Friday, August 31, 2007

Goals for September

Okiedoke, it's that time again!

Last Month's Goals:

Stitchy goals:
  • reach the 70 row mark on A Restful Night Nope, but getting there. Another 700ish stitches to go.
  • stitch present for Ariel Nope, ended up giving her a candle and some tea instead!
  • enjoy my stitching Always!
  • finish part 1 of White Musings, make progress on part 2 Haven't touched it much, if at all.
  • finish page 6 of Tranquility No, pesky frogs interfered.
  • stitch something on Mystery X Yes, lots! The 'north' house is looking great.
  • stitch on Froggy Frog World for the Challenge SAL (even though I've bowed out, I can still SAL, and the frogs need love) I didn't get my fabric soon enough, but I did stitch it for the New Start SAL instead.
  • finish part 1 of JOB, make progress on part 2 This one went so well! I almost got half of part 2 done.
Life goals:
  • clear the surfaces in my room ie desk and chest of drawers Yup, and they're still fairly clear. The boxes need sorting though.
  • find something that isn't a suitcase to hang my 'pull on' clothes ie dressing gown, jeans on I'll give myself this one - this month its been the end of my bed instead! Suitcase is now out of my room.
  • stay positive Most of the time.
  • get to Divine Liturgy at least twice Oh yes! And going again tonight...
  • read a book on Orthodoxy Nope, had no new ones. I am pretty sure that this will change soon if Father Silouan has anything to do with it...
  • look into moving desk out of my room No progress whatsoever. It will happen.
  • try to keep the floor at least vaguely clean Yeah, not too bad.
  • get rid of stuff I really don't need, be ruthless This is progressing, but slowly.
This Month:

Stitchy goals:
  • Make progress on FFW during the Challenge SAL this month
  • Participate with same in the background SAL - ugh, a whole weekend of stitching glitter! Good for me though.
  • Finish pages 1 and 2 of A Restful Night
  • Finish part 2 of JOB, make progress on part 3, try to finish and start part 4!
  • Participate in JOB SAL each week to achieve the above.
  • Make progress on White Musings
  • Start *gulp* the new mystery sampler
  • Make progress on MX, aim to get the main part of the house done
  • Finish the motifs on page 6 of Tranquility
  • Buy stitchbows and stitchbow-ify another binder's worth of my master set
  • Overhaul my 'what threads I have' list for the above
  • Start a list for the fibres that I have, unused (non DMC) or are left over from kits
Life Goals:
  • Attend DL twice, more if possible
  • Stick to the fasts
  • Read a book on Orthodoxy
  • Meet with Father
  • Get rid of boxes, or sort them and put them under my bed
  • Get desk out of room
  • Argue some more with Centrelink
  • Work towards getting my licence again

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

SB&B stash

I think I love SB&B - people complain about them, but I always have long wait times for stash anyway so the wait times don't really bother me.

I got a package today...ooh fun!

My stash haul is as follows:

The Lord's Prayer - My Big Toe
Wings of Courage - Dragon Dreams
Nuts About Autumn - Waxing Moon.

All just the charts for now - buttons/fabric/silks/floss can come later!

Most of Wings of Courage is in DMC anyway, and the Nuts About Autumn one has a DMC conversion and I can't justify the GAST prices when I have the DMC already.

In other news, Centrelink is being annoying, but that's normal. And I got books from the library today, which was wonderful, I havent had fiction to read (that I don't already own) really for aaages.

I've been happily stitching for the past few days. The weekend was the New Start SAL, and I got around 1000 stitches done - not bad, given I'm sick and have been busy. It's tucked away again until 2nd weekend SAL next month, now. Lots of sparkle, but it looks good. I'm liking the glissen gloss a lot, Anna.
Yesterday's piece was JOB, to make up for not stitching it on Monday, and I got a huge amount done - I never expected to get that much done! I was starting the new panel, and I got most of the black border done (all but a fraction of the bottom part of the outside border, and the inner border on the oval shaped border), along with all of the blue and gold cross stitching and backstitching at the top, the continuation of the pine tree from the other panel - so pretty...and I finally figured out how to do queen's stitches properly, while doing the LAST ONE! Not going back to frog them, they look fine. If they still bug me when I go to make the whole thing up, I'll fix them then. I also started the new tree and got a lot of grass done. Basically I've been working on the principle of one length of black thread, one of colour, one of black, etc etc and I made a huge amount of progress. Very pleased, if I keep this up I might finish the panel next week! Now that would definitely be something. I might pick it up again sometime this week, too, if I get the urge/want to stitch something that isn't ARN. Mostly I just need to do solid stitching in this panel, and that's soothing.

And today's was A Restful Night. She has a face now! All of one, except the very bottom of her mouth and chin. She's so sweet, so, so sweet. My eyes got tired (my body has decided it hates me again today) so I put her down, and I'll try to work on her again tomorrow, and get the hair done for the row. I've started her shoulder now too, which is fun. It's nice to be making progress again, I'd hit a slump with her.

