Finally

This afternoon, as their final delivery, the oil truck arrived at Carole's house.  I contacted our state representative and he took action immediately.  She will sleep well tonight!  She also received good news about her blood work.  After changing the Coreg to another drug her kidney function is better than ever.  Her doctor (Cleveland Clinic) has pharmacist associates on his staff to monitor drug interactions, suggest changes, and evaluate numbers in blood work that could relate to drugs.  They call every week to monitor if she has any symptoms and is adjusting.  No improvement in the heart function but maybe given time on the correct drugs, her efficiency will increase.  Our local and new cardiologist has left the area after less than six months.  Here we go again.

Petey sits on his patio and stares at the house when he wants more food.  He cries and cries when I open the door and start his way, and then the hisses ensue.  He seems to want inclusion in the brat pack but they are now ignoring him, instead of visiting or laying in the grass together as they once did.  Missy wants nothing to do with him at all and won't go near him.  She is tiny but a spitfire and has attacked and fought with large males before. 

When BBW had their $4.95 sale, I ordered six pillow sprays for Carole's club exchange.  I don't know why they set a $5 limit, but it's a hassle every year to find a nice gift for that price.  Combine the money and buy a toy for a drive!  Anyway, this is how they came in.  No packing material and each lost the spray nozzle, two stems were broken off and can't be repaired.  Now I have to make another trip to exchange, I'm not taking a chance on another damaged shipment.  Very surprised at this.

Had no trouble getting the certified birth certificate, but left the Real ID office since we would never have been taken care of before closing time.  Wait times are usually around 3 hours.  Took a few photos with my $5 phone of the courthouse.  The marble steps and railings, brass and wood, skylight dome.  The offices are all lined with beautiful built in wood shelves and drawers and bins, mortised brass Victorian door hardware, coffered or beamed ceilings.  Huge marble staircases lead to these upper floors circling the rotunda, all courtrooms and jury rooms. There are several very large ornate homes nearby and I wonder how many have preserved the original features.

Another week gone by.  Summer is getting closer.  Have a great weekend!

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Sales and shines

No Carole did not get the oil today, and when the oil company employee finally got through to the supervisor, she was told that Carole did not not apply.  Outright Gdamn lie but it covers their incompetence and can't be proven otherwise unless you record your conversations.  In response to a few personal emails about this, please read this 2015 CBS report, just one of many.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/civil-servant-protection-system-could-keep-problematic-government-employees-from-being-fired/
There was an episode of I Love Lucy where a civil service clerk tells her “This is a civil service job.  If you want to get me fired, you’ll have to wait ‘till I die”.   I won't harp about this again!

I purchased a bold Monet necklace (50% off plus a coupon!) but was disappointed at the very bright and foil looking gold tone.  So I sprayed with my Rustoleum Matte finish enamel and now it's gorgeous!!  Toned the bright shiny gold to a softer polished finish, 100% better than before.

Another shiner is the sun on snow.  I thought driving in the sun was unbearable but today reminded me this combo is impossible!



And the charts are
listed on the For SALE tab.

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Tonight's charts

Hi there.  Sale will be tonight at 8 pm and prices include shipping in a hot pink plastic envelope.  I will move to Sampler World if they don't sell here.  

I wasn't going to mention this but this ship has sailed many times already, so what the hell.  My sister is poverty level and gets help from the state of PA once a year with her heating.  She has an oil furnace.  There is a fund called the Crisis Fund that will almost fill her tank, but you must be completely out or almost out of fuel to qualify.  A gentleman that worked at our local welfare office took care of this every year for her and recently retired.  In keeping with the ethics of that generation, he did his job well.  His replacement does not answer her phone.  Ever.  So Carole started leaving messages for her over a week ago.  No replies.  Carole called the state office which was very helpful and said she would take care of the inexcusable actions.  A day later, the local girl called and stated she was informed by the state and had no other notice (she doesn't listen to her messages obviously).  Carole was as always, pleasant and courteous, while being informed that all is taken care of and she will get the oil delivery within the mandated 48 hours.  That was last Tuesday.  Still won't answer her phone or messages and Carole has to walk on eggshells around these employees.  She has had no heat in her house for over a week, except for a small electric heater and the fireplace during the day.  Yesterday she called the oil company, they know her from years of contact, and was informed that NO ONE had notified them and she was not yet approved for the Fund nor were they notified to deliver.  I want to personally rip into this worker but of course, I will be called a name and Carole's account will suffer.  There are employees that do excellent work and thank God for that, but around here, we have a load of lazy people that only take care of who they want to, are related to, or friends with.  Not a damn thing we can do about it.  The woman at the oil company is planning to speak with this girl's supervisor (probably her aunt-they are all related), and plans to take care of this for her today.  So far, the worker (and I use that term loosely) is still not answering her phone and messages left by Carole and the oil office are not being answered.  If I would have paid for the tank, she would lose the benefit, and I already take care of the second and third fills.  I am calling our state representative who is always ready to help and letting him know.

