It's not all gin and giggles......

... but you might not be able to prove it by me.

Sure, I'm on the road.   Sure I'm taking some vactaion days, but lordy I've spent a lot of time working.  And yet I feel so much more rested and I've been having what feels like more than my share of fun (possibly that's a throw back to early American roots-----I can't possibly deserve all this fun, can I?)

Well, Also harkening back to those Colonial roots....   I've managed to make a circuit of some nice potent potables.   Hey, the Founding Fathers did a lot of distilling and brewing, and Jefferson did his best to develop an American wine industry!   So, really, I've been doing my part as a good American!

We had dinner with our friend, Margaret from Team in Training (Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) and that was accompanied by an al fresco Manhattan --

After the dishes were done I moved on to a Perfect Manhattan (add another kind of Vermouth) and all was right with the world.

Tonight (and several other nights) there has been wine accompanying the evening ---   This particular glass was for my niece who probably really needed it.  The littlest great nephew banged his head pretty badly at school today earning himself two big lumps and a trip to the ER.  He's fine and chipper if a bit lumpy, but mommy needs a couple glasses of vino at least!

And it hasn't all been booze---  remember please that my dear brother-in-law presented me with a box of  chocolates upon my arrival.   I've had one about every other evening or so.  Honest!  

You don't get to see the first one I ate because it didn't dawn on me to take a picture of it before consumption--- I can't help it, if you saw these in person you would understand that they cause brain short circuits.

This mint darling of a 5 nights ago was amazing!!!!

Two nights ago it was this darling with the gold smear--

OMG, gentle reader, it was peanut butter -- subtle, silky, delectable peanut butter cream.    I'm still smiling thinking about it.

I even made some stitching progress -- this has been helped immensely over the last two days by the advent of the Barrett Jackson car auction live broadcast.  The BIL is a car guy and years ago he hooked me on Barrett Jackson.   I learn all sorts of fascinating things watching -- things no one really needs to know, but I find it all fascinating.

I've been explaining to friends that this one "is as far as I can go" because I forgot the thread for the wings and the dots.   But actually, that's not true.  The eagle eyed among you will have noticed that I could do the hair.  Sigh.   Dearest gentle reader, do you have any ide how much I hate long-and-short, random stitches????   Sigh.   What was that Scarlett said..... Tomorrow is another day.....

I'm sending her to a finisher who doesn't need takeaway and does fancy shapes, but I am seriously considering doing maybe 2 or 3 rows of something around her -- maybe green (like the Christmas tree she will hang on), or a maroon or red.  Thoughts?

Because I "couldn't" work on the angel, I was forced to start a new canvas (because the 4 xs projects I brought with me didn't fight hard enough for my attention I guess.   Anyway, I started this Kathy Schenkel which will also be a Christmas ornie --

Initially I couldn't decide if I wanted more sparkle int he peachy pink --

But, hey, I tied off and kept going so it's going to be just fine!   Besides, I clearly remember it being the only appropriately colored semi-sparkly thread I could find.  So it's just perfect!

Well, that's my story for now.....   working, drinking, stitching, plotting my reading {don't forget that you can join me a a bunch of like-minded literary goof balls in the Save Our Cozies Readathon  on July 16th --- my list-making self gloried in adding a list to the right side bar here to track what I thought would be maybe 10-12 possible titles I thought I'd like.  But since it's me, on day one I had 18 and now I think it's up to 20.  And I *know* that even if I get all day to read I'll get at best 2 done.}, and viewing.......   such a life.

There I am!   the little freshly manicured toes peaking out around the laptop.  Me in the Yellow Suite (formerly, and sometimes still, the Blue Suite-- the accents all lend to blue and the walls used to be blue) --- the BIL's mother's quilt on the bead, my great grandmother's lace framed on the wall, and Barrett Jackson on tv.   I hope you at least as content as I am at this moment!

SFSing Successes (unless you count finding the &*@*#^&*@#%$ pictures)

Greetings, Gentle Reader, and a Happy day unto you.

First thing up --
The SFS May Report of Joy:
Month:  May
Spent:  $0.00   -- (Don't worry.  It will NOT last.)
Allotted:  $25
Earned:  $10.00 
Subtotal of May's accumulated earnings:  $35.00  
Holdover from last month:  -$2.40
Ultimate May total: $31.60  --- Woohoooo!   Extra hooooo!   

Yes, as a matter of fact I am as shocked as you are.  But never fear, I'm working at the shop this weekend so no doubt the joy of being in the black will overtake me.

