Wuthering Heigts, eh?

Hmm....

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Dramatic? Romantic? What??? Not a word about sarcasm or smart aleckishness? I think they may be a bit off on me. Of course, being not so much the movie person (classic or not) I can't really offer them another option.

I have to show you my humor shot of the day. You see, my BIL on his Thanksgiving trip out here installed smoke detectors where the inspector told us we needed them. One was in my childhood bedroom which was really a large hallway to my parents room. So, he installed it there and we've found it works just fine. Every time we bake anything in the oven it goes off. Now the kitchen is 15-20 feet away from the smoke detector and so far we haven't burned anything. Still, it goes off. Well, today I'm out sorting stuff in my room at the very back of the house -- one closed door and probably 30-40 feet from the kitchen and I hear the detector go off. Well I crack up because I know my sister just started baking some cookies and now the alarm is going to go off every 5 minutes. I didn't really notice that it didn't go off again until I came in to pick up some more stuff for sorting and found:

The poor detector is now living on the corner of hte dresser in mom's room where I'm sleeping. I just cracked up. It solved the cookie-baking problem though.

Also today I found a cache of xs stuff and needlepoint canvases. I photoed the canvases. Sheesh I think there are another 40-50 of them. For instance:







I guess it's time I readjusted my stitching plans for 2007. Obviously this needs to be a finishing year!!!! So here goes --

In 2007 I would like to:
1. Finish 12 needlepoints
2. Finish 12 xs other than ornies
3. Finish in the neighborhood of 30 ornies

Let's all cross our fingers and hope real hard on my behalf, shall we?


And I close tonight by asking again.... Wuthering Heights?????....

Your Hair Should Be Blue

Wild, brilliant, and out of control. You're a risk taker with an eye to the future.

What's Your Funky Inner Hair Color?

Progress?

Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't mean that I accomplished any stitching. Truth be told I did put in about a half dozen stitches, but that was about 10pm and by that time I was already tired and I think I found an error in my last color..... why yes, of course, I've already tied that color off. Thank you, Lord, for these little challenges. I know I'd be bored without them. Instead of trying to wake up enough to figure out whether I found a real error or not, I just closed up shop for the night.

The progress is in the cleaning here. My sister helped me figure out that despite the cold out there, I could use my room as a sorting and packing central if I got it cleared out. Clearing went well. Thanks to my sister's help, the upstairs is empty except for bookshelves and office furniture. She left me then to play with the new scanner they got for the family photos. I spent the afternoon sorting and piling and dumping then. I guess I made good headway. It doesn't seem like it, but Naomi keeps telling me I am. Could all be a plot to keep me with the program.

Tomorrow I hope to get the rest of that sorting down and clean up in general out there, then (if the winds have dimmed) take some furniture from out there over to the storage facility, and spend the rest of the daytime shifting "Ruth stuff" from the rest of the house to the sorting areas back there for final decision and packing. In all that sorting and packing, I want to get the recycling and trash bins filled. I'd hate to not take advantage of a trash day! lol Oh and my sister and I decided our goal was to get all my Christmas ornies/decorations sorted, wrapped, and boxed by Wednesday so they can go get stored.

I moved a few pictures tonight and I think it's long passed time I shared the one of SharonPA and I -- Sharon was kind enough to come and visit me in DC while I was at my sisters for Christmas vacation. She came down New Years Day and we had a lovely afternoon.



I hope they are joking:

Your Irish Name Is...

Eimear McLoughlin

What's your Irish Name?

They might be right:

You Are 66% American

Most times you are proud to be an American. Though sometimes the good ole US of A makes you cringe Still, you know there's no place better suited to be your home. You love your freedom and no one's going to take it away from you!

How American Are You?

Hmmm. I wonder.........

You Should Rule Mercury

Close to sun, Mercury has very long days - and is rarely visible to the rest of the solar system. You are perfect to rule Mercury, because you live for the present - and can truly enjoy a day that goes on forever. Like Mercury, you are quick and elusive. Your wit is outstanding, and you can win any verbal sparring match. Some people see you as superficial, but in truth, you just play many roles and have many interests. A great manipulator, you usually get what you want from people. And they're happy to give it to you.

