mainely stitching

Niek  took the ‘puter away for a few days! But never fear, I’m still here! Thanks to the wizardry of scheduled posts, I’ve put together a few posts for the days I’m out of the loop. And maybe when I get my little clicker-clacker back, I’ll even have some stitching to share. It’s the season of miracles, after all!

So please keep visiting me here, and also please excuse my temporary absence of commenting on your wonderful blogs or responding to emails or chatting on FaceBook or …. Oh my heavens, how will I survive it?

I’m taking a day off to admire and appreciate Mother Nature’s largesse. 

Enjoy the wonderful cummings poem here.

I wasted mine behind the ‘puter. LOL. Actually, I was trolling through Marktplaats, the Dutch answer to eBay, for unusual cross stitch designs. And I scored a lovely Merrily Beams pattern and a kit from Beardie Designs. Woohoo! Both for under 25 euros.

I had a fairly weird experience yesterday. While I was waiting to pick the kids up on the school ground, a fellow parent kept calling Arden by the wrong name … but not just any wrong name – the name we’d chosen for his twin. It was a Twilight Zone sort of experience.

Today I’m off to the acupuncturist again. With the drop in temperatures, I’m really glad I’m getting this taken care of now. I hope your weekend involves something that makes you feel better!

Big presents come in small packages, as the saying goes, and this is no exception. Please meet our new nephew, Daan Tomas. I can’t wait to meet him in person! Congratulations to the very happy parents.

It’s not nearly as momentous, but here’s another small start – my attempt to get back to stitching. This is a very small design by Handwork from their Sampler Ornaments 8 leaflet.

And to encourage me even more to get stitching, I experimented with a piece of 35 ct white HDF linen and my Chinese herb dregs, coming up with this. Isn’t it fabulous? I only wish I’d done a large piece….

There are, of course, other small packages that figure importantly in my life. Like small, quiet girls on rainy November afternoons.

And small boys who are happily missing both their front teeth.

And other little boys who are finally feeling good again. (In a sweater knit by his great grandma!)

This is a rather big package, but what funny wrapping it has!

And finally, some furry packages that will soon be underway to America.

Arden and I ventured over to the acupuncturist yesterday, trusting that the rain would let up just when we needed it to – and it did! My brother and I both have Raynaud’s – a pesky disorder that causes you to lose blood flow to your fingers and toes, brought on by exposure to cold, stress, and other possible factors – and with our upcoming move to Maine, it was time to deal with it again. A few years ago, I went through a lot of acupuncture for various issues, including this one, and it worked amazingly well. The acupuncture is supported by the use of Chinese herbs, so get a load of my cup of tea. LOL. It does warm a body up, although the smell is something I could gladly live without.

Warming up also applies to my stitching. Since I can’t seem to get into the one & only obligation I still have left for 2009’s stitching, I decided to print off a bunch of designs I liked from TGOSM (and a few other sources) and just stitch what appealed to me and not worry about its ultimate destination. I have nearly a whole month before the exchange is due, so it’s stupid to get all bent up about it now.

Arden continues to improve, though he’s got the awful cough now that Rowen had about a month ago. Poor thing. He’s a jolly character, though, so I guess he’s feeling better.

Argh. I started a new Christmas exchange piece because I was unhappy with the 2-over-2 coverage I was getting with the first project.  Cute design, great fabric, awful result. The replacement project looked fun when I started it, but I’ve sort of run out of steam. Lately, I’m just too tired to stitch at night. And my hands are a wreck, making the silk that I didn’t pack nearly impossible to work with.  Before this house-cleaning craze began, I did my stitching in the evening to unwind. Now, I stare at the TV blankly for an hour or so and then clamber up to the attic and gratefully pass in unconsciousness. LOL. Maybe the block-buster Christmas ornament issue by The Gift of Stitching will inspire me with a project I can stick to?

and the cooking that did happen

Yesterday’s showing went well, the realtor reported. These people seemed more interested in a practical way – the first couple were interested in how they could transform our 40 year old home into a modern showcase, whereas this couple were interested in the location, the electrical wiring, the age of the exterior paint, etc. The things that are really important to know if you’re serious. Fingers crossed.

