Being Thankful for LITTLE things

.... and I do mean really little things.  Like:

1.  How very little stitching I can show you because while I have finished one small piece and nearly finished another one this week, I can't show you because they are exchanges.
2.  How very little photography I've managed (re: none) since I keep going home and napping.
3.  How very little time I've had to contemplate what to write about Bouchercon and other adventures this week.
4.  How ill-prepared I am to head to LosCon this weekend.

Here are The Little Things --

My showable-mini progress so far this week:

Now, eagle-eyed readers will note that this picture looks no different than the last picture of this I showed.  There's a very good reason for that.  It's the same picture.  BUUUUUT -- I did stitch on this.  Got the hand-dyed fabric arranged in the direction I wanted the "spots" to fall, got the center found, pulled out my Vicki Clayton black silk, put in two stitches, and promptly pulled them out.  See, the silk I had out to use was her premium,  It's too think to double but it does not nearly cover in single.    Tonight I will hunt up the black Splendor silk and pack that for this weekend's stitching.  Next week -- just you wait for the pic!  You will be so impressed.  [Anyone rushing to lay odds in Vegas as to whether or not I even take this piece along for the weekend, let alone stitch on it?]


And here's my first hot tip from BoucherCon,  If you like cozy mysteries and you like books, definitely go try Kate Carlisle's Bibliophile series.   I went to Boucher with the first 3 books already in hand and read, and I was on the hunt for Kate because I love, love, love these books.   I actually put my order in with her for 60 more ---   I told her she didn't have to rush-- next, oh March, would be soon enough.  This pick is of the books in the series I picked up at Boucher and had her sign (along with my original 3.  The first in the series is Homicide in Hardcover.   I have one warning though -- every cover has a cat on it.  So far there has been a cat in every book, but it is not the same cat nor do they ever matter to the story -- it is like life, there are things in every day that do not matter at all.  These cats wander through.  They meow.  They do NOT suddenly carry in the vital clue on their collar, leave bloody footprints back to the body, or leap out and claw the killer's face when he's about to shoot the heroine.  If you come back to me whining like one lame reviewer on Goodreads who said that she'd never read another one of these because there was a cat on the cover and the cat was not a pivotal character, well then I might just have to ban you.  Though I might keep you around to laugh at.  Oh, trust me, I WOULD laugh at you.

And here's a shot of the few moments that made my entire BoucherCon weekend worthwhile.  

This is yours truly and Rex Stout's daughter.  If you don't know Rex Stout, well, I don't know what to say to you ... well, maybe if I was in a charitable mood I would say how sorry I was that you were missing out on a fantastic series (and excellent opportunity for vocabulary enhancement).  Just trust me here, people, this made my weekend... I think it might actually make my year.  I was able to tell her how much her dad meant to me and how much I appreciated that she had shared him with all of us for her entire life.  That was magic.   And I don't care that it's a little blurry because Stout's grand daughter was taking the picture..... yes, I was a very, VERY happy badger.

So you see, despite all the little things that are getting in my way, I have much to be thankful for -- I'm thankful that:
1.  I have the opportunity to take part in exchanges with totally amazing stitchers all over the world.
2.  That I accomplished stuff at all even if I can't show you pictures.... and I really am thankful for my pillow which provides for excellent napping in the evenings.
3.  That I have a job to be insanely busy at and that I escaped said job for a long-weekend of contemplating murder.  Who said they might be related????   I did not say that....   ....
4.  And I am thankful that not only do I get to go have a thoroughly cacophonous Thanksgiving with my Auxiliary Family, but I get to follow that up with my traditional Thanksgiving weekend at LosCon-- the L.A. science fiction convention.  So, I shall be with two of my tribes and there will be turkey!  All will be wonderful.

I wish you peace, frog-free stitching, and a really good book.