I've been working on Christmas stockings. Here's Jymi's after the SAL. I don't think I'm going to SAL anymore. It takes me at least three days to really get into a project, so I never get much done on SAL days, and it screws with my mojo for whatever else I was working on. I'm now doing a screaming rotation, I guess.
I also worked on Tobi's stocking. It's my closest to being finished, but I can't stand to work on it too often. I'm using the book, where all the charts in the series were reprinted. There are so many mistakes in the chart, it's incredibly irritating to try to work on. I managed to get a section done, though. After a week or so on Invariance, I'll want to go back to it. A week on 28 ct. over one, and over two on 25 ct. is a nice break. If I'm not done by August, I'll work on it exclusively until it'd finished. I will have it done by this Christmas. Until now, he's always used mine, but now he can spell his name, and he knows it's not "Faye."
Here's this week's SBQ. How many needles do you use during a project? Have you ever loaded up a needle for every color? Do you use a new needle for every project or recycle your favorite needle? I start off with one needle. If it breaks, tarnishes, or gets lost, I get out a new one. When I finish a project, I keep using that same needle. I have needle loaded, on my first figure on my nativity scene, way back when. To me, it was a major pain. I had given up on that idea before the figure was finished.
The school called me to let me know the zoning had changed and to tell me where the boys would go to school now. I didn't know where it was, so I looked it up on the district's website. The zoning is insane. If you go to the next intersection either way on our street, the other kids will go to the same school the boys were supposed to. It's just our fifty foot section of street. There are two schools within a ten minute walk, and seven more within a fifteen minute drive. The boys' new school is all the way on the other side of town, twenty to thirty minutes away, depending on traffic, since I'll now have to get on the interstate to take them. They will go to the closest middle school, but by that time, the zoning will have changed again, and hopefully, we'll have moved anyway.

Labels: Jymi's Stocking, Kids, Tobi's Stocking

I received my Dragon Dreams exchange from Sally! It's a gorgeous flat fold and a fob. She also sent me the Runekeeper chart/story. I feel kinda bad now. Mine's not half as nice as this.
I spent four hours on Invariance, Friday. I got another four hundred or so stitches in, not that you can see much change. They're having another sale at Heaven And Earth this weekend, and Jymi does still owe me a chart. I may have to get the new Selina Fenech, Pirate. I've been waiting for that one. All those reds would be a nice change from the blue projects I usually gravitate towards. Today I'm working on Jymi's stocking, and tomorrow's The Castle. After that though, I'll either go back to Invariance, or work on Tobi's stocking. I'd like to get it finished by the end of summer.
We're all doing okay with Jymi being gone. Tobi and Darin seem to be adjusting well. They get talk to him when he calls to tell us all goodnight. I'm getting better. I've started sleeping again, which is always a good thing. I don't have much appetite. Yesterday I had lunch, and gum, and that was it. I could stand to lose quite a few pounds though, so I'm not that worried about it.