Here are my earning finishes--- with big thank yous to my friend who needed dog/house sitting.  Her excellent light and comfy recliner helped immensely with my productivity.

LKs (nope, not the colors they were charted for).  They have their charms too.  Can I figure where I put that photo? Nope.  I guess it is high time I sorted out the flash drives.

A little bell ornie I've been wanting to do for years.  I just love him.  O believe another one of these will happen soon.

Another LK that happened post-house sitting.  Possibly under the influence of the house-sitting high.

There's another finish -- a little candy cane from the same series as the bell.  Apparently *someone* did not take a picture of that.  Sigh.   And there should be two more LKs, but *someone* can't find them to attach their charms.  *Someone* has a lot to answer for!

And then some little bits of progress --  Prairie Moon's Home of the Brave which hadn't seem the light of day in a while.  I do really like working on this piece.  It is a nice balance of blocks of color and yet enough color changes to make it interesting.   It just got sidelined because of commitments to other things, but I really want to see it under my needle more regularly.

One of those commitments... the baseball flag came back out to play a couple nights ago.  This one.... I tell you.  I stitch and stitch and stitch and get maybe an inch done.  Sometimes I think that even if you left me in good light, in a cozy spot, with perfect audio books, no TV, and only this piece for a long weekend, I'd still only get maybe a row of those dang balls done.

Another powwow offering for your enjoyment because:
        1.  I promised you
        2.  I can't figure out where I filed the other pics I was supposed to be adding here.
I just loved the rainbow dying on the middle guy's head piece.

Though I am most partial to the shawl dancers.

...and shopping.....

Now, sally forth and have a wonderful rest of your day.

Pratchett Thought of the Day:

Insanity and Fun .....

.... two things that often go together for me.

Hello, dear friends, last weekend I decamped Chez Hovel (or The Untidy Sett as I am inclined to think of my digs) for a friend's house to dog/house sit.  You see, I was the one who set her up to adopt said dog therefore she declared it really was rather my responsibility to watch it while she gallivanted off to NYC.  Since she has wifi which allowed me to keep my coworkers from imploding and I was once again maxed out on vacation time, I saw no reason not to head off for what I thought of as a resort retreat without pool boys.  I mean a choice of recliners, a devoted dog, really good natural lighting --- what's not to love, right?

So on Thursday morning I arrived at my temporary home and unpacked part one of my insanity:

Now, I was there from Thursday morning through Monday night.  So of course I apparently thought I could finish every major project I had going.    The white corner showing at the top is my Boothy (that didn't come out of the bag the whole time I was there), the green fabric in the hoop on the left is a Celtic cross ornament that I also didn't get out of its bag, the baseball flag I could stitch for hours and hours on and still only finish an inch (that didn't come out either), and the states flag in the right corner also did not make an appearance.   I did manage to do 2 of the 5 LK Flip Its (they haven't made it to the "dope" list because I didn't bring a thread matching the fabric to attach the charms with), one of the little ornies (from the sheets between the flags in the picture), and a batch of Ethel's sky.

Pathetic!   II mean I did stitch a lot... I'm just that slow.   Ok, I did cook a lot too.   And I swear on my stash I did not nap the weekend away.  I never got a nap in actually, because my four-footed charge seemed to think napping indicated a lack of "better" things to do like walking or petting.

My roomie was at first very suspicious of this stitching stuff --

Then she went with the crisis of confidence look -- the apparently-I'm-not-cute-enough-to-put-down-that-thread-crap pose.

But she did seem to like the audio book effect.  She really had to since the TV only came on for the hockey game.  Which leads me to part two of my insanity.  Not only did I bring enough stitching to make it through 6 months, I also came with reading--

That's 6 paperbacks and two books on CD.  That is IN ADDITION to the 20-ish audio books I had checked out from the library and loaded on my computer (and we'll not mention the 100+ Audible titles also on said computer).  I believe I finished 5 books -- 4 library check outs and an Audible title.  I did open the top book on the above pile (a Kate Carlisle), but really I could have skipped that bag.

Oh and it gets funnier.  My buddy is also a reading fiend, so it's not like I could have lacked for books at her house.  As a matter of fact she told me to check out the box she was putting together to donate and I pulled the items below out because she'd been singing their praises for a while and I thought I'd try them (mind you, I gave her the Charlaine series, but apparently I didn't buy it all for myself.  or at least I didn't get it all input into my online catalog).  

