Big Whoop

So, I signed into the new blogger. What's the big deal? So? I can sign it under my e-mail. Oh yay. Stupid.

Anyway. Yesterday I went to the dentist, and I survived! I don't know whether it was the med or what, but it was a piece of cake. She did two cavities in 20 minutes! Now that's what I call good service! =)
As for stitching, just worked a little on Holiday Airing when I got home while watching "You've Got Mail" But for the most part I read the afternoon away. There is just something cozy about sitting in front of the fireplace with a book and fuzzy blankets, you know? We had a good afternoon. Quiet, and nice. Hubby read through the afternoon and evening, while after dinner I got stuck doing the dishes and other mundane chores of the tidying sort. Oh well, I really can't complain, as he gets up at the butt crack of dawn and goes off to work everyday, and I don't, so if he sits and reads and enjoys his evening, then that is just fine with me.
I don't think I will post a photo of Holiday Airing, as I really didn't do much. i only worked on it about half an hour, if that, before setting it down. Well, it is Tuesday and although Cindy and I have decided to open up our SAL so we can stitch whenever we want to, and post on Friday, I have sort of decided to stick with the whole Tues and Thursday thing. We originally decided to open it up because we both enjoyed working on it so much and didn't want to wait for SAL day, but now with me so into Holiday Airing, I think working on the SAL two days a week is good for me. Besides I enjoy looking forward to working on that piece only on those two days. because I DO enjoy it so much, it sorta keeps the excitement for the piece going, and brings some personal joy to my everyday life. Of course, I also need to figure out how to work in "Snow Valley Expres", since I need to have that done for my dad's b-day. I think it was to be for his B-day two years ago, and now, it still isn't done. Not to mention my "Dare to Dream" and "The Abbey", which I have been itching to pick up now for about a week. So, I do have my stitching schedule full! That is for sure! I have also been working on the Eeyore piece from my friend. So, between all this, I think I will definitely be kept busy! Well, I am off to work on Isaiah 40:31 now! Bye!

Stupid Blogger!!!!

Can anyone tell me what is up with the whole "need a google account for the new blogger" crap?! I just tried to log onto my account and It kept rerouting me to this page that said I needed a google account and all sorts of junk! Is it any better? Just curious!
Well, I stitched a little bit this weekend, mostly on Holiday Airing. I didn't get to stitching on Sunday only Saturday. Yesterday me and hubby ran errands and did mundane chores around the house, and then watched "Over the Hedge", which was a cute movie! And the whole time I was watching it, I kept thinking, "I should grab my stitching" but I never did. I guess I was just too lazy. Anyway. So, here is y progress on it. I worked on it while I watched ER on Saturday. I finished season 2 of ER, so now what should I watch? I don't know! Movies I guess. I have vowed that I will try to watch less TV this week. I sat in front of the TV for hours the past few weeks, watching the new seasons of ER, and now I feel like I need to spend more time reading and doing more worthwhile things with my time. The thing is I stitch when I watch TV, so I really don't want to cut back THAT much!
Anyway, I have a dentist appointment today...ugh. Just think that in three hours I will be back home, after having some teeth drilled. I really hate the dentist! I mean my dentist is great! But overall I hate going to the dentist! I am the biggest baby in the world, when it comes to having to go to the dentist. I about went through the roof when they tried to clean my teeth! I hate having people mess around in my mouth, I hate it! My teeth are ultra sensitive, and so it just stinks! Anyway. I think I will take half a Valium before I go. I know, it sounds rediculous, but seriously...I just can't take it! And then I feel liek an idiot, here I am a grown woman creeping out at the dentist! It's really dumb!
So, moving on...here is my progress on Holiday Airing. I worked mostly ont he red of the barn,and the roof. I put a bit more purple in the snow at the bottom too. Well, hope you had a great weekend. Bye! sorry about the crease right down the scan, it is hard to put that large a piece of fabric int he scanner without some sort of wrinkles!

SAL progress post.

Well, this is my progress for the week. I didn't do much on Tuesday as I wasn't feeling very well from my cold. And I did end up having to frog out a small area yesterday. The chart, while easy to read is just hard to follow. There are a lot of different colors enmeshed in small spaces, and lots of symbols...I,looking at the chart, never thought it'd be this hard to follow. But anyway. This is all the progress photos I have to show. I sat and worked on Holiday Airing for two hours this morning, and actually found myself really enjoying it, didn't want to put it down, so maybe I was just having a bum day the last time I worked on it, as I was having a hard time allowing it to keep my attention. I have not had that problem today. I am really enjoying it.

