Tuesday 31 July 2007


First some shameless advertising: go and check Stitcher's Book blog, get addicted to those little things and join the fun!
After signing up there pop by at Stitch-A-Thons and give yourself an excuse to sanctify one weekend/ month for marathon stitching.

Health

Salbutamol has been good for me: I haven't felt this energetic in ages - but I am apparently becoming allergic to it (which is absolutely wonderful... not).
When it comes to the results... I had the call time today, the doctor had called me when it begun (it was between 12 and 13), but I didn't hear it for some reason, and when I tried to return the call (four times) he was not there (during his calling hour, does this sound odd to you?)... You could think that it wouldn't be so difficult to call again if the person you try to call to doesn't answer at the first time? (And of course I forgot to call and book new call for another day...

Monday 30 July 2007

Goal check


As August is just behind the corner it's time for the goal check...

Strike and green equal a success. Orange is for "put some work to said piece, but not enough for a success", and red goes, as you guess, for a failure.

Goals for July were:

  1. Stitch Summer and send Leslie's RR to Christine. Done!
  2. Stitch one model and finish that one I'm working on now. Done, with one additional finish! (It may be two additional finishes if I hurry...)
  3. Make one surprise gift. (Deadline 15th of July.) Done, though I was late sending it.
  4. Stitch Bunny Baby for the Stitchers for Children. (About 45% done.)
  5. Participate SAT. Done!
  6. Get older. Done!
  7. Additional:

  8. 'Colorful Fantasy Garden'
Wow, I am impressed! O_o

And goals for August are:

  1. Stitch Autumn dragon on Jenna's RR.
  2. Participate Stitch-A-Thon.
  3. Start one of the new models for November launch.
  4. Stitch one secret model.
  5. Finish Bunny Baby and send it before 15th.
I think my goals are there, if I overdo them it's always good.

Sunday 29 July 2007


I just love it when people prove my point.

Fortunately I feel so tired because of respiratory problems that I don't have energy to be really mean... (There's 50/50 chance that I end up to ER tonight because of an asthma attack...)

Unconscious Mutterings


Cross posted religious ponderings


If you are easily offended stop right... now.

"Over the weekend I was once again reminded why I could never become a Christian, even that way would be much easier and much more socially acceptable - myself and the doctrines of Christianity are in conflict in several levels, in those important levels.

I have never understood the need for missionary work, the need to come and almost claim that your belief system is wrong and that you can't honestly be happy if you believe in a different way and to different things than they do.
That the salvation is only in them...

I don't need to be rescued from anything, my life is as it is because of the choices I and others around me have made. I am not afraid of dying and going to Hell because I don't believe that there's such thing - as what G-d who's claimed to be forgiving and just could send one's "children" to such place for the rest of the eternity just because they were what they are: imperfect humans?

Missionary work... As a person who born to non-religious family I have always been missionaries' favourite prey: a pagan, sinner, impure soul to be saved.
I have always despised people who come to me and say what should do, who judge my way and my decisions. To be honest I have always felt like being raped when some missionary comes to preach about The Only Right Way.
Some could say that it's just denial, that I should accept Jesus to my heart etc., but how could I? I believe in one G-d and my simple mind can't understand monoteistic religion with at least two god figures: G-d and Yeshua of Nasareth (think of it, how often Jesus is referred as G-d?). Neither I can digest aspect of G-d's son or favourite son. In my world either no one is or we are all, and this is actually what I believe that Jesus meant by being "son of G-d", children of G-d.
Jesus... he was a human and his mother was just a young woman and not a virgin, son of Joseph. I can believe that Jesus was a wise man, someone who wanted to modernize Judaism, not start a new religion or be a G-d.
But then, I am just a pagan and I base my opinions on the things I have heard and learnt during my life.

The fact is that three "book religions" (Christianity, Islam, Judaism) share the same G-d, the commentary just differs. And I believe that all those thousands of gods in this world are all reflections of same entity and therefore just as correct than mine.
And to claim that G-d actually cares about to which religion you belong to is just a bad joke: we look for religion because we want to belong to something and claim that ours is better than our neighbours just because we want to be right - because we are afraid of being wrong.

I believe that G-d is just and fair, as much as one can be revengeful. We were created to One's image anyway.
This also means that I don't need Satan, and devil for me is just the evil in all of us. We born pure and we have given the ability to choose how we live our lives - and we can change our way at any point. It is all about the way you act, the way you think.... and really meaning what we do.
As previously asked: what G-d would judge newborn based on one's parents' deeds?
That would be one sadistic G-d indeed.

