mainely stitching

Tanya started it.

That’s always how these foolish things begin, right? Someone else started it? Well, Tanya did start it, and then Julie did it. And because I feel like saying hi but don’t really  have anything to say, I’m joining in even though the actual challenge has ended. Wishing everyone a goofy weekend!

I had the luxury of devoting a good portion of this afternoon to stitching. Better yet, Nick and Rowen were playing outside and Max was immersed in a computer game, so I could put some of my music in the CD player.  Aahhh, chilling out and stitching to Tom Petty’s Wildflowers… bliss. Then I got to thinking about how long it’s been since I listened to that disc and how much I used to love listening to Petty and that kind of folksy/bluesy music when I was younger and one thought led to another till I was thinking about the day I heard that *Roy Orbison was dead. I was 19 and suffering a rather severe reversal of fortune that I won’t get into here; anyway, I was driving to work, bopping along with the radio while admiring the sights to be seen between Waltham  (where I lived) and Arlington (where I worked) when the announcement came over the radio that he’d died. It was an odd thing to remember, but music will open the oddest doors in our minds – don’t you agree?  

Anyway, to get back to the point (if there really was one). Today was a pretty pleasant day that included stitching for me, online ‘puter games for Max, and a bit of reading for Arden. Nick and Rowen were busy bees outdoors, enjoying the gray (yes, gray) spring weather. I hope your day was a wonderful one! And if my brother or his wife happen to be reading this, Happy Birthday wishes to my brother.

*Roy Orbison is, of course, connected to Tom Petty in that they were in The Traveling Wilburys together.

PS: Awards and Memes

Thank you everyone who has given me an award. I am really awful about posting these things because I can never pass the award along. I’m just waaaaaayyyy too uncomfortable picking “just” five or however many blogs to award. But I do really appreciate you thinking of me.

And a meme that Marita just assigned to me:

So, the rules;

1. Name five songs or pieces of music that you would take with you to a desert island for an extended/indefinite stay;
2. Name the book you would take;
3. And finally, name one luxury item that you simply couldn’t be without (this sort of assumes that you are dumped on the island with very limited resources and very little in the way of a set up camp).

Once you’ve done all that, tag at least three other people to take part, and link back here so that I can come and read your lists. Go for your life! (I’m skipping the part about tagging anyone.)

1. This is impossible. Just five songs? Well, here goes. I figure I’ll need to keep my spirits up, so:
    a. My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama by Frank Zappa
    b. Crosstown Traffic by Jimi Hendrix
    c. Summer in the City by Joe Cocker
    d. Love Struck Baby by Stevie Ray Vaughn
    e. Sign on the Line by AJ Croce

2. The biggest, fattest, most varied single-volume book that I can think of is my Collected Works of Shakespeare, so I’ll go with that. Good chance to re-read all that stuff.

3. My laptop, which will of course magically have Internet access and a power supply.

My brain has decided to head for less hectic regions so here’s the best I can come up with, having seen it on numerous blogs. This was kind of a bust, as I’ve always considered myself quite an adventurous diner.

