X Factor USA

I've got to admit I LOVE X Factor.  I always watch it when I'm home in England and I try to catch it on YouTube when I can.  I was doing a happy dance when I heard it was coming to the US and I was doing a jig when I heard Simon Cowell was coming back to tv.  I didn't watch American Idol last season.  I liked how honest Simon was on it - perhaps blunt sometimes but honest. 

The highlight this week had to be Melaine Amaro.  FANTASTIC - goosepimples danced up and down my arms. 

Check out the video (hope the link works!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqjroNlL4pI

Happy Birthday J

It is my middle son's birthday today.  He turned 20 years old.  I can't believe how time has flown.  He was born in New Mexico, the first year I came to America.  I was 21 years old, loney and scared.  I wanted my Mum to be near me.  I don't think I appreciated how much family meant until the time when I left.  Thinking back now I wouldn't have come to America if I had known how I would feel.  Still that's another subject. Just one more thing - it's not that I don't like America, there are some terrific people here, but it still doesn't feel like home after all these years and it is SO hard to be away from family.

Anyway back to J.  He's a great young man.  Of my three kids he is the one who is the most changeable.  The other two are pretty mellow, they go with the flow and don't seem to be bothered by much of anything.  J has had a harder road.  He was diagnosed with Asperger's when he was in sixth grade.  Middle school was VERY bumpy - I wasn't sure we would make it through.  High school was actually a little easier.  He is very high-functioning.  In High school he 'discovered' journalism.  It is what he majors in at Uni and has also shown interest in politics.  He can be the most thoughtful of kids - bringing me chocolate and music just because, yet at other times he can be brash and changeable.  I am so glad to have had him. 

We only had a small gathering.  My hubby's family is small and the two main characters are out of town on a geneaology holiday.  We're getting together next weekend.  Anyway we gave him gifts, sang Happy Birthday over a cake (out of tune I might add) and the five of us celebrated.

Happy Birthday J.

Survived.

I got through the dentist appointment.  My mouth is sore and a little achy but it's over and done wtih.  Another bit done.   I'm sleepy and I have a massive headache (not sure if it's from not eating, stress or from medicine). 

My next appointment isn't until Dec 1st and that's only for a cleaning - I get worried before hand but nothing like this (thank goodness)

Dentist and Books (a little rambling really)

I have to go to the dentist tomorrow.  More work.  I am really, really dreading it.  I've been thinking for a week of canceling but I've forced myself not to.  Only a scale of 1-10 of hating the dentist and anxiety I'm at a 9.  Chicken of me?  Perhaps.  Up until last year it had been a few years since I had been.  I made myself go.  It was really a goal.  I could keep putting it off and REALLY regret it (yes it was getting to that point) or I could go.  I ended up finding a really great place.  It's all women and they are very understanding.  I don't find it particularly painful and once I'm there I'm okay it's just the thought of going.  I can feel my heart pounding and my anxiety level rising just writing about it.  I won't cancel.  It would just be putting it off.  I can't wait until it's over though!

Books - ahhh I can better just thinking about them and escaping within one.  However I have A LOT of them (yep not kidding).  I'm not at the hoarder level but I could see myself getting that way if a) I had the room and b)if I didn't like a little space.  The books in our house are out of control.  I don't think there is one room in the house that doesn't have a book in it (perhaps the bathroom).  Since I got my kindle I've been trying to sell my books to buy replacements of my favourites for my kindle.  I've also been sorting out those I can live without.

Last weekend I took 3 boxes to the library bookshop.  I sort of slid back by buying at least 8 more from the shop. Not good, but they are really cheap .50 to $1.  I do have another 2 boxes to take down.  Perhaps this time I'll just drop them off and not go inside :)

Growing colder and darker - brrr

I love the cooler days of Autumn and the beautiful colours, but I know it's only a matter of time before it gets REALLY cold and then the (dreaded) snow starts.  I'm not a great snow lover - never was - and I don't find anything 'fun' about being out in the stuff for long periods of time. 

I'm in the mood for some Halloween stitching (I think).  I pulled out a couple pieces (yes, they are unfinished) that I stitched a while ago.   I especially like the YIKES design.  Sadly I can't remember the designers for either of them. 

Another little finish

Here's a small piece I finished.  It's by The Stitcherhood and is called R.I.P  Check out their website for other designs.  They have some Pagan-themed cross stitching designs too - quick and easy!

http://www.thestitcherhood.com/

Brrrr....

