Category Archives: Weight

Minutiae

Don’t you hate it when you go to bed and your brain won’t shut off!?!?!  Sometimes, hitting “publish” on my blog has the same effect.  This post could probably be a result of both of those events.

While the title of this post is “Minutiae” the post is very long and tedious to probably everyone but me 😉

Goals

I’ve been trying to figure out a “theme” for myself this year.  For some reason in my mind I think if I have a theme it would be easier for me to stick to some goals I want to meet or improve on what I’m already doing.  The word “control” keeps popping in my mind.  I need to better control my weight-loss.  I need to better control my finances.  I need to better control my housekeeping. I need to better control my hobby stash.  Okay, maybe my theme should be “better” since that keeps preceding “control.”

Health

I never discuss my weight-loss efforts here.  I don’t know why.  I know there are other people out there trying to fight the battle of the bulge. I use the online Weight Watchers plan so I can use the eTools.  I do not attend meetings since you have to pay for each one and there are no monthly passes here which automatically give you access to eTools.

My hobbies are very sedentary and I know they don’t help but I refuse to give them up.  I’m going to try to focus more on my weight-loss efforts in 2013.  I weighed less for my first 2013 weigh-in than I did for my first 2012 weigh-in but I’m not happy with that.  My 2 large hurdles are activity and Mister.

Right now it’s too cold to me to walk in the mornings and when the warmer afternoons get here I get too lazy because I’m enjoying snuggling with the puppies and a cup of tea while stitching.  Then the evening arrives and the cold comes back.  I do not have clothing (bottoms) to walk in cold.  I’ve been searching for sweatpants but am surprised at how hard it is to find any right now!  😆

Mister and I have one day over the weekend where we eat out.  In the past it was usually Friday since her didn’t have class and we’d go to the movies and out to eat.  Last year on that day I’d ask first thing in the morning where we would be eating so I could plan my points for the day.  It became quite evident very early on that the answer from him would be very unreliable as he’d quite frequently change his mind and it would be somewhere that was very hard for me to track points on.  I gave in and gave up too easily.  I don’t think he’s doing it intentionally because I know he’s concerned about potential health problems from my weight so this year I plan on being more assertive and in control.   Of course right now he has class 5 days a week 😉

Money

I know.  It’s not polite to talk about money.  Nothing too lower-class here, though.

Once I stopped working and started getting an “allowance” I quit balancing my checkbook.  I am trying to get back into writing checks for two reasons.  First, it helps retailers (who still accept them) save money since they don’t have to pay a fee if I write a check.  I used to offer to use my debit card but these days so many banks charge fees for debit purchases too.  Second, I balance my checkbook religiously when I write checks and I keep a better handle on how I’m spending my money.

I got into a really bad habit this past year of charging things on my credit card and then transferring to cover.  There’s no need for me to be doing this when I don’t get any type of reward for charging on my CC.  I’m also going to increase the amount I’m putting on that CC and get it gone!

I’m also going to start putting some of my “allowance” into savings for “stitchy travel.”

It’s been a bit of a blow to my psyche to become “dependent” on Mister’s retirement pay.  I think doing the above things will help me feel a little more independent and in control.

Homekeeping

I can remember in the not so distant past that every time someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grow up I would answer a stay-at-home-wife.  I did get to be that for a very short time while we were stationed in Okinawa and I loved it.  Such a shocker since I was raised to be an independent woman (by my father).  This past year has been such a learning experience for me and I can’t wait to see what I learn in 2013.

One thing that I absolutely swear by is FlyLady.  I don’t follow her routines or zones exactly the same as she publishes but I have taken what she’s given me and modified it to work in my home, which is what I believe she wants all of us to do.

Our new home — I guess I should stop calling it that now that I’ve lived here for a year — Our home is twice the size of any house I have ever lived in.  I knew immediately that I would have to change my housekeeping ways if I was to stay on top of utter CHAOS (can’t have anyone over syndrome) in such a huge place.  My home is not perfectly clean or perfectly decorated but I am not ashamed to invite anyone into it nor do I freak out if my doorbell rings.

