I can't believe it!!

Ready for a wash, iron and framing!  It is finished!!

I'm in shock!!  I can't believe I actually finished it!!  Now I either need to get ink for the one printer or fix the other so I can make my working copies of Halloween House so I can finish that one.  THEN I can start my projects for the new year!!

I'm back....

Woo Hoo!!  I have the laptop back and can post pictures!!  I have been using the hubby's tablet and that thing just does not work with trying to post pictures on here!  After finishing the wolf, I picked up Halloween House and am about halfway through it.  I need ink for the printer to make working copies of the next two pages and it is put up until I do that.  So in the meantime, I picked up 6 Fat Men.  Here is how that is coming :)

I'm stitching it on 14 ct Aida Snowstorm Opalescent.  I'm adoring the way it is turning out on that fabric.

Oh and those kitty babies?

They are such precious additions.  We love them dearly.  Their newest thing is to knock off our drinks from the night stands in the night.  Waking up to "splash" is not fun.  Well, and they don't do it just at night either.  If there is a cup, with liquid, and it can be knocked off, it will be.  If it's empty, they aren't interested.  They exhibit some canine behaviors.  They run to the door with the dogs when the dogs bark because someone knocks.  They line up to beg for table scraps.  But they are still just the sweetest little devils!  Gambit is fascinated with outside.  He is an escape artist and can sneak out that door faster than a bullet.  He did get out one time with no one knowing it.  He was out all night and i could not find him all the next day.  We were all just sick.  James and Tas found him that evening and he was scared to death, but no harm had come to him.  Thank God. 

It is hard to believe 2012 is coming to a close.  I look back with all the stitching goals I had and it is a good laugh!!  I did 5 or 6 ornaments, a birth record, the wolf and I'm pretty sure I can finish 6 Fat Men.  I have learned my lesson and have very much slimmed down my selection for 2013.  I do have an HAED on the list for 2013, but it is not on the expected FINISH list.  Won't be long now until it is time for a total update of the blog :)  Hopefully now with the laptop back I can get back to a more regular blogging.  I don't have my camera so will have to use the tablet for pics, but that is ok.  At least I can do pics now!!!  Yay!!!

It is finished!!

I finished "A Beautiful Wolf" tonight, well, this early am, however you look at it.  I was having trouble getting pics to load from the tablet, but I found another way to do it, so here are progress pics of the last month.  I worked on this one project only since it was supposed to be a birthday gift for my son's 18th birthday that came and went on June 30th.  He was okay with it being late, but I refused to let myself stitch on anything else until I finished this for him.

This is where I was on July 7th.

This was July 14th.

This was July 22nd.  that big patch of white had me so excited!!  It made the stitching go so much quicker.  As you can tell, I finally learned how to grid also and this helped me A LOT!!

And this is tonight/this morning, completed at 12:07am, August 4, 2012.  Pretty good for someone who has only done small ornaments if I do say so myself!!  I am so excited and have it soaking now, and will give it a light scrub tomorrow.  As it has been a project for the last 6 months, it did get a little grimy.  Especially since it sat on a shelf for 3 months out of that 6.  Then to let it dry, iron it and go mat and frame shopping.  I'm so excited!  I showed Tyler and I actually got a "Wow!" out of him.  This kid rarely shows anything other than a deadpan "cool", so that was a pretty awesome reaction.

Oh, and if you're wondering about those kitties we rescued, bottle fed and raised that threw me out of the stitching loop there for a few months?  They are now 3 1/2 months, permanent members of our household, with permanent names of Gambit and Logan, and here they are:

Gambit has his head tucked under, and Logan is the one with his head up.  Gambit is the wild child, trouble maker of the two.  This pic was taken July 9th.  Gambit has a cast on his leg atm.  He got it caught in a chair he was climbing on and dislocated his shoulder and caused a hairline fracture while he was at it.  Oh lordie, that cat gets into some mischief let me tell you.  Logan is the sweet little angel lover boy of the two.  He is a momma's boy and Gambit is a daddy's boy.  They are 3 1/2 lbs now.  They bring so much joy and laughter to our lives, and yes, a few gray hairs.  They have a passion for jumping into the fridge anytime the door is open, and they are very fast about it.  On more than one occasion I have found them in there from the previous time someone has gotten in the fridge.  Scary thought, but luckily someone is always in the fridge in this house.  Gambit likes to "box" with the dogs.  It is quite hilarious to watch.  Of course we try and stop him from doing it with the cast right now.  He has become very adept at using it as a weapon against the dogs.  He lies in wait and loves to bop them in the head with it.  They are becoming more night creatures, so I wake up to wonderful new messes every morning.  Just this week they discovered paper towels and toilet paper.  Life is certainly not boring with them around!!

