Decisions, Decisions

I am almost finished with the angel. I'm going to finish the backstitching tonight. I'm not very happy with the backstitching. The designer said to do the backstitching in a lot of different colors. I think I'll do all the backstitching in brown when I do it again. Some backstitching is too light and it just doesn't look as good as it should. I'll show a final picture tomorrow. I can't decide what I'm going to stitch next. I got a bib to cross-stitch for the new baby, but I can't decide what to put on it. What I had planned to do on it doesn't fit which is really weird because it is a pattern for a baby bib. It's mice with chocolate chip cookies. I've done it before, years ago. I guess they are not making the insets for cross-stitching as big as they used to. So I'll have to look through all my patterns to see if I can find something I like as much as I liked the mice and cookies! Better go - I want to finish that backstitching! Have a happy day!

Another Update

Here's another update on Jeanne Love's Angel. I, too, am having problems with my blogger. It won't go to the sign in page. It just acts like it is downloading a LONG time. It finally let me sign in. This is very aggravating and time-consuming!
I visited my mom yesterday and today. I went yesterday and she told me my sister was coming to visit her today. So I decided to go back today to see my sister. We don't get together very often. Then today Mom and I waited all day for her to come and she never did. She didn't call or anything! We couldn't reach her by phone. Her phone must be disconnected or something! She does this a lot - says she's coming and then never shows or calls! It really upsets my mom! But, anyway, my mom and I had a very nice visit both days. Yesterday, we told each other stories about the guys we dated when we were young. We had so much fun! The great love of my mom's life was my father, but when she was dating him, she was also dating another guy that she really liked and who really liked her, too. So it was fun listening to her tell me about the moment she realised that it was my dad that she truly loved and had to tell the other guy. The two guys knew she was dating them both. They were all in college. The funny thing is that she said she kept worrying that my dad might be listening to us talk and was afraid he would be hurt that she was talking about the other guy. (Some of you might not know that my father died last year.) We have so much fun talking about old memories! Today, we talked about our babies. She told me stories about when I was a baby and I told her stories about when my son, Glenn, was a baby. We laughed and had a great time! She is doing very good, and I'm glad to see how well she looks. We weren't sure she could live without my dad. They were so CLOSE! My dad retired over 20 years ago for health reasons, and they were together 24-7 from the day he retired until the day he died! They never argued and always did whatever would make the other happy! They did everything together! We would say that they breathed for each other. We just didn't think one could live without the other! I know she misses him terribly, but she knows that she would not be honoring him if she just gave up and died. That's not what he would have wanted her to do. That was his main concern about going first - he would say he just didn't want to leave her alone! She has so many wonderful memories that keep her going! She is a very strong woman and has always had a positive attitude about everything! My dad was in the hospital a lot during the last 36 years, but they never complained. They always found something to praise God for every time he got real sick. The nurses and staff at the hospital would ask them how they could be so happy and positive with my dad so sick so often. They would tell them that they just trusted God! And that's the only way I go on living after losing my son - I totally trust in God to get me through each day and He has kept me going on. He gives me the strength!! Well enough rambling and preaching! lol Hope everyone has a happy, blessed day!
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New Start

I decided to start something new, because Jeanne Love's Angel is harder than I thought it would be. I started a freebie I found called Valentine Stamp, but I don't know where it came from. However, it turned out to be just as difficult, and I have spent most of the day frogging. I'm doing it for my daughter for Valentine's Day. I think I'll go back to the angel and finish it. Got to go. DD wants the computer. Have a happy day!

