There's a background SAL on the HAED board, and I'll be working on Ruby. This is my progress from my last post. Not much but I have gotten a few lengths in. I'm hoping to get at least all the wallpaper on the first page done in the SAL. Jymi now has Internet in his room, and I've been spending alot of time talking to him, instead of stitching.
I am ready to start walking everywhere. Two weeks ago, my car overheated, and I got the radiator replaced. A couple days ago, it overheated again. I took it back to the shop. They told me it was fixed, and I picked it up. I went to the library and and Wendy's, and the damn thing overheated again. I'm out of money to get it fixed though. I'm tempted to use the money on a baseball bat instead, and use it to "fix" the car.
The boys are driving me nuts. Tobi has another new girlfriend, Emily. At this rate, he'll be out of girls in his class by Christmas. Darin loves talking to Jymi online. Both boys get a kick out of seeing him on the webcam, and waving back. He's trying to irritate me at the moment, though and it's working. So that's all my babbling for today. I've gotta go get Darin out of the bathroom, and yell at my husband online. Hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Labels: Jymi, Kids, Real Life Sucks, Ruby QS

I've been stitching, but I've been having issues with the printer/scanner. I finally gave up on Angel Of Capricorn for the moment. The colors are pretty, but it's more confetti than I want to deal with right now.
I started Dragonfly Quick Stitch. It was another big block of black, like Earth Song, so it was nice and easy. It looks funny up close, but from a distance, you can start to see the picture.
For once I didn't start something new. I pulled out Ruby again. I've only put in two lengths of thread though, so it's not enough for a picture. Soon though. Emerald was just released, and everytime she releases the next in the series, I get the urge to stitch on Ruby again.
Life's been hectic. We're all feeling better Tobi's on his second "girlfriend" at school. Darin got better, but he's feeling worse today. He went to the doctor last week for his check up. He got three shots, and I think this is just from those. They said he was in the fiftieth percentile for height, but only the tenth for weight. They said not to worry; he's just like Jymi, tall and scrawny. After a few minutes with him, the doctor went to get his shots. She came back with an extra nurse. After that little bit of time with Darin, she knew she'd need some extra help to hold him down. They also told me his iron was low, and ordered some blood work.
The next day, I was planning to take him to the lab, but the car overheated while taking Tobi to school. So we spent the day at my mom's, waiting for them to finish. They said I needed a new radiator, and it would take, at most, three hours. That was at ten. They called me at FIVE! That was after I'd called twice to see if it was ready. I am proud of Tobi's school though. My mom took us to pick him up, and when the helpers told the teachers Tobi's ride was there, they held him back, saying, "No, that's not Tobi's car." I had to get out and show them it was Tobi's mom, even if it wasn't Tobi's car. I love his school.

Labels: Angel Of Capricorn, Dragonfly QS, HAED, New Starts, Real Life Sucks, Ruby QS

My August goals were all new starts. I wanted to start: Angel Of Capricorn, Earth Song, and Wizard Of Oz. I decided I didn't want to start Wizard of Oz right now anymore. I did get a good start on Earth Song. I am doing better with Angel Of Capricorn, but it's still slow going. It's not quite confetti, but it's not far from it.
This month, I'm not sure what I want to do. I'm thinking I'll just wing it, and stitch on whatever sounds good when I put down something else. Waiting is calling me very loudly, but I don't have fabric yet. We'll see.
I decided Oriental Courage would be my waiting-in-the-car-for-Tobi project. It's small and only has one color. Right now I'm still rereading, so I don't need it yet. Besides, right now, it's so insanely hot (the a/c in both cars are broken), that I'm not even willing to think about taking a piece of fabric have in my lap. Yesterday, I rolled up my jeans as far as I could. I've also been putting three bottles of water in the freezer at lunch, so they'll stay cool the whole time in the car.
Tobi's doing well in school. He was the Star Student one day last week. He got in trouble one day, and after a evening of no video or computer games, he was so much better behaved, that his teacher called to remark on his improvement! he's a little upset that he doesn't get to go on Monday.
Right now we're all sick, and he may not go Tuesday either, if he's not better. He seems to have it worst. At bedtime, he told me he thought he needed to go to the doctor, but they won't be open again until Tuesday. If he gets worse, I'll take him to the emergency medical center, but I really think it's just the flu, though. Darin and I are both feeling horrible, too. I had to get some groceries earlier, and I could barely lift Darin to put him in the cart. He's only thirty pounds! We're all exhausted and miserable. Which is why there's no updated picture of Angel Of Capricorn. I have made progress, I'm just wiped out to get up and scan it. I will post one when I fell better.
Jymi has arrived in Iraq. He says it's pretty quiet at the moment. Cross your fingers, and hope it stays that way.

