PIE! An Update

It's now officially summer, and we are now officially out of the Cup, as is England (wtf?). But MEXICO is also OUT of the cup - Woohoo!! There are about 6 more weeks before school starts again (again, wtf?). And wow could I use a week at the beach - a non-oil-polluted beach, of course (again, wtf? WTG, BP). All of which means nothing, except it's strawberry pie season - see?
 
Not pictured: Cool Whip - because it's wrong to eat it right out of the bowl, hence the pie :) No, really, I get yelled at every time, so it must be wrong, even though the kids do it and the dogs are standing right there the whole time...

In other news, the stitching slump might be winding down - I ran into a little hurdle with another thing I've been working on, so while I tried to figure out how to get over that, I picked up a needle pretty often over the last week or two, despite losing all of past Tuesday night to fall soccer sign-up - yes, I'm still the damn manager, but now I am the sole manager, I am AUTONOMOUS!!! Yippee. Translation - more work for me! GO ME! Someday, they tell me, the Kid will appreciate it; so far, I ain't seein' it...


Anywho, back to the needle bits. I HAD to finish up my goof on Paula's RR, and was bound & determined to get to the cutwork section - so I kept it for an extra week, and got that band done. I had the top part of it done when it was supposed to move on to Jodie, but I figured I'd better do the bottom half, too, so the tension would match in the weird Honeycomb stitch. I really, really liked this piece (even if it does have hearts & pink in it - I can make exceptions for exceptional pieces); if the border doesn't get done, send it back, I'll finish it up :)

Overall to date:



The cutwork section:



I worked on Tanglewood again at last week's stitch in, and got the next branch outlined. I'll likely work on it tonight, too, and get that one filled in, get a start on the next outline.



And then, because I've been into the impulse starts lately, I also started Tracy's latest freebie, Ink Spot #11, which came out in her newsletter last week. I had a piece of Vikki Clayton's linen left over from Samplar 4 Saisons, so there it is. That's for lunch, when I can put the book down.



This past Saturday was the local stitcher's group, PINS. I worked on Mary Wigham again, and got the squirrel on!!! I've been working towards him from the beginning - he and the carnation are the only 2 colors I picked out specifically for the motif - the squirrel is in HDF BeSeeded :) There's a dime beside the squirrel for scale on the over-1 - he'd fit under it :) My eyes have been chewed the last few weeks (gee, I've gone 42 years without glasses, can't I go a little longer? PLEASE?), but I still don't have any problem with that French Country linen over-1 :) Good stuff, need yards & yards more...



And even though the rotation has been scrapped (temporarily or permanently, dunno), I did get MTM out Friday night - and will keep it out for an unknown length of time. I finally got that 3rd center building done! Man, it's not difficult, it's just freaking big! I may do that one first on the 4th side, just to get it out of the way - IF I can manage the counting :) I'll get this 3rd side done in pretty short order this week, I think, and then I'll decide if I move around to the left town, or put it up. This is the overall shown - detail here.



Other than MTM continuing, I have no idea what is planned for this week; I do know EGS isn't likely to make an appearance - totally don't care about it at the moment. I've never said that about any project before - have I hit maximum density on TWs? Again, don't know. Maybe I just need to work on some of this other stuff more, for a while :)



Anyway, that's the news, or what passes for news. Have a great week, and for those of you in the US, have a safe 4th of July weekend! The next update should include potato salad :) Because mine's the best :) :) :)

8000% Humidity - an Update

Everybody knows I hate the cold - but the heat the last few days has been utterly ridiculous! I know, I know, I'm getting old, thus my window of comfort is getting smaller and smaller. Yeah, yeah, never happy, too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry. But bitching about the weather keeps me from bitching about other things out of my control, such as...

