It's Been A While...

Yes, folks, it's been a while since I last put finger to keyboard to do a Blog post, partly due to being busy and running out of time, as the days keep flying past (who can believe it's the middle of March already???!!! Not me, that's for sure) and also because the blogging mojo went awol for a while. Still, it's better it was the blogging and NOT the stitching mojo - right? :0)

OK, so where do I start? Hhhhhmmm... first off I have to show you all the lovely belated half of the Christmas gift I received from Barb - only belated due to the weather and poor Barb's ill health preventing her from getting and sending them. They were well worth the wait, I can tell you - lookit the pretty wrapping in my favourite colour:

Inisde were these gorgeous goodies:

Barb tells me that the bag was printed by one of the ladies who is on a dig that she told me about some time ago. The image is of a Roman torq which was once worn by a Roman lady - this is much more vivid in colour than my pic shows. There were also some Piecemaker needles for me to try, now I've found my missing mojo. LOL The card is so pretty and looks great next to my Kwan Yin statue. Thank you again Barb, I love them - you know my tastes so well. :0)

Now let me cast my mind back again and try and remember what else I've been up to. Well, I made a stack of cards, ready for the Birthday Thread Exchange that I joined over at Needlecraft Haven... but I can only show you the ones that have been sent. There were two birthdays in February, one for Sheila:

and one for Kathy:

No more of those until April now. Though I did take part in the NH Forum's Sweet Feet Sock Exchange, with opening and reveal being on St Valentine's Day.. and that was alot of fun. Unfortunately I got a bit previous and managed to delete the pics I took of the socks I sent to Jaclyn (no blog, as far as I know)... but here's a pic of the accompanying card I sent to her:

Here's a pic of the lovely card, thread and fab pair of socks I received from Lindsay:

Another pic I'd managed to delete - thank goodness it was uploaded to my Webshots Album! I enjoyed this exchange so much it would be great to do it again some time (Hint! Hint! LOL)

I did make some other cards but this is going to be a pretty pic intensive post as it is, so I won't post them -  but if you're interested.... or just plain nosey and need to know (like me LOL), then you can see them in my Webshots Album.

It's good to report that the stitching mojo has stayed around - and that's another reason for the lack of blogging. There are only so many hours in a day and any spare time has seen me sat in my favourite armchair, plying my needle. I've been so keen I've joined the Monthly Challenge at NH Forum and a number of SAL's, as well as stitching gifts (like the Polar Bear and Tiger) just because I want to. It's been a reasonably productive year so far. :0)

First item for your delectation is the January Challenge piece:

Design: Petit Chat, internet freebie

Designer: Tralala - Des Filles et une Aiguille

Fabric: Zweigart 28ct Brittney, Antique White

Threads: Dragon Floss, Barrels of Laughter (blues); Carrie's Creation, Rose

Finish: Pinkeep style Scissor Keep

I had wanted to finish this as a cube (it would have been a first for me) but the polystyrene stuff I'd been hoarding had disappeared and I couldn't find any foam shapes online any bigger than 2cm sq, so this didn't get finished in time to go in the album... in fact I only got around to finishing it this month, after doing the finishing on the February Challenge piece. It took that to get the cube finish out of my head and give an alternative I was going to be happy to do. LOL

Then I finally got around to stitching a piece that was a previous Monthly Challenge on JA/S&S Forum.. it had guilt tripped me for long enough:

Design: Mr Penguinee, internet freebie

Designer: Mary Olson and Candy Scott of The Work Basket

Fabric: Zweigart 32ct, White

Thread: Carrie's Creation, Raven

Finish: good old Pinkeep

It came out quite a bit bigger than anticipated, so there was only just enough of the thread to complete it (anyone know where I can buy Carrie's threads from in the UK, please?). It was lovely to add another design to the finished pile though. And soon after that followed the NH Forum's February Challenge piece:

Design: Love, internet freebie

Designer: The Stitcherhood

Fabric: Polstitches 28ct Jobelan, Ice Ltd Ed

Thread: Carrie's Creations, Wedgwood

Finish: Pinkeep style Scissor Case

Now this one was a must stitch and I knew immediately what to use and which finish to do. Those are my Ann scissors, bought because I loved the colour and due to them having the same name as my Mum, now in Spirit... so now my Ann scissors are wrapped in Love. :0) Then I had a rare sleepless session one night so, instead of tossing and turning and disturbing DH (who had to go to work the following day and wouldn't have thanked me), I headed downstairs and grabbed a small project from my stitchy bag.... and got it fully completed. That was my January Christmas ornie:

Design: Robin and Holly

Designer: unknown, pullout from a magazine

Fabric: 28ct Brittney, Antique White

Threads: DMC oddments from my scrap box

Finish: Tuck Ornie (pre-finished tuck pillow)

Another pic I've managed to delete.... thank goodness for my Webshots Album! The tuck pillow was a pre-finished bargain from that well known auction site... wish I could find a few more of these, as this type of finishing is beyond me at the moment - and it's sooo quick! LOL

In between some of the smaller pieces I'd been stitching away at my piece for the NH Forum's Quaker SAL, Quaker Winter Slumber by Midnight Stitching. It went from this, which I started on the 6th of February:

To this, towards the end of February:

But soon became the first Happy Dance of March:

Design: Quaker Winter's Slumber #020

Designer: Midnight Stitching

Fabric: 32ct opalescent Lugana, Wind (unknown make)

Thread: Thai silk, Navy - very fine, stitched 2 over 1

Finish: to be finished as a Bellpull

The pic makes the fabric look a bit pink but it's all a greyish blue, very wintery... and very sparkly. There wasn't much sunshine when I took the pic, so it's not come out that well. This was an absolute joy to stitch and I'd love to do the other seasons at some point. The chart will be winging it's way to Tina (no blog) soon - hope she enjoys stitching this as much as I did. :0)

It was then time to choose a new project.  Clare is running a Prairie Schooler SAL on her Forum, Needlecraft Haven, and it was impossible to resist.... especially as it gave me an excuse to buy a gorgeous piece of sparkly fabric for it. Yes, that MS piece has set off a new love for opalescents... why have I not tried these before?! So here's the small start made:

Can you tell what it is yet? ROFL For those folks that aren't members of NH: I shall torment you a little longer with this one and only tell you that the fabric is Polstitches 32ct opalescent, Mummies Curse. Eheheh.

