Just a quickie to say have a great weekend everyone! I'm headed to P.T. and then leaving for our Fall No Frills Retreat! I really need a weekend of good friends and fun times to take my mind off of other things. I'll fill ya in on all the fun when I get back Sunday!
Take care till next time!
Julie
Do you ever have the feeling that something or someone is watching you? Maybe you get that prickly feeling up your spine or you have a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. I have been dealing with this feeling for over a week now. The reason for this feeling? I'm being stalked! I can't tell you how scary it is to know that I'm being watched. By multiple pairs of eyes too. I discovered one of the stalkers last week. I was in my bathroom, sitting on the toilet of all places, taking care of business when suddenly I knew I was being watched. I went down the checklist of possible reasons for the feeling. Curtains open? No. Dog snuck in? No. Husband standing there? No. The bathroom is not that large so it didn't take me long to eliminate the most likely suspects. That left unlikely or less noticeable suspects. As I was sitting there I checked up on the ceiling and in the vent. Didn't see anything that shouldn't be there or any sign of a hidden camera. That was a relief. Nobody needs to see video of me taken with a hidden camera. Or a not hidden camera for that matter! But I could still feel eyes on me so I continued looking around. Suddenly, my heart stopped dead in my chest. I'd found the cause of my unease. Across the way from the toilet stands the shower. And clinging to the base of the shower was a large.black.spider!!!! I think I might have mentioned once or twice that I don't like spiders. At.All. So I'm sitting there staring at the spider to make sure it doesn't move and he's staring back at me with all his many eyes just waiting to pounce when the time was right, most likely when my back was turned. But that wasn't going to happen. Now here's the dilemma. I was still on crutches at the time and I knew there was no way on earth I was going to be able to crutch my way over there and kill the sucker before it skittered away and hid itself until the time was right to crawl up my nose or into my ear during the night. No freaking way was that going to happen! I knew Dan was downstairs asleep on the couch with the T.V on. What were the chances of calling loudly enough to wake him up but not so loud that the vibrations would startle the creature into fleeing? I could pound on the floor which happens to be right above the family room where Dan was busy sawing logs instead of protecting me from hairy arachnids but I was pretty sure that would startle him (the spider) into moving. While I was thinking these thoughts, he and I were maintaining eye to eyes contact and I could almost hear his hissy little voice saying...I'll get you my pretty! Deciding that yelling was going to be less likely to disturb spidey, I proceeded to do just that. DAN!!! DAN!!! Then I waited, cuz Dan only has two speeds and they consist of slow and slower. Being that he was asleep I knew he'd be moving slower. I also knew if he heard me he would recognize the distinct tone of my voice that indicates the presence of an eight legged critter and he would come prepared to do battle. So while I waited spidey and I continued our stare down. By now I had one eye squinted to show him I wasn't scared because you never want to show them weakness or they'll pounce then and there! But although I gave Dan plenty of time to slowly make his way upstairs...he didn't come. So now I was left with 2 choices. Sit on the toilet until Dan woke up on his own (usually around 2-3 in the morning) and came up to bed or take the risk of pounding on the floor loudly and hoping it woke him up. I pondered for quite a while, even called a couple more times but eventually I knew I was going to have to risk the pounding. Taking a deep breath I grabbed my crutches and as hard as I could I hit the floor 3 times with them, all the while maintaining my squinty eyed stare. Sure enough Spidey moved! But I think he thought that the pounding wouldn't produce Dan any better than yelling did because after one hop he went back to staring at me. I could hear Dan coming up the stairs and finally the bedroom door opened, followed by the bathroom door and Dan who said, how big is it? See? I told you he can recognize the panicked sound a spider causes even when it's a pound and not a call. I pointed at the critter with a shaking finger and said...it's huge!! KILL IT!! Which he promptly did. Boy was that a relief. I thought my butt was going to be permanently attached to the toilet seat by this time! So you are probably thinking boy is she a wussy and you would be correct. I admit it openly. You are also probably thinking, it's one spider, you can't be stalked by one spider! HA! Where there is one...there is always another! The next night I went upstairs to bed and thoroughly checked the bathroom before taking care of business. Crutching my way to the bed, I suddenly felt that feeling again. I checked the ceiling and walls several times and threw back the covers to make sure nothing was lurking under them before finally deciding perhaps it was a hold over from the night before. I sat down on the bed, removed das boot and swung my legs up onto the bed while laying back on my pillow. My head no more than brushed the pillow when I spotted it! Right above my head on the ceiling, hiding in the shadow of the texture!! I bounced up off that bed and threw myself into the chair while yelling loudly for Dan. He arrived quickly, paper towel in hand and asked. "where is it?" I pointed to the ceiling, grabbed my pillow and threw the covers out of the way in case he missed and spidey jumped. But the great white spider hunter was successful once again and he smashed that thing dead. Now you would think that maybe word would go out in the spider kingdom that this is not a spider friendly environment and they would leave for better pickings. But no. The next day I made my way downstairs after showering (only after a thorough inspection of the bathroom) and sat down at the computer to begin my morning ritual. And then I felt it. That eerie sensation of being watched. I slowly looked around the room, all the while hoping I was wrong because I was home alone and knew that if I saw spidey, I would have to find a way to take him out by myself. Not something I like to do but unlike a certain daughter of mine who shall remain nameless...Amy...I won't leave it there and go to another room thereby giving said spider permission to stalk someone else at their leisure. No, I kill the suckers even though I am risking an attack on my person while doing so. Lucky for me, someone had used the swiffer the day before and instead of putting it away it was leaning up against the china hutch. Swiffers work pretty good for killing things that are up high. It allows you to be somewhat away from the wall so if you should happen to miss it doesn't fall on your head causing a sometimes fatal heart attack. My swiffer did not let me down. Yelling DIE Spidey DIE, I obliterated the thing all over my suede painted wall! But I didn't care. All I cared about was that the sucker was dead. Dan could deal with the debris later. So you see now why I feel as though I am being stalked. Almost every day another one appears to take the place of his fallen brother. My paranoia is at a peak, my eyes are constantly roaming around the room looking for the next one to appear. But I'm not going down without a fight. Do you hear that spiders?? Get out while the getting is good or I'll take you out or have Dan do it for me!!
Here's an update on Elizabeth. I'm only allowing myself to work on her on the weekends. I asked several people when the weekend started and ended last weekend and it was decided that Monday being a holiday meant it was a part of the weekend so I got 3 days of stitching done on her.
Good Morning!
I am just popping in for a few minutes to say THANKS for the prayers...I think they worked!! To give you a little background, almost 2 years ago, in order for the shop I work at to survive we entered into an agreement to share a bay with the devil vacuum cleaner dude in the bay next to us. This would have worked fine if he had stuck around to run his own side of the store but after 3 months, his help at his other store quit and he went over there and never came back. We have run his store ever since and have received nothing for doing so. Dude's business has steadily dropped since he quit being there, who wants to buy a vacuum from a custom picture framer? We had no training for the job so were not very helpful if people asked questions or needed something that required a bit of knowledge. We were under the impression he would be moving out at the end of the lease since that is what he had been telling us was going to happen. When I asked for prayers it was because he had told us he had sold his business and the new owner did not wish to move so we would have to. Dude held the actual lease and we sub-let from him so we did not have any legal standing with the landlord. His hands were tied. Our current location has been so good for us that moving elsewhere made no sense. The bosses looked at another, much larger bay 2 doors down and in spite of it being more money, decided to lease it. Only someone else got there before us. Long story short after several weeks of stress, ups and downs, thinking things were going to work out and then having a wrench thrown in the mix, my boss and dude reached an agreement and he is moving out. In fact, he should be out after this weekend. The majority is already packed up! However, I won't feel completely comfortable and at ease until November when the original lease expires and the bosses have signed a new one. So if you think about it over the next couple of months send up a quick prayer that all goes well. It's going to be a great thing for the shop to have the vacuums out of there and we can't wait to paint and make it all purty! It was hard to do anything with 50 vacuums all over the place! Not to mention bags, and belts of every shape and size known to man! It's going to be a ton of work getting it all fixed up but I'm so excited about the possibilities ahead of us!!
What are your plans for this holiday weekend? I was going to clean my house some but Dan has grounded me to the chair. I had to go to the Dr. this week because I started experiencing pain in my left Achilles tendon. That's right, the supposedly good ankle! It was a very familiar pain. Diagnosis: Achilles Tendonitis and Plantar Fasciitis most likely caused from wearing that dang boot.
You know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you see a new chart and know you must have it??OMG! When I saw the new Miribilia I had that feeling and I just couldn't ignore it! I haven't stitched one in years but for some reason Elizabeth was screaming, take me home the second I laid eyes on her! She goes no where in my house but I will find someplace for her to live even if I have to put her in Amy's room which now that I think about it the colors are perfect for her room. Hmmmm, of course Amy would probably kill me if I did that but hey, she's off at college, says she isn't coming home until the kitchen is finished and since that will never be completely done...I'm just saying. Anyway, even though I had promised myself I would not start anything else until either Tuscan Rose or Double Dutch was finished I just couldn't wait. I had to start her. I chose a 32 count linen by Picture this Plus called Heroic and I am using the called for threads which are DMC.
