Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Loara Standish - Week 9

IAfter stitching, ripping out, re-stitching, ripping out again, and finally restitching, I completed the right side of Band 20.  All because I was one linen thread off.
 

But, alas I finally finished, and was able to move ahead to Band 21. 


Band 22 was also an easy stitch and not shown in this picture, Band 23 is underway, and will be pictured in my next update.

I think, I have finally finished my Christmas shopping.  Things are beginning to arrive in boxes of all sizes.  This week, I plan to start opening them, to figure out what's inside, so than I can start wrapping.

I also got my packages mailed up, I thought without a glitch, until my niece in Georgia, let me know, that the postal worker put the wrong stickers on the boxes, so.....she received the box that was supposed to go to my sister in Illinois, and my sister got my niece's package that was supposed to go to Georgia.  EGAD, what's Christmas without a little added stress and drama!?  Oh, and here is another post office story for this week.  Back in August of this year, I sold a chart to a lady that lives in Indiana.  Sort of before, I know how the whole PayPal thing worked, and realized that PayPal for a flat fee will include tracking.  Of course the package never arrived, and I ended up refunding the lady her money.  Yesterday, she contacted through Messenger, to let me know that the package I sent to her in August, arrived yesterday. Yup, it took 4 months to be sent from Va. and arrive in Indiana. She said there was at least 6 different scan labels issued to post office, stacked on top of each other.

We have decided to not go all out this year and decorate out the ying-yang!  It's just my mom, hubby and I, here and it's sorta "like what's the point?"  My daughter won't be here for Christmas, because she is low man on the pole, and will be working on Christmas.  Both my sons will be here, but they both only stay for a couple of days and return to their homes and lives.  So in the long run, less work to do on the back end of tearing it down, and apart!

Brought my kids up to be independent, and self sufficient, and now that they are, guess it's sorta lonely sometimes.  Thankfully I have cross stitch to fill up a lot of extra time, and a house that still requires cleaning. 

My mom brought some of her decorations with her, when she moved from Florida.  I try to incorporate them with ours, so this place feels like her home too.  One of the things she brought was a small lighted wreath, that my father purchased for her when he was still alive.  (guess that goes without saying, as it would be difficult for him to purchase anything if he has passed!)  This year the lights, finally gave up the ghost.  I then had to dismantle the wreath, (a few years ago, I added some ribbon and a bow to it, and some other stuff, cuz it just looked boring!) Ripped out the old lights, and reinserted new lights, that I guess where also my mother's that she had purchased at some point, just in case the lights went out on the wreath.  Once the new lights were on, I had to reconstruct the decorations.  But.....it turned out pretty well!


Finally put on the icicles on the tree this morning.  I decided not to put beads on the tree this year.  Once again, they are sort of pain to get right and one less thing to pull off the tree when Christmas is officially over!  But even with out the beads, I think our tree looks fabulous.


By the way, I found out that the Blogger application on phones and IPads, no longer works, and the creators are not going to issue another version, or update the one we all have.  Something to do with it being incompatible with OS systems.  Nice they let us know!!!!! No wonder so many people changing to other blogging sites.  I found out the best way for me to still use it, is to use my lap top to post my musings, then save the entry, and then I can open it on my phone, and add pictures to it, but you just can't really type anything using the phone or it will crash!

Well, that's all for this week!  Until next week, happy productive stitching!

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Loara Standish - Week 8

I'm not really sure where last week.  It just flew right by.  Guess this time of year seems to go that way.  It's Thanksgiving, and there's a mad rush to get the house decorated, Christmas shopping done, packages wrapped, packages mailed and WHAM it's the New Year!

I am truly hoping to finish Loara by the end of the year, but some of these bands have been really slow going.  Slow going, in that they are wide, and there's a lot of detailed stitching for each band.
I managed to finish the left side of Band 20.  Meaning it will take me approximately the same stitching time for the right side. 


There are 24 bands in all, and after Band 20, there is still one more band that is between 4"-6". But definitely keeping my fingers crossed, that by the time 2017 is here, I will be moving in to the 1990's part of my stash.

I broke down and bought another chart this week.  Mary Slater.  I just couldn't resist.  Found it on e-bay listed as used, but the pictures showed, that it wasn't used, since the paper faces were still in tact.  I have been eyeing this chart for awhile, but the rerelease price, was higher than I wanted to invest at this time in my wonderful, addicting habit.



I also managed, to get Christmas lists, from my kids when they were here at Thanksgiving.  My husband has actually ordered a few things for the kids already, and upon hearing, what the others were buying for each, other, what is left is just a few things on each list.  Plan to do most of that on-line.  Then there is the necessary trip, to my credit union to purchase gift cards for the extended family members, who all live out of town.  Get them in the Mail.

We also got our tree and put it up and got the lights on to our satisfaction.  No ornaments yet, but I will work those into my schedule next week, along with two doctor appointments for my mom.



Until next week, happy stitching.