February WIPocalypse and TUSAL Updates

Good Morning! So it's time for the WIPocalypse SAL, TUSAL, and Smalls SAL Updates. As you might guess from the title of my post, I have not completed this month's small project. In fact, I have totally failed and I haven't even started it! Ha, ha! Oh well, there is always next month.

I did, however, get a lot of work done on my BAP, Lobo, for the WIPocalypse SAL hosted by Measi. You can find more information here. My goal for the year is to get at least 50 stitches in a day. Well, a number of things (including a great weekend away) stopped me from working on this everyday, but in the days I did work on it I was able to get almost 2000 stitches in! So, I'm actually very happy with my progress.

Here's where I started...

And here is where I left off last night...

So glad I  have started working on this again! It's slow going, but I see the progress and it is making me happy.

Since I have been working on Lobo, my collection of ORTs has grown. I've also gotten in a few hours of stitching while watching TV, therefore, that collection has grown a little too. So, here is this month's entry to the TUSAL. This is a fun SAL hosted by Daffycat which you can get more information about here.

I've also gotten some work done on my Friendly Felines. My goal is to complete the stitching on this by the end of March. Not sure if I will meet that goal, especially since we are taking a week long trip to Florida during the month, and I'm thinking there will not be a minute available for stitching during that trip. But it's good having a goal.. so that's mine for March.

In non-stitching news, we spent a wonderful day with an old colleague and current friend. We had breakfast at our favorite diner, the Mineola Diner... So happy we found this place when we moved to Long Island...

Then we went to Fire Island...

 in hopes of seeing some deer...

Then off to a local craft brewery for a flight...

And finally a sushi dinner, which was so good I forgot to take a picture. Ha ha.

Thanks for visiting!

A Weekend in Lancaster

We spent this last weekend in Lancaster, PA. I cannot even think of anything that was not positive. I guess the only down side of the weekend was that I have not had time to work on Lobo for almost a week. Between getting home late due to train problems, packing to go away, and then being away, there just was no time. But it's okay, because we had such a great time!

The weather was ridiculous nice! We spent the whole day outside on Saturday. Mostly walking around shopping malls and just enjoying the weather.

Sunday we went to the Turkey Hill Experience. It was such a fun place and we got tons of free ice cream and ice tea samples. Michael was such a trooper letting me take silly pictures of him. 

We also got a few good pictures!

The Bed and Breakfast we stayed at was so wonderful... the hosts were so friendly. I felt more like an old friend visiting than a guest. They made three amazing breakfasts.

And the other guests were so friendly, we hit it off immediately! Michael and I were talking about how nice it would be if we could plan with them and go back for the same weekend next year. Well, on the last morning they asked us if we would like to try to stay in touch and come back again. I was so happy that they felt the same way.

And, oh, yes, we did a bunch of shopping and got some great deals!

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend! 

Trust

I want to share a few of my happy moments that have occurred over the last few day. A co-worker asked me to lunch to 'discuss some things.' She told me that she was voicing concerns with another co-worker, and was told, "You should talk to Desiree. You can trust Desiree. Everyone trusts Desiree." I was so happy to know that people do realize they can trust me.

Yesterday, the LIRR train was very crowded again. I try not to always disturb the same person when I get on. Let one guy have the two seater to himself one day, let the other guy have the two seater to himself the next day. But as I was walking past guy #1, he reached out, grabbed my bag, and pulled me to sit next to him.

And the last happy moment of the last few days was a really positive interaction with my boss. Too long to get into, but she was really nice, wanted to explain her actions, and complimented me along the way.

Well, now we are off to a long weekend away. Unfortunately, we have to start with a funeral tomorrow, but after that it is three days in Lancaster, PA! Let the relaxation begin!

Gym Shenanigans

My gym buddy and I are still doing well getting to the gym twice a week. So far this year we have only missed one week, and not totally. We got there once, just not twice. But yesterday there was a guy very blatantly checking me out and flirting. Now, not only am I committed, but I am way past the point of any interest in this sort of shenanigans, but it did make me feel good, and made both me and my buddy laugh on the way home.

Forcing Myself to be Positive

So although I have been trying to focus on the positive, over the last two weeks I have been unsuccessful, and have allowed the negative to cloud out the positive. Yesterday was an extremely hard day, and I really sunk into a depressed state. By the time I got home, I just sat and cried.

I want to send a big shout out to Jo from Serendipitous Stitching for reminding me of my goal to be positive every day.  Truth is, there is always something that happens during the day that makes me smile and feel good, and I just need to work a little harder to focus on that and have that be the moment of the day I go home with.

So, although I am still feeling a little disheartened, I spent some time thinking about positive moments that happened over the last few days.

1- Yesterday, when I was feeling the saddest in the morning I went into a diner to get some breakfast. A total stranger looked at me and complimented my hair. She told me it was wonderful that I let the natural grey color shine, and the style was very complimentary. I remember that it made me feel happy, and it reminded me that although I sometimes think we have all sunk into a "Me, Myself, and I" society, sometimes people do step out and do/say something friendly.

2- I started a low carb diet two years ago and lost a lot of weight. At the start I never set a goal weight, I just wanted to feel better. I feel great! I don't really care if I lose more weight at this point. A dear friend and I started getting to the gym twice a week. We have a goal of three times a week when life allows. I got on the scale this morning, not expecting anything... just my monthly check... and I lost another pound.

3- My mom knitted and crocheted and when she passed so many people told me that they would always remember her because of the blanket/sweater/etc she made them. It gave me some solace that she would not just be forgotten. So I made a goal to try to stitch something for all the people I care about in hopes that when I go, I will not just be forgotten. The first thing I made was the 12 Days of Christmas pillow for my sister-in-law (she's really like the sister I never had). She sent me a thank you and told me that every day she looks at that pillow and it makes her think of me and my mom, and that makes her smile. After I stopped crying, it made me smile too :-)

Thanks again Jo, for getting me back on track!

When the Hubby is Sick...

... the wifey will stitch.

My goal of stitching one hour a day on Lobo and getting a minimum of 50 stitches in has been going pretty well. This week, however, I was concerned because the upcoming portion of the pattern was confetti to the max! On Monday I just got in my 50 stitches. But then the DH got sick. He went to sleep early each night so I got more than one hour to stitch, and as a result I averaged 100 stitches per night for a total of 700 this week. Plus, I hit another page finish!

Unfortunately, my travel piece, Friendly Felines, did not get as much time in as I would have liked. The trains have been crowded, resulting in fewer stitching days. But I've still made some progress, and still moving toward a finish, hopefully by the end of this month.

In other news, two of my co-workers appear to be planning weddings. They have both been quite challenging relationships. My dear office mate had a very painful January working out traditional customs vs her western ways with her parents, but in the end the situation has turned out rather well, and I have high hopes for happiness in her future.

Over the years my other co-worker has gone through many boyfriends who just did not work out for numerous reasons. It does appear, however, that she has found a keeper, and he informed her he was going to ask her father for permission to ask her to marry him.

All very exciting, but now I need to find and start working on some wedding announcements. I have one picked out that I was going to make for another friend, but I'm just not convinced that relationship is going to last. So I'm going to focus on the ones I have more confidence in. As soon a Friendly Felines is done, I am starting this for my office mate.

Thanks so much for visiting!