spelled out in the license plates of all 50 states in alphabetical order. Cool huh?

Then it was on to the game. Don't ask me why the guys wanted to see a team that had lost 12 of the last 13 games they played, and basketball at that (they are hockey and baseball fans), but I decided I would go anyway. They got really cheap tickets in a fairly good place to sit and so I thought...why not? Guess what...they lost.

Halfway during the game I kinda lost interest and started watching this guy. He was shaking those soda bottles for all he was worth, following the lead of the cheer leaders. I had to giggle when I saw him...

but then I noticed that DH was watching the cheerleaders...

so I decided to tell him that he and I should be watching the Wizards lose. LOL

Today's start is Wiehenburg's Christmas Quaker Bell Pull. I've had this in my to do pile for ages. It's about time it saw the light of day. I had the fabric, the DMC floss and it has been sitting calling to me for ages. So here is how far I made it today. And all because I had to see the Wizards lose. LOL

Hope you had a much more productive day!

Joy and Peace!

2012-01-14T18:09:00.000-05:00

After yesterday's fiasco I decided the best course of action was to lay low today. I haven't done much today as the guys had plans and since I wasn't included, I stayed home and stitched. Felt good for a change not to have to rush around and be somewhere at a specific time. I received a nice phone call from a former coworker, it was nice to connect with a dear friend.

Just a little note for those who expressed your concern yesterday, I am feeling MUCH better today, though a little "hung over" from the pain meds. I didn't need any today so that's a good thing! Thanks for the kind comments.

I don't have any plans for tomorrow either so maybe I'll get even more stitching done then. But for today, I was able to start AND finish another Little House Needleworks ornament, "Joy and Peace".

This is stitched on 30 ct. Straw from Weeks Dye Works over two linen threads using the recommended fibers. This was a fun stitch, it reminds me of the first time I was able to start and finish reading a book in one day! A great sense of accomplishment. So, that leaves the rest of the day to stitch on something else. Probably a SAL that needs to be completed by a certain date, or maybe a UFO (get a little ahead of the game). Either way, I'm off to get some more stitching done! See you later!

Friday the Thirteenth Crazy...

2012-01-13T19:47:00.000-05:00

Get ready to exercise your chuckle muscles as Mouse would say...buckle your seatbelt, it's going to be a bumpy ride! LOL

When I woke up this morning, before I even stuck my toe out from under my blanket, I knew it was going to be a weird day. I just had this feeling. And as I grabbed my Bible study and wrote the date, I realized it was Friday...the thirteenth. Now most of the time I don't believe in superstition...and I really don't take much stock in this day being unlucky...but I had this feeling it was going to be an interesting day, and my instincts didn't steer me wrong.

I had this nagging feeling...and as my morning progressed, it turned into an ache, and then a positive sharp pain, that refused to go away. I got ready for work and then left and halfway there it turned into an unbearable pain....in the medical field they always ask to describe your pain on a scale from 1 to 10. This was a....if you were within arms reach I would stretch your lower lip up over your face so you could eat your own words...kinda pain. Childbirth looked like a walk in the park and I had a natural birth with my son...no pain meds! I sent my boss a text and he told me to close and go get some help somewhere and he would get there as soon as he could, and as I was reading that and getting ready to call my clinic, four customers walked through the door. I waited on all of them, helped design a framing job (turned out to be a $600.00 order!!), and cut some plexiglass for a customer when my boss finally walked through the door and took over. I was able to make an appointment 30 minutes later and found out that probably the dye they used for the MRI yesterday had attacked my liver. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what would cause that much pain. So...within 3 hours of arriving at work, I was headed home with pain meds in hand. I'm finally feeling more comfortable, if not whippy from the meds! LOL They forgot to tell me to drink, drink, drink and flush all that stuff out of my system yesterday! So that is what I've been doing since I got home.

THEN...I decided to get started on my crazy for today. I cut the fabric, pulled the threads, sorted out the patterns, started stitching and realized the fabric wasn't dark enough for the threads I had. *sigh* It was over one, too. *heavier sigh* So...I thought...well, I can stitch this other SAL that I had found on the internet the other day, it was the perfect size and all the colors seemed to look ok on the fabric. Well the first color I chose DIDN'T look good on the fabric, so out it came...and I decided to just use white. I think it looks ok, this picture really doesn't look too good at the moment, but hopefully as I go along it will look better. The SAL is called SAL Alphabet aux Nichoirs and can be found here.

And on that note, I think I'll quit while I'm miles behind.

On the twelth day of craziness...

2012-01-12T23:21:00.000-05:00

Hi folks...

Well, for not working, it sure has been a long day. I started One Nation from By Gone Stitches. I'm stitching this one on 35 ct Confederate Grey Weeks Dye Works hand dyed linen over two threads using one strand of floss. Crescent Colors Bamboo, Blacksmith Blue and Cupid are the colors I'm using. Astrid and I are having a SAL with this particular pattern, and our new friend, Miss D. will be joining us when she has her materials. So far this has been a dream to stitch!!

I also worked on my UFO so Mouse can now comfortably make me a cuppa and a bacon buttie...whatever that is. I know she's explained it before, but somehow until I see it, I'm not quite convinced what it is. Hope it's tasty because working on this today has worked up my appetite! LOL

I didn't get very far on either of them since I had to run to Annapolis today to have an MRI. I did have some time this morning to work on the book my DH gave me for Christmas. I am really enjoying the study! Today I read in Exodus about the tabernacle that Moses was told to build. It was described meticulously with dimensions and descriptions of the types of materials they should use. They used precious metals and jewels and specific perfumes were made to consecrate the tabernacle. I started thinking how we are told our bodies are temples and if that's the case, then we are precious material...carefully chosen, perfectly shaped, and wonderfully made! Pretty cool, huh?

