Three more weeks in Norway. We bought my ticket back with Happy. Poor doggie, one more trip aboard the monster (aka a plane in human-speak). I know he'll be okay, I just hate thinking of him alone before the departure and then in the luggage section of the plane. Speaking of him, I wonder how he'll adapt to my tiny flat in Warsaw. Here, at H.'s place, he wants to be out in the garden permanently LOL! He's such a jewel... we can't believe how lucky we were to pick this "model" from the shelter last year. He's the most affectionate, the most clever, the most wonderful dog one can dream of. Only "bad" side - he's not very much into defending us or the house, much too friendly for that. Last week we ordered pizza on a very busy afternoon and the delivering person was just delighted with that lovely doggie... which means that basically we can forget about having him guard the house. Ah, also almost each time we're back and he was left alone in the house, we arrive with the car (loud noise), we walk to the door (noise), we open the door (more noise) and still no dog! Sometimes he then runs down the stairs waving his tail madly, but sometimes H. manages to go to the upper floor in silence just to find him snoring on one of the beds... :)
I realize I haven't been blogging much lately but I must say I can't manage to get into a routine day here... Each day brings either work, or walks, or travels, or cleaning, or stitching, and I just don't seem to be able to respond to emails. I am sure that will change as soon as I am back home.

On the topic of cross-stitch, the news are upsetting. Okay, I finished the new Prairie Schooler kit 3 weeks ago but I don't like it that much. The sad thing is that two packages seem to be lost on the way from the US to Norway. One is the bookmark my partner stitched for me and the other an over 200 usd value order - the French Alphabet Sampler and Gloriana silks for it. Money is on the low side this year and time is running. I can't afford paying again for the supplies at this moment, even if I get the sampler chart sent to me again, I won't be able to complete it in time for H.'s birthday. And that was the whole point. I am soooooo upset. I don't even know if it's the store that's cheated on me or if that package is really lost, but since the bookmark from Christina hasn't arrived either after a whole month, I have reasons to think both envelopes have been stolen - somewhere. I got an order from Amy/DSL okay, and fabric from Silkweaver for the sampler as well. So what happened? :( :( :(
The good side of the story is that I got a lot done on the Spring Thaw afghan for H. I first hated every stitch I put in. I found it hard to handle the voluminous fabric, I found it heavy on my knees and uncomfortable in every way to stitch. I started working on it early this year and left it aside. There was even a moment when I thought it would become an UFO. Then I decided to bring it here for as The Summer Project and I am almost done with the 2nd row of five! I'll upload a photo tomorrow. Hopefully it'll be ready in time for Christmas!

Oh, and I have tons of photos to upload. We stayed 10 days in the wilderness, same place as every year, in the wonderful cottage we love so much. We extended the stay by two days in another small cabin and made wonderful walks. For me a 7-hour fast walk in this difficult region was not smthg I would expect I can do, but I did that and more, and I can't wait till next year to repeat that experience. Needless to say I was barely able to walk the next day LOL!
Unfortunately Happy had a hip problem because of that, he couldn't walk at all and woke us up in the night crying, I spent a sleepless night trying to comfort him but he was just soooo sad... H. had his heart broken just looking at him. We brought doggie to the vet as soon as it opened in the morning and he got a shot after being examined. Some muscle inflammation most probably, nothing more serious - but painful. Followed by 8 days of pills. Yeah, Norway is the most expensive country in the world, and I experienced that once more... Vets are unaffordable! The check and the injection cost us around 100 usd. Just that!!! Without the medecine. Norwegians are nuts. Then we thought - how much would we have to pay if the case was *serious*? Geee.

My Norwegian is improving. On Friday I met H.'s mother on my way to the food shop. She lives in the house next to us, we're just separated by a small road where cars are not allowed to drive. We managed to communicate for about half an hour, which was an exploit for me! Last year I only understood a small percentage of her talking, and this time I manage to understand most of it! And as she doesn't understand English at all (a very rare thing for people in Norway, but she's from an older generation), I was very proud of me. She questioned me about lost of private stuff related to H. and I, but she really wasn't nosy, I didn't feel it that way. And she said "You know I would love to have you as my daughter-in-law, don't you?" I was soooo shocked I made her repeat it because I wasn't sure I understood it right!! But yes, she said that and lots of lovely things too, and this was a very stressing talk for me because of the language barrier (I was almost reading her lips so much I was concentrating on trying to understand as much as possible) but also this was probably the most lovely things a girl can dream to hear from her partner's mother! I am so happy she likes me... Because she's not the easiest person on Earth and things could have been very different.

