Tilting at Windmills

Flashback

2012-01-07T13:20:00.000-05:00

Two years ago the Archdiocese of Philadelphia chose to close Cardinal Dougherty and North Catholic. That decision was incredibly painful to me and to hundreds of people I knew, and to thousands more I was only connected to through these schools. My years of connection to North, and my years of teaching at Dougherty contain so many wonderful memories; the loss of the physical reality of those schools still hurts.

Now five more high schools and almost 100 grade schools are being closed, or "merged" into new identities. Thousands of peoples' lives will be changed. Students will have to begin their high school lives over again as new students in a new school, many for their senior year. Younger students will no longer go to "their neighborhood" schools, but be traveling to other areas. Teachers will be starting over as well, as many of us will be (again) moving to a new school. Many hundreds of teachers, administrators and staff will be out of work. Parents will have to deal for months with the emotions of their children, and for many of them, their own emotions as well, as they see their own alma maters disappearing. Alumni of these schools have lost their home. A hole has been torn in the emotional fabric of Catholic Philadelphia.

I do understand the financial need for these changes. Understanding does not help; it does not alleviate pain or sadness.

I have family and friends affected by every one of the high school changes, and by many of the grade school changes. I am heartbroken for each and every one of them. The loss of Cardinal Dougherty still hurts me; although I am happy in my new school, I still miss the kids, my colleagues and the building every day. Like any other death, it is a loss that does not, and can not, change.

I am appalled by those who say "they will get over it". No, they won't! We get PAST it, and move on, but we do not get over it. It is a scar, and one that can still cause pain. I have a friend, my own age, whose school closed at the end of her Junior year, and she is still saddened when she remembers not being able to graduate from her "own" school. It has not marred her life, but the pain is still there, more than 40 years later.

I hope that those who are suffering this loss right now will be supported and comforted. I hope that understanding and consideration is given to them. I hope that kindness and caring surrounds them. I hope that strength and fortitude is given to them. I hope they find solace in one another, and in the shower of love that will engulf them.

My prayers and condolences go to everyone affected by this sad time.

My Memories Suite - Exciting News

2011-11-22T17:28:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have not yet tried digital scrapbooking, one of the BEST softwares out there just got BETTER!

My Memories Suite just released Version 3 yesterday and it is even easier and faster than previous versions! I finished the page above in less than 10 minutes!

My style is usually what cardmakers call "clean and simple" but don't let that fool you- MMS can do really sophisticated pages as well. This software is so easy and intuitive that I originally started working with it without referencing the instructions! If you need instructions, there are many tutorials available at the MMS website, and on their Facebook page. There are also active forum communities at both places and when you ask a question, you get an answer, and quickly!

MMS is anxious to spread the word about their terrific product and is giving regular users codes to offer to their friends for a discount on buying the software. If you want to try out My Memories Suite and save $10, just use code STMMMS49574 in the coupon box on the check-out page at the My Memories website. Or you can just click on the widget box in my right sidebar- but remember to copy/paste the code before you go!

I've been using this software since Version 1 and really like it. If you check it out in online reviews before you buy, you'll find that it is often rated #1 in digital scrapbooking dedicated software. If, like me, you got frustrated with Photoshop or even Photoshop Elements, this will give you similar results without the tough learning curve.

I still paper scrapbook but am doing more and more with digital. I went on a scrapping retreat weekend last year and took nothing but my laptop. It was the most fun on Sunday while others spent hours cleaning up and packing up- I was still working and when it was time to leave all I did was unplug my computer! MMS comes with plenty of paper and embellishments to start you off, but also offers a shop where you can buy more digital supplies. Imagine buying paper than never runs out! They even offer freebies regularly to add to your collection.

This is a terrific program and I definitely recommend that you check it out and see if maybe you would like digi-scrapping as much as I do!

What's New

2011-09-18T16:16:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time since I've been here. August was hectic- most of it good, some of it not so.

Our landlord at our beloved "little house" at the shore died. He was a good man and a good friend and I will miss him. We do not know yet the disposition of the house, so we don't know if we will be able to go back.

Much of August was spent in Florida- with Auntie for almost a week, then a week at Disney World. We had a wonderful time throughout. We did some preliminary house-hunting in the area north of Tampa and found a neighborhood we really like- so we are that much closer to my dream of a home in Florida!

We drove home being chased up the coast by Hurricane Irene- it was an interesting trip, lol! I attended the funeral of the father of 3 of my students, who had died suddenly, the morning the hurricane started here. Lived through the hurricane with minimal damage, thank goodness, then as soon as the weather cleared, drove to the shore to attend our landlord's funeral the day after the hurricane.

We were able to spend Labor Day weekend at the shore and it was quiet and relaxing, except for all the packing up.

Then came THE STRIKE! We, the Catholic high school teachers in Philadelphia, are on strike. The issues are too many to go into here, but it comes down to changes in work rules that would be so punitive that we could not agree. Those changes were proposed in March and in May we had a general meeting where the teachers voted unanimously to strike if certain clauses remained among the demands of the Office of Catholic Education. Well, come the end of August and OCE continued to demand their way. The teachers' union has offered, repeatedly, to work under the old contract with a mediator during continued negotiations, but the Archdiocese refused and closed the schools.

Now we are walking picket lines and kids are at home. OCE officials go on TV and talk to the newspapers and run us down. One of the Archdiocesan negotiators, an assistant superintendent, said on TV the other day that the union members "are not educators"! Parents are calling us lazy, greedy union thugs. How can I go in front of a class of students who have been hearing and reading all this? Needless to say, I am severely depressed.

Those who have read here for any length of time know how I feel about my students and my job. However, after the pain of the closing of Cardinal Dougherty, the stress of adjusting to a new school, and now this, I am so discouraged I don't know what to do.

For now, I think I'll just go back to bed, pull the covers over my head, and wish it would all be a bad dream.

Quiet time at the shore starts

2011-07-23T14:38:00.000-04:00

So, here's what has been, happily, keeping me away from my blog and lots of other things for the last several weeks.

DH has retired from his summer job. For the first time since 6th grade, he has the summer off. We were a little worried (some friends had a pool going with the highest over/under at 11 days before I killed him, lol) about being together 24/7 for the first time for an extended period.

Well, it was 31 days and we LOVED it. Retirement looks soooo much better now- although it always looked good!

DH, for the first time since I've known him, really learned to relax and slow down. Not that we were totally lazy or anything, but we moved slowly, did restful things like reading a lot, went out to lunch, went to the beach and swam, took long walks in the evening (until this weather arrived- have you seen the picture floating around the Internet of the sign "Satan called- he wants his weather back!"?) and generally just enjoyed being peaceful and together!

The above picture is pretty typical of an afternoon or evening here in the last month.

Now he is off for an adventure. He flies out tonight to go west to meet up with 2 friends from high school. They are going to drive back across the country, doing whatever they feel like, seeing lots of new places, and making a stop in the midwest to meet up with still another high school friend. I hope they have a wonderful trip, but after more than a month, I will miss having him here.

For me, the time will be spent continuing to sleep a lot, stitching on a Round Robin piece, continuing to read voraciously, some visits with family on LBI, and just generally getting stronger and rested.

A little more than 2 weeks here are left, then 2 days at home before I fly to FLorida to spend time with Auntie. DH and DS will meet me in FLorida the following week for our annual pilgrimage to Disney World. By the time we get home, there will only be a week until Labor Day and back to school.

The time until Labor Day is fortunately filled with fun and good times.

So, I might finally get around to the housekeeping I've been wanting to do here on the blog, and I might get some more posts up.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer- I sure am!

Time to Reorganize

2011-07-08T17:48:00.000-04:00

So, I've been away for a while. Getting through the end of a very tough school, and personal, year and then getting ready to get to the shore, kept me both busy and distracted.

My intentions are certainly to continue my blog- even if only for me; I find it, occasionally, a good form of diary to return to about past events.

But, I definitely need to do some housework around here. There are many links on the sidebar that are not really relevant to me anymore, and lots of new things that I would like to put there.

So, look for a "new look" in the not-too-distant future. It will take a while- we are, again, "living on the porch" (see last summer posts if interested) and this summer DH is with me here, so while the pace is slow, it is generally quite full.

Hope you will like the changes!

Hand Dyed Fibers Needlework Exhibition and 9-11 Memorial Quilts

2011-06-19T12:53:00.000-04:00

I spent yesterday at the Hand Dyed Fibers Needlework exhibition, which for yesterday only also included a display of the 9-11 Memorial Quilts. GREAT DAY!!!!

You can see all my pictures HERE.

Tony Awards 2011 - Hugh Jackman & Neil Patrick Harris - Dueling Hosts

2011-06-13T15:14:00.000-04:00

Neil Patrick Harris' 2011 Tony Awards Opening Number

2011-06-13T15:09:00.000-04:00

OWH Bloghop Coming Soon!!!

2011-05-03T14:07:00.000-04:00

It will soon be Memorial Day weekend. Let's all spend a little time remembering the reason for the holiday- those who gave their lives in the service of our country.

I cannot think of a better way to honor those heroes than to support their comrades currently overseas. It is a small gesture to show our gratitude to those serving and those who have served.

Operation Write Home will again be having their annual bloghop that weekend. Make a card (or several!) and plan on participating in the hop activities.

For more information, just click on the picture!

It's funny.....

2011-04-23T14:34:00.000-04:00

Not funny "haha", but funny "weird", "odd", "hard to describe".

My mother-in-law gave me my DH's high school class ring after we were married. DH smashed up his hand senior year in a football game and never was able to wear it again. It spent years in my jewelry box. I put it on the day they announced they were closing "our" school- the one he went to and where I taught so happily for 10 years. I wore it constantly until shortly before I started at my new school last fall.

I took the picture above yesterday.

Last week I discovered a wonderful group- The American Soldier Memorial Project. They make hand-stitched memorials for the families of service men and women who died in Iraq and Afghanistan. I immediately thought that this would make a wonderful project for me for the summer. Sure, I have more WIPs (works in progress) than I can count already, but this one would have meaning.

I joined the group, and Tuesday evening I was emailing back and forth with the Pennsylvania rep about picking a name from their long list- there are way more heroes than there are stitchers volunteering. In between emails I checked my messages- and got a kick-in-the-stomach piece of news: another CD grad had died, this time in Afghanistan. John was from the class of 2009, and still only 19 years old.

