Blog life. And what happens when a crazy stitcher travels.

I haven't actively read blogs in a couple of years (yikes!), I think that more or less after spring 2008, that spring when I first realized that there is something wrong with me and got lost in my brain fog.

2008.

Three years ago.

I met Darling Husband that same year, even it feels like yesterday.

Anyway, today I started, out of the blue, collect all my feeds from Bloglines to Google Reader as I decided it would probably be better in the end as I have my calendar at Google too and this way I can get most of my necessary stuff on my iGoogle.

There was abandoned and hijacked blogs, which I just skipped, but many of those blogs I used to read are still going strong so do not wonder if a new, yet familiar sounding name starts commenting. It's just me coming back.

My first anniversary with thyroid meds is on Wednesday and I am still surprised how much the whole thing has affected to my life. And how much it still affects. But life must go on and with time things will get easier, I hope.

Travels

My mom and I went to Tallinn earlier this month: ate like horses in an medieval restaurant (see the virtual tour here. In addition to great surroundings (this time we at at Krusensterni Saal) they serve great food), bought Estonian cheeses, dark roasted coffee and... I found craft magazines.

In other words: Estonian beading magazine and Russian Susanna and Cross Stitcher.

And we are going to Tallinn again soon as we, or rather my mother, got two free ferry tickets from tax free (this company gives free cruises after using certain amount of money in their tax free store). We are going to hit one shopping mall... there is a craft store too. Guess where I am going?

Unconscious Mutterings: Week 435

After a long hiatus, memes are back!

1. Decoder :: Enigma


2. Cake :: Yum!


3. Sense :: ...and sensibility


4. Geek :: Greek


5. Cousin :: Relative


6. Goggles :: Beer


7. Social media :: Facebook


8. Butterfly :: Wall


9. Search :: Look for


10. Manicure :: Pedicure

Writer's Block: Spellbound

 

Stephen King springs to mind without any effort.
I have loved his books since my brother first introduced me to "Night Shift" at mature age of ten and now, twenty one years later I still love his books and when ever I find movies or series based on his books on DVD I get them if I just can afford it (and they are reasonably priced).

When I was younger I used to say that I would marry that man without hesitation if he wasn't already married.
If I wasn't happily married I would still have that opinion. *grin*

Another talented person I admire is Teresa Wentzler whose art I just love and am jealous of her design skills (admittedly her style is her style, my style is my style and I am excellent in my own style).

But still.... Mr. King takes the cake when it comes to talent.

Pretty stash pictures!

I have bought these a while ago (raided 1-2-3 Stitch's Clearance again), but new stash is always new stash. *grin*

Also got some yummy floss just to... erm... justify the postages. As usual.

Admittedly that Lizzie*Kate is a new design, but when I saw it for the first time I knew I just had to get it and stitch it as a reminder.
It was actually partial reason for those DMCs as I love that purple-red combo of theirs and "Forgive Quickly" would look simply awesome stitched with it. On natural linen, /me thinks.

Yes, I love natural linen still. Nothing has changed: vivid reds and natural linen still rock my world.

Life is a funny thing.

I have felt like blogging, but I don't enjoy complaining all the time and that would have been mostly what I had done had I blogged.

Shortly put: it has been ups and downs for me last months. Damn thyroid. Damn seasons. But that's all about that.

And why should I just complain all the time when there is so much more to life anyway? And I am able to enjoy the little things, for some reason they just don't make blogging material.

Admittedly I still can't use time effectively, which I blame for that butterfly shaped thing in my neck (yeah, couldn't keep it out of the conversation *grin*).
Schwine thyroid *pronounced with fake French accent*.

But, hopefully, maybe, some day, I will get back to my regular blogging rhytm - or close to it (now that I actually have a life).

Off to stitch a bit, as this URI doesn't want that I sleep.

Writer's Block: Tobacco road

 

 

Yes, absolutely, being the Fresh Air Nazi I am.

 

1. Tobacco smoke is bad for your health.
2. Fresh air smells nice.
3. Tobacco smoke smells bad.
4. I am asthmatic. ;)

 

And smokers are a minority with a bad, bad habit so I am not very much interested of their right to spread that cancerous, foul smoke everywhere (even I am pro minority rights in about everything else).

O tempora, o mores.

It's funny really. I realised one day, on the third week of sick leave ("The Usual Winter Thing" and then I became hyperthyroid), that I actually miss casual chit-chat with people.

 

Yes, I.

Taking that clothes, basic cosmetics, medication and luggage are excluded:

1. Laptop
2. Camera
3. Cross stitch project
4. Sunscreen
5. Sunglasses

Rest in peace, Mr. Big Boss.

 

Seiichi, aka. Heikki

June, 1999 - 9th of March, 2011

 

Old boy had a stroke this morning and had fallen to eternal sleep while my mom was taking him to the vet. He'll be buried next to Her Highness to the garden at our mother's house.