I need to get up in 5 hours to do a text I haven't even started during the week-end, stupid me, so stay tuned for more babbling tomorrow! LOL

Nite nite...

Recent finishes...

Time to start being up to date with uploading my finishes, heh? So, today, I am showing two of my recent finishes: all the 2006 LKs I finished till now and the first of six Vermillion "Woodland ornaments" - which proved to be much more work than I thought but still, even if I find the colors a bit weird, it looks lovely. I like it.

Finally in Norway

Yup. Finally here! :-)

Happy the happy dog and I took the plane on Friday to Oslo. Huge stress for me and lesser for him, I guess. H. arrived just for one day to help with Happy and the luggage - he wanted so, and I didn't say no ;-) We also thought that the procedure at the customs at Gardermoen airport might prove problem-free if he is with me. It would have been problem-free if I were alone, but that we didn't actually expect!
At Warsaw's airport, we checked in and sent the luggage, but left his transporter at the check-in and were allowed to go out with him and come back 30 minutes before the departure. This was the last flight that evening so when we came back, the departure hall was empty with just a few people waiting for us at the desk, at the x-ray and the passport checking booth.
I was so relieved to see he was fine. He was soooo happy to see us and moving his tail madly in the transporter (I bought a big one so he would be very comfortable) but we only let him go out outside the airport.
The customs officer did a fast check on his EU-pet passport, all the vaccins, worm treatment, rabbies antibodies results from the laboratory etc., and then read his microchip (implanted on the neck) and compared the number with the one in the passport. Fast and easy. When I think that the procedure to bring him in took many months and cost a small hell.... (sigh). But now he has it all ready including the expensive laboratory checks and the transporter and if I am careful enough to revaccinate him against rabbies within 365 days, these all were one-time expenses. I will be careful! :)
Happy is so happy here. So different from Warsaw's downtown concrete environment. Here he has a garden, fresh air and well, he is a happy dog. At the same time last year, he was still an unloved, poor dog at the shelter, and now he is a little spoiled butt!
I have prepared all data and other stuff to be able to work normally from here and I should soon be "operational".
And from tomorrow on, I should be able to answer all the private emails I didn't have time for before the big travel. So if you're reading this, please know you'll soon get an answer :-)
The weather is nice, not too hot, and tomorrow I will have a walk in the forest in the afternoon if work allows. H. is usually back from work between 4 and 6 pm
Diet: slow progress but I am sticking to it. A lost year, as I call it - but I intend to be significantly "smaller" by Christmas 2006. Or I'll get nuts! LOL

Happy Friday

Indeed. Couldn`t wait more because of my summer away so got a visit to the dentist. Usual fear of pain etc., because of what I thought was an *enormous* hole to fix. Quite the contrary - the big hole proved an easy superficial thing, on the other hand the dentist found other things to treat, but we'll take care of that after the summer. No pain either. I am lucky to live just two houses away from the most modern clinic in town and this time, I had the pleasure of discovering a new electronic system that steers all the process of making an anti-pain injection. It lasts very long, I'd say something lioke a minute and a half, but the pain - if at all - only happened at one moment and was just a tiny, tiny fragment of what it usually is with a conventional needle. I almost asked to have all my teeth fixed today! And the doctor is a real love, a very beautiful young woman so honestly, I can't wait to go back there in September!
Then the bank refused a loan to buy a new laptop and I certainly can't afford the one I want at the moment, so bye-bye, dreams....
The package stuck at the customs still wasn't delivered today, this is getting just nuts after all this time. They informed me that they had sent it already but I couln't know when. One day...
Currently adding more and more items to my list of stuff to bring to Norway and getting a litte bit anxious, won't I forget anything? Two months is loooong!
Told Happy that he's taking the plane in two weeks but I don't think he was impressed. Lucky doggie. One year ago he was still spending the summer in the shelter, unloved, poor, with dozens and dozens of bigger dogs who were after him. He must now rank amont the most spoiled little doggies on earth! :-)
Happy week-end, everyone! Today's picture is of a little Santa from a small UK kit I received from Angi last Christmas and which I stitched not long ago.

