Finish Forty-Four

Unfortunately it was not a great week of stitching but I had just finished up this little guy right before receiving our depressing news -

This is Cocoa by San Man Originals. I had this pattern all ready to go but kept pushing it back into the drawer. I think he is just so cute! He was completely stitched with GASTs and I went with 28 count Twilight Blue (I think!) linen. I also adjusted some of the backstitch. I find that sometimes two strands are just too much for some areas -

Did you know that needlework is truly therapeutic? It's a fact now :o) I received my newsletter from The Cross Stitch Cupboard and this is what it says, "From an interesting article in a health magazine we learned that picking up a needle and thread could be one of the best "exercises" we can do for our health. This information comes as a result of a study which was conducted at the New York University Medical Center. The study revealed that women who stitch experience a significant drop in heart rate and blood pressure, when compared to those who participate in other leisure activities. In fact they discovered that when a woman begins to stitch, her heart rate drops by up to 11 beats per minute. 'The importance of a hobby or creative pursuit cannot be overemphasized' says Robert H. Reiner, PhD. of NYU. 'If we don't allow our bodies to rest from the pressures of everyday life, we are placing ourselves at risk for heart disease or other illnesses.'"

So, I guess the next time I tell a doctor that I stitch to relax and he looks at me like I have ten heads, I can honestly tell him that it's been proven to work. Maybe while I'm at it, I'll ask him if he can prescribe it as a relaxer. Let's say, once every hour of every day ;o)

No One Puts Baby In A Corner

It's been almost a week and I've gradually found my way back to my Blog again :o) While the stresses have not changed, I have. Over the past month, there seems to be another me that has slowly propped itself on my left shoulder along with Happy Cathey and Creative Cathey. It's a self that I'm not really familiar with and I'm not sure if it's ever been let out before.

The new addition is more organized and stronger. It's made me look at our situation in a different light. Yes we are in a bind right now but just think of the stories we'll be able to tell some day :o) DH and I have been on many adventures and they seem to always give way to great writing fodder.

The final push came today when I started reading a book that Katie lent to me. It's called One For The Money by Janet Evanovich. The main character in the novel is named Stephanie Plum and she has just lost her job and is in search of a new career. She's pretty much hawked all her possessions to pay her bills and she buys a $500 Nova that eventually drops its muffler. Case in point...things could be worse ;o)

After the initial shock of losing our only income, then DH not behind offered the job of his dreams and a few of my panic attacks later, I am in better control again. I can't go into details of what we have found out but I'll just say that DH was SO close in getting one of those positions. So close that it's no wonder we could just taste it.

Now we're back to pounding the pavement in search of something new. DH has applied to two more Federal Government jobs and with our last inside contact with the Provincial Government, DH's resume is now circulating :o)

I want to say a big THANK YOU to all of you who have left me comments or emails. They are all truly appreciated! I'm sorry I have not responded to any of them but I have read them all. It feels wonderful knowing that there are so many of you out there that are thinking of us :o) It will take me a bit but I will answer each one.

So what should I call the new little me? LOL! Any ideas? I think I'm going to love keeping it around ;o)

And The Other Shoe Fell

I just wanted to let everyone know that I will not be blogging for awhile. DH just got the news today that he did not get the job that he was really hoping for :o( It was something that he wanted very badly and I'm very upset at seeing him so disappointed. I have no idea what we are going to do or where we're going to go. I'd say it's all a big adventure but it's more like defeat at the moment :o(

Finish Forty-Three

I didn't leave you waiting long for this one ;o) Here is Pine Tree Hill by Little House Needleworks -

This design was featured in the 2006 JCS Ornament Preview Issue. I made a few changes to this one. The materials list calls for 28 count Summer Khaki linen but looking at the model, there is no way that can be right. When I saw the picture, 28 count Waterlily linen came to mind so that's what I went with :o) I did use the Crescent Colors but I substituted two of the three used. I replaced Ruby Slippers with Cupid and Roasted Chestnut with Bramble Bush. Those two colors looked much richer to me.

I want to take a minute to thank those who have honoured me with the Smiley Award :o) I truly do appreciate it. I've always wanted to be a writer and just knowing that my silliness puts a smile on someone's face makes me feel really good. I love reading the comments that you leave and I do read each and every one. To narrow that down to ten people is just too hard. Each and every Blog gives me a smile for different reasons :o)

This has been a hard weekend for me and I'm glad I had the distractions I did to keep my mind off of things. On Friday morning, I should have been on my way to fall retreat :o( Today I would be packing up to come home but after a wonderful weekend full of laughter, eating, shopping, stitching, talking and just downright craziness. Some of the gals there, I only see once or twice a year, but when we get back together, it's like no time has passed.

So instead, I put on my favourite fleece pyjamas, arranged my stitching spot on the couch, dug out a few little treats to snack on and had DH and my FIL cook up the most delicious turkey dinner with homemade apple pie for dessert :o) The plus side, I still got to sleep in my warm, comfortable bed. But I really don't mind giving that up for a few nights, even if it does mean sleeping on a brick of a mattress surrounded by those that snore the night away ;o)

Hammy's Death Wish

Our little friend is still around but today he thought it would be fun to play chicken with oncoming traffic and that included our car! How he managed to save his butt, we'll never know. When we pulled into the yard, I asked DH to look in the wheel wells to make sure he wasn't plastered in one :oP Silly thing!

Believe it or not, he is STILL packing the pine cones into the birdhouse. I have no idea how he's doing it because it was pretty full when I took this picture. DH says that he must be living in behind the barn. That's good because after he's done all his shopping, I don't think any living space will be available :o)

I was reading some Blogs last night and Ranae gave me an excellent idea. She had posted on what to do about a project she had started but never finished because she didn't like it. So, I went in search of my notorious disliked UFO. I know you're going to groan when you see this ;o) This was my 'first' attempt at In The Arms Of An Angel by L&L -

Do you think I miscalculated the fabric?

GOTCHA! LOL! I'll explain that in a minute ;o) I don't think it was so much the stitching on it but it was the color of the fabric that turned me off. That was in the day when I had never laid eyes on hand dyed fabric!

