book update

I haven't done a book update for awhile so I figured it was time.

In November I read 6 books for a total of 2,853 pages this month.  Two of those books were chunksters (meaning they were each over 450 pages)

So now I am up to 76 books for the year - a bit behind last year (83 books) but ahead in pages (1653 for last year).

I admit that being sick and not feeling good enough to do anything probably boosted the page count for this month.  Hopefully not for next month - too much to do!

This is what we discovered Thanksgiving morning.  Since it never got above freezing on Thanksgiving, this small amount of snow was still here on Friday morning.  It's now mostly gone.  I just hate to think of how much more may be coming this winter.

I did not venture out on Black Friday.  Just not my thing, besides I have even finished my lists yet.  Thank heavens no one is wanting some wildly popular item and if they are - they didn't remember to tell me.
Heck, I made one daughter ecstatic because I bought her a plain white gravy boat and took it over for Thanksgiving.

Now it's back to the end of the month paperwork for my various volunteer groups.

recovery

Who knew back in June that we would need a vacation so baaad by the time it finally rolled around.  Yes, way back in June we scheduled a vacation to St. Thomas with my brother-in-law and his wife for this November.  We were so happy to miss the arctic breeze and accompanying snow.

Our view from the balcony.   All the "villas" faced the ocean, the backs faced another building or greenery.

The ferry we took into town (in place of a cab).  Same price as the cabs as well.





Watching the cruise ships leave in the evenings.

The view from the lobby.

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I was standing at poolside to take this photo.


It was a great get-a-way!

Pins and Needles Day

Pins and Needles Day

The real purpose of Pins and Needles Day is to commemorate the opening of the pro-Labor play Pins and Needles on Broadway on this day in 1937. Over decades of time, people lost track of the original meaning of this day. Today, most people look upon Pins and Needles Day, as a nervous and anxious day. Its a day of eager anticipation, as we await an event or for something to happen. One could argue that kids are on pins and needles from now until Christmas, as they nervously wonder if they have been good enough to receive a visit from Santa in a few weeks. Of all the special days on the calendar, this is a nerve racking day. You are on pins and needles until that special future event successfully unfolds. And, if it doesn't.......... well we will just think positively. We hope you have a happy, and calm, and relaxing Pins and Needles Day!

My first thought was needles to stitch with and straight pins for marking your count!  For all the stitchers out there, this should be our day !

This year it also happens to fall on Thanksgiving, so Happy Turkey Day too!

More catch-up

While at EGA National Seminar, I got an opportunity to visit Quail Run Needlework.   Wish I had something that great near me.

I think I counted at least 3 walls of thread, not counting the DMC floss that was in drawers.

 This was part of a trunk show display.  Some great finishing ideas.

Uncle Sam was also part of the trunk show but he just had to come home with me.  I need to gather ideas before I start working on him so it will be winter at the earliest.  Besides it's not like I don't have anything else to do.

At the rate things have gone this Fall, I wonder what winter will bring me.  I came home from the ANG National Seminar and my grandson gave me his cold - that lasted 3 weeks.   A week later I thought I had a stomach virus - turned out to be the flu.  Three days after the EGA seminar, I started getting sick again and this time went to the doctor's.  Good thing - it turned out to be strep throat.  So hopefully everything else will by pass me this winter

I did get to miss the first snow of the season- more on that tomorrow.

Waaaay Behind

Yes, I am late in posting several things.

First I'll head back to the EGA National Seminar and direct you to another blog that had lots more photos than me and and was actually timely. Mostly Needlepoint is the blog by Vicky De Angelis.  A great read!  Start with the end date (for the seminar portion) of October 22 post and then go backwards for some great commentary and photos.

Starting off, this was the courtyard that my room overlooked.  Never very crowded and very peaceful.

 I went past this courtyard, another similar courtyard and a straightaway, past a pool, then a corner, then over a very small street/pathway before I came to this:

If I went past (to the right of the fountain) this small area and beautiful fountain, I went into the building and the first door was the shop - a very dangerous place for my pocketbook!  Going thru the archway (on the left side of the fountain), and heading to the right, you go down a hallway towards the lobby of the convention area.  Going to the left, headed towards my classroom.  I had one of the six classrooms created by splitting up

of the banquet hall.
Here is one half  of my classroom (during break time).  I had some very dedicated stitchers!

And here is some of their color choices.  Color choices are always advocated in my classroom!

You can tell that a couple of them really liked their bling!

And here's the model

More tomorrow!