Here's the cookie receipe

We had our monthly Stitch 'n Bitch session, I mean meeting last night and the ladies were surprised to see that changes were taking place. Sara and I got the fibers moved to their new home and we put up a table where they were for the meeting so it was like meeting in a cave, plus we were using Sara's bar table and a card table in place of the huge table we had over on the fabric side so it was like being in Alice and Wonderland with small tables...but we managed and had a great time. Joyce forgot to bring her enameled Lady bug so I couldn't finish putting her piece together but she was a great sport when I related what I had done with her piece so I appreciated the fact that she didn't get upset (of course I found her piece and finished putting it together so that might have had something to do with it)...and even left the finished pieces here until next time when she'll bring the Ladybug for me to put them in. Anyway, that ended well. Connie brought the most beautiful applique and quilted...quilt, just gorgeous for our advice and you know I didn't hesitate to tell her my opinion, Jennifer brought in a finished pillow she made with the cutest french design on it and the pillow backing was just perfect for it...good job ladies. Hedy C. brought in her finished camel, which is one piece of the JanLynn nativity scene she's stitching. She's now completed the camel, Mary and she took Joseph home with her to start next. By Christmas she's going to have a stitched nativity! Jennifer also was in charge of refreshments last night and we were once again delighted with a couple different types of cookies, brownies, grapes and 2 kinds of cheese cubes....another eating opportunity and we sure did enjoy it. Thanks Jennifer. Now before I forget, I was telling the ladies before Christmas about a cookie I made, Love it a lot, and kept going back to the container for one more until I gave up, brought the container into the living room and ate them until I got sick and then I was able to stop eating them. I made them for the Superbowl party and the ladies said, "We know which cookie you couldn't stop eating" because they also loved the cookie. They asked for the receipe and we kept forgetting to give it to them, so I'm putting it here and I know you will love them! Beacon Hill Cookies
1 Cup Chocolate chips
2 Egg whites
dash of salt
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (I've also used pecans..no difference both great)
Preheat oven to 275 or 300 degrees F. (I believe I used 300)..Melt the chocolate chips and let them cool. Beat the egg whites and the dash of salt until it is foamy. Then gradually add the sugar until it is stiff. Once the mixture is stiff, add the extract and vinegar. Fold in the melted chocolate and walnuts. Place a spoonful of the beaten mixture onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for about 1/2 hour. Enjoy ladies....and bring me some!

Whitman Tins Emergency

OK stitchers...we're having an issue with Russell Stover and the Whitman's tin, # 7164 for the new chart "My First Sewing Box and Scissor Fob"...while these can be ordered on-line...they are sold out a lot and you really have to check back daily. Then you can't pick your color and while for me that's not such a big issue I know for some it will be, so I called Russell Stover and talked to their top dog in the shipping department and they said you can't pick colors unless you go into a store, gave me the closest store near Ocean City...its a Russell Stover Store located at 23361 Business Center Ct. in Ruther Glen, Va. (yes that's the closest according to them)...so I called old Ruther Glen, Va., spoke with someone who wasn't top dog and put me on hold for more moments than I care to be on hold, but I was on the Whitman Tin hunt and I would have waited for an hour. Anyway, I asked if they could ship me the tins and she said no it was too hot! Now I didn't want to insult Russell Stover by saying we didn't give a damn about their chocolates so I decided I had gone as far as I could go...but if anyone lives near Ruther Glen, we need tins people...we have stitchers who want to stitch this piece and can't get their green tins. Right now in house we have 2 of each color, Green, Yellow and Pink....and I'll be ordering more as they show them in stock...so if you don't mind a color other than Green, give me a call and we'll hook you up. I say other than green because I think Jean wants the 2 I have but I'll be e-mailing her to check this out....Now I'm really going back to work.

Thanks and Apologies to Joyce C!

