Nothing Special

Well, my Christmas stitching is done. Since we aren't doing "gifts" this year at the House of Grinch, the family is just getting the usual ornament.

They are now winging their way across the Pacific. I hope that they make it in time for Christmas so that they can be on the trees for the actual day.


The ornaments are all from different JCS Ornament Special Issue magazines. I don't have my list in front of me right now.


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I am not in the best mood lately.


Mostly because I am so frustrated with the mail system here. There is no home delivery on island so everyone goes to the post office. Well, the little branch that we go to seems to have some kind of impediment with getting our packages to us in a timely manner. When packages come in, they write on the package what box it is for and what date it comes in and then they are supposed to put a slip in the box to let you know you have a package.

I had ordered my sling rings a few weeks ago and was waiting on them...DH brought the package home on 12-7 and they had written on it that it was there on 12-2.

Mom ordered something for us off of ebay (organic sage) and the tracking shows that it was delivered on 12-4...do I have it in my hot little hands? Nope.

Wonder where my new camera is that was shipped 2 weeks ago yesterday?

DH is going to have to do some investigating and see if he can figure out what is going on.


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Friday was "Constitution Day" here on Saipan. There are more holidays here than I have ever seen. DH only worked a half day, so that afternoon we went to a barbecue. It was with a bunch of locals that DH knows through work and their families. I have to say that they are just the nicest people. We spent Easter with them as well. I made my Chocolate Chip Coconut (fresh) Oatmeal cookies that morning and took a gallon ziplock of them for the party as well as 2 gallons of homemade caramel corn. The cookies disappeared in a flash. I think that the caramel corn was put away for later. That's okay though because we still had 2 gallons here at the house. I say "had" because it is the past tense. Not so much anymore. The baby craves it, I think. I know one thing, I will never buy store bought caramel corn again!

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And for more crazy pet adventures...presenting Bella Baby in a diaper cover....

Not only do we torture love our kitties by putting them in baby clothes, we also go around waking them up during the day because they think that night time is for tearing the house apart. I think that they have a conspiratorial gleam in their eyes.

Viva La Revolution!!

That's it from me, not feeling exceptionally chatty lately. Too much going on in my head.



Peace

Ahhh...the sweet smell of....

burning garbage. Blech!

There ought to be a law about burning your household refuse. If there is a law, then my neighbors surely don't know about it because they burn their garbage frequently.

And it makes my house smell so charming. Especially the environmentally un-friendly burning plastic. Double blech!!

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This baby is sucking the everloving life right out of my body. I am 35 weeks today and have the worst exhaustion. For the past two weeks, it is about all I can do to make the bed every morning. Somehow I did manage to find strength yesterday to do the dishes, make 3 loaves of bread and a foccacia for our roasted veggie sandwiches last night. Which btw, were deelish!

Don't let me fool you...I truly am blessed. This pregnancy has been so easy, I couldn't have asked for more. I never had nausea/vomiting, my blood pressure is great, minimal swelling, I have only gained 19 pounds, and the baby moves around all of the time. It wiggles alot now. I think that it is running out of room. We are really getting anxious to meet this little treehugger and welcome her/him into our family.

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I have been spoiled again! My Aunt J & her family sent us a big box this week! They sent a play gym that is so bright and colorful, I love it! And a cute little "First Chewey Toy" that is so bright and visually stimulating, along with the different textures on it...really cool! Along with a container of chocolate toffee covered pretzels and a bunch of hot chocolate mix packets...YUM! When DH saw the pretzels, he immediately took them from me, opened them up and started eating them. I was in mid sentence and just looked at him, it was funny. They also included a couple of things from Granny & Grampy...a packet of adorable onesies and a bib that says "I love my Grandpa". I love it! Thanks again, Aunt J! Killer Lily approves.

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I also got an awesome package from Carolyn! Thank you, Carolyn! We are going to do stitch a biscornu together that we bought at Mary Kathryn's Shop ....she got a floss color that wasn't what she thought it was, and I liked it better, so I ordered a surprise color for her and we swapped. She sent that along with a package of the new Peanut Butter Kisses, 3 packages of Sour Patch Kids, a tin of Christmas cookies, a Livestrong bracelet, a Breast Cancer awareness bracelet and 2 scissor fobs. The floss, bracelets and fobs were packaged in the bag inside of the round holiday box and it was just soo cute! I love it all. And I have already scarfed down most of one package of Sour Patch Kids (that's why you only see 2).

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DH had to go to some boating safety thingy here recently and brought home a small t-shirt. Like children's size. Since we don't have a child yet to put it on, what do 2 semi-normal people do? Put it on the dog.


I think that Lady likes it. Here she is with DH:

And here she is later on, being too lazy to stand up and eat her Eukanuba:

Good times, Good times.

Y'all missed the other day when we put diaper covers on the cats. They *loved* them! : )

This baby better come soon or else the animals are going to revolt.

*******

Okay, I am going to go play with my blogger template some. Now that I got to join the "cool kids club" (blogger beta), I need to make some changes. Could be a challenge for my HTML developmentally disabled self.

Peace

Today

Today is my Mom's benefit back home (Sunday back in the States).

I really wish that I could be there.

I really wish that I could see with my own eyes what is really going on with her.

Peace

SBQ

I like this week's SBQ (stitching blogger's question) so I figured I would answer.

This week's SBQ is:

"How do you secure your thread when you begin a new one? Specifically,do you or have you ever used a waste knot?"

I typically only use DMC floss, and use 2 threads so I use the "loop method" to start my threads about 95% of the time. If I am stitching 1 over 1, then I just either tuck the end under a couple of stitches nearby or hold it with a finger as I stitch over it (since I stitch Continental Style and my backsides of solid areas look like: l l l l l l l ). I then end the thread by running it under a few stitches.

(Click on "Loop Method" above to see a demo of it if you are interested)

I have never used a waste knot, or any kind of knot that I can think of.

Peace

Sewing Machine - 1, Missy- 0

Did I ever mention that I *hate* my sewing machine? I do. And I wish that I had taken Home Ec so that I actually had some idea of what I was doing instead of reading the manual and flying by the seat of my pants. I have spent the last 30 minutes ripping out seams. No matter what I do, my stitches are tight, uneven, and the machine jams up because the shuttlerace underneath gets a tiny bit wobbly and I can't keep it tightened up.

*****
I tried up upgrade to Blogger Beta this am and it told me that I can't. Rat Bastards. I see all this "Switch Now" hoopla on my dashboard and then when I get the balls to try to do it...denied.

*****
Stitching updates:

I have been working on ornaments this past week. I only have 2 *maybe 3* left to do, if I am ambitious enough. This last month of pregnancy is wiping me out like nobody's business.

(No, I wasn't drunk when I took these pictures...you just never know how they are going to turn out since I can't review them or look at them on the LCD screep of ol'crappy. And I get tired of re-doing them so here they are in their glory.)

Prairie Schooler

"Santa Canoe"

Freebie

Leftover linen scrap (32 ct)

DMC floss

Birds of a Feather

"Keep Christmas In Your Heart"

2000 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue

leftover linen scrap (32 ct)

DMC floss

Lynn's Prints

"Outside My Window"

2005 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue

linen scrap (32 ct)

DMC floss

*****

Now who was it that said that they don't want any presents for the baby? Yeah, that is me, eating crow right now. We got some really awesome things in the mail this week and I am loving it!!!