What Planet Should You Rule?

Hi honey, I'm home!

I'm just back to mom's from a whirlwind weekend at TNNA (The National NeedleArts Association)-- the big, annual wholesale show in San Diego. This year we shared the San Diego Convention Center with May Kay......the sidewalks of the convention center were decorated with pink opalescent cars of all makes and models (I suppose they were going to be prizes for lucky sales folk) and they even had life-size body cut outs like the ones they have at amusement parks-- you know the ones with the body's painted and the heads missing so you can "pose" as the person/character in question. I really should have stopped and had my picture taken as the ideal Mary Kay rep. Honest to pete it was funny to see the MK folks lining up to have their pictures taken behind the cut outs. lol Certainly the MK folks get high marks for convention neighbors -- last year we shared with an extreme boards sports trade show. They were nice enough people, but let's just say that for ever smoker that was at the Mary Kay show there were 250 smokers at the sports show and since you can't smoke indoors in San Diego that meant the sidewalks all along the convention center were one fluffy cloud of smoke.

No matter the atmosphere, we were all in needlepoint heaven. There was needlepoint like you wouldn't believe. OMG. We picked out some lovely things for the shop. For instance, it seemed every designer had stunning/adorable/cute/funky/beautiful houses (and a bunch had "3-D" canvases so that you end up with fully-stitched houses, churches, shops, etc). Some simply beautiful florals are going to be coming our way too. Oh and animals... there were such cute animals to be had. The Christmas stuff is always to die for, but there seemed to be even more perfect Christmas choices than ever before... ornaments and stockings galore! New threads, you ask? Of course! Rainbow Gallery has some great new colors of Splendor coming out and some cool new fuzzy threads, and we're testing some samples of brand new flosses that look very promising. :) There were great boxes, purse options, shoes, ohhhhh one vendor had color and cuff canvases for denim jackets!

My Personal Highlights: Goofing around with the designer from Gimmies -- she's a hoot and a half and her husband is a treasure [if you've never seen a Gimmies canvas, you should take the time and no picture can do justice to how well they are painted and how fun they are --- some of her vast collection of adorable critters can be seen at: http://www.stitcherstreasures.com/Gimmies.htm and I have a finished cardinal ornie on my webshots completed projects and several unstarted canvases picture in my webstos "needlepoint stash" alblum], shopping with Wichelt who was so patient with me wanting everything they had, staying at the Wyndam Emerald (great rooms -- lame restaurant staff), watching the shop group sit around cross-legged on the convention floor in a corner working out which 13 picture and logo nail files to order.

The lobby art at the Wyndam-- plexiglass and wind chimes....




My Gimmies cardinal:

Some Gimmies I have to do:








And yes, I was bad. Really pretty darn bad. I didn't buy everything I liked, but I bought plenty! What did I order? Well, I'll have to get the formal list out, but off the top of my head....
1. a beautiful half-round silhouette ornie of the 3 wise men on camels
2. a nifty state of California ornie
3.Bothy Threads' Cut Thru Rocket (which goes with their Cut Thru Princess Palace I got at Myrtle Beach from the lovely ladies of Counted Stitches)


4. some awesome Valerie Pfeiffer birds and flowers
5. some beautiful Beau Geste Radko ornie/canvas combos
6. a small collection of some of the world's most adorable and/or stunning ornament canvases
7. a specialty frame for a Ewe and Eye canvas I already have
8. a headband canvas which I can't wait to BEAD!!!!!
9. a few wonderful Gimmies... of course! lol

Well, I guess I better get to finishing stuff, huh! I sure better be a much faster stitcher in 2007!!!!!