Currently they are on my floor waiting for me to figure out a path to the shelves so they can join their friends.  [You think I'm kidding?  Silly you.]

Regardless of my insanity, or possibly because of it, I had a lovely time.  I stitched, I read, I got a lot of these walk-me/pet-me/what's-that-you're-doing-now looks:

I picked strawberries in the backyard while my furry friend had breakfast al fresco.

I sniffed heavily from the gardenia bush.

In short, I had a grand ole time.  I can only wish you as pleasant a weekend as I had last weekend.  And, for my American friends, a peaceful Memorial Day possibly filled by red,white, and blue stitching.  I'll be at the local national cemetery.  Where will you be?

************

Pratchett thought of the day:

Trying to be responsible.... aka Look, Mom, two updates in one week! (or April Fool's!)

Don't faint.  Oh wait.  you already did.  I knew the shock of me posting twice in a week might be too much for some.  I'm just going to go ahead -- once you have recovered you can join us.

This really would be an awesome April Fool's joke--I can hear it spread like wildfire across the web :
        "Hey, did you hear?  Musing Badger did two posts in one week!"  
        "No way, seriously?... Are you sure?"   
        "I'm just saying what I *heard*."   
        "Really?  It's awfully hard to believe.  Who told you?"
        "Some bloke in the pub........"
        "Hey wait, what's the date today?"
        "April 1st. Why? --- Ohhhhhhhhh."
        "I knew it couldn't be true."



However much you doubt, it is true AND I actually do stitch --

Here are the two smalls I got finished last month.  First, my little "Golden Manse" which required so many color changes it's not even funny.  The pattern had to have been put together by someone with no sense of color whatsoever.  I took it in a "Craftsman" but perky direction.

And my little Ho Ho Ho with all the snow in the trees

And lookie here -- my flag came out and Massachusetts is nearing full statehood!

I even managed to get and keep blogger from flipping on its side when it was uploaded a picture of this gem from the 80% off bin (aka Badger's Playpen).   The Bin of Destiny/Budget Busting Central actually yielded 2 of these.  I figured if I had one, my sister would want one too.  He will become a cube of cuteness.  I have started pulling threads for the little bugger..... there goes this month's SFS budget.

And check out my new little turtle buddy.  He arrived as a birthday present from a friend in Alaska who had been visiting Hawaii.  He perked up my day no end.  And he's already made friends with one of my badgers.

Sally forth and have a wonderful day!

SFS February: Forecast dismal, but stash acquisitions on the rise!

Due to the continued influence of the 80%-off bin at my shop, I continue my dismal Stitching from Stash trend from last month --

Month:  February 2015
Earned: Monthly allotment = $25;
Earned by stitching = 0 -- not a darned penny/farthing/rupee/yen
Spent:  $25.40
Hold Over from last month:  -$47
Grand total year-to-date: -$72.40

Anyone want to take odds on March being a better month?   Yes, I don't feel it is a very safe bet either.  

But, Gentle Reader, I may be a shopper, but I have also been a stitcher lately.  I got a whole bouquet put in Ethel courtesy of embellishments and beads by Sundance--  and I plane some serious hours this weekend on the sky, the remaining sheep, and possibly the head scarves.

I finished the stitching on a king from Boothy's Kings and Queens (and I just might feel his backstitching and a buddy for him coming on for this evening!

a couple rows of penguin fanny happened on one ornie --  this is by Vee and Co and I call it "big tree"-- as it nears completion, you will see why.

I worked out what to do with Mrs.' uneven bands of pink  (some of those vertical stripes are 4 across while most of them are 5-- vexing, I tell you, vexing!)--

This ornie by Full Circle Designs "Ho! Ho! Ho!" was going to be my "earnings" for finishing this month, but as you can see, that didn't happen.  Oh well-- leg up on March I guess!

And then there was my downfall..... The Dreaded 80%-off Bin.  Frankly I am beginning to think of it  as The Badger''s Play Bin because I have such fun in it.

I picked up this Ruth Schmuff piece with stitch guide (which, yes, I shall probably stalwartly ignore).  I plan on doing this as an ode to my reading "club" that went on the Bouchercon adventure with me last year-- So Many Books, Elaine, and I.   It might be a pillow eventually or possibly a bag insert.

I also picked up this scissors case from the bin.  I'll be switched if I can remember at the moment who it is by.  I plan on doing it as a pair of especially sparkly ornaments like shields in honor of my friend who lost her battle with leukemia last year.

