Birthday Surprise

Last week I did a lot of housework, which is not typical for me. I usually manage the really obvious things like floors and dust bunnies, etc. but I had to do a really good cleaning of Scooter's bedroom as we were expecting overnight guests. I put a new mattress cover and flannel sheets (not new - somewhat pilly, in fact), vacuumed thoroughly, washed the windows, and shampooed parts of the carpet that looked dirty.

I had invited Skip's brother, Andy, and his wife, Nancy, to come as a surprise for Skip's birthday and a nice dinner at one of Skip's favourite restaurants, Nice Bistro. Scooter was also arriving for the weekend and I needed a place for him to sleep so I borrowed an air mattress so he could sleep on it in my office.

Andy and Nancy showed up (they live about 1.5h from here) on schedule and indeed surprised Skip who had just woken from his nap. Then Scooter arrived. The 5 of us thoroughly enjoyed the French cuisine and convivial conversation back at our place. I now realize I didn't get any pics of Skip's historic 75th birthday but we all felt great being able to honour him and have him spend the evening with his favourite loved ones in the whole world.

Because really crappy weather was forecast for overnight, our guests decided to drive home while road conditions were good - a full moon with no precipitation or clouds. I was relieved to get their text that they had arrived home safely by 10pm.

Scooter got to sleep in his pristine room and I didn't have to inflate an air mattress for him.

This morning Skip went to his regular Tai Chi class (he's been practicing it for over 40 years but recently found a local group that he really, really enjoys), Scooter slept in, so I spent the morning stitching.

I'm sooooooo close to getting the two ends of the border to meet up. Pray for me.

I've checked it vertically by running the needle across and it's good. I just haven't checked it horizontally yet. Fingers are crossed. If it was my own piece, I'd wing it and fudge any mistakes. But this is a model and has to be perfect as stitchers will refer to it when stitching their piece. So far, I have only made very minor counting errors - all of which have been easily fixed. I've been watching Flosstube videos while I stitch and will go back to them and the stitching after I post this. I hope to get the two ends connected in my next stitching session.

There has been a call for teachers for a nearby fibre festival that will take place next June. Proposals close the week after Christmas so I have to decide if I even want to get revved up to teach a class and if so, what topic I'd teach. I asked some of my knitting 'peeps' what they think would be a good topic and a few have been suggested: kitchener stitch, different types of sock heels, anchoring and cutting a steek, grafting knit and purl stitches (like ribbing, for example), reading your knitting and adjusting for gauge. etc. Again, I'm not sure I want to get all fired up to teach again. I already turned down an opportunity to teach on one of the Crystal cruises for 2020. Who knows? Maybe I'll get my teaching mojo back.

I'm sorry I can't show you more of the 'Heaven and Nature' sampler I'm stitching. Just know it's a big project and my Monday morning stitchers believe the chart will be a big seller for Teresa. She's going to be releasing a lot of charts over the next few months. It's going to be very exciting to see my name as stitcher on some of them.