Erich and I arrived home around 6 tonight. Our bags landed about an hour ago on the later flight, thanks to our need to haul ass to catch our connection in Charlotte.
We’re a bit sunburned, quite tired, extremely cat deprived, but we had a great time.
Stories and photos coming over the weekend, once I get through yet another round of unpacking my new cubicle space tomorrow.
- Mel.
Erich and I arrived home around 6 tonight. Our bags landed about an hour ago on the later flight, thanks to our need to haul ass to catch our connection in Charlotte.
We’re a bit sunburned, quite tired, extremely cat deprived, but we had a great time.
Stories and photos coming over the weekend, once I get through yet another round of unpacking my new cubicle space tomorrow.
- Mel.
And… we’re off again. To a wedding (that is not mine. *grin*)
(hey… I’ll get around to it. Really.)
Other than Canada, this will be my first time out of the U.S. I’m quite excited.
Nassau, here we come. One full week in paradise.
Erich and I leave tomorrow morning around 10, and get into the Bahamas around 3-ish. We’ll be there a full day earlier than anyone else from the Providence crew of friends (about 10 people total).
I have a new bathing suit– that actually fits! and looks good! and hides my icky spots (mostly!). For the $85 price tag, it damn well better.
Other than the wedding itself and the bachlorette party (a day long catamaran trip to an island for snorkeling, etc.) I have no schedule whatsoever. I plan to relax. A lot.
While I’m gone, however, I propose a challenge to you– give me topics and questions. I want to have some good mind-chewing fodder to write about next month. Anything. Seriously.
I don’t know how my access will be over the next week, but if I can’t log in while on the trip, I’ll see you all on June 30th.
Best,
Mel.
It’s amazing to me, but I finally finished The Castle about a half-hour ago. It hasn’t been cleaned yet– it’s still tacked to the stretcher bars I’ve used all weekend as I’ve been working the remaining backstitching. But it’s done– my first Teresa Wentzler piece, and the largest stitching piece I’ve completed to date.
It’s been a long ten-year journey with this piece. I have lots of emotions tied into this one. I know where I was when I stitched particular areas of this piece. In some cases, I even know the state of mind I had. I’ve stitched areas of The Castle within a ritual circle, trying to clear my mind and regain focus. I’ve stitched through tears. I’ve stitched through cats. I’ve stitched on it at work. I’ve stitched on it on trains and planes. I’ve stitched on it curled up on the couch with one of a few of my sorority sisters, also stitching on their own pieces, laughing and creating comfy memories.
It has seen me from age 21, as a junior in college with no clue where she wanted to go in life, to age 31, engaged with several hopes and dreams for the future. I’ve moved five times since starting it. I’ve graduated college. My father remarried. My brother graduated from both high school and college. My grandmother passed away. My mother, ever supportive, watched me go through heartbreak and anger to falling in love. As each of these events (and more) happened, those emotions were blended into this piece stitch by stitch.
All of the rest of my stitching this year is just extra credit. I’ve reached a personal accomplishment goal, and now I just need to do some happy dancing for a while!
Wheee!!!!!
A couple weeks ago, I did my normal trek from Back Bay station into Copley Square to begin my work day. But something had changed. In fact, a bunch of something had changed. Copley Square had been invaded by cows.
What I discovered later that morning is that many places Boston had been taken over by cows– 117 of them, in fact – as part of a summer fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund. The Jimmy Fund is a long-standing ocal fundraising organization for cancer research. Bostonians normally encounter them at Red Sox games, and occasionally at the movie theaters when they do childrens’ cancer research drives. This summer, they’re working with a traveling art project called Cow Parade. The great thing about this project is that all of the artists are local, too. Great way for artists to get their names out there.
Yesterday, two of my workmates and I decided to take advantage of our early release from work (yay summer Fridays!) to go Cow Hunting. Armed with cameras and comfy shoes, we plodded all around Boston, capturing over 50 of them. Some of the end results are absolutely spectacular. I’ll be uploading them and sharing them in batches over the next few weeks.
The first batch is of the cows located at South Station (Amtrak/commuter rail/bus/subway station), Copley Square, and the two cows on the Public Library grounds that face Copley Square.
Which of these is your favorite?
So here’s the deal… I’m making a conscious effort to write every day. I used to, a few years ago. Now I’ve gotten lazy. So if it takes memes to get me back on track, dammit… I will get back on track.
I have the Stitcher’s Blogging Question on Wednesdays, so Thursdays shall be 3xThursdays:
1. What are the top 3 things in your life that are most important to you? Not necessarily things..
1) Erich
2) My lifestyle
3) Having money to support myself
2. Do you take steps to facilitate the importance of those things? How so/how not so?
Most definitely– Erich is most important. I make sure to say “I love you” at least once– and normally several times a day. I cherish my relationship with him, always seeking to improve it, deepen it, and sustain it.
Money sadly makes the world go round. But I also can appreciate, having grown up very comfortably with money, that it isn’t everything. As long as I can sustain the lifestyle I want, I’m happy. Having the freedom to live life the way I want, with the people I want, is happiness.
3. Would you ever think about changing the way you do things (priorities) so that you can pay more attention to the things that matter the most?
Absolutely. In fact, work-related changes are being discussed these days, for both Erich and me.
Bonus Question for Comments: What do you think of people who put their wants and needs at the back of the line? Do you think it’s wise to do such a thing?
I think it depends on the situatio- what the balance of needs and wants are. Sometimes the list of needs for survival are so pressing that the wants absolutely have to fall by the wayside. It’s also important to over-indulge on the wants from time to time to keep life balanced.
~ Mel.
