Day 21

My daughter leaves for New Zealand this morning and I can scarcely think of anything else.
I hate how I don't get nervous about things until the very last minute.  I think I'm all calm, cool and collected, then  I lose it at the last minute.  It happens every time, so I don't know why I'm so surprised this morning.

You know what's weird?  When your children start going places without you.  When you have to trust that they'll  be able to manage on their own in places that you know almost nothing about.

It's gonna be a long 4 1 /2 months....

Day 20

Good morning gang!  I've missed posting over the past few days because I was away at a stitching retreat.  Now, normally I would have taken my iPad or a laptop or some reasonable way of keeping in touch.  Thursday morning I was congratulating myself all the way to the retreat, because for once I was on time and not running around like a chicken with my head cut off.  So, la, la, la...happy, happy me, with thoughts of how wonderful I am running through my head as I drove the highways and byways, only to arrive, open my trunk,  and...........Whaaaaaaaaat?  I was missing a big bag.  And that meant no iPad, no book, no medicine, no special coffee, no special tea and NO WINE.  Somehow as I was packing the car, I left that whole bag behind on a chair in the living room. 

My stitching friend Debbie, who is always calm, cool and collected said, "Lee, do you have your stitching?"  Yes.  "And do you have your clothes?" Yes.  "Then everything will be fine."

Don't you love how she prioritized my life in two questions?  #1:  Stitching.  #2:  Clothing.  And even if I had forgotten clothing, I had enough fabric packed and enough friends with needles there that we could have stitched together some kind of crazy outfit for me to wear. 

But anyway, I'm back from a weekend of total stitching immersion, and now continuing with the February theme of people, places and things that I love.  Now, I don't know whether to call this a place or a thing - I love stitching retreats.

I've been to several - near and far - and let me tell you, if you can find one, GO.  Here are links to shop sponsored retreats I've written about in my blog over the years.

Silver Needle 2007 - My maiden voyage. Read here and more here
Silver Needle 2008 - Here
Hearts Desire camp 2011 - here and here
Cross My Heart camp 2009 - here

Then there are the getaways formed by a bunch of stitchers that one day look at each other and say, "Hey!  Let's go somewhere!".  Those are awesome.  And it doesn't even need to be a whole weekend.  I went to one marathon stitch day in a Holiday Inn that went from 8AM till 11PM.  Also very great.  So if you can't find a retreat, you can create one.  It's just a matter of finding a couple of like-minded stitchers, a date and a place.  And speaking of like-minded stitchers, here's the group of lovely and fascinating women I spent a long weekend with.  A few are missing - Ginny, Brenda and Judy, but here are the rest!  We were (starting on the left) Colleen, Patty, Nancy, Denise, Janice, Shirley, Linda, Debbie and Donna. 

Playing

Working

 We spent the weekend at a retreat center called Villa Maria, near New Castle PA, a totally peaceful and perfect place.  There was a chapel attached, and you know my fondness for stained glass.

Stitching that I love today was our sole finish of the weekend, by the ever-cool Deb.  It wasn't because we were fooling around, but that we all had these BAP's.  But back to Debbie - She finished her Ann Sandles sampler.  Such a beauty!  I wish I had taken close-ups, but you get the idea.

Day 15

I love books. I think I've had my nose buried in a book since I first learned to read.  The format of a book doesn't really matter to me.   I love a nice book-in-hand, I love audio books and I love ebooks.  But I'm not fond of newspapers and magazines.  They have too many distractions for me.

Here's a neat little YouTube video - I know it has made the rounds on blogs and Facebook, but maybe it'll be new to some of you:

I'm really close to finishing the sampler I started on my birthday last year.  Really, really close! I just need to stop hip-hopping around and finish a few areas.  (and start the border, but let's not talk about that right now)  Like newspaper reading, this sampler holds too many distractions for me! 

Antique Sampler, by The Sampler House (Eileen Bennett)

Day 14

Happy Valentine's Day to all my fellow bloggers!