I left the show at about 1:30pm to head back the the Emerald to meet up with my sister and BIL who flew in from D.C. We headed straight to Old Town (if you've never been to San Diego, you should come and definitely go to Old Town and dine and drink your way through Mexican food). The chips and salsa were excellent and my raspberry margarita was nearly a smoothie it had so much fruit in it. The dinner was adequate though not great, but sitting outside under a sunny afternoon sky in ***January*** with strolling mariachis was worth pedestrian Mexican food.
My sister and some cool flora at Old Town San Diego -- say "hi"

rbehling1916 While I was taking this picture I think my BIL was taking a picture of me taking the picture. We'll see what shows up in my email tomorrow. lol

Now that it's tomorrow morning in DC the three of us are here at mom's. I cleaned and laundried while they grocery shopped so we're set for a week of sorting and packing.... again. Wish us luck!!!!! My sister really wishes I had goals for the week. It's such a huge job that it's hard to have them, but I suppose I'd like to:
1. get the last of the trucks that we haven't opened (2) or fully explored (another 2) fully gone through
2. to get my Christmas ornaments (the non-stitched ones) sorted, wrapped, boxed, sealed, and stored
3. to pull out and sort/rummage what's left in my room still and get some staging areas set out in there
4. to take another load of books over to the Eaton Collection
5. to get the furniture I know I want at the moment into storage
6. to find the missing Fenton boxes so I can get the last of those boxed and stored

That'll do for a first night list. lol

By the way, you should really check out the Mars Themis website for the images they are collecting daily from Mars --- One of Friday's was especially nice -- they simply called it "Landslides" but it also has a nice, small crater too .....

rbehling1916
http://themis.asu.edu/zoom-20070110a

Completed in 2006

Woo hoo --- look I actualy got a respectable amount of things done this year.... especially given how slowly I stitch!!!

1. 21 misc xs ornies (a bad year in ornie-production land! And none for me)
2. Shepherd’s Bush – Thankful Sheep (for me)
3. Heritage Stitchcraft’s bagpipes card as a wooden box (for the Campbell BIL)
4. Ewe and Eye needlepoint pillow – cottage rose/camellia with striped background (for mom)
5. Tiny needlepoint elephant ornie (for me)
6. Elizabeth Designs – Nature’s Alphabet (for me)
7. Liz needlepoint “button” of a mom and daughter (for mom, of course)
8. Heritage Stitchcraft’s Heraldic Rose (for me)
9. Needlepoint fall clock front (for Naomi and Tom)
10. Trilogy Boo (for me)
11. Little House Needlework – Americana Sampling (a not yet delivered gift)
12. Hobb Nobb – Love square (not yet delivered gift which I need to put the button on and make into a cube still)
13. Floral quilt square for Terry Louise of Taz’ sister
14. Margaret Sherry – Caterflies (a secret stitcher’s exchange)
15-16. 2 CSRR fantasy RRs
17-18. 2 CSRR Christmas RRs
19-22. 4 Sassies RRs (12 Dyas of Christmas; Jerimiah Junction alphabet; pansies, and a not yet delivered “secret”)

Drat this weather....

I like spring just as much as the next person, and yes, I'm a Californian, but this is ridiculous. See what it's like *right now*!!!!

Sunny -- blue skies -- mini skirts -- shorts --- tank tops.
These do not a January in the Northern Hemisphere make! I mean it's January frelling 9th and it's about 80F outside. This is not right. No such things as global warming my a.......... I know. I know. Soon enough it will be 40 and rainy and I'll whine like no tomorrow, but cut me some slack -- it's ****January**** for Heaven's sake! Seems like the only places having winter are CO and KS at the moment. Hey guys, we'd be willing to take 10-20 degrees off your hands.

A side effect of the weather is that plants are blooming....again. It's not fair! I shouldn't have to have allergies *every* season. So here I am, a sniffle-fest with a scratchy morning throat and an arm that still hurts like heck all the time. Yes, I am getting a clue I guess. I'm going to find me a doctor to tell me why I haven't been able to do much of anything with one arm since November. I'd like to sleep normally again, I'd like to be able to put both sides of my hair up, and I'd like to not have to resort to taking ibuprofin every 4 hours to merely be in constant pain rather than agony. Ok, so I get it. I still don't like doctors.

