Tot, like tater tot

The area I live in was once a big farm called Tot Hill Farm. I don't know why it was named that, maybe because of the hills that are around us, the Uwahrie range, the oldest on the continent. I don't know what tot means, something I am sure. Maybe a small amount of drink? Moonshine?


Anyway, it is home to me :)
Chris

I work to afford my hobbies.....

...and a few other things! Last year I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work in California and Hawaii. How did I get so lucky ?! it was hard being away from home so long but I got to see Yosemite and Waikiki. I just wish that Rich had been there with me. It is always better to share with someone you love.
   I have to go to work this morning. It is a full moon. When you work in a pharmacy it means that there can be lots of strange interactions with customers. It has been also very hot here the last week and will be in the mid to upper 90's. This will compound the irritability of people. So wish me luck over the weekend :) Hopefully it will be nice and calm.

Chris

Scrapping....sort of

    Tonight I am going to cut up my new issue of Antiques & Fine Art.  I have looked through the magazine a couple of times and now it is time to cut out the sampler pictures and put them in my binders.
   Like most sampler lovers I have a library of sampler books and have collected certain issues of magazines that have articles about samplers. A couple of years ago I figured I might as well subscribe to the Magazine Antiques and Antiques and Fine Art.  I love looking at all the pictures and when I am finished with it  I cut out the adds from the Finkels and the Hubers and anything else sampler related and in it goes to the binder. A lot of the samplers these dealers sell go into private collections and are never seen again but I have the pics right here in my own notebooks. I have samplers with Boston bands, Marsh school samplers, and lots of mourning samplers and I always enjoy looking through them.
   I also have found that I love looking at all the different things in the magazines, the folk art and the paintings, etc. It is a real treat when one of these magazines shows up in my mailbox. I also mess with the people I work with by cutting out little pictures of paintings that I like and sticking them up at work. They really don't know what to think! but they do look forward to spotting one :)
   Off to find my paper cutter!

Finally... a finish!

See if I just focus. This is the Jenny Bean Halloween Sampler By Shakepeare's Peddler. I started it the beginning of the year. Besides her I have only managed to stitch a few ornaments. Not very productive!
Now that Jenny is finished I have a small Eileen Bennet piece that I need to finish and then my other goal for the year was to finish a Bristol Orphanage sampler that I have from the Scarlet Letter. Last year I focused on finishing in October and November and will probably do the same this year.
     I had a great day on Saturday. I met my friend Susan in Cary and we went to the North Carolina Museum of Art. I had not been before. It is a beautiful museum. I loved seeing the painting of the Raliegh Female Academy's Graduation. The Andrew Wyeth paintings made me want to cry. I love the word  amphora, I might have to name a future cat that.
   After the art museum we went on to Raliegh and took a tour of the Mordecai house and Andrew Johnson birthplace. It was a very nice tour with a few sweet samplers to see.
  Then it was off to lunch and a strategy meeting. There are a bunch of exhibits in CT & MA the later part of the year that we want to try and get to. I am starting to research travel arrangements :)
  Well off to bed, another busy week ahead.
 

Distractions...

Sunday was a good stitching day but since then I dropped the ball...
Monday, made dinner after work and spent time with the hubs catching up after his trip to CT.
Tuesday, went to see the A-Team. I liked this much more than I thought I would. Rich really wanted to see it.
Wednesday, tonight dinner with my friend Pam.
Maybe Thursday some stitching will happen :)

I don't stitch well with others....

My EGA guild has been working on this 17th Century Mystery Band Sampler designed by one of our members Louise Henderson of Cherished Stitches. She is doing a beautiful job.

My problem is that I don't stitch well with others. I don't like to be competitive about it. So I have not started my piece yet. I am enjoying getting my part of the chart every month and seeing the progress.

I have really been trying to stitch on WIPS. I have not accomplished much this year. I need to refocus on my stitching. I am working on the Jenny Bean Halloween Sampler by Shakespeare's Peddler. If I focus over the next week I should be able to finish. I just need to sit and focus. Wish me luck!

Well off to the real world. Grocery shopping....