I got Terry Pratchett's Wee Free Men in book form, and A Hat Full of Sky in audiobook (squee!) form from the library today, so I'll read Wee Free Men and then I can listen to A Hate Full of Sky while stitching one day. Sounds like heaven to me!

My body is in a bad mood, so this is enough - I'm going to bed. I'll just finish with this, given what day it is in the church calendar - The Beheading of the Forerunner and Baptist, John (John the Baptist).
The memory of the just is celebrated with hymns of praise, but the Lord's testimony is sufficient for thee, O Forerunner; for thou hast proved to be truly even more venerable than the Prophets, since thou was granted to baptize in the running waters Him Whom they proclaimed. Wherefore, having contested for the truth, thou didst rejoice to announce the good tidings even to those in Hades: that God hath appeared in the flesh, taking away the sin of the world and granting us great mercy.

Monday, August 27, 2007

It's windy today

And I mean really really windy. I live in a part of the world that still has a lot of massive gum trees that have been there for hundreds of years, and they're waving and whipping around, and I can see them out of my window.

The weather has decided that it likes being spring, so spring it will be. It's nice to have the window open and not need an overhead light on as well, and to see the sky out of my window. I'm back in bed again, having a fatigue-y day. The brain fog is there, but not horrible. I just can't move much!

Troy and I got to my room again, and my dresser is pretty much clear now (which is very nice) and the big boxes that have been on my desk obscuring my view out of my window are now on the floor or under my bed. I'm trying to sort a box every day, and hopefully they will all be empty or put under my bed soon enough. Which reminds me, I need to find the vailance (or however you spell it) for my bed, green cotton is much nicer to see than the stuff under my bed.

I get restless sometimes, and want to attack my room, and change everything. I know this isnt practical, and I know it's just being irrational, and that I love my room (all deep hues, pinks and greens) but sometimes I just get frustrated and want to attack things. To be able to do something, anything! I feel so useless a lot of the time and I really don't like it.

I've been working on a new start...well, sort of new start. I restarted Froggy Frog World, which, when I calculated, is actually only four times as big as A Restful Night. It's very pretty, and I'm enjoying it, but I haven't had as much done on it as I would have liked. It's the New Start SAL at the HAED BB which is why I started it, but I've only got a few hundred stitches done.

Its been a long weekend. Not much has happened, but I'm still worn out. We went to St Nektarios' church yesterday, which was nice - different! Usually we got to an Antiochian church, St Elias', but the priest was in Melbourne, so went to the church we attend study at, and got to see Father Silouan in something other than black! That was different, and it was nice to see him. As we went up for a blessing and a piece of antidoron from Father, he told us that we had beautified the church by our attendance. I love Father Silouan, he always makes me smile.

It was a memorial yesterday for a man named Elias' grandfather, so we had fish and salad for lunch afterwards, which was really nice, and aniseed flavoured biscuits. I'd complimented one lady's cake after attending paraklesis a few weeks before, and she was at the door, and greeted me with a flurry of rapid greek. I caught my name in there, and she told me in that wonderful Greek way to eat aaaanything I wanted, and kept trying to feed me.

I've just been resting in my bed the last while, with nothing much else to do. I'm just resting, mostly calm. There's not much to do.

...and Father Silouan has offered to be Troy and my Spiritual Father...yay! We're going to arrange to talk to him sometime, and sort out catechumenate.

Father grinned at us yesterday and said: 'this is the order. Become Orthodox, marry, then get a house! Not any other order'. I grinned back and told him to tell my mother (who thinks we should get married protestant and then get become Orthodox) that. One day she'll understand.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Q-snap squee!

One of my plans in my entry where I planned out the rest of the year's stitching (or tried to) was that I needed a new set of q-snaps. So, I dutifully went to ABC stitch and bought them.

A set of 8inch q-snaps, and spare 11inch extender arms. And oh my goodness!

I now have tranquility on them, and I love them. I need to roll the excess fabric hanging at the bottom up, but otherwise...wow.

They're my new 'everything else' set. MX has its own dedicated set of 17inch qsnaps, and A Restful night has a set of 8x10 (I think) qsnaps. The other 'set' I have was made up of the leftovers from what I wasn't using, but wasn't very effective.

But my goodness. JOB will fit on this set perfectly, tranquility fits widthwise but not lengthwise (which is fine, it doesn't need to) and pretty much anything else will fit on it. It's a beautiful size, and the clippy things (aren't I technical!) are tight. Anna told me that dishwashing the clippy things will tighten them back up, so I'll have to do that with the ones I've got - I never realised that they were getting loose until I used this set and went WOW!

Today's stitching plans look like trying to get a length of thread into each of the motifs that I'm currently working on (the cream leaf and the green flowery one on pg 6) on Tranquility, putting a minimum of 100 stitches into A Restful Night, and trying to get some gridding done on Froggy Frog World. At least overlocking and 'gridding' (I only do the horizontals) the first two rows of FFW anyway, ready to restart them tomorrow. Yay frogs!

