Forgotten Finish?!

I was uploading some finished projects on Stitcher’s Showcase and realised that I didn’t share a finish from last month. Without further ado, here is my finish of Pincushion Pillow from the October 2011 issue of the Gift of Stitching:

I don’t know how I forgot to post this photo on my blog, lol! Some of you have seen it on Facebook and have helped me pick the backing fabric. For those of you who missed it, the overwhelming choice was that shown in the upper left corner!

I still have to finish it into a pincushion pillow. I may spend Christmas weekend working on some finishing in my stash.

Haven’t done any stitching this week mainly because I am too tired. My job is keeping me soooo busy and I am loving it. I might pick something up this evening and do a few stitches. We’ll see…

On the DAD front, he finished chemo last week and has his CAT scan on the 20th of December. We will find out shortly after that if the cancer has spread or went into remission. The oncologist has been optimistic all along they can get it into remission. They do have him tentatively scheduled for more chemo if needed. Otherwise, he will have to take the chemo pill form for the remainder of his life. If you remember, back in April he was diagnosed. They were able to remove the cancer cells from his colon/intestines but not the liver.

~~~Until next time~~~

Meet Me on Monday

Hey! I finally decided to “Subscribe” to Never Growing Old’s blog so now I shouldn’t miss the questions, lol. Anyway, short and sweet, here are the questions:

Questions:
1.  I really need to clean my _________?
2.  What food makes you think of Christmas?
3.  If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?
4.  What was your first paying job?
5.  Have you read the Twilight series?

And my answers:

1. I really need to clean my BEDROOM?

2. What food makes you think of Christmas?

Gingerbread – I LOVE it!!! But I think I have an allergy to either the molasses or ginger because my tongue always feels like it’s on fire when I eat it. I only eat it during the holidays for that very reason.

3. If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?

I don’t think I would want to stay a certain age forever. Each birthday brings a new bit of wisdom.

4. What was your first paying job?

Babysitting. And I made pretty good money too. $5.00 per hour per kid (I watched 2 boys). This was in the early 1980s!

5. Have you read the Twilight series?

Um, that would be a big fat NO! I am not interested in it at all. Sorry to all of you Twilight fans reading this. I don’t even like the Harry Potter series. I know, blasphemy! LOL

***********

In other news, my dad finished his chemotherapy treatments. Now we play the waiting game until he gets his CAT/PET scans done again to see what’s what on the cancer front.

I started a new job one month ago today. I am loving it so far, and learning a LOT! I work for the State of Florida. It’s difficult to get your foot in the door, but once it’s in, it’s in!

God is great!

A Finish and a park

A Big WELCOME to my newest followers!

I finally finished Married This Day!!! I am very pleased with how it looks and can’t wait to get a frame for it so I can finish-finish it and send it to my best friend. Here is the finished product:

 

Married This Day by Ursula Michael

Started: February 27, 2011

Finished: November 26, 2011

I kept with a French theme as my best friend is from Nantes, France. I used “Marie ce Jour” instead of “Married This Day”. I also used the non-American way of placing the date: DD-MM-YY. I am sure she will treasure this piece.

Now, the only question I have on this piece is: to Matte or Not to matte? I think I will need to use an Ivory or Cream color matte to separate the fabric from the frame itself. Plus, there is a tiny smudge near the lower left corner that I need to hide.

My cousin came over yesterday afternoon for a few hours. We are very close and haven’t been able to spend much time together this year, even though we only live about and hour apart. Anyway, we went over to Zephyr Park and walked around Zephyr Lake. Here are some pics of our walk:

		Zephyr Park VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I am the one with glasses on. Patty is my favorite cousin on my dad’s side of the family. We are the same age. I also snapped a pic of her and my dad right before she left:

Now on to the next finish!

~~~~~Until next time ~~~~~

Cirque des Carreaux and a Birthday!

First of all, I want to wish (yet again) my mom a

VERY HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY!

I have almost finished page 2 of CdC and so far I like the way it is turning out. Here are some progress pictures:

Cirque des Carreaux VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Not sure what I will be working on this weekend.

On the job front: I had an interview yesterday morning for a really good position. It is a State job and I really want it! I won’t know anything for a week or so, but am hoping to get the offer and will start late October. In the mean time, I will continue to apply for jobs and see what comes of it.

Until next time ~~~

Job Hunting

Well, I have been looking for a new job for little over a month now. The changes made to unemployment require me to show proof of at least 5 contacts each week. That said, I did have an interview today and I think it went rather well. I won’t get into too much detail at this time, but I am really hoping to be selected for the position.

In other news, my mom turns 60 tomorrow!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

I know you read this from time to time, lol.

And my kitties are playing so well together now!

Lincoln, Fabric and giveaways!

There are several great giveaways going on right now. Check out my <--- left sidebar for links!

I have been working on the Abraham Lincoln Sampler for the past couple of days. I am a little more than halfway:

Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace Sampler VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

 

I have to admit that I was hesitant about the detail back stitches in the roof. But after doing a couple of rows I am quite pleased with the effect. I think it helps that the chart calls for 2 strands of floss. I included a close-up of the roof detail.

