more dolphins

I don't have a progress picture, but i put at least another hour in on the dolphins yesterday, and I was able to fix the froggy area. Thank goodness! The bue parts int he water are coming along quickly as they are only half stitches, bt they are done with some blended threads so that takes a bit of time. So, it is coming along nicely, I guess I am stuck on this one for now! Funny, how I get "Stuck" on pieces. Give me a couple of days and I will get "stuck" on something else! I hope your weekends are going well, mine is alright so far. I worked 7 hours yesterday in the afternoon and evening and today I work 10-6, and then! I have two days off and most of a third, as I don't go in until 3:30 on Weds. This week has actually gone pretty quickly! Which is nice, because normally no one wants time to go fast, but my DH comes home to me in 6 more weeks or so, and so I want time to FLY by! And it seems like it is going slow! Hmmm...? Guess I better get to the stitching, that aught to make time fly! I made my "Wish list" of all the DVD tv series I want to get. I will be planted in front of the tv for quite awhile, if I get all that I want. Yes 33 different series aught to take me awhile to get through! Well, I have never been a big tv watcher, but that was because I was always busy with college and then never had time to watch much when I was home at the parents, so now that I have my very own tv, in my very own house I will be free to watch whatever I want! And I have to make up and catch up to all the shows I missed all those years, right? I still don't think I will become acouch potato, I just can't sit still that long! Well, I am gonna go try to get some stitching in before I head off to work in about two hours!

Finally! A picture!

Here is my last scan, picture taken June 4th,









And here is the scan I took last night, so you can see there has been a little bit of progress, mostly fill in on the dolphin and the blue water above the dolphin. Over to the left you will see a streak of dark gray going down at a slant, that! is my froggy area, I have stitched it in twice now and it's just not working! I'm going to have to try another tactic to get it to look right, so wish me luck! I am thinking that is what I will put most of energies on today, I don't go into work until 2 this afternoon, so that gives me about 4 and a half hours to figure out something, I already have an idea in mind. So, we shall see how it goes. However, even though I am anxious to get this all sorted out I am also wanting to work an another WIP. Although I am not sure which one. We shall see. I have many things I want to do today, stitch, read, maybe do some writing. well, gotta get going. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I work all weekend but I will have Monday and Tuesday off, and I don't go into work until 3:30 in the afternoon on Wednesday, so I almost have a three day "weekend", except that my "weekend" doesn't start until Monday. Bye!

Do dolphins swim with frogs?

I didn't think they did, however, frogs have been swimming with my dolphins! I worked more on dolphin's domain today, and wonder of wonders, I am WAY off count. I am trying to figure out how to fix this problem, and as this was a kit, I don't want to rip out to much thread, as I may not have enough to complete the piece, and yet, I had to frog twice tonight, finally I put it away, and decided no more, and that I would try it again tomorrow! See? Nothing wants to cooperate with me lately! NOTHING!

Things were going great today, I was having a good day, I had put my problems out of my mind and was just enjoying my day, when my DH called. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE talking to him! I love it when he gets to call me and we talk. however, today I had a wonderful day and not thinking about my issues at hand, and then he had to bring it all up! Asking endless questions about this or that and what did I do about this or that, or have I dealt with this or that, and I just wanted to scream when I hung up the phone, because then I started panicking again! and my mind couldn't stop thinking about all the things that need to be done. So much for a peaceful nights sleep, I will be up all night worrying about all this crap again!

No!!! You know what? I will not, because I am going to go take a nice relaxing bubble bath and put on some meditation and relaxation music and let my mind empty out. And then I will go to sleep and in the morning, things will be much better! Maybe tomorrow I can figure out how to fix my dolphins. Or maybe i will work on another piece entirely.

Ooops, I promised a picture, but it is late and I'm exhausted! All this junk has me mentally and emotionally drained! Tomorrow I will post pics, I promise!

slowly going bald...