It is a beautiful day here today, quite mild, with a very blue sky. And green grass. And yellow soursobs. I am glad to be alive today.

(this contrasts with yesterday, in which I was sick as a dog)

Oh, and I'm now officially diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, too. This takes the collection of chronic illnesses to four! Go me :)

And Rachel - thanks for the comment, yeah it's nice to know that it's not just me with my dolls :)

I'd love to see the Kit movie, but it won't come out here. Maybe I should buy Kit now...I'm so very tempted. Kit, some clothes for Amanda, a stand for each of Kit and Amanda, and maybe an outfit for Lissie... oh dear. I'm going to need a wishlist. Gak.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Randomosities

Today's not been too bad - my brain was less alive than yesterday, but that's probably because I stayed up and I shouldn't have. Blake has given me somewhat of a 'plot bunny' with Amanda - make her Orthodox. Which I could. Can't you imagine her in Divine Liturgy with a headscarf, and a candle?

In other news, I got a lot of stitching done on A Restful Night yesterday, and another 100 or so today. She's beautiful, with ever more of her face emerging. I got Tranquility back out too, and I've started on the green motif on page 6 again, after getting a chunk (almost half of what's on this page) of the cream motif done.

Dad I went down to Hallet Cove, where I looked out the window and sat in the sun, and listed the colours needed for the first four rows of ten of Froggy Frog World ready for Friday, when the New Start SAL starts. Then we headed over to visit family friends, who liked my dress (I wore the purple one) and caught up, which was fun.

...and Dad and I thought seriously about planning my wedding for late January/early February.

That bit is fun!

Monday, August 20, 2007

I need to give my mailman chocolate

We got a new mailman recently, and I love him. He brings all packages, and anything that looks like it could get bent, to our door - the last one stuffed everything in the box. Blech.

But this one brought me two packages today, see?

Number 1:
Selina Fenech calendar 2008
Which is so much more beautiful than I imagined. I look forward to seeing it on my wall each day next year!

and Number 2:
PR stash
I ordered the fabric - 30ct white linen jobelan from Passione Ricamo for Froggy Frog World - we have a New Start SAL this weekend, so I'm restarting them then...though, I've been thinking...and it might be something else...we'll see.

But, with that, I got the fob you see there - which is just stunning, and I love it. So I'm happy!

I went to see the doc today, and the fish oil I've been taking is making my skin go nuts, so I'm off it completely for a week and then back on it but one tablet three times a day instead of three. Ant I've got an antidote to the medication I've been taking, which should sort things out. Oh, and my forms are all filled in for Centrelink, so I just need to take them in now. Fingers crossed!

Oh and here are my dolls, Felicity and Amanda:
P1010002P1010001
Felicity is from 1774, and Amanda...well, I'm not quite sure when she's from yet. I'm sure I'll find out soon!

Oh and since there's lots of photos already, here's one more - my Troy, who is so good to me:
It's a Troy

And in stitchy news, I've passed the 30% marker on A Restful Night!

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Doldrums

Everything is just so blah at the moment!

I saw doc informally on Saturday, and he said to start taking this stuff which was an antidote to the symptoms that my poison-kill medication is giving me. Yay. So now I'm taking stuff to combat the stuff that is combating the poison in my system.

What was that about she swallowed the cat to eat the bird that ate the spider that ate the fly?

In happier news, this has basically lead to me not taking the stuff, due to misunderstandings as to when I'm meant to take the antidote. And I now know it definitely is the stuff's fault, since I now feel a thousand times better.

We got to the rat cage today too, and my room. I can see my floor again! I also made progress on my desk, you just can't see it because other stuff took the place of the stuff I removed. Cleaning makes me sick, and wiped me out for a while.

It's pretty much a decided thing that I have to find a new home for the rats. I am not happy about this, but I've stopped fighting the invevitable. I am, however, fighting selling them, or giving them away to anyone I don't know. I do NOT want my girls ending up as science experiments, unloved, or snake food. Troy's promised me a kitten at some point, and that helps a little - I could have a kitten keep me company, I just love my girls.