Labels: Gift Stitching, Invariance, Jymi, Jymi's Stocking, Kids, Stash

Jymi's gone for real now. He got to come home and spend Wednesday night with us. We took him to Columbia yesterday. He had to be there at six in the morning, which means we had to get up at 3:30. We got the boys dressed before they went to bed, so all we had to do was put their shoes on. That way they got to sleep a little later (until four). We dropped him off at the armory, and the boys and I had breakfast at Waffle House while they packed the buses. we went back to the armory, and had some time with Jymi. All his friends were amazed by how much Tobi looks like him. Jymi's parents got there about eight. They had to be in formation at 8:40, so about ten minutes before that, Jymi started his goodbyes. He hugged Tobi, and Darin hugged me, and it turned into a group hug. Then he hugged his parents and his sister. I got my own hug after that. Suffice it to say it was a good thing I brought two packets of tissues. Then there was a ceremony, and they got on the buses. Jymi texted me so I'd know where he was on which bus, so we could wave goodbye. That was when Tobi (and all the other kids there, too, it seemed) started crying because he missed his daddy. I picked him up and hugged him (which I can't do often, he's fifty pounds), and told him I missed Daddy, too.
I keep going through it in my head again and again, and it always makes me cry. It's the last time I'm gonna see him for at least two months, though, and I don't want to forget a second of it. He called me last night to let me know he was there. He talked to the boys a little, too. Tobi has changed his mind. Daddy is no longer fighting robots, but skeletons instead. Darin is the ultimate mama's boy, and hasn't really noticed yet that Daddy's gone. When it's been a week, and he still hasn't seen Daddy at all, he'll be upset. I could sure use any spare hugs.
I started Invariance. At this point it doesn't look much different from Merlin And Arthur. I'm really enjoying it, but I haven't been able to work on it more than an hour and a half each day. My eyes have been sore. Plus I've been a little depressed, and that has lessened my urge to stitch.
I've considered trying a new rotation, but I don't know if I'll stick to it or not. I was going to start it the first of June, but now I'm thinking to hell with it. I'll work on what I want, when I want. It's what I end up doing anyway. When I'm sick of Invariance, I'll move on.
I mailed my Dragon Dreams exchange, but I forgot to take a picture of it finished. I had to mail it to England, and it cost twenty bucks! Yikes! I haven't gotten mine yet.
I also have two SBQs to answer. How do you choose a project for an exchange? Do you pick solely on what you know of the taste of the recipient or are there other reasons you pick the piece you do? I usually try to pick something I already have all the materials for. That probably gonna sound cheap, but it's more that I want to get started right away. I've only ever done two exchanges, though.
If you could only stitch one more piece what would it be and why? That's a hard one. At the moment, I'd say Impossible Love. I think it's gorgeous, and I've always loved it. Plus it would take a long time to do, and I could extend my stitching pleasure! Of course, it'll be something different next week.

Labels: Family, Invariance, Jymi, Kids, New Starts, Real Life Sucks, SBQ

I got a wonderful surprise Saturday afternoon! Jymi called and told me he was going to get to come home for a day! He came home Saturday night, and he didn't have to leave until this morning! We took the boys to see Shrek The Third, and then had dinner with Jymi's family. We hadn't planned to tell them he was back for a day; all the good-byes had been said, and Jymi didn't want to do it again. His dad called to invite the boys and me to dinner for Jymi's grandfather's birthday, and Jymi answered the phone. So we saw them all again. The boys loved the movie and dinner, and I loved that we all got one more special day together.
I worked on The Castle Saturday, after Jymi gave me the good news. Before then all I wanted to do was sleep. Not bad for only a couple hours.
I didn't work on anything for the Black Swan SAL. I had better things to do on Sunday (see above).
Today I will work on The Castle again, but first I've gotta go to the post office. My Dragon Dreams exchange piece is going to be almost a week late going in the mail. Another picture coming soon!
I also want to thank everyone for their hugs and thoughts. I was pretty depressed in my last post, but I'm feeling better now. I know he's safe right now, and will be while they're training. That will help my mental health for a couple months.

