Life's a Stitch

A New Location for My Blog

2010-07-23T19:37:00.000-04:00

If you have come here on purpose or by accident please join me in my new location which is Sylvia's Life's a Stitch. In order to coordinate my gmail account with my blogger account I had to move to a new URL. I hope you will join me there.

12 Stitches a Day at Work

2010-07-21T12:22:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post Gay Ann Rodgers challenges her students to do at least 12 stitches a day on her projects and I have extended that to my stitching in general. I decided to take one of my WIPs to work and stitch 12 stitches a day on this project every work day. I try to do this as soon as I came in while I am having my morning coffee. This way if life happens and I get no stitching time at home during the week I have done at least some stitching on a project. Because this project is painted canvas and I am doing it entirely in tent stitch it is easy to pick up and put down. Here is how I have set up my work space. Since there are only 7 skeins of Impressions fibers I took a LoRan project card and attached 1 inch rings through each hole and each skein. When I need a new length I can just pull it without detaching the fiber and cut the length I want. Then i thread my needle and go. The project is small enough to prop against the wall and is next to my phone and where my laptop is docked ( it is to the right of the phone. So I can even do a few stitches when I am on the phone. I feared this project would become a UFO but by putting in my office I will work on it regularly. I estimate that it will take a couple of years to finish it but it is very gratifying to see the ongoing progress on this piece.

Stitch of the Month Year- to-Date

2010-07-20T10:33:00.000-04:00

As soon as I joined ANG in January of this year I began to stitch the 'Stitch of the Month' mystery project. I didn't care for all the colors the instructor selected so I spent about 4 hours over 3 trips to my LNS selecting alternate colors and fibers.I wanted to select fibers available to me in the store and not order them online. Therefore I had to make a number of substitutions. Now this is more difficult when you have no idea what the entire design looks like. Initially I decided to stay with the same shade of red the designer used but substituted different fibers. I then selected a dark green and a medium blue. After stitching the March installment I decided I didn't like the blue and ripped the blue all out. I replaced the blue with a cream color. Here is the design stitched through July.

Here is a close up of the June and July section. I am really enjoying stitching on this and want to keep going but I will just have to wait until the August installment.

July SBQ

2010-07-12T07:32:00.000-04:00

1. Do I stitch because I want to be alone or do I end up being alone because I stitch? This a paraphrase of the question but gets to the heart of it. When I began to stitch ten years ago I did it to keep my hands busy during long faculty meetings. While I like to grab some quiet time with my stitching I also stitch in a variety of different settings such as soccer games, waiting for an appointment, or by myself in my stitching chair. So I would say neither statement is true for me. I do however find it relaxing at the end of a busy day or first thing in the morning to sit quietly and stitch and reflect on what ever is currently going on in my life.

2. What are the characteristics of my ideal stitching group?
Ideally I would like the group:

to have a mix of ages
have light but fun conversation ( not gossip)
or discuss current issues
and feel comfortable enough to share our stories
feel free to help each other
share ideas and techniques
laugh a lot
celebrate together
meet either in a shop or a public meeting space

I like the idea of it being like the old fashion quilting bees you read about.

12 Stitches a Day

2010-07-10T08:00:00.001-04:00

I recently joined the Shining Needle Society . One of the instructors, Gay Ann Rodgers gives us a weekly assignment with the intention of keeping us moving forward on her projects but she is extending to the entire SNS student community. The challenge is simply stitch 12 stitches each and every day. I decided to take that a step further. I took one of my painted canvas WIPs to work and started stitching 12 stitches per day sometime during the day. This is such a beautifully painted canvas that it is hard to tell where I have stitched but if you look closely you will see I have worked on the outer blue border and the inner blue border. I am stitching this piece with Caron Impressions and I love the way this fiber handles and looks in this design. I am doing this design entirely in tent stitch. This piece has been put aside for more urgent projects but this way I will make slow but sure progress. I will also do 12 stitches a day at home on my focus project of the day.

Walk with me...

2010-07-08T15:50:00.002-04:00

I decided to lose weight and to mange this through exercise and good eating habits. OK now that you have had a good laugh pick yourself up off the floor and read on. If you have never worked at a university you don't know what you are missing. The pace of life slows down a bit and you have time to form new habits. While on vacation I decided that instead of going to the gym to walk on the thread mill I would walk around the campus early each morning instead. On Tuesday, I headed out with water bottle in hand for my first walk. While listening to Northanger Abbey I walked and decided to share my campus with you by taking a picture or two each day that I walk. Since it was just after 4th of July here is a picture of the students artistic expression.

This rock gets repainted on almost a daily basis throughout the year so you will probably see it again. By the way my first walk was lovely.

Something New and Something Old

2010-07-02T15:52:00.000-04:00

Each Thursday night of the month there is a stitch night at my LNS and each has a different theme. The first Thursday is hardanger. I decided I wanted to learn more about this type of needlework so I picked a project, collected the necessary fabric and fiber and went to learn about kloster blocks and the blanket stitch. After frogging the first attempt because I miscounted ( I only did four stitches in each kloster block) I ended up with the following. This is the beginning of a Christmas ornament in the current JCS Ornament Preview issue. Next month I will learn how to do woven bars and dove's eyes.

I also decided to go back to a long time WIP and finish it this month.This is the third part of Chatelaine's original Mini Mandala. For some reason I have been struggling to finish this one. I think it is because I don't like some of the colors yet when I see a picture of a completed one I love the way it looks. I have to remember that how colors look are impacted by what colors they are next to. So I have put all my new starts aside and I am going to finish this WIP so I can have the three piece set framed. I started working on the set about 6 years ago and on this one in January of 2009. I worked on it for a month and then put it away until this spring when I did a little work on it and again put it away in favor of some new counted canvas and needlework projects. In going through all my stash and WIPs I decided I really want to finish it so I started on it again yesterday. Except for stitching night at my LNS I will focus on this piece for the rest of July.

Inch by Inch...

2010-06-23T09:23:00.000-04:00

Here is the latest progress on my lavender Blue Celtic Knot. I am having trouble getting the right lighting but I have added the next three bands around. Two are in Caron Water Colours Abalone and the outside band is in DMC Perle Cotton # 5 - color 327. The next band to go in will be in Caron Water Colours Delphinium which is a very pale blue with hints of pink. I am about 40% done and I am really enjoying stitching this one. I discovered today that if my lengths of DMC Perle Cotton are too long by the time I get toward the end it has lost its sheen and gotten fuzzy from rubbing against the canvas each time you make a stitch. I have been using 36 inch lengths so I am going to cut them in half and use 18 inch lengths. It makes for more starts and stops but there will be less wear on the fibers that way. I had to take part of it out and redo it because it looked so fuzzy so it is probably better to have more starts and stops. You learn as you go.

My first projects with yarn

2010-06-18T14:02:00.000-04:00

One of my goals for the year was to learn to knit. I started by taking an evening course ( 4 lessons) through continuing education at the local high school. I wasn't satisfied with what I learned there and took out a series of lessons on DVD and bought a learn to knit book from Michaels. With these tools for guidance I made my first project, a stegosaurus scarf for my daughter. I used Classic Shades by Universal yarn which is a wool/acrylic blend in colorway 707. You won't find this yarn in stores like JoAnns or Michaels. I was on a trip with my husband and went into a knitting store and found it there.

I have now moved onto a prayer shawl for my sister in law. I am using the same type of yarn but in colorway 702. This is a simple knit three-purl three pattern using number 10 needles and 81 stitches cast on. I am getting lots of practice equalizing my tension, counting, adding another skein of yarn and correcting mistakes. When I have a chance I will add a picture of how the shawl looks so far. I have completed 112 rows and am about 20% done.

I also wanted to learn to crochet. I decided to look up local knitting shops and it turned out one of them has classes in knitting and crochet. I took a half day beginning crochet class and then went home to practice. I decided to make a lap throw for my dad. When I took the class I selected yarn for the class that I decide to use for the throw. So I went back and bought more skeins of yarn. Now I am also practicing my crochet techniques. I tried to make a granny square and I did not like the way it turned out so I doing this lap throw with double crochet only.

I am so happy I found this shop. they are very helpful, have a beautiful selection of yarn and wonderful instructors. The classes are also very reasonably priced. I will go back for more lessons when I am ready to learn more techniques of crochet or knitting.

If you are just getting started a useful website is Ravelry (http://www.ravelry.com). There are forums for help and the ability to keep track of your projects in your own project notebook. I have also invested in an app for my iPhone called KnitBuddy which helps me keep track of all my projects needlework projects.

