Tuesday 8 February 2011

The Kindness of Fellow Stitchers and Bloggers

I know I've said it before and it has been said many times on blogs before but stitchers and bloggers are well and truly the kindest people I have ever come across. They are always there with encouragement, a friendly ear, wise words etc etc and I want to thank each and every one of you who have commented or emailed me.

A while ago I picked up some pom pom trim to send Christina as she had not seen it anywhere near her. She emailed me to say that she had something in her stash that she thought I might like and look what arrived the other day! She had won this in a giveaway but as it wasn't something she would stitch and knowing I had quite a collection of needlerolls she sent it to me. Isn't it gorgeous? Thank you so much Christina xxxx I hope you have received the email I sent you:)


Then on Saturday, after placing a small order with JJ's in their Super Bowl Sale, I received an email from Jennifer to say that I had been sent a $25 GC from a blog reading friend to treat myself to the BBD book. So the new BBD book ( A Stitcher's Journey) is now pre-ordered but not from JJ's as Jennifer took the GC off what I had ordered ( it included a BBD chart) but from Wasatch Needlecraft as Karen is offering 15% off all Nashville pre-orders :) so in a round about way the GC is paying for it lol! So a HUGE thank you, thank you, thank you to whoever kindly sent the GC for me. I cannot thank you enough or tell you how much I appreciate it. I have absolutely no idea who you are but lots of hugs are coming your way.

I have been stitching away since my last post but can only show a couple of things as the others are gifts. I have finished stitching Ellen's prize and it is half made up so I am hoping to have that finished and in the post to Ellen tomorrow after a long wait. Friday and Saturday I stitched on BBD AotH Snow Garden. Still not finished but nearly there! I have decided that I will add my Mum's initials and birth year to this one. Hopefully it will be finished next time I pick it up and I'll be able to move onto Valentine Rose. As much as I love Snow Garden I am ready for a bit more colour! I'm looking forward to seeing how Valerie, Jane and Lisa B are getting on.

Sunday I stitched on a few things one of which was Shepherd's Bush Earth's Delight the ornament that Chris and I decided to start our year long SAL with in January but she has finished it and started the next one and I am still stitching away! I forgot to take a photo though so will leave it now until it's finished!

Last night was my SAL night with Barb and Colleen so out came Shepherd's Bush Emmanuel's Song. I managed to finish the cross stitch band I was stitching last week and get four more bands done so I am happy!

Looking forward to tomorrow evening as it's LHN SAL night with Lisa and Lesleyanne is joining us too so Be Merry Belle Pepper will be coming out.

Well I have been to see my GP this morning. I did consider cancelling my appointment but I don't think my DH or my dear friend Barb would have been too pleased. Barb did threaten me with a stern talking to :) I do wish I'd written things down ( yes I know Lisa you did tell me to!) as I ended up quite tongue tied and felt utterly ridiculous but my GP was very patient. She has suggested that I take a step back ( not going to be easy) before I end up not loving my Dad anymore ( I really don't want that to happen), take some time to myself and also suggested counselling to try and help me deal with things from when my Mum suffered from depression when I was a teenager. These things I thought I had dealt with and understood but being a Mum myself and trying to deal with not coping too well I now realise there are things that I don't understand and am now struggling to deal with it. There is also the issue of my eldest DD blaming me for things going on in her life ( a cop out is what my youngest calls that!) and after 18 months on her course she has now decided that she can't stand to do chemistry anymore and is looking into changing courses which will mean starting over. So we have that to worry about as well but we have said if she is not happy doing that course then what is the point of carrying on and have given her our blessing to change. So I think everything is just piling up on me at the moment. My GP suggested that my DH speak to my Dad which I know he won't be happy about but it's as she says if I do it I'm going to see his reaction and will end up backing down. So yes I am human; my life is not perfection, just the same as everyone else :)

On a happier note my DH has booked us a night away for our 25th wedding anniversary and I can't wait. I think it's what I need and although it's not until April I am so looking forward to it.

Right better dash, catch up on blogs, then maybe do a little exercise and a little stitching :)

Thank you for listening to me again :)

Take care everyone.

