5-5-5

Gee, that sounds like the warranty coverage that I have on my car ;o) LOL! I'm a bit late in doing this. Jamie tagged me last week and I'm just getting around to posting this now. Eek!

Okay, here's how it works. For the first part, I will ask my oh so wonderful followers, er...I mean readers, to either email me or post in the comment's section questions that they want to know about me. One question per person, with a maximum of five questions in total. I will follow up on these questions and answer them in future posts :o)

For the second part, I am to list five things about me that I have not revealed in my Blog so far. This ought to be good...

1 ~ Back in 1991, I was Second Princess in the Miss Fredericton Pageant. Yes, it's true :o) The judges found me quite charming! ROFL! People might find this very odd because one, I'm definitely not a girly girl, two, I'm quite shy and three, I'm FAR from charming. I'd rather dig around in horse poop than wear a dress, the last thing I want in a crowd is to have the focus on me and people find me very stuck up until they get to know me. I found the experience quite liberating though and it definitely made me overcome my fear of public speaking so all was not lost ;o)

2 ~ Like Jamie, I've always wanted to write a children's book. I have lots of ideas running around in my head but I just haven't gotten them out yet. I took a children's literature course back in university and LOVED it! I can't look at enough children's books when we go to the bookstore :o) I'd like to write anything really and I'm not sure why I didn't go into Journalism way back when. It all comes down to dumb choices.

3 ~ The first car I ever had was a chocolate brown Chevy Citation. Did I mention it was chocolate brown on the inside too???? I named that car Guido :o) I can't tell you how many times I locked my keys inside or left the lights on and my battery dead. That car got swore at "a lot".

4 ~ I have a great love for water, especially the ocean, but I hate being in it or have it on my face. I'm not a great swimmer even after years of classes. I do have a genuine fear of water but I'm not sure if it stems from almost drowning when I was a child or the fact that I've watched too many Friday The 13th or Jaws movies ;o) If I can't see the bottom, it freaks me out! Pools are okay but again, I hate being "in" the water. I still shower every day, for those of you wondering ;o) My face has to be out of the water though and I have to have a towel handy in case water gets in my eyes. Yes, I have issues. LOL!

5 ~ I've had fourteen different kinds of pets. Yes, I'm an animal lover :o) Over the years I've known dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, chinchillas, a hedgehog, sugar gliders, a lovebird, a hamster, fish, ducks, chickens, geese and a turtle. Oh, and I did bring home a seagull once but Mom wouldn't let me keep him :o(

Finally, I have to tag five other souls :o) Here you go Katie, Faith Ann, Shannon, Karen and Kim! Have fun!

Ten Down...40 More To Go!

Finally! Part 1 of my Marquoir Sampler is complete!

This took longer than expected. The color placement took a little more thought in this section so I spent a bit of extra time stitching and then frogging :o( Factor in a couple of bad stitching weeks and now I feel very unorganized and behind. I have no idea why. There's no time limit on this challenge. I guess I just know from years of experience how long a project will usually take me and seeing that this one was so simple, it should have been completed about a week ago.

I'm quite happy with the way it's turning out although I'm still skeptical that it looks too Christmassy. Those are the colors of my living room though. Maybe once I have it framed it will look more like what I have pictured in my head :o) Here is a picture of Part 1 and 2 together -

Do you keep track of the time it takes you to stitch a project? I used to try and keep track of the hours I spent but it just never worked out. It was too hard to take into account breaks or interruptions. Basically, I was taking too much time trying to record things rather than stitching so that idea went out the window very quickly ;o) Now I have foolproof way of keeping track of things and it's much easier. I have been doing this for the past two years and so far so good!

I buy one of those small calendar booklets that will allow you to write a few things down under each date. It's small enough that I can carry it in with my stitching. Whatever I decide to stitch on that day, I mark the name of the piece, along with the initials of the designer, under the appropriate date. This not only allows me to see approximately how long it takes me to stitch a piece but how many days a week I get my stitching in :o) When a project is 100% complete, I will mark the word "completed" after it. If a project is made into an ornament I will mark the word "finished" after it. Faith Ann liked the idea so much that she started with it this year so my method of madness must be somewhat acceptable ;o)

For A Great Cause

Tonight was Stitch Night and we had a wonderful surprise waiting for us when we got there :o) A good friend of mine is a cross-stitch designer and her company goes by the name of Fiddlestitch Cottage. If you haven't been to her website, I strongly encourage you to do so! Tracy has just designed and released a new pattern called Hope Tea -

It truly is adorable but that is not the best part. If you buy the pattern directly from her, 100% of the revenue from her sales will go to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation! How awesome is that! As some of you may know from reading my Blog, I am a breast cancer survivor myself. Tracy's mother is also a survivor and one of 33 years! So as you can see, this project is near and dear to our hearts so I am more than happy to promote this for her ;o) If you are interested, or know of someone who might be, please contact Tracy. It's a small cost for the pattern but it will go towards big things so help me get the word out!

