Forever and a day

Not quite, but that is now long it feels like since I last posted. A lot has happened since then.

Our oldest grandson has been promoted from 5th grade into intermediate school. We were able to be there for the ceremony and his baseball game the night before.

Our oldest granddaughter has also been promoted from 5th grade into intermediate school. Unfortunately, we were not able to be there.

I am currently 'walking' around ... not too much walking though in a podiatric boot. This wonderful device was described to me as the equivalent of a walking cast. I am scheduled for an MRI later today to see if it is actually a stress fracture (again). I have had at least one other stress fracture that did not manage to show up on x-rays, so I get to have MRI's to see if there is actually a break. The podiatrist thought there might be gout or pseudogout involved, but the rheumatologist ruled that out. He is thinking there is a bit of osteoporosis involved, but my bone density scans haven't shown that ... everything changes though.

I have been able to get a LOT of stitching done though. I have completed three pieces that had been hanging around   -- Cirque des Carreaux, Quaker Diamond and a Raven.

Cirque (Ink Circles) has been hanging out the longest. I started it several years ago, didn't like it in just one color and ripped out a lot and changed it. I made the larger diamonds turquoise, magenta and green. The first two colors are in Carrie's Thread's Epiphany - a blended color silk. The green - not so much, but I liked it. The colors in the Epiphany don't really show up in the picture though.

The Quaker Diamond was my Tuesday Stitch project for a year or so ... a little bit each Tuesday. When I got to the alphabet which is stitched over one, I put it aside. So, while I was just sitting around with my foot up, I dragged it out an put in the alphabet.

The Raven is one that just plain caught my fancy. It was my Tuesday project after the Diamond.

I have now started working on Christmas ornaments for the grandkids. Seems like those are slower than the rest .. probably because I work so hard to find just the right design for them. This year the girls were easy ... I found a charming colonial girl in The Gift of Stitching magazine. Same design for each, but I am changing the color of the dress for each granddaughter. I haven't decided on what to stitch for the boys ... yet.

A friend from Arizona was in town yesterday. Several of us got together for lunch at the Amphora diner in Vienna. We like going to the Amphora for several reasons - it is pretty centrally located for the group - they don't get grouchy when we sit and talk all afternoon - the food is usually pretty good.

She lived in this area, Maryland and Virginia, during the years her kids were growing up. Then she and her husband moved to Delaware - a beach community. After than, they followed Horace Greeley's advice and went west. She has been in Arizona a number of years now. They had a beautiful southwestern style home in a development that did not allow 'grass' ... native plantings only. And it was a fantastically beautiful area. After her husband died, she moved to a retirement center - along the lines of The Virginia. She is well into her 80's and still drives across the country once a year to visit old friends.

I'm not sure if I would ever do that. I'm not happy on the Interstates - too many people trying to get too many places too fast for me. But I'm truly happy she does it. It is always good to see her. Phone calls and email and notes aren't always enough. Sometimes just seeing and talking the person is what you need.

Here it is June 6th already. I can't believe how fast the year is going.

My son celebrated his birthday early. He became a licensed surveyor in the state of New York. His actual birthday isn't until the 9th, but he was notified that he had received the license about the 1st. We are very proud of him ... this took a lot of doing. He had to present information on all the surveying projects he has undertaken, and pass an intensive exam.

We will have a visiting dog this weekend. My daughter and her family are heading to the Newport News area to celebrate a friend's birthday. But, the dog wasn't invited. So, he gets to visit. We will take him back on Monday when we go to watch Bryce's baseball game. Then on Tuesday, we will be there for the promotion ceremonies as Bryce leaves elementary school and heads to intermediate school. Doesn't seem like he is old enough for that ... or am I just showing my ignorance about when elementary stops and intermediate starts. When I was in school, it was elementary for grades 1-6, junior high for grades 7-9 and high school for grades 10-12. In Anne Arundel County, it is elementary for grades 1-5, intermediate for grades 7 and 8.... I think.

Memorial Day, almost

It's an unusual day. Memorial Day actually falls on Memorial Day ... or should I say Decoration Day? Either way, it's a day to honor those who gave their all for our country. Thank you.

We didn't go into town for the Rolling Thunder events. We never do, but we always get a feel for them. There is a big Harley-Davidson dealer near here, and the bikers flock there when in the area. He has a large parking lot and plenty of vendors.

I am working on my miniature Cluny tapestry only on Sundays -- at least for right now. I started out on gauze, but soon found that those little squares and I were not in the same ballpark. I switched to 40-count linen and things have been much better. I got new glasses, and things are even better than before. Maybe, maybe, I could have kept on going with the gauze, but I'm happy with the linen.

Just look at all those needles ... there are even more, but the threads are on the other side. I need to pull them out to the right side before I put it away for the rest of the week. I am almost 1/8 of the way through the first of 9 pages. But, not a bad start, I guess.

I am also working on an Ink Circles piece. Instead of doing it all in one color, as the designer called for, I am using some very bold colors. I have reached the point where I need to insert two more colors, and because the rest is so bold, I am at a loss. The yellow I had selected is just not standing on its own. I'll do a little bit more with it, and then post a picture. Maybe by then I will have decided whether or not that yellow gets to stay.

Bummer

My oldest granddaughter broke her wrist. She is a twirler, and was a practice. She was attempting a new trick, and landed wrong. The regional semi=finals are in two weeks. She is so upset. She has qualified for the nationals in July, and at this point, they don't know if she will be able to go perform for that. The orthopedist will make those decisions later on. She has another appointment with him this week.
 = {

It has only been forever since I added to the blog.

I just plain don't think about adding to the blog unless something happens to remind me. Well, today, I finished a projected for a charity stitch group, took a picture to post there, and thought about this blog.

In a recent newsletter, Nordic Needle mentioned a group that stitched for charities. I thought I'd see what they were all about and decided to join. The biggest problem I see with that group is that none of the charities they stitch for are in my local area. I'm not truly sure how long I will stay a member, but for now I have done a piece for them.

I had planned to host my Tuesday stitch group on June 14th. But this morning I found out that my grandson is graduating from elementary school that day. I'll have to find another day to host.

I've been working on the Oatlands Mystery Sampler. So far, so good, but I'm learning to dislike the very Williamsburgy colors I chose. Normally, I would really like those colors. But somewhere along the line, my tastes seem to have changed. They are very, very, very bland. I like the colors Donna chose for her sampler, but I'm not sure I could live with them for a long term project.

I have finished stitching all of the projects I selected for the January challenge. Now I need to do some finishing work. Good thing I didn't include finishing in my challenge. I have some projects from 2008 that need finishing work.

I am currently stitching Easter projects that didn't get finished before Easter. I have a chart from Trinity Designs that I am working up for each of the grand kids. Maybe they will get them next Easter. That might give me time enough to do the finishing work ... maybe not.

I also have a couple of other goodies in the works. One is a version of a Cluny tapestry. I tried doing it on gauze, but the eyes and the gauze didn't work together, so I am now doing it on a piece of 40 count fabric I had. I haven't gotten very far, but I just restarted yesterday. I will post a picture when I have enough done that you can see that there is something actually stitched. Another piece in progress is an Ink Circles piece - Circque de ... forgot the French word ... circus of diamonds. It was designed to be done in one color, but I am filling in the centers of the diamonds in colors. Pictures later.

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, so obviously we had Mexican tonight. Someday I might actually get it together.

Loudoun Sampler Guild is having what sounds like fantastic field trip. But, I'm not going. Sniff.

Happy Cinco de Mayo, Happy Mothers' Day. And happy anything else that comes along before I get back.