14

Just in case anyone had any doubts - Christmas is in 14 days. I'm pretty much ready - today I'm trying concentrate on getting the outside decorated. I also have to get some packages ready to take to UPS and finish up a little gift for Tuesday night. Hope everyone has a productive day.

Less than a month to go

This past weekend was Thanksgiving weekend. It was a nice day and my daughter cooked dinner (with my help). She tried different dishes (she likes to watch the food channel) but everything was good. Only 1 near disaster - the sweet potatoes weren't done until dessert. It was mostly my fault because I brought sweet potatoes that were huge!! And instead of cutting them up to cook - we just put them in whole. OH well, in the scheme of things - all worked out. I have pictures which I will post later.

We also did a traditional shopping on black Friday. We (me and Sarah) always get up and out the door and go to King of Prussia mall. Every year it seems to be getting more crowded. We actually followed someone to there car this year and asked if they were leaving. But it something we've done for years and we enjoy it. Did get alot of shopping done, which is good.

Now I just have to finish the stuff I'm making for gifts. I'm making cross stitch ornaments for my siblings and for some friends. Plus some cute coasters for my kids. Off to work some.

Lesson of the Day

Check your pockets for kleenex BEFORE you wash your clothes. You can't believe the mess it is after you wash, dry and then shake out the clothes to fold. Off to vaccum my bedroom.

VOTE FOR EMMITT

Ok, I'll confess, I'm in love with Emmitt Smith!!! LOL I love watching Dancing with the Stars - I loved it the first season it was on. I think it is fun and you see these 'stars' out of their element. Now, they are not all BIG STARS most of them are so-so stars and this show brings them back into the limelight. When this season started I thought for sure I'd want either Mario Lopez or Joey Lawrence to win. Who thought an old football player with capture my heart - but he has. This is the final week and it is between Mario and Emmitt. Mario if by far the better technical dancer but Emmitt has heart and his smile can make you weak in the knees plus he always looks like he is having a good time. So, vote for Emmitt. You can call if your home tonite or you can go to www.abc.com and to go the Dancing with the Stars site and vote until noon tomorrow (Wednesday). Maybe Emmitt can pull it off - and the under dog can come from behind and win.

It's Thursday

Well, we made it thru Halloween - and we only had 6 trick or treaters. Most of the kids on our street are all grown up. I think the youngest now on the street is in middle school (which starts at 6th grade). I didn't buy too much candy, so there's not much left.
Finished my wedding gift for the wedding I'm going to this weekend. Will post pictures soon, I promise. My son keeps telling me he'll come over and help me.....just have to find the time. My son will also be the photographer at the wedding - should be interesting. He takes BEAUTIFUL pictures and this is the first 'friend' who is using him. I know he will be do a great job. He has his own business and he has 11 weddings lined up for next year. I'm so proud of him.
Also proud of my daughter, she just completed her first marathon. I know, she's nuts. She ran in the Nike Women's marathon in San Francisco and her cause was the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She picked the cause first and then found out a friend of hers from college had been diagnosed with it. Unfortunately, her friend Sawyer lost his battle and passed away last Saturday. He was only 24. She will run it again next spring in his honor. Hopefully the money raised will help find a cure.
Tonite is my stitching night. I go to my friend Becky's and there is any where from 4 to 12 of us who meet. It's lots of fun - mostly we laugh but we do get some cross stitching down.
Have a happy Thursday.

Panic

I just had a moment of panic. I'm helping my neighbor Nancy (and Sarah's old cheerleading coach and Jimmy's kindergarten teacher) with a fall fundraiser. The cheerleaders sell Yankee candles to help defray the cost of them going to Nationals which in Florida at Disney World. It is a fun trip (for both Mothers and Daughters). And Nancy does so much for the girls, so I help her up.
So this morning I'm starting to do the forms and it won't let me access my disk. Now, I'm still using 3.5 disks (I know, I know) but it kept saying it was full...and I was beginning to panic because I hadn't even printed out a hard copy of this years forms. I made a frantic call to son (whose not home) but then I figured it out myself. Pat me on the back. Figured out how to clean up the disk and now it is working. YEAH!!! (you can't see me jumping up and down.)
So now I am ready to work, just have to get the little darlings to hand them in. They were supposed to hand them in to Nancy on Thursday, giving them until Friday. Out of 30 girls, I got 4. Not a good response.

Hot/Cold Hot/Cold

Came into work this morning and was having a major hot flash!! LOL So, I turned on the air conditioning. My boss came in and is like 'it's a little cold in here' to which I replied - 'it is???' Now all of a sudden I'm cold, so off goes the air conditioning. How much longer is this going to last? Went to the GYN doctor this week (always a treat) and all is well. Have only had 1 period since the beginning of the year, so she says I am in the home stretch - LOL. They don't consider you completely done until you go a whole YEAR without a period. And I have had friends who go 11 months and then get one - doesn't seem fair.

On the cross stitch front, picked up the picture for Ann's daughters wedding gift yesterday - turned out cute. Will post picture next week because I don't want Ann to see it first. Will also post pics of 2 'Our 1st Christmas' ornaments I did. Now I am working on a sampler for a Nov 4 wedding. It's working up pretty fast.

On the knitting front, I am working on a wash cloth which I am bound and determine to finish. I just don't find knitting relaxing yet - hopefully soon. I have finished 2 washcloths - crocheted and have another one half done. Think I might x-stitch some towels and give as gifts at Christmas. Don't know yet.

Wonders

Well, I bought 2 Christmas gifts this week. It's hard to believe that Christmas is only 105 days until Christmas. I saw these 2 items and thought of my kids. So I got them. I can't say what they are on the off chance my kids read my blog. I honestly doubt it - I think I shocked both of them when I told them I had one. So lets just say what I got is perfect for both of them.

I found out this week that my daughter has an assistant. I have never in my life had an assistant - mostly I was the assistant. My kids are doing so much more than I ever did. My son has his own business, I would never had the nerve to do that. To take that kind of chance.
I am so proud of both my kids!!

Goes so fast

I just read my friend Lauren's blog that her little boy just started first grade and he delicately asked her to let him walk to and from the bus by himself. Like a knife to the heart - and so starts the chipping away at the umbilical cord!! LOL I remember those days, watching the clock until it was time for them to come home - the day never seemed so long!! Then comes the time towards the end of grade school, when you are not allowed to hug or kiss them any place some one might know them. It gets a little better when they start high school, because that magic age of 16 is coming and they want to get there drivers license, so they kiss up some. And the it's high school graduation and they leave for college, and if you think putting them on a bus was hard, leaving them in a 6 x 8 dorm room is even hard - and they are pushing you out the door so they can be ON THEIR OWN. And then, you've done such a great job, they get married or they get a job in NYC - and leave you again, not realizing how far that umbilical cord can stretch!! LOL It's still attached but it's just a little string now. It's really hard to shake your Mom!! I guess because it's a rainy day here it's making me wish for the old days...Enjoy them while they are young.

Let's see if this works

Already did one thing one - just posted a title!! I hit enter instead of tab!! LOL. Here are the pictures of my Lizzie Kate ornaments - they are called the 12 Blessings of Christmas. I have 10 done - there are only 10 out - 2 more to go.
Ok, didn't up load quite how I wanted but I got them up here. Will post the finished ornaments later.

Lety

Can't knit

Ok, it's be established that I can't knit. I am bound and determined to learn. So tonite I decided to cast on a washcloth and try again. Well, I can't knit. I can cast on - but I can't even get one row done. The cast on is so tight, I can barely get the needle thru to do a stitch. I tried twice - with the same results. Hopefully someone can tell me how not to cast on so tight. So, after failing to knit, I started a crochet washcloth. In bright yellow - so cheerful.

On the cross stitch front, (will try to post a picture tomorrow) I'm caught up with my Lizzie Kate ornaments - at least with stitching them, still have to put the together. I'm also doing a 'Our 1st Christmas' to give at a bridal shower next month. Am going to try to make 2 and give one to Alicia and Evan with their wedding gift - don't tell Ann.

