List #21: 2002

Happy Spring. Little green things are bursting forth in my garden including the crocuses and daffodils. How happy.

Although none of us is religious, we're having Easter dinner at my cousin's. I think this just means we're having ham instead of another part of the pig for dinner. I'm not really a ham fan. When we were kids, I used to eat warm pineapples with the pineapple glaze and no ham at all at Easter, the kind where you actually go to church. I do like a good salty, salty Virginia ham. Maybe it's the salt? I'm in charge of dessert, and I have no idea what to make. My cousin bakes cakes, so that's right out. We do cookies and ice cream a lot (the dude makes the ice cream and I usually make the molasses cookies) {that's how you can tell I'm from New England}. The kids are going to be mainlining candy, so I think I'd like to make something adult for dessert for a change: frozen lemon mousse? lemon-berry pudding cakes? Lemons add that happy touch of spring.

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In the spring of 2002, I defended my dissertation. I had a lot more free time all of a sudden.

• Christmas Heart, Birds of a Feather, JCSO. Another ornament in the finishing pile.
• Angels Oer This House Chessie and Me, for Mr. & Mrs. Brave Astronaut. But I didn't take a picture of it.
• Sweet Baby, Ewe & Eye & Friends 6/7/02 For my first nephew. I changed the saying to birth stats. Even though I put it in the mail to England, I never photographed it. What a twit.
• The Marriage Sampler Hillside Samplings. For my cousin. Just the center motif. I don't like the wife that much.
• The Marriage Sampler Hillside Samplings 6/21/02 For my sister-in-law. The whole thing this time. Because she's blood and I like her husband.
• Dragonfly tin topper Samplers and Such 8/4/02. For my cousin for Christmas.
• Rose Eyeglass case needlepoint kit 9/29/02. For my MIL for Christmas.
• Thanksgiving Silver Needle Night kit 8/10/02. The Thanksgiving hat is on the fabrics I've chosen to make this into a wall hanging. But I didn't record when I did the deer (November), the witch's brew pot (September), or the apple (August). The only one that I finished was the witch's pot; my coworker was a practicing witch, and I finished that for her. Again, you will notice how close I am to finishing the deer. All I need to do is slap in the batting and sew up the edges. I think I need an intervention.

• Bertie’s Stocking Shepherd's Bush 8/14/02 for Mom. This is finished because I started with one of those prefinished stockings. Now I kind of wish I didn't. The ones I made for Lala and Yay-o are so much nicer. But each family member has a finished stocking, and, as you may have pieced together, I have finishing issues.
• Robert’s Stocking Shepherd's Bush for Dad. The year I gave my parents these stockings, I changed out their old ones after everyone was in bed instead of wrapping them up. It took my mother forever to notice, but my dad--the one who didn't notice I had gotten a haircut when I came home with a mohawk--noticed right away.
• Leopard eyeglass case needlepoint kit, 2002. Stitched for my grandmother, the leopard grandmother.
• Mary Englebreit-style change purse needlepoint kit 9/29/02 Stitched for my aunt. Interestingly, I didn't record the fact that I stitched this for myself as well, the eyeglass case and the change purse. Did I do it before or after these Christmas gifts?
• Spring is in the Air, The Trilogy, JCS magazine. Not crazy about the framing on this, I can always have it redone.