First Design of My Own

Last night I made my first original cross stitch design. I used my daughter's drawing as an inspiration, and came up with a cross-stitched birthday card for her teacher. Here is the result. It's far from glamorous, but - it's a start. My daughter liked it.

And what do you think, my friends and fellow stitchers?

Celtic Lady Update

I have been working on my Celtic Summer lady, and it actually looks like I may be able to complete it some time soon. I have to restrain myself from putting in more beads ("Stitching first," I keep saying). I think she is turning out rather well.

Besides her, I have sooo many projects swirming around in my head... I want to stitch celtic designs. I want to stitch fantasy zodiac signs... I want to stitch Victorian houses... But - all in good time. Maybe I should stitch myself a phrase "One thing at a time"...

Hardanger Lessons - Cutting Fiasco

So I decided to learn how to do hardanger, bought a complete kit at Thumbelina store in Solvang, and dared myself to attempt the project. I have never tried it before - I was terrified of the part where you cut away the threads. The stitching did not scare me.

I was right. The stitching went well, everything looked very neat, until it was time to cut away... I must have cut away the wrong threads, or did not cut away the right ones... Above presented is the mess that came out of my project. I am frustrated... I need someone to teach me!!!

Stitching News

I keep working on my Celtic lady Summer and on the Clippership cross stitch for a friend... Been doing "rotations" of work - that really helps.
Last week I had my final session of physical therapy, and I decided to bring my works to show to the ladies at the office... They told me to bring some business cards! Some people they know really need their projects finished, and - who knows - I may be able to start doing what I like full time... Well, let's calm down and not get too excited. For now, my excellent supportive husband came up with the design of the business card, and we'll take them to the copy shop to get made... Wish me luck!

Old Friends? New Friends? Online Friends?

It seems the online pages I joined a while ago are coming back to life. First, an old friend from my teenage years found me online - wanted to reconnect. Then, through that friend I reconnected with another friend and saw some breathtaking pictures of France and Switzerland, and talked for several days back and forth. Go figure - you meet a guy at an old rugged train station in the middle of nowhere - and fifteen years later find him living in France. Finally, it seems like the Celtic Online Stitching page is coming back to life again... Communications are reviving... Is it, perhaps, the influence of spring in the air?
We will see.

Looking for inspiration

The other day at Starbucks I saw some people I knew. We had a conversation, and it somehow went into the direction of " in the old times things were better, but now they are worse." Specifically, that now children seem to have to do more to attract attention of their peers, "more" being - more dangerous, more outrageous, even criminal. That, compared to us, today's youth is borderline insane.... But, then, again, we are old people - and the new generation is always more... everything compared to the old one, right?
During the whole conversation - or the line of monologues with comments, if you will - I could not help feeling the uselessness of the whole thing. What are we talking about? Why are we talking about it? What are we going to do about all this - and when, if ever? I already knew the answers to all these questions - nothing, no point, and never. It made me feel like I was just wasting my time...
Then, one gentleman (in answering my question) stated that, when developing a relationship, or dating, he would prefer to "get over the sexual tension" by having sex right away, and then "continue on from there." Have sex first - ask questions later, is that it? What's the rush?
He reminded me of one character from the Russian movie "Ordinal Wonder" - The Minister Administrator. In this fairy tale, the Minister approaches the Magician's wife with the words, " I have no time for courting. You are attractive; I am devilishly attractive, - why waste time? I will see you at midnight near the barn." Of course, she very appropriately answers, " Not a chance. Also, I will complain to my husband, and will turn you into a rat." I wonder if that gentleman has been getting similar answers.
In any case: whatever we talk about - I start wondering about the purpose of talking about it. "Don't talk; do." One of my teachers used to say that a lot. But what to do? I need inspiration; something to take over me and give meaning to my life.

Ants and Floods

My "household management" alone is over - Joe is coming home from Florida tonight. What happened?
First, there were ants. The rain attracted them to the inside of the house - they were all over the bathroom. Ants means Pest Control Company. I called Clark (yes, that one) and the tech was there in ten minutes, literally. And, because we already have a contract with them, the service was at no charge. I was impressed, - Western took several days to send someone (service our rental company uses)...
Anyway, the ants died. I swept up the bodies and threw them in the trash can. There were piles of them... But this problem is under control.
Next, there was Internet. It disconnected and did not want to reconnect. It took me two tries to get it back on track. I know I sound like some sort of a spoiled princess - but... our Internet tends to disconnect right at the time when we need it most, like when it's time to pay bills online.
That was done and figured out, too. So, this morning I woke up, happy and reasonably relaxed... and found a clogged sink - in the kitchen. I tried the garbage disposal, the plunger - no luck. That water was still standing in there...
Full of confidence and slight desperation, I decided to drain the water from under the sink. The pipes are plastic - how hard can that be? Just put a pot underneath the sink - to catch the water, unscrew the pipe -pretty self explanatory.... Then just screw everything back on... At least the water will be out, and then - who knows - maybe the clog will be out with the water?
First mistake: the amount of water that came out was more than I expected. It did not fit in the pot. Instead, it sprayed all over the cabinet, the rug, the floor and - me! I was sitting in a stinky puddle, looking at the results, ready to scream... And I did scream. Some of the things I said may be considered "the untranslatable game of words with the use of local idiomatic expressions". Then, I put everything back together, cleaned up the mess and called the rental company. They sent the plumber - and he fixed everything. Or almost everything. I don't know, I am suspicious. Time will tell. For now, everything works.
And that is all.