"I reject your reality....

...and substitute my own!" - Adam Savage, Mythbuster

Welcome to Reject Reality Monday! Thanks to the Master Mythbuster, Adam Savage, his offhand quote on an episode has sparked a few fellow bloggers and I to actually dream a little and speculate on rejecting a bit of our own reality....

"Am I missing....an eyebrow?" (Adam)

Reality: As we are back to a "double-income" family, our schedules have all taken a hit and there are just not enough hours in a day to relax!

Substitute Reality: Let's add 2-4 hours to the day for each of us to do just whatever the heck we want. I can read, I can spend the time cooking, I can stitch, work on the computer (including games with the kids) or just watch an extra movie or two with the family. Doesn't that sound nice?

"It's Heavy-Duty" (Jamie Hyneman, fellow Master Mythbuster)

Reality: 30+ WIPs, including two knitting and two crochet projects and supplies for..umm..a few more. A few attempts to find a workable rotation and a dear spouse wanting more stuff to hang on the walls....

Substitute Reality: Everything magically completed but for one each large, medium and small stitching projects and one each of knit & crochet. Yes, this is definitely a fantasy! Someday....

"I don't think Jamie is an Evil Genius" (Adam)

Reality: I've started a new job and the learning curve is not very steep, it is still there. However, I'm still shuffling my old job in as I can which makes for some interesting time conflicts. For every new thing I learn, I can see either a better or more controlled way of handling an aspect of the system administration work. I need to build change logs, create documentation and figure out just what the team has done for the last several months....

Substitute Reality: I'd like to either have the use of the "ACME Brain Dump" utility to transfer knowledge from the two folks I'm taking over from, or stop the clock for about six weeks and let me catch up!

Those are the big Reality Rejects for me....take some time to indulge in your own bit of Reality Rejection today or just read some fellow participants' blogs (In no particular order):

A Needle Pulling Thread
Woozle Madness
Things That Go BUMP in My Mind
Whizgidget Wonders
Margaret's Meanderings
On the Amber Route

...as I spot other bloggers rejecting reality today, I'll update the list!

Stitching Blogger's Question

A new feature here, thanks to Renée :

Do you participate in round robins?

Yes, I do.

If so, how many have you participated in? Do you participate in more than one at a time? Summarize your experiences (good and/or bad).

Oh my. Several. One Victoria Sampler (my first), a Halloween themed one, a TW one, a Dragon Dreams Freebie RR, a Wee Beasties (Dimples) RR and a total of four ornament-themed RR's.

Until this year, two at a time was my limit. Until this year. This month I'm in four simultaneously...but two are winding down and two are just barely starting, so in March, I'll be back to my two maximum.

And yes, four is way too many at once....I won't do that again.

Mostly good experiences. All my RR's made it home safely. One I mailed took the slow boat to Australia (though I paid for air) which was an anxious few weeks. One of the Dragon Dreams pieces disappeared but we (the other RR participants) stitched a few more squares to replace it.

Two of the ornament RRs (both from the JCS Ornament Issue in 2004) will take me into the summer. I'll probably join one (or two) for the 2005 issue but I don't see myself participating in a "traditional" style RR again....the ornament ones are just more appealing :)

It's February so it must be time for...

...an online board blowup.

Yup, right on time. I can see the ripples in the communities I visit and the blogs I read.

This year, I'm nowhere involved (thank heaven). I'm not on either side and I don't have the responsiblity to "smooth the feathers."

But still....I have to wonder.

What is it about people that they are driven to instigate/compound/prolong these discussions that only serve to hurt or offend? Granted, I've met folks that just *live* for this kind of chaos in person, but nowhere near as many as I've seen online....

That leads me to my first observation:

No matter how you present yourself online, you are not *just* like me and I'm not *just* like you.

Yes, I've made friends online and I like to think I've found some kindred spirits. But when it comes *right* down to it....for the most part I cannot predict actions/reactions of others. Heck, there are few folks in my personal life that I feel totally confident about making predictions on *their* behavior! This was a VERY hard-learned lesson last year and it just about cost me a couple dear friendships. Thankfully, I managed to save 'em...but it was close....too close.

Another one from last year:

People don't read every post in a thread....especially a hot one.

I can't count the number of times I've attempted to "cool" a hot thread by either a subtle reminder of board rules or just a direct "STOP!" In most cases, within three or four posts, the most antagonistic posters were at it again.... My only conclusion? They either did not read my post or chose to ignore it (which I should have called them on...and did a couple times).

