Sunday, May 24, 2009

Hello. Remember me???

I can't believe that it's the end of May already. One more
week and we'll be into June. The weeks have just flown
by and I'm terribly behind in my blog posting and my
commenting. I've been visiting everyone as usual, but
that's all. I've been spending these past few weeks
adapting to the lifestyle changes that I started making
at the end of March and getting use to the shift in my
priorities and the loss of a good deal of my leisure time. I
want to get back into participation as well as observation
when it comes to blogging and that will be my next goal
in this journey. Please be patient with me.


My progress on Prairie Schooler's Prairie Birds. Strictly my
at work project so progress is slow considering the relative
simplicity of these designs. I have finished the Blue Birds
and am now making a start on the Robins. Here's a close
up first of the latest part finished and the start of the next
square.


And this is the whole project. I took these pictures outside today
but it was cloudy when I did it so these are a wee bit darker then
they are in real life. I do love this grouping and I suspect that I'm
going to find it hard to let it go when I'm done. When it comes to
this particular design grouping choosing which of the birds to
stitch is the really hard part. They are all so wonderful.


If I have the time to do so I stitch on my butterflies at night
and on weekends. The challenge of this design is of course
that first you stitch the butterfly upside down, then sideways
and then right side up, and then sideways again. Love the
Threadworx thread that I'm using for the first time on this
project. Gorgeous stuff.


Last week I was on vacation. And when you are on
vacation it's tempting to start something new and
to focus on stitching that piece during your time off.
Well, if you're me that's what you do anyways. So
here we have a little freebie that I am stitching on
a cut of Bittersweet evenweave, using Crescent
Colours Ladybug. Since taking this picture this
morning I've added another layer of branches and
have one more layer to add after that and then it
will be done. It was a lovely day to sit under a tree
in the backyard and stitch, and so that's what I
did. Hopefully I'll get this one finished this week
and can enjoy a little happy dance.


My friend Amy across the street has five kids that she
home schools. The house is full of kids and pets and
it's always fun when I go over there for tea and a visit.
There's always something going on and everyone's
going a mile a minute and doing a dozen different
activities and Amy is in the middle of it, laughing
and guiding and teaching, loving and patient.
Such a different lifestyle from ours.

Two weeks ago Amy and her family adopted a pair
of puppies and we've all fallen in love with them.
Any excuse I can find to go over there and snuggle
a puppy for a few minutes I use. So here is Biscuit,
the biggest of the two puppy brothers, and I getting
to know one another. Hmmm.... Do you think Phoebe
would let me get a puppy????

No, me neither.


A week ago the cherry trees lining our driveway were
at their peak for blossoming and all three trees were
loaded with flowers. These were planted about 11
years ago and each Spring they give us this wonderful
display. In the winter time the cherries (which are
not suitable for humans to eat) are feasted on by
various birds including Ceder Waxwings, Pine
Grosbeaks and Robins. I think these are the only
things available to the Robins to eat when they first
return here from their Winter migration.



I discovered the video making feature on my
camera last week....

I've had the durn thing for a couple of years
now and have just discovered this feature now.
A techie wiz I am not!! But I digress....

I was sitting here stitching and Rupert and
Phoebe were laying together on the pillow
next to me. Rupert's tail is always twitching
and Phoebe can't resist it. As you'll see if
I manage to get this video loaded here
correctly.

Did I mention that I'm not a techie wiz???

******************************************

During my vacation I started taking longer
walks and am now walking 50 minutes a
day. I don't know how that'll work when I
go back to work tomorrow but somehow
I want to keep doing that routine if possible.
I have been going in the morning when I
first get up, around 7:30 or 8:00, during my
vacation but will be going in the evenings on
work days.

Weight Watcher's program has been good
for me and as of last Tuesday I've gotten
rid of 14 and a half pounds!!! Considering
the food that I'm eating this amazes me.
But I've gone from a completely sedentary
lifestyle and unrestricted eating of foods
of the less then healthy variety to exercise
and healthier eating so I think that my body
is responding to those changes quicker then
it probably will as time goes further along.

Well, it's almost time for bed so I'll close
by saying thanks for dropping by and
reading my blog. I appreciate the visits
and most especially the comments.

Happy stitching! Cheers!