Week End Progress

2010-06-14T15:53:00.001-04:00

Over the weekend I got to work on Lavender Blue Celtic Quilt. I finished the helix, the light blue border around it and the purple border around that. This is a fun piece. The purple is DMC #327 perle cotton #5. The rest are Caron Water Colors in Abelone, Delphinium, and Night Sky. This is stitching up quickly. I just haven't had much time to work on it. If you want to see the before picture it is in this post.

Stitching Bloggers Question - June

2010-06-07T15:42:00.000-04:00

Each month Lake Stitcher will pose a question for each of us to answer either in your own blog or as a comment on her blog. You may also post your answer as a comment to my blog if you choose. This month the SBQ is:

Tell us about something that you have stitched or plan to stitch for any father in your life. Maybe it’s for your father, your father-in-law, your children's father, your grandfather, your godfather, or someone who was or still is an important father-figure in your life. Why did you choose this particular piece of stitching? Tell us the story behind it.

The only father I have done any stitching for is my husband. I have done four pieces for him. The first one I did for him was in recognition of his favorite pastime for the last 9 years, golf. When my husband undertakes to learn a sport it becomes a consuming passion. This is what happened when at the age of 50 he decided to give up his every day basketball league in favor of a sport that was less demanding on his joints. Our 11 year old son had just been to golf camp, introduced him to the sport, and a local legend was born. In recognition of his passion for playing golf and becoming good at it I stitched him a small design called "I love Golf"from an issue of Just Cross Stitch Magazine. It was his father's day gift in 2004.

And because a simple one part question is never adequate, let’s go some more:
Often times we identify our love of needlework and our skills with our mothers or grandmothers or other women. It’s understandable because often they were are first teachers or role models. Now let’s think about our stitching life as it relates to our dads. Is there anything about our approach to stitching that we can recognize as traits of our fathers? For instance, does your dad (or any other important man in your life) have an approach to one of his interests that you can observe and think, “Hey….if I substitute the word “needlework” for “fly fishing”, we’d be pretty darn similar!” So tell us about it.

My dad has been involved with electronics most of his adult life. He is meticulous and organized whenever he was building some electronic quizmo. I spent many hours as a teenager watching him work on the delicate small components and learned much from him about how to plan a project, collect your materials and tools, set up your work location, working carefully and precisely, and cleaning up when the project was done. Much of this knowledge applies very well to my needlework and I use it everyday. His other axiom was "measure twice cut once" for household projects. This is a practice I employ in cutting fabric but also in checking my stitching where you often need to count twice before proceeding.

SBQ Project or Process Stitcher

2010-06-05T09:24:00.004-04:00

I found this question on Just String but it is from Lake Stitcher.

Now….to the Question:

Suppose we say that there are two types of stitchers.

There are those who enjoy the “process” of stitching. They stitch for stitching’s sake and if something gets finished, so much the better, but it’s not necessarily the end goal. Primarily, it’s the application of needle and thread to cloth that makes them happiest.

Then there are those who are “project” stitchers. They move steadily through their projects, certainly enjoying their stitching time, but finding their greatest joy in the completed stitching.

If you had to pick one to describe yourself, which type of stitcher would you be? I imagine that we could all say that we fall somewhere in between, but really think hard about this and try to pick just one. And once you’ve decided whether you’re a Process or Project stitcher, tell us if your recognize that approach in other parts of your life.

My immediate reaction to this question is to say I am a Project Stitcher because I usually stitch a piece for some purpose. However upon reflection I realize how much joy I get out of the process. I love the change in the feel and weight of the fabric as more and more stitches are applied. I enjoy watching the design emerge from something vague and out of focus to a clear representation of the designer's vision. I look forward to the time spent in my stitching chair so I can relax. And as a process stitcher I don't mind having a number of projects on the go at the same time, moving from one to the other to enjoy different types of stitches and techniques as my mood dictates.

As for other parts of my life I believe I am the same. I have a process for most things that I do and I enjoy moving through that process. That goes for everything from creating a new lecture to cleaning my house. I am more focused in following through on my methodology and doing a project the way I want from the start than on the finishing of it. However, I am good at getting to completion but that is not the fun part.

Finishes and Starts

2010-06-05T07:51:00.009-04:00

May was a very busy month both at home, at work, and in my needlework.
It was the end of the quarter so there was lots of grading. There was graduation to prepare for which meant practicing the pronunciation of over 100 names since I got to announce the graduates for the first time this year. Our fiscal year ends at the end of June so the budget has to be closely monitored. The faculty are getting ready to leave for the summer so I had to plan and facilitate our faculty retreat. At the end of the retreat I treated the faculty to ice cream, congratulated them on another successful year and waved goodbye as they headed into their summer break.
The busier I got at work the more I needed my needlework to relax me. I knitted and crocheted. I did cross stitch and needlepoint. I finished two projects, started two projects, and continued to make progress on others.

I finished a needlepoint Heart for my ANG chapter outreach project. I am new to needlepoint and this is the first project I have done without a stitching guide. I was really unsure how to go about it so I started to browse through Suzy's Portable Stitches ( an iphone app) which is also available in regular book format. I scrolled through the stitches trying to see what new stitch I could learn that would suit the shape of this project. What I selected is called the diagonal oriental variation. It allowed me to move across the heart from lower right to upper left on a diagonal I also picked a Caron Water Colour called geranium. Since it is variegated I was able to move from that through to a deeper color ( 815) in Perle #5 at the left hand side of the heart and use yet another Perle # 5 to stitch the pink ribbon in the middle.

I also finished stitching for a biscornu for my Cyber-Stitchers chapter. The chapter members stitched over 200 biscornu for a regional S-A-S that is happening later this month. I was happy I could donate one. I unfortunately was in such a hurry to get it in the mail that I forgot to take a picture. However the pattern I used was Teresa Wentzler's Beginner's White Work freebie stitched in ecru on a coffee colored linen just as it is shown here from her web site.

I started an lap throw for my father this month to practice my newly developing skill in crochet. I took a beginner class in April and decided to make this project with my new skill.

On Memorial Day weekend I also started a new needlepoint project titled Lavender Blue Celtic Quilt by Nancy Buhl from Nancy's Needle. This isn't a great picture but you can see what I accomplished in two days of stitching. I am stitching this on 18 count canvas in a light blue. The fibers are a combination of one # 5 perle cotton and four different Caron Watercolours in shades of blue, green and lavender. It was a wonderful month all around and I am looking forward to seeing what I can accomplish in June.

Callaway Gardens

2010-05-14T12:36:00.006-04:00

I am spending time everyday exploring the world of needle arts online. I am finding out about new to me organizations like the National Academy of Needle Arts. What I found on Wednesday is what appears to be an extraordinary retreat /seminar event. Since it is new to me it may be new to you also. It is called The Callaway School of Needle Arts and is held in a resort like setting that looks wonderful for two weeks every January. The 2011 School information is up on the web and if you are interested you can find more information here. If I were going to go I would have a hard time selecting among the wonderful classes. This is an example of one of the pieces that appeals to me called "Frankie. It is unlikely that I will go since I teach and it is hard to break away in January. It is so nice to day dream about it though. January is also a great time to travel from the northeast to some place warmer even though Atlanta is not always that much warmer than upstate NY in January. The school is located southeast of Atlanta. Yes I Google mapped it. So take a look and see another wonderful place to learn more and share your passion for needlework with others.

Progress on My 2010 Needlework Goals

2010-05-13T23:42:00.007-04:00

Although it is late to be posting a news years message I like to start at the beginning. I thought for quite a while that I would not blog again. I got discouraged because it was not interactive like the Bulletin Boards I participate on. But there is great value to writing down your journey in an orderly fashion.

My Needlework Goals for 2010 are as follows:

Complete seven projects
Learn new stitches and techniques
Finish 10 of my completed projects
Learn to Knit and knit a prayer shawl
Learn to crochet and make a lap throw
purchase a project in each place we visit
Rotate in my new projects
Visit and join either EGA or ANG or both
Do at least one RAK
Take one or two needlework classes

At this point, almost half way through the year let's see how I am doing:

I have completed 1 project so far this year. I really need to step it up.
I have learned new stitches such as the four scotch stitch, the diagonal oriental variation, The elongated cashmere, and a few more. The ANG mystery introduces me to at least one new stitch each month.
I have joined my local ANG chapter and the EGA CyberStitchers.
I have sent a RAK to my EGA chapter for door prizes.
I am taking an ANG course on Color
I have learned basic knitting and I am making a prayer shawl for my SIL.
I have learned basic crochet and started a throw for my father.
So far I have purchased at least one project from each place we visit.
I have been adding in new projects but I need to also finish some.
As another RAK I am making a heart for my ANG chapter outreach project

I have a long way to go if I want to complete all my goals but I am making good progress on them.

There just doesn't seem to be enough time to finish all I want to. However if I focus on some of these projects I have started I will have something to show.