I got my dolls down too! I have two American Girl dolls, a PM Felicity (PM meaning made before Mattel took over) and a more recent American Girl of Today/Just Like You doll. The AGT looks like me at ten, with the same colour hair and eyes, and bangs. I hated mine, but they look cute on her, and her name is Amanda. They've been packed away in storage for years, but I've been thinking about seriously collecting again recently, and sewing for Amanda. And maybe getting another doll - either a JLY or Kit, I think. I like Kit. But Amanda would like a friend too...and Felicity would like Elizabeth...and I don't have the money to buy multiple $100 dolls! I've had a great time today brushing out their hair and adding conditioning spray to it to stop it looking so flyaway, and redressing them. Much as I love my stitching, it's nice to have a break, and something that takes a different kind of thinking. My thoughts on my dolls:
  • I really want a new doll. But until I've decided which one, I'm not going to entertain the thought.
  • Amanda desperately needs more clothes. I need to make her some, and she needs basic things like jeans and sneakers.
  • Amanda also desperately needs hair stuff. She has lots of it, and nothing to do with it.
  • Felicity needs new outfits, but less desperately...I'm just working on her collection. Her birthday dress (pink and spring-y) is tempting given we're coming up to spring, but so is her Tea Gown, Summer Dress, and what used to be her school outfit. Gak.
  • Felicity, however, does desperately need her underthings. Her dresses just don't fall right without pocket hoops, and this didn't bother me when I was younger. Now I know more about history, and costuming, it bothers me greatly.
  • I need a stand for Amanda. Felicity has one, Amanda doesn't.
  • Amanda needs a bed. However, I hate their current one, and I haven't liked the previous couple either. But Troy's dad would probably make me one, so I'm going to ask him.
  • I am tragic! This is so much fun, and I'll be 20 next year. Oh well!
I get to see Doc properly tomorrow, and hopefully Troy will come with. And he is talking to someone about this whole caring for a chronic fatigue sufferer thing tomorrow - thank goodness. He really needs to vent, and he's the only one who hasn't been able to see it!

So, room is clean, I have a new food magazine to read, and Troy's given me the latest Anita Blake book (which is actually supposed to be quite good, contrasted with the last few) to read which I am looking forward to. I have stitched, but not much - fifty stitches or so on her wings today. I'm just finding it hard to do much at all at the moment.

Especially since my body woke me up at 3am this morning. And refused to let me go back to sleep.

Ever feel like your body has decided that mutiny is a good idea?

Saturday, August 18, 2007

A Meme, because this one looked like fun

Steal it if you like, the catch is that you can only use one word to answer each :)
  1. Where is your Cellphone? Floor
  2. Relationship? Engaged
  3. Your Hair? Temperamental
  4. Work? Non-existant
  5. Your sister? Herself
  6. Your favorite thing? Troy
  7. Your dream last night? Weird
  8. Your favorite drink? Tea
  9. Your dream car? Goes
  10. The room you’re in? Bedroom
  11. Your shoes? None
  12. Your fears? Confusion
  13. What do you want to be in 10 years? Well
  14. Who did you hang out with this weekend? Jeremy
  15. What are you not good at? Wellness
  16. Muffin? Donut!
  17. One of your wish list items? Charts
  18. Where you grew up? Adelaide
  19. Last thing you did? Blog
  20. What are you wearing? Pyjamas
  21. What aren’t you wearing? Shoes
  22. Your pet? Rats
  23. Your computer? Laptop
  24. Your life? Strange
  25. Your mood? Sick
  26. Missing? School
  27. What are you thinking about right now? Food
  28. Your car? Non-existant
  29. Your kitchen? Mess
  30. Your summer? Delightful
  31. Your favorite color? Blue
  32. Last time you laughed? Yesterday
  33. Last time you cried? Wednesday
  34. School? Forget
  35. Love? Always

Friday, August 17, 2007

Not a lot to say

I've been feeling rather sick the last few days.

Our camera is also throwing a hissy fit, so it is going back to get fixed (it's only a few months old) and then I will take photos of things.

I really haven't been stitching much. I've just been feeling flat, and when I have been stitching it's been in the car or somewhere else, out, and Stretch. He is looking lovely though - he has a head now, and part of his body, and I just need to backstitch the 'mane' from his head and that will pop and come to life.

My medication has been making me sick, too - it gave me horrible cramps when I took it up to the full dose on Wednesday night, and then last night it made me physically sick, so I am not sure what to do with it. I've just felt nauseous instead the last few days - fun! Seeing the doc on Monday, so I'll ask him then. I'm feeling particularly bad tonight, so we left the medication that makes me sick off tonight - I just couldn't cope, and it would be enough to set it off.

I'm very mopey, which isn't good, but I'm sure it will pass.

I caught up with Tait, a friend of mine, today, which was fun. We caught trains! We started off at the cafe up here and had lunch, talked, and walked to the gardens, and then caught the train into the city, and swapped trains to the noarlunga line to go see the sea. We talked all the way there, and all the way back, and then after buying donuts from the place that makes wonderful ones, we caught the train to his place to get stuff as he was going to youth group up here tonight. I was planning to, but I got home and collapsed in a chair and Troy and Mum wouldn't let me go anywhere. Smart people. So I'm headed to sleep soon, and hopefully will feel better tomorrow!

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

I say Amen and it's still raining...

I have discovered (via Anna W) another Casting Crowns song that I love. It's from the album Lifesong and it's called Praise You In The Storm which is a kind of overused phrase, but beautiful song.

Here are the lyrics - they're Christian, if you don't want to read them just scroll down.
I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes unto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
It's a lovely song musically too.

So where have I been?

