Finish Twenty-Seven

I've completed my very first Biscornu!

I've been admiring these for so long and was pretty intimidated about trying to make one but after going through Mary Kathryn's instructions, I can't believe I haven't tried one sooner! Her website is awesome and very easy to follow. I started stitching Monday night and by suppertime yesterday, I had it completed and fully assembled. Since I have never made one before, I wasn't really careful with my sizing so my Biscornu turned out to be 2" x 2"! LOL! The above picture shows it with my embroidery scissors to give you an idea of size. I love it though. It's so cute :o)

I used 28 count Flax Cashel linen along with The Thread Gatherer's Silk 'N Colors Finnegan's Fog. I got the pattern at My Aunt's Attic but I'm not sure who the designer is. For the bottom of my Biscornu, I just improvised. You can bet I will be making another one of these in the future :o)

I talked to my lawyer yesterday after he had a chat with J. Unfortunately I cannot get a new caseworker at this time because J is the one responsible for my company :o( She is, however, to deal directly with my lawyer for the next little while :oP Apparently she did an about face with my lawyer explaining that she hadn't looked at my file for six months and that she made a mistake. Apparently she wanted me to continue working so that I could keep my stamina up. Ya, right! Nice try J! J, your words are so full of crap that I can smell you from here. There are a few more things to wrap up but it looks like things are getting straightened around. Unfortunately more money is being spent on the lawyer but I have to say, he is worth every penny just to picture the look on J's face ;o)

Finish Twenty-Six

As expected, block two of my afghan went much faster than block one :o) Here is Foxes And Birds by Sue Hillis -

I've got block three and four all kitted up and ready to go but I'm going to take a small break from the afghan. I've still been able to continue stitching on it as the temperatures really haven't been that bad but they are calling for hot and muggy all this week :o( If I can stitch at least one block per month, I'll be happy :o)

I want to send my apologies for not posting this sooner but I was waiting for one more thing to arrive before I did. Here is the final bit of my birthday stash -

Despina sent me the gorgeous Cirque des Cercles by Ink Circles. Does anyone have any wonderful ideas color wise? She also sent two skeins of GASTs (Chamomile and Holly Berry) and two skeins of Waterlilies (Cherry). YUM! I finally gave in and Carrie sent me her threads for my Sea Stars (by Ink Circles). Her threads are beautiful but I have yet to use them. The gift that took me the most off guard and surprised me the most was from my good friend Katie, or should I say...Katharyn ;o) Katie bought me the birthday package from Enchanted Fabrics and when it arrived, the card was signed Katharyn. Well...I didn't know anyone with that name. I looked over the envelope it came in but the return address was for Enchanted Fabrics. I looked at people who signed my Blog but then I realized that they wouldn't have my address. Basically, I was perplexed and perplexed good! Katie finally let me off the hook later that day ;o) This wonderful package contained three sizes of linen in 28 and 32 count (Royalty, Cafe Mocha and Bubblegum - this is an awesome color) plus a pattern (Friendly Stitchers by Brittercup Designs)! "Dumb dumb give me gum gum."

I really want to thank all of you who have signed my Blog and left wonderful words of encouragement. It truly means a lot :o) The LTD drama continued this morning when my lawyer emailed me the last two letters from my specialist that I requested. I had never seen these letters as they went right to the lawyer. I opened them at work and just about exploded at my desk. The words clearly stated "...cannot work during treatment..." I was LIVID! I was right too. J had played me. She lied right to me without batting an eye. At this point, how stupid does she think I am? I put the request in with my lawyer to have a new caseworker assigned to me as DH and I feel there is a conflict of interest. This is the second major lie I have caught her on and I'm just too scared to find out what else she has done as well :o(

07-07-07

WARNING!

The following post contains some pretty strong opinions and a few nasty words ;o)

They say that today is supposed to be a lucky day. I really wish yesterday was the seventh then. Just when I thought things were finally going my way, I let my guard down and that's when all Hell breaks loose. BIG MISTAKE! Dealing with LTD has got to be one of the WORST experiences one could have.

As I left work yesterday, I was told that I didn't need to continue working because my LTD was re-instated and I was once again covered 100%. I told my employer that I didn't mind working my 12 hours per week but if I they were giving me the rest of July off, then woohoo! On the way home I swirled around ideas in my head of what I wanted to do with my unexpected free time. Another big mistake.

When I arrived home the phone rang and it was work. They said I had to continue working my 12 hours per week. I won't lie, I was a little disappointed, but I figured I might as well bring in two incomes instead of one :o) My employer expressed their frustration with the situation so I said I would call my LTD caseworker and get back to them when I knew more of what was going on.

So it was back to my original caseworker - J. I don't think she was too happy to have me back. She indicated that I did have to continue working and then wanted to know about my treatment program at the hospital. I told her what I knew and explained that I wouldn't be able to begin until the second or third week of August because the specialist was away for the month of July. I quickly pointed out that if LTD had not dragged their heels, I would have been able to start MUCH sooner.

The topping on the cake came in two layers. J stated that I had to continue working while I was taking the treatment program. WTF? How was I going to manage 12 hours a week PLUS another 8 hours? Not her concern. She said the letter from the specialist stated that I could work while taking the treatment. Well that wasn't right because he specifically told me that I couldn't. Why would I risk my health and wait this long for treatment if I was told I could work during treatment. Not really making sense J!