Love & hugs

Sally

xxxxx

31 comments:

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

First of all, look at all the wonderful things your friends has sent to you :) That's wonderful!
And dear Sally, I shall keep you in my prayers, I understand what you are talking about with life events and relationships with extended family. I struggle to with feelings sometimes easy to bring you to your knees. Here's to hoping it all evens out for you soon :)
BIG HUGS!

Catherine said...

Stitchers are the best! That needleroll from Christina is lovely. I have never tried one of those, but have admired them. And how fun to find a surprise gift card - I'm be looking to get that book from market as well! I love the BBD designs!

Your stitches are beautiful!

So glad you are getting some guidance. You certainly have a plate full to handle. How nice it will be for you and your DH to have a night away!!

Lesleyanne said...

Lovely gift received from Christina. I love your AotH and am looking forward to seeing your progress. Can't wait until tomorrow for our SAL. Sending big hugs and hopes that things settle down for you soon and hope you really enjoy your night away in April. Something to look forward to with all the stress you are having to deal with.

Maggie said...

How wonderful to receive a supprise gift, just goes to show there are some lovely caring people out there!

It's good that you were able to talk to your doctor, at least you got to air some things, i hope that helped to make you more positive about things.

Your stitches are lovely :-)
Enjoy your SAL tonight and forget about everything else/one for a while :-)

Take care

BeckySC said...

Dear Sally, your stitching looks amazing as always :) LOVELY work!!
I am so happy you received a gift-it's always FUN to get something in the mail from a friend!
(((sending hugs to you )))

Sue said...

What a lovely gift from Christina and beautiful stitching on AotH, blogging friends are very special as I've found out when I've been very down and completely lost the plot!! There's always someone to give a helping hand and advice. Sending you love and hugs....Sue xx

Anonymous said...

Sally,
What a beautiful and thoughtful gift from Christina. Your stitching is looking gorgeous. They say stitching is the best therapy. I'm glad you are willing to face your challenges with your Dad and other things. Good for you. Take it one day at a time. Thank you for the email. I have you in my thoughts. (((Hugs))).

Julie said...

I agree stitchers are the best friends a girl can have, so nice that somepne brought a smile to your face and lifted your sprits.

A night away to celebrate your anniversary sounds wonderful, well done DH

Patty C. said...

Hang in there - Things have a way of leveling off - Just be patient

Lovely gift you received !!!
Have a wonderful day -
Hugs,

Christine said...

Oh Sally, you have been going through the wringer lately! Sending you lots of virtual hugs.

How kind of Christina to send you such a lovely surprise, and the BBD book from a mysterious benefactor too.
Great work on your WIPs, I'm loving Snow Garden, I'm almost inspired to get mine out and start it

Unknown said...

I am always impressed by the goodness of this stitcher blogger community!
I am so glad you got some good goodies - had to help your mood. I am also glad that you talked to your doctor. I hope you choose to do some counseling, I am sure it would help.

Your stitching as usual is beautiful and I love that you do those many SALs - they must keep you motivated.

Enjoy your time off with your DH. My DH and I will be celebrating 43 years in April as well!

Stitchabilities said...

What a lovely surprise to have a secret GC donor! Lots of stash coming your way then!

I hope counselling helps you.(hugs)

Christina said...

I'm so glad you like the needleroll chart Sally. Would you believe I took my mam into my local haberdashery this week and she managed to find 5 different colours of pom pom trim! When we asked the owner she said it was new in, so at least I didn't feel like I look with my eyes closed (which is what my mam tells me all the time!).
I would highly recommend going to see a counsellor. After losing our lovely baby girl last year, the hospital recommended that we get in touch with a counsellor. My DH was very reluctant but went along 'for my sake' and I must say we both got a lot out of it.
XXX

Gillie said...

So glad you have such a caring GP. Sorry about DD but stand firm, love! Also thank you for the birthday wishes, much appreciated!

Love the AoH can't wait to get back to mine - am packing up the house in Michigan this week, as guess what the WT's doing - yup travelling!

valerie said...

Nice gift from Christina and how neat to have a mystery gift card giver! Love the progress on your wips and Snow Garden. You're almost done. I'll post on my Valentine Rose in a bit. This house is time consuming! :) Hope you feel better about your dad. I've tried to distance myself a bit an dam feeling better for it. It's hard though. *hugs*

jane said...