When I lived in California my house was small enough that I could follow FlyLady’s zones fairly closely as to how they’re published.  This gave me the anchor I needed and the time I needed to learn the mindset.  In this house I’ve changed it.  I have a different “zone” every day, instead of changing zones each week.  Every Monday – Friday I do my daily routines and I “do” one room of my house.  Saturday and Sunday I do my daily routines but I don’t “do” a zone, and I rarely do laundry on Sunday.

For example:  Monday – Friday I do my daily routines (make my bed; shower and dress; swish and swipe master bath; take dirty clothes downstairs; start laundry; swish and swipe downstairs powder room (next to laundry room); eat breakfast while watching the news).  It takes me less than 20 minutes to make my bed, swish and swipe both bathrooms, carry the laundry down and start it, and make my breakfast and start unloading the dishwasher — I usually have oatmeal for breakfast so while that’s nuking I’m unloading the dishwasher.  It all sounds and looks like a lot when I write it and read it back but I’ve been doing it so long now that I don’t even think about it anymore.  If I’m going out of the house it’ll take me longer since I’ll be doing more than slapping on some moisturizer.

Then I spend approximately 30-60 minutes each morning on my zone; rebooting the laundry; plan/start prep for our evening meal; and, spend 2 15-minute sessions decluttering.  These days the decluttering is strictly in my stitching room.  The length of time in a room depends on that room.  If it’s my living room then I dust my furniture and shutters and vacuum.  This might take me 30 minutes if the dogs are in there helping by bringing me toys.  Same goes for my dining room.  If it’s my kitchen it can take me an hour since I have to also damp mop the floor, wipe out some of the shelves in the refrigerator, etc. while I’m purging leftovers.  Plus, it’s a much larger room than my dining room or my living room.  It only takes me more than an hour if I don’t stick to my routines.  This is how I get so much stitching done.  I feel guilty if I sit down to stitch and I haven’t done anything in my house.

Where I can improve is starting myself a control journal as suggested on FlyLady’s site.  She publishes missions (chores) to do in each zone and I think I’m going to start printing them out and putting them in a control journal so when I get to that room in my house I can do them.  There are some things she talks about doing that slips my mind (like dusting the ceiling fans and baseboards).  The nice thing about these missions is they never take very long to do and make a huge difference.

By this time are you (if anyone is reading this) thinking I’m anal or OCD? I’m not, but I do have ADD and this helps me from being overwhelmed.  If you’re not familiar with ADD, sometimes tasks get so overwhelming that we don’t know where to start, so we don’t start, then the task gets even more overwhelming and it’s a vicious circle that will cause a melt-down.  When I start on a room I start at the left and work clockwise around a room.  Every single time!

Hobby Stash

We sold a commercial grade ladder on a local Facebook group on Saturday.  It was like winning the lottery!  Our first piece of “clutter” gone in 2013.  Mister has started gathering the bike parts he no longer needs/wants to sell on eBay.  I have been decluttering my own hobby stash for over a year, but haven’t put any of it up for sale.  That’s about to change.

I have been stitching for 35 years and rarely got rid of any of the designs that I’ve already stitched.  I currently have 3 copy-paper boxes full of patterns, kits, etc., stuff to sell.  I’ll be listing it on my blog first, then on a couple of Facebook groups (and my own page), then I’ll go the eBay route.  I did think of opening an Etsy shop so I’ll have to look into fees, etc., for that.  I have blogged this before, but I also have very few of my stitched pieces hanging on my walls.  I’m going to first use whatever funds we generate to finish buying the framing supplies I need and get a lot of those pieces framed.

Getting rid of excess stash and having my beautiful crafts on display will help me control the clutter in my stitching room and not be so overwhelmed by how much stuff I have that I don’t use.

Blogging

This last bit is hard.  I want to blog more and share more photos of what I’ve been doing.  My computer is upstairs in my stitching room.  My stitching is done downstairs, but all my other “crafting” is done upstairs in my stitching room.  I’m trying to figure out a way to get myself in front of the computer more.  I actually miss blogging!

2012 Year End Review

My 2012 Goals were:

■Get back to blogging more frequently.  I think I did blog more frequently, but still feel guilty that I didn’t blog more than I did.

■Get back to rotating my stitching and tracking my time.  I started out really strong on my rotation then lost my watch 🙁  I did continue to track my time, but more in the number of days it took me to stitch something than the actual length of time.