It turned into a long evening of reading messages and posts from the stunned CD community. The question, whispered before, was again asked: "Did closing us down also curse us?" It really is beginning to feel like it might be true.

At some point Tuesday night I emailed to the ASMP rep and told her to ignore all the previous emails- I now had a soldier to stitch for who was very personal to me.

Since Tuesday night there have been newspaper and TV reports to read and watch, messages to answer and chats to try to comfort the kids.

Next week there will be a funeral. Until then there is the sadness and the waiting.

I went to bed Tuesday night but was unable to sleep. I don't know what made me think to do it, but about 1AM I got up, went to my jewelry box, and put on the ring. It is large and heavy- a man's ring- and I am always aware of it when I wear it. I fell asleep almost immediately.

It's "just a piece of jewelry" is what anyone would say. I cannot explain. All I know is that I am again wearing "our" CD ring and somehow it has comforted me in the last few days.

Losing Vince, age 18, to cancer in January was terrible. Losing Mark, age 19, two weeks later, to the gas explosion at which he was a first responder, was terrible. Losing John now, age 19, as a hero who died in the service of our country, is terrible.

Losing our school was an awful experience and continues to cause pain to so many. Not having a "home" as we go through these tragedies makes the pain a little worse and the grieving even more difficult.

But I know that this wonderful community will again come through, this time for John's family and friends, and for one another. The ring reminds me that although the building may be closed, the REAL CD is in its people and their amazing spirit. As long as any of us are alive to remember and share that spirit, CD lives. And, in our memories, so do Vince and Mark and John.

Where have I been?

2011-03-23T18:02:00.007-04:00

Been dealing with a lot of stuff: primarily, but not exclusively, with my mother's recent colon cancer diagnosis. With everything else plus that I've been away from my blogs and too busy to do much of anything else.

The good news is that she had surgery yesterday- it went well, the prognosis is good; now we just have a very long recovery period to get through.

So, just exhausted and running on adrenalin. Hope to be back here soon with the usual stuff.

My Stash Depletion Blog Update

2011-02-12T16:27:00.000-05:00

I have added three most posts to my stash depletion blog AKA: LadyDoc is Cleaning Out Her Craft Room.

Make sure you check it out if you are interested in Cross Stitch charts or magazines, Quilting books or Hardanger books.

Time to give a LOT of stuff away!

2011-02-06T14:05:00.001-05:00

If we are ever going to move to a smaller house in a warmer climate (or even a smaller house anywhere!) I really have to get rid of a LOT of stuff from my so-called craft room. It is "so-called" because it is so stuffed there is no room to work in there.

So, I have started a new blog:LadyDoc is Cleaning Out Her Craft Room.

I will be listing all kinds of stuff there that I will happily send to a new home for the cost of postage. The first list- a group of old needlework charts- is up. As time goes on, there will be charts, kits etc as well as stamp sets and lots of other crafting supplies.

There is a link to it on my sidebar so you will be able to get there easily.

I HATE to throw away anything that someone could use, so check it out and see if something there is calling to you.

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2011

2011-02-05T23:00:00.000-05:00

From a link at AustenProse I found another reading challenge for this year that is right up my alley: the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2011.

I am going a bit overboard on this one: I am signing up for the Severe Bookaholism level, which is aiming for 20 books this year! I read more than 20 books just in the summer each year, so it should not be too hard to meet the challenge.

If you are an avid reader, check it out!

Sense and Sensibility 200th Birthday Celebration!

2011-02-05T17:33:00.000-05:00

Down on my sidebar you will find a section devoted to blogs that celebrate Jane Austen. There are hundreds of similar blogs and websites but these are my favorites.

One of them, AustenProse.com, is hosting a participatory celebration of the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's first publication, Sense and Sensibility.

I don't know how I missed it before- although it was posted while we were in Florida and Auntie was in the hospital, so I guess I was just distracted and not checking my blogs regularly. Fortunately, they are accepting sign-ups until March 1, so I (and you, if interested!) am not too late!

The goal for each participant is to read Sense and Sensibility related books and/or watch filmed versions of the story throughout the year.

I am signing up as a "disciple" which means my goal is to read/watch 8 selections during the year. I would LOVE to reach "afficionado" status, which is 9-12 selections, but I am not sure so I won't say I'll do it.

I will begin by re-reading the original, wonderful Sense and Sensibility. My next stop will be the 1995 movie with Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant. After that, well, there is a long list available the AustenProse to choose from.

Happy 200th birthday to Sense and Sensibility! Congratulations to Jane Austen because her books are just as popular 200 years after she wrote them, and they are now enjoyed and loved worldwide!

Volkswagen Commercial: The Force

2011-02-05T16:10:00.000-05:00

My Favorite New Needlework Design

2011-02-04T20:56:00.000-05:00

I am more excited about this design than any cross stitch chart I have seen in years. (I also get equally excited about some of Martina's Chatelaine Designs, like the German Christmas Market, but those designs are so much more than cross stitch so I consider them in a different category.) It is by Plum Street Samplers, and you can get to their blog post about it by clicking HERE.

I will be ordering it on Sunday from The Strawberry Sampler during their Super Bowl sale. I don't know about fabric yet, but I will definitely be doing this in Vikki Clayton's Hand Dyed Fibers silks. The conversion chart is already available on her website. This will be one very expensive project before it is done, but SOOOOO worth it!!!

Mission Impossible Squirrel

2011-01-30T13:25:00.000-05:00

How About a Pet Peeve Post?

2011-01-29T13:35:00.000-05:00

***In Class***
Student: "I have a question you need to answer"
Teacher: *Walks away*
Student: "Or just walk away, that's cool too."

When I wrote the grouchy post late Thursday night, I was feeling pretty rotten. Since then I deteriorated from rotten to "I don't really want to die but right now it might be preferable to this", and am now back to "I'm alive but I do NOT want to remember the last 36 hours and it's going to take at least 36 more hours before I feel like getting up". So, here I recline with my laptop, catching up on "what I missed".

I copied the above from Facebook. Now, before I start, do NOT get me wrong. I LOVE teaching and I LOVE my students. I go to school cheerfully most mornings and come home in a good mood most afternoons. BUT.........!!!!!!!!

I don't think too many people argue that our current students have an entitlement issue. They feel entitled. It does not matter what their background, race, socio-economic group or whatever. They feel entitled.

And the above- which represents a "like" page on Facebook, which I saw when one of my BEST former students "liked" it- is symptomatic of that sense of entitlement.

How about "excuse me, could you answer a question?" Or "can I ask something, please?" or even "I am confused, can you explain something?" No, it's "YOU NEED to do what I want and you need to do it NOW".

I have a real problem with students who think that what they want is always more important than anything else going on in class, or any other student in that class. I get interrupted while teaching, routinely, by a single student who wants to know something that only applies to her. I even get interrupted by students who make "announcements", not ask questions, while I am doing something with the entire class.

The real problem for these children is that unless the entire world changes to accommodate their entitlement issues, they are in for a much ruder shock in a few years than my current response to them, which is "if you want to talk to me about something personal, do it after class or on your own time, not during class time". I will even admit that I sometimes lose my patience with students who REPEATEDLY do this, and my answer to them is not always so polite.

Will college professors accommodate this attitude and behavior? I think not. Will professional colleagues and supervisors accept it? I certainly HOPE not. Will those adults think well of other "adults" who engage in this behavior? It seems VERY unlikely.

I spent 16 years in Catholic schools, and certainly for the first 8 at least, "you are not the center of the Universe" was implied when not actually stated. I don't think we heard it much after that, only because it was presumed we already knew it. It is NOT A BAD IDEA to instill into young minds.

For obvious reasons, learning that others count is central to making young people sensitive to the needs of others. Creating an environment of charity and caring about the larger community is, and should be, part of a good education.

It is also important so that those young people do not suddenly get a shock when they enter the "real world" and learn that others do not necessarily care about their individual needs.

An example is the MANY Facebook posts I have read from former students, now in college or with jobs, who have written about how the local transit company has messed up "their" day or "their" plans since the major snow storm. Things like "Bleep SEPTA, I was late for class" or "Bleep SEPTA, it took me 2 hours to get home". HELLO????? There is a foot and a half of snow out there. Those transit workers have had to get to work first in order to get you to work or school. Every one on every bus or trolley or train is trying to get somewhere. Maybe the nurse for the ICU at the hospital? The man who will fix the downed power lines for the neighborhood with no electricity? The repairman who will fix a broken heater for the house with no heat?

Yeah, kids, you really DO need to learn that you are not the center of the Universe!

So, What Have I Been Up To?

2011-01-28T01:31:00.000-05:00

This was the forecast last night before bed. It was a *little* off- we woke to 16.5 inches!

The view from the front door at 10 AM this morning.

The view of the side of the house- DH and DS's cars are there somewhere- DS actually had to brush off some snow to be sure which one was his.

As you can probably guess, there was no school today. There will be no school tomorrow. Small streets like ours still remain impassable- the snow is too deep and the cars get hung up and stuck.

I had a little fun shopping this morning. Strawberry Sampler, my not-so-local needlework shop had an online Snow Sale today and I took full advantage.

Three nice charts from Hinzeit were among my haul- these were among them. More on this later.

I saw this Betsy Ross piece and just feel in love with it. I will definitely be doing it on a hand dyed linen and using Vikki Clayton's silks for this special work. So what else is new?

Not much good. Last week a former student was killed in a gas line explosion. Another funeral for a teenager who never got a chance to live. Two funerals in 2 weeks, both young men who were well liked and good kids, is a little hard to take.

Had it not snowed today, I would have been visiting another former student who is back in the hospital, out of remission from leukemia. The Henzeit chart will be done for her, although in Leukemia Orange rather than the pink.

I can relate one piece of trivial good news. The above doily is an antique piece of Teneriffe Lace that I scored on ebay. I am thrilled and cannot wait for it to get here. I *will* be getting back to that piece
of Teneriffe I was working on- as soon as I finish reading that huge pile of term papers sitting on the living room floor next to my recliner.

I am still TOTALLY hating on 2011!!!!!!

Feeling Nostalgic

2011-01-17T12:30:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today. There were some posts last night from some CD kids that really made me happy/sad.