The Omnivore’s Hundred

Venison – eat Bambi? No way!
Nettle tea – yes, and it was utterly disgusting.
Huevos rancheros – yep. My mom used to own/run a Mexican restaurant.
Steak tartare – ugh. Ugh. Ugh cannot be said with enough emphasis here.
Crocodile – ate alligator in New Orleans. Does that count?
Black pudding – Oh, more empathic UGHs.
Cheese fondue – yes. Stickier than peanut butter. Requires a great deal of alcoholic lubrication.
Carp and catfish – catfish, oh yeah!
Borscht – yep.
Baba ghanoush – I make it, but it’s not the best thing you can do with an eggplant IMHO.
Calamari – Mmmm.
Pho – I’m not sure what this is…
PB&J – As a kid. Under duress.
Aloo gobi – Again, another I  need to look up.
Hot dog – yes, as a kid I’d only eat them raw.
Epoisses – oh god, this is getting embarrassing. I need to look it up.
Black truffle – yes.
Fruit wine made from something other than grapes – yep! Love to experiment with wine.
Steamed pork buns – this probably isn’t as gross as it sounds, but I wouldn’t know.
Pistachio ice cream -delicious!
Heirloom tomatoes – yep.
Fresh wild berries – as often as possible!!
Foie gras - yum!
Rice and beans – more yums!!
Brawn, or head cheese – oh my gosh. No.
Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper – no.
Dulce de leche – oh another one to look up!
Oysters – many times. But  they aren’t  my favorite shellfish.
Baklava – yes!
Bagna cauda – more dictionary work.
Wasabi peas – why would you waste wasabi on peas? I love it with sushi, and even with peanuts.
Clam chowder – I’m from Maine, of course I’ve had clam chowder. The right way – no tomatoes!
Salted/sweet lassi – sweet lassi is great on a hot day!
Sauerkraut – yes, and I love it.
Root beer float – as a kid.
Cognac with a fat cigar – I’ve had cognac, I’ve smoked cigars, but never together.
Clotted cream tea – once, during a high tea with my friend Terra.
Vodka jelly/Jell-O – what a sad waste of vodka.
Gumbo – yes. And yum!
Oxtail – the oxen’s tails are safe from me!
Curried goat – I’ve had goat, but not curried.
Whole insects – on purpose? No!!!
Phaal – oh another one to look up!
Goat’s milk and/or other goat diary products – yes, these are great for people who have mild dairy allergies like me!
Malt whiskey from a bottle worth £60/$120 – out of my price class!
Fugu – never had the opportunity, but if I did, I would.
Chicken tikka masala – well, who hasn’t?
Eel – VERY popular here in the Netherlands!
Krispy Kreme – never.
Sea urchin – no.
Prickly pear raw – nope.
Umeboshi - another one to look up.
Abalone – not yet.
Paneer – yep
McDonald’s Big Mac Meal – as a kid.
Spaetzle – yep,
Dirty gin martini – Ken’s are the best!
Beer above 8% – the only beer worth drinking ….
Poutine – oh boy, another one to look up
Carob chips -yes. They taste like plastic.
S’mores -  only in childhood.
Sweetbreads – I think I might eat the insects first.
Kaolin – I have to look this up, too.
Currywurst – yes, but it’s  not something I’d seek out to have again.
Durian – ?
Frogs’ legs – several times. Yummy.
Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake – yes, some of these.
Haggis – ugh.
Fried plantain – many times.
Chitterlings, or andouillette -  yes to the andouillette
Gazpacho – tonight, for dinner! And many other times.
Caviar and blini – caviar on its own. Yummy.
Louche absinthe – nope. Not a big one for this kind of stuff.
Gjetost, or brunost – oh boy, another unknown.
Roadkill – Ha! You have got to be kidding. Has anyone out there ever eaten roadkill?
Baijiu – I’m feeling very stupid, but I don’t know  this one, either.
Hostess Fruit Pie – as a kid, and I didn’t like them then.
Lapsang souchong – yes, but I don’t care for it.
Bellini -?
Tom Yum – ?
Eggs Benedict – of course, lots of times. I love mine the best.
Pocky – ?
Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant – yes, my DH and I have our anniversary at one about every other year.
Kobe beef  – no, beef’s not my thing.
Hare – yes, a number of times.
Goulash – a childhood menu that I still don’t like.
Flowers – yep. Pretty, but pointless.
Horse – sorry, must refuse on principal.
Criollo chocolate – no.
Spam -another childhood food that I avoid.
Soft shell crab – once, in Baltimore, but I didn’t get what the big deal was.
Rose harissa ??
Catfish – I alread said yes to this up there with carp.
Mole poblano – oh, yes.
Bagel and lox – YUM. Went to a Jewish university, so this was a staple of my diet.
Lobster Thermidor – a very sad use of lobster, IMHO.
Polenta – yes, and made it. Bland.
Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee – LOVE it.
Snake  – no, but my mom reputedly ate part of rattlesnake that nearly bit me as a toddler out in Arizona.