My 'second' attempt was worse though. I stared on a piece of Waterlily Jobelan but was quickly frustrated so out came the stitches so I have nothing to show for that one. Is there a third attempt? Not yet but I do have a gorgeous piece of hand dyed fabric just waiting ;o)

So, I guess my question is...what do you do with a project you have started but don't like anymore? In my case, I just cut around the stitching and salvaged the material. There were just too many stitches to take out, plus the red would probably leave a mark on the fabric. Have any of you done this?

Would you throw the whole thing in the garbage? If there was no excess fabric that is ;o)

What about giving the UFO to someone else to complete? For some reason, I just can't will myself to do this. Each project is my baby, from beginning to end. If it doesn't get completed, I still know it's there and that I can always try it again. Hey, greater miracles have happened! LOL!

Finish Forty-Two

I'm a stitching machine! LOL! When I'm stressed, I stitch and most of you know I AM STRESSED ;o)

Today I completed another ornie from the 2007 JCS Ornament Issue. This is Peace by Country Cottage Needleworks -

I love, love, love this design! The colors are just gorgeous and they're just DMC too :o) I do like how the ornament was finished with the wool so I'll have to see about tracking some down. The fabric I used reminds me of Waterlily by Wichelt but it's Patina by Lakeside Linens.

I've already got the next project kitted up and it will get started today :o) I can't remember if I shared this already or not but my goal is to reach 50 projects for 2007. Until that is done, I've put aside any larger projects. Hopefully by that time things here will have settled down a bit and that way I'll be able to direct my concentration to just one or two larger pieces.

To answer Christine's question, the buttons I used on Winter Joy and Winter Love are from Just Another Button Company. Most ONS carry them but might not list them on their website because there are so many. I hope this helps you :o)

Don't Quit

Today DH and I decided to sort out the Tickle Trunk. That's right, Mr. Dressup wasn't the only person to have one ;o) DH brought it into the marriage and now it contains all our memories from childhood to present day. As we were going through the items, DH handed me a poem that Grandma had given him years ago -

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low, and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar,
So, stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -
It's when things go wrong that you mustn't quit ~ Author Unknown

It really struck a chord in me and I plan on keeping it with me as a reminder that even though things may be bad at the moment, they will eventually get better. Plus, I'll always have a part of Grandma with me! She could find the best in anyone or anything :o)

Finish Forty-One

Another finish and the fifty project goal is in sight :o) This is Winter Love by Sam Sarah Designs -

This cute ornament is in this year's JCS Ornament Issue. As I did with Winter Joy, I went with the suggested fabric but stitched the whole thing in DMC.

I gave it a thought and I think I have the perfect way to finish these matching ornaments :o) Instead of another tree ornament, I want to combine them together, one over top of the other, and make a bell pull! I've taken a picture of both Winter Love and Winter Joy along with the fabric that I would like to use -

Unfortunately I'm out of that particular fabric but as long as I find something similar in the dark cranberry, I'll be happy :o) I even have a wire snowman hanger to hang it from!

Things are still up in the air here and DH is still not working yet :o( The payment schedule is back on for November so this will definitely test whether we can do it or not. As much as I hate to admit it, my fall stitching retreat will be a no-go for this year :o( I'm really going to miss going but that expense cannot be justified right now.

The medical insurance fiasco continues but we 'think' we have things in order again. On Friday, DH and I just about fainted when we opened a letter from the Blue Cross notifying us that a payment of over one thousand dollars was going to be taken out of our banking account! We arranged to have it stopped so hopefully that happened. We have now signed up with a program by Manulife (rotten, stinking buggers) but it seems to be the best one so far.

This policy is designed for people who loose their medical insurance through an employer. It will cover pre-existing health conditions and dental! And it's much cheaper! The down side, they only cover up to $1200 a year for prescriptions but DH and I are hoping we'll have new insurance by then. Unfortunately we didn't get things in on time so we have no coverage for the month of November and we also have to wait to see if we are accepted by the company. Sigh.

So, keep your fingers and toes crossed. Something good has got to come our way ;o)

It's Halloweenie!

On the way home yesterday, DH and I came upon a murder of crows. I couldn't get over the number of them! It really was an eyrie sight. They had all descended on this one particular house. It kind of reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock's popular movie, The Birds.

I've always been a fan of horror movies. I have no idea why. Halloween, with Jamie Lee Curtis, was one of the first ones I ever saw when I was growing up. Friday the 13th, with the popular maniac Jason, was next and shortly followed by A Nightmare On Elm Street with my good old pal, Freddy Krueger :o) Yes, I had a poster of Freddy on my wall as I was growing up. Maybe that accounts for my twisted mind ;o)

How many of you are scared after watching a horror movie? I don't think it was so much the blood and gore that got to me. I would have to say it was the 'music'. Each one of those horror films has its own unique and frightening tune, enough to send shivers up your spine. I wonder how they come up with these things.

For those of you who were reading my Blog last year, you might remember that Brie dressed up as a vampire :o) Well this year she's decked out in John Deere -

Someone was NOT happy! LOL! So I put the rabbit costume on her -

GOTCHA!

Pickles was a better model but he had his limits. He was also bribed with a carrot ;o)

TOM

If you're a female, you definitely know Tom ;o) You know...

the Tom that comes around once a month
the Tom that irritates us and unleashes our wrath
the Tom that sends us on eating binges so we gain weight
the Tom that wakes us up in the middle of the night and starves us of sleep
the Tom that is twisted enough to inflict pain


As far as I'm concerned, Tom can take a flying leap into the Grand Canyon! LOL! Why were we cursed with this monster? Tom is nothing but an inconvenience that I'm sure any woman can do without. There is only one thing Tom is good for, depending on your preferred outcome :o)

You know what really irks me? There's an ad on television for Always (panty liners) and their slogan is "Have a happy period, always." WHAT? Happy and period in the same sentence? I don't think so! You know, you just know that a man came up with that marketing campaign ;o)

Now I've been blessed with both Tom and menopause, even before I reached the age of 34. I'm not sure which I detest more. It's basically just replacing one sadistic act with another. Instead of pain, you experience hot flashes and let me tell you, it's very embarrassing when your ears turn an extra dark shade of crimson while you're in a meeting. Do you remember the commercial for those home heating units? Well, I was that woman who ran outside, in the middle of winter, with nothing but a t-shirt and shorts ;o)

To be perfectly honest though, aside from the few discomforts, I felt my best during those four years. Plus, I save A LOT of money. LOL! I'd be scared to calculate just how much we do spend on those "necessities". What do men have to worry about? Shaving? Big deal! We shave too. Do you ever see any embarrassing ads on television for men? No, because it's all taken up by Tampex, Always, KY and Vagisil.

