In a Stitching & Blogging Funk

But I've read 13 novels in the past 2 months, all but 1 a cozy mystery. I go in spurts: either stitch or read. I logged in this morning to update my Reading List but instead inadvertently managed to delete the entire contents going back to 2009 or 2010. I'm naturally upset. I MAY try to reconstruct a partial list based on the "Reading History"  from my Library Account, but that only goes back to November 2011.   Few people even visited that Page, The only comments I've received, those from author Lea Wait, did not disappear. That, at least, is a relief!

I THINK about stitching and I've gone through some of the gallon plastic bags I keep WIP's in, but that's pretty much as far as it's gotten in the past 6 or 8 weeks. I haven't touched the Welcome Friends grapevine project since June or July, even though it's probably 80% complete. The only recent finish was the small PS halloween freebie - in July. I need to turn that into something to send to my DD before Halloween. I've still a few stitches left on the 3rd Patriotic Santa, also not touched in maybe 6 months. In early September I did briefly pick up my Lizzie Kate ABC's of Aging that I started in May or June of LAST year and has been sitting for almost a year.  Does just one wrong color just completely stop you in your tracks? I thought I'd FINALLY found a workable substitute. Did maybe 10 or 20 stitches recently- BUT NO, that won't work either. I could probably finish the stitching in less than a week, but I'm stuck! And then there are multiple-year's worth of WIP's still waiting for renewed attention.

There is a North Texas GTG scheduled for November 1 & 2nd in north Dallas.  Many out of area stitchers are coming and rooms are or were available at very reasonable rates. But since it's less than a hour's drive, I'll probably just drive over for one of those days - most likely Saturday. Looks like it will be fun, and it'll be good to get to put some faces with stitchers from the 123MB. The cost is $20 to offset meeting room rental fees. If anyone is interested, let me know IMMEDIATELY and I'll direct you to the organizers. Lots of goodies and some designer freebies to be passed around.

Found out last week that Henna, my 17-year-old ginger cat, probably has Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy - an incurable heart problem that involves thickening of the heart muscle thus a "gallop" rhythm and restricted blood flow and all that eventually portends. In fact, the vet now tells me she had the same "gallop" issues last year but I understood the rapid rate to be related to anxiety about the visit to the vet - who certainly didn't make a big deal over it at the time. The other possibility is pericardial effusion, excess fluid in the sac around the heart. For treatment either has to be formally diagnosed, which requires an echocardiogram thus a veterinary cardiologist, which I'm sure is very expensive.  She also has peridontal disease, but at her age the risk of anesthesia is too high. Otherwise she is in remarkably good health for a cat of any age. For now the doctor suggested a baby-aspirin therapy to help with blood flow, and antibiotics for her dental issues. Something I can do.

Like Dixieland jazz? Here's something UPBEAT. My brother's Dixieland Band recently played at what is the new incarnation of the former Crystal Cathedral congregation.  Here's the current link. At the bottom of the video player, move your pointer to 29:29. The tune is "Washington and Lee" and he has no idea how it fit into the theme of the sermon either. But it's GREAT Dixieland jazz!