Back online!

Thanks to the Genius at the Apple Store, the Mac is back!

However, when you're basically unplugged from the universe--fighting with the tablet does not count--it is amazing what you can accomplish.

The halls are decked.  Except for the tree, but we get a formerly live one and will wait until we get back from Williamsburg to get it. For some strange reason, we think it's a bad idea to go off and leave a tree unwatered for almost a week.

The last of my Barbara Jackson Williamsburg ornaments is stitched.

Finishing is needed, but since we don't have the tree yet, it can wait until we get home.

I finally finished the stitching part of Chrysanthemum in Autumn.

I have no idea why I was dreading the base of the flowers so much, but the day after Thanksgiving I gave myself a stern talking-to, sat down and did them.

I should have dreaded the monogram that goes on the lid. Why cross stitch over one thread seems to take so long I do not understand, but I thought it would never, ever end.

So now this goes into the finishing basket.

And I've almost finished the leaves on the garland which will be in the tray that fits in the box that goes with Merry Cox's Young Lady's Workbox.

There are a lot of leaves. A lot of them. Many, many leaves . . .

Now I'm trying to decide what project to pack for my expedition to Williamsburg. Keep in mind that I am taking three classes. Remember that there is a boutique.

But I will be there for parts of two days before the first class or the opening of the boutique and I might have a minute or two for stitching. . . it's amazing what can be rationalized . . .and, besides, I need to get my stitching supplies together tonight.

I'll decide on clothes later.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today I am thankful for

• A loving family and supportive friends
• Having enough of what I need
• A good job
• Access to the geniuses at the Apple Store on Monday, when they will hopefully cure my extremely ill laptop
• Use of this tablet to stay in touch with the outside world, although typing on its keypad is laborious and I can't figure out how to load pictures
• And next week I leave for Williamsburg and the Just Cross Stitch seminar

As you may have gathered, somehow I got malware on the laptop, and nothing we've been able to figure out has removed it--so we have an appointment with Apple on Monday. Baby Girl said I likely fell prey to one of those scams directed towards senior citizens who are savvy enough to avoid Nigerian princes but who can be picked off by something that looks legit.

I guess I'm a senior citizen.

Sigh . . .

Anyway, since this tablet is likely to become a Frisbee if I get any more frustrated with typing on it, the blog is likely to be quiet for the next few days.

This will actually give me more time to stitch.

There is a silver lining.

Swimmy Headed

Last Monday morning, I threw my back out.

Again.

Apparently I have what my doctor calls a "fragile" back.

Anyway, with the pain meds, the muscle relaxers, and the anti-inflammatories, I have been in an altered stage of consciousness for a week. One of my great aunts used to describe this feeling of not-quite-being-in-ones-body as being swimmy-headed, and that describes it about as well as anything.

However, despite all that, I have made it into work every day. I cooked and hosted our family Thanksgiving feast yesterday--Dearly Beloved and I will have a less extensive and intensive version on the real Thanksgiving Day--and I managed to get two more of my Barbara Jackson Williamsburg ornaments stitched.

Obviously, neither is finish-finished. If my back continues to improve, that may happen during the long holiday week-end. I have Friday off as well as Thursday, and I am planning to do a little bit of Christmas prep while I'm at home.

Assuming I'm over the fear of moving the wrong way and having to be swimmy headed again.

A Cold Wind

Somehow that seems appropriate, since we woke up to temps in the 20's this morning. That's a bit nippy for the Carolinas.

Anyway, Barbara Jackson's 2015 ornament through SNS is stitched--notice I said "stitched" but not "finished."

I love the worlds that Barbara creates so I rummaged around in the stash and found an ornament from Haus Tirol that came out last year. I started it last night.

I have two more ornaments in last year's series, and I am getting into a "deck the halls" mood, so I may just keep on working on them for awhile. Then the plan would be to set up an assembly line and get them all finished in time for this year's tree.  Right now, I seem to be in a mosey-along-and-stitch-on-whatever-strikes-my-fancy mood, and these ornaments definitely strike my fancy.

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

Like everyone else, I am shocked and horrified by the string of terrorist attacks throughout the world, with Paris first on my mind. We can't forget the loss of life from the bomb on the Russian airliner and the attack in Beirut, either. I cannot fathom the depth of hatred that could precipitate these abominations. I pray that a way to change the minds and hearts of those who plan and carry them out can be found.