I am so stressed out lately, it will be a wonder that i will have any hair left when DH returns home. Yesterday something else went wrong, and I just sat and cried. But! Then I went to work, and the first half hour was horrible, I just felt yucky and blah, but then as time went on, I fought it. I thought, If I keep going like this thinking negatively and what not I may spiral downwards and not bea ble to get back up, so I started thinking good thoughts, like about stitching, and the good things in life. I thought of all those other military spouses who had expectation of their loved ones returning home from war, only to get a notice that their loved ones weren't coming home, and the stress they had to go through as they had to plan a funeral for the person they lost. Or the family's of POW's who never know if they'll see their loved one alive again, or when. Those sitting in fear as they await the knowledge of a MIA that they hold dear to their hearts. And I cry because something goes wrong that added a little bit to my stressful load. All I've lost is a car. No biggie, I'll deal with all this isurance hooplah and get a new car and move on. I started thanking God for all the things large and small that I have to be thankful for, just the fact that I have two hands that I can use to do my beloved stitching is something I take for granted, I thanked God that I have a job, even if it's one I'm not particularly thrilled about. and as I went through all the things I have to be thankful for, the things that seemed so large and horrible started to shrink to tiny proportions, they started to look manageable.

Thank you all who have left me such encouraging comments in this time. Since my DH left and since my car accident, and even now. Thank you.

With all that said, I think I will get to my stitching, and watching more Gilmore Girls. I went to Amazon and did some retail therapy this morning, I got two books, and the first season of Gilmore Girls, all for the low low price of just 27.99! I am thinking about going to visit a stitching sight too, for retail therapy...this could possibly be disasterous, so maybe I shouldn't! =)

Thank you all again for listening to me blab about nothing really just getting things off my chest! I promise progress pics on my next post.

catching up with things

Well, it has been so nice to read and catch up with all the blogs I read on a weekly basis. Plus I have found more blogs in other's blogrolls that I have added to my list to get to, at this point, I think there must be something like 45 that I read on a weekly basis and about 70 more in my to start from beginning, and read to present list. I am just reading blogs and reading blogs. They are so fun, and exciting! I love seeing all the pictures, and hearing about everyone's projects.

Well, today I worked on my Dolphin's Domain. It is coming along, I just felt like working on something different. I wish I could keep witha good rotation, that way it would be easier for my readers to keep up with my projects, but I tend to hop around a lot. Really though? I think I am having a hard time bouncing back after finishing my mom's piece. I put so much effort into it, that I sort of feel sad that it's gone, but at the same time, relieved. But now without the pressure of having it to do, I don't know WHAT to do. I mean I know I have to get my dad's piece done, I'm shootin' for Christmas on that one, but that is still quite aways away, and I have time to get other projects done in that time too. I don't know if I am making any sence right now or not, it's just that without the pressure of HAVING to finish anything, I feel the freedom of putting in a few stitches in a project and then switching out between any of my many other projects going on. But if I do that, then I will never finish anything, like usual. but I love the feeling of finishing a project. It is just such a gratifying feeling.

I just sorta feel like my mojo is gone. I am bored, with life, I want my hubby to get home, I need something different in my life. That is odd for me to say this since i just got back a week ago from a vacation. I just feel blah. Not just about stitching, but about everything. Work, my other hobbies, everything. And I try to get inspired and motivated, but then I just sit down and watch another DVD of gilmore girls, and since I only own one season I have seen it a million times. I seriously need some retail therapy. New stash, or new shows to watch on DVD, or SOMETHING.

Do you have ever have the sence of knwoing you HAVE something to do, and yet you put it off by doing ANYTHING but that thing? Those of you who are students, or were students know what I am talking about. In college I knew I had homework to do, and I would do ANYTHING but do the homework. My laundry got done, and my dorm room would be spick and span. That is how I am feeling right now. I am doing other things but facing reality and doing the responsible things I know I need to do. Most of those things have to do with my car and the insurence, and all that hoopla, and I avoid it because I just don't want to deal with it. I need to go into town and get things started to get my passport because me and DH are going on a carribean cruise when we get back. I need to get the ball rolling to have our wedding ceremony in December, I need to write my resume' so I can get out of my sucky retail job, I need to find places to do some intern work so I can finish my degree in Addiction studies.(I am only about 80 intern hours away from getting the degree, I've done everything else.) SO many things to do, and no motivation to get them done. I just feel stagnate. (sp?) just stuck, with no motivation...

Wow! where did that all come from? Sorry to bore you all with my issues. I just was thinking and put it here, I often use the written form to think things through.
Anyway. Thanks for listening to me blah blah about my life as it is and my thoughts on what needs to be done to make it the best it can be. I think I need to go stitch now. Maybe! I should start a new piece! Hmm...I am starting to feel a bit more motivated now. Thanks for listening!

Another long relaxing day...

so, who says mondays have to be terrible? mine wasn't! I got today off, and I feel like I was pretty productive, plus i had time to get bored, now how does that happen?!

This morning I returned our Cable box, as our company has changed owners and now my cable bill was WAY too high to justify the tiny bit of watching that I do, the main reason also was because somewhere betweent he time I went to California and the time I got back, my work out channel was removed. So they want ot give me less and charge me more?! I don't think so! So, there is about 60$ I get to save per month. (Can you say "Extra Stash cash?") ::evil grin::

Well, I do have a few photos to post, if blogger will be nice and let me. Lets see? Hey!! it worked! I got both photos to download! Well, whatdayahknow? so this is my progress from just yesterday. On Love,Joy, Home and Snow Valley Express. Hereby after will be referred to as SVE. However, I did work a little more on Love, Joy, Home, so this isn't the current status on this one, this is just what it looked like after the last time I worked on it, which was a long time ago, those of you who have followed my blog for awhile will remember this one. This is a "For Lana" piece, as I haven't done much for myself in awhile. So, anyway, not much else going on here, I have been browsing Amazon to see if I can find DVD series of my favorite shows, so I can have something to stitch to now that I no longer have cable. The list is LONG!!! And if I were to accumulate all that I want I shouldn't have to pay for cable for a very long time!!! Well, I am off to get some more stitching in before I head to bed, or! maybe I will read. I haven't done that for awhile. Since I was on the plane home from Cali. (OK, only 4 days, but still) bye!

what to do with a long relaxing day...

Why! The answer is so obvious! Stitch, of course! Actually I am starting ot tire of working on my dad's train. I actually worked about two more hours on it yesterday, so I need a break! However, I am getting the starters bug again! But, I think I will be good and just dig into my WIP's drawer and pull out something I haven't worked on in a long time. Hmmm...? Something with color! I am tired of all those yucky grays and blah colors in the train piece, it is time to break out of that. I am thinking something with patterns, and in various shades of green and purple..."Joy, Home, Love"!!! I don't even know when I last worked on that piece! Or! Maybe I will work on my "Birdhouses Unite". I also have a Winnie the Pooh project that I started a LONG time ago, like probably two years ago, and I could work on it. hmmm...the options are endless. I want to revamp my rotation (Yes, the rotation that isn't) I have various projects on the go, but I just sort of work on them as I feel like it. So, today is going to be a relaxing day,I think I may even go lay out int he sun and work on my tan...for ten minutes! like most of you out there, it is scorching here, not that that is anything different from the norm in TX. It's always very hot here in the summer, but unlike some of you, I have an Air conditioner! some of you who are not used to having this type of weather are not equipped for it, and so it is worse on you. My parents are in this predicament!

So, I am thinking that I will work on my tan for a bit today, and go to the grocery store to pick up some odds and ends, and then sit around and watch the Brady Bunch marathon and stitch. Well, I hope wherever you are that you are cool, and it isn't too hot.

aaahhh...home sweet home

Well, I'm back home again. I had a ton of fun on vacation, however, it is always nice to return home again. It was hard last night to settle. I went from having three weeks filled with people noise and hustle bustle to...a large empty quiet house. My puppy wasn't even here yet. (I pick her up from the sitters later this morning.) my last few hours in California were a bit of a drag, as I finally got ahold of the insurence people concerning my car. It is a total loss, and they aren't even offering us enough money to pay off the loan, let alone put anything down on a new car. My FIL thinks we should fight it, and at least try to get the remainder of what it would cost to pay off the loan. Oh and also! They originally told me that I should have a rental car for 30 days, now because it was considered a total loss I only get it for another ten days. What the hell am I supposed to do for the rest of the time DH is in Iraq?! Walk in 100+ degree heat to work, half an hour each way?! I could take the bus, but this hell hole town has the crappiest bus service I have ever seen! They don't even run their buses past 6 in the evening!!! And no service at all on Sundays! I am so pissed! This isn't even my fault! It's not my fault that kid didn't know that when a car is going through a green light you don't turn left into them! Stupid hick! Ugh!!!! It's his screw up and I am @$$ out now! The whole reason why I hurried up and got my driver's licence was so that I would have transportation while DH is gone, and now! I'm screwed! what makes it so bad is that I am being punished for someone else's mistake, HE ran into me! and I have to deal with all this!
::Rant over:: If anyone has any advice for me I will gladly take it! I have never had to deal with anything like this and I don't even know where to start. I feel so alone, as my DH isn't even here to help me.
Onto better and brighter news!
STITCHING! The one thing that helps me keep my sanity.
Here is a photo of my progress on Snow Valley Express. This is at 19 hours. I think it is coming along alright, even if it is slow. There is so much detail that the pattern is sort of hard to read, and so it seems slow going, but I think I should be able to get it done by Christmas. I have decided I don't think I will try to rush it like I did with my mom's. Mostly because I really want to have time to do some of the projects I want to do for ME.
Well, I was going to post a photo of me at the wedding, but blogger has decided I only get to post one picture today. How nice. So I will save that one for tomorrow! I am off to stitch a bit before I head out to pick up my puppy. Bye!

