I don't have any new stitching to show right now. Cascade is still on my Q-Snaps, but it's being neglected at the moment. I've spent almost all of the last two days cleaning, and when I did have time to sit down, I didn't want to have to think. My sleeping patterns are now totally out of whack. I go to bed at two and get up at eleven. So I've been getting up, making brunch, and spending two hours cleaning the boys' room. I should finish today, the third day of working on it. It's been quite a while since I REALLY cleaned in there. After I'd finished on the boys' room, I've had to wash dishes and make dinner. Not long after dinner, it's time to get the boy's ready for bed. Once I get their room done, I'm gonna clean the rest of the house, too. Hopefully I'll get it done before Jymi gets home.
Once the boys go to bed, I've been reading. I'm still rereading Harry Potter, and I'm about halfway through Goblet Of Fire. I can only read after the boys go to bed, though. I can stitch for five minutes, go do something for them, come back and stitch for another five minutes, and so on. I can't do that when I'm reading. I don't need quiet, but I don't like to be interrupted either. So reading goes much slower now that I can't go in the bedroom and lock Jymi and the boys out.
Now for SBQs. Do you consider yourself a “floss miser?” A little, but not nearly as much as I used to. When Jymi and I first moved in together, I'd stitch till the very end of a thread, and then do three more stitches. We just didn't have the money to buy more thread, so I made it go as far as I could. Now, I still use all the thread, but I stop with alot more left than I used to. Does that make sense? Probably not.
What do you love to do that many people hate? What do you hate to do, but do anyway?
I like working with metallic braid. I discovered Thread Heaven, which helped so much! I do still hate blending filament, though. I also hate lazy daisies and any kind of knot.
Which project (finished or in progress) are you most proud of? Explain why.
Right now, it's Cascade. It's going to be beautiful, and huge. If I ever finish it, I will have to throw a party to celebrate. Of course, I'll be eighty by then. That will probably change with my next project, though.
Have you ever thought of getting a rider on your household insurance to properly cover your stash (some of us have quite an extensive stash that an average household policy wouldn't fully cover) in the case of some sort of damage to your house that would destroy/ruin charts, fabrics, floss, etc?
No, because, um, I don't have any household insurance. I know, bad, but we can barely pay all the bills normally. It just doesn't seem like a good idea to add another one. When we buy a house (hopefully soon), will definitely get insurance. I may do it then though.
Now my mom has a cross stitch quilt that she has had insured. Before I was born, the other nurses where she worked each stitched a Precious Moments block, and then they had it sewn into a quilt. One of the ladies (I don't know if it was Gloria or Pat), was at the cross stitch store my mom went to then. She took it and showed her. She suggested the insurance, since it would've cost her over a thousand dollars to have a model stitcher do all that, and have it quilted. That was in the eighties, too.
My July goals were: work on Tobi's stocking and 900 stitches each on Pirate, Cascade, and Angel Of Capricorn. I did everything except start Angel Of Capricorn. I also worked on seven other projects this month.
My August goals are more new starts. I want to start: Angel Of Capricorn, Earth Song, and Wizard Of Oz. I also need to pick a project to stitch in line in the car when I go pick Tobi up from school. I'll probably take book until I finish rereading Harry Potter though, so no rush.
In non-stitchy goals, I want to Darin to have a happy birthday (eight more days), enjoy all of Jymi's visit, even the time spent with in-laws, and make it through Tobi's first day of school without crying. My mom and my sister are already making plans. I also need to survive the next few days. They're going to be very busy with trying to get everything clean. Today I will finish the boys' room, clean the kitchen, and give the boys baths. Tomorrow I'm cleaning the living room, taking the boys to get haircuts, and number of other boring errands. Every time I think about everything I have to do, it just overwhelms me. Deep breath. One thing at a time.

