Update on SF after 10 days of stitching!

Here she is after 10 days of stitching! Coming along nicely, but still not as far along as I had thought I would be after 10 days. Sinus issues have me dragging along with that blasted cold front that is stalled to the west of us and is causing me a great deal of aches and pains!

Not much going on at the home front. Dh still does not have a job, and it looks like he will not be getting one any time soon! He is sooooo driving me crazy at times!

Haven't heard anything about the will or probate court, so I guess that is good news!

Garden work!

It was so beautiful yesterday and today! Up in the high 60's and low 70's so I decided to go outside and soak up some vitamin D and clean up my flower beds! I had to dig up weeds, get rid of the old weed stopper fabric stuff and the old gravel that was decorating the area. It looks so much nicer now.
My hyacinths are blooming and growing so nicely and they smell so nice! I think I would like to have some more and place them closer to the front. I want a lot of them so it really smells great in the early spring!
Bought some seeds today and some of those peat pots in the plastic greenhouse to start them. Several different kinds of flowers and one big package for a container garden. Since I have to transplant my fiscus tree this year (he's getting antsy and mad) into a larger pot, then I can use the one he's in right now and make the container garden. Hope it works out.
I still need to clean and deweed the side section where I have that orange, absolutely gorgeous lily type flower growing. That is where I will put some of the seedlings that I start in the greenhouse thing.

I also am thinking about starting a small vegetable garden out back this year and grow some tomatoes and green beans. I really want to have loads of green beans so I can can them this year! Nothing better than fresh half-runners!! Of course, I have to get the pressure cooker/canner, but I can get that from Wal-mart. I will have to get a little bit of fencing to put around it to stop the dogs from getting in it, but that won't be hard to do.

Also going to get 2 sections of privacy fence to fix the fence behind the patio out back. Really want to bust up patio and build a deck and have it hang over the hillside there a little. When they had to fix the sewer line, they managed to tear down a bunch of the brush back there (what a shame) and now I can extend the fence line back about 6-8 feet and that will enlarge the back yard and then I can take down that awful chain link fence that is all crooked and broken down from the big branch that fell on it last fall.

So much to do, but not enough $$$ to do it all!! So, I guess it will be slow progress, but I want to straighten up the back yard so we can actually use it some! I plan on sitting out there some this summer and stitching! I have another resin type table and 2 umbrellas on layaway at Kmart (one for front table and one for back yard) that way I have a table on the front porch and a table in the back yard!
I also would like to get the swing or hammock they have up at Kmart! So, I just might do that later on.

Hope everyone is enjoying his/herself and stitching up a storm if that is your thing!
Have a great day everyone!!

It's been a looonnng month already

Well, I hate the month of March anyway and have for 7 years now (since my father passed away) and now I have even more reason to hate it! My darling mother in law passed away on 3/12 between 4 and 6 am. She was 91 years old and more of a mother to me than my own mother!
She was a wonderful, caring, loving, and tender person who became ill with "symptoms resembling Alzheimer's" (that is what they HAVE to call it now---this PC stuff kills me!) several years ago. When her dh passed away 4 years ago, she became even more confused and her "darling" (very loose term here) daughter came up and whisked (kidnapped) her to NC.
She didn't want to go with her, but she wasn't really given a choice. Then, the next thing dh and I knew, HS (half-sis) was selling the house and Really moving her down there (to stay)!! We were very mad and upset we weren't consulted about the move and/or the selling of the house.
Well, after MIL died, I was at the bank on Monday (3 days after she died and 2 dies before graveside service) and there was a lady who used to work at the other branch where MIL and FIL did all their banking! She asked about MIL and I had to tell her the sad news. She commiserated with me for a little bit and then she asked about FIL. I was shocked! I told her he had passed away 4 years ago and SHE was shocked! Apparently no one had ever notified the bank he had died, so they were sending tax info to the IRS under a dead man's SS number! What a mess!
So, MIL's money all got frozen because of her death. Now, HS came up Monday nite. First thing Tues morning, she went to the bank to take out all the money (she had POA) and "split" it between her and dh . Boy was she pissed when she found out her POA was no longer valid (hello, MIL was dead! ) and was told by the bank to contact executor of the will! giggle giggle giggle!!
Before this, HS was telling DH that she had no idea where executor was, where she lived, how to get in touch with her, that she was ill, and bedridden and wouldn't want to do ti anymore! Well, after she went to the bank, she apparently was able to find the executor without any trouble!
Executor came to visitation/graveside service and was quite surprised when DH told her everything HS had said! She was a little perturbed she had not been told that MIL had died (considering MIL was her aunt) and even more so when she found that because HS had told her it was "mom's wish" {translation--HS's wish} that FIL's will not be probated, the bank had been making a HUGE booboo for 4 years!
What a mess this is!!
Of course, now it's all in the executor's and probate court's hands and I certainly hope DH doesn't get shafted again! It's not like we only want the money, but he only wants his share! I don't see anything wrong with that. I almost wish there had never been any money, that way HS wouldn't have come up and basically kidnapped my MIL!!!

