Stash OVERLOAD!

Wow! WoW! WOW! What an AWESOME mail day!!!! Someone out there must have known that I needed some cheering up because a real life stash 'explosion' has gone off here :o) Do you remember back in my November 6 post, ACK! SNOW!, I mentioned that I had won the Pink Grand Prize from Stitches N Things? Well, I got to pick up that parcel at the post office today, along with a parcel of fabric from a wonderful friend of mine! A HUGE thank you Shirley :o)

My initial order with Stitches N Things was for the gorgeous Pink Afghan pattern by Dutch Treat Designs :o) I would like to tackle this next winter after I've gathered all the needed materials. It will be a very treasured piece. I also added the Winter 2006 issue of Sampler & Antique Needlework quarterly (I wish we could get that here!), two small surprise packages and one large surprise package. As you will see below, these packages were WELL stocked! I also received two skeins of Watercolors (pink but I'm going to have to find out the exact color) for making donations to the fundraiser :o)

One small surprise package contained ALL of those ceramic buttons you see. There are 36 buttons in total and the cost was only $2! The second small package included three heart beads, a skein of DMC rayon floss (30368), a skein of DMC wool (8408), a skein of Gloriana Silk Thread (Cottage Woods and GORGEOUS!), a spool of Au Ver A Soie (325) and two ceramic buttons by Debbie Mumm. The large surprise package contained God's Lighthouse by Crossed Expressions, October Cat Scissor Fob by The Needle's Content, Easter and Berry Sweet by Trail Creek Farm, Slice Of America Pie Kit by Erica Michaels, a piece of 16 count antique white Betsy Ross and the August pattern AND frame by Mount Forest Frame Works.

Now to reveal my Pink Grand Prize from Stitches N Things breast cancer fundraiser day...

Okay, you can close your mouth now ;o) That's a lot of stash isn't it! I'll try my best to list it all. Patterns consisted of I Am So Thankfull and Sweet Dreams Sweetie by Trail Creek Farm, The McIntosh Apple (with fabric and thread) by Eventide Designs, Kensington Rose Sampler Kit by The Sweetheart Tree, Seasons Of The Heart (February) by Heartstrings, Shades Of Pink Heart and The Key To Christmas by Mosey 'n Me, Find Your Song by My Mark, Smile (with fabric and thread) by La-D-Da, Embrace (with frame!) by Sam Sarah Design Studio, Haunting Favors by The Cricket Collection, You're A Star by Waxing Moon Designs, Rejoice by Bizzi Creations and a book called A Celebration Of Stitching which includes a small pattern by our very own Dragon Dreams!!!! I'm not done yet ;o) Fabrics included two baby bibs (one small and one large), a half a yard of 28 count gold and navy stitch band, a half a yard of 16 count lavender and white stitch band, a yard of band (linen) that would be ideal for a chatelaine, a piece of 32 count dyed linen, a block of Ann Cloth in rust and beige that would be perfect for a pillow and a half a yard of 22 count Christmas Red Softana. Wait, there's more! There is a lovely set of note cards by La-D-Da, a Tuckable Needle Book by Olde Colonial Designs, a Christmas Linen Scents Holly Kit by Cross My Heart, a spool of Kreinik cord AND a Plumpers Kit (Santa With Heart) by Trail Creek Farm that includes THE PILLOW! ALL of this was jammed into that lovely Gentle Arts canvas bag that you see in the picture :o)

I'd say this high is going to last for the rest of the day ;o) How many of you bet I'll still be rolling around in my stash when DH gets home? LOL!

Prison Break Withdrawals

Yup! It's only been fifteen minutes and I can already feel the effects. This is not good! In case you didn't realize, the final fall episode of Prison Break was tonight. Do you know what that means???? It means that they won't be playing any new shows until after the new year :o( I don't even have any reruns that I can watch in the meantime! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO???? It shouldn't be legal to leave a person hanging like this! What's Prison Break you ask? It's only THE BEST show on television right now! This is their second season and I have been addicted since it was first born a year and a half ago. DH thinks the show is outrageous but the truth is he's just jealous that women find the main character, Michael, hot ;o)

