Cherries WIP

I am plugging along on it and almost have the bowl done.  The cherries are so subtly variegated that I am becoming a bit nervous.  I think it will be a really beautiful piece when I am done.  I do love the colors and it is so dramatic with that black background.  I started it on the opening night of the Olympics.  I can not tell you how many cross stitch projects are calling to me while I am working on this.  

I got quite a bit done tonight because I stayed up watching that Mermaid special on Animal Planet.  I was interested because it was being done by NOAA scientists, as well as other respected scientists.  I have to say that when they had the film of the actual one that washed up on the beach, I just about jumped out of my skin.  I do not think I will be going to sleep any time soon.  I do not watch scary or violent things, preferring instead to stay in the happy place.  I like shows that make me laugh or documentaries.  Okay, I have that thing for silly reality shows like RHONJ, Hillbilly Handfishin' and Storage Wars. ( I heart Barry.)  I read once that you should never let anything into your home that doesn't love you back.  I think of this about scary and violent shows for myself.  They just upset me.

It was funny because Liesl was not happy about my staying up until 10 pm.  I am usually in bed (most of the time with a book) by 8-8:30.  Now I will tell you that schnauzers are a bit like cats in that they do not appreciate any deviation from the schedule.  Today should look pretty much like yesterday and tomorrow better not get messed up either.  So Liesl was tired, ready for bed, and could not get herself comfortable.  She kept stomping, yes stomping, off to the bedroom then plopping down as noisily as possible.  Then she would come out and stand right in front of me with that stoic schnauzer face like, "Um, shouldn't we be moving along to the sleeping room?"  Then she would huff, because I obviously was not getting it.  Have I mentioned that schnauzers are a little bit dramatic?  In fact, there is a sweatshirt out there (I think by Cafepress?) that says, "Frequent victim of a miniature schnauzer drama."  Welcome to my world.  But I would not trade it for anything.

This weekend always brings me back to a time when school started right after Labor Day.  For my elementary school education (late 1960's to early 1970's)  I went to school in Paterson, NJ.  I remember the leaves on the ground, the smells, the nervousness of starting a new year.  I was feeling kind of nostalgic this year and bought a composition book at one of the big sales at Target, like I would always had to have on the first day of school.  They still have that black and white design, but the covers are no longer that hard cardboard.  Those things were indestructible.  I am wondering if they still make the big pencils that went with them...