What about you? How are you doing against your 2010 goals?

Back from Vacation

2009-08-13T20:41:00.002-04:00

My husband & I were fortunate enough to be able to go to Las Vegas for a family reunion. Each day there was a family event. We also went to see two shows; Lion King and a Cirque du Soleil show called Believe with Criss Angel. I also got to spend time by the pool, read, and I did a little stitching. The one thing I did not do was gamble. What I found is that there is plenty to see and do in Las Vegas even if you don't gamble. I hope I can go during the winter sometime to restock on sunshine and warmth. This past February we went to Phoenix where my husband was playing in a golf tournament. It wa wonderful to escape the cold, snowy, clouding northeast for a few days. I hope we can go somewhere sunny and warm again this coming February. The best part is having a time of peace away from routine and having dedicated time with my husband.

The only downside to vacation is catching up on your real life when you get back. But it is so worth it! I am thinking we should plan four long week end vacations a year. It is amazing how quickly you fall back into your normal routine when you return home. I love my children dearly but I am glad they are old enough to be left on their own for a few days so that DH and I can take these kinds of trips.

This trip helps me work toward my 'Strengthening Family Relationship' goal on my '101 Tasks List' . Now to get back to my stitching. I want to be able to post a finish here soon.

101 Tasks in 1001Days ( 8/1/09 - 4/28/12)

2009-08-05T10:35:00.005-04:00

The Mission: To complete 101 predefined tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined.
Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some work and growth on my part)

Why 1001 Days?
We often create lists of goals such as New Year's resolutions which we don’t achieve. One reason is that we procrastinate.

The key to beating procrastination is to set a realistic deadline. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year,
because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks that may require multiple like seasons to complete.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive: Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focused: Accomplishing any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end.

3. Assessment: Constantly evaluate your progress to motivate you to further progress.

4. Welcome Failure: Failure presents an opportunity to learn.

5. Write down your goals: It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

6. Keep your goals in sight: Review them frequently to ensure that they are at the forefront of your thinking.

7. Tasks are steps to completing goals. My tasks are organized by goals.

Start Date: August 1, 2009

End Date: April 28, 2012

Strengthen Family Relationships:

Plan a monthly date night and occasional trips with DH
Call or email my father, Lin & Wilfred , and my brother at least once /month
Have monthly dinner for family at my house
Take Erica to the Art Museum or Cloths Line Sale
Teach Eric how to cook
Document family b’days and anniversaries
Send out cards every month ( b’days, anniversaries, etc)
Create new family address book
Plan & have Eric’s 60^th b’day party
Plan and have Erica’s Graduation party

Promote Great Personal Health:

Develop habit of aerobic exercise 3 days/week
Develop habit of weight training 2 days/week
Practice yoga or relaxation techniques daily
Lose weight: target 1=170
Lose weight: target 2 = 150
Lose weight: target 3 =135
Take care of my teeth; identify a dentist & schedule regular dental appointments
Schedule mammogram annually
Schedule annual Gyn visit
Schedule annual physical exams

Enhance My Home & Life:

Power wash & stain deck
Apply sealer to dry basement walls
Clean out & organize basement
Organize files in lateral file drawers and new file drawers
Clean out all boxes of paper
Organize/Review Finances & document bill paying
Replace kitchen countertops
Have roof replaced
Make or buy drapes for family room
Decorate Library
Decorate Family Room
Replace carpeting upstairs
Paint hallway, stair case, and foyer.
Paint family room and kitchen
Install tile floors on first floor
Redo powder room
Buy new mattress and box spring
Have screens repaired
Buy a new front door and have it sealed
Develop a new landscape design & implement it

Pursue and Improve My Needlework:

Cross stitch at least 5 days per week
Finish Dragon Virtues Afghan WIP
Finish Story Teller WIP
Finish Dragon Ride WIP
Finish Wedding Sampler WIP
Finish Mini Mandala Garden I #3 WIP
Stitch 2^nd Day of Christmas WIP
Stitch 3^rd Day of Christmas
Stitch 4^th Day of Christmas
Stitch the Kiss on Mira RR
Stitch Taj Mahal
Stitch the Bliss Fairy
Stitch Dragon Needle Case
Stitch Delightful Dragon Fob
Stitch 3-6 Christmas ornaments per year
Finish Mira RR and Hang
Finish LKRR and Hang
Finish TWRR and Hang
Finish all stitched Christmas ornaments
Finish quilt for Eric Spencer
Sew three polar fleece throws
Make large floor pillows for Eric Spencer
Sell surplus stash on ebay
Send out 1 RAK /year

Contribute to my Department/College/Institute

Develop ten articulation agreements for our BS degrees
Develop annual workshop for Community Colleges
Develop & document support agreements with SE, CS, IST, and NTID
Develop and execute curricular changes that distinguish & strengthen our degrees
Strengthen the systems administration sequence
Add large scale computing to the curriculum
Develop a capacity model for our programs
Develop a faculty development and assessment plan

Pursue Scholarship in Support of Curriculum

Write three papers on collaborative learning, experiential learning, or active learning
Join ACM SIGITE & join curriculum committee
Read three books on curriculum or pedagogy
Act as a peer reviewer
Identify an opportunity to edit or write a text book
Develop a active learning textbook for the Intro to Unix Course

Pursue Excellence in Teaching

Redesign Advanced Routing and Switching Course (4050-545)
Revive 515 lab manual and update annually
Revise layout & content of 351 lab manual annually
Develop a substitute curriculum for Freshman Seminar
Learn new techniques and incorporate them in my courses.

Pursue New Knowledge

Learn C# and OOP
Learn BGP
Learn IS-IS
Learn OSPF
Learn MPLS
Learn IGRP/EIGRP
Take a research methods course
Take and pass the CCNA certification exam
Take an organizational behavior course
Learn how to do zero based budgeting

Invest in My Personal Development & Contribute with Service

Develop the habit of refection using a written journal or my blog daily
Improve organization by cleaning out & organizing my office at work
Take golf lessons to improve my game.
Participate in a woman’s golf league at least once and play with others.
Take sailing lessons and start sailing regularly.
Refine my leadership capabilities by reading, workshops, & practice
Serve my church by serving on at least one committees, teaching Sunday school
Volunteer at LPGA each year

Reflecting Forward

2009-08-05T10:06:00.002-04:00

I spent time this week reflecting on the next 101 tasks I wanted to list to support my goals. Some of the unaccomplished tasks from my first list and some that I did accomplish have been moved to the new list. Looking at what I accomplished off my first list helped me to redefine what really matters to me. I lost sight of this list over the last year or perhaps longer so I realize I must review it regularly in order to accomplish the tasks I have set before me. I must have a plan. My plan is two fold. I will print the list and put it in my daily record book. This is a notebook I have to keep track of my work responsibilities. Secondly, since I have decided that from now on Sunday will be my day for reflection and relaxation, on the first Sunday of each month I will review the list and select those tasks that I will work on during that month and put the 'to dos' on my calendar. If you are curious about some of my goals please feel free to look at my new 101 Tasks in 1001 days list.

New 101 Task List

2009-08-02T09:20:00.004-04:00

I realized today that I forgot all about my 101 task list that I started in 2006 and which ended in April of 2009. I went back to that post and updated it so it reflects what I did get accomplished. Unfortunately I did not get as much done as I had hoped. This week I will update and post my new 101 task list to reflect what I want to accomplish in the next 1001 days.

Why is this so hard for me?

2009-08-01T13:18:00.009-04:00

As you can see I have not posted since January. I had every good intention of posting to my blog but fail to do so because I think my posts will not interest other readers. I have continued to visit the cross stitch BBs that I frequent. Unfortunately the traffic on those BBs is quite low compared to what it was 2 or 3 years ago. We all have only a certain amount of time and I suspect as more of us blog we spend less time on the BBs.

I like the BBs because they are like a multiperson conversations. Blogs feel very one way to me. I know that people who read your blog can comment but I rarely get a comment so I feel like I am talking to myself. On the BB if I post a progress pic or a happy dance you usually get at least a few people who comment. Or if you have a question you can usually get an answer. The blog is a great way for me to express my opinions about something or dispay pictures or updates on my work but is not necessarily the best way to have a conversation.

I 've decide to try again beacause there was a thread on one of the BBs asking for our blog URL and because some said she had gone out and read my blog. I felt bad because it was so out of date. So I added my blog address to the list and said I would start to blog again.

My cross stitch goal for this year was to finish 10 projects. In previous years I have had more specific goals and have not succeeded. This felt comfortable. I am on track to complete 10 projects this year. So far I have completed 6. The last two were Deco Spirits- Fire panel by Mirabilia and Christmas is Forever by Lizzie Kate. Pictures of those two are posted above.

