Out of town!

I had great plans for a wonderful post today with June Goals and a weekend update and just a chatty bit of fluff for you to read.

Yeah. Well. It'll have to wait until I get back....

I'm off on a business trip for the rest of the week to sunny California.

Behave yourselves ;)

TGIF!

I'm so glad this week is about over. It hasn't been particularly horrible or wonderful, just too many ups and downs...I'm ready to relax over this long weekend.

And as I'm sure I'll be spending a significant amount of hours with my nose in a book, I thought I'd answer the new Booking through Thursday questions rather than the usual Friday Forum.

Are you currently reading more than one book?

I am *always* reading more than one book.

If so, how many books are you currently reading?

According to the freshly updated list over on the right, the answer is 4:

Face the Fire - Nora Roberts - the last of the Three Sisters Trilogy which I have really enjoyed.
Queen of Darkness - Anne Bishop - final book in the Black Jewels Trilogy. This is a re-read of the entire series which is on my "Top 10 books for a Desert Island" List
Cards on the Table - Agatha Christie - the current "purse" book. Small and easy to pick up and put down while waiting in line or even traffic (only when it's *really* heavy and more "stop" than "go")
Dragons of a Lost Star - Weis/Hickman - Ok, this probably shouldn't be on the list as I can't even remember where I stopped....

Is this normal for you?

Four is a tad on the high side, three is my usual number. One for "on the go" (in my purse), one "light" for when I'm tired and know I'll manage a page or two at most and one more complex for when I have a longer stretch of time to read.

I read *every* night before I go to sleep. It's a ritual with DH and I. Turn off everything, lock up the house and lie in bed reading before going to sleep. Sometimes I manage 3 minutes before I can't keep my eyes open, sometimes an hour or better if the book has me hooked.

Where do you keep your current reads?

On my nightstand within easy reach, except for the current "purse" book which is...well..in my purse.

I know...another week!

So, as you might have guessed, things have been a tad on the stressful side here in sunny Arizona.

Mea culpa yes, I've been scarce online and I have greatly appreciated the "Where in the heck are you?!?!" emails. You know who you are ;) The fun isn't over yet, but I'll try to be just a tad more communicative....really. I promise on my ever-growing stash...

I'm not stitching much, as I've found that copious amounts of stress attracts copious amounts of frogs, but I *am* managing to turn out a pile of knitted dishclothes, as I suppose the bigger needles keep the frogs at bay. I found that knitting with 100% cotton yarn is quite mind-numbing after dealing with all the...well....you know.

This evening I've indulged in a bit of retail therapy of both the stitching and knitting nature. There's a new Ornament RR starting next month, so supply-buying was in order. My Secret Stitcher will need some attention next month, so I've done a bit of shopping per her wish list (note I didn't say "buying" for that one...yet). There's a new Stitch Along coming on the Rotation BB for the recently released Linda Driskell box in Just Cross Stitch, so had to pick up a few missing threads. And finally, I ran across a link to Angel Yarns and their "Opal Sock Starter Kit" that was too good to pass up! Thanks Hazy!

All in a good night's work....I'm feeling ready to face the long weekend....

But first, I've been tagged by Dana!

1) Total number of films I own on DVD/video:

Well over 200.

2) The last film I bought:

National Treasure (well, DH bought it for Mother's Day, but I can't remember the last one that I personally bought!)

3) The last film I watched:

On DVD: The Empire Strikes Back (We're off to see Star Wars III on Monday, so we're catching up!)

4) Five films that I watch a lot or that mean a lot to me (in no particular order):

The Incredibles ("No Capes!")
Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House (my favorite old movie)
The Mummy (my love of all things Egyptian)
Nero Wolfe (any from either Season I or II on A&E - simply wonderful movies)
Moonstruck (ah, the magic of love...)

5) Tag 5 people:

Erin - the one and only "Movie Muse"
Ann - another movie fiend
Suz - because my fellow Mafiosa414'er is too darned funny not to be tagged
Terri - the "new graduate" now *has* time for movies
Belinda - just because

Dusting off the keyboard...

Seems like it's been much longer than five days since last hitting the "new post" icon, but then, life's been kinda hectic...

A quick recap:

Work: As one of my co-workers noted "We have good days and bad days." We're still coming across work/responsibilities that must be reassigned (just got another one today). The "replacement" process has begun, but I don't see any rush. It's going to take a while. Personally, along with my regular bits and pieces, I'm working on an online Silent Auction (that sounds redundant...) for fund-raising for the family. We're getting so much interest, I'm sure it's going to take up a chunk of my time for the next few weeks (it's mid-June). There's some business travel coming in June, so I've also been finalizing those plans for myself and coworkers.

Home: After some not-alltogether-unexpected upheaval this month with my XH and his wife, I'm having some legal business attended to. The majority of the stress is past, just holding tight until some signatures are taken and documents finalized. My daughter will be the better for the work DH and I are doing on her behalf now.

Kids: School is out in five days and both kids are ready to be done with the school year. Makes for interesting mornings. They will both finish off the year with good grades and I'm very pleased with DS's progress after his first complete year of all-day school (1st grade is such fun).

