Been a long time…

Little did I realize how worn out I would be by the time I got home from work.  Work is going well and I ditched my crutches this weekend.  I am not getting around on my own two feet, but it takes me forever to get anywhere!  I still am using those sticks to get up and down stairs, but I feel a bit more independent. 

I am still working on one overs on my Woodland Fairy.  I have dedicated myself to not working on anything else until this piece is done.  I have half of her right arm and almost all of her left arm to complete.  If I would put my book away, I would be closer to being done, but my book is grabbing my attention!

I am deep into “Phantoms” by Terry Goodkind.  It is the 11th in a fantasy series and just came out.  I believe he intends to do one more book and end the series.  I have found that he has reintroduced almost every character that he has introduced in the series.  It is amazing. I had to run over to a coworker and have him refresh me on one of the characters.  A bit further in the chapter I actually remembered who she was clearly.  Good thing Mike was around, otherwise I would have had to call my daughter.

Speaking of my daughter, her crisis with her ex-boyfriend has negatively impacted her emotional life.  Given that she has issue, she has been admitted for observation.  That is so scary to me.  I am less afraid for her now, but none the less, I am devastated.  I sincerely hope and pray that things will work out for the best.  I can only keep up the positive outlook.  It makes me want to cry and cry.  I am sure that her dad feels the same way.  We will see.

Watching:  Project Runway

Reading:  “Phantom” by Terry Goodkind

Stitching:  “Woodland Fairy” by Teresa Wentzler

Progress…

So much is going on lately.  I was able to open my brace to 30 degrees.  Not as much as most at this stage with this fracture, but still progress.  It is amazing how much easier it is to sit in a car with 30 degress of movement than 0!  I am hoping to be at 60 next week at this time. Then I can begin to drive!  That will be awesome!

I finished my montly rotation early.  Largely because I had two weeks at home non-stop.  I have decided that rather than adding a new piece I will work solely on Woodland Fairy until she is done.  her face is complete.  I just have the rest of the skin to do and I am done!  It will be a huge accomplishment.  She will have taken longer in time and hours than any other TW I have completed.  I just know that once my mom sees here completed – she will be spirited away to Burlington, KS.  That will be her home for a good long time.  She will be in the company of Father Winter, Mermaid, and my Peacock Tapestry.  Also more Lavendar and Lace pieces than I can count.

I have also decided that my Minstrel will be given to a good friend and coworker, Mike.  He love fantasy as much as I do.  He and I think a good deal alike.  Same books, same movies, same interests.  I know that he will appreciate the framed piece and his wife won’t mind.  I wish he had a twin.  He saw the piece when I took it in to work to work on some backstitching.  Yes, I am back to that theme!  He fell in love so I know that he will take care of it and appreciate the time involved. 

I have also been very involved with Toastmasters lately.  I gave a speech at a joint meeting with another club on Wednesday.  I am speaking at a demo meeting on Wednesday.  I agreed because I can use an excellent contest speech that is one of those signature speeches.  It is about ’throw away kids’. Those wonderful children (I focus on teens) who for no reason of their own are essentially thrown away by parents more focused on themeselves than their children.  Sometimes the reason is drugs or alchol, mental instability, or a new spouse.  All of those contribute to teens forced to grow up or move out before they even finish high school.  Most of those kids are great kids – if they aren’t usually the parents are to blame.  It is a focus for me because my dad was one of those throw away kids.  The only problem is that I gave the speech so often that movement is second nature.  I will put the crutches away, but I hope that I don’t fall over!  My friend, Larry, is staying close just in case my brain goes a place my legs cannot take me right now!  We will see what happens.

Reading:  “The Valley of Horses” by Jean M. Auel

Stitching:  “Woodland Fairy” by Teresa Wentzler

Watching: “Trama in the ER” 

Wow is it hot!

I grew up in Tucson, so being used to the heat is just something one does.  Even in monsoon season, things are not too bad.  Then last summer I thought that Philly was way too hot.  We were in the Eagles staduim in early June.  It was hot and humid and down I went with heat stroke. Right onto the concrete face first in front of my daughter and her best friend.  Not good, hours in the ER recovering from heat stroke and breaking two teeth in the process.  But that is nothing compared to Kansas City at 101 degrees.  The humidity is bad and it is just so oppressive.  I have no outlet other than drinking tea, reading and cross-stitching. 

I am happily working n my one over Merrick.  He is coming along very nicely on a lovely Silkweaver Ocean Reflections in 28 count.  He is stitching up far faster than I would have thought.  I replaced the beads with a #4 braid Krenik in a matching color.  I am so pleased with the result. It also makes me wonder how large he would have been as over two.  I am a little surprised by how much I enjoy one over pieces.

