Dolly Mama's

I received an e-mail this morning from Janlynn.com about their Dolly Mama contest. Apparently Joey, the creator of Dolly Mama, has writer's block, who can blame her after the 50 or more that she's created. So here are the details of the contest, I know there are many of you out there that are very creative with sayings, so here's your chance to enter and maybe win the grand prize of $1,000.00, just imagine all the cross stitch you could buy ! Go here to enter and good luck !

Ducks and a Crane

It may be Fall but we are having some exceptionally good weather. The ducks were having so much fun, I took a little video of them.

All Summer I have been trying to get a picture of this Crane. I would either forget to put the zoom on or not focus get a headless bird. So I'm rather pleased with this one.

Here's 2 more today !

Complimentary designs from Timber Creek Needleworks They were both stitched on 28ct. white evenweave with suggested DMC.

I goofed a little with the backing on this one, should have stitched the year diagonally. Oh well, and it's just the photo showing it larger than the front :). I forgot to add the ribbon as I was stitching, so it just may end up in my basket as a little pillow instead of a fob.

My initials on the back are a little off centre, but does it really matter? I think not.

PS: I just noticed my Time Flies post has a date of Sept. 13th, that was when I had originally started it and today (Sept 20) is when I actually posted it :)

Time Flies ....

when you are having fun, or so the saying goes. I do have a fair bit of stitching to show. I started the year off with great intentions, keeping my blog and webshots current and sometime during the year it to all went by the wayside. I'm really going to try harder to do this so here goes. I'm just going to show a couple now and more over the next few days, maybe even more today. I just need to get the particulars together on what I stitched.

Freebie from Ktia.over-blog.com

28 ct. white evenweave

DMC CV 4020

Primitive Year of Floss Tags

28 ct. white evenweave

DMC 813,823,646

I made mine into a pillow.

My new header picture was taken at Trout Lake, and you can see the trees are just starting to change for fall. I love this time of year, sunny, warm, cool breeze and the changing of colors makes it just right :)

Stitching and Reading

Lilly of the Valley

Free design from danybrod

It is no longer on the site, I e-mailed her and

she was kind enough to send it to me.

Lizzie Kate

Free design on Blackbird Designs blog
28 ct. Gold Promise from Sassy's Fabbys
DMC, can't recall the #.

Little House Needleworks
Thread Pack, I used DMC 409
in place of CC Vintage Violet and
used the Vintage Violet in place of the

Amethyst.
32 ct. unknown (cream colored)

I really need to learn how to take better pictures, maybe if I take them outdoors the colors would be more true. My brother saw the Eiffel Tower one and since he had been there last year confiscated it from me. Just as well, I think I would prefer a different color.

I've been reading Nora Roberts, The Hollow and although it took me no time to finish Blood Brothers, this one is taking longer. I will pursue and also read The Pagan Stone, need to know how it all ends. Any Harlequin readers out there, if you have an e-book, check their site out, 17 books for free. Now I havn't read any of their books for eons, but think they will be quick and easy reads.

I'm Back...I think

I've not blogged in some time and have tried to keep up with my reading of blogs, leaving comments once in awhile. Life has been like a roller coaster, highs and drop down lows. A co-worker of mine died suddenly June 22nd, such a shock I still can't believe it. It did make me re-think my problems and realize just how "little" they really are.

We have some guests at my work, Mama Duck and her 9 babies. They are on the patio which is the second floor. The girls in the cafeteria are kind and put out water and some kind of food for her. Not sure how she is going to get them down to the ground. I'm thinking I should pack them up and take them to Trout Lake.

Now for my stitching, here are some pictures of what I have been up to, there are more, I just don't know where I've put them. My stitching (place) is so unorganized, I surprise myself when I find something I had totally forgotten I had.Holiday Samplings
Plum Pudding Needleart

28ct. White Evenweave

Louisiana Hot Sauce by WDW

Designed by Nancy Boyarsky of Glory Bee

JCS Christmas Ornament Preview

28ct. Cashel Summer Khaki

DMC as recommended

Designed by Karen Kluba of Rosewood Manor

JCS Christmas Ornament Preview

28ct. White Evenweave

DMC CV 4220

From Britain's Cross Stitcher Issue 212

14 ct. Oatmeal Adia

DMC as recommended

Well that will be it for today. I'm off to look for those missing stitches and maybe find some more surprises to make my day :)

Okay, why can't I "paste" my signature here like I used to. I use Microsoft Word, copy then past here and it won't work. Any idea why ?