On this day when we honor the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I am reminded so much of how his dream was a reality at CD. He wanted his children judged by the content of their characters rather than the color of their skin. At CD, that dream was accomplished.

I am very happy at my new school- everyone has been wonderful and welcoming. I am glad to be there every day- I go to work cheerfully and come home tired and satisfied. The kids are terrific!

Yet, I still miss the special, no, UNIQUE!, environment that was Cardinal Dougherty. I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to spend my years there and will treasure the memories and people always.

Why I Hate 2011

2011-01-08T12:35:00.002-05:00

I've got a little yellow, some green and a whole lotta red- and the New Year is only a week old today.

Yellow: I was out with a few CD teachers yesterday and it was nice. I like snow as long as I don't have to drive in it and today it is snowing and I am going nowhere.

Green: all the school work I brought home over the holidays to work on during the 4 days of the car ride to Florida is still staring at me. Due to the storm on the 26th we flew to Florida and there was no way to carry all that on the plane. Exams are coming up so I also have a slew of new work that needs to be done, and there will be 130+ term papers to read in the near future. Installation of our new windows, and the finishing work on the pre-Christmas house re-construction, keeps getting delayed by weather, so we continue with the mess. DH was also really sick in Florida and after we got home and I somehow managed to escape catching it....until now.

RED: Auntie was in the hospital for most of our trip to Florida and still there when I came home. She was sick enough for it to be frightening. Made for a very difficult and unhappy trip. She's finally home but a long way from well.

RED: A former student, CD class of 2010, died Tuesday afternoon. Great kid, well-liked. Other kids are devastated; I get teary several times a day. The funeral on Monday will be heartbreaking.

RED: One of my current students has been missing since Thursday- scared out of my mind.

2010 is looking better all the time.

ETA- a RED to YELLOW!!! Student has been found safe!!! Still hating on 2011 but it just got a lot better!!!!

Sesame Street: Keep Christmas With You

2011-01-06T22:56:00.000-05:00

With the Feast of the Three Kings, we have reached the last of the 12 Days of Christmas. Here's a thought, beautifully expressed, that we should keep in mind until next Christmas!

Update on 2011

2011-01-04T20:04:00.000-05:00

Can I please go back to the awfulness of 2010? It would be an improvement!

2011

2011-01-03T11:28:00.002-05:00

So far, this year SUCKS!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2011-01-01T12:37:00.000-05:00

WARM!!!

2010-12-28T10:55:00.001-05:00

OFF TO FLORIDA!!!

Want a good New Year's Goal?

2010-12-27T13:59:00.000-05:00

If you knit or crochet, here's a program you might want to consider joining. HAP= Handmade Afghan Project and the group makes afghans to give to wounded service men and women in military hospitals.

The HAP website has all the information you need to join this terrific group of volunteers. If you don't knit or crochet but would like to donate to the program for mailing costs and other expenses, all that information is also available at the website.

The requirements are easy- they ask that you make 6" x 9" rectangles that will then be assembled by other volunteers into hospital bed sized afghans, using rectangles from 49 different people. This way each afghan represents the work of 50 or more people! What a wonderful way to show wounded warriors that many people around the country appreciate their sacrifice!

There are no requirements that you submit a certain number of rectangles to stay a member of the group- so, no pressure. If you have some yarn laying around in an approved color ( no pastels or baby colors for obvious reasons) you can send as few as 7 or as many as you can make.

The goal for 2011 is 105, 154 rectangles which will make 2146 afghans!

So, if you would like to be doing something productive and worthwhile as you sit in front of the TV, or during your lunch break, or whenever, check out this group. They are accepting new members until January 21, 2011.

WEATHER!!!

2010-12-26T15:57:00.000-05:00

Here's why we are not on our way to Florida!

This is what we would have been driving through.

And a bigger perspective on what we'd have been driving through.

All in all, a good decision to fly on Tuesday.

It turned into a very nice Christmas! But then.....

2010-12-25T22:38:00.000-05:00

Christmas turned out really nice for us. We got past the car situation and had a lovely evening for Christmas Eve, decorating the tree, watching movies on TV and just generally enjoying the peace and quiet.

Christmas morning was also really nice. Everyone was very pleased with their gifts, especially me! DH asked two days ago "what do you want?" and I said I didn't care but then winked and said "jewelry is always good!". Well, it seems that DH is developing a penchant for black and white diamonds! (Remember the anniversary necklace?) Here's a not terrific picture of a real surprise I opened this morning:

Yeah- all those sparkles are diamonds! On a more practical note, I also got a heated ice scraper for my car- and he bought that before the change in the weather forecast!

The rest of the day went well also. Dinner was very good- brined turkey is THE way to go! Mom and DD came for dinner and it was very pleasant.

Speaking of the weather, however.... we were supposed to leave tomorrow morning to drive to Florida. Obviously, THAT is not happening. So now, at RIDICULOUS expense, we will be flying down on Tuesday. My other Christmas present from DH, two new books on CD for the trip ( we like to listen to books as we drive), will probably now get saved for another trip, whenever.

Having spent the last 15 New Years in FLorida, I was really looking forward to the WARM. I will still get it, but we must first endure the blizzard that is apparently on the way. It will make Florida seem even better, but I do wish we could have gotten away BEFORE the shoveling!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoys the rest of the holidays.

Harry Kalas: ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas « CBS Philly – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic and the Best of Philadelphia

2010-12-25T02:08:00.000-05:00

Harry Kalas: ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas « CBS Philly – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic and the Best of Philadelphia

Studio 60 O Holy Night

2010-12-25T02:04:00.000-05:00

This clip makes it worth the entire "Studio 60" series. The performers are actual New Orleans musicians, displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The audio only of the music used to be available for download- it might still be out there if you look for it. I LOVE this version of this beautiful hymn.

We had a SCROOGE Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T14:37:00.001-05:00

Someone decided to do their Christmas shopping in my son's car. :(

Gone is his briefcase, with the Leatherman we bought him 10 years ago for Christmas and which he liked so much he named it, and carried it all the time. Also in the briefcase were his school materials from Drexel, including the engineering calculator that will cost a bundle to replace. Plus they don't make that particular briefcase/messenger bag design anymore.

Gone are several rare comic books with author's signatures- totally irreplaceable!

Gone are two Vera Bradley bags, still in the boxes. Gone are presents he had bought for other people to give when he was at stores they didn't have time to get to. Gone is his GPS and car radio. Gone is his gym bag.

Also gone is the car window they smashed- and no place is open to fix it until Monday. So the first expense was to buy a car cover in case the snow actually shows up.

Everything except the radio was in the trunk so it wasn't like the stuff was sitting on the seat asking to be taken. He usually brings most of the stuff into the house every night, but he was staying over at a friend's house so he didn't bring them in.

Although the total loss is quite large, the car insurance covers some things and the homeowner's others, and both have deductibles that make two claims not viable- so he/we are out the whole expense.

I am SOOOOO NOT in a Christmas mood now. :(

Sesame Street: True Blue Miracle

2010-12-24T09:21:00.000-05:00

Bing Crosby & David Bowie - The Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth

2010-12-21T21:56:00.000-05:00

We have a bathroom!!!

2010-12-19T15:35:00.000-05:00

So, here's the view later than the one I showed last weekend. Some of the old subfloor is now gone and you can see through into my living room.

This is one of the views looking up from the living room. This was Monday and Tuesday.

Here's where they had to go before they could completely fix all the problems correctly- NO floor, and the upstairs of the house literally propped up from below!

I got to do a Meg Ryan in "Kate and Leopold". One of the days the contractors forgot to close the bathroom window, which they kept open hoping to keep the dust level down ( I guess it helped, haha) and I had to walk across those skinny, SKINNY beams to close it.

Finally, late yesterday afternoon, I got to take this picture:

That's the GOOD news. We have a fully functional bathroom- an expression which has been used repeatedly by my happy family in the last day. "I'm going to take a shower in out fully functional bathroom"; "I'm going to brush my teeth in our fully functional bathroom". Sure beats "I'm going out for dinner and a shower"- from my son several days ago, sure to become a famous family quote.

There's still some bad news. The living room ceiling still looks like this:

The sunporch still looks like this:

Every surface in the house looks like this:

And the really amazing, depressing thing is how the dust can get EVERYWHERE- even inside closed doors and drawers:

It's gonna take FOREVER to get rid of the mess. Christmas is going to be interesting, to say the least.

Whatever the situation though, I am wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas on 1915

2010-12-19T14:32:00.000-05:00

Philadelphia Phillies Cheers Opening Parody

2010-12-18T11:51:00.000-05:00

LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!

Clydesdale snowball fight

2010-12-17T15:19:00.000-05:00

John Denver & The Muppets - 12 Days of Christmas

2010-12-15T23:36:00.000-05:00

Timing is EVERYTHING!

2010-12-11T12:42:00.000-05:00

This is a view of my bathroom, right now. Yeah!

When the plumber and contractor came on Thursday to do what should have been a relatively quick, easy (and NOT horrifically expensive) job, they discovered that the previous contractor, 25 years ago, had done something interesting.

Instead of laying down a subfloor on the side of the room that supported the shower, toilet and sink, he had simply broken up the original tile, used that as fill, and put in approximately 1 1/2 tons of CONCRETE!!!! between the new floor and the living room ceiling!!!!

So, for the last two days they have been breaking up concrete and hauling it away. Leaving us this:

We will be without a bathroom upstairs for several more days. Now, at any time, that would be a significant issue. This weekend- with rehearsal at GMA this afternoon, my mother's birthday dinner tonight, and Candlelight tomorrow, being unable to shower is *rather* a bigger issue than a normal weekend. (There is a "bathroom", i.e. toilet, in the basement- unheated.)

So, I am packing to go to my mother's to shower for today's events and then will sleep at my aunt's tonight so I don't have to hike down to and up from the basement all night. Clothes for several events, skin care, hair stuff (dryer and curling iron), and a general goodie bag- all these need to be organized, packed, etc.

This is NOT fun!!!!

Charlie Brown Christmas

2010-12-09T23:15:00.000-05:00

Christmas busy with fun and great memories!

2010-12-08T14:38:00.000-05:00

This is turning into my crazy Christmas week!

