Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas

I hope all the shopping is done, list checked off and complete, and packages wrapped. I hope your home smells wonderful with the scent of spice and cookies from the warmth of the kitchen. I hope your family is well, and your Christmas will be as peaceful and joyous as you planned.

…with love and hope, from our home to yours!

Secret Santa Revealed

Today - just before Christmas - how timely?? my Secret Santa delivered a package to me! Oh, Lindy, what a grand Secret Santa you have been!! I have loved every piece of every wonderful piece you have sent to me. Thank you SO much!



If you can't see from this not so great scan, there is a packet of cards and notes, a packet of holiday buttons and bits, a snow/star pin, a bookmark requesting my fabric fairy to keep my stash supplied, a birthday candle set, and a gift certificate to the Pink Bunny. What fun - helping the fairy!!

This has been a great activity, thanks to Candi who had the inspiration and initiated it all. I only wish I had been as timely as I should have been, and when I get that final box in the mail to my recipient, I hope she will forgive me for being SO late.

December 15

Tomorrow is December 15 - my birthday! Want to celebrate with me? Turn off all your demure, controlled behaviors and get ready to let loose. I mostly dance in my seat, but if you REALLY feel like a party, get up and click here.

Rock Hill Weather??

December Weather??

Locally it has been around 80~ this week while I was out of town. Came back last night - today it was about 60! DS said I brought the cold back with me.

Secret Santa

I received another great gift from my Secret Santa today! Really pretty red and green fabrics, beads, buttons, and gold floss. Won't this make a beautiful block? Just in time for the season! Thank you so much, Secret Santa. You've been a dear one!!

Follow-up to Catching-up

Since I've been doing a lot more Cross Stitch than Crazy Quilting lately, I did the follow-up to Courtney's questions about the storage units I use for threads over at my Needle in Hand blog. There is also a link to it on the left if, when you land here, you'd like to see what's going on on that side of my brain. If you're like me, there's not much going on on either side of our brains except Christmas preparations.

I'm leaving town tomorrow for a training class in the Virginia/DC area. It had been snowing there earlier this week, but today it's supposed to be about 75~ here. Earlier this week the highs were high 40's. It's hard enough to pack for a trip without two seasons being involved!! But after I return from this, back to work on Monday, December 17, we get finished on Thursday, December 20 at 3:00pm and won't go back until Tuesday, January 2, 2008. WooHoo! I can hardly wait!!

Catching Up

It's December and Christmas is approaching quickly, but I'm not ready! I've done a bit of shopping, but no decorating. I don't know if it's age, not having little ones in the home, or if it's all the commercialism, but decorating just isn't so important to me any more. Oh, I will put up a tree and a little more for DS's sake, but my heart isn't really into it. I can't get the un-decorating out of my mind - that's the part I truly don't like! I see all the chatter and love of decorating beginning after Thanksgiving, and do think it is beautiful, but just not my cuppa tea. So there's another example of my being in the minority - could be read as weird!

Yesterday was a day with such beautiful weather here, sunny and around 60`. I spent a little time outside, but had promised myself that before the weekend was over I'd have my bedroom/closet straightened up. What a mess it was! When the season's change, I typically just switch clothes from the extra closet (sewing room) into my BR closet. Since I'd had change of sizes there were big, middle, and smaller clothes stuffed into the closet. I'd started putting the bigger into clear storage boxes, and getting smaller ones out. Then I brought down from the attic a rack of things I hadn't worn in years - the bar holding the hangers broke! So all sizes and seasons were here, there, and yonder! And the actual closet had shoes all scattered on the floor, along with hangers, tags, and dust bunnies... yuck - BUT - it's all sorted and put back into shape. I'm so glad it's finished - about 2:00 am, and it was a JOB. There's a big bag of trash and a big bag for donation. It doesn't look like much to really wear now, but plenty enough!

I've been taking a break from Crazy Quilting recently, but have gotten totally engrossed in Cross Stitch again after years of being away from it. During one of my organizing frenzies I had sorted all my DMC into color groups thinking since I wasn't doing CS much, it would be more convenient for CQ and used the little cabinet for buttons. Well, yesterday I got a 60-drawer storage cabinet and sorted it all back into numerical order! Now I'm ready to pull threads for CS patterns, and will have to scramble through when looking for a specific color, but pulling drawers open will be easier than looking through for those tiny numbers! If you want to see what I've been working on, take a look at my Needle in Hand blog.

Most of you who drop by here know that my dad had been scheduled (twice) to have a growth removed from his kidney. The last time, they had him in the pre-op stage and realized he has an atrial fibrillation. They decided at that point (EKG) he needed to be evaluated by a heart specialist, so he went for stress and others tests. That doctor says he is fine for surgery, and after that they will prescribe some medication to regulate his heart rates. I'm so thankful that they were cautious, but WHY hadn't they done this before? Who knows - perhaps it didn't present while he was having check ups. He goes back to the surgeon on December 11, and I imagine they will schedule the surgery. I'll be in a class for work in Va/DC during that week, so hopefully he won't want to do it the next day!!