Listening to:  Nothing

Reading:  ”The Testament” by John Grisham

Stitching: “Merrick” by Karen Weaver 

Daughter returns home…

My daughter moved out in October in an effort to seek freedom and grow.  She was 19 so it was not surprising.  She is now in the process of breaking her lease and moving home.  She has killed 3 cars in a year and a half and now finds herself carless.  Only one was an accident, one was a car that dies, and one she blew up the engine knowing she had a crack in the radiator.  But it will work out by moving home, gathering money, and working a lot before school starts in the fall.  It will prove interesting for her brother and I.  We have used her old bedroom for storage since she never cleaned it out.  She will be spending part of the week cleaning it out, repainting and packing up stuff her in apartment.  In reality,  I will feel better with her at home, but her brother will miss the peace and quiet!  I really only expect her to sleep here, but you never know!

I spent some of my day working on my 3rd seasonal fairy – this time summer.  She is moving along as quickly as the winter and spring ones did.  I am doing all 4 on the same fabric.  It will require a big honkin’ frame, but they are so beautiful.  I have only finished the first quarter – top left, but I can see the beauty of the roses already.  Teresa really amazes me in the beautify of her designs and borders.  And yes, I am keeping up with the backstitching. 

I should be preparing a speech for Thursday.  My Toastmasters club is doing a joint meeting with another club that meets not far from our office.  My problem is that someone will have to drive me the 3 blocks!  That is so hard to take.  I already feel guilty getting on an elevator to go down or up 3 floors when I used to enjoy the stairs!  Now the though of stairs makes me tired.  I know that that topic of my speech will be surprise events.  Then I found out that my evaluator is the one guy in that club that I know.  He is someone I have competed against in contests and beat.  We will see how he does evaluations.  The hard thing is that I will have little movement and not many gestures since I am non-weight bearing on crutches!  Should prove interesting!

Watching:  Unbreakable

Stitching:  “Summer Fairy” by Teresa Wentzler

Reading:  “The Testament” by John Grisham

A Full Week!

I actually made it an entire week at work.  I am glad it it is Friday because my arms need some relief. I never realized how much work my upper arms and wrists would get being non-weight baring on crutches.  Wow!  Monday through Wednesday were not bad because I sat most of the day.  Yesterday and today I moved from meeting to meeting (I spend much of my time in meeting facilitation).  Going from meeting to meeting was tiring! 

I had my staples removed and things seem better, but the dr. decided that we should wait another two weeks before he opened up the brace simply because my muscles are so tight that he was afraid working much would rebreak the healing patella.  Two weeks from now he will re-xray and see how things are going.  The incision looks pretty good.  It now has seri-strips to keep it together after they put some adhesive on the site.  Gross!  It just seems that either side of the incision is very numb.  Mom tells me that is normal though.

I didn’t get much stitching done tonight.  I just couldn’t keep focused on my Summer Bouquet.  I have an hour and a half to finish the rotation.  It is just beautiful!  Now that I am a bit more mobile, I need to reconnect my printer and scanner and get some pictures out here!

Stitching:  “Summer Bouquet”

Watching:  I am not really sure…

Reading:  “The Testament” by John Grisham

The End is in Sight for Woodland Fairy

Yes, crazy as it sounds, I finished all of the backstitching except for the one overs on my Woodland Fairy last night.  I couldn’t believe that it has taken me 3 1/2 years to get this far.  I am 230 hours in, wow…and an end is in sight.  Then I realized that once the one overs are completed, that little bit of BS left, I have a bunch of french knots to do.  It will be worth it!  She is just so beautiful even without a face, arms, neck, etc.  I am so close! 

Stitching:  “Summer Bouquet”

Reading:  “The Valley of Horses” by Jean M. Auel

Watching:  “Project Runway”

Days do get easier…

I admit it, once I put my stitching away last night I dashed (okay hobbled) to bed.  Then I couldn’t get comfortable to sleep.  My knee ached.  I woke up at 5:30 for work. Nothing seemed to go right.  My brace kept sliding down, I was frustrated with the coffee maker (probably because I had not had any).  My poor son, woke up, helped me out and sent me off to work with my daughter.  Then the day went so well at work.  I know that my teams in Boston miss me.  I didn’t realize I would miss my trips so much.  I can just visualize the room, the people and the faces.  I miss the non-verbal clues in a conference call.  I admit that I did force everyone to speak loudly enough I could hear them, oh yes, and one person at a time!  At least I will be going back next month.  My boss thought that I could take a trip by myself later this month if I feel up to it.  After hearing about the Big Dig tunnel, maybe not so much, maybe a water taxi sounds like the way to go. 

