I am toast folks. Stick a fork in me, I’m done. Late night at the mall. I had planned on giving you some fabulously interesting Mercury info. (Like how this is not just a retrograde situation right now, but also a triple conjunction, and how it is making us all feel very upside down at the moment.) Yeah, maybe another day. Here is a link you can wander around in. Until I get some rest and tomorrow shows up. This is a place that has some very cool factoids and details about what’s up right now. (It will open to a second window, so feel free to click on it. I’ve followed this person during the past three or four backwards episodes, and the information is really good. Fokker, any thoughts?)
One of the reasons (and believe me there were lots of them) my day was so long was that Empress and Daniel decided this was the time to bring in our tree. Which involves me supervising the decorations. I have whittled them down a ton over the years. There’s not much to set up, but they always want my opinion. (Gawd knows why. I bitch the entire time, and keep trying to escape.) We have these rotating framed pieces that hang on the one useful living room wall. Here is what goes up in December. (And yeah, I know, the photos are terrible. The more I use my camera, the worse I seem to get.) 
This is the oldest one. I probably made it over 15 (20?) years ago. Do NOT be impressed with my creativity. It was a pattern in a book and I merely crossed the x’s the way the chart told me to.
This little couple is newer by a few years. Again, a store-bought design that I just stitched. It has some little charms on it (and reminded us of me and Dan), but I was not really happy with the end result. Now I just hang it on the wall and don’t look at it.
I made this guy by combining two patterns, I thought he needed a tree and I wanted to add some of the embellishments I had around. You can tell by the bottom checkerboard styling that it was from the same designer as the snow couple. All three were done on linen (like the baby doll faces), stitched over two threads (not like the baby doll faces, which were done with one strand of floss over one intersection in the fabric).
I had to get them off the couch because Axel really wanted to be up there, so I decided this was the perfect time to take pictures, then I put them up so he could sit more comfortably. (And then I walked away. You may see them again in the background of some future shots when we are all gathered in that room later.)
Our card today is from Colette’s Wisdom of the Hidden Realm oracle deck. The second sentence from the guide book made me literally Laugh Out Loud (so I highlighted it for you).
“The Eagle King ~ the big picture ~ angelic help.
The approach of The Eagle King is a sign that your highest destiny is within reach. You are on the right path now, even if you cannot see where you are going. He soars high above the mountains and valleys of life and is able to see the big picture when you seem to be lost in a bit of fog. He makes a formidable Ally as he takes your prayers up toward the sun and releases them to the Divine. They will be answered for the highest good of all.
It is a fortunate omen when The Eagle King decides to be by your side and accompany you in your travels.”
Cross-stitch by numbers is still cross stitch! It takes time and effort to craft things.
I’ll look at links when I’m on laptop.
Love our Eagle King ally. He is quite awesome. Love the whole “big picture thinking.” Just what I need.
True, the time does count, thanks.
I like him too (a little severe though, but I am choosing to see that as strength). And yeah, any help I can get finding my way through this mercurial fog right now is greatly appreciated!
I have a tote bag in storage that is completely full of half-finished cross stitch projects. Including a baby announcement for my friend Jo’s first baby, who is now 6, and a wedding announcement for my friend Kelly, who is celebrating her, what, 8th anniversary?? In retrospect, that pattern *is* gi-normous, and was kind of a stupid one to try and finish on a time-crunch.
But I think the oldest project in the bag is a “Footprints in the Sand” pattern that I’ve been working on for my sister for over 10 years. I’m a fickle crafter. (Oooh! New store name idea!)
Well Miss Fickle Crafter, I think that’s a great name! And I think it sounds just like everyone else who has ever tried their hand at anything crafty. It’s the plague of us creative types, we start… but we don’t always finish.
“Like how this is not just a retrograde situation right now, but also a triple conjunction, and how it is making us all feel very upside down at the moment.”
So this is why I hate everyone and am thinking of going on strike against all people????? I liked the way the site author said she/he felt like they were dragging around sacks of potatoes and felt like flinging them at people from time to time. That’s exactly how I feel. Does it make me feel better knowing the cause? And that it’s not just that I’m a raging bitch? Maybe a little, but when the hell is it going to end?