And then this . . .

Because it was on the top of the basket  by the wing chair and because it's the last part that will go into Merry Cox's workbox, I started the piece that will make the tray.

I am absolutely thrilled to pieces to have the lettering done and out of the way (well, except for the attributions that go at the top and the bottom). I just don't like stitching letters. No clue why, but it may account for why I vastly prefer band samplers from the 1600's to any other sampler I might stitch. They rarely, if ever, have letters.

The best part of this--aside from having it done--is that it's tent stitch over one and not cross stitch over one.

I was going to stitch the pretty basket that appears on almost all of the pieces of the set, but the same thread is used for the vine as for the saying and there was still some in the needle when I stitched the last letter. Well, a threaded needle is a threaded needle, so you may as well go ahead and use the thread instead of taking it out and then having to thread it back in later--so I started on the vine. And then, once the vine was started, I figured I may as well finish it.  And then, once one side was done, may as well do the other. And then I wanted to get a few leaves worked in. And so the basket wasn't stitched.

Meanwhile, I got into trouble again with Shining Needle. Carole Lake and Michael Boren have been doing a fundraising project, called Stitch for A Cause, almost every year, and this year's entry is currently available.

Starry, Starry Night is what they're calling a Flash Class. You can sign up and get a pdf for immediate download if you want to stitch from stash. However, if you would prefer to have the threads and canvas in a kit, that option is also available. Each kit has enough materials to do two ornaments, so if you need an ornament for an exchange, you'll have that covered as well. There are seven potential color ways if you go the kit route.

As I am looking for the most stress-free possible holiday season, I decided not to dive into the stash room to look for canvas and threads. I have opted for a kit.  I'm going for the version called Snow White, which flips the colors in the original, although I was vastly tempted by the ones called Quicksilver, Holiday Red, and Holiday Green. Actually, there is an option to get additional kits in different colors, but I was trying to be reasonable.

Sadly, I'm not sure how long I can maintain my reason in the face of such temptation . . .

As usual, I offer this information only in an enabling capacity.  I am always happy to get other people into as much trouble as I stay in.

Reindeer Games

Well, maybe they're not reindeer, but it is a Christmas ornament . . .

I have the stitching for the second lesson of Cold Wind Doth Blow completed.  This is nothing short of amazing . . .I'm actually keeping up with an online class!

And even more surprising because I decided at 4:30 a.m. the other morning that I was not going to worry about any arbitrary deadlines for the rest of the year.  There are some things that I have to pay attention to--deadlines at work, for example, and Thanksgiving and Christmas are going to arrive on their appointed dates whether I have the picture perfect holiday organized or not--but I am not going to make myself crazy over anything else.

I have even removed the notepad by my chair at home that I like to use for lists. Other than grocery lists, I am avoiding the lined paper with places to check off accomplishments. I already feel more relaxed.

And I decided that I wasn't going to make myself crazy trying to come up with a blog post every day in November.

Being the contrary soul that I am, getting rid of the to-do list--which makes me resent having to do all the to-do's--may result in being more productive.

Wouldn't that be a kick!

Framing it Up

Last night I tacked The Wind Doth Blow onto its stretcher bars and got started.

Well . . . it's not much, but it gives me starting places for everything else!

Rainy Days and Mondays

And it's been both.

Enough of that.

There was a little more stitching last night, just enough to finish the pin cushion for Merry Cox's Schoolgirl Workbox.

There is only one piece left of this set to stitch and then it can go into the finishing queue.

However, a dear, dear friend took pity on me and sent me a set of 7" stretcher bars so I can start The Wind Doth Blow tonight. And that is exactly what I plan to do.

Yippy skippy

Daylight Savings Time is OVER!

I may be the only person in the continental United States who doesn't like DST, but it finally feels like my internal clock is functioning correctly and that I'm not off-kilter. At least, no more off-kilter than usual.

And I have used my extra hour to advantage today.

It occurred to me that I had not worked on the background for Eve in several weeks, so this afternoon I got this little section filled in.  It's slow work, and I'm going to need to budget time each week to work on this. I would like to have the background filled in by the time I have my vacation days at Christmas.

Wish me luck.