Wow, I’ve seen some really long and detailed cross stitch ‘to do’ lists for 2006. More power to you. I will not be making a list. I have it all ‘upstairs’ as to what I want to stitch on or what I committed to stitch. I want cross stitching to be fun and the few deadlines I have are enough to keep me going.
Some people need lists. This is good, they are organized. I use to be that way, well I still am to a small degree. I had all my 33 1/3 record albums (am I dating myself?) in ABC order. Some of my tons of leaflets are that way too. I use to think, should I categorize by designer or theme? I ended up doing a little of each. I collect Prairie Schoolers and Cross-eyed Crickets. Have lots of Leisure Arts. They are mostly bunched together.
Good luck all my nimble fingered pals! Please post because I love seeing your finishes.

We’ve really been overdoing it. I guess it’s fun to have someone to shop with and either Bri or Sean go out with me. Yesterday we dropped the Tracfone off to Brian’s dad at his house. It was not a nice visit. I won’t get into it too much, but Mr Grouch basically kicked us out. Brian just had to mention about his dad going to see his lovely only living sibling, a sister who happens to be in a nursing home near us. I said that if one of my brothers didn’t visit me, I wouldn’t like it. Well he told me to mind my own business, etc. He remarked that I said too much and asked us to leave. I was upset because I was trying to be encouraging and he took it the wrong way. It’s going to be a long time before I go over there again. I have my mom to think about anyway. I remember some good advice from an old friend- I have my mom to take care of, and Brian has his dad to worry about.
I got to buy a few goodies in the mall over there and then I used a gift card from Barnes and Noble. I bought a calendar that gives you a stamped piece (embroidery) for each month. I like handwork anyway, so these will be a snap to stitch up. We went in Walmart and they had a lot of stuff left over but all I bought was the Jergens lotion mentioned in my previous post plus some chocolate covered cherries.
Today we went to a farmer’s market. There is a store in there that has great items for me to sell on eBay. They were an excellent price. We sat on a stool at one of the little restaurants where I had a Philly cheesesteak (I had a salad for lunch) and Brian had a grilled tuna sandwich.
We headed to the mall so Brian could look at watches in Boscovs (he had seen some in another Boscovs yesterday) and they didn’t have any. I bought some jewelry there. I went to Strawbridges and got two chenille sweaters for $20 (as seen on tv) and a 3 foot feather tree (I really wanted one for my cross stitched ornaments, so now I have two things I can use) and these feather wreaths that were $60 marked down to $15 (one for me and one for mom). I really need to stay out of the stores, but I just love a good bargain. Just like my mom and she’s a packrat too!
We got invited to a wedding, my neighbor’s grandson. We don’t think we will attend as it’s way over in Brick, NJ near the shore and the only people we know are the neighbors, their son, daughter-in-law and kids. The last time we went to a function they had,(their daughter graduated with Sean), the parents hardly said two words to us. I think it would be a lot of trouble for us to go and sit and twiddle our thumbs. We will send a nice gift. The son has been serving in Iraq for almost a year. Not sure if he is coming home to get married and is being shipped out again. If his mom was close to me, I’d know all that.

Hey, did you see these in the People year end issue?
Sudoku
They call it the Rubik’s Cube of number puzzles. I tried it…never finished one!
Puggle
half pug/half beagle….really cute!

Myspace.com
Sean uses it and Xanga went ‘bye bye’.
Jergens Natural Glow
self tanning lotion that flew off the shelves. This is the first I heard of it.
Nut necklaces
Nope…wonder if they have an aroma
Ballroom Dancing
I have two left feet, not into this. My mom, who grew up watching movie musicals loved the ABC show.
Penguins
Just saw the movie and have a new interest in these brave little troopers.

How do you balance your stitching time with your other obligations such as work, household chores, etc.?
I’m a nightowl…I stitch all night long…that’s the answer. I can hardly stitch during the day as I have other chores, errands and computer time (eBay listing, etc). I stitch while sitting in front of the telly. It tends to take me longer to finish projects too.
Brian and Sean have been home and I have hardly stitched at all. We’ve been figuring out broadband (taking off programs we don’t need also) and going out at night to shop and visit, so that’s a very unusual occurrence.

It really wasn’t that difficult to leave it. The only good thing about it lately was it’s email and AIM which we can still use! They really try to keep you from going, but not once did I hear the word ‘free’. If I had heard that word, I may have kept it a little longer. We vanished a lot of their clogging files from our computer. More room for photos and fun stuff.
I went food shopping today. The store was dead-fine with me. My best buy were 5 bags of those ‘purdy’ shiny bows in all sizes and colors for only $1! I said five bags! I would have bought more, but no room in the cart. I’ll have to get more as I use and reuse them for a number of years.
Brian and Sean have been home and will be home until next week. Brian fixed a broken shelf in my hope chest today. Cosmo the cat had tried to climb on it but it slammed shut. He is one lucky feline. Bri also spray painted a scratch on my van from me hitting a hunk of ice coming out of my mom’s driveway-twice! I think the mean neighbors had something to do with that.
I am dying to go to Wally World and get some marked down stuff. The parking lots been pretty full these last few days after Christmas. I need to get my brother Ken a birthday gift (he’ll be 39 on Jan. 8th). Love that guy.

It’s been a day of trying to muster up energy. It seems to have vanished for me along with the holiday. It’s really hard for one person to prepare a big meal on little sleep. (Up and down all night from achy legs, etc.)
Today I stayed in my bathrobe until 1:45. I ate some leftover eggplant parmigiana and headed for the shower. I tidied up the gift boxes and noticed Sean’s little 20 Question hand held game and played with that and beat it a few times (with eggplant as one thing I was thinking of). Then at 3 I blew my hair dry and just laid across the bed and snoozed!
Sean had gone out with a gal pal from high school and a few others to the movies, so the house was quiet for us. Brian’s been listening to his new Cream cd and trying to register his dad’s Trackfone. It’s been busy all the time.
We just had burgers for dinner and I am still in a vegetative state. I need to take back the guys main gift-a portable DVD player as the screen won’t brighten up to see the movie. Maybe tomorrow? Maybe.

Here’s one of Ken’s face. ; )