So it took Niek 3 days to get home from Costa Rica, and no, he did not take a boat. LOL. American Airlines, folks …. Though to be fair, it seems that the service on most airlines has deteriorated to the point that I wish I could grow a pair of wings. (Not to diss anyone working for an airline, that’s not my intention!) The kids were wild to have their Daddy home, and were pretty excited by the gifts he brought with him. Arden had prepared a little gift of his own – a new tooth! (Finally – LOL!) Here’s a fun picture of the three younger kids enjoying their favorite bean bag. (Nicky was saying, “No more pictures!” in case you were wondering.)

Heather gave me an award! Thanks, Heather! (Edited to add: Julie also gave me this reward. Thanks!)  (Edited again to add that Chiloe also gave me this award! Thanks!!) I’m supposed to name five things I’m addicted to and then name five blogs.  First up, five things that I don’t want to do without:

1. My daily/weekly phone calls with my parents.
2. Checking the sleeping kids before I go to bed myself.
3. Spending one-on-one time with Niek (okay, this actually something I’d like to do rather than something I can’t do without, LOL!).
4. My chaotic houseful of kids, pets, clutter, and heaven-knows-what-else.
5. My stash!!

As you know, I have a horribly hard time naming just a few blogs from the many that I read – I hate the idea of hurting anyone’s feelings by not naming their blog. So here are five “hidden gem” blogs that I’d suggest you check out if you don’t already read them (but I’m not tagging anyone):

1. Anna’s This and That – she stitches, she crafts, she bakes, she travels – find it all here!
2. The Crafty Crow – okay, this is a group blog, but what cool ideas!
3. The Quiltcat – quilting, stitchery, and other crafty goodness written in Dutch and English.
4. My Pretty Corner – Anneke’s another one who can do it all, as well as write in two languages.
5. Ohio is My Dwelling Place – Jennifer’s an old friend from way back who has a way with crafts and kitties.

Modesty forced me to place an order with Old Navy for clothes. My last pair of decent jeans recently became indecent, thanks to the denim wearing perilously thin in places. I’d hoped to shed some weight before buying anything, but it wasn’t meant to be. Although I’ve lived here for over a decade, I’ve never been successful in finding clothes that fit – basically, if it goes around me, it’s literally inches too long everywhere. Hemming doesn’t fix things like too-long sleeves or droopy bottoms. Plus I’d seen that super-cute sampler shirt on Beth’s blog and had hoped to find one for Rowen. I didn’t find one, but they did have some cute Charley Harper (you may be familiar with his cross stitch charts released through Puckerbrush) items that were very hard to resist. (Just a note: Old Navy doesn’t offer international shipping, so any other short people over here who were thinking of ordering from them need to find someone in the US who’ll accept the packet and send it along. Thanks, Sara!)

I’m continuing to work on my village, but my progress (ha! there’s a generous word) does not warrant a picture. Maybe next time. And till then, wishing you happy & healthy days!

Anna of Stitch Bitch had a fun thing going on at her blog so I asked her if I could play, too, figuring it would give me something to build a blog post around as well as a test to see if my gray cells are still firing. Keeping my foot up seems to cut down on the blood flow to my brain

Without further ado, my interview with Anna:

1. The local news media shows up on your doorstep. It turns out your neighbor is a serial killer. You cannot say, “He was so quiet. This is such a shock. This kind of thing doesn’t happen here.” What do you say? (You can choose the neighbor.)
Ahhh. So that’s what’s been happening to all our kitties. (Sorry cat lovers!)
No, seriously, I’d choose the neighbor behind me and I would say, “Aha! I knew there was something wrong with her when she told me that reading to my kids was a waste of time!”

2. What’s the greatest invention created in your lifetime?
Does the Wii count as an invention? Anything that can get me to willingly jog 30 minutes a day is nothing short of a miracle.

3. What was your best job?
This is actually a tough one to answer. My worst job would be easy – teaching English as a second language to “problem” teens. But my best? I guess the one that made me feel the most challenged, the most like an upward-climbing career woman, was my second technical writing job here in the Netherlands with a company that was then called Baan. But I made the mistake of dating a coworker, management changed, and … well, by the end of it, I was glad to go. The most interesting and fun job I had was probably handling the advertising/rental/receptionist roles for my mother’s real estate business.