Labels: Books, Cascade, Goals, Jymi, Kids, Real Life Sucks, SBQ

I worked on The Castle a little bit. I got bored quick though. I stitched some greenery, and after a day, I put it away.
Then I started Sweetheart Fence. I finished the ground, and put it away, too. Now I'm working on Avatar again. My fabric for Cascade should come in Monday. Another new start!
I got my new Harry Potter book today. I'm not ready to read it yet, though. I'm still rereading the first six. I'm taking my time, and I'm a few chapters into Prisoner Of Azkaban. I'm not in a hurry for it to be over, despite the desperate desire to know what happens next. Problem is, I can't talk to my sister or do much online until I finish it. I'll get there though.
I took Tobi to the new movie Wednesday. He wasn't scared really, but one particular scene that made him jump two inches in the air. I'm sure anyone who's seen it knows what it was. He didn't get upset, though. I don't think he even blinked! He loved it, but I don't think he understood everything going on. I think I enjoyed it, too. I won't know for sure until I see it again.
I will, though, when Jymi comes home. We're planning to spend a whole day at the movie theater. Jymi wants to see Harry Potter, The Simpsons, and Bourne Ultimatum while he's home. I think we'll see Bourne last, so I can't go to sleep if I want. I'd love to see Harry Potter again, and I'm dying to see The Simpsons, but I couldn't care less about Bourne. I knew Jymi was dying to see it, though, and it comes out the day before he gets home. It's only two more weeks until Jymi comes home! He's counting down the days, and I've got it marked on a every calender, and a calender in every room.
Darin once went up to Jymi, looked at him, said, "You're not mommy," and walked away. It reminded me of the old TV show Dinosaurs. I used to love it when I was little, so I added it to their Netflix list. They got it last weekend, and loved it! So I bought it for them. They've watched the whole set, and Tobi and I are currently watching the second disc. Most of the shows I've rented that I watched when I was little now suck. I actually called to apologize to my mom after watching an episode of Pee Wee's Playhouse. Dinosaurs is still hilarious though. I've really enjoyed watching it again, and realizing all the "grown-up jokes" I never got. Stuff about environmentalism and the difficulties of trying to raise a family. I still love that baby!

Labels: Books, Jymi, Movies, New Starts, Stash, Sweetheart Fence, The Castle

We had a pleasant Valentine's Day. On his way home, Jymi called to tell me to get the boys dressed; we were going out to dinner. I got him season one of 24 (now he just needs season four, and his collection's complete). I had gone to Target to get the boys Cinderella III and Bambi for the boys for Valentine's. While in the store, I saw they had season one marked down from $60 to twenty! I also went to the bookstore, since I finished Mirror, Mirror. (It had a surprise ending for a retelling of a fairy tale, but it was still a little anticlimactic.) While I was there, I saw they had James Bond 007 Scene It? on the sale table for $20, marked down from fifty. So now when we play, he'll use his to have James Bond questions, and I'll use mine and have Harry Potter.
Jymi was sick again, and stayed home Thursday. So I went to get tags and insurance for the new (to us) car. I actually didn't have to wait much at either place (it's a sign of the apocalypse), but it still took all day. Everything is set for the car now, though. I just have to go pick it up now. If all goes well, the boys and I will rent a car and go up Wednesday.
Friday, Jymi gave me my Valentine's gift, since he couldn't get me what he originally planned. He was going to get me these earrings, but we didn't have the money. They would go with the dragon ring Jymi bought me on our honeymoon. Instead, while I took the boys to my mom's, he cleaned the kitchen, living room, and bathroom. My mom asked to babysit over night for Jymi and I to go out. She was eager to see the boys, and we weren't going to argue with a night off. Jymi and I went to see Ghost Rider. I enjoyed it, but Jymi didn't. I went in expecting it to be stupid, but Jymi thought it would great. Low expectations make movies so much better. It was predictable, but it was a comic book movie, and they're all pretty similar. Afterward we came home, and the two of us cleaned our room and rearranged the furniture.
When I got home Saturday from picking up the boys, Jymi wanted to move the computer into the bedroom. I agreed, on the condition that we finally get some ink for the printer. So I have finally been able to print parts six through ten of Persian Iris Garden! Now I just need the time to stitch them!
He also fixed the scanner. I did work on part four some this week. Not much, though. I haven't felt like stitching much, but I'm getting more into it.
Yesterday was the Black Swan SAL, and I finished the top of Jymi's stocking! It's only been fourteen months since I started it. Obviously, I haven't worked on it much. I hoping to finish it this year with the SAL every Sunday. I didn't work on The Castle Saturday; too much going on. It is on the Q-Snaps though, so I will work on it today.
I'm also behind on SBQs, as always. So here's one. Have you ever been to a stitching retreat? January of last year, my mom took me on the cruise offered through the cross stitch shop. The three days we were at sea all day, we had class for an hour in the morning. More than anything else, it was an excuse to take a cruise, and we had a blast. I worked on my class project in class, and that was it. I have not touched it since. I doubt I'll ever finish it. In 2001, my mom and I went to the CATS show Atlanta. My sister was also moving out of Atlanta and after the show we helped her move. That was a bittersweet experience. On the way down there, my mom told Teresa Wentzler might be there. She was, and I got her Four Seasons Faeries book, and got it autographed! On the other hand, I was fifteen, and just found out I was pregnant. I was scared to death I'd get morning sickness, and my mom would find out. She didn't though, and we had a great time.
Now for the second. Do you like to buy “chartpacks” that include charms, buttons, and/or beads or do you prefer to gather all materials yourself? I don't really care either way. If it's got the beads/charms/buttons included, great. If not, it's no big deal.

