It Was a Dark and Stormy Update...

Rain Saturday, rain last night, more tomorrow. At least we're getting those April showers finally. And I think the worst of the pollen is finally over - tired of hearing a kid sniffle.


Well, last week was busy, though it's hard to say exactly what made it so busy. We had our last high school soccer last week - they didn't make it to the playoffs, losing a couple of key regional games and winning a couple of non-regional games back at the beginning. We're all glad that's over for another year; too much stress! We also picked out our first tux - the Big Kid has his first prom this Friday. His girlfriend made her dress; I can't wait to see them both dressed up, and you know I'm taking a zillion pictures, so check back this weekend for those :)

As for stitching, I did a little of this and a little of that - and most of it wasn't the plan for the week. On Monday, I worked on Mary Wigham. I just wasn't up to getting EGS out and tackling confetti. So I didn't, deciding I'd get it out Wednesday (Tuesday being at the stitch in). I got one small motif done Monday. And then I decided to take Mary along to my monthly gathering of PINS (Purple Iris Needlearts Society), just to see if I could work on it in the less-than-great light we have where we meet. And after a little bit, my eyes did adjust, and I was able to work on it! I started a big motif that I only got about half-done - it's hard to stitch when you talk with your hands :)
Tuesday, I took my RR piece, Lyne's AAFG, to the stitch in at the Stitch Store, wanting to get as much done as I could, so it could go out this week. Well, I worked on it, but wow, that is a hard project to work on when you can't really spread out. But I did more of the vine around the verse, and several of the smaller motifs there. I thought I'd get it out again over the weekend sometime, but then, didn't. It is currently packaged up, waiting to go to the PO.

And after Tuesday's stitch in, where Jackie continued to work on her PA Summer Dragon, I felt compelled to start my PA Autumn Dragon :) The linen, the recommended color, is really not great; it's Wichelt, and feels like sail cloth, but I'll keep on, and hope it loosens up as I go. This won't be in the regular rotation, but another (yes, ANOTHER) side project. So far, the leaves I've gotten done weren't nearly as troublesome as those on TW's Fall Carousel horse - these are all single color :) And yes, I did backstitch the corner medallion already.

I did NOT work on EGS at all during the week - just not feeling it at the moment. I need to get past that fountain scene, I think, get on with the different parts. I was even going to work on the border this time, to get away from that fountain - but it just didn't happen...
This week, back to Knotgarden. I hope to get a big chunk of that top section done this time - but my plans haven't exactly been falling into place lately, so maybe, maybe not. Check back next week to see what gets worked on - I'll probably be as surprised as you..

Down Comes the Rain...

...and out comes the Green Creeper! We got 2" of rain yesterday, on those storms that caused the tornadoes in Alabama - nothing nearly so bad here, thankfully.


As I was taking the dummies out this morning, I saw the kudzu popping up through the pine straw - it wasn't there yesterday.


And those thick twisted vines there in the background - old kudzu. HATE this stuff...
But with the new rain, it looks like I am going to have a bumper crop of irises, probably this week :)

My neighbor already has lots - too bad she hasn't been in the house for over a year....

All these photos - and more - can be found in Outside Stuff 2010 #2.

April 12 - Do You Know Where Your Taxes Are?

You know, having to replace the A/C & furnace the same week we have to pay taxes is just adding insult to injury :( But this time next week, the pain will be all gone, and we'll be cool. Sure was looking forward to new furniture & carpet, though :(

In other news, the English Schools' Football Association under-18 team was here last week, and put a whooping on the Georgia All Stars XI (as predicted). What a neat thing to see - those boys from England were so very talented; they made us look pretty bad. Their goalie was just a monster, and they had one kid - don't know if he was a striker or a mid - who was just wicked fast. It might have helped if my big kid had been asked to play (being a defensive specialist), but we knew it wasn't going to be pretty; ended 7-1. At least we got one in :) And DH & Little Kid got to be the pre-game show, when DH's team and the U14 Lanier Sharks all got together and threw a scrimmage. And at half time, all the U13 & 14s went out and took PKs on the EFSA's staff :) I of course took some pictures - my camera isn't any good for dusk, so I stopped about 1/2 way through the first half.