It's great to hear that people are rallying round for you Sally. Lovely gifts and I want to hear all about that BD book when it arrives!
Snow Garden looks fantastic.
Take care of yourself, hope things improve with your Dad and that Jess gets onto a course that she enjoys.

Jackie's Stitches said...

Stitchers are wonderful!

I too shall be thinking of you as you work to relieve some of the stress you are under. I wish you peace!

Lisa V said...

Lucky you to receive such lovely gifts from friends.
I always like to check out your stitching progress.
LISA V

Carol said...

I totally agree, Sally--stitchers are truly kind, caring people. I'm always amazed at how even a simple comment on my blog can raise my spirits if I'm having a bad day...

You certainly have a lot on your plate right now and I hope things get easier in the weeks ahead. Your anniversary get-away will certainly be wonderful... Sending you my best thoughts along with a big hug!

Susan @ Real Girl Designs said...

{{{Sally}}} - you have a lot on your plate right now. I'm glad that you didn't cancel your doctor's appointment - I hope you will listen to what she had to say!

You are making great progress on your WIPS.

Yay for wonderful stitching friends!

Kathy said...

How nice of Christine to send you the lovely needleroll design. I love stitching them.
When I started my stitching blog few months ago, I never realized how important my blogging friends would become to me. Two years ago when I developed health issues, and had to leave my work, I wondered how I would fill the hours of each day. The love and caring of my friends and family, and hours spent with my stitching have helped me to be peaceful and feel very blessed.
My prayer for you is that you will be blessed with love, peace and answers to your prayers.

Cindy F. said...

Sally...sometimes it's hard to remember how very human each of us are:) You do need a "happy" break...and maybe more than a day or two! I can see why people enjoy sending you gifts...you are so appreciative and so big hearted! We need more Sally's and Stitchyangels in this big, crazy world!
I can so relate to your post! I also believe good things happen to good people...your blessings are going to multiply...just have to get the hard stuff out of the way first;) Love and very BIG (((HUGS)))!

WendyCarole said...

wonderful stitching beautiful gifts.

Sending you some hugs xxx

Dani - tkdchick said...

Sally I've always been blown away by the generosity of stitchers and how open their hearts are. We're a special bunch for sure!

All of your sittching is just beautiful!

I'm glad you went and talked to your GP I called about seeing mine today and I can get in as a walk-in tomorrow evening but first I'm going to do something for myself and if its not too late I'll stop by my Dr's as well!

Lois said...

What a nice gift from Christina. Stitchers are defintely some of the nicest people. Enjoyed seeing all your WIP's. I hope that having talked with your dr. you're feeling a bit better and able to see a way forward. Some lovely stash is going to be coming your way. I'm definitely planning to buy the new BBD book.

Ellen said...

Wonderful gifts from your friends! I love Snow Garden, it's different from others.

Hugs to you and hope things settle down soon. Enjoy the time with your DH!

Nancy in IL said...

Sally, a visit to your blog is always heartwarming and inspiring, and I'm so glad you're getting such good advice for your personal life and are in the care of a good professional. I know what depression is so you're so wise to "nip it in the bud" and guard against it.

Congratulations on your 25th wedding anniversary, and I'm so glad you're going to have a refreshing night out to celebrate it.

As always, your stitching is lovely, and isn't it such a comfort to have such an outlet?

Mylene said...

Such lovely gift you recieved, Sally and all your WIP's are looking beautiful

Sending big (((hugs))).

Michele B. said...

Your Snow Garden looks lovely - it's the most colorful version I've seen, but I do understand why you are ready for something more vibrant.

Sally, you are in what they call the Sandwich Generation - you are getting it from both sides! Sometimes a listening ear and a wise voice can do wonders, so I support the idea of a counselor. And the night away will surely give you a nice respite. Many hugs to you!

CalamityJr said...

Sounds like you've had some good advice. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Lisa said...

I'm so glad you were blessed with some lovely gifts from stitchy friends, you deserve something to brighten your life right now.
Your wips are growing quickly as usual.