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I've been very bad!

I haven't updated in so long!  The kittens are thriving and 10 or 12 weeks old now?  They are active little troublemakers and such entertainment.  I can't find my blasted camera to post pics, so this will be a pictureless update.  We have decided to keep the kittens, are you really surprised?  How could we not?  As such, they have permanent names, Asher became Logan, and Booger became Gambit.  Gambit is just like his namesake and does not know if he is good or bad!  Logan is the lovey dovey of the two, at least to us, not so much to his brother.

The last month has been focused on my baby girl, Cashew.  She became deathly ill after I used Sentry flea and tick drops on her.  They very nearly killed her.  Two weeks into that battle, she had to fight a very nasty infection where she ran a 105.3 fever.  The poisioning of the drops and the infection were overlapping, but with the poisioning hurting her kidneys we were first focused on that.  Then we cha ged to the infection when we had just about given up hope and didn't think she was going to pull through.  On the 1st I took her for a check up as she had started vomiting again.  She was about 80% herself, but I panicked when she started vomiting.  Boy, am I glad I did.  More tests later and her platelet counts were down to 8.  Yes, 8.  They should be between 148-448.  She was on the verge of hemorrhaging and woukd have died within a week.  Underneath all of this was erlichicia (spelling is wrong I'm sure), which is a tick-borne disease.  She is on prednisone and a 3 week round of doxycycline and had a short burst of meds to help with the vomiting.  We are unsure what stage she is in, so we don't know what the future holds.  The prednisone will temporaril bring up the platelets while the doxy goes to work.  We'll hpjust have to see if they stay up once she weans off it.  We do 't know if this will be long term or short term.  On a good note, her kidney function had greatly improved and she has mostly recovered from the sentry drops.

On the 30th my Tyler turned 18.  So hard to believe.  He is taking a 13 hr course load in one tiny summer session and going nuts.  I am very proud of him.  I did not get his wolf done in time for his birthday so I am not allowing myself to stitch on anything else until I finish it.  But oh how Halloween House, 6 Fat Men, Christmas and Halloween ornies and smalls are calling to me.  I still have 2 and 1/4 pages to go on wolf.  Soon.

I hope everyone is having a great 4th.  I am putting together a little spread for my guys.  We aren't going out, too many idiots on the road around here.  We'll probably watch a movie later.  Of course I will stitch on wolf also!

Stay safe, cool and have great stitchy success!

No Stitching

Once again, a no stitching week.  So this week will be another personal update.  If you're more interested in stitchy news, don't read any further :)  There, that is my disclaimer :)

I don't have very many pics this week.  It has been a week full of appointments and not as many opportunities to pullout the camera with the kitties.  Monday found us on the college campus taking care of some of Ty's stuff for the summer.  Tuesday I played cabbie for my father-in-law and helped out with a situation with granny.  Wednesday was Seb's counseling and Ty''s dermatologist check up.  It seems like the late afternoons were spent trying to get a hold of doctors to get med prescriptions figured out, trying to call and get Ty's neuro appt in Dallas scheduled (still waiting to hear back and will be calling back on Monday) as well as trying to schedule Seb an appt for his knee (we can never get through, we're talking 30+ minute hold times).  Pharmacy not notifying us upon pick up there was a problem or hold on getting a prescription filled.  Just crazy.  Then a moody teenage on that?  Now let's top it with a normal down loop in the marriage cycle.  You know how most marriages have their typical patterns, same 'ol, same 'ol, and some of that same 'ol, is the same 'ol thing that can be a down point?  Yeah, we hit that point and just need to make time for us again.  We'll do it though.

