Flowers, Flurry and Frustration

Well here I am again so soon.  Going to try to make it a quick fly-by to catch up on my progress of all things.    I've got to start with flowers.    Two of my four orchids are in blooming; one already flowering and another with buds.   Yea!    They may only bloom once a year for me but it always makes me so happy.   They really are not as hard to grow as one would expect.   You need to find a place they like, basically ignore them and be patient.

The world outside is coming in to bloom too.   Another ten days or so and this Dogwood will be in full bloom.  I may head to the nursery this morning get buy another dogwood.   Friends are recommending a Kousa Dogwood but I really want a pink Dogwood.

I am slowly making my way through weeding the flower beds and it feels so good to get outside.   This morning however, it is foggy and misty and hampering my desire to get my hands in the dirt and get a wet butt at the same time!

Over the years, my collection of daffodils and tulips has suffered from the multitude of flower bed rearranging, lack of proper feeding and generally being left in the ground for 30+ years.   Today I will start with taking some photos of what is blooming and where it is so I can add more bulbs next fall.

I think fall time planting is my favorite.  It gives me something to watch for and look forward to each spring.

I finished Elizabeth Pusey Chester County Sampler and am absolute elated to have this out of the basket of shame.   Unfortunately it will go from the basket of shame to the basket of to-be framed.   I need to watch for a Michael's coupon and set aside some time to take a trip to the Dover Michael's.   I have a friend who has had much success with framing from there.



















I picked up the Karoline Berringer Sampler from Summer House Stitche Works for my EGA Challenge piece this month.   Each month I have managed to pick up a WIP and finish it.   This piece was the reward of a new start after I finished one month's challenge piece.   I can see that I will be able to finish this one in the next four weeks EZ-PZ.   And then it will be off to the basket of UFO's to tackle another.

A quick update on my file box find a few weeks back.   I have cleaned it up and placed it next to my stitching chair.   It is perfect to set my shaker tray on.   I love putting my pattern in the top drawer so it is always close at hand without digging through the project bag.

 I can reach over mindlessly,  and grab scissors,  store a needle or get hand lotion without even looking.  I am so glad I didn't hesitate when I saw this.

Here's a fun trinket that sits in my tray.   It is a metal, magnetic spool about the size of a large spool of thread where I can put my needles.  It was a gift from my daughter which makes it even more special.

And then there is Buddy, the source of my frustration.   My in-and-out-all-hours-of-the-night-cat.   Good thing he is a good mouser or POW! off to the moon with him.   Some say, why let him bother you?   Well, about 1:30 every morning he wants to go out.   How to do I know?   He claws at the corner of the bedroom chair until I get up and let him out.   Not only is he waking me but he is clawing the heck out of the chair.  I have tried doubled sided tape on the chair, but he just claws at something else.    So out he goes....only to want to come in at 4 a.m.  And how do I know this?   I can hear him pawing at the front door.  So cute some think that he has worn the paint off the door.   Well I guess I have turned a deaf ear to it on some evenings that he has now starting clawing at the weather striping.   And that is not bad enough, he will sometimes stand on the porch rocker and claw at the window screen.   De-claw him?   Not possible.  We tried to keep him an inside cat when we got him but there is no way this is an inside cat.   He is a truly nocturnal barn cat.  I've talked to the vet about him and she said some cats are just outside nighttime cats.   Ugh!  



See that 'white' area by the molding.....its freaking daylight from where he has clawed the weather stripping off.

Just a little frustrated from the months and months of not sleeping all night.   I do so enjoy an uninterrupted night of sleep in a hotel room!

Been busy busy busy being out 8 nights a week.  I continue to try to dedicate my early morning to stitching before I hit the treadmill and head out the door to work.   It is what is working right now for me.  I am happy to continue until I hit that wall.

Upcoming is my semi-annual Salty Yarns Retreat with DVHSG.   It is always so nice to sit and stitch and catch up with friends and of course, shop.   I will be back from OCMD one day before I fly to Memphis to the Prim Stitchers Retreat.   Got my tickets for Graceland already and need to firm up some other tours today.  I guess I should have shown some restraint and stayed away from Salty Yarns this spring but then again, why not!  That means sometime in the next few days I need to kit up some projects I want on the horizon and make a list of what I need for each.   It's a rough life but someone has to do it.

Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching!

Needles are flying

And I have progress to show.   In part because I spent a day and a half stitching my heart out at retreat style stitch-in at the home of a friend.   OMGosh!  Forget about the stitching!  We ate like you wouldn't believe and it will take me two weeks to drop the pounds I put on and that we with me being very moderate with my portions and staying away from things.....but those jelly beans and desserts did me in.   Time to increase the time on the treadmill I guess.

Anyway, apart from that, I was able to get my two pieces of linen joined for the Pamela Darney sampler I will be working on.   No start date set yet for this one.  Pamela was a guest speaker at recent guild meeting.   Neat lady.  Very talented and I love her designs.   After the regular meeting I  participated in afternoon class where we learned how to join two pieces of linen for a sampler.   Not difficult, just a running stitch over and back but all the same tedious on 35 count and......when talking one sometimes drop down a thread unintentionallly  and there was the need to frog back several inches multiple times.    Glad that part is done!

I also finished this prim tulip.   It is a pre-stitch for Prim Stitchers Retreat in early May.     We are mounting it on a box lid.     I have the second pre-stitch started but not finished.   They are small so it won't be a big deal.

I  threw out the window my whole plan of attack to stitch one letter/stitch one row for finishing the Elizabeth Pusey Sampler.   I have six letters and a bottom border to finish.   While I am really thrilled to be able to see the finishing line on this one I really want to push and get it finished by our Thursday EGA meeting.  However, the temperature is in the upper 60's and the yard is calling me.  

Maybe I can eek out a letter each morning before work.   Lord knows it won't get done in the evenings...... I hit that easy chair and must activate a 'to go sleep' button in my back-side because I am never long before falling asleep once I sit down.

Met with the contractor and plans have taken a different turn.   I got sticker shock for sure.  The estimate I was looking at - although is was as much as the entire existing 16 by 22 foot deck cost 5 years ago - was only for ONE thing....the 9 by 11 addition.  It did not include the pergola.  Time to regroup and re-evaluate and launch a different plan of attack.  Contractor has all my thoughts and questions and went off to give me a new quote.    Here's hoping.

OK, that's all I've got.  So excited to finally be getting outside and get my hands in the dirt.    We'll see how excited I am when I am bone tired this evening from all the stretching and lugging and pulling.......it will be glorious while I am at it at least!  

Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching!