Fully Caffeinated Since 1982
11.30.2003
Stomach Flu and Heartaches
I woke up sick as a dog this morning and I've only started to feel a little better.
Gag-a-lag.
On other fronts which shall remain un-named, I'm through. Done. It's over. When people start complaining about Christmas religious views being shoved down their throats, that's time for me to say 'Adios'. No shoving has been going on, so that tells me that someone somewhere has gotten curious, opened up and said 'ahhh', and then got annoyed when they actually bit. It's irritating. And, it's over. Good riddance. Good greif, that would be like me reading about Yule and then complaining that I was trying to be converted. I've read things people have written about Yule, and I didn't feel threatened or 'challeneged'. I wish people would just not be so quick to jump the gun.
Just for the record, Christmas is a major holiday for Christians, and when we talk about it we are going to include terms like "Jesus", "virgin birth", "salvation", and other buzz words that might strike chords but it is not for the sole intention of annoying, picking at, or shoving views down one's throat. These terms and others just kind of come with the holiday and our celebrations. Why is it that children seem to get this and get along, but we adults just can't get a grip? It boggles the mind.
Alrighty then! I don't feel better, but at least my mind feels a little clearer. I know many of you have no clue to what I'm talking about, but let's just say I'm refering to stressful situation that always seem to rear its ugly heads this time of year that I'm just not going to entertain. Not this year.
I've also been neglecting la Ragamuffin, which I need to get back to. I fear my last few entries here have been less than positive, but it has felt good to get things off my chest. It has also made me realize that the only thing that can change these situations is myself. I can choose to go towards that which is stressful to me, or I can choose to avoid it. It's quite simple, really. So, the point is, I need to get back to my journal for more concentrated writing.
My coffee maker is still broken. I didn't realize how much power can be found in a single cup of java. That in itself is a scary thing.
My desires to visit the land Down Under still rages. This Yank just wants to hang with my Aussie and Kiwi friends and just chill for a while, away from responsibilities and 'must happens'. That, my friends, would be awesome.
Posted by: Stacey / 11/30/2003 11:29:00 AM
11.29.2003
A Tired Mind And No Coffee To Be Found
I didn't sleep well. I don't know why, because I was bone tired when I went to bed and normally I sleep like the dead when I'm that zonked.
Coffee. I need coffee. Alas, our coffee maker is broken, a state I just discovered this morning.
Tired mind abounds.
I've really been mulling some things over and it's time to pray them through or let them go. I may extend this train of thought in the Ragamuffin, or I just may chuck it all together. Whirlwinds have a way of whirrling themselves out and I'm hoping that is the case.
I asked a question a few entries back about bulletin board personaes verses blog personaes, and I want to irriterate a little from where that stems. Erin and I were discussing the different way people "read"; for example, she mentioned that she thought I read a little different in my blog as opposed to my bulletin board personality. I found this quite fascinating. We both chalked it up to two sides of the one coin, and I began to wonder how many people seem one way to me but perhaps I am only seeing one facet of their personality?
Very interesting to ponder..
Posted by: Stacey / 11/29/2003 05:29:00 AM
11.28.2003
Beginning of the Holidays!
Belated Happy Turkey Day.
Bah Humbug.
While I had a nice time, my mood has been temporarily spoiled. It concerns a post I read, and I just had to roll my eyes and sigh.
It seems there was a time when good manners and proper decorum seemed to preside over someone's "right to be heard". No one agrees on everything, and not everyone is even thankful for the same things; but for cryin' out loud, do you have to highjack a thread just so you ensure your opinion can be heard loud and clear? Particularly when you know it is going to cause a controversy that was specifically requested not to happen? I don't understand that just because something is deemed "public forum" that people think they can be as tacky as they want. Disgusting display of rudeness, if you ask me. Good grief, is seems we are becoming non-sensical beings that care for nothing other than speaking our piece regardless of the appropriateness of situation. Frankly, you should be ashamed. My four year old understands good manners better than that.
Okay, heavy mood unloaded.