And a recent one:

The overall "tone" of a board is not dependent on the owner but rather on the community members.

Seems kinda obvious, right? But I know that the fact that I own the Rotation BB is not the primary reason for its wonderfully friendly atmosphere. I've just got a bunch of fantastic members that do their best to keep it that way. There are a couple boards (no, I'm not talking about *yours*) that have seen more than their share of upheaval and while it's convenient to blame the owner/admin, it just isn't fair. The community allows it.

And finally, a bit more detail on a post made earlier today on a certain four-wheeled conveyance, yes, I am tired of the online bickering, but some people just will not be denied their dose of chaos now and then....and others seem to define their lives by how much misery they can inflict on others.

I'm also very tired of my management assuming that either a) I know too much about my old job to consider *not* providing support (while starting my *new* position) or b) I don't know enough to be consulted or even be asked to contribute to a discussion regarding current use or future plans for that same old job/application....

And last, I'm tired of rain. I live in the desert. I do *not* own an umbrella (because I live in the desert) and this has been the rainiest year I've seen since moving to the desert....

But, again, as mentioned in that same post, if I didn't care, none of these would bother me. And I refuse to believe that caring is bad....

Friday Forum - "Last"

1] Has there ever been a moment in your life that you wish could have LASTED forever? In other words, you would have frozen time at that very second in order to live that moment for eternity? When did it happen, and how did you feel?

June of last year, DH and I headed to Vegas for a much-needed vacation to celebrate my MBA finish. We stayed at the Riviera Hotel and just had an amazingly relaxing and wonderful time together. We walked the Strip, we dined in wonderful restaurants, we toured the Imperial Palace Car Museum and wandered thru hotels/casinos that we hadn't visited previously.

Any moment (except at checkout when I realized my digicam was gone...) I would happily live again.

2] Have you ever finished in LAST place, whether during a race, a contest, a competition, an exam, or something else? How did it make you feel? When a situation like that occurs, do you usually maintain a positive attitude or feel like you have completely failed?

I hated doing Track & Field events in PE in elementary school....I always finished last. Annoying, but as I knew I wasn't destined to be a professional athlete, not particulary devastating.

Now, I do vividly recall getting an "F" on my first algebra quiz. *That* was devastating as even in 7th grade I was quite proud of my mathematical skills. The reason it happened? I had moved to the school the day before. The school I came from hadn't even begun teaching basic algebra (though I did finish the entire 7th grade math book before I left....at mid-year). So, I headed to my grandparents' house that evening and learned the basics of algebra in a couple of hours from my grandad (former math/physics teacher). Aced the next quiz ;)

3] Who's the LAST person you talked with on the phone? E-mailed? Received an e-mail from? Hugged? Went out to lunch with? Thought about? Made something for? Made plans with? IMed?

Phone: Coworker asking me to join her at a meeting this morning.
Emailed: Former customer with connectivity issues - he sent a screenshot of the error message and I emailed him how to fix it.
Email Received: From a certain cross-stitch designer that likes dragons and intricate borders (technically not the last I got, but the last one I read)
Hugged: DD before I left for work....
Lunch: Two new coworkers yesterday....rather impromptu
Thought about: DH - when I spied my gorgeous red roses as I walked into my cube this morning
Made: Last thing I started (it's finished!): BC Valentine Snapper (for DH), Finished: Summer's Magic for DS.
Plans: Coworkers from previous position...planning a birthday lunch for one of the gang on Monday.
IM'd: I can't recall! It's been forever....

4] When's the LAST time that you did something nice just for yourself? What was it? How do you usually treat/reward yourself? Do you take time out of each day to do something for yourself? Do you buy yourself a birthday gift or Christmas gift each year?

Indulged in two of Jeanette Douglas's designs released at Nashville: Take Time to Knit and Take Time to Stitch, Too. Might even order the accessory packs soon....

Shopping or a complicated recipe adventure are my ideas of rewards. My stitching or PC game time is definitely for me each day. If I go more than a couple days without one or the other, I get a little on the grouchy side...

I have been known to indulge in a gift or two for me at holiday time ;)

5] What do you think you'll be doing on the LAST day of this month(February 28)? If you could choose a month and have it LAST forever (in other words, it would be July all the time from now on), which month would you choose and why?

I'll be at work on Monday the 28th. No meetings scheduled right now but I can *guarantee* that will change....