Gone from having the air on last week to being tempted to put the heat on this week!!!!!

I'm trying, trying, trying hard not to turn anything on.  My boss at work said he gave in and turned his heat on.  I'm wrapped up in my chair with a sweatshirt and a blanket.  I've already had veggie cup-a-soup and took a bath to warm me up. 

Eric or Bill???

All you True Blood fans out there will know what I'm talking about.  Yes.  It was the True Blood season finale.  I won't give anything away, but it didn't disappoint.  I've been a fan of Sookie Stackhouse waaayyy before HBO finally got around to filming.  I loved the books way back in the beginning.  The books are a lot tamer than the series.  I'm sad the season is over - nothing to look forward to watching Monday after work.  Sigh.  Sadly it's on after my bedtime on Sunday night so I always wait until Daughter comes home from school so we can watch it together - along with middle son who is also a fan. 

I did cringe at the way Holly pronounced Samhain.  Yikes. 

Oh I did finish my mini Halloween freebie yesterday while watching Waking the Dead, but have yet to take a pic.  Will take one tomorrow after work.  It's almost my bedtime now.  Sigh.

Well, Autumn is coming...

I can feel it in the air.  Autumn is coming.  The nights are drawing in - it's actually dark when I go to bed at night and it's chillier in the morning when I get up for work.  The air is getting colder.  Today was a dreary Saturday.  It was drizzling when I dropped Daughter off at her volunteer project.  She participates in a club at school called Peace Jam and they were cleaning up a neighbourhood today - washing windows - as part of the volunteer day commerating the Sept 11th anniversary.

Hubby worked on the porch.  It's been needing to be re-screened for a while now.  It's one of those projects that just seems to keep being put off.  It's finally finished.  He made removable screens so that he can put thick plastic on them for the winter.  There's a bunch of stuff on the front porch - books to be taken to the library book shop and other stuff to be taken to the thrift shop for donation.  I've thought about having a garage sale, but like everything else time seems to fly and now the stuff just needs to go.

I've finished another stitching piece - the Dragon Dreams design I posted a pic of in my last post.  I have a couple more 'freebie' designs picked out (one Halloween and one Yule) and then I think I'm going back to working on my large project.  I'm building up to it.

Oops now that I've looked at it I realise it's missing the A SPOT OF TEA wording on it.  Hum, not sure if I'm going to add it or not.

Back to School...

It was the kids' first day back at school.  Half a day for daughter - a senior in High School this year and full day for sons in Uni.  I'm SO glad it was a 1/2 day.  Got home - daughter was at back door and couldn't get it open.  Silly lock got stuck again.  Had to pull out a ladder and have her climb through a window.  Not sure what I would have done if she wasn't home.  The space to fit through is small and she's a lot skinnier than me!

Tomorrow I have a day off and everybody will be gone for a while - it will be nice! Can't remember the last time I was home alone.  I won't have a car either as daughter is planning on driving to school.  She's the Editor of the school newspaper and is staying after to talk to her Journalism teacher.  Nice excuse not to go anywhere :)

Got started on a new stitching piece.  This one is a Dragon Dreams freebie called A SPOT OF TEA.  It is designed by Jennifer Aiken Smith.  She has such wonderful designs.  Check out her website and her blog. 

http://www.dragondreams.ca/Sample_Charts.html

Finished Cross Stitch!

It's been a while since I stitched and longer still since I finished anything.  I FINALLY got a piece started and finished. 

My Mum loves to drink tea.  I know, classic English stereotype.  It's amazing how many Americans are shocked that I don't like tea but that's another subject.  Anyway I picked out a piece from a British Cross Stitcher mag a while ago with plans on stitching it for Mum's birthday.  I did get it finished - her birthday is tomorrow - unfortunately she lives in England so it won't be there in time.  I decided to save it for a Christmas/Yule present.  I did send her some beautiful red roses through Interflora and ordered a couple books and DVDs from Amazon.co.UK

Anywhere here is the finished piece

Garage Sale finds

I checked Craig's List after work and saw a garage sale that said 'Cross Stitch Items' so DD and I decided to try to find our way to the other side of town.  She wanted to go shopping for a new school outfit at Kohls (not even close in proximity to the Garage Sale) so we 'combined' trips.  It was an adventure to find (ie we got lost) but I did find a few goodies.  Not quite sure what I'm going to do with them.  I paid $12 something for all of it.  Not bad.

These are all finished pieces.

                                               1 Heart in Hand kit and several patterns.