march 26 - better late than never!

I have been very forgetful lately and have neglected to post a few things.
First, I am more than a week late with my TUSAL update! I have decided to use a smaller glass container for a bit. Everything just looks prettier in there! There are some threads from some recent little bits that have yet to be finished.

Next...some very belated thank you's to two friends for passing along awards to me.

Babs was so sweet to pass along this sunshine award


And Cyndi passed along this award

This one actually has some conditions, and in addition to thanking Cyndi I am supposed to post ten things about myself that people might not know. Well, there is not an awful lot about me to know...I lead a pretty normal and simple life, but I'll give it a try!

1. I lived in New York my whole life (44 years) except for a 6 month stint in Massachusetts where my second daughter was born) until moving to Oregon 16 years ago, yet as soon as I got here I felt like I was finally home
2. I was a school librarian (elementary through high school) for ten years before moving into public libraries
3. When it comes to sports, I watch but don't play...and I live for baseball, and have since the earliest years of the NY Mets. Now I am a huge Mariners fan but still like watching the Mets and the Red Sox
4. I saw the Beatles at Shea Stadium
5. I met my husband when he was still in high school...I'm six years older than he is
6. I have zero coordination when it comes top using two hands...can't knit and can't drive a stick shift
7. Music has always been a huge part of my life & I can still sing along (although badly) to most of the songs that are the soundtrack of my life
8. I love to dance, even when I am alone
9. I've been stitching for almost 40 years (with some breaks) but only started stitching things for myself ten years ago.
10. I have many guilty pleasures when it come to television...like "That 70's Show", "Supernanny" and old sitcoms (I can watch the same episodes over and over)

So thank you again, and now I am going to not follow the rules which say to pass these awards along to a finite number of bloggers. Some bloggers don't like to post awards. And to be honest there are just too many blogs that I love to visit...I couldn't pick just 8 or 10 or 12. Please check the blogs in my sidebar and then check their sidebars and on and on. You will find so many wonderful blogs and wonderful bloggers, to visit. Enjoy the process!

Thanks for visiting!

march 25 - what a day...so far

This is day 3 of the annual PLA conference. It is being held here in Portland, so I get to go all week. The sessions have been good so far...lots of good ideas.

So Tuesday night I finally figured out how to download ebooks to my Sony Reader from our library website. I've been trying to do this for weeks and just couldn't get it to work. Of course it was because I was overlooking one extremely important part of the process. Now it's easy peasy. So I loaded a book and read yesterday on the train. So cool.

Today I get on the train with my little reader all set for more great reading, and the book won't load. Turns out it took me so long to figure out the process that it has expired already! So now I have to check it out all over again...but in the meantime I have nothing to read for the ride home. OI may have to buy something here....

Then I am sitting in my first session this morning minding my own business and when I get up the strap on my shoe breaks! Of course I still have to walk all over the convention center. So when the lunch break came I rushed to the train and went to the nearby shopping center where I luckily found a nice comfortable pair of shoes that didn't cost a fortune (as well as a Thomas the Tank Engine blankie and another little train for Asher...well...what's a grandma supposed to do?)

Hopefully the afternoon will be less eventful and I'll get home in one piece!

I've added a couple of giveaways in my sidebar. Bloggers are so generous...check these out.

Better go to the ladies room and get a coffee for the next session!

Thanks for visiting!

march 23 - a simple woman's daybook

for today...march 23

outside my window...it is still light out even though it is 7:30 pm

i am thinking...that I should have been able to figure out this ebooks thing more quickly

i am thankful...for my family

i am wearing... a sleeveless blouse...it was that warm today

i am hoping...for a good night's sleep

plans for the week...attending the PLA conference

one of my favorite things...a bouquet of fruit

and here's a photo...

Read lots of other daybooks here.

Thanks for visiting!

march 22 - it's finally spring!

I'm so glad that it looks like spring is finally here!This weekend was beautiful - weather-wise, and it looks like it's here to stay.

Hubby was so sick that he was in bed all weekend. Turns out he has strep throat...ick! But I did manage to get some stitching done. Nothing I can show pictures of yet because both are for others. I finished the stitching for a pin pillow exchange and still have to do the finishing on that one. It's my first of this type of finish so I hope it turns out ok.

I also stitched a piece for another exchange. This one is a PIF, a late one at that. I was mortified when catching up on blogs this weekend. I realized that the inconsiderate sloth who had neglected to send on a PIF to a fellow blogger was me! I really feel awful about it and there are really no good excuses. I always try to be so careful to send things on time. I know I had placed a reminder on my blog, but when I changed things up I neglected to carry over all my sidebar stuff. And out of sight, out of mind! I checked through all my old notebooks and places where I write things down and there it was for February. I am so embarrassed for being so feeble-minded and forgetful. Anyway, I've emailed my partner and I hope she understands. I finished the stitching for the piece this weekend and am going to try and get the finishing part done this week. I will be at a conference every day through Saturday, so if I don't get to it this week I'll be able to get it out next week for sure. I hope she'll like it even though it is a month late!