So I guess I might as well accept the fact that this will be 'Bitch Week'. Maybe I should track down that company that makes pregnancy tests. Their slogan? "This is the most sophisticated piece of technology that you will ever pee on." (thanks for the correct wording Christine!) I'm NOT kidding :oP

Hey Foxy!

It seems that our little friend has become somewhat of a permanent fixture around our house lately -

Our fox came around yesterday at lunchtime (this seems to be his/her preferred time) and took to hunting moles and mice in our side pasture. Since the field had been cut back in August, it was long enough to house lots of potential food and short enough for us to see our friend :o) I ran in and got the digital camera and over twenty minutes, DH and I tried to get closer and closer as we took pictures.

This guy, or gal, is not really skittish, although I would not call him/her friendly. For some reason though, it comes by during the day and is hardly bothered by cars, humans or dogs. From what DH and I can tell, he/she looks very healthy. He/she was so consumed in hunting that it never even noticed DH get about ten feet away from him/her!

The cheeky little bugger came back though and I was able to snap this picture as he/she ran by -

The only thing I worry about is the dogs. Brie especially because she's so small, although she puffed herself up when she "finally" noticed the fox. The only thing that worries me about Duncan is that he would chase after it and possibly get bitten. That would not be good :o( Thank goodness both have their rabies shots.

Anyway, it's enjoyable to watch him/her. So as long as we can still live in harmony, no one has to move ;o)

Finish Forty

Woohoo! I'm in the home stretch! Now that the JCS Ornament Issue is out, it looks like Christmas ornaments will be in the Q-Snaps for awhile :o)

This is Winter Joy by Sam Sarah Designs -

He was featured in the JCS Ornament Preview Issue. I used the same material suggested but I opted for DMC instead of the Belle Soie. That's a "little" too much money to invest in a small ornament right now but don't get me wrong, I sure would LOVE the silks ;o) I also just used one strand of DMC black for his face because the two ply looked to heavy in my opinion.

I'm not sure how I'm going to finish him just yet. Since I had all the colors out, the next project will be the companion piece to Winter Joy. It's called Winter Love and it's in the new JCS Ornament Issue. There is one thing I will point out though. The suggested DMC colors in the Ornament Issue are different than the DMC colors suggested in the Preview Issue, even though they both use the same colors of Belle Soie. I went with those listed for Winter Joy and I will use them again on Winter Love so they'll match each other :o)

I want to send out a HUGE thank you to Carolyn today. I'm not feeling the best and when DH brought in the mail, there was an envelope from her :o) Inside was an adorable Stoney Creek pattern book called Tricky Treats. Can you guess what the patterns are of???? PUMPKINS!!!! Thank you again Carolyn, you put a smile on my face today :o)

I want to thank all my readers who leave comments on my Blog. I LOVE reading what you have to say and sometimes you have me in 'stitches', especially when the topic has been somewhat...interesting ;o) If Rachael is out there, please send me the address to your Blog because it wasn't listed in your profile :o( I love wandering over to other Blogs and seeing what everyone is up to. Kinda like a nosey neighbour. LOL!

Finish Thirty-Nine

Hot off the Q-Snaps! This is Thankfulness by Imaginating -

I love these charts! For my color combination I used 28 count sage Jobelan with DMC 780. I was hoping there would be another autumn design that I could match up with it. Maybe next year :o)

The leaves are starting to come off the trees now but they had put on a lovely color show all month. DH and I went to the park in town and walked through the woods. Of course I didn't bring my camera so I missed the perfect opportunity to take a picture of a woodpecker that nearly flew into DH's head. LOL!

DH and I finally gave in and turned on the heat this past Monday. Our goal is always November 1 but seeing as my toes were purple and my hands were too cold to stitch, I figured it was about time. I think our little heater, Brie, will be used quite a bit this winter ;o)

That's What Friends Are For

I want to thank everyone that either emailed me or left a comment on my Blog. I deeply appreciate the kindness and support that you have given me :o) It means so much. I know most of you I have never met, but just knowing there are still kind people in this cruel world is like a breath of fresh air.

To me, friends appear in many ways. You don't have to actually meet someone in person in order to call them a friend. In the 'older' days, I did a lot of writing to pen pals all over the world. Then email came into play :o( Not that I don't like emails but there is nothing more comforting than seeing a special letter sitting in your mailbox at the end of a hard day ;o)

I have never met any of my pen pals or online friends. I would definitely love to though! I have talked to some of them on the phone. These women are just as sweet to talk to as they are in their emails :o) I think it would be a riot to meet these friends some day. It just amazes me how you can reach out to someone you have never meet before and instantly have a connection.

I was never one for making friends easily. In person anyway. The first impression people get of me is "Oh, she's a b*&$#." I can't tell you how many times people will tell me that once they get to know me better. In reality, I'm shy. I'm also guarded but that's my protection mechanism from years of learning the hard way. I'm kind of curious to know what friends think of me once they get to know the 'real' me ;o) LOL!

Friends come and go. Life happens and it's out of our control. Some relationships can stand the test of time though but not all. Either way, there is always something that you will carry forward with you from each of those friendships. They are almost like stepping stones there to guide you through the path of life.

Someone sent this to me in an email once -


I just love it! Every time I look at it, it makes me smile and it reminds me that I have friends out there that care :o)

Take Care Of Those Boobies

Feel free to post this little guy on your Blog or pass him along to someone else :o)

When It Rains...

