Lots of stitching and more bad news

Here's a quick stitch of a Stanley Steamer.
My mom's favorite cat a Siamese.
Sleeping Beauty, the third square I've stitched for the Disney Quilt I promised OECS.
A really tiny beagle.
My Christmas Pear from Needlepoint inc. This came from Just Cross Stitch's Ornament mag last year. I actually stitched this a bit back. But blogger will only allow a certian amount of pictures.

The good news is I got all this done in the two weeks since my last post. The bad news was I fully intended to put an entry in last week till I got the phone call that shocked me. There was another wake and burial to attend. I was at work and got the phone that my friend and fellow Rolling Thunder member Pam had died from a massive stroke. I went straight from work to the wake up in Lee, New Hampshire and had to be escorted to the casket by two other members (also friends). I don't like to go to the casket by myself, but it's something I always have to do if it's possible. Makes the closure more complete I guess or it's more a thing of really knowing that that person is gone. The make-up wasnt done right in my opinion. But that's beside the point. Though it did shock me a little to see the two framed collages of pictures and was able to point out one with me in it and the second one I was in was also in a seperate frame close to the casket. Since my DH and I found out so late we were only able to attend the wake and not the funeral later in the evening since he still had to be at work by 11pm. Which was probably a good thing, I wouldn't've been able to get through that one too well.
We buried her this past Wednesday at the Veteran's Cemetary in Boscowan (sp), New Hampshire up near Concord. (She was retired Army) We did her proud. Her last ride was in her parents trike with about 48 motorcycles and 20 vechiles following. I did pretty well till I heard the Taps. then totally lost it when the folded flag was presented to her mother. The cemetary is very pretty and she's in good company.
I don't know how much more of this I can take. I hadn't been home long before checking my messages on the machine and finding one from MIL saying she was in the hospital. She has heart problems and has many screens and stuff near her heart and kidneys to keep the blood clots from getting to them. Gram's slid a few more feet downhill, and got news that my brother is having problems again.

Now that's off my chest. I'll try and answer some questions from the last round of comments..

Carol: Fairy Flora hasn't gotten any more done, and so none of my other big pieces either. My floor frame isn't holding the scrolls properly and that makes it very tiresome to try and stitch, and with my back the way it is I don't think I can go back to being curled up with it balancing on my knees. Trying to get a friend of mine over to see if he can figure out what it could be but his schedule is almost as bad as mine. But till I can see if someone can fix it or can afford another I'm not sure when I'll be able to work on them again.

Von: I didn't know that Victoria sampler had the nun stitch till you suggested it. I looked and it does have it, though it took a bit of looking to find it. Had no idea what type to look under so I just clicked on them all. That was what I did. But there was times when I'm not sure especially when the corners came about......

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful comments on my last pieces. And the back is so far behaving itself. (cross fingers and hopes it stays that way for awhile)


Currently reading: Squire Throwleigh's Heir by Michael Jecks
Currently Stitching: Tall Ship #3
Currently Listening to: Gretchen Wilson

Been a little busy..... stitching wise that is

This little crafty fox was a very simple stitch would've gotten him done in one night if I hadn't started him so late.
For the Tall Ships quilt I promised OECS here's the second tall ship. Personally I don't like this one. I like the first one I stitched much better. May be the colour scheme......
Here we have a Fly Catcher. Again another quick and easy stitch.
This ballerina will also find her way to OECS. They have a ballerina quilt in progress. I haven't had much luck in finding patterns small enough for the squares...
Here is actually two major firsts for me. This is a freebie from Victoria Sampler. It's called a Friend's Count a Teaching Bookmark. So first and foremost I've never stitched a bookmark and second this piece is a no cut Hardanger. So the second first for me is a cheaters version of Hardanger. This will be a gift for a friend of mine's mother if I can get the gumpshion up to finish it off in time for it to go through the chain of people to her. The bookmark took longer than I thought it would. Especially the border which is supposed to be a nun stitch. Took me awhile to figure out how to do it and I'm still not entirely sure if it was done right....as long as it doesn't come undone when I'm finishing it off I'll be happy.

I haven't felt much like doing anything lately. The last few weeks at work have been quite hectic. Everyone taking that last trip with the kids before school starts again and we're not quite sure what the rest was except the usually meetings, conventions, weddings, birthday's etc. We've started to slow down a little and I'm looking forward to being able to relax a little and maybe find that comfort zone of tranquility that will last hopefully for more than a few hours or a day. Thanks for all the well wishes on the back. It's been one of those things were it's fine then acts up again. With the hotel going full up so often and long it's starting up again. Will be digging out the brace again. But the slow down is looking better and better for everyone. The whole department is tired.

currently stitching: a siamese quick stitch
currently reading: Eye of the Wolf by Margaret Coel