Then she explained that my employer didn't want to break up my work hours anymore (I'm working three days a week - M, W, F - four hours per day) and that they would prefer if I would do two full 8 hour days. Again, WTF? My employer never indicated this to me. HOW am I going to work a full day when I'm completely exhausted after four hours (just ask Faith Ann and Katie what happens)? As it already stands, I cannot work two days in a row because I need the next day to recuperate. So, treatment is on Wednesdays and Fridays. That leaves a Monday plus another day during the week. That ain't going to work J!

I was SO mad and SO upset yesterday that I thought I would explode! I cannot believe the CRAP that insurance companies will put you through. They play you and J was playing me and I was a sucker and bit. While they are letting in the frauds, they are leaving out those that really need it. I'm not saying I will need it forever. I don't know. What I DO know is that I need help RIGHT NOW but the last thing they are going to do is make it easy for me.

WHY does there have to be such evil in the world? WHY can't good, kind and honest people make it? Because, if you're going to succeed and succeed up there with the "big dogs" you have to be nasty and dishonest. Kindness doesn't seem to get people anywhere anymore and that's such a sad thing. I'm so glad that we do not have children because I can't imagine leaving this screwed up planet to them. Sad...but true :o(

The Winner Of Round One

The good guys (me) – 1

The bad guys (LTD) – 0

THAT’S RIGHT!!!! IN YOUR FACE LTD! Good “can” actually prevail although I had many doubts along the way. The good news arrived yesterday morning from my lawyer :o) DH and I were still at the ocean and I just happened to check my email before we packed up to go. I tell you, dial up never took so long! LOL! The Long Term Dolts came back and approved my appeal until December 31, 2007 and then things will be re-evaluated at that time. I know that’s only six months from now but it’s better than nothing! I guess all those pennies thrown into the wishing well sure paid off ;o)

I can’t tell you how many times my hopes were shattered and how the thought of quitting seemed like such an easy way out. Deep down I am a strong person but this circus really tested those waters. I am extremely pleased with the result so far. My lawyer is wonderful and it was well worth the money that we spent. I’m not kidding myself though because we may be back in the same boat come next January but at least we won round one :o) I just wish I had that good news “before” the long weekend!

The weekend away was great and although we had showers, the weather was beautiful. Lili wanted to see a picture of Brie swimming so here it is –

This was one of her passes across the channel :o) We have one tired pup now and it was all I could do to get her up this morning before I left for work. It wasn’t all exercise for the princess though. This was her choice of travel when she was too tired to keep up with Duncan –

I have to say that I love those golf carts too! What fun little vehicles to drive. I guess that will have to placate me since I doubt I will ever get to drive a US Mail truck, seeing that it’s a federal offence and all to steel one ;o)

Finish Twenty-Five

I never thought this would end! Here is Mr. & Mrs. Noah from my Two By Two afghan by Sue Hillis -

I have no idea why this seemed to have gone on forever but it just did. I'm very happy with it though :o) So...block one completed, only 25 more to go as far as the outside of the afghan goes. I know, I know! I got myself into this. LOL!

I have decided to stick with the afghan a little longer and I'm moving on to block two. This one is not very large so I'm hoping it will go much quicker than the first.

DH and I are still at the ocean and here is a picture of the cottage we are staying at -

On Saturday, we did a quick cross over to Calais, Maine and picked up our groceries for the weekend. We dropped by Marden's but there wasn't a whole lot there unless you were getting married because they had wedding dresses for $9.99. I'm not kidding you! I check out the fabric department but nothing really jumped out at me. I did manage to find these though -

Yesterday, we went down to the beach just as the tide was coming in. In that area of the beach it was creating a channel of water flowing in so Duncan and Brie had a great time swimming back and forth. This was Brie's first swim of the year. She's such a little otter. Last night DH and I were able to see some of the fireworks from St. Andrews. I think we heard them more than we saw them though.

I'm off to spend another glorious day! I've been taking lots of pictures again so hopefully I'll have some to share soon :o)

Let's Celebrate!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

What A Show!

I'm not just talking about Johnny Depp ;o) You should have been at our place the other night when Mother Nature decided to put on the wildest of thunder and lightening storms! I think I was only asleep for an hour when it came through. We live in a valley and our storms are pretty intense. That was the most lightening I have ever seen at one time. Usually it's just a "flash" and then wait. This time there was one strike right after another, after another. Our room was lit up just like Canada Day. Poor Brie was sitting bug eyed in her basket but DH went and slept on the couch and she was able to join him and be comforted. Spoiled or what! LOL!

I normally don't mind thunder and lightening storms unless they are REALLY close. At my SIL wedding three years ago, the whole ceremony took place under a tent (with metal poles!) overlooking the ocean, with a NASTY storm coming down on all of us. The minister had to stop midway because the thunder was so loud. In the end, we found out it was VERY close, having struck a tree at the back of the property :oO I don't mind the rumbling of the thunder and actually, I find it quite soothing. Duncan, on the other hand, HATES these storms. He turns into a complete mess. Poor guy :o(

On Wednesday night I finally got together with the girls (Katie and Faith Ann) again and we headed out for supper and a movie :o) The last time we went out was in November so it was due. We ate at Seasons Restaurant and although the food was just as delicious as always, it was SO hot in the restaurant that all three of us were just melting by the end of the meal. We headed up to the theatres and bought our tickets for Pirates of the Caribbean III. All day I was just salivating at the idea of having a slushy (very important - must be pop slushies as the ice mixture is smooth and just perfect) so I was very excited to get my orange slushy and small popcorn. The girls thought my large slush might cause some problems during the three hour movie but I assured them that I'm a camel so no problem :o) They were lucky because what I "really" wanted was to have it available in bucket form. LOL!