Great Day

2009-01-05T23:58:00.003-05:00

Today was the first day back after almost two weeks off from work. I did absolutely no work for my job over the break so I knew today would be busy since I had to turn in my budget requests today and it is the first time I am doing it. As it turns out it was not as complicated as I had feared and I got it done in an hour. I then spent the rest of the morning updating and prioritizing the capital requests for my department which are not due until April. I had done all the research prior to our break and wanted to get the work done while my notes still made sense.

The sun was also out today and always improves my spirits but it also meant the day was cold. So thoughts of spring were in my head so I looked for a picture that signifies spring to me:

I hope this brightens your day too.

Golf History

2009-01-04T20:51:00.003-05:00

My husband is an avid golfer. A couple of nights ago he asked me which women golfers I thought had won the grand slam. I made a couple of guesses but decided tonight to look it up. First of all I didn't even know what defined a grand slam so I started there. It turns out that the depending on the year it is winning two to four major tournaments in a given year. It turns out that no woman has ever won four majors in a given year but two women have won the grand slam by the rules of the year they won it in. The one I started reading about is Babe Didrikson Zaharias. She was accomplished in just about every sport - basketball, track, golf, baseball, tennis, swimming, diving, boxing, volleyball, handball, bowling, billiards, skating and cycling. She was an Olympic gold medalist in track and field and became best known for her remarkable golf career.

Today we are wowed by Tiger Woods but if Babe were alive today she would dominate the sport. She was perhaps the greatest athlete of all times and most people have never heard of her. What a great role model she could be for the young women of the world. If she had been a man would we still be talking about her?

TIme...

2009-01-03T10:52:00.004-05:00

I woke up this morning thinking about time. My thoughts revolved around making the best use of my time and being able to fit all the things I want to accomplish into the time I have. None of us know how much time is allotted to us in life. What we can control is making the most of the time that has been given to us. So each day I must plan wisely. I need to go back to my list of 101 Tasks in 1001 Days and evaluate the content as well as the accomplishments. I need to prioritize, I need to stay connected to family and friends and I have to make sure I have fun along the journey. In 2009 I will spend more time with my family ( immediate and extended) , work on my fitness, work on my house, take on new challenges at work, explore my spirituality, and stitch as much as I can. With that it is time for me to get going.

May you all find the time you need to do the things you love.

Where My Cross Stitch is Going in 2009

2009-01-02T16:17:00.002-05:00

My cross stitch stats for 2008 are as follows:

Number of WIPs at the start of 2008: 8
New Projects Started: 12
WIPs completed: 13
Remaining WIPs @YE: 7

My stitching goals for 2009 are:

To StRIP 10 projects from my WIPs or stash
Finish my current 10 project challenge.
Finish 12 completed projects.
Be a SOS except for two exception: JCS Ornie magazine and supplies needed to complete projects in my stash
Send out at least one RAK out of my stash.

My Starting WIPs for 2009 are:

Papillon's How Does Your Garden Grow: Stitched 65% in 2008
Dragon Virtues Afghan - 38% - Stitched 25 % in 2007, none in 2008
Mira RR Deco Spirits - on Mira RR - 20% - Stitched 5 % in 2007, none in 2008
Dragon Ride- 12% - Stitched 4 % in 2007, none in 2008
Peace Ornament: Stitched 10%in 2008
TW Wedding Sampler 10% - Stitched 5% in 2007; 5% in 2008
StoryTeller - 5% - I did not stitch on this one in 2007 or 2008

New 2009 Starts:
- TW's 2nd Day of Christmas
- Chatelaine's Mini Mandela I.3

Other Possible Starts:
- other small travel projects as needed
- Taj Mahal
- The Kiss

My Plan is:
I will stitch at least 1 hour per day. I am a One At A Time (OAAT) stitcher for my major pieces.
- I will stitch Christmas ornaments and other small projects as travel projects. The Peace Ornament occupies that spot right now.
- The 2nd Day Of Christmas will be stitched on TW Mondays.
- My OAAT project is currently How Does Your Garden Grow. I will then stitch the Mini Mandala.

I look forward to an exciting and fun stitching year. So what abut you? What are you looking forward to accomplishing this year?

Reflection 2009

2009-01-01T13:29:00.003-05:00

I reread my post of January 1, 2008 and I will repeat some of it here in order to remind myself of the importance of reflection in my life. As this is the first day of the year what better time to recommit myself to the practice of internal reflection than today. Many of us spend a great deal of time looking at our external reflection so we can evaluate our physical appearance. But how much more important it is to look inside yourself and reflect on what you have done with your life so far; to decide whether you are happy with what you have done or need to do some things differently. Today is a good day to look at your actions and accomplishments for the past year and determine what you would have done differently and then make your plans for the new year.

Although I reflect often on my life I am not good at recording my reflections or the events of my life. Therefore it is sometimes difficult to evaluate my growth and progress. So here I am at the beginning of another year pledging once again to use this blog on a regular basis. Hard-copy journals don't work for me but I would love to leave my children something of my inner self for their future reading. Also my husband thinks I am a mystery because he doesn't often understand my motivations. I think they are perfectly clear and my children understand better than DH because each of them is like me in some way. DH and I are opposite in personality but we share the same family and moral values. We love each other deeply and I believe we balance each other giving us a rich and happy marriage but my reflections here might help my DH to understand me better.

During 2009 I will work on my fitness so I can stay healthy and therefore continue to live life to the fullest; enjoying my family, my work, and my hobbies.

Happy New Year to all my online friends and may 2009 bring you peace, health, happiness and prosperity.

Cinco de Mayo

2008-05-05T14:20:00.006-04:00

To many people in the world El Cinco de Mayo commemorates freedom but for me it is the anniversary of my aunt and uncle. These two very special people waited for me to be born so they could set their wedding date since my mother was to be the matron of honor and my father the best man. They have been like parents to me in many ways but were also just some one I could turn to when I did not want to speak to my parents. This is the value of an extended family. I grew up with lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. There was always someone around I could go to if I didn't want to confide in my parents. Even though our homes were different ( some noisy, some quiet) the values were the same. I remember having cousins coming to my house to talk to my parents and I couldn't understand why. My parents were so strict. Well so were my aunts and uncles but they didn't have to enforce the rules for me so it was easier to talk more freely. Weekly all the families got together at my grandfather's house. The parents in the living room and the children in one of the extra bedrooms where we were allowed to play. Now I imagine that they discussed the children as well as world affairs on those Sunday afternoons. I'm sure it never occurred to us that they actually talked to each other about us but they did. In that way they knew how and what we were doing and we felt we had a someone we could comfortably talk to. So I thank my family for providing me with a loving supportive environment to grow up in. And to the aunt and uncle whose anniversary is today thank you for always loving me and for showing me how to love forever.

Happy Anniversary!!

2008-04-28T15:20:00.002-04:00

Today DH and I have been married for 24 years and I am looking forward to the next 24. What fun we are having. Raising a family, creating a home, getting to know each other, and helping each other grow. Being there for each other whether we get it or not and facing whatever comes together. Even when the road is not smooth we find a way to laugh together. Although we have very different personalities we love each other so much we are always trying to accommodate each others needs. Love and marriage are a wonderful thing if you find the "one" like I have.

What else am I working on?

2008-04-24T20:45:00.003-04:00

Up until this past Monday my OAAT project was Michael Powell's Spanish Mini Cottage. Last week I signed up for an exchange ( I couldn't resist). So now I have to put this aside and stitch my exchange piece. Of course I can't put a picture of my progress on my exchange piece since it has to be a surprise but here is a picture of my progress on the Spanish Mini Cottage.

Progress on TW 1st Day of Christmas SAL

2008-04-24T20:38:00.005-04:00

In February I joined a TW 12 Days of Christmas SAL. We started with the 1st Day of Christmas. I am stitching mine on off white Jubilee as a 3 X4 banner. I decided to stitch this on TW Mondays only and complete at least one ornament per year. After 10 weeks here is my progress:

Spring has Sprung!!!!

2008-04-24T16:57:00.004-04:00

I love this time of year and spring has been particularly beautiful this year. I love to watch everything renew itself. The daffodils are out and the trees are budding. I can leave my windows open and fill the house with fresh air. I can watch my drapes and curtain float with the breeze. I feel lighter and energized somehow. My children say I am solar powered and it must be so. Everything seems to be so much more fun somehow. So I am off to rum errands and enjoy the sunshine and warmth of a spring evening. I hope that where ever you are you are enjoying the day as well.

Why oh why...