Last night I went to a crop at my CTMH rep's house to work on Christmas cards. I got 12 done, using the Mistletoe Workshop on the Go- same as the crop I went to several weeks ago- which includes some really pretty papers and a great stamp set; I made the cards using a design included with the WS. It was a really relaxing evening. Thanks, Cindy!

Also on the agenda this week is a Christmas party tonight for the faculty and staff of my beloved CD- I am really looking forward to seeing everyone and having a wonderful time.

Friday night is DH's staff party; that should be fun as well- I've known so many of these people for years and really enjoy their company.

Saturday night we are taking Mom out to dinner for her birthday, along with Auntie.

Saturday afternoon I have to drive out to GMA for rehearsal for what I think is a GREAT idea. Mercy is having an alumnae Candlelight Procession Sunday evening, and I am (again, as in Senior year) an Angel!

As I know I've made clear before, I loved my high school experience, treasure my memories and classmates, and am eternally grateful for the 4 years I spent a GMA. I also am very blessed that the lessons that the Sisters taught us, very subtly since I did not recognize them at the time, have stayed with me all my life, and I hope, have made me a better person than I might have been without them.

One of the most important and wonderful times at Mercy was Candlelight Procession. Our school has a central courtyard, and around it a "glass corridor" that leads to the auditorium, which has break-away walls. Imagine looking out, from a darkened auditorium, to a winter scene with a procession of candles carried by young women singing Christmas hymns approaching. It was truly magical!! Once we were in the auditorium, the lights came up, everyone joined in singing Christmas carols, and then the room darkened again for the Christmas Tableau. While Senior girls read from the Christmas gospels, students portrayed the Holy Family and all their visitors.

One picture which I have only in my mind is one of my greatest treasures. It is a toddler boy, just turned 2, in a white turtleneck and bright red corduroy overalls, climbing up onto the stage to see the Baby Jesus in the manger. In front of everyone, of course. Yes, I didn't hold his hand and he got away from me. That was 30 years ago as I fulfilled another Mercy tradition- taking your children to Candlelight.

So I will probably be exhausted all next week from all the activity this week, but everything planned will be fun and I will finish this week, or more accurately start the next, repeating a special memory with classmates and schoolmates from the past- how wonderful is that!

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Enya

2010-12-08T10:59:00.000-05:00

Peter, Paul and Mary - Light One Candle

2010-12-06T18:02:00.000-05:00

Sesame Street: How Does Santa Get In?

2010-12-05T22:55:00.000-05:00

Christmas Cards

2010-12-02T22:26:00.000-05:00

My Close to My Heart rep had a class/crop a few weeks ago. It was a fun afternoon and I got some actual cards made!

CTMH has a really pretty Workshop-on-the-Go this year, using the papers from their Mistletoe collection and a nice stamp set. The workshop comes with a booklet with cutting guides for a good selection of cards and enough paper and supplies to make 25 cards or more.

I am pleased with how these turned out. A couple of us are getting together next week to finish our cards. Once we figured out the cutting guides, it was easy to cut out all the pieces needed to assemble the cards next week. They are all individual, but the work putting them together is close to assembly line, so the time invested will be far less than if we were designing each card individually.

You can check out this workshop HERE and see others that CTMH also offers.

Are you cards made yet? Addressed yet? Mailed yet?

Chatelaine German Christmas Market

2010-12-01T17:52:00.000-05:00

Here is an idea of how this design will look when I (someday) finish stitching it.

What is it, you ask? It is the Chatelaine (Martina Weber Rosenberg) German Christmas Market design!

My supplies for this piece are ordered- it is so gorgeous!!! Martina designed it originally for a dark blue fabric to mimic the look of the market at dusk, but when I saw her preview of it on black fabric I knew (no matter how much black fabric is NOT friendly to 58yo eyes) that I had to do it that way!

I also signed up for another project with Martina- the Wisteria Garden. This one is so beautiful- and it is going to include lots of "3D" stitches for a really textural, "flowery" look. This one starts in January.

Martina has a Yahoo group that you can join HERE. There is also a Yahoo group for each of her designs during the time the design is active, which is usually a year. After that you can still buy the design, but you would miss out on chatting with other stitchers working the same design at the same time- a really interesting and nice feature.

If you like the look of these designs but not necessarily the particular topic, make sure you check out her website. Everything she does is absolutely gorgeous- the hard part is choosing which one to choose!

First HAP rectangle and NaBloPoMo

2010-11-30T17:38:00.000-05:00

Well, I finished it last night- my first 6x9 rectangle for the HandMade Afghan Project!! It took 4 start-overs to get exactly the right number of stitches to make it exactly 6 inches wide, but now I know so I can repeat indefinitely. I like the yarn, called Stars and Stripes; it is a Red Heart Super Saver and I have two big skeins of it so I guess I will be able to make quite a few rectangles.

I did this one in plain, old single crochet. When I get tired of or bored with single I will change up to another stitch- but for now I am set with single.

This is, for me, the perfect TV project. DH and I both teach all day, and we like to relax in the evenings with someone ELSE putting on the show. I found that I can successfully work on this while watching TV- which is more than I can do when trying to combine stitching and TV, or tatting and TV, etc.

Remember- HAP is accepting new members for a few more weeks. If you want a pleasant diversion in the form of knitting or crochet, and one that will benefit our country's wounded service men and women, then this is the program for you. Use the link above, and check it out!

If you routinely check my sidebar- which has many, MANY links to all kinds of things that *I* find interesting (and you might also), you will see a new badge there. It is actually just the December badge, but it is a new version, all dressed up for the holidays.

When realizing earlier in the fall that I have blogged far less this year than previously, I decided to try harder at getting on here. I found NaBloPoMo at the beginning of November and signed up. It stands for National Blog Posting Month, and is a group to encourage people to try blogging every day for a month. I didn't do all that well in November- 18 posts- but that *is* better than I have done for the rest of this year. Look at it this way: 60% is a failing grade in my class, but it would be a satisfactory average for a coach, and a history-setting average for a baseball batter. Want some encouragement to keep up with your blog? Check out NaBloPoMo at the link above or on the sidebar.

Time for dinner!

Beautiful Sampler Stitch-a-Long starting

2010-11-28T21:14:00.000-05:00

There is a Stitch-a-Long (SAL) starting in January for this gorgeous sampler!

The sampler was worked by Mary Glover, in 1787, when she was 12 years old. The chart will be a reproduction done by examining and counting the stitches in the piece.

There is a *little* hitch for most of the readers here- the blog and the group are in French. Fortunately, I still can read enough French to muddle through; writing is not as facile and I speak it almost not at all anymore. Well, it *HAS* been almost 40 years since I lived in Switzerland- and I've forgotten a lot more than the French I once knew, lol!

However, a chart is a chart, so if you are interested, check it out HERE.

Teneriffe Lace web completed and Crochet for a Cause info

2010-11-28T12:55:00.000-05:00

So, this is how the web looks when it is completed. I need to take it under the last stitch, but when I do that I will also have to start the darning stitch for the center of the medallion.

Working with a stiffer thread (Cebelia #10) than I have before (I previously always worked with perle coton) was a little tricky. I found that if I sat in the recliner and each time I went under a thread I sent the extra thread to the side of the chair, well spread out on the floor, it didn't tangle too much. As I worked on it, it became more relaxing.

This step also took longer than I remembered- about 3 hours, or maybe a little more. I used to think of this as "setting up" for doing the Teneriffe, but when I made my mind think of it as part of the finished piece and not "set up", it seemed to be much less tedious. Strange how our minds work, isn't it?

Once I finished the web, I put the Teneriffe Lace aside last night; I also wanted to get started working on my first crochet rectangle for the Handmade Afghan Project.

HAP is a great program for those who like to knit and crochet. Each participant makes small (6x9) rectangles that are then sent in to be combined into afghans for wounded service men and women in military hospitals. The afghans are assembled by volunteers, who use rectangles from 49 different donators in each afghan.

The rectangles must all be exactly the same size in order to be successfully included in an afghan. Last night was spent making three rows, then checking for size, then tearing out and removing a few stitches from the foundation chain, and starting over. My last effort removed too many stitches, so another start will be necessary today. Once I determine the exact number of chain stitches for the foundation that work out to exactly 6 inches, I will be good for this hook for as long as my two skeins of yarn last. I found this Red Heart Super Saver Yarn-called Stars and Stripes- and it seemed perfect for this project.

I am really enthused about this project. Crochet is one of my favorite winter activities and one that I can do in front of the TV in the evenings without much stress. (Cross stitch and tatting require too much counting and paying attention; I don't get much accomplished with the TV on.) To be able to enjoy myself while sitting with DH every evening, AND be able to put the time to SUCH good use is really great.

HAP is currently accepting new volunteers, so if you knit or crochet and want to do something special for our country's wounded warriors, then check it out!

Laundry and lunch are calling. Teneriffe and crochet are on the agenda during the Eagles game. Then it's time to get ready for a new week!

For Star Wars fans!

2010-11-26T14:19:00.003-05:00

Make sure you click for a better view!

The Funniest Thanksgiving Show EVER!!!!

2010-11-25T01:15:00.001-05:00

You just HAVE to watch this!!! Just click here!!!

Opera Company of Philadelphia "Hallelujah!" Random Act of Culture

2010-11-23T23:37:00.000-05:00

Starting the Teneriffe Lace web

2010-11-19T23:54:00.000-05:00

This is the back of the Stitch-Around as I get ready to make the web. The web is the basis of all Teneriffe lace, regardless of the pattern for a specific medallion. You can see where I simply knotted the base thread to hold it tightly in place. The base will support the medallion until it is completed and will then be cut away to release the medallion.

Here's where working on Teneriffe becomes a little complicated. The directions call for cutting the entire length of thread you will need in one piece- in this case, 7 yards!

You can see that 7 yards of loose thread can get tangled pretty easily. I work my web with the thread laying out on the floor in front of my chair- it seems to tangle less that way.

I chose Cebelia #10 in white for this medallion. I threaded one end through a size 22 tapestry needle- I find the regular needles are easier for me for laying the web, and will switch to the curved needle when I begin the wrapping. I tied a large knot in the other end of the thread after feeding it through the Stitch-Around form. As I find that surprisingly large knots can work their way through the hole at the center of the form, I also tape the end of the thread to the back of the form.

