Barking Up The Wrong Tree

All of my cats are pretty well-behaved, as cats go. They are "trainable". Actually they have trained me to accept whatever they do as correct behavior. They don't poo in the potted plants, they don't fight with eachother (much), they don't howl at all hours of the night (although I love the sound of their voices anytime). They pretty much stay within the boundaries of the yard and the designated areas of the back field. I've lost too many beloved cats on this street. There isn't much traffic here but the dozen or so cars that do go by each day seem to think this is a drag strip designed to test the speedometer capacity of their vehicles. Of all the cats my one and only orange kitty (first ever orange kitty too) Carmella tests the limits of the boundaries most frequently. There are times when I call and call for her; rattle the cat food tin and no response for nearly an hour. Just where is it that she's getting too? Not the barn or the shed. Not under the car or the patio chairs. Not in the field or God forbid, in the street. Here she is. This seems to be her new hang-out. The oldest, largest tree in the yard. Conveniently located next to a prime bird feeder for an excellent view of the "catch". Elliot takes a less subtle approach.

Well, I haven't been barking up the cross-stitch tree much either! Still obsessed with socks. Round and round I go and my next start will be pair #20

Two weeks ago I was glued to the computer following the Gymnastics European Championships. I was quite pleased with the results, especially of these two cute little Russians from the Junior squad. Anastasia Grishina and Viktoria Komova. I remember seeing Viktoria's mother compete back in the day..........1983 USA vs. USSR competition. Here is my near-finish of my latest gymnastics design, Grishina in a split leap during her Floor Exercise routine. She won a gold medal on this event at Europeans. Next up is British Champion Beth Tweddle.

The sun is shining and it's nearly 80 degrees F. The storms are rolling in though, so it's outside for a few more hours of stitching or knitting or just watching the cats lounge around.

Thank You Mother Nature!

I've had friends tell me lately that they are feeling God moving in their lives. Some through people returning from their past, others through certain positive events in the jobs or personal lives. In my case I am seeing God's work through Nature. I have never put much value (and even moreso in the past months) in the "artificial world". You know, those things conjured up through greed and publicity and egotism. I held out hope that I would soon see an outward sign that my patience would be rewarded. And now I see it! Everywhere throughout my yard things are blooming and growing and moving forward with Life, despite the heavy burden of that artifical world. For some reason things seem greener this year; brighter, more healthy. Plants that have lay dorment for years are suddenly re-blooming without any help from me at all! There are colors of irises that I thought were long-gone. My treasured gift from my gymnasts, the azalea bush, is in rare form this Spring. The tulips put on a display that I haven't seen since they were first planted over 10 years ago.

Something is moving, awakening and it's telling me to do the same. All this time of idleness, of anger, of stress has to be left behind. What a waste it has been. There is a stack of letters that need to be answered. All the dolls could have had complete new wardrobes by now. There has been time enough to make each and every one of my friends a cross-stitch gift and a pair of socks. Time to finish painting this room, to fix the front fence, to lose some pounds and get in shape again. I've wasted it all. Did I think I was achieving some sort of "victory" by wallowing in my self-pity? Was I proving some sort of bizarre point by closing myself away? The plants and the flowers are telling me otherwise. They are telling me to get up off my roots and bloom!

Love/Hate

That describes my relationship with my new found habit/obsession Facebook. My sister-in-law got me into it under the pretense of sharing family photos with those back home in New Jersey. To say the whole set-up makes me slightly uncomfortable is an understatement! Imagine if you will a dinner party where I invite all my geeky gymnastics friends, my compulsive cross-stitch friends (all a mix of Americans and Europeans), my sister-in-law, my 12 year old niece, my 80 year old aunt, long-lost high school pals, my co-workers and my boss. Is this really a group that I want all together in one place conversing about me?! Well, that's Facebook. And that search feature. How many long-forgotten (not really) names have I typed in there with trembling fingers? Half those people I didn't want to speak to way back when. Why in the world would I want to know about them now. Facebook did serve it's purpose for me this week though. I "outed" a lady who's owed me money for doll clothes to the tune of $192.00 since November. Her daughter promptly "un-friended" me but she did finally make a PayPal payment grudgingly this morning.