Now you may be wondering why I have bought a new pattern seeing that I am on The 50 Project Challenge. Since this is a very special item, it falls under the Charity/Donations Exception. Shannon can back me up on this ;o) I've already pulled the threads and now I need to search through two drawers of fabric to find something that will suit it because believe it or not, with all that fabric I don't think I have a piece of 28 count white Jobelan!

The rest of the evening did not disappoint either. It was so good to be back with the girls :o) We had a good turnout and there were so many lovely projects. Angela brought her Two By Two afghan by Sue Hillis and it's just stunning! I have seen this project completed before and even after seeing it a second time I'm still just as blown away. Faith Ann brought her Gingerbread afghan and all I can say is that she had better hide it when it's done, otherwise I'm going to take it ;o) Her Christmas Village is really coming along nicely as well. Katie was working on her Summer Dragons by Dragon Dreams and she'll be done in no time. There is no way I'm going to be able to catch up with her on this project challenge if she keeps this up! So far my plans of sabotage have not worked. LOL!

I was pleasantly surprised with a gift this evening. Faye gave me a doggy scrapbook just for Brie! She will now have her own picture album :o) I can't wait to start filling all those cute pages!

As I have said before, laughter is the best medicine and there was plenty there tonight :o) It was so wonderful to unwind and not think about all the stresses, even if it was only for three hours. I can't tell you how wonderful these women are. There is no shortage of kindness and each one is willing to open their hearts. They are my link to sanity and my breath of fresh air. I am truly lucky to have these women in my life :o)

How To Properly Eat A Cadbury Easter Cream Egg

As you may have noticed, I have been keeping track of my Cream Egg intake since the first of the year. These little gems usually pop up shortly after Christmas and last all the way until Easter. They are my big weakness. In case you didn't know, there is a proper way to eat these delicious eggs and I'm going to give you a short tutorial on how to do so :o)

First, upon finding the eggs, you must inspect the wrapper carefully. What you are looking for is any indication that the egg has broken or that some of the inner contents have leaked out (this will show as a sticky substance). Once satisfied with the perfection of your egg, you want to carefully take off the wrapper. I usually take mine all the way off but you might want to take it about three-quarters of the way off depending on your preference.

Next, bite off the very top of the egg, taking great care to only break off the chocolate tip. You should be able to see the creamy filling at this point. Now, carefully chew away the chocolate sides, going about halfway down the egg or until the filling starts to go over the sides.

This is by far the best part! With your tongue, gently scoop out the creamy filling, taking care not to break the chocolate sides. You might only be able to get about two scoops but don't worry :o) If that is the case, chew away more of the chocolate sides, taking the egg down to about a quarter from the bottom. This will allow you to finish scooping out the filling until it's all gone. Yum!

The last step is to just pop the remaining chocolate into your mouth and savor it. Ahhhh! Now wasn't that good? Once you eat about two or three of these eggs, you'll get the hang of it ;o)

I know from past conversations that Karen is also a big fan of these heavenly eggs and so much so, that she has posted her tally on her Blog as well :o) So I want to know who else is a closet Easter Cream Egg lover! Don't be shy show yourself!

I'm almost afraid to see what my final count will be by the time Easter comes around :oS What really worries me as well is when MacDonald's come out with their Easter Cream Egg Flurries! Now those are not too bad but really, nothing can compare to the Cream Egg itself ;o)

Nine Down...41 More To Go!

I loved this pattern as soon as I saw it! I have Shannon to blame for this ;o) This is a heart freebie by Sticken-Und-Staunen -

I used my one and only skein of Dragon Floss (Hugs With Stitches) on a piece of Ginny's Iris by Sassy's Fabrics. I just LOVE the effect! My plan is to make this into an ornament for our spring retreat exchange. I think I'll have to stitch another one for myself though :o) I had picked up some lovely Easter fabric yesterday but when I got it home, it didn't match :o( Oh well. It's got bunnies on it so I'm sure I'll find something to make with it.