My oldest unfinished cross stitch projects are 11-12 years old, and include a wall hanging of birdhouses and a humongous Christmas tree skirt. I don’t know what I was thinking with that one. I remember that I couldn’t find any tree skirts that I liked, so when I found a kit I liked thought it was a great idea. I barely started on it, and haven’t put up a tree in years.
Totally NOT because you are a raging bitch. It’s the planets!
Send me the tree skirt, I’ll finish it for you. Then you can put up a tree again. We have ours on a table this year. Doesn’t have to even be a real one. Spray the room with pine scented air freshner. Ta da! Your holidays are set.
I’m a blithering mess right now. Waiting for the 21st. I’ve been reading, but not commenting. So I think I’ll keep my eyes closed, take the Eagle King’s hand, and trust him to lead me through this foggy bog in which I’ve found myself lost.
*hugs* to you, my friend.
I am so glad you popped in to say hi. Figured you weren’t faring so well right now. Been thinking of you. Stay strong. Blame the planets (me and Tracy are).
Virtual hugs to you too!
Okay, is it bad that I now have The Dark Crystal playing in my head? (It’s the Great Conjunction!) Love that movie. Also love that Santa. And I am still impressed at your abilities because I tried cross stitch once. It was a kid’s kit, the kind you buy to learn how to do it. It was awful. It took me weeks to get a small portion done and it was so uneven/lumpy/wrong that I gave up. Awful. But yours are pretty!
Oh, and sorry about your mall incident. Regional visits suck like Lewinsky. Hope today’s better!
I think I remember that movie!
Thanks, glad you like the santa. I happen to know that you can quilt way better than I can, so play to your strengths. Not everyone is built for crossing wee x’s. My sewing projects all come out uneven/lumpy/wrong and bonus: crooked too!
Fortunately we have a very laid back supervisor, although yeah, that was a bit sucky. Even with his niceness.
Sarah is right, just because it’s stitch by number doesn’t make it any less better…any time I have attempted stitch by numbers I’ve spent most of the time undoing what i’ve done.
I really, really like that card and I think he certainly looks like someone you want as an ally (I wouldn’t want to come across him in a dark alley)
Sending you strength and patience for the remaining mall time.
That last baby doll face and the project I put up tonight for everyone to see, both had many stitches pulled out, cut off, and re-worked. I knew going into them that with the planets the way they are, mistakes were gonna happen!
My mall days seem to be one up, on down, one up, on down. So thank you for your blessings. I will need them tomorrow.
Love the changing architectural heading. Love the stitching. Love the drifting snow on the post. Not sure if I like this retrograde stuff. Love my Nick being home for four weeks. Wasn’t aware how well I was transitioning the empty nest deal tho. HE.IS.NOW.ALL.OVER.THE.HOUSE. I definitely need to have that ‘this is not a hotel,’ talk. hahaha
Have been dealing with my mother this week. Put her in the hospital and hope she can stablize and go back to her ‘home’, Unit 100. She has advanced parkinsons, dementia, plus othe assorted cardio things. Even tho she is unhappy and crazy, she still knows how to grab the phone and try to order up room service. Uh, in the hospital it’s a check sheet mom. Time to review the POLST form, we are on a slippery slope here and hoping it waits til after the holidays. Not liking this retrogrady thing.
Just a thought. Just find a architectural bldg that you like with a wreath on it or something like that.
Em’s been home a lot lately, what with the “we are sort of moving” situation. So yes, it’s a strange feeling when they are gone, and then back again. But nice too.
Have you read any of Carol’s blog? (She’s a link over there in Important Women). She is dealing (with much strength and grace) with a mom situation as well. (And she’s up near you guys. Sort of.)
See tonight’s post about your “just a thought” suggestion.
I cannot find a single coherent thought in my head. Not even when I drag it with a net. A lot of sentence fragments are in there, tho.
No worries Dearest. Just wondered if you wanted to add your two pennies worth. Should we all survive this mess, you can chime in then. If any sentences surface to the top.
I love the snowmen.
Thank you. I put all of those up every year, but I don’t really look at them any more. They were fun to do. Once I learned you could add all manner of trinkets I was on it big time.
Also, I tend to dislike so many “decorative” types of things, that when I don’t hate something, I stick with it.
(Of course now that I see them here, they are looking quite dated. Doesn’t mean I won’t keep putting them up for another 50 years though. Hell, then they will be collectable!)