■Stick to my WIPocalypse goals and keep my page updated.   Not 100% success.

■Post to the Theme-a-licious challenge as often as my rotation works into it.  I was doing rather well in this, too, until I hit a “snag” then just couldn’t get myself back in it.

■Post my monthly TUSAL.  I don’t think I ever did this.  It was laziness on my part because I certainly kept up with it at home!

■Participate in at least 6 3 Fair and Square exchanges. (changed 1/8/12) 1 finished 2/12  I had every intention in participating in the 3 exchanges.  Once I finished the first one I never saw notification of any others.  I’ve since figured out what I did wrong so I can see when the new exchanges come up. 

■Finish out all 6 3 received Fair and Square exchanges.  My received item is sitting on my finishing table waiting on me to finish it.  I’ve already decided what I want to do, I’m just having trouble finding a suitable finishing item for it.

■Stitch a Santa ornament for my Santa display.  I stitched 3 Prairie Schooler Santas for my display…but they never got ornamentified 🙁

■Take at least 1 stitching related class.  Oh, joy, oh, yes!  I attended the Attic’s Summer Soiree and had a blast!  The projects we received in class are at the very top of my finish list for 2013.

■Finish logging my charts into my spreadsheet.  I am 90% finished with this!!!!

■Start organizing my freebies.  Didn’t get to them or the magazines since I didn’t finish with the charts.

■Organize my magazine designs.

The first half of 2012 found Mister and I holding our breath and living a wait and see life. His retirement on February 1 scared us both a little. It was such a huge change for us going first from two incomes, down to his, then down to 75% of his. I was so thankful that I remembered how frugal I had to be when we first married. Of course back then there was no internet to peruse to find hints and secrets of how everyone else was doing it 😉 It took awhile for his disability pay to kick in, but once that happened we both felt the relief those funds could bring.

I traveled in January to Las Vegas and had a blast with Melissa, Annette and Annette’s mother, Pat. There was a lot of stitching, and laughing, and a good bit of gambling that occurred and I actually came home richer than I arrived.

I enjoyed as many open stitching nights as I could at Attic Needlework. There were several Bag Ladies stitchins, and I loved, loved, loved the Sampler Sundays I attended. I feel so blessed to be living near Attic, getting to know so many designers that live nearby, and stitching with some wonderful women.

I found a really nice quilt shop and started the first of 3 quilt classes in January. I still haven’t finished the two quilts (one needs binding, one needs quilting and binding) but I did manage to finish what I think is a beautiful quilted bag that I tote all over the place with my stitching.

I read more books than I can remember and feel bad that I didn’t keep track of just how much I read.

And stitching! Lordy, did I stitch this year! I have been having so much fun with it! I had 11 stitching pieces on my WIPacolypse list.  I finished 3.  I also started 7 more, and finished 5 of those.  Not bad 😉

  • Petite Mexican Sampler – The Samplar Workes – finished
  • Peacock Tapestry – Teresa Wentzler – (started 9/99) stitched on for 10 hours
  • Harmony – Serendipity Designs –  started 11/23/97 — this had about 10 stitches in it.  I took it with me to Vegas and unstitched it, then gridded the bottom of the fabric.  Fortunately, I measured before I started stitching again and discovered there would have only been a one inch margin all the way around my fabric.  I have put it aside, and taken it off my WIP/UFO list for now since there’s nothing but a gridded piece of fabric.
  • Haiku – Dimples Designs – started January 2004 – finished
  • Fairy Moon – Mirabilia – started October 27, 2004 – this saw a lot of stitching.  I am almost finished with the stitching and will keep her in my 2013 rotation until she’s finished.
  • QS Letting Go – HAED – November 19, 2005
  • Red Desert Scissor Pocket – The Cat’s Whiskers – started October 11, 2006 – needs finishing out
  • Quaker Needlework Treasures – With My Needle – originally started October 2006; picked back up January 11, 2010
  • Le Marquoir de Justine – started January 4, 2007
  • Hannah Beeby – finished 4/15/12
  • Houses of Hawk Run Hollow – Carriage House Samplings – started January 18, 2010
  • New Start – Rose Quaker Sampler – Wiehenburg – (Started 4/25/12 stitchalong on Wednesdays)
  • New Start — Hannah Gilpin 1800 – Needleprint
  • Mary Wigham – Needleprint – New Start 4/26/12 – finished 9/1/12  I fell so in love with this piece I couldn’t put it down!
  • Americana – Carriage House Samplings – New Start finished 6/9/12
  • America – Little House Needleworks – New Start finished 6/17/12
  • Betsy – Sheepish Designs – New Start finished 6/25/12
  • America – Blackbird Designs – New Start finished 7/8/12

I also conquered my fear of finishing ornaments!