Labels: Angel Of Capricorn, Goals, Jymi, Kids, New Starts, Real Life Sucks

Tobi started school today. It was kinda bittersweet. I think it'll be worse next week. This week I get to help him find his classroom, and walk him into the school in the mornings. Next week, he'll get out of the car, walk in, and he'll be gone. His teachers are very nice, and he says he's made lots of friends. The pick up line at the end of the day was pretty long, but it won't be as long next week. I know some of the parents are just picking up their kids this first week.
I was worried about how Darin would react to Tobi being gone all day. When we got back in the car after taking Tobi inside, he wanted to ride in Tobi's seat. They both still ride in booster seat, so it wasn't a big deal. Then when we got home, Darin wanted to watch cartoons in my room. It wasn't wrong before I remembered why I let Tobi watch cartoons in there, but not Darin. The little twerp kept going through my stuff. Darin and I met my mom and sister for lunch at Olive Garden. Darin ate salad, breadsticks, fondue, his mac and cheese, and a sundae for dessert. Which he well deserved. Then we went to Target with Kathy, and back to her house for a while to hang out before picking up the kids.
If you click on the picture, you can see Tobi had another milestone this past week. He lost his first tooth! He came up to me one morning, all excited because the tooth fairy was gonna visit him. That was the first I'd heard of his loose tooth, but it fell out that evening at dinner. He was so excited! The only problem was when I went to play tooth fairy, I couldn't find the tooth.
Jymi called me tonight. It was the first time I've talked to him in about a week. He's going somewhere different now. It's still in Iraq, but it has phone and internet access, so I hopefully won't have to go two months without hearing from him. It's also alot safer than the area he was supposed to be going into. I can't tell you how happy I was when he told me!
About my last post, I've been looking at the local paper's website. I found an article today saying they have a suspect! The article says he could fifteen years in prison if convicted. I SOOOOOO hope they find him. Here's a link to original article my dad told me about. The paper's website was down yesterday. I was so mad though, I had to let it out somewhere.
I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted a stitching update. I've stitched a grand total of four days this month. I will post a picture of Angel Of Capricorn tomorrow, what little bit there is to show. Friday, I'm starting Earth Song for the New Start SAL. The whole first page has two different colors! Wow! I don't know how I'll keep up! That's all for today! Stitchy stuff tomorrow!

Labels: Jymi, Kids, New Starts, Real Life, Real Life Sucks

I simply cannot find words to describe what I'm feeling right now. I am so angry at the people responsible, and so upset than anyone could do something so hurtful. I can't believe people are willing to hurt each other over something as trivial as the color of their skin!
One of my friends from high school had her car parked in front of her house. It was vandalized with racial slurs and then set on fire, because she's her boyfriend's black and they have two kids! You know what? Who freaking cares? She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. Her husband is very nice, and a wonderful father. Their kids are wonderful children.
How can people be so cruel?