Miss me? I wanted to give you all plenty of time to do so. Did it work? Actually, the truth of the matter is more like a combination of laziness and being tired after going back to work. One legged framing is not as easy as it sounds! By the time I get home in the afternoon or evening as the case may be, I am exhausted. Most nights I find myself sitting in my chair fighting to keep my eyes open while praying I don't become a head bobber like Dan. What's a head bobber you ask? You know, when they (the sleeping person aka Dan) are sitting upright and they've fallen asleep and their mouth is open and their head is bobbing forward and then they jerk it back and it then it bobs backwards and then forwards again...head bobbing. Kinda reminds me of those birds that were around when I was a kid. They looked like this:
Today marks 31 years that I have been married to my husband. I've known Dan since I was a senior in high school and he was a sophomore in college. We met at a boy/girl fraternity pajama party. He'd seen a picture of me prior to that time though as my brother and Dan are frat brothers. I was visiting the campus for the weekend, both my brother and older sister attended the same college. My brother asked for volunteers to take me out while I was visiting and a whopping 3 guys raised their hands. Dan and I hit it off quite well and I forgot about the other 2 guys. I think it might have been the diaper he was wearing as his party pajamas that first attracted me. There's something about passing an orange under your chin to a guy in a diaper that really sets my heart a flutter! No that isn't right, the diaper just clinched it. What really got me interested was Dan's resemblance to one of my biggest heart throbs of the time...Sean Cassidy. Earlier in the day, prior to the party my sister and I had been cleaning up the kitchen at the TKE house, Dan ran through the kitchen in a burgundy track suit and that was it. I saw Sean Cassidy and I think maybe it was love at first sight. Later that night when I saw him in a diaper...well what's a girl to do when faced with 140 pounds of skin and bone all wrapped up in a diaper but fall head over heels! Of course I had to go back to high school and we both vowed to write to each other. Surprisingly, we did! I still have all his letters to me. God only knows where the embarrassing letters I wrote to him ended up. Hopefully in a fire somewhere. Although we continued to write to each other, he was at college and I was home and when another guy I lusted after liked asked me out I said yes. After all I had been singing a little ditty about him for months prior to meeting Dan, I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. What ditty were you singing you ask? It went something like this...All I want for Christmas is a date with J.L, a date with J.L. a date with J.L. etc...you get the idea. So now I am writing to Dan and talking to him on the phone and dating J.L. The funny thing about wanting something so bad and wishing so hard for it is...sometimes reality is not as good as the fantasy and such was the case with J.L. The guy might have had the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen on a guy but he was boring! A regular snooze fest but he was here in town and Dan wasn't so this situation went on for months. Prom was coming up and J.L. and I were making plans to go even though I knew I was going to dump him. Suddenly, Dan decided to come home for the weekend with my brother. Yes folks, that would be Prom weekend. Can we say uncomfortable? J.L. came to pick me up and there was Dan, hanging out with the family. I introduced them, they shook hands and off I went to Prom. Prom was boring, I didn't want to be there with J.L. I wanted to be home where Dan was. I think I managed to wait like 3 days after prom before I dumped J.L., looking back I feel bad about it but I was young and immature. What do you expect?? After that Dan came to Omaha to visit on a regular basis. We were now officially dating. I enrolled for college at the same school as my siblings and Dan and thought I had it made. Until I got to college and discovered a vast array of hot guys. And I was curious. And wanted to know more about the hot guys. Maybe even make out with a few of them. But I didn't want to lose Dan in the process. I made the suggestion that we needed to maybe date other people for a while. Dan was not thrilled with the idea but went along with. I remember one night in particular. Somehow, I managed to end up with 5 "dates" in one night. I'm using the term "date" loosely. they asked to stop by the dorm and I said sure, not realizing until it was too late that I had said sure 5 times. Hey, again young and immature. Try not to judge! I lived in an all girl dorm. Every guest had to be escorted in and out. Thanks to my roommate and friend, the whole dorm knew the situation I had gotten myself into. Each and every one of them was waiting in the lobby to see if I could pull this off without getting caught. And I almost did. Until I was escorting Dick (number 4) out and Dan was coming in. Can we say Awkward? I introduced Dick to Dan and finished showing Dick the door. I could tell Dan was not pleased but he didn't say a word. Not at that time anyway. No siree, he just waited for the right time and then he retaliated. He actually had the audacity to date another girl!!! The hell you say! That was not part of my plan. No! Time out! That is not happening! So, I quickly decided that dating other guys wasn't quite what I thought it would be and I broached the subject of becoming exclusive again. Dan was okay with that and life settled down to an even keel. It was good. Dan graduated, asked me to marry him, took a job in Wyoming and with all our worldly possessions in the back of a pickup and a homemade trailer off we went. That first year it was just us, the town he taught school in was only 100 people big. I didn't drive, didn't have a job and no family within a 15 hour drive. But I had Dan. I believe to this day that the year we spent in that little town is responsible for keeping us together all these years. We were all each other had. We had no choice but to depend on each other. This is not to say we haven't had our ups and downs because we have. We've weathered job changes, money problems, job lay offs, 3 sick kids, a closed head injury, and on and on. Sometimes he makes me so mad I want to scream! But I can't imagine life without him. He's my guy. And for all these years he has made me feel special and loved. Every anniversary he's gone out of his way to do something special to celebrate the day. And then today, I received this:
