Well. I was going to finish the birth sampler for my new nephew, but the project I just put in my left sidebar was calling out to me instead.

It's just the kind of mood I'm in. Just freakin' do it. Because I said so.

Yes, I AM the boss of you.

I'm going to hang it in the busiest place of my house...the kitchen.

It's about halfway done. If all goes well, I'll have a finished pic by the end of Sunday.

Go Steelers! And for Mia and all my other Philly friends, Go Eagles!

Lamp passions

Have I told you yet about my lamp? I’ve been lusting after this lamp ever since it arrived at the Kentuck Knob gift shop in late summer. And I had a little money left after Christmas, so needless to say, I satisfied my urges!

It’s from Youghiogheny Glass. I don’t know the artist, but if I find out anytime soon I’ll post his/her name. It’s a maple leaf lamp, and Tiffany made a similar maple leaf lamp. But I like this interpretation of it much, much better.

Nothing makes me happier than a pretty lamp!

Just finished last night!  Had to scan it in parts, because I'm the only one in the house without a digital camera....It's really not all this crooked. I'm not too great at scans.

This will probably be a very short entry, because like everyone else in Western Pa. our family is in the grip of Steeler Fever. And the game starts in about an hour, so there’s food to prepare and prime seating positions to be negotiated. I just want a seat with decent light for stitching….

I’ve been working (still) on No Place Like Home. I’m down to the last bit of lettering along the bottom. And unfortunately, I found a mistake in the last house I worked on – the Autumn one – and I’m trying to decide if it’s worthwhile to rip part of it out. I’m leaning towards just letting it go. Here's a pic - tell me what you think.




Cleaned out a stitching/fabric closet this weekend. Our local St. Vincent DePaul store is holding quilting days each Monday afternoon. I’d love to go, but Mondays are out of the question. But then I got to thinking about all of the fabric stash I’ve been holding on to that I’ll probably never use. My goal was to donate at least 27 pieces of fabric, and I’d venture to say that I found much more than that. It felt wonderful to cart all of that out of my closet and down to the store. I hope it all finds its way into a neat quilt somehow. Or at least into something that will warm someone who is down on his or her luck.

In other ways, I have to say I was a little sad, too. I think I was afraid that it was the beginning of the end of my quilting hobby. I mean… I love quilts. And I love the thought of quilting. I love the quilting itself. And I really love the accomplished feeling of handing over a finished quilt. But like in so many other aspects of my life, I bit off way, way more than I could chew. My purchasing became unrealistic.

So maybe it’s not the beginning of the end, but rather a new, enlightened beginning. There….now I feel better.

Gotta go. It’s almost game time!

This is very, very belated, but Happy New Year everyone!

Our New Year started out well. DS and I ran/walked in a NYD “race”. Really not a race, it’s just a charity event. It was called the Hair of the Dog Race, because upon entering you received a free mug. Upon finishing, you received a free Bloody Mary!! So you know my first response was, Where do I sign up?

Now, we had had an early evening on NYE. Drank in moderation, because I was learning to play Canasta and needed at least some of my wits about me. So I wasn’t even a little hung over at race time. Sure, I could have used another hour or so in bed, but that’s my normal morning feeling….

But remember, I’m not very fit. Who the hell am I kidding? I’m a lump of pudding. But I walk the dog most days, and I enjoy walking, (and I enjoy a good bloody mary) and I’ve done races before, so I thought, how bad could I be?

Well, as the starting time got closer, I got a dose of reality. I looked around and realized, Hey Lee, you’re gonna finish last. LAST. Especially when another race entrant, who I will now call preg-o girl, was flying down the road. Seriously. She was motoring. And due to deliver in 7 weeks. I was toast. But no way was I going to drop out. Let Preg-o girl beat me. I mean, what was I trying to prove? I AM 20 years older than her. So I was just going to enjoy my walk.

And I did. I enjoyed it even more when DS jogged back to find me because he thought maybe I had hurt myself. Because then I had company. He’s such a cutie-pie.