Day 14 brings me to Ireland, a place that I love.  I could go back in a heartbeat. I went on and on about this trip last year, so I won't subject you to that again.  I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Here's some more of my very own stitching, too, adapted from an older Blackbird Designs chart to make a Spring ornament. Well...it may become an ornament if it finds its way out of my pile of Unfinished Finishes. 

Center motif from BBD's 2004 Country Garden although I removed one part of the design and added the word Spring and the little heart.   Stitched on 32ct. PTP Doubloon Jobelan, with Crescent Colors, WDW and DMC threads.  I plan to use the HDF silk chenille in this photo when I finish it. 

Days 11, 12, and 13

I got a little behind with my February posts.  I don't want to whine about my neck anymore, but I'll still use it as an excuse.  Some days I want to rip my neck off my body, but then where would my head sit?

And I'd look like this guy. 

Not a pretty idea

Alrighty...today I want to show you some of the far away stitching friends I love. I don't have pictures of everyone.  The combination of me always forgetting to pack my camera, my lack of photography skills and a couple of camera-shy friends means that not all of you are here in this collage.  But you get the idea. 

Don't worry nearby stitching girls - you're coming up soon!

 

Call me lucky....I've been able to meet fellow stitchers from all over the world.  Sometimes I've come to them and sometimes they've come to me, but whichever - it's been wonderful fun.  There are my Kansas Girls, my Philly Girls, and my Erie Girls.  I also still have friends from my pre-computer, ink and paper pen-pal days, including Hella and Anna from Lubeck Germany with me in the photo on the right side, and Elizabeth from Australia with me in my driveway on the left side.  These lovely women and their families have visited with me a few times and it's always a treat.
 
And now that Dave and I are starting our camper adventures, who knows where else I'll have "girls"? 

Stitching that I love today is my very own!  Yes, I'm not borrowing from someone else's blog today! 

The first year that my daughter was away at college, I stitched her a Valentine.  And I've continued to do it each year.  I hope it becomes part of our mother-daughter story.  This year I stitched "Heart Happy".  Really fun!

Day 10

Lamps.  I adore lamps!  And this one is my favorite, bought from the gift shop when I worked at Kentuck Knob.  It totally belongs in my house.  The stained glass artist started with the style of the Tiffany maple leaf lamp, but then added his own touches to it - particularly the red berries - and made it even more appealing.  Every night that I light this lamp, it makes me happy.

No stitchery pics today because I don't have the author's permission. ( Not that she wouldn't give it, just that I forgot to ask for it and now I'm writing this post and thinking about how forgetful I am)  Do you remember how we were wondering about who would care for and keep our stitching in future generations?  Well, Susan Elliot wrote a very interesting article about the importance of the stories behind our family treasures.  I thought it was very thought-provoking and it makes me want to catalog every sampler I have hanging in the house.One of these days I should attach notes or stories to the back of each one.  It would be a fun exercise.

And could it count as housework, too?  Moving the samplers around will stir up at least a little dust.

Day NIne

I love my city.  Even though I live 50 miles away, Pittsburgh will always feel like it's my city.  It's the place where I grew up.  I mean really grew up.  The kind of growing up you do when you leave your childhood home.

I love its many neighborhoods. I love its downtown (ahem.....dahntahn). I love its sports teams.  I love its libraries, parks, museums, colleges and hospitals.  Sure, its winter is long and it always rains on the Three Rivers Arts Festival, but there are days of glorious sunshine, too.

I just wish it had a few cross stitch shops.  Then it would be perfect.

Today's stitching that I love comes from Meari, who completed Carol's Mystery Sampler and finished it as a lovely box. (Carol kindly posted a tutorial for the box completion, too)  Don't you just love needlework tools?  And don't you just love to have a wonderful place to store them?  I think this box finish by Meari is wonderful.  What showpiece for keeping your favorite things. 

Thanks Meari, for letting me use your photos!