So much to catch up on.....

I need to keep this short so I can put needle and thread to fabric tonight after updating my Words With Friends.   First to my time on Facebook has been seriously curtailed.   FB has its place but its place in my life was keeping my from my passions.  Second, I did what I said, I went back to basics and although life may be demanding, I am feeling good.   I have been spending my evenings prepping flower beds and spreading mulch.   I love my hands in the soil.     In my planting zone I need to wait until mid-May to put in my veggies......except for my potatoes.  They are in!

Minus the 50 year old Maple Tree

I can't wait til it is warm enough to get a  big geranium to put on my oversized front step.

Love the Bleeding Hearts and think I need to get some more.

Oops!  Time to tie up the remains of the Tulips!

    

English Woods Hyacinths - Like these too!

I got back into my reading too.   I finished The Time In Between it was good but not as good as The Other Boleyn Girl...which I read next.   What a page turner.   As driven as Anne was to become the queen, was how I was turning the pages.    Now my treadmill companion is Catching Fire.   Since I read Hunger Games last year and the movie came out I figured I'd better get a move on reading the next two in the series.  I had set a goal of reading 6 books in 2012 and I nearly have 3 done already.  

So on to the stitching segment.  OMGosh!  If you ever have the chance to take a class with Ellen Chester, run, don't walk, to the nearest computer to sign up.   What a wonderful, warm, sharing person.   The classes were FABULOUS.  The weekend started with dinner with six guild board members and Ellen and her husband, Tom.   The company as well as the food was delish!  Class all day Saturday on the Sampler  Huswif and all day Sunday on Long May She Wave.   Ellen's kits and supplies were only passed in quality but her personality and teaching. 

Don't mind all the threads......there was no time to finish the two rows of each stitch before moving on to the next stitch Ellen taught. 

The fabrics and fibers ----- oh I wish you could feel how sumptuous they are!

Again the fibers ... to die for!  Ellen really puts together a beautiful  kit.

My class progress on the needlebook for my Huswif.

It was worth waiting a year to have a class with her and I for one would be on the list to take any she teaches.  I was exhausted by the time I got home Sunday after class.   I don't know how Ellen manages to remain so sweet after being on her feet most of both days.  

It was worth keeping my promise to not start any new projects because I knew these were waiting for me.   These will definitely be packed in my stitching bag to go to OCMD next weekend for a stitcher's retreat.