Also on the cards is another new start: Sampler au Bouquets by Jardin Prive. It was too late to join the SAL blog, so some of the memberss over at NH Forum are having a SAL with this. I've opted to stitch all three designs as one piece and am eagerly awaiting the release of part III this month. The NH SAL starts today (Tuesday 15th) and it's a "go at your own pace" one, so no pressure, for anyone that might be interested. Still waiting in the wings is my Enchanted piece, for the Carriage House Samplings SAL (another NH activity), but I don't have a suitable size of scroll frame for it at the moment. I could use a Siesta Bar Frame but I do not want to use drawing pins to attach this fabric to the frame and risk damaging it.... especially as I was a bit frugal on the extra for framing/edging. I can't help it - it's the Yorkshire blood in me. LOL ;0)

Oh, I nearly forgot! Whilst I was in a finishing mood I dug out an ornie I stitched back in 2009 and completed it - yes, it's taken me this long to get around to it *blush*. Here's the result of that:

Design: Holly Reindeer, internet freebie

Designer: Sharon Bennett, Daffycat

Fabric: 32ct linen, Mocha (unknown make)

Threads: Carrie's Creations, Buffalo Fur and Frosty Pine; DMC: 498

Finish: Pinkeep style Ornie

Many thanks Sharon - I love these little reindeer and it was another lovely piece to stitch... I just need to be in the right mood for finishing.... and it took a while *blushing again* Right, I think that's all the stitchy bits up-to-date now. Phew!

So what else has been keeping me busy? Lots of fun over at the NH Forum for one thing.... and my home. Yes, DH finally realised that the bathroom and kitchen need a total overhaul, so we've been planning and choosing what's wanted and getting quotes. The bathroom suite and a plumber to fit it have been chosen - he'll hopefully be starting in April (unfortunately that was the earliest he could fit us in, as he's popular). The kitchen maker/fitter has been chosen and we'll be in the process of finalising everything for that soon. The bulk of the waterpipe trench has now been backfilled and some of the slabs have been relaid... that's an ongoing job, as the weather doesn't always play ball when we have a free weekend to do jobs. I booked our summer holiday (vacation) - the same cottage we've stayed in the last couple of years... looking forward to recharging my batteries in my favourite place. :0)

DH and DS are still busy with the theatre stuff. DS has a part in the May production, Jekyll & Hyde, and DH is Stage Manager - he's popular for that job, as he gets everything and everyone organised well in advance, so everyone knows what they're meant to be doing and when. I shall probably be going to the performance... another solo seat at the back. LOL

I've been continuing with Development Circle meetings... but I don't know for how much longer, as one of the ladies has just dropped out. It has never been a large group anyway, so every member counts, and we suspect that it won't be long before a second member drops out - if that happens it won't be viable any longer. I shall be gutted if/when it does fold.... but I know that these things always happen for a reason... and when one door closes, another one invariably opens. I just have to be patient and see what the Universe has in store for me. :0) One door that has opened already: I will soon be going to a new monthly Meditation group that's being held locally - just a small group of women who wish to develop their Meditational skills. It starts in April... am looking forward to that.

DH and I have been to two Mind, Body and Spirit events so far this year, the first in Grimsby in January (the first time we've been to that event in a while) and, most recently, to the one in Elsecar, near Barnsley. They are always interesting.... and a lot of the stallholders now recognise me and say hello, which is nice. The main pull these days are the talks/workshops they hold, rather than going for the lovely goodies.... though I am now saving up for a Native American style flute, as that instrument is calling strongly to me. It helps that you don't need to read music to be able to play a passable tune. LOL

Well, that's not all of the news but it's the main happenings... enough there for you to have needed to make a coffee and put your feet up for a while. ROFL I will admit that I'm now extremely far behind on the blog reading/commenting but it's got to the point where it's unmanageable.... so, I don't like doing it, but I'm going to have to admit defeat and start again with many of your blogs, for which I apologise. I hope you'll all understand.... but I really don't want to be chained to this computer for the next month or two, trying to catch up. DH and DS would soon complain if there were no clean undies in the drawers or food on the table at mealtimes. LOL

Thank you all for taking the time to stop by... hope to be paying a return visit shortly. :0)

Santa Was Really Kind

Hope you all had a good festive season and enjoyed time with your families and friends... and hopefully managed to fit in a little crafting here and there too. ;0)

Our festive season was a little on the quiet side but that's how we prefer it... although it did get exciting one night, when the electric power cut out all over the house. We soon sussed that it wasn't a powercut but was actually caused by the breaker reacting to my switching on the washing machine.... because DS did it again, just to prove it, and all the lights went out again. The washer's element was shot and caused a problem with the earthing, which meant one dead washing machine and a trip to the January sales.... the new one has now been delivered and I've been on laundry catch-up ever since. That washing basket had been full to overflowing, so - as I flatly refused to hand wash their undies and socks because I value my health and sanity and don't love them that much - DH and DS had to pop to the main Tesco just after Christmas to get some emergency supplies. So far I haven't killed off the new machine, or the tumble drier, whilst doing the multitude of washes to catch up with the backlog! LOL

Santa was kind to me again, thanks to my forum friends and family. Here's a slideshow of the lovely handmade Christmas cards received this year:



And, as I like adding these little slideshow doohickys now I've worked out how to do them, here are the lovely goodies received:



Thank you again ladies for your kindness and generosity - hope you all had a lovely festive season and Santa was kind to you too, and that the thank you cards have arrived OK. :0)

We didn't get out and about much over the holidays, thanks to the cold weather and residual problems from all the snow we had, but did manage to get enough of a break in it to go and see MIL on New Years Day. The fluff ball kitten is now a fluff ball adolescent and looks like she'll always be petite. MIL is doing OK and spent her first solo Christmas with various friends, with lots of other invitations she didn't take up... though she did say that having Ally (the fluff ball) has been a real Blessing and says she's helped a great deal. Thank goodness for BIL and his family having the idea to do this. :0) So here's a pic of the little fluff ball:

It was taken with my phone, so not a great pic, but it captures her cuteness. She was so curious about what I was doing, which is why she was there long enough for me to take it.... because she's normally flitting around like a mad thing. LOL BTW, those are MIL's feet in the shot.

So what else have I been doing since my last blog post, apart from killing a washing machine, opening fab gifts and cards plus visiting MIL and admiring the fluff balls cuteness? Well.... I kept myself out of mischief by having a few cardmaking sessions at various times, with these results:



Sorry about some of those scans - my scanner doesn't like the 3-D bits on some of the cards, so makes them look all out of focus. Some of you may just recognise some of the cards too. LOL Yes, three slideshows in one post might seem a bit excessive... but not as excessive as posting every single pic would have been. ;0)

I also found time for a bit of stitching too. Bet you were thinking I'd never get round to that bit, weren't you? LOL Well I delved into my stash and started a kit of a polar bear, or rather its head, another one from the same range as the tiger I finished a little while ago. This is another piece stitched specifically for one of the girls in my Development Circle, as the polar bear is her Power Animal. I'd hoped to get it finished before the New Year started but there was just too much left to do...... so it became my first finish for 2011 instead.

Design: Polar Bear, kit

Designer: Roger W Reinardy, for the Janlynn Wildlife Series

Fabric: swapped the aida for 28ct white evenweave, unknown make

Threads: as supplied in the kit, unknown make

He was lovely to stitch and I'm sure he will be well received - just got to find a suitable frame..... or pluck up courage to make it into a wallhanging, as I have a fabric that would go really well with this.

As soon as that was finished I'd planned to do a fox design for another of the Circle girls... but the Seba Designs SAL blackwork piece that I started a while ago suddenly started to shout really loudly and wouldn't be ignored, so I picked that up instead - I'd almost forgotten just how lovely this was to stitch. Add in the fact that the new Seba 2011 SAL piece has been released.... well, I thought it best to get last years finished first. I put the last stitch in it last night (Sunday 16th January) and here's a bad pic taken in poor light, as the bright days are few and far between at the moment:

That's two finishes in a month! Wow! Keep going at this rate and the bellydancing CD will be worn out LOL. It sure does make a change though, after all those months of missing mojo that made 2010 a poor year for finishes - my album has a grand total of...... three pics in it. *blush*

I will now admit to hitting the January Sales for a little more than a washing machine. Yes, I got a few small stash additions:

I couldn't resist - they were real bargains. LOL Actually, I was quite restrained, considering the price the HAED charts were going for... though, admittedly, I already have plenty of those in my stash. Yes, I know, I should have thought of that before buying another one.... but it's an Angel! :0)

The New Year brought a few other new things too. Firstly, Clare took the plunge and started her very own Forum: Needlecraft Haven. It's a lovely, friendly place to hang out and chat and there are a few activities to join in too, in case you haven't already got lots of stitching planned: the RR's are already off to a flying start (sorry, couldn't resist. Eheheh); the Just Nan SAL is ongoing; there's a HAED SAL (any HAED piece you are stitching and would like encouragement with - Mother Earth is demanding attention); the Carriage House Samplings SAL starts in February and some of the girls are stitching Shores, whilst others are stitching smaller designs (I'm joining in with Enchanted); there's a Quaker SAL, again you can join in with any Quaker piece you like. There's going to be an Advent Exchange later in the year and then there are the regular features: UFO Night, watched over by Julie and Mr Stick, is there to help us all get those UFO's finished; a Monthly Christmas ornie section (stitch any ornie you like) and the Monthly Challenge SAL... this months stitch is a cute cat freebie by Tralala. I'm stitching this for MIL... but I can't tell you any details until Reveal Day, sorry. 

Soooo, at some point I shall be getting back to my JN piece, Flora, as the plan is to give it to Aureen, who runs the Development Circle, once it's finished. As I haven't stitched a larger Quaker style piece and have a couple of suitable designs in my stash, I'll be joining in the Quaker SAL. This piece shouted the loudest:

This was the initial floss toss, with a Thai silk thread, but am not sure about it, so will be trying DMC 820 instead. I'll be stitching it 1 over 1. Once I've completed the Challenge piece will probably be the ideal time to start this little beauty. So that's covered quite a few of my stitching plans for this year, though they're not set in stone and could be changed at some point.... it's allowed, as I'm a woman and it's part of the job description. ;0)

As for the Development Circle - it restarted last Tuesday (11th) and it was so good to be back and see the girls again. There was only one member missing and we've got our fingers crossed that she'll be back soon too. We were all a little rusty but it was a good session anyway and we're looking forward to the next one.
Then my monthly Reiki session was on Saturday (15th) and that was lovely - such a calming session. As DH and DS were out all day I did some shopping then had my dinner afterwards, in the local Fish and Chip restaurant (though I opted for chicken, chips and salad). It's so good to be so much better that I can do this kind of thing now. :0) Though this year has seen me have my first ever Hypnotherapy session - there are a few residual issues from the old agoraphobic/panic attack days that need to be dealt with, along with my wanting help to get back on track with my weight/diet (gone off the rails since my op last year), and I felt this was the best way to go. Eventually I plan on having a Past Life regression done too, something I've been interested in for a while now. It's going to be an interesting journey in the coming months. :0)