Labels: Books, Holidays, Jymi, Jymi's Stocking, Kids, Movies, Persian Iris Garden, SBQ

Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and happy Kwanzaa! Happy any holiday I forgot, too! I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful holiday!
Today is our first day off in forever! The last few weeks, even on Jymi's day off, we've had a hundred other things we needed to do. So the last few days, we've been at each others' throats! He's exhausted from work, and I'm stressed out from spending ALL my time with the kids and worrying about their insurance. I love my kids, but ever once in a while, I need a break! By some freak of nature, Jymi got today and tomorrow off! So last night, my sister watched the boys, and Jymi and I went to see Eragon. Jymi's read the book and said it was okay, but they left out most of the things that made the book so great. I haven't read it, but I probably will when I run out of Gregory Maguire books (two more after I finish the one I'm on). It was nice to be just the two of us, even if it was only for two hours.
On the way home from the theater (or at least on the way to Kathy's), we stopped at Best Buy, to finish our Christmas shopping. I had planned to get Jymi's sister a gift card, so she can get another game for the Wii she's getting (she's getting so much, I don't want to hear about how we owe Jymi's parents money this year). Jymi had planned to get one for Kristi, and his cousins, too. They're not kids anymore, but they're both younger than him (one's younger than me, the other's a few months older than me), so he wanted to include them. That was fine with me, so we got three. Then, when we got home, I had to go out to the grocery store for some Christmas cards to stick them in, and some wrapping paper for two more Santa gifts for the boys. It was all 50% off, which was great!
I came home to find the boys in their room, with their faces pressed against the window. When I got out of the car, I could hear them screaming, "Mommy's home!" I brought everything in, and Jymi went in and said, "Yes, Mommy's home, but it's time for bed. Go to sleep!" I went in to say good night, and had to re-tuck them in. I usually do it, the same way every night, and Jymi doesn't know my way, which to the boys is the only way. They (especially Darin) can't go to sleep if their blankets are in the wrong order, or if they're missing Teddy (Darin's favorite teddy bear), Wolfie (Tobi's wolf who "keeps the monsters away"), and Puppy (Darin's otter, and, no, I don't know why). After that, I wrapped the last two of the boy's presents. The only thing still not wrapped in the TV, and we're not going to wrap that.
Today we are not doing a thing! Jymi's in our room, watching a movie, relaxing. The boys are watching Blue's Clues. I'm also being lazy, playing on the computer! Just a nice, relaxing, lazy day. Before bedtime, the boys each get to open one present.
There's no time to relax tomorrow. We're getting up, and opening presents. Then we've gotta give the boys a bath. It's easier to bathe the cat. Then we're going to Jymi's grandparents for Christmas dinner/lunch, and to open presents. Then we go straight from there to my mom's, for another dinner and presents. By the time we get home, it'll be bed time, for all of us. It'll be fun, but it will also be exhausting!
Hastur- I would love to do a SAL for Dragons By The Fire! I'm doing the Teresa Wentzler SAL on Mondays, and the Castle on Saturdays, but any other day is good for me. Please continue to help me pick! All help is appreciated! Happy holidays! God bless us, everyone!