Well, as usually happens with me kaos has ruled since I last spoke with you because of my lack of organizational skills, or should I say my reorganizing gone wrong! At our January Stitch 'n Bitch, Joyce C. asked for help with a few of her projects, just minor questions regarding our opinions, etc., and I was unable to concentrate (I have the concentration as well as memory of a gnat) on one particular project so I said, "Oh, Joyce, let me take it home and I'll work on it when I can concentrate." Those are words to heed my friend, because while I have all the good intentions in the world...my world is sometimes caotic and well, it's me...enough said. I remember taking it home, I knew I put it in a bag of my stitching stuff (but then I have approximately 50 bags of stitching stuff), in the living room (these are my most recent "have to do's"), but I remember thinking to myself, I should put it in the tote I carry with me or I might not remember what I did with it...I think you see where I'm going with this! Anyway, last month we got home from Nashville and I didn't think of it until the night of Stitch 'n Bitch and so I told Joyce I'd bring it to the next Stitch 'n Bitch. And the hunt began. First the panic when I searched my recent tote and didn't find the package. One problem was I was looking for a small bag and Joyce had handed me a large ziplock bag, which I never remembered at all. I paniced but then searched the other bags (embarrassingly more than a couple) in my living room, then the 5 large cabinets in my entertainment cabinet, then back in the "sewing/junk/master bedroom" and then I was in full panic. I spoke with Sara who just looks at me in times of stress and says, "It will be O.K. mom, you'll find it." What I really need is for Sara to bitch slap me a few times across the head to rattle the memory loose, but she's hesitant to do that since heritance is an issue here, and I dangle that carrot whenever the occasion arises, but that's a whole other subject. Anyway, each night I'd search again, then thoughts like, "What if I threw it away by mistake" starting creeping into my thinking...but then knowing I don't throw anything away that really wasn't much of a fear. I wish I threw things away. Anyway, Monday night I gave up and began stitching the project myself (I had one in my "todo" bag anyway)...and finished it in a couple of nights but then the thought of putting it together was daunting, but last night I knew the end was near as tonight is Stitch 'n Bitch. I knew I'd have to admit to Joyce what I had done, and hoped the pain would be eased with the presentation of mine to her finished. But do we ever want someone else's work when we've done the project ourselves...well maybe we wouldn't care at times but to admit such a faux pas was daunting to me. But I finished the project, Lady Scarlet, the enameled ladybug from Just Nan in which you have a stitched needle case and pin cushion, and spent an hour patting myself on the back for getting it done and it's adorable...gorgeous and then I kept thinking, well I'll certainly enjoy Joyce's whenever I find it and put it together. I also finished the last released section of the ABC Sampler until the final two sections are released, and you know what that means. I get to put a new project into rotation. So I started searching my closest totes and as I was pulling out project bags, I see something that looked like the pattern pieces for the needlebook for Lady Scarlet. I pull the bag out and my God, it's Joyce C.'s Lady Scarlet. I sat there for a few minutes thinking, Crap...now I have to put another one together, but I enjoyed the process and decided to get right on it while the knowledge of putting it together was fresh, so I spent another hour on finishing and got Joyce's done as well. Yippee!!! Two finishes on one night....but I have another needle case I'm giving to Carolyn...there is only so much hell I can endure. But anyway...I feel like a new person, almost, having Joyce's Ladybug to hand over tonight. I haven't blogged lately because Sara and I decided this weekend would be a great time to move all the fibers over to the fabric section and move the table out. I don't know why we always do these moves so close to Stitch 'n Bitch, but we do. We had really bad weather, a north easter' this weekend so we weren't really that busy. So we began the big move and of course today we're scrambling trying to get enough done that we can have Stitch 'n Bitch here. I tripped going down the hotel hallway because the boys, (maintenance crew) left a piece of carpeting rolled up there (it's been here all winter) but today I tripped, went flying down the hall and spread eagled on the floor. First....I had to pee...yes, of course slamming down on my stomach certainly didn't help that issue and each time I moved so did it. So I called Sara on my cell, cried to her that I was down and couldn't get up...so she came running. Of course I looked like a beached whale laying there and after she chuckled (which she will deny but I heard her...and she laughs whenever I fall) she asked if I was alright then suggested bringing Vernon in to help raise the ship...but I kept refusing because I knew I would pee on my self and didn't want Vernon in on that act. I embarrass myself enough around him to begin with, so I just wanted to lay there in my agony and figure out what to do. I sent Sara home to get me a change of clothes because I just knew I was going to need that...and while she was gone I struggled to my feet..you know it's not getting up so much as getting on my knees to get up. Boy, I'm telling you this weight on my knees is a killer. But I finally got up, and was none the worse for wear...I do have a bruised and perhaps a little swollen finger (the middle one no less...would you expect anything else?) but other than that....I'll live to see another day. So tonight is Stitch 'n Bitch and we're ready for it....well, the shop is a mess, the floor needs sweeping, the racks aren't done...I guess we're not as ready as I thought. But..we'll be here none the less working like a servant. By the way...I know we usually open up full time again Easter weekend, but this year we are not!!!! Folks it's just too early for me so I've decided to open up full time beginning April 11th. So starting April 11th we're open everyday from 10:00 - 4:00 pm. Well, I've got to get back to the threads....will talk if I ever get this job done....I'm in thread hell!