Labels: Real Life Sucks

We've all been congested for about a week now. It's been miserable, but it's just allergies. This morning, Darin woke up saying his ear had boo boos. My first thought was that it was infected, but my brain told me to wait and see if it still hurt tomorrow. So I gave him some medicine, and asked Tobi if his ears hurt, too.
After breakfast, I kissed his forehead, and he was burning up. I panicked, and called the doctor to made an appointment. I'm glad I did. When we got there, his temperature was 100.3, and the doctor said it was definitely infected. He prescribed antibiotics. I am so glad I didn't listen to my brain.
Jymi's even more eager about coming home, now that Darin's sick. Jymi always worries so much about the boys when they're sick, especially Darin. Part of that may be that the only time Darin really lets Jymi hold him is when he's too sick to get away. Darin's very much a mama's boy. Jymi's leaving tonight, and he'll be home by lunchtime tomorrow!
I still haven't gotten any stitching done. It's been almost a week now. I've been cleaning house. I've got pictures of that, but that's more to prove to Jymi that the house was clean before the boys destroyed it again. All that's left is my room and a couple loads of laundry. There is now a (visible) floor in every room, and all but mine have been cleaned and Febreezed! I'll do mine after dinner. Right now, I think both boys need a dose on Benadryl, and I need a shower. My car doesn't have air conditioning, and it's almost a necessity her in the summer. The house is almost clean, and my husband's almost home! The only downside is Darin's ear, and it doesn't bother him nearly as much as his congestion! Hope everyone else has a great weekend!

Labels: Jymi, Kids, Real Life Sucks

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

This Jymi's reaction when I explained to him why Darin spent Friday night at Grandma's. After all the errands I had to do (see my last post), I went to pick up the boys from my mom's. When I got there, my sister and her kids were visiting, too. Darin had been crabby for about a week, and threw himself on the floor, screaming, because we made him share the toys. I tried to calm him down, but I couldn't. My sister picked him up and rocked him for a few minutes, and of course he fell right to sleep.
I felt like such a bad mother, that I started crying, too. They told me I was a good mother, just over stressed. They also said part of it was his age. They reminded me that Tobi had been just as obnoxious about everything a couple years ago. My mom told me about calling Grandma when I was Darin's age, and threw a tantrum that lasted two days over a video tape. Grandma had told her, "When you were that age, I also had your brother, and another one on the way!" At that, my sister and I both said, "Poor Grandma!"
Darin fell asleep around six. We all had dinner, and at eight, my mom suggested I just let Darin spend the night, since he hadn't moved since Kathy put him down. So Tobi and I went home. We both slept twelve hours that night, and the three of us were happy to see each other the next day. My mom said the first thing Darin said when he woke up was, "Where's Tobi?"
I've been working on Kitty Love. I've gone as far as I can until I get the color I'm missing. There's not much left to it.
I've got The Castle on my Q-Snaps now. I'll work on it next for a couple days.
Tobi has a pre-screening test for kindergarten at school. They're testing to see what each specific child needs to focus on during the next year. I had to reschedule Tobi's though, since they scheduled his test for Jymi's last day home. I explained the situation, and they said it was no problem. I know I shouldn't worry, because Tobi's very smart, and it's just to see what he needs to work on, but I'm still a little nervous about it. Wish us luck!