Labels: Books, Family, Holidays, Jymi, Kids, Movies

Since Jymi took last Monday off to be with his dad, he got this Monday off, too. There's a safety rule about having to have one day off out of every seven. So I took the model to the post office, and then went to Michaels to see if I could find a fiber optic tree. All they had were eight foot trees. They were half off, but they started at three hundred dollars! If I'm gonna have a tree that big, it's gonna be real. So I went across the street to Target, and I found one. I mean one. I got the last green one they had. They still had plenty of silver ones.
After lunch, I took the boys to see Santa at the mall. When we got there, though, Santa had just left for his lunch break, so I let them play in the play area. I never thought of my boys as particularly well behaved, but they were compared to most of the other kids there. They'd come up and shove Tobi and Tobi wouldn't do anything back. He wouldn't even say anything mean, and as big as Tobi is, he could've taken any of them if he wanted. I was very proud him. He played nice with all the kids, no matter how they treated him. Darin didn't want to play with the other kids. That's my boy, the loner. They were very excited to see Santa while we were in line, but when they were next, they got shy. Once they got up there, though, Tobi started telling him that he wanted Cars, the video game. They got their picture taken, but the scanner still doesn't work.
In the evening, after dinner, I put on A Muppet Christmas Carol. Jymi was on the computer, and got his current Netflix movie, and was going to watch it in the bedroom. By the time he finished what he was doing on the computer, though, he was "sucked in" to the movie, and he enjoyed it, too. Tuesday, we watched the original How The Grinch Stole Christmas. The boys sat entranced, while Jymi and I discussed the pros and cons of each version. We both like the original better.
Yesterday, Jymi stayed home again, because he didn't feel well. Tobi didn't feel good either. So I went out and finished our Christmas shopping. All we have left is something for Jymi's sister, and she's already getting so much. She just getting a gift card for Best Buy. I had planned to get Jymi a James Bond boxed set, but they were out of my price range. I did find something else for him, but I can't say what. He keeps trying to figure out/find it, and I wouldn't put it past him to check here. I put it in another box, so he couldn't guess from the shape. I also put in plastic bags, so he couldn't shake it. I had gotten Alex a bouncy ball maker for her present at Michaels, and also the last color I need for The Castle. I took the ball kit out and stuffed the bag in the box. When I went to bed, I remembered the thread, which I had left in the bag! Jymi told me to write it on the package, because he'd forget. So we now have a present that says, "To Daddy, Love Tobi and Darin," in one corner, and, "My thread is in this box," on the other.
I had planned to go to the DMV to try to figure out the car stuff, and I stopped at the bookstore, since I finished Son Of A Witch. It was very good as long as you remember that Liir is not Elphaba, and he's also never had any guidance at all. He doesn't know what to do with his life, and is just struggling to survive each horrific event, until he knows what to do. I'd read lots of bad reviews, but I really enjoyed it, maybe because I can relate to Liir's aimlessness, and the way he finds purpose to his life.
At the bookstore, I got Mirror, Mirror, and decided to see if they had No, David!, one of Tobi's favorite books. Lately, they've been more interested in books, but the only one they ever want to read is Alphabet Soup by Scott Gustafson. It's a good book, but every page is like a tongue twister. When I'm really tired, that's not a good choice. When I got to the children's books, they had a big display of Dr. Suess books. They were three for the price of two. So I got The Cat In The Hat and Green Eggs And Ham for Darin, and The Lorax and No, David! for Tobi. I am very eager for Santa to bring these. I can almost recite Alphabet Soup in my sleep.
Darin found a purpose for Jymi's whip. It's Tinkerbell's new favorite toy. She'll keep playing with it for an hour after we've quit. She's such a funny, psychotic, little kitty.
Here's the answer for those of you who couldn't find the happy dance. I finished it Tuesday night. I tried to be crafty yesterday, but it just didn't work out. I got some fabric to finish Jymi's grandmother's butterflies, but then the bobbin on the sewing machine ran out out on the first seam. After an hour of fighting with it, I figured out how to wind a new one. It was exactly how I tried the first time, but it didn't work the first time. So I started hand doing it. I had a small tantrum, and found that then the stupid machine wanted to work. So I ended up having to re-wind the bobbin on the machine. Jymi thought this was hilarious. He's very lucky I didn't throw anything at him. Then I couldn't re-thread the machine (it's borrowed from my mom). After another hour of fighting with the stupid machine to try to get it threaded right, I gave up, and had another tantrum. The boys were in bed, and it was just Jymi, laughing at me, so I started yelling obscenities at it.
I also got the word that my ornament exchange has been received. It's Feliz Navidad, by Monsterbubbles, from the 2006 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue, on 28 ct. Midas Jazlyn from Picture This Plus. I made some changes to suit what I had on hand, but I think it came out well. I found a pretty tin at the grocery store, and filled it with a bag of Ghiradelli special holiday chocolates. They come in peppermint bark, eggnog, and spiced cinnamon with nuts. I bought us a bag of the peppermint ones to keep here. I also sent some floss, and a calender. My grandma gave me some calenders charities have sent her, and I put one in the package, since we don't need eight calenders. I should stop writing about it now though. Thinking about the chocolates is making me hungry. I guess it's close enough to lunch time.

Labels: Books, Gift Stitching, Holidays, Jymi, Kids, Ornaments

Here's pictures of the pieces Jymi's grandmother gave me. The one on the right is a close up of the date. I needs a wash and an iron, but it's been folded in her closet for twenty-one years! It's very cute, but not something I'd ever stitch myself. I'm not gonna be able to get it framed until April, but I'm already choosing in my head. I'm thinking probably just a plain medium wood frame. Maybe (and that's a big maybe) a blue mat that looks like denim. It might look cute, but it may also be too much, and darw away from the picture.These are the butterflies. Jymi still hasn't fixed the scanner, so I took seperate pictures so I could zoom in as much as possible. The pictures still don't do them justice.
Here's the back of the first one. Even the backs are beautiful! My over one backs don't look anywhere near this good.
The computer's back to normal now. I have more time for stitching again. I hope to finish my model by next weekend.
We didn't make it to the toy store. Jymi was too tired. We'll go next Saturday. I'm gonna be exhausted. I also have to go to my mom's, the post office, and the DMV that day. I have to go to the car insurance office, too, if I can find the time. Fun. Lots of hurry-up-and-wait places. I may have to treat myself to a new book, because I'm about halfway through Son Of A Witch. I will be done by then, so I'll just add the bookstore to my list, and not tell Jymi.

Labels: Books, Gift Stitching, Models, Real Life Sucks

The day after my last post, the computer did finally die. The new one got here that Saturday, and Jymi fought with it most of the evening that Sunday. It was Wednesday before I could really get on and do anything. I've been trying to get all my stuff onto the new computer for the past week. Now that we finally have a halfway decent video card, I can play The Sims 2 again, and I have to admit, that eats up a couple hours of my day. By the end of this weekend though, I'll be sick of it for another month. When everyone's happy and doing what they need to it's not as much fun. I much prefer the chaos of making them have as many kids as possible, while trying to get them to to work, get promotions, and cheat with the maids. It's fun to torment them.
I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. Our's was pretty good. Jymi called me from work that morning to let me know he'd be getting off at noon, so we could go to his grandparents'. I asked why. It had completely slipped my mind. My mom decided not to do Thanksgiving this year, since she had to work, and didn't feel up to cleaning so everyone could come over. That was fine with us, since it meant we didn't have to rush across town to try to have two dinners. Tobi and Darin were as sweet and well behaved as could be. They've got everyone fooled. Although when we first got there, Tobi announced to everyone that he wanted to play with his little sister. They all looked at me, and I looked horrified, I'm sure.
Jymi's grandparents usually have one long table set up in the den, but this year they had a small table in the kitchen, and one in the den. Tobi and Darin staked out their usual spots (in the den) and ordered "Aunt Kreeky" (Kristi) to sit with them. I also sat with them, since I don't trust them in the nice clean house when they have food, and Jymi sat with me. There was only one seat left, so Jymi's cousin, Kyle sat with us, too. So despite the fact that we were all three adults (Kristi's only 12), we still wound up at the kiddie table.
After dinner, the boys insisted the "Kreeky" play with the toys with them, until dessert was served. Tobi and Darin both decided they like pumpkin pie when Kristi had some, but they had to eat the whipped cream separately. When Jymi's parents left, Tobi and Darin kidnapped Kyle (who is only a year younger than me) to play with the toys. Kyle was more than happy too, though. They played train and Duck, Duck, Goose. Tobi came back into the kitchen to tell everyone that Kyle was his new best friend.
After Jymi's aunt and her family left, Jymi's grandmother told me she had something for me. I couldn't believe it! She brought out two cross stitch pieces she had done years ago. Neither of her daughters stitch, so I guess she thought I'd appreciate it more. I can't explain why but it meant so much to me. Maybe it's cause I'm so stingy with me stitching. I'll have to take pictures when I get a chance. One is a little boy on a tree limb, trying to save a kitten, and it says, "O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust... Psalm 7:1" She said she made it for Jymi when he was little. It's dated 1985, so he was five years old when she finished it. When the next framing special come around, I'm going to have it framed and put it in the boys' room. The other piece is even more beautiful. It's three gorgeous butterflies, done over one on a (I think) 28 ct. patterned fabric. She said she had planned to make it a bell pull, but never got around to it. She suggested cutting them apart and making little pillows with them, which I think is what I'll do. I'm not much of a bell pull person.
Friday afternoon, Latonya called me to see if I wanted to go shopping with her that evening. We ended up going out to dinner, all eight of us (her, her husband, her two sons (my age), Jymi, the boys, and me). She and I spilt a brownie/ice cream dessert, and Darin ate half of mine. We then sent the men home (with Darin on a sugar high, Jymi caught on to my evil plan), and she and I went to K-Mart. She was looking for Cars for Playstation 2 for a nephew, and I was just along for some grown up time. I ended up getting Lego Star Wars 2 for Tobi's birthday, though, and another Doodle Monster for my nephew.
We decided to have Tobi's birthday party Saturday afternoon, because in Jymi's mind, I didn't have enough places to go already. When I got up, I had to order the cake, go to the bank, the bookstore, and post office. I'd finished my ornament for the exchange, and was going to mail it. I got to the post office, and realized I'd forgotten the address. The house is only a mile from the post office, so I go home to get the address out of my email, only to find Jymi's taken the new computer apart in the kitchen! Since the post office closes at noon on Saturdays, and it was already 10:30, I was a little screwed. Then I try to go to the DMV to get the title for the new car in our name. I get the DMVs mixed up though. The one five minutes away isn't the one that's open on Saturdays. No big deal, the one that is open is just another ten minutes up the road. I get there, and it's closed for Thanksgiving.
I went back home and took Tobi to Target to get new shoes with his birthday money from his godparents. We got the shoes, and then went to pick out party stuff. Tobi had asked for a surprise costume party with goody bags and chocolate cake. So we picked out goody bags, and some stuff to go in them. We got Star Wars party plates, Cars goody bags, and Spongebob party hats. It didn't match, but Tobi was happy. Then I decided to look at video game real quick, just to see how much they would be for Christmas presents, since there were about four that Tobi wants. While I was looking, I saw that they had Cars, for Playstation 2, for a GREAT!! price. Since Latonya hadn't been able to find one, I decided to get one for her, and since it was such a great price, I decided to get one for Santa to bring us, too. While the guy was getting them out (both at one time, so Tobi wouldn't notice we weren't only getting one for Miss Latonya), Tobi told him that he wanted Sat Wars Legos, too. Guess I made the right choice.
Tobi had a nice party. We went to Chick-Fil-A, and the kids played in the little play area. Kristi was mad because we had chocolate cake, and she doesn't like chocolate. Tobi had been asking for over a month though, for chocolate cake for his birthday, and I was not about to tell him no. Then she was upset because all the candy in the goody bags was chocolate, but that's what Tobi picked out. She got over it though, and Tobi opened his presents. Jymi's grandparents got Darin two Happy Feet books, too, so he wouldn't get jealous. He's all about Happy Feet and "peng-ins" (pronounced similar to young-uns, gotta love living in the south). We made Tobi open the game last, because the we knew the world would stop once he saw it. He wakes up and wants to play, and the only way to get him to bed is to promise that he can play it in the morning.
I've been working on my model, too, but with everything else that's been going on, I haven't had as much time as I'd like to spend on it.
I finished Wicked. It was wonderful. I expected it to be very much like Politically Correct Fairy Tales; just the funny other side of the story, but it was so much more. It reminded me more of Lord Of The Rings in the beginning, with the history and mythology of Oz, but towards then end it reminded me alot, also, of 1984, with the wizard's oppressive regime. I've started Son Of A Witch (the sequel), but I'm finding it hard to read. Everyone's always so mean to poor Liir, and he's had such a miserable life, all I ever feel when reading about him is heartache. I've heard the author is also working on a book about the Cowardly Lion and the military, but I'm thinking I'm not going to be in the best mindset to read that one anytime soon.
Well, I think that's enough babbling for one day.I'm off to kill a few Sims beofre Jymi comes home and kicks me off the computer!