Under the topic of 'Problems Solved', first of course was the $192, then there was the huge Hobbs doll that went out in the mail to my mother's house to be hidden...if an 18 x 18 x 29 box is hide-able. Back to Love/Hate, mostly hate. The Post Office. Not only have their rates gone up consistently every year, now they are thinking of doing away with my favorite mail day, Saturday. Then there is the latest ploy using the ever-popular scare tactic "terrorism". It seems that now all Customs forms must be filled out on line, then printed out on the home computer and brought to the Post Office. I don't have a printer at home, so am I now excluded from mailing internationally? I was informed by the postal woman (complete with eye-rolling and exasperated sighing) that she would now have to convert my hand-written Customs form on to her computer and weigh the package and then calculate my postage. Hmm, sounds an awful lot like WORK to me. Isn't that what she's getting paid for? Preventing terrorism indeed. You would think the Post Office would like a face-to-face encounter with anyone trying to mail something dangerous or illegal. With the Internet-only method what is to prevent them from filling in 'chocolate chip cookies' on the line for package contents, when the box really contains Anthrax or a bomb? Then they simply pay for it on-line with some random credit card, dump it off at the Post Office and run like he**!

OK, enough of the Hate, how about some Love. Spring is really here.

I actually tilled up the vegetable garden today and spend most days outside with the pets,either knitting socks of stitching.

(notice Elliot in the background?)

It's been mostly socks lately.

New starts: Men's socks in Lang "Color Aktion" #235 and anklets in Red Heart, Heart & Sole "Berry Bliss"

Boy's socks in hand-dyed from Etsy. Cedar Grove colors for my nephew.

Re-do of my very first pair for my mother. Sock Ease "Cotton Candy"

My head is filled with inspiration for cross-stitching, but I just can't get my hands to catch up with my brain.
The Red Bud trees are in full bloom, the Red Wing Blackbirds are back and my little vegetable seeds are sprouting.

lettuce

I am also starting some Zinnias and the ever-popular Cat Nip. My larger Cat Nip plants usually over-Winter here pretty well. They get their little green sprouts very early in the Spring, but the cats just don't give them a chance. As soon as a new leaf appears, it is promptly eaten! The zinnias will be hot pink and lime green. I still haven't bought the seeds for the Zinnias I really want, Queen Red Lime, which are both hot pink and lime green in one flower. My $80+ worth of pink daffodils turned out to be mostly yellow/orange with a few muted pinks thrown in. They are still very pretty and I was able to reclaim a long-neglected area near the shed.

Just going on and on today. I think it's because I feel so much safer here then I do on Facebook. Yes, Facebook is more modern, more hip, more now. But when have I ever been any of those things?

Looking To The Future??

A few posts back I waxed poetic and gave my "profound statement" on not rushing into the future and savoring each day. Then I fiddled around with the blog layout to brighten it up a bit. I even updated the banner photo. And what does it say on this photo? June 24 2037 !!! Talk about rushing into the future. Apparently, my camera does some weird date thing when I change the batteries.

Anyway, it's still March of 2010 and I'm still very much living in the moment. I finished up a few stitched pieces that were laying around. Two boxes and a soon-to-be box. The first is what I have come to call "my Quirkers".....a Quaker that I have altered with an odd-ball thread selection. This is Workbasket Quaker Frog. I just love the look on his face. I am pretty sure I haven't posted a photo of him yet, though I am far too lazy to go back in the blog archive and actually check. So here is is, perhaps again.

Then the two completed boxes: A selection of eggs from a larger Marjolien Bastin piece and Bright Birds. I love the look of the egg box (filled with candy for my mom and dad for Easter) but the feathers make it quite a challenge to get the lid on and off of the box. The Bright Birds are much more user-friendly, being trimmed with black decorative braiding.

Still knitting away on socks. The repetitive nature of this type of knitting is very relaxing to me. I have even mastered Sock Math, the ability to take different weights of yarn and different size needles and adapt my standard pattern to them. I am currently working with some worsted weight yarns from my substantial stash and making slipper-socks. A big thank you to Staci for sharing her 40 cast-on worsted weight sock pattern. I can see a big dent being made in the yarn stash with this pattern.

I even ventured back into making some clothes for my 16" fashion dolls. I am in a 1920's mood lately and here is a prototype of a Spring outfit. The blouse needs a bit more tweaking for a better fit. Although the shapes of 1920's fashion are very basic, there is a fine line between loose-fitting and down right baggy. Once I establish a basic working pattern I can branch out into various skirt styles and even some dresses and jackets. Any other fashion doll enthusiasts out there? I'd love to share patterns and ideas.

And what day would be complete without a little chocolate. I made Mexican Hot-Chocolate Cookies from the most recent issue of Everyday Food. If you haven't browsed through this little magazine yet, usually at the grocery check-out lane (I subscribe), it is definitely worth a look. I find at least three recipes in each issue that I use over and over. These cookies are supposed to be for my dad as part of his Easter gift, but they are slowly dwindling!