Now, on to the stitching front!:):)
Last night something happened that blew me away. A color conversion for Celtic Spring came to me, out of the blue, and it was completely unexpected. As a matter of fact, I was stitching on Celtic Christmas when it came to me and what else could I do but put CC aside and snatch up my DMC chart. Pen in hand, silks and cottons strewn across the floor, and soft images of white, pale blue, and pale greens swirled around me as I studied the Wood Violet Jobelan with the intensity of a super nova. Which beads should I use? Gold or Silver metallics?
:: We interrupt this program to officially kick off the Christmas season with the first hearing of 'Felize Navidad'! Woohoo! ::
Purples of blues? Pale greens or dark? Blonde or brunette? So many choices! So many questions! Too many answers! Well, being the experienced color converter that I am, I did the one thing that I knew would bring instant success...I went to bed. Too much decision making for one night, and I knew I could think better in the morning.
And, as predicted, I came up with a very interesting conversion all based around one thread: pistachio Nut by Waterlilies. Since I'm in a hurry to post this, I'm not going to post links to this gorgeous thread, but I will later. It is going to be a very soft conversion, and since I am not going to incorporate the word 'SPRING' into the piece it can represent any season anyone wants.
I am not a stranger to color conversions, and although I don't own the majority of them (i.e. Pink Middy conversion and Blue Titania conversions now belong to Angi, Lavender Summer Queen belongs to Annette, African-American Deepest Love all in bronzes and golds belongs to Claire, the white dragon conversion for The Castle belongs to Sasy, yaddah yaddah yaddah) I have to say I am going to keep good records of this one. I think she is going to be lovely, and I can't wait to post my progress.
Okay, now that I've written a novel DH and I are going to take our gift tuckers to Outback Steakhouse. It may be the closest we get to Australia for a while, so I'm going to make the most of it.
Bloomin' Onion, anyone?
Posted by: Stacey / 11/28/2003 12:44:00 PM
11.21.2003
Emerald Dreams
Materials for the upcoming Mini-Mystery E:
::::::::: sigh ::::::::::::::
That's it. I'm dead. I'm gone. It's over. I might as well put everything else away and proclaim 2004 as the Year of Chatelaine.
Posted by: Stacey / 11/21/2003 02:32:00 PM
Simple Pleasures
::::::::::: sing songs :::::::::::::
I just talked to Valerie! I just talked to Valerie!...
::::::::: skips away :::::::::::::
Posted by: Stacey / 11/21/2003 07:49:00 AM
Anuddah Entrie
New entry up at the Ragamuffin. I didn't realize it has been a while since I last wrote! Ah...how time flies.
Posted by: Stacey / 11/21/2003 06:44:00 AM
ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmmmmm...
I am feeling very introspective today. This may or may not be a good thing, but it will be interesting all the same.
Here is a question for anyone who would like to play:
Does your writing reflect your whole personality or only a facet of it?
Explanation at noon (or tomorrow, whichever I get to first...)
Posted by: Stacey / 11/21/2003 03:50:00 AM
11.20.2003
Blogging Sense
Well, BlogRolling is up again and I've added some new links.
BTW, Happy Belated Birthday to Zena, author of Farseer Red. Another New Zealander whom I am dying to visit! Ah, one day, one day.
Moving on...
You know the old adage, "Don't say something behind someone's back you would not say to his face". Well, here's a new one:
"Don't write something in your blog you don't want others to read".
Here is a story about some guy who was horrified when his mom told him she had found his blog. He's horrified because some of the contents are not exactly the things he wants his mother to know about, you know, like casual sex and illegal drug consumption.
Hmm. Not exactly great fodder for Thanksgiving Dinner.
Call me unsympathetic, but if you don't want your mother to find something out don't publicize it on a public journal. Anyone who has access to the internet can find out just about anything about anyone, just by putting in a name or names associated with a name. It's not complicated. Shoot, I've done a search on my name before and I found myself listed under a "Past Loves" page from a guy I dated nearly 20 years ago!!!! Talk about a surprise!
But I digress...
