Explanations

of why I am not here recently. Work and depression. I have been attempting to cope as I can and so can't be here. I will certainly make up to all those obligations I have not kept. Promise.
Karen

Ordinary Me : I

Ordinary Me: I

I: Indiana: I spent four years living in Terre Haute Indiana where I did graduate work, as well as work as a special education teacher. I worked in Clay County School Corporation in a couple of schools, which was interesting. There was no curriculum for me to use, no supervision to speak of and very few if any materials to use. It was an adventure. This was in the late seventies and early 80's. I am certain by now things are very different. I hope
My oldest daughter was born at Union Hospital in Terre Haute, so there were great beginnings there.

Got Tagged...8 Random Things about me....

1. I have a Master's Degree from Indiana State University in Speech Language Pathology, and Master's Degree in Special Education from the same uni.
2. I used to be a cheerleader....ugh.
3. I stitched my first item at 7...using 6 strands of floss and knots..and I still have the tea towel I stitched.
4. I also quilt and hook rugs. Not the cheesy rug kits with yarn, but the primitive rugs made with wool strips.
5. My grandmother used to be a rug hooker and I have her "stripper" she used.
6. I love zydeco music as well as opera. I only dislike rap and country. Otherwise, music is everything.
7. I live in a pre civil war farmhouse, that has been in my family since 1900. My mother was born in our office and my great aunt was born in our bathroom, before it was my bathroom.
8. When I win the lottery (!) I want to build a post and beam house high on a mountain in New Hampshire.

Some progress on my WIPs

I haven't had time to work on much this week. Here are the things I am working on.

Ordinary Me : H

Ordinary Me: H
H: Highland School, where I attended as a child is one of those classic school buildings built in the 30's, brick, two story with huge windows. I know you know the type of building I am talking about. Oak flooring that squeaks and shines, large cloakrooms where you hang your coat and put your lunchbox, radiators that hiss and are so hot in winter that you need to open windows, bathrooms so large that the acoustics are heavenly.....I know you know the place. Playground with swings and merry-go-rounds, both "outlawed" from playgrounds for being so dangerous. (or litigious!) What wonderful memories...it's too bad that kids today won't know those joys.

Ordinary Me: G

Ordinary Me: G
G: Gardens: I do love to garden, love plants, but recently haven't had the time nor energy to pursue it. My wish would be to have all the time needed to take care of the garden without the stress of work getting in the way. Feeling the soil in your hands is just wonderful. Seeing the product of your attention is better.

Ordinary Me : F

Ordinary Me: F

Fridays : A pretty important day for me. I work in the public schools and by Fridays every one of us is brain dead. Working with very difficult special education students and teachers who ignore slps is very draining work. Love when Friday gets here.
Fair: I am all about fairness. I think my performance as a SLP supervisor could be defined by fair. I try to look at all sides of an issue and bring it to that employee's attention. I have always seen all sides, so I do think that makes me different than most. Remembering a very difficult team with a parent who wanted the world, I was able to negociate a reasonable settlement. After the team, both the SLP and the parent told me it was fair to both of them.

Update on Beatrix Potter

I haven't worked too much on her this week, but did finish up 2 motifs, so I am half-way to my September goal. I really do enjoy this one and have thought just to work on her until she is finished, ignoring all the other WIPs. If only I didn't have to work.

Ordinary Me : E

Ordinary Me: E

Emotional: Not a good thing, usually. I am the first one to cry at movies, which is embarrassing. I become emotional at work on occasion and have been known to get upset with others!! My family laughs at me, because of the animal movies I cry at...(My Dog Skip....WAAAAHHH!)

Edgartown: on Martha's Vineyard. Where I should live, but not in summer. Why wasn't I born rich....????

Ordinary Me : D

Ordinary Me: D
Dogs: I adore my dogs, as well as others. I actually wanted to be a vet at one time, but was discouraged by my guidance counselor in high school(she was from the south, this was the early 70s and she talked every girl into nursing or teaching....sigh...)




These are my current pooches....Otis and Emma. My lovies, my dogs.

Ordinary Me : C

C: Cross stitch
This is one of my hobbies, essentially cross stitching samplers. I don't do "cute" or "country" just samplers.

C: Cape Cod: just one of the places I would rather live than I do.

