Cha Cha's World

February WIPocalypse

2012-02-08T12:57:00.000-05:00

I worked on Butterfly Fairy Day and made some progress.

I worked on Little Fairies at Play. Still on page one.

Started Give Much and should have it finished next time up.

And I had my first finish of 2012 - Wintertime by Cathy Livingston.

I am going thru some personal problems right now and I am not sure how much stitching I will get done.

2012-01-31T13:36:00.000-05:00

I worked on Fairies at Play this past week. I really enjoy stitching on this one. It is like working a large jigsaw puzzle. You put in one stitch at a time and when you stand back to look, you can see the picture. I have finished 4,700 stitches out of 146,700. I am still on page 1 out of 28. I am thinking about revising my rotation to work on this one at least twice a month. I want to keep one slot in my rotation for small items as everything else is large.

I have this one on scroll rods that are 38 inches long. I didn't know how I was going to store it when I was not working on it. A pillow case (that I use for my other projects on scroll rods) was just not big enough. So I bought a large (48 inches) canvas garment bag that I have hanging in my closet. This slips inside of the bag very easily and I can put my other scroll rod projects in there too. I still keep the other projects in pillow cases so the scroll rod hardware will not rub on the other projects in the garment bag.

2012-01-23T13:01:00.000-05:00

Here are my orts. I decided on one larger container this year and I am off to a good start. I have an even bigger jar if this one gets filled up.

I started this smaller project to take with me while I was in Rochester. I thought I would get it finished with 3 days of stitching time. But I was so tired at night from standing in my booth that I didn't get as much done as I thought. I will get it finished up next time it comes up in my rotation. I am stitching this one on one long skinny piece of fabric with the aim of making this a wall hanging. I have Trust God and Pray Often also stitched on this piece with plenty of room to add more.

I was working on Wintertime by Cathy Livingston the week I left for Rochester and was so close to a finish that I kept working on it when I returned. I finished it up Friday night 1/20/12. My first finish of 2012. I have now stitched all 4 of the seasons by Cathy Livingston. 3 of them are framed. This one is now in the pile waiting to be framed.

This week I am back to working on my HAED. I love working on this one. Will post a progress picture next week.

2012-01-08T09:40:00.001-05:00

Here is my progress on Autumn Angel by Joan Elliott. I only worked on one of my projects on my Wipocalypse list. By the next full moon I should have worked on a few more.

My DD left for college early this morning. It is back to just me and the boys. I am getting ready to head to Rochester NY for a trade show next weekend. I hope the weather remains good so I can fly there and back with no problems. I will be taking a small project to work on.

2012-01-01T10:24:00.001-05:00

Here is my progress on Butterfly Fairy Day. This one is close to being done. It will definitely be finished in 2012.

This year we did not put up a Christmas Tree so I did not lose my stitching chair. We used my DD's Charlie Brown tree. It did the job. Maybe next year I will be back in the Christmas spirit and put up the big tree.

I will be participating again in the TUSAL and I have signed up to participate in wipocalypse. I also hope to read more books than I did in 2011. I will also continue on my weight loss journey.

Books read in 2011:

1. Caitlin's Guardian Angel by Marie Fenarella
2. A Perfect Stranger by Terry McLaughlin
3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
5. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
6. Fantasy in Death by JD Robb
7. Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill
8. Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
9. The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig
10. Love Mercy by Earlene Fowler
11. Magnolia by Diane Palmer
12. The Cold Moon by Jeffrey Deaver
13. The Scarpetta Factor by Patricia Cornwell
14. Corsair by Clive Cussler
15. Swimsuit by James Patterson
16. Dark Lover by J.R. Ward
17. Creation in Death by J. D. Robb
18. Deeper than the Dead by Tami Hoag
19. City of Night by Dean Koontz
20. Will of Steel by Diana Palmer
21. Marrying Daisy Bellamy by Susan Wiggs
22. Sweet Revenge by Lisa Jackson
23. Deand and Alive by Dean Koontz
24. The Aloha Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
25. The Bear and the Dragon by Tom Clancy
26. The McKettrick Legend by Linda Lael Miller
27. Loving the Enemy by Pat White
28. Infamous by Suzanne Brockmann
29. The Ravenscar Dynasty by Barbara Taylor Bradford
30. Killer Takes All by Erica Spindler
31. The Christmas Quilt by Thomas Davis
32. Rogue Stallion by Diana Palmer
33. Buttons and Bones by Monica Ferris
34. Don't Blink by James Patterson
35. Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward
36. Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn
37. Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell
38. Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich
39. Skein of the Crime by Maggie Sefton
40. City of Dreams by William Martin
41. Kiss of Darkness by Heather Graham
42. Full Bloom by Janet Evanovich
43. Shadow Music by Julie Garwood
44. The Defiant Hero by Suzanne Brockmann
45. Charade by Sandra Brown
46. Hot on Her Heels by Susan Mallery
47. Force of Nature by Suzanne Brockmann
48. Catch a Shadow by Patricia Potter
49. Doctor's Orders by Jessica Andersen
50. A Mommy for Christmas by Cathy Gillen Thacken
51. The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress by Beryl Bainbridge
52. A Taint in the Blood by Dana Stabenow
53. The Gilded Shroud by Elizabeth Bailey
54. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
55. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
56. Tall Dark & Fearless by Suzanne Brockmann
57. McKettrick's Choice by Linda Lael Miller

2011-12-25T07:48:00.000-05:00

Here is my progress on my first HAED - Little Fairies at Play. I am stitching it on 18ct. It has a total of 146,700 stitches and so far I have completed 2,700. I have the first page (out of 28 pages) about 1/2 done. I am really enjoying stitching this one. There is alot of confetti stitches.

We celebrated Christmas with my family on Christmas Eve for Breakfast. It is a first as usually we do breakfast on Christmas Day. But my brother is a pastor and Christmas Day being on a Sunday this year would have been to busy to stay for long. This is a picture of me with my Dad, Sister and Brother. It was a warm (well 40 degrees is warm in December) and sunny day. I went for my 2 mile walk once I got home and then played games with my DD and her Fiance all afternoon. Then back to stitching.

Today I will be going back to my Dad's house to play games with my sister and my kids. I need to bake a pie yet before I go over there.

TUSAL

2011-12-24T07:41:00.000-05:00

Here are my orts for December. I had alot of stitching time and my small glass was overflowing.

This is all of my orts for the year in my frog box. I enjoyed participating in the 2011 TUSAL. I have signed up for the 2012 TUSAL. I have a different container (much larger) that I will add to each month and not have to empty out until the end of the year. At least that is the plan. Maybe I will stitch so much I will need a second container.

