A too long post - or- I'm obviously home alone on a Friday night

First of all, thanks to all of you fabulous blog friends who left me such sweet comments about my daughter's pictures! I know that I've gone on and on about my kids in this blog, and perhaps that wasn't why you visited originally, but you've all been so very wonderful with your advice and compliments and Jeez...Surely you all know that the quickest way to a mother's heart is to say nice things about her children. So I'll tell you now that I'll love you all forevah and evah.

Well, I finally finished the top row of large alphabet letters in Tree of Life. Now I can work my way down the left side of the sampler. I can feel it....It's going to be finished this year! I'd like to take a break, but I'm worried about leaving it on the scroll rods for very long.

Here's why - I opened my last large skein of dark red silk, and it had stained the plastic thread drop in the package. So I'm a little worried that this silk may bleed onto anything it comes into contact with if it's touching it for too long - including its own self in this sampler. What do you think? Am I right to worry about that? Or am I being paranoid?

Oh, and here's another question. The very first stitches that I put into this design were in the top, light red, border. I used my usual anchoring technique when I finished each thread. Nothing special. Just ran it under a few stitches and cut it fairly short. WELL. Now those stitches are fuzzy and starting to come out. I don't know what to do except to pick them out and re-stitch the areas. Grrr. It's frustrating. Do any of you use any special techniques for ending your silk threads?

OK, now I'll stop griping and show you a picture of its hugeness. Those are my stork scissors in the middle, to give you an idea of its gigantorness:


So - in other things around the O'Neil house, Dave and I went to another Mountain Stage taping this Wednesday. It was a special program because Neko Case was going to play, and although she's not my favorite singer, Dave really likes her music, so we went. It was in Charleston WV, at their Civic Center. Neko Case was...well, she was okay. She was acting kind of weird, though. Started one song three times and still couldn't get it right, so she just gave up. And she re-sang another song that she had done earlier, because she said it was too slow the first time. Truthfully, it sounded exactly the same as when she sang it the first time.

But here's what bothered me more than anything else. We've been to lots of Mountain Stage tapings, and I have to say that every single performer has been pretty great. Famous or not-so-famous, they come to Mountain Stage and they seem happy to be there and appreciative of the live audience. Neko Case was neither of those things. In fact, they (she and her accompanying singer) kept doing this little curtsy move and saying that they felt like they were in a 5th grade talent show. It was insulting to both the audience and the radio show.

Maybe she was on drugs or something. People act strangely when they're on drugs. Even very gifted and talented people.

Ahhh, but as usual, Mountain Stage always gives us a surprise musical act that makes you sit back in your seat and say, "Wow, that was incredible!" Wednesday night's WOW moment was a group from Southern California called Sonos, an all-vocal group that was fabulous. High energy, amazing talent. They only have an Itunes EP available right now, but I sure hope they produce more. So watch these!


Now I'm going to end this too long post, but remind me to ask you next time about Leashes for Little Kids.

Is it really April 22??

I should have known that once we were into track season, April would go by in a flash. And I imagine that May will go by even faster, with so many things to do as both kids finish their school year. Besides finishing all of her high school academic things, like taking AP exams and attending awards banquets, Colleen will still have three track meets to run, including one invitational and two WPIAL meets. John's college hosts a big invitational early in May, and we'll be there to move him out of his dorm and catch the meet at the same time. He should be running the 3000M steeplechase again.

Once John's home, I think it's going to be kind of hectic as we try to prepare him for his summer in California. But I can't talk about that right now. Even just thinking about it makes me too nervous.

We finally got Colleen's senior pictures. I was probably the last mother in Western PA to order them. It's so hard to choose, but I think we put together a nice package that kind of tells Colleen's story.
Yes girls, it's another post from me with zero stitching content. I've put a few stitches into Tree of Life, but not enough to be photo-worthy. Oh my - it occurs to me that I have two exchanges coming up soon, and they have to be fully finished by June 1. Yikes! Looks like I'll be taking some stitching to a couple of track meets....

Meanwhile though, I've seen some neat posts on fabric dying. This one was kind of neat. Her focus is more on dying cottons for quilts, but there were some nice examples of dyed linen.