Labels: Jymi, Kids, Kitty Love, Real Life Sucks, The Castle

I've started Oriental Courage, but with just black thread, I got bored kinda fast. So I also started Kitty Love by Dinky Dyes Designs. I'm really enjoying this one, but I need one more color. I need another skein of another color for a different project, so I'll order those soon. I hate to just order two skeins of thread, and there aren't any shops nearby that carry Dinky Dyes.
Speaking of Dinky Dyes, look what I got as part of my model payment! All the new Dinky Dyes silks! I especially love Black Opal and Parrot Fish! Bright colors! I also got all the new Cross Eyed Kat designs, and a quarter yard of Picture This Plus Legacy linen. I'm think With Cat For Comforter would look great on the Legacy, and my grandmother would love it. Not to mention the fact that I can't wait to start it!
Of course, I would've been much happier about this package if it weren't for what happened just before the mail came. A debt collection agency called asking for James, saying he owed $1800 on an insurance policy he canceled! After freaking out and crying on the phone, the person I talked to said she'd email the records. I had no idea about any of this! When I looked at the email, the "James" on the paperwork had a different last name. I called the person I had talked to, and told her this. She asked if we lived at the address she had listed, and it wasn't us. So that was a small heart attack over a wrong number.
I get a day off from the boys today. I'm getting new shoes, which I've needed since April. Jymi wants me to send him a PSP, and getting that, packing it, and going to the post office will be so much easier without the boys! Afterwards, my mom is making homemade chicken noodle soup! I mean homemade, too. She makes the noodles herself! I know how, but Jymi and Tobi won't eat it. It's too much work for just me and Darin. The last time I made them, Darin was only two months old, and Tobi was two years old. When I turned away, Tobi tried to feed his noodles to Darin! Which would've been fine, if Darin had been ready to eat solid foods! So when my mom makes it for us, it is really special!
I have also paid all the bills, on time, for the first time on over a year! I'm alot more excited about that than is probably normal, but it is a big deal to me. Not to mention the power company found the $200 payment they lost.
I also bought more HAEDs. They're discontinuing some of their artists, and they were on sale. So I bought Life Force and Love And Magic. I couldn't just buy two charts, though. I'm a little embarrassed to admit how many I bought, but please keep in mind, I was VERY happy about paying off all the bills. Plus new stash and new starts are helping to keep me off antidepressants for a while. That being said, I also bought Matrix, River Genesis, Riddle Fisher, Hansel And Gretel, Wizard Of Oz, Earth Song, Magic Place, and Warmth Of Home. I think I have a problem.

Labels: Courage, Family, HAED, Kids, Kitty Love, New Starts, Real Life Sucks, Stash

I finally finished the first corner of part four! As I've said before, it's not that's it's hard or I don't like it. Sometimes I get sick of all the specialty stitches. Sometimes I get sick of the silks, too. They all seem to tangle more often. I can't finish it for a while yet anyway, cause I don't have the beads. I'll get them when the chart pack comes out and European Cross Stitch has them again. So I'm taking my time on this one.
I started Pirate yesterday after all the errands were done. We had alot to do yesterday, so I didn't get to sit down and stitch until six. I did get about 300 stitches in, though. Lots of pretty reds to come, though. I'm going to my mom's later if she didn't have a bad night at work, but other than that I'll be home all day. That'll give me plenty of time to work on it.
This was my piece I stitched for the Dragon Dreams Exchange. It's Joy from the Dragon Virtues afghan. I used the recommended Hearthside fabric, and I never will again. I didn't like stitching on it at all. My mom finished it into a beautiful pillow for me, but I forgot to take a picture before I mailed it. I'm not a good sewer, and it doesn't help that Darin broke my sewing machine. My mom, however, is wonderful.
Here's a picture of one of the models I stitched in the spring. The second one isn't ready yet, but should be soon. Again forgot to take a picture of the whole thing before I put it in the mail, so I borrowed the picture from Kat Rocha. It's called Balloonist's Prayer. It was alot of fun to do.
There's a new (to me)SBQ to answer. When you start a new work do you look for something small, do you look for another huge project or do you consider your UFOs? When I start a new project, I just start whatever's calling loudest. There's not that much planning that goes into it.
We had a busy day yesterday. Jymi texted me at six in the morning to tell me they had the exact dates for their leave. So I got up and checked hotel prices. I decided to go for a cheaper hotel, since we weren't gonna be there that much. The cheapest nice hotel was still $100 a night, which we just can't afford. Jymi had gotten paid early, so I sat down to pay the bills next. That's when I found out the power company had lost my last payment. They told me I had to get a statement from the bank showing the money had come out of my account. I had decided to take the boys to the first showing of Ratatouille, since we had the money, and the bank was right down the street. At 8:30, we left to go to the bank. After talking to a couple different people, one guy typed up my letter and printed a statement of my account showing where the money came out.
By then there was an hour and half left until the movie started, and I wanted to get there early, since I wasn't sure how crowded it would be. Not to mention trying to hold two hands, two booster seats, and their food. So I planned to get there about 10:30 (the movie started at eleven). I wasn't sure how long we would have to be at the power company but it's a twenty minute drive just to get there. So we went to Target to wait. Darin needed new shoes anyway. We looked around, and got Darin's shoes. Then we went to the movie. My sister had already given us passes, so we didn't have to pay for tickets, just concessions. There were quite a few other families, with kids about the boys' ages. The later shows would be packed, I'm sure. The boys loved the movie and the short at the beginning. I think it was the best Pixar movie in a long time. Since Monsters Inc., I'd say. They've all been cute, but this one was wonderful! It was just on a different level than the others. Tobi has wanted to see this one since we first saw the preview at Cars, over a year ago. I think it was well worth the wait.
After the movie it was back to the real world, where they were threatening to disconnect my power because they'd lost $200 of my money. By then Darin was getting tired, and it was getting to be his nap time. I wanted to go ahead and get the thing sorted though, so we went to the power company. We stood in line, and then were told somewhere else to go. We went there, and waited twenty minutes to be told this was the wrong place to deal with this, too. They had to send all my paperwork upstairs, to someone else, but she was off today. She will call me on Monday, supposedly. Bureaucracy in action. Here's hoping we get all this sorted quickly.
In the evening, Jymi called. We decided that instead of us driving out to see him, it would be easier (and he would rather) fly home. Flying out was not an option for me, because we wouldn't have a car. You have to be eighteen to rent a car, but you have to be 25 to drive it. So I canceled the hotel reservation, and for about the same price, I can get Jymi a round trip plane ticket. He'll be here for Drain's birthday, so we're gonna have a party at Olive Garden probably, with both our families. We also solved ou Transformers issue. Since Tobi and Jymi are both dying to see it, we're gonna wait until Jymi's here, and he'll take Tobi to see it. So now I've just gotta make it through one more month, and I get a few days with my hubby!

