Last day of NaBloPoMo

And I've managed 25 posts in 30 days.  Not perfect, but not bad overall.

I've put the finishing touches on my November Favorites page.  You all are so inspiring! 

Is anybody else sick of turkey?  I've eaten leftover turkey so much in the past few days that I think I'm growing a wattle.

Tonight I need to finish my book club book:  The French Gardener.  It's so NOT my style of book.  But I'll finish it because I'm a book club member, dammit, and how can I criticize them for not reading my book if I don't follow through on their book?  I think I need a break from this club for a couple months. 

They are gone...

And I am tired.

And I'll get the house in order again and then guess what?  They'll be back.

I only worked one day last week, so I have loads of job-type catching up to do. 

I sure would love a cozy chair and a cup of coffee and some time to stitch!

Santa has arrived!

Well, actually six Santas!  I've already received the Santa charts I purchased from the ebay seller.  I paid for them on the 23rd and had them in my hand on the 27th, and there was even a holiday thrown into the middle there!

So I've more or less rounded out my collection of the PS Santa cards with this order, and I also picked up the Kris Kringle leaflet (PS # 62).  Last year Carol stitched one of these Santas for me and I've wanted the leaflet ever since.  There are still two cards that I'm missing.  One I don't particularly care for and the other I honestly don't remember.  So I'm happy!

Anyway, I said that I'd tell you the seller's name after I received my order and decided that it was a good experience.  So I think I can safely recommend  Handmade N More over on ebay.  Maybe you'll find something that's been on your wishlist?

The SAL continues

I'm a little late showing my progress here, what with the holiday and all of its preparations.  Tuesday I barely managed 30 minutes, but on Wednesday I needed to calm down a little and this was close at hand, so LLL got another 30 minutes.

I hope that you all had a lovely day yesterday, whether it was out and about with lots of family or curled up cozy and quiet in your house.  My daughter and I went to the local Turkey Trot early in the morning yesterday.  For one reason or another (mostly that it was raining and I kept waffling about going), I got there 5 minutes late.  As in AFTER the start.  Yuck.  So I had to run the first half mile even to catch the end of the pack of walkers.  Through the rest of the race I moved up into near the middle of the walking pack, but I have no idea what my time was.  I literally walked through the chute and directly to my car so I could get cooking!  And after running the first half mile, my time wouldn't have been anything meaningful anyway. 

Well, the holiday Candied Sweet Potato discussion went exactly as I said it would.  I just sat back and smiled.  And in Wednesday's post I should have mentioned that my MIL is a great person.  She's 84 years old now and so she's bound to have her quirks.  And all in all, she's a very good sport when we tease her.  But she's fun to write about.

My mother, on the other hand?  More drama than you'd ever imagine.  I won't even go there.

Today is turkey soup day.  Yesterday I had two turkeys.  We decided to try a smoked turkey from a barbecue place, so on Wednesday I had picked up this giant sized, fully cooked and smoked bird.  But on Thursday I also roasted a turkey breast, just in case nobody liked the smoked turkey.

The result?  They all liked the smoked turkey well enough, but preferred my traditional roasted turkey.  Although I think that the smoked turkey would have been good if it had been served at a party maybe, with cold salads and snacks.

So anyway, I'm making soup from the roasted breast, and I took the wings off the smoked turkey and put them in another soup pot   I'm not sure how the smoked turkey will cook up as soup.

Do any of you know?  Have you made soup from a smoked turkey? 

Pitt vs WVU at 12 noon.  Besides being the one game that I try never to miss, it also means a couple hours out of the kitchen and off my feet!

Go Pitt!

Mental preparation

 First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who is celebrating tomorrow!

I love Thanksgiving.  I really do.  I'm not crazy about the shopping part, but I love cooking the meal and I love to dress up the table and of course...I love to eat.

But I still have to mentally prepare for the arrival of my extended family.   It begins with me understanding that no one will offer to bring anything, but that when they arrive, they'll offer to "help".  In O'Neil Speak, that means that they want to make the gravy but nothing else.  Then great numbers of people stand around the stove to supervise the stirring and random tossing of the flour.  There will be cries of "That's too much salt!"  or "Well, I don't do it that way," or "Turn up the heat," or "Turn down the heat." Whether two of them come - or six - or eight - it's always the same.  And they create a huge mess in my kitchen.

Well, the joke's on them this year, because I've already made the gravy.  I fried up a couple turkey wings and made my usual pan gravy and I guarantee you they'll be flummoxed. I'll put them to work buttering the rolls instead and then they can all argue about the proper way to butter rolls.  And they can't make too much of a mess.