2011-12-17T12:12:00.000-05:00

I stitched this one up this week. Started it 12/11/11 and finished it up last night 12/16/11. It is from the June 2011 issue of Cross Country Stitching. This is my last finish for 2011. That makes 7 finishes this year. I guess I will have an extra day this week of stitching on my HAED.

2011-12-13T09:31:00.000-05:00

I worked on Wintertime this past week and it is close to being done. It should be one of my first finishes in 2012. I have been making a list of the projects I want to do in 2012. Trying to pick out some small and medium ones but a lot of larger ones did make my list. I am trying to have several kitted up and ready to go as slots in my rotation open up. I can see three that will finish up in 2012.

I did start a new small one on Sunday to take the place of Freight Train that I finished up. Hope to have it finished by the end of the week depending on stitching time.

My DD will be home Saturday for 3 weeks. Looking forward to doing things with her when she is here.

2011-12-04T09:02:00.000-05:00

Here is Autumn Angel by Joan Elliott. I had to move my scroll rods this week. There is alot of blending filament in her wings which is not showing up. It makes for slow stitching.

The weather forecast for this coming week is cold with snow. Ugh. I am already counting down the days until spring and it is not even officially winter yet.

I am still slowly losing weight. I only gained 1lb during Thanksgiving. I still manage to walk outside a few times a week. I am also walking on the treadmill after work in the exercise room.

2011-11-27T08:38:00.000-05:00

This week I worked on Butterfly Fairy - Day. I got alot done. My DD and her BF were home for 4 days. I cooked alot of large meals as he is a big eater. We had beef and noodles with mashed potatos (I have been told this is the German way); Thanksgiving meal at my brother and sister-in-laws (very good and I spent the whole day there with my side of the family); chili and Saturday we cooked out on the grill -hamburgers. I also baked brownies, chocolate chip cookies and chocolate cake. This also resulted in alot of dish washing. :) They are back at college now and will return in 3 weeks for Christmas.

TUSAL

2011-11-25T14:23:00.000-05:00

I have a full container this time. Stitching slump is over.

2011-11-20T15:06:00.000-05:00

This is the HAED I have started. Little Fairies at Play by Mary Thompson.

I started it 11/13/11 and got about 1100 stitches in. I am stitching it on 18 ct. If I were to put in 100 stitches a week it would take me 5.5 years. Since I only stitch on this once a month, it could take longer.

I am officially done raking leaves for the year. I have 32 bags waiting for pickup. Even if more fall down, I am done.

I am still walking 3 miles a day. I have lost a total of 12lbs this year. I just need to keep it off until warm weather comes around again. So hard to do with all of the Holiday food looming.

2011-11-13T12:50:00.000-05:00

I put the last stitches into Freight Train by Patricia Gaskins last night. There was alot of backstitching on this one. I started it on 8/30/09 and Finished it 11/12/11. I have another small project already kitted up to take its place in my rotation.

Today I will finally be starting my HAED. Watch next week for progress pictures.

I spent 4 hours raking leaves out of my front yard. We had a big wind come thru Wednesday and blew all of the neighbor's leaves into my yard. Then the wind came back last night and it is still very windy today. Yup my front yard is full of leaves again. I have 27 bags of leaves sitting out for pickup. At least I know I am not raking the same leaves over and over again.

2011-11-06T09:26:00.000-05:00

I made a lot of progress on Wintertime this past week. I have also been raking alot of leaves and my tree is still full. Today is supposed to be our last sunny/warm day so I will get out and rake some more leaves this afternoon.

This week I am doing the backstitching on Freight Train. I am off Tue and Wed so maybe I will get it done this week.

2011-10-30T09:44:00.000-04:00

I worked on Autumn Angel this past week. I got quite alot done as I had to move my scroll rods. I think my stitching slump is over!

Last Sunday my son and I went to the movies to see Johnny English Reborn with Rowan Atkinson. This was my son's pick as he has enjoyed Rowan as Mr. Bean. It was an ok movie. Today I am going with my sister to see the remake of Footloose.

I only read one book in the month of October. I guess I was in a reading slump as well.

I have 7 vacation days scheduled for November (not counting Thanksgiving). Some of those days will be filled with yard work. I do hope to squeeze in a visit to my lns.

TUSAL

2011-10-26T20:33:00.000-04:00

Not many orts this time as I have been in a stitching slump. But I think I am coming out of it.

2011-10-23T19:23:00.000-04:00

I think my stitching slump is over. Here is progress on Day. It feels good to be back stitching. I am still slowly cleaning out the clutter of my house. I am still trying to walk 3 miles a day. Now that it is rainy and colder I will try to walk on the treadmill at work. I have lost 5lbs so far and do not want to lose that progress.

Here is a picture of a toad I found while walking last week. I took it with my new blackberry that work provided all of us. I now have to take calls and stay up on my e-mail when I am not in the office. But I can also use it for personal use. Since I did not have a cell phone it is nice to have.

2011-10-09T18:00:00.000-04:00

Well again not much stitching was done this week. I just can't seem to get motivated. This week I should be working on my new start HAED but I am just not feeling it.

I have been cleaning my house still. I found an old video tape - Pure Country with George Strait. I think I will watch it sometime soon and then move it out of the house.

With the beautiful weather we have been having I have been walking 3 miles a day - one at lunch and two after supper. This has resulted in losing 3lbs. Any weight loss is a good loss.

2011-10-02T09:57:00.000-04:00

Not much stitching was done this past week. Still in a slump. But I have been busy.

I finally called to get my dryer vent cleaned. I have not had a working dryer in 6 years. That meant I had to clean out my laundry room. I threw a bunch of stuff away.

Organized the rest. Scrubbed the floors and walls. Saturday I did laundry in my new/clean room for the first time - start to finish. I usually just washed my clothes at home, hung them out to dry in the summer and then hit the laundramat in the evening to dry what was left. Since I am on a cleaning roll, I have also begun to clean my kitchen. I filled my garbage can again yesterday so no more throwing out until after Wednesday - garbage day.

It is supposed to be nice out today so I will be mowing the lawn and working outside. I am just too restless to sit and stitch.

2011-09-28T17:48:00.000-04:00

Progress on Autumn Angel as of 9/24/11. I am in a stitching slump and have barely picked up my needle.

Progress on Day as of 9/17/11. Again not much progress.

And here is my daughter and her fiance. I visited them at college this past Saturday. They are looking at picking a date in 2013.

My computer at home has been broke for 3 weeks now. So I am posting from work. (shhh don't tell).

TUSAL

2011-09-28T17:44:00.002-04:00

Not as many orts as usual as I have hit a stitching slump.

2011-09-11T09:53:00.001-04:00

Instead of starting my HAED this rotation, I started and finished Pray Often from Cross Country Stitching August 2011. I started this on 9/4/11 and finished it yesterday 9/10/11. Most of my projects are large/long term that it is nice to do a small one every once in a while.

