Friday, February 20, 2009

In the mail

The magazines are all in the mail and on their way to their new homes. I hope you all find something wonderful to stitch!

Yesterday, I took a break from this

to go pick up my new glasses - and since I was out and about, I met Nola and Brenda for lunch. It was Brenda's birthday so after lunch we went back to her house and had cake - yumm! I was a bad blogger and didn't take any pictures. I did have my camera - but it was so nice to meet both ladies and I just didn't get to it! (time passes so fast!) They both have pictures on their blogs so you can hop over there and look - I'm the fat one. I missed the trip to the antique mall because I had other errands to do first - but I would have probably found something I couldn't live without and then I would just have to pack it, so it was probably best! Thanks ladies, for letting me join you for lunch! Hope we have a chance to get together again.
I hear boxes calling my name - suppose I better get back to business! Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

More stitching magazines

I was going to split the remaining magazines into a couple of posts, but I've decided it will be easier to list them all at once.
Same rules apply as yesterday. First come, first served - be sure to leave an email address so I can email and get your mailing information, if there is no email I will move on to the next request. (I get my comments in my email box - I'm pretty sure they hit my email in the same order as the comments are posted on the blog - if not, sorry, but that is how I am checking them) I will try to edit the post to mark them as they are taken but I'm up to my ears in boxes so there may be a little delay.

Cross Stitch & Needlework, March/April 2000 - gone


Stoney Creek, August 2007 - gone


Leisure Arts, February 1997 - gone


For The Love of Cross Stitch, November 1997 - gone


For The Love of Cross Stitch, March 1998 - gone

For The Love of Cross Stitch, September 1997 - gone

The Stitchery, January 1999 - gone

Fine Lines, Spring 1998 - gone

Fine Lines, Winter 1998 - gone

Fine Lines, Fall 1997 - gone

Fine Lines, Summer 1998 - gone

Just Cross Stitch, June 2008 - gone

Just Cross Stitch, June 2005 - gone

Just Cross Stitch, 2004 Ornament Issue - gone

Just Cross Stitch, 2002 Ornament Issue - gone
Unless I come across some more while packing this will be all for now.

I'm planning to go to the post office on Friday - any magazines left unclaimed at that point will be going in the Goodwill box.












Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Making an effort

I thought I should make an effort to have a post that wasn't all about complaining. Not that it is complaining as much as just what life is like at the moment - but anyway. I don't want to start getting suggestions that I should re-name my blog something like 'The Bitch is Back'.

So - in going through magazines yesterday I came across some that are either duplicates or some I know I will never stitch from and I thought I would give them away. I am posting 5 here - I'll have a couple of more posts later in the week with the others. I am giving these away for free - I'll even spring for the postage. All I ask is that you only ask for them if you truly think there is something you will stitch from them and not to run over to Ebay with them. :) If you get one and decide there is really nothing in it you want to stitch - please pay it forward.

They will be on a first come, first served basis. Leave a comment with which one you want and if it is still available, it will be yours. If you leave a comment but there is no email address attached so I can get back with you to get an address, I will move on to the next request. Now - having said that, I will try to get these in the mail as soon as I can, but things are a bit busy so don't get upset if it takes me awhile.


The Needleworker - Spring 1998 - taken


Stitcher's World - March 2000 - taken


The Cross Stitcher - August 2006 - taken


The Cross Stitcher - December 2006 - taken


The Cross Stitcher - October 2007 - taken
Thanks!
I'll post more tomorrow!