Irene

Happy Canada Day !

Happy Mother's Day

Catch Up !

Long overdue for a posting. Everything here is fine and not so fine. Firstly, my back is much better. Doctor's office called and said she wanted to see me about the results of my x-ray, nothing urgent, thank goodness as I waited 10 days to get in. I'm sure if there was a problem I wouldn't have had to wait. Just as she predicted it is degenerative, but not as bad as my pain would indicate, not to mention how often it happens. It's also weak muscles and weight. I am slowly working on it, baby steps at a time.


Last Tuesday I worked and when I got home Tiger was outside and so happy to see me she came running down to the garage and was jumping all over me. They say things can happen in a split second, well she ran ahead of me and I heard this yelp. She started limping and was obviously in pain, laid on the floor all evening, didn't eat. The next morning I took her to the vet and she has a torn ligament. She had this same problem last year, although I don't know how it happened, and it was the other hind leg. She is improving, can now get up on her outside chair and some mornings I find her sleeping on the couch. She has only come upstairs once since this happened and it was kind of funny, at first I thought it was my Mom banging her cane, only to find Tiger limping up the steps, she went to her usual spot in the computer room and I bent down petted her and asked if she wanted to go to Trout Lake, well the tail started going and she got up and started limping off, turning back to see if I was coming. We went and I parked as close to the off leash area as I could and we just spent our time there. Tiger can't walk too much, but just the fact that she is wanting to get out is a good sign. Today she went swimming, which should
be good exercise for the leg.

However this is how she felt when we got home, after 5 minutes of realizing she couldn't stay in the car she did get out.

With Tiger not being able to walk, even when she can she's not as fast as she used to be, I have decided to start going to a track to do "my" walking. Last Monday was my first day and I did 3 laps, 1/4 mile each lap. For some unkown reason I skipped yesterday, oh yeah I was lazy. I did go today, told myself it's only 35-40 minutes out of my day and with the weather being so nice, it's good to be out and about, fresh air and all.


As for stitching I have done some, don't have any pictures to post today. Battery is being charged. I will take some and post them tomorrow, might even have a finish tonight.

Happy Easter

Enjoy the day !

Keativ Blogger Award

I am so bad, back on March 24th Zoe of Quilts & All awarded me my first blogger award. Thanks. I see these all the time and by now most if not all blogs I read have been awarded, so I'm not going to name any, just know that your blog is among the greatest :) I may not comment on all the blogs I read, especially lately with my back problem, I usually just read through and drool at all the wonderful stitching going on. Zoe does some beautiful quilting, go have a look.

Feeling Better

Today is the first day I have not been in pain and it feels so good. It does feel like there was something wrong, but no pain, I said that already didn't I? Well it feels so good I want to shout it out from the rooftop !! I saw my doctor on Monday and explained the pain symptoms. She examined me and says it is a degenerative disc, unless the x-rays I went for say differently. It's all up to me now, keep taking Advil and/or Robaxacet as needed, build core muscles, exercise -gentle and stretching and the cure all for all lose weight. I look at food and put on weight. I know how hard it is, I did it "once" lost 50 pounds, then life got in the way and I gained most if not more back. This past year I tried Jenny Craig, yeah for Valerie, Can I come live with you ? It worked, at first, then I tired of the food and would cheat, love my chocolate. After being on a plateau for months (okay the chocolate didn't help) I stopped going and then my back problem started and I gained 10 pounds, should have stopped looking at the food :). I need to be more disciplined and plan ahead, one of the things Weight Watchers suggests and intellectually I know they are right, but I have no discipline, okay make that will power ! Maybe I need to go back to them, we'll see, in the meantime I am going to look into water exercises and try some of the floor and stretching exercises my doctor suggested.

I was walking through Sears yesterday and noticed runners were 30% off, since I need a new pair I stopped and looked at them. I ended up getting a pair of Etonic walking shoes, my feet feel like they are in heaven, I'm sure this will also help my back. They are so comfy, I'm tempted to go back and get a black pair (got the white).

Did you notice my new header picture ? Can you see how sunny it is ? This was taken at Trout Lake yesterday when it was so hot you didn't need a jacket. Today I needed not only the jacket I could have used a pair of gloves.