Labels: Gift Stitching, Jymi, Kids, Models, Movies, New Starts, Persian Iris Garden, Pirate, Real Life Sucks, SBQ

Here is Merlin And Arthur where I left off on Friday. I didn't stitch at all this weekend, but I plan to start Snow Fence today. I will have to wait for fabric Garden Fence. I'll be doing Snow Fence on 28 ct. Crystal Dwarf Cashel linen, one of the new colors released in February. I'm also gonna start Sweetheart Fence soon, on Crystal Whimsey. Both are Picture this Plus fabrics, as are most of my hand dyeds.
Here's the SBQ from last week. What has been your most challenging project and why? A number of pain in the ass projects spring to mind, but none of them were really hard. I guess Darin's stocking, The Music Room by Better Homes And Gardens/Cross Stitch And Country Crafts would be my most challenging. At that point I had done my nativity scene (where the only thing difficult was working with metallic threads) and The Lovers (which was big, but it was all cross stitch/quarter stitches and backstitch). So Darin's stocking was my third project. It used almost every type of Kreinik thread. It had a ton of lazy daises, straight stitches, French knots, blended threads, and couching, none of which I'd ever done before. Plus I had to attach jingle bells and a tassel to the top.
I go to court Friday. I'm getting more nervous about it everyday. At least it's on payday, so if I do have to pay a fine, I'll have the money. The police officer said the fine was $150, so that's not too bad. Wish me luck!

