Oh, What A Wonderful Week-end! And A Roadtrip!

We laughed, we ate, we shopped, we stitched and laughed some more! That's what these GTGs are all about. Man, I had missed these gals! I worked on both of my on-going projects. I was amazingly restrained in the LNS. Mostly that was due to stopping by Craft Warehouse on our way into town. CW was having a 40% off framing sale. I left two pieces to be framed. Then when we arrived at Vicki's she offered to take another of my pieces in for a special 60% off framing sale on Monday. Whew! That hurt the bank! Wednesday I had to take "Blondie", my jeep, in for some work. I was expecting a very expensive tab, especially when they asked to keep her overnight. What a surprise when I found out the warrenty covered everything but the normal maintenance and the wipers, minus the $100 deductible. That totally made me feel better about all the framing expenses. Need Blondie to be in tip-top shape. I leave Thursday for the Washington peninsula. I will appear in court Friday on my former neighbor's behalf. After spending a few days with her I will be heading up to Vancouver, BC to visit my BFF, Pam. On my return trip I'm planning to spend a few days with another girlfriend in Seattle. I'm just giddy with all the fun of getting to see these gals. Soooo... don't expect an update here for a bit. ROADTRIP!!!

Oh Dear!

I should be excited! I should be packing & sorting my stitching. But no, I've just finished reading emails and blogs. I'm heading back to bed for a nap. At oh-dark-thirty tomorrow I leave for my stitching GTG in Portland. I've missed several so I haven't seen the gals since September. Where, oh where is my mojo?

No photos to share but I am working diligently every evening on two projects.

Holey Moley! Where Does The Time Go?

I cannot believe this is my first post of May! Where is my life disappearing to? Just yesterday it was April! Is it really true that the older you get, the faster your life goes? Must be! So, I'll attempt to catch you up on the goings on around here.

Our Matty had surgery on his foot May 5th. The tumor was removed and the vet says things look good for the old man. (Not DH, the dog, silly) We did not have any of the fatty bumps & tumors removed. The foot is still bandaged and he gets the stitches out on Wednesday. DH has been a champion about changing Matty's dressings. His teeth were cleaned at the same time so the vet could get a good exam. Matt is doing well. He's so fun to watch as he tries to keep up with the girls. I've never heard him bark but DH says he did the other day. This boy is a chow hound and knows where all the treats are kept. The girls have been teaching him bad manners too. We are so lucky to have such a dear dog in our lives and are very thankful to all of Matty's benefactors.

Also on the 5th I left home to attend my very first Stitching Retreat. It was put on by Vicki and Donna of the NorthWest Stitchers Group and held in Union, Washington. This is the view we had to put up with
The weather was perfect! We had a hot tub with the same view. Pretty harsh! Twenty one fabulous women! I made new friends and enjoyed old ones too. A lot of stitching, eating, laughing, great prizes, a bit of drinking (what's a sunny day on the deck without a good beer or wine?), a bit of stash swapping. These are the ladies, don't we look delighted? Yours truly is the second from the left.


This past week I've been cleaning up my desk, catching up on some stitching, attending a couple of meetings at Hospice, tidying up my sewing room and even a bit of yard work. All that routine stuff except for the stitching, that could never become routine.

My latest work is the contest sampler piece by Wiehenburg. It's turning out gorgeous! I'm using Silkweavers Tranquility 28ct and Sulky 12wt Thread Peacock Plume. Today I spent some time browsing my charts for some Bs and bees. I want to personalize it and since both my initals are Bs, what else? The photo will have to wait til the morning. Everything I tried tonight looks too washed out.

MIA!!!

Well, I've definitely been 'Missing' (sheesh, time marches on even without me)! And I've definitely been 'In Action' (more about that in a bit)! No need to send the troops out searching for me though. I'm here and well and busier than a bee's butt!

The last I posted much was about Matty joining our pack. What a dear little dog he is. Sure wish we knew more about his history, it would be interesting! It appears he wasn't abused as he's a brave little soul and doesn't flinch from touch. However, his physical condition leads us to believe he wasn't very well taken care of. Yet, he wasn't terribly malnourished. Matt will go for some needed surgeries next Wednesday, the 5th. Two things about this: First, Deb (Matty's wonderful benefactor) with the help of many generous people, has raised enough money to cover all of the costs for Matty's healthcare. Bless all of you, you know who you are! Second, I must go out of town on the 5th and won't return until the 9th. I know DH is fully capable (within reason) What happens if it gets beyond reason? I'll be home on the 9th, nobody will perish before then. Right?

Whew! I've finally finished both classes I've been attending. Fortunately they only overlapped for two weeks and the homework hasn't been much.

The week-end of April 17 - 18 was our Washington/Oregon Stitching GetTogether. I love these! Always so much fun with like minded women from all over the NorthWest. Again, Tracy of Ink Circles and Carrie of Carrie's Creation attended. As usual, I spent way too much on Carrie's silks. I also picked up all the flosses needed for LHN's Sea To Shining Sea at my LNS, Acorns & Threads, in Portland. (local, as in nearly 4 hours away)

April 18th was DH's stepmom's 97th birthday. Happy Birthday Phyllis! I wasn't there as I was at the above mentioned stitching GTG.

On the 22nd we gathered with friends for a surprise birthday party for my dear friend Terry! HB girl, you're getting younger lookin' every day!

April 24th was the wedding date for our youngest son, Jim, and his bride, Teila. We were only given a ten day notice to get this shindig together (guess what I've been doing?). As the men in my life are of Native American decent we were offered one of the tribe's properties for the event. Our Chief performed the ceremony (his first wedding{other than to his beautiful wife}).