I know I haven't mentioned much about my experiences with the medical system I have to deal with...except that I have to do a lot of running around for paperwork. I trusted what they said when they told me my referral would be waiting for me when I got to the clinic. Note to self, NEVER trust that the paperwork will get there unless you have it in your hot little hand!! After a few phone calls, one was chased down and faxed to the office. I calmly sat down to wait. Finally I hear them call my name and they ask me what kind of test I was to have done. I explain what was told to me, and she said, that's not what is being asked for on this form. Hm... so off she goes to talk to the person who supposedly read the results of the sonogram I had. They changed their minds about what they thought it was. So now I have to have the MRI with and without contrast, that means starting an IV. Did I mention that my veins are shot from the chemo I had? LOL After TWO tries she finally gets the needle in the most tender part of the back of my hand. OUCH!! Now if you've never had an MRI of your breasts before, let me describe the position you must assume to have those puppies in the proper position. First you get on your knees with your hiney in the air, you lay your sternum on this hard rubber "box" and let your tatas dangle in their proper compartments. A rounded foam thingie is placed in front of your face to lean your forehead on and your feet are propped up so they are touching your hiney. Your arms are stretched out straight in front of you, holding a little rubber bulb (the panic button) and the IV tubing is wrapped around your other hand to prevent it getting caught in the mechanism that wheels you in and out of the big metal tube. (I felt a little like I should have had a red cape on and sing "Here I come to save the day" over the racket the machine makes...LOL)You are wheeled in backwards and you must hold that position (DON'T MOVE) for a minimum of 30 minutes. (In my case it was 45). The dye they inject you with always gives me a headache and after holding that position for so long, I felt a little wobbly after I crawled off the machine. I'm praying they don't have to repeat that procedure for a while...I'm still stiff from trying not to move. I'm beginning to think they should use that procedure at Guantanamo, it would surely get me to give up information!! LOL So, the verdict is...I'm not even sure who or how I'll get the results. The last word I heard was seroma...a collection of fluid that sometimes happens after surgery, but should reabsorb back into the body in about 4-5 months. It's been 9 months since my last surgery. Hm......leave it to me to have something whacky. Again, we wait...I'll let you know more when I do. And on that note, I bid you a very good night! *Hugs*

Nine, Ten, Eleven, I'm in Heaven!

2012-01-11T19:16:00.000-05:00

I think I need a clone! LOL I have squeezed in time to get some starts going, but with working, being chauffeur to my son, and my various and sundry "have to do's" I ran out of blogging time. I wouldn't be here tonight either, but I'm skipping Bible study tonight because I am exhausted. I have medical tests tomorrow too, so I decided to "chill" tonight so I'm not stressed out tomorrow.

So, where do we begin? Let's start with crazy nine, shall we? On the ninth day I started "Matter's Choice" from Carriage House Samplings. This is stitched on 40 ct. Autumn Gold over two (feel better Libbie? LOL) using DMC 3750. I didn't want to put this down, I just love the colors and the feel of the fabric, and I'm lamenting that I have more crazies to start before I can stitch on it again. *sigh*

On the tenth day I started "January Cottage" from Country Cottage Needleworks. There is a SAL going on with these patterns. I've been having troubles getting the patterns, and the specialty threads, yadda, yadda, yadda. I'm hoping I get the bugs worked out soon and after a false start (I started stitching on 28 ct over two and realized the fabric piece I had was too small AND I had started too high and would have run out of room...) I finally got this far stitching on 32 ct over two using the recommended threads. I love the little snowman, and can't wait to get the pattern for February so I can catch up with the rest of the group stitching these!

Then today, I had a stitch date with Astrid. We didn't meet as early as usual, and Astrid was pretty busy looking for things at Barnes and Noble so we didn't get to talk too much. So for crazy 11 I did manage to get this much done on "Silent Night", one of the ornament series Little House Needleworks published last year. It is stitched on 30 ct. Tin Roof over two using the recommended threads.

This was the first time I had seen Astrid since before Christmas. She knows of my love of Nativity's and she gave me this gift for Christmas. It's carved from Olive trees from Bethlehem. Isn't it precious!! I dearly love this Astrid and am so touched that you thought of me when you saw this! Thank you!!

My DH gave me a book for Christmas called "Through the Bible in one year" and it has a reading schedule and a study to go along with the reading. I've been setting aside time each morning to read and study and really dwell on the Word. Not only am I seeing things I haven't seen before, I'm learning a lot about God's commandments and promises and it is giving me a great deal to think about not to mention an inner peace. Thank you, Honey, for this amazing gift, not just the book, but what is happening inside.

I'm heading for an MRI tomorrow...I'll let you know when I know what is going on now. *sigh* I'm definitely a work in progress. LOL I still haven't decided how many crazies I'm planning to start, but I have enough for all 31. I'm hoping to get to 15 and from there we'll punt. Thanks for stopping by...see you soon! *Hugs*

Crazy Eight, Lay Them Straight!

2012-01-08T15:08:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow crazies!! It's a mad dash to get this posted today as I'm going to watch the Downton Abbey marathon that is starting in T minus 3 minutes!! I found out just a little while ago that they are showing the premier show of the second season at 9 tonight, but they are showing a number of the previous season's episodes in the few hours leading up to the premier...so without further ado...here is today's start. This is Sweet Flowers being stitched on 32 ct white Lugana over one using Rainbow Gallery Splendor silk S1035, S1036, S1037 and Gloriana Jersey Shore.

This is another SAL being offered on this website and since I couldn't choose between the two I asked if I could participate in both. She VERY generously said yes, so I've begun both and hopefully I won't lose my mind trying to get both done. Wish me luck! Sorry for the awful picture, hopefully I'll get one in natural sunlight so you can see the pretty colors.

Off to watch Downton Abbey...and if you like it as much as I do, you might enjoy stitching this freebie...

Crazy Lucky Seven

2012-01-07T21:34:00.000-05:00

It's day seven...and I was so surprised to look in my e-mail box and find the first two parts of a SAL I signed up for. This one is being offered on this website. You have to have signed up already to participate and once you've finished the parts she sends you, you must send a picture to receive the next part. She is offering two...and since I couldn't decide, I signed up for both of them. Check back tomorrow to see the start of the second one!

This one is called Lavender Blue. I am not using the colors she suggested, but instead I'm using Rainbow Gallery silk Splendor, S1110, S916 and S914 and also Thread Gatherers Silk n color Strawflower. I love working with silk!! It's being stitched on 32 ct white Jobelan over one. I hope I NEVER have the frogs visit because it's such a pain frogging over one!!