This is one of my favourites and it reflects my views on the basics of actually almost any religion:

"Man came to rabbi Hillel saying that he would convert to Judaism if Hillel could teach him the whole of the Torah in the time he could stand on one foot.
Rabbi Hillel replied
: 'What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your fellow man. That is the whole Torah; the rest is just commentary. Go and study it.'""
(Original source)

Happy Dance and a WIP


Now that I have time (after waking up for shortness of breath (salbutamol <3))... this is the OS' design I was talking of:

Info:

  • Design: Colorful Fantasy Garden by Ozark Sampler
  • Fabric: 28 count black Jobelan
  • Floss: Blue is hand-dyed by me, orange is The Dye Is Cast's Hearth.
  • Other: Minuses are the fact that there's no stitch count in the chart and that, even it seems to be symmetric, it is not.
I intended to stitch two of the and finish them as a biscornu, but as the design is 48 x 49 stitches (which I realised after stitching quite a bit) it won't happen. (Now I also remember why I put stitch count to my designs...)
I like how the design turned, even though I wouldn't personally put those "eyes" in the corners - and big part of my liking is the colour scheme I used as I am person of contrasts. (I have always been good in creating contrast harmonies.)

Bunny Baby

I stitched this in the afternoon. The progress is slow, but visible (last update in here) and there's still time before the deadline.

Saturday 28 July 2007

Another Five Things


I decided to be tagged by Barbara, so here it comes:

Five things to do before I die:

  1. Find someone worthy and have a family.
  2. Convert.
  3. Speak at least three languages fluently.
  4. Shop for books in New York (City).
  5. Gain an university level degree.
Five things I can do:
  1. Design, create, weave and finish a fabric to be something usable.
  2. Cook. (I'm good at it, I just have no reason to do it very often nowadays.)
  3. Do most basic household maintenance on my own.
  4. Read fast (and by fast I mean 500 pages in one evening).
  5. Remember little details.
Five things I can't do:
  1. Drive a car.
  2. Speak Swedish if forced (even I can speak it to certain extent otherwise).
  3. Assemble a computer from parts (fortunately I have bits_2_whole *grin* (Sisters are so useful, you now))
  4. Keep my desk in order.
  5. Stand the sound of hoovering.
Five things that attract me to the opposite sex:
  1. Intellect.
  2. Civilised depravity.
  3. Sense of humour.
  4. Eyes.
  5. Shortness (I fancy shorter men than regular female fancies) and moderate muscularity.
Celebrity crushes:
  1. Hugh Laurie (I have always fancied him, but he has got yummy with age.)
  2. Nicholas Cage (I adored him before he became The Thing)
  3. Robert Sean Leonard
  4. mr. Spock (I am not fan of Leonard Nimoy, but bring me that alien... *grin)
  5. Gene Wilder (ah, those eyes...)

Friday 27 July 2007

Advantages of steroids salbutamol:
  1. I feel much happier now that I can breathe easily all the time.
  2. I have more energy, even though I sleep a lot. (I even cleaned and oiled my sewing machine!)
  3. With 400 mg of salbutamol I was able to walk four kilometers (almost) in my normal speed and didn't need a few hours nap after coming home.
Noticing that I need two doses/ day even if I don't go anywhere I dare to say that it is asthma and I surely will demand that month long test with spirometer and inhaled cortisone. No matter what the GP thinks this is not an exercise induced asthma as I get shortness of breath just by getting up, feeding cats, making coffee and taking a shower. After this I need to inhale the first dose... doesn't sound like vigorous exercise to you, does it?

But, I'm off to make huge bowl of "salad" (you really can't call something with rice, tomatoes, pickled cucumber, cheese, boiled eggs, tuna and mayonnaise a salad...) and then I will stitch that Ozark Sampler's chart I got from Jayne with my birthday threads - i.e. there will be stitchy update tomorrow evening.
Until then, ta-ta.

Exchanges


Note to she-elf: next installment of BTE out 3rd of August at latest.

Now, some of you know that I decided to take time off from exchanges until SBEBB's Halloween Exchange and as the sign-ups are now open I went and signed up - even though I don't celebrate Halloween nor it's widely celebrated here, I just love horror.
I have an idea for the item I'm going to stitch for my exchange partner, actually I have had it for months...
And I signed up for Cross Stitch Lottery too, though I don't know what I will do if I happen to be the one who wins all the items. That would be good reason to buy that glass cabinet, if nothing else. *grin*

Thursday 26 July 2007

In need of some S.E.X.?


Pop by at Violarium and get yourself some really limited edition hand-dyed fabrics! Which happen to be dyed by me.

Foto Pherrets: Stupid


Week 82

Our word for this week is: Stupid

He looks stupid, doesn't he? Even though he's dreadfully cute too...

Yawn


After 18 hours of sleep (after being awake 26 hours) one almost feels like a human being again. And adds ability to sleep on the list of Advantages of what-ever-drug they gave me at spirometry (even though I got an allergic reaction from it).
And I got another reason to dislike that GP. I spesifically said to him that I can not use medication with any kind of starch in them and this bright fellow prescribed me medicine which has... corn starch, my worst enemy.
I know that corn allergy isn't one of the common ones, but you could imagine that a doctor would believe the patient noticing that he does not know me. I can take it if our regular Jane and John Does don't understand that I really am allergic and don't choose what I put in my mouth just to be nasty, but this guy is an actual doctor... When it comes to Ventolin(e) either the dose could be bigger or I have to learn the finesses of discus, but at least I got no symptoms from it (unlike from Nasonex, my eyes are itching - known side-effect) and it's nice to breathe freely again.

