The View From Here

The Return From Somewhere Else

2009-04-22T10:37:00.005-04:00

Wow, it's been awhile! The show in December went very well. And then the season opening musical at "my" theatre needed a stage manager. Three weeks before opening--4 weekend run--and no one had stepped up. So I did. I hadn't stage managed a musical before. Luckily, it had a 4 person cast, so no huge amounts of people to keep track of. I didn't call the cues, but I whipped the backstage area into shape. 20 scenes, 6 tables, 16 chairs, misc other furniture....and each scene stood on its own. Meaning constant set changes and costume changes. With only myself and my ASM (and assisted by the 4 cast members whenever possible) to get things done. Whew! I taped up set diagrams on both sides backstage to keep us all sane....even the cast were saying "What's next?"

My ASMs were awesome! I had one each show--ASM 1 couldn't work the entire run, so another woman who often SMs volunteered to work the shows the first one couldn't. I was nervous about someone who usually SMs and is used to being the one in control being an ASM but it worked out great! ASM 2 watched the show once, then stepped in with no rehearsal. I did walk her through everything beforehand, but she just followed my lead and did everything perfectly. And after seeing my work on the previous show in September, her SMing mentor told her he'd taught her everything he could and she needed to work with me to learn more! So now I have a protege. :-) And a very capable one at that!

I was asked to run for the board of directors as recording secretary....and I was elected...although I'm not sure elected is the correct word, as no one was running against me. And I ended up chairing the hospitality committee (the entire committee had been vacant for at least a year--each show's producer had taken on the duties), so now I find members to staff the front-of-house duties. And 5 people joined the committee--so I've got help. Yay!

As for stitching, I did do a small amount of backstitching on the Mini Mandala a few weeks ago. I've been knitting a lot....I finished my gray scarf, and I've been working on a pink one for DD. I'll take/post pictures sometime. I just got black yarn to make a scarf for DH (he borrowed my blue one once when snowblowing the driveway and was impressed with how warm it was!) and gray yarn for a hat for me.

I'm still here!

2008-10-22T08:32:00.003-04:00

I know, I know, my poor blog has been neglected. I've been busy.....not stitching, but with the theatrical side of my life! I've gotten involved with a community theatre, and they pulled me right in--asking me to stage manage their September show. So much fun! It felt really good to walk into a theatre and have a job to do.

I was innocently reading the paper one Sunday and saw an audition notice for another theatre....and on a whim I decided to audition.....and I got cast. Yippee!!! I have my first read through tonight. The show is in December, and it's already mid October....a month and a half to memorize lines! Ack!!!

I guess I need to change that former actress bit in my info...... :-)

Newer Update

2008-05-29T15:37:00.003-04:00

Mini Mandala Garden 1 as of today:

Update

2008-04-29T14:50:00.001-04:00

Latest progress on Mini Mandala Garden 1:

Wips

2008-04-15T15:12:00.005-04:00

I finally started Dee's Photo. It doesn't look like much yet, and I think it'll be a while before it does.

And here's the latest pic for Mini Mandala Garden 1:

A new start

2008-04-08T14:54:00.003-04:00

I've started Chatelaine's Mini Mandala Garden 1. And in typical me fashion, I still need to rinse the 3 silks it uses.

I also need to pull out the fabric I bought for Dee's photo. I did Angel's photo a while ago, and I really need to get started on Dee's. I do have all the floss pulled, and a working copy made of the chart. I don't even think I need to cut down the fabric, so I don't know what's holding me back. So hopefully look for a new start/wip pic for it soon!

On a roll.....

2008-04-02T15:04:00.002-04:00

Celtic Spring is finished!

Who would've guessed?

2008-03-27T08:07:00.007-04:00

This has been appearing on many blogs....and I'm not surprised at my result, lol.

What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Drama Nerd You sure do love the spotlight and probably have a very out-going and loud personality. Or not. That's just a stereotype, of course. Participation in the theatre is something to be very proud of. Whether you have a great voice for musicals, or astounding skills for dramas/comedies; keep up the good work. We need more entertainment these days that isn't television and video games (not that these things are bad, necessarily.)
Gamer/Computer Nerd
Artistic Nerd
Literature Nerd
Musician
Social Nerd
Anime Nerd
Science/Math Nerd
What Be Your Nerd Type? Quizzes for MySpace

Hooray!

2008-03-26T09:45:00.006-04:00

I got the beads on Monday, and finished Springtime Roses on Tuesday. This is the first time in a while I've finished more than one project in a year. And it's only March!

And, as promised, the latest Wip pic for Stroke of Midnight:

Still Stalled

2008-03-06T08:19:00.004-05:00

I'm still waiting for the beads, so no new finishes yet. I've worked a little more on Stroke of Midnight, and hopefully my next post will include the latest wip pic--I'm further along than the current one in the sidebar, btw.

As for the secret project, I will reveal it after it's been received by the intended recipient. (Patience Carrie darling!)

Finish, Start, and Stalled

2008-02-18T21:24:00.004-05:00

I finished the secret project, and have the stuff to frame it. I also got a frame for the Spring Carousel Horse. I started TW's Stroke of Midnight, and I'm still waiting on the beads for Springtime Roses and Celtic Spring. I've done everything else on those two, so as soon as those beads arrive I can finish them up.

Updated pics are posted in the sidebar--including the first Wip pic for Stroke of Midnight. It doesn't look like much yet....

WIP Update

2008-02-08T15:40:00.000-05:00

I'm still practicing French Knots for the "secret project". I'm starting to feel comfortable enough to do them for real. "Springtime Roses" is soclose to being done....but I ran out of gold beads. I can't find them in stores around here, so I had to order them online. So now I'm stalking my mailbox. I knew I was getting low and wasn't worried 'cause I thought I had another package....D'oh! The gold beads are also used in "Celtic Spring". I've got the top part beaded, and most of the medallions on the left. That leaves the lady, and the right-side medallions, and 4 of the left-side medallions left to bead. Then it's done. Squee! Looks like I'll be choosing 3 new projects soon.....