The movie was good although I do think I need to see it again because there was just so much going on. Johnny didn't seem to have his same zeal as the other two movies and we all missed seeing his cute little run ;o) The appearance of Keith Richards wasn't bad although I don't think the make up artists had to do anything to make him look any worse than he already does. The monkey was hilarious and I think we all agree that there has to be a fourth one. We'll see.

So what is everyone up to this long weekend? DH and I were pretty up in the air and then at the last minute decided to head down to the ocean again. This time we are staying in the neighbor's guest cottage :o) It looks like we'll be here until Tuesday as DH took the day off and I don't have to work. I have my computer with me. I can't exist that long without it ;o)

Love/Hate Relationship

Have you ever had one of these? I've had an ongoing one for close to fifteen years now.

Imagine this...it's an overcast spring morning and it's the only day you have that week to sleep in. The window is slightly open, letting in the cool night air but you're huddled in your bed, warm and content. You crack open one eye and take a look at the clock. You immediately smile because it shows 6:30 am and you still have all morning to get caught up on your sleep. This is when you roll over, snuggle back down under the covers, and await good dreams. And then it starts...

phoe-be...phoe-be...phoe-be

You jump out of bed, trying to locate the noise. The window is thrown open but there's nothing there. For a minute you think you might have dreamt it but you know the noise was just too close for that. Not able to do anything, you return to your warm bed. And then it starts, again...

phoe-be...phoe-be...phoe-be

This time you know the noise is reality and it sounds like it's just outside your bedroom window. You check again but there's nothing to see. A few choice words are said as you are trying to keep that sleepy feeling and you fall back into bed. And then it starts again, only much worse...

phoe-be...phoe-be...phoe-be

phoe-be...phoe-be...phoe-be

There are TWO of them!!!! By now you are ripping your hair out trying to figure out what that noise is and where it's coming from. It only took me about thirteen years to find out that it was a...





bird. An Eastern Phoebe to be exact.

Every spring this bird was like a plague and every year I would be yelling out the window like some lunatic. But I never saw one. I never saw one until last year when this lovely bird showed up in our backyard and was flying around eating bugs. It was quite friendly and I was getting a kick out of watching it wag its tail :o) DH and I love to find plants or birds and then try to identify them and that's what I did. That's when I realized my nemesis was living in my back yard!

This year DH and I watched as a pair of Phoebes built a nest in one of our horse shelters. Every couple of weeks I would walk by and check in on the nest. A few weeks ago I thought I saw something in the nest but this past weekend confirmed it -

There are at least three babies in the nest and they are so ugly, they're cute :o)

I have since softened my dislike for this little bird. It's been a joy watching the male and female fly about, catching bugs. Hey, the less mosquitoes the better! They are earning their keep. Besides that, they have never irritated me with their call since they moved in. I think we may have a mutual, but silent, agreement ;o)

Finish Twenty-Four

Wow! I'm quite impressed with myself, two finishes within one week :o) I'm getting my grove back. LOL!

This is Checkerboard Bunny by Waxing Moon -

I know I wasn't too happy with it at first but under the right light, you can see the variegated floss -

He'll be a keeper :o)

I got more birthday stash this week -

Drema sent me These Are The Days Boxer Kit by LK, I Love Snowmen by Imaginating, Snow Heads (with buttons) by Sam Sarah, The Dog Did It by Stitchy Kitty, a pattern by The Trilogy (sorry can't say what it is because it would give the surprise away) and the Stitching Friends Tote by Trail Creek Farm. I managed to locate a copy of Noah's Ark by The Cricket Collection and a 2001 Bent Creek catalogue (great reference material). Kim sent me my 11 x 11 Q-Snap Hugger and was such a dear and included a 6 x 6 Hugger with a Canadian themed fabric :o) I can't stress how great these are so if you haven't checked out Kim's site yet, please do. Last, but definitely not least, Lili (expect an email soon) mailed me some gorgeous fabric and lots of wonderful French freebies! She knows me well because there were samplers AND bunnies ;o) Thank you SO much to everyone!

Yesterday, DH, Brie (dressed in pink) and I went to Moncton to visit my Gram :o) I haven't seen her since January and I was really missing her. Since DH and I were sick all spring, we didn't dare visit because that would be the last thing my Gram would need. She looked great though! She was so happy to see that we had Brie with us and Brie just LOVES her Great Grammy ;o) DH and I bought some groceries and we did up some roasted chicken sandwiches on sourdough bread with fruit on the side and lemon meringue pie for dessert. Mmmmm-mmm! Gram "claimed" she couldn't eat the other half of her sandwich but was more than willing to have some pie. LOL! We had a nice visit but I hated to go. Who knows, I may have more time on my hands soon and then I can visit her more often :o)

Finish Twenty-Three

Tonight was Stitch Night but I came home from work with a migraine so I just popped in to see who was there and what everyone was working on. There weren't a lot of gals there but it was nice to see those that were. The Show & Tell table had lots of lovely finishes :o)

Speaking of finishes, I finally have another one to share! This is Hope Tea by Fiddlestitch Cottage -

Part of it has been done for months now but I was waiting on the wording. I wanted to personalize mine so I played around with it on Pattern Maker and I think I am pleased with the outcome. It may look a little strange and it might even look off center but trust me, it's not :o) I centered the wording as per the chart, not the teapot lid. I ended up frogging the year though because when I had centered that based on the chart it was off so I had to re-center it based on the "V" and the "I".