And my sister brought me some fabrics she had stashed away. Since she has moved into her own place, she has cleaned out a lot of junk. This was just a little something she set aside for me:

And the job search continues! I am determined to find something full time and hopefully before year’s end. I am also contemplating going back to school for a second Master’s degree. This time it would be an M.S. in Homeland Security or something related.

Oh, and speaking of year’s end, I received the Christmas issue of JCS the other day. There are a handful of designs that I really like, but not many. Alas, they will just have to keep until I am better able to support my habit, LOL! I will update my “Future Projects” page soon.

Until next time…

Woodrow Wilson’s Birthplace…

…progress!
I spent much of the last couple days stitching on Wilson’s Birthplace. I have the house nearly complete, including backstitches! Here are some pics:

This is where I left off in May





And this is where it stands as of last night!










Going to try to get back on the Crazy rotation. I am also going to put some time in on the Coming Home for the Holidays SAL with Lana over the weekend. In addition to all of this, I am still looking for a full time job (and I absolutely hate trying to write a resume) and spending the weekend helping my sister move. I may wind up staying with her most of the weekend.




Oh, and here is a picture of my baby, Abu, trying to assist me in my stitching efforts:



And, I changed my Blog Title to "A Stitch in Time with Jules". 

Until next time…

If it’s not one thing…

…It’s another! Yup, on top of my dad’s cancer, I am now dealing with Bell’s Palsy! I am so not happy about it, really frustrated in fact. I take an anti-viral 5 times a day and Prednisone 3 times a day. It doesn’t bother me that I have to take the meds, they will help in time. It’s that the right side of my face is slightly paralyzed making it difficult to talk, laugh, smile, and even see a freakin’ chart to cross-stitch. I haven’t been able to concentrate to stitch and it’s really wearing me thin.

Readers and friends: this is what stress can do to a person! LOL

2011 Hayes Family Reunion VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

On a brighter note, I spent part of yesterday at a family reunion and had fun. Always a highlight in my year to visit with other members of our ever-extended family and learn some of our history from them. Like yesterdays topic was on the Civil War and our ancestors (my great-great grandfather and one of his brothers) who fought in the War. For the Confederacy of course! So if any of you Hays/Hayes’s are on here reading my blog and your family is from the Southeastern United States (Virginia’s, Carolina’s, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida) we might just be related in some way!

Today, I was over at my step-Aunt’s house visiting with her, and her son, and one of her daughters came over. She and her daughter eventually left and it was me and her son. We watched NASCAR (they’re making a left turn!) – not one of my favorite things to do – and then watched the first 2 episodes of “The Pacific”. We both have discovered we share a passion for history and so we have been swapping books and spending time together just talking Civil War and other historical stuff. He’s been a Godsend the past month and I am so happy that this part of my extended family is back in my life. I have always liked being around them – even when we were all kids chasing that darn skunk around the house, LOL! Another story for another time.

What a week!

So many storms! I am sending good thoughts out to all of you who have had to deal with the wicked weather to the north of us (the Midwest and the Southern states that is). I hope you all come out unscathed.

Easter is behind us, praise Jesus, and Mother’s Day is fast approaching. This means another extremely busy week for us in the floral industry! So if I disappear again, for only a short time, you know why.

Dad is doing well and begins chemo on Monday morning. Since he’s only on Medicare, he will be admitted to the local hospital for treatments every other week for at least the next 6 months. This way, he has no out of pocket for that portion. Whew!

I have been keeping busy in my stitching over the past several days. Here is what I have been working on:

more of Married This Day

 

 

 

 

I am hoping to have the stitching finished before the end of May so I can send it to my mom to get framed and then give to my friend on or before her birthday.

and a couple of progress pics of Halloween

As you can see, I am almost done with Halloween and hope to finish it in May. I am thinking about trying my hand at making this one into a roll. I am just not sure how to finish the ends. I do know there are several great tutorials out here in blogland and I will be looking to them for guidance.

Today and tomorrow, I will work on Wilson’s Birthplace for a bit and then the Crazy rotation begins again on Sunday!

By the way, I hope you have read all the way to this point, there is a special blogoversary coming up for one of our friends! So with that, I will close by saying

Happy 4th Blogoversary, Edgar!!!

I haven’t disappeared

Although I feel like I want to at times. I have been working on some pieces over the past week. However, I don’t have pics to share with you yet. I will get them posted as soon as I can catch my breath. Between dad’s doctor appointments this week, taking care of household chores I normally don’t do (like cook meals, clean kitchen, and dad’s laundry) and working everyday for the Easter holiday, I am pretty tired. Now, I am not saying that I am a terrible cook or housekeeper. I just choose not to do those things if I don’t have to, lol! Dad enjoys cooking, and he’s a fantastic cook on top of it, so I gladly let him. He asks me or I choose to from time to time, but for now I have been told that I am wearing the cooks hat. Fair enough! As for the housework, you can’t tell it’s even been done for more than a day, so I kinda gave up on it a long time ago (like 6 months after moving in here). The carpet is disgusting and so old it needs replacing. The kitchen floor never stays clean enough. Let’s not even start on the walls and cabinets. I think I need to do a super good spring-type cleaning when my dad goes in for his first chemo treatment.