I did it

Well, I finally did it. I went to the gym today. I haven't gone in weeks using various excuses to talk myself out of going. My favorite excuse was 'It's to hot and humid to go'...I used that one alot. But it was hot and humid and who wants to go exercise and get even more sweaty. And by the time I got home from work I was just to tired to go. But I finally ran out of excuses plus it kills me to see the gym fee posted to my account and realize I'm paying for something I'm not using. So, I went to the gym today and I feel better for having gone.

Trying to blog more - but what to write. Today I had a Longaberger basket party. I always have one in August for their Horizon of Hope basket. It the basket they make for breast cancer and they give a portion of the money from each basket to research. Since I lost a good friend to breast cancer, I feel this is my little way of helping. I also get a cross stitch kit every month from Elegant Stitch (www.elegantstitch.com) from Esmeralds friends. All done on the same pink fabric and could be stitched in 1 night - I said could be - LOL It usually takes me longer. But they are so cute.
But back to my party - it was a good party. I get lots of free baskets which is good - and we all had a good time. It's always a good day when you spend time with friends.

Finished

Well, I finished the wedding sampler for Ann's daughter Alicia. Just have to get it framed and then I'll take a picture and post it. Probably not until closer to the wedding because I want it to be a surprise.

I'm working on Lizzie Kate's 2006 flip it series, which is an Christmas ornament a month. It would have been so much easier if I had kept up with thru the year, but what fun is that. I have all the finishing materials, so I just have to finish stitching them.

I'm also going to try to knit a wash cloth. Theresa was working on a pattern that looked very cute, so I'm going to try to knit again. Hopefully I won't want to stab myself with the needles - LOL. I'm bound and determined to knit something. The SnB group is doing a KAL (knit along) on this beautiful shawl but I figure I should actually finish something before I try that.

Who likes thunder

I don't like thunder and lightning. It scares me. It always has. I can remember once sitting in the bathroom with my son (he was 18 months!) and it thunder jumped up and I ran out into the hallway and then was like 'oh no, your the Mom now, you have to be brave'!! We have had some real thunder storms this week, even during the day!! Lost power last night for about 4 hours and tonite is was cable.

Which is why I watched 2 movies tonite. Couldn't tell you the last time I did that. I watched the movie FAILURE TO LAUNCH a cute romantic comedy. And who couldn't watch a movie with Matthew McConaughey in it. He is so cute!! And then I watched one of my favorite movies (my all time favorite movie is THE WAY WE WERE - but tonite I watched A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN. I love that movie. I watched movies and cross stitched. Finished up something for my sister, will put that in the mail tomorrow. And then I have to finish up my wedding sampler and start thinking about a baby gift. So much to do -

What a week

Well, we had quite a week here in. A major heat wave with temperatures in the high 90's, a thunder storm on Tuesday night that knocked power out. For me only 3 hours, can't really complain but my son and his wife were with out power for about 30 hours, some other friends 48 hours and on the news they say some people won't have power until Sunday. I can't imagine that. I know I was at a loss at what to do. The fact that it was night and dark make it more difficult. We lost power again for 2.5 hours on Thursday afternoon and at least I could keep my self busy cross stitching.

Speaking of cross stitching, I had a cross stitching retreat this past weekend. A bunch of us - 10 in fact - got together at our friends Susan house who lives out in Brookville PA. We had a great weekend of catching up, stitching, eating, stitching, laughing, stitching...you get the drift. I always get inspired after one of my stitching weekend. We have some much fun. I got started on my wedding gift. Hopefully I'll make good progress stitching on it this weekend. Also am working on this cute coaster kit for my daughter. They have drinks on them - a cosmo, long island ice tea etc. Very cute.

Keep cool.

It's Wednsday

Thought I should up-date. Not much has happened in the month or so since I last posted. Was never good at keeping a dairy/journal. And I never know what to write about, what anyone would want to read about in my life. Plus, who knows if anyone ever reads this - I should think of it just for me.

