Well ..... crapola

 Getting tired of two steps back for every step forward.  I really paid attention to placement and alignment yet the page three border needs removed.  One error, the vertical stem, is so obvious I can't believe it wasn't noticed.  That of course threw the continuing stem and branches off one, but my start at the top was also misplaced which makes two.  The flowers will be touching the alpha border on the right side of the sampler and not on the left, very noticeable.  For counting over and over and over, this is very disheartening.  I feel like putting Rachel aside for now and choosing something easy.

And then ... my cousin is sick. Mark and he drove together for a four day golf vacation, roomed together, ate the same snacks, golfed together, played poker, visited a packed restaurant.  The entire group is vaxed.  But Monday, Mike became ill and got tested.  We learned this morning he is Covid positive.  So husband and I wasted the entire day, just got back home, trying to find a testing site that wasn't backed up for hours, would answer their fricking phone so we could register.  Neither of us have symptoms.  Can you tell if that swab is in one inch?  Why isn't there a bump or stripe on the stem of the swab to indicate that length?   Hold the spot and when our finger hits the nose, bingo!  You're in deep baby!  Mike asked about treatments since he is really sick, but was told even though there are many very effective (from infusions to pills taken at home) none are being made in anywhere near the quantity needed to save lives.  Why?  

We won't have results until Monday.  Keeping fingers crossed!

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Something tells me ....

 this hard to detail sampler will be a joy.  On Hogbristle (but you know I never comply), undaunting in its small size, peacocks, crowns, flowers, a row of wacky fun letters, an unusual basketweave at the bottom, no over one that I can see.

 Hit that Add to Cart button!

Jean Donaldson 1826 from Cross Stitch Antiques.

Bingo.

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Fading to darkness

  Losing the warmth and sounds of summer days is hard enough, but losing light is even harder to accept.  

This is 7:08.

In the blink of an eye and a few sips of iced coffee, 7:21.  

It happens so quickly.  

Today was warm and after a full day of errands and tasks, I enjoyed my swing  for almost an hour until the darkness and chill appeared and I went inside.

Once inside, made hotel reservations for her surgery and after seeing another price increase from 2 weeks ago, I got ticked and bought more stitching items.

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Good looking men

 that work hard, take pride in their work, go over and above to satisfy the client, respectful, take only lunch breaks, and never once pull out a phone, are greatly appreciated.  And even the owner comes out and contributes manual labor in record time.  Outstanding, and costing no more than others.  They just finished an out of town job at a college with retaining walls, new lawn, new shrubs, walk areas, laid stone steps.  One employee was here a few years ago to fix the mess that Jason left and Mark was grilling garden peppers, he offered him a grilled sandwich of Italian bread with peppers, garlic. and Velvetta (sorry, that is the BEST cheese for pepper sandwiches).  I did not remember of course since last week is already forgotten, but he mentioned that and said how much he enjoyed it and appreciated it.  

So here's my hydroseeded side yard where the sewer pipe was run to the street by an idiot.  Neighbors have a four to five foot wide area of dirt from a two foot bucket.  This guy brought in massive unnecessary equipment and destroyed ten times that.  No photos of the 100 feet of seed along the road where the pipe was installed by township workers (more great employees) and filled, leveled, seeded by the pepper guy.

This is off the gravel fill where the concrete patio once was.  Not sure what will be done there but it's walkable without twisting an ankle now.

So we have three weeks to surgery and I'm wondering if Rachel can be completed in that time.  But I am not Saltbox Stitcher or Brenda, no matter how I try.  I am already picking a few smalls to choose for the waiting room, something larger can be worked on at the hotel.  

I hear 'ya about the Medicare options.  I am the only one in our groups that has a supplement, not an advantage plan.  My cousin (advantage) was flown by helicopter to another hospital for emergency heart surgery, did not pay a penny.  They also get several hundred a year towards dental, and free eye exams and glasses.  I pay close to $200 a month, my drugs are very expensive with the mandatory plan D, no dental, no eye, nothing else.  Hard decision but you are correct, you cannot go back once you leave.   So switching to advantage and setting aside what I would be paying for other .... $2400 a year + $300 dental + $250 eye, almost $3000 a year to use for co-pays and testing, is something to think about.  Roll over every year and I cold have a tidy sum for uncovered bills, and if not used, pay off the damn sewer project!

Have a nice Sunday, first one in fricking October. 

 You know it's chilly when Petey sleeps in his house.

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Eureka!

 Fox and Rabbit 36 count approximate 18x27 Eureka linen.  This is darker than a cream, more of buttercream but leaning to 738/739 with an apricot undertone.  This piece is not mottled.  I paid $28.99  Selling for $28 includes shipping to US.  If outside of US, you pay postage.  Check or Paypal.

If interested, please email samplersandsantas@gmail.com

Since I moved up to using a single floss thread on higher counts, I had to create a stash of colors and larger pieces for the big girls.  I appreciate the 8x12 size that 123Stitch offers.  Perfect for smaller projects, checking color, and testing my ability to stitch higher counts without spending a lot.  There are a few others I would like to add but I'm done for now.  Finding a perfect color and getting something different in a second order has happened in almost all.  Names are deceiving also because if I had green in my cappuccino, caramel macchiato and especially my buttermilk, they would be down the drain.  I don't dare attempt to alter the undertone because except for PTP, an edge test with water or spittle from my iron left a spot.

Today I'm making an attempt to rid the clutter in all rooms, not extra decor but crap everywhere from not cleaning for so long.  But not until Advil kicks in.  My arthritis is raging in back, hips, and hands.  This fiasco of my decades long PCP's policy of patient removal if they see another doctor has really hurt me this last year.  I need to find one that I can trust, several issues need testing.  Will try to do this before year's end because I will need to drop my supplement and move to an advantage plan.  My Plan D which was not a help with drugs is rising $42 a month.  When are seniors with limited incomes going to get some help?  Oh, I get it.  They figure we won't be here much longer, but younger people will be voting for years to come.

Have a good weekend.  Let me know if you are interested in the linen. Thanks!

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I was trying to help

but I'm not reliable.

 

Just in case you are considering a linen order based on my comparisons, don't.  On the right is the first order of 40 count Antique Lace, LOVE, and the second order is on the left.  Nuh-uh.  The other colors in the order are fabulous (Prairie Grass and Tobias).  Tobias is similar in depth to Ale but more golden.  But what a second order would be only the dye gods know.  Now I have 36 and 40 count linen to use, nice to have an inventory (even a small one) to check against thread colors when looking at a new project.  

I had to order HATS Rosa Sugars after seeing Brenda's finish, which does not make sense.  I do not enjoy stitching borders and avoid at all costs, I don't like bright colors, and did not need another project.  There 'ya go.  I looked at the history and the model was stitched on 56 count.  Stitches would be the size of over one on 28?  But with twice the linen threads which to me, would make it much more difficult.  

Rachel's trees do look OK if not magnified.  I used the needle point to pry open the tightly pulled linen threads, move floss to the corners to make a true X, steamed and pressed while stretching slightly.  The result is not the best, but getting there was very tedious.

Finally received a response to messages, surgery is scheduled for Oct 22, with both surgeons on the same day.  We talked about the contradictions and confusion, some of which she was unaware.  We cannot request the anesthesiologist but being the first case of the day, we have a shot.

The township installed the culvert pipe and finished yesterday, today the landscapers are planning to repair the yard, cover and seed, including the newly installed 15" pipe. 

Have a good one.

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