Labels: Merlin And Arthur, New Starts, Real Life Sucks, SBQ

Here's my progress on Merlin And Arthur. It doesn't look like much but I haven't worked on it much, either. I've only worked on it three days since my last picture. I think after today, though, I'm gonna move on to something else. I'm not sure what, yet, though. Probably Persian Iris Garden.
I ordered fabric for Pirate, Dragon Soul, and Ruby. It won't come in until after next payday, so I'm still being good on that front. I've got all three kitted up, ready to go.
I've also got Garden Fence waiting for me, and the buttons should be on order. They're also holding a piece of Monster Green and Twisted Peppermint Pink by R&R Fabrics for me. I've already got a piece of Monster Green, but they were marked down to five bucks each. I also bought DMC Light Effect Fluorescent and Tropical colors. I don't know what yet, but I'm gonna do something really obnoxious and bright with those colors and fabrics.
I also want to start Transcendeffervesence and Tending The Dragon Sleep, but I'm trying to resist. We'll see how long that lasts. Maybe a week? I was looking through the Transcendeffervesence chart yesterday, when Darin ran by with a shoestring. Which brought Hannah running out of the kitchen, jumping into my lap, and onto my chart. Her claws poked a few holes in a couple pages, but nothing major. It's still readable. That was after, while doing yoga, Hannah tried to climb up my leg. I guess she thought it was tree pose. I've got some very nice scratches on my side and legs now. She and Tinkerbell are still mad because I treated them for fleas, I guess.
The boys are doing better. Jymi got to call early yesterday, because he had a root canal. So they got to talk to him. Mostly he only gets to call after ten. We're going with my mom to her condo in Savannah one week. The boys are very excited about going with Grandma to the swimming pool. There's also a day where children of deployed guard members get in the zoo free. They're very excited about that, too.
I have good days and bad days. If it's not better in a couple weeks, I may go to the doctor to see about antidepressants. It's a step I don't want to take, but the bad days are pretty bad. The only reason I can drag myself out of bed at all is because the boys need me. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, though.

Labels: Jymi, Kids, Merlin And Arthur, New Starts, Pets, Real Life Sucks, 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

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

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

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

This is my very first tattoo! It's about three inches wide and six inches tall, on my right shoulder/back.
We went Friday afternoon, and got there about two. There was nobody else there, and since I wanted Jymi there with me, I got to go first. My artist was very nice, and started in a section that wouldn't hurt as much, so I could get used to it. About an hour after he started, he got a call from the owner that the health inspector was coming. So I got to take a break, while he found all the necessary paperwork, made sure the bathroom had been swept, etc. When he started again, he apologized for the delay, and said he hated having to stop in the middle like that. After another, more painful, hour the outlining was done! Jymi had a different artist doing his (different artists, different strengths), so once my outline was done, he went ahead and got started with his. It took another half hour to fill it in. The artist said that my skin was too soft; he had to keep going back over it to get it dark enough.
I can't get a good picture of my second one. It's about two inches by two inches.
After my first one, my artist needed a cigarette break, and I needed a drink. So I went and sat with Jymi for a couple minutes. I was there when the health inspector told Jymi's artist that everything was great, and gave them their paperwork. That's always reassuring.
Then it was time for my second one. The little one only took about twenty minutes, total. I added the boys' names. I got it on my left breast, because they'll always be close to my heart. Cheesy, I know, but true nonetheless.
It was then that my artist told me I picked a big design for my first tattoo, and in a few places it came close to my spine, which is why it hurt so much at the end. The little one barely hurt at all.
I'm having issues now, though. The lotion Jymi got to put on them started to peel off what skin had started to grow back. So I had to go back to the ointment you use the first few days, which can drain the color if you use it too much. Now there are a couple spots on my big one you can see it's pulled some out. You should get them touched up every few years anyway though, so I may just have to do it a little sooner.
Jymi got his in the middle of his chest. I sat with him after I was finished, and there were a couple times he was about to cry. That was painful. Much worse the my big one, I'm sure, but I've still got him beat. I gave birth. Twice.
It's gorgeous though. The picture does not begin to do it justice. His first two tattoos (an Egyptian eye, and the Japanese Kanji for father) look very sad in comparison. When he was finished, the artist took a picture of it for his portfolio.
Saturday, we had the deployment meeting. It was boring, and only created more anxiety for me. The boys had fun at the child care, though. Tobi drew over twenty pictures for me. At first, I thought he was taking home other kids' pictures, but they all had his name, and little men with light sabers, so I know they're really his.
I will post my goals and answer recent SBQs later. Jymi's got the week off so I can only have five minutes at a time on the computer!