I have to admit...I'm a slave to television. There are only two nights out of the week that I can't find something to watch. Maybe that's a sign that I should take that time to relax my eyes and mind or maybe do something productive ;o) Starting on Sunday, I have Cold Case and Desperate Housewives. Although I have been watching Desperate Housewives from the very first, it cannot compare to my main love, Prison Break ;o) Speaking of Prison Break, it's part of the Monday night line up along with CSI Miami. Now, to be 100% honest, I really don't care for CSI Miami and their beloved Horatio. He's got to be the worst actor ever born but I think I'm drawn to his over-the-top cheese factor. LOL! Tuesday night was a bit lonely with just House on but now I have added 3 lbs. to the mix. It's a good show and besides, I love any opportunity to say the name Stanley Tucci. Stanley Tucci :o) Wednesday is a busy night for me because America's Next Top Model, CSI NY, Criminal Minds AND Bones are on. You should see me trying to coordinate the taping of all of these shows! Good thing there are four time zones to choose from on the dish ;o) Finally, on Thursday night there is Grey's Anatomy, CSI and Six Degrees (although this has recently disappeared). Stanley Tucci!

Over the years there have been many favorite shows but I think this season takes the cake for most shows watched :o) Television seems to go in spurts. Some years it feels like there is nothing on to watch, while others are just bogged down with awesome new shows. The worst moment for a television addict is when they cancel a show :o( This can leave a dedicated watcher very sad and lost. The fall of the X-Files is a perfect example. To think of Mulder and Scully is just too much to bare :o( My hopes is that Bones will fill this void as there is real chemistry between her and Booth. Could their attraction really rival that of Mulder and Scully?

I'll step off of my soapbox now and retire to bed...

Stanley Tucci!

They Say Bad News Comes In Threes

I have no idea where this saying comes from but at times it does seem to ring true. My poor mother was the unfortunately person to deliver all three pieces of bad news this time :o( I told DH that I wasn't sure I wanted to talk to Mom if she called again because it was just too depressing! Three people that I have known have died in a period of just a few days. One I had met maybe once or twice when I was younger and he was well known in the community where I grew up. The second was actually an old boss of my mother's. He was a big burly man that loved to smoke cigars. He was always very nice and generous and he was a good man. The third person I never met face to face but she has been the one that has created the biggest impact of sadness in me.

Her name was Kim Hiltz and she was just 33 years old. Young wasn't she? She died after a heroic fight with breast cancer, the evil nemesis of any woman. Even though Kim was only two years younger, she was diagnosed the same year that I was. I guess that was the big hurrah into the new millennium for both of us. I never found out about Kim until a few years ago though. DH and I were at a Christmas craft fair buying a holiday bandana for Brie when I met Rosalie, a neighbor of Kim's. The money raised from the bandanas was being donated to breast cancer research so of course the subject came up and I shared my story. A few weeks later Rosalie surprised me by mailing another dog bandana. As a thank you, I stitched up a breast cancer ornament and dropped it off at her house. Shortly after, Rosalie called and asked me to make another ornament for a special friend of hers that was going through the same fight I did. Unknown to me but this special friend was Kim :o)

A year later is when I finally made the connection. It hit with a force of a thousand bricks, all the separate pieces falling into place and completing the puzzle. It made me feel good that my special ornament made it into the hands of a very special woman. Kim's story was told to me by Rosalie and it was even in the newspaper like mine had been a few years before that :o) Unfortunately Kim's cancer was more aggressive than mine and they were raising money to send her down to Texas for a stem-cell transplant. I was more than happy to donate money to their successful fundraising. A website was put up that told of her story and she and her husband even adopted a Golden Retriever puppy named Hope.

Upon her return home, I made plans in my head that I wanted to meet this fellow survivor. To me Kim was special and I knew that we could relate better to each other because of our ages. We were both in our early 30s with our whole lives and family planning still ahead of us. It might not appear apparent but there are many different issues that younger cancer survivors face. There are also limited help resources as well. As I stated in the beginning of my story, I never did meet Kim. Like I said, I had every intention to and I made plans to many, many, many times but I just never went through with them. Why? It's simple...I had no words of encouragement. I had nothing positive to say to her. I didn't want to sit face to face with her and try to figure out why one of us got to live and the other did not.

They say I'm "one of the lucky ones". The doctors say that if I never went in for the breast reduction, I'd probably be where Kim is now. So what made me listen to my husband and go for that operation? What made the doctor not take Kim's lump more seriously? Why does one woman get to live but the other die? How come my husband still has his wife but another becomes a widower? It's hard to keep that happy face and positive attitude. Every day I have to get up and look in the mirror and be reminded of what I went through. I look at my body and see what has been taken away from me but I'm expected to be proud of these battle scars. I'm told I should be happy that I'm alive. And I am...most days. But then I wonder which is the worst sentence - to die early or to live each day fearing it's your last.