Anyway, retail therapy... I stumbled upon fabric sale and came home with two plastic bags full of fabric (click the thumbnail as usual):

 

My reason to go into a fabric store was that little tan piece on the upper right, as I need it for model's lining. Others... well, they just wanted to come with me.
The blues on upper left were the expensive ones, but I couldn't leave them there... rest of the fabrics in the big picture were in One bag full of fabrics only for 10€ sale so I just picked up everything I thought could be useful for me or my mother. (That white webbed fabric for example will end up in dye pot and after that I will sew couple of airy home tops. Those flowery fabrics end up serve my shirt demo - and rest of them... who knows, they would be great curtains, for someone who likes lighter shades (like my mother).

That ant fabric (who could resist a black fabric with metallic red ants on it?! Even less when it was in One bag full of fabrics only for 10€ sale...)) will probably end up being something more comfortable, I actually can see it as a dressing gown, and there's so much of that fabric that rest will probably end up being nice, short, "airy" nightie... just to have a matching set, you know. *grin*

And the books: 'Dictionary of Jewish Biography' ($43.80?! I paid $16.5... and mine was bought from a Finnish store and they had to order it for me (odd thing for a sale book, don't you think?)) and 'Hand-stitched Boxes' ("List Price: $24.95", I paid ~$10, and this one had to be specially ordered too).
I have to say that based on short browse that box book is really worth those 7 euros it was in sale. Imagine book filled with instructions for several dirrently shaped and sized boxes made of fabric and there's instructions even to those beautiful sewing cube boxes I have been drooling all over 'net.

Wednesday 25 July 2007

For crying out loud...


Ways the doctor blew it up:
  1. He never wrote the missive for the thorax x-ray even he said it needs to be taken.
  2. He didn't ask me to book another appointment or gave me call time.
  3. I still don't have the spirometer even he said I would get it from the nurses...
I don't know the results before next week. If it's negative I question it because I got allergic reaction (hives, itching, itchy larynx) from the drug they gave in second phase of spirometry. I will also question the result because the drug cured my three day migraine within five minutes of inhaling it and I actually can breathe normally under its influence.

I will file a complaint against the doctor.

I am also friggin' worried about the test result... I know how I feel, but what if the test says that the medication had no effect? As I also know that you can have an untreated asthma and better peak flow results than healthy people.
And if the doctor says it's not asthma it also means loads of tests as there surely is something badly in wrong with me...

I hate this... I need some retail therapy - fortunately I have couple of books I need to pick up from Helsinki. In addition to them I will also shop for some fabric and such. And maybe I take myself on a date.

Tuesday 24 July 2007

Speaking of efficiency...


...my appointment for the tests is... tomorrow at 8:30.
It's rather silly really: it took over three weeks from the call to get to see the GP, but only one day (20 hours) from the call to get to the appointment to the hospital even everything is closed or slowed in July.

Though, the nurse only mentioned the spirometry, not the thorax x-ray... this sounds odd, or maybe she just didn't mention it because I need no precautions for that (you are not allowed to take bronchilators (I assume as the nurse asked do I use anything), drink coffee or smoke tobacco before spirometry).

Monday 23 July 2007

HD #30


Spite of having nasty sinus (head) ache I look like this as I had another HD...

Now I only need to stitch rest of the itsybitsies, finish both sets, and this model, and we are ready to roll for the next launch.
I am actually rather impressed by my speed, noticing my current health issues. But it's all good, as there's always something more to do.

Preliminary diagnose


... asthma bronchiale.
I have to call the local hospital tomorrow and make an appointment for thorax x-ray and such, they should also give me the spirometer for following up the effect of the medication (this is odd part, the GP gave me attack medication, not cortisone inhaler used for actually treat the inflammation in one's lungs).

I have to give full points for efficiency though, the whole appointment went like this:

    GP: Good day, and what's the problem with you?
    Me: I suspect I have asthma. I'm allergic, atopic and I have family history of asthma...
    GP: Ok, stand up, turn around, lift your shirt up and breathe... Now, breathe in and breathe out very fast. And again... Yup, sounds like it.
    Here's the prescription, go to see the nurses, they will guide you forward.

Stitch-A-Thon epilogue and an announcement


My SAT goals were:
  1. One piece from start to finish. (I have promised to send it out in Monday because it's needed asap.)
  2. One knitted surprise gift (I'm *SO* late with it).
  3. Bunny Baby's flower pot and the hyacinth.
In other words: two happy dances and some stitches on the hyacinth.
Noticing how tired I have been over the weekend (I have the doctor's appointment in the morning! Yippee! (Note to self: no caffeine or food.)) I did actually quite good even I didn't reach my goal.