Prairie Schooler bookmark

I just received an email from Christina, my partner that she received my bookmark and that she likes it so I am delighted :-) . This was a PS stitched bookmark exchange in our Prairie Schooler group
I usually stitch small stitches or generally over one, but I felt for experimenting. As usual I changed colors to my choice of overdyes and used a piece of 25 ct. raw linen. That gave it a fine, rustic look even if the bookmark itself is a bit bigger thatI would like it.
So happy that Christina liked it :-) Itè's always a challenge to stitch something that will suit somebody else's taste! :-)

Back home from Poznan

... after 4 days spent at my aunt, grandma and Co. Lovely time. My grandma is 97,5 and doing fine... an amazing person. We celebrated her namesday and made it as nice for her as possible. My aunt suggested I bring Toska the cat queen to her for the summer and I did. She put one condition: I had to promise I won't take another cat in the fall (I was considering doing so). She's absolutely right, I am very blocked when it comes to travelling. However, when I think that for a few years I had a big dog and a medium dog in this small flat, I personally think that with Happy (small dog) and Toska, there's room enough for one or even two cats more. Now if I did that, my family would think I have officially lost my mind. The only problem is that Toska didn't feel good in the pets' pension and she can stay home alone a couple of days, but when it comes to longer travelling, it would be insane to travel to Poznan on the train with two cats and ask my 70 y.o. aunt to take care of them. She is a pet lover but there are some limits ;-)
Okay, so Toska is there. My aunt already has one *huge* female hunting dog, one small god-knows-what dog and two female cats. Toska is okay with the dogs, she's not impressed, barely sees them and they behave the same. However my aunt told me on the phone today that she started to dominate and 1) one of the cats has to hide constantly 2) the other, an ex-wild cat, is not showing up or when she shows upshe doesn't enter the house. I heard in her voice that she's not very happy with that but she won't say so. I honestly there's nothing to worry about for the moment. The only thing I worry about *terribly* is that Toska was a home cat who never went out. Seing the world was a first experience. She was a little bit anxious the first day but the next, she was already making small expeditions in the huge garden. Unfortunately, she tends to go in the direction of the road - and there's permanently a heavy trafic. If she goes there, she's dead. The third day, the neighbor to the left found her in their house (gulp!) and a moment later, I found her slightly scared in their garden, close to the road. Problem is that their son, in the house to the right, has some sort of huge firm with trucks going in and out all the day long. She goes there, she's dead too. It will be hard to wait over two months now worrying like something. I LOVE THAT CAT, with all her humors, bad temper and all!
, Now, even my aunt says that's a clever kitty. She opens doors easily, so she goes in and out of rooms whether you like it or not. And she comes running very fast when I call her by her name.
She has changed a lot since I brought her from the shelter (where she's only been for 2 months) but she's still not a "warm" cat and she probably never be. But I love her just the way she is! She never ever came on my knees by herself but she started to come to sleep and to get hugged tightly in the mornings. And she purrs then... She's a highly temperamental nature but I miss her sooooooo much :-)
The special cargo pet cage for Happy will be delivered in the morning, I just had to pay over 200 usd for it! ^$#%#^%#%$# It's now only two weeks and four days till the big travel.
Money is still a big issue. I am in a huge stress and this is the reason why I am not active on my groups. These problems are really eating me from the inside. That should be solved by the end of the summer, but in the meantime, I am in deep pooh-pooh. And the tax office wants a huge sum *now*, a sum I don' have and won't have any time soon. And I don't know what to do. I got a big payment today but I need to pay many, many smaller bills tomorrow.
So now real vacation for us both this year. We would love to take at least 10 days off in August and drive 6 hours to the place in the wilderness where we go each year in Norway but with Norwegian prices, I can't let H. pay for us both this time with all the expenses he has this year. Still trying to find a solution because I will feel a little bit like on holidays while there, but he absolutely needs a moment to relax totally this summer. I will be working normally while at his place, but when there will be less work during the week days, I plan to go walking alone with Happy in the woods, bike, have walks around, take the commute train to Oslo and discover the region anyway. H. will do his best to have week-ends free so we can spend them together in the nature but Monday to Friday, he usually is home no earlier than 6 pm because of tons of little things and shopping for food if needed. I hate it and I wish he could be home eralier, but then I realize I am lucky to work from home and that my lifestyle is not a normal one in the working world LOL.
Diet gone to the loo, if you want to know how to add 9 pounds (4 kgs) in 4 days, ask me. I was at minus 12,5 kgs, I am at minus 8,5, but I will start afresh tomorrow morning. It is better then it was, but I need to go on and on... This time, I will win the battle.

Seldom happens that I fall so much in love with a pattern that I have to have it complete with the special frame. This one Hinzeit - Christmas Past has to land home as well when I get rich.... ROFTL I'll only get it when I can afford the frame, because I think it complements it so well... :-)
And the Crows Row , that one too.... I loooove it!
Oooooh, and the Best friends, I want it, I want it too!!!

(end of Thursday xstitch dreams) LOL

Wasn't it Monday when I promised myself to stop getting new stash? Yeah right! :-)

How can anyone resist the new additions, heh?

