Ah, yes...I am posting this on Tuesday morning versus Tuesday night. Key hint that this poor girl won't be getting any stitching done on her Tuesday! *sigh*
Where to begin...things have been very busy and I am oh so tired! All I can say that it's hard to keep up with my broken down boyfriend aka *the boy*, old crazy parents, work, yoga, chores and errands. Seriously...I don't know how you folks with kids do it!! I'm exhausted!
Both me and *the boy* are ready for some good news in the form of the doctor telling him he can be more mobile sooner than later. He has his doctor's appointment on Thursday. I wonder what he will say. I hope he says no more crutches!!
My dad hasn't been doing too well. The doctor keeps ordering more and more tests. Why so many tests...I don't understand. But the request for more tests has me very worried. So back he goes for more tests this Wednesday. I hope that in the end...it's nothing...or just something very minor.
Work is very busy despite the doom and gloom feeling of the budget crisis. I know I am fine and safe through June and my hours won't be cut in any way. It's after June that I worry about so I am tightening the belt on spending and trying to pay off as much debt as possible. It makes things kind of boring but then I've been very busy running errands and visiting *the boy* and the parentals. No time for fun!
I did have a little bit of fun on Saturday though. I went to NiaH to take a CA Wells class. It was my first class ever! I've heard lots of good things about CA and after seeing her "chocolate box", I decided to plunk down the money and learn a new technique. There is the good and bad to this class experience. The good: CA is amazing. She has great energy, is super nice and friendly and omg, so talented! She was very welcoming and fun! The class was great. It's a beautiful piece and I am happy to have attended the class. It's a lot of information to go through in three hours though and I left the class rather brain-dead and cross-eyed. I can't wait to work on this piece and finish it. It will take me some time especially as I am not quite ready to start it but I am sure I can get it done...in my lifetime! LOL Now the bad: One of the reasons I've decided to wait so long to take a class is because of the cost but also because of judgement. Because of my age and looks, I feel like I am disregarded and not taken seriously because they assume I am a newbie stitcher. I may be a newbie to classes but I've got a quarter of a century of stitching experience under my belt. When I say it like that, I seem old, don't I?! A couple of the ladies at the class were quite rude. One I won't get into but the other made a comment that really rubbed me the wrong way. CA had asked who needed a refresher on how to do her trademark join and I said that she would have to teach me since I have never learned her trademark join seeing as it was my first class with her and isn't the point of the class for her to show you anyways? The woman next to me laughed and then said to another student "she's never done the join and she picks the chocolate box to learn it?!" Ummm....lady, I am right next to you and can hear you! And just because I have never done it before doesn't mean I am not capable. All I know is that I would never make a comment like that to anyone else attending a class. Fact of the matter is that we are all there to learn the same thing and paid the same amount of money. I don't pay that much money to be made to feel inferior. It's no fault of NiaH...just the sad fact that people are rude and mean and don't take other people's feelings into consideration. And I didn't say anything when CA had to repeat the same thing to this lady about 10 times because she didn't understand. I just keep listening and it drills that bit of information into my head. All I know is that if I was in a class where I was more experienced in a certain technique than another, that I would try to help that person as best I could rather than make them feel small and inferior. Sometimes, all it takes is a small thing to ruin a great experience. But in the end, CA was great, I have a wonderful pattern and beautiful supplies and I will entertain myself with the stitching and finishing at some point sooner rather than later. Plus, I got to meet Pat from Lakeside Linens and she was super nice! I tried not to gush about how much I loved her linen but boy do I love her linen!!
My stitching mojo has come to a screeching halt though. Finding the "great border mistake of 2009" has bummed me out and even though most everyone said to leave the mistake as is...I am a tad too OCD to do that. Yes, call me crazy...but I will be frogging out the entire leafy border on the bottom of the snappers. Yep, you heard me...I will frog out 19 inches of GAST Dried Thyme leaves. *Sigh* I know, it's maddening. I haven't even frogged yet so I can change my mind at any moment but I know I wont. It's the OCD. But I also have to order the GAST and hope that it somewhat matches what I've already done. I've got a QFRR and an ornament to work on to take my mind off of the Snappers derailment but this week is just too chaotic and busy for me to get much stitching done.
