Hello Friends!  So...yes, it's been a while.  It seems like so many things get in the way of my visits here.

First of all, there's LIFE.  Just plain ol' everyday life that can suck up your time and creativity like nobody's business.

But I managed blog visits before, didn't I?  So I guess for my second excuse, I'll mention Facebook.  It's very easy to trade in the quick hit of a Facebook post for the meatier version of a blog post.  Except for this...I've made great friends and strong connections through blogging.  Facebook?  No.  Not really.  In fact, no new friends at all.  So I want to drastically reduce the number of times I look at Facebook, and spend more time creating blog posts.

Maybe you're feeling the same way?  If you are and you're thinking of giving your old blog a good kick in the pants, read this article, aptly named, Why Blogging is Better Than Facebook.  I like all of Cathy's reasons, but I like the Get Creative paragraph best.  

Now all I need to do is follow through.  As many of you know, that's not my strongest suit...

Anyways (or Anyhows, if you're from Pittsburgh), the last time we met here it was mid April.  Since then it has been an absolutely gorgeous summer in Pittsburgh.  Dave and I have enjoyed two of our favorite summertime things:  Outdoor concerts and baseball games.  Even though our Pirates seem to be spiraling downward, there are always the Pierogi races to give you a lift.

Best between-inning entertainment around!

I've also kept stitching through the summer.  Last year Dave and I bought a home in the Mount Washington neighborhood of Pittsburgh - a cozy little townhouse off the beaten path, and I've entertained stitching friends there a few times.  We've had lovely days with lots of laughs, and I've even accomplished some stitching.

Finished in February, but framed this summer

La D Da freebie - Flag City

Finally finished and framed our anniversary sampler!  Moira Blackburn's Scottish Love sampler, stitched on PTP Doubloon.

In family news, it looks like our family will be growing soon, with BOTH our children announcing their engagements.  We couldn't be more pleased!  Weddings are planned for summer 2015 and winter 2016.  It seems like the distant future, but it's really not that distant if you think of it in "stitcher's time".  (Thanks to Nikki for coining that phrase for me!)  I think I have a design picked for my son and his wife-to-be (very cool and non-traditional), but my daughter's design is puzzling me at the moment.  I think it's one of those times when a design simply has to hit you between the eyes, you know?

Sounds like a good excuse to go shopping, doesn't it?

Till next time,
Lee

Stitch night topics

One of the things I enjoy about my stitch nights is listening to the conversations as they swirl around the room.  We talk about so many things - some serious, some silly.  But it's always interesting.

It's interesting because we are all different people, living in different situations and with different sensibilities.  Some of those differences might divide us in other environments, but not when we're in a stitching room!  So conversations flow and it's never dull.

And sometimes we re-visit old conversations.

For instance, one of our stitchers recently retired.  In the months leading up to her retirement date, she was wondering what it would be like when she didn't have to dress for work every day.  And since I am a fountain of unsolicited advise, I told her about the Fly Lady philosophy:   Schlepping around at home all day in slippers or bare feet makes you feel less ambitious.  You should put your shoes on every day because it will make you more productive.

Well, Nancy retired and then went South for a couple of winter months, so I didn't see her for a while.  But we were sitting across from each other last night and she told me that I was wrong with my shoe advice.  "Lee", she said, "It wasn't about wearing shoes.  It was about putting on a bra.  I was much more productive if I put on my bra."

Hmmm.  I think she's right!  Putting the girls where they belong tells me that I'm ready for the day...And setting them free at the end of the day tells me that I'm DONE.

What about you?  What piece of clothing or accessory tells you you're ready to get down to business?

Rounding the corner towards 60

I had a birthday last week.  It was Number 56.  There's something about passing the midpoint of a decade that gives me pause.  Sometimes it's super depressing.  Turning 36 sucked because there was something about turning 40 that blew me away.  Sometimes it's fun, like when I turned 46 and knew I had four years to plan a blow-out 50th birthday and 25th anniversary party.