Long time, no see

This is quickly becoming quite a common entry title for me... because of that blasted thing on my neck. Because this cold winter has caused me two relapses.

Nine months later I still have my thyroid and my dose has been upped close to upper limit of recommended level of medication. 175 µg per day. One could almost think that there has been something in wrong with me all these years.

That makes me angry. Why it had to take at least 23 years before someone was brave enough to give me test medication? Why it took 23 years before a doctor paid attention to that swelling on my neck (first picture where I have obvious thyroid swelling was taken when I was eight)?

Of course there's nothing I can do to it anymore, just communicate with my endo and get this thing in order as in this case even late is better than never.

Few days from now I am seeing my endo again and this time I will ask for the preliminary diagnose and get the papers sent to SII.

Stash!

Sometimes I wonder if I may have a problem... but then I come back to my senses.

And anyway, I was severely enabled!

Friend hinted me of Hemflit and to my surprise I was able to shop around in there with my (rusty) high school Swedish! Which lead to things, of course... so you can see why I am innocent, right?

 

To my surprise "Love Will Find A Way" seems to be out of print (and these lovely people had put it on sale, which was why I bought it). And "Peace On Earth" has two designs I kind of liked, those two in the bottom row (backside here).

Then, another day, I was checking what's new at Sewandso and... ooops, got lost to their Sale section again.

 

I know, I may have claimed that I am not much of a flower person, but these were just too difficult to resist (cheap and pretty)! (Despite how it may seem these were chart packs.)

 

This is the same booklet, back and front cover as I just love all of it too much not to show.

Stash!

I got new stash from Sewandso and Chouett'alors ages ago, but just haven't had inspiration to blog about it - even I have had the pics in my temp image folder for ages.
But, once again, it is my thyroid's fault: even though my thyroxine dosage has been upped few weeks ago to winter setting it has taken time before it started to affect on cellular level. In addition to that December was crazily busy month which really didn't help.

Regardless, stash!

 

The designs are from Chouett'alors: "Arbre à chouettes" and "Le chaudron de la sorcière".
Owl tree was a limited time SAL project, but because my thyroid hormone levels are not completely in balance I missed the last parts because I simply forgot... But it was SO cute that I just needed to get it!

Fabric is 32 count red Belfast for my Holiday Sampler model and some of the floss in the bag is for that and for "Star Sampler" SAL I am organizing at PD.
Others were just bought because they were pretty.

Stitchy Progress!

My first plan was to star "Star Sampler" with other stitchers, but then, I wanted to see how it looks like when stitched and also wanted to provide stitchers realistic picture of the sampler before they start part one.
This is first half of the part one, there's few stitches of part two just because I wanted to stitch all the floss I had on my needle because in the end it saves floss (you know how easily short bits get lost).

I have also stitched replacement for my first Halloween Ornament Exchange ornament (almost done), Holiday Sampler model and started a cute Valentine's Day freebie for PD - because I have had time, my ankle has tendon issues again and I've been on sick leave almost two weeks, and Husband is traveling again.

Unconcsious Mutterings: week 415

I have missed memes and after a long long time without them I guess it's time to dive in again.

Unconscious Mutterings: week 415

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Speech :: Disability
2. Meredith :: Meryl
3. Consensus :: Agreement
4. Attack :: Shark
5. Sue :: Court
6. Voted :: De-
7. Epic :: Fail!
8. Checking in :: Husband
9. Dishwasher :: Machine
10. Underneath :: Beneath

Two months later

Where did the time go? It was November just yesterday!

Anyhow, my minor cross stitch inventory revealed that at that time I had 43 WIPs, 661 skeins of floss. Now that number is far greater on both regards.

(Honestly it wasn't me! It was Lou!)

Wishlist Items

A is for Ark

Oh yes, I seem to have a thing for designs for kids nowadays.
My stash needs to be prepared for miracles, you know. *grin*

Life, stitching and everything

I have been stitching, but have also managed to practise my jewelry making skills and grow my bead stash even more.

Blue ones are for me, their pink twins are for Linda and other pinkish ones are for me.

 

Scissor fob was a giftie for Bea and those red earrings were a surprise for my mom, who so cunningly hinted that she might like to receive some jewelry I have made, some day.

There would be new stash to blog about, but I am tired and my head is on holiday because I managed to find a cold from somewhere - even I have been on a sick leave last week because that blasted tendon got inflamed again; now I am on sick leave for five more days because of that blasted tendon and cold.

So. Fun.

Writer's Block: Rise and shine

Take thyroxine and my BBT.

Glamorous, ain't it?

Since when sedatives made you sleepy?

I was listing my cross stitch WIPs (41 and counting...) and found an old photograph of Ronja from one drawer:

This was taken when she was young (before coming to me at the age of ~seven).