I also got 2 identical little yellow chick canvases (if I have one, my sister will want one too), but the picture once again INSISTS on being sideways.  Maybe this weekend I will be able to work out why this is happening, or, more likely, simply retake the pictures that are behaving badly.

I wish you a happy weekend filled with stitchy joy.  I have big plans to lounge about, clean, stitch, read, and generally do my best not to get out of my PJs.  I hope I'm more successful at that than I am at cleaning my desk or winning the lotto!

Hey, just for laughs and because I'm in one of my list-making moods, let's see how I do.  Here are my hopes for the weekend:

1. cleaning
2. chili or spaghetti making
3. 4 books finished 
4. 2 ornies done   --- I'm aiming for Ho Ho Ho and one of the LKs I have started but currently can't find (see item #1 on this list!)
5. progress on:
• Ethel
• Ellen's flag
• Boothy's Kings and Queens
• Serenity Harbor
• the needlepoint flag

Cross your fingers for me and I'll see you next week!

The Journey Continues (even with some stitching)

Hello there.   When last we left tales of my travels we were kinda in St. Louis.

I had put a special request in to visit "the Cathedral" not knowing that St. Louis not only had two, but that both were basilicas.  Silly me.  We visited "the new church" which is covered in mosaics and absolutely beautiful.  Absolutely, I tell you.  And very inspiring for stitching!

From the New Church we hustled to my niece's climbing gym to see her in action --

The girl rocks!   Yes, I might have meant that pun.

From St. Louis, I returned to DC, changed luggage and headed to Richmond for time with the nephews.

Their decorating was done -- there are a couple needlepoint stockings you've seen before on that mantle :)

Possibly my primary duty while with The Nephews is making ornaments for their Grandma (my sister).  Here's the next Dog of Christmas, Jesus (no lie, but the Spanish pronunciation, please....   The first time they took him to the vet ---in a conservative, Bible-belt Southern town-- in the midst of a crowded waiting room the tech screamed "JESUS" like the Christ child was pretty embarrassingly funny.  Possibly it's only funny for those of us who weren't there.).  Jesus is keeping the Medium Nephew (I do them by size -- Large/Dad, Medium/first son, Small/young son).  company while he does his FIRST NEEDLEPOINT!!!!  (That's just the pattern in the pic-- and it was a terrible pattern to try and follow.)

And here we are all done!   Ok, I know it's plastic canvas not needlepoint, but hey, he is only 13!  And.... busting a gut with happiness..... he said to me about a third of the way through, "Aunt Ruth, can we just do these from now on?  I like this."  Heee heeeee I have another convert!  I think next year I'll try a cross stitch and a plastic canvas with him.  

In previous years we have made all sorts of goodies like this bead-covered ball-- 

And the blue and white foam star below --   pictured with a small part of the ornaments I stitched them over the years (gads, I'd forgotten then tree -- it's a plaid and I did every other block in Fuzzy Stuff which when done on jobelan is not what we call joyful. Oh, and I remember a certain amount of praying going on during that all outlined/backstitched poinsettia wreath... I think the first one I did ended up not meeting.  Sigh.). 

This was the first year The Small Nephew got in on the action.  This is him drawing "Grandma's Christmas apple tree with two branches and two apples."  He made Granddad a "red Christmas tree with one branch and a blue bird."  It warmed my little heart to hear that a couple weeks before I arrived when they announced to Small that I was coming for a couple days, Medium told him "You get to make ornaments for Grandma with Aunt Ruth.  It's cool."  Can you feel my smile from there?

My sister and brother-in-law came down for an overnight, and they got to stay in Medium's room.  For the special occasion he got out the NASA quilt my sister made him (he's scared to get it dirty so he only gets it out for special occasions).

And, since I have succeeded at turning Medium and Small into readers (I consider myself in charge of making sure there are future generations of readers as well as stitchers), Small demanded reading time.  So when asked to get "a book to read" came back with this pile --  

A chip off the ole aunt block   :)    :)     :)     :)  

And I can't leave The Newphews' trip without introducing Skip, the world's chillest dog --

Smart as a whip and generally twice as shy of cameras, Skip was unwilling to give up the serendipitous moment when the velvet blanket fell on the floor for him to snuggle in, thus he had no choice but to live with the camera.

Go forth and have an excellent day!

NOTE:  The title did not promise the stitching would be current.  hee hee