Thursday, April 29, 2010

A Semi Finish

The cross stitch portion is done. Whoohoo! Now I just have a little back stitch to do. I have had a few questions about this piece. This is the Serenity Prayer by Homespun Elegance. It is stitched with good ol' DMC floss (on a piece of clearance fabric I had in my stash!) Therefore, it was practically free. LOL

Now I get to think about what to stitch next. I got my pattern file box down the other day, ready for me to go through.

I was home sick today with a sore throat and chills. Liesl and I were wrapped up in a blanket, unable to move, read, eat or anything until about 1 this afternoon. All I could do was stare at television or doze off. I really need to teach Liesl how to make a cup of tea. That would be a really useful dog trick. LOL I have not had good resistance to viruses this year and it troubles me why that is. I shall have to work harder on building up immunity in the next few months. I hope this is the last bug of the season. Grrr.

I stayed under my blankets all day since I felt so cold. Television became boring to me by 2, so I was able to pull out my stitching and finish it up. It will be nice when I get the backstitching done. I am thinking it will look nice with a dusty blue mat.

Stay well!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Stitching Night

Wow! I came home TIRED! Last night was our last chorale performance of the season. I got home around 10:30, still kind of wired with energy from the evening. I ended up having a fitful night of sleep and paid for it today. I have been dragging.

It was a rainy and windy day today. I had stuff in the refrigerator but nothing that actually went together to make a meal. So I had to run to Trader Joe's to pick up some veggies. Side note: Cell phones should have to be checked at the door in TJ's between 5 and 6 pm. It is jam packed in there and you have people with cell phones with no sense of other people, carts, employees stocking shelves, etc and they sort of float through the place having some deeply personal conversations. Argh.

I was going to kiss the door of my house when I finally got home at 6pm. I got into my jammies, and started assembling my dinner. Liesl, who has put up with alot over the last four days, went and played in her backyard. She was letting me know today with a little tiny bit of naughty behavior that she has had enough. She was so happy to be home with her momma tonight. When she finally came in and settled in for the evening, she cuddled right up against me. It made my day!

I loved being able to stitch and watch Deadliest Catch tonight with a cute little dog cuddling up to me. My little piece of paradise. I am making progress on the Serenity Prayer and will probably be done by the weekend. It really felt good to have the rain coming down outside and the coziness on the inside of the house. This was probably the last storm of the season, so I treasured the evening, knowing it will be December before we get another good rainstorm.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Whirling Dervish!

It's just how I feel. It was a busy, busy weekend. I have had rehearsals and performances with my chorale group all weekend. I feel like I have spent alot of time in the car and standing on a stage (which gets very warm.) It has been fun and has been a great experience.

I had an amazing day. I slept in a bit with my my little furgirl. She loves sleeping in! We woke up to a beautiful day. One of the best things that happened today was getting a message on Facebook from my dear friend, Laura. She has recently had some very serious surgery and getting to hear from her was such a blessing, and filled me with so much happiness. It was wonderful.

I kind of puttered around until the race came on. Talledega is my favorite NASCAR speedway, so I was stoked. I had my stitching in hand and just stitched while watching the race. I have both borders finished on it and have to finish putting the flowers on it now. I made the perfect grilled cheese sandwich for lunch, which Liesl immediately decided should be shared.

One of my concerts was this afternoon. Generally, you have to get there as much as an hour to an hour and a half before you go on stage. In that time, I was able to spend time with some people who are truly important and special to me.

I ended my day by having some frozen buffalo chicken strips and bleu cheese dressing for dinner. I do not know if I have shared this but I have a crazy love of anything with buffalo sauce on it. I keep a small supply in my freezer for when I really have a hankering. That and frosted cherry poptarts are my guilty pleasures!