Well, spring has sprung here, at least for the past two days. Yesterday was a wonderfully beautiful day. Today has been a little chilly but with a sweatshirt I was fine outside playing with the dog. If any of you have seen the movie "Cars" Lets just say that Freedom was "As happy as a tornado in a trailor park" yesterday playing outside. I don't know who wore who out first, but we ended up in a heap breathing hard after chasing each other for a long time. We both slept well after all that fresh air. But it was fun! I think we are up for some rain this weekend...and I know we need it, but I just hope it isn't cold. You know? At first it's fun, and beautiful to look out and see the magicalness that snow is, and that deliciously cozy feeling of being a nice warm house with the fireplace burning and the fluffy blankets and a pile of stitching. But after so long that biting cold just...ugh, and the czbin fever starts to get to you, and the darkness outside just gets to you. I'm from southern California. I don't do cold or snow very well. The beach? Yes. The sun? Yes. The snow?...eh, not so well. Well, I am off to make some more progress on Holiday Airing. I will share a progress photo of it soon!

Yippeee!

It's Tuesday...SAL day with Cindy! And I am so glad that I feel much better than I did this past weekend, because I can put some major time into this wonderful project! I am so glad we picked two days of the week to work on it instead of just one! I don't think I could wait an entire week to get back to it! Well, not much going on here, yesterday I was a complete slump-head, and sat and watched episode after episode of ER. But! while I watched I stitched ona christmas pressie. one of my dear pen pals sent me an Eeyore kit to stitch, and I started it last week, and worked on it a bit today. Right now it is just apurplish-blue blob, and it is killing me as you all know how I like to mix it up a bit when I stitch, so I think next time I stitch on it, I will work my way to his tail, so I can work on the bright pink bow that is on his tail. I was so happy when this friend sent me this, as I have been thinking for awhile that I will like to stitch a whole bunch of Eeyore pieces and then incorporate them into a quilt. I have a bunch of books with Eeyore patterns int hem, and I thought I would stitch them up and then buy some coordinating fabric and go to town. Who know s if that will truly ever happen, but it is just a thought. Well, I am off to work on my SAL piece! I wonder if any housework will get done today?

I'm a tease!

Well, in my last post I told you to come back on Saturday and check out my WIP that I decide to work on, and then I left you hanging for the weekend! Cruel, aren't I? Actually I was sick in bed all day Saturday and barely got out of bed yesterday only to sit around like a lump reading and watching TV, played soem SIMS. So, I didn't post anything. But, here it is...The WIP I decided on...This is a project I started during my last semester of college, for some reason, I got in the mood to stitch it then, and I have sorta forgotten it since! and I got all motivated to work on it the other day, and probably only spent about 1/2 an hour on it, got bored and set it aside, but I like the pattern, and I want to press on with it. Don't be fooled, i didn't do all that stitching in just half an hour. I only did one of the red stars on the black and red quilt, and the thick line of read going up from the corner of the red and white quilt, and the purple above that, so not much at all. So, we shall see where this one ends up...back in the UFO drawer or out in my pile of things in progress. So, here it is. I think it is a beautiful cozy little scene, and I love to stitch Quilts, but for some reason...maybe it is the fabric I chose that is deterring me. It is 16 count Aida. I just don't know. I will try to put some time into this one today, and see how I feel about it, if I still am bored with it, then away it goes into the drawer. I really need to get my dad's train worked on. I want to give it to him for his Birthday, which is in May, so I know I can do it, but I don't know if I have the motivation for it now. I need to work out a rotation...again. That will probably not work out...again, but at least I'll try. I am looking forward to tomorrow and my SAL day with Cindy. well, I am off to try to figure out a suitable rotation. Bye!

SAL progress piccies

So, the first thing I did this morning was hop over to Cindy's blog to see if she had posted yet! And she had! I feel the same as her! I can hardley wait until Tuesday to be able to work on this piece again. It is a fairly easy stitch, and it goes quickly. I love it! so, here is my progress picture...
I think her and I may have gotten close to the same amount done, except, I spread mine out, that is just the way I stitch, after so much in one area on the same color, I get bored and have to find a new area to work on. Plus I love backstitching letters! I can't wait until Tuesday to pick it up again. Well, not much going on, other than that. It's Friday! Our snow and ice has melted, but it is raining right now. It is supposed to snow again this weekend, or have that "wintery mix" stuff again, rather...maybe a little bit of both. I am going to see if my hubby will clean out the fire place, so I can run it this weekend. The lady next door runs hers ALL the time. I know her gas bill (if she has a gas heater!) must be low! Ours is sky high! She actually has a great idea. Well, today I am going to work on Dare to Dream while watching more ER. I had gotten the 1st season for Christmas, well, I got to the third disc of the season, and realized that that was a defective package, as it had two Disc #1's, and no #3, so I had to go to Best buy and exchange it, well, they had no season 1 when we went, so hubby, being the sweetheart that he is...got me season two, then came home and bought me season 1 off the internet. So, I got a defective season 1 and exhanged it for two seasons! I made out like a bandit on that one! well, off to stitch...something, I am not sure what. I have been in the mood to pull out another WIP from my stash...one I have not worked on in a LONG while, what shall that be? you wonder? Well, come back tomorrow and you shall find out! Happy Friday, and Happy Stitching!

SAL day! Woo-hoo!

Well, it is Thursday,the first day of mine and Cindy's SAL. I am super excited. I haven't stitched much in the past few days because I have been stuck to the computer with my new passion: The Sims Game. The last two days I think I played all day except to get up and use the restroom and get food. And at the end of the day I felt guilty! So, I have vowed that today I wouldn't get in that rut again. I read blogs this morning, and now when I am done here I will put in a movie and stitch to my hearts content on "Isaiah 40:31", and I am going to read, and write some letters, and try to get to the housework.(Funny how that last one always ends up at the end of the "to do" list, huh?) So, this is a short post but not much to write. Last night I had to take a muscle relaxer for my back, as I have a ton of tension in my neck and shoulders and it was causing a lot of pain,including a headache. I hate them(the muscle relaxers), because they make me feel drugged out, so I only take them at night, but I still wake up the next morning feeling groggy! so, right now I am downing gallons of coffee to try to slip out of this drug hazed stupor...Aw what the heck, maybe I'll lay back down for a few more hours. But, I really want to stitch. This is one reason I hate taking drugs! I don't know what it is, probably from being a college student for so long, but even now, after being out of school for two years, I hate to sleep! I think it is a huge waste of time! I think that way, because as a student, you deprive yourself of the most basic needs in order to meet all those demanding assignment due dates, and sleep is usually the first thing to go out the window, you can live off of microwave popcorn as you are studying, so the food thing...it's alright, but who the heck has time to sleep?! So, all this to say I hate taking drugs that make me want to sleep! I have too much stitching to do to sleep! I'm going to get more coffee now-good bye! Progress Piccies on Isaiah tomorrow!

SAL excitement!

Wow! I am finally going to be a part of an SAL. With Cindy of "Cindy's Stitching Korner" she showed some stash that she had gotten a few days ago and I saw a chart that I knew I had in my stash from years ago, and I have always wanted to do it, but other projects tended to jump in the way, so I saw this as a great opportunity to work on this! Get a bit of motivation from seeing the progress of another stitcher. The verse is Isaiah 40:31. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint." It is a very encouraging verse to alot of Christians, it reminds us that if we keep our eyes on Him, He will help us through it. He will give us the strength to get through it.
Plus, my husband loves eagles, so actually many years ago...ten years or so ago, when we dated as high school kids I had bought this for him, because he was going through a rough time, and I wanted to stitch it for him, but then we broke up, and now...guess what? Ironic that I will stitch it, and be able to hang it in our home! All these years later!
So, i will definitely be posting photos of this one's progress. I need to show you my Dare to dream! I finished the first page...ok, well, all I have to do is the white and backstitching. So, I have actually moved onto the next page, got pretty far with it too. except I found ahuge boo-boo in the border, and it is two stitches too long, but what the heck, I am going to try to work through it, because I don't want to pull it all out! Oh well. So, if that project starts looking a little crooked to you, you'll know why! well, I am going to go to bed. We are supposed to start having snow today...Cindy said she was having snow and she lives just up the road a bit from me, so we shall see.
My poor puppy was sick to her tummy yesterday, and everything was frozen over, so she couldn't get to any grass to clear out her system, so what do I do? I go out there, and start pulling frozen grass out to thaw out for her! She was much appreciative and thanked me by throwing up on the carpet! But! hey, she feels better, and that is all that matters to me! Happy stitching! And thank you all for allt he wonderful comments! I have been trying to hit up most of your blogs, but I am very backlogged what with going on vacation and all, but I will eventually get to you all! I hope!