Oh, I need to back up a little bit.  My MIL will bring her candied yams and no one will eat them.  The dinner conversation will go exactly the same as it has gone for the past 27 years:

MIL:  Doesn't anyone want my sweet potatoes?
Family:  Murmur, murmur, murmur.
MIL:  Gosh, doesn't anyone like candied sweet potatoes? 
                            (side note - I like them, but hers are truly awful)
Family:  Tense silence.
MIL:  David, won't you eat some candied sweet potatoes?
My husband:  No. 
MIL:  Why not?
My husband:  I've never eaten your candied sweet potatoes.  I don't like candied sweet potatoes.
MIL:  You won't even try them.
My husband:  I don't want them. I have never eaten one in my entire life.
MIL:  Well gee whiz, nobody's eating my sweet potatoes.


And just because I'm in a holiday kind of mood, I'll stop there.  But trust me...that was the short version.  It'll continue on, even as we're clearing the dishes and putting things away.  And it'll ratchet up again when we're making plates to send home with people, because once again, everyone will decline the offer to take home candied sweet potatoes.

Ah family.  Gotta love them!  And 25 years from now, I can't wait to read what my daughter-in-law is writing about me in her blog!  I will fully appreciate the justice of the situation. 

Have a lovely day tomorrow, everyone!

Misbehaving

My decision to pull back on my needlework buying hasn't been exactly successful.  I'll tell you, the only way I'll be successful at this is if I stop going on line.  Period.  No email, no blogs, no ebay.  No online activity at all.  Because otherwise, it's like saying that I'm not going to eat any chocolate, but all the while I'm swimming in a pool of it.  So I'm doomed.

Anyway, I was awfully bad today.  There I was, lurking around ebay and I found an ebay seller with several of the Prairie Schooler Santa cards that I needed to round out my collection.   And they were actually reasonable.  Like under $3.00 each and shipping was just basic postage for one combined package. Really.  Really.

After I receive my package, I'll tell you the seller's name.  In case any of you all who read here from time to time need a PS fix....



 

It was a long day on the road today

At least it sure felt that way.  Too many errands to run and stops along the way home from my daughter's college.  At least I had the good advice of a stitching friend, (Linda...when will you start that blog, girl?)  who told me that Olive Garden sells their soups to take out by the half gallon.  So my last stop was at the Wheeling Olive Garden to buy a half gallon of Minestrone soup to bring home.  I put it together with a salad and some frozen rolls and that made my life so much easier tonight.

And that's all for tonight.  Tired, tiredness.

Evidently I'm not the only one

So, you're all 'fessing up now about your hot pad issues, huh?  I was very happy to know that I'm not the only one running around like a maniac saying, "Don't put that hot dish on the table! Get a hot pad!  Oh...you want to know where they are?  Well...um....I don't know."

I found some inexpensive pads at Big Lots.  Not terribly attractive, but they'll do the trick and I was tired of shopping.  My shopping attention span (for things other than needlework) is about...Oh wait.  It's over already.

I get to bring my darling daughter home from school for the holiday break tomorrow, and that means that the boyfriend will be here for at least a few days, too.  It weirds me out a little, but there are so many things about having nearly-adult children that weird me out anyway.  In other words, Dave and I are adapting.  Accepting the weird as the new normal.  And it could be worse.  We like him well enough.  It would suck if we disliked him.

Then my son will be home for the holiday on Tuesday and that means some belly laughs and great conversation.  It also means that my fridge will be emptied.  And the couch won't see the light of day.

So the Thanksgiving countdown continues.  Most of the shopping is finished, except for buying some of the things that need to be last minute or else they won't be fresh.  Salad greens, mushrooms, etc. The china is ready and the crystal is dusted.  And in a few minutes I'll start cooking.  What I've learned over the years is that the Thanksgiving meal is the tip of the iceberg.  I still have five other dinners to prepare.  And lunches?  Dude.  Go to Subway.  It's only two miles away. 

So right now I'm starting meatballs and a chicken casserole.  But first, let me show you what I was stitching last night.  I'm very nearly done.

Last night's stitching

It's another dreary day.  Thank goodness I'm addicted to collecting very bright stitching lamps, or else this photo would be awfully gray.

I left off stitching in mid-leaf last night.  Why did I do that? 