The Weepies

No - not the folk/pop duo. Just me, sitting around getting teary-eyed all day.

Today is Senior day for high school track, and it's going to be a struggle to walk down that 50 yard line without sniffling like a baby.

Won't the photos be lovely if I'm all red-nosed and squinty-eyed?

Once again, I don't have anything to show you. But I came across this through another blog, and if some of you were Girl Scouts, you may remember some of these. I think it's kind of funny. I hated needlework (and particularly sewing) when I was a kid, so these were my least favorite badges to earn. I liked outdoor cooking and hiking much more...

Popping in

There isn't much to write about this week. Easter was wonderful. I cooked breakfast (that's a shocker...I'm NOT a breakfast cook). Went to mass. Then we had a nice little family dinner early in the day. Visited with the older rels later in the day.

I'm pretty busy this week. Three high school track meets, including Senior night on Thursday. And there's a junior high meet today, so I'll go work in the concession stand. We sell a lot of stuff at these junior high meets...even more than during the high school meets. Those kids are bottomless pits.

I don't have any stitching to show today. I got some fabulous fabric in the mail from Julie, who went to the grand opening of Picture This Plus a couple of weeks ago. Ooooooh, it's wonderful. And you know how I get distracted by shiny objects. Okay, so, I had this idea for it right away, and I've been stitching away, but it's for a contest on Anna's blog and I can't show it to you. I'm telling you - it's torture.

I forgot to share this with you

Several days ago we had some crazy weather, and as we were looking out the front windows early one morning, here's what we saw:

And I thought of that yesterday morning while I was listening to an interesting essay on my MP3 player. You can find it here, on Radio Lab. I thought it was a fascinating essay on hope, but you may see it differently. Give it a listen if you have 20 minutes or so to spare.

I've been walking much more than running these days. For running, I prefer to listen to music, but when I walk, I like listening to stories and radio shows. I get so deep in thought that the walk goes by super-fast. And sometimes I'm out on the road, laughing like a maniac.

I think Donna brought up that she had been dreaming about stitching recently. This is so odd, because I've never had a stitching dream, and now I had one last night. I was dreaming that I was stitching Tree of Life and looked down and it was almost done. I was so surprised and happy.

Well, I woke up this morning and had no recollection of the dream...until I walked by the chair where Tree of Life is sitting (yes, it's so big it has its own chair) and I wondered why it wasn't done yet. Then came the slow realization that it was just a dream.

I may not be back online this weekend, so I want to wish a Happy Easter and a blessed Passover to all of you!

Where have you been all my life?

My scroll rod sets arrived yesterday! And I promptly put Tree of Life between these 28-inch bad boys.
So if you'll forgive me while I gush a little bit...

First of all, I ordered it from Stitches N Things and talk about fast?? I ordered this on Saturday and had it by Tuesday. That's a mail order record, for real. Shipping costs were very reasonable for a package as unwieldy as this. So I'm very happy with this shop.

As for the scroll frame, I found this HandiClamp product to be very user friendly. I easily snapped the plastic clamps onto the wooden scroll bars, added a little strip of quilt batting to guard against deep wrinkles, and I was good to go very quickly. I think they're quite affordable. They cost less than many other scroll frames. Although they're more expensive than the bare-bones sets that you can find at JoAnns or Michaels, it's a much better product and well worth the extra money.

I have to expand on that: I'm glad that I tried the bare bones set from JoAnns, because it gave me an idea of what using a scroll frame was like, and then it helped me to know what I was looking for in a good scroll frame. I don't regret that purchase at all, because I think that the little bit of money I spent on that frame actually saved me a lot of money in the long run.

And now to follow up on the Soon to Be College Girl. This morning I mailed off the enrollment deposit for......the College of Wooster! The long process is finally over, and I think that she's found a gem of a school. After our visit this past Monday, we discovered that it has everything that she needs and then some. Great academic atmosphere in a solid liberal arts school. Nice town. Friendly students. A running program that she'll fit right into and a coach that I found to be very impressive. She warmed up to him right away. Generous scholarship offer that will made it affordable. And last but not least, really good food, including great vegetarian choices. I think she's going to have a very happy four years.