The web is easy in principle and the only difficulty is keeping those 7 yards of threads untangled. Working out from the center hole,you run the needle under the base thread at any point, pull all the thread through, then run it towards the center under the next base thread section to the right. You are essentially centering the thread around each opening on the form at the position you originally chose to control your size. Here's a close-up:

You then go directly across the form and do the same thing at the hole opposite to the one you just surrounded. Next you will bring your thread back to the first side, and there you will move one hole to the right and repeat the process. You continue around the entire form until you have a complete web.

Next time there will be a picture of a complete web.

Next Step Teneriffe Lace and some more tools

2010-11-17T22:20:00.000-05:00

Well, it took a lot longer than I planned to get back here, but here it is. This is the Stitch-Around "fully loaded" with the base thread. Next step, which I *will* have ready for tomorrow is the beginning ( and hopefully more) of the web thread.

With my interest in Teneriffe Lace re-piqued as it were, I've been doing some reading and some Internet cruising. I've found two fun old tools that I purchased from ebay last week.

The first is called a Crazy Daisy. It has spokes that come out of the body of the gizmo with a wheel in the center, allowing you to mount the web, do the design, then just retract the spokes, and VOILA!, there is your medallion. Sorry for the blurry picture; my scanner doesn't do 3-D very well.

Another fun new to me but very old tool is the Proctor 1903 Teneriffe Lace wheel. I have not had time to read any instructions, so I don't even know for sure how this one works.

I did get the base thread done for a second medallion, on the needlelace loom I got last week from Hand Dyed Fibers. So, I will also be seeing how this tool works out.

All three of these tools here have a distinct disadvantage compared to the Stitch-Around, and that is that the sizes possible are limited to one size with the Crazy Daisy and the needlelace loom, and I don't know if there are two options with the Proctor tool, but certainly not more than that. The lines in the Stitch-Around are also very valuable for helping you to make your knots evenly, so we will see how that works out with the other tools.

I found another tool for Teneriffe lace at Lacis, but that won't be here for a while and I am unclear how it works, so that might have to wait until the second round of tests- I really can't quite figure it out from the picture above from the Lacis website.

The one thing I *CAN* tell you is that I found the plastic grids sometimes sold for "making Teneriffe lace" are nothing more than plastic canvas and I could NOT make them work. I tried them several times several years ago and I am guessing that someone could do Teneriffe lace medallions on them, but that someone was sure not me!

Down the road even a little farther I am going to try using my bobbin lace pillow for making Teneriffe lace- I've been told on good authority that they do work that way- but that is another item on the list for after this first exploration is done.

Tomorrow, the beginnings of the web.

Overheard at the Post Office

2010-11-14T00:28:00.000-05:00

Please support OWH at the Craft for a Cause contest at Joann.com

Our Gettysburg Legacy - Speaking Out Against the Gettysburg Casino

2010-11-13T16:40:00.000-05:00

No Casino in Gettysburg

2010-11-13T16:36:00.000-05:00

I joined No Casino Gettysburg. It is a group that is opposing the opening of a slots casino one-half (1/2) mile from the battlefield at Gettysburg.

Check out THIS LINK to find out more.

There will be a final hearing by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board on Tuesday, November 16. Go to the NoCasinoGettysburg site and see what you can do to prevent a casino being opened within walking distance of the most hallowed ground in the United States.

Operation Write Home Blog Hop

2010-11-13T14:12:00.000-05:00

Today is the latest Operation Write Home Blog Hop! Click on the picture to go and see the wonderful work being done for this terrific group- and consider supporting it!

Teneriffe Lace, step-by-step

2010-11-12T18:08:00.001-05:00

There's been some discussion of Teneriffe Lace over at InTatters (an online tatting forum) lately. A few ladies have expressed interest in learning more about it.

Well, I'm no expert, but I do know how to make basic medallions of Teneriffe lace using my Stitch-Around board, so I am going to make a new medallion over the next several days. I will be taking pictures at every step of the way and posting them here and at Intatters, so if you are inclined to want to learn more about how Teneriffe Lace is made, just follow along here.

The picture above is of a new medallion at the very first step- laying down the base thread, also known as a holding thread. You go around the form, threading over and under, filling in every hole. You can use any available thread, as long as it is strong enough to hold your working thread- I am using some left over #5 perle cotton. When I complete this round, I will do the same thing again, but doing the over-and-under on the opposite sides, so that there will be a complete holding thread- no spaces- on both the front and back of the form. Next picture will be a completed holding thread, and the beginning of the web, so check back tomorrow!

Here's to the Heroes: A Military Tribute

2010-11-10T23:45:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all the Veterans who have served our country!

Went With The Wind!

2010-11-10T23:33:00.000-05:00

I am so excited- my first Barbie doll in 50 years arrived today!!!

I am totally not a doll collector- the closest thing I have to a doll collection is either my Byers Choice Christmas Carol Carolers to decorate for Christmas, or the couple dolls I still have from childhood, including my beloved Lizzie (an original Suzy Walker) and my beautiful Shirley Temple doll, both of which are kept for sentimental reasons.

How I stumbled across this one I don't even remember- but when I saw it, as Carol Burnett says in the skit, "I just couldn't resist it!" I saw this skit the night it was first performed on the Carol Burnett Show. I laughed until I cried, literally. I have probably seen the clip 50 times since then, and I still laugh. It is, for me, one of the great comic moments of television.

So, with the gown recreated for Mattel by the original genius designer, Bob Mackie, and the face such a wonderful image of Carol Burnett- well, I just couldn't resist it. Tomorrow it gets set up in my classroom- the kids probably won't "get it" but I know the faculty of a certain age will enjoy it- and I will smile everytime I see it.

Women Organize Knitting Project for Troops

2010-11-07T00:21:00.000-04:00

Here's a great project for anyone who knits or crochets.
You can find out more at The Handmade Afghans Project.

Old Spice | The Man Your Man Could Smell Like

2010-11-04T17:54:00.000-04:00

Isn't this fun????

Tatting Supplies Arrived!

2010-11-03T17:48:00.001-04:00

Well, I got a nice package from Handy Hands today! For those who don't know, Handy Hands is a terrific company for buying tatting supplies- they have a tremendous selection. Now, I have been tatting for about 12 years but still consider myself a beginner; I cannot do split rings or mock rings or any of those other fancy things. But I can do rings and chains and picots, and that's really all you need for many designs.

While still in my own Beginner Level, I have taken on teaching basic tatting to a group of students at school. So, this package was 10 shuttles and the original Fancy Pants book. I bought the book so that I had a reference I can leave in the classroom with lots of pictures to help the girls learn.

I will also take in my duplicate copy of Rebecca Jones' Complete Book of Tatting- remember when I posted that I could not find my original copy and bought a new one, which would guarantee that I found the original? Well, I did- and that extra can now be a classroom reference as well.

Yesterday I went to ACMoore and bought 10 crochet hooks- I forgot to include them in my shuttle order from HH, and could not face another shipping charge for such tiny things. As for thread, I have plenty of that- several generous ladies from InTatters, the online tatting forum, sent me boxes with balls of #10 and #20 for the girls to get started with.

I will be showing some Youtube videos to help them see what the stitch and hand positions are all about. If anyone has any recommendations for which videos they think are best, please let me know!

I've started a new project for the 25 Motif Challenge, but it isn't far enough along yet for even an "in progress" picture- but it will be motif #8. One of these days I will dig out #3 and #5 and see if I can finish them- they got me frustrated and got put aside.

Time to go take a nap until dinner!

The Chicago Bean

2010-10-31T12:33:00.000-04:00

One of the highlights of my trip last weekend was our visit to the Chicago Bean. Sitting in Millennium Park, it is a giant, GIANT mirrored kidney bean shaped object. It just sits there, and people come and laugh and smile and take pictures. Totally useless and totally FUN!

Tatting- one success, one failure

2010-10-30T17:35:00.002-04:00

So, I have two pieces of tatting to show. I can't say "show off" because one is a failure. DARN!!!!

The piece above in black and red variegated Finca #12 is Kersti's Stumpy pattern. I got to the very end before I realized that I had missed the VERY LAST join!!! Then, when I was going to just leave it like that, I could not figure out what to do with the last little chain. So, into the discards box it goes.

The cross is a pattern I found from Becky Dempsey that was an online freebie. It is also done in #12 Finca. This one WORKED! It still needs to have the ends dealt with, and I have to wash, startch and straighten it out, but it is done and it is right! It also was a good lesson- I have been miscounting my picots, which gives it that slight curve. The curve should be fixable with the washing and starching.

So, at least I am back on the 25 motif challenge bandwagon. These are motifs #6 and #7. The likelihood that I will ever get 25 pieces of tatting done in a year is slim, but what the heck- it is fun trying.

Teneriffe Lace forum!!! Time for more to learn Teneriffe Lace!!!

2010-10-27T21:02:00.000-04:00

It is GREAT news that Intatters, an online group for those who make lace by tatting, has added a forum to their site specifically dedicated to Teneriffe lace!!! The forum can be found HERE.

I wrote before about Teneriffe lace and it gets a lot of hits. You can find the previous posts HERE and HERE.

There are a few links to websites with information about Teneriffe lace on my sidebar- check them out if you are interested. The forms I learned to make Teneriffe on are available at the Snogoose link. I found another type of "form" which will also work, called a "needlelace loom", at Hand Dyed Fibers. There are also instructions (from the wonderful Vikki Clayton of HDF) on how to use the loom.

There are quite a few very old books available around the Internet for download, as they are out of copyright. There are two good books specifically about Teneriffe Lace, by Jules Kliot and by Alexandra Stillwell. There is good information in Therese de Dillmont's book.

Teneriffe is a beautiful and delicate form of lace. It is not difficult. I hope this information, and the ability to compare notes on the new forum at Intatters, will get more people interested in this special lace!

On the 103rd FLOOR!!!

2010-10-25T23:59:00.000-04:00

Sitting on a clear plexiglass floor on the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower in Chicago! WAY fun!!!!

One Last Night at Cardinal Dougherty

2010-10-17T13:33:00.000-04:00

For 10 years I have heard "We are CD" and never was it more apparent than last night.

500+ people showed up to spend one last night at CD, to celebrate, and to show their support and friendship for our Alumni Director. After losing his job and his school in June, in July he lost his home to a devastating fire.