March or April would be great long-lasting months. Still cool in Arizona and a few blooms starting to peak out....

And if it was March, my April birthday would never come, so I wouldn't get any older!

...rushes in....

Yes, I'm still alive and as healthy as I can be!

I'm just working two jobs....at least while I'm at work.

I know, that sounds confusing, but it is the case! I started my "new" position on Monday but my "old" position has yet to be filled and as mentioned previously, my "interim replacements" are anything but enthusiastic.

And I just can't leave my old customers high and dry....

So, I'm juggling. This week's plan: A little old, a little new and learn to say "No." My plate is overflowing (work-wise) and I've had to ignore some long-standing rules (limit "working" at home when I work over 8 hours at work being the big one).

The biggest hurdle left is training my replacement....once they are finally hired. Two more interviews today and I hope we hit pay dirt...

So, if you don't see me around much, now you know why :) I'll be back someday....soon...really....

Stitchers' Anonymous - Week 4

Sign posted on the underground door at the local SA Meeting:

We're sorry, but there will be no meeting this week as the Directors are out researching results from a secret gathering held last week in the state of Tennessee. The Directors feel that this gathering has the potential for serious impact on the SA faithful and securing background info for the "Full Disclosure" requirements is best done by objective members...

We apologize for any inconvenience.

However, if you'd like to join the research, we recommend the following sites:

Elegant Stitch Market Report
Needlecraft Corner Check the Nashville Preview and New Arrivals pages
ABC Stitch - New Releases

Happy Valentine's Day!

A little late, but it's been a crazy day!

I started my first day on my "new" job doing clean-up on my "old" job....and boy the stuff that had to be scrubbed! Who'd have thought a simple upgrade could spin off so many little tasks?!?

Next, a couple finishes that I can now show:

Appropriate for the day, Bent Creek's Valentine Snapper on Platinum Belfast:



Dragon Dreams' Summer's Magic was finished *late* last night! There are words charted above the picture, but I left them off. This is destined for DS's room (he put in his claim when I was still working on the lefthand dragon...



Teresa Wentzler's Castles by the Sea was finished at the end of 2004, but now that it's been officially released, I can show it off!

Friday Forum - "Me" Time

1. Do you become bored easily? What do you usually do to entertain yourself when you're bored, restless, lonely, etc.? When's the last time that you felt extremely bored or didn't know what you wanted to do? What did you end up doing?

I don't have time to become bored. There is always something to do, whether I'm at home or work. Now, if there's nothing I *want* to do, that's another story! The usual answers to restlessness are found in either the stack of books waiting to be read, the games installed on my pc or the stack of stitching projects demanding my attention (started or not). One of those will usually fit the bill.

2. Imagine that you have a cozy, quiet, rainy day all to yourself at home. You *have* to spend the ENTIRE day at home, and you can do whatever you want. What would you choose to do, and why? (Or would you go stir crazy?)

I adore my family, but a whole day alone?!? Heaven! I'd sleep in a bit and then rustle up some fried eggs and toast for breakfast (something the family won't eat). Next I'd turn on the Sirius Satellite Radio to the Big 80's or Classic Vinyl station and set up a corner of the couch with a couple stitching projects and a book or two to swap between at my leisure. If I got tired of the radio, I'd pop in a DVD (one that's one of *my* favorites but not my family's!) and keep stitching away. Other than the odd break for something to drink (vanilla tea on a rainy day) or a break for a game on the PC that would be the extent of my day....

3. Do you enjoy having "me time," or do you prefer to hang out with others? Why? How often do you spend time by yourself? Would you typically rather have a quiet evening to yourself or a night out with friends/family? Do you often have the urge to just "go somewhere" for the sake of going somewhere?

If I don't have a little bit of "me" time during the week, I get grouchy. Most often it's on Saturday as I'm out to do the weekly shopping. I take my time, allow the odd side trip and just enjoy doing something by myself.

I much prefer a quiet evening than going out...I'm definitely a "home body."

4. Have you ever gone to a movie theater by yourself? How about dining out by yourself? Have you ever traveled solo? What was it like? What activities, if any, do you enjoy doing *by yourself* as opposed to with others?

I don't recall seeing a movie by myself, but I may have in the past somewhere. I have dined alone on several occasions and just bring a book along for a companion. I have travelled solo for work a few times and rather enjoy spending at least one or two nights tucked away in my hotel room flipping channels and dining via room service before breaking out whatever book or stitching project I've brought along.

