Satellite

I've decided, on seeing lots of needleworkers' approaches to their project management, that I'm not very organized, and it would be good if I could stitch on one project at a time (monogamy) or at the very least stitch in rotation (serial monogamy). I think what I am is a satellite stitcher. I like doing one big project as a constant--call it a planet--and then have a lot of other projects circling to distract me when the planet becomes confining. I may have to abandon my planet for a while; I have now run through all the tan Au Ver a Soie, and I still have two wings of the building to do. So far, the two shops with which I've placed orders for the replacement silk have not been able to get it for me. I think I'll call a couple more shops, because the risk of winding up with five or six or eight skeins is far less than the risk of not being able to find it at all. Here's where Dorothy's Garden stands now. I may work around the house for a while though, since there are some big honking flower arrangements to do, and all that tiresome border.

I've restarted "Keep Me" by Moira Blackburn. I started it some time ago (2 years?) and unwisely chose to do it over one. Big mistake. I'm doing it over two this time. I've discovered that if I'm uncomfortable with a project--the texture of the fabric, for instance, or the size of the fabric count, I just won't work on it.

Here's how far I got last time. Pity. That tree was more work than it looks to count. I had to get out the highlighter for the chart to keep the frogs at bay.

If you haven't already, please drop by Margaret's new blog, called Days of a Sampler Lover. Be sure to look at her photobucket album. And--my friend Shallot Clayton is her banner photo! By the way, Margaret, I am indeed using NPI and not AVAS as I had said. Now that I have seen your very good photo of the sampler, I feel as if it's worthwhile to continue--I had been having some serious cold feet over it.
Oh, and Theresa at the lovely Giraffe Xing has very kindly given me an award. I'm a nit-brain tonight, so I'll pick it up and follow the directions this weekend, Theresa. Thanks so much for thinking of me!
The rabbits have the night off but would like to point out a bunny blog if you haven't seen it yet: Barringtonbunny. BB is a hoot--a two-color angora bunny spare on language but not at all spare on cute. There's something about his 2 colors that reminds me of the saddle shoes I wore when I was a kid. And also, we have learned that Fez and the Gang of Some Bunny are NOVA neighbors! For those of you not in Metro DC, NOVA is a separate state from the rest of Virginia practically--there is occasionally some talk of seceding, since Richmond takes all our taxes and distributes them to the rest of the state while we inch along on our underfunded insufficient highways.

This is Shy Tabby, who purchased two Arturo Fuente cigars today for BF and left them with the following note:
Dear Dad,
I am sorry about your lunch. Your friend, Shy Tabby.
Poor BF had been planning on having a nice lunch of my very excellent (if I do say so myself) leftover meatloaf. The phone rang and he set the meat down on a little side table while he answered it. While his back was turned, Shy Tabby managed to knock the entire plate of meatloaf onto the floor. And there was nothing else (he informed me) to eat in the house. (Nothing easy, anyway, except for my vast collection of Lean Cuisines.) So Shy Tabby had some serious apologizing to do, and there's nothing BF likes better than a nice cigar (yuck) on the deck, a sure-fire sign that spring is coming, so off I went to the cigar store today during lunch (which seriously cut into my stitching time).
Good night Mr. and Mrs. America, and all the ships at sea. Your friend, Shy Tabby.