Finished Blanket

Pictures of the baby blanket.


















This morning Jeni and hubby and I surprised Momma at the center for her birthday. She was so surprised, she cried and hugged and hugged Jeni. It was great!












Then Jeni and I went shopping for maternity clothes. Fun, fun, fun! She is so cute pregnant! She did get a little tired of my patting her tummy though. :)












I gave her the "I'm-finally-going-to-be-a-grandmother-baby-blanket". She and hubby loved it!! It is beautiful, even if I do say so myself!!












I appreciate all of the comments so much. Thanks for stopping by!












Happy Stitching!












Jane

News News

I found a stitching group AND I signed up for a stitching retreat!
There is a shop in Mauldin named Panda's Crossing. They have a stitching group the second Friday of every month and a UFO group every fourth Friday. AND they are having a Harvest/Halloween Retreat October 5-6. So I am signed up and excited! It's about a 30 minute drive, but so what!!

I've been working some on my pumpkin, but most evenings this week I have been to tired to do anything! Having my room and office at school SOOO unorganized is driving me crazy. So next Tuesday afternoon, a bunch of my girls are staying and we are going to really tackle getting everything done! I'm going to get material this weekend to cover some benches and chairs - really bright print with bright red, green, blue, and yellow. Red paint to paint the benches' wooden parts and a filing cabinet and gross desk. Some of them will work on filing the music that is sitting around in 125 boxes. I told them I would order pizza and we would just make a party of it. So, that should be fun - bonding and working!

The drum class meets RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO ME during my planning period, last hour of the day. OH MY GOODNESS!!! I can't even use the telephone. So, I went in there today and very sweetly asked them - after telling them how great they sounded- if it was possible to play softer when practicing. I told them I would bring them cookies or brownies every week if they would just do that for me. They were all about getting cookies and brownies and I could barely hear them after that. It will be so worth it to take them treats!!

Jeni and her hubby are coming in tomorrow. Momma thinks they are coming late Friday, but we are going to surprise her Friday morning at the Senior Citizens Center where she plays the piano everyday. I can't wait to see Jeni pregnant!

School today was...well I guess stressful covers it! But I am trying some new methods that I learned this summer to teach them to read music and even the kids are excited about it. So that is fun.

I think I shall go stitch!
Happy Stitching!
Jane

Misc. Ramblings

So, things seemed fine at school today. All the leaks were plugged. More boxes of mine arrived, but we're still missing some equipment. I found my missing table, they had put it down on the ground in the mud so they could walk across it. Go figure!

I went yesterday to hear a dear friend preach at a nearby church. He went through my choral program, has finished Southern Baptist Seminary, and is now working on his PhD. He was an amazing student, played Danny in Grease when we did it, and the tin man in Wizard of Oz. We've stayed close all of these years. I was so proud of him yesterday. It is so cool to watch students grow up and realize their dreams.

I spent the rest of the day working on my pumpkin. And couldn't wait to get home after school to work on it some more. Had meetings first, but I have accomplished a lot. I don't really enjoy working on this linen, it's really slow going for me and difficult to see. But, I shall persevere! In fact it should be finished soon.

Boy, working is really cutting into my fun time! I wish I could just x-stitch, knit, and read and just have a paycheck magically arrive in my bank account once a month! If any of you figure out how to make that happen, be sure to let me know.

Happy Stitching!
Jane

I haven't posted all week - I just came home and collapsed. It's always difficult to get back into the new schedule. School is good, classes are good - still don't have all of my stuff...lost in 'moving land' I guess. Boxes keep straggling in from other teachers who got chorus stuff delivered to them. And my grand piano is STILL in the old building in the library.

Wed. they delivered 40 boxes of copy paper to me and stacked them right outside my door, with me inside. Fortunately I can get out through the band room! Okay - that much paper would last me 20 years! literally! When the movers aren't sure where something goes, they just pick a place and put stuff there.

Yesterday we had a terrible storm, the hardest rain I have EVER seen, hail, wind, the works. It started about ten minutes before school dismissal. And the school was leaking all over the place. Can you believe it? I guess it's good that it happened now, so those things can be fixed, but what a mess! My room was okay - however I did have a leak in my office Thursday from the sprinkler system.