And that's all the news that's fit to print. Thank you for all the lovely comments on the previous posts. It's so encouraging to hear that you like my starts! I've been looking at others also, though I don't always post...I do try to take a peek, but don't always have time to post. I'll try to do better at that. And on that note, I bid you all a peaceful night. I'm headed to bed. Goodnight!

On the sixth day of craziness...

2012-01-06T21:22:00.000-05:00

Hello folks! Here I am again with another crazy update. I have been wanting to start this particular pattern for quite some time. I saw this pattern stitched when I visited Woodlawn last year and absolutely fell in love with it. This is called Renouveau and I have begun stitching this on 32 ct Meadow Rue over one using the recommended DMC floss.

I had most of the day to myself today which was nice. The boys were at work or school so I had the house to myself. I slept in...puttered about the house...talked to Mouse on the computer...*waving to Mouse*...and stitched to my hearts content. I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it was to be able to do nothing...and whatever I felt like doing. I need to schedule more days like this for myself. I don't feel completely rested, but I do feel much better. And now I'm heading off to bed. Tomorrow promises to be another relaxing day. Hope all you crazies out there are getting lots of stitching done! *Hugs*

Day 5 craziness...

2012-01-05T22:34:00.000-05:00

Hi there! What a day...sure hope yours was much better than mine! Where do I begin?

Let's start with a start...this is Pirouette in Purple. It is by The Sweetheart Tree, is stitched on 28 count Lambswool linen over two threads using the recommended DMC 520, 522, 523, 822, 3041, 3042, 3740 and Needle Necessities Overdyed thread #1941 Passion Flower. It has some beads and buttons as well, and so far is coming out rather nicely I think. Hopefully this will be one of those "quick stitches". I did have to have a few in hopes of finishing any of them by the end of the year!!

Today was UFO day at Friendly Stitchers so I brought out one I've worked on periodically. I would love to finish this one this year as well. I love the colors, and though you can't see the picture well yet, I love the picture too. I think this will be my UFO until it's finished for now.

DS just bounded out of his room saying that he had checked his e-mail and found out that he made it past the first step toward an internship next year. It is called a "conditional offer" and he will now have another interview. Considering that 80 kids signed up and only 10 were chosen for the first interview, this is quite exciting. I can't remember when I've seen him so happy. I think he said there were only 6 internships available, so we'll see how things go from here. Can't tell you how proud I am of him!!

On a bit of a downer note, I had an appointment at the breast center today. After an exam the Nurse Practitioner thought it necessary to send me for an Sonogram...which then turned into a recommendation for an MRI. I'll have the test next Thursday. They aren't sure what they are seeing and don't seem OVERLY concerned, so I'll just do what I'm told and see what happens. The past few days I haven't felt too well, with some dizziness and extreme fatigue...May I just say...I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired! LOL Better days are coming, I'm sure. Til then we just take it one day at a time. Prayers are appreciated! And on that note, I'm headed to bed. I wonder what craziness is in store for tomorrow...stay tuned!

Day Three and Four...

2012-01-04T09:16:00.000-05:00

Sorry for not posting last night, I ran from work, to take DS to basketball practice...and started day 3 there. Then home to do some stuff around the house and fall into bed exhausted last night. I woke up early this morning, on a roll, and got day 4 started and will be off to work in a moment for round two of this week. I have to run DS to youth group tonight and meet up with DH for dinner so knew I wouldn't have time to start crazy number 4 if I didn't do it this morning. So without further ado...here is day 3...

Day three is a Lizzie Kate Boxer, called You can touch the dust. This was so fitting for my house this past year! It is stitched on 27 ct Cream Northern Cross Linen over two threads using GA sampler threads, tea rose, Weeks Dye Works begonia, moss, teal frost, and Williamsburg red, and DMC 3348.

Day four is Snowman Kisses by CherryWood Design Studio. It is stitched on 30 ct Blue Jeans Weeks Dye Works linen over two threads. It is stitched with Crescent Colors Snowball, Black Coffee, German Chocolate, Lobster Claw, Cherry Tomato and Gentle Arts Huckleberry. I thought this was such a cute design and couldn't resist.

That's all the time I have for today, so off to work and begin another crazy day! Have a great day, and hope to see you tomorrow!

Day Two!

2012-01-02T21:04:00.000-05:00

This will be a quickie as I haven't been sleeping too well lately and I'm headed to bed...so without further ado, here is my second crazy of the year. I'm afraid it's not a very good picture.

This is called Yvonne Richer Sampler and can be seen on this blog. She copied this sampler from an antique and will give out the pattern pieces as you request them along with a picture of your progress. I am stitching it on 32 ct. Ivory lugana over one thread. I was a floss tossing floozy at my LNS the other day and the ladies working there so kindly assisted me with the colors. I wanted it to look antique so we chose two shades of rose over-dyed thread and two shades of green. I promise I will write up the threads later, I am too tired to run upstairs and look. You can find the website here.

I still haven't worked out all the patterns I plan to stitch for my crazies, but hopefully by next weekend I'll have them all sorted out. This week promises to be a busy one without any days off except Thursday and I have appointments all day that day. I have to say, I'm not used to being this busy and I am getting extremely tired. Hopefully next weekend the boys will take it easy on me and I can get some rest.

Today we went to the movies to see the new Sherlock Homes movie. I have mixed feelings, as it WAS entertaining, though silly at times and a little confusing until all the loose ends were tied up at the end. Would I recommend it? Hm...that's hard to say. We did see Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol over the Christmas holiday and I REALLY enjoyed that one!!

Ok, off to hit the hay so I'm ready for another 10 hour day at work tomorrow. Will I find time to stitch? Only time will tell...check back tomorrow and see! *grin* See you then!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T20:52:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year folks! I hope you are having a wonderful start to your year. I know I am. A lot has been going on, I've been pretty busy with work and family so today was nice just to hang out and relax. I've started the Crazy January Challenge again this year and have spent part of my day stitching. But I'll get to that later.

We've had an interesting day, as our cat decided to take a little vacation from our family and scooted out of the house without being noticed while we took the trash out on Thursday night. He was spotted a few times by folks in the neighborhood but we weren't able to catch him to bring him home...until today. We saw a glimpse of him, spent a little while calling and looking for him then returned home to find him perched on our back deck waiting for us. It's a great way to start the new year, now let's hope he decides to remain home!!!