First is the package from my MIL & FIL. She told me recently that she has ordered more things and will ship them once she gets them. I can't wait!!

They sent:

*a package of 2 Boppy Slipcovers, which I love

*Hola Jalapeno (board book), My First Sushi (board book), Yum Yum Dim Sum (board book), and a Little Golden Book of SleepyTime Tales hardcover book.

Love it all. DH & I had a fun time reading the board books...they are so cute! (I can already hear my BFF, the Popularity Queen, making comments about the "weird" food that we eat. Got to introduce the baby to it early in life so that it likes it!!)

Then, we got a GIANT box in the mail from my Dad & J. I knew that they were sending this since J told me that she was going shopping for the baby. I told her, "Well, just don't go crazy." To which she replied, "You know I will!."

And she did.

Here is the box, before opening...

And this is the ton of stuff that was inside of it:

*Bottle drying rack

*Giddy Up & Go play mat with hanging things

*Sponge-y bath mat thing for bathing

*Evenflo Elan Feeding System

*Evenflo bottles

*Bottlebrush

*Mother Goose Pop-Up book

*Nursery Rhyme hardcover book

*First book of "Taggies"

*Johnson's baby care gift pack with soaps & stuff

*Infant grooming kit with the always funny booger sucker thingy

*rubber duck for bath time (a kid can never have enough toys in the tub...now the other duck has a pal!)

*A hooded bear fleece blanket

*Baby Einstein soft books: What Floats and Water Everywhere

*a Boppy reversable cover that is sooo my style. I *love* the fabrics on this!

*2 waterproof mattress pads

*4 crib sheets

Wow! I think that we are set with baby stuff! It was almost like Christmas opening that box. I really need to put some sheets back on that bed sometime soon...kinda ugly for staging pictures. : )

I am anxious to start getting everything put away and all the linens and clothes washed...I told DH the other day that I was going to start and he said, "Don't you think it is a bit early yet? We still have another month to go." Fine, you win. But only for another week.

*****

Speaking of DH, he has really come up with some zingers lately.

The other night I was in the kitchen and thought there was something on the floor, so I bent at the waist kinda and looked down. He was walking past and said, "What are you looking for, your feet?".

Last week, we were getting ready to go and I said, "Hang on, I need to go to the bathroom first." (a pregnant woman's bladder is a tricky thing) I went to the bathroom and he followed me since he was still talking to me (we don't hide much in this house). As my 2 teaspoons of pee came out, I gave him an exasperated look and threw my hands in the air...his reply?

"Yeah, be sure to empty out your thimble."

Did I mention that I baked cookies last week? Yep, some oatmeal pumpkin cookies with whole wheat (they need chocolate). And I also managed to touch the hot cookie sheet to my giant belly which resulted in a nice burn and blister. Mother of the Year, right here!!

*****

Vent:

I am so sick of ebay sellers holding my feedback hostage. I did my part, I paid you very promptly...now leave feeback for me. Don't wait to see what I am going to say. Arrrgghh.

Peace

Some stash has to go!

I have just listed a few auctions on ebay...some of this stuff has got to go!!!

My ebay auctions

There is a lot of Just Nan's with embellishment packs, a lot of Lizzie Kate & Mill Hill patterns from kits and also a Crossed Wing "Silken Wings" kit.

I also have a "Vintage Box" from Gloria & Pat that has about 46 pattern books and a stitched model available (not listed yet on ebay) for $28 including shipping. Email me if you want pictures or listing of charts: mhighfill@gmail. com

I also have a huge pile of patterns that I am going to go through and list on ebay as one *GIANT* lot.

Bid often and bid high! : )

Remember, we have a baby coming : )

Peace.

Turkey Day, Big Belly, New Camera, Spot the Kitty...

Things around here have been pretty relaxed. We had a nice Thanksgiving. We were invited to a few get-togethers so off we went. The first one was at Pau Pau beach here on Saipan. A beach I had never been to, but was very surprised at how nice and clean it was. Maybe Beautify CNMI! has been there recently...? They really do a nice job of cleaning beaches and planting trees around the island. I think that they are really getting the treehugging word out. I am hoping that we will join their efforts at some point once the baby is born...right now I feel like a house. The second party was at a friend's house and it was nice. We were home by 7:30, so I was thankful for that.

DH took a pic of me on Thanksgiving eve...here I am 33 weeks (8 months) pregnant and can you believe that I am wearing an outfit that I wore in June 2003!? I was a bit husky back in 2003, but I about died when I put the outfit on and was able to button it up. I know that I look thrilled in the picture, it was the end of the night, we were at DH's office for him to finish up some work so that he could stay home on Friday and I just wanted to go home. : )

*****
This week I have been working on ornaments. I have a few more left to do and then I will post a picture of them all. We are being scrooges this year and not really "doing" Christmas. I just think that it will be too much since the baby is due at the beginning of January. I am sure that I won't feel like taking down a tree and decorations with a newborn. All I will probably want to do is sleep. So, in that same train of thought, we aren't really sending presents to our families...just the ornaments that I make. And we are asking for nothing in return, because doing so would just not be right.

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I am getting a new camera!!! It is a Kodak P850. I hope that it will be here in the next week or so. Here is a link to the review of it. I looked at quite a few online before choosing this one. DH has really been talking about the Canon Rebel Digital SLR, but I can't see forking over $800 right now for one. Even though it would match his 35mm. And it rocks.

Then I read an article online about the Sony Cybershot (which is the craptastic one that I have currently) having problems with the LCD screen, etc. due to humidity in certain climates. Umm, hello...thanks alot people! I am going to still investigate to see if I can get it repaired through them or not. They will probably say that I can't since we live in Saipan and everyone thinks that Saipan is BFE or a foreign country. We are a Commonwealth of the USA!!! Rant over.

*****

Can you tell which one of these critters doesn't belong? I caught Bella Baby snoozing in the crib yesterday. We are so going to have to get a crib tent to keep the kitties out of the crib. We shoo them out when we catch them, but I am not looking forward to the times that we don't know about...

(click on the picture to see it bigger)
by curlystitcher

In the picture you can also see the 2 blankets that Mom crocheted for the baby hanging over the rail. Okay, I think that we are all set with the crocheted baby blankets! I did one, Mom did two, and Granny usually does one for all new babies...although she hasn't said anything about it. The kid will be hauling these to college with it, it will have so many. Did I ever mention that it is *hot* here?

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DH & I are really getting anxious about the baby coming. I am most anxious to know what the gender is. I decided that with the next one, we will find out before it is born. Doesn't mean that we have to tell everyone. Although I am sure we will. Or, I will. I can't keep many secrets.


Peace.

Another souvenir from Australia trip

Have you all seen this cute heart freebie for the holidays? Click here to see it. I think that it is adorable and have printed it out. Not saying that I will get to it this year, but you know.

*****

We got another souvenir in the mail from our Australia trip...

DH got a speeding ticket. Don't be shocked, I wasn't. I saw the signs everywhere that said that they use cameras to monitor speed.