Sunday, February 15, 2009

Clock at night


I don't have a lot of pictures to share at the moment. Last weekend when coming home from packing MIL's house I got the dh to drive through town so I could take a picture of the clock at night. Isn't it pretty? I'm still hoping to catch it on the hour - it plays a tune then chimes out the hour - but so far my timing is always off.
Got my van back last week but something just wasn't right. It was pulling to the left (it was not doing that when it went to the shop) of course the extent of my auto knowledge is where the key and the gas go. I figured it needed an alignment (although for the life of me, I couldn't figure how the transmission and wheel alignment were related) anyway - took it to the tire shop and learned that the sub-frame had not been put back on exactly straight, so back to the transmission shop I went. I usually leave these kinds of things to the dh but he was out of town so I had to do it myself. Of course when I told the guy what the deal was he looked at me like I had just landed on this planet from outer space. Why do mechanics do that? (I had the card from the tire shop where they had written down exactly what they told me - I wasn't just pulling it out of thin air)He said he had been in business for 42 years and that was the first time he had heard that one. He drove it and couldn't deny it was pulling. He called the tire store and talked to the guy there, then went back to talk to his installer - he was gone a long time and when he came back said he had talked to the tire store again. Anyway - it is going back to the tire store tomorrow for them to fix it (and bill the transmission shop!) Hopefully it will be right this time.
We spent yesterday working on getting the house ready and will spend today doing the same. I've packed up a few boxes - some for storage, some for garage sale or donation. My sister is planning to have a garage sale sometime this spring - if she gets to it before we move I'll stick some stuff in it, if not, I'll donate it - either way it isn't moving with us.
Oh - and remember that six square feet of empty space in the storage building - not only did SIL think she could get the boxes she left here in it, she brought more of her own crap from home! I haven't been out to look and I haven't been by the house to see how much she actually cleaned. And the next line is 'I ain't gonna.'
Daylight is burning - I better get busy!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

A long weekend

And I don't mean that in the good way. Over the past few weeks we have been taking some of the boxes and smaller stuff (that would fit in hubby's Pilot) out to MIL's storage building. We got one truck load last weekend when his niece came in to get a bedroom suite, then this past weekend we rented a (17' - biggest we could park where we needed to park) U-Haul. I spent all day Wednesday and Thursday packing boxes so by U-Haul time on Friday I was already tired, sore and cranky. (The husband said it was more like over-sensitive and bitchy, but whatever) We managed to get one U-Haul load, one truck load and whatever would fit in the Pilot loaded on Friday and hauled out (we could have loaded more in my van, but it was still in the shop) By the time we were through unloading it was dark. Went to grab a burger then back to the house to start loading the second load. We knew we couldn't get it all done but we spent a couple of hours so we could have a head start on Saturday. (thank goodness!) I have no idea who thought we could get it all in two loads but two loads barely got the house - we still had a garage and storage shed to empty. Mind you this garage never saw a car and 80% of the stuff in both places was moved in when the in-laws down-sized over 10 years ago and none of it has seen the light of day since. The other 20% was crap hubby's sisters have managed to stuff in there over the past 10 years. We could have filled half the U-Haul with the stuff we threw out (and the whole thing if we had thrown out everything we should have thrown out- every time I tried to throw anything out I got vetoed - then someone kept digging in the trash and hauling stuff back up the driveway but we won't go there)
Anyway - after 3 U-Haul loads, 4 truck loads and countless car loads the building is full. I didn't take any 'during' pictures because I was just wanting to get it done and over with but I did take a few as we were finishing up.

This is a 12' x 32' building. Remember when I told you yesterday that we couldn't have done it w/o Timothy? Let me just say, that boy can pack. He always could. If he tells you it will fit - he will get it in there, then remind you he said it would. If he tells you there is no way it is going to fit - he will sit back and watch you try your hardest until you finally cry uncle and he can say 'told ya'. I'm telling ya, the boy is gifted.

Yes - stuff is still going in. By the time we left at dark-thirty on Saturday, there was approx. six square feet of open floor space right in front of the door. I'm sure that SIL will fill that this next weekend when she comes back to 'take care of' the boxes she was supposed to be taking back with her. (we won't go there) There is still some cleaning and trashing to do at the house. I don't plan on doing it - SIL is supposed to do it this weekend but if it comes down to hubby going over there to do it over the weekend or staying here to start on the long list of things that have to get done before we can list our house, then I will go over there and do it.
I took a guide class on Bertha last week - I'm ashamed to say I haven't spent any time with her this week going over what we did in class last week. I'm going back to take class #2 today (there are 4 classes but this is the last one I can take this time - hopefully I can catch the other two next time around) I did finally get my van back yesterday so at least I'll be driving my own vehicle and can hopefully get a few errands done while I am there. (one of which is to get my eyes checked so that when I do finally have time to stitch, I can see!)
We did bring home a few 'goodies' during the past couple of weeks (because we don't have enough of our own crap to move). I'll try to get a few pictures up soon.
Better get moving - daylight is burning!