Stay tuned for more on my life in the soap opera......

Serendipity Fay WIP

Here is my latest PR in progress. Serendipity Fay, stitched on 28 ct Solo by Silkweaver. She is really going to "pop" on this fabric, I believe.

I had to stitch "something" while I wait for SBP and my fabby to get here! That one is going to be a gorgeous piece also! But them all of Laura's are outstanding!

I like the brown hair on this one. Seems to take to me! My favorite thing is the wings. They are fun to do! Even with 1 ply! But that makes them more dainty looking.

I have been moving right along with this one, thanks to all the stress I have been dealing with this month.

Alla Turca update

Here is my Alla Turca (parts 1, 2, and 3) completed finally! Now I'm all ready for part 4 when it comes out 4/1!! Of course, the 3rd part was simple, because it had very little stitching in it. Most of the time was spent on part 2, which is the bottom right hand side of picture.

This is the first SAL I have ever done and I'm enjoying it immensely! Of course, it's also a fantastic design by Pelin Tezer, so that definitely helps!

This is stitched with DMC Satin 211 (and I'm not a really big fan of DMC Satin floss, let me tell you!) on 28 ct evenweave off antique white fabric. I think the Satin floss does give it a nice sheen that you can't quite tell in the picture!

Another Happy Dance for 2009

I get to do another Happy Dance for 2009! This is Passione Ricamo's Violet Fay, stitched on 28 ct Solo by Silkweaver. I started her on 3/08/09 and finished her on 3/13/09. I have already submitted her for the Silkweaver 2009 Showcase contest.
My dd picked out the fabric for this one and I think she did a remarkable job on her selection! It turned out beautifully.
She is stitched over 2 and I just love those violets, even though I am not really a violet lover. I can't wait to do the companion of her, Hellebore Fay. Still have to figure out what fabric for that design, but will try to do it soon.

I just received the Blonde and Brunette Cameo pattern in the mail today and have already ordered the pattern for Spring Beauty Princess! She is unbelievably gorgeous!! I even have the fabric picked out for SBP--Silkweaver's Jamaican Sunset (28 ct linen). Going to be gorgeous!

Long trip and sad week!!

Well, it was a very long weekend. We left Friday morning for Hope Mills NC to see my MIL. It took about 8 hours or a little less to get there. We had a nice hotel outside of Fayetteville. But the best part of the trip was the little car we rented! We went with the least expensive car we could find. I found a fantastic deal through avis.com--50% off weekend rental, so a 4 day rental was only $81!! When I went up to pick up the car, the girl at the desk couldn't believe that price! It was normally $50/day on a weekend rental!! Wow, what a deal!
So we got a cute little Chevy Cobalt. But boy was it loaded!! Power windows, AC, CD player, sunroof and the best of all XM Satellite radio! That was the best! No searching for radio stations as we traveled and no trying to avoid all the country stations that are around when you head south!
When we got there, MIL was not in good shape. She had been diagnosed with Terminal Restlessness (keyword- terminal) and was thrashing around in the bed. BUT, she woke up and talked to use on Saturday afternoon and she knew who we were! That was a blessing to DH, that's for sure!
Saturday nite, she was sleeping all the way thru our visit, missing her meds (Ativan, MS (for the restlessness) and another med). So, we just visited with his sister, niece and nephew. Also on Saturday came a HUGE surprise. His sister told us we could go ahead and take his dad's car home with us! Talk about a shocker! His dad had told us about 5 years ago (before he died) that he wanted our son to have that car for when he started to drive. But when he died, they took the car to NC, so my MIL could look out the window and see it and ride it in every Sunday to church.
So, we checked the fluids in the car (needed some brake fluid and water) and started home. Stopping more often than on the way down to keep an eye on the car. But, boy, is that a gas hog! It's a 1989 Ford Crown Vic with only 74,000 miles on it! Great shape!! Does need a section of the exhaust fixed though.

Then we talked to her when we got home only to find out MIL had begun being agitated ever since we had left. Seems like she knew we were there and was calm with us there, but when we left, she apparently knew that also.

On Thursday morning, we got a phone call about 6:25 am, telling us she had passed away in her sleep. Boy, that really hit DH for sure! I am soooo glad we went down when we did, because it looked like she was holding on for us to get down there! DH's sister told us she kept telling someone "I want to go home". And she finally went home.