Thank you all!

I really don't have anything to write, I worked on Dare to dream for a bunch of the day yesterday, however, I still have some to work on before reaching the end of page 1. But it is coming along slowly! I want to apologize to people for now commenting much on your blogs, I am slowly trying to catch up on reading two weeks worth of blogs, since I was gone! and witht he internet down last week it really slowed my progress quite a bit. So it is slow going, but I will get there, I promise. I wonder if that is what I should do today. I had a dentist appointment today, but it was cancelled due to the horrific weather we have been having over the weekend! The weather here is insane! Thursday it was high 50's low 60's and by Friday morning everything was frozen solid! Anyway, the roads are awful right now. Oh, I did finish my first finish of 2007, just a small piece, but I did get it done. It was in JCS ornament issue of 2006, and I thought it would be an easy thing to tote with me on my trip to California, so here it is. I also need to share a photo of Patchwork Bears, as I worked a bit on it over my holidays as well.
I have much to share but have not, I am an awful blogger! I am trying though. so, here is my first finish of 2007. It is supposed to be a pin keep, but i have never finished anything in a pin keep, so this may be interesting, I may not do anythign with it, but I wanted to have soemthing easy and pretty to stitch and here it is. I changed the colors, the original color int he magazine was a dark red, I think, but I decided to go with the purple. Well, yesterday I decided to bake. It seemed like a nice cozy thing to do on such a cold yucky day, so I made Banana bread, and it really came out pretty good, if I do say so myself. I am just now getting into cooking. my hubby got me a cook book, and I am gonna start trying to cook things, rather than buying frozen things from Sam's club. Well, my needle is calling me, so I think I will get going!

I'm sore...

Well, yesterday brought me back my motivation on Dare to Dream, and I actually worked on it for a few hours while still watching The Cosby show. I am so clse to finishing the first page! Anyway. Our weather has been ucky the past few days, cold rain that freezes, which causes lots of road hazards and slipping on ice, which is the reason for the title of this post. I slipped on the ice right outside our door, and fell. Ouch. Oh well, I guess I will just have to take Advil,pop in a DVD, sit ont he couch and stitch the day away, huh? Sounds like a plan to me. Yesterday my hubby took me out to the mall and out for lunch.(I thought he was crazy for going out in this weather with the road conditions what they are, bu tthen he reminded me that he lived in Alaska for three years, so he knows how to handle these kinds of conditions.) He is so sweet, then we hit the grocery store and got a ton of groceries. I love it when the cupboards are full! I actually have choices of what to eat now! He also bought me a cook book yesterday, and though I must admit to not being much of a cooker, I do enjoy baking alot, so there are some great recipes for some good naughty yummies in there. Bye bye diet!!! =) Well, I am going to try really hard to finish the first page of Dare to dream today, if i have to glue mysel fto the couch and stitch all day long. i would share my progress of Dare to Dream, but you really cannot see my progress because of the light colors I am stitching with right now. a very light cream color, and white. ugh. But I shall press forward. I need to mix it up a bit though, here soon, I plan to work out a rotation...but right now I am content with Dare to dream. Pictures soon!

And once again...

I am just toodlin' along on a project, and out of nowhere comes a great wind! and it blows my motivation and excitement for this lovely project right out the window! WHOOSH! this time it was Dare to Dream. I think it may have to do with the fact that right now I am working on a very light color that you can hardley see ont he fabric, so I am having a hard time sitting with it for long periods of time, I pick it up and stitch just a little bit, then set it down again. I just can't get into it. I wonder if I start the next page of the pattern if that will help? Or work ona nother project for a bit...? I don't know. This just happened yesterday. My mom got me season 1 of the cosby show on DVD, so here I was, comfortably sitting on my couch, I had a blanket on my lap, seeing as how it IS winter out there, and I had the pillows all plump and comfy behind my back, and Dare to Dream sitting on my lap, and I picked up my needle and...then the great wind of de-motivation came, and that was all she wrote! So, no progress photos for today. Sorry. Thank you to all who dropped by and left comments! It was great to hear from you!

