Time

Time is a precious commodity......and it is about to become even more precious.  Tax season has struck early for me this year.  I already have several clients who have sent in their work and that means that I'm back to the grind.  Gone are the lazy days of this summer when I could do anything I wanted.  Back then I could work on every project under the sun!  Now I'm just trying to figure out how to get it all in. 

There are so many things on my "To Do Wish List" and it isn't all about my cross stitch either.  For example, I still have to finish my quilt that I started last year.  And I won't mention all of the wonderful sewing projects that I have in my baskets in the craft room.  I just seem to keep acquiring them!  In fact, there are two small sewing projects in particular that are screaming my name right now.  (Thank you, Myra!!!!! You are amazing!)

I'm also trying to get a few little workouts in this winter as well.  I admit it, I hate physical fitness!  I was one of those kids in high school who would walk the mile and didn't give a hoot about a Presidential Physical Fitness Award.  I hated gym and I was so glad that I didn't have to take it my junior and senior years.  It left more time for Marching Band and Wind Ensemble!  Fast forward to present day......  By no means am I grossly overweight, but being of short stature, five pounds can really make a difference.  So, I've taken on a little bit of physical activity a couple of evenings a week......Zumba......on my Wii.  Now don't laugh (even though I know it's hard not to).  A girl has to do something to combat stitchy/sewing ass!

Don't forget I still have to finish up my Model Stitching.  (I only have about a third of it to go.)  And then there are the wips that I really want to finish up this year from last year's Crazy January Challenge.  Plus, there are a few new pieces that I'm itching to start this year like the Spanish Mystery Sampler by Shakespeare's Peddler.  Oh....and that Birds of a Feather piece that everyone did last summer.  You know the one.  That one is in my bag too, just begging to be started!  Should I even bother to mention the exchange that I'm involved in?


Would it be awful to say I love it when Hubby gets stuck at work or has to be there on a Sunday?  Sigh.......

2011 In Review

I can't believe that 2011 is finally about to become 2012!  I just don't know where the year has gone.  I had so many ambitions for this year and I have fallen quite short of where I had planned on being.  But, you know what they say about the best laid plans........."We plan, God laughs!".

So many things have gone on this year.  I joined the Crazy January Challenge and the Friends Stitching Through the Seasons Exchange.  I went on a mini one day vacation to Chincoteague Island, VA and we took a couple of trips to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  I bought a new sewing machine and began my adventure into the wide world of fabric stash enhancement quilting/sewing.  I even began a Traveling Pattern with Kentucky Samplar (which is still whisking it's way around the world)!

There have been a few sad things too......like the passing of my Great Aunt in September and my (second) miscarriage earlier this month.

In regards to my stitching, I didn't manage as many finishes as I have had in recent years.  In fact, I think that my number went down by nearly half!  Still, I did manage to finish 11 pieces in the Crazy January Challenge (I think my eyes were faster than my needle when it came to those projects!) and I am proud of everything I've finished as part of the Challenge.

After my miscarriage, I knew I had to stitch another remembrance sampler, but I have yet to start on it.  I've picked two out, but I'm waiting on some test results that will hopefully tell me not only the sex of our little one, but what might have been the reason for his/her heart to stop beating.  Then I will make my final decision on what to stitch.

In the meantime, I have been keeping my stitching mojo in top form.  I've been working on the first piece of the 2011 Challenge (Mouline Rouge) and I have managed to finish the right third of the design.  I'm now into the middle area, but my stitching on this piece has come to a halt.  I've been contracted to do some model stitching and I need to get it done before tax season hits full swing.  So, I've been concentrating on that.  It is coming along nicely and I can say that if you are a fan of this particular designer (like I am) and if you love working with a particular brand of threads (like I do) then you will not be disappointed.

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I was talking to a coworker yesterday and we both agreed that we are going to have a positive attitude about 2012 (she is having issues with pregnancy as well), so here is to a Happy, Healthy, Joyous New Year!

Happy almost 2012!

A Little Off Topic

The other day my mom and I were having a discussion about Bipolar Disorder and about how it has become the new "catch all" for what is wrong with you psychologically. (Like ADD or ADHD is the "catch all" for many children.)

Wikipedia defines Bipolar as a condition in which people experience abnormally elevated (manic or hypomanic) and abnormally depressed states for a period of time in a way that interferes with functioning. Bipolar disorder has been estimated to afflict more than 5 million Americans—about 1 out of every 45 adults. It is equally prevalent in men and women, and is found across all cultures and ethnic groups. Not everyone's symptoms are the same, and there is no blood test to confirm the disorder. Researchers postulate that bipolar disorder may be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. Bipolar disorder can appear to be unipolar depression. Diagnosing bipolar disorder is often difficult, even for mental health professionals. What distinguishes bipolar disorder from unipolar depression is that the affected person experiences states of mania and depression. Often bipolar is inconsistent among patients because some people feel depressed more often than not and experience little mania whereas others experience predominantly manic symptoms.

(Information taken from Wikipedia's site, click on the link for more information.)

Haven't we all felt this way at times? I know that we all have "good times" (mania) and "bad times" (depression) and that they cycle like crazy and vary in their degrees. They are triggered by so many things in our lives, many of which are things that are out of our control.

Now, I'm not knocking Bipolar Disorder as one of my loved ones has this and is being treated for it, so I deal with this on a daily basis. But, I ask you this.......aren't we all Bipolar in some way????