My day ended with stitching again. I sat in my little corner and stitched. The best part was that my little Liesl came and just laid right along side of me in a bit of a cuddle. She is a very busy little dog, and being a lap dog is just not her thing. Playing is her thing. So when she cuddles, it is like pennies from Heaven. It was the perfect end to a perfect day!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Schnauzer Love...

I was driving along today I saw another car coming from the opposite direction, and my eye was drawn to a commotion in the front seat of that vehicle. In it I spied a little bit of a commotion, and saw the outline of two little heads, caught in a wrestling match. As that car got even closer, I saw it and started to laugh. The familiar little gray shaved heads, little pointy ears, beards, and of course, the horsing around at an inappropriate time. It could be none other than-Mini Schnauzers. It made me laugh out loud because they were totally engaged in their horseplay, oblivious to their chauffeur. LOL

Oh my goodness, if you want to laugh alot, a mini schnauzer is the dog for you. They are always ready to play and "invent" games of their own. They are so incredibly smart and can seem almost human. Conversely, if you want to spend alot of time talking to yourself (Schnauzers are notorious for ignoring you when you give commands) or if you want to deal with stubbornness like you have never known, this breed is for you. They need a lot of exercise, otherwise you will pay. LOL I can not imagine life without my Liesl. She makes me laugh and is just an amazing little soul.

I have heard it said that God does not send you the dog you want, He sends you the dog you need. I always thought that when I got a dog, it would be the kind that lays in your lap. Okay, that is not really Liesl's thing. She has enriched my life in so many ways. If you are interested in adopting a mini schnauzer, there are some really great rescue organizations around the country and of course, adopting from your local shelter is always a great idea.

I have also heard it said that dogs are God's special angels on earth, because they are the true embodiment of God's unconditional love. How beautiful!

Monday, April 19, 2010

The Best Laid Plans...

I looked back on my Friday post and I have to laugh. I was looking forward to a nice, stay at home domestic weekend. Um, yeah, that totally did not happen. I was on the move constantly!

I had such a good day at work today. I really love my job, and those days were I can get my objectives met for the day really make me feel good. I came home and made a delicious dinner of chicken piccata and rice. I made a tiny piece of chicken for Liesl and chopped it up in a little bit of rice for a special dinner, just because she is awesome. She finished hers and immediately suggested that I should share my dinner with her, as well. LOL

After dinner, I decided that the time had come for me to address a pile of paper on my desk in my office/craft room. You know, that pile that just sort of happens, then grows and you do your best to ignore it, but, alas, it keeps increasing in size? I actually had several piles going, so the day had come. I am proud to say, it has all been filed or dealt with. My desk is sort of Zen-like now. Ahhhhh.

I got to stitch tonight, and have turned the corner on the vine so that I am going across the top part. This is very exciting to me. I am coming to the end. The colors are so lovely. But I am ready to move on to the next project. While pulling down my file box to put away my papers, I also pulled down my file box of patterns. I will go through it this week. It will be fun to visit with some old friends in that box!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Whooooosh!

That was the sound of this day going by! It was a gorgeous day here on the Monterey Peninsula. I woke up at 6:30 and while, technically it was sleeping in, I just could not sleep any longer. I headed out by 8 am so that Liesl and I could get our walk. I drove us over to our favorite walk in Pacific Grove along the water. My goodness, what a beautiful day. It was warm and the water was like glass. The little miracle of the day was that in one section there was this temporary fencing installed with signs posted on it. When I read the sign, it said that it was a seal pup area. As I looked down the hill behind it towards the tidal pools, that was when I saw them-cute little bitty seal pups. Just about the cutest things I have ever seen. They were making the cutest sounds, too. I tried to get a photo, but only had my Blackberry. The photo came out so small that you can not even see the seals.

It has been a busy day, but I am grateful that I have been able to sit down and stitch since 7 pm tonight. I have been working on the Serenity Prayer. I got a lot done on it. I am coming close to finishing it. I will post a photo Sunday night.