So I finished the race and man-oh-man that bloody mary tasted good. I had forgotten how much I enjoy a good, spicy bloody mary. Which, incidentally, was off limits to preg-o girl. Hee, hee, hee. And we had bagels – a yummy, yummy jalapeno bagel.

By the way, I actually did come in last. But listen to this. Like I said, it’s more than a charity event than a race, so you don’t run it for the prizes. The coordinator gave a prize for the first male finish and the first female finish. I think they got a gym bag and a fifth of vodka or something like that. But then there was this table of prizes and stuff to choose from, and lo and behold, he started prize selection with the Last Place finish! Yup! Me!! So I got to choose from all of the prizes FIRST! Which was really cool because there were a bunch of oddball trophies and stuff, but I had really hoped for this mug and so there you go!

The rest of the day wasn’t so great. Pitt and WVU both lost their Bowl games. And badly. That made for a very unhappy day in this junction of the country. My pork roast was lovely. But my sauerkraut – oh my. Remember that I told you before that because of my whiny, olfactory-insulted family, I have to cook it outside? Well, I did. But out of sight – out of mind. And I had the heat on the grill burner up too high. So I burned it. Yes, you can actually burn sauerkraut. But I ate it anyway dammit. It was the principle of the thing….

And that was the note on which I started my New Year. Some pleasant surprises, some disappointments, and some pains in the butt. If the rest of the year is like this, it’ll be ok by me!

Wow – my last blog entry of any consequence was a couple of weeks ago. I suppose I was doing a lot of catch-up following the Computer Crisis of 2004. It seems like I can count on at least one crisis each year. But would I go back to paper and pencil bookkeeping? Aha. That puts it all back into perspective.

So, let’s see. I guess my last two weeks were spent working, cooking, cleaning, entertaining, and being entertained. Needless to say, I enjoyed the latter two things more than the previous three things.

DH and I hosted our neighborhood Christmas party this year. Our homeowners association has a Ladies’ Auxiliary – kind of a social arm of the association. There are some “traditional” events, and the adult Christmas party is one of them. It’s pretty easy entertaining, and I’ve done it for the past several years, so I have a system that makes it even easier. I just make sure that the house is clean and decorated, and that I have enough paper goods on hand. The party is BYOB and each guest brings a snack to share, and to tell the truth, the clean house part is probably not that important. I mean, you don’t want to be embarrassed by a grungy bathroom, but as for the rest, I don’t think people even notice. Especially at Christmas where a certain amount of clutter is expected and when wet shoe prints on the floor are a fact of life. (which isn’t to say that I don’t clean – I just don’t do it white-glove-test anymore) Usually about 40 people come out to wish their neighbors a happy holiday, and they are all very gracious and easy to please. So it’s a nice night. And it’s ever so much easier than planning the children’s party, with arranging for Santa and organizing snacks and drinks and crafts…. Those ladies work hard!

We had our Kentuck Knob Christmas party a few days later. Originally, the director had booked a local hall, but then changed her mind and we had our dinner in the house itself. What a treat!! If you’ve ever done a tour of a FLW home, you’ll know that you’re told from the beginning: Don’t Touch Anything! So tell me it wasn’t a bit daunting that we were invited not only to sit on the furniture, but to EAT in the home, too. Well, it was a great evening. We had wonderful food, great company, and a beautiful place for a holiday party.

Finally Christmas arrived. We had a very quiet day at home. The kids were happy with their gifts, and spent most of the day just puttering around with them. After morning mass, I made us brunch, and then got down to the serious cooking part of the day. I had planned a tenderloin roast for dinner. Why, why, why?? After all these years, I should know that I really suck at roast beef. I can roast a turkey, a chicken, pork, or ham. But man do I stink up roast beef! Luckily, since it was just us, there was no reason to panic. I finally decided to slice the thing up and put the slices under the broiler. Sounds a little like - - - - steak. Which is what I should have done in the first place, instead of fussing with a roast. And for the past few weeks, I’ve been practicing pan gravies and I’ve turned out some phenomenal gravies. Gravies that have prompted my family to say that it was the best meal they’ve ever had. But on Christmas day my pan gravy was not only bad, it tasted like poison. Seriously. It was the worst stuff I’ve ever ever tasted. I’m not kidding. So that settles it. The only roasts I’ll do from now on will be pot roasts. I’ll never be like the TV hostesses that have this lovely, juicy, pink-in-the-middle prime rib roast that looks like a dream. My family will have to eat out for that experience.

