The Stitching Basket

Welcome to another edition of the Stitching Basket, when I hold myself accountable to the goals I’ve made for myself this year.

Writing Goals –

I started the year off with a bang, averaging about 3 pages a day, but in mid-January my roommate died and I’m still trying to figure out how to tread water. So I haven’t gotten any writing done. Which also means, I haven’t finished anything and I haven’t submitted anywhere. I did start to look for conferences for SFWA and haven’t found a lot, admittedly, I haven’t looked real hard, and I have yet to join RWA SIC FFP hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will.
I haven’t sent in my registration for RWA’s National Conference. Now, I’m wondering if I should even go, given the upheaval here. I have started to organize my research both on my computer and in my filing cabinets – it’s true. I have started separate folders for different subjects and by author(s) or publication(s) when possible. It’s horrible and yucky, and way unnatural, but oh well. It must be done.

General Goals –

Here too, I started the year off with a poof. I started watching what I eat and how much and started exercising three times a week. But I know I'll feel better once I start working out again. And it'll get easier as time goes on. I haven’t checked into YMCA memberships because right now I still have free access to the school’s gym and pool.
I have begun to put together spreadsheets of all of my books, movies, CD’s, Cross Stitch (Wow, I didn’t have nearly as much as I thought. That’s rather sad somehow) and sewing stuff. I have started to get ideas down for Christmas for my friends and family. I basically know what I’m going to get my brother and his family, and my grandma, it’s just my DD, my mom and step-dad, and then my friends….hmmm we’ll see…
I have started to organize my bed room and utility room, now, especially out of necessity. But it’ll be nice have to less clutter taking up space. I mean really, I can’t possibly need all of it!
I made the Dean’s List last semester!!! I’m so thrilled!!!!!!!!!!! GPA is still recovering from the nosedive it took last winter, but oh well. I’m doing the best I can and I can’t ask more than that. My mom and I are thinking about going to Frankenmuth and Bronner’s sometime this spring!!! I can’t wait!!!! And of course we’re going in October -- middle to end hopefully.

And Now for the good part –

Stitching and Sewing Goals
I’ve finished several ornaments for the two Round Robin’s I’m in. I stitched about 100 stitches on Storyteller and then had to frog every blasted one because I count funny. :S I found the pattern for my nephew’s birth announcement, finally, so I’ll be starting that soon. I also have all of the floss I need to finish my step-dad’s sweatshirt. Yeah!!! He may actually get it this year!!! I bought Forest Goddess from Mirabilia and decided I didn’t like the pinky-purple dress and it needs to be more of an orangey-red and so I have to do that before I can start her. But since the Meandering one initiated a SHE SAL I had to find another SHE to work on, so I will be doing the Japanese Angel (which I can't find a picture of online :( ) from Barbara Baatz for my DD. I haven’t found the fabric I want for the Last Supper, which I have to restart because I count funny. But I have started Celtic Banner, finally. I’m thrilled about that one! And since my aunt gave me the Stitch-bow system, I’m finding it’s great for holding everything, though I haven’t had to un-wind any of the bobbin thingy’s yet. And I have decided that I want to get a new (and sturdier = sturdy period) Cross-Stitch Frame. My mom decided she wants one too, but she needs one that holds hoops, which is what she works on, so I think we’ll both be getting one this year. Yeah! And since I inherited all of my roommate’s fabric, I will be doing a lot of scrap quilting this year == well I’ll get the tops done at least. I do want to do at least one each for each of Nancy’s sisters and her mother with the fabric I’m inheriting – But SHHHHHHHHHHH it’s a secret – and maybe even one for the niece she was closest too. She would like that. I don’t know if I’ll do one for her grandson, and it’s low of me, but I know I won’t do one for her son. He broke her heart and I can’t forgive him for that. I do have a quilt and an announcement I need to start because I may even get to go to a wedding this year. It’d be nice. But we’ll see.

Choices

Have you ever noticed how certain events in our lives can lead to seemingly unconcious choices? And then those choices lead to new habits.

For example -- something I'd only realized the other day -- when I first came home after leaving my now-ex, I was 15 minutes early for everything. I was used to that. I was in the habit of doing that. And then something happened to change all that. It was the 23rd of December, my friend L and I were taking my DD and two of her cousin's kids to a local Trees from Around the World Display, and DD and I had to leave early to be at this friend of the family's house for dinner. So, we did and we got there on time, only to find out that I was actually an hour early. They told a couple of us an earlier time so that we would get there on time. They thought it was cute, I was insulted and if it hadn't been for my dad being there, I'd walked out, since I have no use for that sort of thing. And now, I'm mostly chronically late for family get togethers. Why be on time? No one else is. And they're just going to find fault with something anyway. THese were unconcious choices -- unconcious, because I didn't actually make the decisions -- I didn't think about it and then go "oh, yeah, let's do that", it "just happened". It just happened because I didn't do anything to stop it or change it or even look at the root of it until now. And that happened about 4 years ago.

