The OVERDUE Update!

I know, I know, its about time! Sorry it has been so long since I updated my blog. I have been wanting to update to the point that I was probably driving Jack crazy. Sorry it has taken so long to update, the last time I updated was a week or so before Thanksgiving, but I really wanted to be able to post pictures with the blog. My printer/scanner was acting up and I don't have a decent camera, so I was unable to take or scan pictures myself.

This picture, "Looking Down" cat is the one I did for my cousin and his wife. I finished it about a week before Christmas and mailed it to David and his wife and asked them to e-mail me. They were very pleased with the picture. They sent me the picture right around my birthday but Jack had been telling me he was going to see about getting my printer/scanner fixed, so was trying to wait till I could post more than one picture. Just yesterday Jack got the printer/scanner to the point that it will scan pictures again. It prints, but not properly. The color is all askew. This means I won't be able to print out my HAED that I bought, which is disheartening. :( I have other things that need printing too, but those of you who have done or are doing HAED know how important it is to print out those patterns. This is a actually true for any patterns you buy on line.

I still do not have a picture pf the Precious Moments finish I gave to my niece. I am hoping she will send me a picture of it soon. When she does, I will post the picture, I promise!

I have been working on three other projects since my last post as well. I worked some more on the elephants for my Uncle Curt. I am actually almost done with this bull elephant. When he is done, the project is probably close to 45 or maybe even 50% done. The other elephants and then the trees and bushes in this pattern are very small in comparison to him. I am doing the elephant on 28ct, which isn't a problem, but it isn't the type of 28ct I have used before and it almost seems like the material is not 'uniform'. It is very frustrating. I like the evenweave much better than this stuff. I am concidering stopping the elephant where it is and then starting all over on a different piece of material. I started to do some of the background bushes (which are a half x) and it looks like I have pulled the stitches wrong somehow, but I know I haven't! GRRRR!

Another thing I have been stitching on is some irises for my long time pen pal and friend who lives in Rhode Island. We started writing each other as pen pals through Girl Scouts when we were in fifth grade. Several years ago I stitched her and her husband a wedding announcement. A couple of years ago they ended up in divorce. She asked me if I wanted the wedding announcement back. I told her no. I told her I'd be happy to make her something else. That was when she told me that she likes irises. A couple months ago I bought a book from a fellow stitcher which had irises in it. I think I am around half way done with this picture. Not sure, exactly. I do know that I decided to use some light effects in both the yellow and blue flowers. I was thinking of doing the same thing for the flowers that require DMC 340 and 341, but I do not have the proper light effects color and do not know what color to buy. I like how it has turned out so far. I think my girl friend will be happy with it.

The third thing I have been stitching is the first of three cat patterns that I am being paid for. I think I am somewhere between 45 and 50% done with this one. This one is called "Control". He is splayed out on a rug stating that he cannot be controlled.

My Thanksgiving was quiet. It was just the four of us for most of the day. Our good friends in town came over after they had eaten at his mom's house and stayed for a couple of hours, but other than that it was just us.

Christmas was quiet too. That was okay because we don't like to make a huge fuss about Christmas. We did have a nice ham for dinner, but we don't go way out on gifts and the like. Jack and I bought ourselves a television for our room with the money my parents sent us. We actually combined it with the money my SIL sent. We had to. The television took up all the money from one and so we used the money from the other to pay for the thing to put it on the wall and everything that entailed as well as the fee of the person installing it. He was reasonable, but still...I also got some pajamas, a coat, a hat and some perfume.

My birthday has been spread over several days. We had a family game night on the actual day, we had the cake and gift the next day and two days after that Sarah took me to get my nails done. I received my parents gift today in the mail (five days after the actual birthday). With the money my parents sent me for my birthday I bought myself a new swim cap and goggles for my swimming at the Y. I have been wanting/needing to do that for awhile and I just did it. I also bought some stitching supplies.

I need to sign off for now. I promise, I'll update more often now that my scanner is working.

Take care everyone!

Stitching Away!

This picture was taken after working on the elephant project two weeks. I have not worked on the elephant for the past couple of weeks but did make quite a bit of progress between pictures of it. The first picture was taken after one week. That picture is on my post of November 2. Remember how I wanted to give you a picture last time updated but was having issues? This was one of the pictures I wanted to show you. This one and the first picture of the cat, seen below.