  

The Announcement

Stitch-A-Thon blog is officially open and our first SAT will be 17th-19th of August.
If you are one of those in need of some peer pressure and monthly dose of marathon stitching pop by at Stitch-A-Thons for details!

Sunday 22 July 2007

Unconscious Mutterings


Week 233

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

  1. Deputy :: I Shot the Sheriff
  2. Name :: Sur-
  3. Arrested :: Arrested Development
  4. Trade :: Fair trade
  5. Old :: Hen
  6. Fingerprint :: Evidence
  7. Dwarf :: Short
  8. Newspaper :: BS
  9. Gabriel :: Peter Gabriel
  10. Certificate :: Gift -

Just how cute is this?


I am sure he causes diabetes just by existing.

Be vewy, vewy quiet... I'm hunting floss


Cats are always amusing. Her Ladyship has found a new toy during this week: embroidery floss. She fancies particularly that floss I am stitching with, and likes to draw attention to her by taking corner of a fabric between her teeth and pulling it.

I am not quite sure should I be angry at her because she's so darned cute when she does it.

Friday 20 July 2007

My Alignment


Snatched from chanda_m:

Your Score: Lawful-Good

76% Good, 36% Chaotic


Plane of Existence: Mount Celestia, "The Seven Heavens".
Description: Countless paladins and saints have ascended here.
Notable Inhabitants: Angels and Devas.

Examples of Lawful-Goods (Ethically Lawful, Morally Good):
Aeris "Aerith" Gainsborough (FFVII)
Superman
The Tick ("Lawful Stupid")
Abraham Lincoln
Sherlock Holmes
Phileas Fogg
Captain Picard

A person with a lawful good attitude believes in the use of authority and rule of law to bring good to the greatest number of people. Her/His actions support the status quo and s/he uses systems and organizations to achieve good goals.
S/He will keep his/her word and value truth.
S/He will avoid the use of poison and use violence only when authorized to do so or in self defense.
S/He may or may not be disciplined, organized, emotionally restrained, caring, compassionate, and peaceful, but s/he believes that these are admirable qualities.
Respects law and order and is willing to suffer limitations on individual freedom for the benefit of the group.
Puts moral principles before material considerations.

The lawful good person will be a very faithful member of a group, but if the laws of the group clash with the ethics dictated by his or her moral alignment, the lawful good person will probably leave that group and look for a group more closely aligned with his or her ethics.
The lawful good person is an active advocate of his or her beliefs.

Lawful Good "Saintly"
"Crusader"

A lawful good [person] upholds society and its laws, believing that these laws are created to work for the good and prosperity of all. He is both honest and benevolent. He will work within the established system to change it for the better, and strives to bring order to goodness that other good-aligned [people] might pool their resources to better the world. A lawful good [person] combines a commitment to oppose evil with discipline. Most lawful good [people] live by a strict code of honor, or by the rules of conduct set down by their deity. They will generally selflessly act by these codes even at the cost of their own life.

Lawful good combines honor and compassion for the innocent.
A knight/paladin who always follows the orders of his superiors is an example of a lawful good [person].

Other Alignments and Tendencies (Tendenices are what you would more often sway towards; esp. for Neutrals):
0-39% Good, 0-39% Chaotic: Lawful-Evil

0-39% Good, 40-60% Chaotic: Neutral-Evil

0-39% Good, 61-100% Chaotic: Chaotic-Evil

40-60% Good, 0-39% Chaotic: Lawful-Neutral

40-60% Good, 40-60% Chaotic: True Neutral

40-60% Good, 61-100% Chaotic: Chaotic-Neutral

61-100% Good, 40-60% Chaotic: Neutral-Good

61-100% Good, 61-100% Chaotic: Chaotic-Good

Link: The Alignment Test.

"Notable inhabitants: Angels and devas"... Now, how was it... Peri stands for an angel, fallen (hey, I am Morningstar!) or just regular one.

It's Stitch-A-Thon weekend again


And probably one of the last ones as Becky has decided to close FG and Renée is closing TRN down. Unless... I made a proposition to my fellow marathon stitchers about setting up a SAT group blog, but I have to see what the response is (the blog is actually created already *grin*).
Anyway, my goals are:
  1. One piece from start to finish. (I have promised to send it out in Monday because it's needed asap.)
  2. One knitted surprise gift (I'm *SO* late with it).
  3. Bunny Baby's flower pot and the hyacinth.
And if I still have time after all that I will stitch Loy. Otherwise it has to give room for projects with deadline.

It's in the lungs


My lungs hurt. (What inflammation?!...)
Maybe I shouldn't sing when I know that I have problems with my oxygen intake... but, actually I think that singing has been one reason why I have managed to go on without problems quite a few years.
As the truth is that I have had asthma-like symptoms every now and then most of my life.