But 56?  It was completely unremarkable emotionally.  Is it because 60 doesn't feel like a milestone?  Or am I just not seeing the milestones that lay ahead? Dave and I are already partly retired, both of us working part-time, so full retirement doesn't feel like a big deal.  I don't see weddings or grandchildren on the horizon.  But even if they were...those aren't my milestones.   So I guess my goal at 56 is to coast towards 60 and hope it's just that.... an easy coast.

Anyways....I had a wonderful birthday month.  It started with a fantastic trip with stitching buddies to Woodlawn Plantation to see the annual needlework exhibit.  And to do some shopping at In Stitches, of course!  I wish I had some show photos for you....but the folks at the needlwork show are very stringent with their No Photographs policy. And although I don't understand why - they never put photos of the winners online. I'll tell you, if I had won a ribbon, I'd want it plastered all over the Internets!

Then Dave and I took a 10 day break from a never-ending Pennsylvania winter with a trip to Florida.  It was just what we needed and we enjoyed every single minute of it.

We were home in time for a week long celebration of my birthday.  Let's see...there was a Robert Cray concert to kick things off.  Dinner and a comedy show with a good friend one night, an excellent Italian dinner with my husband another night, and then finishing a fun weekend by going to the Pittsburgh Pirates Opening Day.

My mailbox celebrated my birthday, too, bringing these gifts from my dear-heart of a friend, Sue in Kansas.

Here they are a little closer.  A lovely LaDDa wooden box

An extra special cake

A project bag, and Sue stitched the sunflower onto it!  Does this girl know me, or what?

As for my stitching?  I've been stitching small stuff through the month.  I think you've seen one of these LK Flip It Bits - January - already.  But last month I finished February.  And I finished my name tag to wear to one of my stitching group meetings.  I'm really enjoying the Flip Its...They're easy and relaxing.  

Some close-ups

And that's about it...till next time!

Blog Stats

Do you ever check your blog stats?  I try not to get caught up in that trap, because I know that writing a personal blog isn't about popularity and numbers.  But sometimes I'm curious.

So recently I looked at my blog stats and in particular at my most popular posts - in terms of page views.  Hmm.  The statistics really surprised me.

I've written 1050 posts, and the most viewed post of my blog was just last summer, when I wrote about our trip to Myrtle Beach.  Really??  I didn't write a single thing about stitching and there's not a even one photo of stitching, but it had 2214 hits.  I think the lesson is:  If you want lots of hits on a post, just write Myrtle Beach in the title.  Maybe the term "Flying Cloud" got hits from Airstream enthusiasts, too?

The second most popular post I've ever written was under 30 words and posted on January 23, 2011 when the Steelers were in a playoff game. I also added a photo of a Terrible Towel.  That had 878 views, which seems measly when compared 2,214, but still....

So if I'm ever feeling unloved in the blog world, I'll write a post and title it:  "Driving the Airstream Flying Cloud Trailer to Myrtle Beach While Waving the Steelers' Terrible Towel".

More work on the Love Sampler

The weekend retreat to Villa Maria was the perfect time to make some progress on my Moira Blackburn Scottish Love Sampler.  You know the saying, "Eat. Sleep. Stitch"?  It's pretty close. Throw in "Walk" for some of us, and "Nap" for others, and lots of gabbing and laughing.  That's kind of it in a nutshell.

As you can see, I'm getting close to a finish here.  

Most of my weekend was spent in the lower right corner.  That border takes a crazy long time to stitch! 

And also in the theme of LOVE, it's so interesting that every person who had a comment about my Watson vs Sherlock as a boyfriend question chose...Watson.  Well I'll be darned.  I wonder what that says about us?

Sherlock or Watson?

Like many of you living in the Eastern US, we had another weekend of awful weather.  And I worked really hard to put off clearing the driveway Saturday.  I had to really psych myself up to get out there and move more snow....

So how did I prepare?  I snuggled down in my chair and watched the last season of Sherlock, one show right after the other.  Like a pre-reward for a job I didn't want to do.  Boy, do I ever love that show.  I love a program that has me thinking about it long after it's over.  And Sherlock gave me things to think about as I mindlessly pushed snow around.  

Mostly what I thought about was...who is hotter?  Dr. Watson or Sherlock Holmes?