Now, it's hard to handle funeral arrangements in 2 different states. His sister wants to have funeral services there at the church MIL went to, but we also want to have at least a visitation time before graveside services up here! There are much more people up here that would visit than down there, I'm sure.

Well, that is all I have to say about that situation! After the funeral though, will be the very interesting part, the reading of the will. I have seen both his dad's and his mom's will before and I know pretty much what they say, but I wonder if it will be the same now. Oh well, that's a worry for another day. First, I have to survive the graveside service (which is all we are apparently allowed to have up here) without an axiety attack

WOW!!!!

WOW!!! Look at her! She is Laura's newest outstanding and gorgeous design! Spring Beauty Princess! Can you believe it!

This is certainly a must have!! I can't wait until ECC gets her so I can order it! I gotta have her, I already have Winter Beauty Princess (stitched her several years ago) and I think SBP is the best companion ever!

I don't know how she does it! Every time she rolls out a new design, I think "she can't top this one" and then there she goes, outdoing herself!! I wish I had 1/100th of her ability!!

Amazing!!

Well, on to more mundane and sad news. We are leaving (dh and I) tomorrow morning (actually this morning ) for NC to visit his mom. He called down there earlier and apparently it's a very good thing we are going now. His sister (loose term) said his mom is getting worse every day, physically and mentally! She is 91 years old and in end stage Alzheimer's.

Sad business that is. I think that is a very cruel thing, not only to the patient and but to the family also. Not being remembered is so difficult.

I was a geriatric nurse for 12 years and I have seen all of it. The confusion, paranoia and all of that which goes along with Alzheimer's. It is so not fun!

Well, I really need to get to bed, so good nite all!

Another TW Update!

Here is my latest update on TW's Wedding Sampler I am stitching for my cousin's wedding in June this year.

It's coming along fantastically! Stitching it right up and should have it done by the end of this month (if I don't start another big one soon).

Have been working on the Alla Turca SAL, trying to get parts 2 and 3 done. Running behind on that one, but almost caught up. Also starting another smaller PR, Violet Fay. Stitching her on 28 ct solo by Silkweaver. Going to be gorgeous!!

Well, we (dh and I) are leaving tomorrow morning for NC to see his mom. She is 91 years old and is in end stage Alzheimer's. Don't think dh realizes what it's going to be like for him. He doesn't understand what it does to a person and the family, it's terrible!

We had to rent a car, since ours is 14 years old. Only has 61,000 miles on it though (and it gets about 33 mpg!!), but don't think it could make the trip. My mom is paying for the car, but we have to pay for gas, hotel, meals etc. We are staying in a hotel that has a deluxe continental breakfast!!! Love those!!!

Hopefully will have another update by the time I get back!! Either on AT or my VF!!

Another finish and some sorrow

Here is my latest finish! Another freebie from PR. This is the Passione Ricamo logo designed by Laura. She does such gorgeous works! I adore her designs!!!! I can't get enough of them!
This is stitched on 28 count evenweave, antique white and then I sewed it onto my favorite denim totebag, the one I use to transport my stitching around in! I haven't really found a totebag I love as much as that one.
I do collect totebags wherever I go, just like I do with the shot glasses, but I haven't found one I love as much as that old denim one!

It's coming up to that time of year again...I really hate March anymore, even though my oldest son's, mine, my brother in law's, my niece's, my grandson's and my sister's birthdays all are in March. It will be 7 years now, really doesn't seem that long, but it has since my best friend in the world, my dad went into the hospital and never came home. My cousin took himself off dialysis and died 11 days later 7 years ago this month too. Along with my dd's best friend's father passing away. So I really dislike March anymore.

I have a really hard time during this month, and into April. I get depressed, moody and very very thoughtful during this time. I really miss my dad, every day. He was my best friend in the world and I loved him so much. He was the greatest guy ever. Thank heavens my youngest son takes after him. Big hearted as I don't know what! He reallly takes after my dad in lots of ways. He barely can remember his grandpa but what he remembers is good--the camping trips, the amusement park trips, the cars the watchin races together, etc. So that is good.

But, on the upside (if there is one at this time of year), it is getting easier bit by bit. Every year, there is less sorrow and more happy memories to remember. But, I don't think the pain ever truly goes away. Sometimes it sneaks right up and smacks me in the face. I was watching some move the other night and all of a sudden WHAM, there it was!!

Of course, everyone knows how I am this time of year, so they are pretty understanding of my actions. They know I get down and just want to be alone sometimes and they are pretty good about letting me wallow!! It seems if it is a dreary month it is worse, if it's nicer out, then I can get outside and do something in my garden or just pick up around the yard and I feel better for doing that.

Just a chance to express my feelings about this time of year. Hope I don't ruin anyone's day when they read this post!! That's not my intentions! Sorry for the blubbering on you all!!

LOL