When I was kid I thought they had to do with my weight (I was in great physical condition noticing those excess kilos - as an example I ran short distances as fast as one of the best runners in my age level. Longer distances were a problem because I couldn't get enough oxygen..). At one point I have actually taken medication for shortness of breath (I was five and, even a bit plump, still appr. weighed what I should (PCOs women usually show first signs in childhood by having more fat in their abdominal area than regular kids - even if they weight what they are supposed to)), when I was 18 I just discarded them as I wanted to actually graduate, when we moved here (back in married days) I had a short episode of shortness of breath in physical exercise (are your minds in the gutter now? Good).
And it is possible that I have got this far just because I have sung in a choir, because I was in a class which had more music lessons than other kids - because that is why I learnt to breathe "correctly". (If you listen to good singers you notice that you don't hear when they inhale and they know how to make that one breath last for ages.)

Only three days to go before I see GP... whew.

Another Note to self

Leena is such an enabler when it comes to wishlist additions! After reading her latest entry I want Isabelle Vautier's latest book "Un petit fil rouge m'a dit..."

And... I am about >this< close to a happy dance so I am off stitching some more!

Thursday 19 July 2007

SBQ: Your pride and joy


Today's

Stitching Bloggers' Question

was suggested by Ish and is:
Which project (finished or in progress) are you most proud of?
Explain why.
Do projects that I am about to start count? As first thing which came to mind was The Big H., my first real BAP designing and stitching wise: ~33000 stitches on 36 count linen, several pages of chart, long moments of counting to make the parts fit right from the start... and it looks great.
I will start stitching it about Octoberish latest as it is huge and I want to get it out some day. Pile of floss has been ordered from Violarium's next stock filling (this tells you how big pile it is) and my latest Sewandso order also contained fabric for this.

And even it's not even started yet it something I am very proud of.

Once again, I should be sleeping...


... and I am quite sure that Her Highness agrees with me - she needs her pillow: me...

Anyway, I have to add Logitech's Internet Chat Headset on my List of Good Buys.
I got mine from a sale (68% off (why aren't we surprised?)) couple of weeks ago and I am in love - not that I use them for their official purpose: they are great for listening music and movies (I don't watch movies, I listen them. Maybe that is why I can watch House episodes as many times as possible: I love Hugh Laurie's voice (ok, I love whole mr. House, and admittedly I have this thing fot mr. Wilson (those eyes, those eyes...)).

Svenja, the Sewandso order contained some fabrics, some dyes (it's still beyond me why I ordered two packets of burdgundy O_o), some Anchor's variegated floss and Venus' white floss.
I am going to dye a bit - for example some fabric for the Halloween Ornaments:

© Periphaeria Designs

"Evening Stroll" is my personal favourite out of all 21 - probably because I have this small (*cough*) fetish for extremely well dressed men (three piece suits, cuff links... all that)...

Anyway, I have in mind combination of burgundy and ebony on opalescent 32 count Murano. It either fails with style or looks extremely good.

Wednesday 18 July 2007

Foto Pherrets: Broke


Week 81

This week's word is: Broke.

This is a screen capture taken right after EMS forum was upgraded and there were loads of little broken things. (This is now corrected.)

Of course I could have, once again, post a picture of myself or a picture of my empty wallet as I am, once again, broke.
Silly thing is that I actually have money, lots of it (within my terms), but it's all on its way from PP to my bank account from where it will flew to my mother's bank account to pay my digital camera and HUGE order I placed on Sewandso few hours ago.
It takes a lot of money to make more money.

She's like any other 93 year old...


...when she sleeps.

Oh yes, more kitty pictures. (Wait when I get the new camera... *grin*)

Tuesday 17 July 2007

Zen and the art of sleeping

  

Quotes

If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you."
-- Don Marquis

"A minority is always compelled to think. That is the blessing of being in the minority."
-- Leo Baeck

In need of hosting? Want some time for free?

In case you do and want, Servage, my beloved host, has this offer... if you use coupon code cust35125 you get two months worth of free hosting and extra 25 GB of disk space and.. give the same set for me for free! Here's great chance to make me adore you!

Anyway

Facts of life: Human beings are wonderful in their way to purposely misinterpret what other people write. (Though I take latest one also as a sign...)

Maybe changing my blog's subtitle from "I went out of my mind and threw the key away..." to "Life would be easier if it was simple" was an omen.

Monday 16 July 2007

Cats and wonders of the nature


Monday Madness


First time in a long, long time a topic which allows some ranting. *grin*

July 16th

  1. Do you feel that children these days are disciplined enough?
    No, they are not. For some reason parents nowadays don't see the point to teach their kids than anyone older than them (kids) should be respected and treated respectfully.
    I have also listened children screaming in grocery store few times too many to believe that modern parents would teach any discipline (nor manners) for their children.