On Saturdays, my sister and I often go for a walk around my Dad's neighborhood. Yesterday the weather was nice and off we went. We passed a house having a garage sale and it looked like they did not have the usual stuff (clothes, kids toys etc). So we stopped to have a look. They had a huge collection of teddy bear figurines, frog figurines and different craft items. I bought these scroll rods and floss box for $2.50. Couldn't pass it up. I didn't buy any more frogs as I am running out of room to put them. Now I can have even more projects going on scroll rods. I plan on buying the velcro to put on the rods and material so I don't have to try and put the material thru the splits.

I have been up watching the 9/11 memorial services on CNN. There are no words to express the emotions this brings back.

2011-09-09T07:21:00.000-04:00

I have been working on the backstitching on Freight Train. I have finished 3 cars and have 3 to go. The end is in site. Hopefully next time it is up in my rotation.

I did start a new project on Sunday and hope to finish it by this Saturday. I picked something small as most of my wips are large.

TUSAL

2011-08-29T06:22:00.000-04:00

Here are my orts for the TUSAL. At the bottom are the bright oranges and greens of Garden Seed Packets that I finished earlier this month. Then there are lots of shades of grey, blues, white and black as it seems my other projects have more muted colors.

2011-08-28T09:16:00.000-04:00

I got this cute frog ring to add to my frog collection yesterday at the mall. They had a huge selection of gaudy rings for $2. It is too large to wear as it catches on everything. But it was so cute I had to have it.

I worked on Wintertime this past week. It is moving right along. Tuesday my work sponsored a night of bowling. My son and I bowled 4 games. I am not a good bowler (best score was 104) but we had alot of fun.

2011-08-21T09:15:00.000-04:00

This week I worked on Autumn Angel by Joan Elliott. I stitched alot on the wings which have pearl blending filament in them. It does add sparkle. This is one of her older designs.

We stopped at Half Price books yesterday and I got another book with Joan Elliott patterns.

Here are a few that caught my eye and will be added to the to do list.

I think I will always have at least one Joan Elliott piece in my rotation. Now I also need to add a TW into my rotation as I have alot of her designs that I want to stitch.

Dropped my daughter off at college on Monday. She has a bigger room this year. Very nice especially compared to the dorm rooms at Cedar Point. Tuesday I took my son back to school shopping for some new clothes. And then it was back to work for the rest of the week. School starts tomorrow so our summer routine ends and the school routine begins.

2011-08-15T23:36:00.000-04:00

More progress on Butterfly Fairy Day. I really enjoy stitching this one.

Picked up my daughter from Cedar Point on Friday. It was a long day of driving. Saturday we did laundry, grocery shopping, and had a cookout so the grandparents could visit with my daughter before she heads back to school. Monday saw me on the road again but a shorter drive to Ball State to drop my daughter off. She has a really nice room this year (especially compared to the tiny 3 person dorm room at Cedar Point).

I am off tomorrow also and will take my son school shopping. He is still having problems eating solid food. Then back to work on Wednesday.

2011-08-07T09:47:00.000-04:00

I finished Garden Seed Packets by Joan Elliott late last night/early this morning. I really love the colors in this one.

I did buy longer dowl rods to make my own scroll rods. I just need to get some of that velcro to put on the rods and my material. Hopefully I will have everything ready to go the next time this slot in my rotation comes up.

My son has a really bad overbite and Wednesday he got braces on his upper teeth and a Herbst device installed. He has not been able to eat solid food since then. He is such a skinny kid already. But his overbite looks so much better already. I also registered him for school on Friday. He has 2 more weeks of summer before school starts again.

Friday we will be going back to Cedar Point to pick up my daughter. Then 2 days later we take her back to college. I will be spending alot of time in the car. I am going to have a cookout next Saturday night so the grandparents can all visit with her before she returns to school. So this will be another busy week.

2011-07-31T09:44:00.000-04:00

I finished all of the cross stitching on Freight Train.

A close up of the caboose, the last car I finished.

I still have alot of backstitching to do before I can call this one done. I did manage to get a good start on the back stitching on the engine. I hope to have this one done before the end of the year. I need to start looking thru my stash to find a project to replace it.

I also went to my lns yesterday to get the fabric I need for a new start. I am anticipating finishing my Garden Seed Packets next week. I am going to try and make my own scroll rods as I need larger ones. I am looking to get 36 inch rods. Off to Lowes to look. I feel that I stitch faster on scroll rods.

TUSAL

2011-07-31T09:37:00.000-04:00

Here are my orts. Another full container. I can see the yellows and purples of Autumn Angel. The rest of my projects have alot of greens and blacks in them.

2011-07-24T08:56:00.000-04:00

I didn't get too much done on this one. It was soo hot here. We only have a window air conditioner and it kept the house in the 80's. I would just sit and drip sweat. So I didn't stitch. The air conditioner finally died on Tuesday. We went hunting for a new one Wednesday and actually found one. This one is keeping the house much cooler.

2011-07-17T14:05:00.001-04:00

Last week I worked on Autumn Angel. I am using my scroll rods and I think I stitch faster with them than when I use my hoop. Unfortunately not all of my projects fit on the scroll rods that I have. I need to look into getting larger sizes.

Tempatures in the 90's all weekend with more of the same for the upcoming week. It is a busy week with doctor appts, orthodontist and car repairs. In between all of that going to work. I am already looking forward to the next weekend!

2011-07-12T08:57:00.000-04:00

Here is my progress on Butterfly Fairy Day from last week. I am moving right along. I really enjoy stitching on this one.

I went to Michaels as I had a coupon for 20% off my entire purchase. I got the floss I was missing for an upcoming new start - a HAED - Little Fairies at Play by Mary Thompson. I also got more bobbins. I still need to get the fabric. It will be my next new start when one of my current projects is finished.

On Sunday we travelled to Cedar Point to visit my daughter. It was hot! But we had a good time and good weather. Monday it rained for most of the drive home. On the drive we drove past fields of purple cabbage. I have never seen it growing before and it was very pretty. They were out picking the cabbage when we went by again Monday on the way home.

2011-07-03T09:16:00.000-04:00

I love to read. We have the most wonderful library in downtown Ft Wayne. It is huge and I could and do spend hours in there. There is also a good branch library close to my house that I pass daily. I don't have as much time to read as I would like. There are so many other things I must do. I always have a book with me in case I find extra time to read. Like waiting at the drug store etc. I don't mean to check out so many books at a time but they just leap into my hands. Some are by favorite authors, some just looked interesting. Luckily my library lets you have them for 3 weeks. Then you can renew them for another 3 weeks. And I can renew on line which is even better. If I ever have to be snowed in somewhere, I hope it is the library. I have no intention of buying an E-Reader. Browsing at the library is half of the fun. I enjoy holding a book in my hand to read. Growing up during the summer I would read 5-10 books a week. I was lucky that we had the library truck come into our neighborhood every Wednesday morning at 10:30. When it was summertime the library truck man would make sure to stock more kids/young adult books since we were out of school. You can see what I have read so far this year on my books read page. I hope to read 100 a year but so far I am off the pace.