4. Over the next 18 months, we’re all likely going to have to cut back. Where will you make these cuts? What luxury will fight to save? Will you actually come to blows? (That last one is a joke.)
I’d like to come to blows with Former President Bush, actually. I think I might be able to take him.
Um, we have been cutting back during the past 12 months on expenses – every few months we put our heads together, see that there is still too much going out, and figure out what more we can do without. It’s not fun, but we aren’t behind on any of our bills and are still able to do some “luxury” things like ensure that the kids can continue with extra-curricular activities. These will probably be the luxuries I fight to save, too. Our biggest, and for me hardest, cost saving measure has been to indefinitely postpone a trip back home for me to see my family.

5. Are you a good speller?
Elementary and junior high spelling champion, that’s me! If I don’t know how to spell a word correctly, I’ll look it up. I also use spell check for typos. Misspelling a word is, for me, terribly embarrassing. Dork, huh?

And the stitching?I hear you ask, “What about the stitching?” Surely with my foot up for a couple of days, I must’ve stitched like a fiend. Um, nope. Monday I was in the ER almost all day with a lot of skating accident victims, Tuesday I was distracted by the surprising intensity of the pain, Wednesday I was busy with the kids (only a half day of school here), and yesterday I finally pulled out Tree of Life, but realized that one of the long sides of the border was off by one stitchand had to be frogged and redone. No interesting pictures of that yet. I do have two finish-finishes that I’d love to share that still have to be mailed and received, but I’ll cheat and put in a couple of teaser photos. On a side note, I do hope that the blog giveaways I mailed (all except Roberta’s) before injuring my foot have been received, as well as the blog giveaways for the past couple of months. I haven’t heard from anyone.

And now, I’ll bid you adieu and wish you happy stitching and good health!

Edited to add more silliness

Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to – leave in plain font

1. started your own blog (kind of a no-brainer there…)
2. slept under the stars
3. played in a band (school band…)
4. visited Hawaii
5. watched a meteor shower
6. given more than you can afford to charity
7. been to Disneyworld
8. climbed a mountain
9. held a praying mantis ICK!!!
10. sang a solo
11. bungee jumped
12. visited Paris
13. watched a lightning storm at sea
14. taught yourself an art from scratch
15. adopted a child
16. had food poisoning
17. walked to the top of the statue of liberty
18. grown your own vegetables
19. seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. slept on an overnight train
21. had a pillow fight
22. hitch hiked
23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. built a snow fort
25. held a lamb
26. gone skinny dipping (needless to say, no pictures of that!)
27. run a marathon
28. ridden a gondola in Venice
29. seen a total eclipse (I think it was total…)
30. watched a sunrise or sunset
31. hit a home run
32. been on a cruise
33. seen Niagara Falls in person
34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. seen an Amish community
36. taught yourself a new language
37. had enough money to be truly satisfied (LOL!)
38. seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person
39. gone rock climbing
40. seen Michelangelo’s David in person
41. sung karaoke
42. seen old faithful geyser erupt
43. bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. visited Africa
45. walked on a beach by moonlight
46. been transported in an ambulance
47. had your portrait painted [drawn]
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. been to the top of the Eiffel tower in Paris
51. gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. kissed in the rain
53. played in the mud
54. gone to a drive-in theater
55. been in a movie (I was in a commercial, though!)
56. visited the Great Wall of China
57. started a business
58. taken a martial arts class
59. visited Russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. sold girl scout cookies
62. gone whale watching
63. gotten flowers for no reason
64. donated blood
65. gone sky diving
66. visited a Nazi concentration camp
67. bounced a check
68. flown in a helicopter
69. saved a favorite childhood toy
70. visited the Lincoln memorial
71. eaten caviar
72. pieced a quilt
73. stood in times square
74. toured the Everglades
75. been fired from a job
76. seen the changing of the guard in London
77. broken a bone
78. been on a speeding motorcycle
79. seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. published a book
81. visited the Vatican
82. bought a brand new car (one of the dumbest things I’ve done)
83. walked in Jerusalem
84. had your picture in the newspaper
85. read the entire Bible
86. visited the White House
87. killed and prepared an animal for eating ICK!!!
88. had chickenpox
89. saved someone’s life
90. sat on a jury
91. met someone famous
(I met the guy who did the commercials for my favorite Chinese restaurant when I was about 12 and wanted to get his autograph! LOL!!)
92. joined a book club
93. lost a loved one
94. had a baby
95. seen the Alamo in person.
96. taken a road trip
97. been involved in a law suit (does divorce count?)
98. owned a cell phone
99. been stung by a bee
100. met the love of your life

