Fairy Scissors

Goodness it takes me a long time to catch up from vacation. When I got back from Las Vegas I had a package from Ladybeans {no blog}. She sent me these cute scissors.

Because she has 250 lbs of dog in her house (just the two!), she also sent a little prize for Stella (a mere 43#). I should have taken a picture of her eating the chicken filled rolled rawhide. Stella usually freaks when you give her a treat like this. She runs around the house whining and ends up burying it in the couch. (Just ask the dude. While we were away, he washed the slipcover--and a Busy Rollhide.) (That's okay, I wash Pupperoni from someone or other's pocket every week.) Thanks again, K.

It took me a while today to get into library stitching today. It seems I left the fuzzy white stuff at home, and for some reason I have the wrong beads in the kit. The pattern calls for two colors: crayon white and ice. What did I have with me? A packet of red and gold petite seed beads and a bag of red and green bugle beads. Go figure. Anyway, it finally dawned on me that I could do some backstitching. Didn't get very far.

Mabel wasn't there today, and no one could get in touch with her yesterday or today. Please send good vibes that this story has a happy ending.

The Kindness of Strangers

Linda from Litla Skvis has been too, too kind. She sent me three charts from my wish list so I can have something to look forward to stitching when my finger heals. This gift couldn't have come at a better time. First, I am tired of the whole finger situation and not being able to do the things I normally do--even the laundry. Next, I have deduced that I won't be getting a second interview for a job I really, really wanted. (I had the worst phone interview ever, which came mere hours after I found out I would have to have surgery on my finger the next day. I was a jumbled mess. And it still upsets me that I blew it so completely.) Then, just before I opened the package, I jammed my right long finger on the closet door jamb as I was hanging up my coat. That kind of hurt, you know, a little. So it was just a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. And then a little surprise from someone I've never met. It just makes you smile, doesn't it? Thank you, thank you, thank you, Linda!

While I was over at Linda's blog telling her how fabulous she is, I saw this meme:

Why did you start your blog? I started my blog because I wanted people to know that you didn't have to be a little old lady or a demure housewife to enjoy cross stitch. But I like how it has become a stitching journal and a diary--I've never been the sort who could keep one.
How did you come up with your blog name? I had a project that I hated.
Do your friends and family know about your blog and if so, what do they think of it? I'll take this separately: my family is vaguely amused by it. I think only my cousin's husband reads it, not even the dude. Everyone else thinks I'm a big dork. I have a few friends who read it, and since I am not much of a telephone person, it's a good way for them to know what is going on in my life.
How do you write posts? That's sort of a weird question. It's kind of like asking how I breathe air.
Have you ever had a troll or had someone leave unkind comments? I think people know better than that. It's all in your attitude, people.
Do you check your stats? Yes.
Do you care how many people read your blog? Sometimes. Depends on how lonely I feel.
What kind of blogs/posts interest you? My reader includes mostly cross-stitch blogs, a few sewing blogs, a couple of designer's blogs, some craft magazine blogs, a couple of friend's blogs, a grammar blog, and a beer blog. I think the posts that interest me most are the ones when people philosophize about their hobby. In an interesting way.
What do you like and dislike about blogging?

I like having met people from all over the world who share my hobby and understand the depths of my obsession. And don't judge! I dislike when native English speakers abuse the language. You are on a computer, use spell check and grammar check or do a little googling for goodness' sake! You're letting the side down! The "foreign bloggers" blog in better English than you do!

Gifted

Back in the 80s and early 90s, my family took a lot of cruises. One thing we learned from sailing around the Caribbean with a bunch of people: your experience is what you make it. Focus on the negative, and surprise, you’re pretty unlikely to enjoy yourself. I think that happened a lot at this camp. There were lots of people bitching and moaning, and honestly, there were a few things to complain about, but in the end all was made right, and really, you have to focus on that.

My flight arrived in Tulsa at 4:00 and by the time we moseyed out to camp, all the tables were filled! Sure, we could have sat two there and a few there, but we came from across the country to be together. In the end, that was remedied. By the time we sat down to stitch on Friday night, all was well. As usual, we had three kits: a SamSarah patriotic design finished into a cube, a bunny stitched using Medici threads and finished as a needlebook, and a small Prairie Grove Peddlar “Bee” chart stitched with luscious Crescent Colors Belle Soie silks and finished in an exclusive Just Nan WhimZi frame. Two of the three kits didn’t have enough floss. (What’s new?) But, that situation was rectified. You would have thought it was the end of the world the way some people carried on when they were missing one length of thread. For sheesh! Anyway, I ate some more Starburst jelly beans and focused on the positive. I left with three stitched projects. Two of which are completely finished, and one I only need to add trim to.

I’m in love with the CC silks. They did not fray or get fuzzy, and they felt so nice! The colors were lovely. They were so inspiring. I changed my options of “bee gentle,” “bee kind,” or “bee happy” to “bee bitchy.” It was a late night and some of us were a bit cranky. It got a few laughs, and I’m thinking about using it in a new header design. But first, I’ll have to take a photo.

On Friday night, we went to our Amish dinner. The Millers have built a new eating establishment so we don’t have to invade the privacy of their home anymore. The new atmosphere leaves a little to be desired: unfinished garage, springs to mind. Well, it is a garage-style building. And the inside is unfinished in the classical sense. So it’s not much of a stretch. Of course, a few people got lost, and I’ll never know why the organizers don’t write down directions for everyone and post a big sign at the turn that people always miss. They were supposed to have posted a few people out on the road to signal the turn, but the signalers thought their job was done and they left before we got there. Fortunately, we’ve done this a few times. The lost people did show up before we had shoveled down a first plateful of food and well before the arrival of the rolls. Oh, the rolls! They were later than the lost people, and I was positive we weren’t getting rolls. But we did; focus on the positive.

After dinner, our little crew handed out surprise gift bags to the campers in honor of our friend, V’s, birthday. People were easily bribed into singing happy birthday with a few trinkets from Oriental Trading Company—oh, and 72 cupcakes. She was shocked and surprised, which was just the effect we were going for. Happy significant birthday, Vickie!

On Saturday night, I overheard someone looking for Anna Van Schurman. Anna would have loved to attend camp, but someone had to stay behind to make sure the dude doesn’t have sex with my sister. (A running joke.) Now, I know I’ve alluded to this before, but that’s my nom de blog. So anyway, best pal, being who she is, asked if they’d like to meet Anna, and they said they had something for her. Why on earth would anyone have anything for me? Well, Chelle is just the kindest person. She had her friends who were attending camp give me a little giftie, a RAK. She sent a little kit to make an ornament out of the JCS ornament issue. I was so surprised. Thanks, Chelle! When you least expect it, expect it!

Since I brought geegaws for 48 people, I really thought I’d be going home with an empty suitcase, but between the RAK, a belated birthday present, and the gift bags that my devoted friends brought for us (not to mention the giant bag of polyfill that I had to buy at the Wagoner Wal-mart to finish the biscornu ), it was full-up on the trip home. (Yes, the biscornu got finished on time, but I did forget to photograph it. I’ll see if we can rectify that!)

Of course, I shopped and shopped, but that report will have to wait for another day.