I need to either get DSiL or DMiL to babysit DD, or perhaps go with me to the store and keep up with DD there so I can pick out some frames. Shopping with her right now is nearly impossible if it's for something that takes time to pick out. Like frames, or clothes.....she just doesn't stand still and wants to touch *everything*. Sigh.

The latest pictures are posted in the sidebar.....

Pleasure #1

2008-01-21T20:54:00.000-05:00

Another blogger posts occasionally about her "Year of Pleasures"--things that make her happy. I think it's a wonderful idea, and since I've been feeling so negative about so many things lately (which isn't like me at all), I've decided that I need to remind myself about the good things in my life. So occasionally I will share things that make me happy, or just smile. Doesn't matter if they're large or small.

On to #1!

My daughter. She is awesome. Smart, helpful, sweet....I couldn't ask for a better child. I'm very much enjoying watching her absorb the world around her. I love the delight in her eyes when she's playing with a favorite toy, or when she realizes we're going to have one of her favorite meals ("pikka"--pizza or "burger-fries"). She's learning new words every day, and she's picking up on grammar....she's even pluralizing words ("1 trash, 2 trashes, 3 trashes" as she counts the trashcans in the house, lol) I love to hear her laughing--it's the best sound in the world. She is the most amazing thing in my life.

Yet Another WIP Update

2008-01-07T15:33:00.001-05:00

For Springtime Roses, I'm to the point where I need to rinse the 2 silks that used. I'm soaking the silks for the secret project now, and when those are done (and dry) I'll go back to working on the secret project while the Springtime Roses silks soak. In the meantime, I'm thinking of pulling out Convent's Herbal Garden.

Here's a pic of Springtime Roses as of this afternoon:

I also took pictures of 3 Christmas ornaments before I took them off the tree. I think all of these were finished around 2004. The first one is from an issue of "Just Cross Stitch" I can't remember which one though. It's done on cream perforated paper and backed in adhesive felt.

This one is a Gold 'n Cross Stitch ornament.

This is a "Kiss Monster." It's stitched on plastic canvas. The seam at the bottom of the red triangle is not closed up, so it opens like a mouth. You can put a Hershey Kiss inside and let the tag hang out like a tongue. I made bunches of these for presents for my co-workers one year.

Another WIP Update

2008-01-04T08:11:00.000-05:00

I got lots of stitching done during the past couple nights of Bowl games. After months of not picking up my stitching at all, I am really feeling the itch!

WVU did announce yesterday that Bill Stewart had been hired as head coach.

Fiesta Time!

2008-01-03T08:26:00.000-05:00

Squee!!! The WVU Mountaineers won the Fiesta Bowl (48-28)! Woo-Hoo!!!! Not only did they win, they dominated the game. And they did it with an interim head coach. No other team has won in this Bowl season with an interim head coach. (Our former head coach quit and headed to U. of Michigan in December, and would not coach the team in the Bowl game.)

This win is good for the school, good for our conference (Big East), and good for the state of West Virginia. It was very nice to see the positive coverage on the state/school during the pregame show and the game. WV is cast in a negative light a lot of the time.

Rumor has it that the interim head coach will be announced as our new head coach later today. Even the players were making a case for him last night, with our star quarterback pretty much saying just hire him already!

Congratulations 'Eers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More Stitching!

2008-01-02T09:53:00.000-05:00

DH watches the college football bowl games, and I stitch:

Tonight is our Alma Mater's big game, so I'll probably get more stitching done. Yippee!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T14:54:00.001-05:00

I updated my stitching goals for 2008 on the sidebar. Carrie's comment about how many stitched things are around the house made me hang my head in shame.....most of my finishes are packed away in a box, waiting for me to someday frame or otherwise finish them.

I have my first ever project, a butterfly, that was made into a paperweight. That's in my bedroom. There's 2 or 3 ornaments hanging on the Christmas tree. That's it. So I've added some finished but not finished projects to my goals for 2008. If you want to see any of these non-finished finishes, they're in my Stitching Finishes Pre 2007 album.

And Better...

2007-12-30T09:40:00.000-05:00

Last night DH decided he needed to go to the hospital. So after bloodwork and a cat scan (to rule out appendicitis) we discovered it was just a G-I bug. But he did get 2 bags of IV fluids and some pain and nausea meds, so that was good. At least he didn't need surgery like I did.

Laying in a hospital bed may not be a good opportunity for stitching, but sitting and waiting for your husband to be treated is.....

WIP Update

2007-12-28T15:27:00.001-05:00

See? I said I'd take a pic later. And it's posted. Without any help from DH. Woot! I give you Springtime Roses by Chatelaine:

And I even updated my sidebar with the pic.

It just keeps getting better

2007-12-28T12:10:00.000-05:00

Last Friday I had my gall bladder removed. It was, in the words of the G-I doctor, "packed with stones." So that explains the stomach pains I've been having since summer. While laying about in a hospital bed sounds like an excellent opportunity to get some stitching done, the reality was that I just didn't feel good enough.

This morning, DH woke up with food poisoning, or perhaps it's a stomach virus. Either way, he's in bed and I'm trying to take care of him, DD, and myself. The toughest thing is I'm not supposed to pick up more than 10 pounds for another week, so I can't pick up DD--she weighs about 27 pounds. Which makes things like diaper changes and washing her hands at the sink very interesting.

I did do some stitching last night on Springtime Roses. I've put down the secret project until I can get the silks it uses rinsed. The good thing is that DH gave me my own digi cam for Christmas, and it's hooked to my computer--so no more waiting on him to download pics from the camera so I can post them! Yay! I'll be taking a pic of Springtime Roses later.

