This Week's SBQ

When you have to frog out stitches, do you reuse that thread or do you start over with a new strand?

It really depends on the condition of the thread once it's been pulled out, but most of the time I end up tossing it.

A Little Progress

Recipe for a Scarecrow is coming along slowly. Two more "ingredients" to go, and some backstitching. Here's a little preview of what it will look like with the pillow form in.

Some belated responses to comments:

Eve and Marie-P both asked for more details regarding my move. I've been in a long distance relationship for the last five years (or so) and we both decided it's time to close the gap. He lives on a lake outside of Three Rivers, MI, so this city girl is heading north to become a country girl. And eventually the country fella's wife? He hasn't officially asked me yet, but we have discussed it.

Missy, if you ever need stitching goodies, I have enough for several people! :-) BTW, I still haven't put the beads on Winter Moon. How long has that been? I know I was working on it when DS2 was in pre-school and he's 17 now! Of course, it didn't help that I misplaced the little bead packet for, what? 13 years? If I could find the chart I'd be in good shape! :-)

I hope everyone had a great day! I hear some Bluebell ice cream calling my name so I better go see what that's all about! ;-)

I'm such a weenie!

It's finally a little cooler today, and here I sit wrapped in a blanket with a space heater directed at my feet! I think I need thicker socks. And another cup of coffee.

The meeting with the realtor went well this morning. The only suggestion he had was to paint over the wallpaper in my kitchen/breakfast area. He said it's a little dated. The word I would use is 'ugly'. I never had it replaced because there's miles of it and I really don't think I could handle doing it myself. I didn't know you could just paint/texture over the stuff or I would have had it done a decade ago!

Off to get that cup of coffee and do a little stitching! :-)

I am slowly going crazy...

1,2,3,4,5,6, switch!

I've had that song in my head all day! Now it's your turn!

DD is feeling a bit under the weather so I've been keeping her company. We have some winds gusting around outside tonight so maybe fall is finally here. It was in the 80s today so I sure hope so.

Tomorrow is the big day! The realtor is coming by at 9:30. I'm as ready for this as I'm going to be. Well, the house is ready I should say. This has been our home for 15 years so I'm likely to be an emotional mess when it comes to the actual sale.

But we're not going to think about that right now, are we?

Crazy going slowly am I...
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, switch!

Another Cleaning Day

As Georgia Nicolson would say, I'm full of exhaustosity! And there's still so much to do to get the house ready to sell! I decided to concentrate on the floors today since I would have the house to myself for the better part of the day. So I vacuumed and I swept and I mopped and I steam cleaned over 2000 square feet of floor. Once I'm satisfied with how everything looks, I'm taking time off for good behavior! Right now I'm thinking about making it an early jammie night, popping some popcorn, and catching up on my movie watching! :-)

Busy Saturday

We'll soon be listing the house for sale. In fact, the realtor is coming by Tuesday morning to take a look-see. In preparation, I spent the day cleaning and straightening and re-arranging and throwing away and then cleaning some more. So this evening I rewarded myself with a little baking and stitching. This is Pine Mountain's Recipe for a Scarecrow. I'm hoping to get it finished before scarecrow season is over!

Fall is one of my favorite stitching seasons but it seems so short, being squashed between summer and Christmas. Hopefully when I'm in Michigan I'll have that fall feeling a little longer. I've had Prairie Schooler's Autumn Leaves kitted up since last year... I soooo want to stitch it!! But, oh my goodness, have you seen all the delicious ornaments in this year's Just Cross Stitch?? The one by SamSarah is too cute! It's times like these I wish I wasn't such a slooooow stitcher!!

Call Me Miss Dashwood

I've seen this quiz on a number of other blogs so I thought I'd give it a go. Everyone else has been Lizzy Bennet. And me?

Take the Quiz here!

She did end up happy in the end, didn't she?

Just so you know...

It's National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo for short). I don't know that I'll be an official participant, but I am trying to get back into the swing of posting regularly. And stitching regularly, of course! :-)

Happy Halloween!