I also got a chance to meet Paula yesterday, as she was laying over at the Atlanta airport for a bit, on her way home from some DMAT training in Alabama. I had a couple of things to take for show & tell, but with all the benedryl in my system, I totally walked out without it and my camera :( So you'll just have to take my word for it :) It was good to hang out, listen to the other members of the team talk about their week, and to know that there are people out there making a difference!

On to the stitching - most of which was Lyne's...

Firstly, I did a good bit on Lyne's wedding sampler, getting 90% of the 2nd dove completed. Once I get the dove completed, I can jump on the bells, and then about 800 more of those roses, and it'll be done!
I also did a little bit on my RR, which is also Lyne's. I have 2 more weeks to work on this, then on it goes to Jodie. It's a fun piece to work on, but wow what a pile of floss to pick through :) Lucy really hates when I feel the need to spread out in her spot.

My main piece of the week was Lady & Unicorn - which I did actually take to the day stitch in at The Stitch Store on Tuesday.I knew I had left nothing but confetti when I stopped last month - but holy crap, I didn't grasp the full extent of what I'd left myself! I worked & worked, and worked some more, and couldn't get it all filled in! Though, to be honest, I was looking for each symbol over the entire page; if I had just concentrated on filling in the blanks and leaving the bottom part of the page for later, I could have gotten the holes filled - but then I'd have to dig all those colors out again later, so... I did get several hundred stitches in, but they are all over the place, so you'd really have to look at last month's and this months pics to see.

The overall (scrolled up) is here.

And this week, back to MTM!!!! As soon as I get a bit more haus frau stuff done, I can get it out! And Mary Wigham is whimpering from her bag, as is Chat Noir. So as usual, who knows what I will actually work on this week, other than MTM - it really is hard to drag myself away from that one. Happy Stitching to everyone this week!

An April Update

Well, let the chocolate coma begin! The Easter Bunny was here yesterday, and though he didn't bring as much as in years past, he brought enough! And a couple of DVDs, Sherlock Holmes (which wasn't as good as I was hoping) and Where the Wild Things Are :) I have today & tomorrow off (YAY me!), and have the stitch in tomorrow during the day, 10-5 (or whenever I get up to go)! I should have taken Wednesday, too - I have all kinds of time saved....


On to the stitching. I only worked on two pieces this week, 6 Bats & A Witches Hat, and Samplar 4 Saisons. I want to get 6 Bats done - it should have been done last fall, except for that huge frog attack I had in it. It's actually a pretty quick project, don't know why it isn't done, really. But aside from the outside border, I almost have Page 1 done - it's the only full page. I just need to do a few blocks a week and get it done!


And on 4 Saisons, I didn't do any tree - I need to work down to get to it, so I worked on Summer instead, in HDF Ex. Milligrubs. The more of it I stitched, the more I liked the color, and like the tree/border color even more (Ex. Wattle N Daub) - I was afraid it might be too subtle, but I think it's going to be just fine. I got a good bit of Summer done - late nights on my extended weekend :) Especially considering I didn't touch it until Thursday night.



This week, I need to work on both of Lyne's pieces - her sampler and her RR; the RR goes back out on the 26th.And Lady & Unicorn is up this week. I am tempted to haul my floor stand to the stitch in tomorrow - she usually only has 1-2 during the day one, so I shouldn't crowd anyone - but how awesome would it be to have L&U in that corner of the store that is all windows, and work on it for 6 hours straight in bright daylight??? I just don't know if I want to try to haul all of this stuff with me - the floor stand has been modified so much that it definitely isn't compact now, and L&U has the scroll frame, the bobbin box, and the bag with bags & chart & journal in it - it'd take me 20 minutes to get it all drug in and set up :) I don't know, we'll see :) It would be great to get the current page done this week...


In a soccer note, we have a U18 English Boys' Team visiting this week, playing an exhibition match against the GA All Stars. They are playing at our high school on Friday - and DH & Little Kid and their team get to provide the pre-game entertainment, and take shots against he English keeper during half time. And they are throwing a cookout Wednesday night to meet the team. This is going to be fun, though our coach is pretty sure his All Star team is going to get trounced :( I will probably have lots of pictures next weekend :)

More Spring photos here photos here.