  2. What are your thoughts about the "time out chair?"
    It equals with The Corner I assume? Great idea. It teaches the kid some patience and causality.

  3. When YOU were a child, what form of discipline did your parents use most often?
    You think I remember things that old? O_o
    When I swore my mouth was washed with soap, but my mother had to stop it because she realised that I used fouwl language just to get my mouth washed. Apparently I fancied the soap...

  4. Did your parents have to constantly remind you of the guidelines they set for you, or did they just have to LOOK at you as a "gentle"reminder?
    "Parent". I lived with both of them until my 13th year, but our mother was the parent, our father mostly just existed. Anyway... Thinking of it now I would say that I was relatively well behaving kid, even though not perfect, so it probably has been mostly The Look.
    Ask from my mother, she knows this better. *grin*

  5. What are your thoughts about screaming kids in public places?
    In generally it just shows the lack of manners. The kids aren't ones to blame, but the parents.
    Sometimes kids scream just because they are tired and in those occasions I would *so* like to go to one of those parents and ask are they masochists when they take tired kid with them somewhere and not take them home where a tired kid belongs to

  6. What do you feel is the BIGGEST mistake parents make when it comes to disciplining children?
    Saying that the kid was bad when doing something. Children are born as tabula rasa, and they need to be socialized to the society and if parents don't do it how the H*ll they think their kids would know how to behave in the society?
And I know I do not have my own children and I am also very aware that it is easier to preach than act, but when/if I have children they will be brought up well-behaved.
I have heard it few times that I will be a good mother because I am so affectionate, to which I usually answer Yeah, and I will be The Mother From Hot Place because I am so strict. The answer I have always got has been That's your another good trait to be a good mother.
What can one say other than Bring in the intelligent, suitably depraved man who's crazy enough to marry me and have a house full of kids?

Graah!


I just love all the extra expenses which come out of the blue.

My beloved Photosmart (735) decided to be moody and not work (it worked fine after I had made the decision to buy new one) at all (it merely booted and then got stuck), so, after a little phone call (I needed to fix a temporary loan-of-a-kind) and a bitter visit in PD's PayPal account I should be soon proud owner of a brand spanking new (gosh, I *love* that phrase *g*) HP Photosmart R827.
7,2 megapixel digital camera only 149 euros ($205.4)! O_o Even better... its normal price is actually 349 €, but as it's not manufactured anymore the distributors want to get rid of those ones they have.

Yes, in theory there was no need to buy a new camera, but when I begun to think of the situation when my camera breaks down just before deadline I managed to convince myself that I need to get a new camera.
And it's so tiny! And light! And k3wl! Shiny!

Sunday 15 July 2007

Unconscious Mutterings

Week 232

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

  1. Situation :: Circumstances
  2. Theme song :: Muzak
  3. Kelly :: Gene Kelly
  4. Club :: Buena Vista Social Club
  5. Swerve :: Nerve
  6. Couch :: Sit
  7. Bigfoot :: The Hendersons
  8. Arbitrary :: Common
  9. Inventor :: Genius
  10. Blazer :: '80s

Cross post: It's time for a Halloween Stitch-a-Long!

Love Halloween? Love Periphaeria Designs' designs? Love SALs?
If you answered yes to one or more you should join Halloween Tree Ornaments Stitch-A-Long in Wonderful World of XS and enjoy stitchy gossip, stitching and, of course, over 40 exclusive Halloween designs designed for you by Lady Periphaeria of Periphaeria Designs and Helga Mandl from HM Designs.

Here's preview of few my ornaments, but there is nine more and more is still to come!

© Periphaeria Designs/ O. Peri
© Periphaeria Designs/ O. Peri

Basics:

  1. SAL Rules
  2. Start day 1st of August
  3. Ends 14th of October, followed with a competition hosted at CraftGossip (details to follow ;))
You can join the SAL by joining the group and emailing Helga that you wish to join the SAL.
By joining to the SAL you agree not to distribute the charts to anyone within the SAL group, or outside it - you know the rules.

These designs are exclusively designed for this project so it really pays back to join! :)

I recommend that you also read Heather's latest article at CraftGossip called Are You Ready for Halloween Yet? as she is way better with words than I am - and CG's needlework blog is always a good read!

Nevertheless, I hope I will see many of you in there!

(Cross posted from Tales from Periphaeria.)

(Mmm?... yes, this is the project with lots of black, orange etc.. *grin*)

By the way


As I don't have enough projects on the go I decided to stitch myself alephbets as a re-learning experience. I have decided to go back to Hebrew lessons in autumn (I assume that JCoH still provides Hebrew lessons), no matter how broke I may be because of the bus fares.