Now on to the good part, the kitties had their vet check Wednesday and all looked good!!  They got a tiny bit of wormer.  I was a little stumped on some of what my vet said and talked to Linda, my handy dandy wonderful kitten encyclopedia friend.  We came to the conclusion that although my vet is really, really awesome when it comes to dogs, he may not be the bomb when it comes to cats.  Nothing against him, and if these were perfectly healthy, perfectly started kittens, then it would probably be fine, but these guys started out with a short stick and I really want "the bomb diggity" when it comes to the kitties.  I think I found just such a vet today and will take the kitties there at 6 weeks for their first shots and see what I think :)  Which leads me to something that is just been heavy on my mind as I go through the stumbles of raising these two little guys.  See, I'm adopted.  I was taken away from my biological mother at 18 months.  Yeah, I got the first 18 months, but it wasn't great.  Then I was booted to 6 different foster homes between 18 months and 4 1/2 when I was adopted.  Their reasoning was, they didn't want the foster parents to get attached, but it instead taught me not to get attached.  So at 4 1/2 when I was adopted, although I loved my mom and dad very much, I never really attached until adulthood.  My parents and I went through a lot of angst, and as I've gotten older and we talk more, we realize just how much none of us knew back then.  If the state would of offered post adoptive counseling, things might of been different, but they didn't do that then.  So we didn't understand each other.  I remember how much pain I felt, and how detached I felt.  If I was such an awful BABY, that my OWN mother couldn't love me, how could anyone else?  Let me tell you, that thought alone drove so many decisions in my life to way too late in adult life.  Bad decisions.  It took a long time to realize it wasn't me, it was her.  I've met her and I don't hate her, nor hold it against her.  She is a product of what she was raised.  But we have nothing to do with each other.  But at least I was able to realize it wasn't me and to be able to finally accept love in my life.  Then I look at these little guys and think of all the things their mother is not going to be able to teach them, things I'm going to try and fumble my through, and things I will miss and hopefully their instinct will kick in.  And I hurt for them.  I hurt that they are missing out on that bond that they should have been able to have.  I know, they have me and James.  But, we aren't momma cat.  We can never replace her, fill that void.  I worry when I see them desperate to snuggle with one of the dogs that they are craving that furry, animal to animal contact that I can't give, and I keep praying one of my dogs will step up and give them more than 30 seconds of that connection.  I love these little guys so much, who woulda thunk?  I do have a few pics...so here they are so we can end this morbid little post with a smile :)

Logan in one of his favorite spots.  (oh yeah, we're pretty sure *Asher* is a boy, so his name is now Logan, if it turns out to be a girl, it will be Rogue) 5/13

Gambit (formerly known as Booger, who is most def. a boy) sleeping soundly. 5/15

Issy has quit being stuck up and decided to start trying to figure out just what these little creatures are!  And yep, Logan's eyes are open, although Gambit didn't like the flash!! 5/15

We're starting to walk!  Logan actually did this 1st!  Gambit had a little trouble because he was so belly heavy!  5/15

Logan, I'm coming to get you!! 5/15

James - Logan is snuggled up under James's chin and Gambit is wrestling in the crook of his elbow :) 5/15

And of course Lil Momma (Cashew) has to make sure they are ok!  5/15

Gambit and Logan napping, aren't they just tooo cute?  5/17

Logan trying to play with Gambit.  5/18

Gambit is more interested in Lil Momma! 5/18

No Stitchy News - Picture heavy

I know, 2 weeks and no stitching news, no news whatsoever!  How bad am I?  Horrible I tell ya!!!  But it has all been for a good, good cause!!  Yes, the kitties are still with me!!

This is from the 27th when they came into my care :)

Kitten B on May 2nd....

Kitten A on May 2nd....  Yes, they were Kitten A and B because I tried not to get attached for numerous reasons...yes I said tried..and yes, in this picture Kitten A is drinking from kitten B's bottle....oops, we weren't sleeping much then!

May 5th....Kitten A, now Asher, snuggling after feeding time with Cashew, now "Lil Momma".  Don't worry James was taking care of Kitten B, now Booger.