Jeanne Love's Angel

This is my progress on the angel for Lynzee at Love Quilts. This is a freebie on the TW Designwork site. It's Jeanne Love's Angel and was designed by Teresa Wentzler. I have never stitched anything designed by her, but I really like this and will stitch more of her designs. I'm over half way finished with it.
And the news on the homefront. I have decided that I don't want Katie's Dad to move in with us. I thought it was going to be a temporary arrangement, but he turned it into a permanent thing. Then he started telling me the changes he was going to make - cut down my trees, turn the garage into a bedroom and do the outside with rock, get rid of the "clutter" ( in other words, "my stuff"), redo the floors, etc. I have never been able to stand up to him. (or hardly anyone else either!) I visited my mom (who is also bad to tell me what to do) and really talked out the whole thing. She just sat there and let me voice all the pros and cons of him moving in. After hearing it all out loud, I knew I couldn't let him move in. I am looking forward to living alone when my daughter gets her own place. I didn't get married until I was 32 and I loved living alone. I have lived through so many tragedies and all I want now is peace and eventually solitude. At my mom's I wrote a letter to him, telling him exactly how I feel. But the next day I decided mailing a letter wasn't the best way to do it. So I called him and READ THE LETTER to him. He wasn't very happy and didn't understand why I couldn't talk to him. But the five years I lived with him (which was HELL), he never listened and wouldn't talk to me. Why would he think I would think I could talk to him now? He tried to make me feel guilty for not rescuing him, but I made it clear that I don't owe him anything and I have to take care of myself for once! He was only going to give me a little money and I would have had way more bills. He has a way of working things around so that the other person is paying everything and you don't know he has manipulated you into it until it is too late. I'm glad we have always been friends for my children's sakes, but I am not too old to find someone else to love once Katie is on her own. I know he and I will never be husband and wife again. But if I don't find someone, I will enjoy a life of doing what I want with no one to answer to. After I talked to him, I also talked to my mom for a long time and we were very honest with each other. My mom is a perfectionist, and her house is always spotless with everything in its place. She has always pestered me about my "clutter" and wanted to come and help me clean! She is 77-years-old and is not able to do it. But she thought if she helped me get my house as spotless as hers that I would feel better and not be so sad. I finally made her understand (I hope) that I don't want to work in my house like that right now. It's clean enough for me and I need to relax, rest, and heal. And someday when Katie has moved out, I will go through everything and fix the house how I want it. I think she finally understands! I'm not as sad as she thinks I am. I just don't want to go out very often. Like I said, I really need to rest, have peace, and heal! Well, that was a lot of rambling, but very therapudic! Hope you have a great day!

Latest Addition to the Family

This is Thomas - the newest member of the family. He was born on Jan. 5th. He is my great-nephew. I haven't seen him in person yet. He weighed 6 lb. 13.5 oz. and is 19.5 in. long. He is the smallest baby born in our family since before my mother was born - his great-grandmother!

And this is my latest finish! It's the square for Quilts4Kids. It's for the March theme - teddy bears. I'm going to mail it soon. I've started another square for Love Quilts. The pattern is called Jeanne Love's Angel. The square is for Lynzee. This pattern was a freebie, but I can't remember where I got it. I'll show a picture of my progress tomorrow. I have to go now. I'm subbing tomorrow. Have to get to bed! Have a happy day!

A Special Surprise

Well, we didn't get the terrible ice storm predicted, thank goodness! But I had to substitute! It was a good day though. It was the same class as Wednesday; so they knew they couldn't get away with anything with me. The picure above is an update of A Lady's Pincushion. My stitching slows down when I substitute. I was so tired both days. I couldn't stitch much - had to take a nap!

And this is an update on The Juggler. I am going to backstitch this much before I do the balls and stars and border. I need to get this finished soon!
DD really surprised me Thursday night. She gave me a late birthday present. It was a "movie" she had made for me. It was a slide show of pictures of her, my son, and my parents set to music. The pictures were of the kids as they grew up and some of the last pictures of my dad. The songs were songs about mothers and one of the songs that was played at my son's funeral: Heaven by Eric Clapton (I'm not sure of the name.) It is the most precious gift I have ever received. She and I sat side-by-side and watched it on the computer holding hands. I boo-hooed the whole time! It totally drained me - it was so emotional! Then we hugged forever! Teenagers can really surprise you sometimes!!
Got to go! My mom is coming today to inspire me to go through all this junk and clear out some space for Katie's Dad to move in!! lol Have a happy, love-filled day!

