Hope changing your calendar page to 2012 was uneventful, and filled with warm wishes and cold bubbly!
Mine was about as uneventful as you can get. I’ve been sick since Boxing Day with a wicked sore throat (for the first 2 days) which always turns into a full-blown cold that’s still here. Now it’s a persistent tickle that causes fits of coughing (even tho I’ve taken cough medicine) and constant clearing of my throat which seems to make it even more raw. It’s a vicious cycle, I tell ya!
I was supposed to work at home last week, but the only thing I did was nap and lay on the couch. That was all I COULD do… so exhausted! And then to make matters worse, my poor little Autumn got sick Thursday night with a BAD case of the ‘runs’ and thankfully, she let me know in enough time that we made it outdoors… BARELY!! Well that first episode was at 1:30am, followed by others at 2:30; 4:30, 5:30, and 6:30AM, so by this time I was wide awake, made a pot of coffee, and stitched in the solitude of the morning. Throughout the day (Friday), I fed her some fresh, warm rice with all her meals, trying to bind her up a little, and by late Friday afternoon, she seemed back to normal. But alas, no…… Because I was so exhausted from the lack of sleep, I fell into bed Friday at 7:30pm and was instantly asleep until I heard her whining at the side of my bed. Thinking it must the middle of the night, the clock read only 10:30pm…UGH! Only 3 hours of sleep and we were running outside again! And so we made several more potty runs at 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, 4:30, and 5:30am. Again, on the last potty run, we came back indoors, she fell instantly asleep and I did the coffee/stitching routine again. But by this time, with very little sleep over the past 2 nights, I was really feeling punky. Tried sleeping, but the tickle in my throat seemed worse when I was reclining, so I got up and continued stitching. I tell ya --- I got more stitching finished than I ever expected. I guess that’s the bright spot in all this.
Then, later on Saturday afternoon, I packed up the car and the dog and headed down to the G-man’s place. (the only reason I was willing to get dressed and make the trip was because he has a fenced yard for the dog, so if she needed more late-night potty runs, all I had to do was open the door!) Sweet!
To say that my New Years was a bust is an understatement. I was in bed and asleep by 9:30 that night… tried staying awake to watch the ball drop, but just couldn’t keep the peepers open any longer. And then spent all day Monday asleep, except for our New Year’s brunch (the G-man made Eggs Benedict, one of my faves!) and dinner (shrimp scampi). But I really needed the sleep and with a little help from some cough/cold medicine, I was feeling a tad bit better.
Was back at work on Monday (our corporate holiday for New Years was last Friday) and the only good thing I can say about having to face work on a Monday when I don’t feel good is there was NO TRAFFIC!!! Everyone’s holiday seemed to be yesterday, so driving to work in the early morning hours with NO TRAFFIC was really eerie! Needless to say, I made record time getting TO work and then getting home FROM work, too. So enjoyable to make the commute so quickly. But this morning was a rude reality check: 2hours and 15 minutes to get to work!!!!!!!
UMMmmmm…excuse me, people….just because we had a couple of holidays this past week, how does that account for your loss of driving skills????? A GREEN light still means GO, so get off your asses, put the pedal to the metal when the light changes, and let some of us get thru the damn light before it turns red again!!!! PLEASE!!!
OK…stepping off the soapbox now….
I did get something finished before the holidays, but never got a chance to post:
(I posted the start of the project here )


Designer: Blackbird Designs
Booklet: A Stitcher’s Journey
Chart: “Summer Sachet” (pg 48)
Fabric: Picture This Plus 32 ct “Mocha” (overdyed)
Flosses: per the chart (Crescent Colours and Gentle Arts)
(Cappuccino, Avocado, Heirloom Gold, Old Purple Paint, Woodrose)
Stitch Count: 48 x 33
Stitches: 2 over 1
Backing: 5" square Charm Pack "Designer Dapples" by Westminster Fibers Lifestyle Products
Since I’ve been sewing since high school (Thank you, Mrs. Chugg, my Home Ec teacher!), I always have scrap ribbon and sewing notions in the house, and a TON of old buttons inherited from several aunts that sewed, so the actual “finishing” of a “small” like this pin keep is always fun as I scavenge thru all my collections for something that’s just the perfect finishing touch. I skipped applying anything around the edge because it would’ve looked too busy. Thought this was just right…
Hoping no one was involved in any of the freak traffic accidents (pile ups) this morning on the interstates in NY and KY caused by sudden snow squalls. Having been raised in the Buffalo/Rochester area, I know how quickly they can sneak up on you and how absolutely terrifying it is to drive in them!
~~Hoping this finds everyone safely at home,
or someplace warm and cozy!~~