Well, my daughter Sarah moved into her second apartment in NYC, it has a living room, kitchen and 2 bedrooms (plus bath). That's what I did the first Saturday of this month. Told her I'm way to OLD to be doing this. It is in a nice building and she has a brand new kitchen and bathroom. I honestly think she has more cabinets in her kitchen than I do. But we got her in and settled. Considering that her bedroom in this apartment is about the size of her whole old apartment - she's moving on up.

This past weekend was a cross stitch one. On Saturday, I got together with some friends and we stitched the day away and then went out to dinner. It was a fun day and I finished up one project, my daisy coasters and started on another set. Then on Sunday, my friend Colleen and I did a stitching in the park day with a shop up in Limerick, Just Cross Stitched. Had a delightful day, meet new people. The speaker was another friend, Nicole. Talked about her business, how she gets ideas from her head to paper. She also encouraged us to try our hand at designing something. All and all, a delightful day. I have so many projects and ideas, never enough time. Really should sit down and organize all my projets of what I want to get done and when. I do know I have to stitch a wedding sampler for a friends daughter for her wedding in September - should pull out the threads and get started on it.
Off to get some stuff done. Have a great day.

Vote Today

Home today because my car is in the shop. Don't you love it, you're driving down the road and all of sudden your car just stops!! Of course, to make it more special, it has to be pouring rain outside. That's what happened to me Sunday night, my son had to come rescue me and follow me to the repair place and then bring me home. Talked to the car place yesterday afternoon and it has something to do with the rear brakes. Hopefully they will fix it and I can get it today.

Today I'm doing something I've never done before - working at the polls. I'm going to be a 'poll watcher'. Not quite sure what that is but will find out today and tell you later. I've never done anything like this before and I must have had a weak moment when my neighbor called and asked me to help out. But, if anything it should be interesting. So, get out and vote today - maybe you'll see me.

Things in the past

Thought I'd put in pictures that I've taken but haven't been able to put in. We went to Martha Stewart show and had a great time. This is a picture of me standing in front of a picture of Martha and her dog. I think they should have a cut out stand up of Martha - wouldn't that be fun.


The other picture is of Sarah and me that we had the lady behind us take. You can see part of the set over Sarah's shoulder. Have to figure out how to load the pictures ..I guess that can be trial and error.

We had a great day yesterday, one of the SnBer's Rosie had us up to her house for breakfast and stitching/knitting day. Some of the ladies went up Friday night (in fact all but 2 of us went up Friay night)and had a slumber party!! A good time was had by all.

Hope everyone has a Happy Mothers day.

Look what I learned

My son came over today and taught me how to get the my pictures out of my digital camera (ok, stop laughing!!). So, I'm going to try loading a picture. Remember I told you about the lamb cake I make for Easter - well, here it is. Isn't that the cutest thing!!

Lauren - this is for you

Well, I wast told last night I hadn't updated my blog in awhile.
So, here goes. Not much new in my life for the past month. I'm into cross stitching small things - did a few scissor fobs - which a small and quick to you get the feeling of finishing something. I forgot to take pictures of them - not like I know how to insert a picture yet. Made a little sampler for my neice Rachel who is making her first Holy Communion this week. It's at the framers so she'll get it a week late but I do have a medal for her.
I know this is short - but Lauren I updated it!! And I'm too tired to think of anything else right now.

Well, I went to my Merry Cox class and had a great time. I haven't finished my piece - it's just a matter of sitting down and doing it. Merry has little tips on how to finish things. It always amazing me how far people come to go to one of her classes - we had 3 people in our class from ENGLAND!! It is nice to meet people from around the country who share your passion for cross stitch. I promise I will finish my box and post a picture.
Tomorrow is a big day - I'm going to a taping of a Martha Stewart show. My daughter Sarah won 2 tickets and I get to go with her. Will go up this afternoon - if not I'd would have had to get up at 3:15 to get there on time. We need to be there by 8 AM. I am so excited. She is having on Sheryl Lee Ralph from ER - I don't recognize her from ER - but I do remember seeing her in other things. Then the 5 brother/sisters who went to Jillard are preforming and she is also doing her cooking class. Then we received an email, and they want the audience to stay because they putting together a show to air during the summer. So, I'll be on TV again. Well, let's hope you can see me - I'll be the one in the pink sweater!!

