I'm Baaaak!

Hi! Did you miss me? LOL I'm sorry I've been MIA (missing in action) for so long. Life has just taken a few twists and turns but I'm still kicking!

Where do I begin? Well for starters, today is my birthday! My DH tells me I'm a year away from being a half century old, but I prefer to think of myself as 29.....with 20 years experience! LOL Part of my birthday gift this year was that DH added 1 G of RAM to our computer and now with Verizon FIOS I'm surfing the net at the speed of light. What a change! I have to hang on for dear life when I enter the net as the speed is so intense! That means I can find twice as many freebies as I used to!!

I wanted to show you some finishes that I've had since my last posting. There isn't much so don't be too excited! My first one is a SAL I found on Gazette 94 http://gazette94.blogspot.com I started the Grand Abeceda on December 3, 2008 and finished on September 1, 2009. It is stitched on 36 ct Natural linen over one using DMC 815 and 3865. This was fun to work on and I appreciate the freebies I find on this site. I've saved quite a few, and there are some santas and another 4 part sampler she has going right now so check her out!
The second one is from Sticktreff and is their band sampler. I began this one on February 6, 2009 and finished it on September 6, 2009. I stitched this on 32 ct white over one using DMC 924, 926, 927, 928, and 3768. I used a different color on each "band" and since I wanted to end it with the same color I had to add a line. Can you find the added line? Good luck! LOL I'm not listing where I found this, as the group has decided to not give out freebies any more due to people abusing their generosity. It's a shame this has happened and I hope it's not an omen of things to come.

Now for those of you with inquiring minds and have been wondering where I've been...I'll share a little of what has been happening. First of all, it's been a wild ride since I returned from New York after my Dad's funeral. My old boss called me while I was in NY and asked me to come back to work for him. As soon as I was able, I did just that. It was busy while he was away on vacation...a little too busy! LOL DS went back to school and became a member of the Marching Band. He's keeping us busy as we volunteered to be in the "pit crew" which helps move the larger instruments as well as the stand for the Drum Major on and off the field during football games and band tournaments. It's actually a lot of fun!

Then, things started spinning out of control. Literally! I've been having attacks of vertigo. Since it's a hard thing to diagnose where the vertigo is coming from, I've been on three different types of medication, the current one making me even dizzier and actually caused me to make a trip to the emergency room one night with heart palpitations. The vertigo has caused me to experience fall in a brand new way...with a trip down the staricase in our house and a few mishaps at work. Fortunately the only thing seriously hurt so far is my pride! I do have a few lovely bruises that have added some color to my life...and caused a few raised eyebrows. LOL!! I'm lucky to have an understanding boss who hasn't fired me even though I've missed a few days of work. One good thing has come out of this...I haven't had to do housework in quite a while! DH has been doing his best, but let's face it, he's a guy!!! I cringe when I walk through some rooms but try to turn a blind eye. When I'm feeling better it will get done, though I may need a back hoe to get the job done. LOL When you visit Gillie, you may find me buried under dust and debris, but I'm still so excited that I'm going to meet you!

The only thing that irks me about all this, is that I haven't been able to stitch as much or as long as I used to. It makes me dizzy to glance down at my work, then back up at my pattern. I feel like I've lost my best friend, as stitching relaxes me so. But hopefully after a few more tests and a few more doctors visits they'll find and fix the problem and I'll be back to my old self in no time. In the meanwhile, I'll do my best to keep up with my pals on the yahoo groups and keep posting here.

Thanks for reading this far, I know it was a long one and you were a trooper to get this far. I hope you're enjoying fall or spring depending on where you are. Take care! *Hugs*