Who does it for you?  The icy brilliance of Sherlock?  A handsome genius who gives us glimpses of his flaws...and one of those flaws his loneliness?

Or does Dr. John Watson turn you on?  Not brilliant, but smart, loyal, dependable...yet with a streak of bad-boy/tough-guy that appears from time to time and that can be pretty hot.  Not quite but you'd call handsome, but still attractive.

As for me, I honestly can't say.  Probably Watson, because I think men like Sherlock come with too much drama.  And really....who needs drama?  

And Sherlock seems more like a project than a boyfriend.  And the last thing I need is another project.

Speaking of projects, I've been working on an older Lizzie Kate series, Flip It Bits.  I finished January a couple weeks ago, and I'm almost finished February.  Just for fun, I changed a thread or two in each Bit. I used a fuzzy pink thread instead of an overdyed for the snowman's scarf and mittens.  It's hard to see in the photo, but in person it looks kind of cool.  

And my local stitching group has decided that we should all wear name tags, which I think is a great idea for such a large group of women, because it's much easier for new members to get to know us if they can know our names.   It's so uncomfortable when you don't know all the names...So I've been working on one I've cobbled together from another design.  I should finish it soon, unless blindness sets in from working over one on 30 ct. evenweave...

I'm off to a much-anticipated stitching retreat this weekend, and believe it or not, I'll be taking the SAME project I took last year.  Let's hope I spend a little time stitching and a little less time talking and eating this year and then maybe I'll make have a nice progress pic to show for it.

Till next time, thanks for stopping by!

My Valentine gift to you

My daughter got a stitched gift. My son got a card with cash. But you, my dear stitching friends, get our favorite sexy man, Ryan Gosling! 

I plan to wear a slutty gown with sequins, a slit up the side and a plunging neckline.
Anyone else have their dress picked out?

One of my favorite pet peeves.  Or calling it quilting.  Or crocheting.  I wish I knew their favorite hobby so I could call it by the wrong name.  But...oh...wait.  They usually don't have a hobby.

Enough said.  Get 'em, Boyfriend Ryan.

I could totally substitute Dave's face in this photo.  Ryan's sexy, but my Dave is a prince.  And he still makes my heart go pitty-pat. 

Phew.  Hotness.  And now that I'm feeling the love, I have to go find Dave and give him his Valentine gift.  

Happy Valentines Day to all you crazy blog readers!

Thanks to Robin!

Remember how I told you yesterday that I had changed the colors a bit from the original My Big Toe Christmas ornament design to make it more like a Valentine?  Well, Robin (no blog, but a dedicated blog reader) shared this photo with me.

Isn't her blue version wonderful?  It was a Valentine gift for her husband and I think it's absolutely perfect.  And framed beautifully, too, don't you think?

Thank you Robin, for sharing this with me and for letting me put your photo on my blog!

Every year...a Valentine!

(If you are following the Smalls SAL, you may have seen this post already.  I kept it hidden from my front blog page until my daughter received her gift in the mail)

If you've been reading here for a while, you know that ever since Colleen went away to college, I've sent her a stitched Valentine. My first Valentine was very Valentine-y, but then you'll see that I went with designs that could be out year-round.  I'd choose something with a heart theme, though.

And now this year - well, she's a college graduate, starting a grown-up life out in Colorado and more or less on her own.  So I decided this year maybe she needed a Valentine more than ever.  (Or maybe I just needed to send her a Valentine more than ever.  That may be closer to the truth.)

Anyways, this arrived in Colorado yesterday and...Yep.  She liked it.  The design is by My Big Toe and was published in the 2011 JCS Christmas Ornament issue.  Back before Christmas, another blogger had stitched it and I knew right away that all it needed was a bit of recoloring to make a perfect Valentine.  So right away I typed it into Evernote so I'd remember it when February rolled around.

FYI - it's not very small if you stitch it over 2.  If you want it small, either use 40 ct fabric or stitch it over one.

I have to tell you, ever since I found out about Evernote, I'm a whole new woman.  I don't know if it's that I'm getting older or that there is SO MUCH MORE to remember, but let me tell you...that tiny little app is a tremendous help to me.