So, I haven't touched my stitching all week. My plan is to work on my pumpkin this evening. I finished the baby blanket and I will get to give it to DD this weekend, since she is coming for my Mom's 90th birthday. DS can't make it in from Minneapolis, I miss him so much. I am planning a surprise party for her.

This is kind of a dull post -but I am feeling kind of dull right now. Thanks for stopping by my blog and I appreciate all the comments!

Happy Stitching!
Jane

Why are my posts not showing?

Post so the Post will Post

Here is my little post to get my last post to show up!

First Day in the New School

So today was the first day of school for the kids. All of my classes were good - good sizes, well-behaved, nice kids. My stupid car, which has been fine all summer wouldn't start at all this morning. ACK! How revolting. So a friend picked me up and someone came for the car and I am praying that it can be fixed CHEAPLY!!!!!
I am going to work on my pumpkin tonight. Tomorrow my lesson plan is "Setting Up a Choral Music Library" which will entail each student getting a box and unpacking it. heh heh. I mean, what else can I do, did you SEE those boxes??

This is the chorus room. The riser system they sent is not the one we ordered. We are working on that.



















This is one view of my office. As you can see, everything is still in boxes and nothing is organized yet.












ANother view of the office. Not sure why they put in kitchen cabinets....














This is one of three practice rooms.












Another view of my office.


















Another view of the chorus room.













The ceiling of the chorus room, which I think is really neat looking. The choir sounded really good, those acoustical tiles are doing their job!
















One view of the enormous storage room.















Storage room - obviously not organized yet.














Storage room.














Library










Library















Commons area - cafeteria













Oops - storage room again.










Library














So, someone needs to tell me how to delete pictures!
Have a great evening!
Happy Stitching!
Jane

Someone did, actually several someones and I deleted all the repeat pics! Thanks Guys!

Posting Dilemma

Okay, here is an interesting dilemma. When I write a new post, it doesn't post until I do another one after it.

Really bad pictures of new stash

I have some new 'stash'! I was in the only LNS that I know of around here [they keep closing]. I saw two models that I immediately fell in love with - both pumpkins. I had the owner order the two patterns for me and went to pick them up Tuesday.

One was in a book - A Fine Collection by Barb Adams and Alma Allen; Blackbird Designs. If I had known the price of the book, I would not have ordered it, but I didn't, so I did, and I am working on the pumpkin. The picture in the book is done with the variegated yarn, but the model I saw was done with a solid orange and I liked it better. It is on tie-dyed brown faric.

The other pumpkin was Celtic Pumpkin from The Sunflower Seed. The model was done using beige instead of yellow, as shown in the picture. I also liked that better and will do mine the same way.

As I was checking out, I noticed another model, Christmas Tree by M Designs. The model was done all in gold and had small gold beads sewn around on the tree. If you look closely, which is difficult with the picture I took, it says Christmas from bottom to top and is mirrored on the other side of the tree. My PLAN is to make if for my DD for Christmas, but I have learned never to count on my PLAN where handmade gifts are concerned.

This picture is terrible but I can't seem to delete it. In the picture it is done in silver and had multi-colored beads. You can barely see that it says Christmas in cursive writing on the bottom side of the tree.

I am having trouble with lighting with the pictures. The light or the flash on the camera reflects on the pattern. Oh well, maybe you can tell a little about the patterns.

I have done nothing today except sleep. I was exhausted after working all day yesterday moving boxes and books and furniture. I awoke this morning at 10:59, lay down to take a nap at 12:12 and awoke at 5:32. Isn't it funny how, now that we have digital clocks, we say time to the minute. Of, course, some of you may have been born AFTER the advent of digital clocks, but those of you that are nearer my age, know what I'm talking about.

And now, since I think my brain is actually still taking a nap, I will just go back to bed.

So much to do,so little time, let's just cross-stitch!

Today they delivered most of my stuff. There are 125 boxes stacked in my room, 2 pianos, 80 new chairs, 75 old chairs, 6 benches (?), a huge riser system that is NOT the one we ordered-nor is it assembled correctly, and 15 filing cabinets. There is neither a desk nor a table. The band director THINKS he is going to use one of the practice rooms as a storage room. Ah...NO!
The strings teacher and I plan to handle that situation tomorrow morning.