Okay, I’m going to admit that I was feeling perhaps a little bit sorry for myself today for a variety of reasons that I won’t get into. I decided to go online after breakfast and visit with my fellow stitchers, at least over the Internet waves, and in my wanderings I came across a new-to-me blog (she has a Barb section of stitching – shouldn’t everyone?!) and in particular, this post of Eva’s had me absolutely rolling. I’m still wiping the tears off my cheeks.

Another online stop, though not new to me it may be to you, is The Toymaker.  Here are a few words of wisdom from her most recent newsletter:

(There are more detailed photos at my Flickr account.)

We also enjoyed the exhibit of vintage paper cutwork, which I’ve noticed is enjoying an upswing in popularity. And of course, when I saw this tile rooster, I had to take a picture.

I hope this finds you well and enjoying a great weekend.

What an interesting day! One of the cars was in the shop, so I walked everywhere with the kids. Luckily it was dry, if dark and chilly, and we had the time to walk at a pace comfortable for the kids. Nicky went to his first school-pal birthday party and came home absolutely bursting from the excitement of it. Rigby and Lola went to the vet – Rigby had to have a toenail removed that he somehow damaged during some rough outdoor play with Lola – and Lola needed to have the works. The vet said she’s still underweight, but I explained that she’d put on a lot of weight since we got her and the vet said she’s very healthy other than that. She’s sore tonight after having a booster shot and her electronic chip inserted, but that’s just temporary.

I’ve been doing some odds and ends of stitching – a primitive Santa figure, a modified sampler stocking pattern, and a few other things. I really need to get Max’s Christmas gift – a needleroll/scissorkeep/stitcher’s pocket thingie – going. As well as finishing up a custom order for my etsy shop. I seem to have a hard time concentrating right now, though, and I hope it’ll pass soon. Max hasn’t had a hard time, though. Look at this ornament he made! (I helped with the final finishing, but he did everything else.)

Véronique, my partner for the TGOSM ornament exchange, obviously didn’t have any problem with concentration either! Gorgeous, huh? Well you should smell it – she included some lavender from her garden and it’s heavenly!

I was actually delighted to find a secondary finishing pile today! I knew I’d stitched something for … someone … but when I did ‘all’ my finishing the other day, it wasn’t there. Aha, I’d tidied up and a Ziploc bag of stitched pieces (only 3 in all) got mixed in with some linen from my stash. So tonight I was able to indulge in some really pleasurable finishing. I’m pretty psyched with the outcome, but they are gifts. Sigh. Actually, I’ve been keeping the postal people quite busy in an effort to repay, at least a tiny bit, the many kindnesses that so many stitchers have shown me this year. You guys are so darned fabulous. Seriously. Anyway, pics to follow when they make their way to their real homes.

In addition to all my busy-ness, I have found time to be silly, too. For instance, you can also refer to me by my Elvish name, Haeronwen. You now, I actually quite like it.  Not sure Rowen will like hers (Dolithiel) as much, though. Here are a few cute pictures to end this post with a smile.

Things have been hopping here at Chateau Chaos. I decided that there were not enough wonderful Halloween designs out there (or in my stash cupboard), so I needed to design one. I had to pull out the floss …

and fire up the PC so I could create a design around an old poem I found while digging around online some time ago. It’s not attributed to anyone, so I can’t give anyone the credit for The Witch of Willoughby Wood. I didn’t want my witch to be too ugly, though. What do you think of her and her owl? I wanted to finish this up today, but it’s my day at the foodbank so I doubt it will be done before the weekend.

Arden saw me and decided to give cross stitching a try with an old hoop he found (okay, I gave it to him, but I knew it would be cute). He seems to find stitching as fun and relaxing as his mama does.

Our animals have been up to some odd antics recently. We had corn on the cob the other night and Spin stole it right off the table! You should’ve heard him under the table growling and chomping. He’s also very fond of peanut butter sandwiches. Weirdo!

