Here I Sit.....

............at the local library sucking up some Internet time.  The computer at home is totally dead!  I've been assured by the librarian that I can upload a few photos, so here goes:
Damn, forgot the cord to the camera.  All I have is the memory stick.  OK, there are the photos up on the screen, so it does actually work!  But they are all ancient photos that I've saved from  he two now-dead computers at home.
Oh well, nice try.  Just a boring bunch of words for my adoring fans.  At least you know I'm still out there in Cyberspace, lurking about.

Really?

I'm back to using my old computer again.  The monstrous tower that is the size and weight of a cinder block, the web-browser that uses Internet Explorer 2, the fuzzy, blurry resolution screen.  At the risk of sounding like my thirteen-year-old niece, "REALLY?".  Well, at least I'm here.  There's been a lot of cross-stitching going on in the form of gymnast designs.  I'm gearing up toward the huge District Competition March 17 & 18.  Trying to complete a few designs and also a huge pile of American Girl doll clothes to sell to the "captive audience" of parents and grandparents that wander the halls during the meet.  Afterall, their kid is only up there performing for a total of 4 minutes during a marathon 3 hour session (x two days x three sessions per day).  That could add up to a lot of sales!
Just when I thought Spring might be on the horizon, today is blustery, cloudy and cold.  I can handle it though.  Infact, I welcome it for this particular weekend.  I am judging a large competition on Saturday and if it's cold and snowy then the cats will want to stay inside all day.  This cuts down on the workload for Joe as Designated Cat Monitor while I'm gone.  It also cuts down on my anxiety that no one can replace me as Designated Cat Monitor.  So I can be stressed and nervous over other things.  Like the fact that this is one of the most important private club meets of the season.  Or the fact that I will encounter my former boss from my former club for the first time in over a year.  Or the fact that this type of competition is so much more serious then the Rec League and YMCA meets that I usually judge.  How I got assigned to this one I'll never know.  So I have to put myself "out there" again.  Shouldn't this get easier as I grow older?  Maybe because anxiety and panic have been given so much attention in all the magazines and on the TV doctor shows. It seems to make it more intense for me.  I analyze and re analyze everything.  After all these years I guess I'm finally trendy!  Once I am 'in the moment' I am very focused and get the job done.  It's just the build-up to an event that kills me.  I'm already stressing over an all-day CPR course that I must attend on March 8th, 9am-4pm.  It's not so much about the course material itself, but about encountering other people and especially about being away from the house for such a stretch of time.  How I envy those who "live for the day", and don't look upon the future with such dread.

BESTIES!

From Team photo night at the gym.  L to R Alisha, Kaysa, David, Me, Becca, Brenda, Jill and Karena.

Cross-Stitch Lives!

...and apparently, so do I!  I know some of you must have been wondering what corner of the planet I had fallen off.  Over a month since my last post, bless me Father for I have..............ok, I'm getting off topic.  The topic being my latest (and ONLY) cross-stitch finish in ages.  Gymnast Ksenia Seymonova of Russia.  I must admit it was the colors of the leotard that drew me to stitch this design, another one of my self-made charts.

Quite a bit of "live" gymnastics going on too.  Little Level 4 Alayna is part of the much larger group that I coach now.  Tonight is Picture Night for the Team so I should be posting a few more of my lovely ladies very soon.

Back on the crafting front, I created this card for my mother's 77th Birthday that was on January 17th.  She also got this home-made pot holder.  Since she struggles with Parkinson's Disease I chose this design of pot holder to prevent spills and burns from lifting large pans or cookie sheets.  As things go I think my dad will get more use of it then my mom.  He seems to have taken over 90% of the household tasks.  My mother thinks this is only fair since she did 90% of the household task for the first 90% of their marriage!

It seems that I have tempted the Fates long enough and the computer is acting strange (yet again).  The layout of this post looks just fine right now.  Wait till I press the "post" button;  it's always a surprise what shows up.

Terra Nova

A new crafting obsession, terrarium-making.  Thanks to the inspiration of this new library book "Terrarium Craft".  I've always loved 'miniature worlds' and gardening.  This new craft adventure combines my love of dollhouses with my passion for working in the dirt.  The one pictured above has a Zen/Oriental theme and is for my friend Sharee's birthday on the 30th. 

This one is for my Baptist mother-in-law, so it has a decided more "neutral" feel to it.  The birdbath is a little glass candle holder from Wal Mart!

Another Christmas craft, knitting, went in the way of cowl-making over the past few months.  I made several for my mother to give to her friends as her own knitting skills have been hampered by Parkinson's Disease.  My mom used to churn out complex cabled sweaters in less then a week.  She still knits, though it be very slowly, as therapy for her hands.  I was glad to help her out and prove that all those hours spent teaching me to knit were not in vain.  This cowl is for my sister-in-law.  A bit of "bling" in silver and gold are added to the chunky black yarn.

A wonderful Amazon gift card arrived in this box from my brother and his family.  I just love Amazon and this gift is greatly appreciated by everyone at my house, especially Coal.

I didn't set up the big tree this year.  I added a few more owls to the little tree on the TV and I may bring down my silver chicken wire creation to put on top of the sewing machine table.  I'm finishing up a few last-minute alterations for some friends and then the lid will close on the sewing table so the tree can stand there.

If my computer allows I will post again soon.  If I don't get back on-line before the 25th, I wish a Very Merry Christmas to all!

Bloggedy, Blog, Blog, Blog.....................

Gymnastics coaching, gift making, Christmas card sending, cooking baking, cowl knitting, ornament stitching, house decorating...basically anything that doesn't involve this sorry excuse for a computer.  Today's record was 31 tries to get it to start up.  Blue screens, black screens, even some cool mosiac patterns.  But here I am, finally able to post.  So of course my photo editing software won't open!  I did find this photo from a few weeks ago.  Two lovely new friends from a local farm.  Gizmo is the big gray guy and his little calico buddy is one of the family of barn cats....two other siblings and the mom and dad cat.  All live peacefully together.

So that's me, putting myself out there "on-line".  Hopefully I can post some photos next time, but one never knows when that "next time" will be.

Wanting/Having

Wanting so much to blog in the last month or so, but my computer has been so uncooperative.  Wanting to share what I see outside and craft inside. 

 Wanting to reconnect with old firends and discover new ones.  Wanting to view all your blogs and make some comments.  Wanting to open myself up to the world of the productive again. Wanting to coach and thrive in my secret little gymnastics world.

Having the time, energy and creativity restored to me to make a few little things. 

Having people appreciate them  and even buy them from my Etsy shop. 

 Having so many dear, sweet, loyal and patient friends and FINALLY being able to see them again!

 Having a moment to stand on the Balance Beam and look out across my special world of gymnastics. 



Blurry..trembling with excitement!