Day 4

Life in DC is always crazy and rarely easy. Sigh.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I stitched and overdosed on TV. Since then, we've been dealing with a pest problem in the house that has required an uncounted number of loads of laundry and moving almost everything out of our bedroom. Not bed bugs, thankfully, but something as tenacious and as difficult to remove. Hopefully, tonight, we'll start moving back into our room, but it will probably take most of the weekend to complete.

DH and I are being productive with our furlough time, but it will be nice when we are past the uncertainty.

Of Pumpkins and Furloughs

This fall, I've made a concentrated effort to start stitching again. I'm mostly trying to finish up some works in progress, although I have also started a freebie stitched in two colors of DMC. I'm finding with my schedule, it's hard to stitch on projects on linen or with specialty threads, so I like having a project with DMC on Aida that I know I can wash when someone spills something all over it.

Last week, I finished this project that I had started last fall. I love, love, love this design. I need to order the beads to finish it, but I'm very happy with it. I altered the colors of the threads to match some fabric that I want to use when I turn it into something.

Bent Creek, The Pumpkin Flower Sampler

WDW Chrysanthemum, Mulberry, and Bullfrog

The next is the never-ending birth sampler that I've had to restart. This is the last project I need to complete (minus beading) to have all my niephlets' birth samplers done. I stitched most of the last section yesterday and this morning. I'm one of the 800,000+ on furlough thanks to the government shutdown. DH is also furloughed, so we're praying that the shutdown doesn't last too long. We're making the best of it for now, but if this goes on long term, the consequences for us, while not as completely dire as they are for some folks, will not be pleasant. Remember, DC (the City) is a federal entity, too.

 

Sweetheart Tree, Bluebells

 

Muriel's Next Stop

Erin of Fairy Tales and French Knots won the coin toss (sorry, Lee), so Muriel is off to central New York for a fall visit.

Memoirs of New Orleans

Hello, all! Madame Muriel here. After my travels to Italy, then back to Arizona, and on to DC, Ms. C let me have a few days out of my travel pod, and then it was on to the Crescent City for a conference. Look at this nice welcome we received in the airport.

Unfortunately, it was quite rainy during our time there, so I didn't get to go out and see as many of the sights as I would have liked, but I did have plenty of stitching time in our hotel room, especially when Ms. C was in her conference sessions. I also took plenty of naps.

 

One of Ms. C's colleagues also brought along a companion. I'm pleased to introduce you to my new friend Cina. We've become pen pals.

I did attend one business meeting, as they were serving lunch. Those archivists were a little out of control, so I had to step in and take over. I know how to keep a meeting in order!

I did insist on being let out of the hotel after a few days! How could one be in New Orleans and not visit Cafe Du Monde? I did have to stow my stitching to avoid the powdered sugar.

I partook of another New Orleans tradition. I highly recommend Cafe Adelaide for their libations. I didn't take a picture but the Saint Lawrence restaurant had excellent food. Larry is the patron saint of archivists, so those crazy nuts felt compelled to check it out.

We finally had a nice day for some outside photos. (I'm lucky I didn't start to mildew with all the rain we had!) Here I am at the famous St. Louis Cathedral. Can you see me?

 

Oh, that's better!

I even tried my luck with horse-back riding.

 

The back of the Cathedral.

Another church with pretty architecture, the Jesuit Church of the Immaculate Conception, at night.

 

And back to overcast weather. How I wish I could've taken a boat ride.

Ms. C took me for a quick stop at the Aquarium to find gifts for her daughters, who love marine mammals. She's sad that the girls weren't with her to see the otter exhibit.

 

We ended the trip watching the New Orleans Zephyrs beat the Iowa Cubs. Here's Cina checking out the game.

It was a whirlwind trip, but great fun. I hope you've enjoyed my Memoirs of New Orleans.

P.S. Don't forget to comment if you'd like me to come visit you next!

Madame Muriel

Due to some miscommunications, Madame Muriel took an extra leg on her trip and returned briefly to Arizona before coming home to me. Thank you to Chiara and Gracie for taking good care of her and ensuring that she remained on her journey. I'm going to take her on a trip with me, and after that, she will be ready to head out on her next adventure.

If you would like to be the next person to host Madame Muriel, please comment on this post by August 24, 11:59 pm EDT, and I will draw a name to see where she'll travel next.

Spring Cards

My computer is sort of mended. I still find missing bits each time I use it, but it's getting better. Here are the spring cards that I had hoped to show you in May. Since all 3 of my sisters-in-law have birthdays in May, these function as both Mother's Day cards and birthday cards.

All paper and stamps are Stampin' Up. The 3rd one is in the Top 3 of my all time favorite cards that I've created.

In a Funk

It's been a while since I posted, not that I had been posting that frequently anyway. In addition to the usual with work and family, it's been a long spring. I've been dealing with some chronic pain issues, which have been affecting me more than I'd realized. Neither physical therapy or medication have had much effect. Since it's my shoulder that's experiencing the pain, I haven't been stitching. I've made a few cards, which I intended to show you, but then my computer met with some ill will last week, and I'm still waiting to see what can be recovered. I wept when I thought my data and photos were all gone for good and managed to scare DH. Let's hope that the final outcome isn't so dire.

I realized yesterday that I was in a real funk, and that the computer incident was not the initial trigger, but more akin to being the last straw. I look back and can now see that I've been swimming through molasses since February, which is why I feel like I've not been able to accomplish or focus on anything. I'm easily distracted... LOOK! Otters! (Much cuter than squirrels.)