Oh, I almost forgot. One of the sites I stitch charity quilt squares for is Love Quilts. I got an email today saying they desperately need some stitchers to stitch a square. If you are interested, just go here: http://lovequilts2macs.homestead.com/NewStitchersinfo.html and get all the info. I would encourage anyone who might be interested to give it a try! It has really been a blessing to me!

Birthdays - Bah! Humbug!!

Here is an update on A Lady's Pincushion. I stitched a little more on it after I worked on the bear. I have finished more of it since I took this picture, but I'll show it again later. I didn't post yesterday, because when DD hooked back up the printer, she unplugged the keyboard by accident. SO - I couldn't type out my post!!

This is the square I am doing for Quilts4Kids. It's The Juggler.

And this is what I have stitched so far! I really like this! Of course, I like everything! lol
Now - about my birthday. It didn't turn out exactly as I had planned. DD and her friend, who stayed over the weekend, decided to stay up all night and talk and laugh very loudly! (School was out Mon. and Tues.) DD's BF was back and had gone to bed. That only left us with my queen-sized bed and DD's single bed. So I volunteered to sleep in DD's bed and let the 2 girls sleep in mine. Or someone would have been on the couch - definitely not comfortable to sleep on. I wasn't having an easy time sleeping on DD's bed anyway and then their talking and laughing kept me up. So the next morning I had a migraine and felt like a truck had backed over me. (a few times!) I had to cancel my lunch and hair appointment with my mom. I just slept all day. Plus DD (who wasn't so DEAR that day) was actually upset with ME because I had been angry about all their noise! SO - Birthdays - Bah! Humbug! I did get to feeling better in time to go to the Mexican restaurant for dinner. And I stopped by the book store and bought myself a present - 2 cross-stitch magazines. Cross Stitch Crazy and Cross Country Stitching. The Cross Stitch Crazy was the November issue. It was from out of the United States. I was really excited when I saw they had it. It had lots of great patterns in it!
I substituted today. The first day since before Christmas. I really had a good day, but I really missed cross-stitching! I am supposed to sub again in the same class tomorrow, but they are predicting an ice storm! - the one that has been out in the midwest or wherever it's been. They're expecting it to get bad!! I doubt we will be going to school tomorrow. How awful - I'll HAVE to stitch tomorrow. lol Well - got to go and do some stitching. Have a happy day, everyone!

No Pictures

DD has done something to the computer - unplugged the printer/scanner and I can't plug it back up! I know very little about computers. She has gone out with her friends. So I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow to get her to plug it back up. SO I can't scan pictures of my latest start.
I'm afraid I've already gotten a little bored with the Lady's Pincushion. I really prefer to stitch things instead of just a design! I'll get back to it in a few days. I started the next charity square. It's a teddy bear juggling balls. He's standing on a box of bird seed and there are ducks watching him. I've already finished the bear. I'll show a picture later. It's not a real hard pattern. It's going to Quilts4Kids in Australia. It's for the March 2007 Theme. They post a theme for each month. For March it's teddy bears.
I've just stitched today. Tomorrow is my birthday. My mom is taking me out to lunch. Then she's treating me to a new haircut. My hair has gotten very long! I really look better with shorter hair. I just felt like letting it grow, but now I'm really tired of it and ready for a change! It's really time for me to start taking better care of myself! My doctor fusses at me and tells me to get more exercise! I know I should - I just don't seem to be able to do it. I just want to cross-stitch! So - I'm going to start my "make-over" with a new hairstyle! I'm sure when Katie's Dad comes to stay, I'll have more incentive to "fix up." Well, got to go! It's past my bedtime! Have a great day!