But it feels so far away. Barb, can I move in with you? I promise to make my bed everyday and not mess up the bathroom too much.

Oh - and go to my left sidebar and click on the new Gaelic Storm song that I've just added as a widget. Love it!

Coolness

Hi gang! I'm excitedly waiting for my HandiClamp scroll frames to arrive in the mail. I had Tree of Life in a cheap scroll frame that didn't nearly accommodate its crazy width, so I had folded the right and left sides of the sampler inward to make it fit. Kinda. And now it's time to move it, and I can't move it without folding the right side a lot and squishing the stitching. So I'll wait for my new HandiClamp. In the meantime, ToL is out of the frame and resting in its box.

Hey, you have to look at this:Meari's blog has a very cool mailart envelope that she created using Lizzie Kate's Tea Crazy. Here are tiny pictures of it, and go to her blog to see better ones.

That is too cool. I absolutely love it when someone choses a design that I like to begin with, and then personalizes it and creates a finished project that becomes something that is even better. How exciting!

Self-discovery

Don't you hate it when you realize that you're totally insane?

I've discovered that when I'm worried about either of my children, I don't panic, but instead I become totally obsessed with whatever is going on. And the internet feeds my obsession, because I spend enormous amounts of time online, going from website to website, trying to discern what's crap and what's factual.

I get myself in such a tizzy. I didn't get dressed till almost 3PM on Monday. That's a LONG time to sit around in your pajamas. I hardly eat, let alone cook. My poor family has had to deal with meals of leftover pizza and cold sandwiches this week. We've been out of milk constantly, and yesterday I even ran out of coffee. That never happens in my house.

Seriously. It's like I-Just-Can't-Let-Go. I worry about stuff long after my kids have stopped worrying about it.

So today, I feel like I'm finally coming out of the woods. I have some very smart and very generous bloggy friends, who listened to me kvetch and whine for well over a week and have given me wonderful advice and shoulders to cry on. You girls know who you are, and I won't say who you are here because then a million other parents of college-bound kids may start emailing you, and let's face it, I'm selfish. I'm keeping you to myself.

And I promise you all - I won't be blabbering on about colleges any more until it's all said and done and the deposit check has been mailed.

WELL, as for stitching, I took out Tree of Life last week. Here it is after I pressed it again:
After I pressed it, I decided to put it on scroll bars, and I accomplished that, but I don't think I've put more than 100 stitches into it over the past week. Really, there was no point to taking another picture.

John had a track meet very close to here at California University, so Colleen and I went to watch him run. This time he ran the 10K event. Yes. 10K on a track. That's 25 laps. This was taken in the early part of the 10K. He didn't look like this at the end....

Now I'm off to work. Maybe even some stitching later? That would be nice.

Quaker Fragment stocking

Oh boy, am I ever liking this! It's from the March stockings leaflet by BBD, and I'm stitching it over one thread on a scrap of 20 ct white opalescent jobelan with one thread of DMC.

The leaflet model is stitched in greens, but I was in a red kind of mood. And if it's used as a Christmas ornament, I think the reds will be pretty against a green tree. I'll have to adjust the stocking template that BBD provided, too. My stocking is too small for their template. Thank goodness for computers that can reduce images!


As for my posts of the last few days? You are all so, so kind to me with all of your words of encouragement! I'm very grateful for all of the advice and good wishes that you all offer. I mean it! Reading your comments always makes me feel better when my chips are down, and even happier when life is good.

Today's mail brought the acceptance letter and financial aid letter from another one of Colleen's favorite schools, and this letter, while far from perfect, was much more encouraging. So now it's decision time. I'm sure I'll be writing about this again before May 1!

The boy made it home

There were some harrowing moments yesterday, but John was able to get on that overbooked Delta flight and he was back to his college sometime around midnight last night. Phew.

Unfortunately, there was still another glitch. USAir completely mangled my suitcase. They broke the wheels off and ripped the top cover open. Luckily, all of his belongings were there, and USAir replaced the suitcase (haven't seen the replacement yet - probably something cheap but hopefully functional). So it was no huge deal, but just another bit of aggravation during the longest 36 hours of that boy's life.

