Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Significant life struggles

I made some new friends tonight and I've spent the last few hours thinking about the significant struggles that some people are faced with. I don't just mean health issues but significant life altering struggles. Like the old adage 'what doesn't kill us makes us stronger' I believe that these struggles don't just make us stronger their true gift to us is that they reveal our true character and uncover our darkest fears of humanity. It makes me wonder about my own soul - Am I as attentive to people and their needs as I could be, or should be? Would I love my child as much if it was a struggle to have her near me or to provide for her basic needs? Have a left an invisible marker that someone will connect with years from now when they have a significant life altering struggle in their lives? Will I have helped them recognize and value their humanity? I think of my daughter and all the kids that have spent significant time in our home - my daughter has gone to school with the same kids her whole life and our home is second home to 3 other girls. I hope by my interactions with them, I've planted 'markers' for them to discover as they grow - like I have for my own child.

It's late and I'm rambling but it's a provocative thought process....nite all

Monday, October 23, 2006

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Rather late in the month, but October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (in the US)

My friends and I go once every 2 years (Val, Debbie & I) for mammograms. Val works at the hospital so she gets the clinic to schedule us together and we go on a Friday and then have a girls lunch together! We just made our appointments today so I want to remind everyone how important it is to go have a mammogram. As it is NBCA Month the clinics may have special pricing or even free screening if you don't have health insurance. It's certainly worth a call to find out - if not, most clinics have a special time during the year where your first mammogram is free or greatly reduced.

Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, Friends - our female circle never ends.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

I got new pretties today.....

Found some of the over-dyed Mini-Twist Eterna Silks. I bought Cabernet www.eternasilk.com/images/skeins/cabernet.jpg Christmas Bouquet www.eternasilk.com/images/skeins/christmasbouquet.jpg Autumn Sonata www.eternasilk.com/images/skeins/autumnsonata.jpg & Charcoal www.eternasilk.com/images/skeins/Charcoal.jpg I can't wait to try them out - they feel absolutely incredible. You know how little ones finger their baby blankets? Well - it's sort of like that. I think I may have to have one of each color.



I learned how to use the scan feature of our printer. Here I am 23 years ago in my wedding dress. My sister and I went to 'The Old Mill' (it's on the National Register of Historic Sites) and shot an entire roll of black & white film. The scene in Gone with the Wind where she is sitting/leaning into the wood seat was filmed there. There's a pond with several bridges and seats of petrified wood.












Thursday, October 19, 2006

Oh I'm so in love with this wonderful fall weather. Finally, the air has a bite to it - nice and cool. I've been stitching away on Morning Rose - on that pesky cream background. Actually it's a blend of 5 cream shades. I'm also starting to get frustrated - a happy frustrated - but there all the same. I have so many charts all ready to be started and there just aren't enough hours in the day to stitch. I don't want to hurry and finish my current projects because I really enjoy them. Ah well, I'll just keep drooling over them and waffling between which one to start next!

Hope everyone has a wonderful stitching day.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

I hope everyone reading this had as wonderful of a week as I did. I'm in love with our fall weather and can hardly wait for the cold winter to set in. It's raining today - a nice steady rain all day and supposedly all day tomorrow. We needed it. My yard and flower beds are just soaking it up.

If I can put my stitching down for long enough, I have a wonderful fall project for my front flower bed. It's a rather big bed right at the house in front of the dining room windows - it makes a 90 degree angle between the house and the garage wall and is framed on the other side by the curving sidewalk to the front door. I want to pull up the big ugly green tree in the middle (it doesn't even flower it's just green all year long) and replace it with this gorgeous fountain I found.

It's not a fuufuu fountain - it's texturized on the outside and about 4 feet square with slits around 6 inches long on two sides close to where they met. The water falls out of the slits into the square below - it is 4 or 5 tiers high with each square as you go up getting a little smaller and set back from the front. Each layer mets from top to bottom at the back - I'm going on and on so I'll have to take a picture. Anyway, that's my planned fall project......now I'll have to talk Don into getting it for me as my Christmas present as it is VERY pricey.

Oh - some wonderful little Angel (whom I shall not name) has gifted me with Sheila Wolk's Revelation. For those of you you know what I'm talking about HAPPY DANCE - for those of you who don't google Wolk's gallery and have a look-see as it's to die for. Now I'm sort of bummed as I have 5 pieces currently going that I love and another 7 kitted up and ready to go that I love. I'm frustrated that I can't work on all of them as often as I would like. They are all HAED pieces and the going is slow.....but worth it.

Happy Stitching everyone....

Friday, October 06, 2006


Happy Dance coming on......This is a HAED chart Morning Rose by Linda Ravenscroft. I finally have an update to share, just one more row to go and it will be finished.

Happy Stitching everyone...have a great weekend.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Special message for 'J'

Death is inevitable - the greatest testamant to a person who has passed on is being remembered in the soul of those who knew her. Through all of lifes ebb and tide, joy and pain the only things that last are memories of those gone before us - they leave their marks in our soul, invisible to others, but so necessary to who we are. This is how life moulds us into the person we are becoming year after year. So, the most loving tribute we can honor someone with is our acceptance that they are always with us and reborn everytime we reach out and touch another human being and leave our mark on their soul. You've been on my mind today with your caring attitude and thoughtfullness - your Grandmother would be so proud of the person you've become. You've left your mark on my soul, invisible to others, but so necessary to the person I am becoming - more caring and thoughtful of others.