In the past two weeks I have been stitching solely on the cat for my cousin and his wife. I just have so many patterns I want to stitch right now that I had to start on the cat too. The first picture of the cat was taken by my friend, Jan, last week. She didn't get around to mailing me the picture until yesterday though and so I ended up doing a lot more stitching on the cat this week. Thank you, Meari for somehow getting the picture the proper direction! I have two friends who offered to help me get the second cat picture to cooperate with me. I sent it to both of them. I opened Meari's first and it worked, so thank you Rob too! I am so glad I have both of you as friends! I have more of the cat's head done now. Last night I finished his right ear and the right side of his face completely, put the black in his forehead, and started on his eyes. I also stitched a little more of the black extending his back.

(Nov 23) Yesterday, after my original post with the sideways cat, I finished his face completely. Now as far as hid head goes, I have just a few stitches on his left ear and the all important backstitching. I also stitched on his back and body. I only used DMC 3022on his back and body last night, but that part of him is starting to look better. Not sure how much I can stitch today since I have to clean the house I do once a week and then of course to the store for a couple of Thanksgiving items.

I have been told this week that I am hired to stitch a couple more cats. This excites me. I have been told for the longest time that my stitching is good enough that I should sell my work. This will be the first time anything of mine has been sold and they are hiring me to boot! She will be taking me to the store to get the material she wants, purchase any thread, etc., I need and then after it is done will pay me for my labor in stitching them.

I got some stoney creek books in the mail this week (thanks Ellen) with some patterns I'd love to stitch. Especially the deer and some flowers. Need to stitch a Noah's Ark pattern for my niece. I also bought my first HAED since my last blog update. So many things to stitch so little time!

Well I need to be going. I wish I could somehow get this picture to face right, but I can't! Happy stitching everyone!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!

Honest, Progress was Made!

Hello Everyone!

I honestly wanted to have this update with a picture of my elephant progress. Tomorrow will be one week since I updated last. I think I have made a fair to decent amount of progress. But, my scanner is not cooperating. My printer, for whatever reason, will not bring up the tab that says, "download camera or scanner". Thus I cannot get my scanner to work at all. I even had Wes look at it, to try and trouble shoot it for me and he is as confused as I am. I guess I feel good that I'm not the only lost one on this one.

I have done a great deal on the trunk and face of the Bull Elephant, as well as quite a bit of stitching on his left ear. The artist created the pattern on 14CT Adia. I am stitching it on Countfrn Old Lace 28CT. I think it is looking pretty good. I did not have a piece of Adia the proper size for this pattern and I really needed to stitch on something. Thus far in the pattern, I have used five different colors. I have added a couple of the grey type colors, more the colors I think of when I see an elephant than dark browns.

One of the biggest reasons I needed to stitch was I am still trying to quit smoking. I have been successful to now, but I do struggle from time to time and find if I am stitching on something I think of smoking less. The last time I had a cigarette was September 19. I started using the nicotine patch and started phase two (of three) on the patch last week.I really have wanted to quit smoking for quite a long time, some of you may remember when I have tried before. At any rate, I am successful thus far, this time. I honestly think I have the habit kicked, but I want to finish the program. I am stitching and chewing gum as well.

Sarah and Wes are at a movie right now. They are spending as much time as possible together before Wes must report back to the Army. He has to report back on Friday. He will be shipped over to Korea next week. I am uncertain how long he will be there, but I hope he knows how much we love and appreciate him and how much we will miss him. Sarah has told me that they are no longer together as a couple. I am honestly not sure if she is trying to convince her dad and me, herself, or both. They sure seem like a couple, if you ask me!

I have to transfer a load of clothes from washer to dryer and maybe look into some sort of dinner and check on Jack. He has been asleep for a couple of hours now, if not more. It was so good to get him out of the house today for even a couple of hours. I know he said the prosthetic leg was hurting him, but I think just getting out breathing fresh air has got to be good for him. Jack and I went to the church "Drummer Boy Bizarre" and had lunch.

Talk to you again next time. Maybe I can get my scanner working!