Last week was a time of being in charge of the TV remote every single evening too, from Sunday 9th to Saturday 15th - the Panto was on at the Theatre, with Get In and Get Out at either end. DH was Stage Manager and DS was in it. I tell you, the power almost went to my head! LOL It also meant quite a bit of stitchy time too, hence that Seba blackwork piece getting finished fairly speedily. Of course, the fact that they've been doing the Panto means that the pipework job hasn't progressed, despite the slight improvement in the weather, so there's still that open trench down the side of the house. Fingers crossed that something gets done next Sunday... although that depends on how DH is, as he managed to pull a muscle or trap a nerve or something in his back yesterday (Saturday) morning and has had to rest up today. Yesterday I suggested he went to the GP but wasn't holding my breath as far as him actually doing it.... but he surprised me and went this morning. I won't know what the outcome of that was until he comes home tonight - yes, he's gone into work for what he hopes will be an office based day. Fingers crossed it's just something that a little rest and Ibuprofen will sort out... soon, as I've been having to do all the lifting and bending and it's starting to tell on me too.

I am still waaaay behind with blog reading and commenting, thanks to it being so cold in here during the bad weather - even wearing the fingerless mitts didn't help. I will gradually do a catch up in the coming week or so.... but I've now got so far behind with some blogs I may just have to give in and admit defeat and just catch up with the most recent posts. So sorry, but even my nosiness can't cope with over 150+ blog posts from one single blog on top of all the others... especially as I still want time to do other things. LOL

Thank you for all your visits and kind comments. May 2011 bring you all much happiness, good health and plenty of time to stitch. :0)

Season's Greetings to All

Hope you are all having a happy & Blessed festive season. :0)

Being Snowed Under.... Literally

The main topic that's on everyone's minds at the moment here in the UK is the unprecedented early start to the Winter snows we've been having. Now I know there are a lot of folks out there who have probably witnessed much worse but for this neck of the woods it has been exceptional, as we usually have the mildest weather in the country. We'd been having some snow for a few days and things managed to carry on just about as usual..... until yesterday (Tuesday) evening, when things took a turn for the worse. It just didn't stop snowing, then the temperature dropped and the slight thaw during the day time began to freeze..... the main roads just became sheets of ice, including the one outside my house, and there wasn't a gritter or snow plough in sight. So most of the roads became gridlocked at rush hour and the few hills we have round here (Lincolnshire is known for being flat) were gradually being closed by the Police as too dangerous to drive.... people were abandoning their cars and either walking home or finding a nearby friend/relative's house to stay in. A couple of my DS's friends actually dossed down in the theatre bar last night, rather than risk the journey home - very sensible, as the Police had asked the radio stations to tell people to stay indoors, rather than risk travelling. My DS had to leave his car at a friend's house and walk home last night... the Mini is still there now, as the snow is above its bumpers.

It continued to snow for much of the night and this is the sight that met our eyes when we looked out of the bedroom window this morning:

The road out the front was a mix of snow and ice, barely discernible from the pavements. It was obvious that, even if DS had been able to drive home last night, there was no way he could make it into work... he would have had to negotiate one of the hills and drive out through a couple of villages to the wharf. If you think the road in front of our home is bad the villages are even worse, as they are even less of a priority for snow clearance. Then DH realised that there was no way he would be able to get into work either, despite being only a ten minute drive away.... the car needed digging out before he would be able to even try the roads.... and he'd had a couple of hairy moments getting home the previous night.... and now there'd been a whole lot more snow. Phone calls from work colleagues soon let them know that no one else was able to make it in, so common sense prevailed and they both stayed home.

Here's a slideshow of some of the views from various windows in the house. Take note of the depth of snow on the bin lids - I'd cleared them off the previous evening when I'd put some stuff in them, so that is the depth of snow that fell last night.




All three of us have done various bits of snow clearing during the day, so we could negotiate the trip to the bins and the workshop freezer without needing to wear snow shoes or skis and so DH could get his car out in an emergency. Unfortunately my poor baby isn't going to be going anywhere any time soon...like me, she's stuck in for the duration..... and it's been snowing on and off again since this afternoon, so there's about an inch and a half layer already over everything we'd cleared. Goodness knows what we're going to wake up to tomorrow (Thursday) morning!

On the up side: the lack of traffic going past has meant that it's been pleasantly quiet for a week day; I've never seen so many people walking, so it must be good for their Carbon Footprint; most of the folks that are about are surprisingly chatty, which is unusual for round here; we won't go hungry, as the fridge and freezer are well stocked, thanks to last weekends Farmer's Market shopping, and it's been nice having the two chaps around, mucking in whenever an extra pair of hands have been needed.

So what does a body do when the weather outside is abysmal? What else, once the jobs are out of the way, but do online shopping and stitch, of course! LOL I can't tell you about the online shopping because much of it is for Christmas gifts.... I'm just hoping that Santa's substitute - the Postie - can get the goodies here in time for me to get them wrapped and posted out to the recipients, so they get them in time. Guess it serves me right for not getting organised sooner... and this year I don't have the excuse of an ovarian cyst and an op! LOL The Seba SAL is growing nicely. Here's a pic I took of it pre-snow:

Another bad pic that had to be taken in poor light but at least it gives you the general idea. Here's how far it's progressed post-snow:

Yes, I've made a start on the fun bit - the blackwork that's actully in blue. The colours are much nicer irl, honestly. I decided not to complete the large box at the bottom just yet, until I figure out what I want to do: the original has two lines of cross stitch along the bottom, to make the patterns fit, and I'm not too sure if I like it that way, so am trying to decide if I have the confidence (and patience) to do a bit of a redesign on it. The jury is still out on that one. ;0)

So what else, other than the weather and its effects, has been happening here? Not a great lot really. The trench work and drilling is stalled big time... too cold for outside work and DH is trying to reconcile himself to having to buy a bigger drill bit - £40 for one bit of metal seems an awful lot and it's breaking his heart to have to do it. LOL The greenhouse is going to need two new roof panes, as DS caught the plastic shovel right between the overlap and broke them... didn't have the heart to bust his chops about it, as he worked so hard at clearing everywhere. DH has done a hasty covering up job until we can get it sorted properly.