I know Kim has gone to a better place, one that is free of pain and worry. I'm happy to hear that she was at peace with dying because there is nothing to be afraid of. I've seen someone die before me and while it may look frightening, it truly is peaceful. It's possible to know when that time comes and when you're ready, I expect it's even better. The unfortunate part is that Kim has left behind a husband, a family and lots of friends but she did not leave this world without touching the lives of others. She fought and lost an awful battle but she remains an inspiration :o)

Jack Frost

That's who came to visit last night and boy did he ever leave his mark! I woke up this morning to a landscape covered in heavy frost and it was such a beautiful sight that I ran outside in my shorts and took some pictures :o) Good thing the neighbors couldn't see me, lol!

I love mornings like this but I'm rarely up early enough to appreciate them. If you get close to any frost covered object, it's amazing to see all the crystals it takes to create that white coating :o) Mother Nature is truly incredible.

I want to wish all my US friends a very Happy Thanksgiving today! I hope you are all enjoying yummy turkey dinners :o) I know why the US Christmas shopping seasons starts the day after their Thanksgiving...they need all that food to give them the extra energy to get up in the wee hours of the morning and face the mobs of people that will be filling the stores! Honestly, I don't envy those that are brave enough to venture out into the shopping malls tomorrow. I thought it was bad enough trying to enter our Wal-Mart!

After talking about the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with Shannon this past week, I finally decided that I should find it on television and watch it myself. I can't recall if I have ever seen it. At 10:30 am, I was quite surprised to see that it had already started! How early does this thing begin anyway???? I managed to catch about 3/4 of it and I hope you have too Shannon since you took the day off to see it :o) I was REALLY excited to see the great big Energizer Bunny but was even MORE AMAZED when the HUGE Mr. Potato Head came floating by! WOW! To add him to my Mr. Potato collection would be divine! Can you imagine having that floating over our house 365 days of the year? I can hear DH's agonizing cries now ;o)

I'm Going To Have A BF!

Yes, that's right! A Bitch Fit! I'm at the end of my rope with LTD and work and it's about time that I had one. I've been nice AND patient enough! I can't believe how many incompetent people are out there, doing jobs that they are not even qualified for. Okay, maybe some of them are qualified but it doesn't mean that they can do their job 'well'. It's a good thing that I have a good head of hair because if not, I would be bald by now ;o) I would LOVE to rant and rave about what is going on but I had better not just in case there are little spies out there. No sense spoiling the fun and giving away any surprises from this camp...

On the stitching front, I've been smokin'! On the weekend I started and finished my first PIF work of art :o) Renee if you are reading this, STOP! What you are about to see is your surprise ;o)

As I was flipping through magazines, I came across this simple mitten pattern and the idea formed in my head to make a pair into an ornament! The pattern can be found in the Leisure Arts The Magazine, October 1991 issue. I have changed the colors and a bit of the design and I'm so pleased with the outcome. I might have to squeeze in some time to make a pair for myself ;o) Now it will be onto the next PIF project!

Gathering Eggs got her share of the attention as well :o)

I love the colors that are in this piece. Nora somehow manages to put together the most garish colors and the results are so beautiful. The colors are happy colors. I'm really enjoying stitching her, seeing that stitching is the only thing keeping me sane lately. And yes, that is a good thing ;o)

Dusk VS Timberlake

What an awesome night! What a delicious supper! What a fantastic show! If you can't already tell, my date night was a huge success :o)

For some reason, Saturday flew by and I don't recall getting much done. I know I slept most of the afternoon, preparing myself for a late night. DH and I usually go to bed around 9 or 10 pm so anything over that is considered past our bedtime. LOL! I did start on my PIF project and got halfway done :o) It seems I only have one taker so far because no one else has signed up yet :o( Maybe you are all scared about my artistic ability ;o) Trust me, you'll like what I create and plus, you get to put a smile on the face of five other people!