I write everything from grocery lists to sampler sayings I want to remember.  From lists of books I want from the library to a list of the quantity of food I ordered for a holiday luncheon.   I list charts that I'm getting ready to stitch and I make a list of the supplies I need to buy before I get started.  LOVE.  IT.

Maybe some of you have a favorite smart phone app.  Why not tell us about it in your blog?

Three Christmases Ago

That's how long ago I started this sampler.  I'd work on it through the holidays and maybe I'd continue into January, but I have to be in the mood to stitch Christmas things. And by February my mind turns to Spring and bunnies and pretty pastels and Easter eggs and anything that's NOT Christmas!  Well, this year it's finished!  And even though I only worked on it seasonally, I really enjoyed stitching it.

Hey...I've been meaning to tell you all about a weekend Dave and I spent in Bedford PA last fall. (See what happens when you don't write in your blog for a long time?  You forget the good stuff you've done!)

You might remember that I told you my husband recently started working as a floating pharmacist for a Very Big Chain Store, and sometimes they get into dire straits and need someone to work in a store rather far away from us.  Meaning that it requires a hotel stay for a night or two.  So in the fall, they asked Dave to work in Bedford PA.  He agreed to go, and then we Googled the town and decided to make a getaway of it.

I dropped Dave off early on Saturday morning and then spent the day wandering around downtown Bedford, where I was SO pleasantly surprised to find lots of great antique shops and small boutiques and cafes.  Now ladies, if you know me in person, you know that I am NOT a shopper.  I'll do anything to avoid going shopping, (unless it's for needlework supplies, then lock me in and throw away the key).  So when I tell you that I spent hours in Founders Crossing...you know it had to be good!

I was delighted to find a bunch of paper needle books - My dad used to keep one with his Navy uniform and bag for when he'd go away on his trip with the Reserves each year.  His had airplanes on it.  Anyways - I gave all the needle books away as gifts, but I kept one for myself.

I also found a handful of glass "frogs" and a couple pretty teacups to set them in to make a lovely scissor display (I gave all those away, too).  I also found some Jewel Tea pieces...they always remind me of my mother-in-law so I keep my eyes open for nice pieces to add to the small collection I inherited from her.  I found a couple Jewel Tea custard cups, and I was so pleased to see how my scissor frog nestled in. It makes me happy just to look at it!

Then I wound my way to one of the two quilt shops on the same street.  Unique Stitches Quilt Shop is a very nice, very new little shop, with everything you'd expect to find in such a place.  And about three blocks away, there is another very interesting shop called Mary's Quilt Shop, home to Mary Koval's Antique Quilts.  What a very cool place!  If you're looking for antique fabrics, it's THE place to go.

And not only that...Mary's Quilt Shop also has a wonderful retreat center just above the shop...perfect of quilters or stitchers or knitters. One of the ladies took me upstairs to view the space and let me tell you...it was wonderful.  The bedrooms were lovely, most having twin beds. (So ladies...you don't have to share beds)  The living area was cozy and the kitchen/dining area was bright and beautiful.  And the lower level had one of those rooms with a huge table for pressing or assembling quilts of any size.  The rates were reasonable.  I think it was $75 per bed per night.  So if anyone is thinking of planning a stitching retreat - Mary's is an excellent option to keep in mind.

Bedford is home of the Omni Bedford Springs Resort , and it's gorgeous and fascinating and historic and way beyond our budget for a one night stay..but it costs nothing to go there and wander around.

Which we did.

Instead, we stayed in a wonderful little Bed and Breakfast in the heart of town, The Golden Eagle Inn. Our host was wonderful, our room was warm and cozy and the breakfast was perfect!

The owner has great photos of the interior on his website, so visit there if you want to know more!

We also had a great meal across the street at a tiny little bistro-style restaurant called 10/09 Kitchen, because we had read great reviews on Yelp and Urban Spoon.  I'll tell you...If I could have given it 6 stars instead of 5, I would have.  Excellent and fun.

So there you have it...our weekend in Bedford PA.  I hope we get to go back soon!