I'll trade you a Snickers for a Twix!

Soldier Boy

We went down (over?) to El Paso for the weekend to see DS#1 one last time before he left for Korea. Here we are early Sunday morning just moments before he was called into formation. Lots of tears, let me tell you! He's been away from home for almost two years but I still miss him every single day. Somebody pass the Kleenex...

5 + 9 + 10 + 6 =

A new AL record!

I'm Such A Rebel!

I read on Shannon's blog that it's Tear the Tag Off Your Mattress Day. I coudn't resist this chance to live dangerously! Not being able to locate the mattress tag, I had to settle for my pillows. Wait.... do you hear sirens??

Gotta go, ladies!!

Two Finishes And A Start

I wanted to share my latest finishes with everyone! Ladybug Garden was the April SNN kit. Isn't she adorable? I really love how this turned out!

Next we have my April Woolly Tyme blanket. A little late but I'll have it all ready for next year! I'm not exactly happy with the way the big bunny's tail turned out. It took me three tries before I was satisfied with the little one, so I'll most likely re-do the big one. I'm not going to do the finishing on this one until I've stitched the May blanket so I have plenty of time to think about it.

I started S is for Spring, a freebie from the Prairie Schooler. This is the first time I've ever stitched something from them, believe it or not! It's turning out to be such a quick and easy, relaxing kind of piece, and I love the colors! I'm definitely going to have to go through my stash to see what other charts I have! My Prairie Schooler addiction has officially begun!!

Happy Birthday, Evan!

Today is DS2's 17th birthday! We celebrated yesterday since my daughter had the day off from work. We've all been wanting to go to a Texas Rangers game so that seemed like the perfect way to spend the day. Unfortunately the game was postponed due to rain. We still had a bit of fun, sitting in the stands under our ponchos, eating all sorts of tasty things, and soaking up the ball park atmosphere! (Along with the rain!) Our tickets are still good for any home game so we'll just have to plan another game day next month.

We went to Carrabba's for dinner, which is DS2's favorite restaurant. Everything was absolutely delicious, from our calamari appetizer to the creme brulee we shared for dessert! I literally couldn't eat another bite!

So, happy birthday to you, Evan! Thank you for being the source of so many smiles and fits of laughter all these years! You are my sunshine!

Weekend Report

I decided to take it easy this weekend since I'm still not feeling 100% healthy. I spent some time with the kiddos, watched a couple of movies (Little Miss Sunshine - very good, A Good Year - not so good), did as little housework as possible(!), and got a fair amount stitching done. My April Woolly Tyme blanket is finished except for the bunny tails which are done with colonial knots. I need a Dayquil-free brain before I attempt those! I also got a tiny start on the Secret Needle Night kit for April. It's a cute little lady bug and should stitch up pretty quick.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

SBQ

This week’s SBQ as suggested by Danielle:

Are you on “The Wagon?” If so, how long have you been on and how “serious” are you about it? If not, have you considered it?

I hopped on the wagon as soon as I heard about it, which was right after the first of the year. With a major move coming up I don't need to be adding anything else to my closet full of crafty stuff. In fact, as part of my stash reduction effort I started selling things on eBay that I'm no longer interested in stitching. Funny how my tastes have changed over the years! My original goal was to finish an average of one project a week, the idea being that 50 projects would take me roughly a year. My progress has been slower then I'd like as Life has a way of getting in the way of what I'd rather be doing! But I have managed to complete 10/50 projects so far, so not too bad!

It's the FGBB Stitch-a-Thon weekend so I'm off to stitch! Hooray! I want to get my April Woolly Tyme blanket done before the end of the month! ;-)

Bleh!

I've felt positively cruddy the last two days! Either it's allergies or I picked up something on the plane. I did feel a little better this morning and ran to the bank and grocery store, but now I'm back to the stuffy head and scratchy throat thing. Bleh! I'm so glad we have a simple dinner planned for tonight. Steak, mashed potatoes, and Nyquil! Mmmmm! Tomorrow I'm making a pot of chicken soup, for certain!