Here is one photo I can share. It is the Quaker round robin that our group is working on this time. It is "The Hunt" by Homespun Samplar. I stitched my part on a piece of linen from Silkweaver...either 28 or 32 ct. in a color called "sudden storm". It is stitched with GAST floss - Brethren Blue. It is a fairly easy to stitch piece, even though I had to frog quite a few bits on mine. I just wasn't concentrating I guess.


Thanks for visiting!

march 16 - a simple woman's daybook

for today: March 16, 2010

outside my window...it feels like spring
i am thinking...how much I'd rather be outside in the sun than inside in this windowless room
i am thankful for...my husband, who is always there for me
i am wearing...purple
i am creating...a pin pillow
i am going...through a very stressful time at work
i am reading..."The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag"
i am hoping...for a decisive City Commission tomorrow night
i am hearing...books dropping into the outside bookdrop
one of my favorite things...the smell of Perlier's honey body cream
a few plans for the rest of the week...more stitching!
a photo to share...


Please join everyone here.

Thanks for visiting!

march 9 - a simple woman's daybook

for today...march 9

outside my window...it is still dark and very cold
i am thinking...about all the clutter on my desk
i am thankful for...my little space heater
i am wearing...comfy clothes
i am reading..."The Postmistress"
i am hoping...that my daughter decides to move back to Portland
i am hearing...silence
around the house...all the furbabies are sound asleep (i think!)
one of my favorite things...my Pendleton Rose Festival blanket
plans for the rest of the week...finish my round robin
a photo to share...Boonie & Eros


please share everyone else's daybooks here.

thanks for visiting!

march 4 - great mail day!

After a very long day, I came home to a mailbox full of goodies...a beautiful piece of pale blue fabric from Silkweavers, an ornament and a special surprise from my sister!

Edgar had my name for the ornament exchange this round and he stitched this wonderful ornament for me. It is a design from Mary Garry, stitched on 30 ct antique cotton with DMC threads. It is really pretty and I know it will look beautiful on our tree next year.




Tracy was my partner, and since she has received her ornie I can show it to you now. I stitched this freebie design from primitivebettys for her. I have stitched this three times before and I never get tired of it! This time I added a little extra button.



My sister loves to take photos and when she and my niece were here a few weeks ago she always had her camera ready. Today I received a wonderful photo album from her filled with lots of photos from their visit. She also sent the photo CD so I can make more copies if I want. There are lots of pics of Asher, or course. What a wonderful surprise!

Time to walk the doggies!

Thanks for visiting!

march 2 - a simple woman's daybook

for today...march 2

outside my window...the sun is shining
i am thinking...about the start of the baseball season
i am thankful...that my children are safe and happy
i am wearing...a black turtleneck
i am creating...a big mess in my office
i am going...to lunch soon
i am reading..."Saving CeeCee Honeycutt"
i am hoping...our City Commission buys us a library building
i am hearing...the voices of little children
a photo to share...one of my favorite tea mugs


Join in the fun here.

Thanks for visiting!

march 1 - beginnings and endings

Another month has flown by...we had beautiful spring-like weather this weekend and even though it was colder today I don't think the cold will hang on...at least I hope not. So hopefully this is the beginning of spring!

I was sad to see the Olympics end last night...I must admit to being a bit of a winter games addict...other than curling, there's not much I didn't watch. I thought these games were really exciting, and the athlete's stories always grab me. This time around there was lots of sadness, but also so much real joy. Great games all around I thought.

I think I finally realized what has been contributing to my stitching funk. This is tax season, and one of my least favorite things to do ever is our taxes. Even though I know that it is all numbers and there is nothing I can really do about the outcome, I always feel guilty when we have to pay up (and we almost always do) because I am the one doing the paperwork. I know it makes no sense to feel that way, but I do anyway. So I put the task off. Usually I try to get them done by Super Bowl Sunday, but this year I just couldn't get into it. And I think that subconsciously I was thinking that until I had that chore done I couldn't really relax and enjoy my stitching. Guilt? Hormones? Lunacy? All of the above?

So now the dastardly deed is done and I can get back to what is really important...putting needle and thread to fabric and creating something pretty.

I brought my round robin piece to work and actually stitched at lunch today. It is going pretty quickly. I have to get my bit done and in the mail by the 15th and I think I will be able to meet that deadline with time to spare. I don't have a picture, but I'll try to get one to post tomorrow.

So off to the kitchen to get dinner going...actually it's almost done... Jeff cooked up a batch of chicken cacciatore last night and it smelled so yummy. So all I have to do is get the linguine going and we will have a feast!

And then...an evening with my needle and thread. Yippee!

Thanks for visiting!