Sumas and Winnie are getting along much better. I still don't think Sumas is as loving to Winnie as he was to Sonny, but at least they are now sitting together.

I didn't get a chance to take pictures of my stitching today, hopefully I will tomorrow. I'm wanting to go through my DMC and see what I need. Michael's has a 30% off entire regular price purchase coupon for Friday and according to their flyer DMC is not on sale.

Tiger contemplating life.

Getting Better

Thanks for all the well wishes on my back problem. Am going to the doctor tomorrow and will let you know what she has to say. I'm hoping for an instant cure :) Although I do feel better, the pain is still there.

On to my March stitching;

March floss tag designed by Anneimiek Koning of the yahoo group
A Primitive Year of Floss Tags

28 ct. unknown with WDW Cocoa,

Kudza and Chestnut.

Easter Egg by Kirsten Schmidt of Kissy Cross
(Free Pattern)

14 ct. Aida Honey from Sassy's Fabbys

DMC 4130

Design by Lizzie Kate

28 ct. evenweave Tan Marble by Sassy's Fabby

with DMC

I have 2 others done, but have misplaced the info on one and forget to take a picture of the other, so will show them next time.

Here but not here !

Must be the meds talking :) I've done something to my back, it hurts like the dickens ! This has been happening to me off and on for some time now. It's so bad I have already called into work to say I may not be in on Thursday and Friday. I only work 6 days a month, the busy days, so feel bad, but my back feels much worse. I've been taking Advil, Robaxacet, and using the heating pad. Helps at the time, but then it comes back with a vengeance. My poor Tiger is even mad at me, I can't stand to sit for long, so there has been no Trout Lake. I have taken her to the small park by me, but it's just not the same. I do have some stitching to show, but won't be today. Oh and before you say go to your doctor, I have an appointment, the earliest she had, next Monday. By then I will probably (fingers crossed) be better. I think the Robaxacet is kicking in, off to lay down.

A Russian Motif, Spring

Designed by Olga Teague at

Olenka's Stitches

28 ct. white evenweave

DMC

Olga offered this on her blog March 5th as a thank you for her Mom's 80th Birthday wishes. Hurry over as it is only being offered till March 13th. Thanks Olga, I'm hoping since you called it Spring, there will be the other seasons as well :)

March Snow ????

This is what I woke up to this morning. Unbelievable, I had to pinch myself to remember it's March and Spring is just around the corner. Hopefully by then we will have reasonable weather.

I was moving things around and came across a container that held Heart in Hand Christmas Medley, which I started a couple of years ago. If was half done so I proceeded to sit and finish it, took a couple of days, but now it is done and can be added to the finish pile.

February Biscornu and Ornament

Design from Au pays des biscornus

28 ct. Jobelan Lambswool

DMC 937

Prairies Schooler Design

14 ct. Oatmeal

DMC 319, 3031, 3777

Back design is from Peppermint Twist

Introducing Winnie

Sumas (red head) and Winnie

Some of you may remember my posting of Valentines last year where I told you the story of our Lovebirds. Well, it has happened again. Last Jan. 29th Sonny passed away. They were both fine in the morning and that night he was gone. In hindsight, he was not the same, didn't fly around the house like he used to, wouldn't come on our shoulder even if asked to. He was around 10 years old, so he had a long life. In the middle of that night and the next morning Sumas shook the cage so hard you would think someone was trying to break the door down. Mom put his toy Winnie in that came with him and he settled right down. Would sit next to it, chirp at it, even poke him around. But still, we did not think he was happy. So off to the pet store yesterday and we bought another one. He is named after the toy and is a little over six months old. Who ever said "all" lovebirds get along has not met these two. I know it's only been a day, but hey when Sumas came Sonny said "Welcome mate" and they got along immediately. Sumas does not like Winnie, I have seen him grab at his claws, push him away from the food dish and just plain be mean. If they sit next to each other it is by accident and doesn't last long. Sumas is more tolerant than when I first put Winnie in the cage, so I'm hoping it will just take some time or as Mom says "Maybe they don't speak the same language."

I stuck my hand inside the cage and managed to get this picture of them together, a little dark and yes that is snow you see outside, we had a bit of a storm yesterday. This is the toy "Winnie".