My DSis came back from her cruise earlier in the week. She had a good time, though would opt to go on a smaller ship, should there be a next time - 4,000 people got a bit much. She and her friends were lucky enough not to have too much weather to deal with on the jouney back from Southport, initially, and she drove home from her friend's house in Barnsley before the worst lot started - she's not had her car out since though. The shopping Outlet she works at was closed today due to the snow (though she is still on holiday) but the management are wanting it open tomorrow, when she's supposed to go back to work.... but things aren't looking promising for her being able to get out of her drive, let alone the street. £££££'s seem to be more important than the safety of the retail staff, it seems.

Development Circle was cancelled again this week, this time due to the weather - good call, as we would have struggled to get there, and if we had managed to make it there we probably wouldn't have been able to get home again. I certainly wouldn't have, as Mortal Ash Hill (dual carriageway out to the villages) had been closed by the Police. I've been keeping up with the meditation and practising some of the techniques whenever I can at home but it's not the same as being in Circle.... and I miss the girls. There's no acupuncture this week either - another casualty of the lousy weather, as the acupuncturist lives out in one of the villages and both routes into the town from there have hills that have been closed. She almost had to spend the night in the Clinic Tuesday night - it was only because a Policewoman friend rang to let her know when Mortal Ash Hill had been briefly opened that she made it home. I don't blame her for not wanting to risk the journey or the possibility of having to stay at the Clinic tomorrow (Thursday) night... though she now knows there'd be a bed here for her, if ever she does get stuck, as my house is just a few minutes walk away.

Did I tell you DS had a job interview? I can't remember. It seemed to go much better than the previous ones and DS feels they have reassessed their view of him since.... no news yet, as to whether or not he's made it into the second round, but they are notoriously slow at these things. If he gets the job it would mean some changes, as he'd be working shifts.... but the better wages and opportunities for promotion should make up for that.

Think that's about all. It's freezing in here, so it's time I was away into a warmer room - and the stitching is calling. :0)

Thank you for stopping by and for the kind comments. I hope all those who are getting similar bad weather are staying safe and warm. :0) 

Pumpkins, Blackwork, Digging, Chat and Another SAL

It's well past time I put in an appearance on this poor blog... it does seem to get put to the back of the queue on the list of things to do these days and I have no idea why. So, what have I been up to this time? Well, believe it or not, a second Happy Dance has followed hot on the heels of the Tiger - I guess that goes to prove that the sttichy mojo is definitely back from it's holidays and here to stay. Yay! It did help that the piece I picked out was an absolute joy to stitch..... and here it is, in all it's unpressed glory:

Design: A Spot of Halloween

Designer: Midnight Stitching

Fabric: Sparklies 28ct evenweave, Pumpkin Patch

Threads: DMC B5200 & 310

Apologies for the slightly blurry pic - the weather here has been dull and dismal much of the time and the digicam isn't that good.... and neither are my photography skills, to be honest. LOL This one was the best of the lot I took. It didn't get finished for Samhain (Halloween) this year...... but I am well organised for the next one..... providing I can decide how to finish this up before then. I'd like to finish it as a wall hanging but my sewing skills aren't up for it - the darned sewing machine will insist on galloping off and doing it's own thing, no matter what I do. I shall get to the other side of Yule (Christmas) and into January and go find out what sewing courses, if any, are available via the Adult Education classes or the local Colleges - it's way past time I tamed that darned machine and cured my terror of it, once and for all. School sewing classes have got an awful lot to answer for!

As soon as I got Spot of finished I picked a new WIP progress out of the To Stitch pile.... sorry Julie and Mr Stick, those UFO's are just not grabbing me at the moment and not even Wanda brandishing her broom at me has worked - though I have got rather good at ducking and diving! LOL I bet you're all wondering what the new WIP is, aren't you? I did wonder about leaving that until the next post - then remembered that poor Tina (no blog) has been itching to see what it is and I've been tormenting her for long enough now. So here's the first update pic:

Design: Blackwork Mystery SAL

Designer: Seba Designs

Fabric: 28ct evenweave, Vintage Blue

Threads: Thai Variegated Silk (so far)

It's another really naff pic too, due to the same reasons as above. :0( The fabric is actually a lovely pale blue, in a Vintage style, and the silk thread is graded from a lovely deep blue to a pale blue. Strictly speaking, the Mystery and SAL are no longer relevant, as the SAL finished long since and it's no longer a Mystery as I have all the parts... but I won't go splitting hairs. ;0) It has grown a bit more since this and would have grown even more if that darned frog hadn't come a visiting. What was so annoying about it was that I was just half a stitch too low. Yes - not even a whole one, just half a bloomin' stitch! So it got frogged, then restitched in the right place, with the satisfaction of adding a couple of extra stitches, just so it seemed like some progress had been made overall. Sheesh.... when I think that without that mistake I could have had two squares stitched, not just one, I could spit like a camel. Well, I did have the hump big time afterwards.... does that count?