His alleged speed was 115km/h (equals 71.46 mph) and the permitted speed was 100km/h (equals 62.14 mph).

The fine for going 9.32 mph over the speed limit in Australia?

$215 AUD which equals $165.81 USD. OUCH. That cuts into the diaper buying budget!

They don't mess around in Australia.

This is the same model we had in Aus, a Hyundai Getz...Getz you where you are going!!

Peace

Woo Hoo! Baby stuff galore

We received a lovely package from my Aunt T in Dallas this week. I was very happy to open this up and see what goodies were inside. Shamefully I will admit, I *love* getting presents. But I don't want to seem greedy. I do love giving/sending presents it is just kinda hard to do here when you have to rely on the local stores for gifts or go online. I miss browsing.

Anyway, on to what was inside already!!


A package of washcloths, a package of onesies, a package of burp cloths (that match the onesies that Staci sent us a few months ago), a Classic Pooh plush rattle, a package of Classic Pooh bibs, a package of booties, a neat rubber ducky that has a temperature sensor on it that tells you if the bathwater is too hot, and my favorite of all, THE BUNNY SLIPPERS!!! They are so freaking cute, I can't hardly stand it. Even DH loves them. First thing he asked was, "Are you going to have the baby wear them when we go home to visit?" To which I replied, "You are damn right, I can't wait for it to get here so I can put them on it" (It being the baby).

Thank you, Aunt T!

Now, you all know by know that I love thrift shops and buying things at garage sales and secondhand shops. I love it even more when you find things at said places with the tags still on them. Then you know that they were never used (hopefully). Mom was at a thrift shop at home and saw this bag and thought it was a nice bag for her. She didn't really look at it, seems like it was a "snatch it before someone else's mitts come after it" situation.

She is a fan of the ginormous purse. And for $3 with the tag still on it, what a bargain!

Only when she got home and was looking at it more, and opened it up and pulled out the diaper pad did she say "What the hell?".

So, we got a pretty nice diaper bag. For free. It is from Target and is a chocolate brown. It is so soft and a nice suede-ish material. Yeah, it is fake suede, but how long do diaper bags really last? Longevity is not the concern here. I go for quality and classic designs (Coach) when selecting handbags because I want to carry them for 10 years (off & on), not a diaper bag.

****

We went and bought a crib mattress for the crib at the local baby shop and I got the crib itself all disinfected and cleaned (since it is secondhand). The baby's room is also our guest room. Not really concerned about that since we don't have any guests out here in Saipan (I think that the $1,500 plane ticket is a deterrant, personally). I used to have all of these stuffed animals on the guest bed, but we recently stripped the sheets off the bed and washed them. The only ones that slept there were the cats. I had to do a double take one day while walking past the baby's room as DH had arranged the stuffed animals in the crib. It was too cute. Don't call Child Protection Services yet, folks. I know that it all has to come out of the crib before baby goes in, I just thought it was too cute. And the crib is really nice for only $25.

*****

Anyone else out there that is Christian and doesn't do the whole "Santa Claus" thing with their kids?

We have decided not to. No Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, etc. I am not saying that those characters are banned from our house, we just aren't going to trick our kids into believing that they are real and then pulling the rug out from underneath them or having them learn from a meanie at school.

I found out when I was 6 years old and I was devistated that there was no Santa. My Dad told me. All because I was being a little beyotch about getting a Cabbage Patch Kid when my Ste-Sister didn't. It was 1983, y'all. People were getting mugged over these stupid dolls. Yeah, I did gloat. Big time. But my bubble was burst quite effectively. Then I got the threat of the beating of a lifetime if I told my Step-Sister and Step-Brother that there was no Santa.

I do have a point here. Follow me, will you? If you have a kid believe that there is a Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, etc., even though they never see the person and then eventually find out that they aren't real...how is that going to affect their spirituality in regards to Jesus? They can't see him, how will they truly believe that he is real?

That's not to say that we won't teach them of the folklore of Santa and his pals and incorporate them in some way. I just don't want our kids to put false hope into something that isn't true.

Besides too much empasis is put on the consumerism of the holidays instead of the actual reason for the holiday.

Thanks for reading my ramble. And to my new readers, I hope that I didn't scare you away! : )

****

I just read an article regarding Sen. Obama and if he keeps this up, he will have my full support in 2008.

Peace

Well, which is it?

I look at the posts on garagesale.saipan.com regularly and this one caught my eye:

"A male Golden Retriever Puppy is for sale. He needs a new home and a family who can take care of him better than we can. He has had complete vaccination that costed more or less $250, and would just have to visit the Vet for the yearly check-up only."

I put the part that amused me in italics.

Which is it? Did it cost more than $250? Or less?

And no word about neutering.

Post more later once I get my pictures uploaded.

Yay! Obligation stitching done!!!

So, today I put my ornament together for the ornament exchange organized by Sue on the 123mb. It is going to Alaska. It is from the 2005 JCS Ornament Issue and done on linen with DMC threads. The thrifted & felted sweater struck again! I used it for this project as well along with a couple of buttons I had in my button stash. One more to mark off the 50 project listing, whee!

Now all I have to do is my stitching for my family and BFF for Christmas. Plus get ready for this monster in my belly to be born. I think that it will come before the end of the year. Just a feeling I have.

Peace

Stellar reporting job!

I know that there are many times when I mangle the English language, but this is straight from the newspaper here on Saipan. I am a nurse, I never claimed to be a professional journalist or writer.

I had to laugh about this when I read it:

"Hossain described the one who grabbed his bag as about 5'5” tall, dark skinned, slim built, and had a black boonie cap on."

"The driver of the getaway vehicle was wearing a gray shirt and was medium built."

Okay, the issues I have are as follows:

1. "slim built" shouldn't it be "slim build"?
2. WTF is a "boonie cap"? Is that some kind of Chamorro speak for a black stocking cap? Like a knit cap? You don't see too many of those around here considering it is hot as Hades every day, so I can't see how the name "boonie cap" would stick.
3. Again with the "built" instead of "build".

And the guy at the end of the article that was robbing the pawn shop...what an idiot. I wouldn't hide out under a shelf in the shop, I would have run.

If you want to read the rest of the story, click here.

Speaking of "boonie", when we moved to Guam it seemed like everything was referred to as "boonie".

Jungle=boonie
loaner car= boonie car
stray dog with no specific owner=boonie dog
stray cat with no specific owner=boonie cat
loaner furniture from military while waiting for your household goods to arrive=boonie furniture
Hiking trip through the jungle=boonie stomp
Hot as f*** little peppers=boonie peppers

Now I guess that I have one more to add to the list...boonie cap.

Back home, the "boonies" meant something like "way out" or "out in the country" in terms of distance.

"So, where do Mary & Allen live?" "Way out in the boonies past Dakota." ( I don't know Mary or Allen, it is just an example )

Peace.

Got power?

Yesterday was DH's birthday. He had the day off for Veteran's Day Observed, so that was nice. What wasn't nice was the eleventy billion calls that he got regarding a fuel leak in a pipeline. Then he eventually had to go in to the office anyway. What also wasn't nice was the power going out yesterday afternoon for 3 or so hours, just as we were going to start making his birthday dinner. Double thanks, CUC (our utility company)!!

*****
Back in the States, I never really thought about the power going out. Except during thunderstorms. It was always back on in just a short time. Living here has changed my thinking. I wonder about it every day. As in..."Should I put the bread in the oven now? I wonder if the power is going to go out while it is baking." Our oven is electric. Or else..."I should go get in the shower now, don't want the power to go out and be all soapy." Our water pump is electric. We do have a generator, but we haven't used it yet. I don't even know how to start it up if I had to. It has a lawn mower cord that you pull...that's all I know. *sigh* Our power went out 3 times last week for a few hours at a time. They have stopped the "scheduled blackouts" for now, but there is still a problem. Guess that is island life.
*****

This week I am working on ornaments. I have a ton to do and finish up.

*****
Best.Chicken.Ever.

"Garlic Cheddar Chicken"

1/2 c. butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. shredded parmesan
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar
1/4 t. parsley
1/4 t. oregano
1/4 t. pepper
1/8 t. salt
8 chicken breasts ( I think I used 6)

*Preheat oven to 350 F
*Saute garlic in butter, set pan aside
*Mix remaining ingredients in a shallow dish
*Coat chicken in garlic butter, then dredge in bread crumb mixture. Pat mixture on firmly
*Place chicken pieces in glass baking dish
*Press excess bread crumb mixture on top of chicken pieces once they are all dredged
*Pour garlic butter (if any leftover) over the top of the chicken pieces
*Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked and topping has browned.

DELISH!!!
*****

Today I am roasting a turkey, making green bean casserole and stuffing. We will also have the Banana Pumpkin Mousse Tart for dessert since I didn't have electricity yesterday to finish making it in time for dinner. It will be like an early Thanksgiving dinner for us!

*****
Saturday we went to "Casino Night" at one of the hotels. It was sponsored by the Rotary Club. They had a decent turnout. We didn't win any of the raffle prizes (the cash would have been nice), but DH did win some $ at the poker table. Not sure if we would go again next year though.

Peace

Now I really want to have a little girl...

I was just reading the latest entry from a blogger that inspires me ever so much. Maybe someday I can be just like her. For now I shall live vicariously through her and her blog. So much talent!

Click here to see what she & her girls have been up to lately: Le Petite Patisserie

*****
I just finished up making my "Treat Bag" for the Yahoo Group, Stitcher's Time Out exchange. It was alot of fun. For the actual bag, I used felt that I felted from an old sweater found at the thrift shop. Then I just sewed on the design and blanket stitched the edges with DMC Perle Cotton and voila!

Sam Sarah Designs

Just Cross Stitch 2005

Millenium Blue Linen

DMC threads

JABC buttons

Front: Back:

Not a traditional "Treat Bag", but I am very happy with the results since I just had an idea floating in my brain about how to finish it. I figure that the recipient can put a small pillow in it during the holidays and it would be cute. We do centralized exchanges (everyone mails to a moderator), that way nobody gets screwed out of receiving something. I would have personalized it more, but I don't know who is getting it.

I killed two birds with one stone on this project for the 50 project challenge. Woo Hoo for me!

Peace

Bits of this, bits of that...

They are having a Benefit for Mom on December 3, and since I can't be there, I figured that I would send a few things for "prizes" for the raffles. I finished 2 ornaments that I stitched this year (simple cardboard, padding, glue, felt). Both from Just Cross Stitch Ornaments 2005. I also stitched and finished the "Welcome Friends" by Lizzie Kate into my second ever flanged pillow. This one went a bit better than the Halloween one a few weeks ago.

Of course, they look better in person since our camera is so crap-tastic.




I am also sending along the 5 scarves that I have knitted & crocheted over the past few months. I figure that she can give the ugly ones away and maybe use the nicer ones for raffle prizes. It doesn't matter to me.



I got a couple of really nice surprises in the mail this week. My BFF, Stels, sent me 2 bags of Sour Patch Kids! I love those nasty little things and have been craving them like nobody's business. Thanks again, Man! Then, I got a little package from my Aunt J, she sent us this little cuddly bear for the baby. It is so soft and snuggly. Thanks, Aunt J! I posed it by the Boppy that DH bought while in Guam. It is mint green with little sheep on it. Inside the mattress-less crib.

I so want a sling for the baby, and after looking at options available online, I came across this site that gives you instructions on how to make your own!! I think that I am going to start off by making the ring sling per the instructions here. With all of the neat fabrics out there, the possibilities are endless. I might even make one for DH. For the people that sew, how do you keep your bobbins stored? I have a small clear box that holds 12 or so bobbins, but now with all the sewing that I do, I have loose bobbins rolling around in my bin. Would really love ideas that recycle something else for it (container wise or such) or that can be crafted.

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For those of you that have switched over to Blogger Beta, how is it now? Do they have the bugs worked out yet? I had issues earlier with uploading pictures and had to quit for a while. Just wondering if it is that much better.

*****

A too cute for words picture of our long-tails. Bella Baby (orange) and Killer Lilly (brown), doing what they do best, sleeping. I have been trying to keep them awake more during the day since they think that night time is perfect for tearing the house apart.

*****

DH's birthday is Monday so I am going to try a new recipe...Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart. We recently tried a new recipe for Parmesan Chicken and it was so freakishly good, I could have eaten the whole pan of chicken. I will post that recipe next week.

*****

Other than that, I am working on a "treat bag" for an exchange on a Yahoo group. And finishing up a top secret something for a blogging pal. I am also going to make some more "Chemo Caps" this weekend for Mom to take to Chemo and give to her friends.

*****

Dr. visit was this week. Hard to believe that we are on the home stretch. He said that the pregnancy is going perfect. Thank God!

*****

Today's SBQ was suggested by Jan and is:

How many different brands of "complete" embroidery floss sets do you own? How do you keep track of it? (i.e., spread sheet program, indexcards, palm pilot, etc.)

One set complete: DMC

I don't really want any of the others. Just a simple girl I guess. I have them in the clear plastic organizer boxes that you can buy at Michaels. On bobbins with little stickers at the top indicating the number. I am hoping that I can beg my Dad enough to make me a nice wooden bobbin box out of some exotic wood. He is the Wizard after all. (That is what they call him at work, "The Wizard"...he works for a small lumber company back home)

Peace!

Baby Shower Thoughts

I have been thinking about baby showers and for that matter, wedding showers.

What exactly is the point?

When were they started?

Is it primarily a middle-class thing?

Would you be more inclined to give a nicer/bigger/more expensive gift to someone who is married or in a committed relationship vs. someone who had an "oops" and has no intention of making a commitment to the other baby maker?

Or are you the type of person that doesn't care and thinks that all babies should be celebrated regardless and buy whatever you want to even if the new parent (s) don't want/need/like it?

DH & I have been having an ongoing discussion about this subject. Mainly because we don't really want people to buy us stuff. We can afford to get the baby everything that it needs. And if people buy us stuff, are we obligated to somehow return the favor at some point? We did cave into the pressure of our parents and set up a registry, but we are using it as a checklist for things that we buy for the baby.

Take wedding showers...Okay if you are going to the wedding shower, more than likely you are also invited to the wedding so that means TWO gifts. Yes, maybe we are stingy, but why not just give one nice bigger gift? I have heard that the wedding gift is supposed to equal the amount spent on the cost of dinner for you and your date...but that itself seems tacky as can be. Why not just make people buy tickets or pay at the door if you are going to base it on that? I know that when we got married, we did not have a wedding shower. We had a reception and did the whole registry thing. But we registered for higher-end items (Portmeirion dishware, Wusthof knife set, Wusthof steak knife set, etc.) through Dillards. We invited people to come celebrate with us, not expecting presents but if they felt so inclined, these were the things that we really wanted.

I was just happy that people came and celebrated with us. And about the obligation thing...I have a cousin through marriage that got married a couple of months after we did. We are not close, I don't even know what her phone number is. Half the time I can't remember what her married name is. Well, they gave us a check for $x amount so when they got married, we sent them a check for the same $x amount. Tacky? Maybe. But the amounts ended up equaling themselves out so what is the point?

Were baby showers invented because people used to have children at younger ages and people wanted to "help them out"? Seriously, if you can't afford to buy your baby the things that it needs and are using a shower to obtain said items, maybe you ought to re-consider your priorities AND your future birth control methods.

And maybe I need to consider getting off my high horse sometime soon. Not good for a pregnant lady.

*****

I am working on finishing some projects today that have Saturday deadlines so nothing else to share at the moment. Soon though!

Peace!

Great day to be a Democrat

I am shocked. Shocked, I tell you.

I just got up (we are 16 hours ahead of CST) and as I sit here drinking my chocolate milk, perusing the headlines, I read this story. Boy, it has been a long time coming. I am looking forward to a change-up, hopefully it will be for the better for our troops.

I will post more later today, but wanted to let everyone know about this Freshman Senator that they need to keep their eyes open for in 2008. He has been on my mind alot lately. He made a big impact at the DNC in 2004 and there is already word of a possible run for the White House in 2008. And he is only a freshman!!!

Peace!

So Much To Say

Yay! We have a computer again! For a while anyway.

Dear People at Dell: Please bring back that super duper deal that you had about 6 weeks ago. I really want a laptop of my own. Thank you, the computer borrower in Saipan.

*****

So much to catch up on. We changed from DSL through the phone company to Broadband through the cable company. Only because it was $20 a month cheaper. They did a ghetto job installing the cable into our office/studio room though. Yeah, nothing spells trashy like a big black cable nailed to the front of your white house, snaking down and bisecting it into 2.

*****

Baby is doing great. Hard to believe that we are almost at the end of the journey! The bizarro dreams have returned. I wonder what makes us dream the things that we do. They are almost disturbing in a way sometimes. My favorite one lately is the one where the baby (a girl) came out a few weeks early to "let us practice" and then was going to go back in. Funny thing is, this baby knew what to do and she could tell me what to do. Strange. A boat brought our crib up this weekend from Guam, so we set that up in the baby/guest room and got that arranged for now. Then I got a bug up my butt and we rearranged the bedroom a bit and then did the living room. Looks like a new house.

*****

DH went to Guam last weekend for a physical on Monday. Guess the hospital's lab here isn't accredited by the military or something, so off to Guam he was sent. He spent lots of $ on stuff for us that we can't get here or is too expensive. For instance: Velveeta. Yeah, it is kinda funky and full of crap but there is nothing like homemade Velveeta & pasta aka Mac 'n Cheese. And he got lots of canned salmon. For whatever reason. Plus some sour gummy worms that I love. I really wanted Sour Patch Kids, but he couldn't find those. He also got me 2 bottles of my favorite OPI nail polish, 2 big Yankee housewarmer jar candles, the baby's swing thingy, the crib, a huge bag of baby clothes, 4 bottles of Bath & Body Works hand soap for the kitchen, my breast pump and 2 tubes of lanolin for breastfeeding. Bet he felt like a stud buying a breast pump and tubes of lanolin...lol. I know that he got some other stuff but it is escaping me right now. I miss being able to go to the stores and get this kind of stuff. *Only 18 more months or so*

*****

Mom is doing okay. Losing more hair. She had the double dose of Chemo on Friday. I am waiting for her to call me today or tomorrow, when she feels up to chatting. I made her a "Chemo Cap" out of a knit cotton material and she likes it so much she asked me to make more for her friends at Chemo. There is a benefit for her on Dec. 3, so I am working this week to finish some ornaments and smalls into raffle prizes for her benefit. Planning on getting them in the mail this weekend. I figure it is the least I can do. I know that I would buy raffle tickets if I were able to go, so I might as well donate some prizes. I also am sending the scarves that I knitted. I figure that she can put those in as well or give them to the Rescue Mission for the homeless.

*****
I was tagged by Jenn recently:

The rules: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether or not they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they're listening to.

Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd
Pinball Wizard by The Who
Two Step by Dave Matthews Band (FAVORITE.SONG.EVER)
Think of Me from Phantom of the Opera
Possum Kingdom by The Toadies
Daughter by Pearl Jam
Rocket Man by Elton John

Yeah, my music is not so up to date. This was all I could think of off the top of my head. We have alot of music downloaded on our old computer and I used to just listen to that. I think that I am kind of late getting to this, so if you haven't done this yourself, consider yourself tagged.

*****
I have been slacking in the Stitching Blogger's Questions lately, so I will try to do one per post to catch up. The most recent:

Today's SBQ was suggested by Lee and is:How did you decide on the title of your stitching blog? Was it random,or does it have a special meaning to you or about you?

Well, let's see. I am married, so that takes care of the "Wife" part. And my DH is a treehugger. Almost militant about it. He really has changed my way of thinking about our environment and the impact that we have. In regards to refuse, we recycle everything possible or try to reuse it for something else (ice cream buckets make perfect vegetable & plant containers). I do have to draw the line sometimes though. Case in point:

The Toilet Paper Incident:
*background: we don't go through alot of t.p. We moved into our house in May (6 months ago) and shipped up about 20 rolls of regular sized t.p. (not the double rolls). We recently had to go buy more*

DH: I don't understand why you have to use so much toilet paper.

Me: Umm, because I am a girl and have to wipe every time I go to the bathroom, and adding to that, I am pregnant and have to go like every hour.

DH: Well, can't you just use a washcloth or something?

Me: Well, I suppose that theoretically I could, but I don't want to.

DH: What about just using your hand? I mean, you wash your hands afterwards anyway.

Me: Seriously?! My HAND? Yeah...you go right ahead and use your hand to wipe your ass and let me know how it goes. That's just gross. There are alot of things that I am willing to make a concession on and change my habits with, but toilet paper is not negotiable!

Me: *grumbling under my breath* No f***-ing way am I giving up toilet paper. My hand... *rolling eyes*

****

So, that is how I got the name. Not exceptionally clever, but effective. I think that the fact that DH is a treehugger secretly masks his penny pinching ways. Anyone that knows us knows how thrifty he can be but in his defense...he comes by it naturally.