Thanks to all of you for the nice comments and concerns. I was having a tough time of it yesterday. My mother is not doing well. She had knee replacement surgery three weeks ago and her physical recovery is good, but emotionally she's a wreck. I know it all goes back to her grief over my dad, but she has refused any and all help or companionship offered to her, whether it had to do with bereavement or not. And she really needs that help and companionship, so she's a mess.

Also, Colleen received an acceptance letter from a college that she had her heart set on, and that's happy news, but the unhappy news was that they didn't award her a single penny in scholarship money. And without that scholarship money, we can't afford that school. Financial aid? What a laugh. I swear it's all smoke and mirrors. Dave is a pharmacist, and I'm a part-time bookkeeper. We're far from rich. Tell me how FAFSA has determined that we can afford $37,000 per year per child? I could puke.

So we're back to evaluating and re-evaluating all of the colleges that have accepted her and the scholarships she's been offered. She'll still have plenty of good choices and we're grateful for that. I remain sad, but I guess we all wish that our kids could have everything that their hearts desire, and we're sad for them when it doesn't happen.

WELL - I hope to have a nice stitching photo for you tomorrow. I'm working on a BBD stocking from the March pamphlet and ho boy do I like it!

Daffodil Days

I love getting daffodils when the American Cancer Society has their daffodil days. Daffodils remind me of my dad. He used to send me daffodils on my birthday.


I shouldn't be fooling around online right now, but I'm feeling so burnt out and frustrated and I need a break and a bit of time to vent. Several things are going on, but the most pressing is the futility of trying to get my son home from his trip to San Diego. US-freaking-Air...UGH! He started out of San Diego yesterday morning, Sunday, and his flight out of SD was delayed by two hours due to mechanical problems. So...he missed his connecting flight in Phoenix. And once he got to Phoenix, he was told that they couldn't get him on another flight until 11:30 PM on Monday, and wouldn't arrive in Pittsburgh until Tuesday afternoon! And gave him a hotel voucher for one night and sent him on his way.

They wouldn't transfer his ticket to another airline,either. Well, yesterday I went online and purchased a Delta ticket for him, that should leave Phoenix at 12:30 today and he'll arrive in Pittsburgh tonight. Yes, it cost me, but whatever.

So - he arrived at the airport, checked in 90 minutes early, and was told that the Delta flight was overbooked. He's panicking, but he's a tough kid and I'm praying that he gets on this flight. After all, he can do this for 3000 meters (you don't have to watch the whole thing, but at least watch till the water hazard):



*******************************
Update! John just called. He's on the plane and in a seat! Praise the Lord!

Because you asked

OK, I should never have said a word about the T-shirt. Now I feel really bad. And let me mitigate this by saying that my Dave is sweet, kind, caring, and almost always a good gift giver when it comes to birthdays and holidays. Also let me tell you that he didn't drive on this trip. He carpooled with a friend, Mike, and didn't want to ask Mike if he could use his car. Meaning that he could only shop in golf course pro shops. (One day he phoned and told me that they were selling Schwety balls in one of the pro shops. I love Alec Baldwin, but I was less than enthusiastic.)

So, Dave was unpacking the dirty laundry, and said, "Oh, here's your gift..."

Of course I wouldn't take it and he felt awful and ladies, I completely understood and I felt awful that he felt so awful.

Now...having said that...how great of a birthday present do you think I'll get at the end of the month? I mean - besides framing Souvenir Sampler?

Some more new stuff

Well, new to me, anyway. Some of you have had these designs since their names were first whispered in February! And now I've jumped on the Stitchy Bandwagon and bought one of the BBD stocking series, and the much-sought-after LHN Traveling Stitcher. They both look like a lot of fun, and I can't wait to try my hand at making my own pouch for the LHN design. I'm not too fond of pink, anyway, so making my own pouch was probably in the cards anyway.

Here's more progress on Quaker Alphabet:Those are two un-tucked threads on the right. Not two weird lines of stitching veering off to nowhere. I think I'll finish the second row of letters, then switch to another project. QA is going quickly, but I've recently re-opened my old JH Tree of Life and I know I could make a serious dent in that.