Off to do a little blog visiting, then more stitching :-)

Season to Season Swap

I received my Fall block back from Gerry, hostess for the Season to Season Swap. Helina did such a great job stitching it. There have been pictures of it on lists and other pages, but I just wanted to share one with you here on my blog. Thank you Helina for doing such beautiful stitching on my block! I am so embarrassed, Helina! I sent a little thank you through the group for Helina and Gerry, but when I opened the package, I was basking so much in the stitching that I didn't open out the lovely piece of silk Helina sent along with my block. Tonight while I was taking pictures of the block, I noticed that the silk felt a little stiff, so I unfolded it and out poured some other loveliness!! Two beautiful pieces of tatting, two pretty motifs, a silk print of a coordinated lady, all tied with a piece of sparkle fiber. You are so nice to send such a nice surprise, Helina. Thank you so much!



Gerry is such a great hostess -- as a matter of fact, she made each of the participants a scissor fob. It's usually the other way around...the participants do something for the hostess - though not required, it is just a small way of saying thank you for the headaches that MAY come along with keeping everyone on the same path to completing the swap. Isn't it really sweet? Thank you, Gerry! It has been so much fun so far, and I'm looking forward to completing the rest of the year! I'm waiting for Winter to speak to me ;-).

Treasury of Crazy Quilt Stitches

Practicing a few more of the Primary stitches from Carole Samples' Treasury of Crazy Quilt Stitches. These are 'E' and 'F',

and these are 'other alphabet stitches - non linked.

Happy Thanksgiving

I had my cookbooks out the other evening planning our Thanksgiving meal - same things using different recipes, perhaps. My DS asked, what are you doing? I said, looking for recipes... He said, I look for them online -- are we not having green bean casserole? Are we not having squash supreme?

So the menu will be our fairly standard fare: Roast Turkey, Dressing and Gravy, Green Bean Casserole, Squash Supreme, Winter Veggies (potato, turnip, brussle sprouts (several stores didn't have parsnips), carrots, and garlic in olive oil), and rolls.

Something new I'm trying for dessert: Pumpkin Tassies. The recipe included a crust, but mine are 'semi-homemade', Sandra Lee style. I bought the little pie shells and baked them first. Mine must have been larger than the recipe because it said, makes 20-24, and mine made eight. Had to make two batches ;-). The filling has brown sugar, pumpkin, egg yolk, cream, spices and flavoring. The topping is very similar to what I use for sweet potato souffle - brown sugar, butter, and pecans. One of the crusts tore, so we HAD to eat that one - it was good! Oh, and my dinner rolls... they're rising in the freezer ;-)

So how about y'all ... trying anything different this year?

I am thankful for so many things: family, health, home, job, but also among the tops on my list are all the online friends I've 'met and befriended' over the past year or so. Thanks for being there, and for allowing me to share in your lives!

RAOK

In today's mail there was a very special package -- a totally unexpected RAOK (random act of kindness) from Carol Grace. We are members of the Stash for Pounds yahoo list (as well as others). Carol's note says she wants to share her treasures, and that they truly are, to inspire a new crazy quilt block for the long, cold winter! She says the encouragement, knowledge, and support of the group 'have helped each other get closer to our goals.'

Well, Carol, your generosity is certainly appreciated! The selection of beautiful fabrics you have sent to me are awesome! As I was taking them out of the package, I sorted them into colorways that struck my fancy, and there are several blocks worth. Can you believe all this was in one surprise package -- for moi!!

Thank you so much for your kindness and support over the last year, as well. I count it as a big part of why I have been able to get so close to my goal.

Comfort Doll Thanks

I received this pretty silver charm from Pat Winter as her Thank You for participating in the Comfort Doll project. Pat, you are the one who deserves all the thanks for allowing US to participate! What a sense of joy I received from having made those little dolls to comfort a woman whose life is in turmoil. During this time of Thanksgiving, I am thankful that there are women like you who have ideas to inspire us all to be a part of something so great!



If by reading this you are curious, this is an on-going project for which you will find a link in my sidebar, Comfort Dolls.

Treasury of Crazy Quilt Stitches

...Continued...

These are the next sets of stitching I've worked on:

Detached Holbein


Detached Arrowhead


These are more Secret Santa gifts. My SS is making me feel quite special!! Thank you!

This Week in Stitches

What have I been up to? Hard to believe it myself, but Cross Stitch! It has been YEARS since I did any, but it just called to me, so that's what I did. Several years ago I made Christmas ornaments for coworkers in the office, and thought I may do that again. This little 3x4 gingerbread man is the first of several in the plan. We'll see how that turns out!




I've decided to add Cross Stitch to my Needle in Hand blog in case you want to see what else I've been working on.