****

Boo...I just read that the Bears lost today. Miami beat them today 31-13 to set their record at 7-1. Boo. Even though I am a Packer fan, I have family that roots for Chicago so I am not really biased. Except when the Bears vs. Packers game is on. Then it is on bitches! I still love the Packers, but I have to admit that the Pack sucks this year. I have been hearing rumblings about the Superbowl already and the Bears doing the "Superbowl Shuffle" redux. A la 1985. People, those were the glory years for my generation. We're not here to start no trouble... (Come on Staci...I know you know all of the words!!! Sing it, sister!)

*****

Bring on the Pictures:

Some of the things that I have done recently and can think of off the top of my head...


The sewing machine cover. Mom must have sent me 30 yards of this fabric...I swear I have a ton of it. Good thing that I think it is kinda groovy. I have been trying to use it up. So far, I have made it into napkins, a sewing machine cover and also used it for the knitting needle holder roll thingy. I even found some decorative trim in my stash for the edging along the bottom. Not too bad for no pattern and just a simple design in my brain.



Then there is the knitting needle roll holder thingy. Same fabric as the sewing machine cover, but I lined it with a coordinating blue. I made it 2 levels. The top level holds my standard needles, and the bottom level holds my double pointed needles, my needle & stitch gauge along with a slot for circular needles. I love it. Again, made without a specific pattern, just an idea. Did I mention that I broke 2 of my sewing machine needles making this thing? I thought that it was because I had cleaned out the machine, but I don't know. I am down to my last needle until I order more from Home Sew next week.

A view of the projects that are ongoing and currently cluttering up my ironing board in the studio/office. You can see the crocheted granny squares piled up that will be joined together for a quilt for MIL & FIL. I have about 10 more squares to do of the multicolored pattern, then I can start to join. Then you have fabric from my stash that will work its way into a quilt, and also some felt that I am going to use for ornament finishing...and some crochet thread that I knit a bit of to decorate cards...hmmmm...I think that DH's birthday present is buried under there somewhere, waiting to be wrapped.

I was the lucky recipient of a RAK from Kim this past week!!! She was so thoughtful and saw that I was wishing for a pink ribbon breast cancer fob on my wishlist so she got the beads and had her talented sister make this for me. Isn't it sooo pretty. It is absolutely gorgeous in person and I was thrilled to receive it and her lovely note. The photograph does not do it justice in any way. I photographed it with my old UFO...Christmas Elf Fairy. I dragged it out last week and put in more stitches into the wing. I am so bummed though, I am out of the "Cloud" color for the wings. And I only have a little bit left to do. This is one reason why I don't typically use the hand dyed flosses. I feel like I waste the floss since you have to "cross" each "x" as you go, instead of doing it /// and then going back and going \\\ over the top. The backside is still neat, but I do it in a way that wastes it I guess. Poop. Going to search ebay to see if anyone is selling that color. I want to get this done and beaded by the end of the month. I have alot of goals for this month so we will see.

***

That's all for me right now. I have some blog reading to catch up on and I have to list 11 boxes of Mother Earth News on ebay for DH. Duplicates from his collection.

Peace!

Disposable Society

I did some investigating the other day about getting my camera repaired. We like to repair things rather than replace them in our house. But, the way that things are today, it is easier just to throw things away and buy new than to have things repaired. Especially when you are considering the cost.

On 12/20/04, DH bought me my camera, a Sony Cyber-Shot DSCW1 with all the bells and whistles...2.5" LCD screen, 5.1 megapixels (this was great for 2 years ago), Carl Zeiss lens, 3x optical zoom. He paid $331 not including taxes or memory cards for it. That is a good amount of money.


(pictures found online)

Fast forward almost 2 years and the camera is not functioning well. Our friends K & J went and bought the same camera a week after we got ours and they replaced theirs this summer because the lens wouldn't retract when you shut it off. We aren't having problems with the lens, it is just everything else!

So, I went to the Sony website to get an idea about repairing it. It will cost a flat fee of $181 to repair it!!! I could buy the exact same one brand new off of ebay for $150.

They (the manufacturers & retailers) make it so easy to just throw things away and go buy new. Financially it makes sense, but having a responsibility to our environment speaks otherwise.

Think about all of the things that you throw away today. I know people who eat off of paper or foam plates exclusively so that they "don't have to do dishes". Think of the things that you are putting in the garbage that could be recycled, repaired or reused. Sure it takes a bit more effort, but once you get used to it, you don't even notice the change. Our landfills are overflowing by things that don't need to be there.

This whole camera repair business really set my mind in motion about how "disposable" our society is. Shoot, my Granny only uses disposable cameras. Ironic, huh?

Peace.

P.S. I finished my knitted scarf last night. Will post a picture in the next post. One more thing to cross off my 50 project listing!

Warning....LOTS of pictures!!!

Recently I read suggestions from other bloggers about how to add pictures to your posts without blogger freezing up or only working for one or two pictures. They said to upload all of your pictures at the beginning before adding text.

That's what I just did and it worked!!

I have been updating my blog recently with more of my "links" and such (see sidebar). I have more work to do, but I am liking how it is turning out. Considering my limited HTML skills.

Mom sent me a nice care package this week. I love the new USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes!!! For $8.10, they will ship all that you can cram fit into the box and ship it priority. That means that we get it in only a week! I mentioned to her that I was looking on ebay for more knitting needles and she went through her stash and sent me TONS! So, I have one more thing to add to my 50 Project Challenge...making a knitting needle roll-holder-thingy.


I have been able to mark some things off on the list. But, I have been adding to it to get to the 50 things. This is hard! It is for a good reason though. To finally go through my stash and prioritize.

In the past few weeks, I have finished the scarf on the far left (not included in the challenge), and last week, I knitted the scarf on the right (included in the challenge). I cast on for the scarf at the top and have made significant progress on it at night when we watch a movie (since we cancelled cable). I should finish it in the next night or two. I used #11 needles for all of them. For the one on the top and the left, I used Red Heart's Light & Lofty yarn, and for the one on the right I used some unknown "leftover" yarn (read: knotted together every 3 feet) that I got in a box of yarn off of ebay. It is slightly funky looking. Maybe not in such a good way. But, it will serve the purpose. For someone.

Some cross stitch finishes that I got around to photographing since it is a sunny day (my flash doesn't work anymore):

"Love" by BOAF

Stitched on 28 ct evenweave

DMC Flosses

Changed eye colors & hair colors to match DH & I

"Merry Yule" 2005 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue

Stitched on unknown piece of linen scrap 28 count

DMC floss "Molly To The Rescue" 2005 Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue

Stitched on 28 count evenweave scrap

DMC floss "Goodnight, Sleep Tight" by Bent Creek

Stitched on 28 count evenweave

DMC floss "Noel/Lighthouse Ornament" by Homespun Elegance

Stitched on linen that it came with

DMC floss

This is for Dad & J for Christmas this year...just have to sew it into an ornament shape!

It has been so rainy and humid here for the past 3 weeks. Although I love the rain and overcast days, I could do without the humidity. This screen shot of my weather pixie was from yesterday. Notice that it says that the humidity is 94.3%? Ugh. No wonder why my antique wooden furniture is warping and molding. Good thing that we decided previously that we were going to sell all of our furniture when we left! It is all getting ruined here, which makes me sad. My bedroom set is pretty and it is Art Deco from the 20's or 30's from what I have been told. C'est la vie!