I have a bit of fun news to share :o) The writer that interviewed me for the Beyond breast cancer magazine contacted me again and wanted to interview me for Better Homes & Gardens! She is writing an article on the Do's and Don'ts, Breast Cancer Etiquette. So pick up a copy of the October 2007 issue when it comes out. I'll be holding autograph sessions this coming fall ;o)

The Calm Before The Storm

It was a total blessing that DH took me down to the ocean this past weekend. My in-laws are away so we had the house for ourselves and the three dogs. Oye! Let me tell you, the trip down did not start things out on a good note. Having three dogs packed into a Kia Spectra 5 is like trying to pack up three kids for a road trip. Buddy acts like he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Duncan either knocks you out with his breath or his farts and Brie is the one that doesn't use the bathroom before we leave.

Besides that, the weekend was wonderful. We had incredible weather, beautiful scenery and lots of relaxation (or as much as I could muster). DH and I went to Mary's and stocked up on salmon, homemade bread and lots of delicious goodies. I spent a lot of time taking pictures and I have quite a few to share with you :o) I even dabbled in black and white photography. I've put the pictures into my Picasa Album for easier viewing so check out Plants & Flowers and My Photography.

DH enjoyed kayaking every morning. I wish I could do it myself but I know I wouldn't make it far with my arm. He always comes back with such interesting stories and so far, he's had no witnesses so I'm beginning to wonder how many of them are just "fish tales" ;o) He's come across seals on a regular basis but this time he, somehow, crept up on a sleeping baby seal! DH said the look on his face was priceless. Too bad he didn't take the camera but he's always scared it will get wet. Next time we have decided to get him a waterproof disposable camera and we'll see how that does and how many of his stories are true. LOL!

We packed light this time but I did take my stitching with me. I left my Two By Two afghan at home because I didn't want to get into transporting it around and risk getting it dirty. I almost had a finish with another project but I was missing one color. ONE color! Never fails ;o) So I spent my time on Checkerboard Bunny by Waxing Moon and he is coming along much faster than before. Hopefully he'll be finished by the end of the week but we'll see how much the afghan calls to me.

The dogs had a whale of a time. They were constantly playing, running and basically acting like children on summer vacation :o) Brie had a great time tanning her belly. She even took the time out to give me a picture -

I can definitely tell you that there wasn't a peep from any of them on the way home :o)

There was a good reason why we got away this past weekend. Last week I got news from my lawyer that LTD was supposed to have an answer for us this coming week. Well...today was "the" day. Apparently I did well on my FAE and LTD feels that there is no reason why I should not be able to return to my full time job. What really put me over the edge was the FAE report. It was chalk full of incorrect information. If you don't remember me saying, the one giving the test was more interested in sharing her trip to the Dominican than focusing her attention on the test itself. She claimed I was there for 13 hours over the two days when in fact I was only there for 10 hours and 15 minutes and that DOES NOT include the numerous times she was late and I was left just sitting there. Any-way...the nightmare continues but hopefully I'll know more by the end of the week. Sigh! What I wouldn't give to be back in my sanctuary again.

The After Party

Whew! I "think" my birthday is finally over with. DH has been complaining that it has been stretched out close to month now but if people want to do that for me, why not! LOL! To be honest, this birthday was not too bad. I wasn't a complete mess leading up to it and although I have pondered a bit about my life, I have taken it very well. I have a feeling it's just because I have bigger things on my mind but at least I'm not letting another year get me down.

On Sunday afternoon, my in-laws arrived and we spent a lovely afternoon with them. My MIL made me a scrumptious Hot Milk Cake. Mmm...mmm...good! I LOVE this recipe and I love it so much that I'm going to share it with you :o)

Hot Milk Cake

2 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Topping: 3 Tbsp butter, 5 Tbsp brown sugar, 3 tsp milk and 1/2 cup coconut.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Beat the eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar. Beat until thick and creamy. Stir in flour and baking powder. Mix well. Heat milk and melt butter and add to mixture with vanilla. Bake for 30 minutes in an 8 x 8 greased pan. Cover with topping and broil until golden.

DH and I didn't really do anything "on" my birthday because he was sick but this is what I found in the fridge that morning -

Last night my parents arrived and brought supper along with a Dairy Queen ice cream cake. Like I need that but hey, I'm not going to turn away "ice cream"!

I bet everyone is just dying to know what I got in the form of stash :o)

Drema sent me Sam Sarah's Doubles Big Fun (with buttons) and two skeins of The Thread Gatherer's Silk 'N Colors (Southwest Sands and Seafoam Green). Village Mountain Stitchery sent me Christmas Carols and the Snow Friends Zipper Kit by Bent Creek plus the Sweetheart Sampler by Blackbird Designs. With my $10 gift certificate with Daisy Stitches I got four GASTs (Holly Berry, Deep Sea, Harvest Basket and Picket Fence) and a piece of 28-count hand dyed Jobelan (Clay). I "finally" got my grubby little hands on Gigi's M Sampler. Incredible! And finally, I got a piece of 28-count Denim Blue Jobelan by Permin. Now...if A-N-Y-O-N-E can get their hands on this fabric, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE email me. I really want to stitch my Snowmen Gathering on this color but my piece is too small :o(

Last, but "certainly" not least, a very special gift arrived by mail all the way from the UK :o) Wendy sent me a gorgeous bunny all dressed in pinks (I added the pink ribbon pin to her apron) -

Isn't she precious! Her name is Hope and Wendy made her :o) She spared no detail. Hope will be taking up residence in my computer/craft room with all my other pink ribbon gifts so that way I can see them every day and I can be reminded of some very special people :o)

Happy Birthday To...

ME!