Oh, and if you like Anagram designs, head over to The French Needle. I was SO in love with this a year ago, but never bought it. Well, it's on sale now for a mere $5.00! My fingers have never moved so fast.

Dave will be back home tonight from his golf trip. He won a couple of pots, if that's what you call it in golf (skins, maybe?) and he was warned that he had better buy me something nice with that money. Something tells me a t-shirt is in my future... I love him to bits, but why does he think that a t-shirt is always the perfect gift when he's away on a trip? Even a hoodie would be a nice change!

Three stages of stitching

Brand new (BRD Read Between the Lines)! Can't wait to put needle to fabric for this!

In Progress (La-D-Da, Quaker Alphabet):

I'm learning about these Quaker patterns. Well, at least this particular Quaker. And that is...take nothing for granted. Just because there are 28 stitches on the left side of one motif, don't bet that there are 28 stitches on its right side. I had been counting and ripping and counting and ripping - until I finally realized that the logic I was looking for just didn't exist. I don't think this is specific to this design or this designer, either. because I've been seeing this observation posted in other blogs.

Finished and framed (LHN Spot of Coffee):
Another thing not to take for granted? When you buy a piece of precut acid free mount board, don't assume that it's square! I kept wondering why Spot of Coffee looked crooked, when I knew that I had carefully placed and laced?? But the bottom right corner seemed to wander off downward like a drunken sailor. Turns out that the mount board was crooked.

Johnny arrived safely in San Diego. Colleen loved the Warhol. Dave played relatively rainfree golf. And I indulged in too much TV. Three Netflix DVD's, the new NBC show called The King, and Masterpiece Theatre's David Copperfield. Daniel Radcliffe was such a cutie, you could just pinch his cheeks.

Hey! My last post was #555! Isn't that funny? Well, maybe just to me....

Bunny exchange

Around this time last year, my Yahoo group did a bunny block exchange. I received this very pretty block, and just yesterday finished it as a pinkeep. The pictures make it look a little wonky, but believe me, it's square.



The very nice thing about exchanges is that I usually get things that I like, but probably wouldn't buy/stitch myself. So when I'm in a primitive stitching mode, it's refreshing to get something feminine and pretty. Like this little block!

And late last week I received "C's" prize gift package! I'm going to use pictures she's posted on her blog, because somehow or other the chocolate bar is half eaten and some of the teabags have disappeared. Living with teenagers can be a challenge.

I have an alone day today, and I'm trying not to feel lonely. Dave is away on his Myrtle Beach golf trip, John left this morning for the college track meet in San Diego, (he'll run the 5K) and Colleen is in Pittsburgh at the Warhol Museum with the Boyfriend. And me? My travels today included a trip to the Greensburg Sam's Club to buy things for the Track Boosters concession stand, and stopping at the snack bar for a hot dog combo before I came home. Yes...it was almost as much fun as it sounds.

Now I think I'll go stitch. That'll cheer me up!

This and that

Before I start, Thank You for all of your super nice comments on my recent BAP finish. I appreciate all of them. My family has watched me stitch for 25 years, so their reaction is kind of ho-hum. They appreciate it...they just don't do cartwheels like you guys. And I love your comment cartwheels!

I've been one lucky girl lately! Do you know that I've won three giveaways so far this year? Crazy, huh? But true.

First of all, I have to show you this gift that arrived in yesterday's mail.This was a prize giveaway that Anna held for her fifth year of blogging anniversary. Isn't it great? It's a pincushion for my wrist and it's absolutely lovely. And here's a picture of it actually on my wrist. (Do you know how hard it is to take a picture of your own hand?)I think it's great! I love the design, she's stitched it beautifully, and the finish is inventive and perfectly done. And I'll use it all the time. Thank you Anna!

Not too long ago I won another gift from Susan, who had stitched up BBD's Small Token (she must stitch faster than lightning...) and was giving away the chart. Then, she added to her giveaway by sending the overdyed floss, also! (Lucky? Oh yeah.) By the way, pop over to her blog and take a look at her recent red finish - a fabulous red sampler stitched in red - - - over one! It's beautiful.

