Not so much a stash sale as “hold your stash sale”…

I’m starting to worry that my gladioli aren’t going to bloom this year.  It would be very disappointing.  *Everything* was late blooming, so I won’t be surprised.  Just disappointed.  The hydrangeas are blooming right now and they are lovely.  The Scotchmallow looked great for about a week until the monsters in the yard stripped all three plants of their blooms.  My lilies were lovely…. until stripped of their blooms. 

Maybe the glads have already flowered and were just stripped before I got a chance to see them. 

The girls start ballet today.  Madeline is really looking forward to it.  Victoria, not so much.  It’s mainly because she is such a chatterbox (she comes by it honestly) and she doesn’t like not being able to talk for an hour.  Madeline, I think, will have no problem being silent for an hour.  I bought them both new tights yesterday.  Victoria’s new leotard should be there to pick up and I’m crossing my fingers that it will fit.  The girls are required to wear a certain color based on age.  Last year Victoria’s was white and this year it is red.  Madeline’s is white.  Why on earth they put the little ones in white is beyond me. 

With the first of the month I am back to stitching on Twister.  I finished row 1 of the border and am halfway through row 2.  My Fellow level materials for the Master Teacher program came yesterday - whew!  This will be a busy year.  Two new designs for submission to seminar, one to submit to the chapter project book, as well as things on continuing education.  I’ve learned the important thing with the MTP is to NOT procrastinate.  I’ll put it in a usable checklist this week and get going. 

This Christmas stocking is for me.  :-)  It’s a kit from Dimensions and is coming along well.  I’ve been stitching on it for two weeks.  Today, however, I’m back to Twister.

 Today I am listing this STUNNING rug and thread kit.  Wowsa!  LOVE the blues and greens and soft mauves. 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330266960870&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=014

SmartFTP is no longer free.  I went to use the program today to upload some pictures and they said that they are no longer a free product after 10 years.  Right now I’m irritated so undecided if I’m going to buy it.  It’s not a good time though so either way it has to wait.  In the meantime, though, we’re back to pictures of eBay stuff in my blog!  Hurrah! 

As a side note, I’m selling the Cranberry Sampler pattern from a recent blog entry on ebay - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330265073229&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=014

Well, I haven’t updated since June so I’ve been feeling rather aimless in my needlework stitching goals.  I did go through my stash this week and shelve the recent acquisitions so I need to work out some new goals.   

2008 Goals: Start and Finish Mirabilia’s Titania, Queen of the Fairies, for my mom.  Start and finish Oriental Poppies with ANG SpaceNeedlers chapter.  Stitch all 12 of the Beau Geste Vintage Ornaments.  Make progress on Cranberry Sampler.  Finish the Lavender Gift Box.   Keep up with the MTP program.  Stitch Twister with stitch-a-long group.  Start my Christmas Stocking.

January Goals:  Work on next unit of MTP program.  Stitch #1 Vintage Ornament.  Make progress on Titania.  Start Twister.

February Goals:  Work on MTP program.  Stitch #2 Vintage Ornament.  Progress on Twister.  Start Oriental Poppies.  Make progress on Titania.

March Goals:  Work on MTP program.  Stitch #3 Vintage Ornament.  Progress on Twister.  Finish Oriental Poppies.  Finish Titania.

April Goals:  Work on MTP program.  Stitch #4 Vintage Ornament.  Progress on Twister.  Make progress on Cranberry Sampler.

May Goals:  Work on MTP program.  Stitch #5 Vintage Ornament.  Progress on Twister.  Make progress on Cranberry Sampler.

June Goals:  Work on MTP program.  Stitch #6 Vintage Ornament.  Progress on Twister.  Finish Oriental Poppies.  Finish Titania.

July Goals:  Work on MTP program.  Stitch #7 Vintage Ornament.  Progress on Twister.  Make progress on Cranberry Sampler.

August Goals:  Work on MTP program.  Stitch #8 Vintage Ornament.  Progress on Twister.  Finish Cranberry Sampler.

September Goals:  Work on MTP program.  Stitch #9 Vintage Ornament.  Progress on Twister.  Start my Christmas stocking.

October Goals:  Work on MTP program.  Stitch #10 Vintage Ornament.  Finish Twister.  Progress on my Christmas stocking.  Finish Lavender Gift Box. 

November Goals:  Work on MTP program.  Stitch #11 Vintage Ornament.  Progress on my Christmas stocking.  Progress on Snowman Sweater. 

December Goals:  Work on MTP program.  Stitch #12 Vintage Ornament.  Progress on my Christmas stocking.  Finish Snowman Sweater. 

Well, it’s the end of August and I’ve made significant progress on the rest of my yearly goals… so I’m going to add to them.  Hurrah!

September Goals: Work on MTP.  (I am waiting for my fellowship level stuff to come but it likely won’t come until the end of September after seminar.)   Finish Twister (all it needs is the border).   Progress on my Christmas Stocking.  Finish Lavender Gift Box.