The new telephone system is amazingly complicated. We have to go through a 25 minute training session before they will give us our phone. Somehow they are hooked into the computer system and we can get our voice mail messages on our computers. Yesterday one of the women in the office accidentally forwarded the school phone calls to some mom's cellphone. She called about 11:00 am and said she was getting all of these school calls on her cellphone, people were yelling at her about schedules and buses - it was too funny! [Needless to say, they made the receptionist go through the telephone training again!]

SO, I am going to go snuggle down on my wonderfully comfortable couch and cross stitch on my new pumpkin pattern and pretend that I am NOT a chorus/drama teacher who has students starting class on Monday and has no music, folders, textbooks, handouts, or lesson plans!

Ah...stitching!
Jane

The post below doesn't show on the blog. There are huge spaces for some reason. Oh well.

Life is Good!

So...second day....still no books, music, or filing cabinets. BUT the big riser seating system arrived and they were still working on setting up when I finally left at 5:00pm. I will definitely take pictures tomorrow.

However, the day ended on a very high note! I bought.....drum roll......OFFICE SUPPLIES!!!!!!

I love love love love office supplies!! So here is a picture of my new office supply 'stash'!



Check out the cool colors! Post its, magnets, pens, pencils, glue sticks, round magnets [to be notes on the board!!]















These are paper clips.

But......




The PIECE DE RESISTANCE....

[I have no idea how to spell that]


STRIPED PAPER CLIPS!

Can you stand it????


If you will look closely, in the middle of the 'stash' there is a little wooden pumpkin. It was sitting on the cash register and I said "what a cute pumpkin." And he said, "Take it, it's been there for a year." So I did....because I also love pumpkins!

So, no air conditioning, books, music, filing cabinets, or pianos.
But boy do I have office supply stash!
Life is good!

Happy Stitching!
Jane

Missing Music, Prisoners, and a HUGE Bootie

So...I went to the school. Oh my goodness, it is SO not ready! There is no furniture in my room or office. All of the boxes of music etc. are who-knows-where? And they are still painting and wiring. They had prisoners there unloading the moving trucks, with their guards standing around patroling them. Weird. Oh and the air conditioning didn't work and the parking lots aren't ready. So...after this wonderful, peaceful, calming summer, one hour there and all the stress was back. I just wanted to come home and knit, which I did, and I finished my baby blanket. It is so beautiful. I tried a bootie - it would have fit a five yr. old, so I frogged it and tried a bib. It was just ugly! Frogged it too. So I decided I would BUY bibs and booties and maybe try a sweater! [Tomorrow - just call me Scarlett!]

Thanks to that crazyhaberdasher!

I am going to the school today. I hear that it isn't quite ready, which makes me a little concerned, but I'll soon see. I DO know that the new chorus room is amazing and I will take pictures and post them. BTW, thanks to everyone who sent me instructions on how to post pictures. We'll see if I get it!!




That crazyhaberdasher nominated me for the Nice Matters Award. I am so honored. She has commented regularly on my blog, in fact I think she was my first comment. I enjoy her blog, you should visit, it is always soooo interesting. Thanks Maz!

Okay, I'm going to take more pictures to post!
Happy Stitching.
Jane

Pictures....I hope.

Hello

Everything is in upside down order. ACK!


















So now I will try to post pictures of two things I am going to to do. One is yet another pumpkin pattern and the other is a kit that I saw on someone's blog and fell in love with and ordered.




I just realized that they will come in above this.




I first uploaded them in backwards order so they would be in the order I wanted. Those pictures are floating around out in blogland space.


















Today has been an arthritis day. I have done nothing but cross stitch. I am trying to post some stuff. It never goes where I think it will go..... Okay they keep disappearing.
















SO, this is probably as confusing to read as it was to post. I'm going back to cross-stitching.


BTW, thanks for stopping by my blog and for commenting and e-mailing. I do so wish that some of you lived closer!

Are any of you going to the convention in M yrtle Beach in October? I'm really thinking about doing that!!