I signed up for the crazy January challenge, where we start a new project each day for the first fifteen (or 31...depending on the depth of your craziness) days of the year. I had a list and had all the materials assembled, and then I started seeing all these SALs popping up on the internet. I signed up for a few of them, then got busy at work and wasn't able to revamp my list. So the list went out the window and I just decided I would fly by the seat of my pants. I saw this little freebie a couple of days ago on this website http://www.helene-et-mahelia.com/ and decided it would be the perfect one to start off the year.

It's in honor of The Year of the Dragon in the Chinese calendar. I decided this morning that this would be my first of the crazies, and I was able to start AND finish it today! The next time I work I'll try to get it framed and hopefully it will bring me good luck for the year! It was stitched on 32 ct antique white lugana over two threads using DMC 123, 310, and 3801.

I don't have time today or tomorrow to sort out my list, but I'll try to post daily what I'm working on so watch this space! To those who have decided to participate in the challenge, good luck my fellow crazies! I look forward to watching your progress!

My prayer for everyone is a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year, full of unexpected blessings! *Hugs*

The day after Christmas...

2011-12-26T21:23:00.000-05:00

It's the day after Christmas, and all the hoopla is over. The dust has settled, and things are getting back to normal. It's a federal holiday here in the states, so DH and DS were both home, and though the store was open today, I asked for the day off and was graciously given it. What do you do on the day after Christmas when you live close to Washington, DC? You pack up the boys and head to the National Mall and the Eclipse and visit the National Christmas tree!

We rode in on the Metro...

But first, you must wait for it to get dark, so we visited our pals at Madame Tussauds.

I had a little chat with George Clooney..*ladylike drool*...

The boys had a game of hockey with Alexander Ovechkin....guess who won? LOL

I had Hoover give DS a little interrogation...LOL

We looked through some windows and saw this Gingerbread house...later when we walked by after dark there were lights in the house...cute eh?

Then we decided to have dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe....what fun! And the food wasn't bad either! Then it was time to head over to the National Mall.

I was impressed this year to see a Nativity. It's hard to tell from the picture but it was life size. I'm glad to see we can still observe all religions freely.

Each year there are 50 + trees decked out for Christmas. One for each state and for the US territories. School children from the different states are chosen to make ornaments to decorate their tree.

Then there is one tree larger than all the others that is designated as the "National Tree".

It was a beautiful night, and there were tons of people there...but despite the crowds, it was fun visiting all the trees and seeing their decorations. I'm thankful to live in such a wonderful place!!

So we saw the trees, the Menorah, and the White House with it's outdoor decorations. What a beautiful sight! I love the decorations along the streets in DC as well.

It was a great night out with my boys! Tomorrow will be back to the old grind, but today was the perfect ending to our little holiday. I hope you and your families had a wonderful Christmas!

The last thing, but certainly not the least, is a picture of the gift Mouse sent me for Christmas. What a thoughtful thing to send, Mouse, I love them both! I feel very spoiled! I can't wait to take a soak in the tub with the lavender tea bags for the tub. And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the little pin cushion! Thank you so much! I hope your package arrives soon!

Celebrations!!

2011-12-19T19:17:00.000-05:00

Hi cross stitch fans!! I hate to disappoint you, but there won't be any pictures today either. I have great news though!! For those of you who have been praying for my son's friend T, your prayers have been answered. Looks like T will be going home in a day or two, just in time to spend Christmas at home. The Lord is sooooo good! Thank you all for praying for him!!

I have a couple of other fun things to tell you. Did I happen to mention how much I love my job? Well...I find the things we frame so interesting, and it's kinda neat living in this area because we do tend to get some interesting pieces to frame. The other day we had a rush order (which had a less than 24 hour turn around) from "The Washington Post". They had the newspaper proof (it's a metal tin type that is what they use to print off the newspaper) with an article about George Bush. AND...I later found out that it was a gift for George H W Bush himself!! Something I framed might be hanging in the former president's house!! How cool is that? There was an Air Force Doctor who used to come frequently to the store, he was the private doctor for George W. He had a few stories to tell!! LOL He brought in the licens plates of the presidential limo from inauguration day along with the flags that fly on the front of the car. That was a cool project too! I've met some secret service fellas, and all kinds of interesting folks. Yep, my job may seem dull most of the time, but now and then...it's kinda fun the things we see pass through our doors. Right now it's crunch time at the store though...so I'm working some long hours, and then I'm too tired to sleep. I need to find some time to wrap presents too. I need a few extra hours in the day. LOL Anyone want to be my elf and come clean my house and wrap my gifts? Nah, didn't think so...LOL I'm off to hit the hay, tomorrow promises to be another exhausting day. *Hugs*

What a find!

2011-12-18T09:34:00.000-05:00

I clicked on the "home" of one of the people who commented on my blog and found a lovely surprise! Stitching By A Cornish Sea Shore is a lovely blog to visit, with lots of beautiful photos, interesting information, lovely stitching and she is hosting a giveaway! If you want a treat, stop by and take a look at this lovely blog, you won't be disappointed! Just click on the name and you'll be directed there. Enjoy!!

Just need to write....

2011-12-16T08:52:00.000-05:00

I was so looking forward to Christmas this year, I had planned to keep my mind focused on the true meaning of Christmas. I was hoping to attend some Christmas events, to spend time with people I care about and do special things for them, but it never fails that someone switches the treadmill I'm on up to full speed and before you know it, I'm running full tilt in the wrong direction. I know I must sound like a wimp, but I worked the past three days and I'm completely wiped out...my brain is on overload. I am beginning to realize the toll the chemo took on my brain. If I'm distracted for a moment, I completely forget what I was about to do and I feel I'm useless at work. There are so many distractions at work at the moment and I end up spending the time there running in circles, trying to remember what I should be doing. I was so tired last night I tried to watch TV but absolutely nothing soaked in. And then the phone rang...