Blah

2007-12-15T01:35:00.000-05:00

I've been feeling really blah lately. I think it's a combination of the cold weather, DH not letting my parents visit for Christmas, and missing my friends (none of them live around here). I have been stitching...and the "secret project" is coming right along.

Butterfly

2007-11-11T23:35:00.000-05:00

DH has finally downloaded the camera. So I can share the butterfly costume with you....

The frame (made out of 6 wire coat hangers and duct tape):

The wings covered:

The harness (just 2 pieces of elastic):

I didn't like how the pictures of the antennae came out, and she refused to wear them anyway. She wore a black shirt and pants and *loved* the wings. They didn't take that long to make--maybe 8 hours? And they bounced and wiggled as she moved.

1-1

2007-11-07T08:13:00.000-05:00

Squee! We just watched The Amazing Race last night. We watched the team introductions twice and made our picks. DH picked Ari and Staella, and I picked Nathan and Jennifer. Both teams were doing well until the challenge with the donkeys. Very stubborn donkeys. Our teams were the last 2 to arrive at the pitstop--Nathan and Jennifer came in 10th, and Ari and Staella 11th. DH didn't last past the first episode. Shortest contest ever! And I finally beat him! Barely, but it counts!

The Halloween butterfly pictures are still on the camera. I'll post them as soon as DH downloads them.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T08:13:00.000-04:00

DD is going to be a butterfly. She *loves* butterflies. DH kept an eye on her last night while I worked on the wings. I couldn't find our wire cutters until a few days ago, so I couldn't make the frame for the wings....which meant I couldn't draft the pattern and cut out the fabric to cover the frame.....or sew the fabric....arrgh. He got her ready for bed and brought her in to say goodnight as I was finishing hand sewing the fabric covering the wings....she took one look at the wings and shouted "Butterfly wings!" with a big smile on her face. Priceless. I still need to make/attach the elastic harness and make the antennae. Both of which I need her little body for. And she's still asleep. So I'm waiting.

I also had a good laugh at myself...trying to remember how to thread the sewing machine and wind a bobbin. I actually had to drag out the manual. I don't use the machine often, the last time was probably 5 or 6 years ago.

And yes, I will post pictures. (and I even remembered to get pics of the frame before I covered it, so you'll get to see that too!)

Not so evil....

2007-10-19T15:02:00.000-04:00

I've seen this on many different blogs recently and decided to give it a shot. Anyone who knows me should not be surprised.......

How evil are you?

0-1

2007-10-12T08:24:00.000-04:00

Dave was voted out. My pick didn't even make the jury. Sigh.

0-0

2007-09-21T23:08:00.000-04:00

Time for a new round of Reality Show Competitions. I've picked Dave to win Survivor: China. DH picked Erik. Go Dave!!!!!!!!!

Interview

2007-09-12T16:04:00.000-04:00

My good friend Carrie offered to interview her readers in a recent post. I took her up on it....mostly because I was curious what questions she'd come up with since we lived together for 3 years in college and she knows me pretty well.

1) What is your favorite college memory?

Hmm.....I have to pick one? Hanging out with our little group at the townhouse and watching lots of movies until the wee hours. I love being surrounded by friends.

2) If you could change one thing from your past, what would you change?

Tough one......I think I would've moved south and auditioned at a certain theme park for a puppetry job after graduation (and not let a certain someone talk me out of it).

3) What is your favorite thing about your house?

The amount of storage it has.

4) If you were a super-hero, who would you be and what would super-power?

I don't know who I'd be....but my power would be telekinesis. I would love to be able to move stuff without touching it. Just think of the puppet shows I could do! (Look Ma, no hands! No strings attached!)

5) If you could have any job in the world, what would you pick?

Puppeteer. Or any theatre related job really. But puppeteer is number 1.

There ya go! If anyone wants me to interview them, just leave me a comment (make sure I have a way to contact you)

Pictures!

2007-08-04T21:06:00.001-04:00

My sidebar and Stitching Albums are updated! Thank you DH! And here's my first and only happy dance for 2007--Blackwork for the Bewildered by Linn Skinner.

I also took the opportunity to photograph some puppets I made many years ago. I'd helped build puppets before these, but always with instruction/guidance from other people. And I'd repaired many puppets that had normal wear and tear from performances/touring. But these were the first puppets I made completely by myself, from designing to building. They are Bunraku/rod puppets. The characters are from Rapunzel--the Prince, the Witch, and Rapunzel. If anyone would like details on how I made them or what they're made of, please let me know.

Accomplished

2007-08-03T15:27:00.000-04:00

I finally took the stitching pictures! Now I just have to get DH to download them off the camera.....hopefully he'll do it this weekend. So stay tuned to my sidebar and/or Picturetrail albums...

I am a creative person

2007-07-30T11:19:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about creativity. From about age 4 or 5 until about 3 years ago, (around age 30) I was involved somehow with being onstage. Dancing, singing, piano recitals, silk line in a marching band, acting, puppetry, box jumping (magician's assistant). Or backstage--choreographer, stage manager, dresser, light board op, director, producer....the list goes on. A good friend recently told me that he believes people are only truly happy when they can create. We need to express ourselves and share that with other people....and if we don't, we die a little.

And I think he's right. My only creative outlet recently has been my stitching. And I don't get to do that very often. So, in a sense, I've been dying, little by little, over the last 3 years. The last time I was onstage was for a magic show. I drifted away from the community theatre I belonged to, partly because I didn't like the atmosphere there anymore and partly because DH was discouraging me ("rehearsal again?") Then I got pregnant, had DD, and we moved. That theatre is no longer a viable option, since it's now too far away. There is a theatre about 5 minutes away from our new house, but I'd still have to put up with DH's comments. Plus, I gotta worry if he'll be home in time from work to watch DD while I go to rehearsals/performances......sigh. I want so badly to get back into it.....I really want to do something puppetry related, but there's nothing around here that doesn't involve a bit of traveling. Which DH would definately frown upon. Even if I could stitch more, I don't think that it would be an entirely acceptible substitution for performing. With performing, there's instant gratification--the audience's reaction. I don't get that with stitching--if I do show off my progress to DH I get a ho-hum "That's nice."