Oh - Also!  Go to the Victorian Sampler Blog and sign up for her giveaway! Click here.

Here's another reason I love this city

This was the cover photo of the Pittsburgh City Paper this week. 

If you're from This corner of Pennsylvania, you'll love it, too!

A quick answer

A couple of you have asked about the sampler in my last post.  It's a Shakespeare's Peddler chart - Jenny Bean's Christmas Sampler.

(Pic borrowed from Pam, whose photo skills are better than mine!)

I wanted to answer you quickly because this morning I just read that Theresa Venette (owner of SP) is offering free shipping on purchases through her Etsy site, Letters Great and Small.  It's only till Sunday, though, so don't dawdle...

Out of Whack

Lately when I see my friends, especially my stitching friends, they often mention that they notice I'm not blogging much anymore.  I rarely have an answer for that, but I think about it long after the conversation has ended.

The simple answer is that I'm spending less time at my home computer and more time in offices.  The  more complicated answer is that for various reasons (I'll spare you the whiney-woe-is-me list) over the past year I often felt out of whack.  Out of whack and overwhelmed and it's hard to write when you are feeling that way.

Nevertheless, I'm taking advice from my good, wise friend Kansas Judy and in 2014 I plan to take small steps to feel less overwhelmed and more in-whack.

One of those steps is to update my blog from time to time  Today is giving me the perfect opportunity.  It's snowy outside, warm inside and I don't need to go to any offices other than my own.

So.  Welcome to my blog...again!

And since this blog has Stitcher in the title, I'll show you at least one project I've been working on since the last time I posted any stitching photos.

One of these Christmases, I'll finish this sampler.  I pull it out every December so it's been in my WIP pile for a few years.  This year I've actually kept at it through January, so maybe by Christmas 2014 it'll be ready to frame.  Sometimes the house is the big hurdle for me when I'm stitching samplers.  Once that's done, it's relatively smooth sailing.

And here's something else...One of the big kerfuffles in my house in November was that we installed carpet through our whole upstairs and that included my office/sewing room.  Every single thing had to be moved out of the office and that meant moving every bit of my quilting and stitching stash  - - - which was NOT fun.  You can only imagine the kinda-started and half-done projects I uncovered.  And the many plans and ideas that had been moved way to the back of the closets!

I also decided that I am not a Quilter anymore, (but that's a story for another day) and decided to donate most of my quilt fabric stash to the Salvation Army.  They hold a huge fabric sale every year and just after my big clean-out I met one of the women who coordinates the donations and it was kismet.  Like it was meant to be.

Anyways, the fabric sorting dredged up a bag.  Actually, a bag of bags.  I admit to being kind of a bag and box hoarder.  And way before we had Vera Bradley and Thirty-One, we stitchers knew the value of a good bag., so if you had one, you didn't foolishly throw it away!  Remember when needlework shops gave us canvas tote bags?  Usually if you bought a lot, you got the bag for free.  Or you could buy one for a couple dollars.  I ate those promos up...

Over the years I know I've thrown several away, but waaaaaaay back in the closet I found a few and I thought I'd share them with you.  Cat hair and all.  And I think all of these shops are gone now, but isn't it kind of interesting that their bags live on?

A trip to the Jersey shore always meant an afternoon shopping in Cape May, so I enjoyed many visits to The Victorian Sampler.  They used to chart the more popular Victorian houses in town and I owned (and even stitched!) a handful of those charted houses.  They'd release a new chart every year and that kept me coming back for more.

It used to be easy finding needlework shops in Philadelphia, and this one was one of my favorites.  My mom (who was stitching at the time) and I spent some nice "girl time" in this shop.

And finally, the Thread Connection, which was my favorite shop in Pittsburgh.  It was super conveniently located on the South Side, with a parking lot close by and they had everything I could have ever wanted in the late 80's and early 90's.  Ahhh.  The good old days... when there was an LNS on every corner.  Like Starbucks.  Well...not exactly, but you know what I mean.

How about some of you?  Does anyone else have bags from old shops? Even current shops?  Come on...I know you have some hiding in that closet of yours!