My husband's Grandmother passed away yesterday. It totally came out of the blue. She was 93. I feel so badly for my husband. His family is slowly slipping away and each parting gets more difficult for him. Please pray for him and his family during this time. The funeral is next week...and the timing is such that he and my son can travel up there, but I'm torn between feeling needed by my family, and feeling needed at my job. The problem is the drive over the mountains in PA and we worry about the weather this time of year. We've been stranded in bad weather before. We don't want to appear calloused and really when this happens you WANT to be with your family, but.... It's such a dilemma and caused a rather sleepless night last night. I'm waiting on my husband, ultimately I'll do whatever he feels he would like to do.

I haven't had much time (or desire...sadly) to cross stitch lately, but with the crazy January challenge nearly upon us I am beginning to feel the pangs of "startitis". I thought I had my list whittled down, but found some SAL's I'd like to partake in...so hopefully I'll find a moment or two to firm up a list and get the needed supplies soon. Wish me luck...

On a lighter note, I've been enjoying a plant that we bought a while back. They were selling one Amaryllis bulb with some of the proceeds going to Susan G. Koeman...so of course I couldn't resist. We chose the pink flower and then in the hustle and bustle we lost track of it. Two weeks ago, DH finally planted it. I wish I had taken a picture of it each day. I swear it has grown an inch a day and today there are two blossoms opened. If you ever want to have a fun project for a child, plant one of these beauties, you won't be disappointed. These are the pictures I took this morning. I love the color!! Each blossom is bigger than my hand!

I have today off, and later tonight DS has a date with his youth group for laser tag. That leaves a free evening for DH and I to have a little date night. I will probably head back to bed soon for a little more sleep so I can stay awake for whatever he has planned tonight. I feel better for having written things down, somehow that always seems to clear my mind and help me organize my thoughts. Thanks for reading, if you made it this far, and for praying for our family. *Hugs*

It's a good day!!

2011-12-12T14:59:00.000-05:00

Hi Cross Stitch Fans, wherever you may be! Hope the sun is shining and the Christmas Carols are playing wherever you are today! It's a pretty day here in Maryland, a good day to meet up with a friend and spend a little time stitching...and so I've done!

Astrid and I met up today for a little relaxing time of stitching and sharing our experiences lately. Who knew, when we met in bbinteractive yahoo group a little over a year ago, that we would become such good friends? I hope you enjoy my company as much as I enjoy yours, Astrid!

If you've ever been to Astrid's blog, you would see she's a multi-talented person. She makes cards, stitches, and makes jewelry. She's already made a few bracelets for me, and just last week, she made me these earrings. I wish I had a portion of her talent!! And, Astrid, I would love to make jewelry, so maybe after Christmas maybe we can plan a day for a lesson? Aren't these the cutest earrings? I LOVE them!! Thanks so much.

AND..if you've ever been to Astrid's blog, you would see that she likes dragons. For the PIF that she won earlier this year I stitched a dragon for her, and then the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament issue came out and...you guessed it...there was a dragon ornament. It had her name all over it!! I stitched it a few weeks ago, before I lost my mojo....and ran out of time...and began to feel the pressure of Christmas drawing near at the speed of light. So, just in case I didn't see her again before Christmas, I stayed up till the wee hours and assembled this into an ornament this morning...and gave it to her when we met up. I THINK she liked it. I thought it came out quite nice!

We attended our Church's annual Christmas performance last night. It was a play/musical called "The Christmas Post". They did a wonderful job!! It also reminded me what Christmas is all about, a life changing experience when we get to know our Lord and Savior on a personal level. Now if I can just keep that thought in my frontal lobe during the holidays...Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Men...I'll have a bright and Merry Christmas. I wanted to leave you with the words from my favorite Christmas song. Evie had this on her Christmas Memories album back in the 80's. I played the cassette tape so many times, it finally broke in the tape player and after many years of searching for the CD, I finally mentioned it to a coworker one year. He found it on ebay and gave it to me for Christmas that year, it reduced me to tears, and I still play this song over and over again at Christmas time. I just love the words...

Twas the night before Christmas,
And my only desire
Was peace among kids, and to rest by the fire.
I had just settled down in my favorite chair;
When I heard a small voice, and a cry of despair.
As I stared at the hearth I saw a strange sight!
Our nativity scene, in the flickering light
Seemed almost alive!
And how could this be!
One lonely shepherd was calling to me.

***
Move me closer, move me closer
Move me closer to the Child.
Let me see Him, let me hold His hand.
Move me closer to the Child.

***
As you can well imagine, I was a bit surprised.
So with a shake of the head and a rub of the eyes
I took another look, and what did I see,
Without a doubt he was looking at me.

It seems in the hustle and bustle of things
In the wrapping of gifts, and the building of swings,
In assembling his scene, I'd been a bit hurried,
And understandably so, He was a little bit worried.

***
Move me closer, move me closer
Move me closer to the Child.
Let me see Him, let me hold His hand.
Move me closer to the Child.

***
You see, candy canes and holly trim
Didn't mean a thing to him.
If it kept him from his post
Beside the child he loved the most.

So as strange as it must seem,
Whether it was, or wasn't, a dream.
I placed him back where he belonged
As he sang again his simple song.
And now when we at Christmas share,
We sing his song:
A Shepherd's Prayer.

***
Move me closer, move me closer
Move me closer to the Child.
Let me see Him, let me hold His hand.
Move me closer to the Child.
Move me closer to the Child.

I hope in the hustle and bustle of the season you find time to move closer to the Child. *Hugs*

Great Joy and Great Sadness...

2011-12-08T16:18:00.000-05:00

Where to begin? First, I want to wish my best buddy, Sonya, a very Happy Birthday! I drove to my LNS where she works today to bring her her present. I have been planning and plotting this present for almost a year, and I couldn't wait another day to give it to her. Here is a picture.

Just a little background for you, Sonya loves tea, so at the beginning of the year I started looking for a tea cup. I had seen tea cup pincushions all over the place on the internet, so decided this would be the perfect gift for her. I finally found one on my trip to Virginia during the summer. If you know me, you know how hard it is for me to keep a secret. I have been dying to tell Sonya of this gift for ages. The next part was to search for the perfect pattern for the pincushion...one that incorporated the colors of the tea cup along with her favorite things. I finally decided on the swan from the Castles in the air pattern offered on Papillon Creations, as the swan is another of her favorite things.