Mark needs a certified copy of his birth certificate for Real ID and he has been calling for a week, never less than a 120 minute hold time, over 100 messages in queue, same recording every single day.  He will take a ride to the nearest office and get the information we need in order to submit a request which could be answered in a brief call.  What do people with work hours longer than this out of town office do when they need something?  They open an hour later and close an hour earlier than standard offices, and you can't get through to ask a simple question.

You would think by now I would be willing to accept his horse crap but I am not.  Managers no longer accept accountability for their employees, workers no longer accept responsibility for their work.  I hope your state and local area don't have the issues we do here.

My tree branches are now all correct for this tree.  The second one whose branches I transplanted to this one, should not be as difficult for me.  Lots of errors in this one and no one can tell, but I can't wait to move on to another area!  Once I do, I am trying the hoop again, but the 12" instead of the 14".  

Could not wait to visit HL and Michael's Christmas sections, so Mark drove me yesterday.  I didn't find much at all that was colonial/primitive for ornaments.  My Michael's is small and there was very little of anything for the holidays.  HL had tons of gorgeous pieces for white trends, but I am not starting over with another tree.  Lauren might, and she is an enabler, but I am resisting.

Hope your week goes well.  

Will post charts this evening.

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Veteran's Day

With gratitude, respect, and prayers for those serving, have served, and especially those that never made it home.  Young men sleeping in far off lands, away from family and loved ones, many whose grave sites were never visited.  Alone for eternity, surrounded by fellow soldiers of the same fate.  Mothers and fathers and spouses never got to touch the stone bearing their name, the memorial of their sacrifice, kneel on the hallowed ground to pray they did not suffer, and honor their short life.  

To all veterans, here and abroad, for your service and sacrifice, thank you.

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A single nut of two trees

Guess who the nut is?  When I had a house guest, I removed my stitching bag and all chart pages to another room.  The messy one that all the extra furniture is in.  When I was able to stitch again, I put the project back by my chair, and the second group came to visit.  Moved it again.  Since that one was unplanned, it was a mad dash to ready their bedroom, remove our personal toiletries, and rid the house once again.  Well I must have just grabbed and stashed because all was stuffed into the bag, no magnetic board, no Magma.

Seeing the chart papers only, not a full photo, I did not remember there are two trees.  The trunk was almost completed, only two branches on one side, so trying to stitch the other tree branches onto it was, shall we say, frustrating.  It was only once that I used the wrong page but that was enough to create chaos and throw it all off, never realizing the placement was from a different page!!

I now have the correct page in the Magma, and added colored numbers to others to make it easier for my frazzled ishkaboobled brain.  I originally kept them loose and together because I was continuing on to the next page rather than leave a motif or word half done.  I do not like stitching this way and prefer to have the entire project on one page, I don't care if it's 5' long.

A few other charts I will be offering soon.

And I came across this oldie from Ewe & Eye.  It's sweet isn't it?

I am considering an Essamplaire purchase of this tiny needlebook.  Would I ever stitch it?  My goodness you can spend an afternoon browsing their offers! 

But today it's cloudy (I can drive!) and I plan to visit Michaels and Joann's for a little shopping.  I think I've only driven 5 times since this diagnosis, light sensitivity is unbearable.  My doctor(s) is backing me on a lawyer getting involved, haven't decided yet, but I am so miserable and will be for life so I am giving this serious consideration.

Hope your weekend is splendid and snow free!!

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Coming up for sale

Essamplaire (some OOP) charts, never used, never will be.  I will decide if Ebay, here, or FB Samplers Through Time.  I am not a member or aware of any other group for selling strictly samplers.  Much easier through Ebay but .... probably just here.  I will offer these Tuesday evening 11/12, may add a few before then.
Photos are all crooked because I was too lazy to remove from plastic sleeve and was getting a reflection.  Prices will include shipping and be reasonable as always, but if you are international and interested in any, please let me know and I will adjust the shipping.


Lise Bagg - I would need to change the colors and tone this down, maybe all red or rich blue?  The chart states 12" x 5" on 30 count.  The stitch count is closer to 80 x 180, not 120 x 240 as the chart states.  The dividing bands over the large eyelet alphabet are both done in tent stitch.  I'm out of here.

The S.S. Sampler - If I center the words and change the dividing band to a solid color beneath them, this would be more pleasing to my dry eyes.  I have not found a stitched example online done on a softer shade of linen which would also help, but I don't want to bother changing anything.  Did I just say that? 

Mahala Jane Hamilton - GET OUT!!  Could not stitch a border like this.

Mary Margaret Mallet - this border could easily accept placement errors, but it's still a border.  Adios.

Betsy Gill - not a thing wrong with you Betsy, but I don't like stitching script letters.

Elizabeth Jane Turner - a beautiful sampler that I know I will never start.

I know it's not necessary to explain my reasons, but it helps me to relinquish rather than hold on.  After seeing the Instagram photos of stitchers' stash and enormous collections of charts, mine are one drop in a full bucket.  But I am not interested in storing items of no use to me.  I've been mentioning chart reduction for quite some time, I need to follow through!  I feel better now.

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