It's the Little Things in Life...

Hello, dear friends,

Overcome with a fresh bout of graphomania (typomania, in my case), I decided to write a blog post. Over the past few weeks, a lot of things happened - but, small things, details that made, like puzzle pieces, the whole picture more interesting.
First of all, I re-joined the gym - which means not only paid my dues, but actually went for a workout twice. Working out and swimming in the pool afterwards was a pleasant experience - save for the humbling realization that our group trainer, while pregnant, still could bench press more weight than any of us. I resigned not to feel inadequate about it, but focus instead on the fact that my personal best has improved since last time I was there. (Last time, I walked out of the session after fifteen minutes, fighting back tears).
Mother's Day this year was a pleasant experience - perhaps, partly because I was not sitting around waiting for presents or recognition; instead, I did what I felt I had to do to make the day more enjoyable for myself. Spending some time with my daughters between work (I did have to work on Mother's Day) was a nice bonus... Then, upon coming to work, I found a catered lunch that was served in the break room for all the working mothers - with live roses for each one of us to take home. "Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, " as a good friend of mine says in such situations.
Thank you for reading my ramblings...

Until next time,

Life goes on, and so does the stitching...

Hello, dear friends,

It has been about two weeks since my last post, so it feels like a good time for another update.

When I start thinking about it, I really don't know where to start: my job? my life? my stitching? So many things changed so quickly in my life - and still keep changing - that two weeks feel like two months - or even longer. One steady feeling, though, that has been growing in me - and me - is Self-Confidence. The more I go through things, the more I face these challenges - big and small - the more I feel, " I can do this!" I can do this - all by myself.

Then again, I am not "all by myself." My daughters are with me, and they are a great comfort. For the first time in many years, I feel like I can talk to them - and they to me - without pretense. We say it like it is. There is no need for false and fake "niceties," forced expressions of respect. If they are unhappy or they disagree with me - they tell me. If - or when - I need to say something - I do. No long speeches, no put downs, no theatrics... And it works. I feel, finally, that we are on the same team. We understand each other - at least as much as it is possible between two teenage daughters and their mother. And, finally - I feel like we have our privacy. Nobody is watching. This is not  Cinema Verite, there are no hidden cameras. (Not that there ever actually were cameras, but in my marriage, I often felt like I was in a sitcom, cast for a supporting role. I cannot tell you how much relief it brings to drop that kind of pretense.)

Next week will be the seventh week (already?) of my new job. I am starting to feel a bit more confident in my position - that is, I don't have to ask every five minutes for directions, - but now, I feel, the challenge is not to become over confident. I have a lot to learn here, and sometimes being silent and listening is better and more productive than talking and trying to "get things done." Often, that is a very good approach to life in general, too.

With all the work and chores, there is very limited time left for stitching - but my Aquarius has grown arms since the last time I posted. Slow and steady, it grows....

"Aquarius" WIP

 Until next time,

Is It That Time Again?

Is it really time for end of year results? Wait, we still have two more weeks, maybe I can squeeze in one more project... or two... or three. Well there is nothing wrong with wishing. I will probably get a few small projects done in the next couple of weeks, but as for big ones - I might as well draw the line and give a report. Here it is -seven in all.

'Love Sampler by Nancy Turner.
Linen. DMC floss. 

I love Nancy's designs - they are colorful, meaningful, and they feel like home. They are ornate and intricate without looking "busy". A perfect balance.
And - here is another one!

"Needle and Thread" by Nancy Turner
Linen, DMC threads

"Heaven and Nature" by Sandy Orton
14 count Aida
DMC floss

Gardening angels - complete with tools! So they are the ones looking after our plants! No wonder mine have been turning brown... I have no green thumb at all, every plant I touch turns to leafless stick almost instantly. So - I stick to stitching.

Best Things in Life
Stamped cross stitch

This one was a stamped cross stitch project, and I remembered a lot of things on it - quite a learning experience, not unlike going back to school for a refresher course.

And here is something different...

"Dessert Fairy" by NeoCraft

This is a Dessert Fairy designed by a Russian artist Valeria Antonova of NeoCraft cross stitch company. The project was done on finer material with specialty threads (which means, basically - it was a kit, and everything came in it, and it was not DMC). The different shades and thickness was obtained by stitching with - in some areas - one thread over two. This is one of the "unusual" projects I stitched this year... Once it is framed, I am sure it will be a conversation piece.

Here is something that looks simple enough, but what an enjoyable piece it was...

Massachusetts Sampler
14 Count Aida, DMC floss

I especially loved stitching all the letters and the bird. There was something about that sampler that made me want to go out and find more of them, for other states. Maybe I will do that some day.

And finally - last, but definitely not least -

"Sugar and Spice" Christmas Stocking
Linen, DMC floss

I do not - forgive me - remember the designer of this beautiful piece. The detail is exquisite! As I was working on it, I kept thinking, "They don't make patterns like that any more..." Wait a minute... does it mean I am actually getting... old???
 These are the seven big projects I stitched this year. Besides that, there were a few minis, a couple of - fairly sizable - embroidery things, but, as far as big and bright and cross-stitch related, these seven definitely are my favorite....
Now on to - a bit more stitching, followed by house cleaning, tree buying - and decorating, ornament making... present buying... and everything else that comes with Christmas!

Have a Happy one!

A Finished Project - and a Lot of Stitching

What do you think I have been doing all this time, ever since my last post? That's correct - stitching! Stitching cross stitch projects and embroidery projects, stitching small projects and big projects... Sometimes, in between stitching, I would come up "for air" to talk to my friends and family, or answer emails, or check social media, and then - more stitching! 

