UFOs and WIP

I can't believe what I just did! I had written out this whole post and somehow hit the wrong button and wiped it all out! So I'm doing it all over! So - I decided to pull out my UFOs and post pictures of them. I hope this inspires me to work on them again! I started this back in Jan. of 2005, before my son's death. It was in an old magazine and is named "Snowpeople for All Seasons." I had originally planned to give this to a friend, but I like it so much I'm going to keep it for myself.

The one above has a story behind it. I started this right after I started the snowmen. I had decided to retire at the end of that school year. I was so wrapped up in teaching and taking care of my children! When I decided to retire, suddenly I felt so lighthearted and really started to notice things I hadn't noticed in years! One day while I was walking across the school yard, I saw the most beautiful bluebird sitting in a tree. I realized I had been so busy, I hadn't noticed all the beautiful things around me. I made a promise to myself that I would pay attention to what's around me and enjoy the beauty more! When I saw this pattern, I decided to stitch it to remind me of the promise I had made. It is a large birdhouse with flowers around it and a different bird in each corner. I was stitching this when my son died, and since his death I have had several unusual experiences with birds. I think the weird experiences are my son's way of letting me know he is near and is okay.

The one above is a kit that I got on sale at Big Lots many years ago. (I have lots of kits that I haven't gotten around to stitching yet!) I decided to stitch this in memory of my son. After he died, I think I was in denial for a long time. His father moved in with us (only as roommates) for 3 months and I "played" the happy housewife and mother part for several months. That's when I started this. When it finally sunk in that my son wasn't ever coming back, it was harder to stitch on this. I hope I can get back to it soon. I already have a place for it in my den. It is "My Child" by Bucilla Corp. The poem says:

You are the poem I dreamed of writing,

The masterpiece I longed to paint.

You are the shining star I reached for

in my ever hopeful quest for life fulfilled.

You are my child - now with all things I am blessed.

Love, Mom

I am making some changes in it. The poem is written in present tense and I changed it to past tense, so "You are ..." became "You were ..." I am also replacing "now with all things I am blessed" with "and now you will live in my heart forever." I'm leaving off "Love, Mom" and adding his name and the year of his birth and death to the bottom of the poem.

And here is part of what I have done on it so far. It is too large to scan all of it at once. I really haven't done that much on the right side anyway.

And this is the charity square that I am working on right now. It is for a little boy at Cole's Quilts.

Here is my progress on it so far. I had to frog a big part last night. I got cocky and stitched a BIG part of his hat in yellow. I didn't check the key, and I didn't realise it was supposed to be red until I got down to his coat and noticed that the symbols for his coat and his hat were different! I got so mad at myself! I also started a very small piece that has a bird on it and says, "the first robin of spring." I'll post a picture of it when it is finished.

I'm going to sub tomorrow. I have also looked into teaching in Summer School this summer. The person over the Summer School Program for our district is one of my former principals, so maybe that will help me to get at a good school! He and I had a long talk on Friday and he added my name to the list. He said I was a little early and I'm number 6 on the list. That should help, too. There are 3 schools right near me that are going to have summer school this summer. I'm going to go ahead and talk to the principals in the next few days. I don't really want to work during the summer, but it pays good and I really need the money right now. This will be the first time I have worked during the summer since I was in college! lol

DD's BF, who lived with us 3 months, found out Friday that she passed the GED test! I am so happy for her! DD took the test 3 weeks after her BF did, so maybe we'll hear about her results in a few weeks! Well, better go and try to publish this before I wipe it out again!