I want to get my creative self back. I feel like some vital part of me has been missing, and it hurts. I am not myself anymore......

Not a good season for me....

2007-07-27T09:16:00.000-04:00

So I'm 0-4. That's right, Jaimie got booted off last night. DH wins again. If Lacey wins the whole thing he'll be unbearable.....

Still here

2007-07-16T09:38:00.000-04:00

Sorry I've been gone so long....I just haven't had anything to say. I haven't stitched, and I haven't been reading much. I can't seem to focus on anything for more than a few minutes. I still need to take those stitching pictures.

I am really proud of DD....when we were at my parents' house, my best friend (that I've known since kindergarten) came over and brought a toy. DD loved the toy, and when best friend was leaving, she took the toy to her and said "Thank you" without any prompting from anyone. Not bad for a 2 year old!

So You Think You Can Win? (aka Round 4)

2007-06-14T15:47:00.000-04:00

The top 20 performed on So You Think You Can Dance last night....and DH and I picked who we think will win. Hopefully, my record of 0-3 for this season's reality shows will change to 1-3 and not 0-4. I've picked Jaimie, DH has picked Lacey (who just happens to be the sister of last years winner Benji). I really liked Sara and Jesus's pop jazz performance.....that was way fun to watch! And Lacey and Kameron's contemporary piece....choreographed by Mia Michaels....fabulous! I love Mia's choreography...always very creative and very difficult. If a dancer can handle a Mia creation, then they've got talent......so I think DH has a good pick with Lacey.

Looking to the past

2007-06-13T09:37:00.000-04:00

I came across a photo album from college a few weeks ago. Pictures of friends, roommates, shows I did, puppetry tours I went on. All of the pictures make me smile, some more than others. Some brought back memories of people I haven't thought of in years. Some are of people that I still think of from time to time and I'm still in contact with, even though we're spread out across the country. I graduated in 1996, and most of these people I haven't seen since then. I've seen recent pictures of some of them, and it's funny how much has changed, and how much hasn't. Some of us are married, some have kids, some are divorced, some have never married. Our lives intersected for a few brief years and then spun off in different directions. Some of the friendship bonds are still tight, and some have broken.

One of my favorite pictures was taken Christmas Eve 1993. I was on a puppet tour at a resort hotel, and we were enjoying some down time in a sitting area. KC, M, J, and I are sitting on a sofa, with tiny D laying across our laps. We visited this resort every Easter and Christmas, doing puppet shows and holding puppet building workshops for the guests' children. And for poor college kids.....a room at a 5-star resort and breakfast and dinner for a few days were more than enough payment for a few shows and workshops. While I was growing up, Christmas Eve was when my family gathered for the big dinner. So this picture, taken on Christmas Eve, after we'd had a lovely dinner and performed our show for the evening, represents another kind of family in a way.....

There's pics of SC, my roomie and friend, with whom I had so many adventures...getting lost in Pittsburgh, getting lost in Baltimore, getting lost in Maryland....actually Virginia--we went the wrong way around the DC beltway! Pictures of SP and C, more roomies and friends. Pictures of J, the first person I met at college and still a very good friend. Pictures of KS, J's roomie and another friend. I have fond memories of the 6 of us watching lots of movies on the weekends....Each of these people challenged me in different ways, forced me to grow....put me on the path to become who I am today. And I hope I did the same for them.

So I look at these photographs, these snapshots of the past, and realize that what once was, is no longer.....things change, people change, but it's nice to revisit the past, see where we were, who we were. And remember the good times we had. And maybe someday we'll all be in the same place again and have new memories to add to the collection.

I Can't Think of a Title....

2007-05-27T21:44:00.000-04:00

Jordin won American Idol, so DH is very happy that he picked her to win.

I finished the treasure braid on Celtic Spring this afternoon while DH was watching the Indy 500. So now I only have the 5 colors of beads to do. I started on the beads but DD woke up from her nap so I didn't get very far--maybe 14 beads. I really need to update my pictures! Maybe I can take some on Tuesday.....

Randomness

2007-05-22T15:11:00.000-04:00

8 Random Things - The Rules

1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves
2. People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog you need to tag 8 people and post their names
4. Don't forget to leave them a comment and tell them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I studied (and received a degree in) puppetry in college.
2. At one time, 4 generations of my family lived in 3 different houses on the same street.
3. I like giraffes.
4. I collect shot glasses from different places I've been.
5. I played soccer for a season as a child.
6. I used to take piano lessons.
7. I twice competed on a national level in dance while in high school. (placed 2nd in tap duet and 1st in open/lyrical small group)
8. My favorite candy bar is a Toblerone.

I'm not tagging anyone--most of everyone I know has already done this one....if you'd like to play along, please feel free to do so!

0-3

2007-05-17T07:38:00.000-04:00

Melinda's off of American Idol, and Jordin's still there. DH won again. Sigh. Oh well, maybe I'll do better with So You Think You Can Dance.....

Earl won Survivor, so DFiL gets kudos for picking him....

Otherwise not much is going on....

Checking In...

2007-05-05T08:33:00.000-04:00

DD is now officially 2 years old, and she got a thumbs up report at the doctor's office for her checkup. She woke up crying at 6am this morning.....not a pleasant way to wake up on Saturday for Mommy and Daddy. Oh well.

Haven't gotten much stitching done. I still need to take more pictures and post them.

Another one down.....