This little tidbit: http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/34297/
Here is a tiny little rant that you can skip over if you'd like. If, like me, you think illegal immigration is a HUGE issue, then the above article is for you. Why? Because the people in that article are who my kids have share space with. We know half of those criminals, not to speak to, but on sight. The kid that died was the brother of one of our players. My kids have cops in their schools because of the gangs. And I'm not in LA, not in metro Atlanta - I'm in the sticks, just 30 short miles from where Deliverance was filmed, in a little place I like to call Tijuana East. And who gets to foot the bill for the ER and the incarceration and investigation? I do. I also get to pay for these useless dregs to drag my sons' education further into the toilet, thanks to No Child Left Behind, for people who have no intention of using their education, but take it and demand more because they think they are entitled to it. You think this couldn't happen where you are? Wait - they're coming.... You want to know the real Montezuma's revenge? It's the first authentic Mexican place opening in small town America, and they lure you in with the kick-ass margaritas and salsa, and then the next one opens, and the next one. I've been watching this evolution for the last 16 years - it ain't a pretty picture, folks. I can make you a margarita, when it comes right down to it.

Enough - I don't like to discuss political issues, but this one's pretty much right in my backyard, soooo.... Here endeth the rant.


On to lighter things. Still slumping, stitching wise. Over the last couple of weeks, though, I have done some. Apparently my rotation is on hiatus. Maybe I have too many things going, and I have project confusion? Don't know. Just not into it, I have other concerns at the moment. Last time I updated, I had been working on Chat Noir. I kept him out for a bit longer, and though it looks almost exactly identical to the last time, I did actually fill in several blanks.
Last time, I also updated Tanglewood; I took it to last week's stitch in at The Stitch Store and worked on it again, filling in another branch. Maybe if I take this to a few stitch ins (which was canceled tonight, btw), I'll get a side done :) I'm just so used to all you guys here knowing what it is, that I think it's weird when the local stitchers don't immediately recognize the name; then when I show them the picture, they're like "Oh, yeah, I remember that one. Is that what that looks like?" It's strange knowing there are two very distinct stitching communities, online and offline - and maybe that's why it's in decline? Not enough cross-over? Maybe I'm just too eclectic for my own good? Or maybe eccentric is a better word...? No comments from you peanuts, okay? Anyway, here's the latest:

And because Chat just doesn't provide enough confetti, I decided to break out World Tree for a few hours. I got to put in a new color!!! WooHoo! Finally got to that turquoise :) This really is going to be an amazing piece, all these colors against the black. I am kinda thinking the 939 around the edge of the black is a bit of overkill - I can't see it when I get it in, so why make the distinction? Because I am either nuts, or I realllllyyyy like a challenge :) I just hope I get this beast done while the eyes still work....

As for this week - don't know. World Tree is still out. I need to work on Paula's RR, as it has to ship out soon - and I need to finish putting back what I had to take out during that vicious frog attack a month ago (which just happens to coincide with the beginning of this slump). Might not work on anything, especially if this heat continues. This is good reading weather - and I get to go pick up Echo in the Bone next week :) Won't get to read it until I finish The Fountainhead & another Karen Harper Elizabethan mystery that I have here from the library - but right after those - I can't wait!! There was a time when I read a thousand-page book every week or two, before my life became consumed by thread; maybe I'm just reverting back? Dunno. Anyway, if you are stitching or not, have a great week!

And We Wonder Why...

Seen on a Kia from Missouri on the way home today:
A cheesy cartoon of a wizard, similar to this one, but not this one, since I stole this one from the internet:






And written below that, this legend:
Fastener Sourcerer
XXX-XXX-XXXX

Fastener Sourcerer? Sour - cerer? Sorcerer? WTF? Clearly suffering an addled brain from the previous twenty miles of 80-stop, 80-stop, 80-stop, oh-look-no-blinker, I am not able to puzzle this out. It's every bit as bad as 90% of the stupid-ass vanity plates that only the owner gets. Except the one PRNSSS has (scroll down to the next to last paragraph for that tirade).

