The Stitching Basket

The stitching year in review. I had several goals for 2005. Some of them I reached, and sadly some of them will never be reached.

1. Lose 100-110 lbs. – With only days left in 2005, this isn't going to happen. But I didn't gain any weight in 2005 either, so that is good. In 2006, however, this is the new goal.
2. Finish EK – I was at the half-way point when my dad died, and found I didn't want to write on it anymore. To painful. However, there may be light here, and a way to finish. Which means, this will be a promising finish for 2006.
3. Finish DR – This is still where I stopped in August. It's on the, I-really-hope-to-finish-this in 2006 list.
4. Find an agent – Four rejections from agents, will query more along with editors in 2006.
5. Sell a mss – I’m still working on it. And still scrapbooking them.
6. Start Gateway – It’s got 2 complete chapters, a partial 3rd and I pretty much know what's happening here.
7. Start/finish W. Quilt #1 --- Motivation would come if they, I don't know, set a date, were enthusistic about getting married as opposed to a social obligation.
8. Start & finish W. Announcement #1 – It's chosen. It'll get done early in 2006
9. Start & finish W. Announcement #2 – This isn’t needed anymore.
10. Start & finish W. Announcement #3– Nope, this one isn’t needed either.
11. Finish TW's Storyteller – Allright, this has to be done in 2006
12. Finish scrap Split Rail Fence quilt for mom. – Hehehe, I may have to scrap this one and start something else. None of my pieces lined up. Ooops.
13. Finish Dutchman's Puzzle quilt for dad. – This is one of those things that may never get done. It's hard enough to remember I can't pick up the phone and call him.
14. Finish my Dragon quilt. – It's also on the I-really-hope-to-finish-this in 2006 list.
15. Complete cross-stitch gift for DD teacher. -- Well, lets just face it, I'm horrible at buying or making my DD teacher a gift. I didn't get around to it this year either. Maybe it'll get done, maybe it won't. At this point, I'm not sweating over it.
16. Finish DD Birth announcement – She's 7. It's got to get done. Definitely in 2006
17. Finish DNiece #1 Birth announcement - Um...the design is picked out. And this is now complicated by the impending arrival of nephew #2 for DB and DSIL (#5 overall).
18. Finish DNiece #2 Birth announcement - See above.
19. Decide if DSis will get 1 birth announcement for all of her kids or 1 for each. (Not sure of her reception to homemade things.) – This is decided. She doesn't get one. She has more than a little disdain for homemade things. Unless she's out of money, and then it's okay for the youngest ones to have homemade clothes. Otherwise its the popular name brands. (at least popular here).
20. Design and make costume for ball in 2006 – The Costume Ball has been postponed until March 2007. I'll do it 2006.
21. Design and make 2 Halloween costumes for 2005 – DD got done. I didn't do mine. Not a problem.
22. Send out four proposals to either editors or agents. – I did it. I got rejected by all four.
23. Finish "The Lord's Prayer" (3/4 way done) – Hey, look, a stitching goal! I finished this while my Dad was in the hospital.
24. Get the cross done on TW's Celtic Cross. – Hey look!! Another stitching goal! Oh, wait, never mind, Um……winter -- sounds like a good idea. That gives me until 3/21/06 technically or whenever all of the cold, white, crap goes away (aka SNOW).
25. Pick out background fabric for Stretch, Futurecast, and Tempest. -- Futurecast was started. And either got stolen or lost along the way. Stretch and Tempest are sitting patiently in the wings.
26. Clean, organize, and declutter my bedroom – Nope. THis may be one of those things that never gets done.
27. Clean, organize, and declutter the utility room -- See above.
28. Clean, organize, and declutter the garage -- See above.
29. Blog more – Overall, I'd say this was a success.
30. Write Daily – Hmmm. This doesn't count, because mass amounts of stress can give you writer's block. And if it does count, I didn't reach it. And I'm not sweating this one either.
31. Participate in NANOWRIMO – I did. I exceeded my goal. And that is all that matters.
32. Stay on top of schoolwork – So far, so good.
33. Dean's list/4.0 this semester – I'm pretty sure I made the Dean's list this semester. We'll see.
34. Rejoin FF&P – OOps. Not this year.
35. Enter FF&P OOTW contest – Missed it.
36. Enter RWA's Golden Heart – I don’t have anything ready to submit, so I’ll have to be content for next year. Oh well.
37. Read the Bible – I misplaced it somewhere, so I need to get another one.
38. Stay on top of my finances – Really I think this should be a life long goal. I think I’ll be constantly working on this one. Enough said.
39. Get a head start on Christmas sewing and shopping – I was done, and then my grandma decides, that this year at least, we'll be spending time with the b*(&h and her brats.
40. Read two books a month from my reading list (one has to be a classic) – I haven't read anything in a good two months. Now, that does stink.
41. Give up pop. – This is on the I-really-hope-to-finish-this in 2006 list but could up on the not-on-your-life list.
42. Binder Park Zoo w/ DD and DBro and his family – Nope. We didn't go to any zoo's this year. WHich is unusual, since we try to go every year. Maybe in 2006.

Lots of things being carried over into 2006. Ah well. So goes life. As far as the state of my stitching basket. I discovered Lizzie Kate designs this year at my LNS when I was looking for easy things for my DD to stitch. I picked up a few for her and a couple for me. And then I picked up one for a friend of mine, along with all the supplies she'll need, and I'm going to teach her how to stitch. SHe mentioned wanting to learn, and I've got a whole month before school starts again. This year I had several Happy Dance Finishes. Not necessarily the one's I finished, but I had them none the less. I finished Liberty and Justice, The Scottish Piper, and The Lord's Prayer in August. I started and I am just about half way done with Futurecast. I also finished 6 ornaments so far in two seperate round robins, which I've enjoyed so much, I entered a 3rd one. *makes mental note to pick up supplies* I did make progress on The Last Supper, Storyteller, Netherlands Windmill, and the Faerie birth annoucement for my DD. I don't know how much I'll finish this year. But slated for finish in 2006 is the Wolf Sweatshirt for my Stepdad, the Windmill, Storyteller, 3 Birth announcements, the other annoucement, the Faerie Annoucement, and hopefully two squares on the allready started bird afghan. Oh, and not to forget the ornament exchange with the girls. And besides having an overwhelming urge to add "and a partridge in a pear tree" I think I might add to my holiday stress with a sweatshirt for my brother. I have a pattern from Stoney Creek I think, that has an eagle and the flag and says something like freedom isn't free. So in short, my stitching basket is a chaotic mess, and I look forward to the many hours of stitching, without frogging I hope, and of course, adding to the mess.