I've had a few enquiries on this freebie! I guess I should have mentioned that it was featured on the Caron website. Check it out there :o) Thanks for the wonderful comments everyone!

This past week was not a good one for stitching as my rotation got mixed up. My plan was to move Oak Island to Wednesday and Thursday but so far only Wednesday worked out. I did make some good progress though. I hope to get at least one day this weekend to work on it further. I'm back to stitching on my Marquoir Sampler as well.

I do have a bit of positive news to share with you. I was in contact with my lawyer yesterday and LTD has stated that they want me to see another doctor. Although this does not thrill me to be jumping through more hoops, at least their appeal decision has not ended with a "No" yet. My employer has been notified and I will still have my job until the end of the month but hopefully until the end of the appeal procedure. This has relieved some pressure :o)

I talked to my Dad yesterday and they are still enjoying their time down in Florida. Dad was out playing horseshoes with the boys :o) They really like the area they are in and have already booked a month and a half for next year. Dad wondered why they hadn't done this before. Silly man! I hope they are "enjoying" the warmer weather while we are still digging out of our last snowstorm. LOL!

A Special Wish

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

I'm sorry I can't celebrate today with you but I hope you have a wonderful day :o)

Happy Valentine's Day

I Love You Sweetie!

Eight Down...42 More To Go!

It's a few days later than expected but he's finally done :o) This is Morning Dragon by Dragon Dreams -

I'm SO pleased with the fabric that I picked for him. If you don't remember me saying, it's called Pumpkin Patch (funny, I know) by Sugar Maple Fabrics. It makes such a wonderful contrast to the Merlin (by SMF) that I stitched Evening Dragon on. Pumpkin Patch is a mixture of greens, yellows and oranges and reminds me of the light of day. Merlin is a combination of purples, pinks and greens, kind of like dusk. I now have Morning and Evening Dragon complete :o)

I had promised a progress picture of Oak Island so here it is -

It's a little hard to tell but there has been a lot of stitching done since the last picture I posted. Today I will dig it out again and see how far I can get this week. Adding this WIP to my rotation has been a wonderful idea and is working out very well. Once Oak Island is completed, I will replace it with another large WIP that I have set aside.

Back in December, I finished my third PIF gift but never got around to posting it! Nancy has received it so now I can share a picture of her -

Nancy told me her favorite colors were red and purple so I immediately knew I was going to stitch the Red Hat Snowlady by The Stitchworks Ltd. :o)

Ice Ice Baby

DH and I are home and it's back to the grind again :o( It's amazing what a little rest and relaxation will do but it's also amazing what happens when the stress and hectic lifestyle is put back in place. Reality is no fun. All I'm going to say is that a wonderful weekend ended on a bad note for DH. No matter what happens, you are still number one to me :o)

As you probably already noted, I did take my computer with me to the ocean :o) It's sad how these things become your third arm. I didn't spend all weekend on it though and to be honest, I didn't do much stitching either. There was a lot of just sitting, reading, napping and just plain relaxing. The quietness there might drive some people mad but DH and I relish it. I think the reason we have the television on so much at home is so that we can drown out the noise around us.

I ended up leaving home without any books to read. It's quite rare when I don't have one on the go. Luckily I managed to find the first two Harry Potter books at DH's parents :o) I've seen the movies but I've never read any of the books. Looks like I'm good for a few weeks!

DH did a lot of hiking while at the ocean and he managed to do all of the photography as well. Usually that is my domain but he has proven to be a good adversary ;o) Here are some of his pictures -

I think they are truly amazing and I'm only sorry I did not venture out into the cold to experience the sights myself.

Down By The Bay

The Passamoquoddy Bay that is :o) As predicted, this time away has been exactly what DH and I needed. Time seems to stop down here. There's no rush to get anything done and there is no set schedule. The television becomes a thing of the past and serenity takes hold. I'm more than happy to stay here and the itch to wander or travel is gone.

This area is rich with history. If you look out over the bluff, you see a piece of land that juts out into the ocean. This is the tip of Oven Head -

Up until a few years ago it remained a vacant piece of land but now one of the wealthiest families in Canada spend their summers there. When DH's parents first bought their property, I did some digging and came across a local gentleman that was able to share some of the history of Oven Head with me.

