Sunday, November 29, 2009

An Old WIP


I went searching through my kit boxes today looking for something easy to work on. I have put the tea cozy away until after the holidays because it takes more concentration than I am capable of right now. It has all of those specialty stitches and placing them is hard work. So I pulled this out and was surprised to see how little I have left to do. It is an old Ursula Michael kit. I think I began it about 7 years ago and then put it into a ziploc bag. It was obviously before I knew better not to fold a piece. Oy!

I do not know if I have ever mentioned it here, but I have a love of all things red, particularly in my kitchen. I also love things with a vintage or retro feel of the 1920's-1940's. This piece has that look for me. So now I am getting a bit excited about finishing this and getting it up on the wall. Plus it is a very easy stitch and I have so little left to do. What was I thinking back then?!

We are getting ready for our rainy season beginning here. It generally rains from December through March here on the California Central Coast. The nice thing about the rain is that it generally makes it a little bit warmer. I love the rain, as long as I am home and not driving. It is perfect stitching weather. It looks like Saturday is the first day of a week of rain at this point, so I have to make sure that I can find my rain boots before then. I will also need to get Liesl's little raincoat out, much to her chagrin.

Hope you have a great work week!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Thank You For Your Kindness

I want to thank you for your kind thoughts, prayers and posts. It really means a lot to me.

On the eve of a holiday that celebrates gratitude, I must say that even though I have something very sad going on in my personal life, that I am truly grateful. I am grateful that I have a really good job in a place where I work with people that I truly admire and respect. I am grateful that I have wonderful children and a terrific son in law, who are just really nice and kind people. I have a nice place to live, and my sweet little dog. I have hobbies that I enjoy, books to read, enough food to eat, good health, and I have warmth against the cold. I have a beautiful church home.

At the same time, I think tonight and say prayers for those who are cold and hungry. I will pray for those who need a job, a place to live, and the most basic of needs met. My troubles are small compared to those who are just trying to survive.

I wish you all much abundance and all good things. May you be blessed many times over.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Wild Week

I know I promised that I would be returning to stitching related stuff, but the week got the best of me. I had a rather large project for my class, plus it is the first couple weeks of the month, which is go time for us accountants. I have been up to my elbows in alligators. Unfortunately, it does not look like things will slow down until after next week. My stitching calls, but unfortunately, I can't answer. LOL

I am starting to think about planning my projects in 2010. I would like to work on more smalls or decorative items. This came about from stitching my tea cosy. I usually work on BAP's but now I am thinking about more embellishment work. We will see how it goes.
Since my post about the amount of death and sadness I have seen in the past year, I have been thinking about all of the amazing blessings in my life. My beautiful family, my amazing friends, my sweet little dog, a job that I am in love with, health, hobbies, and God's presence in my life. I feel so fortunate, even with some of the sadness I am feeling.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Schnauzer Public Service Message...LOL

I got up extra early this morning and headed out to the office while it was still dark. When I left, Liesl was sitting at the front door looking so sad because she wanted to go to work with me. I had to run back home for my forgotten cell phone and she was still sitting there looking with a "I wanna come to work with you" look in her eyes. I can't resist sad puppy eyes, they are my downfall...So she came to work and got extra spoiled by the employees and sniffed noses with her puppy friends.

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but Liesl is my first dog. I got her two years ago when I was 44. I wish I had known all along how wonderful it is to have furbaby. As a mini schnauzer, she has a very big personality. This breed is very busy, smart, and stubborn as all get out. They also have a great sense of humor. They are also very emotional. She actually cracks me up when she has her cranky on. The three sizes of schnauzers are referred to as "the dog with the human brain" because of their ability to use human reasoning and logic. Most people who have experience with them will tell you that it truly is like having another human around. They are pretty good at communicating their wants and needs.

They are great dogs but not for the faint of heart. LOL They are so smart that you have to stay one step ahead of them, which takes energy on the puppy parent's part. Plus, they need a lot of exercise. But they are so worth the work and effort. They are so incredibly loyal, funny and a lot of fun. All they want is to be with their people.

Tomorrow we get back to stitching. Whoohoo!