Ordinary Me: B

Ordinary Me: B

Bitchy: Can be and often am, bitchy. The older I get the less I care about the little things and I must admit, it shows. I don't have tolerance for "stupidity" from intelligent people. I am a very pragmatic person, and the politics of jobs, life, and society drive me to bitchy.

Ordinary Me : A

There are several blogs around based on Amy Rosenthal's Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. Her book begins: "I have not survived against all odds. I have not lived to tell. I have not witnessed the extraordinary."
This is my pathetic story of me and is just a list of ordinary items that make up my very ordinary life.

Ordinary Me: A
A: Apraxia:
Inability to execute a skilled or learned motor act, not related to paralysis or lack of comprehension, caused by a cortical lesion.

It seems as though much of my professional life as a speech language pathologist revolves around this very difficult to mangage disorder. I have become profiencent in my work with children with this disorder and people do seem to call on me to help them. I really do love these kids, as they are quite fascinating. I know that one of my strengths as a person has always been to find a way to do things, whatever it is. I guess that makes me a fairly decent clinician then, as I usually search for an answer to make it work. Apraxia is a confusing disorder, which can be a diagnosis that doesn't always have a great outcome. Somehow, I have always made it work for me.

August progress and September goals...

1. Complete the Black Swan Quaker Sampler : All but my name and date FINISHED: August 15, 2007
2. 5 motifs on Faith Hope and Charity Sampler : Just two
3. 5 motifs on Ann Grimshaw Three finished, three more started!
4. 6 motifs on Beatrix Potter Finished!!
5. Kit up Village of Hawk Run Hollow and get ready to start in September. Finished!! 8/7/07
6. Finish Sun and Moon Sampler: Looked at it!
7. 10 Hours on Houses of Hawk Run Hallow : Finished!
8. Fair and Square Swap : halfway there
9. 3 Strands A day: Tombstone Angel : Finished!


Okay...and now for September goals:

1. Finish Fair and Square Swap
2. 1 Strand a Day : Sun and Moon Sampler( Obviously a dreaded sampler...)
3. 4 Motifs on Beatrix Potter
4. 5 Motifs on Ann Grimshaw
5. Block one of Village of Hawk Run Hollow
6. Block one of Houses of Hawk Run Hollow
7. 6 Motifs on Faith, Hope and Charity Sampler
8. Finish 2 motifs on AY 1801 Sampler
9. Bind retreat quilt
10. Bind October quilt.

You Would Be a Pet Dog

You're friendly, loyal, and an all around good sport. People love to be near you. You are very open with your feelings, and you're quite vocal in expressing them. You are sincere and kind. You love many people - without any sort of agenda. Why you would make a great pet: You're content to chill out with your friends Why you would make a bad pet: You always find yourself getting into trouble What you would love about being a dog: Running around and playing What you would hate about being a dog: Being left home alone while everyone else is out having fun

What Kind of Pet Would You Be?

A finish, a WIP and stash!

TGIF!!!

This has been one h*ll of a week! My full time job has resumed with great gusto...and I am hating it. I really want to retire, but am about 8 years away to collect full retirement. Since we get no retirement to speak of....49 out of 50th in the United States (Mississippi doesn't have a retirement for teachers...) I really feel I need to stick it out until the full 30 years. This week has tested that "sticking around" plan. I had one therapist quit, one spend several hours on the phone to me because she is stressed out beyond belief...and of course many, many other problems. Working in a different job would be so welcome right about now.....
Any suggestions out there??

And to keep this stitching related here is the latest progress on Ann Grimshaw. I really love this sampler. Love the fabric, love the silk , love the design.

Some pictures of progress

This is my 3 strands of thread a day project. Amazing what so little can do in a week.



A bit of progress on Ann Grimshaw....



My start on the Village of Hawk Run Hollow.....


And my latest work with my buddy Beatrix Potter....

back to the grind.....

As I sit here thinking about going back to work tomorrow, I do get depressed. I think that the system I work in is changing rapidly, and not for the best. I work daily to try to improve working conditions for slps, but no one beyond us seems to care. We are in the midst of a nationwide shortage, which my system has ignored so far. We have lots of openings (anyone want a job??) but no one who can do something about it cares enough to get off their duff to even advertise openings...oy!
So the rest of us and the kids just suffer in silence....interesting choice of words for a specialty for communication impairment....
Too much work to be done...not a lot of ummpph to do it.

Hibernation...