Now, her gift had all her favorite things wrapped into one, a swan, tea and her love of needlework. Lastly, I mixed some lavender with the stuffing of her pincushion, so it also includes her favorite scent. I hope you have a very Happy Birthday my dear friend, you deserve the best! Sonya helped me in so many ways as I struggled through my cancer treatment. You truly are a gift from God! Where would we be without our girlfriends, right ladies?

I have to mention here the sadness I feel today too. Remember I've asked for prayers for DS's friend, T. T is going through his third round of chemotherapy. His last round was very difficult, he lost a lot of weight and had terrible issues with things too graphic to post here. He even stayed a few nights in the ICU. The last report from his Mom that was posted on Caring Bridge today was not good. T has developed an infection. His temperature is bouncing up and down, and so is his blood pressure. He hasn't been able to keep any food down and any medical procedures they have tried recently to give him nourishment have failed. They are praying he doesn't have to go back into the ICU. Because it is cold and flu season, no one under the age of 16 can visit T and that means the majority of his friends. He is missing his greatest supporters. Along with the bad news, there is good news. They have found a bone marrow donor for him, in fact they found two, who were willing to donate to him. They are in Europe, so they will extract the bone marrow in Europe and fly it to the US where he will receive the transplant. He has one more round of chemo to prepare his body for this after the first of the year. If he can overcome the current issues and his numbers go back up he will be able to spend Christmas at home with his family. He was able to spend his birthday (the same day as mine!) and Thanksgiving at home and it is our prayer that he will be able to spend Christmas at home as well. Please pray for this strong, courageous young man. It is breaking my heart to see this humorous, talented, big-hearted young man go through such trials. And his family could use the prayers too. Thank you.

This week has been a very difficult and stressful week. Murphy's Law reigns supreme (did I mention that was my maiden name? I SWEAR they wrote it about my family!!) With trials coming from all corners of my life, work, family, church and even my internet family I have lost my stitching mojo. I am struggling with a number of issues I think are from a medication I must take for another 4 years, forgetfulness, severe headaches and swelling in my arm, legs and feet. It's just not fun to be me right now...I don't know what I will do, but if you don't hear from me for a while, sit tight, I'll be back soon. You can't keep an addicted stitcher down for long. In the meanwhile, try to remember the Reason for the Season and be kind to one another. A little kindness goes a long way! *Hugs*

Hanging of the greens...

2011-12-03T14:00:00.000-05:00

I have heard this expression many times, and never realized what it meant until recently. It's usually a church service that includes everyone of all ages, and you decorate the church the first Sunday of Advent, using evergreens that symbolize everlasting life, holly that symbolizes the death of Jesus on the Cross and Ivy that symbolizes his resurrection. What a lovely way to begin the Christmas season with a reinforcement of our belief along with the anticipation of celebrating the birth of Jesus. I LOVE Christmas for this reason, to celebrate the gift we were given and the hope of salvation and the promise of eternal life for those who believe.

So, with that in mind, we decorated our house. Just a few pictures here, as people have been hinting they wanted to see our decorations. I don't have any updated stitching pictures, with the craziness at work, the bustle of shopping and parties and church services I have lost my mojo, but hope to have it back soon as I still have Christmas gifts to stitch! Enjoy the greenery!

Check this out!!

2011-11-30T07:46:00.000-05:00

Just learned about this blog, "To Stitch or Not to Stitch", and thought you might like to check out her amazing stitching! She's also having a giveaway, so hurry on over and check it out!

A little of this....a little of that...

2011-11-26T20:33:00.000-05:00

Hi! Just thought I would drop a note here to let you know what I've been up to...

I was expecting a nice quiet day today and was hoping to get some stitching done. I woke up before the guys, got my cinnamon bagel with cream cheese and my Dunkin Donuts Hazelnut coffee and started reading e-mails. I saw a notice on facebook that someone else was stitching and wanted folks to join her, so off I went to pick up part 6 of The Great Escape offered on The Stitch Specialists yahoo group and began stitching. I actually got both of the stitches done before the guys woke up and then suddenly my day was interrupted...

DH decided he wanted to set up the Christmas tree today, BUT FIRST (see, I'm not the only one to suffer from but first disease...it runs rampant in our family...LOL) he decided we would do a thorough cleaning. Suddenly furniture was being moved, out came the mops, brooms, vacuum cleaner, the drapes were taken down (only to find they are dry clean only...) every figurine (and I've decided I have WAY Too many!!) was dusted, shined and rearranged and out came some of the Christmas decorations. Hours later the living room was HALF finished and the Christmas tree was assembled. Then it was time to head for church so everything is in a pile in the middle of the room waiting for stage two tomorrow when we decorate the tree. Thomas decided to place himself in the center and supervise the operation. Poor DH was getting directions from all sides. LOL

I have a good excuse for not getting too much in the middle of cleaning things. The last day I worked I had to leave early as I lost a fight with a plastic doohickey I was trying to trim with a utility knife. The knife slipped and made a bee line for my index finger. Why do extremities bleed like fury? Before I could grab a paper towel, run around the work table and turn on the tap I had left quite a trail...and now I'm wondering if I'm anemic again? LOL The bad thing is that I cut the finger on my left hand, the side that I am struggling with lymph edema. *sigh* So...off to the clinic I went to get some steri-strips to "tape" up my finger (they decided they wouldn't use stitches since I'm not supposed to have needles in that arm) and some antibiotics and hopefully I won't have too much of an issue with swelling. I have had some aching, and I'm wearing my sleeve so hopefully it won't get too bad, I really don't have time for physical therapy right now!! So that means, I can't do dishes, or get my finger wet...DARN...LOL!!

Well, here I am struggling to stay awake, I have to stay up to take my antibiotic but maybe I can get a few stitches in before I lose all my get-up-and-go! Have a good night.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T08:47:00.000-05:00

What a beautiful day! Finally after several days of rain we awoke to a beautiful blue sky and sunshine. It promises to be a lovely day with mild temperatures. The guys will be able to get outdoors and "blow the stink off" as my Mother would say. It's early and the guys are still asleep after their late night out at the hockey game. The Caps won again in overtime...GO CAPS!! So I have a few minutes to reflect on the day and what it means to me.