Monday, February 9, 2009

The Birthday Boy


Today (as of 7:33am) my middle child is 25. Time flies! Has it really been that long?
He was such a big help over the weekend. We couldn't have done it without him, but we won't spoil the birthday post with details from that nightmare. (I'll post about that next time)
Happy Birthday, Timothy!

Friday, February 6, 2009

No stitching for me

Thanks for all the sweet comments and emails. I'm just taking it day by day at the moment. For those of you who suggested a little stitching time - not happening right now. Two reasons - one, between the weather and having my hands constantly in touch with paper (and washing them so often!) my fingers are all dry, cracked and sore. I can't keep enough lotion on them in the evenings, and two - if I sit still and try to stitch, I fall asleep. Sucks because then when I go to bed I can't sleep. I don't think I've had more than a couple of hours a night for the past two weeks. The brain just won't shut up!

I do still have some pictures I haven't shared yet, so today I'll show you something I got for Christmas. My friend Sue (no blog) sent this doily that was handmade by her grandmother (I think - I'll have to find the card she sent with it) It was stained and torn but I soaked it - then soaked it some more. I have no idea how to crochet or to repair crochet so I just used some white thread and tried to sew the torn places back together as best I could. The repair work wouldn't win any prizes but it looks so much better now! Thank you Sue - I can't believe you would part with it, but I promise to take good care of it.


I still don't have my van back. One of the parts came in wrong and they had to re-order. I'm still hoping for today but it could be Monday. While I sincerely appreciate the loan of a car from my parents, I am not comfortable driving it at all. I drive a mini-van folks. The front end is short and I can see it with no effort and there is only the width of a bumper past the back window. Mother's car has a hood that goes on forever and a trunk to match!
Today it is back to MIL's to finish packing up - I've almost finished packing boxes and I'm pretty sure that some of what is left will land in a trash can when no one is looking. We will get a U-haul either late this afternoon or first thing in the morning and hopefully this whole task will be finished by dark-thirty tomorrow.
It is starting to get daylight out - I better get busy!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

What was my name again?

Sometimes it does feel like I'm not sure what my name is anymore! I have notes everywhere - and I can never find what I'm looking for! I actually cleaned off my desk Sunday evening - and at the moment you can't even see the top! It's driving me nuts. I would show you a picture, but hubby took the camera with him this morning. He is going to drive by a few houses and take pictures since I couldn't go with him today. Still too much to do here - I'll probably be here another two weeks and he will be back and forth. Who knows. It is day to day around here right now.
We decided to go ahead and fix the van - we don't have time for car shopping right now and I think my brain is on overload already so at least fixing it will let us put that task off for a bit. At the moment my eyes are crossed from looking at so many houses online - I can't do cars too!
Last week (the same day the van blew up, I think) I got a message that they were going to start another guide class for my sewing machine. They only offer it about 3 or 4 times a year and the first one after I got Bertha was on Tuesdays and since I was working on Tuesdays I couldn't take it. Naturally they would decide to do it now! The girl said it was from 10am to noon and while I knew I really didn't have time and wouldn't be able to get the whole series in before the move, I figured it would be worth the two hours at least this week and next week. Better than nothing. Well - it was worth the FOUR hours today, but I really didn't have the time. If I had known it was going to be a four hour class, I probably wouldn't have signed up. I'm not sure exactly how much will stick in the brain anyway, but maybe some of it will. I decided since I am going back over for the class next week I would go ahead and make an eye appointment for the same day. (I decided this while I was trying to see what the heck I was doing in class!)
Since I have no new pictures I thought I would show you the cover I finally finished for Bertha. I spent the weekend with my friend Sherry right after Bertha came to live with me and this was our project. She was making a cover for 'Miss Leah' (her machine) too. Of course I didn't finish it that weekend and it sat over here for months just waiting to be finished. I don't know what I did with the directions so I just winged the rest of it. Not too bad, if I do say so myself.

Hope you are all doing well. I'm trying to keep up with reading and make a comment here and there but I just don't have time to comment a lot at the moment!
Now, should I clean out a drawer or surf the net for houses for the next few hours?