Today my Thanksgiving job is to dust off the china and crystal and make sure I have enough serving plates and bowls.  And to go to Altmeyers for some extra hot pads.  I never think about them until I'm hunting around for them at 4:55 for serving a 5:00 meal. And then I only have, like, three and I'll probably need five. 

So if having enough hot pads is the only thing that goes right on Thursday?  Well, I'll still consider the meal a success.

Feeling much better tonight

It felt like I spent an eternity in the dentist's chair yesterday, although it was really only two hours.  Still, I felt the effects of my little yellow pill all day.  I wasn't tired - just in slow motion.  And kinda stupid.  And this morning it felt like I had a hangover.  Ah well,  I still think the medicine is worthwhile. 

I feel so much better tonight, and stitched on my PS Santa for a couple hours. 

I'm getting into the Thanksgiving Countdown starting tomorrow.  So much to do, but I think I have enough time.  Of course, those are my famous last words.  We'll see what song I'm singing on Wednesday night...

The dentist is not my friend

I have a really long dentist appointment this morning, and because I'm a total wimp, I'll take some happy pills so that I don't get all crazy in the dentist's chair.  A few years ago I would have judged the heck out of anyone who needed to do this.  But now?  I just don't care.  They can try all of the soft music or TV distractions they can muster.  After a certain amount of time I'm just toast, so I'm glad for my little pills.

Am I the only one to think this, but why is it that every time I go to the dentist or doctor for one thing, it turns out to be something else and the treatment is way more complicated than I'd expect.  And the treatment is worse than the original problem?

Yuck.

Stitching a little, shopping a little

Here's my Tuesday SAL progress on LLL.  At first I was second guessing my green choice, but as the thread played out, I decided that I liked it again.  It's just a little more subdued in color than I originally though it would be.

I'm using Belle Soie silks colors Old Crow, Poison Apple and Herb Garden.  The fabric is PTP Heritage.

I worked on Rise and Shine a bit before we headed out to Youngstown on Saturday. And I even ironed it for you to get rid of the embarrassing wrinkles.

And then I worked on a small gift in the car over the weekend, but it's not photo ready yet.

So - the Youngstown Ohio Hobby Lobby? Kind of a bust.  Has HL changed, or did I just not notice that they are much more heavily into home decor than other craft stores?  I came away spending only a few dollars.  Seriously - under $10.00.

My goal was to find a Mighty Bright floor lamp, but their craft lamp section amounted to one Ott floor light (that I already have) and a couple of the old style Ott folding lamps. 

OK, so I left with a Christmas apron and a couple of small easels, but no worries, because there was a big Joann's around the corner and (miracle of miracles) I actually had unexpired Joann's coupons in my bag! 

Well now, Joann's had the lamp, but it was marked the ridiculous price of $124.99.  Any stitching shopper who knows her lamps knows that this lamp retails for $99.99.  Now, with my 40% off coupon at Joann's, that would have come to $74.99, but that inflated price really burned my butt.  And in fact, Amazon is selling it for $66.99 with free shipping.  So I walked out without it.

So the quest continues.

In happier news, we had a fabulous meal at the Youngstown Carraba's Restaurant.  Why the Carraba's people chose to skip over the Pittsburgh restaurant marked is beyond me.   They've put restaurants in Philly, Lancaster and then whoops!  No restaurants until clear over in Youngstown. 

And then the next day we drove to Vermilion to pick up some crazy-huge stereo speakers, but somehow our timing was off and we arrived in Vermilion an hour early.  So to kill some time, Dave wanted to take a ride into the downtown area and see Lake Erie.

So there we went, la, la, la, riding down wee little Main Street on a Sunday at lunchtime and I was thinking that this is the kind of town where nothing is open on a Sunday.  So we were seeing the water ahead of us, when suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I spied something and yelled, STOP THE CAR! 

It was a sweet little needlework shop!  And it was OPEN.  On a SUNDAY! So I visited  Clare's Stitching Post.  You know how sometimes you see a sign or a Yellow Pages ad and it has a name like that and then you discover that it's really a knitting and yarn store. Or (worse yet) a place that does custom machine embroidery?  And you go away all bummed out.  I was completely prepared to be sad, but Clare's is all about cross stitch.  It's a new shop, and it's quite small, but she has lovely things.  And new things, which was really nice.  Some little shops just have the same-old-same-old.  It's like they won't spend the money on new merchandise until the old stuff is sold and I totally don't get that.

But anyway, what a neat little town!  Besides shopping at Clare's (where I bought LK's 2010 snowman, along with threads and fabric), I did some damage in a candle shop and a chocolate shop, and I had an excellent cup of coffee at a sandwich shop. 

