Updates, of one sort or another

Someone was kind enough to ask about my progress on my latest cross-stitch project. So here it is. In terms of being the "latest" project, actually, it's one of the older ones -- I've been saying I started it in 2004, but I looked at all my progress photos and I actually started it in 2005 -- anyway, it's been around long enough, and it's Time to finish it, by Christmas, I hope. So this is my focus piece for the year. I have 40 more rows to go, and it will be 40% completed. I am learning so much about art composition from working this piece -- it intrigues me, for example, how the color rises at an angle, and how very many different colors go into just one 10 x 10 section. At any given time, I can have as many as 40 floss bobbins available to work with.

Last night, we got another six inches of the white stuff dumped on us -- and then we got rain on top of that. Have you ever tried to shovel six inches of wet snow?! This is what they call "widow-maker" snow, and all I can think is, I wish my doctors could see me slogging my way through this stuff -- I bet my heart is healthier than theirs, if I can handle this c**p. (Oh, dh is out of town again. I am so tempted to write his boss and say, "If you want him to travel in the middle of winter, then you, or whoever is ordering this travel, should come up here and shovel this stuff out of my driveway." Grrrr.)

And I had a sweet note from my priest -- I had sent him a clip from Fr. John Whiteford's blog about Holy Trinity Monastery in Jordanville, and he responded, "What a wonderful town! We really should organize a trip there!" He has no idea just how wonderful Jordanville is. (If you click on the clip on Father John's blog, you do have to slog through about 4 minutes of trivia about Jordanville before you get to the "main event," the monastery.) Any time I see photos of the church, it's like looking at photos of an old and greatly beloved home.

Poor Father Costin, by the way, has come down with chicken pox. His older daughter brought it home from school, and about two weeks ago we were talking about it and he said, "Oh, yes, I have had chicken pox. I think I have had chicken pox." And right then, I knew he hadn't. Well, he's got it now. He still plans to be in church on Saturday for the First Saturday of Souls, but I told him not to come if he is feeling the least bit tired -- this isn't anything to play games with. Why do kids think they're indestructible!!!