Labels: Family, Jymi, Kids, Movies, The Castle

It's been a full and wonderful week. I had a nice birthday, and an even nicer day after my birthday. "The boys" (read as Jymi) got me a beautiful Chinese doll, which I will share a picture of when I'm not so lethargic. My sister also got me a necklace of a heart with a key cut out of it that says, "He who holds the key can unlock my heart," and a necklace with the key for Jymi. I never thought he'd go for it, but he's worn it since that night.
His coworkers all put in money to buy him a laptop, so he can get email while he's gone. He works with some very nice people.
We shopped, packed, and had pictures made. Jymi had some old friends come over for awhile. My mom watched the boys one night for us to go see a movie. We saw Spiderman 3, and we both agreed not to take Tobi to see it in theaters. Not because it was scary, but because most of the time he was Peter Parker, and if he's not in the Spiderman suit, Tobi's not going to pay attention.
All in all, it was a very nice week, until last night. Knowing that was going to be my last good night kiss for awhile was hard. Today he went down to the armory, and I had to go down later, for my ID card. He was able to sit and wait with me for most of the three hours, which was nice. I was very happy to not have to talk to the "Army Wives." Women who were horrified at the suggestion of getting a job, and did nothing but complain about how long they had to wait. They were in a hurry to wait for their husbands to be let so they could go to dinner. After watching them, Jymi no longer minds that I don't want to go to the support meetings. I will get to see him at least one more time, right before he gets on the bus to leave. He may get to come home one night this week, but that's a big maybe. He may also get a couple days off when they're done training, before they actually go overseas. Then we'll go down to see him there.
I've done good today. My eyes are so dry after crying so much last night, I don't know if I could cry today. I'm trying to keep myself distracted, but I'm afraid to go to bed. That was the worst when he was in boot camp; laying in the bed by myself. I have to know that I will fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, or I know I will lay there and cry. At the end of Jymi's training, I was going to bed at three and getting up a six, almost every night. It's all good though. It's more time for stitching.
The boys are taking it well, but I don't think they understand. This morning Tobi asked where Daddy was, and I told him he'd gone to be a soldier. Tobi's now absolutely sure that Daddy's fighting evil alien robots, and nothing will convince him otherwise. Darin hasn't say anything about it, but he's only been gone a day.
Stitchy news now. I've finished two models, to be released in June, I think. With my birthday money, I bought Invariance, Tending The Dragon Sleep, Desire, and Cathedral. I've gridded the first page of Invariance and will start it Tuesday. SALs until then. I'm hoping to actually work on The Castle for the first time in awhile. It will depend on how depressed I am tomorrow, though. Have a nice weekend!

Labels: Finishes, Jymi, Kids, Models, New Starts, Real Life Sucks, Stash, The Castle

See this black blob? It's 263 stitches, and about two and a half hours work. It's also smaller in real life. I started Merlin And Arthur yesterday, for Jymi. I told him this would be a major project, but I don't think he really understood until he saw it last night. I told him all the details, and how big it was going to be when it's finished (about twenty-one inches by twelve).
I'm hoping to buy at least Invariance on Friday. I bought fabric for both projects Monday, and kitted them up. I'm all excited! Or insane. Take your pick.
Hannah went to the vet Monday. He said she'd heal very well from getting fixed, and he was happy that she'd put on some weight. You can no longer feel every single bone in her body, but she still needs to gain some more. She likes sleeping with Tobi, and last night we found out she's much quieter that way. She and Tinkerbell chased each other all night.
Today is Jymi's last day at work. He's taking tomorrow and next week as vacation time, to spend with me and the boys. So no blogging and not much stitching the next week. Tomorrow we're going out with his parents for my birthday. Friday we're going to my mom's for my birthday. Saturday, one of Jymi's work friends is throwing him a going way party. Then there's things we need to buy, stuff to do. It's going to be a busy week.
To add to that, I'm going to go see Spiderman 3 Monday, and if it's not too scary, Jymi and I'll take Tobi to see it. Other people can't really help me, because Tobi isn't scared y the things most kids are. My sister was scared of the flying monkeys in The Wizard Of Oz, and I was afraid of the witch. Tobi's scared of the Cowardly Lion. The graveyard scene in Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire didn't bother him a bit, but the grindylows freaked him. When we bought Prisoner of Azkaban for his third birthday, and the werewolf went into the woods, Tobi said, "Where the doggy go?" Darin says he wants to see it, too, but I don't think he'd sit through it, scary or not. Darin can watch the rain for hours, but he's not into TV or movies, with the exception of Spongebob and The Upside Down Show.
So the next time I post will probably be after my husband is gone. The computer is conspiring against me anyway. It keeps playing songs like Leaving on A Jet Plane, Stellar, Anti-Gravity Love Song, and To Be With You. Hope everyone has a nice week, and a happy Mother's Day.