Now that I am single enough to concentrate on important issues (and hopefully I will be healthier in September than I am now)...
Hebrew has always been something I am good at because it's so logical language and it's amazingly easy to pronounce if you speak Finnish as your native (excluding one consonant which will always reveal that I am not native Hebrew speaker) - and I am specialised on languages with an interesting alphabet (Russian, Greek, Hebrew..).


Have I ever said that I have issues with authority, or, to be more spesific, I have issues with people who have authority and who misuse it?
Every time I find such a person I feel like I had been raped afterwards. And because I am so friggin' nice sometimes I can't say what I would like to because it would be rude, and therefore unfair towards the person who has been misusing their authority.
I hate it when someone gladly accepts you to work on something with them, but when it comes to changes on the project or giving any credit they don't see those others worth it. And when you withdraw because you feel you have not been treated fairly you are the evil one, the impossible bitch.

And I know that it is my only option because I can't work with someone I don't trust. Such atmosphere kills the creativity, it destroys all the fun.

WIP: Bunny Baby


I decided that I'll work on Bunny Baby (for Stitchers for Children charity RR) during my weekly break.

I have always thought these are cute and well designed within their genre, but not really my cup of tea. Now, after working on this and seeing how it turns out I have to say that I may have to have kids just to stitch few of these (though I could stitch the Spider Baby for myself ).

Friday 13 July 2007

It's easy to fool yourself

Realization: the current level of my physical durability is so disastrously bad that if I had a job I would have to take a sick leave because working eight hours per day would just be too much (if it takes three days to recover from four kilometer walk in mature age of 28 there is something badly wrong with you)... which is something I need to talk about with my doctor as even he would give me prescription for the attack meds, the bronchodilator and another course of cortisone my body needs some time to recover.

And if it's not asthma... then I'm in deep $*it as the other option is that my heart isn't at all well. (I have spent one weekend worrying about my blood work results and heart when I was 24 and had that arrhytmia and I can say that it's not pleasant state to be in.)

Well, at least I am in the mood for stitching.

Thursday 12 July 2007

SBQ: Love- Hate


This week's

Stitching Bloggers' Question

was suggested by The Wagon and is:
What do you love to do that many people hate? What do you hate to do, but do anyway?
I love fractionals (something you may not believe by looking at my designs *grin*), backstitching and blends (as extreme as metallic blends).
And honestly speaking I can't think of anything else that I hate but aida and lower count evenweaves - and I avoid them like a plague so they are not that much of an issue (though I have to stitch Bunny Baby on 16 count aida..).


As you may have noticed, my blog changed its colours. It has been a while since it was this black last time, but fact is that I'm not mood for a soothing colour scheme at the moment. (Maybe it also reflects the colour scheme of those complimentary designs I have been playing with past couple of days as there's lot of black, orange, purple and reds.)

Anyway...

My past seems to have a haunting phase.
In addition to everything else I heard from SIL that certain mr. Tree (that has nothing to do with his surname actually) had asked about me... Let's see, it has been over ten years since we had anything at all (oh, good old days with one nighters) and we never were we because he was (surprise, surprise) lost with himself.

So, what's next?

Wednesday 11 July 2007

Happy Dance!


One more down!

What to say...? Model consisting of itsy bitsy parts is now done - and I should stitch another version of it within this month... I think I will start another model planned for September and stitch itsybitsys in between.


I don't know why, but I have had a flashback phase lately. In theory I have nothing to complain about, they are flashbacks of happy moments, but I'm not sure do I want to have them because those moments are from past relationships... things I had already forgot (yet things that made me happy, and which in a way make me happy even now).
Interesting thing is that none of the flashs is older than three years. It's soon three years from the day when Dan, finally, moved out and a bit less from the day when I got hooked up with Abhi.

I have also had some odd dreams, which, thinking of it now, probably share the origin with flashs.
Firstly the basic pattern of the dreams, then an explanation... I go back to school, the teacher is some of my past teachers (so I assume that the idea is behind the teacher, not the person). The thing is that in every dream of this brand I have been out of school since last August/ September and the teacher always nag why I haven't been at school and how you are not allowed to do so without an extremely good reason. My answer is always the same: you didn't seem to miss me though, you might have wanted to contact me or someone close to me...

My conclusion is that either the school of hard hits wants me back or I want back in it. I have been out of the relationship game since last summer, firstly because losing Wolfie hurted - badly (he's still a sore spot), and secondly, because I met N. who kind of freed me from looking for a relationship as he provided most things you ger from a romantic relationship - excluding the romance part...
Anyway, the school of life, timeline of my disappearance, flashbacks... someone wants to go back to school, someone wants to find someone wonderful, right? (Admittedly my family nerve has been tickling lately, so if I just blame my loudly ticking biological clock and forget the facts?)

But I also acknowledge the facts: at this moment I couldn't concentrate on a relationship (who am I fooling? I could, I would just prioritize) because all the energy I have goes on breathing... literally.

I was a bad, bad person...