Till next time,
Lee

Inspired by another blogger

My good friend Pam over at Stitching Between the Lines recently started writing again and published a wonderful post called "Where Are They Now?".  Her blog had been dormant for a while and now she's back (yay!), and she wrote a delightful catch-up post.

Which I will now copy.  Not because I'm unoriginal.  But because she had an awesome idea.

When I first started writing my blog, I wrote about my kids.  A lot.  Maybe ad nauseum.  They were 10 years younger (yes, I've been hanging around here for ten years) and teenagers.  We were all-kinds-of-crazy between school, sports, dances and hormones and teen drama.  So I had lots of great blog fodder as we navigated those waters.

Now?  Not so much.  They've grown and gone and are settling into lives of their own.  I recently realized that from now on I'll mostly see them for "events" (like graduations, holidays, weddings and funerals), and that's if I'm lucky.  But probably not for the day to day casual conversations (and arguments) that we used to have and that I used to love, teen angst and all.

Anyway...

This fellow has just passed his qualifying exams for the doctoral program he's been part of at the University of Georgia since 2011.  He's been doing genetics research and generally making UGA smarter for a couple years and now it looks like they'll keep him for a couple more.  Then maybe back to Pittsburgh for his post-doctoral work?  A mother can hope.

So.  I'll have a few more years of him attempting to explain his research to my feeble mind.  I just nod and look like I understand, but I know he knows that it's all an act.  Luckily, we are both addicted to The Walking Dead, so we have something we can talk about.  And at least I can sound informed about that.

This young lady recently left for a new adventure in Colorado, where she's working hard to make her dreams come true, including running her first marathon last week and working as an intern with Trail Runner Magazine.  They've published some of her articles.  If you like trail running, you can read them here, here , and here.  She's also writing in her own blog frequently.  Soon she'll be getting paychecks from a running store to be able to continue to pay rent, have a car and eat.  And get her mother good shoe discounts.  And she'll continue to write and who knows where that may lead?  Maybe back to Pennsylvania?  Again...that's wishful thinking from her mother.

It's kind of funny how I miss different and particular things about each one of them.  I miss John's noise and his teasing.  I miss Colleen's quiet calm.  But I still have Dave here, who is noisy and teasing and calm - like both kids all rolled into one big ball of husband.  He's working part time as a floating pharmacist for a Large Chain, so while he's more or less based out of a local store, he has the option pick up an open shift and travel to other stores far and wide.  Sometimes it's a great experience.  Sometimes, not so much.

And as for me, I've just been promoted from Bookkeeper to Accounting Assistant, which quite honestly means absolutely nothing. .Although after the workday I had yesterday, I'd happily be demoted to Girl Who Empties the Trash Can.  Simple and stress free and a job I can handle.

I'm still stitching, but not very much.  Sadly, nothing picture worthy.  Maybe next time?

Additional pages?

So...it looks like if I update a page within this blog, it doesn't go through to blog newsreader like Bloglovin or Feedly?  So you don't know about it.  Does anyone have any advice about this?

But in the meantime, I'll use this space to tell you when I update my second page.  Which I did today, so go here.

And them come back, because if you used to like my Prom Gown fails, you'll really enjoy reading this:
http://www.genevievevalentine.com/2013/11/miss-universe-2013/

Why we do what we do

This video is from 2010, but it's new to me. So I'm sharing it with all of you.

I love what Renate Hiller has to say about hand work.  Don't let the spinning and knitting perspective put you off...it applies to all  needleworkers.

I'll bet you're nodding your head in agreement right now and running to get your stitching!

I asked and you answered!

Well, well, well!  It looks like I'm not the only stitcher who has neglected her blog from time to time!  It was super interesting to read your comments or to see what you all wrote in your blogs in response to the question I threw out there about why we stop writing.