Yes, I'm another year older :o( Yuck! If I look back, I think I would like to be 24 again. Definitely one of my best years. I had just met DH and I was healthy and active. Sigh! So, instead of belly aching about how much my life has changed and how it's taken a completely different path than I envisioned, I'm going to post things that happened the year I was born. Much more interesting wouldn't you say? ;o)

In 1971 (the year you were born)

Richard Nixon is president of the US Charles Manson and 3 of his followers are convicted of multiple counts of first-degree murder An earthquake in California's San Fernando Valley kills 64 people New York Times begins publication of classified Pentagon papers on US involvement in Vietnam The $70 million Kennedy Center opens in Washington, DC A four day revolt at New York's Attica state prison ends after being stormed by 1000 state troopers A new stock-market index called the Nasdaq debuts Walt Disney World opens Intel releases world's first microprocessor, the 4004 Ray Tomlinson sends the first e-mail Libertarian party established in USA Kid Rock, Denise Richards, Sean Astin, Winona Ryder, and Ricky Martin are born Pittsburgh Pirates win the World Series Baltimore Colts win Superbowl V Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is published The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour premeires on television "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel wins Grammy for song of the year All in the Family premieres

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

Passed Out Cold!

Ever see a passed out Dachshund before? We'll here's your chance!

As you can see, Brie had quite a busy weekend :o) She was outside for most of it, playing with Duncan and following DH around while he worked. Don't worry, she is alive but why she finds this position comfortable, I will never know.

Shortly after, I got this picture -

Love those little chicken legs ;o) She was quite a sight let me tell you. It's scary how childlike she is. She has a nap every day but on those busy days when she doesn't, she sure lets us know that she's had enough. LOL!

Some people don't believe us but Brie really is a couch potato at heart ;o)

A Sneak Peak For This Week

You've probably been wondering what I have been working on since I finished Gathering Eggs! I'm sorry I have not posted pictures before this but I wanted enough done so it at least looked like something. LOL!

I know I said I "probably" wouldn't work on my Two By Two afghan by Sue Hillis until the fall but I just couldn't help myself :o) The instructions state to start with the middle panel but seeing as I'm a rebel I've started with block one, Mr. & Mrs. Noah. I've got Noah's coat all done -

All 26 outside panels are done one over one on the 18-count afghan so the detail will be very nice in the end.

When we went away last weekend, I had to quickly pull a project together because you know, a stitcher can't go anywhere without something to stitch! The quickest thing I knew I had everything for was the Checkerboard Bunny by Waxing Moon -

This is a freebie and I believe it's still on their website. I wanted to do this design because 1) I LOVE BUNNIES and 2) I actually had the Blueberry hand-dyed Jobelan. I am a little disappointed in the GASTs though because I've found they are not variegated enough. Does anyone find this as well? The only variegated cotton thread I have been completely happy with so far has been the Crescent Colors. Anyone else have a favorite?

So for now I will be going back and forth between these two projects. My only problem is that I have only one 8 x 8 Q-Snap so I have to move things around every time I switch >:o(

Big Girls Don't Cry

Ya right! I've had the most amazing week so far and I just can't get over the wonderful women that I am honored to call my friends.

The other day a package arrived from Karen and when I opened it up this is what I found -

It's absolutely stunning! Karen is such a lovely stitcher :o) I'm going to have to email her and find out how she put this pillow together. I'm still twirling it in my hands, trying to figure out what stitch she used. LOL!

On Tuesday I received a surprise email from Needlecraft Corner, letting me know that I have a gift certificate there waiting for me! The guilty party...Faith Ann :o) She knows me all too well. I'm really going to enjoy spending money that is not mine ;o)

Finally, yesterday another package arrived in the mail and it was from Jenn. My curiosity was peaked when I opened this carefully wrapped item -

It's just beautiful! Btw, it's a compact mirror :o) The backstitching that Jenn did with the gold metallic thread really pops with the gold that surrounds the mirror. Jenn, you are very talented and I love it!

It does bring tears to my eyes to know that each one of you has put so much thought into the gifts that you sent me :o) I certainly didn't expect anything. Thank you all so much and I only hope that I can be just as good a friend to you. This has been a fantastic birthday month so far and that's saying a lot since I despise my birthday. With all this fun, I would consider having my birthday moved to a monthly basis but I really don't want to age any faster than I already am! LOL!

Rejuvenated!

Tired and sore but…WELL worth it! When I got home from work on Friday afternoon, DH asked me if I wanted to go to Bar Harbor, Maine and how fast could I pack. Was this a trick question? Just in case it was, I was packed within 15 minutes ;o)

Pickles was taken care of and the two other kids (Duncan and Brie) were dropped off at DH’s parents on the way out of the country so we were officially childfree all weekend! The drive down was beautiful and when we got our first glimpse of ocean, there was a big sigh of contentment from both of us.

We arrived on the island about 7:30 pm their time and quickly scoped out a place to stay. We tried the High Seas Motel this time and we weren’t disappointed. It wasn’t a five star hotel by any means but it was very clean and roomy for the price range we were looking for. Once that was taken care of, into Bar Harbor we went to track down some food! We hardly got five steps past Rosalie’s Pizza when the heavenly scent pulled us in :o) They make their pizza from scratch and you can watch them twirl the dough. Um-um good! McKays Public House was the choice for dessert :oP

Afterwards, we walked around town. This is what Main Street in Bar Harbor looks like –

On Saturday, we decided to check out a couple of our favorite gardens. The Thuya Garden is a gem we found a few years ago. It’s hidden waaaaaaaaay up a hill and you can either hike or drive to it. Since it was so early in the season, not a lot was in bloom yet but I did manage to get a few good pictures –

The second stop was The Azalea Garden. It was started in 1957.