Spite of not knitting very eagerly I couldn't resist few homeless books at Interweave Press' Hurt Book Sale... From this moment on I am eagerly awaiting 'Knitting out of Africa', 'Domino Knitting' and 'Wrap Style'.
Whole pile with postages 42 euros (postage is about 2/5 of the whole amount).

Apparently I just proved that I am a book collector.

Though, I reasoned every single of them: KooA sounds interesting as I am rather fond of "African style" because it's generally colourful and strong.
DK because I have heard about domino knitting and have an instruction for it, but it's lousy, so I hope that this book proves to be better as these domino pieces would be great quick little projects and whenever I have enough of them I can just build a blanket out of them (assembling such thing is another issue altogether).
WS was clicked in the cart because lately I have suffered shoulder pain related to draft (If the temperature is any lower than 20 and there's any wind I may end up with stiff shoulders).

In general

I have been in pieces since yesterday's grocery store trip, but despite the pain, exhaustion and all the other "nice" issues (you could almost think that there's something in wrong with me O_o *grin*) I have been productive designing wise. All of them will come out as complimentary designs so stay tuned for the details...

Monday 9 July 2007


Ye shall not read CraftGossip... I want this even I am not very Halloweeny person (nor much of a fan of that style). That just, you know, rocks.

Blog ponderings

The thought of moving my blog on Wordpress base came out from its hiding place again, while looking for templates for Periphaeria's blog.
And at this point I even have a hosted domain... it would be matter of only installing another WP. The negative side of it is that I would lose all the comments (and apparently tags too) even I could import the posts...

Weight gain

Last months my weight has been slowly increasing without any significant changes in my diet. I found out why: it's my allergy medicine's less known side effect! Said antihistamine causes weight gain which probably means that it messes my insulin levels... it boggles your mind, but at least now I know what to say to my doctor. I rather take cetiritzine as it's better for my metabolism, even if it isn't as modern version as levocetirizine.

To make it fun, levocetirizine also causes... shortness of breath. (I still have it, though I feel better now.)

And how do I know that Xyxal is the one to blame? I have been taking other antihistamine about a week now (because I lost the prescription and ran out of Xyzal). During this time my weight has come down almost five kilos, without any diet changes.

Sunday 8 July 2007

Unconscious Mutterings


Week 231

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

  1. Happen :: It will...
  2. Terribly :: Miss you...
  3. History :: Ancient
  4. Master :: ... of Puppets.
  5. Petrified :: Shocked
  6. Moan :: Groan
  7. Attack :: Massive...
  8. Picture :: Icon
  9. Students :: Pupils
  10. Potter :: (The obvious...) Harry
<

Happy dance!


Firstly: Tales from Periphaeria moved to a new address (I have updated the url to the sidebar) and reside now in Periphaeria Designs' home base.

Secondly I have made a decision: I'll skip the rotation for a while and focus on projects based on priorities which means that at this moment highest priority is on these designs:

  1. Seasonal Dragons
  2. Bunny Baby
  3. Models for September launch
  4. Secret gift
Noticing how much asthma attacks reduce my stitching speed (by taking away my energy) this is only way to get anything done. If I survive without any additional attacks until I see GP I'll get more stitching time than I anticipate now, but that is never a bad thing - maybe I could finally concentrate on those belated gifts and PIFs (anyway I think I have to change my plan considering them)... *cough*

The topic of the day...

I decided about middayish to have a stitching marathon and finish Summer today. I made it!
Allow me to represent Summer Dragon on Leslie's fabric:

I had to scan it because I have no batteries in my camera and therefore all the nice sparkling is nowhere to be seen, but believe me, it's there.

Now I'm off to have some quality time with HH, who has behaved extremely well today and waited me to finish the dragon without nagging me a bit. ^^

Friday 6 July 2007

Ngh


Well, it was an asthma attack with all likelihood, and now, when it has passed you could think I have enough energy to finish Summer...as if, now the air pressure is under 1000 hPa which means that I am like a zombie again... It's getting quite frustrating to put it mildly.
But, no matter what I will finish it this weekend, even if it kills me.

Though I think that this day will be just the day to stitch those small things which I have in my WIP pile. Secret things, so even if I will have HDs there's nothing to show. (That can be frustrating too, right? *g*)

Cats

But, as a nice person I provide you things to look at... here comes Four Ravenous Beasts Meet The Futon:

 
 

Thursday 5 July 2007

Things to make you happy and a stitching bug


Despite feeling crappy I have tried to stitch daily and even though my progress has been slow I am closing to finish Summer so there will be actual stitchy content in one of these days in this particular blog!

Anyway, to the topic... I got more birthday mail today, another set of Birthday Thread Exchange flosses.

Is there a better way to make one's day than new stash?! Thank you Edda and Tracey!

And, I caught the stitching bug! I have a photo to prove it! See!

It has spent last fifteen minutes strolling up and down the floss I got ergo it's a stitching bug.