Sneaky Poison

I have decided to drop my blog. I dont mean indefintely, in any sense of the term. I like being able to share too much, and I especially love reading all these amazing posts people put up. I have learnt so much just by having a blog!. But what's also ridiculous, is the amount of time I spend on this thing. I have so many interesting blogs to keep up with, that I can easily settle down for a quick post and end up two hours letter with nothing posted and still 3 more things to read.

But my dilemna is this: I still want to read about all the wonderful things people post about, but I want to dramatically lessen my internet time (which I could use doing any. of the projects I blog about). So I think that my solution would be to come on for a limited time on a schedule, say once a week or two, for an hour, wether to blog or to read blogs. Ive also started a writing journal (by hand) where I jot down anything and everything, and I am really enjoying physically writing vs typing. Maybe I will type them up for posts. We`ll see!

Upcoming Projects

A few images of things I would like to make. No deadline, it will come as it does!

Quilt pillow minus the fringe

Baby Quilt #1

Baby Quilt #2

embroidered frame

Embroidered corner page bookmark

Cute needle books made of felt that I saw from one of the blogs I follow

AWESOME half apron

SOCK OCTOPUS

Shark Bathing Robe

Obviously, some of these are beyond my skill level, but learn as you go, eh?

No time

means no blogging :( Stage is ridiculously hard and time-consuming. And I'm not talking about the actual work, since I am lucky enough to be doing stage at the place that I work at. No, its the assignments and papers that are draining. Ooof.. only 6 more weeks, last push!

But a quick update is in order:

As for the wedding, Jeff and I had previously chosen September as our month, but we are presently debating between May and September. September for the beautiful colors of fall (and apples are in season) and May because many flowers are blooming and the weather (when cooperating) is perfect. Hmm...

One of my favorite sites, Passionate Homemaker, just posted about home birthing, which is definetly something that I have talked about and researched.

Many of my seedlings did not survive, unfortunately. But, I learnt which needed water and sun more than others! The survivors are green beans, strawberry, and carrots. I am trying again with radishes and zucchinis, which have a fast germination and transplant time. I also planted eggplant, but that is my 'iffiest' planting since it takes a long time and the perfect conditions. But we shall see!

I also made some flower arrangements for my 'coco' bowl (a hanging flower bowl made of coconut hairs), mainly shade loving flowers, for the space in between my door and our next door neighbour. My mother also bought us a arrangement placed right in front of our window, where the wall of the building and the wall that separates the ground and our stairs meet. I anticipate seeing the flowers growing droop down over the sides. Its quite colorful!

And last but not least, this Sunday is MY LAST SUNDAY CLASS! Hopefully, forever. Definitely the highlight of the month.

On my mind

A couple of things Im reading: Theology of The Body series, Buddhism vs Christianity on OBL's death, and money advice from the greatest.

My go-to gift from now on: apple pie in a jar (I just have a thing for in a jar things)

I saw this through a blog I am following, and it has stayed with me since I have seen it. Not only for the memorial, but I want to travel there (I dont know if this would count as a pilgrimage?). Maybe this summer.

After reading this, Im seriously considering having a garage giveaway. Basically, a garage sale but everything would be free. Hmm...

Sayings

They say that when a door closes, a window opens somewhere else. Or another door opens. Or something like that. The point is when you think you got it bad, and your life turns upside down, its usually because something else and oftentimes better awaits just after the thundercloud passes. The last 72 hours have been ridiculously upsetting (there's another saying about bad news comes in threes).

1. I learnt that because of low enrollment, Kateri was not going to renew my contract next year, unless there was a high enrollment sprint during the summer. More than the fact that I didn't have a certain job as of July, it was the fact that I wouldn't see my kiddies again (and most probably never again) the year after that. Ouch.
2. Jeff got into an accident (by his own silly fault for speeding) while out on delivery, and totalled his car. Thank God, he wasn't hurt in any way, but we no longer had a car which meant no more work for him, and I had to find another way of getting to my work. Along with the restricted mobility of course.
3. For the past four weeks there was an outbreak of pinkeye in our Kindergarten and Pre-K (11 out of 40 kids had it) and Ive been going crazy trying to disinfect everything and keeping pinkeye as far away from me as possible. I succeeded for four weeks, then caught it yesterday. Went to the clinic and got some drops. Woke up this morning with eyes swollen shut. And my tonsils were inflamed. So I had acute conjunctivitis, along with tonsillitis. Wonderful.

So the last couple of days have been juuust wonderful. But, on the flip side, because of all that has happened, new things have come into our lives. Because its 90% sure I am not going back to Kateri in September, this is making me look for employment at daycares rather than primary education, and that will, in turn, make me look at what I really like. Youngest, or younger? Daycare or pre-k? Owning my own daycare/pre-k, or work under an establishment? All these things I have to think about and experience is being put into motion with this, which is what I needed, really.

Jeff, having to look elsewhere for employment, almost immediately found a job doing general labor on a construction site. Much higher pay, much better hours and schedule, and much less dangerous work (I really hated him driving that much, and that fast). So that also means less stress, woohoo!

The conjunctivitis and tonsillitis didnt do any good so far, but you cant get everything LOL!

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we took so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened up for us” - Helen Keller

Needle, thread, and bookmarks

I had forgotten the peace that comes with needle work. Hand-sewing, embroidery, threading, and cross-stitching are all hobbies that I consider in danger of extinction. Who the heck still does any of that stuff (apart from old women who have been brought up with these things and for some reason haven`t passed that knowledge on)?

OK, I am exaggerating a little bit, there are still some people who still do all those wonderful things but I do truly feel that its disappearing in my neck of the woods. I just learnt that Fabricville in Chateauguay is closed, and Couds-Si Couds-Sa was also closed, which means there is nowhere to get fabric and talk to other needle-thread-fabric lovers in Chateauguay. :( For awhile I felt a little discouraged, I mean who am I to try to turn back the technology clock and try to perfect my (rusty) art of the needle? But that didn't last long and I promptly adopted a new project that would practice my cross-stitching skills.

Enter the bookmark. I looove bookmarks. It might be because I have many, many books. But for whatever reason, I have sort of a mini collection that grew over the years. So it was a perfect project for my cross-stitching renewal! Here is what I drafted so far:

Peace begins with a smile w/ rosebud vines & cross

I'm still not settled on it though. The quote is one of my favorites from Mother Teresa, but I'm thinking to either raise it, or add another smaller layer of vines at the top (those are rosebuds and leaves at the bottom, if my drawing doesn't show it). Or maybe just enlarge the words, and maybe also add a simple border around to frame it in. Hmmm...