Hold onto your hats!!!!

Drum roll please! Finally a picture! I had a little counting problem there at the bottom right hand at the corner of the border, but I am so close to finishing up Page one! This morning I sat for three hours while watching ER and worked on it a bit. I so want to move onto page 2! well, I sorta have, with the border, but I want to work on the middle part. anyway. Thank you all for the support and wanting to check out my progress, sorry to keep you in suspence for so long! Well, I need to get something productive done here so better go!

Keeping busy!

I know , I need to post photos, but our internet has been a bit shotty lately. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Well, the pats two days, I have gotten lots done...well, sorta. Hobby things, anyway. as i have vowed that I will only watch a few hours of TV a day, I have written letters and read a lot lately. I have also worked on housework a bit as well. it's funny, what with not having the internet up and not watching TV, I thought I would actually get bored but the past few days have passed rather quickly! Today I had to take a nap, as I was having dizzy spells. Hmmm...? Not good, but I ate a good dinner and they went away, so I think it may be the food intake, or lack thereof. I have been trying to cut back, since coming home from California, since I ate so much over the holidays and I think I really "under did it".
Well, this morning, I had pulled my stitching in here to post photos, and I didn't even get through the blogs I normally read before my internet went out, this is just frustrating!
Well, poor hubby has to go back to work tomorrow, and I get to work on cleaning up this house. Once I get it under control then I will feel better about relaxing. Well, I am gonna go read abit more before going to bed. I will try to post photos tomorrow!

A very early morning...

Well, I was awoken this morning by my cute little puppy, (who turned one year old on the 5th of this month, by the way) who is such a smarty pants that she knows in order to wake me up, she has to make noise. so she will creep up really close to me while I'm in bed, and shake her head back and forth viciously to make the tags on her collar jingle, and wake me up. I mean, you'd think she could just cry or whine or bark or something, but no, my dog has to sound like a bell ringing. She's so smart.
Well, yesterday was my first day of the rest of my life. It sounds funny to say it that way, but I am in a new chapter of my life, and it feels like the vacation we just got home from was the void that connects the last chapter (as a Sam's Club employee) and the new chapter:unemployment! I just sat around and watched ALOT (ie: to much!) TV. For Christmas I got three DVD series of my favorite shows, plus one of my favorite movies. So, that is what I did. I sat and wacthed something like 10 episodes of the Cosby Show. And two or three episodes of ER. Did I mention i watched WAY too much TV? I did get some stitching in during that time. since I was too lazy to get unpacked, hence the reason for no progress photos yet, I settled in with what was my enemy before I left: The Abbey. Everything ran smoothly and me and it are once again on friendly terms. Today I am absolutely putting my foot down: no more than 2 hours of TV. I always feel so guilty when I sit and just watch the TV for hours at a time. I need to get active and start exercising. But it is so easy with DVD's to just put them in, and watch! because unlike when you are watching the show on TV, you have the option to find out what is going ot happen int he next episode, so you just can't stop! It's like reading a good book! You just can't put it down! So, I just had to see what happened next, so I just kept watching! But today I really do need to be more productive! But I know I will watch some TV, as that is my stitching time! So, anyway. I am gonna get going, I have things to do, and maybe later today I will post photos. Keep your fingers crossed! Thanks to cindy, Mary Ann, and Faith Ann for the comments! They are VERY muchly appreciated! Also to Carla and Jenn who posted notes to me the post before last. I love getting comments!

I'm home!