That was my choice in reaction to an event in my life. A defense mechanism? Maybe, possibly. I'm not pysh major, minor, student, or doctor, and I don't play one anywhere...but I do know that our brains are extremely complex and we, as people, develop a thousand different ways to deal with things. Ways that protect us so that we can function in a way that is normal for us. I have a friend who knowingly chooses to avoid situations that compound her grief, makes sense to me, but she probably made some unconcious choices that developed into habits, and are in the process of developing into habits to also deal with things so that she can operate at a level that is normal for her. We're people, it's what we do. Coping techniques, defense mechanisms -- we have them, we develop them, we use them.

Even something as mundane as how clean or unclean, organized or unorganized your house is can sometimes be traced back to an event and a choice. My SIL and Mom have houses that look like they could be on the cover of a magazine -- beautiful -- not a dustbunny out of place -- the type where you are afraid to sit down because you might wrinkle something, bland and neutral in my opinion, and me, I'm the opposite --- mostly. It's not like I have science experiements growing on my counters and in my sink. But you can tell I live here, and I'm comfortable. My house is normally full of life and color and a family that stays busy and active. But I also at one point had a house that belonged on the cover of a pretty house magazine. And looking back, I know where the change came from. It is my reaction to my choices being taken away. If our choices are taken away, we will still react to them.

At least, that's what I've learned, because alas, again, it is a period of introspection. I recommend it to everyone, you learn the most fascinating things about yourself and others.

The Rule Of Four

I've never seen it before, so I thought I'd swipe it from the Lunatic


Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Air Force Jet Mechanic
2. Receptionist at the County Bank and Morgage Company
3. Adjuster at the Evil Unholy Bank
4. Math and English Tutor at the College

Four movies I would watch over and over again:
1. Lord of the Rings trilogy
2. Princess Bride
3. Pirates of the Caribbean
4. Gone With The Wind

Four places I have lived:
1. Kadena Cho, Okinawa, Japan
2. Goldsboro, North Carolina
3. Denver, Colorado
4. Panama City, Florida
(there are more, but that's a fair spread)

Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Crossing Jordan
2. Law & Order Criminal Intent
3. Good Eats
4. Extreme Makeover Home Edition

Four places I have been on vacation: (Thankfully it doesn't say they have to be recent!)
1. Smokey Mountains
2. Houston, Texas
3. Mackinaw Island, Michigan
4. Caribbean

Four websites I visit daily: (Um, well, I do when I'm online)
1. GRCC, this is more of a must though
2. Dragon Dreams
3. GRRRWA
4. Google

Four of my favourite foods:
1. Dark Chocolate
2. New York Cheesecake
3. Dutch Apple Raisin Bagle with Honey Walnut Cream Cheese from Panera
4. Penne Pasta with Arrabiata Sauce, Pancetta, and Prosciutto

Four places I'd rather be right now
1. Ireland
2. Scotland
3. Greece
4. Caribbean

Four people I am tagging:
The next four Elves that wander by.

Shrouded In Black

Once again, I'm shrouded in Black.

Five years ago I met her, my roomate, my surrogate mother, my sounding board, and my friend. We worked at the evil unholy bank -- the one we were laid off from. Four years ago, along with her niece --on of my best friends -- we became roomates. When my dad was in the hospital she relayed messages back and forth from me and more of my friends, she watched over my DD and made sure she was taken care of. She mothered me and my DD. And last night, she went home. She is without pain, sorrow, or suffering. And I am in pain.

I kick myself for not being there, for not doing more. No one seems to blame me, but me. I said I would take care of her. And I lied. And I don't know if I can ever forgive myself. I don't know if she will forgive me.

I have lost my friend and my DD has lost a 2nd grandma.

I am lost.
I am alone in a crowded room.
I am shrouded in black.

Quiz Time

You scored as Albus Dumbledore. Strong and powerful you admirably defend your world and your charges against those who would seek to harm them. However sometimes you can fail to do what you must because you care too much to cause suffering. Albus Dumbledore 95% Sirius Black 70% Harry Potter 65% Remus Lupin 65% Ron Weasley 60% Hermione Granger 60% Ginny Weasley 55% Draco Malfoy 55% Severus Snape 35% Lord Voldemort 5% Your Harry Potter Alter Ego Is...? created with QuizFarm.com

WW => EK => WW Again

The story I've been working on forever now, has become three. Today, in hopes of meeting my new resolution -- at least one of them, I've written about 5 pages, but I also figured out how to keep track of the "texts, letters, prophacies, and other documents" used in my story. NOt to mention the timeline and printed out the first 10 chapters so that I can start to edit, revise, and check for consistancy. I'm hoping that this will be finished by February 1st.

Big Burning Ball in the Sky

All across the county people stood in awe as clouds cleared and gray turned blue and a yellow burning ball was seen in the sky. Reports have confirmed, it was the sun. And everyone jumped for joy.

The Newest Bug

The newest member of my family arrived very early this morning. My nephew was born just before the crack of dawn this morning. A full head of hair. He's totally adorable. And since I was there to witness it, I'm so not bias. :)

There's Blue Stuff Up There!!!

In a moment of awe and wonder, people in W. Mich. stopped to gaze at a patch of light blue edge with golden yellow breaking through the dull gray sky. Questions of its origin and identity spread rapidly.

Rumors and unconfirmed reports state that it may have been the sky and the yellow stuff is the sun. Both are out of sight of northerners for most of the calender year. There are no confirmations available at this time.