Ka-ching! Horsey Girl Hits Jackpot

Sarah has had a very good start to her seventeenth year to life, I'd have to say. The Monday after I returned from California, she got a call from Subway. She had put in an application with them in August. They wanted to interview her. She had me take her to the restaurant for the interview. She was hired and started the next day. Her Dad took her to the Secretary of State's office and she was able to get her driver's license, without taking any tests because she had done so well in Driver's education and had everything in order. The next week was her birthday (October 18). We got her a laptop to keep her off of my computer.

Her dad and I had discussed that Sarah needed her own vehicle to get around, especially now that she had a job that she needed to get to. We decided to make it a very early Christmas present. Jack had been looking around for quite awhile for her a vehicle. She had said she wanted a pick-up. We went to a Car Auction and found her a 1990 Ford F150 4x4. It has some rust on the bed above the rear tire area on both sides, but what can you expect for Illinois? The rest of it was nice and clean. We bid on the truck and got it for $850. With Auction fees it was $945. We didn't feel that was too bad. It did end up having some brake problems. Jack replaced the front brakes himself but then we took it to a shop to have the rear brakes replaced as well as a new brake line installed. It turns out that the brake line that was there had a major leak. Everything is good on it now though. It is a safe vehicle for her. I don't have a picture of it yet, but I'll post one later. We want to get it detailed out so the paint isn't dull. Maybe I'll take and post the picture after that is completed.

Wes is home right now, he has to report back on November 11. He has helped with some things related to the truck and has bought a new stereo for it and is going to be putting in bigger speakers today when Sarah gets home from school. She has to go to work at 5:00 today and work til 10:00, but then doesn't work again until Monday. She was called yesterday because someone had called in sick, so she ended up working 4:00 to 10:00 last night. Though she really didn't get off til closer to 10:30.

Last week Sarah got her first check from Subway. It was only for her first week of work there, which was only 11 hours, but she was still in shock about how much it was. She was very happy.

While Michele was here I did some beautification of my yard. I planted two light purple mums in the front and 5 mums along the driveway side of the house. Two of those mums are a dark purple and three are yellow. I am not sure how well they will fair, as my dad is really the herbologist. I have always wanted flowers, but my thumb is more brown than green. Hopefully I will not kill these plants. I know I'm suppose to do something to these plants for them to be able to revive this spring, but am uncertain what. I also planted several tulip bulbs in these flower beds. Yes, I did roto-till and weed both beds before I planted anything.

On the stitching front I have been doing an elephant that I am going to give my Uncle. I had a frustrating time at the beginning, I had stitched quite a bit of the first color and moved on to a second color. Then I realized I had gone up three instead of two on a particular row, so I had to frog probably half of what I'd put in. I did get all that corrected. I am stitching the biggest elephant in the pattern. This is the only one "facing". The others are side view. and further back. I am not sure how long it will take to stitch this, but I don't think my Uncle Curt is in a huge hurry for it. I know that he wants it as a memorial for my Aunt Jane. I may see if I can give it to him on what would have been her birthday next year. That gives me quite awhile to work on it. It is a pretty big pattern. Three pages total.

I also want to stitch a cat pattern for my cousin David, a Noah's Ark pattern for my niece's baby due in January, and a couple of others I have in my head to stitch. I found a HAED pattern that I love and want to stitch.

A stitching friend in one of my groups is selling me some nature and animal Stoney Creek pattern books. I have a couple out of those I'd like to stitch as well. Sounds like I will be starting a rotation of some kind.

Rachel's cheer leading season is over. This past weekend there was a cheerleading competition and her team came in third in all categories. She is uncertain at this point if she wants to cheer next year or coach. Her dad and I would like her to see if she could get on the school cheer leading squad.

Well, that's about it for now. Take care everyone!

What A Great Vacation!

My vacation to California was wonderful! I managed to frame "Hunting Dogs", "The Lord's Prayer", "Isaiah 40:31", and "Amazing Grace".

I gave "Amazing Grace" to my long time girl friend's mom. Mrs. Gardner really loved it. She now has it hanging in her bedroom, Michele told me. She ended up rearranging some things to get it on her wall, but it is up. Mrs. Gardner was very grateful for it and I think she was even impressed. She told me she really likes it.