Is 5:30 too early for PJs?

Michigan Pics

Here are a few pictures from my trip to Michigan.

This is the house as it is today. The inside is completely gutted. This part will become the master bedroom/bathroom plus the kitchen and dining area. We will be building an addition on the left side which will be the living room, plus adding a second story for two more bedrooms. I'm really happy with our plans.

This is the view of the lake from the bottom of our driveway.

And me...

I saw a lot of this white stuff while I was there. Everyone kept telling me it was unusual for them to have that much snow in April. Of course every time someone said that it would start snowing again! We did have some gorgeous, springy days, however. Here is proof...

AWOL!

I slipped out the back when no one was looking and hopped a plane to Michigan to visit my sweetie. I have tons of e-catching up to do but it will have to wait until I've tackled some laundry and housework and figured out where that smell in the kitchen is coming from. My children's standards clearly aren't as high as my own!

So, a big wave to everyone! I'll be making my blog rounds over the next few days, checking in to see what you've all been up to and hopefully firing up my needle soon! I think the FGBB Stitch-a-Thon is this weekend, so YAY! I could use a break after my vacation! ;-)

10/50

I finished the beads and buttons on Spring Bugs Me yesterday afternoon so I now have 10 out of 50 projects done for my challenge! Woohoo! 1/5 of the way there! Gotta love these quick and easy projects! This is the last one I needed to stitch of the (Season) (Blanks) Me series that The Silver Needle did.

I don't watch a lot of television but tonight I'll be tuned in to Lost. According to the preview, we'll find out how John Locke was paralyzed... something I've been wondering about since season one! I'm seriously hoping they don't kill off Charlie... he's way too sweet!

What a Great Weekend!

This past weekend was the FGBB monthly Stitch-a-Thon. I had planned to work on my SB Easter Egg Needleroll on Saturday but picked up Spring Bugs Me instead. It was going so quick I didn't want to put it down. All that's left to do is sewing on a few beads and buttons and it's done. Sunday I worked on Winter Sampler. I didn't get to spend much time on it, but I am finally seeing some progress. The chart is so hard for me to read, I've started shading in the squares that I've stitched and it's helping a TON!

My son gave me a break from cooking dinner this weekend, too! Saturday we had a braided bread stuffed with all sorts of goodies, and Sunday he made a chicken stir fry. Both were delicious!

We made a run to Half Price Books on Sunday and I treated myself to some books on CD. A friend of mine had recommended the Stephanie Plum series of books by Janet Evanovich. So far I'm enjoying the heck out of them, and it's sooo great to be able to stitch while I listen! These are read by Lori Petty. Her voice was familiar but the name wasn't ringing any bells. I looked her up on IMDB and had to scan down the list pretty far before it clicked... she played Kit in A League of Their Own.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

SBQ x 2

This week’s SBQ was once again suggested by Danielle and is:

If you had $500 to spend on stitching-related items, what would you buy?

What a fun question! I could definitely put a dent in my Wish List with $500! I'm still drooling over so many of the new releases from the Nashville Market! And I'd love to add to my Crescent Colours collection! Most of all I'd like to splurge on a nice, sturdy floor stand. And I'd put anything left over (ha ha!) in a "future framing fund"!

And from last week:

Do you use your needle, a seam ripper, or something else when you have to frog stitches? Why do you use the method that you do?

Most of the time I just use my needle because I have it right there, especially if it's only a few stitches. For bigger jobs, I'll grab my "stitch fixer" which is just like a needle, only bent slightly at the end and attached to a wooden handle so you have something a little more "substantial" to hold on to.