...it pours. Literally :o(

Come here. Just come here for a second. Take a look. Do I have a sign that says "Kick Me" on my back? No? Do you see any sign that a curse has been put upon me? No? Okay, so have you found that horseshoe that obviously fell out of my a*%? Maybe it wasn't there to begin with ;o)

If you haven't guessed by now, things are a 'wee bit' more stressful here. DH is still waiting to hear about a new job and we're coping with the fact that we only have one car now, although my parents have been kind enough to lend us one of theirs :o) That positive attitude I had a few weeks ago when I thought we did really well organizing ourselves has gone right out the window...

On Friday, I noticed that my bad tooth was throbbing. I blamed the fact that my mouth guard must have irritated it. By Sunday, I had changed my mind! It was SORE! I couldn't even let my bottom teeth come in contact with it because the pain would send me leaping off the couch. As much as I hated to admit it, the word 'root canal' came to mind. I was keeping a positive attitude though so I was hoping it was just an infection.

Monday morning I called my dentist. Now you have to understand something about me. I absolutely HATE going to the dentist, for anything! The anxiety that builds up is enormous. The receptionist knew I must have been in a lot of pain for me to be calling and 'asking' to come in. They have come to know me pretty well. LOL!

Well...the bad news is...I have an infection AND I have to have a root canal :o( The good news...that tooth only has one root so we're only looking at $400. Remember, no dental coverage now :o( More bad news...they can't get me in until December 3 so that means I have a month and a half to wait and know that it's coming. Not what I need right now.

So off I go to the drug store with my prescription for antibiotics. I hand it over to the woman behind the counter and she punches it in and says "You have no insurance coverage on file. Have you recently changed it?" I explained the situation and told her we had to buy our own and that it was all done the first of the month. "I'm sorry, there's nothing on file here so you'll have to pay the full amount."

Great! I head down the road to the bank and checked to see if the payment for the health insurance had come out. Nope. Nada. I finally located a pay phone (I HATE cell phones but this was the time to have one) and call DH to inform him of what is going on so he could call and find out what's up. Everything was sent the first of the month, by courier, but 'apparently' the health insurance company claims they never received it. Can you guess how many times I hit my head on the steering wheel????

What's the verdict? I'm on a waiting list with the dentist but I complicate the matter because I have to take antibiotics 24 hours ahead of time because of a heart condition. The health insurance matter is still being looked into and we've had no word yet. I have prescriptions coming up that I need and they are not cheap :o(

There you have it. I ranted. I raved. I'm still looking for that horseshoe. I feel a little better though :o) I don't even dare to say the words "What else can happen?"

Freeze Frame

Last weekend at the ocean, I was able to get out and work on my photography skills some more. It was a beautiful fall weekend so there were many opportunities for great photos :o) I even dug out my SLR camera and popped in a black and white film.

Recently, I was challenged with a new project...how to display emotions with pictures. Does that sound hard or easy to you? What makes you happy, sad or fearful? At first, I thought the idea would be easy enough but once I started taking pictures and trying to tie them into my emotions, I found it to be a little more challenging.

Happiness seems to be the easiest for me :o) How can this picture not make you smile?

Trying to picture what makes me sad became a little easier the more I thought about it -

Death is a sad thing. It represents a life that may have been taken away too early.

I would have to say that my fear is going to be the most challenging. Most of what makes me fearful comes from within so how do I express that? The best photo so far has been this -

Water would definitely be on the list. But what about those fears that are deep down in the core? How is that to be expressed?

As you can see, I have my work cut out for me :o) I like the challenge though because it makes me think more and it broadens my ideas. There are other pictures that have recently been taken and they are now loaded into my Picasa Album. I hope you enjoy :o)

Where's Hammy?

Don't worry, he's still around :o) Every once in awhile I'll see him jumping through the trees, but most times I just hear him and don't actually see him.

DH has checked the storage shed periodically and so far there have been no signs of entry. Last month DH noticed that Hammy was going into our birdhouse -

Usually this is home to the swallows but since they were gone, I guess Hammy figured he would move in :o)

So, DH and I watched him for about a week going back and forth gathering food. I went by the birdhouse the other day while taking some pictures and something caught my eye -

Yes, the birdhouse is STUFFED with Hammy's stash :o) The swallows are going to have quite a surprise when they come home next year. LOL!

Finish Thirty-Eight

This little guy is called Sailing Dragonlet by Dragon Dreams -

This is a very special freebie that was given out to shoppers during the Sue Hillis visit. Given our situation at the moment, I thought the wording was quite appropriate :o) I stitched mine on 28 count light blue (not sure of the exact color name) Lugana. Let me tell you, my new fabric inventory system is FABULOUS! It sure simplifies my life.

As I already mentioned, we are at the ocean this weekend. It's bird hunting season right now so we've all had to be careful, including Brie -

LOL! She is just the cutest ;o) She's waiting in her chariot (the golf cart) ready to go!

We had a delicious Thanksgiving Day supper yesterday at my in-laws but it's hard to believe that this is the first week of October! What a gorgeous weekend it has been so far. The skies are a lovely blue and the trees are sporting all the different colors of fall.

Last night we went down to the bar and did some fishing. I couldn't believe it when my rod started jerking and here's proof of my "huge" catch -

LOL! This is a mackerel. They have such a colourful top on them. We only catch and release so this little guy went right back in the ocean. DH caught one later on but his was a little bigger than mine. There weren't many bites but we were down at half tide so that might have been a factor.

The tides are very low at the moment so we get to walk further out during low tide. It's neat to comb the beaches for sea glass and shells. I was able to find five or six sea urchins. I'll take some pictures later and post them :o)

I want to wish my Dad a very Happy Birthday today! Remember Dad, pick your age and say you're that forever but make sure you can get away with it ;o)

When Enough Is Enough

Even though I have not been stitching as much lately, I have still been somewhat productive ;o) I finally decided to tackle my fabric drawer(s). I say drawers, plural, because I now have two. I started with one and somehow it morphed into two, leaving me completely clueless as to what I had in them. This is the end result -

In theory, organizing sounds like a good idea but when your inventory is finally put down on paper, that's when you realize you may have WAY too much and that you possibly could open your own needlework shop. LOL!