So now it’s on to New Years Eve and Day. We’ll go to our friends’ house for a night of games on NYE. I always have a blast, and it becomes hard to go home because we’re always right in the middle of this really great game…..I don’t have plans for NYD yet. If I can convince DH, I’d like to have some people over for dinner (don’t worry – it’s a pork roast), but he’s generally tired and not too much into company. NYD is the one day of the year my family will allow me to cook sauerkraut, and even at that, I have to cook it outside. Oh….the heaven of pork, mashed potatoes and sauerkraut. They’ll never understand.

And that’s my holiday wrap-up. If I get in the mood, maybe I’ll do a stitching review later in the week. I’d need to be feeling introspective to do that, so we’ll just see how it goes, nnnnkay?

This is so true, it's hilarious!


You are a lipid. You know whom you like and whom
you hate, and you like hanging out with people
who think like you do. People who disagree with
you annoy you to no end. You either love
Abercrombie and Fitch or you despise it, but
there's no middle ground. You're polar.


Which Biological Molecule Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Computers….love ‘em and hate ‘em. We were computer-less over the past 10 days or so, most likely due to some stupid virus. We finally got the computer to run, but not to use the net. So off it went to the computer fixers. And my poor blog suffered. At Kentuck they have internet access, but it’s ordinary dial-up and no way in the world do I have the patience for that anymore. Besides, when I’m there, I just plain don’t have time for anything other than work. In and out - - - fast!

First thing I want to talk about - I’m touched by the comments that readers left after I wrote about my dad. I appreciate your kind words and thoughts. I think that the hardest part is that when it came to important matters in life like this…you know, times when I’ve needed the perspective of someone older and wiser – well, I’ve gone to my mom and dad. And now that’s not possible, so I become even more forlorn. But, I know that just when I feel at my worst, God always sends me someone who helps me out. Thanks, guys.

And now, as you can imagine, I have work stacked up to my eyeballs. I hope I get the chance to write more later.

Hey - I'm worried about a blogger. Su, who writes The Floating Needle has been absent from her blog for a while. I sent her an email that bounced back.

Not that we're close friends or anything. And I'm not a stalker-type person. Or maybe I'm just nosy. But there is a camaraderie that forms when you read someone regularly. So I'm kind of worried. If you know that Su is ok, please drop me a line. You don't have to do it publicly. My email address is in the column on the left. Thanks.

It’s been a heckuva week. I’ve been struggling with a blog entry, because my heart is so sad. The visit from my parents over the holidays was very nice, but each time I leave my dad, I cry. Not exactly when he’s leaving. But in the moments after, the days after, and the weeks after.

I don’t know how to describe this. It’s like I’m seeing his light grow dim. As if every time I see him there’s a little less of him there.

I get furious. My dad doesn’t deserve this. My dad was a superman in his time. He was a good husband to my mom. He took care of his dying mother. He was a wonderful dad to us kids. Dad could do anything and do it well, fix anything, make any trouble go away. He was feisty. He was smart, artistic, and talented. He had his faults, and we usually (lovingly) thought he was a little goofy. But he doesn’t deserve this.

I want to yell and scream and weep. But more than that I want to make him smile or laugh. To see that spark again. To engage him again in something, rather than having him just watch from a distance. To break him out of that shell of sadness that I know he feels as he declines cognitively.

I guess that’s wanting something that’s impossible. So I tell myself to just get on with it, deal with it, and move ahead to find ways to help my mother. But some days, like today, I can’t push aside my own grief. Selfish grief or not, it’s there.

Here’s a positive thing – I love my dad. Always have. Always will. So I guess we’ll get through this. With or without tears.

Bags, bags, bags. I have so many bags. Bags of fabric. Bags of charts. Bags of yarn. Cripes, I have bags full of bags. It’s a sickness. Sometimes I look at a bag, and I know my eyes light up.