While Gilbert was enjoying some time out of his cage yesterday morning, he apparently became concerned that he might be losing his youthful figure and hopped on the cross trainer for an extra workout. He did have a bit of trouble reaching the foot rests, but reading the screen and choosing a program were no problem at all!

Happy birthday to Jenna! And to everyone else, I wish you a wonderful day full of many smiles!

The kids and I engaged in some fabric painting adventures yesterday, and I’ll be the first to admit that I was pretty sceptical at how well it would go. Usually, crafting adventures like this lead to gigantic messes very fast. But maybe my wee beasties are finally reaching an age where it’ll be possible to broaden our horizons a bit when it comes to indoor craftiness. I have to say, that would really be a pleasure from my point of view! Here they are, hard at work. I had them all take off their shirts, just in case the paint did start flying …

And here is a closeup of Rowen’s artistry. She was making fairies – big ones, little ones, ones that lay down, and a Queen Boss Fairy who had her very own camel to ride (the camel was done after my photos, so don’t try finding it here – LOL!).

While the kids were busy with their projects, I tried my hand using some of the preemie-sized T-shirts that Arden didn’t need to wear. These are slated as gifts for a couple of special friends who are having/have had babies.

Another fairy in my life is Nic. We recently decided to swap some fabric for some charts and I’m delighted with my end! Today the mailman delivered these wonderful charts, a kit, some ribbon, and a bookmark kit (which mysteriously disappeared from the room with my eldest – LOL!).  Nic, thank you so much! I hope you were as happy with your end of the swap!

Speaking of stash, I have to admit that I indulged a bit for my birthday. Niek’s parents were sweet enough to give me some mad money for my birthday and instead of doing something sensible like buying a new pair of shoes (mine are older than three of my children), I did some very careful budget shopping for cross stitch goodies and purchased the following:

• 3 online primitive charts by Shelly Auen – a nice thing about online charts is the automatic savings of about $8 for shipping!
• Primitive Betty’s Blue Tulip and Bunny Sewie Roll (actually slated to stitch as a gift) (note that Betty usually has free shipping, too!)
• Sheepish Antiques Sarah E.A. Hunter 1821
• Sheepish Designs Meg’s Bunny
• The Prairie Schooler Farmer’s Alphabet (bk 76) and Kitchen Table (bk 78 ) (again, gifts in mind for these)

So far, I only have the Blue Tulip and Bunny Sewie Roll in my hot little hands. Stalking the mailman…

No new stitching to show. I started an end-of-school-year gift for one of Rowen’s teachers, but made a miscount fairly early on (how do you mistake 19 for 23, for heaven’s sake?) that threw the rest of it off to the point it needed to be totally frogged … and I just didn’t feel like it. We have three kids in school, and they all have two teachers each, meaning six end-of-year gifts. Argh. Gift certificates seem more reasonable, don’t they?

Even with no new stitching to show, I seem to have some very fun stitching/social events on the horizon – but I don’t want to jinx myself by talking about them before they’ve happened.

Thanks for visiting with me today. It’s always a pleasure to hear what’s going on in your corner of the world.

and a meme from Marita…

Marita tagged me … I have to say, I’m afraid my answers here are quite boring so feel free to skip it. I won’t be offended.

Foundation -
I remember reading, as a teenager, that at a certain age in a woman’s life, a good foundation garment will become her best friend. Didn’t I laugh and laugh! I think I’m actually approaching that age, but I haven’t met the right garment yet.

Mascara-
My mom has to send mine from the US – it is the only truly waterproof/smudgeproof/flakeproof non-irritating kind I have ever found. I have ridiculously sensitive eyes.

Day Cream -
I have to admit to using my handcream. A Kneipp product.

Essential Beauty Product-
Beauty product? I totally cracked up over Marita’s answer. I would have to say toothpaste, though. No, it doesn’t really do much to enhance one’s appearance, but I have such a thing about stinky breath that it wouldn’t matter how attractive someone was if their breath were foul.