It was a great day...

Really, turkeys?

It's this close to Thanksgiving and you parade through my front yard like that?

Tonight is Live, Love, Laugh SAL night for Joy, Karen and me.  Stitching pictures tomorrow!

Thank you, everyone

I wasn't as specific as I should have been when I wrote my post about thankfulness. My dad died in 2007, but my post made it sound like he had just passed recently.  I'm so sorry if I alarmed or misled anyone.  I have a bad habit of thinking that you all can read my mind and know exactly what I mean all the time!

Regardless, Thank you to everyone who sent me messages of condolence after reading my story.  Are the people who read my blog only the most considerate people ever?  I think so...

 

My answer to Thankful

There are so many times when I’ve been thankful for my ability to stitch.  There have been some really button-busting moments, like when my brother, a grown man, cried when I gave his baby son a simple and sweet sampler.  There have been some blue ribbons and red ribbons at fairs.  I know this is very vague, but there have been times when stitching has made me feel connected when I was in a disconnected state of mind.  And there have been times that my stitching has opened a world of new friendships for me. 

But there is one time that stands out in my mind, front and center, so I’ll tell you about that.  Back in 2007 I was scheduled to go to a cross stitch retreat, but my dad had just died.  And I mean just.  We buried him on a Monday and the retreat started Thursday.  So I was really raw.  A wreck.  I didn’t want to go, but my husband told me that maybe it would be good for me, so I went. (Love that guy.  He can be so smart.)

What a blessing.  I can’t tell you how peaceful it was, sending my needle in and out and listening to the other ladies talking.  I didn’t have to be….anything.  Just a stitcher.  And just like the constant motion of the needle, I could feel that life went on again.  It may not have been the same, but it went on. 

So I’ll always be thankful that my stitching brought me to that retreat and gave me peace while I was there.

Dave's addiction

It all started so innocently.  My husband wanted a 1960's man-cave (thank you very much, Don Draper).  And this man-cave needed the perfect stereo system.  And now it's been a two year quest for this, that and the other component. 

Often I'll ride along to some of these distant towns.  I'm one of those lucky women who can stitch in the car, so there's that. And if I go, I can be guaranteed a really nice meal and sometimes some shopping of my own.

Today will take us near Youngstown, Ohio and that means a trip to Hobby Lobby!  Oh Baby!  If it's as big as the one I visited in Tulsa, Dave could be in serious trouble.  He's a good sport though, and even printed off his own 40% off coupon.  You know, in case I need to buy more than one thing.  You can stop laughing now.

Welcome to Wrinkle World

Here are two pieces I've been working on lately.  And they're terribly wrinkled because I didn't press them before snapping the pictures.  The sun is so elusive at this time of year, and so when I see the sun I run for the camera.

First up...the 1994 PS Santa card.   He'll have his hat on soon.  At least now he has a face. Stitched on 19 ct. linen with 4 strands of DMC

And next is La D Da's Rise and Shine. I'm enjoying this a lot. Not only because it's such a happy verse to stitch, but because it uses three simple colors.  Wonderful.  Stitched on bittersweet linen with two strands WDW threads.  The photo has a rather blue cast to it.  Not quite right, but you get the idea.

It's time to start planning my Thanksgiving meal.  Turkeys are easy enough...it's the side dishes that get me.  Not that I'm not good at them...just that I'm bored to tears with them.  On the other hand, my family doesn't eat very adventurously.  I just have to find a happy compromise.

Ask and Receive

Yippee!  It seems that I've found two willing victims stitchers to help me along with Live, Love, Laugh (which from now on will be called "LLL")

My little minions new buddies are off gathering and ordering their supplies now.  I couldn't be happier!

Walking

On Tuesdays and Thursdays (and almost always one weekend day), I walk with a buddy.  On Monday, Wednesday, Friday and the other weekend day, I walk alone.  It's a nice mix, because walking alone can get lonely, but being with someone else all the time can get tiresome. 

So today I was alone and feeling pretty good.  I got a little lost in the music, which is nice.  And as usual my mind flits here and there, often landing on whatever project is in my HandiClamps.  Today it was La D Da's Live, Love, Laugh.  I've been admiring that forever.  Bought it at the shop hop in May and finally got it started over the weekend. 

But am I foolish to start anything at this time of year?  Because shortly I'll be wishing and dreaming about a bunch Christmas projects and "LLL" will be gathering dust. 