The point is, if you don't want to be ashamed of something, don't send it out there for billions of people to see, or at the very least in the off chance the very one person you *don't* want to see it is going to be using the internet. I've read some blogs that have left me blushing like a school girl. Some blog contents have been so raunchy they have left me feeling the dire need to take a shower. Needless to say these blogs have not made it to my reading list, I can assure you, but it still never fails to amaze me what people actually put in them and then gripe about others reading what they have written. Sure, it's their personal space, but if it bothers them that certain people are going to reading their tales then they don't need to write them in the first place. If you don't care, that's another story. But if you do, then you take the risk of embarrassing the tarnation out of yourself.
Pretty simple mathematics, really.
I suppose you can say I am a cruel human being because, if I may be so vunerable to admit, I think the guy needs a little 'Dose Of Mama' right now. Son, get off those drugs, find a good woman, and grow up! Yeesh!
Sorry...I suppose that's my "middle age" self kicking in.
On the stitching front, I just peeked out the window and saw my package from European Cross Stitch is here! Yay! You know what that means???? Mystery VI has arrived! Now, to wait with bated breath until December 25th when Martina is releasing the first part of the chart. Huzzah!
I think I'll go fondle some silks now. See you all later...
edited to add: The article from The Onion: is it real or is it Memorex? Hmm...
Posted by: Stacey / 11/20/2003 09:57:00 AM
11.18.2003
The Travel Bug Hits
I really really really want to go to New Zealand.
I really really really can't afford it.
::::::::: big sigh ::::::::::::
Drat you, Peter Jackson...
Posted by: Stacey / 11/18/2003 02:59:00 PM
11.17.2003
Hmmm...
I cannot figure out why there is this monstrous gap in my previous entry. It is most annoying...
Ah, aparently I did not shorten the BWAHAHA enough...Cheers, Hazel!:)
Word to the wise: when in doubt about templates and forms and simple web site common sense, see Hazel or Jennie, NOT Prin. I flatter myself to think I know what's going on in my template's mind's eye, but the truth is it has me completely flubbed befuzzled.
Now, to completely back track on days, the 13th was my birthday. I know it's considered rude to ask a lady how old she is, so I'll squash the curiosity and tell you: I was 35 years young. All those years of razzing my husband that while he was zooming towards 40 I was still on this side of 35 have now caught up with me. Not that I think 35 is old, no way...it's just not 25.
Of course, I don't think I'd want to be 25 again. Things that bothered me then barely phase me now, or it could just be that I've adopted a new set of 'phase-ables'. Then again, maybe I've just mellowed.
The best present I received was from my husband.:) He got for me a ring I've been wanting. It is white gold and it's a circle of two dolphins that meet in the middle. They are holding a tiny, channel set diamond. It is so delicate and so intricate; you can even see the smile in their beaks. It goes beautifully with my wedding band, which is a gold band with channel set diamonds. At first I wondered how the white gold would look against the yellow gold, but I could not bring myself to get the dolphins in yellow gold. They are shimmering, silver creatures and I wanted the ring to capture that.
And for those of you who know my absolute nuttiness about dolphins, I'm sure I don't have to elaborate how much this gift means to me.:)
The truth is, Robert has bought me many rings in our past. When we got engaged we could not afford a diamond, so he bought me a ruby. When we could afford a diamond, he bought me a small marquise. Right before we got married, he bought me a stunning princess cut 3/4 total weight diamond stunner with channel diamond set on the side, a monster of a ring because the setting is so high. I am now the proud owner of two delicate dolphins and one tiny, glittering diamond. If I could only keep one ring with my wedding band it would be this one, no doubt about it.
Behold the beauty:
I've named them Wavedancer and Rainsong. Pretty cool, huh?
Sigh. Life is full of simple pleasures, isn't it? I think I'll go put "Flipper" in the VCR and dream I'm riding a turquoise wave while being serenaded by the Beach Boys's 'Cocamo'. Or, at the very least, Tia Carrera's 'Aloha Oe'.
Note: for those who are interested, you can view this and other amazing jewelry at Whitman Jack Jewelry Genuis. They are located in Key West and each piece is made individually, so every one is unique. Yes, yes, shameless plug, but they deserve it.