I don't have many nice clothes to wear out but luckily I can still squeeze into my black dress pants! Whew! I topped it off with a black turtleneck sweater and my lovely pashmina that I got at TJ Maxx. DH wore a dress shirt and tie and was handsome as always :o) Shortly after 6 pm, DH and I headed into town and decided to try Brewbakers for supper. Boy, was it ever busy but luckily they were able to get us a table for two. It's been awhile since we've seen it that busy. All the quaint little nooks and crannies were full! We started our meal with fresh warm bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Yum! There is nothing simpler and nothing finer! For the appetizer, we both ordered the Mixed Green Salad. I went with the raspberry vinaigrette while DH decided on the sun dried tomato vinaigrette. For our main course, we decided to split one of their Shitake Mushroom and Brie brick oven pizzas. We weren't really too hungry so this was a perfect compromise and we were not disappointed either! I think I have found my new favorite dish :o) Because we were getting short on time, we had to skip dessert. That was okay because I don't think I could get much else to fit into those pants!

We had a nice brisk walk over to The Playhouse and arrived with about 10 minutes to spare. We quickly found our seats and settled in. DH got our seats at the back of the middle section and it was perfect viewing. The band of five (saxophone, guitar, piano, drums and bass) came out first and Matt Dusk soon followed. Now...I have to say that I was caught a little off guard. Okay, I was caught A LOT off guard. The Matt Dusk I pictured in my mind was not anywhere near what appeared on stage. He's a tiny guy! Handsome yes, but very slight. He had on quite a jazzy pinstriped suit, highlighted with purple and to everyone's amusement, bright blue socks! His explanation - they've been on the road a lot and he was he was at the end of his washing cycle ;o)

The band went right into the show and it was one song right after the other - A Million Kisses Late, Two Shots Of Happy And One Shot Of Sad, The Theme From Loaded Gun and a combo April Moon/Five. He belted out oldies from Frank Sinatra and Harry Connick Jr. His song Get Me To The Church On Time got new lyrics of "Get me to the bathroom on time" when one woman ran up the isle during the song :o) His attempt to convert modern music like Justin Timberlake's Sexyback into Swing was a comical attempt and I have to say that I much prefer the voice of Matt Dusk to that of Timberlake. I hate to compare Matt Dusk to those before him but he does have that smooth, buttery voice that can make any girl swoon.

The music was spectacular but so was the entertainment. Matt Dusk successfully combined his songs with humor and interaction with the audience. His band was amazing! They kept right up with the level of energy and talent. Luckily there was no underwear flying but two crazy ladies got up and danced with Matt on stage. If that were me, I would be flung right into the drums! Did I ever mention that I-cannot-dance? My one regret is that I did not bring a camera. I LOATH cell phones but that would have been the time to have one. Instead of candles or lighters being waved, there were dozen of cell phones being held up in the air, taking pictures. A brilliant invention but I still say it has its place. Before the encore, Matt ended the evening with his hit song All About Me :o) I just love that song!

DH and I were a little disappointed that it was not a sell out performance. If you ever get the chance to see Matt Dusk, we highly recommend it! It was well worth the money. We will definitely be keeping our eyes open for his return in the future. So, all in all, it was a fantastic evening and one DH and I hope to repeat again :o)

Laughter Really IS The Best Medicine

I finally made it to Stitch Night! Lately I haven't been going because I've either been too tired, too stressed or too sore :o( Well, after having such a frustrating and eye gouging out day with work and LTD, I decided that it was time to do something for me and it was exactly the thing I needed! It never fails that when I need cheering up, the girls are the ones to do it. Don't get me wrong, DH does the best job but when you're in a situation together it's sometimes good to get outside help :o)

Every third Wednesday of the month our group meets in the upstairs room in the Sobey's grocery store. I know, it sounds like a weird place to meet but it's perfect for us. They have a kitchen in the room so when we do our potluck Saturdays, we have everything there that we need, including a stove to warm things up in ;o) I can't even remember how many years this group has been meeting but it's been a long time. I think I started going back around 2000 but I know the group was together before that. Ladies come and go but there are a number of us that are regulars and we've really become good friends :o)

Last night there were thirteen of us. I brought my 12 Blessings of Christmas and my Flower Lady to show off :o) I finally go to see Katie's Voice of the Shepherd and Faith Ann's Bear Dragging Tree (his official name is Winter Wonder but he's earned this nickname). Those gals do a lovely job! There were also other projects on the Show and Tell table but stupid me did not bring a camera. I'm going to have to learn to bring the digital. Katie and Faith Ann also got to see the new project that I started...Gathering Eggs by Mirabilia :o) I don't have much done. After humming and hawing about whether I wanted to use hand dyed fabric, I settled on Natural Pearl Linen as my choice and I love it! Here is my progress so far -