Speaking of, dad’s chemo will be inpatient over a 2-3 day period. That’s the only way Medicare will cover it. This means I get to take him to the hospital and pick him up every other week for 12 cycles of chemo. That’s why the first treatment will be the perfect opportunity to do this. I am also contemplating asking my sis to come over and help me. Let me just say that my dad is SOOOOO worth all of this right now. I can’t stand the thought of losing him yet. It’s just too soon. So I will suck it up and act like a grown up while he goes through treatments (which should begin the week of Mother’s Day or the week after). 

By the way, I went to the store earlier and brought home some cupcakes. Dad said "Alright!!!" Guess he wanted some too.

Until next time…with progress pics…

Nee ner Nee ner Neeee Neeeeer!

Crazy Days 8-12

There are some wonderful giveaways going on right now. Do be sure to check them out through the links on my left sidebar!

I decided to switch it up a little bit and worked only on a couple of my Crazy pieces over the past few days. Last night I worked on Washington Monument and will post about that later. For now, here is what I worked on during days 8-12:

My dad was finally discharged late Tuesday morning and is happy to be home. I think his cat is happy too as she is spending a lot of time with him right now, LOL! We go to his first oncology appointment on Monday morning. Hopefully we will know more about what is going on and what to expect.

I would like to take a moment to first thank everyone for their prayers during this difficult time and second welcome all of my newest followers. I have finally broke through 100 and am so happy to have you visiting from time to time. I hope we can learn from one another through posts to come!

Until next time…

Coming Home…

Well, I spent much of the past week working on Coming Home for the Holidays. Here is where things stand as of March 31st:

Coming Home… VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I really like the 3-D effect this house gives off!!! I am determined to finish it in the next month or so (you’ll understand why after reading all the way through this post).

I have since picked up Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace and will work on it today while visiting my dad at the hospital. I’ll share pics tomorrow!

Speaking of…he had his surgery this morning finally. They removed a tumor from his colon and strongly feel it is colon cancer. They also biopsied some spots on his liver. My world feels like it’s crashing down, but I am hoping we caught it early enough that he will recover. I’ve been kinda preparing myself for this news but hoped it wouldn’t be. We will know the test results mid-week.

Family Junk

I call this post "Family Junk" because that's exactly what it is. A lot of junk! My family can be is very dysfunctional. I was hoping we would be able to outgrow some of the junk, but obviously we cannot. I know that no family is perfect. They all have issues, but the issue(s) I am dealing with hurt so very much. I have NO ONE to talk to about how I feel about certain things and when I do all I get is "Oh well" in a real sarcastic tone or "It's just that age". Ok, so she's growing up, but I am so sick and tired of not getting my phone calls returned, being added and deleted from Facebook friend's list, and the snotty attitude. My heart is broken over the way I am treated by this one. I have spent three evenings now in tears and I know I shouldn't be this upset. But I am!

Like I said, I have no one to talk to about this so here I am on my blog venting my frustrations. I am not going to allow comments on this post because I don't want them. I just need a place to vent (and I know that certain people will see this and be upset and I am sorry but it is what it is and until the situation is remedied I have this as the only place to go). A part of me feels that if I just give her space she will come to me when she needs me or wants me. Another part of me feels like "screw you, you little brat" and if and when she needs/wants me maybe I won't be there for her. Yeah, that's a wrong way to handle it but it's how I feel. I really do love her and care about her a lot - maybe too much.

I still wonder if she is mad at me for moving to Florida. It's not like I am her mother. I am just the Aunt. She knows she can come and visit whenever during the summer. She knows that grandpa and I would love to have her here with us for a few weeks during her summer holiday. I relish my time with her and when she pushes me away it really, really hurts. I would almost rather be dead than feel the way I do when she does that, but it's only the way I feel.

They say that time heals all wounds, well we will just have to see about that because this one is gaping and painful!

And Baby makes 6!

I am now the proud Grand-Aunt of 6 great nieces and nephews! The latest addition to our ever-growing family is Maislin "Maisy" Rosalee. She was born on January 14th. Here are some pictures:

Maisy and Grandma

Maisy and Grandpa

Maisy and Mama

Maisy and Great-Aunt Julie

Maisy and Great-Grandpa

Introducing…

Maislin “Maisy” Rosalee!!!

Yes, I am a great-aunt once again and probably the last time for a while. Maisy came into this world on Jan 14th at 5lbs 12oz, 19.5” long at 1:26pm. I went with my sister, the proud grandma, to meet her yesterday! Here are some pics I took:

Maislin Rosalee VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Generations

From front to back (L-R): Great Grandpa Michael, Kaelynn, Great Great Grandma Fannie, Grandma Lisa, Daddy James (JT)

Same: Great Grandma Susan, Kaelynn, Great Great Grandma  Peggy, Grandma Lisa, Daddy James (JT)

The entire family celebrating Kaelynn's 2nd birthday!