Stitching: Yeah. Right. Once again, my personal life has thrown a big fat wrench into any Rotation plans and I'm just holding on for dear life. I did finish a couple small items in the last week or so and pictures will magically appear one day here in the blog. The only things I've started recently were planned: Seasonal Exchange piece and the final ornament in the DMC Only JCS Ornament RR. At least I've been good in *that* respect. (Note I didn't mention the fabric cutting for DD's No Late Knight Snacking [from the bestest Seasonal Exchange partner, Melanie], and the receipt of embellishment packs for Take Time to Knit & Take Time to Stitch, Too [from OTTa B Stitchin, my Secret Stitcher] that have made it only as far as my stitching corner, which bodes well for yet more fabric digging and cutting.....)

Ann wanted to see this in my blog, so here goes:

1) Total number of books I’ve owned:

I have no notion. Let's just say that "hundreds" is a conservative estimate.

2) The last book I bought:

I stopped at Borders a couple weeks ago for gift cards for Mother's Day (such an easy Mom and MIL I have to shop for, eh?) and a couple stowaways made it into my bag....

Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception (for DD ostensibly)
Charlaine Harris's Dead to the World (new in paperback!)

3) The last book I read:

Finished: Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
Started: Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

4) 5 books that mean a lot to me (not those I think are the best, but ones that have a special place for me):

Love by Leo Buscaglia - a book that left a profound impact on my younger self.
Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey - my first "real" fantasy book and still a favorite.
Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop - my "most recommended" book.
Tuesday Club Murders by Agatha Christie - my all-time favorite mystery novel.
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell - the most re-read book in my library.

5) Tag 5 people and have them fill this out on their blogs:

Ah ha! I love this part. I would love to see Terri, Erin, Jenni, Haze and Lissa

I've been tagged!

A certain wondering friend tagged me earlier this week, so I guess I'm "it" :)

Choose 5 and complete the sentence...

If I could be a scientist . . .
If I could be a farmer . . .
If I could be a musician . . .
If I could be a doctor . . .
If I could be a painter . . .
If I could be a gardener . . .
If I could be a missionary . . .
If I could be a chef . . .
If I could be an architect . . .
If I could be a linguist . . .
If I could be a psychologist . . .
If I could be a librarian . . .
If I could be an athlete . . .
If I could be a lawyer . . .
If I could be an inn-keeper . . .
If I could be a professor . . .
If I could be a writer . . .
If I could be a llama-rider . . .
If I could be a bonnie pirate . . .
If I could be an astronaut . . .
If I could be a world famous blogger . . .
If I could be a justice on any one court in the world . . .
If I could be married to any current famous political figure . . .

If I could be a scientist . . .

..not only would I look smashing in my official white lab coat, but I'd spend my days looking to the future and work on travelling/living in space for the next generations to really be able to "get away from it all."

If I could be an architect . . .

..I would design buildings that would make people say "Wow...that is just amazing" for their integration of function, safety and artistic beauty. But then, I'm a major fan of Frank Lloyd Wright and I think he was a master of that....

If I could be a writer . . .

...I would write intricate mysteries or rich fantasies and travel the world researching locations and cultures to inspire me.

If I could be a bonnie pirate . . .

...I would find a lush island in the South Seas and enjoy my spoils with my dashing First Mate. Of course, as I'm a practical woman, this would include everything from the required gold and jewels to a well-stocked library and gourmet foodstuffs (along with the kidnapped chef).

If I could be an astronaut . . .

...I would spend more time capturing the beauty of the heavens in photographic images for my stargazing son than doing silly experiments with space dust ;)

So now I get to tag three folks.....who will be the lucky victims? Hmmm...... Terri, Erin, and Carleen are good candidates as all three could use a bit of daydreaming....

Goals and SBQs

I've missed the last two Stitching Bloggers' Questions and today seems a good time to catch up...

What is your opinion of Internet "freebies?"

I appreciate that designers take the time to publish "free" designs online and have stitched a few. It's a great way to "try out" new designers and find smaller designs just for fun. There are so many freebies out there, one could stitch nothing else and still be busy.

Do you set stitching goals?

Yes, I do. I've been lax about posting them here, I admit. I'll work on that...

Here they are:

April Goal Results:

Finish Joy and get to Framer's - Yes! I'll pick it up on Saturday and present it to DB and DSIL
Stitch Ornament RRs - Mailed two on time (but not stitched) and have already stitched one of the next pair
Finish knitted dischcloth - Yes!
Finish knitted/beaded purse - Yes!
Buy yarn & needles for Booga Bag - Yes! (and half done)
Start Egyptian Garden - Yes!
Enjoy Burbank CATS! - Yes!


May Goals:

Stitch May Snapper
Finish Rotation Round 1
Minimum 30 hours on EL Model
Finish Booga Bag
Order yarn/needles for Pi Shawl

A Quick Update

The wedding party:



That's my 15-yr old DD up on the top step and my 6-yr old DS on the bottom. My brother is the groom and I think he looks pretty smashing there with his new bride.

The trip was...eventful. DS wasn't in top shape, but he did recover enough for the wedding. We left not long after as DH and I weren't feeling 100% either.

Monday morning I was hit with the news that my boss had died unexpectedly on Friday. This has sent my work-mates and I reeling, so please understand that entries this week will be sporadic...

Good and bad....can't have one without the other....