Thank you.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

I've had reason to ponder recently - why is it that females have a comfortable zone in clicks? Where does the aggression come from to defend the territorial bound of said click? I don't know - maybe I'm not really female - huh? Or, maybe I'm just not all that good in groups. I don't really think that is it either. I can have multiple friends that fill the same need and still be willing to make another new friend in the same 'click'. I have several best friends but they are all different - they know each other - but we interact differently. On some human level we recognize a mirror image of ourselves and we seek to find the person who fits that bill.

Like Valerie. My bestest friend. We can, and do, go months without speaking and then just randomly pickup with whatever is going on in our lives. I have done all of the following to her: Called her in the middle of the night because of an extremely sick child - she came and comforted me. Had surgery and a hospital stay - she came and spent the night we me in the hospital just to be there incase I needed anything. We go to lunch through the week, walk after work and shop on Friday's - her day off. She has called me late in the evening when work had her so down she just had to lock the bathroom door and cry - what can you say? You just listen and offer comfort.

My next bestest friend is Debbie. She's the trouble maker - always ready to shop or go to lunch. Valerie and Debbie and I are all friends with girls the same age so we've bonded and watched our girls bond. It's been a lot of fun. Debbie is the one always ready to play putt-putt or football or soccor or basketball or any outdoor activity with the kids. Valerie and I hate her - she's just way to perky. She's also the one who's husband was killed in a freak accident several years ago. Valerie called me and we came home from vacation that afternoon. There was nothing we could do but we were there for her and the girls to offer comfort. We all grieved together - mothers and daughters. As painful as it was for us, I know it was the hardest for Debbie and her girls but I think it helped them move on knowing how much we loved their Dad and to see the deepth of sadness that we felt with them. Remember this if you are ever in this type situation - don't shy away from the family because you don't know what to say or do. Sometimes for them to just know that your there, crying and sad with them is a blessing and a comfort.

Now - my nextest bestest friend is Karen. She's the one I call when I want to spend the afternoon at the garden center or lunch and an afternoon strolling around Williams-Sonoma or any cooking, tea, wine, landscaping, gardening store. I haven't seen her in a while - I think I'll take her to lunch tomorrow or Friday.

Then I have my new stitchey friends. We aren't as close but I know given the same time frames as I've had with V, D & K that we could be. There's Brandy and Nikki and Joyce and Stacey and Selma and Marleen.....and many more that I am just getting to know.

I guess the pondering of female relationships brings me to this; I'm the kind of girl who always has room for one more - the group is never filled to capacity and almost no one is ever excluded because I don't want to take the time to know them.

I'm feeling very blessed and satisfied right now - and it's because of all the above people and the joy knowing them has brought me. I will try over the next few days to connect with each of them - on our special level - and spread some of my joy to them.....good night all...

Tuesday, October 03, 2006


Random Thoughts.........

This is my DD [in the middle] and some of her friends. They are all in Partners Club and spent a day at the local State Fair. Sponsors paired each of them with a disabled child from the area and they took them on rides and played games on the midway. As you can see, they are a wonderful happy bunch of kids. They had a great day and made some new friends.

I got my DH to walk with me this morning. This sunshine was truly magical - weather permitting it's way better than going to the gym. I read somewhere that UVB rays on your skin causes your body to manufacture endorphins [happy hormones]. It's been really hot here [92] but I still should make time each morning for a walk. It really clears my mind and does make me feel better - or maybe it's just the relief of getting back home and having a cup of coffee!

Why do men pick tomatoes off sandwiches? I made a yummy lunch on sour dough bread [turkey,swiss cheese, hard salomi, lettuce, tomatoe, onion, s/p] and he PICKS THEM OFF before he eats - after 23 years I guess I really should know better. But, duh.

Many of you know I retired last year [at 42] - but the last 5 years that I worked I had 6 weeks of paid vacation. So, spring break from school just sort of became "The Girls Holiday". Melanie and I would go somewhere for the week by ourselves or with other moms and daughters. We went with 2 sets M&D's last year to Winter Park, CO to ski. Of course, we had a wonderful time. Well, this year we have decided to take a family vacation during spring break - before the weather gets soooooo hot that all we want to do is go to the lake or the beach and veg-out. Mel only has 1 more year of high school - then we will be on our own. She's not real excited about it - but she will get there. We are going on a driving vacation - to Amarillo, TX - Santa Fe, NM - Grand Canyon Village, AZ - Sedona, AZ - Albuquerque, NM then home. We are staying 2 nights in most places and have broken up the driving where the average is only 5 hours a day. Wahoo - I hate driving.

Suggestions of things to do are appreciated. We don't want to miss out on something because we didn't know about it......

Happy Stitching everyone...

Monday, October 02, 2006

Today has been the longest........


and saddest day in recent memory. I'm just going to create my own email group of stitching friends and get off of the message boards. I just don't like conflict and all the hurt feelings that go hand-and-hand with it. On the plus side, I think I'll get to know 8 or 10 ladies alot better and the 200 or 300 on the board and just not have to navigate through the blah..........I've felt sorry for myself all afternoon, hubby took me to lunch today to get my mind off of stuff.

Has anyone else been watching the new show Heroes? It comes on tonight and it's not too bad. The first night was just setting the scene and linking all of the characters. I hope tonight is as good......

On the plus side, I really need to work on my Truth Storykeep. I'm about 1/2 way through with her and she is just gorgeous. I have the Temptation Storykeep to stitch as a matching piece. They will be lovely together - if I ever get them both finished.

I've been working on Morning Rose all month and I'm just about ready for a break. I'm almost done with the 15th page (of 25) so I'm over 1/2 way. Just need to keep stitching.......she is really so much fun to work on. The colors are all so vibrant and blend together so well.