This is a BEAUTIFUL place early in the season. There are azaleas and rhododendrons galore!

We even spotted a resident along with her “nine” children :o)

Since we were on the other side of the island, we decided to go to Southwest Harbor for lunch. Here lives the DryDock Café and they have “the” most delicious Grilled Chicken with Portabella Mushrooms and Boursin Cheese sandwich! There are a few nice shops and we hit those while we were there. We also found a nice “summer cottage” for a cool $3.5 million :oO Once the batteries were recharged, DH and I went into Bar Harbor for the evening. We checked out a few shops that I wanted to see but I didn’t find any bargains. For supper, we decided to brave it and tried a new restaurant called Guinness & Porcelli’s and what a good choice it was. I had the Seared Duck Breast with Portabella Mushrooms and Pistachios. Mama Mia! It was so good we decided to stay for dessert :o) DH and I split a “dessert sampler” that featured a piece of Tiramisu, Cannelloni and a piece of Flourless Chocolate Cake. We spent a lovely evening walking around town and just sitting and watching the world go by.

We woke up Sunday with heavy hearts but DH and I still made the most of our time left. Shopping was the last thing to do so we picked up a few things that we had seen along the way. I can’t believe how restrained I was but I was mostly interested in relaxing and that I did :o) The puppies were picked up on the way home and it was clearly evident that their weekend was just as exciting. Poor Brie could hardly keep her eyes open and Duncan looked like he had a hang over this morning. LOL!

All and all, it was a wonderful weekend with beautiful weather, scrumptious food and heavenly views. Last but not least, I had my special DH with me and I want to thank him SO much for suggesting this trip. This time away was desperately needed and it has done wonders. We finally did something spontaneous so let’s keep it up ;o)

I took so many pictures that I have put them into a Picasa album for easier viewing. It might take me a few days to get the pictures all labeled so check back often.

Enjoy!

Finish Twenty-Two

She's done! She's done! She's done, she's done, she's done! Done, done, done! Done, done, done! Here is Gathering Eggs by Mirabilia FINALLY completed -

I'm still not as attracted to this piece as I thought I would be :o( I made quite a few changes with the backstitching in order to make things blend a little better and not look so harsh and heavy. I decided not to do the daisy stitches in her dress and on her shawl because I thought it was just too much. I don't think their absence will be missed. I only used one strand of the metallic gold for the ribbon around her neck.

I'm not sure how well it's going to stand out but I think the two strands would have looked too bulky. Gathering Eggs was stitched on 28 count Natural Pearl Linen. This is a NICE fabric! If you ever get the opportunity, try it out :o)

Btw, it seems that every picture I see of Gathering Eggs on the internet, shows her facing the other way. Is this just me or is she supposed to? I got my pattern from the April 1998 issue of Better Homes & Gardens Cross Stitch & Needlework magazine so I have never seen her out in the actual pattern form. Any thoughts or ideas as to why this is?

So what's next in line? I do have a small project put aside but I'm not sure if I'll take the time to stitch that right now or not. I do have the first two blocks of my Two By Two afghan all kitted up and I'm dying to stitch one up so I imagine that will be next ;o) The house is still cool so I won't mind sitting underneath the afghan, at least until July. Maybe...

This stupid cold has decided to hang around a little longer than I had hoped. I was feeling much better on Monday and went to work. Last night I woke up with the sore throat again. Come on! I think I have suffered enough already! And the snot...I can't believe how much snot has come out of my nose. It's never ending and I have no idea where it's being stored. I have piles of Kleenex everywhere. This morning I woke up and found myself just about to blow my nose on the bed sheet! I tell you, there is nothing dignified about having a cold.

They Shoot Pumpkins Don't They?

I should be a psychic! As predicted, Tuesday and Wednesday were enough to drive me to my grave but what I didn't bank on was coming down with a bad cold on Monday night :o( That was just the icing on the cake. Not only did I look bad and feel bad, but I also had a nasty mood to match. Luckily, thanks to modern medicine, I drugged myself up all week; enough to make this nightmare seem like it was going by a little quicker. I'm still miserable today but at least it's mostly the cold that I'm dealing with now.

The FAE didn't quite go as planned. It just proved that The Dog & Pony Show continues. What is with these people???? Their strict seven hour days were more like four and the girl doing my testing thought it was more important to share her trip to the Dominican with her co-workers than keep her eye on me. She told me right up front that she had my file but didn't read it ahead of time, so she had no idea what I had or why I was there. Good to know they were up to date on "all" of my medical conditions.

There is much, much, much more to this story but I have promised to keep things "brief" on my Blog ;o) I'm just sure this certain someone knows the force of the tidal wave that will happen if I really let loose. What angers me about this latest "hurdle" LTD has asked me to do is that I felt the person doing the testing was not doing it seriously or professionally. My financial, physical AND mental states are all hanging in the air and a lot of that power was put into her hands. Can you see why my faith in her was not very high? I'm only telling you a wee part of the story too.

So, I have written up what happened on both days and forwarded it to my lawyer. I want it all laid out on the table. I have done everything LTD has asked me to do. I have cooperated with everything that LTD has asked me to do. I have kept to the strict time frames that LTD has put me in. What have they done for me? I had to use one of my vacation days at work to take Wednesday off in order to do the FAE test, a test THEY required me to do. My time frames are to be respected, while LTD can come up with an answer whenever they feel it's convenient for them. I cannot take a leave of absence from work because LTD states that will VOID my appeal.