May 7th, top is Asher, bottom is Booger, showing off how big their bellies are getting :)

May 12th, the 1st day Booger opened his eyes!!  And I'm past due for more pics!!  On the 13th Asher opened his eyes, and just today he took his first steps!!  We're not talking scooting here, we're talking up on all 4's and wobbly steps!!  I'm so proud!!  This first half of the week has been full of appointments so I haven't had a chance to breathe, much less take pictures, and sadly it may be Thursday before I get to do that.  These two little guys are my reason for not stitching the last few weeks.  I'm hoping Thursday evening I might get some stitching time in.  Lord knows I've missed it!  Oh, by the way, we are now so attached, we're keeping them.  And depending on the sex of these little guys, Booger will become Gambit (if he is a boy, Storm if a girl) and Asher will become Logan (if a boy) or Rogue if he is a girl.  Time will tell!!!  This week we'll go to the vet for a little check up.  I hope everyone is having great stitchy success with no frogs and I hope you enjoyed these pics!  If you want to follow these guys a little more, they have their own place   www.boogerandasher.shutterfly.com
Shanda

Holy Crap Batman! It's Monday!! 6 Fat Men SAL

Yep, I have no progress because I did not get to stitch today, but I have a really good excuse as to why.  I won't get into all the details as to why, but I have 2 newborn orphan kittens that I am nursing and trying to save.

Yes, the little bit of fur you see is my Ms. Cashew, she is being somewhat of a lil' mama with this guy and def. checks on them.

Aren't they just too precious?  Yep, not much stitching or sleep in my near future, but it is worth it.  We are running to the vet tomorrow.  One is having trouble pooping, the other finally has started pooping.  They are both very much underweight, so we will see what my awesome vet Dusty has to say :)   I'm afraid with their weight their chances are pretty slim, but I'm going to do the best I can to pull these lil guys through!

shanda

Monday 6 Fat Men SAL

Okay, so I don't know if I'm just tired, knee pain, distracting, bad mood or all of the above, but stitching just isn't working for me today.  I'm afraid I didn't get more than a few rows done today and he is definitely going bag in his project bag until next Monday.  Here is after stitching today...don't you just love my doggie huggy?  I'm done with stitching for the night and just going to read or something.  I am very out of sorts today!!

 

Pre-6FM SAL Confession and IHSW

I was a bad girl this last week.  After getting my first ever generic Q-snap, I didn't want to put down my 6 Fat Men.  I wanted to keep seeing how much different it was to work on that fabric with that kind of frame.  So I worked on him all week.  Also, this past weekend was International Hermit Stitching Weekend and guess who I worked on?  Yep, 6 Fat Men.  But don't worry, I didn't get but maybe 50-100 stitches done.  I've been having a tough time with my knees, especially this weekend and was distracted by the pain.  Now, if you'll remember, this is where I got to on last SAL day:

.And I really thought it only fair that I post a pic of my progress on him from this week and weekend before I start on him for today's SAL.  So here is that pic:

Yes, I know I made that thing on the left one solid line, here's to hoping I can just stitch his arms over it and it be okay.  I'm really hoping I can finish this block today, that would be so nice!!  Now remember, this was all work done this past week, not during the SAL!  Now I'm off to stitch!
Shanda
 

My babies :)

Okay, so a non-stitchy post today :)  I recently asked a fellow blogger to see pics of her adorable chihuahua fur babies.  I thought I would return the favor and post pics of my 5 fur babies.

This is Dolly in her favorite spot.  She is otherwise known as Dolly Molly or Dolly Lhama.  She is Seb's dog.  She is the one we think might have some fatty cancerous tumors.  Dolly is one of the most mellow dogs I've ever seen.  She's pretty darn quiet.  Amazingly though, she is one hec of a vicious guard dog.  Do not ever enter our fence or house without one of us with you because Dolly will tear you up otherwise!!  Unfortunately Dolly is also the dumbest dog I've ever seen.  If you could see into her eyes, you would know it too.  You can just see that the light is on, but no one is home.

Meet Angel, a terrier mix.  Otherwise known as "chunk chunk".  yes, she is one solid chunk.  She is such a doll though!!  Officially she is Tyler's dog.

Now this one is all mommy's girl.  Meet Cashew.  She is a Jack Russell/Pug mix.  She loves her mommy and goes nuts if mommy is gone!  Oh, and yes, you can tell a little that I love snowmen by my coffee table in the back!

Ahh, the great Tasalhof Burfoot Markham.  She is "James's" dog, but really, she is so loving and easy going she is everyone's dog.  She is our most social dog of them all.  We have found very little that she does not like and she loves everybody!!