New charts

So many new patterns released after Market... I see Vermillion published their cat and dog angels freebies in a leaflet, one day when I get rich LOL I should buy it... definitely.. :-) The reason? One of the dogs is a cocker angel, and it looks just like the one we had when I was a teenager. He was a gorgeous white cocker with only rust ears and a small spot on the back, otherwise he was all white, and very beautiful... The one designed by Vermillion looks just like him.

Dog and Cat angels

What a lovely gift!

And what a surprise!!! I opened the door to the mailman today to discover an unexpected package from the US, from Judy K., a fellow stitcher from the Prairie Schooler group. I am waiting for Judy to tell me who the designer is. The Santa is finished so beautifully! It has a real fluffy beard and every detail is just so cute. As I often write, I am so sentimental about such lovely gifts... Some Christmas pieces stay around all the year long... and remind me of the person who send it to me.


Thank you so much, Judy! You really didn;t have to do all this because of a small (long forgotten) misunderstanding, but I appreciate it and ... I am so happy you wanted to do this for me!!
I will cherish that piece year after year and many will be the jealous eyes who will look at MY Santa! LOL

Not much more to say today... Errands and work.... The assignment for Thursday is a major PITA, it's a tax decision on... 35 pages... and not an easy one to translate.

Diet not good today, met my cousin's wife nearby and had some non-diet food. Not much but I am not happy with myself :-(

From Brooke Nolan's newsletter: The Gift of Stitching http://www.thegiftofstitching.com
Check this, you might like it. This is an online mazagine for cross stitchers, full of content, if you ask me. You can download May's issue for free and to subscribe, it's a whole plain one US dollar per issue = 12 usd per year of subscription. Currently considering the expense, because it's not much and it looks interesting. Interesting article about various overdyes.
In PDF (Acrobat) format. Easy and harder charts, a little bit of everything for everyone.
Happy reading!

In case you wondered what I am up to, since I am mostly silent on my groups and so late replying to emails... On that last thing, I am close to getting enough strenght to reply to everyone... though my guilt is reaching new peaks lately.
First and most important, I went on a diet on May 1st and have lost 11 kgs till now. It's still very far from what could be called an acceptable look and goal, but for the first time in my whole life, I am successful and I won't fail, that I already know. However, that takes all my mental strenght and energy, all my days are concentrated on the diet, and I where I fail, it's at keeping a regular contact with friends online. Therefore if you feel you like me a bit, I kindly ask you to be patient with me this year, I will be back to my normal self, it's just that I need to do THIS.
Second, work is still poor and money problems still the major topic of each day. However, I realize I am *not* doing everything I could to get more jobs, but hey, I am only human and losing weight really is what counts most this year. Being overweight made me depressed, tired, feeling hopeless... This had to change.
Third, I am almostat the end of the long procedure that will allow me to bring Happy on the plane with me to Norway for the summer. It's been an exmepsnive journey gathering all the tests and blood samples and results and checks and what else, but all that is left now is a pill against worms during the last 10 days before the travel and within 7 days after arrival, and buying a comfortable IATA-approved cage. Which also costs a small fortune but I can't skip that step. He won't be able to travel in the cabin but I am strongly hoping that with his general positive attitude to life, good health etc., the 4 hours (maximum) trauma will be fast forgotten. In those 4 ours, I count the 1h50 flight and the time between the check in and flying off, where we will be separated. I have done all I could so the Norwegian customs find all the papers okay.
Fourth, I am flying to Oslo on July 13th and returning Sept. 6th. Two months, two full months with my darling!
Fifth, we just bought expensive tickets for Pavarotti for Sept 5 in Oslo, a concert within what he called his Farewell Tournee. Yippeeeeeeee!
That will be all for today.... Time to relax a bit.

Okay, you just have to see this.
After our experience metting a mommy bear with two 2,5 months old cubs in the mountains in Zakopane, we became very interested on the topic of bears, bears meeting people, surviving a close encounter with a bear etc.
I just got this in my inbox. And see the photo with that (relatively) small cat down the tree!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5067912.stm

Now I know. Next time we're hiking in the Femundsmarka in Norway, I should bring Toska the Cat Queen with us! ROTFL
Speaking of whom, here's a photo of Maaaadam taken last week:

A new blog and a new journey

Okay, so I'm starting a new blog, moving from Yahoo 360. Actually I liked the previous one and the possibility it gave to see friend's new postings at a glance, but one thing always annoyed me: the small photos Yahoo allows to publish and only one per post. I am very loyal to my choices so if this one works well, it'll be a keeper! :-)