I am thinking of taking down my pattern file box tomorrow and going through it. I have to re-organize it a bit. Actually, it is really just my way of playing with my patterns and seeing what I have. LOL This is actually a carryover from my looking for something in all of my other stitchy stuff. I am looking for my floss ring (I know it is here somewhere!) and have looked through all of my stitchy toys for it. As a result I have gotten to visit with some of my supplies. Now I want to visit with my patterns. It should be fun!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Everybody's Workin' For The Weekend...

Okay, first off, every time I think of that song, immediately the image of Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley (both left us way too soon) dressed as Chippendale dancers at try outs. One of the funniest bits in comedy and I still laugh today thinking about it. It was really priceless.

Anyhoosky, I am looking forward to my weekend with little Miss Liesl. The weather here right now is gorgeous, so we will definitely be taking a couple of really nice walks by the water. I really love that time with her. We both get lots of exercise and fresh air, and some time to just be.

I am also looking forward to getting my house under control. It has been a bit unorganized in the craziness of my week. It will be nice to get it in order. I am also looking forward to working in my yard. I have some more seeds to plant, and weeds to pull. Slowly but surely it is coming together.

I plan on stitching alot this weekend. I would really like to get the Serenity Prayer finished. There are so many other projects I would like to start, but I am old school, and can only do one project at a time, so I need to finish this one up. I also have a great book to read, so I am hoping to fit all of my fun in!

Mostly, I am just looking forward to a nice, domestic weekend. It will be nice to stay home and play with all of my toys!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Got To Play Outside

Today was a really pretty day. The sun was shining and it was pleasantly warm. As I was driving home I just thought how nice it would be to go home and work in the yard. I am so inspired now that I put together my little seed starter greenhouse. I was talking with DD last night and she said that she bought some local heirloom tomato seeds, so we are going to trade some. Yay! I am thrilled.

I walked over to where I planted my little herb garden and was excited to see that I have little sprouts coming out of the earth. I was so excited. I have some really neat herbs planted. I even found a purple basil. I love fresh herbs in dishes, especially dishes with heirloom tomatoes!

I have several flowering plants that are in bloom right now. They are making me happy. The geraniums are exploding with colors. There is a lily that is also blooming. There are also lots of nasturtiums in the yard, which are starting to bloom. The leaves are a little larger than dessert plates. They are just lovely.

This was a really great way to end the day. It was kind of funny because I finished up around 7pm, then thought about what to make for dinner. After all of the yard work, I was not really hungry, like I thought I would be. So I ended up making a tomato sandwich, which I think are delicious. Maybe I should do yard work every day...

Monday, April 12, 2010

Stitching Update

It was still pouring down rain today. In fact, it rained while I was driving home. I figured that it was going to be another early evening with the rain falling all night. I was pleasantly surprised that it was sunny by the time I got home from work. I made myself a yummy BLT for dinner, then went out to look at the state of the yard. This storm brought a lot of wind so I expected lots of debris. I was thrilled to see that things looked pretty good.

I got all inspired, particularly since we have a week of sun before it rains again. I got out my seed starter and got to work, planting some of the seeds I have been collecting. I started several tomatoes, peppers, fennel, as well as some pretty flowers. I am really excited.

I was totally feeling domestic after playing Farmer Patti, and got my stitching out. I really wish the camera could capture just how pretty the colors really are. It is a fun stitch and I love the vines up the side. There is also a box stitch in blue up the sides, too. That is really fun to stitch.

I am hoping that I will have this done by the end of the week. I have a small that I would like to stitch for a friend as a cheer up gift.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

A Great Day!

I had such a great day. I got to sleep in until 8 today. It was a little bit of heaven. I had a little dog cuddled up to me and the room still kind of dark while the storm was trying to gather strength. I got to sit and have a leisurely cup of tea, then off Liesl and I went for a walk before the rain started. It was really windy and dreary but it was nice to get some fresh air. We got back to the house and I made breakfast. Liesl gets one vet approved egg a week, so I made her one (with a tiny bit of cheese, because she is spoiled.) I got to enjoy a plate of bacon and eggs, with a nice cup of tea. It was so nice.