2007-04-20T08:17:00.000-04:00

Edgardo's out of Survivor. That makes me 0-2 for the shows so far. DH can't believe he picked better than me this go round for both shows. Please, please Melinda outlast Jordin on American Idol...

Both new projects are coming along, and I've even worked some on Celtic Spring. No pictures still. I promise to post one of the finished blackwork eventually! I'm starting to want to work on Convent's Herbal Garden again....but I'm not looking forward to those Jessica stitches. (upper left yellow flowers) I think I'll do a Jessica, then work somewhere else, then back to a Jessica, etc. It's not that I don't like the Jessicas--they're just not fun in pale yellow on white. I think the ones I've done look great, it's just I'm not crazy about doing more! But I love this design, and I love other Chatelaines, and I plan on doing more--at a rate of one big one at a time. I gotta finish this one first....

Secrets and Silk

2007-04-13T08:57:00.000-04:00

Fabric is cut and 2 projects started! The "secret project" and Chatelaine's Springtime Roses. No pictures yet, and I will reveal the "secret" later, after the need to keep it secret has passed. I did forget that I needed to rinse the silk flosses for these, so into the water the "s. p." ones went yesterday. And boy, did they bleed! I think I need to soak them again today. Two of the DMC flosses for Springtime Roses were used in Celtic Spring, and I keep forgetting to grab them. (I only have some Treasure Braid and all of the beads left on Celtic Spring.) I use bobbins and string them on rattail cord, so grabbing them means untieing a knot and unstringing most of the bobbins--of course, the 2 I need are in the middle somewhere--and then either restringing or filing them back in the storage boxes. Between that and still needing the 2 silks rinsed, it's been fun picking around the "missing" flosses to choose what to stitch on Springtime Roses. ("I'll do that symbol next--oops, no I won't!")

Out of the slump?

2007-04-03T16:18:00.000-04:00

I stitched some on Celtic Spring last night. DH was listening to music after we put DD to bed, so I got in about an hour of stitching. I have 2 projects ready to start--I just have to cut the fabric. Once they get too big to fit in the mesh baggie I'll have to buy some white pillowcases. (I only have 2 and 1 houses Celtic Spring and the other houses CHG) The blackwork was small enough to fit in the baggie the entire time. I've only just started using these baggies, and previously I was a one project at a time girl.

I never really remember why I go into a slump. This last one however....When DD was younger, I could stitch while DH watched his Nascar--DD would be happily bouncing away in her bouncer, squealing and laughing. Now, she's more mobile and she likes to sit beside me on the couch or throw herself in my lap. I don't like to have needles out around her. I can't even knit around her--she loves the scarf I'm knitting. I made the mistake of draping the short bit of scarf across her shoulders and she thought that was pretty cool. She's so tiny it was more like a shawl. So now she tries to steal the scarf out of my lap and wrap up in it. Funny, cute, but annoying when the needles get jerked out of your hands. I can see myself slipping easily back into a slump again--I can only stitching when DD's asleep, and many times by then I'm too tired. And I don't want to create a frogging situation. I could stitch during her nap, but I'm usually doing housework.

So many projects waiting in the wings....

Finally Happy Dancing

2007-04-01T08:58:00.000-04:00

I finished Blackwork for the Bewildered. I haven't finished anything since 2005, so I'm very happy. I haven't photographed it yet, so no picture. Now to start something new.

Wow!

2007-03-30T08:18:00.000-04:00

WVU won the NIT Basketball Championship game last night. Yay! If they couldn't go to the NCAA Tournament, at least they won the next best thing.

DD can count to 6. She's not even 2 years old yet. I think she could count to 10, but she refuses to say 7. Won't even attempt it. I know she doesn't realize that the numbers represent specific quantities. She was counting blocks as she stacked them and the number she said as she stacked never corresponded to the actual amount of blocks in her stack...she just said numbers, in order, from 1-6. Today when I put her down for a nap she was saying "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (pause) 8, 9, 10" I didn't think a 23-month-old could do that, so I'm a little shocked.

Oh the irony....

2007-03-28T07:57:00.000-04:00

Now that's it's getting warmer, we're getting ads left on our driveway. The type that are in a plastic baggy with a small heavy something to weigh it down and dropped on the ground. I don't like this type of advertising--it's just littering to me. We went on a walk yesterday evening and I noticed that about 1/3 of the driveways still had the ad that I picked up from our driveway 2 days before. I wonder how long these will be there--all the mailboxes are at the street, so you figure people walk down the driveway at least once a day....are they just lazy? (Maybe they think the company that left it will come back, notice that they haven't picked it up and take it away?) This morning, there was again an ad sitting at the foot of the driveway when I went out for the newspaper. The nice thing is, it's trash day, so the can was at the street waiting for the trash guys to collect. So I only had to walk 5 feet to get rid of the offending litter, er, ad. The irony? It was an ad for a local trash collection service. Too funny.

Girls' Night Out

2007-03-24T15:23:00.000-04:00

My DSiL, DNiece, and I went to a fund raiser for DN's school last night. It was a combination Bingo/Raffle deal. I actually won 2 Dr. Seuss books from the raffle, and I won Bingo once (on one of DSiL's cards so I graciously handed the prize ticket to DN who picked out a pink change purse for herself). DSiL won Bingo once (a Disney Princess kite for DN), and won a bike helmet from the raffle. DN won Bingo once, and got herself a BIG ball point pen. All in all, a very successful night out.

DH stayed home and kept DD. Who unfortunately was not the same sweet little girl after her nap that she was before her nap. I think I jinxed it with my post yesterday!

My sweet little girl is back!

2007-03-23T14:02:00.000-04:00

And I hope it's not temporary. She was good as gold all morning. She happily splashed through her bath, and had no problem with the outfit I picked out for her to wear. I was going to take her out for lunch, but it started raining and I just didn't feel like dealing with it. Maybe next week. If it's sunny.