We had a lovely time and everything turned out beautifully. DH's stepmom, Phyllis, was able to attend (thank you Patrick). After the ceremony we all went to dinner at the casino. We were able to get the newlyweds a room for the night. Can you believe those kids spent some of their wedding money gambling? Crazy! They must live under a lucky star as Jim won a $500 chip in poker. Word is they're up $470! Without further ado, here's the lucky couple:

Back to April 23rd: We picked up the wedding cake early & headed to the coast. Our greatest concern was how to get Matty into the motorhome. We had been trying to work with him all week to no avail. We even tried to go back to working on getting into the car. He isn't able to do either. His back legs are just not strong enough. Soooo, we figured out a sling made from a towel and would hand him off to each other. Luckily Matt is able to climb down the coach steps pretty well (not so with the car). Matty's taken to riding in the motorhome like a champ. He was so good the entire trip. Fortunately, we were able to hook-up right at the property where the wedding took place so we were never far away. Unfortunately we were never able to take him out on the sand as he has an open wound on his foot. Someday soon Matty, I promise!

Now, on to the stitchy stuff! No, I won't chronicle all my new stash. That might lead you to think I might actually use some of my precious stash. I do have a couple of finishes to show you though. First is my LHN 'The Library'. Man, this one almost became a UFO! All that solid stitchingis soooo boring!

Next is the fifth in the LHN Ornament SAL series. I skipped the forth and am stitching it now. I just couldn't resist this lamb. I stitched him in Whisper Thread to make him look wooly. The photo is very dark (what's up with my flash?). The fabric is actually an 18ct Dirty stitched over one. Oh, and one last thing since you've come this far. Many of you know Paulette of Plum Street Samplers. Take a look at what she and her mom, Marsha, and her sister, Audrey, are cooking up on their new blog Four Seasons Cafe. Fantastic! I don't enjoy cooking very much but I do love to bake! Now wait just a second there.... I just lost all this weight! This might be a really bad idea for me.

Weekly Gratitude

I am so thankful for the simple things in my life; a hug, a smile, a kiss, a kind word, laughter, the snuggle of a dog nose. And for all the things I take for granted; being able to walk, talk, hear, see, my health (which isn't the greatest yet, so much better than many). The BIG things I don't give a second thought to; a comfy home, a safe vehicle, a loving and supportive husband, an income that allows us to live a moderate yet comfortable life.

FRIENDSHIP
Just returned from a week-end with some of the most wonderful women. They truly delight me. Our stitching group is varied in so many ways beyond the obvious (ages, abilities) yet we come together to share our love of needle and thread. We laugh, share, encourage, learn, teach, eat, enable, shop. They are generous beyond anything I've ever experienced. I've only been included in this sisterhood for one year now yet I feel a kinship here beyond acquaintances I have known for years. I've learned more about stitching from these ladies than in my entire past years of stitching. There is no judging here. They make me want to reach into myself for hidden strengths and talents and try new ventures. Beyond any other people in my life, these women are my friends. I look forward excitedly for our get-togethers. Whatever took me so long to find these kinds of friends? I'm just grateful to be counted among them now! (Oh yeah, they enable me to keep my wallet empty and my credit card full!!! ;)

I'm Outta Here! Again!

Yes, again! It's that time again! I'm so excited! It's the WA/OR Stitchers Week-end Get-together. Happens every-other month except through the holidays. So I've been missing these wonderful ladies for months now! Unfortunate for us, fortunate for them, some of our gang will be hob-nobbing in Nashville. Ah well, perhaps they'll think of us poor minions and bring us goodies. It's happened before! Are we spoiled? You bet!
So, I'm off to pack my stitching bag and a few clothes. I've even remembered my camera (a first).
TTFN Ta Ta For Now!

I'm Outta Here! Again!

Just a quick note before I'm out the door. DH says "AGAIN"! Yes, this is my stitching week-end in Portland with the NWcrossstitchers Yahoo group. We gather for stitching, sharing, shopping, eating and of course, laughter, lots of laughter, about every other month. I so look forward to these GTGs.
I'm driving over with my friend Pat. She's got studded tires on her car! Good girl! It's been snowing all morning on our mountain. She's a bit lower & hasn't any snow today but we both got it yesterday. I'm certain we'll see plenty in the pass. I'll say a little prayer before we go.
On the stitching front... nothing to show. I've been working on a baseball quilt for my eldest grandson, Alex (10), for Christmas. I need to get this to the quilter sooooon! And wouldn't you know it! I've run short on the backing fabric. Miscalculation seems to be my lot lately. Hopefully we'll have time to hit a fabric store this week-end.
TTFN (ta ta for now)

Quilting GTG

I had such an inspiring day yesterday! I attended a gathering of quilters from the Portland, Oregon area. I had met one of the ladies, Kathy, on-line and she invited me to join them for the afternoon. Twice yearly they have a four day retreat at Jan Sims' place in Sisters (which is only an hour from me). Jan is a very experienced long-arm quilter and it was exciting to watch her work. Her home and workshop are so amazing. Her home is a log cabin type with an open upstairs with quilts hanging over the railings. Even the shower curtains are quilted! The ladies each were working on quilting projects of their own and such beautiful quilts I've never seen. Such a wonderful, amazing group of women! I'm so inspired!

Oh, by the way, both Jan & Kathy are involved in making quilts for our wounded soldiers! Another project I really want to become involved with.