Getting it Together

Today when I was commenting on someone's blog, the verification word was "scronad." Now there's a unique morphed word! I don't know quite how to use it, but I didn't want to be the only one with that word/picture in my head.

I haven't been stitching much on Tree of Life. It's all backstitch now. I've been reading some and gardening some and sort of staring off into space a lot.

Here's a photo of that promising rhododendron from May 20:

And the front yard:

You may remember when we planted all this. I thought we had put those roses in three years ago, but it was only two. Yes, you need these, they grow themselves--no watering, no pruning, no fertilizer. (They said to prune them every three years, so I've got some work next spring. Actually, I have work as soon as that rhododendron loses its blooms.)

Maybe later today I'll get myself together to do a report on the card making/scrap utilization project. Maybe I will never be together again...

A Bored Person is a Boring Person

I'm so bored right now. And I noticed you people aren't updating your blogs, so no help to me in alleviating the boredom...and then I noticed I hadn't updated mine. I've only stitched a little bit of late, and Google hasn't sent me any interesting stories about stitching. I got nothing.

I've done a tiny amount of stitching on Tree of Life. When I picked it up on Sunday, I thought I was so clever to notice that the stitching was off. So I ripped out a whole column of stitching. Then when I restarted, and I was stitching it correctly, I noticed that I was stitching right in the old holes. So, apparently, I'm an idiot. It's a little upsetting to have such a setback on this piece. I'm sure I'll get over it.

I have been thinking about sewing and my goal to learn to do it better. I ordered the two back issues of Sew Simple, and I investigated this company to see if I could find someone to teach me to sew. They do not have representatives in my area but I can order the video. Trust me, if I am looking for a person to help, it's because I need a person to help. It's kind of like the tax software commercials where the guy is asking the box what to do about an audit. Who am I supposed to ask when they say things I don't understand, which will be inevitable? I have also investigated Joanns and the sewing machine repair company in my town. Why do people think if I want to learn to sew it's because I do not work? Why are all the lessons scheduled for midweek mornings? Why are all the Saturday lessons for kids? Why do people hate working women? Why do they hate freedom?

Ultimately, I would love to have a woman who would come to my house each week and we could work on finishing projects I've started. Learning things that way would be ideal. If I hadn't been such a stubborn teenager, I would have learned these things then. But my mother was the seamstress, and we spent a lot of time butting heads. A lot of time. Time that would have been put to better use if she had sent me off to learn to sew. But not with a lot of other people. I did that in home ec and that did not go so well. I wish I had some pictures of my awful home ec projects. Perhaps it's better that they have gone unrecorded...

I'm very boring...

I'm back at work on the afghan! It seems like forever since I touched it. I was worried because I thought I had goofed and was going to have to fix it, but I got out the highlighter and I'm right on target. Because I have a mere 11 weeks to d-day--and 5 flowers to finish--I think I am going to stop doing the backstitching. If I have time, I can do it at the end, but if not, it will look done enough to give. OTOH, maybe it's a really bad idea--I'll be left with nothing but backstitching at the end. Then you'll hear me bitch!