Enough said.

Victoria Day Weekend

Our Victoria Day long weekend has always been a busy one. To DH and I, this is "our" first sign of spring and the time that our shack wacky feelings really kick in. We've always dedicated this weekend to traveling down to Bar Harbor, Maine, one of our favorite spots. Long ago it started out as our "Crazy Day" when we would drive four hours down and four hours back, in one day, just to get a small taste of what we had been missing all winter :o) Unfortunately this holiday weekend, we didn't get to celebrate tradition but this was due to many factors.

On Saturday, DH and I went over and celebrated our nephew's first birthday! Happy Birthday Dylan! He is such a cutie :o) Here he is modeling the swim suit that we got him -

Grandma made his cake and even made a small boat that detached from the main cake and that was Dylan's own personal piece. It didn't take long for that boy to figure out what to do with it. LOL! After about three hours of screeching and yelling, DH and I were "very" happy to return to our quiet sanctuary. If I ever doubt the decision not to have children, just put me in a situation like that for a few hours and then I'll remember why ;o)

On Sunday, DH packed up Duncan and they both headed down to his parents so he could help out with the new mudroom addition. That meant that Brie and I were to hold the fort and I think we are doing quite well :o) Yesterday we spent the day on the couch and I stitched while Brie napped. I managed to work on some more pillow tucks and even completed one with my own stitching piece. I am VERY pleased with the results :o)

I think I might continue to sew them and possibly put a few up for sale if anyone is interested ;o)

Today the sun is trying to peek out from the clouds but it's still cool outside. Brie and I began our morning with a rip roaring game of fetch with her favorite toy, the Kong. She absolutely LOVES this thing and even knows it by name. The crazy thing is, she can play fetch for hours with this thing. Dad is usually the one to get sucked into doing this though ;o) I took a few pictures of Brie this morning while we were playing. This is what we call The Flying Nun -

This is Brie taking five but notice how close by the Kong is -

Tomorrow is day one of my FAE (Functionality Abilities Evaluation) that I have to do for LTD. We are all hoping this will be the end to this nightmare so that DH and I can continue with our lives. We've basically been on hold since last October and the strain is really getting to us. If you don't see me posting for a few days, that means I've hit the wall and won't be crawling out of bed until the weekend. Sigh. Bar Harbor sounds SO appealing right now...

Snow? Sew!

Mother Nature seems to have played another trick on us but luckily there wasn't much left on the ground when I got up. Yes, that's right...snow! Craziness! We had turned the heat off, again, and now I had to put it back on. DH and I were shivering last night and my hands kept getting too cold to stitch. It really wasn't worth the suffering. I'm back to wearing my woolies. Brrrrr!

Earlier this week, I got another sewing bug. I had just finished this purse for Mom a week ago -

If you can't tell, it's a pink John Deere purse with a marbled brown fabric on the inside. Not what most mothers would want but it was kind of for fun seeing that Dad is such a huge John Deere fan ;o) I tried to photograph this one differently but I'm still not sure if this really shows the purse off or not.

Anyway, I got it in my head that I was going to practice making tuck pillows. I received a kit with a pre-made tuck pillow (see snowman tuck in picture below) and I figured it was time to try my hand at it. I went through four prototypes but I have finally mastered them! If I may say so, I think mine turned out better than the pre-made one ;o)

This style of tuck has the pillow incorporated right into it. In other words, the pillow cannot be removed. You will see NO fabric edges whatsoever! So far I have made two sizes. The small tucks have a 2.5 x 2.5 opening while the larger tucks have a 3.5 x 3.5. I have not stuffed them yet so that's why they look so flat :o)

I wasn't going to post another progress picture of Gathering Eggs but I already had the camera out -

She is starting to fill in slowly. I love the vibrant colors, especially now with all the dark, cloudy days. I can see the end!

A Fiddlehead?

If you are not from Canada or a die hard Maritimer, you might not be familiar with this word. Want to guess what it means? To make things easier, I'll give you a multiple choice question :o) A fiddlehead is:

a) the end of an arrow
b) a young fern
c) someone who enjoys playing the fiddle

If you picked...

B, you would be correct! Let me introduce you to, what is considered a New Brunswick delicacy, the fiddlehead -

Would you believe that this tiny plant causes a stampede every spring? I compare it to the gold rush. Literally. Pickers have their secret or staked out spots and these are carefully watched over until the first fiddlehead starts poking its head out of the ground. That's when a frenzy of picking begins! The picking timeline is very short because in no time flat, these curled up plants will unfurl themselves and produce a mature fern -

Have I gotten your taste buds going yet? I did call fiddleheads a delicacy but I'm not your typical Maritimer. Yes, I have eaten fiddleheads before. Am I fond of them? Let me put it this way, if there was nothing else to eat, I would at least survive ;o) Fiddleheads are typically steamed and then slathered with butter. I've seen other recipes that add oil, vinegar and garlic but a little camouflage is not going to hide the fact that it's a fern. Okay, if you want to get brave enough and try these plants, maybe a Fiddlehead Omelette wouldn't be so bad.

I'm not a complete ignorant Maritimer though ;o) Give me lobster, give me clams, give me maple syrup or give me smoked salmon any day of the year! Fiddleheads are...ferns! Plain and simple. FERNS! Nothing scrumptious about that to me :oP

Stash Is In The Air!

Gee, I didn't realize that I haven't posted since Monday :o( It's been a busy week here, resulting in me staying home from work today. I almost fainted when I woke up and saw that it was 1:30 PM! Needless to say, I am very tired out and obviously needed the rest.