5. Do you usually prefer to accomplish a project by yourself, or would you rather work in a group? Why? Do you ever have trouble delegating assignments to others, thinking that you'd rather do a task yourself and get it done the way you'd like?

I do prefer working projects by myself as I usually have quite a definite idea about either the process or end result. Delegation? What is that? LOL

Ignore that coughing noise...

Would you believe that I'm coughing *again*? After almost three months at the end of last year, I had a mere one month reprieve from the joy of coughing...

This time it was caught early enough to still be considered "bronchitis" but it was a close thing as I was running a low fever (99.5) when I went to the doctor yesterday.

This is the last week at my current position...so I'm involved in interviews (I bet I sound *great* to the prospective contractors: "Take this job and get a husky voice!"), have a major upgrade to do on Friday night (working late...joy) and am fielding far more than the usual requests from my customers....they know I'm outta here next week.

I did scope out my new cube. Still no window, but a pretty good location and setup ;) Another shelf for toys, too!

I was working late at home last night, so no stitching. No picture of the Valentine Snapper either. I am racking up fish on Big Kahuna Reef on GameHouse. A couple more levels and I get to add a sea turtle....ooooo....

I am haunting the Barnes & Noble website for a recent order.....original delivery estimate was yesterday, but they didn't make it due to a "mechanical failure" at UPS (according to the website). Here's what is coming......

Chainfire by Terry Goodkind
If Death Ever Slept by Rex Stout
Final Deduction by Rex Stout
And Then There Were None (DVD with René Clair, Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston, Louis Hayward)
Murder Most Delectable: Savory Tales of Culinary Crimes Martin H. Greenberg (Editor)
League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout
Might as Well Be Dead by Rex Stout
Murder By The Book by Rex Stout
Please Pass the Guilt by Rex Stout
Singles 45's and Under SqueezeCD -
The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman

Our Nero Wolfe collection grows.....

[cough] Until tomorrow.....

Stitchers' Anonymous - Week 3

Welcome to this week's meeting, everyone! Let's start by reciting the first of the "14 Counts"

*shuffling of papers*

1 - We admit we are powerless over our love of fibers, fabric, beads and charts

2 - We commit to a fearless inventory of our projects

3 - We commit to a fearless inventory of projects yet-to-be, but already acquired

4 - We admit to sharing time with frogs

5 - We believe that stitching can restore us to sanity

Ok, enough for this week! Stitcher Annette, I believe you had a homework assignment from last week?

Yes, I was to order two charts from A Mon Ami Pierre. I did that...in fact, they were posted today. I also signed up for....

Excellent! Marvelous progress! Wait...did you say there was more?

Yes. I signed up for a few months of Secret Needle Night from The Silver Needle and will be purchasing a few past months from a fellow stitcher. I don't think she's here tonight, though....

So more projects for the list? Are you still committed to #3 on our 14 Counts? Full disclosure! Remember!

Oh yes, I know I must still turn that in for review...I've just been busy...stitching and all that.

..and shopping

Yes, some stash shopping. Bought a few books, too. And a CD. And a new purse....discontinued Vera Bradly, ya know.

Oh yes, we know

**murmer of assent heard from the group**

Nice to hear you've been stitching! Anything to show?

I finished the February Bent Creek Snapper this past weekend. I also finished the Valentine one, but haven't got it with me...



Very nice! But I don't see that on the "current projects" list...only on the "future" list. What about those poor neglected WIPs on your self-styled "Top 10" List?!?

What!?! That's an error! I am stitching the Snappers with some fellow stitchers... **carefully avoids looking at anyone in the room in particular** and I absolutely count it as a "current" project. As for the Top 10 List, I'm hoping to finish Summer's Magic this weekend. Perfectly timed to actually *show* the finished piece after its release....

Ok, we'll let that slide as stitching "in tandem" is always a valued venture. Now, let's look at some of these other projects...I see your list is skewed toward one designer in particular. How did that happen, may we ask?

Well, she's always been my favorite and when I found her online board it was the "Year of the Stitchalong" and I participated a bit over-enthusiastically....and then she keeps releasing way cool new stuff...

I suppose that as long as there is good variety in the designs it's ok. I see dragons and other creatures and even a sampler. But aren't they all fairly *large* pieces?

Well, yes, but the next batch of new designs are bookmarks! *Much* smaller so when I start a few of those....uhhh...well...someday, after I finish other current WIPs, of course. I mean, I don't want to jeopardize my StRIP goals for this year....