Hmmm. That big bag from Bed Bath and Beyond will be useful for something. Ooooh, look at that nice bag from the Nike store with the drawstring. Hey, there’s a nice canvas bag that will be good for storing my other bags.

Last night, while I was re-kitting some cross stitch projects, I came across the pink plastic drawstring bag that they sent me home with when I left the hospital w/DS. Did I mention that he’s 16? I found it in another bag.

And don’t get me started on those zipped bags that bed linens come in now. When they came on the market, I thought I was in heaven. I know, I know, fabrics and threads shouldn’t be stored in plastic bags for the long term, but my intention was never for long term storage. I had to wean myself away from them. Too dangerous.

I even have homemade bags. Several years ago, my quilting teacher taught us to make bags out of placemats. Oh, they were wonderful! And each bag was full of ziplock bags – as many as 10 ziplocks sewn inside! What’s not to love? It’s a good thing I don’t go to that class anymore.

Now here’s the scary part. I’m starting to spill over into…….boxes. I’ve had to have a “good” box pried from my hands. No, give it here, I know I’ll have to mail something someday and that box will be perfect! And let me tell you, if it’s full of packing peanuts or bubble wrap… Oh, the joy! Wait, wait, how about the excellent cooler boxes that Omaha Steaks are shipped in? So what if I have 3 plastic coolers already! It’s miiine! They can’t takes you away, my precioussssss.

And I’ve become a serious enabler for one of my coworker who’s passionate about envelopes. No gently used envelope escapes her eagle eye. So I’ve joined her crusade. We laugh about it every time I hand her an envelope, but it’s laughter born of pain. And I’ll never confess to her about the bags and boxes. I don’t want her to think that I have a problem…..

Sorry I’ve been away for most of the week. My vision is not what I had hoped it would be. As the week went on, my distance vision got worse, particularly in my right eye. And my dependence on reading glasses has me pretty bummed. I knew I’d need them for reading, sewing, etc. But I didn’t think I’d be completely non-functional without them. There’s not a chance in hell that I can read anything closer to me than six feet. At the doc’s, they recommended a +2, but in reality, I need at lease +2.5. So I go for another follow-up appt today, and I’ll know more after that.

Ugh. I hate to whine about medical crap.

So my stitching has been very limited. My +3.25’s are nice for sewing, but my head starts to hurt after about 30 minutes. So I’ve made little progress. Last night I started sorting thru some threads, small projects, etc, but I gave up after a short while. And I watched TV. But at least there were decent shows on.

Is anyone else enjoying Desperate Housewives and Boston Legal as much as I am? I really like those shows – each has a bit of mystery and humor and sadness and quirkiness. I think they’re very entertaining. Great characters.

On the other hand, I used to be a big CSI fan, but lately….I think they’re usually pretty stupid. First of all, WHAT is the preoccupation with semen on these shows? Aren’t there ever any murders (esp in Las Vegas) that don’t have some sort of semen evidence? Not that CSI was ever considered family viewing, but cripes, give me a break! The occasional kinky murder may interest viewers from time to time, but every single week? It’s very formulary anymore (is that a word, and if so, did I use it correctly?) Murder - - - find semen - - - convict killer(s). So DH and I have come up with a new meaning for the acronym. Just use your imaginations….And what happened to the characters on these shows? This season we’ve seen little or no character development. They just collect the evidence and that’s it. How dull. At the end of a program, I’m left with that, “And who cares?” feeling.

And that’s too bad, because I’ve always been a big David Caruso fan. And the NY show looked promising, but I’m not too inclined to make time to watch that when the other two shows aren’t keeping me interested.

Hmmm. In re-reading this, maybe I should get a life…..

I'm seriously procrastinating here. I have one last bank account to reconcile to close the month of October and I really, really, don't want to do it.

It's one of those projects where if I do it now, my life will be so much easier in December. However, I could put it off. And pay for it later. Man, I hate it when the best decision is something I don't want to do. Especially since last night I was on a roll with my stitching and the urge to stitch is so much greater than the urge to work.

Alright. Goodbye. I'm going to work. Sigh.

