San Diego

We spent our second big summer vacation in southern California. DH and I lived in San Diego in the mid-1990s, and we really love San Diego. The girls loved it too, especially since we celebrated their 4th birthdays there.

L., cousin C., and A. bubble rolling in Long Beach. 

C.'s dad helped construct this; you can just see him behind A.'s bubble.

At the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. They also went to the Zoo, 

on a different day while I attended a professional conference.

Birthday Princess A.

Birthday Princess L. (looking like the Paper Bag princess!)

Cake! (They goofed on L.'s name.)

Candle time 

J., L., A., and C. at SeaWorld. 

They went there 4 times during the week! The girls loved SW.

L. dancing with J., a friend from DC, whose dad also was in San Diego

 to attend the same professional conference.

A. dancing by herself.

C., L., and A. watching the whales. (I have dozens of whale photos.)

Catching up on some SBQs

Here I am proposing all these questions (and I do enjoy your answers), but I forget to answer myself. So here goes:

January - What's the oldest pattern in my stash? I have a Girl Scout surface embroidery pattern that was my mother's when she was still a Girl Scout. It's probably from the '60s. I can't decide if I want to keep it, sell it, or see if GSA would like it as a donation.

February - Are you ready to break up with any pattern/project in your stash? In the past year, I've been trying to week out patterns I'm not going to stitch. The ones that I'm having the hardest time breaking up with are ones where I've started the project. The one I most need to release is a dupli-stitch sweater bought from JCS in the early 1990s. It's so country and 1980s and so not me any more, but it's 3/4 of the way done and one of my first BAPs, and so it's still in the closet. My mother would probably wear it if I got it to the point of being done enough.

March - Round Robins and Exchanges - nope, haven't done these. I did put in an inquiry about Fair and Square earlier this year, but haven't heard anything.

April - was there an SBQ? I think I missed it.


May - Favorite floral piece? I'm not into stitching large floral pieces. I love to see them, but they're not the types of pieces that I enjoy stitching. Hmm, maybe that's why Spring is underrepresented in my stitching. My favorites include a spring breadcloth I did for a friend of mine, probably in 1995. It was a small corner motif with daffodils. I also did a wedding sampler for my cousin that has a background of variegated trees.


June - Do you stitch patriotic pieces? I love the color combination red, white, and blue, and I've stitched a few patriotic pieces. I'm surprised I haven't stitched more.


July - "I don't have the patience for that!" - I hate when people dismiss cross-stitch, especially with the patience bit. And I never know what to say. For the most part, I think they have it backwards - cross stitch helps me be more patient. I find it soothing and calming. It is an oasis from the go-go-go part of the rest of my life. It also gives me a guilt-free excuse for sitting down and perhaps watching some TV. Some people run; some woodwork; others garden. I stitch.

Whew! Now I'm caught up, until Monday!