Labels: Family, Jymi, Kids, Merlin And Arthur, Movies, New Starts

Jymi's at drill this weekend. He got his orders. On May 18, he has to go to Columbia, until May 21, when they leave for Mississippi. They don't have global orders to go to Iraq yet, but they have a couple months of training in Mississippi. It's just a technicality. At least this time, he'll still be here for my birthday. When he went to boot camp, he left a week before.
I thought I had finally made peace with it. I mean, I've been crying about this since November! You'd think I'd have dealt with it all by now. At least he'll still be safe while he's in Mississippi.
So I guess I do have some stitchy news, because today is definitely a new start day. I'll start something small, and depending on when Jymi gets home, I may go get a piece of fabric to start a HAED or two (or three or four or eight). I've got at least twenty pieces of hand dyed fabric, but noting plain. Since they're fully stitched, I don't see much point on putting it on a more expensive piece. When I do the Kitchen Witches, I'll probably them on a hand dyed so I don't have to stitch the background. I may even get a custom piece. If I can't get the plain fabric today, I'll get it Monday.
I may go to my mom's, and raid her stash. I want to ask her to go to court with me anyway, since Jymi will be gone. I'm a little scared, and I don't want to go by myself.
My Uncle Jim came to to visit for Mother's Day, and his daughter is coming in this week, too. She's flying, while my uncle rode his motorcycle all the way from Denver. That's a long ride. We went to see him yesterday. The boys always make up to him so much, and he's having a very hard time with his son. So when the boys love him so much immediately, it helps make him feel better. I feel bad for my sister's kids, though. They've got Uncle Jymi, Uncle Jim (my stepbrother who lives a couple hours away), and Great Uncle Jim, visiting from Denver.
The picture is Jymi and Darin, playing with the keyboard last Christmas.

Labels: Family, Jymi, New Starts, Real Life Sucks, Stash

As promised, here is the progress I've made on Tobi's stocking. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's only a pinprick, but it's there. I should get back to it in a couple days.
I'm still working on my model. I've almost finished the section I ripped out. I've got a half an hour's work left on that, but I found another small section that's off by one stitch. I think I must've been drunk the first time I stitched this part. That'll take me an hour to rip out, and a little over an hour to put back in.
I thought I'd catch up on some SBQs, since I haven't in awhile. First one. How do you decide which stitching blogs are worth repeat and/or regular viewings? Are there certain things you look for in particular? Are there things you wish there were more of? Less of? Is your blog a good example of what you like to read?
This is kinda like how I pick friends, or how I used to pick boyfriends. I don't know why I like someone or their blogs. I just look through, and if it strikes me, I add it to my Google Reader. Before I started using Google Reader, I would delete blogs from my favorites if they went a month without posting. Clear as mud? I guess mine is what I like to read. Stitching and people's real life. When I started my blog, I never expected anyone to read it. I love that there are a few people crazy enough to read the insanity that comes out of my head, but I blog to keep track of my progress, and to get out everything that rattling around in my head.
How many WIPs do you have? How many UFOs do you have? When does a WIP become a UFO?
Counting the model, I have five WIPs. I don't have any I consider to be UFOs, although I probably should. To me WIPS become UFOs when I give up on them, and as my husband will happily point out, I'm a stubborn b****. It takes alot to make me give up on just about anything. The first cross stitch project I ever finished spanned about three years of on again off again stitching. It was a nativity scene, with seven stand up figures. In 2000, I stitched the first two. In 2001, I stitched one when my mom and I went to the CATS show in Atlanta. That fall I moved to Virginia to live with my dad, and left stitching here. When I came to visit in 2002, I did another figure, but again I left the stitching. When I moved back here in 2003, I was pregnant, living in an upstairs apartment, with me my 35 pound one and a half-year-old. I could go many places, since I had a hard time carrying Tobi up and down all those stairs, so I picked up my nativity scene from my mom, and stitched the last three while waiting for Darin. I never gave up it. I always planned to finish it.
Are you on “The Wagon?” If so, how long have you been on and how “serious” are you about it? If not, have you considered it? I'm not technically on "The Wagon", but I'm on the Fifty Project Challenge. I've been on it since March, but I'm not good at it though. I've got some stash plans for next week, after I get my birthday money.
I decided to treat myself to some HAEDs for my birthday/stress reduction/Mother's Day. I picked out six that I can't live without. Since shipping goes up for six to tn charts, I decided to get a couple more, if I was going to pay that much. So I picked out eight, which brought my total to $90. Well, at a hundred, shipping is free, so what's one more chart. So I've picked out nine charts to buy next week, after I get birthday money, but before the Mother's Day sale is over. My birthday's next Thursday, three days before Mother's Day.
In case you're interested, I'm planning to get five Bowsers, twos Feneches, one Camprubi, and one Shimmel. The Feneches are Dragon Soul and Impossible Love. I loved the Dragon Soul freebie Michelle did. Of course, it's not a freebie anymore, and if I'm gonna pay for it, I'm gonna buy the full size one. As for Impossible Love, I just love the colors, the idea, and the expressiveness of their faces. It's just beautiful.
The Bowsers I'm planning on are: Invariance, Tending The Dragon Sleep, Desire, Goddess Of Tides, and Cathedral. Cathedral was a tough decision. That was my last one added to get free shipping, and I had a hard time picking between Cathedral, Beckon, and Lotus Wood. I also like Forest Light, but it was also the first one I threw out of the running. That's enough rambling for now, and plenty of links. Have a nice weekend.