Labels: Jymi, Real Life Sucks, tattoos

It's been a heck of a week. I've had more of the ups, but the downs were pretty freaking low. Tuesday, we got a letter about a meeting to discuss the "imminent deployment." At drill this past weekend, they were told they'd probably be leaving around the middle of May. This first they've mentioned it in awhile. I was really getting my hopes up that he wouldn't have to go. I'm taking it better than I thought I would, but I don't think it's really hit me yet. I'm not really talking about it much. The class/lecture/informational session is going to be so much fun, what with me not wanting to talk about it.
Darin's been sick. He's had a cough, and one day a fever. He's better now, but Tobi's got it. I think they've just got what I had last week. It caused Jymi to worry I was pregnant again. I was tired and nauseous, and I had to put nacho cheese on everything. So now Darin doesn't have any more symptoms, but he's still very whiny. It's understandable, though.
There's good news, too, though. I finished my exchange piece and started my new model. I haven't worked on it much, though.
Someone knocked on our door, and offered Jymi $60 for the wrecked Nissan. Then Jymi sold his Xbox 360 to a friend from work. I had already paid all the bills, so we decided to get tattoos. Jymi has been wanting another one, and I've wanted one since I was ten. So I spent most of Thursday looking online for ideas. Friday we went, but we didn't find anything we liked there. We had found a few things online, but you have to pay to download them, and we figured what we wanted was so common, they'd have something similar there. So we decided to pay for the ones we'd already found and come back next week. I don't want to settle on something that's going to be on my body forever. So I spent most of Saturday online, looking at designs, and reading about the process. I guess knowledge really is power, because I'm not afraid anymore. Still anxious and nervous, but the big nasty ball of fear that was in my stomach is gone. So I'm glad we didn't get them Friday. I've found three I love. I've picked one to get Friday, and another one to get Friday, depending on how much the first one costs. The other one I'll get some other time. So all that was three days of stitching lost (two days on research and one at the tattoo parlor.) Kathy's already agreed to babysit next Friday, so we're all set. I''m really excited, and it's helping to take my mind off of everything else.

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

Jymi and I went out with his friend, Jason, and his fiancee, to dinner and a movie. We went to see The Number 23. I thought it was pretty good. Jymi didn't think he'd like, because it's a serious movie starring Jim Carrey. He was wonderful though. He was still funny in the beginning, but in the beginning, he's just a normal, goofy, everyday guy. I've seen too many comedians in dramatic movies that try so hard to be serious, that there are no jokes at all. Most of the time, those movies aren't any good. It is easy to find the number in real life. The year I was born (1985) adds up. My address is three numbers, and they add up to twenty. We went to be that night at 12:19. Jymi was 23 when Darin was born. We started dating on June 9. 6/9. 69/3=23. This weekend, I participated in 2/3 SALs. No, I haven't lost my mind. It's just fun, and it bugs Jymi.
Saturday, I really meant to work on The Castle. I had to finish a thread on Tobi's stocking, though, and that was it. Once I picked it up, I couldn't switch. I'm going to finish the drawers today, and then I'm going to start my Dragon Dreams exchange piece. It should only take a few days, but I'm expecting a new model soon. The exchange mail date isn't until May, so I've got plenty of time. I want to get it done soon, though, so I have plenty of time for the finishing. My mom's going to help me, but she's also having her gall bladder taken out. I don't want to bother her right after she has surgery.
Sunday I worked on Jymi's stocking. It doesn't look like much, but I finished the star on the right, and did all of his name, over one. Next time, I can actually start the picture! I haven't decided where to start next, but probably the tree.
Sunday night, I started to feel bad. I took something to make me feel better, but it made me very sleepy. Jymi, who's been doing lead all weekend, got up at nine for work, and didn't wake me until he left at ten. I was still pretty dopey though, and I went back to sleep at eleven and didn't get up until two. I had to get groceries, because there was noting in the house to eat. I felt better after I ate, when we got back. After that, I did finally work on The Castle. Still stitching rocks. I always feel like I've made progress, but it never looks like much. I'm still feeling sick and sleepy. Jymi left this morning at nine, and I didn't hear him at all. Not only did he leave without my noticing, but another guy came over, in, and left again (Jymi was giving him a ride to the plant)! I'm awake now though. Not moving fast, but I'm alive. I hope veryone else is feeling better today!