Roy and Carmella went to the Vet this morning for their annual shots. What an ordeal. They hate to be put in the carrying case. I don't blame them. These are the brother and sister cats that were part of that group of three kittens I found on the roadside in October 2008. Obviously being put and a box and driven somewhere is not their favorite thing. They also spent one month at the vet in a cage trying to be adopted out. Their sister was adopted by the local dollhouse shop lady and I see photos of her pretty often. For Roy and Carmella the smell and site of the Vet's office must bring back sad and confusing memories. I love all of my cats, but these two little ones have been a special blessing to our house. They arrived towards the end of our beloved Alix's life. I worried that they would cause an uproar and upset her, but she truly enjoyed their lively ways and I think they helped her live a little longer. It is hard to believe Alix has been gone for a whole year.

The weather has turned cold again. There was even some snow early Friday morning. So it's back to the wool sweater and the penguin turtle-neck.

Rather then a pet snap toady I leave you with a photo of a massive sewing project. I am pretty sure my 10 year-old nephew does not read my blog ( not enough flashing lights or spinning gadgets to suit him) so it is safe to post this photo of his birthday gift. He is into the cartoon Calvin and Hobbs, much like my brother was. Infact, my brother gave him his first big cartoon book of them for Christmas. He has been asking over and over for a Hobbs doll. It seems the the cartoonist does not produce or license his characters as toys so I had to invent one myself. I now need to find a 50" x 25" x 20" box to mail this guy to New Jersey. I think it might be easier just to buy him a plane ticket.

Pretty Things

The weather has turned from three days of constant rain to bright sun, just as this day is ending. So I took the chance to photograph a few pretty things.

Do snails lie? Apparently mine does. He is registering -10 degrees F! Poor thing. I think he is purely decorative now. The plants are coming up and I hope the nights won't be too cold for them. I even got some branches to sprout and bloom inside.

Two cross-stitch finishes: My version of Home Spun Elegance "Fresh Spring". Stitched on 28 count tan Laguna with Olde Willow Stitchery thread #056 "Tropical Storm". I need to find a few little prim charms to go on this. I tend to be a bit bold shall we say, in my interpretation of Quakers. My colors are anything but subtle! I think they might better be called Quirkers because, let's face it, they are a little weird. The rabbit motif is from Prairie Schooler #152 "April" stitched on light blue 32 count linen (thank God for my magnifying specs from Walgreens!) using the suggested DMCs. I never seem to fiddle much with the DMC suggested by Prairie Schooler. They are just so right just the way they are.

Some socks in Red Heart Yarn Heart & Sole "Green Envy". I have made 12 pair so far, sticking to my very dull, but comfortable, freebie pattern from Red Heart. I have gotten rather brave lately and varied the sizes a bit. I made a large men's pair and I'm working on a smaller sized pair for my niece. I even gone so far as to order some hand-dyed yarns from Etsy. My attempt at "Cedar Grove Socks" in the very hard to find black and bright gold of my home town. My niece is a cheerleader there and I think these socks will go over well. My next Etsy order of yarn is bright yellow-gold with some white and black bits, sort of the opposite of this.

Have to throw a few pet snaps in for good measure.

The Color Of ....Dirt.

It seems Spring has sprung. Over 60 degrees F here today with bright sunshine. It really does me good to be outside more....or even inside looking at the outside. There are still a few small, sad patches of leftover snow, but the bulbs are beginning to sprout! A sure sign of good things to come. Bud shook off the cold and all the cats just begged to go outside and play (or nap) for a while.

Finally finished a cross-stitch piece. This is the Dutch gymnast Lieke Weavers. Most of my "hand-work" time is still taken up with my obsession with knitting socks.

A beautiful PIF arrived yesterday from Leena in Finland. A perfectly stitched humbug on a burgundy hand-dyed linen. Leena also included this fabulous skein of floss! I had completely forgotten about this PIF, which only made it all the more lovely a surprise. Thank you Leena. There was also a large RAK/de-stash envelope from Edgar last week. Thanks so much Edgar....."one man's clutter"....well you know the rest.

Another one of the sweet chickens got hit by a car last week. Now there are only three Guineas left. They are so friendly, which is what leads them to make the trek from their home up the street to our house everyday. They are just not swift enough crossing the road.

March is certainly'marching' forward! First week gone already. A friend asked me the other day if I just wanted to close my eyes and wake up some time in August and have all the recent stresses and problems be over-with. I thought for a moment and seriously considered answering a definite "YES". But my answer was "no". I do not want to wish my life away. There is something good in every day and I wouldn't want to miss those moments.