Friday I went down to Goolwa (where we keep our boat) with my Dad, and we didn't go on the boat (it was blowing 25-30 knots!) but we drove around and enjoyed the view. We went down to Beacon 19 which is the furthest into the Coorong that you can drive, and Dad went for a walk in the sand dunes while I sat in the car, listened to the radio, and flipped through my Greek book. Thursday night was wonderful, and I got mobbed and fed by Greek little old ladies which was wonderful. I never knew there were so many 'fast-friendly' desserts! We also got conned into joining in a choir practice, for a song we'd never heard before - in Greek. Written in Greek. 8 full pages of it!! Jeremy and I both read biblical Greek, though is is better than mine, but singing it? Not to mention, there are several nuances that are different between ancient and modern greek. Oh well, we got into it - and it was FUN! It was an ode of some sort to the Theotokos, but I'm not sure beyond that.

Friday night was sleepy - we watched better homes and gardens on TV, I stitched, and I fell asleep. I tried the medicine again, and swallowed it all this time, so that's good.

Saturday was just long. I really didn't get much done thought I made muffins - two lots, gluten free for Bindi (who was very appreciative) and normal for the rest of us, donut muffins again. This lot came out a bit mutant though so I hope the next lot don't. They taste good anyway, just look weird!
Sunday was even longer, but good. I was up early for Divine Liturgy this morning, which was good except I need to learn to shut up when I'm talking (I talk too much when I'm nervous and occasionally blurt things I regret - just embarassing) and Troy got told off for having his hands in his pockets - lol. Jeremy came up for lunch, and ate salad (with mushrooms, since he can't have meat) and bread while the rest of us at the same, and fish. He brought a bottle of pink by the same people that make yellow (it's pink champagne stuff) which was YUM though Dad didn't like it because it wasn't sweet enough. I liked it. I went to fishgate with everyone else tonight, which was fun, and everyone now knows that I'm going Orthodox thanks to my Dad saying so while he was on a panel tonight and they were all asked to give their name and a random fact...lol. We went down to Glenelg after church for the annual FishGate pizza night aka Jen's birthday - she always has it at the pizza place, and always invites half the church. Much pizza, and it was fantastic, though I somehow managed to cut my mouth on the pizza - go figure? Anyway that was nice and I came home to crash.

Yesterday was another out of the house day. Dad went in to the University for a meeting with a colleague and I sat down at a spare desk with Stretch and outlined his head, and gave home some more body. He looks good, I need to take another photo of him. We caught the train home, with a few donuts from the awesomeness hot donut place in the train station, and got home to find Mum about to go down to the mall to pick up my jeans that I had taken up, and my medication to help my sleep cycle settle down. While picking up my jeans I fell in love with a short dress/long top (it ties in back so I suppose it's a dress) and got it too. It's pale pink, with short sleeves, made in an all over lace stuff - like cutwork, where the background between the massive flowers was cut out. Anyway, it's beautiful, with little fabric covered buttons on the short sleeves, and larger ones down the front of the bodice, and a round neck. It finishes about mid thigh, and I'll wear it over jeans - it looks great, I'm just waiting for warmer weather now. It's basically a-line, and I've figured out how to make it, so I need to go to Spotlight soon for fabric shopping - I want more calico for another dress like my purple one, though I'll change the skirt to make it less bulky at the waist, and I want fabric to make another of the dress I bought yesterday for myself, and one for Bindi who has told me she wants one too.

And today..today is just blah. I feel dead, but I am lying on the couch looking out the window at the beautiful blue, sunny sky, so all is not lost :)

Stitching has been mostly on Stretch and Mystery X this weekend, and MX now has two of four of the gates on the last corner done, and considerable progress done on the north house and side garden. I am pleased! Photos to come for both of those.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

I feel like a 'proper' CFS sufferer now...

Somewhere between all the medications, and my Mum getting me up at 7am (what kind of sadists are my mother and my doctor?) and how I feel, I guessed it's validated now.

As usual, my diagnosis is refusing to fit any normal (even for CFS) pattern, which is annoying but not unexpected. None of my other diagnoses (and I've had a few!) have been normal, so why should this one be?

I had lunch today - which is quite radical for me, but mum had left me a plate with a salmon pattie from the other night and some salad and lime&ginger mayonnaise (yum) in the fridge, so I pulled it out and ate it. And then dutifully took my fish oil pills, and now I'm sitting here with a frozen fruche thing - creme fraisch, but all moussed and then frozen. It tastes good anyway, its raspberry flavoured. I've also eaten two mini mars bars and a handful of marshmallows because they were there and my blood sugar feels like it's three stories below ground, though they haven't seemed to help. Oh well, at least they tasted good!

My eyes have been being weird, and refusing to focus properly, which has been irritating me, and made stitching yesterday very difficult. Because of this, I dug out Noon Basking who has been languishing, and worked on him for a while. Mum and I have decided that his name is now Ethelred, because he needed a name, and he seems to like it. I restarted him, after having stitched his first incarnation while very sick in the head after a nervous breakdown. He was also my first attempt at blends, stitching on linen, and fractionals! You can imagine how that went... so I restarted him. He looks much better this time around!