We had some wonderful news last night although it took the three of us a lot longer than normal to clue in ;o) A friend of ours from group is pregnant with her first baby! She even had the ultra sound pictures but to me it looked like a peanut. She's not that far along so that probably explains it :o) I brought my pictures from retreat so those that didn't go got to see what was there. Katie and I are thinking about taking our performance on the road so if you want to see the TaTa Tassel Twins in person, you'd better book early ;o)

Several years ago our group was appropriately named Friends That Count. And to be honest, that's what it all comes down to. These girls are so unique in personality but they all share the ability to make one laugh when it's needed the most, to surprise you when you least expect it and to open a warm heart and embrace you with a much needed hug. Friendship happens when you least expect it and I truly value the friendship I have with Faith Ann and Katie. Not to worry, you're in there too Shannon! You guys are THE BEST! :o)

Going Once, Going Twice...

Here's your chance to get a legendary, one of a kind, work of art by Pumpkin for the very low price of...nothing? That's right! This is my PIF post! Be one of the first five people to sign the comment section below and I, Pumpkin, will mail you one of my masterpieces in the next three months :o) What's the catch you ask? Well, you just have to PIF to five more people :o) Simple as that!

Now I can't tell you what you'll be getting because that would ruin the surprise but I can tell you that it will be hand made by me. This event will not repeat itself! Sign up now because when they're gone, they're gone!

Rain, Rain...

GO AWAY! How much of the wet stuff do we have to take? I thought we lived in New Brunswick and not Vancouver, British Columbia. If you can't tell, it's another dreary day, downpour after downpour :o( I know I mentioned the fact that I preferred the dull grey landscape to snow but at this point I'm 'almost' wishing for the white stuff. The one thing I can't complain about is the temperature. It's unseasonably high for this time of year and that I love. The dampness plays havoc with my Fibro though so it's a catch 22 :o(

Over the years I have noticed big changes in the seasons. Our winters are nothing like they used to be when I was a kid. I remember the snow banks being so high that we were able to dig tunnels through them and create our very own forts :o) My parents had built the house I grew up in on a double lot. To the left of the house we had a nice sloping lawn that converted into a wonderful place to use our toboggans in the winter. At the back of the house, the driveway curved down to the lower garage. Dad had planted fir trees to line this driveway. When I was old enough to use my toboggan on this hill of hills, these trees were not very big so Dad always gave strict instructions to stay clear of them. Well, one day my friend and I cruised down that hill on my mile long wooden toboggan and take a guess where it headed... Yes, it headed straight, dead on towards the very last tree that lined the driveway and...snap! We managed to take the top of that tree clear off! Believe it or not, but that tree never grew. It always stayed the stumpy, short, squat tree at the end of the line :o)

The dreary day might also signify the sad news that our Pappy's Pizza is no more :o( After a few failed attempts to order pizza over the past week and a half, we finally found out that Pappy's is now closed and probably won't be re-opening. NOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooo! The news was not taken very well, especially by me. Since we are outside the city, about a good 15-20 minutes, finding good take out at the last minute is a hard thing to do. Sure we could drive into town but then we'd have to drag ourselves off of the couch. What's the point in that? We could also pick something up on our way home from work but by the time it arrives here, it's cold :o( So Pappy's became our crutch during desperate times. I guess that means we will save money but what's the fun in that! LOL!

I will now take a moment of silence for the fall of Pappy's Pizza.

Sniff!

I Can Dance, I Can Dance,

Everyone look at my...FINISH!!!! LOL! Yes, I am excited to say that I have another big finish out of the way and scratched off my list :o) Flowers is officially completed as of this evening! Whew! It took longer than I expected but work got in the way and there was nothing I could do about that. Bad work! Bad! Flowers has been finished with a few of my own changes and I am quite happy with them. I converted all the buttons to ones made by JABC. I refused to stitch that gremlin looking creature that was crawling out of one of the flowerpots and replaced him with an inchworm button. There was a heart on the leg of her overalls that I replaced with the breast cancer heart button. A bee took the place of beads up in the saying and I left out some backstitched words that were on some of the items. She will soon be off to the framers as soon as I decide what frame will go nicely with her :o)

So what's next on my agenda? Well, I 'really' should complete The Quilt Time Sampler by LHN but my newly acquired Gathering Eggs by Mirabilia is calling out my name ;o) I guess you'll just have to wait and see who wins...