It was a wonderful and terrible night. Seeing so many people there was terrific. Seeing "our" students helping was also terrific, until the reality struck that they are not "our" students anymore. The cafeteria looked so good, everything was so "normal" that it was easy to forget, for a moment, that we were closed.

Many, especially the student volunteers, came to be inside the building one more time. Most came for a last chance to visit with one another in home surroundings. All who came were there to support a good man, and his wonderful wife.

It was delightful to see old friends. It was painful to see the longing, especially in the faces of the students and closing faculty. Today I am happy that it was such a success, and heartbroken that it will be our last night at CD.

So, dear Alma Mater, your sons and daughters hail,
We Hail Cardinal Dougherty High!

YAH PHILLIES!!!!!

2010-10-10T23:30:00.000-04:00

One series down, two rounds to go!!!! Gonna be buying some more shirts!!!

Tatting Shuttles Made Special!

2010-10-10T18:01:00.000-04:00

Isn't this beautiful???

It seems there is a new trend spreading, courtesy of the Internet, for decorating your tatting shuttles. This picture comes from Decoromana's blog and the posting includes instructions for her technique for making this pretty shuttle. She used a pretty paper napkin.

At the A Happy Bluebird blog, there are some more examples of "blinged out" shuttles. Bluebird used fabric for her fancy shuttles.

You can also see a pretty shuttle at Lace-lovin Librarian's blog; her material of choice was scrapbook paper.

I have no idea when I will have the time to attempt this, but I am definitely going to be doing this to all my clover shuttles- I LOVE the clover from a functional standpoint- it is my favorite kind of shuttle by far- but most of mine are that whitish, tannish, BORING color. THIS will make my shuttles soooo much more fun to use!

Remembering Natalie Nevins

2010-10-08T17:46:00.000-04:00

This is a lovely little video of my dear friend, Father Nevins, remembering his sister, Natalie.

Red October in Philadelphia

2010-10-07T16:37:00.000-04:00

So, is October off to a great start for Philadelphia, or what????

Last night was such a thrill ride for Phillies fans. Only the second no-hitter in the post season in Major League baseball history- and it happened right here!!!

Halladay and Ruiz are a killer combination- and they put on a show last night that was AMAZING!!!!

Definitely the most fun I've had watching a game at home in a LONG time- say, almost 2 years.

Here's hoping that October is RED all month!!!

On Safari

2010-10-02T01:24:00.000-04:00

It has been far too long that I haven't been visiting the late night Safaris. Last year I was just too depressed and exhausted all the time. I cannot do it during the summer when I am away as the aircard just cannot carry the feed fast enough. So it had been about 16 months since my last time on Safari until last weekend. It will again become a regular part of my weekends now though- just a couple times and I remember why and how much I enjoy it.

This incredible experience is offered twice a day by WildEarthTV. They film and transmit live from a camera-carrying jeep which is driven by an expert ranger/commentator. The combination of knowing you are watching as it happens combined with the information shared by the drivers is just terrific. While it is on my "bucket list", I don't know if I will ever really be able to go to Africa to see this for myself in person, but these drives are so real that it is almost like being there.

The picture at the top is of a bull elephant in his 40s. The jeep has been following him for about 30 minutes now. Earlier today on the USA-AM drive (which is the evening drive in South Africa) I took some pictures of a rhino that was being observed. I use a screenshot camera and these are stills of the animals as they walk, eat and go about their days.

Watching these incredible animals in their natural habitat is just such a wonderful experience- I hope you check it out!

The Rain has Finally Stopped

2010-10-01T15:03:00.003-04:00

This is the intersection where Kelly Drive meets the Boulevard Extension exit ramp. The Schuykill River got a little wider.

There are similar pictures from all over the area.

All safe and sound here but many cannot say the same.

FUN and FUNNY Regency artwork

2010-09-29T23:48:00.004-04:00

I have not read "The Secret History of the Pink Carnation" by Laura Willig, but having stumbled across her blog, I think I will have to. What I found there today were "cartoon" versions of some scenes from the books and they are HYSTERICAL!

Make sure to check these out HERE. Click once and they get bigger; twice, bigger still and easy to read.

Annual Back-to-School cold

2010-09-27T19:44:00.004-04:00

Same thing every year- get back around the kids at school and catch a cold. Only difference this year? *I* didn't bring it home- DH did!

Started feeling sick Saturday afternoon/evening and spent Sunday resting, hoping to stave it off- no luck!

Went to school today but tomorrow, me and my Nyquil are going to spend the day in bed- hopefully that will get me back on my feet feeling somewhat human by Wednesday.

I've been on a binge of reading Georgette Heyer- and I'm really enjoying it! I hadn't read anything of hers in a while and she really is delightful! Definitely recommended if you have not tried her- she deserves her title of "Queen of the Regencies". You can learn a lot about her at the link on my sidebar.

OK- time to get back to watching the Phillies: just me and DH sharing the game and a box of tissues- how romantic is that! ;)

Sunny Saturday after a long week

2010-09-25T14:32:00.003-04:00

Phillies Phever is starting to take over around here. With the magic number at 2, everyone is getting ready for the playoffs- and hoping for another trip to the World Series.

That will add slightly to my weekend work- I have to dig out ALL my Phillies shirts and get them washed and ready to wear.

Other weekend work includes the continuation of the seasonal clothing changeover- an ongoing job that is hampered by the crazy weather we've been having. I also have to get all the info I've got marked on several sets of class lists transferred into my finally-set-up paper grade book and into the online grade book. There's also laundry, stuff around the house- the usual. The Eagles play tomorrow but I'm not sure how much of a distraction that will be.

While I am starting (JUST starting) to feel a little more comfortable with the schedule at the new school, it is still leaving me exhausted all the time. Today I slept until 12:30 and that was after taking a nap when I got home from school yesterday.

I haven't yet found any time to do any actual stitching or tatting or crafting, but at least I've been reading my favorite blogs and boards about them when I'm too tired to actually do them but am awake enough to read. My LNS (local needlework shop- which is NOT really local since it is more than an hour away) has been posting pictures of some of the new designs from the St. Charles Market- and there are LOTS of wonderful new things to stitch. BUT....NOT for me- I am NOT going to buy anything new (except, of course, Chatelaine's German Christmas Market) until I use up some things from my stash! (Yeah- we'll see how long *that* resolve lasts, lol!)

Time to go put in a load of laundry. Then, I think, since it is SUCH a beautiful day, that I will work on my grade book on the patio and enjoy the sunshine.

New design from Chatelaine- GORGEOUS!!!

2010-09-23T00:32:00.005-04:00

So, I swore I was not going to buy anymore charts, fabrics, supplies, ANYTHING, until I finished a couple of the needlework pieces I have currently in the works.

That resolve went right out the window when I saw this!

This is Chatelaine (Martina Rosenberg)'s new Christmas design. The way it looks on black fabric totally blew me away, so it is already ordered. So much for my resolution.

If you want to check out more information about this you can look HERE on Facebook, or HERE on her forums group.

This will be offered as part of an online class that begins in November 2010 and ends October 2011. I know that I will fall far behind the other stitchers in keeping up with this, but I just MUST have this design! Now, to find the perfect black fabric!

Some Jane Austen Fun!

2010-09-20T20:40:00.001-04:00

Just click on the picture!

I am BACK!

2010-09-18T14:05:00.003-04:00

I have been away from here for quite a while! It has been an amazingly busy and hectic time. Here's the stuff that's been going on, in reverse order.

The Mercy banner in the picture is because tomorrow is the opening Mass and ceremony for the 150th Anniversary of the Academy of the Sisters of Mercy- originally located in North Philadelphia and now known as Gwynedd Mercy Academy. I am looking forward to seeing some classmates tomorrow, as well as celebrating the school that has meant so much to me throughout my life.

The last two weeks have been spent at my new school- learning to adapt to a new school schedule and a very tough personal class schedule. I have to say that everyone at my new school has been INCREDIBLE! The welcome those of us from CD have received, the understanding and compassion for our situation has been overwhelming. My class schedule is very difficult, too many classes together without a break, but my classes are terrific- the students are a joy! I have been truly blessed to have landed where I did.

Before that was a busy but wonderful end of summer. In reverse order: We spent Labor Day weekend back in the little house "living on the porch" with magnificent weather. We went to my cousin's surprise 50th birthday party and had a great time seeing so many of the family. We spent 6 days in Disney World and had a great time. I drove Auntie back home to Florida and we had a good trip that included a stop in South Carolina at a cousin-in-law's home for a delightful weekend and a picnic on the Bull Run battlefield- I love visiting Civil War battlefields and had not been to Bull Run before.

Once I got home from the GLORIOUS time at the shore, I was busy running to school and trying to get my classroom in shape. It is still a long way from how I want it, but at least it is livable. The amount of STUFF I found in drawers and cabinets was amazing- and depressing, as there was literally NO PLACE to put anything of my own. There are still about 10 boxes in the garage that came from CD, but most of my basics are finally in my classroom. I got to know the maintenance crew very quickly- there were so many things I put out in the hallway for trash that they wanted to see who was doing that, lol! And, AGAIN, I have to thank my WONDERFUL CD kids for all their amazing help in getting the classroom looking good- these kids are so fabulous I don't know how to say it.

Well, my house is a disaster (time to get back on the FlyLady wagon!!!), I need to set up my gradebook for the year, and the laundry pile is almost as tall as me. So, time to get to work!

It feels really good to be back posting.

Our Gettysburg Legacy - Speaking Out Against the Gettysburg Casino

2010-08-31T23:13:00.000-04:00

Delight and Joy in August

2010-08-12T13:06:00.003-04:00

I had lost track of this wonderful blog for a while, but happily she posted to me recently and now I have put her on my sidebar so I cannot lose her again.

FawnDear is hosting a MOST delightful blog event next week. It will be full of whimsy, joy and surprise! I am TOTALLY encouraging everyone to check this out and participate- we all need a little more happiness in our lives.

Just click on the picture and it will take you to the path to Neverland!

Missing You: Letters in Wartime

2010-08-05T20:54:00.000-04:00

This video from the Smithsonian is a good reminder of why I participate in Operation Write Home- and hope you will support this group!

Close To My Heart (CTMH) Watercolor Pencils

2010-07-29T16:07:00.000-04:00

My friend and CTMH rep did a video tutorial on using watercolor pencils- check it out!