A little more stitching, and early morning musings

Well, yesterday I did get a bit more stitching in, before heading off for Santa Barbera. I'd say about 45-60 minutes more, not a whole lot. This mroning, I woke up at 4 in the morning, for whatever reason, and couldn't go back to sleep. And I started thinking about diet and exercise. I am planning on having a tiny wedding ceremony in December, for family and friends, and I want to look good in my wedding gown (not to mention the cruise my hubby istaking me on in Nov. ) but right now, despite various efforts, I am 5 pounds overweight. It's funny, because when I look at myself, or look in the mirror, I don't see it, but when I look at pictures...I see it! I was looking at the pictures from the wedding I was in this past weekend, and I was not happy. I weighed myself on my mom's bathroom scale, and....ugh. But yet, I keep eating. It's easy to do on vacation, you don't have a lot of time to work out,a nd you eat, that is just what vacations are for. I for one, LOVE food, Juicy hamburgers, spaghetti, fried junk, i love it all. I love to eat, and i do enjoy exerceise, but tend to start off strong, then a few weeks later, I'm lucky to go for a stroll once a week. I don't know how t stay motivated. I have tried everything, even putting pictures of girls from fitness mags up on my fridge. This is coming froma girl who up until she was 22 years old was fluctuating between 99 and 105 pounds for most of her teen and early adult hood life. Then! I went to college. I still exercised but I ate alot too. and ever since then I have just had the hardest time managing the weight that I would like to be. It is hard, because for so long, i could get away with eating anything I wanted, and I didn't have to worry about weight gain, now, though...I guess with getting older comes a freaked out metabolism, and i know the best way to keep on top of it is to work out. But, I try and I always loose interest after a few weeks. I try to diet but then I break down and give in to my cravings.

My mom has really been a motivating factor in this thought process I am going through this morning, because she has just recently lost 20 pounds, and I think if she can do it, I certainly can, as my mom is older and crippled. She eats very little but she is a very busy lady despite her handicaps. So what's my problem?! How come I can't seem to loose weight? I know that consistency is the key, and that is the hardest part for me. I always think once I start to look good again that I can slack off in my exercise or my eating habits, and then it is like a snowball rolling downhill, before i know it, I find myself eating whatever i want, and not doing any workouts at all, or very little, again.

Anyway, sorry you had to listen to all that mumbling. I just wish I could have more motivation to loose weight, but I have what I can "New Years resolution syndrome" You start off strong and within a month you can't even remember what your resolutions were. I guesss the only thing i can do is start again!

I got some stitching in...

It's about time! I was finally able to get a bit of stitching in on dad's piece yesterday morning. I worked on it about 1 and a hlaf hours, and you can barely see the progress. Today I am going to Santa Barbera with mom to go shopping. So, I guess I could have gotten up and stitched a bit while she is getting ready, but instead I am reading blogs. I am reading Bellastitcher (?) I think that is the name, it is really good, and inspiring. Makes me just want to sit down with my needle. so, I think I am going to go get ready and maybe I will have a bit of time to sit and get some stitching in before we leave. My mom takes FOREVER to get ready! So, I should have some time before we leave and maybe i can take it with me and work on it in the car. (as it takes about an hour to get there from my parent's home.)

still having fun!

Well, I just returned yesterday to my parent's home in Southern California from going up to midstate to be in my best friend's wedding. It was so beautiful!!! And! I actually, amongst all the hoopla, got a little bit of stitching in. One day we drove to Monteray from Santa Cruz where my friend lives, and it is about an hour's drive, so I got a bit of stitching in the car, and then later that day I had about an hour of time to myself while my friend went to San Jose to a doctor's appointment, other than that, no stitching.