A New Start

This is what I started today. It's called "A Lady's Pincushion." It is in the same magazine that the delivery truck was in - Cross Stitch and Country Crafts, July/Aug. 1991. It was designed by Sandra Rogers. I have a lot of old magazines! I used to subscribe to several. But most of those are no longer being published. That really makes me sad. This piece is very different from what I usually stitch. I'm doing it for a small quilt square for Friends2Seniors. The bottom picture shows my progress so far. I am enjoying it.
I didn't stitch much today. I was still so tired from yesterday! I took a LONG nap. Katie's Dad left right after lunch.
I did go through my big box of stash that I found. It has a lot of fabrics - mostly aida- because I really haven't stitched on many other kinds of fabric. There's also hand towels to stitch, hopscotch material (not very popular any more!), mini stockings, and lots of other odds and ends. There are kits. And a lot of pieces I had finished but hadn't done anything with. A couple of these made me sad because they were pieces I intended to put in my son's room. So learn a lesson from me - don't take too long to finish your pieces once you've finished the stitching! Well, I've fed Katie and one of her friends. (DD's BF has been taking a break from us and has stayed the night at another friend's house. I really missed her. She will be back later tonight.)
Now I'm going to stitch some and watch TV. Have a wonderful day tomorrow!

Finishes

I forgot to show this finished. It is actually my first finish of 2007! I finished it before I finished the Picnic Sweatshirt square. I was waiting to actually put it on the little hanger, but since it looks like it's going to take me until next Christmas to get that done, I'm going to go ahead and show it today. I'll get it completely finished someday!lol

And this is my latest finish. It's the square for William at Quilt4Kids in Australia. I got those other squares mailed a couple of days ago. This picture makes it look darker than it really is.
I'm going to get it mailed very soon. I really liked stitching this. I hope William likes it, too.
I cleaned out my utility room today. I am exhausted! Katie's Dad is coming to visit. He didn't let us know until noon today. He was already on his way. Since our son died, we have both wanted to spend as much time as we can with Katie. SO - - - her daddy is going to move in with us and rent Glenn's room. We will just be roommates. I already said that we are good friends. He has had some problems job wise and I really don't want to sub much. SO we decided that if he moved in, he could help me with expenses and with Katie. He owned his own construction business. He built houses. But he is tired and sixty-years-old. He doesn't want to be the boss anymore. But he is having problems getting a job. He is about to sell a house, so he will be okay for a while. I know it is really weird, but our relationship since our separation has been very weird by anyone's standards.
He lived with us for 3 months after Glenn's death and everything went fine. Anyway, he needs to put a lot of his stuff in the garage. So when he has come, we've been cleaning out the garage. We want to move the rest of my stuff in the garage into the utility room, SO I needed to clean out the U-room.I really had a lot of stuff in the U-room! A lot of it was trash. Now when he gets here, he's going to take the trash to the trash center and the stuff I don't want to the Salvation Army. Now I have room for the rest of my stuff in the U-room. And I found a real treasure! I stopped cross-stitching many years ago because I was teaching and raising my children and I went through a bad time of depression. I almost had a nervous breakdown. So I put up my cross-stitching and didn't stitch for years. Then the January before Glenn's death, I had the urge again. So I started again. It was just like I had never stitched before. It took me a while to get good at it again! I have been looking for all my cross-stitch stash for 2 years now! I couldn't find it anywhere. I had begun to think I had thrown it away! I know - hard to believe, but I was in such bad shape. I really didn't know what I was doing a lot of the time! Well, under all that trash and stuff in the U-room, I found a big plastic box full of my cross-stitch stash! Material, kits, etc. I am so excited!! I can't wait to go through it. It will be like getting a great gift, because I don't remember what I had! Well, Katie's Dad is here now, so I'd better go help him load up the trash! Happy stitching!

