Still alive...and kicking and screaming into Finals Week

Here I am back from the cold northern climes (not that cold but it did feel like winter).
Did I do a damn thing with school work...NO
Did I do a damn thing in cross stitch land....a smidge (I worked on a Gud Huswife freebie...but that was all).
It was nice to see my relativos (mom, stepdad, and sis) and I got all my childhood stuff out of the house, and watched the Steelers win yet again. 10 and 1 woohoo.

Got a boatload of stuff to do before the big finale. Two tests and an insect collection.

wish me luck
I'm off to teach the last Lab of the semester

Hot Volcano Action

I was perusing the internet and came across this....
Did you know Mt Saint Helens has been actively erupting for a month +?
Yep she is slowly re building her peak...it is an awesome thing to be able to "see" via the internet.
I was able to visit her in 1996 and was awed at the distruction still left after 16 years...but so excited for science to be able to observe the regeneration of nature from within our own continent. Now they get to see the rebirth.

Im back

WOOOOOOOOO that was a great retreat.....I got to meet lots of XS crazy ladies, got to know better the ones I met before, got tons of stash, got an LNS fix ( I miss those) , and get to cross another state off my list.

Ok, we drove up friday morning, Sara drove up from Fayetteville, picked up myself and melanie in Greensboro, then we picked up Donna in Clyde...Took us about 5 hours to get there. We lunched at Old Mill,went to Dixie Darlins, then stitched the rest of the night.
Sat I went with a few ladies to Pfaltzgraff outlets (3!!!) My pattern is Ocean Breeze...I got a rug, kitchen towels, a cooking timer, 6 soup bowls ($1.99 each) and a serving bowl ($2.99). Checked out another LNS ....Needlecraft Cottage...then Back to Dixie Darlins, plowed thru everyones stash for goodies and stitched till 12.

Purchased Stash aquired included
2004 Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue
lots of Linen ....32 count for the flip it series +
Bent Creek : eduCATed, and Signs of Autumn
Believe Angel Bust from imaginating
Some overdyed floss

Free stash:
Lots of leaflets from Shepards Bush, Kats By Kelly, Old Prarie Schooler Charts, some evenweave fabric,
Charts from Little River designs (Emily was there showing her newest designs), Including Happy Everything, and Believe in Fairies.
And Lizzie kate's 2004 santa.

Freebies....holy cow I must have 50+

I was able to finish my cancer cattitudes by MS (Was in the July britich Cross stitcher)
Got some headway on the Let Freedom Ring sampler chart (from the Primier Issue of Cross Quick, from the 80s) (ohh did I mention I started that too)
and and started the eduCATed....I had too..... Look at it!!
So that brings my WIP totals to 7 not bad....and I have enough stuff to get through another
year or so.


Wel I head home for Thanksgiving tomorrow....I will post from there.

Before I go.......

I haven't stitched much lately... but I am going on the retreat this weekend to TN, should be stitching all weekend There are 2 LNS there...I plan on lots of S.E.X. (stash enhancement experience).

I have been reading lots of blogs on blog explosion (if you have a blog I highly recommend it), and I wish I had the wit of half of these characters. Check them out till my return on monday.

http://www.wenchymcwench.blogspot.com
http://hausfrau.typepad.com/housewife_chronicles/
http://arthurlifeintheshadows.blogspot.com

Pray for Mercury

Sad news, my cat Mercury(5 year old orange tabby) has been missing since Thurs night. He ran away when we first moved into our new house just over a year ago, and returned after 10 days. (hasen't liked being outside in the daylight since). We had him microchipped. (since he has shed every collar and tag we ever bought for him).
We have cruized the neighborhood a bit and talked to neighbors...but no luck.

Gardening is for the worms

so here is my gardening saga....I was planning on putting in a new flower bed this fall,with 2 hydrangeas, move the five random azaleas in the yard, move all the bulbs i discovered last spring, and plant new bulbs.
First issue..no visitors....last fall (our first fall in the house) Ian's parents came and helped in the yard, and my mom came and helped me plant stuff, our friend Paula was here to help rake leaves too. this year nobody cares, they have seen the house, and now they have other houses to visit (i guess). maybe we put them to work too soon.
Second issue...no time...last fall i had 2 classes and a job, this year I am taking 2 classes and teaching 2 classes, and working on this silly thesis.
Third issue...no tiller....I wanted a tiller (we have a friend with one) so i could plow up a new bed and grind up the old compost pile (its full of roots , the last owner hadn't turned it in 12 years). But my DH kept forgetting to get it, or other plans would arise....needless to say I should have done this weeks ago.