Enough with the whinging (Don't know "whinging," you say? Oh you really should! It's a marvelous word. Go! Make a new word friend.)! On to some serious planning. Actually, first a little whine. Why is it I never "get the memo" on TV scheduling? I missed half of the two-hour season finale of Doctor Who and I consistently missed the second episode of Bones (who said they were allowed to show 2 in a row without notifying me personally?????). Oh, and why does channel 11 or whatever they are calling themselves this month have to start all their shows 2 minutes in advance of every other channel? Sorry, I pulled a video to watch last night since the TV options were so dim only to find out I'm TV-challenged to say the least.

So, on to those plans...... in 2007 I'd like to:
1. finish my frelling dissertation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. make it through (with vicious editing) the piles of video cassettes "decorating" my hovel
3. clean and organize my hovel so I no longer have to fear tripping by magazine, cord, hanger, article copy, hoop, pant leg, or wayward tupperware
4. either fix or buy a new monitor for my computer
5. either finish or formally abandon 70% of my current UFO and WIP collection (which I need to update so I get full credit for anything I do get done!)
6. have my person weigh less and my wallet weigh more at the end of the year than it does now
7. have fewer than 5 new starts this year that will obviously carry on into 2008 (this will involve real thought and some severe self control over my "oooo-look-at-that-one-I-wanna-do-that-one" urges)
7.5. Shop for less stash!!!!!!!!!! {Luckily I ordered goodies last year that don't count in the "control yourself" restrictions for 2007..... These are by Martina Dey from the Thanksgiving sale at Stickideen von der Weihenburg



Know what else doesn't count? -- These WONDERFUL gifts from Jody!!!!!!!!!




8. cook something new from one of my billions of cookbooks at least once a month
9. make a difference
10. keep sight of my office desk tops and floors for most of the year
11. nominate for the Hugos

Enough plotting for now.... until later.
_________________________________
Currently reading: The Fallen Man by Tony Hillerman; Space Cadets editor Mike Resnick
Currently stitching (when I can hold the hoop): Christmas RR; Fantasy RR

2007 "50-ish List"

Ok, so I know the concept of me having a 50 List for a single year of stitching is quite humorous, here goes:

Current WIP/UFOs:
1. Christmas RR
2. Fantasy RR
3. Jody's RR
4. M Designs Wreath ornie from MB
5. M Designs Personalized Sampler -- so far:

6. needlepoint "mustard" gift
7. Trilogy "Gathering of Hearts" -- so far:

8. needlepoint plum floral fan
9. needlepoint large turquoise bear fetish -- so far:

10. Shepherd's Bush "Shepherd's Sheep"
11. HiH "Herbert" (he's my office kit in case I leave my stitching at home)
12. needlepoint Radko red, white, and blue star -- so far:

13. needlepoint "Ladies Day"
14. needlepoint Naomi's lighthouse
15. Vierlanden Mystery Sampler
16. stained glass dove ornie
17. specialty stitches wreath ornie
18. needlepoint lighthouse
19. needlepoint shawl powwow dancer -- so far:

20. floral heart (I just *had* to test my new silk threads.)
21. Erica Michaels' Bloomin' Spring
22. Dimensions small purple angel kit (I ran out of one color part was down one sleeve &^%@^(*@)


Urges to start xs:
4,312,878 ornies, or thereabouts
1. Marquoir
2. purple gift sampler
3. 4 of ST's Fruit of the Vine hearts
4. patriotic something for the Tigg
5. Americow
6. Welcome to the Nuthouse
7. Little House's "Americana Sampling"
8. LK "Friendship tea"
9. Chatelaine -- Egyptian Garden
10. DT -- Perennial Border
11. Whimsey and Wit -- "Lucky Shamrock"
12. Xs and Ohs -- "Medieval Sampler"
13. Blackbird Designs -- "Home of the Brave"
14. Blackbird Designs -- "A Merry Heart"
15. Papillon -- Simple LIttle Shaker
16. Dimensions -- Kathy Morrow -- On Butterfly Wings
17. Enchating Lair -- Believe
18. Midsummer Night Designs -- Quaker Meetinghouse
19. Serendipity Designs -- Calla Lily
20. Sisters and Best Friends -- Wild Rose Sampler
21. Sue Hillis Post Stitches -- Wine a Bit
22. "Quaker Complete" sampler