A little of this, a little of that

2007-03-21T14:08:00.000-04:00

I actually stitched a little bit last weekend. DD was napping while DH was watching NASCAR qualifying, and I was able to get about halfway across the last band on the blackwork before she woke up.

She surprised us by saying some numbers out loud while "reading" a book. I had been working with her on letters, but not numbers....

I think she's got the last of her molars coming in--she's been really fussy the past few days. To the point of crying and saying "NO! NO! NO!" when I get her dressed in the morning. And I was putting on one of her favorite shirts. She usually smiles and laughs and says "Sirt! SIRT! Pan! PAN! Ka! KA!" ("Shirt, Pants, Socks") when I dress her. I hope the terrible twos aren't starting early. I've been putting Baby Orajel on her gums, and that seems to placate her for a while. I can feel maybe one spot that a tooth could be starting to break through.

Eh

2007-03-16T15:54:00.000-04:00

It's snowy. Not nice fluffy snow either. Sleet-y, freezing rain-y, snow-y, changes every 10 minutes or so kind of snow. On the plus side, I got The Sims 2 Seasons expansion pack yesterday. So now it can be summer in SimLand while it's winter in RealLifeLand. Yay!

Not so Amazing for me

2007-03-12T08:12:00.000-04:00

Sigh. DH won our Amazing Race competition. Dustin and Kandice are still in the race, Rob and Amber are not. From 1st place in the first 3 legs to last in the fourth. Sigh.

More Pictures

2007-03-11T15:34:00.000-04:00

I worked on color correcting some of the pics in my finished album. I realized that I didn't photograph at least 3 other finishes--a little butterfly (my first project ever!), another horse, and one I did for my Grandmother. So I'll post those sometime. I also want to re-photograph some of the blurry ones and color correct a few more--I tried, but wasn't happy with the results. I'm not extremely good with color correcting (and my monitor isn't calibrated) so if anything looks weird please let me know. I've also got to dig into my stash and see if I can figure out the stuff I can't remember so I can label them better.

Pictures

2007-03-10T14:50:00.000-05:00

Okay, so they're not the best pictures, but if you check the sidebar you can see my stitching WIPs. I'm going to try to get better pics at some point. Oh, and check out the link to my finished album...

A.I.

2007-03-09T08:15:00.000-05:00

We were very surprised by last night's American Idol outcome. Sabrina and Sundance should have made it to the top 12. In fact, Sabrina was the one that DH had his eye on and had declared her off limits to me. He's decided that he'll choose Jordin now. I'm going with Melinda. (At least Antonella is gone.) We don't actually call in and vote--although we probably will for the charity thing in April.

I need to get out

2007-03-07T14:03:00.000-05:00

So earlier this week I told DH "I think I'll go to the mall on Wednesday." and he replied "It's supposed to snow on Wednesday." And wouldn't you know--there's a layer of white on my yard and driveway today, and it's still coming down. Arrgh. I guess I'll go tomorrow or Friday, depending on how much more ends up on the ground. Sigh.

Getting out of the house

2007-02-28T08:28:00.000-05:00

DH has a new position at work, and his office is now located at a closer facility to home. This means I could possibly get involved with a local community theatre....and there's one maybe 10 minutes (or less?) away. I haven't checked it out other than "I know it's there", so I'm planning on seeing a show sometime to see if it's somewhere I'd like to get involved. The last theatre I joined had "clique*" problems, and I no longer live near that one anyway. I've heard that there's a person from theatre #1 that is involved with theatre #2, so it'll be interesting to see if theatre #2 is clique-y too.

I'm itching to get back into theatre, and I need something to get me out of the house without DD--of course I love her, but right now it's like a 24-7 work schedule with no time off. DH does relieve me some when he's home, and he will keep her on the weekend and let me go out shopping or something, but as much as I love shopping, weekends are not the best time to go--traffic extreme. And since the point is for me to relax, and there's no way to relax stuck in traffic....I end up just staying home.

*Clique problems: Just one example--A show, in mid-run, was shorthanded backstage. I signed up to work a few nights. The stage manager would not assign me any jobs--they'd gotten used to working shorthanded I guess. So I just stood around, and tried to jump in when it looked like people were struggling. And they wonder why no one wants to work backstage--there's about 3-4 people that do it regularly (every show, every play) and they work out a routine that works for them, and aren't willing to adjust when other people do show up, but complain when no one does.

This and That

2007-02-24T22:31:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a while since I posted. Survivor: Fiji has started, and I picked Edgardo to win. DH chose Mookie. DFiL is joining in this time, and he picked Earl. DH also has Michelle in the pool at his office (he didn't get to choose there). I'm not very thrilled with this cast. I had a hard time choosing who I think will win. Just didn't feel anything for anyone. Not like when I picked Tom or Yul. Nadda, zip, zilch.

Amazing Race: All-Stars has started, too. DH chose Dustin and Kandice (yes, my picks from the last race) and I picked Rob and Amber. I know, I know, everybody's tired of them. But, I choose who I think will win--not who I necessarily like. There's a difference. Rob and Amber are strong. As they've proven time and time again. They don't panic, ever. And they don't bicker with each other. (I did almost pick D and K again. I may regret that later. Especially since DH snatched them up after I said no to them. It was 50-50. Really.)

American Idol--DH and I will officially pick when the top 12 finalists are named. We do have our favorites already out of the top 24, er...20 now. I think the winner will be a female. I have my eye on 3 of the girls....they *should* all make the top 12, so I might have a hard decision. DH sees 1 girl he's leaning toward, and has already declared her off limits to me. Not very impressed with most of the guys. Thank goodness the audition episodes are done. I like when they get into the voting part much better.