Labels: Jymi, Jymi's Stocking, Models, Movies, Real Life Sucks, The Castle, Tobi's Stocking

In my last post, I mentioned I was going to rent a car to go to Virginia. Guess what I learned. You can't rent a car without a major credit card, and if you manage to, you still have to be twenty-five to drive it. I was so ready too scream! I understand why they have to do it that way, but it's still irritating.
So we had to wait until Jymi got off work Thursday night, and we borrowed my mom's car. We left Friday morning, and got to Virginia around lunch time. We couldn't afford to go the Marine Science Center, like I planned, but my dad bought the four of us tickets to the circus (he had to work, so he couldn't go with us).
It really was the greatest show on earth, but not because of the clowns or elephants. The best part was watching the boys. We had great seats (they're normally the floor seats; it's a basketball arena) We were in the second row, and close enough to smell the elephants. We were also close enough Tobi got to shake hands with the star clown, which made his day. Darin had fallen asleep by then. They both loved it, but it started at Darin's normal bedtime. He fought it as long as he could, but he fell asleep during the second half. Everything was wonderful.
There were only two problems; everything was so expensive and PETA. My dad gave us some money to get the boys souvenirs, and they each got a light up thing, and they were $39! I told myself the money was going towards the elephant sanctuary. Now I have no problem with PETA's ideals. I am all for ethical/kind treatment of animals. Handing out information on the treatment of the animals in front of the circus is fine with me; I will read it over. When they start handing out comic books that show elephants being hunted and tortured to my very small kids though, that's a different thing. When they are scaring the hell out of my children, that is no longer a peaceful protest. I'm glad I flipped through it before I let them have it.
We got our car, and left Saturday morning. It was a long trip back, especially since we had to stop by my mom's and my sister's before we could go home. Our new car is a 86 Honda, and it's butt ugly. It's was in our price range though, and now I have a car during the day. Which is great, because I don't have anything to feed the boys for lunch, but I can go get groceries.
I've made some progress on Persian Iris Garden. This is going to be last picture of this one for awhile. I'm getting sick of it. I can make good progress when I can make myself work on it, but I never want to. So I think for the moment, I'll focus on Tobi's stocking during the week.
I keep wanting to start something small as a break from all my bigger projects, but the first thing that comes to my mind in Merlin And Aurthur. How's that for a small project? I have kinda decided to start something small once a month, just to break the monotony. I've also halfway decided that this project will be one of the Stitch Every Holiday series, but I can't pick which one. I could either start with the beginning of the series, the beginning of the year, or do whatever month it is. I guess I'll see which one I have the most threads for already.
Yesterday was the Black Swan SAL, and here is Jymi's stocking. I didn't get much done, but I didn't pick it up until nine. We spent Sunday cleaning, unpacking, and relaxing.
Today, after I get some groceries, I'll work on The Castle. I've got plenty more rocks to stitch.
Before I go, here's last week's SBQ. What is the smallest count fabric you have ever used? Did you stitch over one? Conversely, what is the largest count fabric you have ever used? The smallest I've used is 36 ct., and I have one that has to go on 40 ct. to fit in the frame I want for it, but I prefer 28 or 32 ct. I have stitched over one on 25 and 28 ct. I also stitched on 32 ct., and that time I was supposed to. The first two times, I didn't know I was supposed to stitch over two. The largest I've used is probably 14 ct. aida, unless you count over two on 25 ct., which works out to be 12.5 ct. Isn't math fun?

Labels: Family, Jymi, Jymi's Stocking, Kids, New Starts, Persian Iris Garden, Real Life Sucks, SBQ, The Castle, Tobi's Stocking