If you don't hear from me in a couple of weeks, the explanation is I am hibernating. Not really, but certainly enforced by the school system I work for. I start back officially Monday (ugh!) and will be very busy for the first 2 weeks. I plan to stitch and work. THat's it for a while. I will re-emerge from the pits around Labor Day! Until then.......

Tah Dah!

This is the Quaker Black Swan Sampler by Exampler Dames. Glad to get that one finished!

I am so very excited. Yesterday, I was able to purchase the Goode Huswife 1809 Quaker Sampler Chart. I have been trying to find this for about 2 years. I have bid on this on Ebay (and I believe the last one went for $100!), I have pleaded with friends to part with theirs, and bribed a friend to make a copy for me!! (Yeah, I know....but it is out of print like for three years!!! ) Well, I wasn't able to obtain one until yesterday! Now, I haven't seen it yet, nor do I have it in my hot little hands, but at least it is hopeful that I will get it!!

Stash! Again!

Lovely week for stash....I bought some Lakeside Linen from another stitcher off of Vikki Clayton's forum. It arrived Wednesday. Another order from Holland arrived with the Sarah Moon chart. And then yesterday, the silks for the Sarah Moon arrived. The spools are also from Vikki Clayton. I have been stitching alot this summer, and that will change with the beginning of school. Let's hope I continue to make stitching a priority. Quilting will need to occur this fall as well, cutting into the free time that I have.

What a beautiful weekend this has been. No humidity! Love it. Unfortunatly, we had planned a girl scout trip today...to the movies!! We truly anticipated the heat and humidity to be present and seeing Hairspray was the way to keep cool. At least the girls will have fun! They really haven't seen each other all summer as a group.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Ticking off the goals for August

1. Complete the Black Swan Quaker Sampler : All but my name and date FINISHED: August 15, 2007
2. 5 motifs on Faith Hope and Charity Sampler : Just one
3. 5 motifs on Ann Grimshaw Two as of 8/18/07
4. 6 motifs on Beatrix Potter Finished!!
5. Kit up Village of Hawk Run Hollow and get ready to start in September. Finished!! 8/7/07
6. Finish Sun and Moon Sampler

7. 10 Hours on Houses of Hawk Run Hallow : Finished!
8. Fair and Square Swap : halfway there
9. 3 Strands A day: Tombstone Angel : working

For less than 1/2 way through the month...not bad.

Updated Picture

Just a little bit of progress last night. This sure is a fun stitch, but I think I will need the motivation of posting progress pictures here, often! Sorry to bore you to tears, but the blog was originally to get/keep me motivated for stitching.

Here is my 3 a day UFO. It is a very old Barrick Samplers project done with DMC (UGH!). I put my 3 strands in today. Shouldn't take long to complete this one.

etc.

A bit of progress on Beatrix Potter.

A white envelope!


An order!


A win!



Today's mail lady brought some fun for me. She brought me my order of Vikki Clayton silks, Rebecca Ackworth and a Goode Huswife chart from Ebay!!!

Another one of those silly quizzes....

You Are 9% Jealous

You aren't jealous in the least, and it's a very good thing. You are content with your own life, and you're proud of who you are. And you are able to be truly happy when a friend has things go their way. You're confident, capable, and full of high self esteem. Keep it up!

How Jealous Are You?

Beatrix Potter progress

I have had fun so far stitching this sampler. Spent a few hours last night stitching while trying to stay cool.

Speaking of staying cool....is it just me or is TV news simply absurd with this heat?? I have been sitting here listening to them talking about what to do when it is hot...jeez...are people that stupid?? Do they not know when it is hot and they are thirsty that they should drink?? Or stay inside with the air? "Well, golly, I am sweating and it's hot, let's see...should I drink hot coffee??? Make toast???" It is amazing to me that the media thinks the US is so very stupid. THey are taking temperatures of the pavement...let's see....it's hot...does it really matter how hot???

Stash!!

This is the order of Vikki Clayton silks I received in the mail today. This is for the Houses of Hawk Run Hollow. I have many of the silks, but need to round out my colors. I think I have most of the colors now, not that I going to have time to stitch the thing. I really love the design and wish I could spend an hour each night on just that. But alas, sleep, eating, laundry, work, all those pesky things that get in the way keep me from finding my bliss.





