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 2^nd 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?