This week was awesome as far as mail goes ;o) It was nice to finally see some goodies arrive by post again. It's really hard to get ecstatic over a phone bill. Believe me, I tried. LOL! Here's what arrived this week -

I want to thank Sandy from San Man Originals for the care that she puts into every order. I only bought a dollar chart (bunny of course) and it still arrived all wrapped up with a free chart and the ladybug pencil :o) Drema spoiled me with Seashell Silhouette by Imaginating, Briar Rabbit by L-D-Da, 30 count 18th Century Rook Linen by R & R Reproductions (for Briar Rabbit), Mill Hill beads (to finish Giggles) and four GASTs (Red Plum, Tropical Ocean, Flax and Cidermill Brown). Last but not least, some Oh-So-Gorgeous fabric from Daisy Stitches. This is my first fabric from Enchanted Fabrics (Ocean Depths) and it's very comparable to Heaven Lee Creations fabric, IMHO. The color swatch on Despina's website is not even close to this gorgeous shade of blue.

Yesterday I was surprised by a package from my friend Pam :o) We had just talked on the phone earlier in the week and I guess she didn't waste any time getting her care package out! Look at all the goodies!

Would you believe that bunny is chocolate scented???? Pam knows the way to my heart ;o) And I do have to apologize Pam, there were three Lindt chocolates in there but now there are two in my tummy and one in DH's. LOL! Pam also donated some floss to my Two By Two afghan project. You know, at first I thought it was silly to put up my floss list but now it's turned into something I never even thought of. Do you realize that each person that donates floss is going to be a part of this project? How amazing is that! It truly will be something special in the end :o) If you want to donate some floss, you can find my wish list down the right hand side of my Blog.

Finally, I thought I would post a picture of what I'm currently working on -

Yes, Gathering Eggs popped her head out again and I'm very pleased with the progress I have made. I may even finish her! That's today's goal anyway ;o)

Dream On

Do you remember your dreams? What do you dream about? Have you ever had your dreams analyzed?

There are five distinct stages of sleep. Stage One and Stage Two are a light sleep. Stages Three and Four are considered your deep sleep and Stage Five is REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. In Stages Three and Four, your body produces growth hormones, which help with tissue repair and healing. There is little dreaming in these two stages. Most of your dreaming will occur during REM sleep. These five stages repeat over and over again during the night, approximately a ninety-minute cycle. In order to function properly, it states that we should have eight to nine hours of sleep per night. If this is the case, does that mean that we can have five to six different dreams a night?

When I was younger I always had a similar element to my dreams. In each dream, I would be attacked or chased by a black bear. Why? I have no idea. I've seen bears before, from a good distance that is ;o) I've never encountered a mother bear with cubs or any bear for that matter. During my late twenties, those dreams stopped and I've never dreamt about black bears again. The Curious Dreamer states that having a bear as a dream symbol means "Power, or a power imbalance. To dream a bear is attacking symbolizes aggression and/or protectiveness." Huh.

In the past ten years I've had another dream that plagues me. I'm trying to contact DH by phone but I keep making dialing mistakes. Here's what The Curious Dreamer has to say about that one "You're feeling frustrated in communicating something. You're isolated or cut off from others. You feel the need to reach out or ask for help. Your subconscious mind is imagining a worse-case scenario based on a fear of needing help and not being able to get it." I'd say the last statement could be spot on.

Some of my dreams become so real that I have to orient myself in the morning to make sure that what I experienced was actually a dream. They are not always bad dreams but the ones that are have introduced a new twist to my sleep...I wake up screaming. Yup! It nearly gives DH a heart attack :o) Sometimes the screams are hoarse and caught in my throat but other times they are piercing (from what I have been told). There are times when I vaguely remember doing it but I can never remember why I was that terrified. I'm the perfect guest for a sleep over ;o)

Just for fun, take a look at The Curious Dreamer and find out what your dreams mean. It may or may not be accurate but it's good fun :o)

One Of Those Days

Have you ever had one of those days where nothing makes you happy? No matter what you do, you still struggle to take interest in something. You feel no inspiration what so ever. It seems my week is going that way. I just can't seem to get myself out of this slump. I've tried different things but when I get turned off by my stitching, then you know something is wrong!

My head feels so full that there doesn't seem to be room to breath. My creative self is yelling for help because it's so bogged down and drowning. I tried taking some pictures after work today but nothing spoke to me. There were no flowers to speak of. Everything around me still looked dead. It's been cold here and today is not helping. It's windy, cold AND over cast :o(

When Quilt Time Sampler finished the first of this week, I started to make plans for my next project. I can't tell you how many times I went through my stash. I kept taking things out and then putting them back again. Nothing was talking to me there either. I started my Marquoir Sampler over again but I'm still having problems with the lightest color. I have one more to try and then maybe I'll post a picture.

It seems I have settled on Gathering Eggs for now. I dug her out and started stitching her again. She really doesn't have that much left so hopefully I will stick by her until she is completed this time. I want to thank everyone for putting their votes in for my next project. It looks like Stargazer has won! I just love that design and I look forward to making her come alive :o)

Today I finally received my Two By Two (by Sue Hillis) book -

I have seen this design stitched up twice and each time I was in awe. I just love it! I'm going to reserve the fall to start this biggie because I really don't want to be tucked under that afghan all summer. Plus, it looks like I have some DMC to buy. Would you believe this takes 156 SKEINS OF DMC???? Ack! The floss is going to be the most expensive part of this project! Anyone up to donating to the cause? ;o)