Posted by: Stacey / 11/17/2003 11:14:00 AM
11.12.2003
Erin, Tell Us What You *Really* Think?
I just found this and I have to share. ::::::: giggle ::::::::
Erin's musings on Star Wars: Attack of the Clones:
OMG, the acting was just so bad! It makes Adam West's Batman look like Oscar-winning performances!
BWAAAAAAAHAAHAAHAAA!!!!!!!
I'm sorry, Erin, I know I should have asked your permission to quote you, but I found that so funny I just couldn't help myself!! Adam West!! :::::::::::::: hee! hee! hee! heeheehee!!! :::::::::::::::::::::::::
If you have not read any of Erin's Movie Musings, I suggest you do. They are (:::snicker:::!) a fount of knowledge, not to mention a great read.:)
Posted by: Stacey / 11/12/2003 01:36:00 PM
Elegance of the Orient
Well. I'm exhausted.
I have absolutely no idea why I'm exhausted, seeing as I haven't done anything, but I'm exhausted all the same.
I am *totally* over computers at the moment, and yes I do see the irony that I am here using one despite my aggravation (not to mention I'm using my husband's icky-sticky keyboard which doesn't improve my mood). Blech blagh blugh. He bought a new computer and I got his not-so-old one, with a bigger monitor and a boat-load of more ram (whatever that means), and after a weekend of tweaking/changing/finessing I thought we were all okay.
Not so, Kimosabe. Nothing is really as simple as placing a plug in a socket and expecting it to work right, not anymore.
Well, that brings us to today: I can get on line from his computer but not mine, hence the sticky keyboard (I refused to have it and kept my own). Everything was working dandy yesterday, but go figure.
Oh, and word to the wise: NEVER use a baby wipe to clean a computer screen.
So, let's get down to business:
On the stitching front, I've revived a UFO that has it's stitching beginnings in 1999, the year my son was born. It's a kit from Dimensions called Elegance of the Orient, and she was my first major color conversion. I'm stitching it on Star Sapphire Jobelan and the kimono will be purple, not blue. I found it the other day and it was weird: it was like rated-G cheesy romance novel, just BAM! And I fell in love with her all over again. This is one gorgeous geisha, and I have always planned to stitch her and her companion, the Mighty Samurai and hang them together. That is still the plan, and they will hang in my master bedroom.
On the stash front, I went to Hobby Lobby today and purchased Jewels of the Orient. I know Jen's stitching this, so if I can get some progress done on my other pieces perhaps I can challenge her to a SAL and see who will finish first. Not that I have any hope in this world at all at winning such a prospect, you understand, but it's fun to know someone is stitching the same piece at the same time. My next big purchase will be Japanese Maiden, and I'm positively drooling.
If I may wax interesting for the moment, but it seems I've always loved the Orient, in particular China and Japan. I don't know why God chose to make me Caucasian, but He did and gave me a healthy dose of love for the exotic to boot. And when I say Caucasian, I mean white. We are talking mayonnaise, here. There is no way you could possibly mistake my Anglo-Saxon heritage for anything else, no sireebob. I used to wonder if perhaps there wasn't an Asian somewhere in the woodpile of our ancestry that would account for my complete adoration of all things Oriental, but nope, 'fraid not. The most interesting figure in our family is not even in mine, but my husband's; his paternal great-grandmother was full-blooded Cherokee. It shows in him in the summer like crazy. All he has to do is expose himself to the sun for maybe an hour and he turns this lustrous golden-bronze that speaks of the glorious Native American Indian nations. Me? 10 minutes in the car on a sunny day and I become lobster-head. No tanning for me! Just red as a strawberry and twice as tender.
Anyway, the point is I love Oriental style and decor and I want to add the lovely cross stitch geishas to the mix of my house.