I got a new car!  I got to travel to California and see Son and Melissa.  Son and Girlfriend came here for Christmas.  My parents came here for New Year (haven’t visited me in over 12 years).

All in all I feel I had a really good year.  Mister and I stayed healthy.  Harley Quinn had a rough year-end, but it looks like she’s completely healed and we’re very thankful to be starting 2013 with her and Jasper healthy.

Mister starts back to school on Monday.  I’m looking forward to the routine it helps keep me in and the uninterrupted stitching time it gives me.

Last but not least, I managed to finally start And They Sinned yesterday.  I have a 25% off everything coupon for Jo-Ann so I’ll be buying DMC for Berlin Woolwork Sampler and starting on that on the 15th.

TUSAL and framing TaDa!

I am running as fast as I can to catch up! I hope it’s not too late to share my TUSAL for April 3. It totally rocks, and you’ll see why in just a second.

It’s so full because I finished queenie and now she’s back from the framers!

Here’s a closeup of the frame. It has the same deep blue/green colors in it as the mat.

I have absolutely no confidence in myself when it comes to choosing frames so I always drag M along with me because he is so good at it!

I’ve been stitching on my ornaments and Houses of Hawk Run Hollow.

I haven’t posted about my weightloss journey because I haven’t had anything to share. About 6 weeks ago I stalled out. Last Thursday I finally saw the scale start downward again (-1.8#s) and if my home scale is anything to go by this week’s loss will be good, too!

Weigh In and a Recipe

Thank you all for your support over my last couple of posts.  As expected I did have a gain today.  I was up .2 #s!

Work was chaotic today and I ended up leaving an hour early.  I came home and made some comfort food for supper.  It’s super easy and even has the HarleyQuinn seal of approval.

Vegetable Beef Soup

1/2 pound extra lean ground beef
11 oz can of whole kernel corn
14 oz can of cut green beans
14 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1/8 cup of Emeril’s Essence or creole seasoning

Cook the meat and seasoning together. Pour in the veggies, juice and all. Bring to a simmer for 30 minutes and enjoy!

This makes 6 1-cup servings at 3 PP each. Double up and it’s still only 6 PPs!

I normally double the recipe and use 1 or 2 pounds of beef depending on what’s in the freezer. The only ingredient that is NOT a power food is the seasoning!

HarleyQuinn almost loses her little mind when you open a can of green beans so we fondly call this ‘green bean soup’ 🙂 M will pull out a couple of green beans to cool off for her (and Jasper) to eat at the end of our meal.

Oh the joys of a busy life

I can’t believe it’s been almost a week since I last blogged.  There has been so much going on since my last post. 

Work has been crazy CRAZY!  We’ve had a case fall apart on us, one settle, and there have been so many little post-its on my desk that I had to stop what I was doing and just get them done.  I hate when that happens.

Last Saturday was my monthly stitching day.  Thank goodness, because that’s the only time I’ve made for myself to stitch lately!

I stayed the night with Melissa and the two of us were joined by Darla that night at Downtown Disney‘s Rainforest Cafe to celebrate Melissa’s upcoming birthday.  The next morning Melissa and I headed back to Downtown Disney and had chicory and beignets at the Jazz Kitchen.  Oh calories, how I love you!  Especially donut-y calories!  I actually have chicory coffee at my house and drink it all the time.  It’s been a very long time since I made beingets though.