Urges to Start -- needlepoint:
1. purse "tag" gift
2. T&N guest gift
3. orange and purple gift
4. balck squares Amish quilt
5. Harper's foxes
6. Ewe and Eye's gingham sheep with rose border
7. Liz' -- Asian dragon
8. Tish's "basket maker" in turquoise robe
9. Christmas village "torpedo ornie"
10. skinny Santa icicle
11. Ewe and Eye checkered tree
12. Radko red and green gingham star ornie
13. N&T travel scene

Theme of my life?

Jeez I look over my recent posts and I get the distinct impression that I spend my life tired. My first thought was "that's sily of course I don't." My second, more thoughtful thought was, "then again, now that I think of it....." Sigh. And, to keep with the theme, what can I say, but that I'm tired again. It's true. I am.

I'm going to put the current exhaustion down to still being on East Coast time in a West Coast world. Well, it's what I'm going to put it down to anyway.

D.C was wonderful, thank you. The weather prayers I sent in advance apparently helped. We had spots of rain, but no snow or ice. I was such a happy visitor! I am feeling some worry over the poor cherry blossoms and flowering plum trees/shrubs I saw about town blooming. They are in for a bad shock when the weather changes back to normal again.

The short version of the adventure was I traveled; I cooked; I ate; I presented; I played with the grand nephew and niece; we visited Gettysburg, Yorktown, William and Mary, the Library of Congress twice (I'm official -- I have a lifetime researcher's card now), the WWII Memorial, the Corcoran, ERA's DC home (did I show you the orange kitchen???), and Montpelier; we B&B'd in Orange, VA at the lovely Holladay House (if you head that way I reccomend it especially if they are making the cinnamon crepes for breakfast), we New Year'd a local vineyard with wonderful food, wine, compny, and fireworks (courtesy of the chef's creme brulee torch); we stood along the GW Parkway and welcomed Gerald Ford back to his town; we walked some, and we giggled a lot.


Why doesn't my fae description use the words "exhausted" and "wishing you were still on vacation?????"




What type of Fae are you?

See I can prove I'm here

:)



And now to meet Mr. and Mrs. Claus now that Mr. is back in town....



More about my adventures tomorrow. I'm too tired now............. zzzzzzzzzzz

I made it!!!!!!!!

I had such fun getting here to DC..... I told my sister that I must have some invisible ink stamp on my tickets that says "adventurous traveller" since I always seem to have interesting happenings. My flight was a direct line from Los Angeles to Washington, DC but with a stop to dump most of the people on our plane off in St. Louis since they are catching flights to other places rather than following me to DC.
When we land in St. Louis the flight crew says we'll be on the ground for 30 minutes so if we want to get off and get food we can. Well, the guy in the seat in front of me (seat 7A) waits until most people are off, gets up, looks around, pulls a/his carryon out of the overhead bin above seat 7A and tosses it into the bin across the aisle and gets off the plane. Well after about 20 minutes they board a couple dozen people (we could have all had our own row, I think) and they say the doors are closing and we'll push back in a minute. I flag a passing stewardess and ask if Mr. 7A got back on. She says "the doors are closed." I related my bag concerns. She checks and yes, there's a bag there. No, no one in the area claims it...... while this is going on, we're rolling for the runway. She heads off to the front of the plane where there's some rushed conversation amongst the flight crew. They page the passenger with no reply. The plane stops dead part way to the runway for a few minutes. There is mare chatter and stuff going on up front. We start rolling again, and almost immediately the flight safety program begins. The same stewardess has my section and first class so she's hopping between the two areas to do the demos about how your seat belt works and how to use the drop-down oxygen masks. Well she comes to do the first demo in my area and says "thanks!" and scurries back for demo part 2 in the front cabin; she comes back again for our part 2 and says "we threw it out the window"; part 3 return-- "I mean it, we really threw it out the window." rotflol
I can only hope that Mr. Malik Johnson (aka seat 7A) was in line at Burger King in St Louis and was reunited with his carryon. :)

More news and picture updates soon. Sorry I have 16 million work email to answer. :)

:)

Aww. Violets are one of my favorites and they grow happily in the center of mom's front yard.