Happy Stitching!
Jane

PS I don't know why all these big spaces are here.

Village of Hawk Run Hollow SAL?

I am going to take Beatrice's suggestion and try to start an SAL. I know there are a few people out there who are working on the Village of Hawk Run Hollow. If there already IS a "Village" SAL, then may I please join it?

Well, I was trying to find people in my area to form a stitching group. I was so excited that I found two people from my area and proceeded to write them. Well, I have since realized that they aren't stitching blogs at all. They appear to be more family and children oriented. They haven't responded, but they probably think I am a crazy, so I may not ever hear from them! Sigh!

School is starting back anyway so I won't have as much time to stitch. We can go tomorrow and see the new building inside. Then we can start moving in Monday. Tuesday is the first official day for teachers, and the kids come the 20th. I am kind of excited about going back, I took a great class this summer and I can't wait to try out the new methods I learned. I am not, however, looking forward to the overwhelming task of unpacking 18 years of music, equipment, and props etc. In fact, I should probably go right now and rest up!

Jane

Picture of my Darling Daughter and her hubby!

Okay, Jeni has seen her first ultrasound and there is only one baby! I must say I am glad.

The due date is March 8 - one day after her own birthday. Woo-hoo!

I thought I would post a picture of her and her sweet hubby, leaving their wedding reception back in December of 2005 during a huge ice storm. That way you can know what she looks like when I talk about her - which I am occasionally inclined to do! . This is my favorite picture!

Sweetest thing I have ever seen!

You must take two minutes and go watch this little video. It will make your day!

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9e7c4b40cf5a13cea6ca

Jeni is having her ultrasound as I am writing this...I will let ya'll know what we find out!
I am so excited!!

Jane

Is there anyone out there who wants to start a stitching group?

So, I have mentioned before, maybe in comments, that I would love to have a stitching group - cross-stitch, knit, crochet or whatever. I live in Greer, SC. I tried searching the blog sites but only found two people in this area. They may think I'm some crazy and not even answer me, but it's worth a try. Martha inspired me to give it a try. :)
So - Come on - Greer/Greenville/ Spartanburg Stitchers unite! [I make a really amazing banana pudding. In fact it's the ONLY thing I make, so you know it must be good!]
Jane Hardin
crazyj49@charter.net

Trying the PIF again

Okay, Lyda, I'm posting this again. I don't know why you couldn't post to the first PIF post, but here it is again. Maybe others tried also....I can always hope!

I have signed up with Rachel for her Pay it Forward offer.

Here's how it works:I will send a stitched handmade item to the first 5 people who leave a comment on my blog under this post. You will receive it within 365 days; you have my word. The only thing you have to do in return is Pay It Forward by making the same promise on your blog! Once you sign up, I will be emailing you for mailing address information and will keep an eye out on YOUR blog to see what designs, colors, designers you like.

Please do sign up; this will be my first time to participate in ANYTHING in the blogger world and I am so excited!I hope five people actually see this!!Jane

Saying good-bye to a r-e-a-l-l-y old dishwasher

Today has been pretty uneventful. My dishwasher arrived v-e-r-y e-a-r-l-y. The man who brought it and installed it said "Ma'am, I've been installing dishwashers a right long time and in all my years I ain't never seen one this old. Did it still work?"

Me- "Yes, it worked, but water poured out of the holes in the door. "

Man- "Well Ma'am, if they gave a prize to the woman who got the most out of their dishwasher I believe the prize would have to go to you. heh heh heh."

I suggested that, as my prize, he could just not charge me for the installation.

His response was, "heh, heh, heh."

I cleaned the kitchen today - cabinets [inside and out], and fridge, and stove, - everything. I hated every minute of it, but my kitchen is nice and clean now. And since I don't cook, it should stay that way. ;)

I worked a little on my Halloween project. [Say, I'll do a picture. Okay that took me 45 minutes. After clicking absolutely everywhere, I discovered the little picture on the posting box. Good Job Jane!] Anyhow, I noticed this pattern among some new stash on Wendy's blog. I do love Halloween.

I am going out to dinner with a friend - can't mess up the kitchen you know - so I shall sign off and go get ready.