On my way home from work this afternoon, I stopped by a fibers sale that was being held. Most of the stuff being sold was geared towards quilters and rug hookers but one of the booths had a beautiful selection of fibers that were perfect for any stitcher :o) They had pearl cottons and silks in every variegated color under the rainbow! They were just gorgeous! I picked up two skeins of fine pearl (which would be very comparable to Caron's Wildflowers). They are made by Stef Francis from England but a shop called The Cotton Mill Threadworks in Toronto, Ontario, carries them.

When I finally arrived home, DH had the house looking quite nice. He had finished all the laundry, changed the bed and made some chocolate tapioca pudding for after supper :o) To top that, he even prepared supper! We had turkey, mashed potatoes, carrots and squash. Now normally I hate squash and have always refused to eat it because I never liked the taste. I have NO idea what DH did to this batch of squash but it was de-li-cious! I'm not kidding! I think I have finally grown fond of the vegetable that I shunned for all these years. Don't get me wrong, I'm always up for trying anything new but for some reason squash never really did anything for me. It wasn't pushed back as far as pea soup (that's a completely different story!) but it was a good football field's length away ;o) I do have a friend whose name I will not mention, Katie (cough!), that dislikes any vegetable that starts with C. Yes, you heard it right. Why that is, I have no idea and I've been desperately trying to figure it out. What vegetable(s) do you dislike? Is there anyone out there that can top Katie's phobia?

I'm Going On A Date!

I had a wonderful surprise when DH came to visit me at work today :o) I thought he was just coming over to pick up his money and the phone bill so I was taken completely off guard when he asked me if I wanted to go on a date. He then produced an envelope for The Playhouse and there inside were two tickets to see Matt Dusk on November 18! Wow! Not only do I get a night of great music and great company but I also get some good eye candy as well! (Btw sweetie, I know you are going to read this ;o) ) For those of you not familiar with this artist, check out his website.

DH and I have been married for 11 years now. If you asked us, we'd both tell you that it feels more like 40 years ;o) If there is such a thing as a soul mate, he is mine. DH is my best friend and has been since day one. During the second month that we were going out, he told me that he was going to marry me. I doubt very much he knew what he was really getting himself into when he made that promise. LOL! When we got married, he promised me 70 years and then we could go our separate ways if we wanted to. That was fine with me. I still have 59 years ;o)

After being married this long, there are times when it's hard to come up with new things to keep the relationship hopping and us on our toes. Surprises are always good but I think Date Nights are even better :o) It's a chance to get away from the house and 'the kids'. We are so used to just sitting down in front of a television or computer but with a date night, it's just the two of us doing something together. This is a fairly new idea that we have started and I love it. It brings back some of that romance :o)

Flying High

WOOHOO! I can't believe it but I actually have a big finish to share :o) Retreat got me started back on my 12 Blessings of Christmas and last night I completed it!!!!

What a good feeling to be able to take that off my WIP list. I am SO pleased with it. When it will get framed, I have no idea but that's okay. As you can see, I stitched mine all in one with the freebie border from Lizzie Kate. The thought of doing them all separately did not sit well with me and this was the perfect compromise :o) My piece was stitched on the 32 count Mushroom Lugana that the patterns called for.

I also added my bat buttons to Boo so check out his new picture under the Boo! Who? entry back in October.

Now it's back to Flowers and I expect to finish her by the end of the weekend at the very latest. The backstitching is going quite quickly. It will be a HUGE relief to get two big projects out of the way :o)

On Monday, my doctor had prescribed a new medication called Lyrica for my Fibromyalgia. I wasn't going to start it until the weekend but decided to try it last night as the Fibromyalgia pain was just being masked by the Tylenol 3. I'm not familiar with this new drug and need to do a bit more research on it. I'm have no idea if it was the fatigue catching up with me or the Lyrica that I took last night, but I couldn't even stay awake. When I did go to bed, I slept like a rock until 10 am this morning. I think I'll just stick with one pill at night until the weekend. I don't think it would be good if I was caught sleeping on my computer at work ;o)

ACK! SNOW!

What a way to wake up on a Monday morning :o( I know, I know! The first snowfall is supposed to be pretty but pretty does not describe the mess that I faced when I went in to work. There is something about a first snowfall and idiots that go hand in hand. Luckily my trip in town was uneventful and quicker than some of the earlier commuters. Thankfully this light layer of snow will not last long. Give me snow on Christmas but the rest of the winter months; I prefer the dull grey landscape.