2008-04-21T15:52:00.004-04:00

Do I not post on a regular basis? I am not a lazy person but for some reason this activity which comes so easily to many of you is one that eludes me. By the time I even think about it a week has passed by and then a month and so on. So I haven't posted in over two months. However whether I post or not life marches on and winter has melted into spring; an absolutely gorgeous spring.

Yesterday I flew to NYC and attended a concert at Carnegie Hall. I was so excited to be there because you see I was going to listen to my younger son sing with his high school choir. They were the featured choir and a part of the National Youth Choir. Words alone can not express how proud I was of him and his 64 classmates as they proceeded on stage in their tuxedos (for the boys) and long black dresses (or the girls) and gave an outstanding concert. They are an outstanding group of young people and they are led by an outstanding choral director and accompanist. These adults expend a lot of time and energy working with these young people and have a great influence on them. In return these teenagers respond positively to their leadership.

The only sad note is that no one but the audience there will know how wonderfully these young people performed. No one will know how many hours of rehearsals and individual practice they put in to become the best high school choir in the country because no one from the press was there. They were probably too busy focusing on all the negative events of the day instead of spending an hour listening to these heavenly voices . Perhaps if we focussed on the positive activities of our youth on the 6 o'clock news other young people would be influenced to follow their lead. In any case, I am one happy and proud mother of a wonderful young man and a proud community member of the the best high school choir in the country.

January Ornament

2008-02-01T21:42:00.000-05:00

I had this kit in my stash and I stitched it for my 15 month old grandson. It took longer than I anticipated. I am still not good at judging how long some of these small projects will take. I will finish it with a red felt backing and a green ribbon hanger.

Exciting

2008-01-21T18:01:00.000-05:00

It is very exciting that my youngest son got accepted to the college and program of his choice. My husband and I are so happy for him.

It is exciting to watch my two grandsons ( ages 7 and 15 months) play with their new set of golf clubs (actually only the putters were allowed inside the house).

It was more exciting watching my older son jump up out of his chair every time the 15 month old approached the large screen tv swinging his putter.

It is exciting to have my husband home from a trip he was on. I missed him.

Revamping My Stitching Plans

2008-01-16T22:08:00.000-05:00

I initially set the goal to stitch two hours a day. At that rate I will finish my stitching at a lot slower rate that I originally planned. That means updating my stitching rotation. As I mentioned in an earlier post I am a one at a time stitcher and I am focused on finishing the projects from my WIP list since most of them have been WIPs for a number of years. I will however give myself the opportunity to start new projects three different ways. I will do eduCATed later this spring because I want to give it to my son when he graduates from HS. I will stitch on Ornaments and very small projects as my travel projects. I may have a couple of these going at a time since I am going to participate in the 12 days of Christmas SAL and I also want to stitch some simpler ornaments when I need a break from confetti. The last will be for larger projects. I will stitch my WIPs OAAT. In the month that I finish a WIP I have the option to spend the rest of that month on a new start or move onto the next WIP in my plan.

I plan to stitch my WIPs and one planned new start in the following order:

Chatelaine's Christmas Tree Mandala - Done 1/16/08
TW's Wedding Sampler - Current Project
eduCATed for DS's HS graduation
Dragon Ride
Mira's Deco Spirit
TW's Autumn Sampler
Storyteller
Dragon Virtues Afghan

Travel projects:

Heart of Gold - Done 1/13/08
Pooh Bear Ornament
TW's 12 Day of Christmas - Day 1
Other selected ornaments

I will see how this plan works for me.

Finally!!!

2008-01-16T07:17:00.000-05:00

I am committed to stitching OAAT for my major projects. There are a number of reasons for this but the major one is that I get comfortable with the design and can therefore stitch more quickly. I have been working on Chatelaine's Christmas Tree Mandala for several months. I haven't had much time to stitch since September so it is with great pleasere and pride that I announce that I have finally finished this piece this morning. It will become a topper for a wooden keepsake box which will be a gift to my parents. This piece was fun to stitch for the most part. Unfortunately it called for 29 french knots in each tree. After finding an online tutorial on french knots and practicing them I did one tree and did not like the effect. I then tried petite gold beads instead and did not like that either. I finally used gold very fine braid and stitched regular cross stitches in those locations. The only other modification I made form the original design was the use of DMC 500 instead of black for the outside border. I didn't like the idea of so much black on a Christmas piece. I also love DMC 500. It is difficult to see all the metallic braid and beads on this design but it has about 300 beads on it and lots of gold and silver braid. Thanks for looking. Now I get to move onto my next WIP which is TW's Wedding Sampler.

A Small Finish

2008-01-13T22:28:00.001-05:00

I have been struggling to finish Christmas Tree Mandala so instead of working on it today I pulled out a little kit I had in my stash called "Heart of Gold". It is intended to be a little keepsake bag but I am going to make it into a scissor fob. It felt so good to start and finish something today. Now maybe I can face finishing Christmas Tree Mandala. I only have about 100 stitches of gold braid and 78 beads to put in and I am done with it. I will try to do it on Tuesday since Monday night I will stitch on Wedding Sampler as part of Monday with TW.

Never Enough Time

2008-01-08T21:59:00.001-05:00

It is 10PM and I have been up since 5am. Since I have gotten home at 6pm I have cooked dinner, answered email, talked with my kids and my husband, made some phone calls, done a couple of loads of laundry, and prepared my lesson for class tomorrow. Now when I can hardly keep my eyes open I have time to stitch. This is what has been happening to me since September which is why I haven't gotten a lot of stitching done. I am going to have to try and change my strategy and do my stitching in the morning. That means getting up at 4am. If I go to bed now and sleep fast I think I can make it. So I will say good night because I would really like to stitch more than 15 minutes tomorrow which is all I got in today. Have a great night everyone.

Laughter

2008-01-07T22:43:00.000-05:00

It is wonderful that after almost 24 years of marriage my husband and I can still tell each other our stories and laugh together. We were on our own this weekend and were doing dreaded chores like cleaning out the garage and organizing Christmas decorations. As we worked we would share a memory or a story from our childhood and end up laughing together. Some of these experiences were shared while others while similar were from a time before we met. We were able to see the humor in our past experiences and have fun reliving them together. I love being able to laugh and cry with my husband. He is my safe haven. I wish everyone had someone they could laugh with the way I can with my husband. It lightens the heart and makes life a joy. I hope everyone is having a joyful day.

Transformation

2008-01-04T12:18:00.001-05:00

I never thought to write about my quest to become physically fit in my 50's. When I was young I was a good weight and had a nice figure but I am not sure I could say I was physically fit in the way we talk about it today. Although I have always liked to walk I haven't made it a point to do so over the years or take up any other form of regular exercise beyond housework and chasing after my children. I also love to cook and eat so the inevitable happened. From the time I married until this past fall I gained 60 pounds. Some of that was gained during pregnancy and then never shed so which each new pregnancy I started out a bit heavier. The rest just added on due to my lifestyle. I am one of the fortunate few whose husband loves every bit of me but I have always disliked being heavy. I just did not dislike it enough to head for the gym.

This past summer I broke my ankle and this event in combination with watching my in-laws become less and less mobile transformed me. I realized that I was fast approaching my senior years and that I was no longer very strong nor was my balance good hence the fall that led to me breaking my ankle. Also for the last few years arthritis has been creeping up on me making my ankles and knees painful and less flexible. As I watch some of the older members of my family become less mobile I knew this was my opportunity to work on gaining back what I had lost; my strength, my flexibility, and my aerobic fitness. This was a time when I was in good enough health to fight back and mentally prepared to do so.

So in September of 2007 after my ankle healed and I finished with physical therapy I signed up to work with a personal trainer. My goals were to improve my overall strength and balance and to lose those 60 pounds I put on over the last 23 years. I stay focused on this because for our 24th wedding anniversary I would like to be able to wear the dress I was wearing when my husband and I met. I not sure if I will make it by our anniversary but I will continue to work toward being able to wear all the size 12 dresses I still have in my closet.

So what is the tale of the tape? When I began I was a size 18 and now I am a size 16 having lost a total of about 7 to 8 inches from various parts of my anatomy. I have lost 15 pounds for an average of about 1 pound per week which is my target since one is likelier to keep weight off if it is lost slowly . I am eating better and have more energy on most days. The days where I have a very tough session I may crawl into bed early but otherwise I am not as tired anymore. I am also much stronger and my balance has improved. The most significant change I think is mental. I no longer have to force myself to go to the gym. Now I want to go and work out. It helps that occasionally I can convince one of my kids or my husband to go with me but whether or not they come with me I go.

I am 25% of the way to my weight goal and I am not sure where I will stop with cardio fitness and strength. What I do know is that I am developing a new lifestyle which will serve me well now and through my senior years. One that includes not only my love of reading, cooking and eating, and needlework but one that includes one more thing I love, exercise.