Uh huh. I see. balance, dear, you must achieve a better sense of balance...

My balance is just fine....unless you want me to start even *more* projects? From other designers? I mean I certainly have a few kitted up....

**shifting uncomfortably** What? Did I say that? Why however could you make that assumption? Really!

Yeah...you know, I'm starting to wonder about this group....

That's all for today! I'm afraid we have just run out of time and we'll have to meet again next week.....

Sunday Brunch - Personal Grooming

1) Do you take baths or showers?

Showers. I can't remember the last time I took a bath...

2) Do you like the water super hot or just tepid?

I like super hot, but my skin doesn't (it gets too red), so tepid it is.

3) Do you use bath gel, bath crystals, bubble bath, or other scented stuff?

Tropical Coconut Shower gel

4) What do you like to do when you take a bath?

Read....relax

5) What is your one item essential to a great bath?

A lack of pounding on the door...

Website Update Started!

I spent some time today starting my site update....

Take a look....I will say, though that only the front page is anywhere close to complete, the rest just link to old pages right now.



Feel free to grab the button if you'd like it for your site... :)

Friday Forum - Furniture

1) Do you enjoy furniture shopping? Why/why not? Have you made any furniture purchases recently, or do you plan to in the near future? How often do you buy a new piece of furniture, and where do you usually shop?

I don't mind furniture shopping. It's not the easiest outing for DH and I as we have tastes that are just different enough that it takes a while to find something we both like. Not a bad thing as both like good quality furniture, but his tastes are a tad more conservative than mine ;)

The last piece we bought was our dining room set a year ago. Round fruitwood table with iron/upholstered/wood chairs. Very nice. The shop had a matching sideboard that we need to get here soon....

We don't buy that often as we tend to buy items that last for years and years. The dining room set came from Ashley Furniture, but we'll go wherever we need to to find what we like!

2) How would you describe the style of furniture in your home right now? Do you have matching sets, or is your style more "ecletic" or mix-and-match? What type of wood/finish do you typically prefer (oak, pine, natural, maple, mahogany,
etc.)?

Most of the rooms have "sets" or at least matching wood (cherry finish preferred). The exceptions are DS's room - it's still eclectic and our bedroom as we haven't found a bedroom suite that fits the room and our current budget ;)

3) What was your bedroom furniture like when you were a child? Do you still use any of it in your home? What's the oldest piece of furniture that you own?

"Eclectice" is a nice word for my childhood furniture! Odds and ends, bits and pieces...nothing matched but it was all well used. I still have an antique washstand in my entryway area that was part of my childhood bedroom and is definitely the oldest piece in the house.

4) Have you ever refinished a piece of furniture? Painted it? Sanded and stained it? Have you ever tried making a piece of furniture by hand?

No, but someday I'll do the washstand referenced in the last question ;) In one apartment long ago I used bricks and boards to make bookshelves...does that count? LOL

5) If we looked right now, what would we most likely find on your living room coffee table? What about on the nightstand in your bedroom?

As I'm home today, I can tell you precisely what's on the coffee table! A Pumpkin Spice candle (Gold Canyon), DH's MacWorld magazine, DD's PlayStation Magazine and the remote for the ceiling fan. That's pretty standard.....

My nightstand - several books (all the ones listed on the right plus a couple more), alarm clock, back scratcher, TV/DVD/Satellite remotes.

That's all today, enjoy your weekend!

Monthly Goals - February

First, a review of January:

Stitch WBRR bug - made it with only hours to spare on the 31st.... The link is over there on the right...
Start Mystery VIII - ummm....no.
Start Mele Kalikimaka ornament (palm trees in JCS2004) - darn, missed this, too.
Third batch of DD Christmyth Ornament RR - Yeah! These are done!
More Wedding Sampler - Yes, but I shoulda done more....

February Goals:

Stitch BC Snapper - February Glows (as I was duly reminded in my comments....I'm sorry!)
Stitch *final* WBRR bug (as soon as it arrives....not here yet)
Finish Summer's Magic (probably less than 25 hours remaining on this one)
Start Pear Cloisonné ornament (Annual "Fruit-Along" on the TWBB)
Finish 2 Wedding Sampler Borders (greenery and ribbon bits)
Start Mystery VIII (Part II is out!)
Stitch both JCS 2004 Ornament RR pieces

Yikes! That's a lot for a short month.....