Treasure Chest

One of the things my mother left to me was her mother's cedar chest. I remember my grandmother calling it her "hope chest" and the only time it was ever opened was when we were having a special dinner and needed the *good* table cloth. Last month, my sister-in-law and I went through it's contents and did our best to divide things up according to who might like what. My grandmother obviously had an obsession with crocheted doilies because there was probably close to a hundred of them, in all shapes and sizes. Seriously, there was a TON of these! There was also a few *good* table cloths, some lacy dresser scarves, a crib blanket and some baby clothes, a wooden jewelry box, a "granny gown" with a crocheted bodice, and a pair of BLOOMERS! I wish someone had taken a picture of me with them on... quite attractive! So now I have to decide what to do with my share of the "booty". Most of it isn't in very good shape... the tableclothes are stained, the jewelry box lid has a broken hinge. My guess is I'll select a doilie or two to use around the house and the rest I'll tuck back into the chest for it's next owner.

Baa Ram Ewe!

As promised, here is a photo of my finished Wooley Tyme for March. Being a bit "Finishing Challenged", I was happy to discover how simple the blankets are to make.

I was hoping to get outside today to do some spring cleaning in the yard but last night's thunderstorm has left the flower beds a little too soggy for me to work in. I have an extremely low tolerance for wet gardening gloves! I'll just have to find something productive to do indoors!

Thank you for the comments regarding my Spring Zipper. I think I'm going to use it for some finishing practice, and if all goes well I'll gift it to someone. :-)

Done and Done!

A record TWO finishes to share today! The first is the Lizzie Kate Snippet "Happy Hoppy Easter". I actually finished it Sunday but I've been a lazy blogger and haven't posted in FOREVER! This was stitched with trusty ole DMC on 25 count Lemonade Linen from R&R Reproductions. I loved, loved, loved stitching on this delicious shade of yellow!

My second finish is the Spring Zipper from Bent Creek. This has been in my UFO basket for ages!I started it during a very difficult time in my life and every time I picked it up to try to finish it I would get slammed with bad memories. Now that it's done, I'm not sure what I'll do with it! I still love the colors and the design, I just don't want a constant reminder of things I'd rather not think about! Anyone else ever have this issue? I am soooo looking forward to moving on to something else!

SBQ: Smoking Needles

This week’s was suggested by Danielle and is:

Do you find yourself stitching faster when you are getting to the end of a design?

My guess is I do stitch a little faster towards the end, mainly because that's when I tend to make the most mistakes! It's either the speed of my needle or my mind being on that next project!

It's Wooly Tyme!

Another deviation from my official 50 projects, this monthly series began last July but I'm only getting started on them. You finish each stitched piece into a "blanket" which you then display by draping it over the back of a fluffy stuffed sheep. Trust me, it's really cute! I'll be sure to post a photo once I have it all put together properly!

Little Fir Tree - DONE!

Today is my unofficial monthly Christmas stitching day. I've been plodding along on this project for what seems like forever and today I was determined to finally finish it. I need to clean up my messy back and actually stitch the buttons on, but here 'tis.

This was such a quiet weekend! The kids had their own things going on so I was "home alone" most of the time. I forgot how still the house is when no one's home but me. To tell you the truth, I prefer the noise!

Cha Cha Cha!

Woohoo! I can finally call this one DONE!

It's Raining Cats and Dogs from SamSarah Design Studio. Stitched with Caron Collection Watercolors on 10 count Larkspur Tula from R&R Reproductions.

SBQ

This week’s SBQ was suggested by Kathryn and is:

What is the smallest count fabric you have ever used? Did you stitch over one? Conversely, what is the largest count fabric you have ever used?

The smallest count fabric I've ever used is 32 count linen, stitching both over one and over two on it. The largest would have to be 10 count Tula and Betsy Ross linen. As my eyes have aged I find myself opting more for projects that can be done on larger counts, although I still enjoy stitching on the 32 count linen. I just like the feel of it so much more.

Another HD!

Had a rather blah day today. I wasn't in the mood for much but I did manage to do some stitching and finished my latest Secret Needle Night kit. I thought this one was adorable! You can finish it into a picture frame with your cross stitch on one side and a place for photos on the other. Really cute! So, is it time to start a new project or should I work on getting some of those WIPs and UFOs completed? Time to consult my 50 Project Challenge list and see what shouts at me!