Then of course, Monday was Valentine’s Day.  Much to my surprise, especially since he never said a word beforehand, M called me at 4:30 asking me if we were going out to dinner that night to celebrate.  I left it totally up to  him where we were going and since we couldn’t get early enough reservations at his first choice we went to El Torito’s and split a carne asada platter.  It was the perfect amount of goodiness for my Mexican food craving self (I swear I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner — in the same day!).  My gallant knight also came sweeping in with a dozen long-stem red roses, purchased from my favorite little mom and pop corner flower stand.

This morning’s weigh in at home for the Power of One challenge at Sisterhood shows me up some more, but you know…I don’t care! Ok, I care, but I’m living with it.   After last week’s near meltdown over being up one pound I had a long think with myself — and a good talking to from M.  This is lifetime.  There are going to be times when the scale is going to go up, I just have to not let it defeat me, and get right back into the swing of things immediately. 

Tuesday I packed a very healthy and filling lunch. 

Last night I made up a quickie broccoli and beef stir-fry.  I winged it with some pre-cut sirloin for fajitas that I tossed in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, added in some garlic powder, garlic pepper powder, kosher salt, ground ginger and “fried” it in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, I then poured in 1/2 cup of chicken broth, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and while that was bubbling up I steamed up some broccoli, then tossed that in.  It made 3 large servings.   Well, it should have been 4 but M ate 3/4 of it!

Today, I packed the same healthy and filling lunch as yesterday and added in a banana and blueberries.  Tonight it’s BFD (which we do a couple of times a week).

Is my official weigh in tomorrow at Weight Watchers going to show that scale going up?  Probably.  Am I going to freak out about it like I did last week?  No.  Am I going to be disappointed in myself.  I’m going to try hard to not be, but I’m only human.

Would you like some 2PP cheese with that Whine?

I have gained 1 pound.

There are so many things going through my head as to ‘why.’

M thinks it may be water related because he says one of the things we had for supper last night was salty.  I don’t normally eat really salty foods and now I’m wondering if I’m naysaying because he’s trying to make me feel better, if he really means it, or if I’m grasping for excuses.

I’m thinking it could be the change of clothes, partially, but I am reasonable enough to know that my clothes don’t weigh that much more…or do they?  The home scale this morning showed me weighing the same today as last Thursday.

I tried to talk to my WW leader about it during the meeting because she asked if anyone had any problems non-Super Bowl related but feel like she just gaffed me off.  I had to leave before the end of the meeting because she talked a whole lot about Super Bowl temptations before she got the meeting started and I had to get back to work.

Do I feel like I failed?  Well, I didn’t think I did, just more confused.  However, I had planned on a 7 PP something for lunch and had a 10 PP something instead.  Oh, and I got a diet soda to wash it down, which means I’ve gone almost 2 weeks without drinking a diet soda.  So did I feed feelings of failure?  Maybe so.

I really don’t know how to explain how I feel except that I think my feelings are hurt that I’ve gained, and how stupid does that sound?  I had 10 more WPs left over this week than the week before and I gained.

Wednesday, already?

Wow, I feel like I lost Monday and Tuesday!

I was really glad to get to work on Monday morning. The weekend was full of nothing special so I don’t know why.  I did manage to stitch some though.

Tuesday found me at the hospital getting my annual mammogram. The tech told me she can tell by comparing last year’s xrays to this year’s xrays that I’ve lost weight. I’m glad someone can tell because I sure can’t!

Which leads me into this week’s Power of One. I’m down again in my unofficial weigh in. Sometimes it’s hard to track because while I’m stepping on my home scale for the Power of One challenge, I’m not caring what it says because my official weigh in at Weight Watchers is what I’m going by. (That sounds harsh reading back over it!)

I’ve had a major struggle the past couple of days. I’m not hungry, but all I can think about is eating. Cravings like crazy for home made fried chicken, coconut cake, soda. Everytime I think about needing to go somewhere the very next thought in my head is what food place is near/next to it. Tears have been involved. Today, a co-worker brought something from the Danish bakery down the street from us. I just want to cry again.

We finally made it to see The King’s Speech last night.  It was educational to both of us in some aspects and we both enjoyed it.  I read a book a very long time ago about Wallis Simpson, so was familiar with the era and the goings on in that direction, but didn’t know much else about the royal family.  It was heartbreaking in several places.

This coming weekend is my monthly stitchin and I’ll be spending the majority of the weekend with Melissa 🙂  Can’t wait!