Going to work took a bit of an effort today but I did it. To be honest, I hardly got any work done due to meetings. I met with the rehab specialist from LTD and any rest and relaxation that I got over the weekend quickly flew out the door. It got even uglier when I phoned my LTD caseworker. As a friend coins it, Long Term Disappointment... Sigh!

It was a long day and a rushed one at that. I had a doctor's appointment after work and he prescribed a new medication for my Fibromyalgia. I hope it will give me some relief but I don't want to start it until the weekend just in case there are some undesirable side effects.

The best part of my day happened when I opened up my email this morning! On October 28, I put in an order with Stitches N Things. Yes, I bought some stash but Shannon has declared it falls under the Gifts & Donations clause ;o) It is legitimate too because when I placed my order I also made a donation to their breast cancer fundraiser as well. Anyway, I found out that I am the winner of the Pink Grand Prize! I have no idea what it is but I sure am curious :o) Keep coming back to see what I have won because I'll post a picture the day it arrives.

Well, another day has been put in and it's time for this TaTa Tassel Twin to hit the hay ;o)

I'm Baaaaaaaaack!

WARNING!

Due to some extreme silliness and odd behavior, viewer discretion is advised. Please refrain from eating or drinking while reading the following blog entry.

What-a-weekend! I would have to say that this was one of the best stitching retreats to date. Not only did we catch up with old friends, stitch, shop and eat but we had tons of laughter and we all know that laughter is the best medicine :o) I knew it was going to be an interesting getaway once the tata tassels were found but more on that later ;o)

As expected, I was too excited to stay in bed so I was up bright and early on Friday morning. Most of the car was already packed the day before so after my shower I quickly packed my clothes and I was off to pick up Katie. Luckily my co-pilot was just as excited and had all her bags packed as well, LOL! It was close to 9 am when we left the city and all our worries behind.

We arrived in Moncton shortly after 10:30 am and our first stop was the LNS, Because You Count :o) I admit, I was 'really' good even with my one month stash starve having just been lifted. I picked up a couple of patterns that I really wanted; Birdhouse Row and Snowmen Gathering (both by Imaginating Inc.), a skein of WDW (Cocoa), two bat buttons (by JABC), a piece of 14 count perforated paper and two fabric cuts. Our next stop was Michaels for some floss and I also got a great deal on a ready made 8 x 10 forest green velvet mat with a gold mat underneath. Before heading to lunch, we made a quick stop at Old Navy and Roots. Katie and I quickly agreed on Lonestar as our restaurant of choice and we had plenty of fresh nacho chips with yummy salsa to devour. Of course Katie got to indulge in a margarita or two ;o)

The last stop was Champlain Place. The Disney Store was a big disappointment but Laura Secord sure wasn't! Dark chocolate is good for you, right? At the very last minute I wanted to check out La Senza for some pajamas. The brightly colored red nosed reindeer set must have been calling our names because both of us ended up buying a pair :o) What we failed to see before plunking down our money was the new 'naughty' section of La Senza where there was plenty of lace, tata tassels and even a whip! Of course I KNEW that after seeing these it was going to set the tone for the rest of the weekend, lol! Since we were so organized this trip, we made it to camp around 4:30 pm and before dark set in. It's always a dash to claim your sleeping quarters and we soon found the cabin that would be ours for the weekend. Next it was to set up our stitch zone and...relax. Whew!

The ladies trickled in and soon the lodge was packed with chairs, tables, lamps and stitching. I estimate there were about 60 ladies. There were a lot of regulars that were missing this time. The Show & Tell table quickly filled up with beautiful pieces of work. I brought my Walking In A Winter Snapperland, A Bee C pillow and First Aid Bear kit for the table. My exchange ornament was placed on the tree and then I settled in for a good night of stitching. I pulled Flowers out of my tote and continued on with the backstitching.

On Saturday, I somehow managed to crawl out of bed and shower in time for breakfast. You definitely do not starve at these retreats! If their goal was to put meat on my already plump bones, they succeeded. LOL! Did I mention we also have a mini NS at these retreats???? You bet! I went over and browsed quite a few times and again, I behaved myself :o) I did pick up a few more patterns though - Bucky The Snowman (The Trilogy), Christmas Motif Sampler II (JBW Designs) and the Mirabilia kit for her Easter Fairy. Would you believe the kit was half price! I'm still patting myself on the back over that deal ;o)

I dedicated half the day on Saturday to backstitching Flowers and I made great progress. Later in the afternoon I pulled out the 12 Blessings Of Christmas and started on Caring. Shortly after supper, Katie and I pulled on our new reindeer attire, along with our homemade tata tassels. Thus the birth of The TaTa Tassel Twins! I must say we were quite a hit and with all the camera flashes going off, you would swear that the paparazzi were there. I'm afraid to know just how many pictures will be floating around ;o) No wonder our husbands shake their heads when we tell them our tales from retreat, lol!

