Little catch-up

I am a very frustrated stitcher. I am developing a ganglion cyst in my left wrist. The hand that I use to hold my fabric (yes I stitch in hand, everything else gets in the way)and it hurts!!. The pain radiates from the first three fingers of my hand up to my shoulder. It's making stitching painful and slow going. I was able to finish some exchanges. You can see the Quaker Alphabet I stitched for Jean here: http://theslowstitcher.wordpress.com (the linky button isn't working) Scroll down the page a little to the Needlebook from SuzanneN, that's me.
One needs a few more stitches, just have to get the conversion to DMC, one needs to be finished into something and a new one that I haven't started yet. I'm kinda drawing a blank but I have till Jan to finish it. Lots of time.
I've picked up Mirabilia's Winter Queen. Soo much beading! But she will be beautiful when done.
DD#2 and I spent the Thanksgiving weekend in Castlegar where she competed in her first Intermediate highland dance competition. She will spend a year at Int and then move up to Premier, the last level. She did well, 2-2nds and 2-3rds. It can be difficult to place at this level so she is very proud of herself, as am I. She is also progressing very well in her solo number that she is doing for the highland scholarship competition in Nov. What a busy girl.
Think that is it for now. Thanks for stopping by.

Chanter lessons

DD#2 and I had our first chanter lesson tonight. I think I'm going to love it. I've played the piano for years, and during the high school years was in all the bands and could play pretty much everything. Except the flute. Lousy flute... Anyway, the chanter is not really like a recorder or an oboe or clarinet but a little like them. Tonight we learned the basic scale and my fingers hurt. I really want to jump right to the bagpipes and start the marching but it's baby steps so the scale it is. One day, I'll be posting a vid of me and her marching with the pipeband and I'll be so very proud. For now, it's baby kittens in a paper bag.

Times flies

Has it really been more than a month since my last post? Wow.
Life has been taking over, not even much time for stitching with the exception of my pieces for SBEBB.
This is the busiest time of the year for me work wise. I co-own a dancewear store and back to school is nuts. This year has been twice as busy as last year. It's crazy, and I'm exhausted by the time I get home, but it's almost fun.
Getting the girls back into their routine is hectic as well. We are juggling sunchro, duet, hip hop, jazz, three highland classes, chanter lessons, violin and highland scholarship classes. I am SO GLAD that DH now works from home. If I can't drive, he can. Please don't ever go back to the station, you need to stay here.
I have no stitchy pictures to share. They are secrets.
Thanks for stopping by.

Exchanges

I'm finishing up an exchange on the Stitching Bloggers Exchange BB and have just recieved the names for a couple of new exchanges on the SBEBB. This is the most stressful time for me, deciding what to stitch. I've visited their blogs and I think I know what they would like, but there is always that little niggling doubt. And then to decide how to finish it. I've been reading some french blogs and I love the way that they are finishing their cross stitch. It's given me some great ideas, and my high school french from many, many years ago is starting to come back. The only thing missing is time. I have great, grand plans and then time runs out.
I'm looking forward to finishing this latest stitching, and starting the new ones. I love to stitch for other people.
Thanks for the congrats re Danielle. She is studying hard and trying to pick out music for her choreography.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend.

Bustin' with pride

I just received a call from DD#2's highland dance teacher. DD#2 has been chosen to go to Edmonton in Nov to compete for the BATD Highland Scholarship! Every year she writes a theory exam, which includes dancing and oral questions. She scored so high that she, along with another dancer from her class, have been invited to compete for this scholarship. This is a North American scholarship so she will be competing against other dancers from Canada and the US in three catagories, written theory, solo choreography and a master class combining the two. We are busting our buttons we are so proud of her. Her teacher said that a few years ago when she had another dancer chosen there where only 25 in the group. From all of N.A. What an honour. I told DD that the next few months won't be easy for her. She needs to be very prepared for alot of hard work. Good thing she's so very freakin' smart
Sorry for the ramble, I'm going to Snoopy dance for a while now.

Had a great time

We've been back from our trip for a little while now, and I think I'm recovered enough. We saw some great sites, Hopewell Rocks, Anne of Green Gables play in Charlottetown, the Citidel in Halifax to name a few. DD#2 did her highland dance comp in Halifax, and danced very well indeed. She took 1st- fling, 4th- Seann Tribhuans, 3rd- lilt, 4th- flora. And third overall for the aggrigate. She's happy, so I'm happy.
I took lots of pics while we were gone, some of my favorites being at Peggy's Cove. Or they would have been my favs if the picture card in my camera didn't decide to die, taking the hundred or so pics on it with it. To say I'm not happy is putting it mildly. At least I get a new camera. We are getting a Sony DSLR. Once I upgrade my picturetrail account, I'll have lots of great pics to share.
I did get some stash on my trip. My favorite, I think, is Brightneedle's Nantucket Sampler. The model at 'Because you Count' in Moncton had replaced Nantucket with New Brunswick, so I think I'll do something similar to remind me of the trips back east.
I think I'll save more stitchy news for the next post.
Thanks for popping by. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Leaving, on a jet plane

We fly out tomorrow for a family trip to Moncton. We'll be gone a couple of weeks visiting family and playing tourist. DD#2 will be competing at a highland dance comp in Halifax, the hilight of the trip for her. She's hoping to take home the aggrigate but I'm sure the competition will be tough and that she better dance her little buns off for that. I'll be happy if she places in all her dances.
WE will also be going to PEI to see an Ann of Green Gables play, to Shediac, the Bay of Funday, Peggy's Cove, Lunenburg, Mahone Bay (my personal favorite place), just to mention a few. While in Moncton, I'll be visiting Because You Count, a great LNS.
Behave yourselves while I'm gone :)