I am a Violet What Flower Are You?

I think that sums up my day... work, work,work,work, and work some more, with a few minutes to contemplate violets. :) Not a bad life.

Dang, I'm tired.

I had a 3-hour nap this (err, yesterday -- that is Sunday) morning from 7:30am to 10:30am. I got so involved with sorting and cleaning that I didn't notice the time. I'd have slept in later, but I had Maxine coming over for lunch and I had to get the lentils on. It was fine; I wasn't too tired then, but now I'm exhausted. Absolutely exhausted.

I may not have gotten any sleep to speak of, but I did get a lot of work done. I have a slightly over-flowing recycling bin to show for my efforts and I'll have at least a partially full trash can too by the time I leave. While sorting and such I waded through 6 or 7 video tapes from TV. I gleaned these helpful hints from this experience:

1. Doctor Who is absolutely wonderful !!!!
2. NCIS is the epitome of witty dialog, and Lord knows that's priceless.
3. Bones, while wonderful and not to be missed should not be viewed after 10pm in a big house by yourself.
4. All the CSIs are brilliant.
5. My favorite part of The Unit is the homefront -- probably because I like to see "mere" women outsmart the rest of the world without needing sidearms.



Oh I give up. I think I'll start clearing the path for the bed roll. Heck, in my muzzy state it may take me the better part of a half hour to do that.

Fresh stash :)

More fresh stash arrived. I know I didn't and I don't need any, but it's here now so I can't waste it, right???? ;-)


And a non-stash surprise from Speedy! Thanks!!!!!!!!! I just giggled myself silly when I slit the envelop and puffed the end open to see large eye balls staring back at me.



Oh they simply have to be kidding!!!!! ROTFLOL

Your Hidden Talent

You're super sensitive and easily able to understand situations. You tend to solve complex problems in a flash, without needing a lot of facts. Decision making is easy for you. You have killer intuition. The right path is always clear, and you're a bit of a visionary.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

And then they recoup themselves. I wonder what suggestions they'd have for Connie Willis and James White and Stephen Baxter. :)

You Should Be a Science Fiction Writer

Your ideas are very strange, and people often wonder what planet you're from. And while you may have some problems being "normal," you'll have no problems writing sci-fi. Whether it's epic films, important novels, or vivid comics... Your own little universe could leave an important mark on the world!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

Razzlefratz

Grumble. Grumble. Grouse. Grouse. Someone stole the info for one of my credit cards. No, Mr. Card Man I did not shop twice in one day at the Fredricks of Cincinnati. No, I did not shop at the Gap there either. Sigh. Please, Lord, let this be a one-off. Now I have to scrutinize all my accounts. *(@&#()&@(#)*%^% thieves.

Stash Fix(es)

Stop me before I stash again!!!!!!!!!!!! lol Look at what I got in the mail last week-ish. It's all I can do not to start them right now!

First is Papillon's "Mary Queen of Scots" and "Simple Little Shaker"


Then we have Dessins DHC's "Heart with Elephants," "Sunflowers' Heart," and "Heart's Blues" and Little House Needleworks Dear Diaries' "Hannah" and Emmaline"


Finally some yummies from Carrie's Creations Threads. You really need to get yourself some of these!!!!


And while we're on the subject of stopping me, I thought I mentioned keeping me from joining things. Well, you didn't do a good job of this. I just joined the The Sampler Group's Christmas Club Group. lol MOre folks to stitch in green and red with! :)


ttfn........ I'm going home.

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 10 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

You Are 44% Lady

You're part lady, part modern woman. Etiquette is important to you, but you brush aside rules that are outdated or silly.

Are You A Lady?