Dolly, Tas, Cashew and Angel were all rescued.  They were either adopted from the pound or the SPCA.  Angel and Cashew were the most abused/neglected and it shows in their personalities.  Angel is the most timid and skittish.  She's even afraid of the dark and won't go outside at night without someone with her and a big light on.  Cashew is also pretty darn afraid of people.

Last, but not least, is Princess Issabella. She is a "blue" chihuahua.  She is the "baby" (not in age though) of the family.  She has had luxating patella surgery on both back legs.  She is mostly daddy's girl and has almost an obsessive love/fascination with him, but yet she also loves everyone.  She is definitely momma's girl when she is not feeling good though.  Issy is the only dog I have ever bought.  I saw her and just could not resist her.  I had never seen a grey chihuahua, nor have I seen one with a nose as long as hers. 

All our doggies are extremely spoiled, and although 2 may "belong" to the boys, they are very much a pack and all sleep in my bedroom.  I know for a fact the boys will not be moving out with their dogs, it would be very traumatic for the fur babies!!  I hope you enjoyed meeting my babies!

Shanda

Q-snaps

So I've just been introduce to the world of Q-snaps and I love it!!  What is your favorite size of Q-snap?

6 Fat Men Moeusday SAL and other pics

Okay, so the 6.F.M. SAL is supposed to be on Monday's, but my Monday was so busy I just didn't get a chance.  So I pretended today was Monday, thus the birth of Moeusday.  I did get to work on for a bit today, not as much as I'd hoped.  It was another packed day and by the time I got settled in to stitch it was early evening.  It took awhile to adjust back to the small count of the fabric.  And man, I do not like that fabric.  It just seems to get so "loose" or something and really makes it a p.i.t.a. to work with.  But here is what I got done today on him...not much...

Just the little house got finished.  We'll call my errors changes artistic differences and I just wanted a different floor plan and color scheme for my house :)

Last week was a week of smalls and I worked on personal Christmas ornies.  I did get some unfinished finishes done.  One of these guys has already been shown as an unfinished finish, but the other two are new :)

Now this next little guy is from the Easy Cross Stitch magazine I have. The one I have ended up not liking to stitch from.  Me and their patterns just do not jive very well.  Which means sometime this weekend I'll need to go change my project goals.  Luckily I did find some more snowmen ornies to swap out with :)

I got the car inspected today so it is all legal now..thank goodness.  Now I need to get the alignment done and the fuel filter changed.  Oil change and fixing the hole in the air filter casing is also at the top of the list.  Then we need to get the transmission looked at to see what we are up against there.  Once we get the filter casing fixed, we'll have to wait and see if the engine light comes on again.  If it does I have an air flow system problem somewhere that we will have to track down.  Then we need to start saving for the transmission fluid/filter, etc to be changed.  Chevy didn't make it cheap on this car, that is for sure!  Once we get the alignment done we'll be putting Tyler back behind the wheel and getting him up to speed for his drivers license.  Lord help me!  After being cooped up in the house for so long with the car being wrecked, it is weird getting back into the groove of taking care of all the household stuff again.  Feels like I'm hardly home!!  Tomorrow Seb has counseling, and Ty needs to call AC and set up his appointment with Student Support Services.  I'll have to run BACK out to Walmart to pick up one of my prescriptions that wasn't ready today and I need to remember to pick up laundry detergent while I am there.  I packed up a little ornament project to take with me to Seb's counseling so I can stitch while I'm waiting.  Now that I can do, it seems like I have a never ending to do list...but I am very thankful that I can go and do again!  It feels good to get out of the house and be a little more productive!!  Okay, that's enough whining and pictures for today!!  Hope everyone is having a wonderful stitching day!
Shanda

First Day, First Time = FAIL

I joined the 6 Fat Men SAL.  My very first SAL, and I am so excited to not only be in my first SAL, but need this SAL for accountability.  Stitching this is so difficult for me, it's my first time on such small linen, I've been a strictly 14 ct aida girl.  We're supposed to stitch every Monday.  Yep, today is Monday and for me, it's a FAIL.  As soon as I got up, I had to go get the registration for the car, yeah, the one that got wrecked back in November, that the tags expired in November, that we just now got running.  Once that was done, it was off to get the new tires and a new bulb for the rear brake light that was out.  Those things had to be done before the inspection could be done, which is also expired.  But before I could get the inspection done, I ran out of time and had to take the boys for their routine check up.  It went very well, but we were late getting out.  So off to get pizza for dinner and home, with a massive headache.  Thus no stitching whatsoever today.  So tomorrow, I'm going to get up, go get the inspection down, post office run, and pay a few bills, then my day will be all mine.  And that is when I am going to pretend it is really Monday and do my 6 Fat Men SAL.  Shhhh, don't tell!!!  LOL.  Yeah, it's gonna be one of those weeks isn't it??
Shanda

A Finished Finish!