This week I worked on Garden Seed Packets. I am down to the last one. Should get this finished next time it is up in my rotation. I am kitting up a new one to replace this one. It is a HAED. It will take me years to finish so I need to get started. I will have to make a trip to my LNS to get a piece of material big enough. Who knows what else will leap into my hands there. I must have friendly hands as so many things like to leap into them.

Next weekend we travel to Cedar Point to visit my daughter. I don't like to ride roller coasters so I usually avoid amusement parks. But my daughter gets free tickets so at least I do not have to pay to stand there and watch everyone else ride.

2011-07-01T07:33:00.000-04:00

Filled my Ort container again this month. It is getting a variety of different colors as my projects progress.

2011-06-26T08:47:00.000-04:00

I worked on Freight Train this past week. So close to the end but it seems to be moving so slow.

We had beautiful weather Saturday for my birthday. My Dad took me and my sister (whose birthday is 2 days after mine and 8 years later) out for breakfast. Then I came home and visited with my 80 yr old neighbor. She showed me all of her lovely flowers and gave me gardening tips. I then mowed the yard. My brother called to wish me a happy birthday. Did laundry. My In-laws dropped by to wish me happy birthday. We had a cookout for supper and then watched movies. One of my favorites - Footloose. All in all it was a good day.

2011-06-19T09:21:00.000-04:00

Progress on Wintertime. I spent two days just frogging this section and re-stitching it. Don't know what happened as it is not that complicated a piece.

Took my father-in-law out for lunch yesterday for Fathers Day. Taking my dad to lunch today.

2011-06-12T23:08:00.000-04:00

This week was a new start for me. Autumn Angel by Joan Elliott. I am stitching her on 14ct Parchment. So far the colors seem kinda christmasy to me.

Monday at work I got a nice surprise. These beautiful flowers came from one of the agents I work with. So bright and colorful. They stayed nice all week. I hope they still look decent this Monday when I go into work.

I attended my niece's high school graduation ceremony and party this weekend. I enjoyed visiting with everyone.

Our computer was broke again all week. Back working now but I have lost all of the pictures I had taken of family events for the past few years. When I get paid this week I am going to buy another thumb drive and put my pictures on it weekly as I take them off my camera.

2011-06-05T09:13:00.000-04:00

I have been working on Butterfly Fairies - Day this past week and got alot done. Of course I did stitch thru 2 races last Sunday - the Indy 500 and Coca Cola 600. Also I was off on Monday for the Holiday and that gave me extra stitching time.

We had another hot day here yesterday. I try to keep everything turned off to battle the heat. I got up this morning to find my furnace running even though it is turned off. I can see a new furnace in the future. My house is 30 years old and things are just breaking down.

This is a picture of my braid that I had cut off Wednesday after work. It is 24 inches. This was my first hair cut in a salon since I was 5. I have cut my hair myself at different times but I have not had short hair since I was 5. I can't believe how easy it is to take care of my hair now. A couple of swipes with the brush and I am ready to go. My braid will be going to Locks of Love. I just need to take it to the post office.

I am up to a new start in my rotation. Hopefully I will have some good progress to show next week.

TUSAL

2011-06-01T23:23:00.000-04:00

Here is my Ort collection from May. I am stitching up a storm on Day and should have a good update on Sunday.

2011-05-29T08:52:00.000-04:00

I did work on the train a week ago. Didn't get much stitiching done. I am working so many hours that I just come home and fall asleep. Next up in the rotation was Garden Seed Packets. I am working on the Morning Glory square. Love the colors in this one.

We have had so much rain here. I am still waiting for my yard to dry out to mow it. We had another rainstorm last night. So it might not dry out till tomorrow. Tomorrow's forecast is for sun and high in the 90's.

While I am waiting for my grass to dry today, I will be stitching while watching the Indy 500 and Coca Cola 600.

I am scheduled to get my hair cut Wednesday after work. I haven't been to a beauty shop for a haircut since I was 5. I am finally ready to get rid of my long braid. I have very thin hair so I am leaving it up to the beautician to find a style that will work for me.

2011-05-15T09:47:00.000-04:00

Here is progress on my new start. It is Wintertime by Cathy Livingston. I have already stitched Autumn (hanging at my parents house), Spring (hanging at my In-Laws house) and Summer which is hanging at my house. I didn't get alot done as stitching time was limited.

2011-05-05T06:59:00.000-04:00

Stencil Alphabet is finished. This is from Cross Country Stitching Alphabets issue Spring 2000. I started it on 11/28/10 and finished it on 5/4/11.

I have a busy travel weekend - Friday going to Muncie to pick up DD from college. Sunday leave for Sandusky to drop her off at her summer job.

Next up in my rotation is a new start which I might wait to start until Sunday night at the hotel. I might spend these extra days getting fabric cut and hemmed for the project that will take this spot in my rotation.

TUSAL

2011-05-03T20:21:00.000-04:00

Here are my orts. I also added a picture of the container I dump the little glass in each month. I made it thru all of the projects in my rotation. Still stitching alot of greens and blacks.

2011-05-01T09:45:00.000-04:00

I have been working on Stencil Alphabet. I have finished all of the cross stitching and just the back stitching is left. I am going to continue working on this one until it is finished.

Work is still busy and I either go in early or stay late. In April I only managed to read 3 books which is really low for me. I have been reading The Bear and the Dragon by Tom Clancy for 3 weeks now. It is 1,000+ pages and it takes awhile to get to the good parts.

This is another busy week. DH has quite a few doctor appointments (which means I ride the bus) and I will be off Friday to pick up DD from college.

I do hope to get this piece finished this week.

2011-04-24T13:42:00.000-04:00

I worked on Day this past week. Made some progress. This one won't be done this year. Maybe next year.

2011-04-17T09:45:00.000-04:00

Garden Seed Packets as of 4/16/11. Last week was busy as I worked over every day. This coming week is not looking any better.

2011-04-10T10:05:00.000-04:00

I have been stitching on Freight Train. I have started the last car - the caboose. It is my goal to have this one finished this year.

2011-04-03T09:12:00.000-04:00

Last night I finished Oriental Orchids from the UK Cross Stitcher September 2004. I started this one on 2/20/11. I had stitched the design that goes with this one a few years back. So when this slot comes up in my rotation again I will have another new start.