Anyway, following a day of intense cleaning, I indulged myself in several enjoyable hours in the kitchen after the showing was over. Outside, the wild November winds blew and the rain pelted down while the last leaves swirled past the windows. Inside, pots bubbled, children chattered, and I felt that life was once again in the correct balance. I would never aspire to be a Domestic Goddess, but I am very happy when puttering in a kitchen to feed the people I love best.

My labors of love led to lots of peanut butter cookies (topped with homemade vanilla sugar!)

and a big, bubbling pot of pumpkin & paprika stew. (Hmm. The pan really was clean before I started cooking in it!)

the smiling snot monkey

Arden isn’t fully recovered, but he’s a cheerier fellow than he was even a day ago. I’m looking forward to being able to sleep through the night in another day or two.

(Even though he got up too close to the camera and isn’t centered, I just love this picture!)

Wishing you a wonderful week full of tasty goodness and the warmth of loved ones.

I’m so glad that this phase of cleaning and packing is behind us. And now, with only a few days remaining in the kids’ autumn break from school, it’s time for some fun! This morning we went to the kinderboerderij (or petting zoo) bright and early. We were some of the first people there, but by the time we left 2 1/2 hours later, the place was really filling up. We petted the animals, admired the plants, and played on the playground. My favorite was feeding the ducks and geese. Rowen’s favorite was “talking” to the horse. Nick enjoyed the swings. Arden just had fun tottering around.

After lunch, it was time to pull out the board games. What school break would be complete without seemingly endless hours of game-playing? Here we are playing Nick’s choice, a maze game.

Naturally, the Wii came out of retirement for some serious usage, and I suspect that before the bedtime gong rings, the XBox will also come into play. Let the good times roll!

There has been some stitching, too. Hooray! Pictures in my next post.

It’s gray and rainy outside. And just look at what’s left of our back garden. Sigh. Needed doing, but I sure miss all that lush green.

Inside, however, it’s a party! Annemarie came to visit and it was just so great to see her! Look what she surprised me with.

I actually have two (different) Stacy Nash drum patterns, but haven’t dared stitch them because the finishing method daunts me. But An’s is gorgeous! And she filled it with the most delectable-smelling beech bark bits. I love it!

We chatted, ate, and stitched – amazing, huh? I finished a barn for my Prim New England Neighborhood, but you’ll have to wait till next time for photos. Time now to get busy doing Mommy Stuff. Thanks for visiting!

If we were getting the storms and rain that were forecast, Niek wouldn’t be able to slash and burn his way through this jungle. Er, I mean our backyard. I’m still not used to the fact that in these tiny gardens, you cannot allow the hedges to grow and grow, and well, grow. So goodbye hedges of over a meter deep. The lovely birds who’ve nested here will have to find someplace else next spring. But oh how big and light our garden seems already!

I haven’t had much time for stitching, but I did finish a block on my New England Prim Neighborhood. (Please ignore the wrinkles!) The elements for this are taken from Brightneedle’s “School Days” design, using my choice of colors (which are similiar to those called for). I plan to add on around this one using bits from “Schooler Kids” by Prarire Schooler the next time I’m able to work on it.

Thanks for all the kind things you said about my new glasses. I hope everyone’s enjoying a fabulous weekend!

There was too much vodka in that olive for me to stitch safely, so I did some reading instead. One of the most peaceful evenings I’ve had in a while.

Max, Arden and I went downtown this morning to pick up gifts for tomorrow’s birthday party – one of my nephews turns 8 – and I also picked up my new glasses. This is the snazzy pair. The other pair is rimless and practically invisible (but very comfortable!). I almost tripped after putting them on because the prescription is a lot stronger than that of the very old pair I’ve been wearing since my others broke last spring. Maybe I’ll be able to see better for stitching, too! That’s a great thought – I’m off now to try it out! Enjoy a wonderful weekend, everyone!!