"The Lord's Prayer" my niece, Brandie now owns. She is a strong Christian woman. I am very proud of how Brandie has turned out. She has had some issues in her life and has put her faith first and is now doing very well. She has a little boy and girl. The boy is older. I cannot remember how old her kids are, but I think they are in third and kindergarten.

"I had promised Sarah "Hunting Dogs" when I first made it when she was getting ready to turn 13, but had never framed it. I had originally wanted to give it to her for that birthday, but I had to stop stitching for three months that year because I had an issue with my left arm, which of course is my stitching hand. Now Sarah will be able to put it on one of the walls of her bedroom, when it is built. She may choose to put it up now in the bedroom she and Rachel share, but there honestly isn't much wall space there. the picture is in a 12x12 frame.

I wasn't able to finish "Precious Moments Girl", but I did make quite a bit of progress on it. I was able to work out with Danielle, (my niece, and mommy to the baby the "Precious Moments Girl" goes to) the proper color for the skin of the girl. The skin is now as close to the baby's skin color as is possible. We put the thread colors against her skin and combined DMC 3772 and DMC 435. I was able to finish the quilt completely while in Fresno. I did all the 'skin' of the girl while in Fresno as well. I did the white of the nightgown on the plane ride home. The pink of the rug that was not completed as well as the pink and light grey of the nightgown I have done since I came home last Saturday. The only thing left to do on this project is the backstitching. I started backstitching a day or two ago. The wording of the phrase is in backstitch as well, thus I'll do it when I adjust the picture to do the upper part of the picture. The bottom of the picture looks dark because there was a shadow, unknown, when the picture was taken. Hopefully when the next picture (probably the completed picture) is done there will not be a shadow. I bought a frame for "Precious Moments Girl" but I left it in California. I'll send it to my mom when it is done and she will frame it and take a picture of it for me. Danielle found out while I was there that she will be having her second child in February. Sounds like I have another baby project in my future! (LOL)

I also framed "Isaiah 40:31" while I was in Fresno. Jack is very happy with it. It will go on our bedroom wall, probably over by 'his side' of the bed.

I am going to have to start thinking pretty soon about what is my next project? My Dad bought me a book of nature animals (it has an elephant and my Uncle would like me to do an elephant for him), the next baby project for Danielle, or a different project...who knows?

My class reunion was alright. Not as many of my class mates showed as I hoped would. My graduating class was 577. Only 81 of us showed. It was a lot of fun though. I was able to reconnect with a couple of people I considered excellent friends in high school. I even exchanged e-mail addresses with them.

I went to a couple of movies (different days) with a classmate that was more like a great protective big brother than any classmate! We saw the "Lion King" in 3-D and Money Ball. We also had dinner. Thank, Jeff! :)

I was also able to reconnect with the person that was a great friend to me before Jack and I married. She was my Maid of Honor. We lost track of each other after I moved out of Fresno, but I looked her up when I was in Fresno and we went out to lunch and exchanged information. She told me that she is a newly wed. Jack and I are so happy for her. I was so glad we were able to reconnect, Gail! :)

My mom and I went to Santa Barbara and visited my Dad's cousin. She is doing very well. She told me she would love to have my "Footprints in the Sand" project. She wants me to send it to her and she will turn it into a pillow. She will send me a picture of it when completed. I really enjoyed seeing her. The last time I saw her was the day Jack and I married. That was over 23 years ago.

Dad, Mom and I also went to Carmel and went to the Aquarium, and Fisherman's Warf there. Dad bought a very nice lunch. I bought various gifts for my friends and family in Illinois. I took pictures of the ocean for Jack while we were there. He said if there is anything about California he misses, it is the ocean.

My friend Michele flew out here the same day I flew home and has been here since. She flies home next Saturday. Sarah led Michele, Rachel and me on a ride out at Thunderwolf earlier today. We all really enjoyed it. In this picture, Rachel is wearing the helmet, something Thunderwolf requires for children 13 and under, Sarah is standing, me, and then Michele. We had just returned from a one hour ride. Sarah will be 17 in two days. I think she will have a great birthday this year.

Well I believe that is all the info I have for you now. I hope everyone is doing well. Have a great week, everyone!

Busy! Busy! Busy!