And yes, yes, here's a picture:
9th August

No, I didn't do all that today. From about where the backstitching currently ends, down, is what I did today. I think he's beautiful. Very, very yellow. The blues in the border mellow him down a bit. I hadn't realised how much I missed him until I worked on him again - its easy, and soothing. Maybe I should work on him more often!

Now I'm going back to put in a stint on A Restful Night. Wait and see - 40 stitches left to go, hopefully I'll have a new update photo this afternoon!

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Urk.

Disclaimer: this is going to be a 'and then I did...' post - if you don't like it, the back button is near the top of your screen.

I woke up today at about 1 to Dad calling me to wake up. Finally, at about 2pm, I crawled out of bed to the living room to watch The African Queen with him - my body has just been very very unhappy with me recently.

We went to see the doctor, and got my test results back. The CAT scan was clear, which was surprising, but we now have the basic facts to work from.

I have to document each day with my symptoms, and Mum is going to get me some large sheets of coloured card to make up poster type charts from. And is going to get the charts themselves (that were printed off) blown up so that they fit, and we can easily add to them. I can't cope with the number system (0 bad 10 good) so we sat down and devised a system of words for the corresponding numbers. This way we can do a chart and monitor my symptoms.

And I have horrible stuff to take - it has the consistency of sand, and doesnt believe in dissolving. I found this out the hard way - they say take it with pineapple cordial. We couldn't find any, but we used tropical. All was good, until I got to the bottom of the glass and found it all sedimented there. I drank it...and threw up. We're trying again tomorrow. It should either make my symptoms worse, in which case I have to take other tablets to counteract that, or make me feel better without getting worse. Otherwise, it's not doing anything and we're back to square one.

We're taking Troy from now on though - he needs to be learning this stuff, since he's taking on the primary carer role as soon as we're married. Which hopefully will be soon! I'm talking to Father tomorrow night, we'll see how that goes.

Oh any my eyes won't focus properly. Which means over one is out, for a while - I'm going to get Noon Basking back out, but first I'm going to struggle through the last 40 stitches of this row on A Restful Night so that the row is done. C'est la Vie, right?

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

A More Awake Post

Here I be.

I was very sleepy when I posted that yesterday, hence the brevity. Maybe I should post half asleep usually?

Today has been somewhat long - tiring, but not too bad. It was lovely going to the boat, and seeing the sea again. It was far too windy for sailing though - blowing a gale, so we just watched the scenery and ate food from the bakery. Was good. I came home and collapsed into bed, then came out onto the couch to stitch. I finished part 1 of JOB:

Part 1 Finished 7/8/07

and worked on A Restful Night. Her hair and wing are now done for the row, it's just a case of finishing up the background. If I push, I'll get it done tonight, otherwise tomorrow.

I have an appt with my doctor for CFS tomorrow, which should give me the results of my CAT scan, and maybe some more ideas to try. We'll see!

Monday, August 06, 2007

A Better Stitchy Day

was had today by me. I worked on A Restful Night this afternoon, which was good for keeping my mind off my physical state (still miserable) and got her second eye completely done - she's stunning, and worked on her hair a bit. Then I switched to JOB, and I have part 1 completely done except the rhodes stitches (leaving until last) and a tiny bit of backstitching, which I'll finish off tomorrow for completeness' sake and post a picture when I have. It looks simply incredible.

I'm very pleased, and Dad and I are going down to the boat tomorrow. I like car trips, scenery while not having to move - my idea of heaven when I feel this sick. Should be good, I plan to take stretch or ARN.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Plan for rest of year

I know, I know, I'm fickle, and I never stick to these, but I'm going to try this time. Hey, I've stuck with my stitching style for a few months so far!

So here are the goals:
  • finish QS A Restful Night
  • start and work on QS Cat Nap Fae for Meg
  • finish White Musings
  • make significant progress on Tranquility Sampler
  • make progress on Mystery X
  • make progress on Froggy Frog World.
  • get half the panels of Japanese Octagon Box done
  • finish Stretch (for Troy since I didn't get him done for Ariel)
  • make progress on Noon Basking
and here's the plan:
  • keep QS A Restful Night as focus until it's done, with my Monday SAL on JOB, and monthly SAL on FFW
  • then, make White Musings focus until done, continue with SALs but add QS CNF on wednesday for the SAL on the HAED BB
  • if I get thoroughly sick of White Musings, swap it out for a month with either Tranquility, Frogs or Noon Basking
  • possibly rotate these four BAPs month by month, seeing how I go. Otherwise, rotate by working on them until I get sick of them and then move on to the next one. Continue in this fashion until at least one of them is done!
  • when White Musings is done, I may start another magazine/freebie SAL piece
  • when frogs are done (heh), I may start another big HAED
  • when Tranquility is done, I may kit up and start A Most Noble Pursuit
  • when Noon Basking is done, I may kit up and start The Fortunate Traveler
  • when QS Cat Nap Fae is done, it's fair game what I start next as long as it's a HAED
  • set a day to work on Mystery X each week when I start feeling a little better
I may NOT:
  • start anything else until at least November unless it's already stated above
  • start any more freebies or gift stitching unless White Musings is done and it can go in that slot, or its a good travel piece (over two mandatory, or else done in one colour of thread entirely) to replace Stretch
  • get sucked into any more SALs, unless one of my current pieces fits into it
  • buy any more Chatelaines unless it's the last month before they get 'put away' for a year or so and I really like them
  • buy kits for said Chatelaines if I buy them
  • start Convents Herbal Garden even if it really screams at me
  • buy more HAED charts unless they are going OOP and I really adore them
One exception:
  • I *might* start another HAED, but this is a definite might. And I better have A Restful Night at least done by then...