Well, St. Patrick's day is done for another year. When I was growing up, my Mom always gave me a St. Patrick's day card. When I moved out she always sent me a St. Patrick's Day card. No matter where she and my Dad were, she always remembered. Sometimes is came early if they were going to be out of town, but I always got one. That is until 1997 - that was my first St. Patrick's Day without my Mom. I didn't get a card, I'm sure my Dad didn't even know she sent me one every year, so he didn't know to send one. My one sister sends me one now that she knows. My kids try to remember to say something. But I'd give anything to have one more card from my Mom.
HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY MOM - I MISS YOU.

Making progress

Well, my Merry Cox class is next week and I have 2 parts to go on the one project and I just hope to get a couple of stitches in on the second one. If I ever say I'm going to take 2 classes as once again, please STOP ME!!

Was doing laundry the other day, do you ever wonder where socks go? I was folding socks and I was missing 1 - 1 of mine. Now I know I put 2 socks in the washer and I assumed in the dryer. But, when I was folding them, 1 red sock is missing. I looked to make sure it wasn't hiding in a t-shirt, in a pant leg. Looked on the floor making sure it didn't fall there. Could not find it. Even followed my way back down to the laundry room looking. I figured it would just show up. Well, I got home from stitching last night and there it is, laying in plain site on the laundry room floor, inching towards the door, getting ready to make a break. I swear, that's what it looked like. When you are not paying attention, socks just make a break, and escaped in to sock heaven. That's what has to happen, because usually you never find the sock that is missing. It's a mystery.

Over 1

I just finished ripping out a section on my Merry Cox piece that was over 1....It is (was) a pain in the butt. Little tiny stitches that have to ripped out - praying you don't break the floss. But I got it ripped out and re-stitched the correct way. Almost finished the scissor fob (if I hadn't had to rip out, I would have gotten it done!!) I am making progress. I have a time table set for myself but don't want to say it out loud in case I don't stick to it.
Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday - the start of Lent. I feel like I'm 10 again trying to decide what to 'give up' for 6 weeks. You remember how that was 'I promise not to fight with my sister' only my sisters live hundreds of miles from me. Then there was 'I'll do as my Mom says and not agrue' like that ever worked...LOL I was thinking potato chips but let's be honest, I couldn't go 6 weeks without a 'salt' fix. There's always the good old stand by - giving up CANDY!! I'll have to make a decision by morning!!

Think it might have worked

Don't know what I was doing wrong - but found them. Isn't it nice that all the 'test' ones should up. Hate when technology goes wrong. Let's see if this one works.

test

test - don't know where they are going.

Not working

Can't seem to post. This is a test. Of course, this one will work. LOL

1 month later

I can't believe it's been a month since I posted. I've been busy working on a Merry Cox project. I'm taking a class from her on March 24 - in fact I'm taking 2 classes. I finished 1 panel of one of the projects. I know, I must have been nuts to sign up for 2!! Can I tell you how much I hate to cross stitch over 1 and lets not mention Rocco stitches!! I'd take a picture but I don't know how to get it out of my digital camera yet much less how to post here!!! LOL

Just a Tuesday

Well, I guess I have to get use to do this more often. I know it's been a week or so since I posed.

I finished 4 washcloths (crocheted) for my sister and her friends. I am going to visit my sister Mary in Texas on Thursday and I wanted to take her something. I brought the hand soap from Bath and Body (3 for 10) so I decided to make her and her friends wash clothes to go with it. I meet her two friends, Laurie and Deanne when they came up last year to take a Merry Cox cross stitch class with me. We had such a good time that they are going to all come up and we are all going take another Merry Cox cross stitch class this year. But I wanted to bring them a little something. I used variegate yarn and they turned out really cute.
Also today I went jean shopping - I know, it's a dreaded task but it had to be done. My friend had said she liked the jeans she got on sale at Talbotts so I went there to look. Of course, they didn't have any on sale in my size by I tried on a pair not on sale. I actually had to go down a size. Now, I've been going to the gym for about 1 year, and I've been a little discouraged lately because it doesn't seem to be doing anything. But I guess it is working. I tried jeans on at Talbotts in September and I couldn't get this size buttoned and zipped and this time I could and I could actually breathe!! It's really made my day.
Well, tomorrow is my baby girls birthday - she'll be 23!! Which doesn't seem possible to me. How can she be so old when I haven't hardly aged!!

