2010 is drawing to a close.....

Can you believe the year is almost over??? I always heard that the older you get, the faster time flies but if it keeps at this rate, it will be in warp speed before I'm 40!!! The kids have been enjoying their week off school and reveling in their new DS XL's and also the new Wii games that appeared under the Christmas tree this year.

Ray has decided he wants to try his hand at cross stitching so I'm hoping this weekend to spend some time teaching him the basics. I worked with Becky 2 years ago and since that time Ray has been impatiently waiting for his turn. Of course, I had to wait for him to develop a little more hand/eye, fine motor coordination before attempting this. Wish me luck and hopefully he will amaze us all and become one of those 'male stitchers' who make beautiful projects and becomes the envy of all us females.....

New Year Resolutions are usually something I try to avoid thinking about but every December as the year is waning to a close, inevitably I begin to think of what I want to improve upon/work on in my life. I decided this year to make one a stitchy resolution. There are so many UFO's that need to be pulled out from their dusty little corners and worked on or finished that I decided that would be one of my resolutions for the year. Of course, the first step in this process is to own up to all the woefully neglected items that have been screaming "Stitch Me!" from the bottom of my sewing bag. I plan on showing before and after pictures of each one as it is worked so you can see how I'm doing and hopefully help cheer me on in this effort. So with no further ado, I will list them here and I'm hoping to finish at least 1/2 of them this year.

1. Starlight Sampler by Little House Needleworks

2. Merry Friends '03 by Lizzie Kate

3. Monthly Flip It's by Lizzie Kate (this is a collaboration of 12 monthly designs)

4. Quaker Seasons by Little Toe Designs

5. Kind Fond Love by Brenda Keyes (this is a BAP and I would like to finish at least 3/4 of it this year)

6. Dance of the Roses by Marilyn (hopefully can "fix" the hole in the fabric that formed from using a hoop; will explain more in a later post)

7. I see the Moon by M Designs

8. Biscornu by Floss Box Designs

9. Amish Washday by ???

10. Tiny Trees and Gifts for Thee by Blue Ribbon Designs

Of course, some are so close to being finished it isn't funny so I'm hoping that I can work some of these pieces and by this time next year be proudly proclaiming all I have accomplished. If not, well........

Then, throw on the pile the effort to try and improve my health.... exercise more, eat better, etc, etc, etc. Another blogging buddy, Vickie, is making a resolution to "walk" to Disney World. She has sent out a invitation to anyone who would like to join her to choose their destination and then to track their mileage as they exercise to see if they can reach their destination. This sounds fun and so I think I'll join in on the adventure. I want to take the kids to Niagara Falls in New York because I remember seeing this when I was about 9 years old and was just thoroughly amazed at the splendor of the water. I had been talking with Mom about going there again the day before she died and so I think that will be my goal; all 405 miles. Wish me luck and if you want to join us, please do!

One thing which I have been very happy with this year has been the amount of reading that I have accomplished. About July, I decided I was going to start going to the local library more often and help hook Raymond onto reading just as much as Becky and I already are. Well, I am happy to report that Ray has discovered Ron Roy and the Capital Mystery series as well as the A to Z series. He is addicted to these books and I couldn't be happier. In turn, I have managed to read 35 books since the beginning of July. I found that the more time I was spending in the library I was finding more and more books I wanted to read. Of course, I knew that I couldn't check them all out at once and possibly read them in time so I decided to start a book log. This is just a composition book that I write down books I want to read and then I check them off the list as I finish them and list the year that I read them. Here is a list of the books I have read since July:

1. The Covenant (Beverly Lewis)

2. The Betrayal (Beverly Lewis)

3. The Sacrifice (Beverly Lewis)

4. The Prodigal (Beverly Lewis)

5. The Revelation (Beverly Lewis)

6. The Shunning (Beverly Lewis)

7. The Confession (Beverly Lewis)

8. The Reckoning (Beverly Lewis)

9. The Preacher's Daughter (Beverly Lewis)

10. The Englisher (Beverly Lewis)

11. The Brethren (Beverly Lewis)

12. A Single Thread (Marie Bostwick)

13. A Thread of Truth (Marie Bostwick)

14. Garden Spells (Sarah Addison Allen)

15. The Girl Who Chased the Moon (Sarah Addison Allen)

16. Late for the Wedding (Amanda Quick)

17. The Quilter's Legacy (Jennifer Chiaverini)

18. The Master Quilter (Jennifer Chiaverini)

19. The Christmas Quilt (Jennifer Chiaverini)

20. Circle of Quilters (Jennifer Chiaverini)

21. A Quilter's Holiday (Jennifer Chiaverini)

22. Knit One, Kill Two (Maggie Sefton)

23. Needled to Death (Maggie Sefton)

24. A Deadly Yarn (Maggie Sefton)

25. A Killer Stitch (Maggie Sefton)

26. Dyer Consequences (Maggie Sefton)

27. Fleece Navidad (Maggie Sefton)

28. Sweet Memories (LaVyrle Spencer)

29. The First Princess of Wales (Karen Harper)

30. The Fatal Fashione (Karen Harper)

31. Grace Under Pressure (Julie Hyzy)

32. Thai Die (Monica Ferris)

33. Blackwork (Monica Ferris)

34. The Other Queen (Phillippa Gregory)

35. The Red Queen (Phillippa Gregory)

Hopefully I'll have one more stitchy/knitty update before 2010 comes to a close. Until then, enjoy the winding down of another year and let me know what your plans are for 2011.