Well, we made it! What a LONG ride it was! I was so happy to get back. we showed up this morning around 5 in the morning, and got to the house about 6. I took a nice warm bubbl ebath, ate some oatmeal and went right to bed. my hubby joined me a good 5 hours later, but he woke me up when he climbed in bed, and then I was ready to get up. So, I got up and called my parents to let them know that I was home OK. Then I called the puppy sitter to see when she could bring my baby home to me. (I would go get her but The car is not working, hence the bus ride. we'd planned on driving all along.) so, hopefully my little brat should be home soon.
Freedom is the smallest shyest dog, it's hilarious, and yet, the morning after getting to California I get a call from my dog sitter telling me that she beat up her pit bull! I had to laugh, because I can't see my dog doing this, but...whatever. She does have some monstrous teeth and VERY strong jaws, so I don't doubt that given a chance and reason she could do some serious damage, but still? A pit bull? She won't even go near my hubby since he returned from Iraq without me near. ::shaking head in amazement::
anyway. i need to post photos, I know, I know. but I have not finished unloading all my stuff yet. One good thing about staying with my parents, was we could use their washer and dryer and have the laundry done up before leaving, so now I just have a suitcase full of clean clothes that just need to be put away, I don't have to worry about a mountain of laundry that needs doing. ::Sigh:: So, as soon as my puppy gets home, and I get things unpacked and stuff, I will be posting photos of my progress over my vacation.

Bye bye California.

Well, i can hardley believe my vacation is coming to an end. =( We leave tonight around 11 and will return home in about 35 hours. I hate taking the bus, I wish we had the money to take a plane. I'm all about just getting there. For some reason the trip home is almost a full 6 hours longer than the trip coming this way. Weird. But whatever. Still plugging away at Dare to Dream. I found a mistake this morning and spent a good amount of time frogging it out. YUCK!
I am sad to be leaving my parents, but excited to be getting home, to start this new chapter in my life. I was a working girl when I left, and when I return home, there will be no job to go to. I go back and forth on my thoughts about that. I am excited and nervous at the same time about that. We will just have to see how it goes. I am going to use the extra time for x-stitching, excerising, and getting some things done around the house. When I get bored I will start looking for a job. I don't know how I can get bored, but I might. I have enough hobbies to keep me hopping for quite awhile. i guess I will just say that when the anxiety over not having extra money sets in, I will get a job. Well, I am gonna get going. I want to spend some time with my mom before we leave tonight. Her and I already had a good cry fest this morning. We are, and have been for as long as I could remember, best friends. So, when we have to leave each other it is usually really hard. But! my brother got my mom and I web cams for Christmas. So we can talk to each other on there. =) Well, guess I will get going. I will not be posting for a few days as I will be stuck on a Greyhound bus for the next few days, but as soon as I can, I will be back here, and posting some progress photos.

Stitching the days away!

Well! Yesterday I spent most of the day working on Dae to Dream, and I must admit, I will be ready to go onto the next page here pretty soon! Today i pulled out "Patchwork Bears". When I packed to come ont he trip I wanted to bring a few easy small things (ornies) and I also packed 2 large projects: Dare to Dream and Patchwork Bears. I hadn't worked on PWB in quite awhile, I had grown bored of it, but my enthusiasm was rejuvinated for it this morning, as I sat and worked on it a good two hours today. I am really enjoying it. I wonder why it is that we get bored of working a project, even though we have had the chart for a long time and really want to do it, but then when you are working on it all of a sudden you think you will go bonkers if you have to look at the thing ever again. I was getting that way with that project, and now that I set it aside for a good few months, I am back at it, and enjoying it tremendously! I have my list ready to go for 2007, and it is quite long, and since I really enjoy working on BAP's, I will probably not get them all finished, however, I do have some finishing goals, as well as some starting goals. But we shall see. I enjoy planning and feeling organized when it comes to my stitching, I find it inspiring! Well, thank you Cindy anf Mary Anne for the comments! I hop eyou all had a wonderful New Years! And i will see you at Blogger soon!
ps, oh Cindy, when I get home I promise I will show progress pics of my work here, but I have no way to post any photos here, as my parents don't have the software on their computer-Sorry!

Happy New Year!

Well, last night was a sorta late one, I survived it by stitching. Yup, I put about a good hour into Dare to Dream last night, and again this morning. I was looking at my blog this morning, and I scrolled down to the last progress photo of that project, and I have done quite a bit since that last photo. I have that first page almost completely finished! I have one ear of the wolf ont hat page to do, and a bi tof fill in, and then it is onto the next page. I was thinking that I would work one page at a time, and then move on, but I am working the border all the way across the bottom. So the second page has already been started really. I am enjoying the border as it is easy and not alot of hard counting at all, it is repitious stitching, the same pattern over and over, so I can easily sit and stitch without having to refer to the pattern often. I will soon be ontot he second page though. Maybe I will get to it before I leave here...who knows? Well, I am off to do some cooking, and maybe some more stitching!