Stitching, Stashing, Travelling, and Other Adventures, or Why I Am Destined to Be a Blithering Idiot

[Sorry. Channelling 19th century novel title forms there for a minute.]

STITCHING
At last a moment to show what I've been up to. Of course it's not much, but I take what I can get ---

An ornie! A whole ornie. Whoopie!!!! Call the press. I need to make a statement. Actually I have also recently finished April's Fall F&S squares, but you can't see those. If I could have worked the brilliant trick our friend Kathryn did when showing her bundle of exchange goodies, I would have. But somehow the back of a stitched piece (at least the back of mine) tend to give it all away. I could have taken a picture of the back of the mailing envelop -- funny, sure, but not nearly as intriguing. Oh well.

Anyway, the above ornie is from an old Shepherd's Bush sampler. I actually did it in the colors called for -- so not a me thing to do. Now that I see how it comes out I can go back and do it again in more Christmasy colors.

I've got "active" needles in:

and

The first is my languishing fife and drummer piece, and the second is an ornament from one of the JCSes by Fancy Work. And both are suddenly "essential." You see in two weeks (ack!) I'll be off the the
Cross Stitch Pals Fall Fling where I will be taking an ornament finishing class with Jane Timmers who is Fancy Work. I have one pointy-banner ornie done, but I kinda want to go into the class with 3 ready for finishing. Cross your fingers! That plan alone would be enough to keep me busy, but I want to drop the fife and drum off with Chris' LNS for framing. Maybe I should try starting a coffee addiction?
{BTW: Can you all help me -- Chris went to this year's Shepherd's Bush retreat and yet we have no updates on her blog? No pictures? No hot news? No tormenting comments about all the cool stuff? I believe we are being unjustly uninformed! We have the inalienable right to be jealous of other people's stitching adventures!!!! So, let's all pester Chris for a full trip report.}

STASHING
I did it again --




I went to Silkweavers. I didn't need to. I just did it for no reason. Next thing you know I was clicking "buy" on a shopping cart of solos. Sigh. This is why my sister keeps saying I need a 42-bedroom house (one for me, 3 for stash, everything else for books). I'd take an oath that I wouldn't buy any more stash until I completed 10 existing projects, but I'm going to that Pals thing in two weeks and I am, at heart, a realist.

TRAVELLING
See notes above on the impending Cross Stitch Pals Fall Fling. Are you one of the lucky devils joining me? Are you ready? lol Yeah, I know. No one is. If you're not coming this year, put it in the back of your brain for next year. It really is fun. Loads and loads of fun. Every year by the end of the weekend I leave with sore face muscles from laughing so much. I also leave tired from staying up yammering and stitching so much. I also leave after hugging dozens of new best buddies. I also leave with butter stains on one shirt from the Annual Crabby Mike's Pilgrimage -- drawn butter and pounds of crab legs play holy heck with the tshirt wardrobe [memo to self.... pack a "disposable" shirt for that night].

I mean look at how happy we look last year--

That's Chris and me (apparently sprouting a palm tree chapeau) and Shelleen. Ok Chris doesn't look so happy, but what does she know. She was probably trying to look responsible.

And that's my buddy Julie with me and Karen.

Hey Pals, did you notice in my previous pics of ornies, did you see the two special ones just for the exchange --

That's one of our Pals' sterling silver charms from a couple years ago
And this one I personalized just for us:

They'll be on the exchange table waiting for you!

Now, it takes some prep to get ready for all this fun. I have to get the ornaments finalized -- remember this weekend is my self-proclaimed ORNIE FINISHING FESTIVAL II. You are all invited to join me! I also need to finish those Fancy Work ornaments for class and that fife and drum piece. I need to mail to Chris' house my grab bag and gift exchange items so I don't have to haul them through the airport all the time worrying about breakage. Oh, and I need to figure out if I'm taking anything for the Stitcher's Showcase and put some thought into the award(s) for the Stash Sting Operation that I'm sponsoring. Annnnnd I HAVE to remember to get to See's Candy to pick up the essential gifts. lol Your friend Amy is a fan of Key Lime Pie truffles, and various other Pals are See's deprived. My big fear is I'm forgetting folks. Did I tell you I was bringing you chocolates? Crud, the list in my pathetic memory is kinda short.

Oh and I need to finish that Charlaine Harris novel I have half done. You see I want to take Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair with me. I need to read that so I can get to the audio versions of the subsequent volumes in the series. Some moron (No, I'm not sorry if it's you. You're a moron.) approved only an abridged audio version of book one, but unabridged versions of all the subsequent novels in the series. Abridged???? Jeez, I feel lazy enough that I'm listening instead of reading (but it's hard to work and hold a book at the same time), but an abridged book is an abomination.

OTHER ADVENTURES
Hmm. Not so very adventurous actually. Work is insane, but that's normal.

I was actually going to use this spot to be grateful for a blogging award, but I'll wait on that because I have to put some more thought into it. lol I put too much thought into things, maybe. Last night a friend mentioned (merely mentioned) the Actor's Studio's habit of asking folks what their least favorite word is, and I've been stuck on it ever since. I know there are words I really dislike because there are words I avoid specifically because I don't like them. But apparently I avoid them all together too well because now I can't bring them to mind. You know it's going to drive me nuts until I can think of a couple options on this. Sigh. Seven million things to worry about and 4% of my brain has spent nearly 24 hours trying to remember words I've specifically excised from my mind.

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Luck came to those who left a space for it.
Terry Pratchett -- Making Money