October Goals:  Work on MTP.  Finish my Christmas stocking.  Stitch a Christmas ornament.  Work on Victoria’s birthday present.   Start a Catherine Coleman Egg.

November Goals:  Work on MTP.  Stitch a Christmas ornament.  Work on Madeline’s birthday present.   Finish a Catherine Coleman egg.

December Goals:  Work on machine embroidery Christmas village.  Do the finishing into ornaments of all my yearly stitched ornaments. 

Most of the school districts here start up school again on Wednesday.  I am looking forward to it very much!  All of the museums and parks will go back to being calm and peaceful.  ;-)  We have some fun things planned for this upcoming year.  Victoria is continuing with her ballet and Madeline will be starting ballet at the same time and location.  They are also both continuing with swimming and gymnastics.  Our homeschool group has park days planned through September, and in October will start back up with book report lunch and Lego club.  There are also the monthly free museum days that are always very interesting.  We saw a great Lincoln exhibit this last year.  I’m looking forward to wandering through museums and having a relaxing picnic before browsing the used bookstores…

I read the Harry Potter series, by the way.  Victoria finished up the Lemony Snicket books and told me she wanted to read Harry Potter next.  I bought them all at Half Priced Books and read them in about two weeks.  They were pretty fun and although some of the volumes were dark (the teacher torturing Harry with the horrid quill was painful to even read) I think since it all turns out in the end it will be fine.  Light at the end of the tunnel and all that.  Victoria is now on the third one and other than needing help with the names the first time, she’s doing great.  I will probably wait until she is done with the series, and maybe for when the last movie is about to come out, before we watch the movies.  We saw a bumbersticker at gymnastics the other day that said “Republicans for Voldemort”.  What a timely opportunity to explain parody, pop culture, and politics in one fell swoop! 

Kidlets are fighting so alas, I must go.  Today is the last day of summer swim classes (5x a week in two week sets for a total of 30 lessons) and then regular 2x a week lessons start in two weeks.  Whee! 

is completed!  Isn’t it beautiful?

Well, it is as completed as it’s going to get.  In the pattern there is a second cutwork band at the bottom, but it wasn’t a design that I liked.  So, the sampler is 2″ shorter.  This will be framed eventually.

This post could also be called “It’s on my list”.  In an effort to keep organized (and stop forgetting stuff) I have a mid-sized spiral notebook with divided sections and an elastic band closure.  This book is “my list”.  I keep my calendar in Outlook, which transfers into my phone, so the list is to write stuff down that I need to do but not necessarily right this minute. 

Any time someone says something like “Hey, you need to mow the lawn.” or “Wow, when are you going to have Diana clean the back glass door?” or “Did you schedule the kids for swimming yet?” or “Did you mail my car tab renewal?” I can simply say “It’s on my list.”  This doesn’t mean it will get done that day, or that week, or in some cases, ever.  BUT, I have written it down and released it from my mind and it now is something I can plan towards.  (Thanks to Brad for all those helpful suggestions above, by the way.) 

Occasionally I rewrite the list as items have been crossed off to keep it clear and focused.  I did this last night.  Some examples:

• Finish spackle and paint back patch by door
• Clean playroom.  Repaint small bedrooms. 
• Look for girl’s choir for Victoria
• Call insurance co and see if they mailed check
• Mail Brad car emission and tag check
• Check dates for ANG Milwaukee, plan route

You can see how important some and how some of them likely won’t be finished until we sell the house in oh, three years.   Mainly repainting anything.  What’s the point when it’s just going to end up covered in fresh chips and crayon scribbles? 

Also in my book I keep a list of finishing as I receive it and when they want it back.   This list changes fairly often but it helps to keep things there at a glance so I don’t miss people’s deadlines. 

Lastly in my book is an ongoing list with little design scribbles for new needlework designs that I want to complete.  All of my recent work has been for the Master Teacher Program so there will be quite the update to my website when I finish in three years!  :-) 

Today we’re off to pick marionberries.  I picked 20 pounds of blueberries last week and hopefully will get lots of marionberries this week!  Blackberries should be ready in another few weeks.  Very exciting.  After that I’m helping a neighbor plan out two new garden beds and also do some decluttering.  Very exciting. 

This was my August progress.  It is now ready for the border!  I went ahead and restretched the canvas, too.  I caught Travis bouncing on it like it was a trampoline. 

I don’t know how many of you have heard Victoria’s future career plans.  Perhaps it’s because of our history-heavy studies, or just an early love for geography, but her goal in life is to rule major parts of the world.  Mainly, she wants to combine China and Russia and call it New Rome.  This has been a theme for about two years. 

Now, the only way I can see this happening is if she becomes either a spiritual leader or a politician.  I don’t see my child as a Messiah (here come the lightening bolts) so I think politics will have to be the way to go.  Do I really *want* my child in politics, though?  Local politics with standing on the corner getting cars to honk as they drive by?  National politics with the endless advertisements and the digging for dirt?  Perhaps if she becomes a great writer and learns to sway people to her thoughts…  Thus, I can then explain *why* she needs to study grammar and spelling and….  

There you have it, career planning for the seven year old.