You have got to see this show....

If you haven't watched, "New York Housewives" on Bravo you are missing the most obnoxious nouveau money people ever, and that is not a compliment. You know with the strike (oh, hell before the strike too) I have become addicted to many of the reality shows (not all, but darn close to all..still can't do Big Brother..but I digress)..anyway, with Survivor which use to be my favorite, having no one left that I can cheer on I was floundering in the reality show genre. However, these New York women beat anything I've ever seen. First let me say this...where I am from we have those born with money and those who earned their money later on...and there is a big difference. Those born with money just do not discuss it, nor do they flaunt it. But the women on this show, hell they'd make a dress out of it if they had any skills at all, and might I add they do not. I have never seen such wastes of air in my life as these broads, and they give all women everywhere a bad name. As far as I can tell not one of these women earned their own money, they are all married to money, except one, the chef and frankly she's almost too normal for this group and it shows. So we will leave her out of the discussion and just assumed she walked into the wrong show (I also know I've seen her on another reality show I just can't pin point it...was it the Martha Stewart wannabe show?) Anyway, we're only discussing the rest...the Countess of whatever proudly spouts how she became a countess by marriage. Now that's O.K., nice explanation but when the chef and she go to get in a car the chef introduces her to the driver and I thought the Countess would have a stroke. The Chef introduced her informally...can you imagine the nerve. Now the Countess is from the states, grew up here, had no title or money prior to the "big" marriage, and as far as I can tell no skills. So she marries the count and all of a sudden in her mind she is a big deal. Too much people...she's too much! But...not half as obnoxious as the other idiot women who try to up-one each other in homes, fashion and everything else. I think the funnest pair are the two who live not in New York city, but Brooklyn and they are true wannabes...they wannabe like the others on the show and feel they are moving along toward that goal, but I have to tell them...you will never make it. These people are so pompous....hired a French nanny so that their 2 boys would be bilingual and learn French because as she says, "It's a disservice to your children if they don't know more than one language" and while that may be true, the boys are not even old enough to go to school. And the thongs these two wear in St. Barts are not to be believed people... And attitude...while all of them have it, you have to see this team shop for clothes. He sits while she goes in, puts the dress on and then comes out and models, I don't mean show, I mean models the clothes for him like she's on a catwalk. First of all, who the hell has this kind of time? And they discuss each outfit as if it were the plot of a murder mystery. Anyway, if you haven't caught this waste of an hour, you just have to. It's just too much fun to make fun of. That's another thing. My mother always said, "don't air your dirty laundry in public" and these people air everything. They have no pride, and no shame...they depend on people servicing them and enjoy giving their workers as much shit as they can pile on them. The countess puts the luggage out in the hallway, but it's up to the poor housekeeper who is 10 times smaller than the "Countess" to haul everything down the stairs and to the car. Anyway, please watch this and we'll discuss after the next episode where the St. Barts couple make a monumental faux pas with the jet set they so shamelessly think they are part of. Oh, what fun this is. Other than that, my life is about stitching, working and yesterday watching out for C.J. I knew I would have to check his homework which sent chills up and down my spine because I've forgotten more geometry, etc than I remember. But luckily when he handed it to me it was easy stuff...Thank God. I got through the homework maze easily and then it was waiting for Mary and Brian to get home. C.J. is no problem but like all kids he channel surfs continually. I don't like commercials anymore than anyone else, but honestly C.J. was on his phone the entire time flipping channels every 3 seconds...I'm telling you I was getting seasick. Finally after about 1 hr of me wanting to hit him over the head with the clicker, he handed it to me and went into his room to finish his conversation. A conversation where apparently you didn't have to speak. After holding the phone to his ear for 15 minutes with no conversation I asked, "Is someone on the other end talking?" And of course there was someone on the other end, but apparently they were just channel surfing together. Ah, yes, youth...don't want to go there again. Anyway, around 9:15 p.m. Mary and Brian finally arrived home from the 11:30 a.m. funeral. I was never so glad to see anyone in my life....now I could stitch again. So I pull out the ABC Sampler and I'm looking at it feeling spectacular to be almost done when I notice something. I think I spoke about tearing out a section and re-doing it the other night...I shouldn't have bothered, since now I have 2 other sections...but we're talking 1 thread here, so I've made the decision to ignore it and just move on. So I started the STU and hope to have it finished next week, because I have something else I need to finish before next week, but couldn't start it because I didn't have all the floss at home. I can't believe I don't have every color at home, but apparently I don't. Anyway, have a great day, enjoy this glorious weather (yesterday it was hot, sunny and 64 degrees), and I'll talk to you later. Don't forget Survivor is on tonight (I may not enjoy it as much now, but I'll still watch it.)

