A Week of Relaxation and Creation

Last week Deb and I attended the annual Needlework Guild of Minnesota retreat in Buffalo, MN. It's a week we always look forward to anxiously and bemoan when it's over. This year we went a day earlier so we could have time to settle in and make more than a quick trip to the local yarn shop. We again had the Garden Room as our independent study room. We weren't happy about that because we had a bad experience there our first year. But this year it was just fine; I can actually say I enjoyed it. The light during the day is wonderful because of all the skylights and glass wall overlooking the lake, but in the evening it's not so ideal. Still, we both had our Ott lights and that helped. We staked our claim to a table and remained there the entire week. I was busy working on knitting a pair of socks for Aimee as part of Ravelympics and Deb was working on one of the most gorgeous Quaker samplers I've ever seen.

I took 3 classes from Lauren Sauer (Forget-Me-Not In Stitches). This is one of my favorites. It's called Key to My Heart. The heart is stitched in wonderful silks. When it is opened, it contains an antique key. On the inside, the heart design is simply back stitched; on the back the heart design has some color; and the front is in full color. It's very easy and so very pretty.



One of the things the Guild did for a fundraiser this year is have a silent auction for 18 handmade aprons the Guild used in the past for something or other (I can't remember the original purpose of them). When the Guild moved about a year ago, they were going through all they had accumulated and ran across the box of aprons. They were going to simply throw them out until someone thought of auctioning them off. The aprons were displayed on a clothes line stretched over the stairs going from the entrance of the retreat center to the lower level. Some of those aprons went for BIG bucks! One woman also took all the aprons and photographed them individually and made them into an extremely beautiful calendar, which they also sold as a fundraiser. Of course, I had to get one!



During Show and Tell at the annual meeting, 9 Guild members brought the neighborhood round robin they had worked on for the past 2 years. They were SO beautiful! This was my favorite, done by the "infamous" Kathe Lyndsley...stitcher extraordinare.



One of the things that I love most about this retreat, besides the opportunity to do nothing but stitch, eat and sleep, is the peacefulness of the retreat itself. We saw some of the most spectacular sunsets this year. I'm already anxious for next August to roll around!

The Big Read

Let’s see how many you have read from this list. This is what you do:

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own Blog



1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton **my all-time favorite book!**
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

What Starbucks drink are you? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as White Chocolate Mocha You are mostly like this drink because this drink looks like regular coffe on the outside, just like you seem to be normal. In really, you are both really great and sweet White Chocolate Mocha 75% De-Caf Latte 63% Espresso Shots 56% Frappacino 44%

Can't quite see myself as White Chocolate Mocha..seeing as I don't particularly like chocolate and never drink mochas. Oh well....must be because I'm so sweet!

Fireworks

What Your These Fireworks Say About You

You are focused, single minded, and intense. You don't let others see your intensity often, and when they do, they are quite surprised. You burn brightly, but you also burn steadily. You have the endurance to get the one thing you desire most.

The Fireworks Test

I'm A Failure...........

20 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure) Take the test!

It must have been those crooked seams in the hose....or wearing pajamas instead of a nightgown....

Starbucks and Yarn Questionnaire

1. Full name: Neila

2. Ravelry ID: Neila (I know..original but easy to remember.)

3. Email address: bezweesh@aol.com

4. Blog address (if you have one): neilasnotes.blogspot.com

5. Handmade item you desire in the swap (bag, cup cozy, etc.): I am actually okay with any of the items. I love to be surprised.

6. Starbucks item you desire (gift card, mug, beans, etc.): I absolutely love Starbucks mugs, but anything would be wonderful.

7. Favorite Starbucks beverage/bean: I'm a nonfat no whip latte girl. I absolutely LOVE pumpkin spice lattes but they are only a fall/winter specialty drink. I also like gingerbread lattes.

8. Favorite snack food: Without a doubt, popcorn! I also like hard candies, particularly anything black currant or rhubarb. I'm not a chocolate person.

9. Favorite color(s): Blues and purples..think peacocks!

10. Favorite fragrance: Lilac and jasmine, or spicy fragrances, like clove and cinnamon. I am very into Yankee Candles and my favorite is harvest.

11. What types of things do you like to knit? Mainly socks, but I also enjoy bags and sweaters.

12. Do you spin? No

13. Do you dye your own yarn? No, but eventually would like to learn

14. Favorite yarns: I don't really have a favorite. I love them all!

15. Favorite needles: I love the Knit Pick Harmony needles, but am up to trying something new.

16. Do you have any allergies? Yes, cats and dust mainly

17. Would you be willing to prepare an angel kit if necessary? Of course

18. Do you have any special requests? No, other than lots of communication and lots of fun.

19. Do you have any pets? No

20. Is your home smoking or nonsmoking? Nonsmoking

Mosaic Meme

Go to Flickr.com and type your answers to the following questions (one at a time) into the Search Box.