TUSAL 4/3/11

2011-04-03T09:05:00.000-04:00

Here are my orts. I made it thru my rotation again. The last project actually had some yellow and lavenders in it. Still stitching alot of greens and grey/blacks in my projects. I will have a new start in this next rotation so maybe some new colors will be visible. I am emptying this small glass into my larger Frog Box.

2011-03-27T09:30:00.000-04:00

This past week I worked on Stencil Alphabet. Getting closer to a finish. Should have this one done in 2 more rotations. I have been adding projects to be kitted up as there are so many I want to do.

Here is Day. I worked on her the week before. Didn't get an update posted as we were still having computer problems. All is fixed now (one new video card later).

DD called home to say that she had gotten a job for the summer working in the marketing department of CedarFair. This is in the field she will be getting a degree in. So she might be home for a day before moving to Sandusky. I can see a road trip for the summer. We haven't taken any trips as a family since 2001.

2011-03-13T09:47:00.000-04:00

Here is my progress on Garden Seeds. I finished the Tomato and started on the Peas.

I didn't post my update last week on Freight Train. I am almost done with the 5th car!

And here is a look at the whole train. Kinda wrinkly. I still think I can finish this one this year.

My daughter has returned to college. It was good having her home and we got to spend some time with her boyfriend. He is a nice kid and is fitting into our family.

2011-03-05T16:20:00.000-05:00

I had President's Day off so I went to my LNS. I picked up a few patterns. Not that I need any more.

I saw this Heaven and Earth design and liked the colors. I thought I might stitch this one for my granddaughter's room. Not that I have a granddaughter yet or even a married child, but it might take a while to get this one done. Also picked up some beads for another project.

The main reason I went to my LNS was to drop off one of my finished projects to be framed. I try to get one framed a year. I picked this one out of my finished box. Dropped it off on Monday and it was ready Friday. Talk about fast. They always do a good job and the prices are reasonable.

Here is a new start. Oriental Orchids from the British Cross Stitcher September 2004. I started this one on 2/20/11.

Lots of pictures this time as my computer has been broken for about 2 wks. Still not completely fixed but working enough to post and read e-mail.

My daughter is home this week for spring break. Our snow is melted but the rivers are high from all the melting snow and rain. Typical spring weather.

TUSAL

2011-03-05T16:07:00.000-05:00

Here are my orts. Another full one. Seems like alot of my projects were in greens and grays.

2011-02-20T13:16:00.000-05:00

I worked on stencil alphabet this past week. It is moving right along. This week we had sunshine and temperatures in the 40's and 50's. Today we have gloomy skies and sleet/snow. I was so hoping for an early spring.

I have a new start lined up for today. Will post my progress picture next week.

2011-02-13T10:34:00.000-05:00

I worked on Day this past week. Made good progress. There are alot of color changes.

My car has developed a major oil leak. It goes into the shop tomorrow. Hoping it won't cost the moon to fix.

2011-02-06T10:57:00.000-05:00

I worked on Garden Seeds this week. Didn't get as much done as I would have liked. I spent alot of time shoveling snow. We got 5 more inches unannounced yesterday. Surprise! I have also been working on my taxes. Ugh. I thought I would be done by now. Then I need to do the FSA form. Hope to finish this weekend so I can get back to stitching.

TUSAL

2011-02-02T13:17:00.001-05:00

Here are this month's orts. I did decide to empty out my container after each new moon. I am putting them into my frog box that I used last year. I got alot of stitching done this past month. I made it thru all of my projects in my rotation so there are snippets from all of them in here.

2011-01-30T11:55:00.000-05:00

I got quite alot done on Freight Train this week. I really think I can finish this one this year.

2011-01-23T10:26:00.000-05:00

I started this freebie - Reading is Magic - from Barbara Ana this week and finished it. I have kitted up a few small to medium designs to go into this rotation slot. So this is my first finish of 2011.

It is still extremely cold here. Single digits. But the sun is out so I am pretending it is 70.

2011-01-18T11:13:00.000-05:00

This past week I worked on Stencil Alphabet. I really like the colors in this one. I had to leave for Rochester NY early Friday morning so did not get my full week of stitching in. It was cold in Rochester. It took me all day to get home on Monday. I spent most of the day in Rochester's airport reading my book. Chicago's airport was closed for a few hours. By the time I got to Chicago I had missed my flight to Ft. Wayne. I got re-booked on the last flight of the night and landed in Ft. Wayne at 11:30pm. I am glad to be back home and get back to my stitching. I did read 2 books while I was gone and have almost finished a 3rd book.

This week I have an empty slot in my rotation and I am starting a new project today - Reading is Magic by Barbara Ana. I will be starting as soon as I finish the laundry and grocery shopping. Then it is back to work tomorrow.

2011-01-09T10:45:00.000-05:00

Worked on Butterfly Fairies Day this past week. Not much progress as I still don't have my stitching area back. Today I will take the tree down and get things back to normal. I do plan on popping out to get groceries and pick up some needed floss for some of the projects I have kitted up. (I have a coupon from Michaels).

I won't get too much stitching in this week as I go to Rochester NY for work on Friday and will not return til late Monday. Then I will play catch up on all of my household chores.

DD is back at college. Enjoyed her stay and must now get used to her being gone again.

TUSAL

2011-01-04T07:36:00.002-05:00

This sounded like a fun SAL to participate in. Here are my orts. Now the question is - Do I empty them out and start fresh each time or continue to build on them?

I hope to get more stitching time in this upcoming month.

2011-01-02T09:25:00.002-05:00

Here is a progress picture of Garden Seeds. I did work on it for 2 wks as I didn't get much stitching time. The Christmas tree took the place of my lamp and ott light. I did manage to kit up 3 more projects as I do have one empty slot in my rotation to fill.

This afternoon we are heading to my dad's house to play board games. Looking forward to spending time with the family.