On to a little self-examination:
Now, if I may be so vunerable to say, that through this blog I am finding I have a very interesting effect on people. Keep in mind this could just be my perception, but for some reason it seem I am either giving someone cause for great inspiration or great annoyance. Why this is, I have yet to decipher, but it fascinates me. I don't set out to purposely inspire or annoy anyone, and yet it happens just the same. The only thing I know I am doing is just being honest and trying to let myself show in my entries, nothing more or less. Every writer of the blogs and journals I read does the same thing, so I am certainly not original in my intent. So, if I have inspired you I humbly say, "Thank you", and if I have annoyed you I humbly say, "Don't waste a good annoyance on me, there are bigger fish to fry, I'm just a tadpole."
My husband jokes that ever since I told Viggo off I've gotten bossy. Well, nah, not really...I'm really quite the plegmatic jellyfish.
Whew! I've had some catching up to do, haven't I? I'm not quite caught up completely, as I have a couple of blogs I need to add but since I'm not on my computer I can't just "blogroll it" and I have to do it manually. It seems the little internet conviences have made me frightfully lazy. My my my...
Posted by: Stacey / 11/12/2003 12:34:00 PM
11.11.2003
November 11th~~Veterans Day
Here in the US today is Veterans Day. It's the day we acknowledge and honor those brave veterans from World War I, and what they have done for us as a nation and for nations around us. I honor their bravery and their fortitude.
From a personal stance, I also take this time to honor our veterans from other wars and the one we currently wage.
I've been out of the loop for a few days, but in honor of the many veterans alive and deceased I will refrain from my standard entry and place in its stead:
I pledge allegiance to the flag
Of the United States of America
And to the Republic for which it stands
One nation
Under God
Indivisible
With liberty and justice for all
and may I add
God, may You keep our men and women who today fight on foreign soil safe
and bless their families during this time of absence. Thank you, Lord, for the men and women who, from the very beginning, saw fit to sacrifice themselves so that I may have this nation I call home.
Stay strong, everyone. Stay proud. See you tomorrow.
Posted by: Stacey / 11/11/2003 01:36:00 PM
11.07.2003
A Cold, an Article, and More Dolphins
Apparently I had been chasing a cold and I didn't even know it. Well, this morning I caught it.
Blechgh.
My brother, Bob Giadrosich, sent me a link to his latest article. It's fabulous, but I didn't expect anything less. He has an amazing mind, and a gift for words. Enjoy.
BTW, I finally saw Finding Nemo. It was great, but only one gripe...not enough dolphins! Oh well...we can't have everything, I s'pose.
Posted by: Stacey / 11/07/2003 07:56:00 AM
11.06.2003
Finally!
I did it! Huzzah!
Yes, I finally figured out how to add Comments to the Ragamuffin. It took a little jiggling, but everything is now up and running. Go me.:)
Blogger is acting very strange this morning. I clicked on my blog to find some pictures that are definitely *not* mine staring me in the face from my sidebar. The .gifs were acting weird, and at one point my blog became very elongated, for lack of a better word.
It was slimming, if nothing else, but not very efficient as far as reading goes.
From the bulletin board front, the advertising drama continues. We can say what we want about advertising in threads, fine, but when we start grousing about signature lines I think it's time to chill out with a spot of tea and a jam-smeared crumpet, know what I mean?
I'm sure whatever Annette and Kay decide to do will be fine; that's why they are the admins.
On the purchasing side of things, I am actually thinking of getting Chatelaine's Mini Mystery C. What is wrong with me? Have I truly turned into a Chatelaine junkie? Good for Martina perhaps, but owie on the pocketbook.
Oh, well...strike while the iron's hot.
Posted by: Stacey / 11/06/2003 08:47:00 AM
11.05.2003
Just Chummin' the Waters 
see ya, wouldn't wanna be ya...
Can you imagine???
edited to add: Christine says this is a dolphin, not a shark, to which I would be TOTALLY cool with seeing!!! I'm a dolphin freak, didn't you all know that?
I think it's the shadow of the fluke that threw me...a shark's fluke sits vertically while a dolphin's sits horizontally. This one looks vertical, but it may just be the shadow of the waves.
Of course, I wonder if that surfer can tell the difference???
Posted by: Stacey / 11/05/2003 03:13:00 PM
Setting the Record Straight
I started working on a crochet piece last night. It's called "Branches and Berries", and the pattern is just gorgeous! After I get through my first round I'll post a pic.