Happy Stitching!

Jane

Dishwashers, Duct tape, & Twins?

So, today was an interesting day. I finally broke down and bought a new dishwasher. The one I have came with the house, it has to be at LEAST 30 years old. Well, it developed these two rust holes on either side of the bottom of the door, I mean you could see the floor through the holes.
I just ignored them, until the water started pouring out of the holes onto the floor. So, being a firm believer in the miraculous properties of duct tape, I tried mending the holes with duct tape. Well, duct tape may hold cars together (not mine, but I've seen more than one!) and it may remove warts, but it most definitely does NOT work on dishwasher holes. It peels right off when it heats up, which is what my dear son-in-law tried to tell me, but I tend to do things the hard way and find out for myself. Why not just admit it...I usually assume that I am right, which I usually am. So....long story short [too late!] I broke down and bought a dishwasher. It will be delivered and installed in the next several days.

I still say, "When all else fails, try duct tape before you give up!"

My daughter and her husband are thinking that she might be carrying twins. They DO run in my family as well as his, so it could happen. She is either further along than she thinks, or there just might be two of them in there. I can't wait to see her pregnant, which I will get to do in a few weeks. They go to the doctor Thursday, so I guess we will soon know what is in store for us!

I did knit a little on the baby blanket, maybe 2 inches. I am going to watch Mystery Woman and knit some more. If you haven't seen that show, you should try to catch it. I say 'try to catch it' because, though it is always on Hallmark Channel, it is on different days and times.

Happy Stitching!
Jane

No Comments! :(

Well, apparently my blog is not allowing comments. Could this, perhaps, be why people are not standing in line to join my PIF? Are they giving up, not knowing what to do, and crying and gnashing their teeth in frustration? Take heart, dear friends, I am working as we speak to correct this problem...well actually I am waiting for my son-in-law to get home from church and correct this problem for ME! Anyway, don't give up on me yet!!

Jane

To knit, or cross-stitch, or read...That is the question!

Well, it has been a relaxing Saturday. I couldn't decide whether to read, cross-stitch, or knit - so I rotated.

My daughter and her hubby are coming home the end of August for my Mother's 90th birthday. She [my Mother] is amazing, takes one aspirin a day, and drives everyday to the local senior citizens center and plays the piano from 10:00 until 10:30 each morning. She considers herself one of the volunteers and talks about 'those little old people'. [She is probably much older that any of the other people who come there] She is so funny.
Anyway...I want to finish the "I'm-finally-going-to-be-a-grandmother-baby-blanket" before they come home so I can give it to her.

So, I knitted a while. Then I worked on my current Halloween project. And then I read. [If I could figure out a way to read, knit and cross-stitch at the same time I would be in heaven.]
Being able to drive and knit or cross-stitch would be pretty cool too. [I was a voice major in college and used to practice my pieces while driving home on the interstate. I shudder to think how dangerous that was. My parents would have freaked if they had known it!]

Anyway, my day was rather peaceful. School starts soon though and the peaceful days will end for a while. We are moving into a new building, so the start of school will be crazy! [The building still isn't ready. I have visions of teaching in an orange hard hat and handing them out to the students as they come in the building!]

I think I shall go knit some more and then head to bed.

Happy Stitching [or knitting!]
Jane

PIF

I have signed up with Rachel for her Pay it Forward offer. Here's how it works:

I will send a stitched handmade item to the first 5 people who leave a comment on my blog under this post. You will receive it within 365 days; you have my word. The only thing you have to do in return is Pay It Forward by making the same promise on your blog! Once you sign up, I will be emailing you for mailing address information and will keep an eye out on YOUR blog to see what designs, colors, designers you like. Please do sign up; this will be my first time to participate in ANYTHING in the blogger world and I am so excited!

I hope five people actually see this!!
Jane

Pray for the people in Minneapolis

Well, my phone has been ringing off the hook since the news of the bridge collapse in Minneapolis has hit the TV. My son called me as soon as he heard about it to let me know he was alright and not on the bridge. I've been watching it on TV and it is so horrible... we went on that highway when I was visiting him in June. Pray for those people, and their families, and the rescue workers.

Jane