Beautiful little lady she was. ^^

And now I am off to create a full inventory of my floss and embellishments... yes, I know it's almost 2 am and I should be sleeping.
I am not tired and Hubby is away for few days so it's a great opportunity to list everything I have without letting Him know how much I have exactly.

November, designs and thyroid

November isn't my kind of month, I guess. I have been on sick leave last week with varying diagnoses. It started with viral infection and asthma, then went to asthma and now we are back to viral infection and asthma... but I think I am finally getting better, at least I am coughing less, now that I was prescribed HC cough syrup to stop the cough (ethylene morphine hydrochloride and rum, sounds like fun, right?).
Which is nice actually, I haven't been able to talk normally since I got sick because I have been out of breath. In addition to that I haven't slept much and have coughed too much.

Apparently it was a viral infection making my asthma go worse, that cramping my bronchi and cramps causing me to keep on coughing (and panting if I had to talk) even though my bronchi are ok. (And "funnily" my asthma was once again questioned by a doctor. It's fun to have abnormal levels of normal in so many things.)

Funny thing is that this is third year in a row when I have prolonged sick leave in the beginning of November. Last year it was that crazy three weeks fever...

But there is silver lining in everything

Because I have been tied to bed/ sofa whole week lacking energy and inability to have much social contact with anyone I have stitched a bit and designed a lot. (The best way to deal with insomnia is to forget it and spend the time not spent sleeping well.)

Actually stitching a bit is the reason for why I have been designing a lot as I fell in love with the colour scheme I used with the ornament exchange item and things kind of evolved from there to a point where I have now designed two, gorgeous (even I say so myself), complementing samplers.
And I have to admit that I have a plan for the smaller one, a SAL plan. (Actually only thing I need to do it to decide when...)

Did I forgot to mention?

I got great news regarding my thyroid in October: we have medicational balance!

Officially I am slightly hyper, but as I am feeling good (no jitters) my endo said it's not an issue.

What surprised me was that it took only 4,5 months to get there. (Actually I think my endo was surprised too as my bloodwork really crashed in six weeks, from TSH 2.7 + T4 18.3 to "whopping" TSH 0.19 (0.4 - 4) + T4 21.4 (11-21).)

Now it finally feels that my hormone levels are really getting where they should be as this is really the first time when my ankles aren't swollen after standing on my feet whole day and when my throat actually looks something like normal person's throat... and sometimes I even feel attached to things happening around me. That hasn't happened in quite a while.

On a negative side my wedding ring is getting loose and I hate the thought of having to have it made smaller as it would ruin the carvings inside. And I am emotionally attached to that lovely piece of jewelry, I don't want to lose a bit of it.

But now, after being awake for 20 hours I think it is time to start another day and hope that when the time comes later today I could actually sleep at night.

Ta-ta.

Halloween Ornament Exchange, meeting online folks, earrings and life

I have been in a blogging mood for few days already, but for some reason I have felt like I couldn't say what I am thinking so I have let it be. I am still not sure, but there is one beautiful biscofleur to show so I can not delay this longer even though my brains have vanished somewhere (I apologize about the appalling "quality" of this entry).

EMS Halloween Ornament Exchange

After a long, long absence I returned to EMS Cross Stitch Forum and participated Halloween Ornament Exchange as I have sorely missed exchanges (and the excuse they give to disregard housework and stitch).

Few days ago I received the prettiest little Halloween biscofleur from Samantha! See and drool!

Beautiful! Thank you Samantha for bringing this loveliness into my life!

Samantha told me that she wanted to try (yes, this is her first if I understood correctly!) this finishing method and maybe *ahem* inspire my dear alter ego to design some pretty biscofleur patterns (cunning woman I must say - Samantha, not my alter ego. Lady P. is just a bit cooky).

Meeting people

I thought of tens of different ways to sound smart, but I guess it's better that I stick to my usual style... what ever that is.

Anyway, few days ago I spent a lovely morning with tamaraland and her boys here (or rather there as I don't live there) in Helsinki.
We went to the Natural History Museum to see... dinosaurs!
It was great fun (I may be a bit geeky, though the company was very good) and it was really great to meet tamaraland (and the boys) in person.

Jewellery

I have always been and I still am very picky about my jewellery, and I have wanted to learn how to make them for quite a some time, because of my pickiness, and therefore I headed to a jewellery course yesterday.

It was for learning "twisted links", which proved to be easier than it sounded even though my links are really twisted due lack of practise: see for youself.

Yes, turquoise is the new black, at least in jewellery. Though I am still looking for the perfect shade.

And yes, I really need yet another addictive and expensive hobby.

I was planning to blabber much more, but as I mistype half of the words and can't think straight (when I have been able to do that?!) I guess it's time to drag myself to bed and continue about other things later.