So what do you think? Do we make a great fashion statement or what...

Sunday arrived much too quickly :o( I finished Caring and started another block called Faith. Back in October when we were sent our retreat invitation, we were asked to bring in a pink item that would be placed in a gift basket and raffled off to raise money for breast cancer.

Well, there were enough pink items to fill FIVE big baskets and a reserve bag that will be used at the spring retreat. These breast cancer baskets were raffled off and as a group, we raised $555.75 that will be donated to The Run For The Cure. WOW! How awesome is that! The ornament exchange took place after lunch and I said goodbye to my bear and a big hello to a lovely piece called Moonlit Joy Ride (Full Circle Designs) that was in this year's JCS Ornament Issue.

Finally the weekend came to a close and we all packed up. There were lots of hugs, best wishes and hopes to see each other at next retreat. The drive home was uneventful and a little depressing but Katie and I have even more good memories to keep. I wonder how many more years we'll do this. The camp now has a new wheelchair ramp so I guess that even when we're 80 or 90 with lots of grey hair and walking with the assistance of a cane, we have no excuse not to be there ;o)

Camp Wildwood Here We Come!

By this time tomorrow, Katie and I should be good and tired from shopping, with a belly full of food, finally pointing the car north towards Camp Wildwood :o) WOO HOO!!!! Once there we'll claim our sleeping quarters, set up our stitching spot and plunk down for the remainder of the two days. If I can get myself to relax, it will be pure bliss and a much needed getaway with friends.

The car is pretty much packed and is topped up with gas. I just have a few last minute things to put together, like my clothes and the last of my stitching stuff, and I'm set to go! Again I have tried to integrate and narrow things down but I still feel like I'm going for a week. Well, maybe a month ;o) I always feel like I'm leaving or forgetting something behind. I don't know why. If I do, I either won't miss it, won't need it, or someone will have it. That's the best part of having 60-80 other ladies there. Someone is bound to have what you need. Oh, did I mention the mini NS store that is set up there as well :o)

So, I'm off! I won't be posting again until after the weekend. Don't worry though, I will have 'lots' of tails and stories to tell come next week. That is after I have recuperated ;o)

Ten, Nine, Eight...

Yes, the countdown is on! Two more days and then Katie and I are off to retreat :o) WOO HOO!!!! I started packing last weekend. Every year I say I'm going to reduce the amount of stuff that I bring, and I have somewhat, but there is still a carload that ends up going. DH just keeps shaking his head. I think all the husbands do and rightfully so because you'd think we were going for a whole week! It adds up though. The necessities are a sleeping bag, pillow, chair, table, lamp, and a suitcase full of clothes. That might not seem like a lot to some but you try to reduce that even further ;o)

Then you have your stitching, which is your number one concern ;o) That gets packed and unpacked so many times that in the end, I have no idea what projects I am taking with me! I never learn either. In my head I have this great plan that I'm going to finish X number of things while I'm away but really, it's only two days of stitching and even Wonder Woman couldn't perform a miracle. But not two solid days because you have to factor in sleeping (which doesn't amount to a lot), eating (which keeps you hopping with all the food that comes out of that kitchen) and talking (which never stops). LOL! Do you see the dilemma? I have finally narrowed things down and I will be taking Flowers, a new Little House Needleworks project, a WIP LHN project, two ornaments and a new Abbey Lane Designs project. Now realistically, how many of those do you think I'm going to start, let alone finish!

I did complete a small project last night. Since I have fallen in love with my Snow Lady ornament, I have decided to keep her. Because of this, I had to come up with another ornament for the exchange so I stitched up another Needle Magic kit called Bear. I think he's pretty cute as well :o)

Last night was pretty uneventful. We never get any trick or treaters here because we are outside the city. In a way I miss it but in a way I don't ;o) We did have two surprises though. Our nephew dressed up for his first Halloween and I have to say that he is just the cutest!!!!

Brie also surprised us and made an outfit of her own ;o)