To quote my cousin, I'm thankful I'm not a turkey today! Although a couple of turkeys were pardoned at the White House yesterday. And to think they almost made the turkey our national bird. Thankfully Benjamin Franklin didn't get his way! Ours will soon be in the oven and the smells will fill the house. I'm hungry just thinking about that! There are so many things to be thankful for this year. For a God who provides in the most intimate ways. For a husband and son who are loving and kind. For a year full of blessings of good friends and family. For health and for comfort and peace. Those are what I'm truly thankful for!

I spent the early part of this week with some friends. With the lovely Miss M who's birthday was yesterday, and this is the gift I gave her.

I reconnected with a former co-worker that I haven't seen in a while, but who used to come and crawl in my bed and watch movies with me when I was going through chemo. Thanks for going to the movies with me, Miss C, I love spending time with you, and your wonderful sense of humor keeps me in stitches!

I had to throw in this picture of the little yellow cat that comes to visit Thomas. They used to sit and hiss at one another and try to bat one another through the sliding glass door. Now they curl up on either side of the glass and keep each other company. We aren't sure if he/she belongs to anyone, but what a lovey dovey kitty! We aren't sure what to do, whether to give Thomas a playmate, or what? I started calling him/her Garfield...Gar for short. Whatever will we do with Gar?

The turkey picture you see above is the turkey from my wooden nativity we got while we lived in Germany. There are many interesting pieces in this nativity, but as I was searching for turkey pictures for my blog, that little guy came into mind. And then I got the brilliant idea of putting the blessed family behind him, because what comes after Thanksgiving? A picture is worth a thousand words! To you and yours, may you have a truly Blessed Thanksgiving!

Unexpected blessings...

2011-11-20T11:32:00.000-05:00

Good morning friends!

This has been an interesting week, so much has gone on I can't believe only a week has gone by!! Tis the season I guess. I always feel like I've been shot out of a cannon during the short time between Thanksgiving and Christmas (traveling at the speed of light without the ability to slow down or alter my course), and this year the economy is crying in pain and the businesses have decided to start the Christmas rush even sooner...the day after Halloween. People are starting to shop, and I guess that's a good thing, but it's not the "strolling through the aisle, contemplating the perfect gift" kind of shopping, it's the "gotta have gotta get the biggest the best at the best price at midnight Black Friday" kind of shopping where you need protective clothing just to step into the concourse at the local mall. I actually saw a young lady standing in a parking spot close to the doors of the mall arguing with an elderly lady in a car trying to park in that spot. I quickly walked away because they looked at me with daggers in their eyes. Where have our manners gone? What happened to "Good will toward men"? I usually try to have my shopping done by this time of year (unfortunately, I'm not quite there yet). Mainly because I don't have time because we become very busy at the store and I have no free time, but also because I don't have the body armor needed to jump into the fray at the mall. This year I'm going to try focusing on the reason for the season and try to keep my "good will toward men" flowing through the holiday.

Well I had some good news this morning, and it always amazes me when this happens. I HAVE been shopping, and had SOME unexpected expenses, and yesterday my bank statement came in the mail. I DREAD balancing my checkbook, and as I dragged it out of my purse I realized it had been TWO months since I last balanced it. I started to fret, sweat and issue myself a threat...where had last month's statement gone and why don't I keep the balance tabulated? After a frantic search, a few kicks to my behind, nearly an hour of checking off withdrawls, checks and deposits, I finally had it balanced...and I have more money than I thought I did! *wiping sweat from brow* It even balanced to the penny on the first inspection!! WHEW!! Christmas shopping can now resume, with a little less pressure, though I will be more careful of how much is in there!

Because of all the busy-ness I haven't had much chance to stitch, and I have to tell you, I never realized how much of a stress-reliever my hobby has become! I think I'll try to schedule some time to stitch in my calendar so I can lower the anxiety I sometimes feel this time of year. Sorry, boss, but I learned to appreciate life while I was convalescing! LOL I care about your business, but I care more deeply about my family! But I digress...would you like to see pictures of what I've been up to? Well...I can't show you everything, some of the things I've been stitching are gifts, so I'll post them in a couple of weeks. It's tough having friends Birthdays so close to Christmas, but onwards and upwards, I always say!

I finally finished the SAL that was offered on The Threadbasket site. I thought this was so cute, and if I get a chance, I may try to get it framed for the winter season after Christmas.

I was also able to finish off part 5 of The Great Escape being offered on The Stitch Specialists yahoo group, designer Abi Gurden. This has been an enjoyable stitch!

One thing I would like to mention, Astrid, Denise and I are planning a SAL of a pattern called "Our Nation" from Bygone Stitches. This is laid out in the shape of an American flag and lists the 50 states in the order they became members of the union. We will be starting in the new year. We found the pattern at the Needleart show and I found a sale at Bush Mountain to get some of the materials I couldn't find at my LNS. I had a little trouble with the website, so I called her on the phone and had a very pleasant experience with her. I've ordered from her before and she is very prompt with her shipments, even with things that are out of stock! So...watch this space for our progress after the New Year.

So...there you have it! I will post more stitching in a few weeks, after I find out the gifts I'll be sending out soon have been received. If I don't have a chance to post before Thanksgiving, please have an enjoyable one, filled with good food, good memories, a heart full of thankfulness and an attitude of gratitude. As my Bible Study leader says...Peace Out... (anyone know what that means? LOL)

What a day!

2011-11-12T15:39:00.001-05:00

Hello!!

I've been informed by my guys that I have an hour to write this post, so I'll get right to it. After all, Cheeburger, Cheeburger is not just a burger joint and we want time to savor the ambiance before heading to church tonight. *rolling eyes* (See, human thesaurus...I can use big words and I know how to spell them too!...see previous post)

Where do I begin? I guess with the most exciting! I finally met Denise, a very lovely person I've been e-mailing for the past week or so. We met up and traveled to Montpelier Mansion to visit the Needleart show. While we were there, we ran into Danielle and VegasJilly. They had been to the stitching retreat (which sounds like a blast, I may have to do that next year...we'll see) and knew Denise, so we chit chatted for a bit. It was really nice meeting all of you today!

