And all the day you'll have good luck! I found a penny in the parking lot on my way into work today, and I had the best day! I'm so grateful because the past few days have been complete chaos! I almost passed it by and decided I needed all the luck I could get...so I back tracked and picked it up. Then when my co-worker showed up, she said she had found a penny in Safeway and had picked it up for the same reason! LOL So we had double the luck today! I have tomorrow off, and I left work with so much accomplished and all kinds of work laid out for the people who will be in tomorrow. Now if they do their part, we'll finally be caught up! Whew! What a challenge, since when I went back to work a few weeks ago, they were already three weeks behind! I've been training new people and working my tail off, sorting out mistakes and working out missing projects and I think I'm finally back on track. It's downhill from here!
Still missing DS though he has called three times this week (asking for money...what else?) but it's good to hear his voice. He'll be home at 7 AM on Saturday. Can't wait to give him a squeeze!
I'm hoping to stitch tomorrow, and if all goes well, I'll try to get some pictures up tomorrow of my progress. Then I'll be working all weekend so no progress will be made then. Can't wait for the boss to get back! Maybe then I'll get some relief from the stress.
Ok, off to stitch. Just had to give a good report of my day! (Finally!)
*Hugs*
I'm chuckling to myself as I sit here, I'm sure if the men from the loony bin could see me they'd be measuring me for a straight jacket even as I type! My mother always said, "So goes Monday, So goes the week!" If that's the case, I'm heading for bed, putting the covers over my head, and not coming out until the weekend...oh wait...I have to work this weekend too. I may stay there a month!!
The boss left on his vacation Friday, need I say more? All heck broke loose the day his SUV headed south. (He hired me back so he could take his family to Disney World). The last time he called, he called to say he would not be answering his phone as he was heading to the pool with his kids. *sigh* I wish I was there...or at the north pole, or in Siberia...anywhere but here!!!!!!!!
I was supposed to have the order in by Noon today. That didn't happen. I was supposed to have a few things framed and ready for people to pick up today. That didn't happen either. I was supposed to "pop" something into a ready made frame for someone today as it was their wife's birthday and he had waited until the very last minute. That DID happen....but barely in the knick of time! I was supposed to end my shift after 8 hours and leave by 6 (for fear of sounding like a broken record, I'll just say that I was an hour late for the lovely dinner my DH had waiting for me, on the good china and everything ... I think he was planning something special the first night DS was away at summer camp...LOL Another perfect evening ruined in his eyes...*grin* I was too tired for what he had planned anyway LOL!!!) What did happen was several phone calls where I waited listening to elevator music while waiting to place an order, or inquire about some missing moulding, while assisting people at the framing table, accepting payments, and accepting a delivery of ready made frames that was not supposed to arrive for another two weeks while a co-worker was complaining that they dropped the pallet of frames in the parking lot without carrying it inside (that's their policy, and I've never questioned it, just carried it inside..what's the big deal??? LOL) Thank God for cordless phones...and I am serious about thanking God! I know he's responsible for that one!! I'm becoming quite accomplished at multitasking (I am woman, hear me roar *snapping into my Wonder Woman pose*). I even got to baby sit a 6 mo old baby for a few minutes while a customer ran to use the restroom through the maze of broken glass and matboards and spare moulding in our back room. Not a safe place for infants even strapped into their carriage! LOL I was home for barely 10 minutes, had just taken my first bite of chicken and dumplings when the phone rang...it was the shop and they had a question. Calgon take me away!! (For those of you in the UK, it is not some detergent, it is a lovely scented bath salt we use in our bath water here and the advertisement makes it look like the world melts away as you slip slowly into a huge bathtub lined with candles...sounds relaxing doesn't it? Yes, that's what I need at this particular point in time....) If this is a sample of the first week without the head honcho, I'm dreading the rest of the week. When I tell you this is only the tip of the iceburg that made up my day (I'm not going to bore you with all the nitty gritty details) please believe me I may be reduced to a wimpering blob of jelly by the end of this "boss being on vacation" experience. Oh well, I still have my sense of humor...at least for today. I have tomorrow off (and I MAY turn off the phone and escape the little shop of horrors for the day) and all I have planned is to stitch, stitch, stitch, stitch! I need this little oasis as I have to work every day after until next Monday. Stay tuned, as the next message may be from the loony bin!