And now to completely switch topics--I plan on taking pictures of my stitching WIPs and finishes hopefully sometime soon. I've photographed any of them. Even though I've been stitching for almost 22 years, there's pitifully few projects in either category I'm sad to say. Plus, there's some I've given as gifts to people I am no longer in contact with (and I'm kicking myself that I have no pics of those!) On the plus side, when I do get around to photographing them it shouldn't take very long! I'll be posting them somewhere at some point. I'm jealous of everybody else's pretty pictures. I wanna show mine off. Stay tuned!

Movies

2007-02-23T13:44:00.000-05:00

In the "Everybody else is doing it category..."

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own blog, paste this. Then, put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom. Have fun!

(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
( ) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
(x) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane

Total: 7

(x) The Princess Bride
( ) AnchorMan
( ) Napoleon Dynamite
(x) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
(x) Anger Management
(x) 50 First Dates
(x) The Princess Diaries
( ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Total so far: 12

(x) Scream
(x) Scream 2
(x) Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie
(x) Scary Movie 2
(x) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
(x) American Pie 2
(x) American Wedding
(x) American Pie Band Camp

Total so far: 22

(x) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
() Resident Evil 1
() Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
( ) Lilo & Stitch

Total so far: 27

(x) Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
(x) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
(x) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
(x) 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
( ) Robots

Total so far: 33

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(x) Along Came Polly
(x) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
(x) Joe Dirt
( ) KING KONG

Total so far: 41

( ) A Cinderella Story
( ) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
(x) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
( ) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
( ) Flubber

Total so far: 43

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
( ) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
(x) The Whole Nine Yards
(x) The Whole Ten Yards

Total so far: 46

( ) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
(x) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask

Total so far: 50

( ) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
(x) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Seven
(x) Ocean's Eleven
(x) Ocean's Twelve
(x) Bourne Identity
(x) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
(x) Bedazzled
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(x) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George

Total so far: 57

(x) Independence Day
(x) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(x) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
(x) My Bosses Daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds
( ) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2

Total so far: 62

( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She's All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
( ) The Terminator
( ) The Terminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3

Total so far: 68

( ) X-Men
( ) X-2
( ) X3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(x) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
(x) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
(x) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
( ) Shrek 2

Total so far: 76

(x) Swimfan
( ) Miracle on 34th street
(x) Old School
( ) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old Virgin

Total so far: 79

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Total so far: 85

(x) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
( ) Elf
( ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three

Total so Far: 86

(x) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard

Total so far: 90

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
( ) Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
(x) Waterworld

Total so far: 92

( ) Kill Bill vol 1
( ) Kill Bill vol 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness

Total so far: 92

( ) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
( ) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
( ) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor

Total so far: 95

(x) The Matrix
( ) The Matrix Reloaded
( ) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
(x) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal

Total 98

98. Wow, I'm surprised it's so low. It could be higher--there's several movies that I don't remember if I've seen them. And there's one--Joyride--that there's 2 movies by that name. And I've seen both. So I guess technically my total should be 99?

Survivor is done

2006-12-21T07:32:00.000-05:00

Another season of Survivor is over. What a nail biting finish! Especially since it came down to Ozzy (DH's pick) and Yul (my pick). 5-4 with Yul winning! That's twice I've picked the winner. Woo-hoo! I think we started this little competition with season 10--Palau. And out of the 4 seasons we've played, I've beaten DH every time. I normally can't beat him at anything, so please excuse any excessive gloating. I don't often get the chance to say "I beat you!" I can't wait for Fiji to start next year! I'll post our picks after the first episode. Last season (Panama) we read everyone's bios online and picked our players before the first episode aired. Neither of us did well (neither of our picks even made the jury, but mine lasted one episode longer than his) and we've decided to stick with selecting a player within the first 15 minutes of the first episode. It just adds to the fun when you're cheering for a specific person.

Knitting

2006-10-11T12:19:00.000-04:00

I'm teaching myself to knit. I don't know anyone that can teach me in person, so I'm using videos and diagrams on the web. So far, I can cast on and knit. It all looks pretty sloppy on the needles. I wasn't too worried about getting the tension even. I just wanted to figure out the actual stitches, without making a big tangled, knotted mess of yarn. (took at least 4 restarts before I figured out why there was a big tangled mess) No pattern--just cast on (almost the length of the needle, LOL, which I now think is a bit much!) and knit, knit, knit....I'll probably knit another row or two, then try purling.

I'd like to learn to crochet, too. I started to learn from a co-worker friend 6 years ago. She would teach people at lunch. Unfortunately, we were both skipping lunch on various days for various reasons, so I only got one short lesson before I left the company for another job. I have one long chain stitch thingy though. (and I'm not sure I still remember how to do that!)

Shopping Fun!

2006-10-10T15:04:00.000-04:00

DD and I went shopping this morning. We went to the mall and Target. We had lunch at Mickey D's, and she was good as gold the whole time. Even though we got home way after her normal nap time (Bad Mommy!) It was a successful trip--I needed some clothes for her in the next size (got 3 shirts at 50% off!). All she had in the next size (which she'll be wearing in the next month or so) were 3 pairs of pjs, and some short sleeved shirts. It's getting too cold for short sleeves now, but she can wear them in the spring. She still needs pants/jeans and a dress. And I got a pea coat. I needed a slightly dressier coat and I've been wanting a pea coat for several years. My *favorite* clothing store (NY & Co) had pea coats on sale, plus I had an email coupon. So I got the coat for 50% off the regular price! Woo-hoo! I am beyond excited! Now I just need some new shirts.....(I haven't really bought any clothes since I was pregnant and needed maternity stuff--about 2 years ago!)