Resolutions

Well, the new year is here. It's hard to believe that it is 2006 - it doesn't seem that long ago that everyone was worried what would happen when it went from 1999 to 2000. . . .It seems it was much to do about nothing.
Thought I would put down my New Years resolutions in the hope that if I write them they might be easier to keep. So here it goes:

1 - Get back to the gym I joined my gym last year about February 1. I had my son's wedding in September so I had a goal to work towards. Well, since the wedding it's been mighty hard keeping my self motivated to go. But I decided I need to do this for myself. So, I'm going to go to the gym 3 times a week.

2 - Eat healthier This sounds like it should be easy - I know what I'm suppose to eat and not eat but it is much easier said than done. Grabbing something from the 'fast food' category is so much easier than planning a meal.

3 - Finish/organize projects I really don't have that many UFO's, well at least not in the yarn world. Now, in my cross stitch world that is another matter. I want to get my stuff better organize and finish some of my projects.

I think that is is for not. Don't want to go to nuts, just makes you feel more guilty when you break them. Here's to a good 2006....

Still new

Well, I figured I should write again - the blog thing is still new and I'm excited to do it. I figured out what to blog about - this morning I got up and as I'm walking downstairs I smell the candle I was burning last night....And ALL NIGHT. Yes ladies, I forgot to blow them out. I had lite the one in the bathroom (I ususally keep tea lights in there because they have a shorter burn time) but I had this candle I wanted to use up...Well it's almost gone. Thank goodness I saw it instead of my husband because if he had found it I would have gotten the lecture about 'what am I trying to do, burn the house down'. Like I do this stuff on purpose.
Tonite and tomorrow I'm doing something I don't want to do. One of the girls I coached when I was a cheerleader died. I coached cheerleading when Sarah was in 6th thru 8th grade and then Sarah cheered with her in high school. She was 22 on Christmas day. Her Mom found her dead in her bed on Friday morning. Can you believe it? They don't know the cause yet, they are doing an autopsy. My heart is breaking. This is the 4th kid Sarah's age that has died in the past year. So, just keep my friend Marge in your prayers and the she finds the strength to get thru this.

New Blog

Well, I just created my own blog. Don't think anyone would want to read it. It'll just be rambling on about stuff. But I did it. My daughter will be horrified - her own mom having a blog. Oh well, she'll get over it.
Don't know exactly what I'm suppose to talk about on the blog - will have to ask my friends who already have blogs. Which are mostly my knitting friends. Yes, I am in a knitting group and so far they haven't stabbed me with their needles. You see, I tend to bring counted cross stitch to my knitting group. But, I am trying. I am currently working on a baby blanket for my partner - she just had a girl. I do know how to knit, my Grandmother taught me on one of her many visits when I was younger. She taught me how to knit, crochet, needlepoint and cross stitch. You see, we lived in New Jersey and my grandmother lived in Chicago. So, when she came to visit or we went to visit her, she had projects for us to do. It was nice and it's a memory I have. But, back to me knitting - I don't do it very well. I'm to tense and I strangle my yarn!! I do better with crocheting but my real love is counted cross stitch. I love it and I find it very relaxing. But, I'm determined to knit.
Went to a New Years Eve party with my knitting friends and had a great time. It was a perfect party - we celebrated midnight at about 9:15, they young kids are going to be telling all there school friends that their parents let them stay up past midnight!! They (knitting master Cindy) taught my daughter to knit - much better than me trying to teach her - she probably would have tied the yarn around my neck. But she loved it and took it back with her NYC to work on. That's where she lives and work. My son lives near me so that is good.