The questions are:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favourite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favourite colour?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favourite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favourite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.


Choose 1 image from the FIRST page of results, remember the image you choose doesn't have to be exactly what you were looking for - just the image you like best from the first page.

Copy your URLs to the Mosaic Maker here and publish your mosaic to your blog.

I tag Aimee, Jennifer and Debbie.

Coffee and Yarn....

...........what more could a girl want? I've joined another cool swap called Starbucks and Yarn

Check it out and join us if you enjoy the goodness of Starbucks and the warmth of yarn!

And the Winner Is.........

All season long we have been spending Tuesday evenings at my brother's house watching American Idol in his "theatre room" (complete with 105" projection TV screen and incredible surround sound.) We would have dinner while AI recorded on the DVR. Then we'd settle and got comfy. It was almost like being in the theatre itself. Everyone appeared almost lifesize. We had a friendly pool going among a few people and we all had our favorites. My brother and sister-in-law bemoaned Carly Smithson's exit, and I pouted when Jason Castro went.

This week we changed the plans and had a big American Idol Winner party with most of the pool participants (except Aimee...but she was invited!) We had burgers and dogs on the grill, potato salad, baked beans, chips, and all the makings of a summer picnic. The weather was absolutely perfect and the atmosphere was electric.

Around 800, we finally settled in to watch the 2 hour finale. It was fun to see the Top 12 again and relive the season. The guest performers were great...Seal, Donna Sommer, ZZ Top, George Michael. LOVED the Guitar Hero commercials done Risky Business style...David Cook definitely won that competition!

Finally, it's the end of the show. David C and David A stood together on the stage. David C, who seemed like a big brother to David A, had his arm around David A's shoulder, almost like he had to hold onto him so neither of them fell over. They both looked so nervous, so anxious, so apprehensive. Even among our party participants you could feel the tension. The envelope was brought out and certified that the voting had been the highest in the history of the show...over 97 million votes!! (I cast 20 of those.) Ryan Seacreast opened the envelope, looked at the two Davids, and said "The Winner of American Idol Season 7 Is........"

AND THE DVR RECORDING ENDED!!!!

Yes, the recording ended!! There was a moment of silence in the room and then we all, in one voice, screamed "NO!" We had no idea who won and no chance to see the final performance! Diane ran upstairs to see if the recording she was making on a TV upstairs had recorded the end only to discover that that, too, had stopped at the same point. (DAMN COMCAST!!) So, Diane then RAN to the office where she got on the internet. There was a V-E-R-Y L-O-N-G period of anticipation before she yelled "DAVID COOK!" Then there was more celebrating!

So much drama!! We have decided that Mike's tombstone is going to say "And TheWinner Is..."

Anyway, here is the finale:

Join the Hogwarts Express!

The last Hogwarts Express leaves Platform 9-3/4 on May 14th. If you'd like to join the Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap, be on board!

If you enjoy knitting socks (or would like to try knitting socks...or just collect yarn!), lots of animated conversation, making great friends (and occasionally rivals), Quidditch contests, House Quizzes and creating and exchanging sock kits, then HSKS 5 is the place to be!!

Check it out at HSKS 5

Help Celebrate A Life

My daughter-in-law, Darcy, is a breast cancer survivor. Here, in her words, is what she is doing to celebrate life after cancer.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer almost six years ago. I was 28, married and had a 1 year old daughter. I was fortunate to have the support of my family and friends through the entire process. It seemed that there was always someone there to count on when I needed assistance. I appreciated all the things I received. Some of you sent letters with words of encouragement, watched Ellie so I could rest or go to a doctor's appointment, said prayers, facilitated a conversation about something other than cancer, offered a ride to an appointment, provided a shoulder to cry on, or a meal to give to my family. I felt so fortunate to have the support that I found within my family and circle of friends. I was lucky in that I didn't need to look outside of this network for additional help.

Today, I am doing well. I have not had any recurrences, and all my numbers have come back within a normal range. I am still having every nook and cranny scanned and checked every six months but I feel like I am going to beat this disease. I have recently been blessed to have a second daughter, and I look forward to raising both of my girls with my husband.

At this point in my recovery, I want to share my story and help support other women who are dealing with breast cancer. When I saw this ride, I felt it was a good fit for me. (Other than the fact I haven't ridden my bike since last June!) I enjoy biking and understand the hardships of meal planning during cancer treatment. Some of my friends and family sent homemade meals for us to enjoy. These meals were a gift for me in that I didn't have to worry about what we were going to eat. I knew it was going to be delicious and nutritious. It was a night I would not have to smell foods while they cooked and I could rest and not be in the kitchen.