If I had a plan (and if I stuck to a plan) I could probably choose one day each week to stitch LLL.  But I've only ever stuck to a stitching plan once in my life and that was only because I had a partner.  So maybe what I need is a SAL partner. 

How about it?  Any takers?

Erie Getaway Part 2

First off, I want you to see what I received for our stitched exchange. It's this lovely pincushion!

I just love having special accessories near me while I'm stitching.  I love gadgets to begin with, but there's nothing like the feeling of being immersed in your hobby.  You know...the feeling you get from having all of your tools right next to you?  Like when you sit down and you feel your mind say, "This is where I belong."  I wish I could describe it better, because it's a great feeling.  Needless to say, I'll think of the fun weekend and our friendship every time I use this.

Oh - I forgot to mention that the package I gave had some Fallingwater souvenirs in it, and the package I received had a wonderful book from a local author and some tasty treats, including wine jelly and apple salsa! 

Also, if you're interested in visiting the Lake Erie Wine Country, you can go to this website to get started.  It's pretty comprehensive and no publication can list everything, but it's a good place to start.

Back from Erie and back to NaBloPoMo!

This will be Part One as I write about this past weekend's long awaited stitching girls' trip to Erie. Well, not quite Erie, but North East, which is a small and lovely town just east of Erie. Six of us got together at a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend of stitching and laughing and eating and wine tasting. Our innkeeper couldn't have been more gracious (which may have been a challenge since we more or less took over her inn!)  and I'd recommend Peg's Grape Arbor Bed and Breakfast to anyone planning a trip to the area Erie area or its surrounding wine country.

I've been to other B&B's before.  Not a bunch...only two others.  But this one was head and shoulders above those places.  Spotlessly clean.  Wonderful bedding. Beautifully decorated.  And the 4 course gourmet breakfast?  Unbelievable.  And the cost was very reasonable.  You'll pay the same (or more) at the local Holiday Inn Express, and there isn't a place for you and your friends to gather comfortably.  And can I tell you again about the breakfast??  You won't get that 4 course breakfast at a hotel.  More like cold hardboiled eggs and bad coffee.  Needless to say, I'd go back in a heartbeat.

OK, so although this was a very low-key and unstructured trip, we all thought it would be nice to do some kind of small stitched exchange gift to swap with each other.  We all stitched a "small" and then created a gift package with some "extras" that were unique to our locality. 

Today I'll show you what I stitched (tomorrow I'll show you what I received!).  I stitched a pinkeep and the design is "My Pink House" from BBD's Needle and Thread book.  I adapted it to suit our purposes by removing the alphabet and numbers, and recharting it by adding the year above the house, and "Erie" and the grapes below the house.  In the second picture you can see the backing fabric that I used - from the BBD line of Moda fabrics.  It was super fun to stitch, although I wish I had started it earlier.  (story of my life)

More tomorrow!

October Favorite Posts page

I went for my walk this morning and it was so beautiful out.  Really cold, but really lovely.  The frost was glittering off the grass and it was like walking in a fairy tale.

I’ve updated my October Favorites this morning.  Click over there and maybe you’ll find a new-to-you blog to love!

Day 2 of NaBloPoMo

I'm totally groovin' to Springsteen's The Promise while I'm writing this.  Although it won't be released until November 15, you can listen to it over at NPR's First Listen.  It has a very vintage feel to it.  While I wouldn't want to go back to my teenage years, I love that this album reminds me of driving around Philly with my girlfriends, car windows open, singing along with Bruce on the radio at the top of our lungs. 

How about you?  What did you sing at the top of your lungs when you were a teenager?

I wish I could show you some stitching today, but nothing wants its picture taken just yet.  My PS Santa is still headless and it's just too sad to photograph headless things.  A project that's closest to being finished is an exchange gift, so I won't show that until it's been given.  (Yes, Erie girls - I'm still working on it!) 

Two days till our stitching weekend.  I neeeeeed this.

November SBQ: Thankful

Many of us in the US will be celebrating Thanksgiving later this month. Even if you’re not celebrating Thanksgiving in particular, it feels like at this time of year – holiday time, end of the year, etc. – many of us start taking stock of our lives and counting our blessings.   With that in mind, here’s this month’s Stitching Bloggers’ Question:

Tell us about a time that you were especially thankful for your ability to do needlework.  Try not to answer in generalities, but rather try to answer with a specific time, event, or happening that made you very thankful that you could stitch.  For instance, maybe your needlework got you through a difficult time.  Maybe your needlework made a happy time even happier.  Or perhaps your talent and skill created a wonderful situation.  You get the idea.