TUSAL Thursday and WI

Today is the day we’re supposed to share our ort collection for TUSAL.  I’ll show mine in a moment.

It’s been a fairly quick week!  I have a ton of little piddly things to do at work that keep me trotting back and forth down the hall between the filing area, copy room, and my desk.  We had a staff meeting today and we are on track to have all trials over by the end of June!!!!  Yikes!  Anyway, all those piddly things make the time go by fast.

I had a lab work appointment this morning.  It’s time for my annual physical and I always try to get my lab work and mammogram done beforehand so I can get the results at the same time I get my physical.  Because I knew I had a staff meeting at lunch (which is when my Weight Watchers meeting is), I stopped by the meeting on the way to work after the lab visit and weighed in.

Down 1.8 pounds this week!  I’ve entered a new ‘decade’ in my weightloss journey! 

I’m going to have to change my Weight Watchers’ “uniform,” too.  I have been wearing the same trousers and blouse to work on Thursdays to help me keep things as close to similar as the time before when I weigh in each week.  I can now pull those trousers on and off without undoing them 😉

To answer a couple of comments from my last post:

Susan – we are moving to Arizona.  We have been looking at homes in Mesa, Tempe, Queen Creek, areas.

Katrina – this is only the 2nd time I’ve been excited about moving.  The first time was when I moved to Japan (with a 10 day notice!). 

Figuringitallout – thanks for visiting!

Now for my TUSAL.  I love several of the Yankee Candle scents (although my favorite candle is Circle E).  I decided to repurpose some of the smaller sized candle jars for my monthly TUSAL.  So here’s January’s next to my empty jar waiting for the first ort of February.

Woohoo Wednesday

I can’t believe it’s February!  I know where January went but still!  Hello!  Slow down.  Or maybe speed up?

M and I had another nice talk last night about when we’re outta here.  Something set him off at work this week and he’s ready to cut and run.  He calculated his leave time on the books, included his ‘house hunting’ leave, and figures he can tell them to take this job and shove it in November.  He wants us to sign papers on a house in October!  Yikes!  Yippee!  Woohoo!  Yikes!

Still no stitching.  Sigh.  I have been spending 15 minutes a night in my craft room though.  Decluttering.  I can see a good 6″ square of desktop now.  Just kidding.  Sort of.  It’s a disaster in there! 

All kidding aside, I’ve adopted a new mantra this year. 

Put it UP instead of put it DOWN. 

Just by spending 15 minutes each night I was able to gather the supplies for two designs (they were scattered willy nilly).  I need some floss toss help with the fabrics and have loaded both of them in my stitchy to-go bag for the next Stitchy Saturday.

As to my weight.  Woohoo!  I got on the scale this morning for an unofficial look for the Power of One challenge at Shrinking Jeans.   I’ve been a little nervous since I’ve eaten 2/3 of my weekly points.  First time and I am curious to see what it does to tomorrow’s official weigh in at Weight Watchers.

Hair appointment this afternoon so I’m out of work early.  Any day away from work is a good day in my book.

Thank you gals for checking in to the new blog.

Since I last wrote…

Oh my stars! I can’t believe it’s been 3+ months since I last blogged. I have meant, so many times, to sit and write about what’s been going on in my life, not because it’s earthshattering news, but because I wanted to remember it! 🙂

But so much has happened and I have a horrible memory!  What I can remember since I last blogged:

I’ve had the Shingles.  Boy was that fun.  NOT! 

We had our road trip to Mesa, AZ!  We were headed there on May 21st, but, thankyouverymuch Marine Corps, Kahuna could not get off work.  Then were headed there on June 18th but one of Kahuna’s friends died in a surfing accident and the memorial service was scheduled for June 20th (which was also Father’s Day and our 29th anniversary).   We ended up going June 25th and it was a very lovely trip.  I loved Mesa!  We’re planning on returning in the fall for some more searching.  We mostly looked from Mesa to the south and if it had been 9 months in the future we would have made at least 2 offers!  Next trip we’ll be looking to the north of Mesa.

Came back from vacation for 1 day and had to take the rest of the week off because I got sick!

I entered 2 stitching pieces in our county fair and got blue ribbons on them both!  Woohoo me!  It has been a huge boon to my stitching mojo and I find myself getting frustrated when something keeps me from stitching.  Yay!