Picture one of 'Amazing Grace' was scanned on 8/31, when I originally started trying to update my blog. Picture two was scanned on 9/22.

Wow! I have been very busy the past few weeks! I had wanted to spend more time on the computer, especially when Jack and the girls were in Dallas, but that idea failed when I discovered that one of the girls had somehow jammed the keyboard part of my desk in and I couldn't get it unstuck! Believe me I tried! I was able to spend a few minutes here and there on the computer while they were gone, but I had to have the keyboard either atop the desk or on my lap. When it was atop the desk, it was too high to comfortably use, when on my lap, too low.

I did manage to get in a lot of stitching on 'Amazing Grace' while everyone was gone. Since Jack and the girls have returned from Dallas, I have managed to stitch on it as well. In late August I did a big part of the green vines and outlining of the green leaves at the top as well as the gold on the right. (I originally back-stitched the gold on top in green and then realized that it should have been done in blue so I have frogged most of that.) I have stitched the progress on this project in September, so I feel good about my progress. As you can see between the two pictures (the first scanned in late August and the second scanned September 22) I have managed to get quite a bit of stitching done on 'Amazing Grace' during September. I really believe that if I am allowed to sit and stitch, I'll be able to get it completed by the time I go to California in the end of September. My flight is on the morning of September 28. I will be in California until October 8. I hope to get the 'Precious Moments' pattern done too, but I am uncertain if that is possible. Then again, "All things are possible with God!" My hope is that if I cannot finish one or both patterns before I get to California that I'll be able to finish them while I am there.

Jack and the girls did enjoy themselves a great deal in Dallas. Jack told me the girls behaved themselves on the way down, but on the way home it seemed like one big argument. He said he was so glad that he went. He got to have some serious reconnect time with his sister, which was needed.

Both girls are doing well in school this year. Earlier this week we received their mid-quarter report cards. Rachel has straight A's and Sarah has all A's except in Chemistry and PE. In those classes she has a B.

The central air was installed a couple of days before Jack and the girls returned from Dallas, and is working fabulously! The people who installed whatever necessary to make the basement no longer leak did that a few days after the return from Dallas. We have had one major rain storm, and that was the night after the system installation completed, but the ground was so dry from lack of rain, no one had any flooding. Usually this time of year people are having to mow their grass a minimum of once a week to prevent it from getting too tall. However, that isn't the case right now. I mowed a day or two before everyone went to Dallas and then not again until August 27. I didn't mow it again until last weekend (September 17).

Jack and I bought a new washer and dryer in late August. They were delivered August 30. My dryer has been acting up for awhile and finally just stopped working altogether a few days before we decided on getting the set. My washer died just before the Dallas trip. We looked into getting a used set, but we also wanted one of the washers that doesn't have the agitator in the middle. We could find no used sets w/o agitators. We also talked about if we got a new set, we wouldn't have to worry about breakdown for a long time to come. I believe it is a very good investment.

Also, we have been painting the outside of the house the past few days. The last time we painted the house was a bit more than 12 years ago. I was pregnant with our 12 year old at the time. We painted it Snickerdoodle yellow at the time. Now we are painting it white. It will be trimmed in dark brown. That 12 year old has helped a great deal with the painting. Our 16 year old has helped too, but she wasn't here as much. All of the stucco is painted white. The basement wall and porch are what will be brown. That is near completion. I'd say another few hours of painting and we will be done.

Wes graduated from boot-camp on August 26 and is now at AIT, which is where he will learn to be a mechanic. He is now stationed in Missouri. He will get to come home for the first time since reporting to boot-camp in late October. The countdown is on. We all want to see him. Wes found out last week where he will be stationed when he returns after his time off in late October. He will be going to Korea. He is a bit nervous about that but I think he will be fine. He's not sure how long he will be gone overseas, but he will find out soon, if I understand right.

Jack's birthday was The last weekend of August.. He went and smoked a piece of meat on the smoker/bbq that was given to him for Father's Day. It turned out wonderful! We had some of our best friends over and had a wonderful time. Jack isn't normally big on birthday celebrations but I got the feeling he was happy we had this one.