Books Read for 2010

2010-12-31T22:28:00.011-05:00

1. My Lord John by Georgette Heyer
2. Aunt Dimity Vampire Hunter by Nancy Atherton
3. High Noon by Nora Roberts
4. Final Target by Iris Johansen
5. Remember by Barbara Taylor Bradford
6. Thunderhead by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
7. Tainted Evidence by Robert Daley
8. The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts
9. A Difficult Woman by Jeannie Watt
10. 24 Karat Ammunition by Joanna Wayne
11. Montana Skies by Kay Stockham
12. Murder has no Class by Rebecca Kent
13. Hostage of Lies by Maxine Thompson
14. Who Killed the Pinup Queen by Toni Kelner
15. Strange Magic by Gordo Rollo
16. Death of a Witch by M C Beaton
17. The Queen's Lady by Barbara Kyle
18. Black Rain by Graham Brown
19. The Darkest Whisper by Gena Showalter
20. Runaway by Bobbi Smith
21. Thai Die by Monica Ferris
22. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
23. The Victoria Vanishes by Christopher Fowler
24. Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
25. The Elves of Cinitra by Terry Brooks
26. The Gypsy Morph by Terry Brooks
27. Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann
28. The Heir by Barbara Taylor Bradford
29. Heart of Gold by Tami Hoag
30. Over the Edge by Suzanne Brockmann
31. Angel's Peak by Robyn Carr
32. Moonlight Road by Robyn Carr
33. Dark Horse by Tami Hoag
34. Live to Tell by Wendy Corsi Staub
35. A Christmas to Cherish
36. Violets are Blue by James Patterson
37. Frankenstein Prodigal Son by Dean Koontz
38. Taken by Chris Jordan
39. Mysterious Millionaire by Cassie Miles
40. The Fury by Jason Pinter
41. Just a Little Bit Dangerous by Linda Castillo
42. Let Darkness Come by Angela Hunt
43. Wolf Moon by Patricia Rosemoor
44. Cold River by Carla Neggers
45. The Stranger and I by Carol Ericson
46. The Darkness by Jason Pinter
47. The Cold Room by J.T. Ellison
48. Around the Clock Protector by Jan Hambright
49. Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult
50. Proof by Seduction by Courtney Milan
51. Out of Body by Stella Cameron
52. Bargin with The Devil by F.J. Chase
53. Out of Mind by Stella Cameron
54. Out of Sight by Stella Cameron
55. The Summer Hideaway by Susan Wiggs
56. Up in Flames by Rita Herron
57. Shadows from the Past by Linda McKenna
58. State Fair by Earlene Fowler
59. Let Me Whisper in Your Ear by Mary Jane Clark
60. How to Marry a Ghost by Hope McIntyre
61. Santa Cruise by Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark
62. Ten Second Staircase by Christopher Fowler
63. The Virgin's Lover by Phillippa Gregory
64. The Puzzle Lady vs Sudoku Lady by Parnell Hall
65. Now You See Her by Linda Howard
66. 72 Hours by Dana Martin
67. Just After Sunset by Stephen King
68. Preaching to the Corpse by Roberta Isleib
69. Dead Sleep by Greg Iles
70. The Law of Nines by Terry Goodkind
71. A Blush with Death by India Ink
72. Believe in Me by Jessica Inclan
73. Past Perfect by Susan Isaacs
74. Knit Two by Kate Jacobs
75. Hand of Evil by J.A. Jance
76. Malice by Lisa Jackson
77. The Egyptian Coffin by Jane Jakeman
78. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
79. Web of Evil by J.A. Jance
80. Blind Alley by Iris Johansen
81. Devil May Cry by Sherrilyn Kenyon
82. Stealing Shadows by Kay Hooper
83. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
84. The Haunting of Josie by Kay Hooper
85. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
86. The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen
87. Snowbound Bride to Be by Cara Colter
88. Silent Witness by Leona Karr
89. Texas Sized Secrets by Elle James
90. The Christmas Clue by Delores Fossen
91. I'll Be Watching You by Tracy Montoya

Didn't make 100 books this year. Maybe next year. Total pages 31,657

2010-12-20T06:40:00.002-05:00

I worked on Freight Train this past week. Didn't get much done but some progress is better than nothing.

My DD is home for the holidays. All of the shopping is done. I am as ready as I am gonna be. But the tree is still not up.

2010-12-13T07:16:00.002-05:00

Saturday evening I finished up Happy Girl. I really enjoyed stitching this one with all of the bright colors. I did use Florescent Light Effects floss which took a while getting used to. I also had to use 3 strands of DMC. I did make some changes and left off the wings and the outline hearts. This is my 3rd and last finish for 2010.

We will be putting up the Christmas tree next weekend. While my stitching chair is gone, I will be kitting up projects to fill this spot in my rotation. I think I will pick some small and medium ones.

I took a picture of my Ort container. I will be emptying it out and starting over.

Winter is here. Tempatures this week will be cold. High in the 20's with lows single digits. This starts my guilt free stitching. Too cold to be outside so what else can I do but stitch. :)

2010-12-05T09:12:00.002-05:00

I started a new project on 11/28/10 to fill the slot in my rotation left when I finished Abecdaire. It is Stencil Alphabet from Cross Country Stitching Spring 2000. I am stitching it on 14ct antique white. I got alot done this week as I was off Monday and Friday. This one has been in my to do pile for a long time. I think the green colors attracted me.

I have decided that this year when I loose my stitching chair to the Christmas Tree, I am going to kit up projects to start. I am going to try to add some small and medium ones to hopefully get more finishes in next year. I have 2 in my rotation now that will probably take another year to finish.

2010-11-29T10:58:00.002-05:00

Here is my progress on Day. Starting in on the fairy's body.

Thanksgiving this year was the best in quite a while. We did buffet style. All of the kids behaved, plenty of food and time to visit with everyone. Then we were invited to my DH's sister's house for desert. Very nice visit and we made our Christmas plans. Every one in the family seems to be getting along this year. Hope it continues.

My daughter was home from college. She has her own car now and arrived Tuesday afternoon and left early Sunday morning. It was strange watching her drive off and not need me to take her back to school. Wedding plans might be moved back another year as her boyfriend is taking another year of classes to add onto his degree. So it will be at least another year before we get to setting the date and booking the hall. That is ok with me. More time to save up.

2010-11-21T08:39:00.002-05:00

Worked on Garden Seed Packets this week. Finished up the second packet and then I got tired of stitching black. Hope I can get into stitching this week's project.

I took my Dad grocery shopping so we could get all of the food for Thanksgiving. We ended up with a 24 pound turkey. This will be my sister and I's seventh year of cooking the Thanksgiving dinner. This year we are going to try serving it buffet style. We have added more tables and chairs. Each year we try to make changes to make it go smoother. As the kids are getting older boyfriends/girlfriends are being added to the guest list. I think we have planned on 28 people coming.

2010-11-14T09:24:00.002-05:00

This is my progress on Freight Train. I am chugging right along. I think only working 3 days a week gives me more stitching time. I am not looking forward to going back to working five days a week in January.

I have started my Christmas shopping and hope to have it all completed by the end of November.

2010-11-07T09:09:00.002-05:00

Here is Happy Girl. I got to stitch on her for a week and a half. I am very close to a finish. Just a little more of the border and then the backstitching. I should have this one finished during my next rotation.

Friday my sister and I went to Hobby Lobby and JoAnn's. We couldn't believe how crowded the stores were. Hobby Lobby did have all of their Christmas stuff 40-50% off. I picked up a reindeer ornament kit to make with all of the nieces and nephews on Thanksgiving. I also got two different kinds of braid to use for ornaments, some tiny red bells and a piece of cross stitch fabric. At JoAnn's I got some more DMC I needed for my next upcoming start. A very enjoyable time spent with my sister. We need to find something to do for our next days off together.