Other plans:
  • stitch MX one side at a time. For as much of the chart as I have at the time. I have part 4 just about done, but parts 5, 6, 7 and 8 are being done for each side all together.
  • flat out attack White Musings when I get to it. It's not hard, it just gets tedious occasionally when I get sick of a stitch. If this happens, just go down to the next/previous row until I finish/get sick of that one, and keep going. There are 24 of the things, it's not like I don't have variety.
  • not be afraid to swap around on my BAPs. Work on White Musings fairly solidly until done (really shouldn't take very long) then work on whatever current WIP calls loudest, until sick of it, then swap
  • stitch JOB one panel at a time, finishing everything in it before starting the next one
  • not stitch the rhodes stitches on JOB now until the whole thing is done, they make Q-snap positioning awkward, and they're easier to do in hand anyway - ditto beading.
  • BUY A NEW 8x10 or something set of Q-snaps!! I really need some, swapping my current small piece (JOB, whatever freebie, QS, probably my big HAEDs until they get big enough) is getting really irritating. ARN really needs her own until she's done, and then I think JOB will get its own permanent set until it's done. The other set can be shared around with White Musings, random freebies, yada yada this is now done.

Well.

The last two days have been...fun. Yesterday I pretty much stayed in bed, and when I wasn't, Troy was carrying me. This was most probably due to the night before, when my body had decided that I wasn't sick and that I needed to make muffins, so I stayed up late making donut muffins. On the other hand, they were fantastic. Sorry no photos - I ate one that night, one in the morning with my painkillers...and Troy ate the other TEN! I have been informed that I have to make them again. Its an easy recipe though, so no complaining here - basically mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients (butter melted) and combine. Put in muffin tins, cook, but five minutes less than normal (so just slightly doughy), pull out, quickly stab holes in them with the handle of a wooden spoon, fill with warmed jam (I used raspberry), then roll in cinnamon sugar. So, so unbelievably good. I've never made muffins so quick. I got the recipe from a magazine called Super Food Ideas that exists over here that I love - it, Good Taste, and Recipes + are my guilty pleasures. I'm not a foodie, but I do like to cook, and I love recipe magazines. It also helps that the recipes tend to be cheap and healthy - with the muffins as exceptions. They were cheap enough I suppose.... The thing I got them from though, is a recurring feature where they take a basic recipe for something (risotto, mashed potato, muffins) and do ten variations on it. Oh my goodness. Every one of those that we have tried has turned out fantastic. Muffins are my favourite thing in the world to make, especially since I got sick (no standing to beat things, can be made almost entirely sitting down, no tricky stirring, easy) and this set of recipes has some that are sweet, some savoury... the ones I remember are: caramelised onion, cheese and tomato, donut, cappucino (this looks yum)... yay! I forsee more muffin making in my future. Bonus points to them being incredibly cheap to make.

Healthwise though, I'm so sick it's not funny. Ariel's party was last night, and I stayed in bed all day to enable myself to go. Once I got there, it was fun. We sat down and ate chinese, and it was good, and then I came home. All well and good. Came home, went to bed, all that jazz. Woke up this morning almost unable to walk. Cue today.

I did get a little bit of stitching done today though - fairy has her first eye (well the top half of it) and her nose, and I'm working on her other eye. Hopefully it will get done tomorrow. Then more hair...ugh...that side of her hair always takes a long time. But it's plain sailing after the hair, so hopefully this row will be done in a few days. The first half of the row usually takes ages, but the second half goes like lightning.

Troy and I have basically figured out that we need to get married. I really need a full time carer if my health is going to keep doing this, because at the moment I can't bathe on my own - and being christian, and on occasion (like my parents being away at a funeral for half a week) having your fiance as the only person to help you...hoo boy. We've figured out that a bathing suit in the tub works, as I can do most of the actual bathing myself but I can't wash my hair so he does that. It's more a case of I can't get in and out on my own, and it's a worry if I slip or fall asleep or something. We work it out, but it's tricky - being married would make things much easier, and Troy lives by routine and has much of his day free, which would mean he could look after me. And he would definitely be getting a carer's allowance, because even now when he comes up for the weekends he spends at least eight or nine hours of each day looking after me. It would also mean that I actually ate breakfast and lunch, and got up and did things during the day, and had a bath/shower each day and stuff - things that, my parents not being home most days, don't happen normally.