And C just dropped me an email to say that she's mailed a prize I won on her blog a couple of weeks ago. (It's crazy, I know. I never win anything and so this is nuts. Three wins? I expect the earth to crack open and swallow me up any day now). Anyway, I'll share that with you when it arrives.

Then there's Rachel, who has given me a sweet award, the Special Friends Award.

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these kind writers. When you pass the award along please include these guidelines."

Maybe not everyone knows this, but although she lives 300 miles away, Rachel and I have met in real life. We had a few hours of stitching among other online friends, and my impression of Rachel is that she is kind. And genuine. There's not one thing artificial about her. So, I can't think of a nicer compliment than to receive this from her.

And now it's my turn to pass this on! Hmmm. Eight people. Hmmmm.

1. Craft-i-leigh: I can't find your blog, but you've commented on so many of our blogs that I figure you're reading around here somewhere. And besides that, you love Jason Mraz, just like me, so you have to be a good person.

2. Natasha...you enabler, you. My credit card thanks you.

3. Nic, who really isn't mad at all, but is actually quite sweet.

4. Doris, who I'm only just getting to know, but I enjoy reading her blog. And I see that one of her favorite books was Ahab's Wife , which is also one of my all-time favorites.

5. Next would beValie, with gorgeous projects and photography in her blog, and who is super generous with her praise and comments.

6. Anna has probably received this award already, but I'm sending it to her again. She's cheered me on through four years of Souvenir Sampler and I'm grateful!

7. Barb who I think is actually "Parallel Universe Lee, Living in Ohio". Except she's probably nicer than me. So maybe she's "Alternate Universe Lee if She Was a Nicer Person and Happened to be Living in Ohio". One day we'll have to get together and see which one of these is true.

8. And last but not least, Julie deserves this award. She's a busy gal - works full time and cares for an elderly grandmother. And she still takes the time to be a good friend both online and off. I love ya, Julie!

Some of you may have received it already, and if so, you're just too darn popular for your own good, and now you pass it on twice!

Yikes! I'd better go. Corporate taxes are finished and they won't mail themselves...

Finished, finished, finished!

How I spent my Sunday...
And now it's finished and ready to be framed! I'm absolutely framing this one. No putzing around. My birthday is at the end of the month and I've told Dave...no jewelry. No gifts. Cash for framing will be the perfect gift.

Here are a few parts that I especially like.
Johnny's initial, birthday, and one of his Varsity Cross Country pins.


Colleen's initial, birthday, and horse charm.


Our current house


Our first house:


That's a pin I bought at one of the CATS festivals back in the 90's. Originally, I was going to put a piece of my wedding gown there, but when I went downstairs with the scissors to decide what to cut....I just couldn't bring myself to do it. It's not like my gown is an heirloom or preserved or even particularly nice. In fact, it's been balled up in the basement for the past 8 years,and before that, Colleen used it for dress-up. But I couldn't make myself cut it. So you know what I did? I tossed it into the washer, hung it to dry, and then put it in a big pillowcase and put it away again.

I'll show you my new stash once it arrives, but I'll show you this purchase earlier because it's coming from overseas and may take a long time. It's Moira Blackburn's Scottish Love.
I think it'll keep me busy for another four years...

Five days?

Yow! I've been away from my blog for five days now. I feel like things in all aspects of my life are piling up or getting away from me lately. Knowing that we turn the clocks back this Sunday is making me fret even more. I swear I'm becoming one big ball of nerves. And on top of this I'm trying so hard not to curse or swear.

I may implode.

So why on earth did I start another project?? Because I just plain felt like it and I couldn't stop myself. Sigh. I started Quaker Alphabet, by La-D-Da.

Ok, so now here are my current WIPs.
Starting at the top left, there's this Quaker project, then the continually-oh-so-close-to-finished Souvenir Sampler. Bottom left is a Just Nan biscornu, and on the right in all of its wrinkled splendor is Jan Houtmann's Tree of Life (about 2/3 complete).

I'm not even going to tell you about the new stuff that I've just ordered. That would make me sound truly crazy. So I'll wait and tell you in a few days when you all have completely forgotten about this idiotic post and I sound very normal again.

Sadie!

Thanks everybody for entering my little drawing. I put 16 names into my tin, shook it up and had Colleen reach in for a winner. And it was Sadie!

So Sadie, my email address is in my profile. Please send me your mailing address, and I'll put this little chart in the mail right away.

Now...what will I buy? I keep an active list under my computer monitor and I'll tell you what - I don't know if it helps or hurts my stitching goals. I'm forever changing my mind.

I have this list that I took to Stitch camp, but didn't manage to pick up:
Quaker Seasons (My Big Toe)
My Everything (Sampler Girl)
Any fabric with glitter

Then during Stitch Camp I decided that I also needed these lovelies:
Quaker Garden (BBD) and its fabric
Quaker Seasons (My Big Toe)
Victorian Quaker Scissor Pocket (Mon Ami Pierre)
Yardage of Tula fabric

And since then, there have been bloggers' projects that I've fallen in love with AND the new Nashville releases. Originally this part of the list was much longer, and I've crossed things out and re-added them and then added more and then re-crossed more. I'm in serious trouble, but this is my list as of today:
Sunflower Sampler (DT)
Scottish Love Sampler (Moira Blackburn)
Read Between the Lines (Blue Ribbon Designs)
Cape God Girls (The Primitive Needle)
Bayside Bungalows (CCN)
Small Token (BBD) and actually I've just won this from a drawing on Susan's blog. Lucky me!

Decisions, decisions...but I won't decide today!

Finally, I've been loving Lala.com, and I've added a music widget to my left sidebar. (If you're reading via Google reader or something like that, you can't see it). And I like their widget because it doesn't automatically play. You have click to play it, and I like to give people a choice about whether to listen or not.

But anyway, I think I'm in love with Jason Mraz. I just thought you'd like to know that.

Odds and Ends

I haven't told you yet! Last week Colleen and I found her prom dress. And here it is:It's absolutely adorable on her. The bust fits her well, which is no small miracle, and it gives her a waist. And she'll be standing up straight when she wears it. No fashion-model oddball-leaning postures will be allowed.

And is it just me, or does it look like they photographed the models in a padded room? Is there a fellow in a straitjacket tossing himself around off-camera? Maybe the little models are leaning slightly away from Mr. Crazy.

Dave and I have been spending a lot of time in the car lately. We've been in hot pursuit of a couple of things. Me - I've been on the hunt for a cheap used treadmill (cheap is the most important criteria). And we finally found one that's pretty darn decent in the Pittsburgh Craigslist for only $150.

This winter kicked my butt physical fitness wise, with so much ice and wind and cold, cold, cold. I've been able to get outside to run or walk through most winters, but not this year. Still - I can't justify spending hundreds (and some people spend thousands) on a piece of equipment that I intend to use, yet I'm also realistic about and know that most of these things end up as cobweb catchers. I feel pretty lucky to have found this treadmill. And if I use it a lot until the weather here improves, and through next winter, maybe I'll buy a really good one. And if not, I'm certain I can re-sell it for close to what I've just paid for it.

And Dave? He's been working on his "listening room". Last year we started clearing out parts of the basement/game room, because the kids didn't use it any more. We hauled out the 1980's couch, the gargantuan TV, the old VCR, and the old Sega Genesis stuff. Since then he's been busily creating a place where he can listen to old records...in a 1960's atmosphere. And it's been kind of fun, going here and there and finding crazy furniture, lamps, and other 60's decor.

So...now we're in Lent. And every year comes the discussion about what we're giving up. Dave and I were talking about it Wednesday evening and decided that we'd stop cursing through Lent. Believe it or not, this relatively calm, middle aged, cross-stitching mother of two has a cursing vocabulary that could make a sailor blush, and it's become so habitual that I don't even think about it anymore. Dave, too. And since sometimes what we say can influence the way we behave, Dave and I were thinking that maybe cleaning up our language would help us behave in a nicer way. So that's what we're doing.

Now, before you go thinking that Lee and Dave are like...super noble...or something, I should tell you that this conversation happened at Appleby's, after dinner, when we were trying to decide whether or not to have the Molten Chocolate Cake dessert, since our previous Lenten observance had been to give up chocolate cake. Not so noble now, is it?

But we still didn't have the cake. Well, Lent is long.