And finally, a picture of a picture. This is Madeline and me in Australia. We went to the Billabong Sanctuary that is just south of Townsville VIC. This has to be the best $10AUD that I spent the entire trip! She was so lightweight and cute... And you can't really tell because the picture is bad, but I am just *starting* to really show in this picture. I was about 20 weeks. And, yes, it is the yellow hat again that I am so desperately fond of. When I wear that hat out, I guess it will be time for another trip to St. Lucia to replace it! : )

*****

Thank you everyone, for your thoughts and prayers for Mom. I am going to be calling her tomorrow so I will see how she did with her most recent Chemo treatment.

*****

Blogrolling is not working for me, so I put my links into Google Reader yesterday and I really like it. If anyone wants to switch and needs a gmail invite, let me know, I have a bunch of them left. I don't know if you need a gmail account to use Google Reader, but I had to log in using my Gmail account. Gmail rocks by the way. I liked the simplicty of Blogrolling, and how it looked on my sidebar...I think that for now I will keep my Google Reader where it is at and figure out how to share it later. It is still in the "beta" stage, so it will only get better!

*****

On Friday, DH & I went and saw "The Guardian" at the theater. It is a Coast Guard movie that was pretty good. DH thought it portrayed the Coast Guard pretty accurately, except he didn't know what it was like at Swimmer Response A school...he is a Marine Science Technician so he went to a different A school. The only thing that bugged me was they were lax with the uniforms. There were a couple of times when Ashton didn't have on an undershirt, or he took off his hat outside, he wore his hat into a bar while on liberty *gasp...big no no*, or his button wasn't buttoned up far enough...but that is just me being picky.

I did think it was interesting how they showed the Coast Guard / Navy personnel interactions at the bar. It was right on. The mindset of many of the military people is that they don't think of the Coast Guard as military or they think that it is beneath them. The Coast Guard has many advantages over the other branches as far as I can see, but that is my opinion. And yes, it is a part of the military. You enlist, have rules, ranks, schools, etc.

Go see it! *stepping off my soapbox*

Peace.

Quick update

This has been a trying week for sure! I appreciate the comments and emails, I can't tell you all how much you mean to me. Thank you!

I am in a much better state of mind than I was earlier this week, that is for sure.

I have talked to Mom a few times since then and this is what is going on:

She went to her Oncologist on Wednesday (a day sooner than planned) and had Granny & Great Aunt K. with her. The Oncologist talked to them for a long time. He is optimistic and said that he thinks it is treat-able. Not curable, but hopefully it can be slowed and put into remission.

She has numerous cancerous spots on her chest, 4 cancerous areas on the lymph nodes under her right collar bone and "cluster areas" (as she calls them) on the bony formation of her ?thoracic? spine in 2 different spots. She wasn't sure how to describe where they are on her spine, just said that it is about mid back, which would be the lower thoracic or possibly uppermost lumbar. I am thinking thoracic.

Anyway, she got another PICC line inserted in her arm on Thursday and had her first combination Chemo treatment that same day. She thinks that she will have to do 12 weeks of Chemo and they will reevaluate. Here is how they will work out the schedule, she only has to go one time per week:
Week 1: Breast Cancer Chemo
Week 2: Breast Cancer Chemo
Week 3: Breast Cancer Chemo followed by the Bone Cancer Chemo once the Breast Cancer one is run through.
Week 4: Off. No treatment on 4th week, but starts again with week 1 the following week.

Once she is done with the Chemo, her doctor wants her on a weekly blood draw routine to check for increasing cancer indicators. He basically said that this will have to be treated as a chronic illness, just like Diabetes or MS. He doesn't know why she keeps getting it, and why it is spreading, but he is going to treat the new areas as they appear.

She is incredibly optimistic and truly believes that we are all here for a purpose and that everything happens for a reason. She is willing to try experimental treatments if it comes to that. She said, "If I do an experimental treatment now and down the road it proves to work, then maybe it will save your life someday." But for now, it seems that they will do a standard treatment on her.

*******

I have been reading on other blogs about the "50 Project Challenge" and I think that I am going to jump in!!! I might not have 50 things to list just yet, but according to my notes here, I have at least 24 and I know that I am forgetting some finishing. I will be setting up a seperate blog for that. Plus, I need to go find the link for the originator and look at her rules so I can figure out my own.

******

We are losing our borrowed laptop tomorrow morning until possibly Thursday. I wish that the freaking motherboard that DH ordered would arrive soon, but you know what they say about wishing. So, I will be offline again for a few days.

******

Today is the 11th day of this Monsoon Trough that is over us. It has been overcast and raining off and on since Sept. 27. I am starting to feel waterlogged. You know it is bad when your wooden furniture starts to mold. GROSS! Good thing I have a giant bottle of vinegar ready to go!

Stay happy & healthy, everyone! I will be back soon!

Peace.

An Unexpected Phone Call....

That has rocked my world.

More on that in a minute. Let me just say thank you to everyone who read my last post and especially to those that commented on it. I cannot stress enough how important it is to get checked regularly. You will read why in a minute.

First, I figured out a way to get some of my pictures on here. My nice Sony camera is dying a slow death. First the LCD screen in Australia, now the flash is gone. But here you go:

I stitched this last year, it is a Bent Creek design. I stitched it on some kind of linen with DMC. I just finished it into my very first flanged pillow.....not thrilled with the draft stopper looking results (remember those things that you put in front of the door to stop the draft...yeah), but I figure that next year I can take it apart and sew some loops at the top and hang it from a dowel or something.

This is the baby blanket I crocheted. I used a basic granny square design in mind while doing it. I used a cone of the baby pastel and a cone of the white from Peaches ' N Cream (1# cones). I really like using the cotton yarns. Much nicer feeling than the old acrylic. This will be put away for a while since the baby won't really need it here as hot as it is.

I finished this quilt top a while ago. Mom sent me the squares for it, I just pieced it together. Easy peasy. It really made me realize how important seam allowances are though! (I think that I lamented about that a while ago) I haven't started basting it together or quilting it yet...not sure when I will do that, but it will probably be this year yet.

********

Back to the phone call.
My Tuesday started out normal...nothing out of the ordinary. Then I got a phone call that changed that.

*ring, ring*

Me: "Hello."

Her: "Yes."

Me: *slightly confused since I don't recognize the voice and who the hell says "Yes" when someone answers the phone with "Hello"?* "HELLO".

Her: "I am trying to reach someone at this number for someone in Australia."

Me: *even more puzzled* "I am sorry, I don't know anyone in Australia." (besides Madeline the Koala, the Tricare Insurance Guy and Anne in Melbourne, but Anne doesn't have our number. Neither does Madeline the Koala.)

Her: "Ma'am, can you please tell me your name so I can check to see if the person on the other end is trying to reach you?"

Me: "Umm, okay. My name is Melissa and my husband is James." (Just incase they are really looking for him.)

Her: "Okay, please hold the line while I check."

Me: "Umm, okay." *at this point I started to think that this was a prank or some kind of reverse charge call where they try to keep you on the line for as long as possible and then you end up with a $999 charge from Bermuda or something for the call. I seriously was thisclose to hanging up.)*

Her: "Ma'am. The person on the other line IS trying to reach you. I am going to connect you now. Go ahead."

