Can It Get Any Quieter Here?

I have been taking longer the finish cause of medical treatments that have left me a bit weak and tired to do much. Or at times, the eyes have been a bit off where details were getting blurred.

Fractionals, yes. Mostly at the points that the backstitch cuts across the stitch. There are areas that I find that seem to get off with the way the backstitch is set from point A to point B and doesn't check on how the item it is "hi-lighting" actually flows. As in the clothing, it cuts some places as blocky or squared instead of curves.

Tree doesn't seem too bad. Bird was lots of repeats in small sections but ok, I would have wanted a bit more detail in the head like the way they did the face. Haven't edged the peacock yet. Thing that was a pain for me was the clothing and the waste of time changing colour combo for some effect that for me just doesn't come out as noticeable as one would think. Like why did they do combo next to each other that only changed one colour, and that was just one colour step apart, I have to use the pattern to see where it changed for the most part. If it was for a fold or bend in the clothing then step it 2 or 3 shades it show a bit more.

One thing I noticed is some of the combined colours, it was almost not worth doing the dark purple and black combo next to black areas. I would have changed it to a brighter purple or a lighter shade of black to bring out the detail a bit better.

I just got back from a long weekend in Chincoteague, Virginia. Lovely weather, but got eaten alive by mosquitos. They weren't bad at the beach, generally, or in the town, which sprays continually. But we had a rental house out in the woods right at the water, and they were brutal there.

Got to see a couple of the ponies up close and personal, and enjoyed some long walks on the beach. We usually go in September, but this year DD is getting married in September, so we went in August. It's much more crowded. She's promised never to get married in September again, so it shouldn't be a problem to return to post-season vacationing!

And I got a lot of stitching done in the evenings!

sue

Sounds like fun - despite the bugs. I'm jealous of your pony time, and likely more pleasant stitching time.

Glad you got to vacation all as a family - just think - next year you get an in-law....

ellice

Oo! Oo! Sue! Is there a difference between the ponies on Assateague or are they all the same? Also, how big are they? I've seen docos, but never really got a sense of the size...

We had the in-law this year -- and the previous two years, too. He's already one of the family. And a good cook, so always welcome.

sue

Good for you. Afraid our vacations have been/will be the wondrous weekend of crazed in-laws in NJ 2 weeks ago (though we adore the 90 year old grand-aunt who actually sent us a thank you note for coming up) and my wonderful 10 days in Milwaukee (woo hoo) for ANG national.

Good cooks - always a good addition - and a happy portent for your DD! BTW

- another friend is going to the outer banks this weekend - I passed on the mosquito/bug warning. I'm so craving beach time -hoping we'll be able to maybe hit the Jersey shore with my cousins in Sept at least.

Ellice

Trish Brown wrote: > Oo! Oo! Sue! Is there a difference between the ponies on Assateague or

Well, I know nothing about horses/ponies so...they're full-size ponies. Not quite as big as a horse, but not particularly "small." And big enough I wouldn't want to meet one on the beach in the dark!

They vary in color: Dark brown, black, tan, white, white with tan or brown or black splotches...(I know that's not official horse description language!)

The wikipedia site has some good links. Check out the "colorful Chincoteague" site for some great photos. Many alongside people, so you can see the relative size.

sue

The Chincoteague ponies were made famous by the Marguerite Henry books, "Misty of Chincoteague" and then "Stormy" - the foal. There's a lot of info about keeping them protected as there were some issues with the herd a few years ago, IIRC. My dad's aunt gave me a beautiful illustrated version of the first one when I was quite young - it was a well-loved book.

Really nice thing. I had many years of begging my parents to go for the pony swim and adopt one! (unsuccessfully of course).

ellice

More like a NECESSITY for DD, who can't boil water. Okay, maybe she can do that...and perhaps stretch to grilled cheese....but that's about it. No interest in it. (Unlike siblings, who do cook.)

Over the weekend, when cooking came up in conversation, DD said to DFSIL, "I'm so glad you like to cook. Thank you for cooking so I can lay on the sofa and play video games while you cook." LOL!

sue

Understood - I taught a few roomies to cook at least basics. My DA, who is about 70 now - still can't cook. Since she was going to be a doctor evidently no one really thought she needed to learn to cook, or couldn't get her interested. All she can do is scramble eggs, and this is an improvement

- cook steak on the George Foreman grill (before it was only in a pan on stove). But, she's very good about buying good deli, and semi-prepped stuff at the nice Publix there. Hence, whenever we're in FL, I have to cook a fair amount for her of the family recipes that no one else can do.

See above. When DA married, they got a full time housekeeper who cooked (her exDH owned very nice ladies dress shop - took about role reversal). And my DGM would do their grocery shopping.

For me, DH will cook when I'm laid up - he's a pretty good survival cook - and was a bachelor essentially til 36, so I was pleased that he actually kept veggies on hand. But, essentially I cook & do dishes - he will put them away, and is responsible for putting all leftovers away. And I do make him hit the farmers' market with me - which he actually likes and has at least been helping with some meal planning. Today's discussion as he left for work (we were talking about last night's WW topic which he missed) was that his family ate by bringing filled plates to table, while in mine we always sat down with serving bowls on table, a little more formally. So, I tend to put things in serving bowls and we sit down together (though I put starters out plated). Anyhow - he thinks I need to serve the main portions of the protein or pasta types on the plate and not let him self serve 'cause he'll take extras without paying attention. So, that was a good thing as he's decided (despite his losing weight steadily, easily) to be a little more diligent. OTOH, I'm pretty happy having gone down more than a size. Only about a million to go now.

Ellice

My DH cooks two nights a week per our schedule (which we set up umpteen years ago when I was a SAHM and he worked in an office), but often will start cooking if I delay (procrastinate) long enough. He doesn't like to eat late, so if dinner isn't started by 6:30 he gets anxious and will go ahead with preparations, with or without me. We share cleanup/dishwasher emptying - whoever's there and available.

And he also does the grocery shopping, bless his li'l heart! I figure, I did it for most of the first 25 or so years of our marriage, and he's done it for the past eight or nine years, so I'll resume in another decade or so when he's ready for a break!

(OTOH, I know he'll never pick up a bathroom mop or swish a toilet, and I can live with that...)

Sue

Thanks Sue. I'll check it out. ;-D

LOL! Me too, only there was the small question of the Specific Ocean to overcome. That shut me up quick-smart, but I got my first horse when I was fourteen and didn't look back. I think that was the last time I whined for anything, but I'm *so* glad I did: it worked for once.

LOL! I'll try remember to post them tomorrow.

Joan

Count me green with envy! I've always wanted to see them. Are they still adopting them out?

Joan

They still do the pony penning and auction every year. We avoid that weekend!

sue

It's a place that raises alpacas.

Okay, I finally remembered to get the cards out!

The one in Vancouver is Stitch Craft:

Theywere really nice and helped me find just the right yarn for myproject. The 2nd one is Foothills Yarn & Fiber: actually have more in the store than on the website, variegatedsin the Baby Alpaca Grande (bulky) yarn, specifically. I'm surprisedthey didn't kick me out for all the drool I was producing!!! LOLJoan