Labels: Books, Computers, Holidays, Kids, Models, Ornaments

So much for the wonderful weekend we had planned. Jymi was supposed to get off work at midnight, Friday night. The station where he was working is over an hour away, so I did not expect him home until 1:30 at the earliest. So at eleven, I decided to take a nice bubble bath and finish The End. I finished at about twelve. All I can say is "WOW!" I'm not usually surprised by movies or books anymore (too much Alfred Hitchcock), but this one left me with my mouth hanging open and crying for characters I never thought I would!
After that, I laid there, digesting it all. At 12:30 the phone rang. I figured it was Jymi, calling to let me know he was on his way home, knowing I would be going to bed soon. It was Latonya, his work partner. She called because Jymi asked her to let me know what was going on. Jymi had been contaminated, and he had to take a shower before he could leave. She assured me that he was fine, but they were going to be late, because there was no way of telling how long it would take to decontaminate him. Well, that sacred the hell out of me, and I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep until I knew Jymi was home. At one, he called me and said they were going to eat at Waffle House, and then come home. I couldn't concentrate enough to do anything until Jymi got home okay at 2:30. They had one more scare on the way home (Jymi rode with Latonya, and another guy, Joe). On the interstate, the almost hit a deer. It was Jymi, in the backseat, who pointed it out to the driver, who almost missed it (or not, depending on how you look at it)! They did all get home safely eventually.
Saturday, Latonya and another woman Jymi works with, and I went to breakfast and shopping. We had a great time. I got a new sweater to wear when Jymi and I went out and some stuff for the boys. Tobi needed some jeans and a jacket. They also had Doodle Monsters for eight dollars a piece. The boys have really wanted one of these, so I got them each one. I'm thinking of going back and getting one for Chris, too. I got home and took the boys to my mom's, who had Alcatraz bears for them from her visit last week to California. Jymi and I went to dinner, which was nice. After that, we went to the bookstore to buy my mom's birthday present. I wish I had a picture of Jymi's face when I told him I wanted to get my mom The Happy Hooker for her birthday. Jymi also bought me Wicked, because I'd wanted it for a while, and it was on sale. Then Jymi suggested we go to Pineville. It was fine with me, and we ended up going to Best Buy, because it was the only one in the area that carries Ghost Hunters Season 2, which Jymi wanted. We ended the evening by going to see Man Of The Year. It was very good! Laugh out loud funny, and at the same time pretty scary.
Sunday Jymi didn't feel well, so we didn't go to the Renaissance Festival. After lunch, I went to pick up the boys. When I got home, Jymi said he had to go to the store, and he wouldn't tell me why. He asked me to be out side when he got home. I asked if what he was getting would make me mad, and he said I would be sad. So I sit on the front porch, with all kinds of horrible things going through my mind. He came home with cigarettes, and I started yelling at him. He stopped me, and told me his unit called while I was gone. They are going to Iraq in the spring.
I cannot think of any kind of torture that could hurt more than this. Giving birth was less painful than this, and I've had both a C-section and a completely drug free birth. What are the boys going to think when Daddy leaves again? He's going to miss their birthdays and holidays. He'll miss Tobi's first day of school, and probably Darin's, too. What if the worst should happen? The boys are still so little, I don't think they'd remember him. Jymi doesn't want to tell his family until after his next drill in a couple weeks, but I don't think I can wait that long until I tell my mom or my sister. I'll need someone to talk to and cry on before then.
Needless to say, I haven't gotten much stitching done this busy weekend. It seems like everyone else gets the most stitching time on weekends, but I have to do most of my weekly errands when Jymi's home for the weekend. I did get some work done on my model last night, but I did have to stop and cry again. It seemed like everything I had recorded was about the military or people getting shot. I went to bed at one, and laid their and prayed for Jymi to be okay for at least another hour before falling asleep. It's not really surprising that I had nightmares for most of the night. Jymi woke me when he left to kiss me goodbye, and I turned on cartoons to take my mind off all the horrible thoughts that kept going through my head. So much for our wonderful weekend.