Me: "Uhhh...okay. Hello?"

Her # 2: "Missy?"

Me: "Yeah."

Her # 2: "This is Jill."

Me: "Jill? I don't know a Jill in Australia."

Jill: "Jill. You are Lauri's Mother."

Me: *slightly panicking now putting the name Jill with Lauri* "Actually I am Lauri's daughter." *At this point I have realized that Jill is Jilly...Mom's unofficially adopted daughter*

Me: "Jill...what is wrong? What is wrong with Mom?" *now thinking the worst, that her & Todd have been killed in a car accident or she is in the hospital in a coma...wondering why Jill would be the one to call me instead of my family*

Jill: "Missy, your Mom's doctor called her tonight and her cancer is back in both breasts and in her spine."

*******

That was all I needed to hear. I lost it. Seems Jill couldn't figure out exactly how to call Saipan and thought it was somewhere near Australia so she called an Australian operator to help her. And she thought that Mom was scared to call me and didn't want to stress me out before she went and saw her doctor.

I talked to Mom a while later. Her calmness is absolutely amazing. She does have cancer again in the chest where both breasts would be. She also has it in the lymph nodes under her collar bone on the right and all along her spine.

She goes to see her Oncologist on Thursday (mainland time) and we hope that she can start Chemo by the beginning of the week to help slow the metastasis to other areas.

Please keep our family in your prayers. There is no way that I can fly to Chicago (a 16 hour flight) right now, since I am 6 1/2 months pregnant.

And please go get checked before it is too late.

Peace.

October is....

Finally here!

And it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Getting the word out about breast cancer is especially important to me and women in my family. My Great Aunt is a survivor after a Mastectomy, My Grandmother is a survivor after a Mastectomy and My Mother continues her battle with breast cancer to this day.

Mom has had numerous surgeries over the years to remove lumps and finally ended up having to have a bilateral Mastectomy (medical jargon for removing both of her "lady lumps") in 2004 followed by a round of Chemotherapy. This year they found more of the cancerous tissue so she just finished a 15 week round of Radiation in August.

She has 6 new lumps and had more nuclear testing done this past week. She is now preparing herself mentally for another long Illinois winter housebound and a repeat performance of the Chemotherapy routine. Last time she had Chemo, the side effects were pretty drastic and linger to this day. She is now on permanent disability at 49 years old due to nerve damage in her legs from the Chemo Cocktail. She ordered a new car in 2005 and it sits unused in the driveway because she is unable to drive a manual transmission and push in the clutch anymore.

Surprisingly, she continues to be upbeat. She is looking forward to turning 50 in February and also the birth of her first grandchild in January.

So, ladies (and men as there is a small amount of men who do get breast cancer), please do your monthly self examinations and get a mammogram done routinely. They really don't hurt that badly...I had one already and the few seconds of discomfort are nothing compared to what Mom is going through. If you have a family history of breast cancer, be sure that your doctor is aware of it.

To learn more about breast cancer and ways to donate, please visit the Susan G. Komen website here.

And if you have a minute, please send a message to your lawmakers to urge them not to cut funding for Medicare participants that are undergoing breast cancer prevention, diagnosing or treatment. Please click here. It is a quick little fill in the blank with your info form.

**************

I am hoping to be able to post some pictures of finishes and other stuff maybe later tonight or tomorrow.

Peace

The crazy book lady

You know how some women are crazy cat ladies (my Mom for one, who now has 15 cats...anyone in Illinois want a cat?)? Well, I am the crazy book lady. I have resorted to piling books up next to the 8 foot tall bookshelf that DH built because we have too many.

I am on the third book of the "Chronicles of Narnia", I think that it is called "The Horse and his Boy"...this particular book is moving a bit slowly, the other two in the series were a snap. Only 4 more to go after this one.

DH & I went to a garage sale yesterday (did I ever mention how much I love garage sales?) and the lady there is a bookworm as well...I could have easily spent alot more money if I had the patience to go through all of the books more carefully. We (DH did get 3 books afterall) only spent $10...on 19 books and a cat toy.

Here is a listing:

• *Let's Go Guide to China (we have booked our 2008 trip to Beijing so far, considering a cruise down the Yangtze River as well)
• *Impact Guide to Hong Kong (We are planning a long weekend there at some point as well)
• *How the Scots Invented the Modern World by Arthur Herman (DH's book)
• *The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
• *Wicked : The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of The West by Gregory Maguire
• *Victoria Victorious : The Story of Queen Victoria by Jean Plaidy
• *The Exploits and Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy by Elizabeth Aston
• *The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (I have read this, and it is one of my favorites, I adore this author)
• *The Favored Child by Philippa Gregory
• *Wideacre by Philippa Gregory
• *Mr. Darcy's Daughters by Elizabeth Aston
• *The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes (great author, read a few others of hers this year)
• *Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier
• *The Tale of Murasaki by Liza Dalby (the author is the only Westerner to become a Geisha. I want to get her book "Geisha" as well.)
• *Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella
• *The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
• *The Ruby Ring by Diane Haeger
• *Courtesan by Dora Levy Mossnaen
• *The Last Great Dance on Earth by Sandra Gulland

At another garage sale, I got a 4 pack of bobbins for my sewing machine for 25 cents!!! What a great shopping day!

After our garage sale adventures, we dropped off our newspapers, cardboard and shredded paper to the recycling center. I think that it all ends up in the dump eventually but at least we try.

Then we took our dog, Lady to the beach. She is a good swimmer, although she would rather just walk along the beach and sniff the hermit crabs. DH spotted a really cool blue starfish while he was swimming. Made me regret that we didn't bring the underwater camera. It was vivid.

While at the beach (Aqua Beach & south of it), we picked up a canvas shopping bag full of aluminum cans. Budweiser is truly the king of the island if you were to judge by the amount of cans that we picked up. I don't understand why people don't recycle their aluminum...they pay you for the cans for pete's sake!

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I am almost done with the baby afghan that I am crocheting. I am using Peaches n Cream cotton yarns, and doing it in a big Granny Square pattern. Not like the baby will need it here as hot as it is. I will get a picture once it is done.

I haven't picked up a needle or any cross stitch in forever it seems like. I did get a bit of new stash recently thanks to Jenn. She gave me a gift certificate to Down Sunshine Lane for my birthday back in March and I have been hemming and hawing about what to get. Well, I placed my order last week and here is what I got. BTW, let me just say that I love Amy at Down Sunshine Lane! Great service, I plan on using her much more. Thanks again Jenn for your generosity! You really surprised me when I needed it most.

2006 Just Cross Stitch Special Christmas Ornaments Issue

The magazine exceeded my expectations this year and I am very happy that I got my grubby hands on a copy!

Lizzie*Kate "Work Pray Trust" S69

I knew when I saw this new release that I had to get it. We are planning a low-key Christmas this year, but I know that this will be stitched a couple of times for special people in our lives.

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I have uploaded a couple of new pictures into my webshots album...a few that DH had on his work computer of our trip to Australia, some recent tummy shots (don't mind how babelicious I am looking), and a few new ones of the pets. Go to my webshots album to see.

Peace!