Tatting, digi-scrapping and reading....it's summer!

2010-07-27T14:41:00.004-04:00

Time for an update! The very warm weather has abated, it's actually chilly after dark now. Such great sleeping weather- and yet the beach calls in the afternoon sun- PERFECT!

Above is my progress on tatting motif #6 for the 25 Motif challenge. It is going slow, but I am pleased. It should be done by my self-imposed deadline of this weekend.

Last weekend included a wonderful day spent with my aunt and some of my cousins on Long Beach Island on Friday, and a return visit on Sunday for a memorial Mass for my cousin Helen on the 10th anniversary of her death. Brunch at my aunt's followed and it was terrific to spend time with so many of my cousins- they are all terrific, wonderfully warm people.

These two pages are from Universal Visitation Day at CD in 2008. They were done for a challenge on the Facebook page of Polaroid's My Memories Suite- one of the two digital scrapbooking programs I use and love. My favorite is always the one I am currently using, lol! This challenge was to use the templates that come with the MMS program- which I am just, finally, learning to use (thanks, Lisa!) and really, REALLY liking!

It is nice now to have pictures of my classroom filled with kids. I have more like this and will be making more pages.

I've also been doing a lot of reading. Just finished a murder mystery, which I read mostly out of curiosity when I saw that one of the authors was Cordelia Biddle. Well, with that name, she could ONLY be a Philadelphia Biddle- related to St. Mother Katharine Drexel, those who founded Drexel University, the famous Philadelphia jewelry store, and "The Happiest Millionaire" as portrayed in a 1960's Disney movie, Anthony Drexel Biddle. It was a cute book, with some interesting looking crossword puzzles as the "hook" and it was prefect summer reading- no strain, just fun.

On a much more serious note, I am currently working my way through James Michener's "Poland", which is so interesting that it has captured me in spite of hardly being "summer reading". Michener often wrote books that dealt with the historical effects of geography and how history is created by a combination of geography and national culture. "Poland", which as a country I knew little about other than it's roles in WWII and the collapse of the Communist block, is another of his books that outline how geography can affect a nation's destiny. I was attracted to the book because I spent about a week in Poland in 1972 and was fascinated then by the way the Poles operated under the Russian communist regime- which was markedly different from what I saw in Czechoslovakia and Russia on the same trip.

The book spans 1000 years of Polish history, and like in so many of Michener's books (the man really was incredible in this way), I am seeing the almost inevitability of today in the history. I'm up to the late 17th century and have found myself several times thinking "that explains...." I've had this experience several times before while reading Michener- check out "Caravans" for some explanations of why we are in Afghanistan today.

I'm starting to change from receding and recovering from the trauma of the last school year to anxiety about the new one- a new school, a different type of schedule, unknown expectations from new bosses. Not fun!

But, I am also looking forward, with great joy, to the wedding this weekend of the youngest child and only daughter of my "oldest" friend. She is, lol, actually younger than me by a few months, but we've been friends since 1st grade and I love all her family like they were my own. It will be WONDERFUL to see everyone at such a happy event!

Time to get some late-afternoon sun and think about a trip to the beach!

Hike for our Heroes

2010-07-24T23:53:00.000-04:00

Wonderful Weekend!!!

2010-07-20T15:50:00.006-04:00

Well, I had a wonderful day on Saturday! It was the Annual "Cards Soar at the Shore" get-together for alumni and faculty alumni of Cardinal Dougherty.

Getting there is a problem- I am at exit 83 of the Garden State Parkway and the SOAR is at exit 4. Last time I went it took 6 1/2 hours to get down the GSP on a Saturday. So, this year I decided to beat the traffic- and had an extra special day as a result.

I got up at what is for me "the crack of dawn" in the summer- 7am! Got on the road early and had only a little traffic so I made good time. Went right past Wildwood and headed to Cape May.

I love Cape May- with the old "painted ladies" it is just delightful to walk around. For those of you who don't know the term, the "Painted Ladies" are the gorgeous Victorian homes of Cape May, painted in all kinds of pretty pastel colors. If you have never been, and live on or visit the East Coast, Cape May is a wonderful place to see.

I walked around for a while, ending up at the "mall". The "mall" in Cape May is a few blocks of fun, eclectic shops in an area where the streets have been closed to cars and are all bricked over. It was warm but not too hot and I really enjoyed looking in the shops and seeing all the different things offered.

I visited a yarn shop and found some tatting books and supplies. I was happy to hear from the owner that she doesn't get a lot of customers for tatting, but that the number seemed to be increasing in recent years. Go, Tatters!! Since I have been unable to find my copy of Rebecca Jones' tatting book- the BEST for me!- and she had one, I bought it! Now, of course, I will very soon find my original- which I can now loan to a friend who wants to learn tatting.

I also visited the really nice cross stitch shop, Stitch by Stitch, which I'd heard about for years but never been to. They have a very extensive chart collection, and some expensive, but GORGEOUS, needlepoint canvases. I didn't have the size information I needed- DARN!- to get stretcher bars for the small needlepoint canvas I brought down here, but I did get a small patriotic flag XS chart that I'd never seen and really liked.

The Church pictured above is Star of the Sea, a beautiful little church that I always visit in Cape May. I made a point of saying prayers and lighting candles for all my CD kids who are fighting serious medical issues right now. It made me feel really good to offer prayers for them in this pretty little church near the beach.
After my morning in Cape May I headed for Wildwood. The picture above was taken while I was stopped for a redlight heading into town. This is a CRAZY looking Wawa and I had to get a picture!

The Soar at the Shore was terrific! I got to see soooo many of my former students and it was just wonderful to hear about how and what they are doing now. I also got to see old friends my own age who are CD grads. It turned into a mob scene, which was great, and all in all, I had a fabulous time!

Sunday was really nice with DH and DS. Most of the time was spent discussing and planning our August trip to Disney World- always a favorite topic. We had the perfect summer dinner- crabs that DH had caught an hour before, fresh Jersey corn on the cob Nero Wolfe style- the best!!!- and Jersey tomatoes. HEAVEN!!

Been doing some tatting and, of course, lots of reading. Getting ready to take some watercolor classes tomorrow. Things are going really well.

I've begun to heal from the awfulness of this past school year. I find myself noticing that I am happy again, for the first time in a long time. Thank you is due to my magnificent husband for giving me this wonderful time here at the shore, where I can refind my better self.

Time for a late afternoon swim!

Hey dude- it was like, a totally excellent day!!!

2010-07-09T18:46:00.003-04:00

What a wonderful day!!!!

Pictured above are (right to left) my niece, my cousin's daughter and another cousin's grand-daughter. Behind them is the beach and ocean of Long Beach Island.

My brother is here at the Jersey shore, visiting from Chicago for a week, and I am enjoying seeing them SOOO much- it has been almost a year. The kids have grown so much and I love talking to them and seeing how they have matured and changed.

This morning my brother called (he is staying nearby) and said they were going over the LBI and visit our aunt and any cousins who happened to be around- did I want to go with them? Heck, YES!!!!

My aunt celebrated her 90th birthday in February and is still just amazing. Her home is a block from the ocean and there are always people in and out in the summer- it is like a private beach club for our immense family. My cousins are all really terrific fun and such good company to be with and so welcoming and inclusive whenever anyone shows up.

So, I got to visit with my aunt, go to the beach with multiple cousins and their families, swim in wonderful 78 degree ocean water; it was truly an awe-and-then-some day!!!!

Can't wait to lose this jewelry

2010-07-08T15:23:00.003-04:00

One of the sorrows, but also the privileges, of being a high school teacher, is sharing in your students' sorrows. Especially in a small school community, and when it is a good school (as CD was!), the family that is formed shares the good and the bad. Entirely aside from our school closing, this has been a bad, BAD year.

There are the normal bad things that happen- injuries and illnesses, sudden deaths in the family. Then there are the extraordinary ones, which seem to just keep on coming in recent months. Since the winter, we have had two former students become quadraplegics, one through an accident, the other as a result of a drive-by shooting. Months ago a young graduate was diagnosed with cancer and we have watched her fight. Now we learn that one of the kids who graduated only weeks ago is also fighting for his life with a newly diagnosed cancer.

I've been wearing purple toenail polish since the spring as a daily reminder to prayer for the young girl who is in rehab to learn to live without the use of her legs and hands. As soon as it arrives, I will be adding the ankle bracelet pictured above to remind me about the young man with lymphoma. I hope I don't wear it for very long due to a quick recovery for him.

In the process of thinking about them, and praying for them, I hope we all also recognize the fragility of our own lives, and the need to live each day in the best way we can. Finding our joy and sharing our love is something we should never skip over or miss out on.

Finally some tatting to show

2010-07-06T13:50:00.003-04:00

One of the things I want to do this summer is get back to my needlework, in several forms, including tatting. Last year I joined a 25 motif tatting challenge, but never got very far with it. So, it is time to get back on board.

This little motif is #2 from "Minitats- 69 petite motifs" by Patti Duff. It's very tiny but it gets me started again. I still need to finish motif #3 for the challenge, but this is motif #4 for my challenge attempt. I hope to finish motif #3 sometime this week.

It is very, VERY hot today, so taking it easy is the general rule. I have to go out, however, as I discovered that my iphone does not ring when someone calls me. So, a trip to the AT&T store is required.

DH went home a little while ago, but he and we had a great weekend. By this time next week I'll be in Georgia; driving Auntie and the puppy home for their annual summer visit up North here. I do hope the weather is a little kinder for the trip.

Time to get ready to run errands, then back to my needles and shuttles later.

2010-07-05T14:08:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe how fast the summer is going- 4th of July is already over!

I used part of the holiday to make some cards for Operation Write Home. I had company (my mother and aunt) and we watched the delightful town parade here. There were 4th of July festivities all day- games on the beach (I almost got hit during the egg toss- THAT would have been yucky in the 95+ degree heat!), a DJ in the afternoon and a band at the town pavilion at night. I went swimming for about an hour late in the afternoon- THAT was the best part of my day! LOTS of fireworks- we can see several towns from here. DH and I finished the day by watching an interesting show on PBS: "Rebels and Redcoats- How Britain lost America; The American Revolution from the British Perspective". A good day!