This Week's SBQ

Today’s SBQ is:

Do you like to buy “chartpacks” that include charms, buttons, and/or beads or do you prefer to gather all materials yourself?

Chartpack all the way, when it's available and when I think it's reasonably priced. When I look at the price of individual charms and buttons I sometimes go into sticker shock!

Valentine's Day Happy Dance

Woohoo! Another Happy Dance! Love Sampler is DONE! except for two little buttons that need to be added, but at this time remain at large. I swear I just saw them yesterday! In a related story, the piece of chocolate I was nibbling on has also disappeared. Authorities have been notified!

I had to play around with that bottom right corner quite a bit before I was happy with the way it looked. It's a little crowded but I'll give it a few days before I consider redoing anything. I think the buttons will help to fill out the other open areas, once I find the little devils.

So I'm now 3/50 for the 50 Project Challenge! Hooray!

Early Morning Happy Dance

I stayed up laaaaate last night so I could finish this little guy. It's called Singing Bluebird from SamSarah's Sing to Me. I had found a bunch of DMC #5 perle cotton and the colors were just begging me to stitch something with them. This little bluebird looked like the perfect candidate. The color substitutions I made weren't exact but I think they work well together. The stitch band gets sewn into a "sleeve" to slip over a little pillow. I was considering using the fabric in the background but since very little of it will actually be showing I think I may go with a solid instead.

Crabby All Year

From Raise the Roof...


I had to LOL at this one! Can't wait to see the rest!

More goodies from the Nashville show here!

This Week's SBQ

Today’s SBQ was suggested by Danielle and is:

Have you ever been to a stitching retreat?

Unfortunately I haven't, but it is something that I would love to do some day. Camp Wannasew Weekend fee... $220. Gas money for trip to Oklahoma... $60. A weekend dedicated to stitching... priceless!!

Home Sweet Home

We are finally back from our trip to Florida for my mom's funeral. It was good to see so many family members, even under such sad circumstances. I got to hold my new grand-niece and feed her and rock her to sleep. I think the affirmation that life goes on was something we all needed. I am looking forward to getting things back to normal here at home, or at least as normal as I can manage. And I need some serious stitching time!

Thank you to the gals who left comments here or emailed me. I appreciate your kind words.

My Mom

June 30, 1937 - January 30, 2007

Love Progress

I haven't had much time for stitching this past week, due to work and getting ready for company. I was so happy for the opportunity to sit down and work on Love Sampler for a few hours last night. There's not much left to do, just the border and two more Rhodes hearts. The bottom right corner says "Love" but I'm thinking about making some changes so that I can add my initials and the year. We'll see how that goes!

I talked to my soldier DS last night. He told me they were expecting to have a "recall" at 3 am, where they would be told whether or not they were being sent to Saudi Arabia. I'm still going... "Saudi Arabia??" I've been expecting Iraq since they were put on deployment alert two weeks ago. He seems to think it would be a month before they would actually be shipped out so I would have time to go back to El Paso and see him before he left.

Love, Love, Love

I wanted to get a progress picture of Love Sampler up before I forgot. I ended up with a funky pink shadow there but this is Summer Khaki Belfast linen. So purdy! I'd like to get the Rhodes stitches finished tonight and maybe the last of the alphabet.

This Week's SBQ

Have you had a happy dance yet this year? If so, tell us about it! (Or just point to the entry that talks about it.) If not, when do you predict it will be?

As a matter of fact, I've had two. Home Sweet Home and Winter Snows Me, both Secret Needle Night kits. I worked on Home Sweet Home during December of last year, but Winter Snows Me was 100% stitched in 2007!

What A Day!

Sometime during the night my little part of the world was flash frozen. The phone rang at 7:30 this morning with the joyous news... SNOW DAY! Or ice day to be more precise. Nice Boss called from work to tell me I didn't have to come in, there wasn't much to do and everything else could wait. Fantastic! A half hour later she called back... Grumpy Boss had over-ruled her decision... if there's nothing to do, we'll make something to do! I had already gotten ready to go because I had a feeling I'd end up having to go in for one reason or another. I don't call her Grumpy Boss for nothing!

