Just Could Not Resist!

You Should Be A Virgo

What's good about you: you have a quiet determination and aren't swayed by emotions What's bad about you: you are an insane perfectionist and easily find faults in others In love: you are obsessed with making your partner happy In friendship, you're: helpful and giving - eager to be a true friend Your ideal job: poet, flight attendant, or natural healer Your sense of fashion: casual, upscale, revealing, conservative - you look good in all of it You like to pig out on: a well prepared five course meal

What Sign Should You Be?

of course the real kicker is that I AM a Virgo -- guess I'm running true to type these days

Now for a Moment Crowing

As you can see from the prior post, I spent the better part of 3 days with Joyce Lukomski. She is my editor for Needlepoint Now and the reason I am writing a column for her magazine on historic needlework.

She gave me glowing praise in front of everyone but 2 things she said really resonated with me. The first was that some of her subscribers were very annoyed when she omitted one of my bibliographies -- in fact these primarily were very experienced stitchers who loved my column and were hungry for more information. My reaction was -- hurrah! I really hate all the misinformation on historic needlework that is out there and cringe when I see information misstated. I am glad that people want to look at my sources and  hope that they will take a critical look at the information that is served up by "knowledgable sources".

The second thing she said, which also made me wince was that I am now being quoted - in the teaching materials being put out by national needlework guilds. "According to Robin Berry, in issue xx of Needlepoint Now...". So I wince and hope what I am saying is accurate (I really try for it to be) and feel proud that, maybe, I am making a difference.

Reliving the Fun of Bargello

The 12th, 13th and 14th were needlework filled days. Sometimes I wish I could just spend time with needlework (sigh). 

The 12th was a fundraising luncheon for the EGA chapter to our south. 75 needleworkers in one place! The speaker was Joyce Lukomski and her topic ostensibly was Historic Needlework. In reality it was about the growth of needlework and the sisterhood it creates. So true. It was great to be included in this sisterhood.

The 13th and 14th was a workshop with Joyce. The project a small bargello based piece with beaded accents (handle, closure, etc.). I always learn so much in Joyce's workhsops. So for 2 days I drove over an hour each way to just stitch and chat with about 25 other stitchers. It was a wonderful break in routine.

I'm growing webbed feet!

It rained 25 days in March. It has rained everyday in April so far. It is wet outside. Fortunately it is only outside. The yard is saturated but we are not on a hill and far enough from one to be safe (fingers crossed). I am really glad that we managed to get our street paved a couple years ago or it would be awful. As it is, only the streets that intersect badly are like driving across streams and I have a low car (sigh). 

The worst part is that Devil's Slide/Hwy 1 is closed. Article. For those who are not familiar with this lovely part of the California coastside, it is just south of Pacifica (just south of San Francisco). It is 4 miles of coastside exposed road that likes to have boulders fall down on it, wash away, have nasty potholes, or be covered in mud. The rest of the time, it is an exquisite drive. It is our main artery to San Francisco. The last time it was closed for 115 days and the time before for over 6 months. They have broken ground to build a tunnel through Montara Mountain to bypass the slide, but it won't be completed until 2011. Our other artery off the coastside is Hwy 92, but with all the traffic on it....No eta for opening Devils Slide what with the growing sink hole and the road cracks (4") continuing to worsten. It will be interesting.

Been spending some time revamping my website (I really hate doing website stuff) and finishing off my quilt square. Have a bit more to do and then I'll unveil the finished piece.

Need to get back to the piece for the column and write the next column early. I'm off to a Royal School of Needlework class - 5 days of Goldwork, in Perry Iowa at the end of the month.

Okay back to the html grind.