And this is what I'm concluding:

1. Time constraints:  Sometimes there just aren't enough hours in a day to do all the things we want to do, so we have to make choices.  People initially enter the blog world with time to write, but then life happens.  A new job, a new baby, a new health issue - you name it and it eats time.  I just hope that if a blogger really enjoyed writing, he or she will find a way back to us if and when time allows.
2. A change of focus:  Today it's stitching.  Tomorrow it could be skydiving.  And the blog isn't relative to the writer's life anymore.  It happens.
3. Technical issues:  People get sick of the way blog software constantly changes.  Seems like they barely get the hang of their publishing routines and zing...  The software/template/publishing format is updated and seemingly totally different.  I get that.  It could be enough to drive someone away.  
4. They've found other forms of social media that they like better.  Well...to each his own, but I'll take a meaty blog post over a "Like" on Facebook any day.
5. Feeling like nobody reads your blog anyway:   Oh. My. Goodness.  I completely get this one.  And I'm also guilty of causing it.  In fact, I have so much to say about this that I'm going to give it its own section here.
6. You thought no one you knew in real life read your blog, but....Maybe you like to blog anonymously.  It's quite freeing.  And then one day you realize that your family is reading your blog and that creative door just slams shut for you.  So you leave your blog.
7. Once you wrote something and then got slammed for it.  I know bloggers who were writing and enjoying it but stopped because they wrote something sarcastic or controversial and got zapped with nasty comments and emails.  It'll set a blogger back on her heels...and we lose her.  

Why feeling like nobody reads your blog is a bummer and how that happens:

• First of all, there's that whole "Follower" thing.  Although it's meant to be an easy way for people to follow your blog, it often feels like a popularity contest.  Now, I'm not saying that's true, I'm just saying that's how it can feel.  Kind of like class officer elections in high school, where we are constantly reminded that it wasn't a popularity contest...riiiiiiiight.  We have to get past that popularity contest state of mind but sometimes a sensitive soul may feel - I don't know - unread and sad.  I don't consider myself sensitive, but I've been there, too.  I get it.

• Or we may interpret few followers to mean that our blogging skills are inadequate. We worry that our photography isn't good enough.  Our words aren't interesting enough.  So we stop writing. Quite frankly, there are some blogs I've read that have hundreds or thousands of followers and tons of comments.  But I didn't understand it because I thought it was obvious that the writer was completely insane.  Maybe those other followers were like me...following to see how crazy this person could get before a total meltdown.  (And ok, that's not nice, but like I said last week - I'm not self-editing dammit!)  All that is to say - I'd rather read a nice blog with a blurry photo than a blog with professional style pics and crazy writing.

• Some people go to the Page Visits thing on Blogger and see that they have very few visits.  Then we feel really crappy about ourselves and quit.  But here's the thing - I use a reader.  Feedly, to be exact.  Loads of us use blog readers and often don't often leave the reader and visit actual blog sites. And that's especially true if I'm reading from my phone or tablet.  So I don't think we're showing up on your page stats.  Nor do I click to be a follower on a blog, because I'm already following it in my blog reader and  I don't sho up as a follower in your sidebar.  But don't fixate on page visits, unless you're blogging for money or advertising.  Most of us don't fall into that category.

• Then there's the whole Comment thing.  Which also dovetails with the Page Visits.  Writers think that few comments mean few readers. I really wish there was a way to comment within the blog reader software, since (and this is very lazy), I often don't comment because I don't want to switch from the reader to a web page.  So I bookmark your post to go back to later.  And then I forget.  Or too much time passes.  But my point is - few comments does NOT mean few readers.  

So, there's my nickel's worth of conclusions I've drawn from your comments and posts.

And I hope I haven't bored your eyeballs out.  But I hope that if you've stopped writing, maybe something I've said will get you started again.

I'm off to an all-day retreat in Pittsburgh tomorrow.  There'll be stitching, food, stitching, laughing, stitching, shopping, and stitching.  And then we'll do it all over again.  I'll see ladies I haven't seen in a while and I can't wait to get a gander at what they've been up to!  

Maybe I'll take my camera so I can add some gorgeousness to this page.

No, no, NO!

It's not Christmas yet!   It's still.....FALL!

From PS "October".  Finished the stitching during my stay in Erie.

My around-the-corner-neighbors, Jack and Elaine, have already put Christmas decorations on their lawn.  There's a train and a stable scene and a Ferris wheel and all kinds of other cute things that I like to see when I go for an evening walk  IN DECEMBER.    But really....on the lawn by November 2?