Favourite Make-up Product-
Oh, this is splitting hairs. Beauty, make-up, tomato, potato. Again, Marita’s answer was very funny and following in her vein, I’m going to say ‘banging the cupboard doors’. If Niek hears me banging the cupboard doors, he knows something’s amiss and gallantly apologizes for any unintentional idiocies he may have committed.

Perfume-
I am quite fond of soap and shampoo for extra scent. There are few thing more unappealing than being hit by someone’s perfume like a physical assault. For something worse, refer to “Essential Beauty Product” response.

Nails-
Must be short and clean.

Hands-
My most essential body part. LOL! As a writer whose driving hobby is cross stitch, I worry a lot about damaging my hands somehow.

Feet -
Also a pretty important body part, don’t you think?

3 Products to bring on a deserted island -
When I went back through the list of women who’ve answered this meme I had to LOL at Jeanie’s response of bringing a boat. Now why didn’t I think of that?

Women I admire for their beauty -
I don’t admire physical beauty, per se. I mean, you’re born with it to some degree, and then you work to improve it. Does that mean that those of us not genetically gifted with sculpted cheekbones and legs that are 60 cm long are not to be admired? There are some famous women I admire who also happen to be attractive – I think Cate Blanchett is an incredibly gifted actress as well as a truly stunning woman, Angelina Jolie is a wonderful actress and a true advocate of child welfare, and Jodie Foster is my all-time favorite and I’d ask her to marry me if we weren’t both already taken.

Women with the best sense of style -
As I have absolutely no style myself, it’s surprisingly difficult to recognize it in other people.

My ultimate dream -
My secret dream would be to be thin & fit. My ultimate dream would be, I suppose, to be happy and healthy.

How do I define womanhood-
That’s really tough. Womanhood is too individual to slap one definition on it and have it apply to every woman. I guess, among other traits, womanhood seems to be the ability to put other’s needs before your own when it furthers the greater good. Or am I mixing up womanhood and motherhood?

Favourite fashion publication -
OMG, I haven’t looked at a fashion magazine since I was about 16! LOL!

Added by Barbara 20 March:

Note to self: Do not compose blog entries when tired. Vienna is in Austria, not Australia! I apologize to all the Austrians and Australians for the brain hiccup.  

Wow, today turned out to be insane. But the kids are in bed, the last bunch of mini apple tarts (or apple turnovers – I’m never really clear on the right term) is in the oven, and … I survived! Today’s adventures included all six of us going to the dentist, coloring eggs, and a trip to McDonalds – I think we packed a week’s worth of activities into the day. But this morning, before it really got hectic, I finished the finishing on the last of the unbirthday gifts, got the envelopes addressed, and … they’re gone! Hooray! I do hope they all reach their new homes very soon, and that everyone will like what I made. I’ve had numerous attacks of insecurity during this process, convinced that my stitching and finishing are not good enough, that my choice of designs and methods is too weird or too primitive, etc. … but hopefully in spite of the many shortcomings, everyone will like her gift and it will be a lot of fun for all.  They’re really going to miss me at the post office, I’m sure of it.

No stitching to show today, but there is some silliness to share because I’ve been tagged – read on, if you’re interested.   

playing games 

Rowyn tagged me. I hope I’m not too boring…

Four movies I’d watch again
* Casablanca
* Donnie Darko
* any and every Hitchock film
* The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (the animated one, not the stupid one with Jim Carrey)

Four places I’ve lived
* Florence, Arizona, USA
* Campton, NH, USA
* Heidelberg, Germany
* Nijmegen, the Netherlands

Four TV shows I watch
* CSI Miami
* CSI (the one in Nevada)
* Life (this is new here and I love it)
* Little House on the Praire re-runs

Four places I’ve been
(I’m assuming this means been, but not lived)
* Vienna, Australia
* Antwerp, Belgium
* Paris, France
* Mexico

Four things I love to eat
* sushi
* fresh (cooked) fish
* nuts & dried fruit
* goat’s cheese on crackers

Four places I’d rather be
(I’m listing places I’d like to go to)
* Maine
* Japan
* Alaska
* Russia

Four things I look forward to
* uninterrupted sleep at night
* being able to combine work and family again
* seeing my family and friends in the US
* watching my kids grow

I’m not tagging anyone – play if you’re interested.