So on *stitchy Tuesday*, I will head to the parentals to visit with my dad and make sure he's ok before his test and do laundry. Yes, folks...my life is just that thrilling!
Until next time...
7 comments:
Oh Sweet Valerie! I am so sorry that someone in class was rude to you. That takes a bit of the fun away. But, I am so glad that you rallied and had a good time anyway. Sometimes people just don't think about how comments sound before they say them. :(
You are easily one of the best stitchers I have seen -- and I have seen a LOT of stitching. Most of the bad stuff being my own! :) I have dislexica pretty bad and mix up my cross stitch all of the time (the top stitch goes left to right mostly then from right to left). I used to take it all out! Now if it is in the right place -- it just stays right where it was.
I saw your snapper work. It really is wonderful. However, like I said I would take it out. Not because it looks bad -- but because it would be all I could see. Most people feel that way if the crosses don't match. So who knows?
I got some stitching done too. I'll show you soon.
Peace Out,
Mary
Hello Valerie, I saw that class offered at NiaHs...I have always dreamed about taking a Saturday and hanging out with fellow stitchers in a classroom. It is a shame that some people don't think before they open their mouth - but I wouldn't let that bother you. It sounds like you received a lot of good thing from the class (meeting CA, new pattern, new tools and so on); that comment should not be the one thing you remember from the class. I wish that I would have taken that class too...I don't know any of CAs tricks, never have stitched any of her things!
You seem to have a lot on your plate - remember to take time for yourself. Yes, us with kids have about the same amount of things going on - but we all get through it the best we can...just like you are.
Take care!
Lisa in East Bay
www.cadurst.blogspot.com
Don't let that woman get to you.
She's the same person who was the nasty little bitch in high school.
She's the same one who gives dirty looks because you wore "that" to the office Christmas party.
Thankfully she isn't everywhere. I've taken a handful or so of classes and I've been lucky that the other ladies in class were eager to help other stitchers, or at the very least kept their nastiness to themselves.
There's always 'one' at every class that has to spoil it for others but don't worry as your "Chocolate Box" will be much nicer than hers. She has a nasty streak which will in turn make her "Chocolate Box" nasty!
Can't wait to see your WIP!
[[[Hugs]]]
You are perfectly right, there is no reason to spend money on a class if you don't plan to learn something at the class. You can call up the girlfriends for a free stitch-in. It sounds like you learned something new, brought home some nice goodies and will have a lovely project in the end. I hope you can forget 'Miss Rude' and remember what a lovely experience it was overall. The pieces you've shown here are just lovely and now that we know you're OCD (LOL) and feel you must frog the flaming border I expect you always do your very best. Good luck with that...I don't think I'd start frogging until the new GAST arrives though, just in case. I got different dye lots of one of their Blues and, oh my, you would never have guessed it was the same color, they were sooooooo much different. Hope your dad is ok and the boy gets back to normal soon.
You are perfectly right, there is no reason to spend money on a class if you don't plan to learn something at the class. You can call up the girlfriends for a free stitch-in. It sounds like you learned something new, brought home some nice goodies and will have a lovely project in the end. I hope you can forget 'Miss Rude' and remember what a lovely experience it was overall. The pieces you've shown here are just lovely and now that we know you're OCD (LOL) and feel you must frog the flaming border I expect you always do your very best. Good luck with that...I don't think I'd start frogging until the new GAST arrives though, just in case. I got different dye lots of one of their Blues and, oh my, you would never have guessed it was the same color, they were sooooooo much different. Hope your dad is ok and the boy gets back to normal soon.
Valerie, lucky you to have a chance to do a CA Wells class. Sometimes NZ is just soooo far away from everywhere! I am green with envy. Ignore that lady and revel in the fact that you have learned such a lot.
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