Anyway, finally, it comes to me. Fastener SOURCE-erer. Oh, look, Ethel, it's a Play On Words, says Delbert. (If the car had been from anywhere other than Missouri, I would have imagined that conversation in Monty Pythonese) (Except possibly Arkansas - pronounced R Kansas, btw)

And we wonder why all the kids are growing up retarded??? Um, because people think it's okay to just take any old word in the language and bastardize it to suit their idiotic needs??? Now, we can't blame everything on gangstas and Ebonics, if this Kia is any indication. Assuming, of course, that both gangstas and Ebonics are relatively scarce in Missouri...

If it ain't in the Oxford English, then maybe you should stop trying to be clever. Because you FAIL, in some cases EPIC FAIL. And "ain't" is in there, so :b~~~~~~~~ (my sister would slap me if she lived closer).

People, just remember that for those of us with photographic memory (out of film or otherwise), we can't usually Un-See a thing once it's been seen, and bleach just isn't suitable.

Show Me State, huh? Come here, you dumb shit, let me show you how I'm going to smack you right in the damn head....

Thanks to Chris Cornell for helping me survive today's drive; if you haven't listened to all of his 1999 solo effort, Euphoria Morning, I highly recommend it, regardless of your driving conditions...

A Small Update

Not a lot going on here - survived the tourney in Columbus, though it was, as usual, largely a waste of time, though a good entry on the Kid's resume. Tryouts are this week for the upcoming season - no rest for the weary. I'm hoping it works out that I don't have to manage this year - I'm over it. We'll see...

In other news, not much stitching going on - just not into it, still, though I had more mojo over the weekend than I've had. I did go to the day stitch in last Tuesday - we talked Terrie into moving the Monday one, since she was going to be closed for Memorial Day, to Tuesday, which I also had off. I couldn't decide what to take, so I took 4-5 projects with me, and ended up working on Tanglewood, getting a branch filled in and another outlined.

I'll be taking Tanglewood with me tonight, too. Following the knotwork is meditative, which fits my mood the last couple of weeks. Anyone else wonder why "mojo" isn't recognized by the Multiply dictionary??? Hmmm...

I haven't worked on my rotation pieces for the lat two weeks - could give a s#%$ less about EGS right now, and not really feeling it for Knotgarden, either. The few nights I did put any stitches in the last two weeks, I worked on Chat Noir. I got in a few hundred stitches over the two weeks - if you look at the previous picture, you can see how much got filled in. Who knew whiskers were such a PITA???

And that's it, for 2 whole weeks. No, really. You guys probably think I'm really ill, huh? Well, who knows? Preoccupied, for sure. Just needing a change of pace, maybe. We'll see if I get Samplar 4 Saisons out this week, or keep on with Chat, whom I kept on the stand last night. For those of you NOT slumping, happy stitching this week :)

OMG - Look What I Just Drove!!!

It's so not a good idea to tell the guy across the street about the car you really like - because he handles all the used ones that come through his Chevy dealer (the same guy that is currently driving a Dodge truck with a Viper engine in it - wth?). So, tonight, after driving my 112th mile for the day (to & from work, to & from practice), I pulled onto my street to see this sitting in his drive:

I WANTZZZZZ ONE!!!!

And then the idiot handed me the key....

And since it's been over 5 years since I drove anything with a clutch, and a lot longer than that since I had one you couldn't just dump into whatever gear, I umm, *cough*cough*stalled*cough* at the corner.

But then I barked the tires at the other corner up onto the main road!!

I think I used all of the 6 gears - don't know I do know it's a good thing there weren't any cops between here & where I turned around It has lots & lots of go-fast


Damn, I make this look good!


That is really cool - but wow, so not looking for another car payment. And I really hope my poor Mazda didn't see me driving the pretty red car.