My Mystery IV is screaming to be stitched on, but the Mini Mandalas, with voices combined, are drowning it out. I guess it's the Minis tonight, then.
New entry up at the Ragamuffin.
BTW, I still love Viggo, I just felt I had to set the record straight. We're still chummy.:)
Posted by: Stacey / 11/05/2003 10:26:00 AM
11.04.2003
Honestly Truly
I'm having an e-mail correspondance with someone, and I fear it is not going well. Let's just say we are on opposite sides of the coin when it comes to our religious practices. At the risk of totally offending her, I addressed some of the issues she brought up to me in a previous e-mail, and yet I know these are things she does not want to hear.
Well, I can't help it: I respect people too much to lie to them about what I belive, or "slant" it so they won't be annoyed. If we are going to be mature, honest adults then we should be able to speak openly without fear of offense. Unfortunately, so little of that actually happens anymore.
I do not get my self-worth from the validation of others, and I would think others do not get their self-worth from any validation from me. I think if we all remembered this principle there would be a lot more genuine, honest discussions around.
All that said, I still don't want her to be upset. I honestly, truly hope and pray she's not...
Posted by: Stacey / 11/04/2003 03:29:00 PM
A Silvery Day
The sky is silver, adorned with clouds swollen with rain. Little by little, the clouds release their watery captives to sprinkle on us mortals below in gentle reprieve. The air is cool, yet not cold, and everything is calm.
It's my favorite kind of day.
I want to thank everyone for the words of encouragement yesterday. It's nice to know raw honesty is still appreciated.
I have not worked any more on Mystery IV, because my heart has been captivated by a little cheek called Mini Mandala 1. I'm stitching this saucy little design on black fabric, so we'll see how things turn out. Thank God for Ott lights. I'll be working on it this week, so I don't plan to get back to MIV (officially known as Misty Morning Vinyard) until next week.
I'm off to Wal-Mart...I'll write a little more later today, same bat time, same bat channel...
Posted by: Stacey / 11/04/2003 06:24:00 AM
11.03.2003
A Tad Low
Not feeling real great today. It's not so much my body as it is my spirit.
I made a counting mistake that nearly cost me all the work I have done on Mystery IV so far. It may not be a whole lot of work, but when you put into account all the money for the fabric and materials it's a mistake big enough to rival Godzilla's footprint.
I was off by one stinking stitch and it's unfroggable. I am blue.
However, there is a shred of hope. It may alter the design a little, but I'm willing to try it. If it works, I'll post a pic and details later.
If it doesn't I'll take a bath and have a good cry. Maybe even eat some chocolate.
New entry at the Ragamuffin. Reader beware. Bad mood abounds.
Happy news: I just saw the mail truck whiz by, after depositing a package that looks suspiciously like my Mini-Mandalas order from European Cross Stitch. Huzzah.
Posted by: Stacey / 11/03/2003 09:08:00 AM
11.01.2003
It's November But You Wouldn't Know It
It feels like Spring outside. Crazy Georgia weather. Our Falls and our Springs are only seperated by the colors of the leaves on the trees. Otherwise, you don't really know the difference. Of course, I'm south of Atlanta, so I bet Erin and Nicole are getting a tad cooler weather than me. They live north of Atlanta, I believe. I guess, being in the 'north', you could say they were "Yankees"! *hyuck hyuck*! Acutally, I think Nicole really is from the North. I think Erin may be home-grown.
Well, whatever they are, I can't wait to meet them at Valerie's get together on the 22nd. I hope they can both make it.
We had the most awesome church service last night! The Plochs were there, an amazing husband-and-wife children's evangelist team. They were, in a word, wonderful.
I sat down all geared up to stitch on Watergarden this afternoon. Hubby was out with son, daughter was taking a nap, cats were out carousing, and I was all alone. Bliss.
I think I stitched all of 10 minutes before I scrapped the idea and picked up my book. Go figure.
I did manage to get a new entry up at the Ragamuffin, so I guess I have been productive in some way today. Sort of.
Posted by: Stacey / 11/01/2003 02:54:00 PM