Where I've Been and Where I'm Going

2008-01-02T16:36:00.000-05:00

My cross stitch stats for 2007 are as follows:

Starting WIPs 12
New Starts: 5
WIPs completed: 8
WIPs Retired: 1
Remaining WIPs @YE: 8

My stitching goals for 2008 are:

Get my WIP count down to 5 or less by the end of the year.
Finish my 10 project challenge.
Finish 15 of my stitched pieces.
Be a SOS except for three exceptions (3 charts, JCS Ornie magazine, supplies needed to complete projects in my stash)
Stitch at least 4 new ornaments from any JCS ornament magazine.
Learn the following new skills: stitching over one, hardanger, punch needle, and knitted socks.
Finish one project for each of the new skills learned.
Send out one RAK out of my stash.

My Starting WIPs are:

Christmas Tree Mandala - 70% - Stitched 50 % in 2007
Dragon Virtues Afghan - 40% - Stitched 25 % in 2007
Mira RR Deco Spirits - on Mira RR - 20% - Stitched 5 % in 2007
StoryTeller - 5% - I did not stitch on this one in 2007
Dragon Ride- 8% - Stitched 4 % in 2007
Autumn Sampler - 70% - Stitched 65 % in 2007
TW Wedding Sampler 5% - Stitched 5% in 2007
Winnie the Pooh Christmas Ornament 10% - stitched 10% in 2007

My Plan is:
I will plan to stitch an average of 2 hours per day. I am a One At A Time (OAAT) stitcher for my major pieces. I will stitch Christmas ornaments and other small projects as travel projects. Winnie the Pooh Ornie occupies that spot right now. Each of my WIPs will come up to be stitched in a specific month based on how long I thing it will take to complete them. This will enable me to stitch on all on my WIPs this year and hopefully finish all but one, the afghan. I am currently working on Chatelaine's Christmas Tree Mandala and plan to have it completed by Saturday. At that time I will start TW's Wedding Sampler. I have given myself until the end of February to complete this one. If I complete before the end of February I can use the remaining time for a new start. I will follow this practice as I complete each WIP. This will allow me to finish my existing WIPs and start a few new projects throughout the year. I am very excited about this variation on OAAT stitching and look forward to an exciting and fun stitching year.

So what abut you? What are you looking forward to accomplishing this year?

Reflection

2008-01-01T18:39:00.000-05:00

Reflection is an interesting and important process. As this is the first day of the year what better time to institute the practice of internal reflection if you are not already in the practice of doing so. Many of us spend a great deal of time looking at our external reflection so we can evaluate our physical appearance. But how much more important it is to look inside yourself and reflect on what you have done with your life so far, and whether you are happy with what you have done or need to do some things differently. On a more immediate perspective today is a good day to look at your actions and accomplishments for the past year and determine what you would have done differently and then make your your plans for the new year.

Although I spend time reflecting on my life I am not good at recording my reflections or the events of my life. Therefore it is sometimes difficult to evaluate my growth and progress. So here I am at the beginning of another year pledging to myself that I will use this blog on a regular basis. I have also purchased a hard-copy journal to see if I can establish this habit and leave my children something of my inner self for their future reading. I don't want to be a mystery but I think I am in many ways even to my family. I do not spend much time analyzing myself or my feelings and I certainly do not spend much time communicating it to anyone else. So this year I am going for two major goals:

1. Get physically fit and lose weight.
2. Reflect more and share my thoughts and feelings with those close to me.

I think all the rest will fall into place if I can successfully carry out these two goals.

Happy New Year to all my online friends and may 2008 bring you peace, health, and happiness.

Welcome to a New School Year

2007-09-04T17:08:00.000-04:00

I have the pleasure of teaching at a university and the fall is a time for new beginnings. I started classes yesterday. Yes I know it was labor day. My college believes we should work on labor day. But teaching to me is a labor of love so I had fun. When we return to campus in the fall there is a great sense of anticipation in the air. The students and faculty are full of enthusiasm and ready to to engage in teaching and learning. I feel like I have a brand new slate and I am starting fresh with no blemishes from the previous school year.

Those of you with children are busy getting them ready to go back to school. I hope they are all eagerly anticipating the start of their journey of exploration and learning. My wish is that they all find joy in the process of learning.

May you all find joy in the beginning of the school year.

Clean Start

2007-01-04T07:54:00.000-05:00

I am off from work this week which is another way of saying I am working at home. I am very focused this week on cleaning my house. I am not a person who enjoys housekeeping but I like the end result; a clean, organized, and uncluttered environment. Clutter makes me nervous but clutter is a natural result of a busy family life. I am one of those people that believes that there is a place for everything and everything should be in its place. If I don't have a place for it I should consider finding another home for it. I have been turning out closets, bookshelves, and cabinets. The donation pile is growing. I have been washing baseboards and scrubbing floors. Although I still have a ways to go my house is looking good and smells so clean. What a good feeling and what a great way to start off the year.

A New Beginning...

2007-01-01T14:57:00.000-05:00

I always love the first day of the year. A day to reflect on what you have done and what you have left undone in the previous year. A day to create plans for the new set of 365 days stretching out before you as yet unmarred. I have taken advantage of today to review my 2006 goals and see how much I accomplished and then launched into the development of my 2007 goals. Goals must present a challenge and mine certainly do. I look forward to trying to accomplish every single one. In addition to my 12 general life goals I also came up with six needlework goals. I will post these goals for 2007 here but I also posted my 101 Tasks in 1001 Days list in an earlier post. Although I created my task list in July of 2006 I never got around to posting it. Well now I have committed myself here as well as on some yellow legal paper in my breifcase.

So what are my goals for 2007? Here goes:
General Goals:

Continue to build on my relationship with DH.
Stay connected to my family, build these relationships and build new friendships.
Develop a consistent journaling habit as a way to reflect: blog & book.
Reevaluate my commitments, be realistic, & be reliable in those I choose to keep.
Exercise regularly (aerobic and weights) & improve my flexibility (yoga)
Take care of my health: see the doctor & dentist, change my eating habits, and get down to 150 lbs.
Continue to decorate and improve our home.
Clean out the junk in our home & organize: commons, closets, and basement.
Organize my office.
Do some financial planning.
Continue to develop my collaborative teaching techniques.
Develop my scholarship and refine UG Coordinator role.

Needlework Goals:
1. Get my x-stitch WIP number down to five. My existing WIPS are:
Stretch
Dragon Ride
StoryTeller
Christmas Tree Mandala
Dragon Virtues Afghan (January – May)
Renaissance Bookmark (TWRR)
Deco Spirit-Fire (Mira- RR)
Michael Powell’s Venice Street Scene
Mini Mandala Garden I #2
Celestial Scissor Fob (January)
Autumn Sampler
Needlepoint Leaves
2. Finish all completed needlework.
3. Finish the quilt for Eric.
4. Stitch polar fleece throws.
5. Do all mending and do some home sewing.
6. Learn some more knitting or crocheting and do one project.

101 Tasks in 1001 Days

2007-01-01T14:19:00.001-05:00

The Mission: To complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work and growth on my part)

Why 1001 Days?
We often create lists of goals such as New Year's resolutions which we don’t achieve. One reason is that we procrastinate. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.

2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.

3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.

4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.

5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.

Start Date: July 25, 2006

End Date: April 20, 2009

Items in bold are completed.

Family

Have a regular date night with DH
Call or email my father, Lin & Wilfred once /week In Progress
Take Erica to the Art Museum
Teach Eric how to cook
Teach Eric how to do laundry
Remember to send out cards every month ( b’days, anniversaries, etc)

Health

Develop habit of aerobic exercise 3 days/week
Develop habit of weight training 2 days/week
Practice yoga or relaxation techniques daily
Lose weight: target 1=150; target 2 =130
Take care of my teeth; go to the dentist
Schedule annual mammogram, gyn, & physical exams

Home

Redo our walk-in closet
Redo Erica’s closet
Power wash & stain deck
Install a new dishwasher
Seal basement walls
Clean out & organize basement
Refinish Erica’s Dresser
Build file cabinet
Organize files in lateral file drawers and new file drawers
Replace kitchen countertops
Have mulberry tree cut down and landscape yard
Have roof replaced
Make or buy drapes for family room
Buy dining room furniture - We decided to use the dining room for the pool table
Buy table & chairs for eat in kitchen area
Decorate downstairs rooms (Library & Family Room) In Progress
Decorate upstairs bedrooms In Progress
Redo Kid’s Bathroom
Install tile floors on first floor
Redo powder room
Replace front outdoor light fixtures