In stitching news, I started Heart in Hand's Love Sampler this afternoon. Very Valentine-y. I'll need to post a progress picture soon as proof that I do stitch on linen from time to time!

P.S. I'm typing this with my gloves on. It's cold!

Cabin Fever

After being cooped up in the house for the last few days, I decided it was time to venture out. Our roads are fine here, it's just WAAAY cold! Nose-numbing cold! I think everyone was feeling the same itch to get out because everywhere I went was busy, busy, busy! But people were smiling and being friendly, striking up conversations with each other while waiting in the queue. I get the impression no one was in any real hurry to go back home!

Another Finish!

This one was so quick and easy! I'll have those 50 projects done in no time! Mr. Snowman's carrot button nose was broken so he's not officially done until I get the replacement and sew it on. I'm thinking I might need to start a stitching rotation if I'm ever going to pick up Winter Sampler again. It's just so big! It scares me!

50 Project Challenge

I've been doing a lot of Blog Browsing lately and I noticed there a number people participating in this challenge. I thought to myself I could never, EVER swear off stash enhancement for any length of time! But I kept thinking about it and decided, okay, I'll go through my stash and see just how many projects I can come up with. I sat down this afternoon and went through my boxes and baskets and jotted down only the projects I would really, really want to do over the course of a year. I ended up with exactly 50 projects on my list! Now if that isn't a sign to participate in this challenge I don't know what is! Not to mention my boyfriend keeps telling me... NO MORE! I am really excited now! The only exception I'll be making to the no stash rule is my monthly Secret Needle Night kits. I'd really hate to put those on hold! So here is my list, in no particular order other then the first four are my current WIPs. There are a few more on the list that have been started and put on hold for... well... a very long time so this will be a great opportunity to finally finish them.

1. Raining Cats and Dogs - Sam Sarah Designs - Done!
2. Winter Sampler - Janlynn Kit
3. Mississippi Memories - Dimensions Kit
4. Winter Snows Me - Secret Needle Night - Done!
5. October Monthly Mania - Heart in Hand
6. November Monthly Mania - Heart in Hand
7. December Monthly Mania - Heart in Hand
8. Wee Autumn - Heart in Hand
9. I'm Your's, You're Mine - Secret Needle Night - Done!
10. You Have Stolen My Heart - Lizzie Kate
11. Love Sampler - Heart in Hand - Done!
12. Valentine Wabbit - Sheepish Designs
13. Heart Alphabet Sampler - Better Homes and Gardens Freebie
14. Spring Zipper - Bent Creek - Done!
15. Spring Bugs Me - Secret Needle Night
16. Easter Needleroll - Shepherd's Bush
17. Happy Hoppy Easter - Lizzie Kate - Done!
18. Beehive Needleroll - Shepherd's Bush
19. Birdhouse Needleroll - Shepherd's Bush
20. Sunflower Summer - Shepherd's Bush
21. Summer Snapperland - The Lighthouse - Bent Creek
22. Summer Snapperland - Bikeride - Bent Creek
23. Summer Snapperland - Whale House - Bent Creek
24. Summer Snapperland - The Beach - Bent Creek
25. Harvest Home Sampler - Heart in Hand
26. Autumn Leaves - Prairie Schooler
27. Halloween Needleroll - Shepherd's Bush
28. Recipe for a Scarecrow - Pine Mountain
29. Winter Snapperland - Sleigh Ride
30. Winter Snapperland - The Villa
31. Winter Snapperland - Ze Rink
32. Winter Snapperland - Chalet
33. Winter Moon - Shepherd's Bush
34. Little Fir Tree - Secret Needle Night
35. January Snapper - Bent Creek
36. February Snapper - Bent Creek
37. March Snapper - Bent Creek
38. April Snapper - Bent Creek
39. May Snapper - Bent Creek
40. June Snapper - Bent Creek
41. July Snapper - Bent Creek
42. August Snapper - Bent Creek
43. September Snapper - Bent Creek
44. October Snapper - Bent Creek
45. November Snapper - Bent Creek
46. December Snapper - Bent Creek
47. Forever - Just Nan
48. Home Sweet Home - Heart in Hand
49. Bless Our Home - Lizzie Kate
50. My Friend - Twisted Threads

Crippling Ice Storm Expected

Wow! I'm so glad I went to the grocery store yesterday!