Now let me cast my mind back and see if I can remember what else has been happening since my last post. Eeerrrrmmmm..... well, I've had a few sleeps since then, so it's a bit of a struggle. The poor wee brain cell is on overdrive, trying to keep up with the regular stuff, and this might be a step too far. LOL

DH and I attended the Mind, Body and Spirit event at the Lincolnshire Showground on Sunday 7th and had a great day. I attended three of the workshop/talks: Past Lives; Meditation with Instruments and Healing with Crystals - DH came to the second and third ones with me. They were all very interesting. We also had a little retail therapy, though not as much as previous times, and I also underwent a Crystal Healing session, from one of the stalls..... now that was a great experience and further proved (not that any was needed) that I have an affinity with crystals and need to develop this further. It also helped me to go straight to a crystal stall and pick out a new Pendulum, for use in Dowsing specifically for health related matters. This event was the last one in this area for this year.

Oh, I know what else: the chaps decided that, with the help of one of DS's mates, they would lay the new waterpipe. You know how these things go with the male of the species..... they get a professional in to give them a price; they then see a large amount of £££'s on a quote and go: "You what? How much? I can get it done cheaper than that"; then they start the job, all enthusiastic..... and very soon realise that, actually, it's a hell of a lot more work than they'd realised and it's going to take them longer than they thought and, then they go: aaahh crap - wish we'd paid somebody to come and do this.

Seem familiar? Yup, that's about what happened here.

Getting the slabs up was relatively easy.... it was the bloody horrible clay stuff they had to dig out that was the problem, especially as it all had to be done by hand because we weren't 100% sure where or how deep the existing water and gas pipes were. Here's the front all dug up (one days work) with the sand layer in and the new pipe loosely laid (the second day):

This and other pics had to be taken for the benefit of the Water Board, to prove that we'd done it correctly - as we need the drive for parking our cars on, it all had to be backfilled and the slabs put back down afterwards, all before they could come out to inspect it and connect it up. Waiting for them to do that can take around six weeks (or more) and we weren't prepared to leave the trench open that long.... someone was bound to "accidentally" fall in it and try for a nice bit of compensation just before Christmas, weren't they? (Yes, I am a tad cynical. LOL). Our neighbours, the Pete's, got their trenchwork and piping done on the Saturday - lucky so and so's had proper soil to dig through and a couple more helping hands than we did - but they very kindly came round and helped us finish up the front on the Sunday.

Now the side of the house, behind the wooden gates, is a whole different story. That had to be left in this state:

That bit is from the side gates and almost to the back door and the next pic is from the back door to the back end of the house (the wooden board is so I can come out to put stuff in the recycling boxes without falling into the hole):

Since then DS and another mate have dug it all down even further (has to be a certain depth, by law) , so the clay heaps are even higher. DS then went out and backfilled the stretch from the back of the side gates to just short of the first carport upright post:

Saturday (20th) I thought I'd show willing and I shovelled and ferried two half barrows of sand round from next door (can't lift a full barrow of wet sand) and then shovelled a layer into the bottom of the trench, from just after the carport upright up to the back door and tamped it all down - it's now ready for the chaps to lay the pipe, stick a sand layer on top and backfill, whenever the mood takes them. After that I was mildly cream crackered. ;0)

DH spent much of the first weekend taking apart a kitchen cupboard, to access the outside wall, and drilling through, for the new pipe to come in.

That bit I don't mind..... it means the kitchen refurb has just been bumped higher up the Must Do list. Yay! LOL I spent most of that weekend making cuppas and a combination of bacon/egg/sausage butties - the fuel that keeps the British Workman going. The only bit about that was that I couldn't eat any of it, due to the food intolerances/special diet - bum!

This weekend, as if there hadn't already been enough destruction, DH had to dismantle some of the downstairs toilet and uncover the wall, so he could drill through for the new pipe to come in there too (it has a separate pipe system to the rest of the house, as it's in an extension). This is what it looks like at the moment:

Yup, it's definitely out of commision for the foreseeable future - we're all getting a little extra exercise going up and down the stairs, to use the updstairs loo. LOL The little white "lump" in the right hand corner of the pic is a piece of kitchen roll blocking the hole to the outside. The outside bit now looks like this:

Thankfully we have a pile of bricks at the bottom of the garden, some of which can be used to repair the bashed out area there, plus the matching bashed in bit to the kitchen. We have no idea what that random bit of brickwork is to the right of the trench: the proper manhole and sewerage pipe is further over, running straight between the houses and out to the main sewer under the road - that bit is totally out of alignment with our house and the neighbours house. All we can think of is that the builders got that bit wrong and decided it was too much hassle to rave it all out again, so just left it in situ. You find some weird bits and pieces when you start dismantling or digging bits up in and around this house. LOL Fingers crossed (and everything else!) that this job gets finished before Christmas because the level of muddy footprints that are getting traipsed through my house is now starting to give me a decided twitch.

Development Circle is going OK, though there wasn't a session last week as Aureen was undergoing some hospital tests for a couple of ongoing health isues she has. Lots of healing vibes have been going her way. My acupuncturist is currently on holiday, so I booked myself in for a couple of Reflexology sessions - those have been very interesting, not just for the healing but also for the chat with the practitioner, B. She is undergoing training in Hypnotherapy... so I've requested that she lets me know when her training is complete, as I would like her help with a couple of things: to get me back on track with my diet, as that's gone to pieces since my op; help with learning some self-treating techniques, to help me tackle the last couple of post-agoraphobia/panic attack things that still give me a little anxiety and to aid meditation; wanting to remember a couple of childhood incidents that could have a bearing on issues I have now and, the main thing, to undergo a Past Life Regression. B should receive her certificates in January and will be able to give Hypnotherapy treatments from then, so 2011 looks set to be an even more interesting year than this one. :0)

Oooo, I nearly forgot: the lovely Tina (no blog) will be running a Shores of Hawk Run Hollow SAL over at the Stitch & Stash Forum but it's not just for stitching Shores - folks can join in with any Carriage House Samplings piece. So I went rummaging in my stash and found three CHS charts lurking in there and this one shouted the loudest:

Enchanted... and, as you can see, I've already got the fabric chosen and done a floss toss. I've been extra good, as everything is from stash. I think the SAL starts in January 2011 (best check, hadn't I? LOL), so it'll be a nice way to start off the New Year and, hopefully, I'll manage to keep up this time... unlike with the Just Nan SAL (sssshhh, don't let Mr Stick know! LOL).