A New Project

Last night I started the square for William at Quilts4Kids. The picture above is what I am doing for him. The theme of his quilt is anything with an engine. This was in an old magazine, Cross Stitch and Country Crafts, July/Aug. 1991. It was designed by Patricia Gaskin.
The picture below is what I have done so far. It's a fairly easy piece. Tnis is the first time I have ever stitched a vehicle. I really like it.

DD and her BF dyed their hair today without conversing with me before they did it! DD is an orangy blonde and her BF is dark brown. Her BF's hair was blonde to begin with. My children have always been very independent and strong-willed! Needless to say, I am NOT happy! DD had such beautiful long hair. She came in about a month ago with it cut short, again without consulting me. Now this! I guess next she'll walk in bald!! No wonder I have always been so stressed out! Well, she started out to see her friend next door and turned around and said, "Does it really look that bad?" with the most pitiful look on her face. My heart melted and I had to say, "No, Sweetheart, I just have to get used to it." Life is certainly interesting with a teenager around! And like I've said before, I love her unconditionally. So I guess I'll "get used" to it and brace myself for the next shock she delivers. lol I did want her to have a mind of her own and I'm glad she is independent. And she's also not afraid to try new things - very much unlike me! I still need my mom's okay before I do anything and I am terrified of trying new things and I don't like change! I DID NOT want my children to be like that. So I guess this proves that I succeeded! lol
Well, got to get back to my stitching. I stay up late and NYPD Blues is on. I didn't like that show the first time through, but now I love the reruns! Hope everyone has a great day tomorrow!

Happy Dance

Hsppy Dance! I got it finished today - just in time to cook dinner! The colors show darker in this scan. They are very bright in real life. I added the little heart on the right. There is another Vicki in SC that does squares. So I add the heart to my squares so that my friends who look at the squares on the computer will know which are mine. But after I added it to the first square, I really like it because it shows that I am sending my love and prayers with the square. As I have said earlier, I do the squares as a way of honoring my son. So the little heart represents my love for my son, also. I'm going to mail this and Taylor's square tomorrow. Next I'm going to do a delivery truck for William at Quilts 4 Kids in Australia. I'm sending the dinosaur square to Quilts 4 Kids tomorrow, also.
Better go get the fabric and threads ready to start William's square. I may take a substitute job for tomorrow, if a deecnt school calls. There are several schools that I won't go back to. I haven't subbed since 2 weeks before Christmas break, which means I have had a 1 month vacation. I have really gotten spoiled. I LIKE staying home. BUT I have to sub a little to supplement my retirement. Wish I didn't have to! (sigh) Better go - Happy Stitching!!

Blah Day

The weather today has been awful. It has been dark and rainy all day! There's nothing good on TV. I've cross-stitched most of the day. Yesterday DD and her BF cleaned their rooms, and I worked on organizing my cross-stitch STUFF. We got a lot done. Today I'm working on the backstitching on the square for Hannah at Love Quilts. There is a lot of backstitching. I used to hate backstitching, but one day I just made myself relax and enjoy it. And I do enjoy it now. It was just a matter of changing my attitude. But I'm anxious to start something new and want to get this square in the mail, so I'm being real impatient with this. Guess I'd better get back to it and finish it. I'll show a picture when I finish it. Happy stitching to everyone!