*Hugs*
Hi all! Where do I begin? So much has happened since the last time I posted. My world is spinning out of control. As my wise Aunt Helen used to say..."Life by the yard is hard, but life by the inch is a cinch!" So I'm taking life by the inch.
On July 4th my cousin came to visit. We made a flying trip to DC to see the fireworks. Of course many of my pictures didn't turn out, but we stood near the Capitol building to see the fireworks and here is what we saw...
It was an awesome sight, and while the Old Guard played the 1812 Overture the sky lit up and I had goosebumps while we celebrated the birth of our nation.
The very next day I started back to work. I found out that they were already 3 weeks behind in their orders so I've been doing my best to play catch up since then. I still have a few "old" orders to work up but for the most part, we are back on track. I can tell you I've worked some LONG HARD hours and lots of nights my feet are hurting when I get home, but it's a satisfying feeling when someone comes to pick up their framed piece and are excited about how good it looks! Did I mention that I work for FGI? We frame people for a living!I had two days off before the boss left for his vacation. I wasn't ready for him to leave but have survived the past two days, so I guess I'll make it the next two weeks. LOL!! Those two days off before he left felt like heaven! I spent one day with my buddy, Sonya, stitching part of the day away...and look what I accomplished:
I finished my Christmas Quaker!!! I can't believe it's finally done. This was a SAL I followed through Wiehenburg with a piece coming out every week for 28 weeks. I finished up only a few weeks late (because I was home for so long I didn't get a chance to stitch on it for over a month!) I finished just in time to get it framed (if only I could find time at work to pick out my frame design). When it's done I'll post a picture. Don't hold your breath, it may be weeks before I get it done!
Last but not least is my Alla Turca. I apologize for the blurriness of the picture. I'm blaming it on the fact that I was tired when I took the picture, and decided I'll take a better picture of it next time. LOL I've finished part 7!! I'm right on time with this one! Hopefully I'll be able to stay on track with this one. I have really enjoyed stitching this! Only two more months to go!
While I was out working and stitching, Maureen stopped by and surprised me with an award! I'm so shocked and pleased with this, and as soon as I pick 7 people to share the award with, I'll post in on my blog. Thank you so much Maureen! I am always pleased when people leave a message I just never thought anyone would think that highly of my ramblings to leave an award.
I realized today how badly I'm neglecting my family. I was cootchy cooing my kitty cat this morning, he was giving me the "moony eyes" (his eyes look like big round glowing moons) and waiting for his scratches when I saw DH out of the corner of my eyes, perched on the edge of the couch waiting for me to pay the same kind of attention to him...LOL Of course I had to "baby talk" DH and pat his head and scratch behind his ears too! LOL
And today is the first day of DS's summer camp. He came by the shop today to say goodbye as he is off on a bus trip to Florida. He went to the same camp last year but the little group that went flew down. This year the group was much larger, so they hired a bus and are driving down. They assure us it will take 12 hours. They are leaving at 9 tonight, will switch drivers halfway and will arrive at their destination at 9 AM. My loving son told me he would call when they switch drivers (that would be at about 3 AM) and if I know my son, he'll definitely do that! LOL Since I have to work tomorrow, I'm turning the phone off in my bedroom! (Mother's are smarter than 9th graders!) He's a teenager, and his main objective in life is to tease the heck out of me...and he's very accomplished at this! I know this is going to sound sappy, but it's going to be so quiet around here without him. It will be nice to have some time to myself (I haven't had that in a very long time) but I think I'm going to miss him more than I think. It's only a week...right?
Whew, guess that's all the news that's fit to print. Thanks for stopping by! Until next time (and the way my life is going, I'm not sure when that will be) take care and here are a few *Hugs* to keep you healthy till I get back here!
Where has the time gone? I can't believe it is the fourth of July already! Someone said the other day...once the fourth is here, Christmas is right around the corner. I sure hope that's not true! I'm no where near ready!!!
I can't seem to catch up. I have some pictures to share but they are not updated either. I hope next week things will slow down a little bit and I might be able to show you what I've accomplished lately. In the meanwhile, let me share a few pics that I do have.