Oh, and before I forget again: someone asked about the new header pic. It's a view of the Langdale Pikes, as taken from the path between Skelwith Bridge and Elterwater, in the Lake District. It's one of the pics I took when DH and I did the walk on our summer holiday this year. :0)

Thank you for taking the time to visit... and especially for the lovely comments you leave. Welcome to newbies to my blog too.. please say Hi. Have a good week folks. :0)

Stash Acquisition and the New Start

Well, despite it not being gardening weather, I still don't seem to have got back into the swing of this blog thing at the moment. I am gradually catching up with everyone (still got a few to get to though... I will, so bear with me please) but the writing seems a bit of an effort at the moment and I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's because the stitching mojo is back and I'd rather be with my needle and thread in hand? :0)

I mentioned in my last post that I'd been acquiring new stash, courtesy of eBay..... despite the fact that I'm actually supposed to be selling items that I'm clearing out. Ah, well.... I don't drink or smoke, so take it as read that this is my harmless little vice. ;0) Here's what I succumbed to:

The two charts are courtesy of Christine. I couldn't resist the Honey one: it's for me, as I turn 50 next year... so when DS makes the inevitable cracks about it I will just point to this piece, as it says it all... although I will admit that I will be pointing with one very expressive finger LOL. ;0) The other chart is because I love reindeer and stag designs. The little kit is so I will have somewhere to put my MP3 player when I'm working around the house... most of my trousers and cardigans don't have pockets, so I don't have anywhere to put it at the moment and it would be nice to listen to some music to drown out the sound of the Dyson whilst vacuuming.

The acquisitions didn't stop there though... Sally decided to put temptation my way too, when she added a couple of Must Have charts to her sale album, right when I just happened to have some money in my PayPal account. It must be Fate says I..... so here they are:

Thanks again Sally.... delighted to have got my hot little hands on these. :0) Thankfully I do still have more items going than coming back in, so the space I cleared hasn't been filled..... well, not just yet, anyways. LOL

So that leads me to the new start. About flippin' time, I can hear you all muttering. LOL I must say I am really enjoying this stitch and it really has helped to kick start the old mojo again... and it's another item that's been in my stash for a while, so it's good to be crossing it off my Must Stitch Soon list. So, for your delectation, here it is:

Design: A Spot of Halloween

Designer: Midnight Stitching

Fabric: Sparklies 28ct evenweave, Pumpkin Patch

Threads: good old DMC 310 and B5200

 And to prove just how much I am loving this, here's the most recent update pic:

And it's grown a bit more since this pic was taken, thanks to another episode of V to watch. Yup, that mojo is definitely back. LOL

So what else have I been up to, apart from trying to catch up with a mammoth amount of blog posts? Well... I finally bit the bullet and had a drive out to The Range last week, extending my comfort zone even further. So, now I've done it once I can do it again... and the trip took me past the main Tesco, which means I know now that I can get there when the mood takes me. It may not seem a lot but this is another step in the long road of recovery from agoraphobia and panic attacks and getting back to normality... though me and the word normal don't quite equate somehow. LOL I bet you're all wondering whether the crafts section was the pull... nope, I needed some cereal boxes and other household bits and pieces, as well as a new address book for my craft room:

 

I spotted this one and a notebook that would go in there perfectly (though couldn't find a matching pair anywhere). Why do I need an address book in my craft room? Because it has a section in it for adding occasions, so is perfect for all the addresses and important days of my stitching and blog buddies, that's why. ;0) Though I do admit to buying a couple of items from the craft section whilst in there: some mount board card, to make those drawer dividers, for organising my kits into the filing cabinet, and some Duflex stickers that were in the sale. I call that being very restrained. LOL

 

Not a lot happening in the garden at the moment: too flippin' cold! Just a bit of trimming going on, weather permitting. Not a lot happening on the DIY jobs front in the house either: DH seems to be doing a fair bit more at the theatre... he'll be crewing for another groups performance of Gilbert & Sullivan's Yeoman of the Guard. Then he's been asked to Stage Manage the LTC's pantomime (that's in January)... he's getting a good reputation for being well organised and efficient, so they want to work with him. Meantime, I'm looking for a versatile handyman to do all the jobs he's not getting done. DS has a small part in the panto... but he gets to have a swordfight, so he's looking forward to that. His job hunt is continuing.

 

The Circle is going OK. We've done some lovely meditations recently, based on unconditional love, and they seem to be helping, as I was delighted to receive messages from Sh's Dad in Spirit last week that I could pass on to her. Unfortunately I haven't been able to discover whether this is me finally tuning in properly or just a fluke, as this weeks session has been cancelled - Aureen had a last minute hospital appointment to attend and wasn't going to be back in time. Never mind, it gave me the chance to have another trip out in the car during the day, this time to a different Post Office (more eBay packages to post), and then to Aldi to do some shopping, catching the edge of the school run traffic on the way home... good practice for me! Tomorrow I'll be getting my hair cut, which is much needed.... those curls are more like rat tails at the moment so, if I remember, I'll get DH to take a pic. No, I haven't totally forgotten that I'd promised to inflict show you a pic of me wearing my new specs. LOL

 

Right, I'm away to wrestle the TV remote out of DH's grasp and find something to watch so I can do some more stitching.... as I'm in on a Tuesday night I'd best show willing and go grab a UFO, otherwise Wanda and Mr Stick will be on my case. LOL

 

Thank you for taking the time to visit and for all the lovely comments about the tiger. Hope you're all staying warm and cosy and stitching aplenty. :0)

It's Officially Official......