The one sad thing that has happened recently is on the night of August 20, our little Boston Terrier either ran into a car or was it by a car. I had let her out to do her final business for the night, and she ended up darting into the street. She severely broke her jaw and had a hairline fracture of her pelvis. No other injuries. She was very lucky. We took her to the emergency vet and she was hospitalized for 2 nights. The night it happened and the next night. Her surgery was Monday, August 22 in the morning and she came home later that afternoon. She had to eat soft food until last week. Her jaw is still wired. The wire will be removed in late October. The hairline fracture of her pelvis has healed without any issues. She is back to her jumping all over the place self. It is good to see. Now we just hope she has learned to not run in the street! One of the things I really want to do is put a fence around our back yard, but we just haven't been able to afford it. I am hoping we can find the funds to do that soon though!

Rachel is involved in cheerleading again this year with one of the local youth football teams She is a varsity cheerleader on the Chargers. Jack is 'Uncle Stumpy', the voice of the Chargers again this year. The first year he did the announcing for them was last year, the same year that was Rachel's first year on the squad. Rachel can be on the squad until she reaches high school. Jack is thinking he'd like to stay announcing even after Rachel is too old to cheer. I think it is very good for him. It gives him something to do and he loves football.

Sarah is looking forward to getting her driver's license soon. Here in Illinois the teenagers must have their driving permits at least 9 months and log at least 10 hours at night and 60 hours during daytime hours before they can even try for their actual license. She reached the amount of hours a long time ago and her nine months was up September 9. She is anxious to go down and get it. She will probably go down next week after I am in California. She is a pretty good driver, though she does drive me crazy sometimes, trying to tell me how to drive. I have been driving a lot longer than she has. One day hopefully she will realize that mom does know how to drive. She will turn 17 in mid October. I know she is at the age when she knows everything and mom knows nothing.

I have been getting ready for my trip too and feel just about ready. I need to go to Champaign a bit later today and get my brace adjusted. It seems like I am dragging my foot a bit and I want to get that fixed before I go. I have also trimmed my hair about a week ago. I called my doctor and had them submit a refill for my meds so I'd have enough for the trip and ended up going to the doctor because I have a constant humming in my right ear right now. It has been going on since my last cold (the beginning of September. There is fluid in my inner ear. It isn't infected fluid, just fluid. The doctor put me on a nasal spray and said if it doesn't help by late October that I'll have to go see an ear/nose/throat doctor and have to have a tube put in the ear again. I had one in the ear before and it has fallen out somewhere along the line.

Well I hope to post pictures for you when I get back from my trip. I recently found our 35mm camera and plan on taking it with me. Thanks to everyone for your patience with me. I will try and be better in updating this blog and staying in touch with my groups, but I have to get back from California first. Take care everyone!

Boy, It has Been Quiet!

Since my last post, I have been stitching on my "Precious Moments" piece for my Great Niece. I scanned this picture today. The last time I stitched on it was yesterday. I am going to rotate back to "Amazing Grace" for a bit now. I feel like I have gotten alot done in the past two or so weeks since I went back to working on 'Precious Moments". I have the full length of the pattern in, most of the small flowers of quilt in (only color left there isw pink), some of the white part of quilt completed, all but the pink part of the rug in, and I have started on the girl's face. What I have left to do is the rest of her face, as well as her hands and feet, the nightgown, the rest of the white in the quilt and the verse as well as the backstitching of the whole thing.

My plan is to work on "Amazing Grace" for a t least a couple of weeks and then swap out again. Now that I figured out the problem with "Amazing Grace" ~~ the flowers between the verses off two to the left ~~ I can start on it again with confidence!

Jack and the girls left Monday morning for Dallas via rental car. They stopped in Memphis for dinner and then East of Little Rock for the night. After starting their drive again, they got to Dallas nine hours later. That was Tuesday early evening. Jack used yesterday to recoup from the drive. He hasn't driven like that since his days of driving a semi. That has been 10 years ago now. Boy, thats hard to believe! Anyway, they got there safe and sound.

I am unsure how to describe what I am feeling. I haven't been this far away from Jack since he stopped driving semi. I have actually watched the television in our family room, played music on my computer, and went to sleep in my recliner. I have been getting some of the cleaning done that I wanted. I also got the girls registered for their respective schools and even went out to lunch with mybest friend from church. I plan on stitching some tonight.

Everyone have a great couple of weeks!