Open Arms is striving to become like the network I had, but for others who are in need. They are providing meals for breast cancer patients and their families going through treatment, as my friends and family did for me. No one can offer a 100 percent cure, but we can support those who are going through treatment. Everyone needs some support while going through this process, and Open Arms aims to provide that support.


Will You Support Me?

I am very excited to announce that I will be participating in the first annual Breast Cancer Ride. This two-day bicycle event, taking place June 21-22, 2008 will support those living with breast cancer in Minnesota.

All proceeds benefit Open Arms of Minnesota, a nonprofit organziation that for 21 years has prepared and delivered free, nutritious meals to those affected with many diseases, including those living with breast cancer, their care givers and dependent children.

Please support me with a donation by selecting the "Support Me" button right above my fundraising thermometer. Our efforts will help make a big difference!
RiDE ON, LiVE ON.
Darcy

If you can donate any amount, please go to:

Darcy's Fundraising Page

What I'm Worth Dead!

$5430.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth.

My Fairy Name

Your fairy is called Berry Elfglitter
She is a cheerful sprite.
She lives in fruit orchards and vineyards.
She is only seen in the light of a shooting star.
She wears red, cerise and purple berry colours. She has delicate green wings like a cicada.
Get your free fairy name here!

Ahhhh....Spring in MN

Spring has FINALLY come to MN!!


I can't wait for the first steaks on the grill.....


...getting the ole wave runner out on the lakes.....


...the wonderful smell of freshly cut grass!

Now, where should I hide those Easter eggs?

Eddie Izzard

YAY!!! I was able to get presale "fanclub" tickets to see Eddie Izzard when he is in Minneapolis in May! General tickets go on sale March 16. It was a frantic morning trying to get that password to be able to buy presale tickets, but I got it and managed to get tickets. My fellow Eddie freak, Maria, will be coming from Toronto to go with me. We've seen him together in Toronto and Montreal several times. This time she's coming to Minneapolis. It will be fun, fun...FUN!

Merry Cox Workshop

I have finally gotten back to working on the piece for the Merry Cox workshop next weekend. It's a lot of fun to stitch but I definitely need good light and a magnifier. It's stitched on 36 ct. and much of the work is over 1. The photos don't capture the color of the fabric at all. It's actually quite gold. My sheep kind of wandered from their original placement but it worked out okay. And I'm not sure why there is a crown floating in the air but there is.....cloud formation?

Now it's onto the pincushion! Think I can get it down by Saturday? I don't!

Where do I belong?

You Belong in 1968

You are a free spirit with a huge heart. Love, peace, and happiness rule - oh, and drugs too.

What Year Do You Belong In?

Cross Stitch Update

It's still too cold to do much besides shiver, so I keep warm by keeping that needle moving. I hate winter but this is the winter that just doesn't want to end! I've put a few more stitched in the Historic Mystery Sampler. Unfortunately you can't see the sparkly gold fibers in the girl's dress. I really like this sampler and love working with Dinky Dyes. And the Merry Cox piece is coming along nicely. I still have to figure out the personalization, but that shouldn't take long. So much of this piece is over one on 36 ct so it sometimes goes very slow.
This is the Fair and Square package I received from Marie P. Anyone who knows me knows I love me my coffee so I was quite excited to open this package and find a coffee themed square along with fibers (can we ever have too many fibers?), fabric and, COFFEE! This square is so cute and I am going to have to figure out a way to finish it appropriatedly. So many decisions!
And here is the scissor fob I received from Lily in Malaysia. Yes, she too picked up on my coffee addition. Isn't the fob cute? And she too sent a variety of coffee and tea from Malaysia. I've tried them all and loved each of them!
Now, back to adding layers before I head out the door. BRRRRRRRRRRR!

Beautiful Granddaughers

Yesterday I took my granddaughters to Mall of America and had their photos taken at Sadie's. I was blown away by the photographer and how she was able to capture the beauty of Ellie and Sophie. They are the loves of my life. Can it get any better than this?!

Where Have All The Leaders Gone?

The following is from Lee Iacocca's New Book... Maybe he should be running for president.

Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from it's death throes? He has a new book, and here are some excerpts.

Lee Iacocca Says:'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course' Stay the course?

You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned'Titanic.' I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!'

You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.

The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the ' America ' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?

I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have.

The Biggest 'C' is Crisis!

Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A Hell of a Mess

So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gasprices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle classis being squeezed every which way These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.

Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough?

Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope I believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: the 'Great Depression', 'World War II', the 'Korean War', the 'Kennedy Assassination', the 'Vietnam War', the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.

If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to 'Action' for people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.

'Excerpted from 'Where Have All the Leaders Gone?'.

Copyright (c) 2007 by Lee Iacocca. All rights reserved.