Yup, it definitely is...... after not one but four night's of stitching this week..... the mojo is finally back and looks like it might just be staying around for the forseeable future. Yay! That is worth a Happy Dance all of its own! LOL

So what has had me sat and busily plying my needle on those four nights? Well... there's the start of the new series of V, a couple of documentaries on Ancient Egypt that I hadn't seen (a feat in itself, as I have usually watched everything there is about that era several times over), a couple of episodes of Criminal Minds I hadn't seen before, plus a new Sunday evening historical drama on Channel 4, called Pillars of the Earth... worth watching just for the main character of Tom Builder! LOL And which one, out of several WIP's and UFO's, received my attention, I hear you all asking.... it was the Janlynn Tiger I've been stitching for my Development Circle friend G. In fact I got so much done, this was the result:

Yes, folks, we have an actual finished piece..... and there's a major Happy Dance going on here at the moment. I can't tell you just how good that feels after such a very long hiatus! LOL It is so good to finally be back stitching again.... I feel like throwing a party for that long-gone mojo.

Soooooo....... now that the Tiger is completed, a frame has been freed up..... and I've already got the fabric for a new WIP on it, ready for tonight. Fingers crossed there's something good on TV, to ensure my butt stays firmly in my armchair to make a good start on it. Yes, I know you're all wanting to know what the new WIP is going to be.... but you're just going to have to be patient until next time, when there'll hopefully be enough stitching done to show you all a pic. Cue *evil laugh* here. ;0)

So, what else has been going on since my last post? Well, the play my DS was in and DH was Stage Manager for went well - not the greatest aucdience turn outs each night, but not bad for an am dram production. The book An Inspector Calls is currently on the high school curriculum, so it was nice to see one of the schools sending along the students to watch the play - and the cast did a post-performance Q&A session with the kids and teachers who attended. Methinks the grades for that particular school might just be up this year, as they got a lot out of it. :0)

Right when the post-show blues hit my DS, he got a letter to say he didn't get the job he'd applied for - that's the third (or is it fourth?) time this has happened and it's not doing his confidence any good at all. The feedback he was promised from certain of the interviewers hasn't been forthcoming either, so he doesn't know what the problem is, if any (there does seem to be an awful lot of in-house moves going on... kinda seems a waste of his energy applying if he doesn't stand a chance from the outset). So he's now extending his search for a new job outside of the company he currently works for. Fingers crossed he gets something soon. Meantime, the readings for the Panto have been and gone and it's now cast - DS has a minor role in this but he does have a sword fighting scene to do, so he'll have fun with that. The rehearsals will be starting shortly, so it should help to take his mind off the recent disappointment.

Things are a bit up-and-down with the Development Circle - sometimes I do well and others not so great..... the weeks I do well keep me going back for more. LOL I am really getting into the Pendulum Dowsing and am practising that a few times a week. My DS bought me a great Reiki manual recently (a belated Birthday gift), so I'll start reading that before too much longer, ready for when I eventually train to do Reiki. I had the Reflexology session... and what a treat that was. A lovely foot massage and manipulation that left me feeling great. It was also very interesting when it came to the effects of the manipulation - I could actually feel a gentle movement in the various areas of my body that corresponded with the areas on my feet that were being pressed.... and several times I could actually feel pops in my feet as the blocks were cleared. The practitioner could also tell me, from the feel of my feet, what my problem areas are: my neck and shoulder and part of my back; hips (I've suspected for a while that some of my back trouble is originating from my hips) and breathing/the lung channel (I struggle to co-ordinate the meditation breathing/pulling in energy exercises) and a couple of other things. All told I was really impressed and would recommend this treatment (providing you get a good practitioner). It was interesting chatting to the practitioner too and I like her approach to healing and hope to go back for some more sessions before too long. Meantime, the acupuncture Clinic has re-opened for business and it looks great.... and the feel of the place is so much higher and lighter, iykwim. It was so much more relaxing, I had just about fallen asleep by the time the acupuncturist came back in to remove the needles.

As for the weight: I have been off the tortilla chips for over a week now, going cold turkey. The cravings seem to have hit me hard this last few days. Unfortunately our scales are on the blink so I have no idea if I've actually lost any of the regained weight..... guess I'll know I have when my jeans aren't quite so hugging any more. LOL I'm not going to beat myself up about this though.... I'm still far lighter and healthier than I was. :0)

There hasn't been much progress in the DIY jobs department lately, as DH has been quite busy at work and the weather hasn't been that kind. He has been up on the extension roof today (Sunday) giving it a bit of a clean and adding some sealant along various bits, to try and stop the rain getting in. I gave the lawn what I hope will now be its final mow of the season. Various bits of cutting back and the like have also been done at various times, as well as some weeding, to try and get it looking half way decent before it gets too cold and wet to go out there at all. I've moved the blueberry bush into the greenhouse already, as the first frosts of the year are threatened this week... the baby fuschia will be joining it and so will the larger one, once it's been dug up from the garden and potted up.

The auction selling has been continuing, as the free listing has been coming along regularly... and I've been really good, as I've only bought a couple of items. Must remember to share pics of those next time round too. I've also been having a steady catch up with blog reading too. I know I still owe quite a few of you a visit and I will be by soon, it's just that there's a huge backlog to catch up with.... and I can't just scan through, as I'm real nosey and like to catch up with all of your news.

Thank you for taking the time to visit and for the kind comments you leave. Hope you've all had a good weekend and have a gentle start to the new week. :0)