Finishes to share.....

Well I set a September 25th goal to complete this project but I finished with a day or two to spare.    Some weeks there is just no time to stitch!  How can that be?    I have had a couple or three work events and fundraisers and shopping for fixtures and flooring and such so that is my excuse.

This guy was enjoyable to stitch.   He worked up fast.   I could finish it myself however I learned of a finisher that will do for a steal of a deal.    Rather than have him sit in the basket of shame of UFO's, I jumped on the chance.    Thank you Lynn D for being my delivery person for the drop off.

I did a little experiment in the lower corner adding Whisper in satin stitch style and then in long and short stitches to try to see which gave me the coverage I liked best.  I hope once it is "bunked" it will give me good results.

Some other finishes lately are stitching related, while still others are sanity related.

Who knew when I decided to burn a week's vacation as a Stay-cation is would be the same week demo started on my bathroom and who knew Mr. W. would go overboard and tell the contractor as soon as he was done the bath, to start the kitchen.  As with all things that are supposed to be 'simple', we went from a new shower insert to a complete bathroom gut job and plumbing replaced.    What a 'pleasure' it is to have my own Spot-o-Pot and have ALL the neighbors know when I am 'going'.   Down to the studs and damaged floor to be replaced.  We are in week three of the fun.  Ugh.

There is no point in fall house cleaning when there is construction going on.  So I decided instead make the most of my time off and to dedicate each day to a project.

One task I tackled was my walk-in closet that masquerades as a high school girl's bedroom.  Everything off the shelves, everything out of the drawers.   I was honest about what I have not and don't even expect to wear again and I boxed it up to donate.  I even went through the costume jewelry.   It was a struggle since I have the fabulous notion I could use the beads in finishing some unknown project or as embellishment for something in some unknown year.  I held fast and parted with a bunch.  I have 6 bags ready for Catholic Charities.......now it is just getting them out of the bedroom and dropped off.  I didn't quite make it through the entire closet but what an improvement.  One step at a time.

The yard was another day.  I pulled all the veggies out and turned over the soil for next year's growing season.   I trimmed trees and bushes.   I stowed away summer furniture.    Except for my egg chair.    I plain to sit in it with a warm blanket and cup of something and watch it snow this winter.

It feels good to declutter and organize.  Sometimes I don't know what ails me and I find it is that I am overwhelmed with all things that are messy and, for me, it puts me out of sorts.  That's my story anyway.

Not to worry, in between the sorting and cleaning and purging, I took an hour break each morning and each afternoon to dedicate to stitching.   I have finished the first three felt ornaments from Larissa Holland's 12 Days of Christmas.

Days Four and Five are stitched and cut and ready to assemble.    I really want to get these done for this holiday season.  I think when I am not doing 9 other things in the morning before work, I should concentrate on these.  They each have so many pieces!

Hey, I am wondering....is this what retirement will be like?   If so, I am ready.    If you factor in the vacation hours, holidays and weekends, I have about 35 workdays left.    My boss is still trying to persuade me to stay; others don't believe I will go; still others believe I will be back.    While it may help the ego to be wanted, plain and simple, I am tired of the BS.   What started in 1985 as a little side job to keep me busy turned into 33 years first as a school secretary and then a job change to the Executive Administrative Assistant to the CEO and CFO of a utility.    I can't say I have loved every minute but for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed my job, am thankful for all I have learned and am thankful for everything that I have been exposed to especially in the last 20 years at the utility but it is time......

Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching.

Craft-a-lanche

Well guess what boys and girls, I have been it IKEA.   It is always a fun day going to IKEA.     They have things you will not find anywhere else.

I walked their maze of a showroom and found tow or three contenders.  After weighing all the pros and cons,  I decided on two Syvde bookcases.   And then the fun began.   I got halfway through assembling and needed to recruit Mr. W.  because another set of hands was needed.

Funny thing is, I took photos and emailed them to my daughter asking her opinion for which one I should buy.   Everything in our house that is troublesome becomes an 'alanche".   Tupperware-alanche, pan-alanche, and so on.   I emailed her with the subject line - "Ikea-alanche"    Well that darned spell check turned it into some kind of crazy combination of letters which she thought was just the Ikea name for what I sent her.

 

To back up a day, and before I started with assembling the new cabinets, Mr. W. cut down an old ladder that had been laying under the house since we moved it.    Once power washed, we suspended it from the ceiling  and I have stored all my "started" and "yet to be started" quilts.    I just got an adorable baby quilt with mink as the backing at the quilt show that I am anxious to start.   I won't have any problem finding it when I am ready!

Quite simply, my workbench becomes a dumping ground for all things that need to be put somewhere.  I don't care for what they say about creative people not being tidy.   OMGosh, just the opposite for me.   I tend to get overwhelmed when things are not in their place.    I hate looking for things.   Like-things should be together.   Right?   First stop being IKEA for the bookcases, and the second, third, fourth and fifth steps were to have a grand sort out.    End result, I feel like I can tackle anything in this room now and with the quick stash of scissors from little hands, I can accommodate Mr. William visits.