So now I have the fabrics in my drawers grouped by count. Martha Stewart would not think that I'm "that" organized because I didn't break things down further by grouping fabric types and colors together. BUT, I did it on paper! I'm very proud of my new spreadsheets :o) They show the fabrics broken down by count, type and color PLUS the size of the fabric. Are you shocked?

But wait, there's more! By doing this, I was able to calculate just how much fabric I have and that is definitely the scary part :oS These are rough numbers because I know there are pieces here and there that I have missed but you'll get the general idea. Eighty-one pieces have been set aside because they have been pre-assigned to projects already. They are tagged with the count, type, color, size and project name. There's more...on top of that, I have 184 pieces, of various sizes, just waiting to be used. Now how shocked are you? LOL!

To take things even further think about this. I average about 50 projects a year. So if I add 81 to 184 (this is not going to be 100% accurate) I get 265. Divide 265 by 50 and I get 5.3. That means that I have enough fabric to get me through the next five years. Is that really enough though? If I expect to live until I'm 75, let's say, I still have 34 years to go, therefore, it shows that I need to buy MORE fabric in order to last me that long ;o) How's that for reasoning? LOL!

I'm going to say Adios for the weekend because DH, the dogs and I are going to the ocean :o) It's been a very stressful and emotional week and we really need some down time. I'm bringing my computer with me though! Things are still up in the air here but we're hoping for some good news in the next few weeks. Fingers crossed everybody! I just want to thank you all for the supportive comments you have left for me and DH. I can't tell you how much I appreciate them. As stressful as this is though, we're looking at it like this will be a new change and a change for the better. Okay, a show of hands...how many of you bought that ;o)

You know me, laughter is the best medicine! LOL!

Finish Thirty-Seven

Seeing that I have not been in the stitchy mood lately, I'm surprised I even have something to show! LOL! This is The Plum Berry Sampler by Bent Creek -

I don't know if it was just because of my state of mind but this little project gave me the most headaches. Grrrr! I had to frog the "complete" alphabet because I had stitched it in the wrong color :oS All along I was wondering why it wasn't showing up that well. D'uh!

I made a few changes to this pattern. Mine was stitched on 32 count Lambswool Linen instead of the Touchstone Linen it originally called for. I also replaced the WDW Mulberry for WDW Crimson and used round buttons to match. The Crimson was used for the specialty stitches; Rhodes, Smyrna and Eyelet and this picture gives you another angle -

I detest doing Eyelets! Does anyone have some good advice or hints on how to make them uniform?

I want to thank those who have left comments on my No Joke entry. You guys had me in "stitches" this morning!!!! LOL! The different ideas you all had just cracked me up so much that I was sitting here laughing out loud to myself ;o) Oh how I wish we were able to get a set of these for retreat. Imagine the mischief we would get into... ;o)

Look who dropped by today -

This little red fox has been through our yard twice this week. I believe it to be the same one I saw this past spring. It's not tame but it's not that afraid of being seen either. It's usually odd to see a fox out like this during the middle of the day but the coat looks healthy with no outward signs of disease. The dogs aren't too happy about the new intruder so we have to be extra careful when we have them outside. As much as I dislike foxes (one killed all my ducks a few years ago :o( ) they are quite beautiful and graceful to watch. I even got to see it hunting for mice and to see a fox pounce is just too cute :o)

No Joke

Since things have been a little blah around here this past week, I thought I would inject a little humour into my Blog :o) As my regular readers already know, I'm quite open about various things and when I saw this in a magazine, it really took the cake and I couldn't resist writing about it. LOL! Meet Pee and Poo -

No, I'm not joking! These are actually stuffed toys for children who are learning about potty training :o) They were developed in Sweden and they are being sold there as we speak. They even have their own website!

Okay, how disturbed are you by this? Can you honestly say that you wouldn't mind a pile of poo or pee in your child's room? What if friends come over and ask what that brown toy is over in the corner. Are you going to tell them "That's (my child)'s poo." ROFL!

Since I am not a mother, maybe some of the moms can comment on whether they think these toys would be great learning tools or not. Personally, I can't see it. Is it possible for a child to connect potty training with stuffed toys?

So the next time you ask somebody what they got for their birthday and they respond "I got Pee and Poo." they may not be shitting you ;o)

Knock On Wood

What wood???? That's the problem! DH got laid off yesterday :o( He works, or worked, for a local lumber mill but they shut their doors as of Thursday morning. We thought we knew it was coming but I think deep down we were hoping that something would change and that nothing would happen. This has definitely been a wakeup call.

The wood industry has not been what it used to be and there have been many mills throughout New Brunswick that have closed this year because of it. You've gotta love living in the armpit of the country :oS

Sooooo, DH and I have been running around trying to get things in order. We lost our medical plan so now we have to purchase our own Blue Cross and let me tell you that is not cheap! We won't have dental coverage now and we cancelled our RRSPs in order to help cover the new cost :o( We're also down to one vehicle so that should be interesting. We met with the bank this morning and they are going to let us skip the car and mortgage payments for the month of October. Thank goodness we have no other debt!

I think one of the things holding us together right now is the possibility that DH will get hired on by the Federal Government. Back in the spring he applied with DFO (Department of Fisheries & Oceans) for the Fishery Officer position and so far the process has been very positive. Unfortunately it's a waiting game but there's something to be said for having access to EI (Employment Insurance). That will truly be a help.

DH has gone to attend a meeting at the mill this afternoon so I'm not sure if he'll find out more or not. The good part about him having time off is that there is LOTS of work to be done around the house. LOL! The bad part, "I'll" never get anything done with him around home all the time ;o)

One-Year Anniversary Contest!

And the winner is....

DEBBY ~ STITCH WIZARD

You were lucky number 12! I didn't even look at the list, only the number of comments. Number 12 was picked because of my recent wedding anniversary :o)

I'm sending you an email to get your mailing information so I can get this right out to you :o)

That's right! In another few weeks, it will be one year that I have been yapping on the computer. LOL! To celebrate, I thought I would hold a contest to thank all my wonderful readers :o) I will be giving away one of my pillow tucks -

What a way to brighten a day :o) The tuck is 4.5 x 4.5, with an opening of 2.5 x 2.5. It will not be stuffed. That way you can use it one of two ways!

If you want to enter the contest, please leave your name and contact information (do NOT leave your mailing address!) in the comments section of my Blog. Those outside of Canada are more than welcome to enter :o) I will get DH to pick a name on September 27 and the winner will be posted at that time.

Good luck!

It's Fall Y'All

My favorite time of year :o) The leaves are changing so fast but they are so beautiful to look at -

One thing I would miss about moving to a warmer climate would be autumn. There's just this distinct smell in the air and the landscapes turn into carpets of red, orange, yellow, gold and crimson. It truly is a beautiful time of year here.

This past weekend, DH and I packed up the dogs and headed down to the ocean to baby-sit his parents' house and Cousin Buddy :o) By the time we got down there on Friday night, I was so tired and decided to decline DH's invitation to go fishing. I should have known better. He came back to the house just bubbling over because he had caught EIGHT mackerel! :o(

Saturday was foggy and windy so we stayed inside and just relaxed. Sunday, on the other hand, turned out to be a gorgeous, sunny day so we took that opportunity to get out and do some exploring along the beaches :o) As we came into the clearing of a nearby beach, I noticed two dark lumps at the top of a tree -

Can you tell what's there? You can't really see the other little guy but there were two porcupines! They must have been this years' litter because they weren't very big. If they had been full size, they would have snapped the top off that poor tree. LOL! They didn't really seem to care that we were there but we kept a good eye on them. The last thing we needed was a dog with a mouth full of porcupine quills :o(

Yesterday, I drove to Moncton (a two hour drive) and picked up Lori-Ann :o) I got to see her "creativity lab" and she even showed me her next cross-stitch design. All I can say is...he is SO cute!!!! I can't wait to see him stitched up. We had a wonderful time shopping and then headed over to the LNS, Because You Count, to meet Sue Hillis. I got her to autograph my Two By Two pattern book -

The Dragon Lady, Jennifer Aikman-Smith, was there as well and she had her newest design for sale and on display. Boy, was the shop ever busy! I picked up a few pieces of fabric but I was on my best behavior ;o) I did discover two wonderful patterns in my bag though! A special one, for this event, by Dragon Dreams called Sailing Dragonlet and Sew Many Stitches by Sue Hillis. What a great treat!

Before I headed for home, Lori-Ann introduced me to Tony's Pastries Inc. OMG! If you want a heavenly chocolate fix, this is the place to go! DH was lucky that a piece of it made it home ;o) I also stopped by my Gram's place to wish her a Happy Birthday. I was two days early but I was happy to be able to get down and see her in person. We had a nice visit. I always love going there but always hate leaving :o(

Remember, only one more day to add your name in the contest!!!! Good luck :o)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Remember, you promised me 70 years of marriage so you still have 58 more to go ;o)

I love you sweetie!

They're Here! THEY'RE HERE!

After such a rotten night and morning, I was SO thankful that the rest of today turned out to be awesome :o) Not only did my JCS Ornament Issue arrive BUT I also got the latest issue of Beyond magazine and my name is in there!!!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!

From talking with other stitchers here in town and some across Canada, it looks like the ornament issue has not reached our stores yet :o( That's unbelievable since it's been out in the US for at least a week now. Katie, Shannon and Faith Ann take note...here is the proof that I have it in my hot little hands -

There are a good number of ornaments that I want to stitch this year so I guess Christmas stitching will officially begin here ;o)

The third issue of Beyond just hit the stands and luckily I spotted it when I went to pick up my prescription today -

In case you haven't read my whole Blog, Beyond is a fairly new magazine that is solely dedicated to breast cancer. It's only published twice a year. I can't say enough about this wonderful new source of information all in one. It's just full of useful and informative articles and you'll want to read it from front to back. The proof? My mother, MIL and DH have all read them so far :o)

This issue is special though because one of the writers, Michele Meyer, interviewed me over the phone for her piece on Dancing With The Fear. The article looks at the fear of recurrence and states "Don't let the fear of recurrence steal you away from life. Be inspired by how other women have learned to say no to this persistent suitor." I can't post the whole article but this exert is mine :o) "Needlework takes Cathey's mind off of her cancer - especially when she's in a rocking chair at her in-laws' home on the ocean. The Canadian from New Brunswick learned she had stage-II milk-duct cancer in 2000, at age 28, when she went for breast-reduction surgery. A radical mastectomy and five years of the anticancer drug Tamoxifen followed. "Seeing and hearing the waves is like meditation for me," she says."

Not bad for my debut! Now don't go bombarding me with requests for an autograph ;o) LOL!

I want to thank everyone who left such wonderful comments on my Blog :o) You guys are the best! I have some good news for you. My mammogram came back fine! Yay! The girls are back to feeling free. Now if I could just finish up with this awful diet...

Do you want to see what 332 skeins of DMC look like?

A wonderful relative of mine from the States was able to pick me up a load during the ten cent clear out sale at Wal-Mart. Luckily there was still a good range of colors so my back up supply will be good for a while. At least I think so ;o)

Finish Thirty-Six

My boobees are done! LOL! I know, I've completely scared away all my readers now ;o) But seriously, my Boo Bees by San Man Originals is complete -

I just LOVE this design. It's so cute and I love the play on words :o) I stitched mine on 28 count Storm Cloud Lugana by SMF. It's hard to tell in this picture but it's a lovely grey fabric that has light and dark patches throughout. I would love to get more of this color but I'm not dealing with SMF again. Their turn around time is just too long. I'd rather buy from Heaven Lee Creations if I'm going to wait like that.

So what's next on my plate? I really should get back to my afghan now that it's getting cooler out. I want to have two more squares stitched up by the end of the month. Whether that is doable or not, I have no idea but I'll try :o) Sue Hillis is going to be visiting a LNS two hours away from me on September 25 and so far, I plan on being there and talking to her about my afghan. Are you ready for me Lori-Ann???? ;o)

I have all the fall patterns on my list completed except one, Autumn Medley by HIH. I really should sneak that in there since all three other seasons are done :o) I even have the frame for this pattern! LOL!