OK, I had my Lasik surgery yesterday. So far, so good. I’m certainly not seeing perfectly all the time. My vision is coming and going, but not so badly that I’m not functional. It’s more of an aggravation than a worry. And they say that the fluctuations go away over time, as the swelling goes away and my eyes stabilize. My reading glasses are a big help, and I seem to need a lot more light to work by.

I never knew how many pairs of readers I had laying around the house. Everything from 1.25’s to 3.25’s! The 3.25’s weren’t usable for stitching before when I was putting them over my glasses. But now – I think they are PERFECT! I may even be able to work on 32 ct. again. Hallelujah, because I have way, way too many USO’s in my closet with 32 ct. fabric.

DD and I had a nice weekend with the folks and even enjoyed the baby shower. I sat next to a dear aunt that I’ve always liked, but rarely had time to talk much with, because I only really see her at family parties, weddings, etc. So we had a nice visit. Turns out she's in the middle of a family problem that we went through not too long ago. I’m hoping I was able to make her feel better. If not better, at least not so hopeless.

Mom and Dad are plugging along. Remember that I wrote in August that I needed to visit more often and for longer periods of time? I really saw that this weekend. The longer visit means that we get more quiet time together. And they can continue along with their day to day life because I become less of a “guest”. Does that make sense?

I think I’ve convinced them to come here for Thanksgiving. It would be nice.

Worked a bit on No Place Like Home over the weekend. Boo, hiss, I’ve miscounted on the last house by one stitch. I don’t want to rip it out, but it looks like I have no choice. I hate when that happens! I’m a bear when I make mistakes…..totally destroys the illusion that I hold that I’m perfect in all things. Oooooh, how I loves to be right and I hates to be wrong! (Popeye reference there, if you’re not getting it)

So maybe I’ll start another project, while I stew over this. (How's that for avoidance?)

Just some quick news - I've decided to take the plunge and I'm going to have Lasik surgery on Monday. I've had it, had it, had it with glasses, and after 4 years of bifocals, I'm ready. With presbyopia, I know I'll be dependent on close-work glasses at least 50% of the time, since most of my work happens at the computer, and because most of my hobbies involve needlework or reading. But 50% without glasses is worth it to me. I didn't care so much before, until I needed bifocals. And I hate them.

So send me a quick good thought Monday morning. I'm a little nervous.

Thanks, and I'm off to Philly now for the dreaded baby shower.

I have to say that my sadness about the election was considerably lightened after reading a few blogs later in the week. And after talking with a few friends. I think we were all in the same boat – feeling rather isolated, like we were the odd man out. Talking with each other helped ease that feeling.

Another thing – I’ve decided that remaining silent isn’t going to be an option for me anymore. With three jobs, a busy husband, and two teenagers, I don’t see myself joining or forming any groups. But I won’t sit quietly anymore while other people spew. There must be a way to politely and firmly say I don’t agree with your view on marriage/reproductive choice/taxes/morality/education etc, and I’m going to find it. I don’t want a debate. I just don’t want my silence to imply agreement. And if they choose to drop me as a friend or sewing buddy or walking buddy, well, so be it.

OK, back to lighter topics.

I started knitting a poncho for DD out of Bernat Boa. It’s a cool rusty color. Well, after a row or two, I realized my mistake. Cool color or not, this yarn truly sucks. Unless of course, it’s that I’m a terrible knitter. Not out of the realm of possibility! But it refuses to stay on the needle, has absolutely no stretch to it, and the fuzzy part detaches from the string part really easily. So, I said to DD, how about a poncho in this nice maroon yarn? And her reply? Well Mom, I don’t think I want a poncho really. I mean, I have one already, and it’s good enough. ARRRGH! I see her point tho. Went to Kohl’s with DS shopping for clothes yesterday, and the clearance racks were full of ponchos. They were evidently a very short lived trend. Too bad really, because I was so enjoying telling the stories of my poncho days in the 70’s. I loved my poncho. Now it’s pointless…..And I’m hopelessly old and unfashionable again to my children

The Little Boys stitching is done for my future nephew. I still haven’t stitched in the name and date, since the baby isn’t’ due till Dec 23. I know they’re naming him after my brother, but I just can’t stitch it till the baby is born. Old fashioned? Probably.