Except for one teeny tiny detail I do want to add before it's all said and done.  I do want to add a little jingle bell before it is given to Ms. Zoe for Christmas...but yes, I finished her Noel Christmas ornament!!  And I did it as a pillow ornament!!  Major improvement over last years uneven, hard as a rock ugly things!!  Still have lots of room for improvement, but oh so happy!!!

The front, yep, def. needs a little jingle bell in the center of the bow there don't ya think?

sorry it's blurry, I think there is a setting off somewhere on my camera, or I was extra shaky tonight. 

Tried to get a close up of the edge.  Tried to do something different.  I'm not real pleased with it.  I didn't want straight ribbon, but wasn't sure what to try.  I'm so new to this, and I'm not real creative in this manner.  I did add little beads though.

Overall, I think it is a huge improvement last year.  I have a lot to learn on finishing though.  I see so many beautiful ornament finishes and other type finishes out there in blog land, I just wish I knew how to re-create them!!  I did have a goal this week of finishing this ornie, and for all intent and purposes it is (gotta wait till I have the $$ and time to go get jingle bells), so I'm pleased with that.  The next 2 days the boys have appointments and I seriously need to quit procrastinating on the housework I said I was going to do!!  Friday looks clear so hopefully I will be in my cave working on stitching another Christmas ornament!!

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Finallly, Pictures!!

First I gotta show off the changes I made to the Girl Cave today!!  I got Pappa's quilt back yesterday and I hung it in my cave today.  When I met Pappa, all he had wanted for a long time was an American Flag quilt for his bed.  Pappa was very patriotic and had served in the Korean War (I believe, could be wrong) and WW II (this I know for sure).  I immediately set about designing one.  I was still pretty new at quilting at the time, so it didn't turn out that great, but Pappa treasured it.  He was also the first of the Markham's to accept Tyler and I into the family 100% and unconditionally.  I cherish this quilt, not because I made it, but because it belonged to Pappa and he cherished it.  It broke my heart that after he passed it was stored in a closet.  I love that it is now close to me and I feel closer to him now.

Just so you know, I'm not totally selfish, this wall is opposite the door to get into my cave.  The door has a window in it, as well as a window next to it.  The room next to my cave is the laundry room.  So as the boys do their laundry, they can see the quilt as they do their laundry, or when they come in and hang out or talk to me.  Same for James.  It is a very special reminder to us of our beloved Pappa.

I also moved the quilt my mom made for my MicKenzie.  James did not like the window behind my chair.  I loved the natural light, but as I do spend many late hours in here, James does have a point.  My cave is at the very back of the house and it wouldn't be hard for someone to be looking in that window.  Don't know why that would want to, but it really bothered James.  So, I moved Kenzie's quilt to cover the window and feel like a part of her is watching over me :)

Then, on my other wall, I moved my favorite pics of when the kids were little on each side of the Guardian Angel pic from my mom.  I love looking up there and seeing their faces!

And I finally took what little progress pics I have.  First is the Noel ornament.  I back-stitched it in a red Krienek  and gave it candy cane striping with it also to add some sparkle.  I also added a little present button to it.  I still need to finish-finish it.  I'm hoping maybe this week if I'm not too full with dr's appts!

This is where I got to on A House Is Made before Ty's wolf started calling to me:

And this is where I've gotten to on Ty's wolf:

Now I'm afraid the wolf isn't calling as loudly.  So depending on how this week's appointments are looking, hopefully I will get to finish the Noel ornament and get a couple of more ornies stitched.  Due to the extended family situation, I gave a reprieve on housework this weekend, but I'm going to try and juggle it into my daily rotation this week, if my back will co-operate with it and if I'm not over-run with appointments.  Yes, I really need to get that calendar out and take a look!!  I hope everyone has had a great Easter and is getting to relax and get lots of stitching done!
Shanda