Easter Dragon

Jennifer from Dragon Dreams has posted the cutest little Easter dragon to the News and it will only be up until midnight of March 24th so hurry!

The Spanish Sampler Mystery Stitch-A-Log started!

The Spanish Sampler Mystery Stitch-A-Long finally started. Spite of a dreadful case of stage fever I had the first part has been well received and the feedback has been amazing.

I have been stitching the first band today and I have to say that I am loving the design and the silks - VCs cover so well that I almost started with one strand instead of two, but decided that as I have charted and estimated the floss usage for two strands I should stitch it with two.
This is how the first band will look like:

And this is what I have now:

(Yes, it is upside down, but the picture looks better this way because of the angle I took it from.)

Unfortunately the picture doesn't show the subtle shade changes the purple has and which give a really positive boost to the whole band.
I guess I have about 35% done and I am quite sure this will be the first SAL I will be able to keep stitching within the given time limits.

Now I will stitch rest of the Here's to Ewe piece and get back to TSS after it. Stay tuned!

It's spring alright i.e. Codiaeum variegatum

When I bought the croton the clerk said it would be very difficult to care for over the winter ("It's quite a challenge to keep these beautiful foliage plants healthy outside of the tropics or a greenhouse") and would lose its redness due lack of light.

Crotty has been red whole winter and now... It's blooming - in addition of having grew up few additional leaves during winter (those deep green ones):

I don't have a green thumb, but my kitchen window seems to be good for tropical plants. (My jade plants enjoy it too.)

The Luck of the Irish, times three

"Wherever you go and whatever you do, May the luck of the Irish be there with you”

I haven't been at my best, but I have been stitching...

Tidbits:

• Design: Luck of the Irish - set of three biscornus.
• Designer: Lady Periphaeria of Periphaeria Designs.
• Fabric: 36 count flax Belfast linen.
• Fibers: VC silks and DMC/ Kreinik.
• Buttons: Vintage metal buttons from my mother's button box.

ETA: The set is available for purchase through PD (just click the image) or one of the retailers. *enabling grin*

15% off!

One Star's Light Needlework Supplies has 1st anniversary sale and you get 15% off when you give the coupon code 1YearAnniversary when checking out (of all orders from now until midnight Eastern Time on March 12th). Go and shop!

I meant to buy only some needles because the pack of 25 I bought from Jenna about a year ago is finally almost empty ($6 for a year worth of needles, not bad), but ended up buying two packs of Permin needles (26 and 28), Curious Cat needleminder and some Crescent Colours' cottons.

=^..^=

As a cat slave I find animals worth small deeds, like my daily click for free food for rescued animals at The Animal Rescue Site! (Thanks Angela for linking that a while ago!).
If you have as good as memory as mine they have a daily click email reminder...
It takes only five seconds a day, why not to do it? =^^=

Speaking of animals, I found this hilarious... because I have cats. If you have cats, you will understand.

SBQ: ?

This week's

Stitching Bloggers' Question

was originally posted on January 4, 2005 and is:

After you stitch a pattern or kit, what do you do with it?

Firstly: I love Renée's decision to recycle the old questions as I found SBQ only in 28th of September, 2005 and always have agonized over the fact.

I keep the pattern (usually) and rest of the floss. You don't know when you need them again - and left over floss is great for those small projects one always has.

While looking for my first SBQ ever I browsed through quite many entries from the time when Sol was in my life... damn, it seems that I was happy as long as it lasted. Sometimes it's good to remind oneself of such things.

This mountaintop is solitary, but cozy...

I love the random quote panel I installed on PD's community, I find great quotes from it all the time (though, over half of the quotes there are added by me - not to mention the amount of typos of the original quote list I had to fix before it was usable *rolls eyes until they fall off*):

"Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what it loves."
--Blaise Pascal

In general I have spent last few days by thinking, wondering, pondering, thinking... and playing online chess - when I haven't slept like a mummy (I sleep 12 - 16 h/d, simply because I can't open my eyes and get up).

All the symptoms point to depression...

I am bored: [X] Yes, [ ] No
I have problems being generally interested of anything: [X] Yes, [ ] No *
I "lose hours" every day: [X] Yes, [ ] No **
I sleep too much: [X] Yes, [ ] No
I am socially withdrawn: [X] Yes, [ ] No

... the main point just is... that I am not.
My state of mind is completely normal, though more thoughtful than usually (i.e. I really process things).
One factor may be that due my odd rhythm I haven't took all of my daily cortisone inhalations which leads my asthma worsening which leads to tiredness and general exhaustion.

It may be that my body is simply exhausted and depressed due all the strain it has been under last years with all the health problems. Which leads to interesting situation: I am mentally healthy enough to work, but my physics probably couldn't take it in the long run. (This was sort of proved during those three months I worked in the $COMPANY: 1st month was fine, but I was on a sick leave continuously during 2nd and 3rd month, and after the period was over I was sick for two weeks (admittedly it was a mild influenza, but still - I rarely get those).)

If it is so, I may be in deep $*** as I am so dreadfully good at looking healthy (that was why the GP didn't diagnose the hyperventilation attack as one and sent me to hospital for the second opinion..) which practically means that I am never diagnosed as sick as I am.... damn, I'd say.

Anyway, I'm off to shower. All this concentrating on one thing hurts my brain.

---

*: I haven't read blogs in three days, and I check only the necessary email accounts (i.e. blogging email, PD's Gmail and TSS').
**: You know, that is actually a symptom of schizophrenia.

Chillin'

Yes, he is very much alive, rather relaxed though.

Incoming!

Better late than never, right? The biscornu, and the buttons, I received from Alexia:

And, I received belated Valentine's gift from Leena in Friday!

She stitched the ornament on a very familiar fabric... it's one of those 40 count linens I dyed last summer!

Thank you both!

Mad as a March hare... erm... goals

As usual 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.

And the goals for February were:

1. Work on models: must finish two before 14th. Done! Finished three, and a half, models during February.
2. Participate Stitch-A-Thon. Done!
3. Start Here's to Ewe piece.
4. Stitch Flashes of Gold at least a bit.
5. Belated Christmas ornament for a friend at EMS board as her exchange partner apparently forgot the part of making and sending an ornament. Done!

Not too bad noticing that I had some health issues during the month of February. (It ended with an exploding migraine...)

The goals for March are:

1. Import at least two old designs (different software) to *.pat/ week.
2. Stitch at least two, and a half, models.
3. Stitch the accompanying piece to one of the latest designs, finish it and send the PIF to $COUNTRY.
4. Finish and send Terri's ornament.
5. Participate Stitch-A-Thon.
6. Stitch and finish Here's to Ewe piece.
7. Grid the Spanish Sampler's fabric before 15th and start TSS.
8. Organize my design tree (it's not a folder, it's a tree).
9. Decide the design for the biscornu exchange at FlossMoms.

Can we say lots of red in next month?

By the way, two new designs:

1. I designed a while ago a card for Violarium and it's now officially in use:
   
   
   
   I charted five different colour schemes: spring, summer, autumn, "rekipeitto" and winter. Second from the right is called rekipeitto because Leena named it like that (its colours remind her of old Finnish sleigh blankets).
   Rekipeitto is the original colour scheme.

   This design is loosely related to the Violarium Collection.

2. And I figured it would be fun to have general retailer complimentary design, dug my design stash and came out with Illusion (it has been sent to One Star's Light and Violarium):
   
   

There's no stitched model for either one, so I itch to stitch these some of these days.

And on less joyous Periphaeria Designs related note: Happy birthday PD aka. yup, I am famous now.

Bits o' Things

(I am actually surprised... I noticed yesterday that I can still easily (leisurely) read 125 pages/ hour even though I haven't read actively since... erm... eh... I can't even remember.)

BUT...

I am organizing a biscornu exchange at the FlossMoms forum, so, if you are as addicted to biscorni as I am hop over (register,) and join the fun! (Note that I have the tendency to stitch models as exchange items... *hint hint*)

For Pete's sake!

It's neverending...

• Mystified & Saluki Regicide
• Saluki Regicide
• Mystified

I know I should be in bed, but I re-found my online chess addiction and one of my opponents seems to have too much free time (or maybe it is me).

The "You Make My Day" Award

I got a comment in my comment section ages ago that Angela has awarded me with the "You Make My Day" award. I should award her again for that. *grin*

The Rules:

"Give the award to up to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel so happy about blogland! Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so that they can pass it on. Beware! You may get the award several times!"

I thereby give this award to these ten bloggers:

1. Leena, a gifted stitcher, wonderful finisher, great friend and inspirating blogger who blogs in three languages. Her posts are always a joy to read.

2. Jenna: tremendously gifted stitcher and crafter. What Jenna doesn't know how to do is not worth knowing. Wonderful, deep-thinking person and one of the first friends I made in Blogosphere.

3. Barbara: who manages to run a household with four kids (one of the a small baby) and still has time to stitch! Her posts are always a reading and usually have instant lift-up effect.

4. Renée, a stitcher and a crazy cat lady who has a good, opinionated head on her shoulders.

5. Ternezia, TW enabler of the worst/ best kind. Analytic stitcher who strives to improve herself continuously.

6. Teresa Wentzler: doens't blog often, but I enjoy tremendously her posts as she talks quite often about creativity.

7. Punctuality Rules: my anal retentive self enjoys the posts regarding grammar and manners as a positive force in the Universe.

8. Svenja: Châtelaine enabler and a talented quilter who's always up to something beautiful.
9. chanda_m, whose blog updates Bloglines hasn't noticed in last year or so. Talented, thinking, stitching person who also has some yummy sounding recipes in her blog now and then.
10. The rest of you! Cross stitching addicted stash-a-holics who share your stitching, and maybe life, through your blog and let the rest of us to see a bit of life in somewhere else.

Stashy give away!

Stitch Pink has a giveaway of Little House Needleworks' "Where there's life, there's hope" chart, Crescent Colours floss needed for it and a piece of Zweigart's 28 count Belfast to stitch it on! Only thing you need to do to is to go and leave a comment. How's that for easy?

I saw the employement counsellor (not the one I usually meet) and my GP today.

For the first time in 1½ years I hated the session with the counsellor... My regular one is very encouraging and doesn't treat you as a piece of $*it. I was very, very discouraged when I left her room and I felt like lowest little creature - just because I dare to be chronically ill and financially less well-to-do. (I try to change the situation, but... sometimes it takes time, right?)

Fortunately my GP always saves the day, he even adviced me to contact employement service center, just in case if not for any other reason, because they have the knowledge of both employement and education, but also of the health related side (and they have access to health records).
Surprisingly he didn't freak out after he found out that I have cats. He just asked do I get symptoms and could I try to live in cat-free environment for a while just to prove my point (of not getting any).

And I wonder what the innocent bystanders thought about our little conversation over the corridor - flirting with handsome men is always refreshing, even if they were your doctor.
(I get to see him again in next month: He wanted one more week of peak flow metering with cortisone and bronchodilator to be able to write the "B- statement".)

Designers and designs

I seem to have become my favourite designer: out of those ten finishes I have managed this year only one is designed by someone else.

When it comes to loving my designs.... I may have mentioned I have got some of my creativity back and in addition of sketching/ designing new designs I have imported few old designs to new format: I am already madly in love with one old design of mine - I am certain it will be a good seller when it's published - because of the colour scheme and how versatile the design itself is.

More free Indian....

• Malkit Singh.
• Pardesi
• Shaktee
• Shazia Manzoor (Pakistani?)
• Ravi Bal
• Ajuba
• Partners in Rhyme

I have had it with Bloglines!

Continuous server errors, feeds not updating... the list goes on.

Does anyone know a good similar service or, preferably, a good stand-alone software for Windows? Google's reader isn't really an option (even though it is apparently quite good) for practical reasons (i.e. I am usually logged in to some other Google account than the one I'd use it with).

Now, what I have forgot?

I think I have forgot to mention that Liz received her biscornu from me quite a while ago:

Information:

• Design: "Alegría", exclusively complimentary design. Available through One Star's Light Needlework Supplies.
• Designer: Lady Periphaeria of Periphaeria Designs. (I am getting good at this split personality thing...)
• Fabric: 28 count sky blue Belfast linen.
• Fiber: Atalie's Jais.
• Other:
  1. Stitched two over two.
  2. The button is snatched from my mother's button box (she let me raid it while I was there over holidays).
  3. The theme was blue.

I have also received mine from Alexia (U.S., TX (I see a recurring theme here)), but I need to take a picture of it in decent daylight. Alexia also sent some lovely buttons to me, and some of them have already found their use (when I finish those biscornus).

Shortly put...

21st:

• I had a dream that I was about to get married. My wedding dress was sky blue satin... I woke up before it happened.
• I am hibernating: my basal body temperature was 35,2° C.
• And, I was zombified so long that I never made it to health centre.

22nd:

• I don't get the idea of HC closing at 2 pm in Fridays... I went there, was too late. *shrug*
• My heart is showing signs of physical exhaustion: it's wobbles.
• My digestion could manage wheat, but my asthma doesn't.

24th:

• I am beginning to think that I have sinusitis - though without pain. It is also possible that I have got the sinusitis from decluttering the living room bookshelf and I also have other underlying condition which started this all...
• The assumed sinusitis may be heading to my lungs.
• My basal temperature has risen, but now I suffer from hypersomnia.

During my absence I also heard that my brother and his wife have filed for a divorce - maybe he now understands that being a divorcee doesn't make me any less worthy than he is... hope springs eternally.

An interruption in our regularly scheduled insanity...

I am alive, but that's about all I am able to be or do at this moment.
I sleep at odd hours, am awake at odd hours, get tired by just checking my email, suffer bouts of hypothermia etc.. I haven't even had energy to stitch a single stitch in three days, instead I have been decluttering my living room and all the tiny bits of memories haven't been very good to my general mood. Fortunately the moodiness seems to be passing thing, the rest... I don't know.
Regardless of my condition tomorrow I will head to book an appointment with my GP (I have to visit the HMO as I have to take my peak flow chart there) and if I am still wasted when I have the appointment I complain my heart's content.

This can be simply a bad case of anemia, or an underlying infection (infants, elderly folks and "frail" individuals can suffer from hypothermia when they have infections), or something completely different... maybe it's nothing, maybe it is the dust - as asthmatics shouldn't clean (or do laundry, or nothing much in general, in that matter) - maybe it's hypothyroidism or just plain hypochondria...

The truth sets you free?

That is commonly used phrase, and most of times I agree with it. Sometimes I disagree with strongly.

I had a theory, which I proved right. The truth made me sad even I had the feeling of success because I had been able to interpret the signs right. Though, eventually it made me reveal something I had forgot.
Eventually it made me tell one truth which set me free, a truth which I would want to cause me becoming free in a completely different manner.
That truth proves that I am ready to fight for what I believe in, because revealing it had its risks - but I believe when I am told that my opinion is valued and respected.

I hope you do see my point, no matter how obsessed I might have sounded. I just believe in that meaningful things in our lives are fire resistant and that some birds do home...