Labels: Models, Project Challenge, SBQ, Stash, Tobi's Stocking

Don't you just love when everything in life blows up at you? Two weeks ago, Jymi had five teeth pulled, (four wisdom teeth, and one other). For a week, I had an extra child. It took me three days of sleeping in for me to become halfway human again. The next weekend, the computer died. Yay. It took Jymi a week and quite a few obscenities to get that fixed. Friday night, I got a ticket, because apparently my tags have expired. My notice must've gotten lost in the mail, because we had no idea. So now I have to go to court in June. Yesterday I had to take Jymi to another dentist, for cavities. They worked on one, and decided it was going to have to be pulled, and they didn't have time to work on the other two. If all that was enough, on the way to the babysitter's, we had a tire blow out. The spare was flat, and the other rear tire won't last much longer. So I had to get up early this morning, go pay the taxes, and then go to the DMV, so Jymi could drive my car to work. We can't afford new tires for his car until payday. Then there's my kids, who are always trying to kill each other, and the entire three days I spent cleaning the house. I'm ready to start pulling my hair out.
The good news is, I got my birthday present early. I had been considering getting a kitten when Jymi left, to ease the loneliness. Tobi's been watching alot of Animal Planet lately, which always has heart breaking animal shelter PSAs. He's been coming out crying "for the pets". I tried explaining that, despite how much I would love to be able to give all the poor animals a loving home, we just can't. Tobi replied, "Well can we just have one kitty?" When I told Jymi, he suggested we go ahead and get one. So that Friday, we went down to animal control. We had seen one called Miss Priss online, that Jymi liked, but when we got there, she came right up to the glass. She loved on the boys through the window. We looked at all the other cats, but our mind was kinda made up already. We brought her home and changed her name to Hannah. She's about three years old, and has been a stray all her life. We considered naming her Anna, since she was so anorexic looking (under all that fur; her vet says she doesn't even weigh a whole pound), but it seemed a little bleak. Tobi misheard and said, "Like Hannah Montana?", and we decided Hannah was good. She's very sweet and affectionate. She's smart, too. The first person she really made up to Jymi, who loves her now.
I've been stitching on my model, but still no pictures. I also worked on Tobi's stocking some too, but Blogger's gone funny, so no pictures of it today. I think I can finish it by July, at the rate I'm going. I've also decided that when Jymi leaves, I'm going to start Merlin And Arthur. I'm also considering starting Invariance, either at the same time, or after I finish two of the other big things I've got started. the thing is, I don't have the chart yet, and I'm supposed to be on the Fifty Project Challenge. After all the chaos and headbanging of the last couple weeks, I need to give in to one addiction, and stash buying is healthier than smoking. I'll probably just use my birthday money. What I really want is to see the companion, Blue Invariance charted. Maybe one day.
My April goals were: finish my model, try to do the SALs, and work on Tobi's stocking. The model's not done yet, but it's close. I had to frog and restitch part of it, and in doing so, I found that part of it was half a stitch off. So I spent all my stitching time yesterday frogging. I'll start restitching today. It shouldn't take too long. My May goals are: finish the model, SAL, and work on Tobi's stocking. Sound familiar?

Labels: Computers, Goals, Jymi, Models, New Starts, Pets, Project Challenge, Real Life Sucks, Stash, Tobi's Stocking