As with any organization project, it gets worst before it gets better.  Ribbons and trims and fat quarters everywhere.

More IKEA purchases to put together.

It took the better part of two days but I got everything sorted and stowed in an orderly fashion.   I when through all my cross stitch patterns with a critical eye and was honest about whether I would ever really stitch them.   I have a nice pile ready to box up and send off for eBay sales.    I even entered all my patterns by name and designer into the X-Stitch ap.  That took the bulk of the second day's work but worth it since more than once I have bought a pattern I already have.   Must mean I really liked it.  

My workbench is actually a kitchen island i got from IKEA many years ago.   I love it.   (And the same one can be seen in Frank Reagan's kitchen on Blue Bloods!)

Tablets and post-its and pens and pencils are ready to be grabbed when needed.

All my trims for finishing are now in one place....not here, there and everywhere.

 I sorted my fat quarters by color and each color was folded and stored in a different plastic (Ikea) container.

The rest of the house may be upside down in the midst of bathroom renos but I'm a happy camper.  Let's hope I can keep the top of my craft island from collecting stuff.

Tomorrow's assignment for my stay-cation, since we are expecting a cooler day that today,  is  stowing the summer furniture, bringing in the hanging plants for the winter, and turning over the vegetable garden then out to dinner with the girls!

Statue of Liver-T

An explanation and no disrespect intend.     When my son was about 4 or 5 he had a fascination for the Statue of Liberty.   He would grab the TV guide and grab a candlestick and take the Statue of Liberty stance and start singing her praises to anyone who asked.    We have no idea where this came from but it even become our 'secret' safe word with the kids when they were small.  It is just one of those quirky family stories that we replay for his embarrassment.....but as usual, i digress.

As for my embarrassment,  I have lived my entire life in New Jersey and never had I visited the Statue of Liberty.   Wow, it is true what they say, that we have treasures right in our own backyards.

I took a bus trip with a friend from work and we ventured to Liberty Park on September 11th.   On the bus drive up we watched a 45 minute introductory movie about Ellis Island.   What a wonderful day and what a wonderful National Park.

I can't imagine what is must be like to live with this view in your backyard.

View of Ellis Island from the ferry dock.

NYC skyline from the ferry dock.

I have long thought that being the sappy person that I am that I would probably cry when I saw the Statue of Liberty.  I was actually more moved by Ellis Island.

This must have looked like a palace after all those days on board a ship crossing the ocean.

I found information on my both my maternal grandmother and grandfather.  My grandfather left home in Holland at 14 and worked as a cook on a merchant vessel.  This is the last entry into America.

I have two family trunks like the one above. It really brought home the connection.

 It was very emotional for me to stand in this great hallway and know that 101 years ago my grandparents walked through this very hall and that I could be standing in the exact spot, on the same floor under the same ceiling (both ceiling and floor are original)  as they did.

I found it hard to imagine the courage it must have taken to make that frightful journey across the ocean to an unknown.

The things that seem to impact may not be what others notice.   I marveled at the wear on the original stair treads from the over 4,000 sets of footsteps each day.

Original tile and flooring.  Just further proves they don't make things like they used to.

The tour itself was well done.  We traveled from room to room with headsets which recapped the steps an immigrant would have been taken upon arrival to the new world and a new life.

Immigrants were examined and received chalk markings on the left chest area of their clothing.   It indicated if they were sick or not, had mental issues or not, etc. and served to determine which area they were be next 'sorted' to.

 

I button hook - yes, a button hook used for fastening shoes of the time - was used to pull the eyelids up  and down to look for a certain eye disease.   If an immigrant was found to have this eye disease, they were turned back.   It was the obligation of the ship that brought over the refugee to provide passage, at no charge, back to England or Europe

 Tests similar to the one below, were used to test intelligence.

Refugees ate well.   Imagine the dishes for 4,000 to 5,000 people for 3 meals each day.   That kitchen must have been efficient!

The hospital on Ellis Island where the sick were sent.

Three shots below.  Each taken from approximately the same spot with different levels of zoom.

View of the hospital on site.  A necessity for those who were ill.

There was a bank onsite that would convert the tiny amount of money brought in into american money.

NYC skyline from the ferry from Ellis Island to Liberty Island.

Our ferry circled the island for a 360 view of Lady Liberty before docking.

The original torch on display on Liberty Island

And unfortunately this when my phone died.   Joyce took a few pix for me and I hope to have her send them to me shortly.  

There was so much to see and do and we enjoyed the day so much that I would go back again.

Thanks for stopping by........and I promise I will share some stitching next........a teaser - a finish and a new start.