By Her Hand

FML

2010-11-04T10:01:00.002-04:00

I've been 'sick' with one thing or another pretty much since January 2010. I've been in more doctors' offices, more hospitals, more labs than anyone should be this year. I'm tired of it.

In the past two weeks, I've had an endometrial biopsy (follow-up visit next week) after having the never-ending period for several months. The ultrasound discovered I had fibroids - no big deal as it's common in women my age, but the heavy and long periods were a concern. I tried for months to get answers, having to switch GYNs to find one who listened to me and took my concerns seriously. In that respect, I feel like I'm getting answers - albeit slower than I desire.

Secondly, a routine physical with my internist revealed that I have high calcium levels in my blood. Follow-up blood work suggested that I have hyperparathyroidism.
Now the kidney stones, recurring UTIs, and some of the other maladies that have befallen me are starting to make sense. I'm set to see an endocrinologist later today. The cure is a simple surgery - which if that's the case, I'm ready to be knocked out, sliced and diced.

However, I'm really on the verge of losing it. I'm sick of being in doctors' offices, going to labs and having vial after vial of blood drawn. I'm scared. I'm alone. I want someone to just hold me close and tell me everything's gonna be alright.

I'm tired of being sick. I simply want to be well again.

What a Difference

2010-09-23T13:03:00.005-04:00

I was looking at pic from the past year - I was really surprised to see such a change between last September and this September.

This time last year, my hair was not much past my chin, burgundy red, and still pretty much in a bob.

This year it's more natural looking red, layer and well past my shoulders. I guess when you don't have your hair cut regularly, it does grow!

Am I thinner? I dunno. Probably about the same (plus/minus a few pounds) weight-wise, but not nearly as toned as I was last year. I need to get back to yoga regularly, not just for the physical benefits, but for the mental benefits too.

Lots of changes happening in my life right now - some for the better, some for the worse, but I am confident I'll weather through. I hope to get back to posting regularly in the near future.

Meltdown Free Mother's Day

2010-05-10T17:47:00.001-04:00

Me and Tara - Wonder Bar
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

For the first time in I-don't-know-how-many years, I managed not to have a meltdown on Mother's Day. I've struggled for years with the fact that I have no children and though I have come to accept that I'm never going to have a child to call my own, Mother's Day still hits me hard.

Despite the well wishes of friends who remind me that I'm very good 'doggie mom' - it's not the same. There's a piece of me that's empty - and desperately wants a child of my flesh and blood. But as each year passes and I grow older, the chances of that lessen and I must content myself of being 'mom' to the menagerie of four-legged critters who live under my roof.

That said, yesterday was a lovely day all in all. I haven't been sleeping well for the past two weeks (insomnia sucks!) and despite being awake at 6 AM to let the dogs out, my husband was gracious enough to let me go back to bed and sleep until I was ready to get up. Bliss.

We took the dogs to the reservoir for a walk in the early afternoon. We discovered a new trail that hadn't been open on our last visit there, so we took it. It was a bit longer than expected - so much so that Tara was exhausted by the end and I had to carry her for part of the journey. My 'old lady' is a trooper though - she didn't complain once, though she gave me the look when she needed a break.

The day was capped off by Mark making dinner for me. I'm not a fan of most tomato sauces, but I like the one he makes. It's not special, but it's his and it's DAMN good. Add a little sausage and rigatoni and it's mmm, mmm good.

So, despite only being a 'dog mom' I had a good day - much better than I expected.

Be A Witch - Shepherd's Bush

2010-04-27T13:12:00.002-04:00

Be A Witch - Shepherd's Bush
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Chart: Be A Witch
Designer: Shepherd's Bush
Fabric: 10 ct Sand Tula
Threads: Weeks Dye Works, Sampler Threads, Crescent Colours, Anchor

It may come as no surprise that my favorite holiday is Halloween and thus I have several Halloween themed charts in my stash. There's just something about pumpkins, witches' hats, black cats that I love to stitch.

I started this piece when I had my NYC stitching pals (aka the MetroStitchers) over for an afternoon of fellowship. It's a quick stitch, being done on Tula, even if one does make a few mistakes and have to frog a little. I finished it up last evening, buttons included.

The only change made to the threads is that I used Anchor 403 for the lettering (a witch) in place of Blackbird from Crescent Colours. My LNS was consistently out of this color and I decided it wasn't worth ordering online when a solid black would suffice.

Now it's time to decide what to stitch next -- while continuing to make progress on Love from Turquoise Designs. I'm on the final letter (L) so the end is in sight.

Awesome Day

2010-04-23T08:33:00.001-04:00

055
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

My mom arrived, with her friend, Ron, on Wednesday evening for a visit. Yesterday we drove up to Liberty State Park to take the ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

Me and my big mouth complained that every time someone comes to visit, if they haven't been here, I have to take them for a visit. Well, I'll never say that again... Yesterday, while we were there, The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, was receiving the Ellis Island Family Heritage Award.

I managed to be less than 10 feet from the man for a bit. Snapped a pic with my cell phone and sent it off to the BFF (the ultimate Springsteen fan) and get a text in reply" What? Where is this? Are you there? OMG! I texted back the specifics to get "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" in reply. Took a lot more pics with my regular camera (which are on Flickr), but since I was off to the side, they're not the best. Still, I was less than 10 feet from an American icon.

After hearing him speak, the crowd dissipated and we bid farewell to Ellis Island and boarded the ferry to the Statue. We didn't get crown tickets (I did that climb once about 20 years - that was enough, TYVM) but we did have tickets giving us permission to climb the pedestal. They said it was 156 steps, but after going 142, the ranger said we had 40 more to go. (What sort of math is that?)

I made it up, but it was an ordeal. I don't like stairs. Particularly when the stairwell narrows so it's a one person width and if you look over the walls/rails, there a big chasm of nothingness - in this case, the innards of the Lady. Coming down was more of a challenge, I went really slow, was on the verge of freaking out, but I held it together. This was the easy part - hard to believe I climbed the narrow spiral staircase to the crown all those years ago. (Once committed, you can't turn around.)

After a brief rainstorm while we were up on the pedestal, the sun came back out. We drove back down to the shore, meeting my husband for dinner at Spike's in Point. Lobster bisque + lobster roll might just equal the most perfect meal. I was so stuffed, as much as I wanted a piece of key lime pie, I couldn't eat another bite. We ended the night strolling along the boardwalk in Point, then I took mom and Ron for a scenic ride home through Spring Lake, Belmar and Avon (along the ocean) before leaving them at the hotel and coming home.

It was a great day - though I was exhausted when I finally got home. Intended to go to bed early - but had to upload the pics. By the time I did get to bed, I was out before my head even hit the pillow.

Meow Pussycat

2010-04-15T22:56:00.001-04:00

Kitty Cat Row - Bent Creek
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

I put the last stitches in Kitty Cat Row tonight. Well, almost the last stitches -- the last stitches I'll do. I need my mom's assistance in doing the French Knots for the mice's eyes/nose/feet. She's coming for a visit next week, so I'll get her to do her bit then.

Now it's back to my LOVE piece...

New 'Do

2010-04-07T17:34:00.001-04:00

Self Portrait - 04/07/10
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

A month or so ago, I had a makeover done at one of the cosmetic counters at Lord & Taylor. As a thank you with my purchase, I was given a free cut/style by a stylist from a nearby salon.

My hair is stick straight (does not hold a curl easily) and thick. If I put it up wet in a ponytail, 14 hours later - still wet at the core. As I'm growing it out, I've been struggling with it, swearing when it seems to have a mind of its own, not doing what I want it to do.

On impulse, I decided to let this stranger do the one thing I've always feared (after a previous botch job some 20 years ago): layer my hair. I talked to her, told here I didn't want them to be obvious but always wanted my hair to be manageable and have a little more movement. Once she was done, I saw the difference immediately. My hair went from heavy and lifeless to free and flowy.

It's been a few weeks and I'm still trying to achieve the exact look she managed (without use of a flat iron which I've never quite mastered). I think today it turned out pretty damn good and I managed to get a decent shot of myself. I'm happy with the cut and now have to make the decision to continue seeing my current stylist (who I adore and have been seeing for several years now) or give the gal who gave me this new look another chance.

Hello Kitties!

2010-04-05T22:28:00.001-04:00

WIP: Kitty Cat Row - Bent Creek
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

With the gorgeous weather, I've not really been stitching much the past few days, choosing to work on my tan instead, however, during the deluge, I did plug away on Kitty Cat Row as seen here.

This was a project I had started over one on 28 ct fabric - surely I must have been ill to attempt that. So a trip up to Tawny's a few weeks ago resulted in me acquiring this blue fabric. Hopefully now with baseball season starting up, I'll find time to stitch and cheer on the Yankees in the evenings. A couple games and this should be finished quickly and then I'll be on to my next UFO.

What's one food you'll never eat again?

2010-04-04T22:41:00.001-04:00

Peppers - green, red, orange or yellow. I got sick on pepper steak on a flight to Florida 30+ years ago and never again will peppers or any food containing peppers cross my lips. I can't even stand the smell if someone at my table (or even a neighboring table) is eating a dish with peppers.

Ask me anything

Love Update

2010-03-28T12:00:00.001-04:00

WIP: Love - Turquoise Designs
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Wow, that title sounds like it's gonna be a more interesting post than it actually is. Sorry folks, it's cross-stitch related, not romance.

After the flare up of my carpal tunnel subsided, I got back to stitching. Picked up my WIP - Love by Turquoise Designs and got a little more done. I was going great guns the first couple months of the year and now I've slowed down my stitching just a little bit.

I chose to fling one of my UFOs which I had started over one (what the heck was I thinking?) and started it up again on a new color fabric. You can see I've not got much done on Bent Creek's Kitty Cat Row, but I do like the fabric choice so far. I'm gonna work on this a little more today while watching March Madness.

I've had my head in books more lately, so not a lot of progress is being made on the needlework front. I've also been doing a lot of soul searching - trying to figure out what I want, what will make me happy. Don't get me wrong, I'm not unhappy, but I really do need to figure out what will make me happy and pursue it. (Will probably post on that eventually - once I get my head around it.)

That's the news from this corner of the globe. A blustery spring day here - perfect to stay indoors, under a blanket with my dogs at my feet, watch basketball and do a little stitching. Or reading.

Spring Has Sprung

2010-03-20T17:06:00.001-04:00

First Day of Spring 2010
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

A gorgeous day here in Jersey - mid-70s, sunny, not a cloud in the sky. After the weather we had in February/early March, this weather is MUCH appreciated

We rounded up the pups and took them over to the dog beach in Manasquan this afternoon. They had a ton of run, running up and down the beach, sniffing the other dogs (and being sniffed in return). This two-legged person had a lot of fun just watching her dogs run with joy on the sand. Spent about an hour there letting them 'blow the stink off' before we headed back home. I'm watching NCAA basketball, the pups are conked out on the floor.

Tomorrow is to be another beautiful day - so perhaps I'll load the dogs up in the car and take them over to the reservoir for a walk. Then again, I might just want to sit on the patio and reposition the TV so I can watch basketball. I know this weather is too good to last, but at least I don't have snow like some of my friends back in the midwest. Keep it, please.

More Puppy Love

2010-03-18T22:15:00.001-04:00

Self Portrait - 03/18/10
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

This time, me and Suki (aka Snaggletooth) enjoy the gorgeous spring weather. Of course, Tara got her share of TLC today as well.

Weight of the World

2010-03-16T20:38:00.003-04:00

Just over 2 weeks ago, I went for a coloposcopy. My doctor told me that the results of the biopsy would be back in 7-10 days -- since last Wednesday, I've been anxiously awaiting the results.

Today, I finally connnected with my doctor. Apparently she had been trying to reach me at home (our answering machine is on the fritz) and only today did someone bother to write my cell phone number on my chart. (Nevermind I've been calling daily since last Wednesday and leaving that particular number.)

The news is good - nothing to worry about. Yea! But the bad news? Quarterly paps for the next year, biannual paps for 3 years after that. I'll be in stirrups more than Roy Rogers by the time this is over.

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Now I can get back to living and stop holding my breath. Thanks everyone for the good thoughts and prayers. I don't know how I would have gotten through the past several weeks without you. xoxo

Noah Built an Arky, Arky

2010-03-14T09:52:00.003-04:00

It's only rained two days and nights, but I think we've had enough for forty days/nights already. Most of the state is flooded and it's just downright nasty out there. No day for woman or beast to be out - though the girls and I did take a walk around the block this morning pre-deluge. Seems like the perfect day to stay inside, watch movies and stitch.

I pulled out some of the UFOs which I blogged about in my last post. Once I started working on Kitty Cat Row, I realized WHY it was a UFO (unfinished object for those not in the know). It's worked over one -- on either 28 ct or 32 ct linen. WTH was I thinking? Even in my younger days with excellent eyesight I was never a fan of over one on anything greater than 25 ct linen. Surely I must have had a momentary laspe of reason. So I chucked that aside and picked up a new cut of linen to use. I saw on someone else's blog that they did this design on blue fabric, so I have a cut of 28 ct Little Boy Blue Cashel to stitch it on. Today's gonna be the day I start it.

Put a few more stitches in Sam Sarah's One Fine Day as well. Not so certain I'm gonna like this piece when all's said and done. My flowers look like one big muddled blotch of color. It may require some backstitching to get things to pop - and I don't like backstitching. I'll keep plugging away on it as I did love the design when I purchased it and I've already invested a significant amount of time on it.

Love (Turquoise Designs) is progressing nicely. After a major project at work which required a lot of mouse clicking, my carpal tunnel flared up in my right wrist. As a result, I took a break from stitching and didn't touch anything for several weeks. I pulled this out at my stitch-n-bitch lunch group this week and put a few more stitches in it. If I work on it today, I just might be able to finish off the O...

Though the weather here is craptacular, I am filled with excitement. Besides it being Selection Sunday (I live for the NCAA Tournament, even when Indiana isn't playing), tonight's the premiere of The Pacific on HBO. Even though I'm not overly fond of war movies, I've been anxious for this since I saw a trailer last fall. Loved Band of Brothers, so I can't wait to see how Hanks/Speilberg present the war in the Pacific. Don't bother me after 6 PM tonight - I'm gonna park my ass in my recliner and have my eyes glued to the TV.

Lo - there's a bright yellow orb in the sky. Is that the sun? Perhaps today will not be a total wash afterall. It's still raining, but one can hope that it stops?

Rediscovering Lost Projects

2010-02-26T09:05:00.009-05:00

One of the benefits of cleaning out closets is that you rediscover abandoned projects. Today I rifled through a bag in my craft room (yes, I have a craft room and it's utter chaos!) only to find several WIPs.

As I still like most of them enough to want to continue them, I decided to put them in the rotation and make finishing these projects the goal if I'm to purchase any new charts.

First up is Bent Creek's Kitty Cat Row. From the numerous pics of my two dogs, you might not know that I'm owned by four cats (Stanley, Sadie, Lily and Mac).

Time for me to get cracking on this - there's a notation on the chart that it's reserved for a friend of mine in New Zealand when I'm finished. I probably put that note there 3+ years ago -- Kath, have you found another copy of this chart yet?

I'm stitching this over one on 28 ct hand-dyed quaker cloth in Kiwi from Kiwi Illusions. There's a bit done already, so with the quantity of natural light increasing daily, I think I'll start plugging away on this. I've got a Daylight lamp in my stitching corner so that'll help after the sun goes down.

The next lost project (or in this case, tossed aside) are these Tulips from DMC. Some of you may remember I paid beaucoup bucks for this kit from DMC France only to find it offered as a freebie on the DMC-USA site a couple years later. There's some counting errors in it but I think I've managed to compensate for them.

Stitched on 28 ct Antique White Cashel, the center two tulips are complete and most of the far right (red) tulip is done. This might be slow going, but I'm going to make an effort to get this one done and framed before summer arrives. I love this piece - even if I paid too much for it.

Continuing on with the tulip theme is Nan's Garden from Annalee Waite Designs. I love how bright and cheery this piece is and should be able to bang it out pretty quickly once I put my mind to it.

Stitched on 28 ct Antique White jobelan (noticing a trend as to what count fabric I prefer to use?) with DMC floss it's a simple and beautiful piece. I've barely put a dent in this, so I may push this one aside while I concentrate on finishing the other projects.

The final 'abandoned project' found in that shopping bag is Sam Sarah's One Fine Day. (Yea, I like flowers, if you didn't notice.)

This piece is stitched on 28 ct (of course!) hand-dyed Golden Sands Cashel from Kiwi Illusions using Sampler Threads. It's a bright cheery piece. I think the fence post is going to be a bit tedious, but I'll get it done.

There's a bajillion Lizzie Kate pieces that I'm wanting to start, but I think I'll set them aside while I try to finish up these half-finished projects. I like these four well enough to want to put the time and effort into finishing them.

There's a few others that I will need to decide "finish or fling". They may end up in the bag of stuff that I'm planning to Freecycle once the spring arrives. I've been purging my stash and setting aside charts that I no longer care for. My tastes have changed over the years and while I probably could make some mad money listing the no longer wanted charts on eBay, it's just too much of a hassle. I'd rather Freecycle them as a lot and make someone's day.

Considering there's a list as long as my arm of new charts that I want, I better get busy stitching so I can treat myself to the new stuff.

Puppy Love

2010-02-25T23:04:00.001-05:00

Self Portrait - 02/25/10
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

A tender moment with my 'old lady' (estimated age ~16 years) , Tara. Nearly two years together and I love her more every day. She's my shadow, my velcro dog.

Update

2010-02-24T22:18:00.001-05:00

WIP: Love by Turquoise Graphics & Designs (24 Feb 10)
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Wow - realized I hadn't shared my progress on Love in a few weeks. I've completed V and E, otherwise I haven't touched it much in the past few weeks. I was working on a major project at work which was due last Friday. The project is done but my carpal tunnel flared up, so I haven't really felt much like needlework despite it being my right wrist that aches and I'm a left-handed stitcher. Still need to figure out where my splints are so I can wear them and get through this.

Besides work, life's just been crazy here - snow, snow and more snow. Another storm is bearing down on us now. Depending on which forecast you look at we're to get between 3-18" between now and Friday. I honestly don't remember seeing this much snow in winter for years; probably since I lived in Michigan. As much as I'm sick of hearing my husband mutter, "I should be in Florida", I'm beginning to think that's not a bad idea. I like snow, don't get me wrong, but I've had enough for now.

The newest market releases are available and after reading the various market reports, I've got a list of 'gotta haves' as long as my arm. However, I'm attempting to focus on stitching from my stash this year. I've slipped a bit (damn you, Lizzie Kate, for such cute designs!), but from this point forward - no new charts! At least not until I stitch some more of what I've got in the massive stash.

Finally got back to yoga this week and it kicked my ass! It wasn't the gentle yoga I usually go to, a normal Hatha Yoga session, and though I was able to do most of the poses, by the end of the 1h, 15m class, I was physically exhausted. Mentally, it was what I needed - it really got my head back where it needed to be. So, I'm re-establishing that routine and feeling better about myself.

I've also been going through my closets, purging the old clothes, sundry items that I've never used or will never use, and Freecycling them. It's been remarkably freeing to declutter and pass stuff along to a person who can use it. I've got another pile of stuff to list, but with this miserable weather, I've been hesitant to list since people may have difficulty getting out to pick it up.

The big day is Monday - I go back to the GYN for the colposcopy. I'm calmer about it than I was a month ago when she called to say my pap was abnormal. What will be, will be - and I'm thinking positively that it will be nothing. So, deep breaths and keep calm until I get my results.

In the meantime, perhaps being snowed in will let me finally catch up with what's on the DVR. I've got about 6 episodes of 'Dollhouse' left, not to mention '24' from the past two weeks. One can always hope, right?

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T19:40:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

A lovely Valentine's weekend was had by yours truly here. Saturday night we got together with my sorority sisters and their significant others for our annual Valentine's Supper Club.

Last night's theme was French, but as I don't (like to) cook, I settled for bringing a cheese tray with grapes. I nibbled a bit on the wonderful delicacies - not eating a lot, but feeling satisfied. Unfortunately, the scale at Weight Watchers this morning didn't give me the number I wanted, but granted that I've been slacking and not trackng diligently since Christmas, it wasn't a surprise. I'm up 8 lbs from my all time low - which isn't that bad considering I've not been eating well of late.

On a positive note - I went to the gym on Saturday. For the first time in months - only did 30 minutes on the treadmill, but it's a start. I'm still not feeling 100% since having that bug at Christmas, but getting stronger every day. The treadmill was a nice easy way to ease back into things. The down side is that I've got a blister the size of a quarter on my left heel. Ugh. Tomorrow - it's back to yoga. It would have been this morning, but I didn't feel like going to a 7:30 AM class after getting in after midnight last night. This gal needs her beauty sleep.

The Morning After

2010-02-11T16:03:00.001-05:00

The Morning After - Part Deux
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

After shoveling out last night beofre nightfall, we woke to another 6" or so on the ground this morning. Additionally, the plows came through and left a pile of 'ice balls' and snow at the foot of our driveway. I swear it was taller than me at its highest point.

Two and a half hours of shoveling later, the drive was clear so I took the dogs for a walk before heading into work. It's a ghost town here today - maybe 35-40 people here and a good chunk of them are in a mega meeting. It would be an ideal day to accomplish things, but for the fact that the special project I'm working on (with a deadline of tomorrow!) can't be completed because I don't have the proper permissions to edit documents in a certain network folder. You'd think working for a technology company we'd have our act together...

It's an amazingly beautiful winter day though. The sky is brilliant blue, the snow is dazzlingly white and not too cold. I'm hoping to get out of work and home before dusk falls so I can take the girls for another walk around the block.

Cookies! We Got Cookies!

2010-02-10T21:32:00.006-05:00

Cookies!
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Over the holidays, one of items on my 'to do' list was to make my grandma's Christmas cookies. Unfortunately, the universe conspired against me and this, amongst a few other items, did not get done.

With the second round of the snowpocalyse upon us this week, I decided if I were stranded at home, I'd bake cookies for Valentine's Day to pass the time. So tonight, after shoveling what seemed like a football field or two of snow, I came inside and make cookies in lieu of dinner. (Husband informed me he wasn't hungry for dinner - never mind I had a pot roast in the crock pot.)

There's something so comforting about these cookies - they're a basic iced sugar cookie, but I have so many wonderful memories of eating these at my grandmother's and making them with my mom. I haven't had then in quite a few years - so it was time to make them. (Especially since mom didn't bother to send me any that she made at Christmas time.)

Grandma Streu's Christmas (Sugar) Cookies

1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 T vanilla
4 eggs'
5 c. flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla
Add eggs, then add baking powder and nutmeg
Mix in flour, a little at a time

Roll out dough on pastry cloth, approximately 1/4-1/2 thick. Cut out with cookie cutters.

Baked on greased cookie sheets at 350 for approximately 7 minutes.
(NB: I find that these cookies need a longer bake time - closer to 10 minutes with my oven.)

When cool, decorate with icing and colored sugar.

Icing

1 T butter
2-3 T milk
1 tsp vanilla

Stir in approximately 1-1.5 c. powdered sugar.

Another Day, Another Snowstorm

2010-02-10T18:04:00.002-05:00

Snowmaggedon - Part Deux
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

For the second time in less than a week, we've been hit by a massive snowstorm.

When I woke there were several inches of wet, heavy snow on the ground which we shoveled. By mid-morning the snow stopped and the rain/sleet set in. It was mild enough that we went out to grab a bit of lunch and to allow me to stop at AC Moore to pick up a replacement skein of floss to replace the one that went walkabout this morning. (I used the snow day to work a little more on my current cross-stitch project.)

By late afternoon, the snow returned, falling fast. By 4:30 PM we were out there shoveling another 5-6" before it got dark. I took the dogs for a walk before nightfall and came back to help finish clearing the driveway. After that was complete and we made a dent in the pile left there courtesy of the snowplow. The rest can wait until morning.

I love snow, but 2+ feet in less than a week is just a little much, especially when I'm doing this much shoveling. Then again, it is a good way to burn some calories.

Forecast is calling for more snow on Monday. Please tell me it's not another nor'easter. I don't think I can take another substantial snow this soon.

Snowpocalyspe Stitching

2010-02-07T21:07:00.001-05:00

WIP: Love by Turquoise Graphics & Designs
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

The snowpocalyse that hit the Mid-Atlantic over the weekend afforded me time to sit and stitch uninterrupted. I loved this design when I saw it and after spending close to two weeks debating on what fabric to use, I started it last week.

While I know it's gonna be stunning when I finally complete it, it's somewhat annoying to change colors every 6-10 threads for the background design. At least there's no confetti stitching - that is probably the one thing I hate more than anything. Except French knots. (I've been stitching for 20+ years and still can't master any knot. I'm so pathetic I save my projects until I see Mom and ask her to do them for me.)

The 'V' is almost done -- I am short one color of DMC so if I can make a stop at AC Moore or Michael's tomorrow, I should be able to finish that off tomorrow. I've been working on 'E' all night - loving how it's coming together so nicely.

Now if I could only get the Nat King Cole song L-O-V-E out of my head. Should have known it would become an earworm once I picked up this piece. V is very, very extraordinary....

Snowmaggedon

2010-02-06T11:58:00.001-05:00

Snowmaggedon
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Here we go again...

Everywhere you look - a winter wonderland. There's in excess of a foot on the ground and it's still coming down. I have shoveled part of the driveway - and taken dogs for a walk around the block, bounding through the snow - but now I'm exhausted.

Glad I got the necessities yesterday: craft supplies, library books, liquor and food (in that order). It's no day for (wo)man or beast to be out. I think I'll stay indoors and craft a bit. Or tackle the latest Diana Galbadon book. Tough choice.

I'm So Tired...

2010-02-04T22:45:00.001-05:00

Tara
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Just like Tara, I want to flop down on the floor and crash. It's been a busy week for me and despite my intentions of going to bed 'early', it hasn't happened but one night.

So looking forward to a mega storm this weekend. Perhaps then I can just be content to stay inside, curled up in bed and catch up on my sleep. God knows I need it.

Waiting Patiently...

2010-02-03T18:39:00.007-05:00

Last night I got a phone call, at home, after dinner from my GYN. Apparently my recent pap smear came back with some abnormalities. In short, it's LSIL - low grade squamous intraephithelial lesion. (I can say cholecystectomy fine, but this one's got my tongue twisted.)

I ended up Googling and worked myself into a frenzy, imagining the worse possible scenario, despite the ACOG site stating LSIL is very common and usually goes away on its own without treatment. I figure I'll be the anomaly.

This morning I called my doctor's office as requested to schedule a colposcopy, and depending on what Dr W sees, a possible biopsy. I'm booked for the afternoon of Feb 22nd, so now I must wait patiently, not consult Dr Google anymore, and refrain from freaking out. Easier said than done.

Fortunately, I have a great group of friends who remind me to think positively. As one friend said, if it were that serious, they'd get me right away. So, until the 22nd, I'll try to remain calm and accept that it's ok to be abnormal (for a little while).

---

Update (04-Feb-2010): After the fact, I realized that Dr W told me this couldn't be done during 'that time of the month' so I had to reschedule. The procedure has been pushed back a week to March 1st at 2:30. So now I really do have a month of having to keep calm and stay away from Google.

Are You Asking Me?

2010-01-31T21:41:00.002-05:00

Lizzie Kate: Santa Wants to Know
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

After looking high and low for one color of thread and throwing a (mini) hissy fit, I found a new skein and sat down to finish this piece tonight.

Designer: Lizzie Kate
Pattern: Santa Wants to Know
Stitch Count: 59W x 59H
Fabric: 30 ct Northern Cross cream linen
Threads: Weeks Dye Works, Sampler Threads, DMC floss

As for the answer to the question? It's good to be nice and nice to be good, but sometimes it's more fun being naughty. *wink*

A Perfect Snow

2010-01-31T08:56:00.002-05:00

More Snow (31-Jan-10)
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Just the right amount fell last night -- a dusting so it's pretty and white, but not too much that one has to shovel. Now if it would just warm up -- these temps in the teens are just too darn cold.

A Little of Both?

2010-01-30T22:54:00.001-05:00

LK: Santa Wants to Know
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Over the past week (or since I finished the St Pat's piece), I've been working on this Lizzie Kate piece. If Santa's asking, I've definitely been nice. *g*

I was surprised by snow this evening when I let the dogs out -- didn't know my part of Jersey was supposed to get snow. It's only about an inch - just the right amount as it's pretty to look at and doesn't require me to get out there and shovel.

It's bitter cold here, so I made a big pot of chicken noodle soup for dinner - turned out better than last time. I am not a cook - my favorite thing to make for dinner? Reservations. (Ok, it's a tired old joke, but it's appropriate for me.) This time around I chopped the carrots, celery and onion much finer and browned them before adding the chicken and stock. I let it simmer for a little over an hour on the stove before adding the noodles. Guess I'm getting pretty good at making soup. I had a request for split pea and/or tomato. Not really a fan of either soup, so my desire to make them is next to nothing. Of the two, split pea is more likely, but it's still a million to one shot.

No big plans for the coming week - just a heavy workload coming down on me for the next few weeks. Just need to stay healthy and get through this. Got me a few more needlework projects in the fire - so as long as I can balance work/home/hobbies, I'll be fine. If not, there's always a bottle of vodka to help me cope.

Another Near Finish

2010-01-25T16:34:00.002-05:00

Shepherd's Bush: Scatter Luck
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Just need to get the buttons (shamrocks, ladybug, leprechaun, coins) and sew them on for this to be completely finished. A very quick stitch - started it last night during the Saints-Vikings game, finished it this afternoon. (Yes, I am on a roll.)

Designer: Shepherd's Bush
Pattern: Scatter Luck
Stitch Count: 30H x 100W
Fabric: 19 ct Ivory linen
Threads: Weeks Dye Works, DMC

My package from Elegant Stitch arrived today with Cross-Eyed Cricket's Sleepy Hollow chart, fabric and threads. I'm half tempted to start on it now so I can ensure it's finished in time for Halloween 2010, but there's a few other small projects that are calling my name. Maybe I need to start a couple new projects - it's never wrong to have more than one going at any given time, right?

Another Finish

2010-01-24T20:25:00.002-05:00

Lizzie Kate: Love Square
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

While watching football this afternoon, I put the final stitches in this piece. Third finish for 2010 - more than I finished in all of last year, I think.

The particulars for those interested:

Designer: Lizzie Kate
Pattern: Love Square (from Love Crazy leaflet)
Stitch Count: 81H x 81W
Fabric: 28 ct hand-dyed Jobelan - Pink Azalea
Threads: Weeks Dye Works and Gentle Art Sampler Threads

A quick stitch - started this on 12-Jan-10 and finished today. Now it's on to my next project -- a St. Patrick's Day piece, Scatter Luck (Shepherd's Bush). Picked up the supplies necessary for it while I was at Tawny's with the MetroStitchers yesterday morning.

Frustrated

2010-01-19T21:40:00.003-05:00

Those close to me know that I've been ill on/off since Christmas -- nearly 3 weeks into the new year, I'm still not 'right' and it's beginning to wear on me.

I commented to a friend that I'm sinking into a depression because of it. I hate that I have no energy, no desire to get up and be active. As a result, I'm not going to the gym, I'm not working out regularly and my ass is spreading, my belly has grown soft and the scale is inching upwards instead of downward.

While I know what the fix is (get up, get to gym, stop feeding my face), I just can't get over that initial hump. My gym bag is packed and ready but I don't go. I make my lunch to take to work but I still snack on crap.

I'm starting to dislike how I look again. Yes, the face is still pretty (IMO), but the bod is starting to go. Where I once I was toned, I'm getting flabby. I just don't know what it is going to take to get me into a routine once again. I miss yoga, but I don't miss the treadmill.

Well, I've put it out there - maybe now that I've said it, I'll get up off my ass and move more.

Current WIP: Love Crazy - Lizzie Kate

2010-01-15T17:59:00.001-05:00

WIP: Love Crazy (15-Jan-10)
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Since I put the finishing stitches in LK's ABC Christmas earlier this week, I started on a new project straightaway. Another LK piece - Love Crazy.

This is my progress after a couple nights stitching. I'm stitching this on a hand-dyed Jobelan - Pink Dahlia, I think it is. A little annoyed that I ran out of the pink floss to finish the "e" square. Guess it's a good thing a trip to the LNS to meet up with my Metrostitcher pals next week is planned.

I've been down for the count the past couple days - finally got the the doctor and have a dx: bladder infection. It's really zapped me of all energy - I've spent so much time in bed of late, it's the last place I want to be. Hopefully the antibiotic the doctor gave me will work it's magic and I'll be back to normal in a few days.

It's Finished!

2010-01-12T19:03:00.003-05:00

Lizzie Kate - ABC Christmas
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Today at my lunchtime stitch-n-bitch gathering, I put the last stitches in this piece - or at least I thought I did. I realized I had the little quarter note to stitch so I did that and added my initials/date once I got home.

It's not perfect - there's a few mistakes/miscounts here and there, but overall I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I'm still debating how to finish it -- leaning towards a wall hanging since I don't really want to frame it just to hang it up for a few weeks each year.

Speaking of the holidays, I guess it's time for me to take down the tree and other Christmas decorations. But first I've got a love/Valentine's theme piece to work on...

Designer: Lizzie Kate
Pattern: ABC Christmas
Stitch Count: 180W x 119H
Fabric: 28 ct Light Mocha Cashel
Threads: DMC floss, Crescent Colors

Rounding Third and Heading for Home...

2010-01-11T08:04:00.001-05:00

WIP: ABC Christmas (10-Jan-10)
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

After finishing Spooky Sheep, I picked up LK's ABC Christmas once again. With a TON of football to watch this weekend, I was able to devote several hours to working on this piece and as a result I am *this close* to finishing. There's just a small portion to go in the lower right corner -- amazing how much one can accomplish when one sets their mind to it.

As for football - the Bengals lost, so it's 'wait until next season' again. Oh well. I've got college basketball now and soon it'll be spring training and baseball season. How many days until the 2010 (NFL) season begins?

First Start = First Finish 2010

2010-01-07T17:36:00.002-05:00

Spooky Sheep - Shepherd's Bush
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

I put the final finishes on Spooky Sheep this evening. I think it turned out rather nice - and was a quick stitch.

Now to just figure out what to do with it. Always a quandary after I finish stitching something!

Designer: Shepherd's Bush
Fabric: 32 ct Sand Belfast
Threads: as kitted - silk floss, Threadgatherer hand-dyed silks

New Year's Start

2010-01-05T17:58:00.001-05:00

WIP: Spooky Sheep
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

One of the traditions my NYC stitching group (aka MetroStitchers) has is to start a new project to honor those stitchers who are no longer with us. Even though I was sicker than a dog the days leading up to New Year's Day, I managed to ruffle through my stash that afternoon and find a kit that was screaming to be stitched.

With a few minutes here and a few minutes there, I've managed to accomplish this much on Spooky Sheep from (who else?) Shepherd's Bush. It's a little piece -- just need to finish the stack of pumpkins to the right, a couple stars above the lamb, and a row of satin stitch below. So maybe another hour or two and I'll have my first finish of 2010. Once I finish this, it's back to Lizzie Kate's ABC Christmas. Sadly, I have hardly touched it since Thanksgiving.

Once I finish up these two pieces, perhaps I can start dreaming of my next project - or at least go 'shopping' in my stash to see what calls to me.

She's Alive!!!

2010-01-01T17:14:00.002-05:00

After several days of feverish dreams of my own death (in various mundane and gruesome ways), sleeping 16-20 hours/day, and eating little to nothing, I am back amongst the alive and healthy.

I first started feeling 'off' after eating at the Chinese buffet on Christmas Day. Saturday I was just blah, but Sunday afternoon it hit me. I was in Pepboys, waiting to pick up my car (dropped off for oil change) and called Mark with an urgent plea, "Come get me. I'm sick." I made it to the restroom and added my own sickness to the layer of grime. Trust me folks, if you gotta get sick, don't let it be a Pepboys. I wish I had been at Target. Once I got home, I crawled into bed wearing sweats and piled high with layers of blankets. Slept until mid-evening when I got up and took some Tylenol before hightailing it back to bed.

Woke around 4 AM, sheets drenched with sweat and head pounding. Called work to inform them I wouldn't be in and after hydrating myself, slid back under the covers. When I woke around 10 AM, I tried to eat a little toast (unsuccessfully) and watch a little television. Couldn't keep my eyes open, so I returned to my toasty bed - welcome as I was suffering from chills. My day continued - sleep/wake, sweats/chills. I rose briefly around dinner time, but once again wasn't able to hold any food down, so I called it a night early and went back to bed.

Early Tuesday morning, I woke again, sheets drenched and head pounding. I knew I wasn't better so made the obligatory call to work. Fell back asleep and slept until 10 AM when I called the doctor's office with my symptoms and they advised me to come in. I had neither the full run of symptoms of flu (hope not - I had a shot earlier in the year), nor mono yet the doc drew blood to rule out a few things. I had entered my symptoms on WebMD and the constant diagnoses were mono or perimenopause. In short, the doc ordered me off work until Friday (New Year's Day) - but since my office is closed, that means Monday. I made a stop at the supermarket to pick up juice, Gatorade, and some other bland foods before returning home. Just that little adventure drained me, so back to bed I went.

Wednesday was pretty much a repeat of the previous days: sleep, eat, vomit, drink, sleep, eat, vomit, drink, sleep, eat, vomit, drink. I really don't have much recollection of these days - the bits I do remember still feel as though I was in a dream. Thursday started out as a repeat of the previous days, but by the time I woke from my power nap at dinner time, I was feeling better. Not well enough to go out and be with people, but enough to settle into my recliner for a True Blood marathon before switching over to see Ryan & Dick and the NYE celebration in Times Square. (I was happy to be in my warm house versus the crowd there.)

This morning, I awoke at 10 AM and it's like a switch was flipped. No soaked sheets, no pounding headache, able to get out of bed easily (no taking me 90 minutes to get dressed) - could it be the bug was gone? As the minutes ticked by and I continued to feel well, I grew bold and went to shower and dress and head out to movie. Husband called as I was leaving and I met him for lunch instead. (He played w/ the pipe band at the Polar Bear Plunge in Asbury Park. I had planned to do it, but the events of the week wiped that idea out of my mind. There's always next year.) Lunch was great, no ill-effects afterwards. I think I am back.

Spending the afternoon/watching college football - my ideal way to spend New Year's Day. Hoping tomorrow finds me just a little stronger.

Dogs For Hire

2009-12-22T07:05:00.001-05:00

first snow of season - 12/20/09
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Should a jolly old fella in a red suit find one of The Eight calls out sick on Christmas Eve, I've got two replacements ready and able to take their place here -- on Suki, on Tara, dash away all!

Took the girls out for their morning walk today. Normally it's a lazy stroll, but for some reason this morning the two of them were in tandem, rushing around the block, making me do double time. For crying out loud, it's 6:30 AM, it's dark, it's cold, I'm still half asleep -- slow down dogs!

As much as I kvetch, the quick pace and the brisk morning air combined for a nice walk. Now I just have to take a shower to warm up my tootsies. I really must invest in a pair of 'practical' winter boots. Those with 3+ inch heels truly have no place in this snow and ice that we have now.

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas...

2009-12-20T10:29:00.001-05:00

first snow of season - 12/20/09
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

We got snow! Somewhere in the vicinity of 20" of the lovely, powdery white stuff. I love it. Well, except the shoveling bit. I was out about 3 times yesterday throughout the day, trying to keep up, but by 9 PM, I had enough and said I'd tackle the rest in the morning. Woke up this morning to around 10" of new snow. Ugh.

It's lovely now though -- and for the first time in I don't know how long, we will have a White Christmas here. The temps are supposed to warm up throughout the week, but there's enough snow that this won't be going anywhere for a long time.

My car has been dug out, the driveway clear and a path to the front door made. Now I can enjoy a couple of the chocolate chip cookies I made yesterday. I think I've earned them.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

2009-12-18T21:50:00.001-05:00

Self Portrait - 12/12/09
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

The first big snowstorm of the season is bearing down on us - by this time tomorrow, we *should* have significant snowfall. Guess I'll be out shoveling at some point.

Just hoping that it holds off enough for me to get to the gym in the morning the supermarket. Maybe a stop at the liquor store too -- just to make sure we've got some potent potables in the house.

For my fellow east coaster - stay warm, stay safe and snuggle up under the covers with a loved one.

Stitching Update

2009-12-10T21:41:00.001-05:00

WIP: ABC Christmas (10-Dec-09)
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Since the broken finger incident prior to Thanksgiving, I haven't been working as diligently on this piece, but I did put a little effort into it this week thanks to a Stitch-n-Bitch session at the office. So close and I'd really like to get this complete and ready for display this Christmas.

It doesn't really look like I've accomplished much since the last update - a lot of "fill-in" work and some oddball stitches here and there. I am off tomorrow, so perhaps I'll finish up that top row and then be able to concentrate on the lower right corner and get it done.

Here Come the Holidays

2009-12-05T11:38:00.001-05:00

Christmas 2009
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Just under a week to Chanukkah and under 3 weeks to Christmas. Oy! The tree is finally decorated and my holiday shopping is complete. Thank you etsy!

I'm continuing to plug away on Lizzie Kate's ABC Christmas, though there isn't much progress since I broke my finger, hence, no photo update. If the finger injury wasn't enough, this week I went to the doc to have the pain in my knee looked at. Initial thought is tendinitis in the (right) knee. I've been prescribed an anti-inflammatory, if there's no improvement by early in the week, then it's off to the orthopedist. Two years in a row I've been through the revolving door of doctor visits - here's hoping this won't require surgery!

No big plans for us this holiday season. We're looking at going into the city on Christmas Day and catching a Broadway show. I had a look to see what was playing and if I can get decent seats (meaning on the aisle), I think I might pick up tix for 'Jersey Boys.' Of course, growing up my mom's second husband had a passion for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. I couldn't stand the music back then. Now that I'm older, it's grown on me. Since I stated I wanted to see this show, all I've been doing is singing Frankie Valli songs in my head. "Oh what a night..."

The weather outside is frightful today - cold rain at the moment, though there's a possibility of snow after sunset tonight. I'm ready - even if it doesn't last. There's something magical about snow during the holiday season. However, depending on what forecast I look at our area is due for 1-3 inches of snow or a slushy mix. I hope it's the former -- slushy mix is simply gross.

While the dismal weather means that we can't take the girls to the beach for a frolic on the sand, it gives me a chance to throw a blanket over my lap and stitch to my heart's content. Maybe by next week I'll have this Christmas piece done and be able to head over to Joann's in search for fabric to make it into a wall hanging (or pillow).

Giving Thanks

2009-11-26T21:51:00.003-05:00

While I'm not particularly fond of Thanksgiving seeing as it's a food-centric holiday, I realize that even when I feel like the world is crashing down around me I have an awful lot to be grateful for.

To put it simply - friends and family.

Those who love me, cherish me, nuture me - I give thanks for them. Whether they're near or far, someone I talk to daily or just now and then, they all play an important part in my life. You know who you are - I love you all.

Today, I am especially grateful to have moM back on US soil and hearing her voice. Now I can't wait to hear all about the trip to China - and see pics.

Etsy Goodness

2009-11-24T22:36:00.002-05:00

These are a few of my favorite things - in no particular order and not necessarily for me. (But friends will know the things that are of interest to me.)

No, She is Not Dieting

2009-11-24T19:20:00.001-05:00

Suki
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

For whatever reason, Suki loves lettuce. (Her human mom does not.) During dinner, we can be feasting on chicken, fish or beef and giving her a plate of lettuce will shut her up and make her happy. Very happy.

I never said my dogs were normal.

What a Week!

2009-11-22T20:06:00.001-05:00

WIP: ABC Christmas (21-Nov-09)
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Despite the obstacles thrown at me this week, I managed to make a little more progress on LK's ABC Christmas. Most of this was accomplished prior to my injury, only on Saturday was I again able to manipulate a needle successfully again.

On Tuesday, I jammed my left ring finger while reaching for my shampoo in the shower. I didn't think much of it, despite the pain and the swelling. By evening, it was swollen up like a Vienna Sausage and was a beautiful shade of purple. I went to bed with the intention of going to the doctor on Wednesday morning if it wasn't better.

I didn't think my finger could have swelled up larger, but by Wednesday morning, it had. I went to the doctor and had to explain to both the doctor and nurse about 5 times that I hurt it in the shower -- I am not sure they didn't think someone did something to me. An x-ray revealed two hairline fractures so they taped me up and ordered me off work for FOUR days. With my dominant hand taped up I was pretty useless.

I spent the better part of the week reading -- to the point where I didn't want to pick up another book. I am making good progress through the Sookie Stackhouse books and enjoying them, though I wonder how many supes are going to have the hots for Sookie before this series ends.

Today was the first day that I didn't tape my finger and I've managed to do most things without too much discomfort. It still hurts if I move it just so -- but typing normally is possible for the first time in days. The swelling is gone and the bruises have faded, but I still baby it. I don't know how long it's gonna feel tender, but at least I'm able to do most everything I could do before the incident.

Now to get back to my stitching -- hoping to get this done before the end of the Thanksgiving weekend so I can start on a new project.

Wall of Pink

2009-11-21T20:52:00.001-05:00

Fall 2009
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

One of the things I managed to accomplish this weekend was hanging up the pix and artwork that I had to take off the wall when we had the house repainted - in August. (So it's taken me three months...)

This is my 'wall of pink' in the living room, in what's been my stitching corner. The piece on the left is Cherry Heart by Shepherd's Bush, the one on the right is Drawn Thread's Cloister Garden. The heart piece in the center is another Drawn Thread design, if I remember correctly but I can't remember the name of the design off the top of my head.

The floral arrangement I picked up at a craft show in Toms River a couple years ago. To me, it just adds a little something to this comfortable corner where I can pull out my needlework and stitch away to my hearts content.

Another Week, Another Visit from the Frog

2009-11-16T21:30:00.001-05:00

WIP: ABC Christmas (16-Nov-09)
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Although I've made some progress on LK's ABC Christmas, I had another visit from Senor Frog. Just when I think I'm on a roll, I notice a mistake -- and the perfectionist that I am just can't leave it there and has to rip it out.

I am still having fun working on this piece and figure with the football this weekend and Thanksgiving Day, I should be done with it before the end of the month. (Provided froggy doesn't come a courting again, uh huh.) I frogged during Sunday Night Football -- once I got tired, I made stupid counting mistakes. So considering it's past 9 PM here now, I've put the needlework away and am concentrating on emails and football (and blogging).

There's no news to report on Paradise Lost. I'm still looking for fabric - but not making a dedicated effort. I did a little window shopping at some online needlework shops. Yea, my list of things I 'need' has gotten a bit longer. Me thinks I should just go shopping in my stash before buying anything more.

Suki's New Sweater

2009-11-15T20:49:00.001-05:00

Suki's New Sweater
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Yep, I've become 'one of those people' who dresses her dog in a sweater.

La Petite Cujo got a haircut on Friday -- that evening and Saturday morning she was shivering, so Mark insisted that our little girl needed a sweater. An adventure at Petco ensued -- I tried a variety of garments on her, she tried to bite my hand. We ended up with this one - it's a little large for her, but it's easy to get on and get her 'arms' in the sleeves. Plus it's pink, so you know *I* like it.

Of course, the weather improved and she didn't need to wear it after Saturday. But considering she is shaved, I think she'll be grateful for the warmth once it cools off again.

A Day at the Beach

2009-11-12T21:17:00.002-05:00

Dog Beach - 11/08/09
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

We took the girls over to Manasquan on Sunday morning. Tara waded along the shoreline for a bit before settling down and watching the big(ger) dogs play in the surf.

More pics of the pups' adventure are in my Flickr album.

Update: One Week

2009-11-09T23:26:00.001-05:00

WIP: ABC Christmas (09-Nov-09)
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Thanks to football and the World Series, I managed to get quite a bit stitched up this past week. I actually had to frog a big section (lights - mistletoe AND ice skate - joy) because I was off two stitches. Ugh. But during the intense games, it was much easier to frog than to pay attention to what I was stitching.

It's been a lot of fun to stitch - despite the frogging - and I hope to have it competed before Thanksgiving. Since framing is outrageously expensive and I'd like to display this piece over the holidays, I'm thinking that it might just become a wall hanging providing I can find a fabric I like (and make the time to put it together).

Still haven't pulled or ordered fabric for Paradise Lost. Have the threads ready, so will probably do so on Friday (payday).

With My Needle

2009-11-02T09:22:00.001-05:00

WIP: ABC Christmas (01-Nov-09)
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Last night was like old times again -- baseball on the telly, needle in my hand.

This is Lizzie Kate's ABC Christmas and my progress through an afternoon of football and an evening of baseball. As I said in an earlier post, it's my first time working with the Crescent Color threads and I like them. (I knew Sharon through a stitching group online and remember when she first started dyeing her threads -- amazing to see what a successful business it turned out to be for her.)

I pulled my DMC threads for Paradise Lost - out of the bajillion needed, I only had 5. Glad I got that Michael's gift card from my stitch-n-bitch co-workers -- know what I'll be using it for. Also did the calculations - on 28 count fabric, it's gonna be 30 inches by 16 inches. Wowsa! Gotta figure out whether I am gonna use a Q-Snap or scroll bars for that project -- and hope I've got a big enough cut of appropriate fabric somewhere in my stash.

Now that the crafty bug has bitten, I wish that I could stay home and stitch all day. Unfortunately, work beckons.

Treats for Me

2009-11-01T16:42:00.005-05:00

In yesterday's post, I mentioned that I took a trip up north to Tawny's - aka the LNS - and added to my stash.

Lizzie Kate's ABC Christmas (pictured left) is one of the designs I picked up along with the required fabric. I started it last night while waiting for the trick-or-treaters to come and am making good progress (lights thru mistletoe is complete).

As I would like to have this compete in time for Christmas 2009 (since my poinsettia piece will not be done) I will continue to work on this throughout football this afternoon and Game 4 of the World Series tonight. Let's go Yankees!

It's actually a fairly quick stitch - as most Lizzie Kate pieces are. It came with the Crescent Colors required and it's my first time stitching with them. I like them - though I've gotten tangled a few times working with the long lengths. I think that's more of a personal problem than an issue with the threads themselves.

The other chart that I picked up was Paradise Lost by Plum Street Samplers (pictured right).

I originally saw this design on another stitcher's blog as a WIP (work in progress) and simply fell in love with it. After getting over sticker shock ($22 for the chart alone), I bought it, but didn't get the fabric. I have a stash of wonderful hand dyed fabrics at home and though I would pull the threads and decide which fabric to use.

It calls for NPI silks but also gives a DMC colorway. Since I don't have a collection of NPI silks in my stash, I think this thrifty gal is going to go with the DMC options. So either the next sunny day or Friday (my day off) I'll be pulling threads and fabric and making a decision. Then this one will be added to the rotation and I'll alternate working on it with the LK design.

I think this might be the little nudge I need to jumpstart my creativity. While I'm recreating someone else's design, it's still a crafty venture and I've missed that. I'm working on some goals/structure in my life and feel the need to nurture my crafty side. I think that I will focus on making time for creative expression as that's been missing for a while. Now to balance it with everything else...

Trick or Treat

2009-10-31T22:19:00.002-04:00

Tara - Halloween 2009
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

It's a been a busy day here.

This morning I ran up north to Tawny's (officially known as Where Victoria's Angels Stitch) for a little stash enhancement. I had seen someone stitching Plum Street Sampler's Paradise Lost on another blog and had to have it. Couldn't believe the price of the chart - $22. Sheesh. But I bought it anyhow. Also picked up Lizzie Kate's ABC Christmas and fabric as well.

Tara and I sat outside and handed out candy to the freeloaders - uh, trick-or-treaters, this afternoon. I am simply amazed at how many kids are 'grabby grabby' and the lack of manners. Mark and I got in a bit of an argument. I insist that the kids say 'trick or treat' - otherwise, I don't give them candy. I also don't like grabbers and will pull the bowl out of reach. He thinks I'm being 'mean and nasty' - I think, my house, my generosity, you play by my rules. Oh my God, I'm becoming the bitchy woman on the block. (Ok, that's not too much of a stretch.)

Chilling out watching Game 3 of the World Series now -- doesn't look too good for Yankees, but it's early still. I gotta believe.

Lady Sings the Blues

2009-10-21T21:34:00.003-04:00

Of late, I feel like my life is crashing down around me or at least that I'm teetering on the edge of an abyss.

---

About 18 months ago, I took a voluntary 'demotion' (plus pay cut) and had my job reclassified as an administrative position. The company was acquired by another last year and about a month ago we learned that our department was being absorbed into the corporate company. My job as it currently exists will cease to be and I will have some of the duties that I had before and felt I was underqualified/untrained to do adequately.

Along with this reclassification, I no longer report to the same person - instead, I am reporting to a colleague based in our UK office. I voiced my concerns to both my old manager and new manager and only hope that I can get the training I need to do what is expected of me. If not, then I'll have to explore other options either within the organization or outside. I like the company (and people) as a whole - I've been there 7+ years. I don't really want to have to find another job as I have a generous vacation allowance now which I wouldn't get anywhere else.

While this change won't happen overnight, I am already a bit nervous. The last thing I want to do is be looking for a new job in this current market.

---

On the home front, I feel as though I've neglected friends and family for too long. Money's tight to say the least and I've cut back on doing a lot things. I miss hanging out with my (sorority) sisters on a regular basis and need to re-involve myself in alumnae chapter happenings.

I argue with my husband way too much too -- and not because I'm simply a bitch, but just because I am frustrated. I know I shouldn't take things out on him, but sometimes I react without thinking. I am working on that, though it's hard to break old ingrained habits.

---

My creative mojo went walkabout earlier this year. I have a room full of craft supplies (more than just beads), but no inspiration. I had hoped summer would cure that but it didn't. Now autumn, my favorite season, is upon us and while I glory in the colors of nature, that mojo still is nowhere to be found.

---

Despite all these stresses, I am lucky to have friends and family who love me and are there for me when I need a little hand-holding (or a martini). Just taking it one day at a time -- and even then, sometimes it's just hour-by-hour for me to be able to hold it together. Things will get better, right? There's always tomorrow.

Baby's Got Blue Eyes

2009-10-21T21:04:00.001-04:00

birthday scarf
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Today my stitch-n-bitch pals at work showered me with gifts during our lunch gathering. While I appreciated everything, I am in love with this hand-knit scarf.

Blue has been growing on me of late - every shade from ice blue to a rich cobalt. I was amazed at how this scarf made my eyes just pop. You bet that there's gonna be more blue in this gal's wardrobe from this point forward. Of course, red, pink, and black will continue to feature prominently as well.

Now if it would only cool off a bit so I could wear my scarf... Why is it 70 degrees in late October? I want my crisp, cool autumn days.

Comforting Words

2009-10-20T22:45:00.004-04:00

One of my EtsyNJ friends had this quote on her blog a few days ago and I liked it well enough that I appropriated it for myself to post here.

May today there be peace within.
May you use your gifts and pass them on.
May you be content with yourself just the way you are.
Let this knowledge setting into your bones
and allow yourself the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

As one who constantly beats myself up over doing or saying the wrong thing, I found these words a comfort. For most of my life I've felt I've never been good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, etc.

Yet over the past 18 months or so, along my weight loss journey, I have changed how I think of myself. There are days when I still feel like that insecure ugly duckling. It's those days that words such as these are needed to remind me that I am ok - just the way I am.

Love Me, Love My Dog

2009-10-18T21:58:00.002-04:00

Tara
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

About a year or so ago, Tara, my 16 year old mini Eskie, was diagnosed with chronic bronchitis - COPD for dogs. It's not a death sentence, but it does make living with a wheezing, hacking dog a bit of a challenge.

This has been managed by meds, but lately the coughing fits have increased both in intensity and frequency. Couple that with recurring bouts of diarrhea, I'm beginning to think about the end. Granted, right now, I don't think that she's suffering badly. It's more inconvenient for me to have to get down on my hands and knees each night and scrub the floor. Just when I think I have her back to normal, it comes back with a vengeance.

I have an appointment with the V-E-T on Friday (for her and Stanley, our last cat from Brooklyn) and hope that we'll be able to find a cause and get her back on track. The thought of having to say good-bye to my velcro dog fills me with tears. I know we won't have forever together, but I don't want to let her go sooner than necessary.

So, for my animal lover friends out there, please keep me and my precious Tara in your prayers. I am hoping this is something simple to cure and that she'll be on the rebound in no time. And if it's something serious, I hope that I'll have the strength to do the right thing.

Happy Adoption Day, Mac

2009-10-06T22:28:00.001-04:00

img 235
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

One year ago, Mac (aka Scaredy Cat) joined our household.

While he's slowly coming out of his shell, he still prefers the company of cats to the humans in this house. When he's not hiding under the bed, he can usually be found cuddled with Stanley.

The Last Room

2009-08-18T20:53:00.001-04:00

003
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Finally! The paint job at the house is done and my studio, formerly yellow, is now a soothing blue. It's still utter chaos - nothing has been put away and I need to reorganize, but that's what the weekend is for.

The rest of the house looks just as fabulous - there's some before/after pics in my Flickr album. I am just starting to rehang stuff on the walls and deciding whether to put it in the same place or elsewhere.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with the paint job. Some switch plates are missing or put in the wrong room which annoyed me, but I love the colors. I didn't realize until the weekend that my family room is cream and crimson -- I'm a true IU gal afterall.

Fabulous Weekend

2009-08-17T09:49:00.003-04:00

I've been in a downbeat mood for the past week, dealing with headaches, painters and my house in chaos, and a sick dog (Tara). My whirlwind trip was a welcomed getaway and needless to say it didn't disappoint.

When I planned this trip, I didn't realize it would coincide with the 2 year anniversary of my (step)dad's death/burial. I made the trip to Louisville to see my BBF yesterday -- who I haven't seen for two years to the day @ Homer's funeral. The reunion was wonderful, and bittersweet. I got to meet the wonder child, see the new house, and enjoy Graeter's ice cream. There are days like this when I have so much fun just 'hanging out', talking and laughing that I truly regret the distance between us. If only we lived closer together and could have these moments more frequently. At the very least, I vow not to let two years go by until we see each other again -- be it that I make a trip out to Kentucky for the weekend or convince her to bring the wonder child to the Jersey Shore.

It was also wonderful to see my mother again and spend time with her doing mother-daughter things - like shopping. Yes, I have become my mother and have awoken my inner passion for trolling through the clearance racks at Macy's in search of bargains. I found me a couple really awesome dresses - originally $159 each, on clearance for a whopping $16 each. Score! The only thing I didn't look for was shoes -- but honestly, my suitcase was stuffed coming home, I don't know if I could have fit in anything more.

It's Monday morning and I'm sitting here at the Columbus (OH) airport -- my 9:30 AM flight back to Philly has been delayed. I have no clue when it's supposed to take off - the plane isn't even here yet. Thank goodness for laptops and wireless internet. Otherwise, I'd be bored out of my gourd as I've finished all my books and fashion mags aren't really my cuppa. Book choices at the airport are limited - usually to dreck that I'm not even remotely interested in.

I'm anxious to get home, to see my husband, marvel in the new paint job, evaluate Tara and see if she needs that appointment with the V-E-T tonight, and get some much needed sleep in MY bed. As much as I love visiting, there's nothing better than you're own bed. I've slept fitfully the past two nights -- maybe the comforts of my home, my cats and my dogs will be the panacea I need.

Homeward Bound

2009-08-14T08:05:00.002-04:00

I'm sitting in the Philly airport, waiting for my plane to come in and board. In about an hour, I'll be winging my way back to Ohio and a visit 'home' -- if I can call Ohio home anymore. After a decade-plus on the east coast, I no longer feel like a midwesterner, but the moment I open my mouth, the midwestern gal is revealed.

It's a short trip this time around - I am flying back on Monday. But I get to visit with my mother and take a trip to Louisville to see my BFF and finally meet the wonder child. I'm quite giddy with excitement - just to be out here and spend time with some of my favorite people is exhilarating.

Of course, no trip back to Cincinnati would be complete without a trip to Skyline for a 3-way and Graeter's for ice cream. I'm salivating just thinking about it already.

Color My World

2009-08-13T23:30:00.001-04:00

family room
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

After three days of utter chaos in the house, the paint job is almost finished. One more room (my studio) remains to be painted in the morning, but overall I'm pleased.

This is the red wall in our family room -- Moroccan Red (or amongst certain friends, Mo Rocca Red). Apparently even Miss Suki approves. More pics of the other rooms, including some before and after shots, are in my Flickr album.

I'm exhausted -- I've been moving furniture all night on top of doing laundry and packing for my trip to Cincinnati tomorrow. Still have a lot to go before I leave in the morning - so little time.

Blast From the Past

2009-07-19T21:38:00.001-04:00

Alex & Me
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

While digging through pics online, I found this shot from my stint on Jeopardy! in June 2000.

My first thought - OMG! I need a hair cut! Yet at the time I was so proud of my long hair. LOL. I think both Alex and I look different today - and for the better.

For those who don't know - yes, I am a Jeopardy! champion. Details on my appearance can be found here and here.

And please, whatever you do, don't mention Ken Jennings to me. He's Satan's Spawn.

Have You Seen Me?

2009-07-11T22:04:00.001-04:00

self portrait - 6/28/09
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

I've been neglecting my blog, my friends, my craft for too long.

I've been caught up in a whirlwind of social activity since returning home from Alaska the Friday prior to Memorial Day and now it's mid July and I've got nothing to show but an awesome tan and a handful of self-portraits taken under the influence with the cell phone or my new digital camera. Beach-going, bar hopping and Bantrying seem to have become my life.

I've been stressed more than usual and trying to work things through. I think that perhaps I am going through that mid-life crisis -- does a 41 year old woman really need a cute little Miata? (Oh yea, especially for beach days! But I didn't get it.)

The new me is still coming to terms with being called "sexy", "beautiful", "gorgeous." It makes me laugh at times but at the same time it gives me such an ego boost. I know I should be content and confident with myself and not relish the complements from others, but after so many years of being the 'ugly ducking' this swan is basking in the attention.

We've pretty much reached the mid-point of the summer season here in Jersey. I've been enjoying beach time with Mark and friends whenever possible. I'm tanner than I've been in years - contrary to popular belief, this Irish lassie can tan (with a bit of help from Hollywood Tans). Tomorrow we're bound for the beach - weather permitting. I can't wait - books and iPod in hand, I can hunker down for hours.

Hoping to corral my mojo once again and get back to making jewelry. Stay tuned for updates on my blog and in my etsy shop.

Celebration and Affirmation

2009-05-31T17:11:00.003-04:00

If you've been around here long enough, you know that the past year I've worked hard to lose weight. I'm still hovering around the 50 lbs lost total, trying to lose another 15-20 to reach my ultimate goal; however, that's been a battle since my surgery in January.

Today, I went back to WW after being away for two weeks. I hesitated going last week because according the the scale on the ship, I was up several pounds. I didn't want another gain my book, so I held off and worked out diligently this week to ensure that I'd have a loss - hoping for all that I gained, plus some. Whatever I did worked as I was down 2.6 pounds this week - that's just shy of 51 pounds total. Next goal: 55 lbs!

Since starting this weight loss journey, I've become more physically active. I still don't love going to the gym and working out, but I've managed to find activities that interest me and get me there - one of them being yoga. There's a 7:30 AM yoga class each Sunday which I love attending - provided I'm not hurting from the night before. It had been several weeks since I made it out of bed and to the gym in time for this session, but I got there in plenty of time today.

It was the most spectacular session - ever. Not so much for what my body did - I definitely recognized the fact that I hadn't been going regularly for a bit and wasn't as flexible as I had been previously. But, my body responded to most everything and even when I wanted to give up, I was able to push myself a little more and get deeper into the pose.

This particular instructor has (for lack of a better term) 'affirmation cards' that she asks a student to draw one at the end of each session and then she reads it. Yours truly was the lucky one today. The card said (and I'm parapharsing)... "It's never too late to change your body. Diet and exercise will aid you in this journey. Don't let what you eat cause conflict in your life." I was completely relaxed and one with the world after class, but when she read the card I had drawn, it was if a lightning bolt was hurled from the heavens and struck me. If there's anyone who needed that 'reminder' - it was me.

Yesterday, we had lunch at a favorite place - a burger joint. I agreed to go there because they had a grilled chicken wrap that I loved. When we got there, the chicken wrap was no longer on the menu because "not enough people ordered it" and it couldn't be made special. So there I was faced with a choice of burger, burger, or burger. Arrgh! I went with the least harmful option and enjoyed every bite of it, all the while thinking "I sure hope this doesn't screw up my efforts this week." Fortunately, it didn't - I lost, but I still think I might have lost more if I hadn't had that burger.

I've been obsessing with food lately - should I eat this? are there too many carbs in that? is this going to sabotage my efforts?, etc. This affirmation was a message to me that it's okay to let go. Don't let it become a burden to carry. With that in mind, I enjoyed my lunch this afternoon and am ready to face the week ahead.

Nearly 12 hours later, I'm still feeling on top of the world and hoping that this positive train of thought will carry me through the week.

Alaska Splendor

2009-05-24T08:23:00.003-04:00

Ice, Ice Baby
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Just another shot of me on the Alaska cruise - Sawyer Glacier in the background.

We cruised the Tracy Arm fjord and got within 1/4 mile of the glacier before turning around. I took tons of scenic pics, but that's the beauty of a digital camera. Now I have to sort through them to find my favorite.

Oh - I found the most wonderful shop in Victoria: www.artinas.com. It's full of wonderful jewelry goodness made by Canadian or First Nations artists. I could have spent several hours (and dollars) in there, but held out and only bought one piece from The Rave 'N' Iron -- who happens to have a shop on Etsy. Check 'em out and prepare to be dazzled.

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

2009-05-23T10:37:00.003-04:00

Skagway Street Walker
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

I'm back! After seven days at sea (6 wonderful, 1 where I curled up in bed and prayed I wouldn't get sick), I've seen Juneau and Skagway, Alaska and Victoria, BC.

Alaska is so hard to describe - majestic, beautiful, vast, stunning, remote... I'm so glad I got a chance to see part of our 49th State. (Corrected because a smarter friend reminded me Hawaii is the 50th state. So much for being a smart Jeopardy champion.) It's hard to believe that this last frontier is actually a part of our nation. One feels like they're in another world - it doesn't quite feel like it's America, except the money is the same and the stars and stripes fly over government buildings.

I'm happy to be home in Jersey though. As much as I liked seeing the small bit of Alaska that I did, I don't want to live there. Seriously - a place that gets 90+ inches of snow per year? Nope - give me the beach here in Jersey and I'm a happy gal.

I'm slowly uploading 500+ plus pics (mostly scenic shots) to my Flickr account today. The first 200+ are there now, more will be coming later. The sun is out, it's a gorgeous day and somewhere the sand along the Jersey Shore is screaming for me.

All my bags are packed...

2009-05-13T13:53:00.002-04:00

I think I'm ready to head out in the morning. Just need to finalize/confirm my ride to the airport and then it's Seattle/Alaska - here I come!

I'm due back the evening of the 22nd - just in time to hit all the Memorial Day weekend traffic down the Parkway. (Gotta love them Bennies!) With the time difference, I'll probably be wide awake and ready to kick off the holiday weekend, but who knows. Worst case scenario is that I'll crash hard on Friday night and be fully rested for the remainder of the weekend.

Not sure if I'll have internet access while I'm away - if I can post photos in the interim, I will, otherwise be looking for them sometime late on the 22nd or early on the 23rd. I'm one who usually uploads them while I'm sleeping -- considering I took 350+ on my Jamaica trip, there's bound to be at least that many from Alaska.

Mother's Day Ranting

2009-05-10T20:23:00.001-04:00

Manasquan Dog Beach - 5/9/09
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

I've been in a pissy mood for most of the day - Mother's Day annoys me to no end for a variety of reasons, the main one being that I'm not a mother except to my 'girls' here.

I've slowly come to terms with being child-free and recently realized just how much I like it. I'm able to pick up and go on vacation whenever I want, do whatever I want to do without having to work around a child's schedule, etc. Maybe that's a bit self-centered, but considering I'll be 42 in the fall, I'm okay with it.

At one time I desperately wanted children, but a series of events pretty much erased my chances. At this point, I don't feel like trying to have a baby, let alone adopt one. I'm too old and settled in my lifestyle to have a child cramp my style. Oh granted, one makes sacrifices, but I'm not willing to make them at this time. I like the life I have now and don't want to change a thing.

Today, Mother's Day, I've been thinking about the 'what ifs' too much rather than focusing on the good things in my life and it's put me in a shitty mood. I have a lovely house, a charming husband, and a wonderful menagerie of dogs and cats. I have a charmed life, even without children. But still, I wonder if the choices I made earlier in my life would have made me feel differently.

While moms across the country are being showered with cards/gifts and being wined and dined today, I'm sitting here having a pity party for myself. Why? I've got a charmed life - maybe not perfect, but it's good. Wondering if I'm not just a wee bit jealous?

Inked Again

2009-05-03T16:36:00.002-04:00

Lotus Tattoo - May 2009
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

After 10 years with no new ink, I've gone under the needle twice within 6 days.

While I love my tricolor shamrock, I'm totally enamored of this piece. It's quite large, covering a significant portion of my upper shoulder and I love catching a glimpse of it in the mirror as I'm primping in the mornings. I've gotten several positive comments on it from friends and strangers over the past two days. I wish that I could see it myself, but just knowing it's there puts a big smile on my face.

What's next? Well, nothing in the immediate future. I'm going to have an old tattoo on my right shoulder covered up eventually - most likely a rose in the spot, about the same size as the lotus. However, if another flower (i.e. chrysanthemum or peony) would do the job, I'd rather go that route. We'll see. I'm not in any rush to get more ink -- but I figure I'll have it done before the end of the year.

50 Down, 16 To Go

2009-04-27T07:11:00.002-04:00

Manasquan Dog Beach - April 2009
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Just thirteen months after starting my Weight Watchers journey, I'm down 50.4 pounds and looking at another 16 to reach goal.

For those who don't remember me before (and honestly, I really don't want to), you can find photos of me along my journey here. It's not been easy and at times I wanted to throw in the towel, but I've come a long way and I'm bound to see it through to the end. The pictures are motivation for me - this one was shot on Saturday at the dog beach in Manasquan.

Hoping that my new bathing suit arrives today -- I went crazy and ordered not one, but two bikinis for the summer. From a gal who used to wear big baggy stuff to cover everything up, I'm ready to bare almost everything. I just need to keep working on those abs and my arms now.

Have a great Monday wherever you are. The Jersey Shore is still in the throes of a summer-like heatwave (in April!) and I'm dressed lightly. I've got a feeling the office is going to be a sweat box today. Ugh. (But on a positive note, I'll lose weight by sweating?)

Celebratory Ink

2009-04-26T20:04:00.003-04:00

New Ink - April 2009
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

To celebrate losing 50 pounds, I went out and got a new tattoo. In reality, it was something I had been wanting a while, but it just coordinated with the timing of me losing 50 pounds and the annual WW fashion show.

I'd been researching tattoo artists here on the Jersey Shore for a bit - trying to find someone to do the work. A week or so ago, Mark and I were at Kelly's for dinner and I asked our waiter where he was inked. He gave me a card for a guy up in the Highlands and I put it in my pocket. On Friday night, we were back at Kelly's, on the patio, and I noticed a guy across the bar and thought it was Jay - the artist whose card I had in my bag. Turned out it was and I had a nice conversation with him, showing him a photo of what I wanted. He told me he could do it and to give him a call.

On Saturday, I phoned the shop and he said he could do the work about 5 PM. So I went up to the Highlands (what a schlepp from my home) and after filling out the paperwork, I sat down in the chair and let him go to work. About 25-30 minutes - and a horrific reggae version of Hotel California - later it was done.

This photo was taken about 26 hours after -- I'm quite happy with how it came out. The original pic I had was a solid green shamrock, but I wanted the colors of the Irish flag instead. I'm most likely going to go back to Jay for some more work -- I want to have the tattoo on my shoulder covered up with something new. That will probably be the next work I have done. After that, who knows. Mark wants me to stop, but like potato chips, you can't just have one.

As of today, I've lost 50.4 pounds in just over 13 months. I've gone from a size 18/20 to a 10/12. I have 16 more pounds to go to reach Weight Watchers goal -- hoping that I'll make it by July 4th. But if I don't, it's okay. I've had a few roadblocks and detours already, so I'll get there eventually. I think I'd actually like to lose another 25 pounds but we'll see what I feel like when I lose the next 16. I'm wearing sizes that I haven't worn since before I was married and it feels great.

A is for Attitude

2009-04-16T21:18:00.001-04:00

Jamaica 2009
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Over the past year, I've successfully lost nearly 50 pounds. Actually, I was at that magic number in March, but gained a bit of it back before Easter/Passover and have been working hard to get back to that milestone. Today, I'm down another 4.6 pounds - back to a total of 47 pounds in all.

A few weeks ago, a friend gave me a picture of myself from 2004. When I first looked at it, I didn't recognize myself. Who was that girl with the round face and chubby arms? When I realized it was me, I was horrified. I really was F-A-T. Five years later and 40+ pounds less, I am proud of who I am and how far I've come on my journey. I never quite believed that Weight Watchers would work for me. I tried it prior to my wedding in 1999 and lost about 15 pounds before giving up.

My one year WW anniversary was March 15th. I celebrated with my group, even though I had a slight gain that week. I am so appreciative of their support and encouragement. I couldn't have made this journey without them to hold me while I struggled, pick me up and put me back on the path when I stumble, and most of all for sharing their Sunday mornings with me.

This past week I had an epiphany of sorts. I decided it was time for the old, self-loathing Marci to finally pack her bags and go. It was time for Marci to realize that she is beautiful, she is sexy, and she has a lot to offer the world. It was time to put Marci first. I invested in some new, sexy unmentionables, went to Brazil (if you get my drift) and had my nails done. It's time to show off my assets - and not hide under baggy, frumpy clothes.

My new mantra is "nothing tastes as good as being sexy feels" and even though I've got another 25 pounds or so until I reach my goal, I've decided that I am sexy as I am. I believe is more than just a physical state, but a mental state as well. I'm working that attitude - and will continue to do so until I reach my ultimate goal.

Happy Adoption Day, Tara!

2009-03-30T20:47:00.001-04:00

img 062
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

One year ago, this (r)Eskie gal came into our lives. Although it's only been a year, it seems like she's been a part of lives forever and I can't really remember life without her.

Thanks to the wonderful volunteers at Eskie Rescuers United for approving my adoption and coordinating her trip along the Eskie Railroad all the way from Florida. This Southern Belle has adapted nicely and is becoming a true Jersey Girl. She's not fond of snow, but she loves strolling along the beach -- good thing summer's just around the corner.

Yea Mon - We're Home!

2009-03-26T14:16:00.001-04:00

Jamaica 2009
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

We arrived home from Jamaica last night - we had five wonderful nights and six days of fun in Mo Bay.

When we left last Friday (3/20), it was snowing on the way to EWR. After temps flirting with 70F earlier in the week, it was nice to have some icky weather to get away from. Our flight was overbooked and they were offering $750 per person and an upgrade to first class to go through Miami on a later flight, but since that wouldn't get up there until 8 PM, we opted not to take that offer.

We arrived in Montego Bay about 2 PM (Jamaica time) -- an hour later than we should have. Going through immigration and customs was annoying - not enough agents to process the passengers. I think every plane bound for Mo Bay landed around the same time. Once we managed to get through those lines, we were on the bus an on the way to our resort.

For the next few days, we called the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort our home. I have mixed feelings about the place, but for what we paid, it was worth it. The location (only 10-15 minutes from the airport) was right - it was a good jumping off point for our excursions around the island; the room was large and clean and we had plenty of hot water; the rum drinks flowed freely. The not-so-great things were the quality of the food (breakfast was the best meal of the day); the long lines at the bar (resort seemed to be severely understaffed); and that that pools/hot tubs closed at 6 PM and there was very little to do (for adults) after dinner. Although I would have been quite content to lay on the beach with my book and iPod, I'm glad that we opted to take a few excursions around the island.

On Saturday, we took a cab into Montego Bay to visit the hip strip. In the middle of a Saturday afternoon it was rather dead. Margaritaville was empty, the shops were full of typical souvenirs, but we found a good place for lunch - The Pork Pit. Mark had read about this place in a travel guide and we found it and enjoyed some great jerk along with rice and peas. (Why they call red beans peas, I don't know.) After lunch we made it to The Twisted Kilt -- yes, Mark found an Irish pub in Jamaica. He enjoyed a couple pints of Guinness; brewed in Jamaica he said it tasted a little different than at home.

Sunday morning we were scheduled to go on a rafting trip on the Martha Brae river. We gathering in the lobby to wait for our bus; a tour guide looked at our reservation slip and told us to get on the bus. After a few stops to pick up more tourists, we discovered the bus we were on was going to Dunn's River Falls in Ocho Rios. We just went along for the ride, grateful we had on our bathing suits and towels in our bags.

Climbing the falls was a lot of fun! Yes, it's touristy, but we are glad we did it. I only wish that I had a waterproof camera so I could have taken pics during the climb. The falls start at the sea and you climb up about 600 feet via a human daisy chain to the top of the falls. You most definitely get wet.

On Monday, we took a taxi over to Rose Hall, not more than 10 minutes from our resort. Rose Hall was home to Annie Palmer, the White Witch, who murdered three husbands, several slaves, and in turn was murdered by her lover. Her spirit is said to haunt the house still. Annie Palmer died in 1831 and the house was empty for many years before being purchased by an American couple and restored in the 1960s. It's absolutely gorgeous - both the furnishings in the house as well as the grounds. At one time the estate spread far and wide -- the ground that our resort and several others sits on was once part of the great Rose Hall Estate. Johnny Cash's Jamaica home (Cinnamon Hill) was also once part of the estate as well.

Our last full day (Tuesday) in Jamaica we took an all day tour to Appleton Estate, Black River Safari and YS Falls. Although it's not a long distance to the opposite side of the island, it was a 2.5 - 3 hour drive over twisty, narrow roads up and over the mountain. I'm glad we did it, but it'll be a long time before I complain about Jersey roads and/or drivers!

The Black River Safari was fun -- we took a boat ride up the river and our tour guide called the crocodiles to the boat where the brave shook 'hands' with the crocs and our guide kissed them. (The crocs, not the tourists who shook hands with the crocs.) Due to a layer of peat moss on the river bottom, the water looks black, but when you scoop up a cupful of river water, it's crystal clear. I've NEVER seen water that clear. Never.

Our next stop was YS Falls -- a smaller waterfall in St Elizabeth parish. We climbed the staircase to the top of the falls where our photo was taken. Mark then took a couple swings on the rope swing while I had a 'water massage' closer to the base of the falls. Unfortunately, we didn't have a lot of time to relax and unwind at the falls since we had to get to the Appleton Estate before the tours ended for the day.

We arrived at the Appleton Estate just before 3 PM. While we were enjoying a complementary cup of rum punch (or rather Mark was since the smell nearly knocked me off my feet), the skies opened up. So with the help of a few umbrellas, we set off around the grounds to learn about rum making. We got to taste some wet sugar -- which tastes about as good as a it looks. (I suppose if you like molasses, you'd like this wet sugar stuff, but neither of us likes molasses.) We also saw the stills - no photography permitted - and the ageing house. After the tour, we were invited to sample a variety of the products made by Appleton and their parent company, Wray & Nephew -- including Overproof Rum and my new personal favorite, Rum Cream.

I'm a huge fan of Bailey's and the like and had been eying the bottle of rum cream at the resort for several days. I didn't try it though -- and I'm glad that I waited until my last day in Jamaica to try it. It's even better than Bailey's -- it has a very nice caramel flavor. Mmm, caramel. We bought two bottles of it to bring home, even though we're told it's available in the US. I've never seen it, but then I've never looked for it before either.

After the long ride back to our resort, we had dinner, packed for our Wednesday departure and called it a night. I think the all day tour wore me out more than anything else during the trip, although the copious amounts of rum and sunshine had me in bed early most nights as well. (For the record, I was up with the sun during the entire trip.)

The trip home was pretty uneventful -- we managed to get through immigration in Jamaica quickly. We did a little shopping in the duty free shops in the airport - including purchasing some Blue Mountain coffee for friends/family. We landed in Newark and cleared immigration and customs without a hassle -- wondering if I could have brought back more liquor since we didn't even have our bags searched.

All in all, it was a great getaway and I'm glad we went. I'm not sure that we'll go back to Jamaica any time soon, and most likely we won't stay at the same resort. I think I'd like to try a place in Negril if we were to go back, but the long ride from the airport is sort of a turnoff. Already we're looking at other Caribbean destinations - although probably not for a while still.

Blog 'n Run

2009-03-18T22:04:00.002-04:00

Caribbean Sunset
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

It's been some time since I blogged regularly - life is just, well, crazy. So many things to do, so little time, yet I feel like I'm barely making a dent in the ever growing list of things to do.

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know that Mark and I are leaving for Montego Bay on Friday. I'm quite excited to get away and not worry about anything. Give me sun, sand and surf along with my iPod, a book, and a potent potable and I'm good to go. We fly out on Friday AM, direct from Newark to Montego Bay and barring any delays, we should be at our resort and on the beach by 3 PM.

On the weight loss front, I've hit a plateau. The first 45-50 pounds were fairly easy to lose, but I've been losing and gaining the same 5 pounds since Thanksgiving. My surgery kept me out of the gym for about 4 weeks and prior to surgery I hadn't been too active either. I'm getting back into a routine -- trying new things (pilates, Zumba, treadmill) in an attempt to kick start losing again. While this mini vacation is an interruption, I'm hoping that I'll find plenty to do to keep me active.

We've been busy celebrating the St Patricks season since the Belmar Parade on the 1st. I've had my share of corned beef, Bailey's and bagpipes. I've had a blast hanging with the band and with a bit of luck - and practice - Mark will soon be an official member of the band. I've kind of given up practicing with my chanter and am content being a 'band wife' for now.

On the creative front, I'm struggling to find my mojo again. I haven't had the urge to buy more beads and really haven't found the time to sit down and create. However, as was the theme at my WW meeting on Sunday, you'll never FIND time, you have to MAKE time. So a priority when I get home from our trip is to make time for myself to be creative.

Another two sleeps, one more day of work and then we're Jamaica-bound. I'll be out-of-touch for a few days, but once we're home I'll post photos and recap our Caribbean vacation.

Snow Dogs

2009-03-02T20:37:00.001-05:00

Snow Dogs
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

This afternoon, after we shoveled the drive and the plows came through, I took the girls out for their daily constitutional.

The sidewalks in the neighborhood were not completely cleared so we walked along the road until the homestretch, when I let the girls bound through the snow. We had approximately a foot of snow which came up to the dogs' chests.

Tara (our Eskie, front) is a southern gal -- she came up to New Jersey from Florida last year via the Eskie railroad. We aren't sure how much snow she's seen in her life; she's not been too fond of the little bit we've had so far this winter. I was excited to put her out in significant snow today. She was a trooper, bounding through it to get to a 'dry' spot.

Suki (PomX, rear) doesn't really like to go out in the snow either, but once she gets there, she'll plop down in a drift and start grooming. She was more reserved on the walk -- taking her time through the snow as compared to Tara.

Both dogs were glad to get on dry ground once again and into the warm house. They're both zonked out on the sofa near me now -- I guess the walk around the block was more tiring than usual.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let it Snow!

2009-03-02T08:25:00.001-05:00

Snow - March 2009
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

The snow started falling around 7 PM last night here in our part of Central Jersey -- when I woke up around 5 AM this morning, there was a good 8 inches on the ground.

We had a brief window where I started to shovel the drive and took the dogs out for a walk and contemplated going into work. About 30-45 minutes ago it started up again and by 8 AM it was coming down hard. So I'm taking it easy here at home today...

I've been wanting a significant snowfall all winter - finally got it. Yea! Now to find my boots and take the dogs out for a walk so I can snap some shots of them in the chest deep snow. (To see them attempt to bound through chest high snow was quite funny. I'm easily amused though.) I'll wait until this tapers off -- wouldn't do to get lost in a snowdrift.

Dog Days... of Painting!

2009-02-27T13:54:00.001-05:00

img 008
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

I 'met' this wonderful artist, Terry Stanley, via one of my Twitter followers and am really excited about her upcoming project, The Dog Days of Painting.

As of today, she's still accepting submissions, so if you have photos of your dogs that you'd like to see immortalized in paint, email them to her! (See her blog for specifics.) I've submitted pics of Suki, Tara, and Henry -- so I'll be watching over the next year to see if they are lucky enough to be a chosen subject. I'd love to see all three of them painted, but in all honestly, it's Henry's portrait I'd love the most. It's 7+ months since we said good-bye to him and I still miss him.

Anyhow, if you're a dog lover or know a dog lover - spread the word. I can't wait to see all the dogs Terry is going to paint.

Let's Get Physical

2009-02-16T21:25:00.003-05:00

Sorry if you've got Olivia Newton John's song running through your head now... I actually heard it on the radio the other day and groaned. I used to like ONJ, but some of her later stuff was c-r-a-p.

Anyhow, after 4 weeks of inactivity, I went back to the gym today. Initially I though I'd go early this morning to the Centergy class, but I was a slacker and didn't get out the door until early evening, making a yoga class. It was fabulous to get back. I was a bit worried about being 'out of shape' and not able to twist and move my body in some of the yoga poses, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well I did. Some poses were easy-peasy and others were challenging, but not impossible. Even the balancing poses weren't difficult -- but then it wasn't a difficult pose to begin with.

I did learn that my favorite Friday morning yoga instructor has left. The women who told me weren't sure if it was a permanent thing or if she would be back in due time. So I tried tonight's class and was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the instructor. The class was quite crowded, but I'll work this class into my routine. Plus, the Sunday morning yoga class is back -- I enjoyed that one as well, so I'll check out the new instructor this Sunday and determine if I will work that into my workout schedule as well.

I put on 4+ pounds this past week - I was not being honest with myself about what I was eating. I'm back on the wagon again and tracking everything. Even today, I made a few not-so-great choices, but I accounted for them. (No more boxes of Girl Scout cookies, no matter how good they taste.) I will be packing a 'for later' bag to take with me to the office which I hope will keep me from searching out less healthy choices to snack on.

Between eating smartly and getting back to the gym on a regular basis, I hope to reverse this weight gain. We leave for Jamaica in four weeks -- I'd love to be down another 5-10 lbs by then, or at the very least, not gain anymore. I'm ready to get away from the cold -- looking forward to sun and surf.

Crown Me

2009-02-13T16:22:00.005-05:00

I've always hated going to the dentist -- for me, having someone poke around my mouth with their instruments of torture is the last thing I want to do. Honestly, I think I'd rather have a gallbladder attack again.

I've been through the revolving door of dentists -- when I find one I like, our insurance changes and s/he isn't on new plan. *sigh* So I ended up with a local dentist who Mark went to and let him torture me in 1001 different ways.

In August/September 2007, I had an old crown removed and replaced with a new one. The old one had been there for 15+ years but had to come off because it had cracked. I went through the whole process - scrape, scrape, drill, drill, make the mold, put on the temporary crown, wait for the permanent crown come in, remove temp crown, scrape, scrape, drill, drill, put on the permanent crown. This whole process took about 4 weeks and even though I had insurance, the damn thing still cost me nearly $600 when all was said and done.

Fast forward to early September 2008 and while I'm eating lunch, I feel a strange sensation - like a tooth was completely exposed. I spit out my crown - realizing it's the one that was put on about a year ago. I call up the dentist and explain the situation (as well as the fact that I no longer have dental insurance) and am told to come in that evening. I go in, the crown is re-cemented and I'm charged out the ying-yang for what took all of 5 minutes (10 tops). I didn't expect to pay the amount I did; especially as the dentist had put that crown on only a year ago. Even the hygienist/receptionist was somewhat appalled at the charge. This wasn't my first unpleasant experience with this dentist and I told her right then and there that neither me or my husband would be back.

Now we're in 2009 - we have dental insurance again thanks to my husband. As I'm eating lunch yesterday (pancakes, if you must know) I feel that strange sensation again. I spit into my palm and what do I see - the damn crown. Again. At this point I know I'm not going back to the original dentist, but I haven't been to a new one since. I have an appointment for next Friday with a new dentist, so I give their office a call. I'm told to call on Friday (today) morning to see if they can squeeze me in.

I called this morning and I'm told to come in at 10:30 AM. I'm greeted warmly by the receptionist and fill out the necessary paperwork. I wait for a short period and am called back. The hygienist is warm and bubbly and we talk about the incident. I was able to pop the crown back in place, but it's loose and neither of us can get it off. The dentist comes in and with a little bit of effort the crown comes off and he gets a look at my tooth. First thing he says, "not a lot of tooth left there..." so he orders some x-rays of the tooth. While it's not affecting the nerve (yet!), he checks to make sure there's no decay (scrape, scrape, drill, drill) and all's well. Yea!

He re-affixes the crown and tells me that they're going to submit to the insurance company to find out if they'll pay for a new crown since this is less than 5 years old. However, if I do need a new crown, I'm gonna have to go for a crown lengthening procedure. I had this done about 5 years ago for a crown on the other side of my mouth -- it's basically reshaping the gum line to expose more tooth so a crown has more to grab on to. It's not exactly fun, but I've not had a single issue with that crown. (Different dentist than the one who put this wonky one on...)

To say I don't like dentists is an understatement, but I think I've got a bit of a crush on this one. He's got a great chairside manner -- very reassuring (which is good for a gal like me who gets pretty worked up over even a cleaning) -- and he's pretty easy on the eyes. The office staff was wonderful too -- I think I might like this practice very much.

So now I wait to see if the insurance will pay for a new crown (if needed) and/or root canal (if needed). But if this crown stays on he won't do anything as long as there's no decay underneath and as long as I have no pain. As of today, it's good. I go back next Friday for a cleaning and full set of x-rays. Honestly, I've had my share of doctors/dentists/x-rays/lab work in the past two months to last me a lifetime.

I'm still quite upset about the shoddy work that the first dentist did -- even he noted there wasn't much tooth but never did he mention a crown lenghtening. In hindsight, I wonder if I had had that done if this crown would have been secure? But I guess there's no use in wondering about it now. I'll wait and see if this holds this time around - if not, we'll see what it'll cost me to have a new one put on. Glad I tossed a nice chunk of money into my Flex Spending Account -- between surgery and a crown, I might wipe it out before the end of March.

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

2009-02-03T07:19:00.005-05:00

A group of ‘historical fiction buffs and I have made a reading challenge for 2009. Each participant will read a book that fit into each of the categories below.

I’ve put my (tentative) book selection below the description if I’ve made one, but there’s a few that remain TBD. If anyone has any suggestions (baring in mind that I’m a historical fiction junkie and have read a lot of HF novels), leave a comment for me.

Read a book of Historical Fiction that is written about a "new to you" time period, person, or location.
Daughter of the Sun - Barbara Wood
(FINISHED – 28 Jan 2009)
Read a book of Historical Fiction set in your region.
City of God – Beverly Swerling
(FINISHED – 19 Jan 2009)
Read a book of Historical Fiction that has been on your shelf for at least a year. If you don't have a year-old book, read one of the books you have had the longest.
TBD - most likely some Plaidy book that I’ve had forever.
Read a book of Historical Fiction from a "new to you" author.
The Dark Lantern - Gerri Brightwell
(FINISHED 02 Mar 2009)
Read a book of Historical Fiction with the word "murder" in the title.
Murder in Montparnasse - Kerry Greenwood
(FINISHED – 10 Jan 2009)
Solve a crime! Read one Historical Mystery.
Mark of the Lion - Suzanne Arruda
(FINISHED – 26 Jan 2009)
Be a patron of the arts! Read one book about a famous work of art, music, or the theatre.
With Violets - Elizabeth Robards
(FINISHED - 02 Mar 2009)
Viva La Revolution! Read one Historical Fiction book about a revolution, set in the location of your choice.
The Kitchen Boy - Robert Alexander
(FINISHED - 16 Feb 2009)
Off with her head! Read one book of Historical Fiction that has a headless lady on the cover.
To Hold the Crown – Jean Plaidy
(FINISHED – 03 Feb 2009)
Feed your brain! Read one non-fiction history book. The topic is up to you.
TBD - am considering The Lost, but I've got some reservations about reading that thanks to a certain friend's review. If that fails, there's some non-fiction books about Anne Boleyn that I've not read yet.

I'm halfway through the challenge of reading 10 books and it's only the beginning of February. I don't suppose being laid up for 10 days post-surgery had anything to do with that, eh? (Honestly, probably not -- I read about the same amount I would have if I didn't have surgery.)

One week, a gallbladder, and 1.4 pounds later

2009-01-21T09:08:00.006-05:00

Yes, I'm alive and well - surviving my surgery and the aftermath.

I went to same day surgery at 1 PM late Tuesday; starvin' marvin because I had an attack on Monday night and everything I ate for dinner came up. Of course, the OR got backed up, so while I was scheduled for surgery at 3:30 PM, I didn't go up to the holding area until 4 PM and was actually wheeled into surgery about 5:15 PM (that's the last thing I remember).

My surgeon came down and talked to Mark and my mom once she was done -- apparently my gallbladder was quite inflamed and full of stones. It was a good thing we got it out. When she came to say hello pre-surgery I told her I had an attack the night before and she told me she was really worried that I wouldn't make it to the surgery date. I'm a trooper!

I was in recovery by about 7:30 PM and taken to a room by 8 PM - just in time to watch the premiere of American Idol. I was up and about and discharged by 10:30 PM and home by 11 PM. Of course the ride home wasn't without a bit of drama... less than 2 miles from home, I screamed for mom to pull over and I projectile vomited along the side of the road. After that, I felt better.

I slept most of Wednesday (the day after) but was pretty much able to get around without too much assistance. As the week progressed, I was able to get around more and took a couple rides in the car to "blow the stink off" as my Mom likes to say. I didn't feel too much discomfort from the gas escaping, most of the discomfort was from the incisions, particularly the one directly above my navel.

Mom drove me to my Weight Watchers meeting on Sunday - I was determined to go, even if it tired me out for the rest of the day. I was a bit concerned that I wasn't going to lose anything since I was still a bit bloated that morning, but was pleasantly pleased that I was down another 1.4 pounds this week. (Considering that I didn't eat much of anything from noon Monday until dinnertime Wednesday, I hoped that I would lose.) So now I'm this much closer to my goal weight - yippee!

On Monday, I went in for my post-op checkup. My surgeon removed the steri-strips that hadn't fallen off and cleaned up the incisions. The one above my navel she applied another set of steri-strips and said by the time they fall off, it should be feeling better. She told me that's the one most people complain about.Two days later and it's still tender, but it looks to be the largest of all the incisions.

I've been given the green light to drive, I can return to work next Monday (Jan 26th) and the gym on Feb 1st. I still can't do heavy lifting (although I am permitted to pick up my 18 lb dogs) and have to lay off the housekeeping (vacuuming) for another week. Mark asked what I was going to do for the next couple days while I'm home alone -- in all honestly, probably not much. I'm going to relax and try to get my energy back. I still tired easily. My surgeon recommended me taking the full 10 days post-surgery to recover -- I think I'll be glad for that once I go back to work.

Having my Mom here was quite a blessing -- she made dinner several nights and was there to shuttle me around as needed. I don't know what I would have done without her. She left yesterday and I'm feeling a bit lonely this morning.

Three more days of sick leave then I'm back to reality. While it's cold out and I want nothing more than to grab the dogs, a book and a pile of blankets and crawl back into bed, I think I should at least try to do something productive while I'm feeling a surge of energy. Then again, I don't want to overexert myself either.

The pile of library books to be read is getting smaller while the pile to be returned is growing larger. I think I'll try to finish another today and return a stack later this afternoon.

P.S. For the record, I forgot to ask the surgeon how much the gallbladder and gallstones weighed (nor did I get to keep the stones).

It Is Finished

2009-01-20T16:59:00.003-05:00

LK - Finished
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

While I was recuperating from my surgery, I finished off my Lizzie Kate piece -- here's the final piece in all it's glory.

For those interested - the particulars are as follows:

Designer: Lizzie Kate
Fabric: 28 ct Lambswool linen
Threads: Weeks Dye Works and Sampler Threads (as called for)

In all, it took me about four weeks to stitch this piece from start to finish. There are more than a few errors on it, but I'll live with them.

I am debating what to do with it -- frame it (which'll cost a small fortune), make it into a bellpull (not totally enamored of that idea) or find some fabric and make it into a wall hanging. For now it's rolled up and will be added to the pile of other finished unframed projects.

New Year, New Adventures

2009-01-08T08:20:00.008-05:00

For the past several months, I've been having some unpleasant moments - nausea, vomiting, etc. - which I'd dismissed as a bug of some sort. On Black Friday (after I was successful at scoring some bargains at the mall), I had the worst experience ever -- nausea, vomiting, pain in my abdomen that had me doubled over. I spent a good 6 hours huddled around the toilet, yakking and moaning. I initially wrote it off as food poisoning - but when these attacks increased in frequency and intensity, it was obvious that something else was going on.

On December 17th, I finally went to my primary physician who promptly did bloodwork and based on those results sent me for an abdominal ultrasound. On January 3rd, I discovered that I had gallstones -- and was sent to consult with a surgeon. That consultation was yesterday and I'm scheduled for gallbladder surgery (okay - for my geeky friends, a cholecystectomy) on January 13th.

I fell in love with the surgeon -- great tableside manner and she was wearing some pretty awesome jewelry. They were gorgeous blue stones in both her necklace and earrings -- I wanted to pet them. She went through all my symptoms and looked over my charts and decided she wanted to operate quickly. At one point she asked if I wanted it out that evening -- I wasn't quite ready for that.

Due to my bloodwork results I had to go for an MRI (actually an MRC -- magnetic resonance cholangiogram, which is done in the MRI tube) yesterday to ensure there were no stones in my bile duct. That was rather fun... I was a bit claustrophobic when they first slid me into the tube, but if I tilted my head back a wee bit, I could see outside the tube and I was okay. After that I just closed my eyes and practiced some relaxation breathing techniques. (All that yoga is finally paying off!) Even the technician commented on how perfect the 'normal breathing' portion of the procedure went. He said I was the best he's ever had; most patients try to do deep breathing and I was a relaxed, but fast, breather. (Go me!)

I'm waiting for the surgeon's office to call me once they have the results. Today I'm scheduled to go to the hospital for my pre-op testing -- of course, I have to fast for this. Two days in a row, I'm not going to be able to eat until sometime in the afternoon. Ugh. It goes to figure that I'm starvin' Marvin on those days when I cannot eat.

I'm scheduled for a laparoscopic procedure -- but there's always the slight chance that it will become an open procedure. If the laparoscopic procedure goes perfectly, I'll be home the next day and will only be off work 7-10 days.

My Mom's flying out on Sunday to be with me -- Mark will take the day of surgery off, but Mom will be here to help out around the house and with the dogs. I don't care that I'm 40+ years old now, but when one's sick, it's always nice to have some Mommy TLC. Obviously, my trip back to Ohio on the 16th wil have to be rescheduled. I'm kind of disappointed about that as I was looking forward to seeing some friends, but given the circumstances...

I managed to go to the library earlier this week and pick up several books -- if I'm going to laid up for a few days, at least I've got something to read. In the meantime, I'm hoping to get through the next five days without incident. Not to mention I'm looking forward to FOOD after this testing is completed today. The Fiber One bars are calling my name! (I think I'll toss one in my bag for a quick fix when I'm given the green light to eat.)

WIP: Living With Charm (Lizzie Kate)

2009-01-03T23:19:00.001-05:00

WIP: Week 2
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

After 2 weeks, I've about finished 8 of 12 motifs on this piece - I'm moving right along.

Football has helped quite a bit -- it's nice to sit and stitch while listening to the game in the background. Now if only the right teams had won...

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T10:43:00.001-05:00

img 008
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

We survived the NYE celebrations at the Shillelagh's -- as I told one band member, 'If this is just a warm-up to Savannah, I'm scared!' A fun night, with friends and band mates, and a cheap night to boot!

More pics are in my Flickr album.

WIP: Living With Charm (Lizzie Kate)

2008-12-29T16:06:00.001-05:00

WIP - Week One
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Here's my progress after one week of stitching the Lizzie Kate project. The colors in this shot are a bit more accurate than the one from last week. I took this shot in the daylight versus at night last week.

My spacing between Remember and Give is a bit tight, but I didn't want to rip out all the letters in Give, so I just let it be. I had to rip out a significant part of Dream and didn't want a repeat of that.

There are twelve motifs in all, so I'm about 1/3 of the way complete. With the holiday this week, I hope to get a little more done. In fact, I think I'll head downstairs and start prepping dinner and then get to work on Listen and Learn.

Me and My Shadow

2008-12-28T12:41:00.000-05:00

Me and My Shadow
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

On Christmas Day, Mark and I took the dogs to the dog beach in Manasquan. The girls had a lot of fun running free along the beach and Suki even explored the mud exposed by the tide being out.

I had a lot of fun snapping photos of the two of them (and Mark) on the beach, but I also took a few shadow photos of me and Tara - this being my favorite. I like how the shadow makes me look tall (and thin) and her look like a big dog, not the 18 lbs she really is.

WIP: Living With Charm (Lizzie Kate)

2008-12-24T00:38:00.001-05:00

WIP - 23 Dec 2008
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

I started work on this Lizzie Kate piece this past Saturday (20 Dec) after coming home from the MetroStitchers holiday party.

After spending a Sunday afternoon correcting my errors, I got some quality time in during Monday Night Football and this evening. I've got the bulk of the second motif (Love) complete and with a bit of luck, I'll be able to start on the third motif sometime tomorrow. I have been stitching the border as I go along -- it's pretty much mindless work and I don't want to save it until the very end.

I had forgotten how much I don't like working on Wichelt linen -- in hindsight, I wish I had gotten a neutral evenweave instead. But I'll press on and finish this on the linen.

Stay tuned for more updates on my work-in-progress.

Snow, Smiles and Stitches

2008-12-22T15:59:00.004-05:00

Current WIP
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

On Saturday morning, I made the drive up to North Jersey to meet up with some of the MetroStitchers for their annual holiday party at a local needlework shop. The MetroStitchers are a group of needleworkers (loosely interpreted to include knitters, crocheters, cross-stitchers, beadweavers, etc.) living in and around the MetroNYC area.

I met many of these women and established friendships while I lived in Brooklyn. Since moving to Jersey, I've kept in touch via email/phone with many of them, but attending actual events has not been one of my strong points. Since this party was scheduled, I had been looking forward to it with great anticipation. So much that the threat of a winter storm on Friday into Saturday had me slightly bummed.

The storm didn't amount to much down in my area so I soldiered on and made the hour long trip up north to sit and stitch with this talented group. They had a lot more snow up there, but they have cleared it pretty well, so I'm glad I made the drive. I saw friends who I hadn't seen in 2+ years -- simply wonderful to sit down, chat and catch up with them. I know I really don't want to go that long without hanging out with them again.

For the better part of a 2-3 years, I've not been inspired to stitch much. But a few weeks ago I got an itch and the needle and thread have been flying. I've made a wedding sampler for one friend (and her husband who's pretty talented with needle and thread himself) as well as starting on Christmas piece for me and a secret piece for another friend. I've been spending the evenings on the sofa, dogs beside me, stitching away. Even my Sunday routine has been slightly altered -- instead of being a barfly all afternoon, I'm not spending part of the afternoon at home, watching football and stitching. (Maybe me and my needle was what was needed for the Bengals to start winning. ha ha.)

The shop we gathered at is a needleworker's idea of heaven - all the charts/designs, fabric, threads, embellishments that you could ever imagine is there. While my dry spell didn't stop me from shopping, my record spending sprees were never challenged during that period. I did do a little damage on Saturday - picking up two pieces that I really liked, one of which I started Saturday evening.

This is a series of Lizzie Kate designs that will be stitched on one long piece of fabric. The designs can be stitched individually, but I didn't much care for them that way. It was when I saw the entire series of designs stitched as one, I fell in love. I saw this several months ago (maybe last Thanksgiving at my mom's LNS) but balked at the cost of the charts. On Saturday, I snapped up all the charts, the fabric and necessary threads. My current progress can be found in my Flickr album, but the photo is what the finished piece will look like - although framed differently, I'm sure.

As with any needlework project, counting mistakes are bound to happen and I spend the second half of the Eagles game undoing the damage done by the frog. (Rip-it, Rip-it - for those not in-the-know about the frog.) By the time of the Sunday night game, I had corrected my error and re-stitched the portion of the design I had ripped out. I actually was able to start work on the second motif (Love) of the design.

I'm quite pleased that the weather held out and I was able to make it up north for this gathering. I missed some of the MetroStitchers who didn't attend (some people just don't want to leave Manhattan) and hope that I'll get to see them in the near future at another event. I loved being amongst people who share my love of needlework and I think this was what I needed to kick-start my creativity again. I'll have to look at the calendar and see when I can schedule a stitch-in at my house -- the infamous Stitching with Stanley event. (Stan proved to be a great host the first time I had the MetroStitchers over, so every any event at my house is now known as Stitching with Stanley.)

In Memoriam

2008-12-15T19:55:00.001-05:00

Alan and Etta
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

One year ago today, my FIL passed away. His wife (and Mark's stepmmother), Etta, had passed away earlier in the year. Add this to the fact that my (step)father, Homer, passed away in August, it's easy to say that 2007 was not the best of years for us.

When we went to Florida in November, we flew into Ft Lauderdale - both Mark and I commented that it was odd that we weren't going to visit his dad while we were down there.

While we lived up north and he lived down south, Mark spoke to his father daily. I would speak to him infrequently, but always enjoyed my conversations with him. Like me, he shared a love of reading and he and I would recommend or swap books amongst ourselves.

Tonight I sit here and remember my FIL with fond memories. I know he had a long life, filled with joys and sorrows. My life is richer for having known him - I only wish that we had more time to enjoy each other's company. I like to believe that Alan (as well as Etta and Homer) are with us still - if not in life, at least in spirit.

RIP Alan. You are missed by all of us.

Drive-By Santa: 2008 Edition

2008-12-14T20:41:00.001-05:00

Drive By Santa 2008
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Every December, Santa Claus comes riding through the neighborhood on a fire engine. You hear the sirens from miles away and finally the parade comes down your block.

The first year this happened, Mark and I wondered what the heck was going on. We heard sirens for quite a while and when it got loud, I went out to investigate. I was probably about 1/3 of the way down the block when the caravan turned down our street and I came running back to the house to share the news.

The past two years the dogs and I waited outdoors to see Santa. This year I was walking Tara and Suki when Santa stopped a few doors down (the local fire chief's house) so I snapped a few shots there.

It's nearly an hour later and I can still hear the sirens - faintly. The dogs and I didn't make it to get their photos with Santa this year, so I'm glad they got to see him come by, even if they didn't get to sit on his lap and tell them what they want for Christmas.

Mac's Alive!

2008-12-11T07:49:00.001-05:00

img 093
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Two months ago, we adopted another cat from the Monmouth County SPCA - Mac.

Mac is the quintessential scaredy cat. You just look at him and he gets spooked. He's pretty much hid in his carrier or under our bed since we brought him home, with the exception of feeding or using the litter box.

However, over the past few weeks, he's been venturing out more. He no longer runs when he encounters a two legged resident, but if you turn your back or break eye contact, he'll scamper away to his safe haven. On Tuesday, while I was out back playing with the dogs, I found him sitting next to Stanley, looking wistfully at the leaves blowing about the great outdoors. When the dogs were ready to come back in, Mackey Mac was nowhere to be found.

Last night as I was watching TV, I saw his face pop around the corner and then he strolled into our kitchen. I stood up and he scooted off, hopping over the baby gate into our dining room. My camera was handy, so I snapped a couple shots of him in new places - under the dining room table, next to the living room sofa.

He's still skittish, but he seems to be making progress. He'll sleep on the bed now, let Mark pet him briefly, and explore the house. He's quite a nocturnal creature - and gets the other cats involved in his last night hijinx. I wish he were a cuddlebug like the others, but I don't know if he'll ever completely warm up to humans. We'll give him all the time he needs. I have to think he's much happier here, having a house to patrol versus the cage he was in at the SPCA.

A Gift from the Heart

2008-12-10T20:57:00.001-05:00

Wedding Sampler
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

Now that the wedding is past and the happy couple are on their honeymoon, I can share the 'top secret' project I've been working on for the past couple months.

I knew from the time Jenn and Kevin announced their engagement, I wanted to stitch them a wedding sampler, but I wasn't keen on the traditional wedding samplers. In June, I did a search on Hoffman's to see what came up and I fell in love with this one by Bent Creek. I ordered it through Elegant Stitch, but for whatever reason, they could not get it in although they ordered it over and over again. With less than three months to go, I began a blitz, calling shop after shop, finally finding the chart at my mom's LNS in Cincinnati. Graciously my mom ran over to the shop, picked up the chart and the required threads and sent them to me.

I hope that Jenn and Kevin will appreciate my gift as much as I enjoyed stitching it. I'm all about handmade gifts from the heart. I chose not to frame it, but to give them a gift card so they can choose a frame to their liking.

As for the particulars - I used the threads called for, but the fabric was a piece of 28 ct Quaker Cloth (Kiwi Illusions - exact color is forgotten, perhaps Merino). All in all, I think it turned out quite lovely.

Tara's First Snow

2008-12-08T10:22:00.001-05:00

img 065
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

...in New Jersey, at least!

We woke yesterday morning to a light dusting. As Tara came from Florida (via the Eskie Railroad) when I adopted her and had lived in Lower Alabma previous to that, I wasn't sure if she had experienced snow in her life.

I opened the patio door yesterday and she and Suki trotted right out. I had to coax both of them off the patio and onto the yard, but once there, Tara acted like nothing was out of the ordinary - doing her business as usual. She did skirt the edges of the yard though once she realized there were some patches without the white stuff.

While Tara took it all in stride, I'm still anxious for some significant snowfall so I can see how she reacts to snow up to her chest. Bring on winter -- I've got my coat, I've got my gloves, and I've got my boots. All I need is snow!

Holiday Thanks

2008-11-28T15:38:00.004-05:00

I realized yesterday, as I was finishing up my baking, that I really do have a lot to be thankful for, but often I take it for granted.

I want for nothing. I have a house over my head, food on my table, clothes to wear (although some are rather too large for me now), a wonderful husband and fantastic friends and family. I am lucky enough to be able to travel the world, indulge myself with assorted craft supplies and books, and hang out with my dogs and cats.

We spent Thanksgiving with my in-laws, meeting in Staten Island instead of driving all the way to my SIL's in Long Island. For that I am extremely grateful! Last year, a normal hour to 1h, 20m drive took us FOUR and a half hours. I did not want to do that again. The food was great, the company delightful. It's not the same as being with my family, but times change. Even Thanksgiving at my Mom's isn't the same anymore without my grandparents. I had fun, enjoyed the cameraderie and that's what's important.

I made a Praline-Pumpkin cake to take with us - it was delicious. Since a couple people asked for the recipe, here it is:

Praline-Pumpkin Cake

1 spray(s) cooking spray
15 oz canned pumpkin
12 oz fat-free evaporated milk
1/4 cup(s) fat-free egg substitute
1/2 cup(s) sugar
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
18 1/4 oz unprepared white cake mix
1/2 cup(s) pecan halves, chopped
1/4 cup(s) reduced-calorie margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat bottom and sides of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Stir pumpkin, milk, egg substitute, sugar and pumpkin pie spice together in a medium bowl until smooth; pour into pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture and gently press it into pumpkin mixture to moisten. Sprinkle cake with pecans and then drizzle margarine evenly over top.

Bake, uncovered, until knife inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool completely before slicing into 16 pieces. (WW points info: 5 points for one slice.)

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T12:10:00.001-05:00

img 004
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

The praline-pumpkin cake is in the oven, but my pumpkins pies are done. Here's a shot of one of them last night.

After debating whether to try a new (Weight Watchers) recipe or my grandma's recipe, I opted for grandmas. I did however made a few concessions -- using fat free evaporated milk and egg substitutes.

Here's my grandma's recipe:

1 large can pumpkin
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 t. vanilla
2 c. milk (I use one can of evaporated milk, then top off with regular milk to bring it to the required amount.)

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes; lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 45 minutes.

Makes 2 9" pies.

Enjoy!

Home Again

2008-11-21T05:45:00.002-05:00

Crown Princess @ Grand Turk
Originally uploaded by MarciNYC

After 7 days at sea aboard the Crown Princess with stops in Princess Cays (Bahamas), St Maarten, St Thomas, and Grand Turk, we landed in Newark about 12:15 PM on Sunday. Perfect timing - my Mom picked us up at EWR and we made it down to Kelly's for lunch and football before the 1st Quarter of the Bengals-Eagles game was over.

All in all it was a wonderful trip -- for the first time ever, I think both Mark and I were able to relax fully and not think about anything back in the 'real world'.

The Crown Princess is a stunning ship. Our stateroom was on the Aloha Deck (12) and was perfect for the days when we were in port. We sat on our balcony as we entered and as we left port. I took a bajillion photos - some great, some not so great, but that's the beauty of digital photography.

Our first stop was at Princess Cays - the cruise line's private island on Eleuthera in the Bahamas. It's pretty much a beach with not a lot of other stuff to do - although I did discover there was some souvenir shops on the island as we were getting ready to head back to the ship.

Mark and I rented snorkel equipment and he gave it a whirl. I started to, but decided the beach was just a bit too rocky, so I set off on a walk along the beach, looking for shells. In his snorkeling attempts, Mark found a small but gorgeous conch shell which we tossed in our bag to bring home with.

Our first day at sea was also formal night. Earlier in the year, when Mom and I went on a cruise, we didn't bring dressy clothes, so we bypassed formal night. Mark was really into it and we rented a tuxedo for him which was waiting for us in our stateroom. There were a few issues with the fit of the tux, but we managed to get it resolved prior to the first formal dinner. Since I've lost weight, none of my dresses fit, so I had a shopping spree at Lord & Taylor - getting several dresses for less than $35. I took four of them with me, figuring I'd return the ones I didn't wear - and that's what I did. For some reason, I didn't bother asking anyone to take a photo of Mark and I together on formal night, but you can see how we looked all dressed up here (me) and here (Mark).

If it's Wednesday, it must be St Maarten -- or so that's what I thought when I woke up. Our original plans were to go to Orient Beach (St Martin - the French side of the island) but once we were on the ship, we had a peek at the excursions and swapped out a day at the beach for a kayaking adventure. With our French-speaking guides, we kayaked in a lagoon on the Dutch side (although we did paddle to the border), toured the mangroves, and then went out into the ocean and swam for just under an hour at Simpson Bay.

I was really surprised at how hilly/mountainous St Maarten was -- guess I thought the islands were flat and boring. We had to travel a bit around the island to get to our kayaking site - so we saw a bit of Phillipsburg, the Dutch (side) capital. If you've seen on Caribbean city, you have a basic idea of what Phillipsburg looks like. We didn't stop to shop -- even though St Maarten is supposed to be a place for bargains on jewelry and watches, we weren't in the market.

Before boarding the ship, we had a drink at one of the bars in the cruise terminal. Mark decided to try the local beer, Carib. He drank one, then a second one before pronouncing it 'awful'. He said the Heineken served post-kayaking was much better.

Our next port of call was St Thomas, US Virgin Islands. For some reason all passengers had to go through an Immigration Drill before they could disembark. Mark and I had to take a letter to one of the lounges, turn it in, show our passports and were issued a landing card. I think it took the ship's crew longer to print out and deliver the letters than it did to get everyone through the immigration process.

Like St Maarten, St Thomas is a mountainous island as well. Although our ship docked in St Thomas, we didn't spend much time there. We were ferried over to St John for an eco-hike adventure. Over the course of the trip to St John, our guide pointed out the homes of celebrities on the island: Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan (lives just down the hill from MJ; wonder if they ever have pick up games?); Wacko Jacko, and Madonna to name a few. Yes, I took pics.

We hiked the Lind Point trail from Cruz Bay and ended up on Honeymoon Beach. I think this was one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever been on. The water was so clear and warm -- I didn't want to come out of the water to catch the transport back to the ship. The hike was a lot of fun and I took several pics along the way.

Before we hopped back on the ship, we stopped for a drink. I had a Diet Coke while Mark tried the 'local' brew - Virgin Islands Summer Ale. He proclaimed it to be quite tasty, but was disappointed to see it was brewed in Maine. We both agreed that we liked what we saw of the USVI and thought we'd like to come back and stay at a resort for a week or so.

Remember that beautiful conch shell Mark found for me in the Bahamas? On Friday morning, he noticed something trying to crawl out of it. Eek! I asked him if it was empty when he found it and he thought it was -- but there was a crab living in the shell. We decided to take it ashore in Grand Turk and return it to the sea.

We docked in Grand Turk shortly after lunchtime on Friday - unlike St Thomas and St Maarten, Grand Turk is f-l-a-t.

I knew that Grand Turk had been hit hard by Hurricane Ike in September, so I wasn't expecting too much. Other than the beach, diving or snorkeling - or getting drunk at Margaritaville - there ain't much to do on Grand Turk, even without Ike's help. Our original kayak excursion had been canceled, so we opted to do a catamaran/snorkeling excursion instead.

We joined several others and hopped on the cat and after a brief sail and snorkeling tutorial, we found ourselves at the Grand Turk Wall. Before our visit, I'd never heard of the wall - but I saw it when I went snorkeling. My words won't do it justice -- but imagine swimming in the ocean water about 25 deep and then all of a sudden it drops off; to 6000-7000 feet. Yes, that's 6 to 7 thousand feet deep. To see this while snorkeling, along with many fish of all different colors, made me wish I almost was certified to dive. Almost. I'm still kind of freaked out about diving after reading Shadow Divers.

After the snorkel, we boarded the cat again and she put in closer to shore so we all could swim for a bit. I jumped right in (lovely warm water) and Mark grabbed some snorkel equipment for a second go around. The cat's crew mixed up pitchers of rum & coke/rum punch and swam out to serve the other swimmers. Once I was back aboard the cat, I looked to see Mark snorkeling with his rum punch held up out of the water. I tried to take a photo, but never quite successfully caught him face down/cup up.

We had one last day at sea while we traveled from Grand Turk back to Port Everglades. Because of this, we slept late and decided we'd hang out by the pool. At breakfast we ran into one of the couples from our dinner table who invited us to hang with them.

I went to claim lounges poolside while Mark went to the room to get his book. When he came back, I was in the hot tub, strawberry daiquiri in hand. When he tells me it's too early to be drinking, I insist it's 10:45 - at least that's what my watch says. When our dinner mates arrive, I ask them to confirm the time - 9:50 AM. At this point, I'm horrified to realize I've been drinking since 9:15 AM -- but as you know, it's always 5 o'clock somewhere.

We both woke up early Sunday morning before the ship was docked, so we sat on our balcony as the ship pulled into Port Everglades. The debarkation process was quite smooth and quick -- we were at the airport by 8:45 AM and managed to get on an earlier flight. We were back in Newark before our scheduled flight left Ft Lauderdale.

Would we cruise again? Definitely!

On Princess? Oh, hell yea!

We purchased future cruise credits and are looking at a 10 or 11-day Caribbean cruise in 2010. I just need to figure out which itinerary interests us most and keep an eye on pricing. We'll definitely do another balcony -- sitting out there as we entered/left ports was delightful. In the meantime, we're looking to go to Ireland together in 2009 and I'm booked on an Alaskan cruise (with my Mom) for May 2009.

It's hard to believe a week ago, I was on the Crown Princess, enjoying temps in the low 80s. Here in Jersey it's in the 30s and they're saying we could have snow early next week. While I'm glad to be home, part of me wishes I were back on the islands.

---

P.S. For the record, I gained 3 lbs on the cruise - which I didn't think was bad. I did step on the scale in the ship's gym and it told me I had gained 9 lbs. Of course, all scales are not equal, so not knowing what I started out as on the gym scale, I was quite pleased with only a 3 lb gain on the WW scales. I've tried to eat well this week so I'm hoping that those 3 lbs will be 'alcohol weight' and disappear quickly.