I got to sit and stitch for hours. It was pouring down rain outside, Liesl was napping off her breakfast, so I put my favorite shows on On Demand and stitched away. I was snuggled under my big woolie blanket with my Serenity Prayer on my lap, just happily putting the stitches in.

I will have to post my photo tomorrow. I have put my Smartcard in a super safe place. Obviously, I needed to hide it from myself. LOL I just love the colors in this and cannot wait to share it!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

An Awesome Day

Today was a wonderful day. It was very ordinary and made me happy. I did have to get up early to go to a meeting at church, which was a really good meeting. I got home around noon and just started puttering around the house. It has really been bothering me that my house has not been in order because I have been so busy and out so much. It made me happy to do my laundry, scrub the kitchen and vacuum. I even got to wash the sheets and pillowcases. Clean sheets are one of life's true simple pleasures.

It was so nice to be home today. Liesl and I even got to take a nap. She was really happy to have a mellow day at home, too. Tomorrow we are expecting a big storm, so it is good to be hunkered down. Life has been so hectic lately, and I have been at church 3 days a week for the past couple of weeks, so I am going to stay home tomorrow and just take a quiet day. I think I will make a big breakfast for Liesl and me, have an extra cup of coffee, stitch and reflect on my blessings.

I was so grateful today to be able to catch up with my girlfriends on the phone. I have really wonderful friends, and have been a bit stressed that I have not had any time to share with them lately. Girlfriends really are such a blessing and it is amazing how a conversation with them can just re-center a person.

I also felt so happy tonight because I was finally able to stitch. I worked for a while on my Serenity Prayer, while a small gray dog slept next to me on the sofa under her blanket. It was so nice and made me feel so relaxed and happy. I will post a photo tomorrow evening. I am making good progress on it. It is really pretty.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Whadda week!

Hoo-boy! It has been a wild week. I had a responsibility after work and did not get home until 7:30 pm. I am totally exhausted.

Alot of my weeknight responsibilities will be ending in the next month. I am realizing now that I am a bit overextended. Therefore, I really need to take some time to evaluate what I add back into my life. I have not had a lot of time to give to the things in my life that I really care about, like the people who are close to me, my stitching, and my books, so I really need to give careful consideration to what I give my free time to.

I am looking forward to the weekend. I do have one responsibility, but after that I am going to spend my weekend with my little furgirl. I need to get some yardwork done on Saturday. We are expecting a rainstorm on Sunday. So Liesl and I will cuddle and watch the race on Sunday. I also want to work on my vision for my stitching corner. I realize that one of the reasons that I am not feeling comfortable in that spot is that I have a round table that overhangs the space. As a result, I feel really cramped and I actually sit in my spot at an angle. Hmm. I may have to check the local thrift stores to see if I can find a narrow book case or something that would be more appropriate in that space. I am wondering if I can find something really inexpensive that I can paint. This could be fun.

I finished a great book today. It is Barbara Kingsolver's new book, "The Lacuna." If you have a chance to read it, I really highly recommend it!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

A Night Off

I got to stay home and play with my toys tonight. I was supposed to be at my choral rehearsal, but somehow, I wrenched my knee today. I think I had pinched a nerve in it then jumped up to file something and all of the sudden a pain shot through my knee. I was not able to put any weight on it all day. I kind of hobbled outside to take Liesl for short health breaks. I still do not know what I did to it. Oy.

So I got to stitch tonight and look at the local craft store sale ads. I just like to see what the trends are. It was nice and quiet. I had a cute little gray dog sleeping next to me. She likes when we get to stay home, which does not seem to happen a lot lately. I made my fish sticks and instant mashed potatoes for dinner (my guilty pleasure comfort food.) Martha Stewart would want to have words with me. It was great sitting in my jammies and doing fun things for the evening.