Since the last time I posted, I actually picked up a needle!! I only got about 50 stitches done before the phone rang, but it was really nice to be back to stitching! DH is a completely and totally crazy person today and just left to play golf (it is SOOOO too hot for golf!!!) so I am looking forward to doing some stitching this afternoon and evening. I started working first on the Sekas Dragonflies piece that is really close to finished- once I get it done I can start on one of the several new things I brought down with me. Pictures soon I hope!

I'm reading a really good book, "The Few", by Alex Kershaw. It is the story of the Americans who flew for the RAF during the Battle of Britain. I know from the introduction that only one of them will survive the war, so I am prepared for it to be quite sad, but it is always interesting to me to read true stories about my Father's generation.

So, that not only sums up the last few days, but most of my plans for the rest of the week- reading, stitching, TV, some more work on my Heritage digital scrapbook, and I hope, a visit to my Aunt on Long Beach Island. Yeah, it's a tough life, I know. Oh, and did I mention sleep????

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-03T11:17:00.001-04:00

To celebrate the 4th, let's remember those who are serving our country, especially those who are far from home this year.

June 2010 Personal Review

2010-07-02T12:27:00.005-04:00

These are two of the 6 (yes, six!) digital pages I did this morning for my family heritage album.

I was going through all my blogs on my sidebar, and saw something really neat at "Katie the Scrapbook Lady". It is a monthly "roundup" and I think it is a very good idea for reflection. So, stealing her questions, with a few modifications, here's my personal wrap up for June 2010.

1) What books or magazines did I read this month? I got a lot of reading done which can be seen in my two lists on the sidebar. My "What I've Been Reading" covers the stuff I read before I came down here to the shore, and "My Summer Reading" is the list of what I've read since I got here. The "summer reading" will continue until school starts- I want to see how many books I read this summer compared to last summer which was 27.

2) What were my needlework accomplishments this month? Almost none. I didn't actually pick up a needle or a shuttle so nothing physical to show for the month. I did do quite a bit of needlework related reading, especially about crewel.

3) What were my papercrafting accomplishments this month? Again, none.

4) What were my digital accomplishments this month? I completed two 8x8 albums with Creative Memories Storybook Creator Plus. Looking forward to getting them and seeing how they turned out- especially since I rushed them.

5) What fun things did I do this month with family and/or friends? We attended Kate Fisher's wedding. She was gorgeous and we had a good time seeing friends we don't often see, as well as being with close friends. It was a really nice day.

6)What gifts did I give or receive? Well, there was the wedding present to Kate and Joe, another wedding present sent early for Maryellen and Brian. I designed mugs as gifts for some special friends for the last day at CD. As for receiving gifts, I am at the shore for 6 weeks, the gift of my amazing husband!

7) What illness or health concerns did I have? My biggest problem was that the incredible stress of the closing of Dougherty resulted in a flare in my fibromyalgia that was worse than anything since I developed this %^&* disease!! I also did not find the time for some really necessary dental work.

8) What were my accomplishments this month? I think that I handled myself better than I expected to, and was able to be strong and positive for the kids at CD as we went through the trauma of the actual school closing together.

9) What were my disappointments this month? My biggest disappointment was that there was no understanding of our pain from those who were closing our school.

10) Anything else noteworthy this month? Yes, I am very blessed that I will be going to Little Flower for next year. I am blessed to have a job, I am blessed that the school is not too far, I am blessed that the administrators I met there seem like they will be good to work for, I am blessed to be going to a school with strong spirit, and I am blessed that several of the teachers from CD who I respect and consider friends will be at Little Flower with me.

So, that's my review of the month of June 2010.

BOOKS- What I'm reading!

2010-06-29T21:12:00.004-04:00

I've been doing mostly reading so far on this vacation and wanted to post about a book that I am enjoying IMMENSELY! I've read a few of Sharon McCrumb's other books, but they were mostly from her Appalachia series which are very good but quite serious.

I previously read "If I'd Killed Him When I Met Him" and that book provoked a decree from DH that I was not allowed to read McCrumb in bed if he was home. My shoulder-shaking efforts to not laugh out loud were not successful at not waking him up. As I read it, I was delighted to the point of laughter at the way McCrumb uses the language- her writing is hysterically funny!

"Highland Laddie" may be even funnier than "If I'd Killed Him". I have not even finished the book yet, but I have already begun searching for copies of the rest of the series. Once I get them all, I am going to start at the beginning and go on an Elizabeth MacPherson (the lead character) binge!

Since I feel totally inadequate to convey the spice of McCrumb's writing, I will simply present to you here the final part of the Prologue to "Highland Laddie Gone". Lord, how I wish I could write like this!

"Dear Mary-Stuart,
Can't tell you how devastated I am to hear that you won't be at the Highland games this year. In that case, I think I'll go. And I'll be happy to take care of Cluny. He's my favorite member of the Clan Chattan anyway.
No, I am not teaching. I am getting a degree in Forensic Anthropology, along with my fiance, Milo Gordon. We spend a lot of time cutting up dead bodies. I think of you often.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth"

It's finally VACATION!!

2010-06-28T19:12:00.006-04:00

Well, I am back to "living on the porch"!

Last week was a hectic rush of meetings, a funeral, packing, etc. Getting ready to come here is a lot of work. Then there was the unpacking, getting organized, etc. I LOVE when DH is here- we talk, a LOT, we watch TV, we read, it is quiet and fun.

However, he has gone back to the city and I am finally alone. LOVE him, don't get me wrong. LOVE having him here. But what I really, REALLY need is to unwind, decompress, whatever word you want to use. The last 8 months have been among the most stressful and most terrible of my life and I need to just relax fully.

So, now I am starting my vacation. I have 120+ books loaded into the Kindle. I have tatting, and cross stitch, and hardanger, and needlepoint, and crewel projects all waiting. (They are all SMALL projects, lol!) I have everything I need to make 100s of digital scrapbook pages. And, within limits, my time is my own! I'm a little annoyed with myself because I forgot to pack my Teneriffe lace books and supplies, but I don't think I'll get bored without them.

There is going to be a farmer's market this summer at the town pavilion every Wednesday, so I am looking forward to lots of fresh fruit. I also saw a notice about Yoga classes on the beach in the mornings- I may check that out. But mostly, I am going to read when I want, play with all my projects when I want, eat what and when I want, sleep when I want, even if it's the middle of the day; I'm going to try to find my way back from the anger and bitterness and depression to the happier person I know I used to be. And I will do that best by doing MY things.

I've already finished one book and most of the second; I have one in the Kindle for bedtime and one "real" book for the beach (no sand in the Kindle, please!); gotta see how many I can read in 6 weeks! Bought a bunch of new Creative Memories digital kits for my digi-scrapping today. I have the tatting and the hardanger pulled out but have not actually picked them up yet- maybe tonight!

I can only wish that everyone had a DH as wonderful as mine who would give them this time of peace and restoration.

Short Warning Post ;)

2010-06-24T08:03:00.002-04:00

So, here's what happens when you use "Magic Marbles" without measuring!

I had started three very small bamboo plants after the Flower Show in early March. They were originally in a demi-tasse, a small coffee mug and a small vase. They were all outgrowing their starter pots so I decided to put the vase from the Senior Prom to good use.

Well, these "magic marbles" are supposed to expand for 4 hours. I put some in the vase, added water and 4 hours later, put the bamboo into the vase. Then, they decided to go wild!

These slippery little buggers have been expanding, falling out of the vase, sliding all over the countertop, and bouncing into the sink and onto the floor for almost 24 hours now!!! The pictures you see here have been repeated 6 times so far! Every couple hours I go into the kitchen and there are more little glowing marbles all over and the water in the vase has been all sucked up. So, I put the straying marbles in a new vase, take some more out of the bamboo vase, add more water and walk away. And 3 hours later what do I find? Yup- more marbles! EVERYWHERE! Found a bunch last night that had bounced and rolled into the dining room!
Anyone wanna guess how long this will go on????

Taking a Break from Packing

2010-06-23T15:33:00.004-04:00

Let's hope this works this time- this post is giving me LOTS of trouble!

So, I am getting ready for my incredible vacation- 6 weeks in the little house at the shore. Even with a furnished house, packing for 6 weeks is not anywhere near actually moving, but it is a lot of work- the most important thing being figuring out what you NEED to take. Clothes, personal stuff, kitchen add-ons, linens and towels are all essentials- but so are all the things I need to take to PLAY with!!!

The first picture below is one of the digital scrapbook pages I have already made for my book of the last year of our school. I have several goals in digi-scrapping this summer; I want to MASTER the Creative Memories program, Storybook Creator Plus, and make several books with it. I also need to work on the My Memories Suite program, as that is the one I am using for my digital Heritage project. I know there is SOOO much more I can do with each of these programs. I am happy with my pages so far, but need to play, a LOT, with the programs to really get good.
The picture above may be familiar if you've been reading here for more than a year. This is a picture of the chart for the Sampler designed by my Internet-friend Aury. Last summer this was done as a stitch-a-long with a large group, but I fell way behind with it, and once things fell apart at school, I abandoned my needlework completely for the rest of the year. So, this summer is the summer, I hope!, that I complete last summer's stitching project.

Everything else "needle" connected that I am taking is smaller than Aury's sampler- which is a good sized piece and which I use a small floor stand to work on. The in-hand projects are all small things I can play with as I feel the inclination: a miniature Hawaiian quilt top, some tatting stuff, my Teneriffe lace forms, and a small needlepoint kit that I bought in Bermuda in 2007. My Internet-friend Margaret, whom I've "known" via needlework groups for more than 15 years, is an avid needlepointer and her work is so wonderful that I have to give needlepoint (after a 25 year hiatus) another chance.

There is also the packing of sufficient DVDs for amusement, and the loading of the Kindle-although, since I can always get more books just by clicking on the Kindle store, that is not a priority. The local library has a used book sale shelf- paperbacks are 50 cents and hardbacks a dollar. I go in, buy a couple dollars worth of books, and once I finish reading them, donate them back and buy some more. It is a good way to donate to the library fund and I only keep the books I know I will want to read again- everybody is a winner!

So, as you can see, getting ready for 6 weeks of rest and relaxation is a LOT of work, lol! It will all be worth it- in just a few days I will be "living on the porch" again! Time to get back to packing!