Needlework

Cross stitch at least 5 days per week -In Progress
Finish Dragon Virtues Afghan WIP
Finish Story Teller WIP
Finish Dragon Ride WIP
Finish Stretch WIP
Finish Autumn Sampler WIP
Finish Celestial Scissor Fob WIP
Finish Christmas Tree Mandala WIP
Finish Renaissance Bookmark (TWRR) WIP
Finish Deco Spirit-Fire (Mira- RR) WIP
Finish Michael Powell’s Venice Street Scene WIP
Finish Michael Powell’s Spanish Cottage
Finish Mini Mandala Garden I #2 WIP
Finish Needlepoint Leaves WIP
Finish Mini Mandala Garden I #3
Stitch Ministrel
Finish LKRR & Hang
Finish all Christmas ornaments
Go to one needlework event /year - 2006 = CSNF; 2007 = none
Finish quilt for Eric
Sew three polar fleece throws
Learn to knit and crochet
Go to American Sewing Guild Meeting and decide whether to join
Go to Thursday night Stitch Along at GTN at least once/month
Organize a RAK 1X/year 2006 done; 2007 done;

Teaching

Develop collaborative/blended curriculum for 351 In Progress
Develop collaborative/blended curriculum for 515 In Progress
Revise layout & content of 515 lab manual
Revise layout & content of 342 lab manual
Develop Freshman Seminar Curriculum & Speaker Series -2006 Done

Department/College/Institute

Develop three articulation agreements for our Networking degree - 2 are done
Develop workshop for High School Counselors
Develop workshop for Community Colleges
Rewrite ANSA Student Handbook
Write handbook for prospective students
Write Handbook for Security BS
Revamp 340-341-342 sequence to two courses and implement
Develop networking minor & get it approved
Work with gaming faculty to develop networking content their BS
Develop & document support agreements with SE, CS, & IT
Develop and execute curricular changes that distinguish our degrees
Develop presentation to admissions on ANSA
Develop presentation to admissions on IS&F

Scholarship

Write three papers on collaborative learning, experiential learning or blended learning
Join ACM SIGITE & join curriculum committee
Read three books on curriculum or pedagogy:

Learning

Learn Java Programming
Learn C++
Learn how to use all features of myCourses
Learn how to use Breeze In Progress
Learn Cyber Self Defense Curriculum & teach it
Participate in Faculty Learning Community
Learn how to customize my blog
Take a research methods course
Take and pass the CCNA certification exam
Learn how to operate/pgm a PDA

Other

Develop the habit refection using a written journal or my blog daily
Engage in activities to develop my spirituality
Support my church by serving on committees, teaching Sunday school - In progress
Clean out & organize my office
Research graduate programs in curriculum development
Sell surplus Stash on ebay
Volunteer at LPGA each year- 2006 Done ;2007 done; 2008 done; 2009 done
Take golf lessons
Participate in a women’s golf league at once
Try Netflix & evaluate
Evaluate Time Warner All – in – One and change ISPs
Organize & document bill paying

My New Years Journey

2007-01-01T13:25:00.000-05:00

I have not posted many entries over the last year and I hope to change that this coming year. 2006 was a wonderful year but I have not taken the time to record the wonders large and small of my year. I spend a great deal of time reflecting on my life in my head (while I am cross stitching) and never commit my thoughts to paper or to this electronic medium. Most of my reflections go unshared hence my husband's complaint that he never knows what I am thinking. So this year I am going to make a bigger effort to share my feelings and thoughts through this journal and perhaps by writing them down I will also be better able to share my thoughts verbally with those I love. In order to be successful I will initially have to make an appointment with myself each day to record my reflections until it becomes a habit or ritual.

I often wonder what my children will remember of me and realize that in many ways they will not really know me beause I haven't taken the time to share myself in any detail. They know I love them and take care of them but do they know how they took my breath away when I first looked at them? Do they know how I swell with pride at their every accomplishment?

My younger son never ceases to amaze me. He quietly sets goals and procedes to accomplish them. Perhaps in this way he is like me. I am never quite sure how seriously he takes things and then find that when it counts he takes things very seriously. That although he doesn't always tackle every situation with as much time as I would like him to he is taking care of it.

My daughter is finding out more about herself and her talents everyday and it is fun to watch her blossom. She shares her optimism and enthusiam for life with anyone who wants it. She lives life energetically. She's dramatic. She's shy. She's more talented and wonderful than she knows. She can also be very direct and blunt. She's a wonderful artist and a great storyteller. I am enjoying watching her move with great deliberation toward her goals.

My older son has recently become a father and launched me into grandparenthood about five years earlier than I expected to be there. As I watch him with his son I can see how he has matured and taken on this awesome responsibilty with grace and enthusiam. He is crafting his adult life around his family and as the circle of life continues we have pulled closer together. After the years of pulling away to become his own person it is wonderful to have him back again.

I am so very thankful for my wonderful husband and children and so very proud of all of them. What a great way to start out the new year, reflecting about those people closest to you and giving thanks for all the love in my life.

Where am I going?

2006-08-15T22:00:00.000-04:00

Have you ever stopped to think about where your journey through life is taking you? To meet new people, to make new friends. To learn new things and practice the old. To be a good mom, wife daughter, sister, neighbor, parishiner, employee, role model. To lead and to follow. To be the best person you can be each and everyday. To love and be loved in return. These are some of the characteristics of my journey. I am happy to be able to say that I am having a most wonderful journey thanks to all the wonderful people I come in contact with. I wish all of you as wonderful a life as I am having. May you travel through your journey of life sampling all the wonderful gifts of this life and be a blessing to everyone you meet. Have a wonderful life!!!

Where did I go?

2006-08-08T08:10:00.000-04:00

It has been almost 5 months since I have posted anything here. Not because I have been away or lost access to the Internet (actually I did for a while) but because I don't make it a priority. I get concerned that I won't have anything interesting or catchy to say. So what have been doing for five months?

Stitching wise I have been participating in two RRs and three exchanges. Personally, the school year was very busy, my DD came back from London, and I am enjoying having her home for the summer. I am working this summer both teahing and in my new capacity as an undergraduate coordinator. I am also doing household projects I didn't get to do during the school year.

I have gotten a book on how to modify your blog so I will look to update the look of mine in the next couple of weeks. I also am doing the 101 things to do in 1001 days and will probably publish my list soon and track it.

I signed up for three BNU courses and realize that three is too many so will probably only do two. When they offer the third one again I will sign up again and do it then. I was concerned that they wouldn't offer them again and I can tell from some of the comments that courses are offered multiple times. i also registered yesterday to go to CSNF in Toronto this coming October. I am really excited to be going because I will get to meet and see so many of my online stitching friends and hopefully take a couple of classes with TW and JAS.

So as you can see I keep myself busy. There are three weeks left to my summer then Freshman Orientation starts at my university and the school year begins again. I am going to enjoy each and everyday of the remainder of my summer and head into the school year with great expectations and a high level of excitement.

Since I have been away for so long I will have plenty to post so I will get started tomorrow with my blog renovations and showing you some of what I have been up to . Have a lovely day!!!

It's a Stitching Life

2006-03-18T16:38:00.000-05:00

This year I am signed up for two round robins. One is the Mirabilia RR and the other is the TWRR. They are spaced in such a way that that I can get them both done each month but it doesn't leave time for other stitching. For the Mirabilia RR I have had the opportunity to stitch Autumn Queen and part of Deco Spirits-Fire. I am currently working on Fairy Roses. For the TWRR I stitched the Renaissance Bookmark as the header of my RR and I am stitching Rose Tree in Bloom on Dani's RR. I am really enjoying the RRs eventhough I do not have enough stitching time to get to any of my other WIPs right now. I currently have 12 WIPs and I hope to get that number down tofive by the end of the year. When summer comes I will be able to get more stitching time and make progress on reducing my WIPS.

I was looking at Annette's blog and I want to add a list of my WIPS and completed pieces to the border of my blog. So I will have to do a little research and see if I can figure out how to do it. Well I better go do some house cleaning and laundry so I can do more stitching this evening.
TTFN

My Quandry

2006-03-18T15:36:00.000-05:00

It has been almost two months since I posted to my blog. This is what I feared would happen when I set up the blog. I am not a journaller of life. I much rather be doing something rather than write about it. So for the last couple of weeks I have been thinking about whether I should give up blogging and delete my blog. I appear to be the only one who reads it anyway so why bother. Part of the problem is my expectation that I need to be clever and amusing in every entry. I am a techie and don't really enjoy writing but as I get older I would love to have some record of my life even though it is not a extraordinary life in any way. But maybe recording the very ordinariness of it has merit. So I have decided to try again. Instead of expecting to write daily I am setting a more realistic expectation of writing here at least once a week.
TTFN

I See Blue Skies

2006-01-23T14:16:00.000-05:00

In some parts of the world this would not be considered unususal but in Rochester in January the sun is rarely seen and when it is the temperatures are usually around zero instead of the balmy 45F it is right now. It feels and smells like spring and we still have the Christmas tree up.

