Making Progress

I managed to get a little stitching in over the weekend. I need to get it finished by Saturday so I can take it to the Stitchworks to get framed. Saturday is Super Bowl Sales with 25% off all framing. As slow as I am it will take non-stop stitching on my part.

It's slow at the Humane Society right now. We have a beautiful cat, we call Durango. ( I tried to upload his photo, but it was too blurry. I'll try to get a better one at the shelter today.)He is the prettiest silver color. Speaking of cats, my Tobie is going crazy. Guess it's the weather change. My right arm is full of scratches and bite marks from his orneriness!

So many stitchers are posting really beautiful works of stitch. I can hardly get through all the blogs with out pangs of envy. What a wonderful community of stitchers.

Winter -- update

As I've said many times, I'm a one project kind of person. Right now I'm working on Elizabeth's Designs Winter Sampler. Anyway, I have a little progress to show. See that big white arrow? I did that darned leaf three times thinking I had made a mistake in spacing the stitches. Finally realized my fabric was causing an optical illusion making me think my stitches weren't even. What a deal!

I sent my HOE scissor fob this morning. It should be sitting in the Tulsa exchange center waiting to wing it's way to???. I have to say, it was very hard for me to give this one up. I'll be doing one for myself for sure. Photos will be posted when my partner lets me know its been received. It'll be a while.

A shelter update on Abner and Starcat (Klaus), both were adopted Monday to good homes. We took them to the vet to be neutered and spayed before going to their new homes. Seems both had already been altered, and Starcat is a Klaus. We were right the first time. He's all male.

Nothing to show

Unfortunately I am not a stitcher who can work on multiple projects at one time. So, my HOE scissor fob is keeping me busy. Hopefully I will get it finished soon and the deadline is nearing. It is turning out so pretty that I'm gonna have a hard time sending it. Hehe. Well, I could stitch one for myself.

The shelter has been really slow this month. Hopefully business will pick up soon as most people get their Christmas bills paid. Can you believe we made another gender mistake? We named the cat Abby, but turns out he's an Abner. I think he has an unusual look about him. I should explain that at times it is difficult to examine the cats because they are either wild or traumatized . It takes some time to gain their trust.

I need to get some serious stitching in before my bedtime. Hope everyone had a great stitching day.

I've been tagged

I’ve been tagged by Beatrice so here goes. A forewarning, I’m really boring!

4 jobs I’ve had:
Director of Libraries, Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee for 33 years.
Computer teacher, Marian Academy Catholic School, 4 year
Computer teacher, All Saints Catholic School, 1 year. It about did me in!
Volunteer, Okmulgee Humane Society, 3 years.

Four movies I watch over and over:
Gone With the Wind
The King and I
Cleopatra
McClintock

Four places I’ve been (I’m not very traveled)
Alaska
Chicago
Miami, FL
Las Vegas

Four Places I’ve lived: All in Oklahoma
Stillwater
Tishomingo
Atoka
Okmulgee

Four tv shows I watch:
House
Meerkat Manor
Grey’s Anatomy
Bill O’Reilly

Four people that e-mail me regularly: (Not all bloggers)
Beatrice
Mary Ann
Diane
Lynn

Four favorite things to eat:
Mexican
Chinese
Pizza
Soup

Four places I’d rather be: (there’s no place like home)
Stitching in Alaska
Stitching in the Alps
Stitching in the Grand Tetons
Stitching in Colorado

Four things I look forward to this year:
Doing cross-stitch
Adopting lots of shelter animals
Losing some weight
Taking a vacation

A person I will tag: (If you read this, you're tagged!!)
Mary of Stitches and More

One Minor (?) correction

No stitching today. Then a meeting tonight. Perhaps this weekend.

Now, I have to make a teeny correction to my post yesterday. The cat authority was in the shelter today. Seems Klaus, ie, Starcat is a little girl, not a little boy. Such is life in the Humane Society shelter!

Hope everyone had a good stitching day.

Winter -- Band one

Just put the last stitch into the first band of the Winter sampler I've been stitching on. There's a boo-boo in it, but it won't affect the margins, so I've chosen to leave it for tonight. Tomorrow may be another story. Well, actually, tomorrow I need to start an exchange project, so that will occupy my stitching for a little while.

It was a bit slow in the Humane Society today. I processed one adoption from foster care. We've got one cat that is unusual for our shelter. I believe he is a Maine Coon mix. What do you cat fanciers think? He started out as Klaus, but one of the volunteers re-named him Starcat. Either way, he's a real looker.

Keep on stitchin'!

Dirty Santa

Last night the sorority I belong to had our Christmas dinner. The get-to-gether was postponed in December due to bad weather. Anyway, our activity was to bring a ornament for exchange. I took my last Tipsy Tree. It got traded three times before it went home with a dear lady. Here's the one I took home. I had to trade to get it. My friend Lynn made it, so I was extra happy to get it.

I stitched a little on the Elizabeth's Designs Winter yesterday morning. This was after I frogged some of the stitching. Seems I used the wrong color green on a set of the leaves. I considered taking Shay Pendray's advice of just working around it. However, the contrast between the two greens was too much for me to leave it.

Monday, one of the Humane Society volunteers accompanied our Sheriff and one of his investigators to a puppy mill in the county. She said it was the worst she has ever seen. Unfortunately Oklahoma does not have legislation that can shut them down for horrible living conditions. As long as the dogs have food, water, and shelter the law protects the millers against inhumane treatment and abuse. Go figure.

Hope everyone has a great stitching day today.

Catching Up

TIPSY TREE

I've commented several times that one of my favorite designs this year is the Charland "Tipsy Tree." My last finish of 2007 was exactly that design. I tried something new for me, beading around the edge. I think it turned out very pretty. My photo isn't that great, but in person it is so cute. But, alas, it was stitched as a gift, so it's not mine! WINTER
I also started an Elizabeth's Designs piece, "Winter Stitching Club." I enjoy stitching her designs. I have the whole series, finishing Autumn sometime ago.

HAPPY STASH

My friend, Lynn, and I have a NYE tradition of getting up early, driving to Tulsa, then shopping the big sale at The Silver Needle. We arrived about 6:05 a.m. and shopped, shopped, shopped. What fun it is to fill those baskets and get those discounts. After close to two hours, we checked out and headed to get some breakfast. (Who doesn't need sustenance after all that?!) Then to Hobby Lobby for more stash. Like I needed more. Then we headed back to the Silver Needle for shopping for another round. I believe we had a really good morning. Both of us had two large bags stuffed full of stitching goodies. Here's a portion of my stash.I still have openings for five PIF stitchers. To fulfill my part of the PIF, I will randomly choose five stitchers to send stitched pieces to if I have no participants.

Have a great week. I head to the Humane Society tomorrow morning.

Pay if Forward

Happy New Year one and all. I'm just a little bit behind on posting. Seem to be in some kind of funk. Any way...

I've signed up for my first ever Pay It Forward (PIF) with Jen. If you are interested in a stitched piece from me, then let me know by e-mailing me at bkirk1029@sbcglobal.net and I'll be happy to sign you up! Here's the way it works. The first 5 people that e-mail me about my PIF challenge, will get a piece made by me in the next 365 days. This PIF will have a deadline for myself of Dec. 31, 2008. In turn you must post to your blog the same challenge and accept 5 people to send a PIF. They do it on their blog and so on. Hope to hear from you!