2010-10-31T08:46:00.001-04:00

I finished Abecedaire by Gazette 94 on 10/26/10. This was a fun one to stitch. I am in the process of kitting up my next start to fill this rotation spot. Since I still had several days left in the week for this rotation, I moved on to the next piece early - Happy Girl. I will continue stitching on Happy Girl this week which is my normal week to work on this piece. I have made a lot of progress during these extra days and hope to finish this one before the year ends.

2010-10-25T07:49:00.002-04:00

I worked on Day this past week. Missed quite a few days of stitching as I got a bad head cold. Just couldn't concentrate.

On my day off this week, my sister and I visited 3 antique stores. Unbelievable all of the different things that people collect. I was quite impressed at how dust free everything was. Wonder who has the job of dusting off all of the knick nacks, glass ware etc. We didn't buy anything and are still hunting for what we want to get for my daughter's hope chest.

2010-10-17T10:10:00.002-04:00

This past week I worked on Garden Seed packets. I have moved on to the Marigolds and their bright orange colors.

Saturday we traveled to Ball State to see my daughter get her award for being on the Dean's List. It is always good to know that your tuition money is not being wasted. We took my father with us so he could see the campus and her dorm room. Spent an enjoyable day visiting with her and her boyfriend.

I am off Monday and Friday of this week. Friday I am going with my sister to visit different antique/junk stores here in town. We have always wanted to do this and now is the time.

2010-10-10T14:56:00.002-04:00

This week I worked on Freight Train and finished the 3rd car. This means I am at the halfway point.

Friday was a beautiful day and I went hiking with my sister. We found our way to Huntington Lake as they had a 10 mile trail we wanted to try. It was to go around the lake. Well the trail was not marked good and had been updated and was now combined with a mountain biking trail for a total of 13 miles. We started at 9:30 am and finished up at 4:30. We had to back track a few times as we took wrong turns. So we ended up walking 16 miles. Good thing we took water and snacks. But it was a good way to spend a beautiful day with my favorite sister.

2010-10-04T06:19:00.002-04:00

More progress on Happy Girl this week. I am down to the bottom edge.

We had a bonfire at my Dad's on Saturday night. Hot dogs and s'mores. It was good bonfire weather - in the low 40's. All of the kids had a good time.

Looking forward to Friday this week as my Sister and I are going on a 10 mile hike at a new trail for us. Hope the weather cooperates.

2010-09-26T09:19:00.002-04:00

This week was my annual trip with my sister to Turkey Run State Park. It was 94! We hiked all of our favorite trails. Found this box turtle along one of the trails. We also saw 5 snakes, 5 caterpillars, 13 toads, 1 tree frog, a raccoon and a vole. We were dripping sweat by the end of the day. Hope I walked off some pounds for my weigh in on Monday.

I worked on Abcedaire this past week and I am close to a finish. Hope to finish it next time it is up in the rotation. Just have the Z box to do and it will be done.

2010-09-20T07:30:00.002-04:00

More progress on Day. I really enjoy stitching on this one.

This week I am getting ready to go with my Sister to Turkey Run State Park for our annual hike. I always enjoy this trip.

I am also starting a 10 week weight loss program. I have put on all of the weight I lost last year and am starting to feel bad again. This summer it was so hot I did not get alot of walking and bike riding. Hope to get back on track.

2010-09-12T10:14:00.002-04:00

I delayed the start of this week's rotation to work on this freebie kit Foxgloves from World of Cross Stitching #167. I will be mailing it off Monday to a friend. I did get to work on the Garden Seed Packets a few days this week. I have started the second packet.

2010-09-06T08:10:00.001-04:00

I did manage to get a little more done on Freight Train this past week. I stopped working on it on Friday so that I could stitch a small gift for a friend. I hope to have it finished today so I can get back to my rotation.

2010-08-29T12:06:00.002-04:00

This past week I worked on Happy Girl. I made quite a bit of progress and will be moving my scroll rods again.

Wednesday we travelled to Chicago to see the Tall Ships. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. I was then off the rest of the week and lazed around the house with a trip to the library and stitching.

Back to work this week. I still have plenty of vacation time to use before the end of the year. I need to look at my calendar and plan more days off.

2010-08-22T09:09:00.001-04:00

I feel like I made alot of progress on Abcedairie this past week. I would love to get it finished in my next rotation. That would make it the first finish of 2010.

School starts Monday. I hope our new schedule works out. Then on Wednesday I am off to see the Tall Ships in Chicago. I have been looking forward to this trip for a while. I only have to work Monday & Tuesday. Hope to get some extra stitching time in. I do have a few projects around the house I want to get finished. This is just the start of my 5 weeks of vacation time that I have to use before the end of the year. I need to look at my calendar and plan more time off.

2010-08-15T08:52:00.002-04:00

We took my DD back to college Saturday. This will be her 3rd year. The first year we managed to fit all of her stuff in a mini cooper. This year it took 2 cars. I packed most of her stuff in her car and we followed behind in ours with the refrigerator. It was nice and hot to move in. 97. But it was only 2 trips from the cars into her room so within 45 minutes she was all moved in. No roommate yet. We left her there to sweat and headed on to a large flea market in Daleville. Walked around for a while with a few small purchases. Then we headed to White Castle as the boys needed their White Castle fix.

I did stitch on Day this week and it slowly moves on. Trying to catch up today on laundry.

2010-08-08T12:19:00.002-04:00

Here is my progress on Garden Seed Packets. I almost have the first one done. Just a little backstitching to go. I also picked up from my lns Summer Garden framed. They always do a wonderful job at reasonable prices. I am trying to get at least one piece framed each year.

Registered my son for high school on Friday. He will get picked up by the bus at 6:45 am. This means I will have to get up even earlier to pry him out of bed. Maybe with my extra time in the morning I will stitch. I will also have to go to bed earlier to keep this schedule.

2010-08-02T10:04:00.002-04:00

Stitched this past week on Freight Train. I am working on the 3rd train car.

Sunday we took a day trip to the Wright Patterson Air Force Museum. They had a Stealth Bomber on display. The museum has changed alot since the last time I was there. I think my son was still in diapers the last time we were there. Stopped for a delicious pizza on the way home at Rosati's. We got the Chicago Style pizza. Brought home half a pizza as one piece was all each of us could eat.

Last Sunday my daughter got engaged. No date set as they want to finish college first. They still have 2 years to go. I feel older and older with each new change to our lives.

