Airborne Patriots

Like Grandaddy, like Grandson!

Aaron's Grandaddy spent part of last week in New England and brought back with him a tri-corner hat for a budding young historian. Yesterday, Aaron informed me that he knows more than anyone about "the olden days" (ha!) In October our family vacation is going to be to Philadelphia (I'll be at a stitching festival while the boys traipse around Valley Forge), so Aaron will be appropriately attired now for that trip :)



On the stitching front, I'm no longer "semper rotanning" and am now AIRBORNE! I finished up dad's transportation wheel, and am now on my 2nd to last insignia... his first- AIRBORNE! (sorry, you just have to yell it each time, it can't be said quietly...)





I also did 2 bookmarks for some online friends.



And I've started a crochet shawl for our prayer shawl ministry. I hadn't crocheted since last October, so it's nice to get back to it. I'm doing better with my edges now, and it seems to move more quickly than knitting (may it's the one hand versus 2 hands... I have no coordination!)



Yesterday I ventured to a quilt store after reading the first 2 Jennifer Chiavarini books... big mistake. I bought a small wall hanging kit. When I told Todd I got the "oh no, not another craft!" eye roll! hee hee.

New Month, New Season, New...

ME!

I took an hour or so for myself today... I know, shocker! I got some new jeans (a need), trimmed up ye old hair, and dyed it for the first time in 2 years (my longest stretch in 20 without dying it!)

Aaron's Grandma visited this past week, and I decided it wasn't fair for him to have a mother with more grey hair than 3 out of 4 grandparents... so really it was all for him! hee hee

Today is our first taste of Spring, woohoo! This year I'm trying my hand at some gardening (yep, forcing the black thumb to turn a shade of green). Aaron and I are going to attempt some container gardening on our back deck- strawberries, tomatoes, and lettuce.

Not much else to report in Sam-land. Cross-stitching projects are coming along slowly. I'm trying to dedicate 2 days each week to each of the 3 BAPs (Big A$$ Project), and one for my store door hanger (April is a cute chick under an umbrella and will say "April Showers...."). Knitting has been on the back-burner again... I'm hopping I'll get thumped upside the head someday with some knitting talent, so I can stop doing straigh scraves! hehe

BBRRILLLLIIIAANNNTTT!

Yes, I am... but this is about light bulbs

Last night I had a SSBN board meeting. At the end some one commented on the home owner's cool new CFL's in her kitchen lamp.. they were tiny, had a regular bulb casing, and worked on the dimmer... so the message today is- CFL's are cool! (literally and figuratively).

Now in our paper recntly people have bemoaned their safety and if they really do work... so here are examples from my life that prove they really are worth it!

1) safety- you could play "monkey in the middle" with these puppies and feel safe! Todd and I moved all our lamps with the bulbs in them from the house to the apartment and not one single one broke
2) value- you bet your bippy! We have 3 that are on 24/7 here at the store... have been for 2 years and haven't had to replace them AND our electric bill has gone DOWN from when we had floods on only 6 hours a day!

so here's a link to a place that literally has thousands to choose from... they now come in all shapes, sizes, types... not just those "ugly" bulky ones (as if that should be a reason to not install them!) ...if you do nothing else this weekend... change some bulbs... the planet will thank you!

WIPs

(and no, that does not mean I'm a dominatrix with bad spelling!)

It's a Works In Progress update :)

First up is the insignia collage for my dad. As you can see I'm in the
middle of 4 of the 6 that are going to be on there. I'm doing the harder parts first, then filling in the easier bits later. Right now I'm knee deep in the transportation wheel... again this is me deisgning as I go along from a JPEG printed onto graph paper... so my star and the arrows are a little wonky... but hey it is hand crafted!
HEE HEE ;-0

Next up is the table topper for A's grandma:

This is the Stained Glass Garden design by Claudia Dutcher. I've got panel one done, and most of the outline for panel 2... this is one I keep at the store to work on.. now I've just got to get my tush from in front of the computer to the chair to do the stiching!

Last on the cross stitch front is the door hanger for next month:

It's part of the month series Flip-It Bits March by Lizzie Kate.

(sorry for the fuzziness)

And lastly.. I'm starting to knit again (I got real discouraged last month since all I can do is the knit stitch to make scarfs... but do enjoy what little I can do)... so now I'm working on Todd's scarf for next year. It's a real pretty hunterish green with flecks of yellow, blue , and mauve woven in (so far I've only gotten to the yellow bits... blue is coming up on the skein soon!)