AND NOW we have frost Friggin GREAT

So I have a bag full of bulbs, a yard full of leaves, pots full of hydrangeas, and rock hard ground (well not rock hard yet).

So now here is the plan............................ready...............................i don't know what i am doing.........................This sat I will have the tiller (or one husband I know will be dead). I will till a larger than planned bed, and the compost pile. I will then only plant the bulbs (they are snoozing anyway right?). the hydragea will stay in the garage so as not to freeze in the pot, and the azaleas will stay where they are. The bed I will enrich and insulate with shredded leaves....then in the spring I will plant what I had planed on transplanting this fall.

If you see any problems with my gardening plans please let me know now.
I don't want anybody saying I told you so later.

Not much on my end

Not too much new:
Cross stitching: I finished 6 geese a laying on my 12 days of christmas afgan (Jalynn). Sorry no pics, we keep talking about a digital camera but they are so expensive.
School is chugging along, there are 3 weeks left and I am done as of last week (mentally)
I am gearing up to go on the Tarheel cross stitching retreat next weekend in Pigeon Forge, TN. I need a break away from home/school.
Slowly realizing I have to shop for christmas and dreading it....not ready yet. Ian as usual has already bought his gifts for his parents (the trick is mailing them in time..packages have been known to sit around for months...Not my fault).
My friend Allison called me saturday to say she is pregnant (after 3 years of trying). I am very excited for her and am so glad the saga has had a happy ending.

Ian and I went to the Carolina Renisance Fair on Sun. Our 4th year in a row (my 5th) Had a great time, there is always something new. This year they had guys teaching how to contact juggle like Micheal Motion (like the ball thing in Labyrinth). It was fun and actually possible.

We also saw The Incerdibles.....must see!! no seriously drop what you are doing and go now.

Gotta go teach now bye

Say it ain't so John,

I have never feared a person in power before, at least not beyond my immediate environment.

The re-election of W has put me into a depression of a sort I did not know existed.
I was hopeful....now I am very scared. I am scared for the environment, the endangered species, and earth. I am scared for america, we have never been so hated and I fear the plots against us will increase with that hate. I am scared for my rights as a woman, the supreme court is about to change. I am scared for our government, its been along time since one party has had such complete control over the legislative, executive, and soon the judicial systems. The balance of power is no longer in existance. I am scared for my friends who are gay, who (apparently) will not be tolerated if they want rights. I have never thought of leaving this country....until recently. I fear I will not be rich enough to live here.

I pray, that like a hibernating bear, these four years will pass like a dream. and that all my fears will be for naught.

So much to do.....

And I'm not doing it.

So I KNOW not to pick up a book while I'm in school....(besides texts and articles of course). But I read "We Are The Mulvaneys" by Joyce Carol Oates this weekend. Yeah I couldn't put it down, and yeah I thought the writing is good, But I just am very unsatisfied with these "real" family stories. I like the characters and the trials they go through are real....but it just felt shallow and selfish, like none of them (except the youngest child, who is telling the story) look beyond the obvious...do any soul searching...or try to do what is right by others. Maybe thats what the author was aiming for. But I have never met a whole family like that. (to tell you the truth I can think of only 1 person over the age of 20 who fits that description). Maybe I'm sheltered but this felt very unrealistic. That will teach me to read anything from Oprah's Book Club again.

Ian and I saw Team America last night. It was better than I had feared but not as good as I hoped. If you like South Park the humor is the same but not as sharp. I liked the use of marionettes...that was unique. The puppet sex was just for show (and shock value?)
Kim Jong Ill 's (sp?) character was the only one I looked forward to seeing, and the hollywood actors kept me laughing. But the Team America characters were bland and boring. I felt Trey and Matt held back too much in this satire (maybe Michael Moore could of helped.) Oh and mom...don't go see this, a puppet pukes...alot.

YES I voted...last friday....
waited an hour and a half. Go Kerry!

Post Halloween depression

Ok not really. I will have post fall depression, I love this season. I was warm here this weekend, and I tried to do some lawn stuff but I think the heavy action (making 2 flowerbeds) will be happening this coming Saturday. The leaves are dropping like crazy and I hate that the prospect of raking them all up makes me dislike fall. Ian and I are thinking of renting a chipper shredder to make mulch from all the leaves. What I would really love is that Cyclone Rake. But you need a rider mower to attach it to. Yeah there is a couple thousand I can part with around here some where.... At least the hickorys didn't drop any nuts this year. the acorns have it. It must be a alternate year thing.
I finished the January blocks...and was going to move on the February but the fabric I have is 28 count instead of 32 (which is what I used for January and July). so that is on hold for now. I resumed the christmas Afgan...12 days of christmas by Alma Lynne I'm on 6 Geese a laying

Oh well back to school work