January Update...Wow a lot has happened!!!!!

Well I guess it has been awhile since I last posted and it is time you all would like to know the happenings of the Routon family…

Well on January 8^th I took an extremely bad fall on some wet stairs at work. I was rushed by ambulance on a back board & neck brace. You talk about scary. I guess the doctors told Rick I was lucky I did not kill myself. I took a really bad blow to the most dangerous place you can to the head. I had a lump the size of an ostrich egg. Then the next day I had to take Rick to the emergency room. (He was lucky to get there because I could not even remember how to put the truck in reverse.) He was spitting up blood. Turns out he had influenza A…I guess it is the respiratory kind. We caught that early so he was able to take the anti-flu medicine. Thank goodness! Needless to say he decided to drive home from the hospital after me not remembering how to put the truck in reverse.

On January 21 I finished my January ornament. It is Prairie Schooler Old World Santa II Booklet #88 stitched on 32ct Mushroom Lugana. My ILCS group & HoosierStitchers group is doing the holiday stitching/challenge going on again this year. Well let’s see if I can keep up with this. Hopefully I can get more stitching done this year. I would really love to stitch more on my Stoney Creek’s Natures Home Afghan and get it off the UFO (UnFinished Object/Projects) list.

Friday January 30^th Doug’s ewe that was due to have a lamb gave birth 4 days early. Reba delivered a 10.50# ewe. Since mom’s name is Reba after the TV show he named the lamb Kyra after one of the daughters. Then Saturday his other ewe Cheyenne a daughter of Reba (the sheep) gave birth but there was a problem with this one. The lamb was born breech (Jake 9.50#) and he had problems with his back legs. The ligaments & tendons were not supporting his body. The vet told us to use duct take to help get his legs strength up but that was not doing it because we could not leave the tape on more than 12 hours. Finally Rick had the vet come out to look at the lamb. He said that we were going to have to splint his back legs for 24 hours at a time and take them off and let him try and walk without for a little bit then putting them back on. Another problem is that Cheyenne has not totally accepted him so we have to tie her up to let Jake nurse. Rick has spent the last 4 nights in the barn so he can make sure that Jake gets nursed every 4 hours. He is hoping that he can sleep at home tonight.

Super Bowl Sunday we were in the emergency room with Doug. Yes all three of us have been in the emergency room less than a month from each other. Doug sliced the underneath of his toes on a bag of groceries that had cans in it that we not had a chance to put away from the commotion of Jake’s birth. Rick’s mom has been saying we need to have a wing or a couple rooms in our name at Bloomington Hospital.

I have picked up the crochet hook again. It has been since we lived in Florida since I last made anything with crocheting. Well we have a family friend that is having a baby and I wanted to make her a baby afghan. I made it in less than a week and 3 of those days I did not touch it once because I was in bed with a horrible migraine.

Hopefully February and the rest of the year will get better and the way it has started out. That is what I have for now…more later & hopefully I can post more often.

Babies and Fathers

Link

I was busting a gut when watching this one!!! Enjoy!

HoosierStitcher 2005 SAL Drawn Thread Toccata One~~FINISHED!!!!!!!!

I’m so EXCITED!!!!!!! I finally finished my Drawn Thread SAL…yes HoosierStitchers you read right. I actually FINISHED can you believe it…yes you all can get back into your chairs. I do have to thank Cici for helping my reweave the fabric on it instead of pitching it in the trash. Yes I did learn something new besides stitches with this SAL & for Liz sitting with me on Monday and helping me with the final block which was a Queen Stitch what a bear!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!

I just wanted to wish all my family & friends and a Happy New Year!

UFO Drawn Thread Toccata One~~WIP

I can finally show an update to one of my UFO’s…yes you read correctly. I worked on a UFO The Drawn Thread’s Toccata Number One. I would have show the progress sooner but after working on it I had to frog everything I put in and then some; not a pretty seen. Yes that is how I won the Queen of Frogging Award at the HoosierStitchers Cross Stitching Retreat back mid October. Hopefully I and continue to work on this now that I am back where I was on October 18th! This was a SAL for my HoosierStitchers group that was started on January 1 2005 although I did not start until October of that year. It should have been done December 31 of year. I know I am running a few years behind. This is the project I had to reweave some fiber into the fabric I am stitching on it and keep trying to put it to the said but I have GREAT stitching friends that keep me motivated to get it finished. I have three more lessons to finish and I can say it will be finished. Please pray maybe I can finish it before the end of the year and I will only be 3 years behind schedule!

Recap of HoosierStitcher Fall Retreat

Boy it sure has been crazy since I last posted. Last Thursday October 16 - Sunday October 19, 2008 I was at Camp Rivervale in Mitchell IN we stay in Otterbein Lodge. I went to a Cross Stitching Retreat Hosted by my HoosierStitchers Group and coordinated by Coleen George. Coleen did a FANTASTIC job…she deserves all kinds of KUDOS for doing this for us. I really needed a weekend away to just stitch and enjoy the company of my dear friends from HoosierStitchers. I did get a lot of stitching done until the end of the weekend. On Saturday night I found a mistake in my Drawn Thread (Toccata One) piece and had decided not to correct it but in the end it was causing more and more problems/mistakes & so my little green frog friend appeared and I WON the FROGGING AWARD! I wish I had not won it but it is going to be worth it in the end. My Toccata One is going to look so much better now that I figured out where my mistake was.

Retreat Recap…Hopefully I get this right:

Thursday: We started arriving around 5:00pm & we had a late Dinner & Coleen set up a ‘Spa Area’ where she gave foot bath/massage and also you could to the paraffin spa on your hands and feet. This was set up all weekend!