With centrelink this would be okay - youth allowance x2 at the bare minimum, but most probably youth allowance and/or carer's allowance + disability pension for me would make it possible for us to live in a small apartment or townhouse in the area where he's currently living, and we don't need a car - Troy rides places or takes public transport, and I can do that, the only issue is getting to the bus but I can probably do short walks - it's all flat down there. If I get really sick one of our parents/his brother/our friends would come drive us somewhere. So a marriage in the next few months is the most practical option. Right?

Weeeeelllll...we have this issue about Orthodoxy. Orthodox churches only marry Orthodox people, or Orthodox + catechumen (one in the process of conversion) which is very not us, and catechumenate usually lasts at least six months. We could get married protestant and then have the marriage blessed when we come into the church (we are planning on it) but it's not the most desirable option. People have told me though that the Eucharist (communion) and confession have really helped them with their own chronic illnesses, and coming to terms with them and all that jazz, and have said that priests often speed up Chrismation (being made full Orthodox) for people with illnesses like this. This is intriguing - if I could become full Orthodox, and Troy could become catechumen and come into the Church in normal time, we could get married.

Now, everyone, thoughts and prayers please that this is what happens!

So, yeah. Life's a bit weird, but I have a doc's appt on Wednesday and I'll get the results of my CAT scan back then. So life keeps going, on and on.

Friday, August 03, 2007

Blech

Okay, I think I overdid it walking with Tessa the other day...

The last two days I have been miserable, stitching a little but nowhere near as much as I'd like. I'm constantly dizzy, and the room keeps spinning. Not fun. I've pretty much stayed in bed.

I woke up this morning from a very vivid nightmare that read like a graphic horror movie crossed with CSI, so I've just been lying in bed all day. I should do some stitching, but I just feel so flat that it would take more effort than it seems worth.

My dragon now has flames (or most of them) and part of its head, which looks great. I've made progress on the border, and I'm enjoying the work. The fabric is beautiful to stitch on, and I'm going to have to buy some more. Maybe for Temptation? Or I could even start Truth or Flight of Fancy Fish if I was to buy fabric....

oh dear.

Let's finish A Restful Night first! I'm starting Meg's fairy (QS Cat Nap Fae) when I finish ARN, so that I have a QS to continue with for Wednesdays, but I plan to start another big HAED when I finish White Musings. So I really need to get a move on, finishing Stretch (though whether he'll be done by tomorrow night...not going to happen, so I need to buy something), perhaps putting him in a hoop to be picked up when I need a break (so I don't have to keep swapping him and ARN on the q-snaps, which is irritating) from my focusses. At least he's quite quick.

Troy's coming up this weekend, sometime this afternoon, which will be good. I need to be looked after, I'm so sick, and he's a fantastic carer. I wish someone would give him a carer's allowance already, he does so much.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Today

Today was quite fun. I got up at the horrible hour of 11am to the ringing of mum's ancient but very effective travel alarm clock - I think I'm going to keep it now, it has a lovely soft tick, it's small, cute, and winds up with a key! My alarm clock of something like 14 years died earlier this year after one final thump on the ground from being knocked off my dresser. I plugged it back in and it simply refused to work. I prefer this one, it has no lights to bother my eyes when I wake up in the middle of the night, and to find out what time it is I have to actually turn on my lamp. Keeps me from getting insomnia in the middle of the night, which is why I had actually unplugged my other one in the first place.

So, stitching:
well, I got stuck back into Ariel's present. Given that there is no chance that she reads this blog, I'll say what it is just for you Andrea - it's Stretch, by Teresa Wentzler, made into a bookmark. I've got a fair chunk of border done, and two little bits of the picture, but I'm missing most of the colours (argh!) so will have to do a floss run tomorrow. Reckon I can achieve it with three days worth of work? I think I can. So after working away a bit more using those same four colours, I swapped back to A Restful Night and finished her right (my left) wing for this row. I am most of the way through that side of her hair, but not quite there, and it's slow going as confetti always is. But right next up is her eye, so I am very excited about that! Unfortunately, it might have to wait until Stretch is done. Sigh.

Caught up with Tessa, which was fantastic - I haven't seen her in months - like 8! We went up to our local cafe, and got yummmmy calzone, and then went for a walk around town - all flat, mostly, so was good. I picked up the skein of 151 I needed for ARN, but not the colours for Stretch since I hadn't thought that far ahead and actually made a list of what I needed.

And my parents are away at a funeral for a great aunt who I never really knew...she was strange, according for the family. So Hannah is here helping us house-sit, which is great fun - it started in fine style with us doing a McDonald's run (15min down the hill) in the car at 1am. Sounds like (insomniac with chronic fatigue) Kyrie style fun!

Anyway I better get to sleep or Troy will cut my throat, so goodnight all. And goodnight for my rats, the bigger of which are planning an escape attempt that will never get off the ground (too fat) and the babies are chortling from their perch on top of the cage. I've given up trying to make them stay in, they never go anywhere off the cage, and they'll get too big soon enough anyway.