These are the mystery spools sent to me by Vikki. She has "bbo boo " spools that she lets you buy at very reduced prices. They are typically wonderful. She spends many hours trying to get the right "recipe" for a particular color. Right now she is working on batches of overdyed and variagated flosses. So, I reap the benefits. I see lots of quakers in my future with several of these colors. Aren't they great?

I have started my Beatrix Potter a couple of days ago. Here is the progress. (Remember I am a serial starter...)

A timewaster....enjoy!

This was found at http://sewcreative.blogspot.com/2007/08/one-word.html , a blog of a stitcher that I read occaisionally.


You get to answer with one word. (oh and if you'd leave a comment that you snagged it, that would be great. I love to see where things end up.)


Where is your Cellphone? - purse

Relationship? - married

Your Hair? - brown

Work? - everyday (couldn't use "too much" as it is two words)

Your sister? - none

Your favorite thing? - samplers

Your dream last night? - none

Your favorite drink? - tea

Your dream car? - working

The room you’re in? - living

Your shoes? - Birkenstocks

Your fears? - widowed

What do you want to be in 10 years? - retired

Who did you hang out with this weekend? - husband

What are you not good at? - patience

Muffin? - blueberry

One of your wish list items? - house

Where you grew up? - Maryland

Last thing you did? - stitch

What are you wearing? - pjs

What aren’t you wearing? - bra

Your pet? - lovey

Your computer? - Apple

Your life? - tiring

Your mood? - tired

Missing? - money

What are you thinking about right now? - work

Your car? - corolla

Your kitchen? - homey

Your summer? - humid

Your favorite color? - green

Last time you laughed? - yesterday

Last time you cried? - July

School? - soon

Love? - unconditionally

Quaker Diamond Sampler

A Finish!! This was done on 32 ct with DMC, which isn't my thread of choice any longer. This is a design by Hillside Samplings. I do love the design. I used DMC 310 and 422, what the pattern called for. Complications arose when I was off on the second row of one over one and the frogging began. It was difficult to motivate myself to get it finished after that.

Goals for July....progress...and August

Goals for July: Progress

1. Complete the Black Swan Quaker Sampler "almost finished"
2. Complete the Goode Huswife Quaker Marriage Sampler FINISHED!!!
3. Serge linen for HoHRH and VoHRH (yes...I know I have starting stitching both of these....my machine is in the shop and I have been too lazy to get the other one out) FINISHED!!!
4. Finish Hillside Samplings Quaker Alphabet Sampler FINISHED!!!

Not bad!

And now for August goals. A little more ambitious, which may be unrealistic since it is back to school (ugh!)this month.

1. Complete the Black Swan Quaker Sampler
2. 5 motifs on Faith Hope and Charity Sampler
3. 5 motifs on Ann Grimshaw
4. 6 motifs on Beatrix Potter
5. Kit up Village of Hawk Run Hollow and get ready to start in September. Finished!! 8/7/07
6. Finish Sun and Moon Sampler

I think I can accomplish these. Wish me luck!

Ann Grimshaw progress

I stitched for a couple of hours last evening on Ann Grimshaw. I absolutely LOVE stitching this...it is Vikki Clayton silks Indigo Ocean. It is a great color, that carribean blue to green with a deep tone of teal. The silk just sails through the linen too. It is a very large sampler
and I will be stitching for a while on this one. I am not so great with finishing things, so this will be a test. If I love the fibers, the linen and the design, will that keep me motivated to finish???? Stay tuned.

My fair and Square squares...

These are from Deb in Florida. Aren't they great?? I FINALLY was able to take a picture of these. DD broke my camera and the other camera finally arrived yesterday!

Deb even sent me a piece of red silk to help with finishing.....THANK YOU!!!!

A finish!!

This is the Goode Huswife Quaker Marriage Sampler finished on Tuesday. My camera came yesterday, so I am able to take a picture of the finish!

Another one of those silly quizes....

Since the migraine has stopped me from doing anything productive at all, I leave you with one of the silly quizzy thingys. Enjoy!!

You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times... You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you

What Season Are You?

A gift for all your gal pals......

Since most of us are in the throes of menopause, it is always nice to bestow gifts to help those just entering it. Found this on a craft website (God, some people actually god paid to come up with this!). Thought in between hot flashes, you might enjoy a laugh.





Migraine today, another menopausal delight. So no stitching, just lots of sleeping today. Tomorrow, just a migraine hangover and maybe some stitching.

One down....

Finished the Quaker Marriage Sampler by Goode Huswife this morning!!! I did it on 32 ct. Linen. I don't know the color, as it has been around awhile, but it is something tea dyed. I used Inky Depths (Vikki Clayton Silks) and it really looks nice. Will post when that camera arrives.

Goals for July....

I know, 24 days too late. I have always set my goals this way. Get part way through something, claim it was a goal all the while. Hey, it's worked so far.

My goals that I will insist I set July 1 for stitching are:
1. Complete the Black Swan Quaker Sampler
2. Complete the Goode Huswife Quaker Marriage Sampler FINISHED!!!
3. Serge linen for HoHRH and VoHRH (yes...I know I have starting stitching both of these....my machine is in the shop and I have been too lazy to get the other one out) FINISHED!!!
4. Finish Hillside Samplings Quaker Alphabet Sampler FINISHED!!!
There....I have 7 more days to get them finished. I have all day Friday to myself. It could happen!!!

No pictures "D"D dropped the camera. Ordered another. Hope it works out. I just figured the other one out, kinda. I am pretty much an idiot with certain electronic things, cameras being one. Any and all suggestions would be welcome. Really.

Must go finish watching "House". He is such a dispicable human being, you gotta love him.

Blah...humbug...

Not much news to report on any front. I have a bad summer cold and feel rotten. Have been stitching halfheartedly, but nothing major to report. When I feel sick, I seem to surf the net a lot...I don't know if the passivity of it all is theuraputic or not, but a lot of my friends do the same. Surf, surf, surf...all mindless stuff. Like you are reading now I guess!!

Stash shopping....oh yes. Did some more. Bought the Villages of Hawk Run Hollow and the linen to start with a SAL on Hand Dyed Fibers. I have to save my pennies to afford the silk. Still working on the Houses...I won't even tell you that I am only on house 1, except that I gridded the whole thing first. Someone will dig all my unfinished samplers out of a box after I am dead and gone and declare me crazy. I plead busy!

Off to read some on Middlesex before I slumber. Taking an Advil PM to snooze tonight to get a good night's sleep!

Karen

A little more quaker progress...

This is the fourth of 22 motifs in this sampler. I really am enjoying this tremendously. The motifs are quick and all different colors, so those of you who bore easily (me!) can get through one motif without calling it quits!

Got a huge bunch of stash today. Will get the camera out as soon as I can wrestle it from DD #2. I got an order from Needlelove in Singapore and an order from Wyndam Needleworks. Great day. Wish I had time to stitch all the things I have bought over the years.

A little vacation progress.....

This is the third motif for the Faith Hope and Charity sampler. I am in a stitch a long and we are doing one motif a week. Since I had time, I am actually ahead(!). I am usually the one that can't finish anything and is always behind, so fear not, this won't last. I am almost finished the fourth one as well, so look for that one in the uncoming hours....

Had a great vacation...

Off to Old Cape Cod

Hope to be checking in while away! Enjoy the pictures!

Tah Dah!

I am the world's worst photographer, but this is completed. TAH DAH!

More stash arriving yesterday.....if you can't stitch...buy stash!

Mail call yesterday

This is a haul from the mail lady yesterday. They are all vikki clayton hand-dyed silks. You can check her out at her web site, hand-dyedfibers.com Her silks are wonderful.

Enjoy!
Karen

Almost completed.....

I just need a final push....somebody...shove me!

More progress...

More progress on my Faith Hope and Charity sampler. Having no TV, kids, internet or phone does make one more productive!!

Thanks for all the lovely compliments on my stitching. Thanks for stopping by and helping to motivate me.

Karen

Serial starter hits again.....

Why oh why does it feel so good to start something new?? It must be a deep psychological issue for sure.

Thanks to everyone visiting and leaving comments. I appreciate it!

Karen

Off for a couple of days to a little cabin in the woods for peace and solitude. Can you say no TV??

Some finished samplers....

Here are two walls in my home. The first is in my great room. THe second is in my dining room. I have completed all the ones on the great room wall, but there are four in the dining room that are family samplers/needlework that were inherited. You can probably pick them out. They are mainly samplers from the 30's and one is dated 1940( probably inherited that procrastination gene from her.....:- )

Enjoy..
Karen