Well I have turned on my relaxation music and I am facing the beautiful blue sky while I try and summarize all that has occurred in the last 12 days. My DD left for London earlier this month and I miss her but I am so happy she has this opportunity to see another part of the world.

My DS has been wrestling and his record is 13 wins to 7 loses. This is much better than last year. He gets better and stronger every year. He is also trying hard to learn how to balance all the demands on his time; school, sports, a girlfriend, video games, friends etc. I get so much joy out of watching them grow up. All too soon they will all be grown and DH and I will be on our own again.

I have been doing a lot of stitching for me. We were all down with a bad cold and I declared the weekend recovery weekend . Everyone stayed in PJs and rested and slept when they weren't resting. I stitched on and off all day both days. That was two weekends ago. I was also able to stitch almost every evening. This past weekend I did quite a bit of stitching even though I also cleaned the entire house.

What have I been working on? Since it is Guilt Free January I have started Michael Powell's Venice and Chatelaine's Mini Mandala Garden I #2. Then the Mirabilia RR arrived on January 13th. That was recovery weekend. On Friday evening I decided which Mira design I was going to stitch and then I went to Jo Ann's to pick up a few colors of floss I did not have. Then on Saturday & Sunday I stitched contently in between coughs and sniffles on Mira's Autum Queen. I am excited about this RR because I have never stitched a Mirabilia design before and now I will have the opportunity to stitch parts of 6 or 7 of them. Autumn Queen has some very beautiful colors in it. During the week that followed I decided that the metallic substitution I made for Kreinik 150V was not working because it was too close in color to the gold metallic. So I made a special trip to the LNS to pick the suggested metallic and the beads. I ended up buying Rainbow Gallery's Nordic Gold instead because it was the right color but much more vibrant than the kreinik color. The beads are very pretty colors and I ordered the two treasures I needed. They should be in by the first week in February which will give me sufficient time to stitch them on before mailing the RR onto it's next recipient.

In addition to working on the Mira RR I try to stitch on MP's Venice in the morning before I go to work and I took a Christmas ornament called Santa's Hat by Twisted Thread to work today so I would have a small project there instead of constantly carrying my rotation project bag and forth to work everyday. I don't get to stitch often at work but it will be nice to have a small project I can pull out to work on during meetings or if I am taking a small break in my office.

I plan to start my TWRR band tonight since it is the BB-wide SAL tonight. I plan to stitch The Reniasance Bookmark horizontally as the first band. It will be exciting to start this one. My only concern is how I am going to keep up with two RR's. I know I will but I won't be doing much else with my leisure time. This is OK since I really love to stitch. I just do it ever so slowly.

Well I must go back to work. I have papers to grade and students lining up outside my door. I hope everyone is having a great day.

Time does fly...

2006-01-11T15:45:00.000-05:00

Here it is January 11th already. When I started to blog I thought that it would only take a few minutes a day to keep it up to date. Now the reality has set in. Like all things it requires a commitment to keep it going. I have to include blogging to my daily schedule instead of thinking I can do it in a spare momment here and there. That's what I just did. I had a few minutes so I thought I would put in a new entry. I have done that but I do not have the time now to do a thoughtful and complete job. So I will say goodbye for now and run off to take my son to his wrestling meet. I hope to be back real soon because January has been a very good month and I would like to share it.

In the beginning...

2006-01-01T21:22:00.000-05:00

Here it is the beginning of another wonderful new year. How I end one year and begin the next is very important to me because I feel it sets the tone for the coming year. Because this year starts on a Sunday DD & I started the day by going to church. I wanted to spend time with DH and since he likes to shop we went shopping for new kitchen cabinet hardware and other household repair and decorating items. Then we rented some videos to watch this evening. We also did some Christmas returns and looked for a coat for DS. After getting home I baked sweet potato pies and cooked a special dinner. Now we are watching Kingdom of Heaven and I am going to stitch for the rest of the evening. I have also set my personal and stitching goals for the year.

My personal goals are :

Lose weight.
Exercise regularly and improve my flexibility.
Take care of my health.
Continue to decorate and improve our home.
Get rid of the excess junk in our house.
Organize my home and my office.
Take care of my friendships.
Continue to pay off debt & do retirement planning.
Continue to build my relationship with DH.
Stitch more and learn to knit and quilt.
Learn new teaching delivery techniques and add to my content knowledge.
Define the Undergraduate Coordinator's role in our department.

My Stitching Goals are:

Finish three of my seven WIPs
Start and complete two RRs
Start six new designs for the new year in addition to the RRs.
Finish the year with five or less WIPs.

I feel I have started the year off on the right foot and am looking forward to a happy and properous new year. May all of you have the same. So TTFN and off to my stitching I go.

Mirabilia RR

2005-12-29T10:14:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday January 3rd I will mail out my MiraRR. Over the next few days I will focus on getting it prepared for others to stitch on. I will not be able to finish my design which is Deco Spirits -Fire. I will how ever have the heading done and the stitiching areas outlined. When I get it back in August I will finish my design and the border. Since I am using stitchband all I have to do to finish it is hand stitch a backing onto it and add bell pull hardware which I will purchase sometime before August. The theme and title of my RR is Faces of Change. This reflects the many moods and changes that occur in a woman's life from being a little girl, daddy's princess, DH's queen, a mom, a lover, a friend. This theme will all the Other stitchers to select just about any Mira design and stitch the central part of it in a 6" X 4" oval. When the piece returns I will stitch a frame like border around each one in gold treasure braid. The effect I hope will be like a series of portraits on the stitchband. I look forward to stitching on six or seven other RR's over the next 8 months. THis should be a wonderful experience as I have never stitched a Mira design until I started Deco Spirits and I look forward to the opportunity to emerse myself in her designs.

A Relaxing Day

2005-12-28T10:52:00.000-05:00

I am so thankful to be on vacation. Although I had some errands to run I am going to spend most of the day relaxing. I finished my first knitting project yesterday and today I will work on my Mira RR and watch a couple of movies. I hope everyone else is having a good day.

On the second day after Christmas...

2005-12-27T08:11:00.000-05:00

Here it is two days after Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even our cat. The kids (ages 16 and 20) are still asleep and Mom gets some quite time. I finished my first knitting project yesterday. It was a scarf for DD. I just need to do the binding row and weave the ends in. Then I will get dressed and go to the store to do returns. When I get back home DD & I are going to thoroughly clean her room. She still hasn't unpacked all her boxes form the move since she has only been home for a total of about 3 weeks since we moved into this house. When we are done with her room we will move onto DS's room and "The Commons". The Commons is the forth bedroom and it is a shared space between DD, DS and myself. In it we have DS's desk and computer, DD's drafting table and art supplies and my sewing table and cross stitching and craft supplies. It will be a busy day but I hope a fulfilling one. I have wanted to get this done for a while and now with everyone home I can. If time permits we will also deliver DD's Christmas presents to her friends. DD doesn't drive yet so I will drive her around. When all this is done I hope to sit down and stitch this evening. So long and may you all have a magical day.

Why Blog?

2005-12-26T08:44:00.000-05:00

I have decided to try blogging. I have never been much of a journal or diary keeper but I do like to post on cross stitch BBs. Given that I thought I could use a blog to write about my cross stitch journey and anything else in life that strikes my fancy.

Here it is the day after Christmas. I gave two cross stitch presents. I gave my DD Gentle Creature by Teresa Wentzler. GC is matted in a deep green suede like mat and framed in a white and gold frame which my daughter says reminds her of a unicorn's horn. GC was stitched on 28 count Lakeside Linen in Wisteria.

I gave DS Dragon Rampart by Teresa Wentzler. DR is done as a pennant and will be hung with bell pull hardware. It is stitched on 28 count even weave in Star Sapphire.

Both children seemed to really appreciate their gift.

Christmas day was wonderful. Two of my children are home and I got to see the third later in the day. Although my children are 16 and 20 they still delight in Christmas morning and so we were awakened at 7:45 by our dear ones and proceeded downstairs to check out what Santa had left in our stockings and under the tree.

After we opened our gifts we had our traditional pancake, egg, and bacon breakfast. When we were done with breakfast the kids went to enjoy their gifts, DH went back to bed, and I cooked Christmas dinner. About three hours later when I was done we packed the dinner into the car and took it over to my inlaws house where we unloaded it and proceeded to serve Christmas dinner. We watched basketball and football, and generally had a good time talking to each other. We got home about 10PM. I found my christmas book and climbed into bed to read it. It was a wonderful day and I thank god for it. I hope all of you out there had an equally happy day.