I'm a human alarm clock....

Or so I thought. Mary (my youngest) and her husband Brian had to go to Baltimore for a funeral and Mary asked if C.J. (her 14 year old stepson) could stay with me as he'd rather not go to the funeral. Of course I said yes....and I went and purchased the appropriate snack food (cheesecake, coffee cake, cookies, soda) and when she asked if I had an alarm clock I proudly said, "I don't need an alarm clock...I'm a human alarm clock Mary and I'm always up before 6:00 a.m. I'll get C.J. up don't worry about it. Fortunately, they didn't buy that line and brought an alarm clock with them when they came down. So you can imagine my shock, dismay and embarrassment when I was awakened this morning at 7:10 by a pounding on my front door...C.J. returning from the bus stop having missed the bus. Poor soul didn't even have breakfast...crap! Anyway, I said, "did you eat" and he said, No so I said, "O.K., get your oatmeal ready and you can eat it in the car on the way to school. We've got plenty of time to get you there so don't worry.." and off we went in the car. I did get him there in plenty of time and knew I had to let Mary know I screwed up. Then I get in the office and get a call from Sara asking, "Did you know Roy is in the hospital where he has been since yesterday? Ms. Pat called and told Mary yesterday." Which I didn't know since no one bothered to tell me! Roy and Pat were tenants of the hotel for years and years and years. They came down and stayed here for a month every summer. Then their daughter went to college at Salisbury University and they decided to sell their home in Baltimore and moved down here to be close to her. While Roy was a guest here he would go out each morning and clean up the property (which we didn't realize for the longest time..I'm talking years...my parents thought I was doing it and I thought my mother was doing it until Roy came and asked me for a shovel and when I asked what he needed it for he told me he used it while he was cleaning up the grounds...and when I asked what grounds and he told me I was truly embarrassed since he had been doing for a few years at that point.) Anyway
when he said they purchased a home in Mystic Harbor which is on the other side of the bridge I figured we'd see him no more. But he has come in here to work every single day of the year without fail winter and summer and....he does it for no pay. Yes, that's what I said, he does it for no pay! He refuses payment....every year. And he's a great worker and can do just about anything. I don't know what we'll do if anything happens to Roy, because I really depend upon him at this point. So for me not to know he's been taken to the hospital is a big deal to me. I noticed his car wasn't here yesterday and again this morning but I thought he was working on new doors at his house (yes he takes work home...the man's a gem)...anyway, I'm a little distraught at this point. I called Mary and questioned why didn't let me know this information and she tried throwing Sara under the bus...and of course Sara is throwing Mary under the bus, but I think it's Vernon that I'm throwing under the bus because Mary yelled out to him (with Mary sitting in the next room) to let him know Roy was in the hospital and she assumed (uh, oh) Sara heard it. Vernon though, didn't even think to say anything to Sara. So we're saying it's Vernon's fault. Enough said! Vernon's fault it is!