Oh yes, and work was much easier today and my knee feels better!

I am now having difficulty keeping my eyes open long enough to work on Woodland Fairy.  When I realize that I started this piece on 12/01/2002, I slapped myself in the head and said “Really?”  Why has this one piece taken me so darned long.  I love every stitch, even when I am bitching about all of the backstitching, but I am close to the one overs.  If I can just keep my eyes open!  Rather than adding a piece to rotation this month (by rights I could add two since I have finished two pieces this month – but last month was unusual), I will just continue stitching on my fairy.  With luck, I should be able to get through at least most of the one overs.  I know that my mom will spirit this piece out of here quickly.  She wants her for her master bathroom.  The greens are a bit brighter than her bathroom, but she doesn’t care.  Her upstairs guest bathroom is the home of TW’s Mermaid.  She is beautiful up there.  Mom actually decorated her bathroom around the piece. 

Stitching on:  “Woodland Fairy” by Teresa Wentzler

Reading:  “The Valley of Horses” by Jean M. Auel

Listening to:  Bon Jovi

Back to Work…

Back to work, a thousand or so emails, a rearranged cube, and too many meetings already.  When my DD let me out of my car this morning in the rain, just as soon as I go close to the doors, our guard, Ron, had already opened the door for me.  He carded me – so very nice.  It took me forever to get around, but all in all I had little to do because everyone wanted to do stuff for me.  My day went rather quickly until the last meeting.  We got started late, and so the meeting ended late.  I was ready for a pain pill by then.  It was actually enjoyable! 

I did get my last hour in on backstitching my Footprints.  I was amazed that I found the time, but I did.  Now I get to get back to backstitching my lovely fairy.  I cannot tell you how happy I will be when I get to the one overs.  I admit that she is just beautiful! 

Watching:  Medium

Reading:  “The Valley of Horses” by Jean M. Auel

Stitching on:   “Woodland Fairy” by Teresa Wentzler

Almost there…

I whizzed through my Noah’s Sub rotation.  It even looks like I made progress this time!   I started on the left side of the sub, and the first fish!   It is going to be awesome when completed.  I then began Footpirints while watching the Project Runway first season marathon.  I cannot believe that they have so little time to complete pieces.  And yet, they produce beautiful pieces.  I didn’t get as far on Footprints as I should have simply because I was so interested in the program.  I rarely do that, usually the TV is just for noise! 

I wonder now, that I am going back to work, how much time I will have for cross stitch.  Will I be exhausted?  I know that tomorrow I am going to attempt a full day at work and then go to a Toastmasters meeting.  Granted, it will be good to get out of the house, but is it too much?  I guess I will know tomorrow.  I also kitted up an ornament to work on at lunch.  I used to stitch during lunch, but I found that I rarely had time.  I plan to make time now.  We will see.

Watching: Law & Order Criminal Intent

Stitching on;  “Footprints” by Teresa Wentzler

Reading:  “The Valley of Horses” by Jean M. Auel

Stitching and stitching…

I am back at work on Noah’s Sub.  This piece will take me forever.  It seems that I make progress, but it so small in comparison with the complete picture.  At least the backstitching is minimal.  I did spend another hour on Woodland Fairy working on the never ending backstitching.  I still have 2 ferns and the wings to finish BS before I can get to the one overs.  It seemingly endless.

I spent much of the day in my sitting room. I got up early so that I can make it through a whole day at work Monday.   I have been downstairs twice today.  Once because I needed some floss that wasn’t upstairs and once for coffee and pudding.  I sat on the deck for awhile in the nice evening weather.  I am hoping is rains this evening.  My DS still hasn’t mowed the lawn.  I hope to get him out there tomorrow evening and get it done before the neighbors start to complain.  I hate it looking like it does!  This has been a great day, few pain pills and movement toward normalcy.  I cannot wait. 

I have to call my daughter to pick up some hose for work on Monday.  My son and my ex both refuse to buy hose and female products.  I am not sure why, but they won’t.  My DD will get them so that at least I look sort of nice.  I am not sure about braving a shower, but I have my huge garbage bag and tape ready.  I have a chair, I just need to get over the edge of the bathtub.  Scary.  It amazes me how much we take for grantd in our lives every day.  Who would have ever thought that something as simple as a shower or going downstairs presents such a heroic effort.  Ah well.

Reading: “The Valley of Horses” by Jean M. Auel

Stitching on:  “Noah’s Sub”

Watching:  “The Critical Hour”