The picture above is one that I worked on during the retreat the weekend before mother's day.
The picture above is the gift I finished during the retreat to give to my Mother for Mother's day. She used to sing this song to me when I was growing up.
DH and I had a few days to ourselves while DS was away on a missions trip so we decided to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary early. We spent 3 heavenly nights in this Bed and Breakfast called the Southern Mansion in Cape May, NJ. We stayed in the main house, Room 4 (pictured below). Quite a difference from our honeymoon 25 years ago! Interestingly enough, many people asked us if we were honeymooners during this visit to Cape May. I know we were both relaxed and having fun and it's flattering to think that strangers seeing us for the first time thought we were so in love.
Last but not least, is our adventure at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team. Ben was chosen to "steal 2nd base" and so during the game he was given 1 minute to run from the farthest point in the outfield to 2nd base, pick it up and run back. He ran the fastest I've ever seen him run, got to 2nd base and couldn't get it out of the ground! He struggled there but finally pulled it up and ran back with 12 seconds to spare! Afterward you would have thought he was a celebrity, people stopped and said they had seen him on the ballfield, one guy reached over the railing after his run to shake his hand, the people behind me (because of course I was cheering!!) asked me if I knew that guy on the field and when he returned to his seat complimented him on his run. Even after the game on the train ride home a person recognized him from the game. What fun we had that night! Along with the 4 free tickets to the game, he was given a free jersey (which he wore during his run), a baseball cap, a limited edition bobblehead, and $75.00 of gift certificates he could use anywhere in the park. It truly is fitting that DS won this honor, as he is a die-hard Orioles fan (no matter how low in the standings the Orioles go).
Today I'm waiting for my cousin to arrive. She and her daughter and her 3 grandchildren are coming to visit for the night. Unfortunately they have to leave for home tomorrow. If all goes well, we will head for Washington DC to see the fireworks on the National Mall! I've done this once before, spent the whole day there, back when DS was only 4. It was worth it to do it once and since neither my cousin nor her daughter have been to DC, it's worth it to do it again (I think). Sometimes it's a hastle with the stepped up security and the mobs of people. I hope the rain stays away and they have a fun time. I wish we could leave ealier though, I heard Neil Diamond is entertaining the crowds for a while this year, he's one of my favorite entertainers. It will be nice to see my cousin again.
Well I will try to be more consistant with updates from now on. I've finished my first full week of work (and what a week that was!!) and have survived. Hopefully it will be easier from now on, we'll see! I'm sure my stitching time will be limited now as I'm working full time, but I always have interesting stories to tell from my job. I meet the most fascinating people there (yesterday I framed a picture of the Jackson 5 that had been autographed by all the brothers but was never framed for 40 years...Michael Jackson must have been about 10 in the picture!). I have met several members of the secret service who have pictures of themselves guarding the various presidents. We've framed license plates and flags that have been on the presidential limos during inaugurations, lots of people who have attended Christmas events at the White House come to have their photos with the President and their families, we even have some of our frames hanging in the halls of the National Archives! I really love this job and I'm so glad to be back working there!
Ok, off to celebrate our independence day. Hope you have a safe and memorable holiday. *Hugs*
Has it really been a week since I posted? Yikes! Where does the time go? I literally hit the ground running when I got home from NY. And of course, my well-laid plans have changed. It's weird how time seemed to stop while back in NY, but once I got back on the merry-go-round here in MD time is disappearing at an alarming rate!
DS has finished his last test and is offically on vacation, his behind firmly planted on the sofa. What's a Mother to do with a couch potato during the summer months? *Evil grin* I have solved SOME of that problem. I mentioned in the last post that an old boss of mine has offered me my old position back. (He really MUST be desperate!!!) In that offer, he asked how old DS was and then offered him some easy work to do at his shop. DS is interested, but want's more information, I think I'll just say "YES" for him, what else is there for him to do? And he can earn his own spending money for the trips he has planned for this summer. He'll start after his missions trip next week.
Did I mention that I agreed to go back to work? So that means I won't be able to get back up to NY until the beginning of August sometime. It's amazing how the Lord works, because the "stuff" I was going to help my Mom with has been addressed by others in the small town she lives in and she is getting more expert help than I can give her. That takes tremendous pressure off me, I'm so thankful I can't begin to express it in words. I will get back up there to visit her later on. She seems to be doing well whenever I call her (which is as often as I can).
That only leaves one problem, DH and I are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary this year in August. DS was to be out of town the last week in July and we were going to take a trip, just the two of us, to celebrate. My boss is taking a trip that week also and that's why he wanted me to come back to work (told you he was desperate! LOL). So....we changed our plans AGAIN. Somehow I wonder if we'll ever take that trip. *sigh*
With birthday celebrations and Father's day coming up, there are cakes to bake, presents to buy, and special events to plan for each of those days. I'm turning in circles just thinking about where to start. If things don't calm down soon I'll be a candidate for the funny farm! *starting to drool and babble* In case you were wondering, I really haven't had much time to stitch (I did squeeeeeeze in a little time) so therefore no pictures...but I'll do my best to get something online soon.
One last thing to share...DS was chosen to "steal 2nd base" for the Orioles game on the 28th. With that came 4 free tickets, a free team jersey and $75.00 worth of gift certificates to use in the park. I thought DS would jump out of his skin when he heard the news. He'll run from the farthest outfield point to 2nd base, pick it up and run back to where he started during a certain time in the game within a given time period. I'm not sure what he wins if he makes it back before the time is up, but just being chosen was prize enough in his eyes!
I start back to work a week from Monday, anyone need anything framed? LOL I'm psyched because I have a stack of things I put off framing and now will get a discount. Can it get any better than that? The only thing is, I won't have as much time to stitch BUT I will be able to afford my stitching habit now. DH is relieved! So, my new song is.... "I owe, I owe, so it's off to work I go"... I know a lot of my buddies who depended on me for cheap entertainment will be disappointed, but they can always visit me at work! LOL
That's all that's fit to print at the moment...I'll do my best to get pictures posted soon. *Hugs*
Hi Everyone...
I don't know where to start, so I guess I'll start by thanking those who offered prayers for my family and me. They are what carried me through this past month. I know that because I couldn't have endured or had the strength to manage all that I've been through this past month, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.
It is exactly one month ago today that I left to visit my parents in New York. The day after I arrived my Father fell ill again and was rushed to the hospital. He was in the hospital for a week where we learned there wasn't much they could do for him so we brought him home and he was placed in hospice care. I cannot say enough about the care he was given in the hospital or with the rescue squad that helped us when we needed them. The caregivers were wonderful and didn't just care for my Dad but for my Mom and me as well. They were angels in disguise.
I cannot say enough about Hospice either. The people they sent to help deal with everything were wonderful. So wonderful, in fact, that I'm thinking of volunteering for them as soon as I'm emotionally able. They provided for every need and were with us through the whole thing, we never felt alone. My Mom and I did everything we could to make his last days peaceful and comfortable and even that made his passing less difficult to deal with. I know the Lord held us in His hand the entire time, He gave us the physical and emotional strength we needed, and I will never regret being there, even though it was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do.
I am planning another trip home in a few weeks to help my Mom sort through some things and file more paperwork. I do have to say that most of the people we've had to deal with so far have been so kind to my Mom and have gone out of their way to make this stage as stress-free as possible. Many thanks to those people who have reached out to comfort her. I just pray that she has people all along the way to help her not feel alone during the months ahead.
You may not realize, until something like this happens, how well loved or well known you are in the community and even in your own family. We offered people a chance to speak at his memorial service and so many stood up to tell funny stories or fond memories, things I never knew or had forgotten. It was a wonderful way to celebrate his life.