So – time to add something new to my rotation (knitting doesn’t count). I’ve been eying up embroidered envelopes on the Internet, and I swear another blogger had done some recently, but I’ll be darned if I can find the posts. I’d love to do a couple for Christmas, just because I know a few people that would get a kick out of it. Well, maybe I’ll have time for one….Constructing it may be tricky, but I’ve looked at directions for envelope purses and it must be about the same.

Last weekend was play off weekend for soccer. The games were a bit more intense. Normally mild mannered coaches were not so mild mannered. But all in all I thought that the ref jobs I did over the weekend were done professionally and with care, so I’m happy. That’s not to say I didn’t lose sleep. I get lots of positive feedback, but negative comments from coaches stay with me too long. And you’ll always get some negatives because it’s absolutely impossible to call a perfect game. I just have to learn to let it go. Make it not matter.

DS and I went to our re-certification class yesterday, and it was a good class. Referees are a different bunch – well, at least the adults are. It was good to hear advice and war stories from seasoned refs, and then you realize that even the best refs get criticized (and in fact, abused) and they deal with it.

My trouble is that I’m dealing with it as if I were their mother. Somebody lips off at me and I want to follow them off the field, wagging a finger at them and saying “Get back here young man and I’ll tell you a thing or two!” Then I go home and fester. Instead of just ignoring it and doing my job.

Well, it’s something to think about over the winter, now that I’ve hung up my whistle for a few months. Forgive me a little self-congratulation here, but I felt SO much more knowledgeable after two seasons of soccer. I passed the test again with no problem at all, and I felt very comfortable. By the end of the fall season, I felt like I was seeing the plays clearly, getting better positioning, and my calls were much more decisive. I didn’t feel that “Wait, wait, let me catch up!” feeling anymore. And I was really enjoying it. Well, except the getting yelled at part. But confidence and experience will change that.

I’m off to Philadelphia to see the folks and go to the baby shower this week. Seeing the folks will be nice. The baby shower will be torture, but it’s family. What can you do? Have a glass of wine and be nice.

Ok, I'm in deep trouble here if I don't find this card. My 16 y.o. wants to apply for his permit tomorrow, and he needs his Soc Sec card! I'm friggin' desperate! He's going to pester me for two or more weeks until his replacement card arrives.

"St. Anthony, St. Anthony, Come around. Something's lost that must be found!"

Maybe that will do it....

I'd post right now, but I fear I'm losing my mind. Spent the morning hunting for DS Social Security card in vain. Seriously. I'm going nuts. My memory is a like a sieve. One with REALLY BIG holes.

Stress, stress, stress.

I haven’t yet discussed politics in this blog, but sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.

I’m at a loss for words. I felt that way this morning with news of the election. My heart is sad. Sad for what will come in the next four years. Sad because I believed that there was a vast silent majority who feels the way I do in matters of war, gun control, religion, sexuality, morality, equality, and fairness. I guess I was mistaken. Don’t get me wrong. Being in the minority won’t alter my beliefs. It just makes me sad. And makes me feel like we’re going to hell in a hand basket.

I cheer up by reminding myself that our great country has been in existence for 228 years, and we’ve survived many types of leadership and struggles, so we will certainly survive 4 more years of this president and his cohorts. Well, some of us will. If I were a soldier in Iraq or a policeman facing an assault rifle, I’d be taking my chances.

Now here comes the big question. Am I worried enough about the future of our country and steadfast enough in the beliefs that I hold that I would become active in those causes? Let’s face it – I live in redneck country. I would lose lots of friends. Probably also have to leave my church. People might be shocked to learn what I believe. Not because I’ve been deceitful. Just because I’ve been quiet. Monday evening a friend jokingly asked me who I was voting for, and was more than surprised at my answer. A “discussion” followed, (him listing “facts” for me – yeah, right) and I just knew to be quiet. Well, maybe the time to be quiet is over. I say maybe. It’s a huge decision.

Ah well, more later. Just had to get this off my chest and later I’ll move on to the lighter topics of needlework, parenthood, and soccer.