This past weekend wasn't too bad. It rained most of Saturday so DH and I just vegged most of the day. On Sunday though, it was so gorgeous that we decided to take a road trip :o) Our destination was Cobscook Bay State Park in Maine so that meant crossing the US border. Ever wonder what it's like to be in two countries at once???? This will give you a bit of an idea -

Pretty weird huh? :o) This is a gorgeous park right on the ocean. The campsites are nicely spaced out and you're completely surrounded by trees. I definitely want to go back.

Did anyone hear my screams of joy last night???? PRISON BREAK IS BACK! WOOHOO!

The "Crap" Diet

Another one of my play on words. If you don't want to read any disgusting details, you might want to skip this post ;o)

Okay, so I've had some "problems" lately. My weight has gone down drastically and good food (fine food) no longer gives me the joy it once did. When we came home from grocery shopping yesterday morning, I noticed my pants falling down (yes, zipper and button were done up). The more I pulled, the farther down they would go. Basically, they would have come right off if I had kept going! LOL! Now don't get me wrong...I LOVE the fact that I have lost weight. For at least seven years now, I have been carrying more weight than I should have but my body would not allow me to loose weight, even when I tried. My dilemma, I got rid of all my smaller pants :oS

As I mentioned, food hasn't really done anything for me lately. The cravings are gone and even when I eat something it just passes right through. Do you want to keep reading???? ;o) My only concern is that it's happened so fast. I've lost a little more than 12 pounds in six weeks. I brought it up with my doctor last week and he recommended a blood test and...stool samples :oP When I picked up my "parcel" from the hospital I asked the nurse how "fresh" the samples had to be. I was afraid with my unreliable bowels that it might take awhile. I guess I can relax, take my time and brew up something really good ;o)

What has really caused a problem is the diet I have to go on for the next week or so. I've never been a fan of diets and I don't believe in them. I do, however, believe in proper eating and good food! This new diet has me eating LOTS of fiber, pork, chicken, fish, cooked fruit or vegetables. I cannot eat red meat (and that includes processed meats), liver (no worries there), raw fruits and vegetables. Hmmm... Do you see my problem? How am I going to avoid fruit for that long? I long for pineapple, grapes, oranges... Argh! So what does that leave me? Fiber. Okay, so I'm supposed to eat whole wheat bread all week? Anyone know of any high fiber foods that I can eat? Besides bran cereal people!

As of Monday, the collecting starts ;o) This should make for an interesting week. At least I will only poop in my own house (okay, that's a whole other topic!). DH has suggested that my "collection jars" should be isolated in the other bathroom. You mean seeing a jar of poop first thing in the morning isn't appealing? ;o) DH and I have also entertained the idea of just collecting Brie's poop and using it as my own. I wonder how that would turn out...

Finish Thirty-Five

I had so much fun with this finish :o) I stitched up Pumpkins by LHN -

And I made it into a cube -

What was so neat about this project is that I already had everything to complete it and I didn't even know it! See what happens when you dive into your stash ;o) LOL! I just love the fabric I had for the back.

This time I found a good website with instructions on how to make different bows but my bow making abilities still need some work. I'm such a perfectionist and arranging the bow is such fiddly work that I get easily frustrated. Boy, it's amazing how much ribbon it takes to make one bow. Yikes!

I want to thank everyone for their good thoughts about my mammogram :o) Just to let you know, I won't have the results until next week. I meet with my surgeon on Tuesday so I'm hoping she will already have the results or she can easily get them. Because I go to our main hospital for my mammograms, the turn around time is a lot quicker. Usually that's how it works anyway. The less waiting the better :o)

So how many Canadians out there are holding their breaths, waiting for the Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue to arrive? We aren't as lucky as those in the States but this "should" be the week that it comes out here. I hummed and hawed and finally gave in and got Drema to send me one :o) I'll see if I made the right decision. My only problem is, once I get it, I will get into the Christmassy mood and all fall projects will be put aside. I really don't want to rush autumn out the door because it's my favorite time of year. Plus, I still have a few fall patterns I want to complete :o)

Are you a seasonal stitcher? Does your stitching usually have a theme to it? Do you only stitch patterns that you absolutely love or do you get adventurous and like to try something new? How do you pick the projects you do? I'm curious so let me know :o)

The Big Squeeze

This morning I went for my second mammogram this year. I know, not fun :o( I always say I'm going to be fine but as soon as I walk towards that waiting area, the anxiety begins to show. And the longer I'm there, the more anxious I become. Today I could feel the light-headedness start as soon as they arranged the first squeeze and by the end of it, my legs were just like Jell-O. Luckily I did not pass out. I almost did one time and they had to bring in this "huge" chair, almost like a recliner. LOL!

I've read the joke about mammograms being comparable to slamming your boob in the refrigerator door. HA! That's a laugh! The mammogram is ten times worse. Not only are they squeezing that poor boob senseless but also they're contorting you every which way in order to get the picture they want. Do they not realize that the armpit is not a piece of the body that can be flattened like a pancake? And excuse me, a collar bone doesn't move either ;o)

I was only expecting LRB (Left Real Boob) to be done this time, because of the lump underneath, but they also did RFB (Right Fake Boob) because of the pain I'm having in my armpits. Well, the girls are a "wee" bit sore now and it feels like they have been bound in one of those insane push up bras for 48 hours straight :oS It probably wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for the mammogram machine acting up. Figures! I can't just get in and out of there. I think it knows me by now and enjoys tormenting me ;o)

I always feel so self-conscious when I go. Ten times out of ten, I'm the youngest one. The other women always look at me and wonder why I'm there. It's like attending a Red Hat Society meeting but being under age :o) I can practically walk through the whole admitting process with my eyes closed but every time they go through the same instructions. Maybe I should make a sign saying, "Been there. Done that." and pin it to my chest for my next one ;o)

"Fair" Results

Do you like my play on words? LOL! Yesterday DH and I went to the FREX to pick up my items and although I am happy with how I did, it was kind of sad giving up my Grand Champion title ;o) Here were my results though -

Quilt Time Sampler ~ First Place
Gathering Eggs ~ Second Place
Biscornu ~ Second Place
Deck The Halls ~ Third Place

And...I brought home a total of $16! Well not really because DH and I went out for a treat afterwards :o) All I can say is, LOOK OUT next year because Cathey (and Katie!) are coming back with a vengeance!