I guess I'll hold out for the Boxster or '64 GTO :) Or the GREY R/T with the flat black markings :)

Lilies - An Update

Yep, lilies everywhere, and it's too early. Which means, about July, I'm going to have lotsa dead sticks sticking out of the ground :) Because I don't go outside during smog & fire ant season :) :)


We have a long weekend coming up, Memorial Day for those not in the US. I get to spend the whole weekend driving back and forth from the State Cup tourney, which is being played in Columbus, GA - 150 miles from my house. So, who else is driving 1000 miles and not leaving their state?? Anybody? WooHoo - I hate it. But Sunday & Monday's games are afternoon, so even staying in a hotel doesn't make sense - if you check out at 10 or 11 and the game's at 5, what do you do to entertain yourself in between? I don't understand why the State Cup has to be way the hell over there, when 97% of the teams are from Atlanta - other than they have a nice big facility, and all the other tourneys over Memorial Day are using up the fields in ATL.

I won't go into details about the play in game we had Saturday that allowed us to advance to the actual Cup. It was 3 hours of torture from the parent perspective. The team we played beat us in regular season 9-0 - they didn't have a single goal against them from ANYONE (clearly they did some massive recruiting last summer and stacked their team - uh, you can only go up one more division, boys). Well, we had them beat 1-0 when a fight broke out with 2 1/2 minutes to go - they were getting desperate, not believing they were losing, and with their home ref, on their $30K turf field giving them EVERY advantage, so a fight. It shoulda been called then, but no, after throwing 4 red cards, the ref made them finish. And because every one was hot and we were down 2 players to their one (one of their reds came off the bench), they scored at the very last, tying it up. So two 15-minute OTs, still tied, though they got their third Red (2nd caution), and we were again even at 9 players each. PKs - and our keep did an outstanding job blocking, so we advance! 5 Reds, 7-8 Yellows, including one for my kid (you know, Captain Obvious) - ummm, hey Ref, are you aware of what happens when a bunch of 17 year old boys get their testosterone up? Did it ever occur to you that MAYBE YOU ought to get it under control PRIOR to fists flying???? Stupid f&*%. I hope they paid him well - too bad they LOST. Yes, I am a poor sport - so? I hate playing against rich kids - they are AWFUL. The coach was shitty to our boys, too, as they were walking off the filed, saying "Have fun getting slaughtered by XXXX [one of those big teams we're playing in the Cup)". Wow, and you're supposed to be the adult??? GREAT EXAMPLE, Nancy (no offense, Nancy :D).
Hey, you like how I didn't go into any detail there? My stomach is still upset from the whole thing - not to mention the cleat marks the kid has all up his leg & knee. Rich little punk-ass kids...


So anywho - as for stitching, it would seem that I am still in slump. This is getting ridiculous. Though, I guess I haven't really had one in 4-5 years, so maybe it's all catching up to me? Anyway, I took Starry Nights to the stitch in at The Stitch Store on Monday. Can I just say that the two-layer chart is confusing as hell? I thought I had a HUGE mistake that I was going to have to frog - but it turns out I had it right - but it took some serious study to make sure. I am taking it with me tonight, too, in honor of Lori, since it's her chart I have, and I didn't find time for it yesterday, when I should have (No, didn't work on Noah yesterday, either). Here is where I am now:


My main piece for the week was MTM, and I didn't even complete a building - albeit that middle building. Which I had started last month. I really hate that building. And I think it is mostly due to the fact that the Waterlilies Caramel (?) and Pearl are so close in color, that I wonder why I'm bothering to pick each one out? At any rate, I think when I move to the 4th side, I'm starting with that horrid middle building and getting it DONE. I'm wondering if working upside down is hurting my brain? I could flip it, I guess - but it didn't bother me when I started this side. I think my brain just hurts, period. We'll see if next times goes better....


A detail shot is here.