Sorry for rambling on, but I know many of you have been wondering where I've been. I'm back for a little bit now, and haven't had time to stitch or even think about stitching so no new pictures for a bit anyway. I am so behind in so many things (not just stitching!!). Ironically enough, a previous boss of mine called in the midst of all this to ask me to come back to work for him. I'm still trying to sort that out in my head. It is a job that I love to do (picture framing), but it is demanding work (he has a very busy shop) so I'm not sure I'm ready to jump back into that line of work...although the money would be nice! LOL
DS was busy while I was away, attending his Chorus Concert, his Band concert (where he performed a solo!! and got an award for excellence), a Chorus Competition in Hershey, Pennsylvania where their school won 2nd place as well as Esprit d' corp award, and his advancement ceremony from Middle school to High school where he won a Presidential Award for academic achievement. I've been told I have 3 1/2 hours of video to watch (without commercial interruption...yikes!) Break out the popcorn! (*Sigh* I missed all the fun stuff!! ) He was able to skip two finals because no matter what he got on the test he would have gotten an A in the course, he pre-tested in Spanish and will have his Math final tomorrow. Thanks to his wonderful Principle and teachers who helped rearrange his schedule so he could attend his Grandfather's funeral! He leaves in two weeks for a mission trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to help with a Vacation Bible School. He's a busy boy!!
Ok, time to get off this machine and get my life back in order...so much to do I don't know where to start, but I think clean clothes is the order of the day! I'm so happy to be back...I missed everyone! Take care....and thanks again for your prayers. *Hugs*
Hello! This week has been total chaos! I'm not sure where to start. The past week has just flown by and I'm not sure really what I've accomplished. I want to apologize to the groups I belong to for not posting but life is a little chaotic at the moment. My Father was admitted to the hospital in the early morning hours on Monday. I wanted to rush to NY right then (I had originally planned on visiting next week anyway) but after talking to my Mother she assured me that it wasn't necessary. Sometimes it's hard to know if she wants her solitude or if she really needs a helping hand. I've been calling often and even spoke with Dad on the phone yesterday, who is now home from the hospital. I don't get to talk to him often as he can't hear well but I was able to get a laugh out of him which sounded like heaven to me! I'll be leaving for NY in a day or two. My family is so busy, it's hard to divide my time, sometimes I think I need a clone!
So let me back up to the retreat. I had the best time! The ladies who go on this retreat are soooooo much fun! I swear my sides are still hurting from all the laughing we did. These ladies are hillarious! I think they liked the bookmarks I made, I didn't hear any complaints anyway...haha. It is a peaceful, lovely setting on the water and in the morning the water was like glass. So calm and peaceful. We watched a swan taking off one morning, and a heron the next (I never realized they were so big!). We stay up late, get up early and unless we are eating, we do nothing but stitch! I took the ASAW SAL with me and they LOVED the patterns and gave me some good ideas about how to proceed. I'll post pictures another day. It rained quite a bit, but it didn't matter, we were too busy stitching! One lady brought some Smith Island cake. You can find a little bit about it here http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88412262 This cake was "created" on Smith Island in the Chesapeake Bay and has become a local legend, not to mention the state cake. It is to die for! They have different kinds, but Pat brought two kinds with her, a chocolate and a strawberry. They have at least 7 layers, most are thinner than 1/4 inch, with frosting in between. We look forward to them every year because there are very few places outside Smith Island that you can get them, and Pat lives in the same town as one of their bakeries. We also play "Yankee Trader" and I "won" a candle, a tin and a pair of stitching girl socks!!! Debbie's husband makes baskets and this year he made each of us one! I'll put up pictures next time, I promise. The ladies are camera shy so I didn't take any pictures of them, but I'll put some pictures up of the cabin next time.
This week I have done nothing but run errands, make appointments, sort out family issues and run myself ragged. I realized last night that I'm uptight because I haven't been able to stitch. It's amazing how much it relaxes me! So I'm catching you up on the news then I have a few more errands to run today, then I'm going to park myself and get some stitching in before tonight's activities take over! My son will be going on a teen lock-in tonight. The church is sponsoring this, they bus them to the local mall where they will have a scavenger hunt, have a quick bite to eat, then back to the church where they will stay up all night playing games and having fun. Ben looks forward to their lock-ins, he always has a great time. One time they had the kids take a huge box and cut and decorate it to look like a car, then they parked them in the gym and watched a "drive-in" movie! There are some creative people in our church that make life fun for the kids! But, while the cat's away, the mice will play! DH and I have plans of our own. We don't get out on our own much so we'll have a "date night" of our own. I'm looking forward to it as much as DS is to his night!
Ok, time to get this day rolling. I don't know when I'll post again, probably not until I get back from NY. Will catch you up on the news then. Take care!