Labels: Books, Jymi, Real Life Sucks

I'm stitching again. I got the kitchen clean, and that took care of most of the flies. I'm still working on cleaning, but right now, it's laundry. Once I get all that done, I'll finish super cleaning, but in the meantime, I'm stitching between loads. I knew I had a model on the way, so I didn't want to get back into Tobi's stocking with only a few days to work on it, so I pulled out my Persian Iris Garden. I got part two finished! I've got a model now, though, so it's put away.
I signed up for the Christmas Ornament Exchange on the Needle And Thread Bulletin Board. This will be my first exchange. I think I'll set aside an hour a day to work on it, and spend the rest on the model.
While doing laundry, Darin found a pair of Jymi's socks and decided to wear them. My little kleptomaniac.
Jymi bought me The End, the last book in A Series Of Unfortunate Events. I'm gonna have to get the others and reread them. I forget things, waiting for one of the two copies of each one at the library.
So much for doing better with our money problems. We have to send my dad money because there's still something wrong with our car. On top of that, our computer is on it's last legs. Jymi can get new parts and fix it for relatively cheap, but it's still more money than we have. Jymi and I also discussed getting me a laptop. It's still a big if, but since I mainly want one to write and play games on, I don't need lots of extras. Jymi found one that was about the same price and the new parts for the old computer, with what I need on it. Maybe after we pay back my mom, and get the insurance and tags for the new car. We've decided Christmas is only for the kids this year. We'll get the boys a new tv for their room, and some clothes, and something for Jymi's sister, and my sister's kids, and that's it. That's going to be all we can afford. Thank goodness the outage is coming up.
Here's this week's SBQ. If you were to come across a sampler chart that caught your eye and appealed to you, would you or would you not stitch it if it had a morbid or “creepy” saying on it? If not, why? I don't really like samplers, so it's not a big issue. Halloween stuff, like Raise The Roof's Sleepy Hollow Sampler, I love! The verse on The Houses Of Hawk Hollow Run ("When I am dead and in my grave, and all my bones are rotten, remember me when this you see list I should be forgotten. Remember me as you pass by, as you are now so once was I, as I am now so must you be, prepare for death and follow me.") really turns me off. Yes we are all going to die one day, but I don't really want to be reminded everyday. What would my kids think reading that? It would scare the hell out of them! As it is, my makes me sick, picture rotting bones in a coffin. Eww.

Labels: Books, Kids, Ornaments, Persian Iris Garden, Real Life Sucks, SBQ