SBQ is Back!

The first SBQ of 2007 is:

Do you dream of running your own LNS/ONS? If so, tell us about your dream. If not, tell us about your cross stitch dream… maybe you dream of designing, dyeing your own floss or fabric, etc.

My cross stitch dream... I'm walking down a long corridor with dozens of doors, each one opening to reveal a closet full of well organized stash! Fabric behind one door! Fibers behind another! Beads! Buttons! And the patterns! All organized by subject and cross referenced by designer!

But seriously... yes, I do dream of having my own LNS/ONS and spending the day surrounded by the things I love! My boyfriend has his own web design/hosting company so creating an online store would be a cinch! If I knew more about running a business I might actually consider doing it, but my lack of knowledge coupled with my fear of taking any risks where money is concerned means this will always remain a dream! But I promise to do my part to keep the rest of the shop owners in business!

Yippee!

No work today! To celebrate the occasion I slept in! I was a smart cookie and went to the bank and grocery store after work last night so today can be an errand-free day. For someone without a real job, I certainly take my days off seriously!

Grumble

I am in such a foul mood right now!

A Short Rant

I didn't mention it but I quit my job back in September. They had trained me to be a manager, had paid money to send me to class, and then refused to let me do what they had trained me for. I finally had enough of what I referred to as being "babysat", told Nice Boss I felt redundant, and gave them two weeks notice. The gal they hired to take my place has since quit. Believe it or not, she doesn't hold the record for least number of days worked there. We've had three people (THREE!) quit after one week. I blame it all on Grumpy Boss, but in reality I'm sure it's simply the nature of the job. No one wants to do it! Which brings me to two weeks ago. Nice Boss called me to ask if I'd come back temporarily while they looked for someone to fill the once again open position. I agreed to work two weeks while they were severly short-handed due to having people out on vacation. Two weeks would be enough time for me to decide if I could tolerate working with Grumpy Boss again. By my second day I knew the answer was NO! The good news is they think they have found someone to fill the position. (GB tells me she is "proficient on the computer" which is a total laugh because she will never be allowed near it!) Today will be my last day filling in with any luck, although they have another person quitting at the end of this month so my phone might be ringing again.

On Knots

So I decide to take a few minutes and start a new project this afternoon. Another Secret Needle Night kit... no surprise there, but hey, my eyesight stinks and it's nice to have something to stitch without my nose pressed up to a magnifier! Anyway, I'm stitching away on some lettering when I notice I have a counting error somewhere. I figure out where it is, nothing too extreme, and while I'm frogging I notice A KNOT on the back side of my work. I got to thinking about all my past knots and how I've dealt with them. I'm not ashamed to admit that, depending on the knot, I've left a few of them, even going so far as to work them under some nearby stitches. Then there's the ones you get in your floss as you're stitching. Raise your hand if you've ever kept on stitching, pulling the knot through your fabric with each stitch til it's finally at the point where you can see if it's going to end up on the back side or the front. Today's knot? I pulled it out and tacked down the excess thread with a few of my stitches. No one will ever know! ;-)

First Finish of 2007

Another Secret Needle Night kit. This one took me quite some time to complete, mostly due to having so many other things to do during the holidays. Once I could actually sit down and stitch for more then a few minutes at a time, it went really fast. I have a long list to things to do tomorrow but hopefully I will find some time for stitching. Years ago I had a friend who insisted on stitching at least 10 minutes a day. Not a bad resolution for 2007!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!