If you were to walk out to the Oven Head point, you would come across a tiny family cemetery enclosed by a small fence. Upon further inspection you would see that the gravestones date back to the mid 1800's and bare the Fisher name.

Over a hundred years ago, in the little town of St. Andrews, a 17-year-old naval officer by the name of William Henry (alias Lt. Bray) met and married a 17-year-old girl named Mary Kelly. Together they had a daughter, Martha Ann, who was born on May 26, 1792. When William returned home after a year at sea he finally confessed that he could not return to his home in England with his wife and daughter because he was the son of the King and it was not permitted that he marry a commoner without the King's consent.

Around the same time another woman, Rebecca Vernon, was being disowned by her family for marrying a British soldier by the name of John Fisher. On February 29, 1784 they had a son, George Albert. Unfortunately in 1787 John Fisher did not return home and it is believed that he was lost at sea during a voyage. Some time later, Rebecca married again, this time to James Stewart, and together they raised her son George. They settled and received one of the first land grants on Passamoquoddy Bay.

In 1819, George Fisher and Martha Henry's paths crossed and they married. Together they had seven children. Both are now buried on Oven Head. Because of the times and the lack of medical knowledge, quite a few of the Fisher children died within a matter of years. In the case of Carrie Fisher, George and Martha's granddaughter, she was to die in childbirth. In 1895, Carrie met a man in St. Andrews and her pregnancy was a result of this affair. Being a scandal at the time, Carrie requested to be buried alone, out on the tip of Oven Head. But with the winds and waves, her casket soon became exposed and Carrie's father moved her inland to the family cemetery. Back in the 1980's, the movie Children Of A Lesser God was shot there although the beach may not have been recognizable because it was bulldozed and painted for the film.

How did Oven Head get its name? As the tide pushes itself out, more and more beach area is exposed below the 100-foot cliffs located on Oven Head. There in the rock walls are several cave like hollows. Over time, the cycle of tidal movements has caused the rocks in these cliffs to disintegrate, therefore creating these many depressions. It is said that people in the early days likened the caves to a woman's oven and soon it was nicknamed Old Woman's Oven.

So there you go, a little bit of trivia for you on this peaceful Saturday night :o)

Road Trip!

We’re going to THE OCEAN! DH and I are going away this weekend! WOOHOO! We are exchanging houses with his parents so that means rest and relaxation for us :o) Their house has an ocean front and it’s nothing short of pure bliss. Ahhhhhhh! Last year I spent quite a bit of time there, while house sitting and it has become my retreat from this hectic and stressful time. There is nothing that I love more than the music of the ocean. It’s so calming to smell the sweet salty air and listen to the waves hit the beach and the calls of the seagulls. Can you tell that I’m really looking forward to this? :o)

I’ve already got my stitching packed and ready to go :o) I’m going to take my Marquoir Sampler and the current little project that I’m doing and that is almost done. I will hopefully have a picture by the first of the week. Last night I finished up with Oak Island for the week and I’m very pleased with the progress I have made. I have the full left side of the pattern complete! I would say that the right side is about 75% complete but I’m not sure just how long it’s going to take me to finish it. I’m aiming for the end of March so we’ll see :o)

I’m not sure if I’ll take my computer with me so you might not hear from me again until the first of the week. Have a great weekend everyone!

Deep Freeze

I can definitely say, without a doubt, that we are in the deep freeze of winter now. Boy, it was C-O-L-D out this morning! I checked the thermometer, mind you this wasn’t until 8:30 am, and it was -30 C (that's -20-F). Brrrrrrrrrr! If it were possible, I’m sure penguins would have gathered in our backyard. LOL! I love the sound that snow makes when it’s this cold. I think that’s the only thing I like about this bone chilling weather.

They say the coldest temperature on record for North America was a low of -64 C (-83 F)! It was back in 1947 in Snag, Yukon. Yikes! That’s almost unimaginable. Is it even possible to function in such a cold temperature?

When I was a teenager, I used to keep my bedroom so warm that my parents kept the door closed at all times. We had radiant heat in the ceiling and a wood furnace that ran pretty much continually. I kept the thermostat to the maximum temperature. To add to that, I had a waterbed that was heated and I had flannel sheets. Needless to say, it was a pretty toasty room and I liked it that way. Now I almost cringe to think about the electricity bills that my parents paid :oS

A few years ago I went through my first menopause and let me tell you it changed the whole chemistry of my body. I went from being cold all the time to being HOT all the time. The mythical hot flashes are in fact real, trust me ;o) I used to laugh at Mom when her glasses would fog up during one of these episodes but now I can definitely sympathize. They are not fun! I can’t tell you how embarrassing it is to be in public and have your ears turn fire engine red in a matter of seconds. LOL! For two or three years I wore t-shirts in the middle of winter and loved the idea of running outside in one when one of my hot flashes took over. I’m sure that any snow that was in a two foot meter radius around me melted from the heat of my body :o)

Now I find that I have cold and hot days. Sometimes it cuts right to the bone and other times, I just can’t cool down. I know it’s going to be a cold week here but really we shouldn’t complain. We only have less than two months of winter left and plus, it could be worse...remember it could be -64 C ;o)

Seven Down...43 More To Go!

Last night I completed Part 2 of my Marquoir Sampler -

Now I'm getting a better idea of how it's going to look. I'm still a little unsure as it looks a bit Christmassy but those are the colors in my living room. I've gone too far to turn back now ;o) I think I will tackle Part 1 next.

This past week I worked on Oak Island on Tuesday and Thursday as promised and I've almost got the right half of the design completed. Maybe by the end of this coming week I'll take a progress picture. I did try to take a picture of it in the dark but the glow in the dark thread was not vibrant enough for the digital camera to pick up on :o( If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. I'm not even sure if it is possible to take a picture of it glowing like that.

Well, I survived Friday! I managed to get through it in one piece although I was in bad shape that evening. It's amazing what mental anguish can do to one's self. I want to thank everyone who sent good wishes and support my way. They were GREATLY appreciated :o) Now I just have to get through my annual mammogram and hopefully I will be home free for another year!

Mom and Dad called on Friday night to let us know that they were okay. They are touring Florida with the RV. I read about the tornado on Friday and I had a bit of anxiety (okay, a lot!) until I found out it was in central Florida and Mom and Dad were in the southern part of the state. Whew! What devastation though :o( They are having a great time and I'm so glad they are, although I am very jealous about the warmer weather ;o)

This weekend was pretty low key. Katie dropped by on Saturday afternoon for a quick stitching session while Alex was at a birthday party. It was SO nice to have a stitching partner :o) DH and I caught up on all of our shows that I tapped last week and we had another rip roaring game of Scrabble. Unfortunately I did not win this time but I think DH cheats any chance he gets ;o)

The F Word

FEBRUARY! There, I said it. I hate this month.

Today is my anniversary. It's been seven years since just one sentence changed my life forever. It's been seven years since I've been cancer free. Now you would think that I should be happy over this "achievement" but every year I dread this date. I've tried to change my attitude many times but it has never worked. Usually I just hide on this day, feeling sorry for myself. I figure if I have to try and forget about it for 364 days of the year, I deserve one day of self-pity. A few years ago I met another young survivor and I was surprised to find out that she felt the same way about her anniversary date. She was smart though and took that day as a day for herself, going out to eat at her favorite restaurant, getting a spa treatment and then indulging in some shopping therapy. While that does sound VERY appealing, I just can't get myself to that point yet.

I've been told on many occasions that over time things will get better, easier. I'm sorry but that is just not the case. I've had seven years to test this theory and it hasn't worked yet. To me, cancer is like the plague and I fear every day that it will return at some point. I also live with the "battle scars" and it's hard to look at them and not think about what brought them to be. Would I like to forget? Sure! Who wouldn't, given the choice? Have I ever wondered what my life would have been like without cancer? Never. I've never gone down that road and I don't think it's wise to. Do I ever think about the future? Yes, but I can never bring about a picture of the distant future when DH and I are older. What does that mean? Honestly, I don't know.

They say that cancer cannot rob you of your hope but I disagree. Many of my hopes were crushed with this awful disease. Dreams too. Dreams are easier to get over though as some just may not be realistic (that's why they are called dreams) but hopes are close to your heart and something we should all have to survive. So in reality, each year when my anniversary comes up, I'm not only reminded of that dreadful day seven years ago but also of some of the hopes that have been lost or that will never be.

So, how will I spend today? Unfortunately work would not grant me this day off so I will be among people but in a fairly miserable mood I imagine. I've never spent this day with people before, besides DH that is. Maybe this is what I need. I don't know. Who's going to want to hang out with an emotionally unstable female? It's not like I'm going to share my grief with anyone at work though. If I have a meltdown, it should be interesting to say the least, and maybe then work will listen to me next time when I request a day off ;o)