They have always been early.  Both of them were school teachers and so they had lots of miscellaneous school days off in the fall, meaning they had more time to get that sort of household thing done. Much more time than those of us in retail.    And now they're both retired, so I foresee the decorations coming out earlier and earlier.

Jack and Elaine at breakfast on July 5

Jack:  Well, that was a rousing fireworks display last night!  I guess it's time to put away the firecrackers and Roman Candles.

Elaine:  And while you're up in the garage attic, you had better bring down Santa and the Baby Jesus!  You can never get them on the lawn too soon.

End Scene

Now listen....this angst I'm expressing absolutely does NOT apply to needlecraft bloggers!  We know that our art is more involved than testing light bulbs and laying extension cords, so post away at any time with your pics of holiday and winter stitching, sewing, quilting, knitting or whatever needlecraft floats your boat.

Just keep the lawn decorations in the house for a little while longer!

Why have we stopped writing?

First of all, I promise I won't go on and on about this.  But why have so many of us let our blogs flounder?  I'm not the only one with a blog that's flopping around on the boat and gasping for air.  (Ewww.  That's a terrible visual image.  And I'd re-write it but I'm NOT self-editing, dammit)

As for me, I'm still stitching and enjoying it more than ever.  I'm enjoying the companionship of fellow stitchers - both online and in real life.  And I'll bet many of you are too.  So why the heck are our blogs sitting idle?

Did some of us go through life changes?  I know that I wrote (probably too much) about my children, but now they're grown and gone and aren't constant fodder for my blog anymore.  So that's a life change.  And I went back to work outside my home.  Yeah....that's an exciting change.  (insert the proper sarcastic tone).  Did I have a joy of life back then that was easy to identify and that I'm searching to identify it now?  Not that I'm not happy...just that I can't articulate it here.

So what are your thoughts?  And if you think about it and come up with an answer and have an idle blog you'd like to kick start, go write them in your blog.

In the meantime, I want to give you all a link to my friend Patricia's blog, Being Boswell.  We've been friends for-almost-ever and a while back  she moved away.  Not far, but far enough.  Well, recently we've reconnected and I realize just how much I missed our long talks and laughs.

Anyway, Patricia's a counselor who specializes in women's issues and she writes a very thoughtful and timely blog.  At least for me, anyway. For instance, Whodathought we'd be redefining ourselves in our 50's?  Evidently it's not uncommon, but still...I felt (and still often feel) rather blindsided.  And Patricia writes about it.

So follow that link up there and poke around on her blog and leave her a comment if you'd like.  I know she'd appreciate it.

Don't be hatin'

Hello and welcome to Lee's World of Outdated Ghetto Language!

And I couldn't come up with a better title.

But I don't want you to be jealous (and all hatin' on me)  because I'm going to tell you that I am just back from another one of those wonderful weekends that I spend in Erie with  four other delightful stitching friends.  Love those ladies!

This was one of our best weekends yet.  The B&B was better than ever, all charmingly decorated for Halloween.  The weather was....reasonable.  (I mean---it IS November and it IS Erie).  The innkeeper always wows us with spectacular three course breakfasts.  Seriously, breakfast is an event.  And this year she also wanted to cook dinner for us one of the evenings and it was spectacular.

Girls...imagine stitching all day in a cozy inn, then meandering into a beautifully set dining room lit by candlelight and being served a gourmet meal.  Yes.  It was that good!

So anyway, besides all the stitching and eating, we laughed a lot and talked a lot and as a result I'm going to try to write here more often.  They've talked me into it.

But in order for me to continue to write, I have to warn you....my self-edit button may need to be switched off.  I think that's why I've had such writer's block for the past year or more.  I started to worry too much about sounding silly or stupid or giving you too much information.  So I began to write...nothing.

So maybe I'll put floss on my head again.  Or maybe I'll tell you about the body parts I see on TV sometimes.  Or maybe I'll tell you about my theories on life in general.  Kind of a Lee On...Whatever.  (LOL).

We'll just see where this goes.