$1 + elbow grease = very happy toddler

2006-09-30T14:38:00.000-04:00

DD loves the play kitchen at her cousins' house. She opens the "microwave", closes it. Again and again and again. Friday morning, my sister-in-law and I went to her mother-in-law's church rummage sale. And I found.....a Little Tykes play kitchen. For a dollar. (I think new it probably sold for about $70) Woo-hoo! All it needed was a thorough cleaning--it looked like it had been stored outside. I cleaned it while she was napping (took almost 3 hours--it was very dirty). I've never seen her eyes so big or smile so wide! She spent at least 45 minutes opening the doors--"microwave" and "oven", then closing them. Over and over. That's pretty long for a 17-month old! Now I just have to find a good deal on play pots/pans/dishes/food. But for now, she' s very happy just opening and closing the doors. And I'm happy that she's happy. Could be the best dollar I ever spent.

TV Time

2006-09-22T08:05:00.000-04:00

Thursday night is....TV heaven. Survivor, Grey's Anatomy, My Name is Earl....we Tivo'd the new Six Degrees, but we haven't watched it yet. Actually, out of the list, we only saw Survivor last night. We started watching G.A. over the summer, so Wednesday night was the previous season's 2 hour finale. Which we only got to watch half of on Wed. So we watched the rest last night, then Survivor, then it was time for bed. I love Survivor. DH and I have a "contest". We each pick a person and we see who outlasts who. DH has picked Ozzy, and I picked Yul. SPOILER ALERT: After last night's episode, Ozzy may not have been the best pick. But guess who found the Exile Island Immunity Idol? Oh Yeah! My Yul! Pfffttt to DH. SPOILER OVER! Of course, every once in while I have to remind DH that the people I pick usually last longer than the ones he picks....and that I picked Tom a few seasons ago...you know, the Tom that won the whole thing. (I'm not really a gloat-y person--I just rarely win at *anything* against him) We do this with Amazing Race, too. (He's got Erwin & Godwin, I've got Kandice & Dustin) In the family race a few seasons ago, I picked the winners (Linz family), but he won last last season with BJ & Tyler. (I hope he forgets that!)

Floss!

2006-09-20T14:26:00.000-04:00

I got some floss! 5/$1 at Michaels. Not the best price I've seen around here, but it's less than 25 cents a skein, which is good enough. I got what I needed for Chatelaine's Spring Roses, and a few for Stroke of Midnight....DD started screaming, so I had to get out of there pronto. Maybe they will have another sale soon. Or maybe ACMoore will. Now I just have to decide on a fabric for Spring Roses, and order that.

And CHG is starting to call out. I haven't worked on it since before DD was born (April '05). Too afraid I would mess it up, with being tired and everything else that goes with having a newborn. Especially with those tiny, pale yellow Jessica stitches. I don't like those. They are pretty, but...maybe if they were bigger, with a more contrasting floss color, I would like doing them better.

One of these days, I'll have to take some pictures. I've never photographed anything I've done over the past 20 years. I need proof of how insane I was back in 1996. TW's Spring Carousel Horse on 18 count Aida. Yes, Aida. Before I knew better--ok, the truth--knew of the existance of evenweave fabrics, and where to purchase them. I even started the Winter horse on Aida too. And stopped. I'll start again on an evenweave someday. And I'll probably re-stitch the Spring one. (It ended up being a gift for my niece, who wasn't even a glimmer yet in her parents' eyes when I stitched it. I wasn't even married to DH yet, although we were engaged.) I'm another victim of the various stitching BBs and the enablers. I found out about Lugana, Linen, silk flosses, hand-dyed fabric and flosses, beads.....Oh boy! My stash has grown considerably in the last 5 or so years. And I'm nowhere near what some of the ladies have collected, despite what DH thinks.

Books

2006-09-14T08:26:00.000-04:00

I went to the bookstore to hopefully find some of Anne McCaffrey's Pern books that I'm missing. Found one. "Dragonseye". And one hardback that I can't remember the title. I prefer paperbacks, so I passed on that one. (I carry a list with me of the Pern titles that I have. They're all so similar that I can never remember which ones I've got!) But I did buy the other one, and a M.Y.T.H. book by Robert Asprin that I missed from a few years ago. Yay! First time I've seen this one in a store! I also bought " 'Salem's Lot" by Stephen King. Since I'm reading the Dark Tower books and he refers back to " 'Salem's Lot" in "The Wolves of the Calla" I should read it. Eventually. Probably after I finish the Dark Tower series. I don't like reading more than one King book at a time. They creep me out a little.

Small Annoyances

2006-09-07T07:48:00.000-04:00

They're laying fiber optic cable in my neighborhood. Which will be nice in the future, but right now it's a pain. Yesterday was trash day, so we had trucks and trash cans lining the street. And noise. Lots of noise. And dirt, from the holes they dug (and left). They parked close to our mailbox, so we didn't get any mail. (If there's anything on the street near our mailbox the letter carrier will just drive on by.) Sigh. So I have to watch for them today, so I can ask them to park a few feet back if they park in the same place. (I didn't say anything to them yesterday because I thought there was enough room for the mail truck. I guess I was wrong.) Very annoying.

Jumping in....

2006-09-06T07:47:00.000-04:00

Ok. So when I first heard about blogging, I thought "What's the big deal? Why would anyone want to do that? Why would anyone else want to read it?" Then I read a blog by someone who frequents the same message boards that I do (No, I don't remember whose it was). Huh. More insight to who this person was--thoughts, feelings, life situation. More information than could be conveyed on a simple message board post. It's funny--get a group of people together, and if it's a big enough group, you'll have representatives of all life stages. Young, old, married, already divorced, getting divorced, having babies, going to school, losing jobs, getting jobs, moving.....the list goes on. People cycling in and out of misery/happiness. And the group of people, the community, offers support and advice, shares the joys and heartaches. No matter what the situation is, be it major or minor. Being a part of the community means sharing. Giving for the greater good. Receiving help when needed.

So, What's the big deal? Sharing life. Because we're all at different stages. And we can tell others about our experiences. And maybe, someone else is entering a stage that we just left. And we can leave a light on so they can find their way. That's the big deal.