I go back home on Thursday so I still have a few days to visit my family here. today is going to be a relaxing, kick back day and then tomorrow me and mom are going to Santa Barbera and go shopping, then Wednesday we are going to meet up with some family and have dinner, and that is my first year Wedding anniversary, so I have to wait around the house because my honey is having something delivered for me. And Thursday, my wonderful vacation ends. I am sort of looking forward to getting back to my home, and the quiet and solitude, with time to stitch and read and do all the things I enjoy doing, and I will have my puppy with me again. I miss her so much! I hear that she is having fun at the place where she is, there are other doggies to play with. She may not want to come home!

Well, not much to report, I have pictures of the wedding and such to show, but my parents don't have a scanner to put them in on the computer so I will have to wait until I get home to show you all my dress, and other pictures. Hope you are all having a wonderful Monday!

A California girl is "home"

Hello! I am at my parents house right now visiting, and havign a great tiem. yesterday we went to the beach, which I love and miss like crazy. My little nephew is here for the weekend, and we bought him a new scooter, because he had an excellent report card. so, yesterday was a pretty fun day Today and tomorrow I think that I am going to hang out and play with my nephew, and just relax. afterall isn't that what vacations are all about?

But I could just kick myself int he butt! I brought stitching with me, but! I brought my dad's birthday gift to work on, Well, I very well cannot work on it here, he'll see it! UGH! Oh well, On Monday I will be flying up north, to my best friends wedding. I am her Matron of Honor, and so I have to be there extra early, and so I will probably have time to work on it there. I only have a million other projects going, and I had to bring THAT one! Oh well, I was trying to be logical...I know that is the next project I need to finish next, so I wanted to bring it with me so I'd be sure to work on it. So, in a way I was thinking, but just forgot that I couldn't stitch that project in front of my dad. ooops.

Well, I am enjoying my time here very much, and I will try to write a bit while I'm here.

still here.

Well, things have been busy. I don't think I mentioned it, but I was in a car wreck on Thursday, the very day my mother came in, I was on my way to the airport to pick her up and I was going through a green light and the guy coming towards me making a left hand turn turned right into me. Whammmo! Barely had my licence 3 months, and my first car accident!!! Thank goodness we have some great insurence through my husbands job, and stuff. I was able to get a rental car the very next morning, and yes, I was able to get a ride to the airport to get my mom.
And to think I waited all this time, I just turned 28 to get my license because I was so afraid to get hit, and here-I get hit! But! I thought it would totally freak me out and make me not want to drive, and I couldn't wait to get my rental car and keep on going! There are so many idiots out there! And wouldn't you know? the first day I got the rental car,(the very day after my car accident) I was coming home from work and missed getting hit again by just inches by someone who ran a stop sign!
Anyway, I am enjoying my visit with mom so much! Her and I were best friends as I was growing up and then we sorta grew apart, as I got older and I sorta got my own friends and went away to college, but now that I am married and am on my own, we have grown so close again! My hubby and my dad are so much alike it's comical, and we are always sharing stories about our men! I mean we stay up and just laugh, and have such a good time.
However, with all this fun of hanging out with mom I have not had much of a chance to stitch at all. I think I put maybe 20 stitches in as I was waiting for her to get ready for us to go to breakfast, the other day but other than that none at all, and I have hardly read any blogs either, because everytime I start to, she will come in and we start chatting again. Oh well, it's no big deal. I will just have to catch up when I get back from Cali.
Well, I will return soon. Just going on a little trip. and I hope to have a photo of Nov. Quilt when I get home, my mom took a pic of it with her digi cam, but she doesn't have the connection cable with her to print it out, so I have to wait unitl I get to her house and then maybe I can put it on here.
Happy Fourth of July! I hope you all have a beautiful, safe holiday!

disappearing acts.

Well, so sorry I will probably disappear here for a bit, as my mom is here for the week, then I will be flying to california for awhile to visit family and friends. so, I am not thinking there will be much stitching or blogging in my near future. sorry! And thank you to all of you who left comments on my finish, I was able to get a self matting/ frame that fit November quilt to a T, and I love it, and my mother loves it as well. So, I guess my next big project will have to be my father's birthday gift which is overdue as well. Talk with you all later!