Friday: Liz taught the net beaded ornament class

. We all had a finish!! We stitched some more. Then we ate lunch then more stitching until it was time for dinner. Then everyone got ready and we went out to eat at Mr. Gatti's in Bedford -- it is a pizza/pasta buffet. Then some of us went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things -- I got some fabric & glue for my monthly Ornaments I am doing with my ILCS stitching group that Shari B is coordinating. Here is a picture of Liz busting a gut @ Coleen when she started doing her Betty Rubble from the Flintstones laugh…it was too FUNNY!!!

Saturday: Was a shopping day for Coleen, Cici, Debra, Ana, Deborah and they went to Evansville. The rest of us (Me, Liz, Michele, Marcia, Shirley Anne & Jean) stayed to stitch more! I fixed lunch & afterwards Liz & I took a walk around the camp and took pictures. Jean & I went to mass together @ St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The SHOPPERS first stop of the day was at a farmer's market in Orleans IN and a few purchases were made there. Then on to Evansville where they shopped at Stitches from the Heart shop. I guess it packed to the gills with stitching supplies. This was Deborah virgin trip to a LNS and had never stitched on "big girl fabric" so they had a wonderful time helping her pick out lots of new stash. Coleen even tossed Ana across the vehicle on this trip…she had unbuckled to get a snack. Snacks can be DANGEROUS…LOL! They arrived back @ the lodge just as Liz was putting dinner on the table. Then we ate and settled in to stitch some more & me to my FROGGING! I think Coleen was one the last one to bed. (Every Night Surprise…Surprise!!).

Sunday: We got up and Cici had prepared a breakfast that you would have gotten at a Spa breakfast. Then we stitched more & waited for Coleen to get up and started the dye class.We only managed to get a dye on the floor and on Jean's shirt (It also had a stain on it from my Zesty Taco Tater Tot Casserole) Coleen ended up dying her whole shirt) and on Coleen’s white tennis shoes. We then carried them outside to a table to dry in the sun. Then Coleen & Liz found mulberries on a bush and used those to dye with also and they also used the last of the few blueberries left from breakfast on Saturday, Coleen even tried the left over pomegranate but it just washed out. As soon as Coleen & Liz got done dying EVERYTHING they could get all their hands on with experimenting, Jean fixed our final lunch. After eating, we either stitched or started packing up. Then we put up all the tables and chairs and swept the big room and cleaned the kitchen. Needless to say we left the lodge cleaner than we found it…I guess that is the HoosierStitchers way!

On the way home some of us went to Fancy Works Liz’s Shop…even if Dianna (the other co-owner) had already closed because she had KEYS but as it turned out we got there before the shop close @ 4:00pm. Needless to say I was the last one to leave...@ 5:00pm!

Here is a picture of the group minus Anne. Andy took the picture (actually I think he took 12-16...2 with each camera. Andy was the caretaker @ the camp!

Retreat Meals:

THURSDAY DINNER --

Chili, cheese and crackers – Coleen

Veggie Tray and dip -- Marcia

Flourless peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies – Anne

Hot fudge cake with ice cream – Debra

FRIDAY BREAKFAST –

Danish/Donuts, Milk, Orange Juice -- Coleen

FRIDAY LUNCH –

Pasta Salad – Ana

Seven Layer Salad – Deborah

Egg Salad, Tuna Salad, Ham Salad, Croissants, Fruit Salad – Karol

Cream Cake – Ana

FRIDAY DINNER –

Mr. Gatti's in Bedford -- it is a pizza/pasta buffet

Taffy Apple Salad for Dessert – Jean

SATURDAY BREAKFAST –

Various Cereals, Milk and Cocoa – Michele

Fresh Fruit – Michele

SATURDAY LUNCH –

Tater Tot Casserole – Julie

Apple Salad – Michele

SATURDAY DINNER –

Teriyaki Chicken & Rice Pilaf – Liz

Guacamole and Chips – Michele

Dessert – cannot remember what we had

SUNDAY BREAKFAST –

Spa Breakfast - Cici

SUNDAY LUNCH –

Taco Salad – Jean

Dessert – Jean

And any leftovers from previous meals you want to eat, LOL

MISC –

Coffee, skim milk, sweet and low – Ana

Diet Coke, Regular Coke – Michele

Tea – English Breakfast and Darjeeling – Michele

Cocoa and milk – Michele

Microwave Popcorn – Anne

Sweet and/or Salty Snacks – Anne

Drinks – Everyone bring your own

Coffee, Tea and Ice provided by Outdoor Ministries

Triple Peanut Pizza & Banana-berry brownie pizza – Debra

I know since I won the Award at the HoosierStitchers Retreat last weekend. I have not picked up a needle since...I am reading instead, I'm ready the book Robin McGraw Inside My Heart it is a great book. Have you read it yet?

So that is my most recent update…I will be posting more pictures on my Multiply account!

October Ornament~~Finished

I made it another month getting my ornament done. I love The Prairie Schooler patterns but they take so much . I did get it done very early for this month but just have not had had time to get it posted. Two months in a row getting it done early in the month WOW! Shari I would like to thank you again for keeping me motivated.

I have the time to post it today is because I am off work today. I had oral surgery. Yes I had to have my gums grafted again. Everything went great! I am starting to have a lot of throbbing the numbing is starting to wear off. It will be worth it in a couple weeks though. This was the first of two procedures I will have to have done. It could not all be done all at once because I did not have enough tissue in the roof of my mouth. So I will have to go through this again sometime after the first of the year. I am on a soft foods diet.

I am going to a Fall Cross Stitching Retreat next Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday. It is going to be in southern Indiana near Spring Mill State Park. It should be an absolutely beautiful weekend. Mid October the trees are usually so beautiful!