I've gotten a few minutes to stitch and have caught up on the Threadbasket SAL, only one more part to go!

I also finished up on the November owl from the Oakhaven SAL. Only one more part to go (hm...I sound a little like a broken record there...LOL)

I received the nicest letter from Babs, which my son brought in from the mailbox and didn't tell me. I happened to stumble across it today. I'm so sorry I didn't acknowledge it before today, Babs, I hope that doesn't happen again, I LOVE getting mail...don't you? Such a sweet letter, and as soon as I get a chance, I'll write back.

I've been putting in a few more hours here and there at the store. I really enjoy working, but there never seems to be enough hours in the day to work, and spend time with family, friends and stitching. The closer we get to Christmas the worse it is going to become. It leaves me a bit distracted, so don't be surprised if you see a little less of me for a while. (Now that I've said that I'll probably be posting all the time...LOL *wink*)

Off to head to dinner. I can't believe how much I've accomplished today! Thanks for meeting up with me today Denise, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention this...DS's friend T has been in the ICU for a couple of days now. It's a long story, but he's slowly improving and still needs your prayers. They are hoping to get him back to his old room tomorrow, but it's a pretty touchy situation. Please pray for him if you think of it, he's a very sick young man! Thanks.

Paying it forward

2011-11-09T14:28:00.001-05:00

Hi Folks!

A while ago I won a contest on Mouse's blog with directions that she would stitch something for me, but I would have to have the same contest on my blog and stitch something for someone else. I picked Astrid's name out of the hat and today I presented her with her stitched object. Here is a picture of her holding her gift!

I've been posting things I'm thankful for on facebook each morning. Today I found this quote posted by a friend of mine, so I took a picture I had taken a few days ago and superimposed the words using powerpoint. I think the effect came out really nice.

I am grateful for my son who had to help me type this because I am old and forgetful and need help expanding my colloquial language, he is my human thesaurus.

Just for clarification....all that is typed in red is written by my son, and I just wanted to say, there is no conceit in my family because my son has it all!

This is what happens when you have a laptop and he has a wireless keyboard...he can type while I'm typing as well, sometimes there is no justice in this world, as I should have remote brake and accelerator pedals and a remote steering wheel, don't you think?

Just for clarification I had to help my mother use pedals instead of "petals".

To which I replied, That's why I send you to school, I was just checking to make sure they are teaching you correctly!

I need to go now, I'm beginning to feel schizo... I'm sorry I can't spell today. I have to ask my son who was not trained in nursing to help me spell schizophrenic. I guess he is my human dictionary as well. I sincerely hope you are having a better day than I am! *Hugs*

We have a winner or two...

2011-11-06T11:59:00.003-05:00

Hi there!

My buddy, Astrid, and I have been busy this weekend! Friday Astrid, her MIL and I went to the Howard County Arts and Crafts fair. It was there we met Woofi!! You can learn more by clicking on Woofi, but essentially, if you buy one Woofi, another one is sent to a child somewhere in the world, it's a way of spreading God's love and the Good News around the world. If you are interested in learning more please click on the link. This is the softest, cuddliest little dog, and as soon as Suzanne placed him in my hands, I knew I had to send him somewhere! He comes in two sizes, and I bought two smaller ones to include in two Samaritan's Purse shoeboxes too. He has a little tag that says "Precious are the feet who bring the Good News". Their program really touched my heart!

Before I forget, please check out Astrid's blog, she is having a really cool give-away and challenge! http://astridxstitching.blogspot.com/ The next day we went to the Needleart Exhibit at Montpelier Mansion to see how my entries had done. I was surprised and pleased to see that some of my pieces had won ribbons. I wasn't surprised that not all of them had won, I have six pieces and only entered 4 categories...so here are pictures of the ones that received ribbons. I must thank Astrid and her amazing photography skills for these pictures. Thanks for going with me and sharing my surprise and joy, Astrid!

First place in the Counted Cross Stitch on Aida... Hidden Spirits, a Dimensions Cross Stitch Gold Collection kit...

First place in the Petite Point category... Rose Quaker by Stikideen von der Weihenburg

And finally, Honorable Mention for Little Lace Hardanger designed by Abi Gurden from The Stitch Specialists yahoo group.

I'm pretty sure the last was a very generous nod to the framing job we did....LOL as it was a learning piece for me, my very first Hardanger, (The stitching wasn't THAT good...trust me!!) but the framing was unique and I'm sure that's what caught their eye.

Astrid and I had a good time, but I just want anyone else who wants to go to know, I'm more than willing to go again. It is always amazing to see what others are doing with their needles and threads. There were more than a few pieces there I would love to stitch, I even bought a couple of patterns that are for sale there.

Last, but not least, is a picture of one of my current SAL's that I have completed the second part of. Just in time as the third part comes out tomorrow!

Just a little reminder to pray for T. I mentioned him a few posts back, he's a 15 year old friend of my son's who is battling leukemia and has been having severe difficulties with his second round of chemo. He is in severe pain, unable to eat, and they are not able to keep an NG tube down. There is good news, though, they have found a donor match for him, though he will have to get his numbers and weight back up before they can attempt the bone marrow transplant. I pray for him multiple times daily, and hope you will join in prayer with me.

And THAT, as they say is THAT! Hope you are having a great Sunday. I have been posting daily on facebook, things that I am thankful for in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. It's been a grand way to prepare my heart for the day, and a wonderful way to count your blessings. I encourage you to give it a try! And I leave you with a quote from the movie, The Wizard of Oz. I watched it with my husband last night, bringing back fond memories of our childhoods. "A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much others love you." The Wizard of Oz.

Merrily we SAL

2011-10-30T13:23:00.000-04:00

Just a brief update, as I finished part four of the great escape being offered as a SAL on the Stitch Specialist yahoo group, designed by Abi Gurden.

I also started another SAL being offered through The Thread Basket

I'm enjoying stitching on both of these. Now if I could just get my act together about stitching Christmas ornaments! And if any Friendly Stitchers are reading this....you can let Mouse know that I goofed up this week and didn't stitch on my UFO. I'll assume the position so she can give me lashes with the wet noodle *grin* Happy Sunday everybody! *Hugs*