Will she make it? Will she crack under the pressure? What effect will the upcoming Nashville Market releases have on these plans? What about the 2005 Goals? Are they in jeopardy? Why ask questions that won't be answered for 4 weeks?

Tune in tomorrow...err....no....March 1st!

In Search Of....

One of the side benefits of BlogPatrol is that it captures "Search" criteria used that creates a "hit" on my blog.

Some are obvious:

Annette's Acre
TWBB Blogs Annette

Some are not-so-obvious, but reasonable:

Knitted dishcloth - from my recent knitting discussions
Misty Morning Vineyard - Chatelaine design mentioned in WIP Lists
Marc Saastad - Silver Lining designer...he was mentioned in Santa Clara CATS blogs
Carmen Wyant - Columbine designer - frequently mentioned in CATS blogs
Noah's Ark - another WIP
Flouridex - this one had me stumped until I did a search myself. It's from a meme about morning routines...it's toothpaste! LOL
Cross Stitch Baseball Player - I can see how this would work...though I haven't used that *exact* phrase that I can recall!
Annette Nero Wolfe (blog) - Reasonable, but I can't help but wonder what they were actually searching for....
Hershey wip report - Again, not sure that phrase turns up, but I can see why it would create a hit on my blog...
Nunzio Albuququerque - great pizza!

And now for the *really* odd ones....

Blind without my glasses - true, but why are you looking for me?
Bath Body Works shower candy apple review - Never heard of the stuff....
The quantum acre - I can only guess it's a combination of my love of "Quantum Leap" and the title...
Wrangler Under Seat Storage - DH drives a Wrangler....but how did the rest of this phrase turn up?
Root Canal with Valium - Can't hazard a guess on this one....

...and the best one of all....

Spanking Carmella - yes, I had a dog named Carmella, but I don't recall every spanking her!

Stitchers' Anonymous - Week 2

Welcome back to Stitchers' Anonymous....

This week's discussion topic: Stash. Let's start with our newest member! Are you ready, Stitcher Annette?

Yes, of course.

First, thank you for bringing along this impressive list of projects you have! How many have you finished? I don't see any dates here...

I haven't finished any on that list. It's my WIP List.

But there's more than 30 projects here....surely you don't have *that* many on the go?

Afraid so.

Maybe some don't have stitches in them? Just projects that you're wanting to start soon?

No....that's another list **hands over Excel printout**

Another 30 projects?

Yes, but I made that list only from memory...I haven't actually gone thru my stash in detail. And my current crochet and knitting projects aren't listed, either. Add another 4 to the WIP list.

I need a moment.....forgive me.....

**pause**

Ok, are you familar with the following terms: Stashinite and StRIP?

Quite. I'm one of the original members of both groups.

Why does this not surprise me?

Couldn't say....

It was a rhetorical question! Anyway, from these lists alone I can see you are living up to the Stashinite Code quite handily.

Well, yes, I am quite proud of that in all honesty. But I'm afraid those lists are just the tip of the iceberg....I have a full box of "smalls" that I dip into now and then. And while my stash itself is worthy of any good Stashinite, my rate of acquisition has dropped over the last few months.....not much "new" is really grabbing my attention.

Pity.

Quite.

Let's move on to StRIP. I believe that stands for "Stash Reduction Implementation Plan"? Is this for stash or works-in-progress?

Both. This time last year I had close to 40 projects and whittled that down to the 30ish you see today. New starts, for the most part, came directly from my stash. Well, with a couple exceptions....Mystery VIII was bought as a kit....

But, as soon as I bought it, it was essentially part of *my stash* so I guess it isn't an exception!

Uh huh. Interesting logic. You realize I'm not buying into it, right?

I had to try.....

True. So what is this years goal for StRIPping?

25, including any current Round Robins. I'll have finished the ones I'm in right now by year end so there may or may not be any more on the list.

Lofty goals. How are you doing so far? January *is* over after all.....

I'm up one project. But I do have the potential for finishing three in February!

Uh huh. Let's see how you do on that, ok? As for the rest of it...I really think you need to do some shopping. There isn't *any* stash out there calling your name? Nothing? This is therapy, remember....

Well, there are those A Mon Ami Pierre designs.....Nine Red I & II. You can see them here.

Very nice...let me note that site....**scribbles furiously** Ok, next week I want to at least hear there's been an order, ok?

Ok. Am I done? I have stitching to do.....

I think we've covered everything.....see you next week!