This week, I'm supposed to get EGS out again - but still not feeling it, at all. I don't know. Maybe the dragon will come out again, maybe EGS, maybe something else entirely. I just wish my weekend was totally consumed with being in the car - and I am sure it will be too hot to take anything with me to work on. Good thing I have a nice fat book on the go - The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand. Great read so far - Atlas Shrugged is right behind it - unless Gabaldon's Echo in the Bone intercedes :) So... check back next week and see if I manage to stitch at all! For those of you NOT slumping, happy stitching this week!

The First Lily

About 3 weeks too early, we have lilies blooming:

My asiatics will be open maybe tomorrow. Wow - too early; it's going to be a long summer, I think. Glad I have new A/C....

A Minor May Update

Well, the last week of school has arrived, and I think I am more ready than the boys are - I am tired of getting them up in the morning!

As for stitching, last week was pretty much a complete washout. I had the bright idea to chart up the Bard's Sonnet 18, and pulled fabric & thread for that as soon as I got home on Monday, and worked on that Monday & Tuesday, at lunch and at the stitch in at the Stitch Store. I have it about 1/3 done, as I haven't touched it since Tuesday.

I also noticed, Wednesday, I think, that I made a mistake on Paula's RR, so spent Wednesday and Thursday nights taking out about 1/2 of what I had overzealously finished the week before :( :( :( I don't quite have it all back in yet, but almost - have to get that line of verse and the herringbone row below it back in. Sorry, no picture of anti-progress - you'll have to use your imagination.
My main piece for the week was supposed to be Lady & Unicorn. I got 4 stitches into it. Yep, 4 whole stitches. I actually think I put it up with the needle dangling from it - I'll have to check that out when I get home... Again, no picture of anti-progress.

So basically, let the Slump ensue!!
This week, I may or may not work on MTM. I'm going to the stitch in tonight (it has been moved to Mondays), but I think I'm taking Starry Nights. Don't know. Not really in the mood for anything, new or already in progress. Maybe I just need a break for a week or two? Anyway, check back next week to see if I am still slumping :)

NOT PICTURED: The 4' Black Snake that DumbChuck killed Saturday (after flinging it up in the air over his head). Ummmm, he chases birds, snakes, butterflies. What part of Coonhound is he not getting? Other than I don't think he's seen a coon yet, not counting the Maine Coon Cat that gets picked on frequently...
ALSO NOT PICTURED: The Brown Water Snake that Lucy stomped on as it was sunning itself on a rock at Elachee Nature Center later on Saturday... at least, I'm pretty sure it was a Brown - I didn't hear a rattle as it slid off into the creek!
It's going to be one of those summers...

A Sunny May Update

We went back to spring over the weekend, from the temps in the 90s during the week that cooked all of my irises, and which have caused all of my day lilies to bud already - I bet I'll have blooms this week, which is very early for them. 2 weeks of school left for the boys - I'm tired of getting them up every morning. And their to-do lists are getting pretty big - all the stuff they didn't do over Christmas break and spring break - yep, still on the list. And one of 'em better be coming up with a job....

On to the stitching. This week was supposed to be Samplar 4 Saisons, but I got Paula's RR piece out Monday, a Drawn Thread piece - An Open Heart, and I couldn't put it down!!I really love working on this piece, and did 2 of the big bands and all of the dividing bands between. The next bands have cut threads and reweaving, so I look forward to those. I don't do hearts and I don't do pink - but this is a really great design :)
The overall of this is here.

Finally, on Saturday, I made myself put the RR away and get out Samplar 4 Saisons - though I was also fighting a serious case of startitis (because the two new starts 2 weeks in a row didn't fix that, I guess). I didn't get a lot done, just a few motifs in about 3 hours over the two days. And still didn't get down to that tree :)

Other than that, nothing else accomplished last week. This week is Lady & Unicorn again, and I plan to go to the stitch in tomorrow night, but not sure what I'm taking with. I'm just ready to be done with school - so I can start getting ready for the new year in August, my Big Kid's senior year. And getting senior pictures taken over the summer, when he can schedule time off from the job he'd better have :) That's the news - happy stitching, everyone!!

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.