Most projects in progress I can't really post pictures of - I am not sure it would be right. But, here is one finished project - design by Nancy Turner of Victorian Sampler Motto Shoppe - that I am pretty certain I can share. In addition, it describes me to the "t." To the tea? I like tea... Especially Lipton and English Breakfast... Some cookies or crumpets or turnovers would not be a bad idea either... Darn, now I am hungry! Where was I again?

Anyway, back from the abyss of my wandering thoughts... It's a finish!

"Needle and Thread"
by Nancy Turner

What can I say about working on this motto? I loved every minute of it. I loved the smell of linen - I keep wondering if it's handwoven or store bought... The more I worked on it, the more it felt like home made fabric. The font reminded me a bit about Harry Potter series, but maybe it's just me. 

Thank you for reading my (short-ish) rambling... and now - guess what? Back to stitching! 

Quick Life and Stitching Update

After all the family emergencies and health crises, we finally seem to be doing better. Rita's stitches are out, although she mentioned that "next time" she would rather take them out herself. I said I hoped there would be no next time.
All my stitching is paying off. The Hogwarts Crest is moving along.

I really like the way it's turning out, all the bright gold and green colors.
The mansion is coming along nicely too, but since taking the pic I already stitched more on it, so I will have to take another picture when the light is good.
Don't remember if I mentioned it, my hubby got a new job! Lots of changes, so far positive - no more driving all over the coast, no more hectic schedules.
Happy stitching!

Updates - stitching, life, drama, etc.

It has been a couple of weeks since I have posted anything - busy with things to do, schedules to keep, housework (yes, that too)... Ah what the hell - there was nothing to write about, that's all. Scrubbing the kitchen counters may be something necessary to do, but it's hardly worth mentioning on the blog for the whole world to see. As for the thoughts in my head - they are too quick and flighty to capture on paper - or virtual space.
There is one update worth noting, though: I decided to go back to school. I changed my major to Business/Accounting - no more teaching for me, ladies and gentlemen. I just do not think this field is all it is described to be... By the time your students realize they had a good teacher, they are generally raising their own kids, and you are ready to retire. In the meantime, you put in hours at work and more hours at home planning lessons, living on coffee and self-inspiration... Oh, worse yet, one of your students goes out and does something horrible... And, although the responsibility is not yours, it still feels like there is something you could have done... And that is just too much.
The world of numbers, accounts and ledgers is more quiet, more definitive, and has clearer expectations. It does not invite you to change the world, but then again I am not up to that task anyway. It only asks you to balance the accounts.... Fairly clear.
If I start this summer, I will be done and ready to transfer to Cal Poly in two semesters. All that General Ed I took while working on Child Development degree is paying off. So nothing's wasted.

The Stitch-Along I am participating in has died out, so it seems - no one is posting their updates. I guess everyone is busy doing things. That's understandable, although it would be nice to hear from someone once in a while.
Toodles.

New Projects and New Websites

Lately I have been working so much and stressing so much that I was unable to do anything else. My stitching project lay unfinished, and even when I did make an effort to pick it up, I would find myself asleep with the needle in my hand.
Something had to be done. So, last week I decided to take a vacation. I started it on Monday, and I am not going back to work until the 9th of November.
Now, my time is split between helping my kids with homework, doing puzzles and - of course - needlework. I am trying to learn blackwork, a very intriguing way of stitching that was introduced to England, I believe, by Katharine of Aragon, Henry VIII 's first wife. I quickly learned that the most difficult part of blackwork is not stitching, but counting the stitches and following the diagram. I made a mistake in my project once, and ultimately had to start over.
I also made an addition to my website: my visitors that appreciate needlework can now find a link to a very useful site - Needlework Tips and Techniques - by Carol Leather. This website contains very useful information about every aspect of stitching, as well as easy instructions and tutorials on stitching methods.
In addition, I have reopened and updated my Etsy shop - take a look at it if you wish. The link is at the bottom of the page.

Stitching Time, Summer Time

Well, it looks like I am going to have my first actual day off tomorrow. I do need it: for the past two days, I've been falling asleep practically right after coming back from work. Which meant - I have been neglecting my cross-stitch project. I am sooo close to finishing it... It's a Celestial Lady with the Zodiac Signs all around her. I am going to try and take a picture.
With the summer vacation, my children have acquired the ability to attract mud and dirt at a distance; it seems that no matter how often they shower, they still manage to stay dirty. Oh well, maybe that's what summer is for. For children, anyway. I don't remember - I have not been a child for a long time. For me, summer is the time when I work just as much as during the rest of the year, but also try to accomodate for some "educational" and fun trips for the whole family. As a result, your schedule becomes twice as busy as usual, and, well, that means - the Celestial Lady lays unfinished.
I am going to try and finish her by the end of summer.

Update

Hello, everyone who cares,
For a while, I did not want to write anything, because there was nothing good to write - or, at least, nothing good enough to bother opening the web page. Our computer is very slow, and it takes nearly ten minutes just to open the Internet Explorer, so by the time I log in to the site, my motivation to write anything is often gone.
Today I have a piece of news good enough for posting: Community Action Commission hired me for a position of a substitute teacher! Plain English - I will be a pre-school teacher at Head Start in Santa Maria area, substituting for teachers that are sick or on vacation. Apparently, Santa Maria has around 18 locations (I was surprised), so the work will be coming soon. Also, the Head Start will be working with my schedule, and I get to choose which assignments to take and what schedule to work.
Although the potential to make money and work my own hours is exciting, the main reason I feel good is because I finally get to do something I have had training for, something professionally sound. The flexible schedule and the potential to advance are nice perks, but it will give me a chance to determine whether I am made for this work before I commit to a full-time shedule.
In addition, I submitted my poems and short story to "Harvest" - Allan Hancock literary journal. We'll see what happens...