2010-07-25T09:22:00.002-04:00

Once again this week the tempatures were in the 90's. We do not have central air, just a window air conditioner. It gets pretty hot in here by late afternoon. Thursday night at 9:30 I started making cupcakes for my co-workers 40th birthday. I had seen a picture of cupcakes decorated like monkeys in a magazine. I have watched alot of Cake Boss and figured that I too could create masterpieces that would be too pretty to eat. Well my cupcakes did not turn out looking like the picture. By 11:30pm I decided just to make smiley faced cupcakes and move on. They were well received at work and quite tasty. I guess I will not be getting my own cake decorating show. It is harder than it looks.

I did get alot of stitching done this week on Happy Girl. Next time she is up in my rotation I will be moving the scroll rods so I can work on the bottom of the design. I think this one might also get finished this year!

On Saturday I did not have to go to my dad's as he went to the circus for the day with his girlfriend. So I hung a load of laundry out and went to my lns. I took in one of my finished pieces to get framed. I then wandered around the store for an hour looking at everything. A few items did find their way home with me:

3 packs of beads for future projects

Carter Mouse & Friends Celebrations leaflet

Stoney Creek Classic Travel leaflet

Rapunzel; Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty charts all by Sandy Orton.

I found all of these in the clearance bins. When I go back to pick up my framing I will get another chance to see what else will want to come home with me.

2010-07-18T10:19:00.002-04:00

Here is my progress on Abecedaire. I got quite a bit done this week. I think I should be able to finish this one this year. It will be my only finish for 2010. I need to add some smaller projects to my rotation.

This week I will be attempting to make Monkey Cupcakes for my co-workers birthday on Friday. I hope they come out close to the picture. After watching Cake Boss and DC Cupcakes I should be qualified to make fancy cupcakes.

Today I am going to try using Ear Candles on my son to get the earwax out. I have tried the ear drops the doctor said to use. But they didn't help at all. They are so blocked he has trouble hearing. If this doesn't work then I will take him to Ready Med and have them power washed. I hope I don't light his hair on fire. My sister, the nurse, tried them out on one of her co-workers and had no problems using them.

2010-07-11T08:54:00.002-04:00

I was back to stitching this week on Butterfly Fairies - Day. I really am enjoying this one and managed to make some progress. I still need to get to my lns. I am trying to have one of my finished pieces framed each year. Hopefully some time this month I will get there.

2010-07-04T08:33:00.003-04:00

I had planned to go to my LNS to have one of my finishes framed. I hoped this trip would break my stitching slump. Well I did not make it there. Instead I thought if I started a small project that could be finished in a few weeks it might get me going again. So I picked these Garden Seed packets by Joan Elliot (one of my favorite designers). I had all of the materials in my stash. Before I could get started I had to go hang my laundry out to dry. While doing that I got to thinking. What will I do with one of these once finished? I am not good at making flat folds etc. So I decided to stitch them all on one piece of fabric. I have been stitching all week. So I did get out of my stitching slump. But I now have another long term project that I am working on.

I did read alot of books in June. #33 -43 on the above list. I took the bus quite often and of course I was reading at night instead of stitching. I just need more time in my day to do everything I want and need to do.

Here is hoping the in July I will get lots of stitching done.

2010-06-27T08:56:00.001-04:00

A pitiful amount of progress on Freight Train. I just don't feel like stitching. I plan on going to my LNS next Saturday. Hope that kick starts me.

2010-06-20T22:23:00.002-04:00

I did make a little more progress on Happy Girl this week. If I really worked on it, I think I could finish this one this year. She is supposed to have wings. I haven't decided if I like the wings or will leave them off.

I am back in reading mode and have finished 3 books this week. I made a mistake on my taxes (entered wrong ss number for son) and now have to call the IRS to straighten it out or pay $750 plus interest. I am making the phone call first thing in the morning!

2010-06-13T08:39:00.001-04:00

I have two updates to show. For some reason I could not get my picutres to upload last week. I worked on Day last week and made a little more progress. This week was Abcedairie. I didn't get much done. I just haven't felt like stitching alot.

2010-05-31T08:45:00.002-04:00

I finished up the second car and did a little back stitching. Only 4 more cars and lots of backstiching to go. So page 1 is complete (except for that backstitching).

We have had beautiful weather this week. High 80's. Hoping for a nice day today as we are cooking out at my dad's.

2010-05-24T22:47:00.002-04:00

My progress on Happy Girl by Joan Elliott. I am really enjoying stitching on this one. Having it on the scroll rods does make it go faster. I might have to invest in more scroll rods.

I continue to work on DS bedroom. Another load of garbage out. I only clean each week until I fill the garbage can. Getting down to my stuff that will need sorted.

I am adding another project to my weekend routine - cutting down the grape vine that is growing on the back fence. In the fall I sprayed some weed killer on it. Part of it now looks dead. So I will chop on it (weather permitting) while I am doing laundry.

2010-05-16T09:20:00.002-04:00

A little more done on Abcedairie by Gazette94. It seems like I have too many other things going on right now to get alot of stitching done.

Yesterday was the first non-rainy day in a while so we had an impromtu garage sale. Our neighborhood association was having one so yesterday at 7am we started dragging stuff outside. We did move alot of junk but still had to bring stuff back in at the end of the day. I do have a nice dent in the garage now. Two bags of garbage also left my house. I have not gone garage sale shopping at all this year so no new junk in.

2010-05-09T09:16:00.002-04:00

This is my progress on Butterfly Fairies - Day for the past week. I spent alot of time cleaning my son's room. It is now clean enough that we put an inflatable mattress in there for him to sleep on. This is just temporary. I hope that by the end of the summer the room has been finished - painted, furniture moved out and a bed and desk installed for him.

We went to Muncie yesterday to pick up my daughter from college. It was so cold and windy. When we moved her in it was really hot. She starts her summer job on Monday. Having an extra person in the house means we will have to settle into a new routine. When she first went away to college I thought I would never get used to her not being here. But over that first year I did. It now seems strange to have her back.

2010-05-02T12:36:00.002-04:00

A little more progress on Freight Train. Every little bit gets me closer but still alot to go. My DD will be home from college next Saturday. This has prompted me to start cleaning out my DS's room so he will have a place to sleep. He is currently using his sister's room. I have been watching episodes of Hoarders so I am prepared to just throw away everything in order to get the room cleaned out. Made a big clean space yesterday. Today someone is coming to pick up his old toddler bed. My son is now 14 and outgrew the toddler bed along time ago. I might show a picture of the room afterwards but a before picture would be too embarassing.

Hope to get the room empty enough for an air mattress. We will then continue on with fixing up the room. So I might not get too much stitching done this week.

2010-04-27T21:50:00.002-04:00

Worked on Happy Girl this past week. Made some progress.

Confirmation was Sunday and everything went fine. My dad did show up. We had plenty of food and everyone seemed to have a good time. Everything is back to normal this week.