I don’t wanna work… I just want to blow through the memes all day…
assume it is how old were you when you first…
1. Fell in love – 14
2. Lost someone close to you – 28
3. Drank alcohol – discounting sips from parents… around age 19. (frosh/soph in college)
4. Smoked weed – 21
5. Got kissed – 13
6. Went to the hospital – 16
7. Got your heart broken? 15
8. Lost a pet – 9
9. Got arrested – 15 (um… yeah…)
10. Smoked a cigarette – 14
11. Broken a bone – never on my own– jaw was broken FOR me in surgery when I was 16.
12. Got a job – 16
13. Got cheated on – 17 (that I’m aware of… he might have earlier)
14. Rode the city bus- 12
15. Went to a concert – 7 (with parents, of course)
16. Had sex – 17
17. Got your own cell phone – 27
18. Had first boy/girl friend – 13
20. Snuck out of the house – I never did, actually.
21. Drove a car – 14
22. Got your own digital camera – 29
23. How old are you now? 31
F YOU ARE ON MY FRIENDS LIST, OR IF I AM ON YOURS, FILL THIS OUT:
1. name:
2. birthday:
3. place of residence:
4. what makes you happy:
5. what are you listening to now/have listened to last:
6. do you read my lj:
7. if you do, what is particularly good/bad about it:
8. an interesting fact about you:
9. are you in love/have a crush at the moment:
10. favourite place to be:
11. favourite lyric:
12. best time of the year:
13. Do you remember when we met?
14. Have I been a good friend to you?
15. Tell me something you’ve never told me before.
PLUS
1. one thing you like about me:
2. two things you like about yourself:
3. put this in your lj so i can tell you what i think of you.
4. post a picture you (if possible)
Some of my long time blogging friends may remember (or have been a part of) my little addiction to traveling journals a few years back. It started with 1000 Journals, in which I was fortunate enough to contribute to two journals (both now apparently lost).
After that, I spent a very successful couple of years hosting an ongoing project called “Glimpse of Time” on Nervousness before it was overrun by irresponsible people and snobs who defined art- for the site- in a very narrow way. During the first incarnation there, I had fourteen very successful journals, all of which returned. When I sent them back out in the “improved” nervousness (supposedly under tighter controls about who was allowed to become a member), I lost all fourteen in the ether.
Tonight, after registering my recent cards received via Postcrossing (like Bookcrossing, but with postcards), I decided to pop over and see what was happening over on 1000 Journals.
And he’s created a new project= 1001 Journals. Which are started by the participants. I still have some blank books lying around from the Glimpse of Time project, so what the hell– they might as well be released into the world to see what happens. AND best of all– It’s Brand New. I created a journal today, and it’s only #17 (1017, to be exact).
I’d REALLY like to start a couple with people who I know casually through this fun little blogging community. A cross-stitcher’s book? Maybe just a blogger’s book?
If you’re interested, please join the site (it’s free). Then leave me a comment here with your screenname over there. And I’ll send you an invite on a book.
Some of my long time blogging friends may remember (or have been a part of) my little addiction to traveling journals a few years back. It started with 1000 Journals, in which I was fortunate enough to contribute to two journals (both now apparently lost).
After that, I spent a very successful couple of years hosting an ongoing project called “Glimpse of Time” on Nervousness before it was overrun by irresponsible people and snobs who defined art- for the site- in a very narrow way. During the first incarnation there, I had fourteen very successful journals, all of which returned. When I sent them back out in the “improved” nervousness (supposedly under tighter controls about who was allowed to become a member), I lost all fourteen in the ether.
Tonight, after registering my recent cards received via Postcrossing (like Bookcrossing, but with postcards), I decided to pop over and see what was happening over on 1000 Journals.
And he’s created a new project= 1001 Journals. Which are started by the participants. I still have some blank books lying around from the Glimpse of Time project, so what the hell– they might as well be released into the world to see what happens. AND best of all– It’s Brand New. I created a journal today, and it’s only #17 (1017, to be exact).
I’d REALLY like to start a couple with people who I know casually through this fun little blogging community. A cross-stitcher’s book? Maybe just a blogger’s book?
If you’re interested, please join the site (it’s free). Then leave me a comment here with your screenname over there. And I’ll send you an invite on a book.
Gus, Noby, and Elly have decided that I have not taken enough photos of them… they decided to sleep in this pose today.
As you can see, my cats hate each other. The whole feral kitten thing is clearly too far ingrained in all of them. *snort*
The weather continues to be chilly and damp here– it’s about the fifth weekend of this, and I’m so tired of not having nice weather. I think what annoys me most is that this wet streak will finally snap in a couple weeks, and rather than give us a couple of warm but comfortable weeks, the temps and humidity will instantly shoot straight up into the 90s. *sigh*
The good thing, though, is that it is giving me the perfect excuse to camp out on the couch with my stitching. I’m continuing to make a good dent in the “to do” segments of both projects, which is making me feel quite relaxed and just… satisfied.
My company is once again on summer hours for Fridays, so I took advantage of the afternoon to go to a couple of bookstores and pick up my supply of British stitching mags for the month. I still can’t believe how much nicer the patterns are in them. And while I know there’s a definite market for the genre, I get annoyed that over half of the stitching patterns in U.S. magazines all have Biblical quotations on them. Of the U.S. magazines I saw at both Borders and Barnes & Noble yesterday, only one magazine wasn’t full of cutesy-country patterns with Bible quotes. Not. My. Style.
No wonder some of my co-workers raise their eyebrows when they hear I love to stitch. It’s quite possible it’s what they associate stitching with.
I’m going to continue some stitching today. Then tonight Erich and I are going to see The DaVinci Code.
Happy Saturday.