Although I have an office/craft room, I do all of my stitching in the living room. For several reasons. The first and foremost is that Liesl likes to lay next to me when I stitch and it makes me happy to have her there. Plus I can stretch out and put my feet up on the ottoman. My television is also in the living room. So it really is the best place to stitch. Unfortunately, I did not plan out the space really well and it is not really working for stitching. It feels a bit awkward and crowded and the lighting is all weird.

I have decided that I really want to make myself a nice, cozy little stitching nook in the side of the sofa that is not occupied by Liesl. While it is not really a pretty lamp, I fell in love with the 27 W full spectrum lamp that I bought for my son at Big Lots several years ago. It was only $29 and was awesome. I think I may have to make a little trip to Salinas to see if they have another one and splurge in the near future. I have an over the arm of a chair organizer with pockets, that I think I will have to organize it better so that it is super functional. I was wondering what I could do as a chart holder and then I saw this today: http://ruthsneedlework.blogspot.com/ It was such a clever idea. I love it. Now I just have to figure out what to do with my orts. If I can make this area extra comfy and organized, I may just stitch a bit more.

Well, guess I had better go get my beauty sleep. If you could continue to say a little prayer for my friend, Laura, I would really appreciate it. She underwent a major surgery today and has been on our minds all day.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Happy Easter!




I had a great weekend! It started with a long walk along the water yesterday morning. Then I got my stops in at Target and OSH. I am going to be propagating some plants so I needed Ru-tone. Liesl and I were home by noon yesterday and just vegged. I puttered around, made an awesome cream of dill potato soup. It was awesome. We were both tired puppies. It was nice to have a day to just do nothing, except my heart's desire.

Today was great. I was the assistant minister at church for Easter Service, which is my favorite service all year. It is such a joyful service and this has been a really personal faith journey through Lent this year. I have learned so much, and feel so grateful for my walk of faith.

It just poured today. At Easter dinner, we just watched the rain falling while we talked about great books, including Victor Hugo, John Steinbeck, Mark Twain. It appeared that the rain cleared and we decided to take a walk. Of course, the rain started pouring, and the wind howling. We walked down to the beach, where I took the pictures above. The waves were just crashing onto the rocks. It was really breathtaking to watch.

Liesl and I got home around 6:30, whereupon I changed immediately into my jammies. Liesl thought this was a splendid idea and got right onto her blanket. I got under my blanket, and watched some fun shows on On Demand (comcast) while I looked at stitching blogs. I am getting ready to stitch for about an half an hour in a few minutes. I feel really happy and content.

If you could hold my dear friend, Laura, in your prayers this week, I would really appreciate it. She is a really special person.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Good Friday

Ahhhhhh. It is good to be home. I have been out and busy for several weeks now, particularly during Lent. Lent is my favorite time of year. Good Friday services are also a little emotional for me, too. For the first time in a couple of weeks, Liesl and I get to stay home tomorrow. Yay! We are going to start by sleeping in. Then we are going to putter around the house. I owe her some fun, since she has been a really patient pup. So if the weather clears tomorrow, I will take her for a nice walk along the water.

It is so nice to be home. I got in and put on my jammies, played with Liesl, had a snack and then crashed on the sofa with my little furgirl. She always seems to know when it is the weekend, and she is looking pretty cozy and happy. She will be happy to stay home and play with her toys and be queen of her yard. I will be happy to putter around my house. I am hoping to stitch. I am the assistant minister for the Easter service at church. Then tonight I received an invitation to a wonderful Easter dinner. Liesl gets to come too!

I feel so fortunate to have a very active and full life, but the chance to nest and have some alone time with my little puppy girl is really exciting to me. I have some baking to do, and think I will make some potato soup. I have so much laundry to do, and I shall have to walk the garden to see how my herbs are doing. I want to finish my book and play with my stitching toys. This is going to be awesome!