While we were downtown, DH and I decided to take a stroll along the walking path and I got a chance to get some more pictures. This first one is of The Christ Church Cathedral -

That's where DH and I got married :o) Beautiful isn't it?

The other picture that I'm pretty proud of is one of "The Leopard" -

This guy is right outside The Beaverbrook Art Gallery. DH and I keep meaning to go there. We've both been there when we were younger but I doubt we really appreciated it. Not to the extent that we would today.

There are many places around the city that I have never been but keep meaning to go. It's a shame really because this city has a lot of history. I really should make it a point to visit some of those places next summer. Have you ever tried being a tourist in your own town before? Maybe you should try it too. You might learn a thing or two :o)

Finish Thirty-Four

I never really liked The Prairie Schooler until I saw their Nursery Rhymes series. Big mistake! LOL! Last night I completed Mary Had A Little Lamb -

When I first looked at the picture of the pattern, I had great doubts about the colors it called for but once I started stitching, I began to really enjoy this piece :o) I did make one change though. The pattern called for DMC white but to me it was too vibrant so I substituted it with DMC 3865. I have four nursery rhymes left to do but I think they'll be put off until next year. I've already got my next project picked out and kitted! Woohoo!

I want to thank Irene SO much for lending this pattern to me. It will be in the mail next week Irene so keep an eye out :o)

I can't believe we've had frost already :o( Because we're in a low spot, we get frost into June. This was such a short garden season for us this year. Our corn is only waist high with no ears and the tomato and cucumber plants have been killed by the frost and it's only September 8. Sigh! We did manage to get quite a few tiny tim tomatoes but very few of the bigger variety. There was some success with the green beans and cucumbers as well but we're still wondering about the carrots. At least the frost doesn't really touch those right now. The only thing that has done really well would have to be DH's pepper plants :oP

Now we're back to heat and humidity and my body is screaming again :o( Yuck! Fall is SO close! I know it's just around the corner. COME ON FALL! :o)

What Happens At Grandma's Stays At Grandma's

I don't think there is anything more comforting than being with a grandmother and mine is no exception :o) My Gram is exactly what you picture when you think of a grandmother. She's a very independent, strong and proud woman but she's also kind, loving and she has a heart of gold. I consider her my best friend and someone I can turn to when I need help or a shoulder to cry on. It's been that way for as long as I can remember.

Gram has been on her own since 1980. That's the year my grandfather passed away :o( She never remarried. In a selfish way, I'm glad she didn't. Whether she regretted it or not, I doubt I will ever know. Last year I hit the mother load when I learned about a drawer full of my grandfather's old diaries! No one had read them up until that point so I was more than happy to investigate. The diaries go way back but I decided to start with 1970, the year I was conceived :o)

I really wasn't prepared for what I was about to read. Here I was looking into someone's personal life, someone I can just remember. It enabled me to get to know a grandfather that was only in the first nine years of my life. It also enabled me to get to know that man before he had his stroke. I never knew my grandfather had such a sense of humor :o) It also showed me the love he had for my grandmother. I think he was completely smitten from day one ;o)

The passages that were written about me opened my eyes to what my childhood was like. It brought me back to those summers that I stayed with my grandparents at the old house in McKee's Mills. The mornings I would wake up early and crawl into bed with my Gram :o) I can still feel the comfort when I think about those times. Apparently I come by my sense of humor and love for sweets from my grandfather. This is what he wrote on February 7, 1976 - "Up at 9 am and was met by Cathey who wanted a chocolate bar but she was easily settled with numerous requests until after lunch time. When I went looking for a knife to cup up a Mars bar, Cathey quickly informed me she could break the bar in two and a knife was not needed."

I'm now reading his 1978 diary and I'm getting close to the end. I've been putting it off because it's hard to read about someone's life and know they are dying. The signs were early on but whether my grandfather knew what was going on, I don't know because he never wrote anything about it.

This past Saturday, DH and I went to visit Gram and her huge smile was there to great us as always :o) I love her hugs and she even smells like a grandmother, if that's even possible. LOL! We brought her a photo album full of a hundred of my photographs for her to enjoy. Gram doesn't get out very much anymore so it felt good to be able to bring something to share with her. Along with my parents, we took her out to eat and had one gut stuffing meal!

While we were in the city, I dropped by the LNS and was "a tad" bit naughty ;o) I picked up two patterns and one is thanks (NOT!) to a fellow Blogger -

All in all, it was another good visit with Gram although I always hate leaving :o( At least I know I can always pick up the phone and she'll be there :o)

Bunny Mail

Look who popped in by mail last week -

Karen sent me this little Rose Quartz bunny :o) He "is" little but so adorable! Thanks so much Karen!

Finish Thirty-Three

WOOHOO! My Halloween SAL is complete! Here is Halloween Bunny by Sandi Gore Evans -

I'm not really sure if that's his official name. The reason Shannon couldn't find the pattern was that it was part of the Leisure Arts A Stitch In Time 1997 Cross Stitch Calendar :o)

I got creative this time and finished him as a cube -

This is my very first cube and I'm very pleased with the results :o) I do need some practice with my bow making though and I thought I had an instruction sheet on how to make them but I couldn't find it. That would figure! LOL!

I kind of shot myself in the foot with this design. I knew I wanted to stitch it on black (32 count Lugana at that!) and never even thought of the black spider that is attached to his ear :o( Thankfully there exists spider charms! Whew! It just wouldn't be right to leave him out of the design.

I love the fabric I picked up for the back of this. Unfortunately it doesn't glow in the dark but that's okay :o)

I'm pretty impressed...there were a few of you who guessed my two favorite things but you were still unsure ;o) Pumpkins "should" have been on the top of your lists! LOL! And of course, BUNNIES are a must as well! When I saw this pattern I just about laughed myself silly and I knew I had to stitch it.

So, I'm doing "a little dance" now that mine is complete. Now to wait for Shannon, Katie and Faith Ann ;o)