Kahuna and I have started working out to the P90X program. It is kicking my @.S.S.! I actually have a love/hate relationship with it. I hate to lose the time it takes to do the program, but love that it’s actually kind of fun. It’s definitely challenging! I hate that I hurt so badly in almost every joint/muscle I own because it shows me how out of shape I am (I used to do step aerobics 6 days a week!) but I also love that I hurt because it’s reminding me that I am doing something about being so out of shape and I’m trying to keep reminding myself that next time it will be easier and hurt less if I don’t stop. I plan on taking my photo once a week to see the progress. I STILL haven’t heard from the hospital about the surgery and I’m upset with myself for waiting almost 6 months and not doing anything except the bare minimum they required. If nothing else comes of the surgery prep at least I know I am healthy since they put me through so many medical tests to get approval for the surgery.

I have attended a couple of stitching days with the group at Needlepoints, Ltd. I love getting together with those women. I can’t exactly brag that I get lots of stitching done but believe me when I leave there my soul has been regenerated. The bad thing is I’ve sort of picked up a new hobby…I’m being sucked into the needlepoint dark side.

I currently own 4 projects. Number 1 is quite old from a class I was unable to attend about a hundred years ago for a weight. I really need to get that sucker stitched up since I’m going to need it for the project I purchased this past weekend. Believe me when you follow this link, those that really know me will understand when I say project Number 4 is SO me 🙂

The 2nd piece I own I actually have had for a long time. I got it from Annette when she finished her project but was intimidated by it whenever I looked at it. Now that I’m actually working with a needlepoint instructor, I’m looking forward to stitching it.

Project Number 3 I’m actually actively stitching on right now. It’s a beginner piece by Margaret Bendig (the above mentioned instructor) and I’m enjoying learning reading the charting and stitches.

This new piece is being slipped into my weekly rotation. I did NOT finish the Queen for the fair (I just couldn’t stomach forcing myself to stitch on one project so quit stitching altogether). I really REALLY missed my rotation. Between working out 6 nights a week for 1-1 ½ hours and trying to keep us eating healthy, I don’t know how much stitching time I’m going to be getting on the week nights, but I’m trying.

As to stash acquisition.  Oh boy, have I acquisitioned!  Most of it has been Carriage House Designs.  But I’ve also shopped for my birthday, plus have some things coming from Mesa  from my trip to The Attic.  I am going to have to ratchet it down though and go back to stitching from my stash, except for purching what I need for my aforementioned canvas project.  Wish I could figure out a way to JUST SAY ‘NO.’

Since I last wrote I’ve also received a blogging award. Thank you so much Christina. There are so many blogs I enjoy reading. Please don’t make me list them though, since this post is going to be long enough as it is.  Suffice it to say that I read stitching and non-stitching blogs everyday and am inspired in all walks of my life by you all.

Finally, Kahuna put in an extension to take his current enlistment to March 2011.  In November 2010 he is putting in for retirement and is going to put January 2012 as his requested retirement date.  I don’t entirely understand how it works but supposedly he is allowed to say when he wants to retire, even if it takes him past his current enlistment.  January 1982 is when he entered boot camp so he’s going to request January 2012 as his retirement date to take him to 30 years.  Man.  30 years.  Who could have guessed!  Anyway he is actively saying things like “when we live in Arizona,” etc. and we took a tour of the university while we were there since he will be attending college for the first 4 or so years after he retires.  If things go the way *we* want them to he will be taking terminal leave November 1, 2011, and we’ll be headed to retirement land.

Which leads me back to stitching!  😀

I need to thin out my stash.  My tastes have changed so much over the past 35 years.  I plan on posting some to my blog, then put it on eBay, but if it doesn’t sell, what do I do with it then?  I don’t want to throw it away.  Any suggestions?

And while I’m asking for suggestions — I went through a lot of my WIPs/UFOs during my vacation/sick time off and organized them a bit more.  I actually only have a couple that don’t hold my *love* anymore — believe me I have no problem tossing them in the trash 😉 — but really don’t want to just in case my interest in them returns.  What do you do to re-peak your interest in a WIP/UFO?

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...