A Sad Day

Today is the one year anniversary of my father's death. It's hard to believe it's been a whole year without him, but it also seems like forever. The picture above is my favorite picture of him. He did a lot of the cooking. My father was a very special person. He was a very soft-spoken, gentle, humble man. I never heard him raise his voice or saw him raise his hand against anyone. He was very quiet and lived for his Lord and his family. My childhood was during the 50's and early 60's. It was a very wonderful time to grow up in. We were the typical Leave It to Beaver family. Daddy went to work, and Mom stayed home and took care of us. I have one brother and one sister. We NEVER heard our parents argue, because they never did! We were good children, so we were rarely punished. It was just happiness all the time! And after we were grown and moved out on our own, my parents were still there for us. All his life, my dad had many medical problems - heart condition, mini-strokes, colon problems - just to name a few. So Mom spent most of her adult life worrying about him. He never complained and always had a positive attitude. He and I would meet every few months - just the 2 of us- and go out to lunch together. I am so thankful for the memories of those lunches. Although my dad was very quiet, my mom and I were and are not. lol So when we all 3 got together, Mom and I would talk nonstop and Dad would sit in his recliner and listen to us. Every once in a while he might add a comment, but usually he didn't make a sound. So when just he and I went out together, we would talk and talk. That's when I really learned all about my dad! Mom always watched every bite he ate - she always wanted him to lose weight. So when I was little and he and I went out alone, he would get donuts and he would always say, "Don't tell your mom about this." It is a family joke now, he said that to all 3 of us children every time he did something he thought my mom would not approve of. lol He was very close to my son, Glenn. They were a lot alike. My dad loved all his grandchildren, but he was never the kind of person who would take them places unless he and my mom did together. But with Glenn, he was very different. They did many things together - just the 2 of them. They would go to the mall, McDonald's, movies, ballgames, etc. They talked a lot. When the officers told me that my son had been killed, the first thing I said was, "I won't bury one person; I'll bury 3." My mom is also in bad health and was very close to both of my children. I didn't think either one of them would survive his death. After Glenn's death, my dad aged quickly. He started talking about being ready to go and be with Glenn. He was in the hospital 3 times after Glenn's death. He had always been such a fighter and always amazed doctors because he would be at death's door and would come back and go home. But the last time he was in the hospital, we knew he wasn't fighting anymore. He died peacefully in his sleep 10 months after Glenn's death. I miss him! But I know that he and Glenn are together and I will see them both again some day!

Still in a Christmas Mood

I'm still in a Christmas mood. Since I was working so hard on ornaments and other pieces for Christmas gifts, I wasn't able to do any ornies for myself! I started the ornament above when I was substituting before Christmas. I stitch on my breaks. I was doing it for the teacher-friends, but I only needed 10 for them, so I want the rest for myself. Below is what it will look like finished. I only have to do the leaves and backstitch. I was hoping to get finished with it today, but I have had a headache, so I haven't been able to stitch much.


Yesterday, we gave DD's BF a birthday party. A good time was had by all.LOL We had a cake, pizza, and several friends over. She started a new job yesterday. She has talked to her mom, and they are trying to work things out. She is going to continue to stay with us for a while though. I think it will be good for both her and my daughter. DD misses her brother so much, she doesn't want to stay around the house. With her best friend here, she doesn't miss him as much and they are staying around here and having their friends over here, which I like better because this way I know where they are and what they are doing!! It's so hard not to be over-protective where DD is concerned. She's all I have left. Please pray that I do the right things for my daughter and that God keeps her safe for me! Happy Stitching!!

Current Project

This is my progress on the Picnic Sweatshirt square I am doing for Hannah at Love Quilts. I started it last Wednesday. Even though it is the second time I have stitched it, I am really enjoying stitching it again. I only have to finish the butterfly and flower and stitch the ants and grass across the bottom AND do the backstitching, and I will be finished! I'm not going to stitch the red border across the top and down the sides. I like it just fine without it, and I need to get it in the mail as soon as possible.
DD's BF is staying with us a few days. She and her mom are having some problems. I really like this girl and hope she and her mom can work things out. My daughter and I have a very good relationship. We don't always agree on everything, and I'm not always happy with what she is doing, but she knows I am always here for her. She knows I love her unconditionally and would do anything for her. I have always made sure that my children know I love them regardless!
I've got another cold - sneezing and snuffling. I guess I don't go out enough. I'm really a home-body. Better go and get back to my stitching! I have signed up for too many charity squares, but I really enjoy doing them. I'll just have to work very hard for a while. And in the future I will not sign up for so many due at the same time! Happy stitching!