Share Our Heart

~~~~Updated 11/04/07~~~~

These are the Share Our Hearts that have been completed for the Newbies CQ Group. We signed up in December, and one person gets 11 hearts in their month made by the other members of the swap.


This is December's block, for Linda. November and December are yet to be mailed, but they will go this coming week.
November is for Lori.
October is for Peggy - but I forgot to take a photo of it completed. Peggy, if you will send me a photo I'd like to replace this one...
September is Jaki's - but again, I forgot to take a photo. If you'll send me one, I'd like to replace this one!

This is Karen's August 'pink and purple' heart.

I was the July recipient, and you can see the ones I received here.


This is Wilma's June heart.


This is JoAnn's heart for May.

This is Susan's April heart -- mailed 4/7/07


March was sent to Candi.



February's heart went to Gerry.



This was the January Heart that went to Rhonda D.

Season to Season Share - Winter

~~~~Updated 11/04/07~~~~~


I finished the Winter block I decided not to use for the swap. The butterfly was what made me decide it wasn't 'winter' enough.




I've got to package this up and ready to go to Gerry tomorrow so I'll quit stitching on it. Seems to be a trend ... don't know when to stop with my half.


Doesn't this look more like Winter than the next one?



I'm working on my half, and it's not looking very wintery. Could that be because I'm embroidering a butterfly on it? Hum... now I'm having second thoughts ... My idea had been to coordinate all the season blocks - but now thinking to just go purely seasonal. Yep - that's the new plan!






Our CQ for Newbies Season to Season Share block group hosted by Gerry continues. I have signed up for the Winter session, and here is my blank block.

New Goodies

I've been on another eBay spree! But have also been using a few of the things I've been collecting.

These vintage beads came from a woman's mother. They're more like stars, but she called them flowers. They also have a shell-like feel to them.


These are new beads, just different than I've bought before. I've seen Teardrop and Triangles that others use, and they look so pretty ...

This is a Christmas grouping I couldn't resist... Already used some, too!

And a group of motifs from the same seller. These are most of the different ones, but there were duplicates of a few.

I'm a Sagittarian - Can you tell?

As you know, zodiac descriptions vary a lot. I believe this is about the most accurate description of This Sag I've read.

Sagittarius, the ninth sign of the Zodiac, brings us the philosophers and adventurers.
Sagittarians seek knowledge on a higher level than their cousins, the Geminis. They seek truth. Ruled by fair-minded and beneficent Jupiter, Sagittarians seek justice, generally have a great sense of humor and treasure independence.

Sagittarians often suffer from "foot and mouth disease". They just say what they think. Period. Bluntly. They often hurt others feelings--though they don't mean to. And are ironically sensitive when they get the same treatment back!

Set your heart on a Sagittarius? Well, good luck. Sagittarians rarely stay put. Life is an huge adventure they can't wait to partake of--and that means romantically, too. If you want freedom in your relationship, pick a Sag. He'll never be jealous or possessive. And he might hang around if he has his freedom, too.

As friends? Few are better. Sagittarius is just so much fun, how can you resist? Yeah, they say exactly what they think, but it's not out of malice. They are just that honest.

Sagittarians have a short attention span, are notorious for leaving things undone. Want to see a Sagittarian in their prime? Put them in the underdog position and watch them pull it off. (All that Jupiter luck at work)

Jupiter, the 6th planet out from the Sun, past the asteroid belt, is the largest planet in our solar system, 318 times larger than the earth. Jupiter currently has 17 known satellites and a ring system. The largest satellites are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

Called the Greater Beneficent, good aspects to Jupiter usually mean abundant, happy times. Even difficult aspects aren't that difficult when Jupiter is involved.

Wherever Jupiter sits in your chart, he brings abundance and ease. If it's the 11th house, you'll have lots of friends, etc. He's also where your sense of humor will be keenest.

Another MeMe

What is meme, you ask?
NOUN:
A unit of cultural information, such as a cultural practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another.

This 'tag' comes from Gerry at Sewing Southpaw (1). Here are the rules if you are tagged.

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

About me (2):

1. I'm NOT a social butterfly. Groups of people (unless it's a BIG group - show, conference, etc. where I can be lost in the crowd) tend to bring out the shyness in me. I've been described as a loner or hermit.
   




2. My needs are not great and my pleasures are simple.
   




3. Procrastinator... and it seems to get worse as I mature. One of my favorite says is, The Older I Get, The More Like Me I Become. Maybe this is why my mom says I'm always late...
   



4. In the last year I've lost about 45 pounds. If you stop by often, you already know that, but I'm still proud of it.
   



5. I love muscadines! They are a grape-like fruit that used to grow wild at my folks place, but no more. Sushi is right there at the top of the list these days! Something weird I like once in a while is a peanut butter and thinly sliced onion sandwich. Don't say Yuck until you've tried it!
   
6. I'm an only child who has an only child!
   



7. I have four and three quarter years before I can retire (from here) from my State job with retirement benefits, but who's counting?? July, 2012.
   

(3) As always, if you've done this recently or just don't have the inclination or the time, don't worry. I won't be offended, angry, or 'hurt'.

• JK


• Jane
  
• Janet


• I've been looking around my lists on BlogLines, and can't find anyone else who has not been tagged. If you are reading this, and want to play, please do!