Please hold...your call is very important to us....

I hate that sentence because it means one thing...I'm on hold and they don't give a damn how long it takes. I had a slight problem with Verizon (apparently you have to pay your phone bills now and I was a bit overdue...oops...I have my priorities and Verizon certainly isn't one of them...although their call would be very important to me.) Anyway, I think they've disconnected which means I have to go through this whole thing all over again...Crap! I'm telling you now, today is certainly not a customer service day anywhere. While in Nashville, we picked up product in one showroom where the items are tiny and you fill a basket, drop it off on Saturday and go back Sunday and pick your stuff up and pay for it. It's a great system, so we did that, went back Sunday, paid for it and left. When I was pricing the stuff in Nashville I knew there was stuff in the bag which didn't look paid for (it wasn't on the bill)...but I thought perhaps Sara had gone back on her own and the show was over so what was I to do. I waited until we got home, unpacked all of Nashville (I forgot about the bag and until we unearthed it again)...and asked Sara is she had gone back and written a 2nd check...which she did not. So yesterday I e-mailed the company and explained that we had not been charged for several items...and then I listed the amounts of each item and the item #. I ended with, just send me a bill and I'll take care of it. (Hopefully they haven't been in touch with Verizon). Anyway, today I get a call and they say, "We got your e-mail, and we have no record of this. " DUH, sort of why I e-mailed you! I said in my nice voice, "Yes, that's why I contacted you...so I could pay you for the items that we received that were not paid for." She repeated, "We don't show that." HELLO!!! Am I speaking with a machine or a person here? So then I said, "Well, things were very hectic in your showroom, there were 3 of us at one time pulling things, and clearly what happened is you didn't look at the 2nd side of the tally sheet. You only billed us for the items on the first side." To which she said, "You have a tally sheet." I answered, "Yes, unless I threw it away..but I probably still have it by the looks of my desk." Actually to my credit it was filed in the proper place stapled to the invoice...yes, I'm trying to get organized. So she says, "I will need the tally sheet, please fax it to us." You know, there was never a oh, how nice that you would be so honest and not keep our merchandise without paying for it, because you know...no one would have known. I could have kept these items and just figured it was a win win for me...free goods to sell, but being a Christian and knowing I've been given several breaks from God, and knowing it won't be long before I'll be seeing him I figure at this time of my life I need all the brownie points I can get. But I have to say, they have made it more of a pain in my ass than I had anticipated. I'm not sure why, when they had nothing, they weren't thrilled to have someone say, I owe you money, and just tell me how much. Anyway, I've sent the tally sheet along with a memo asking them what the heck the problem is. All I'm trying to do is give them money....hello!!!! Now, back to Verizon...first I talked to the machine who apparently hung up on me...and then I called back and refused to speak with the machine so they had to put a rep on. Now might I add, she was pleasant and took the information I gave her...I actually paid on line (love on line pay) and she couldn't have been nicer...she enjoyed getting my money...I need her to call the other company and tell them how they should act. I'm sure the other company is now wondering how many other people went out without paying fully....perhaps there is a glitch in their Nashville system. Although we do this everyyear and this is the first time we've walked away with so much as one thing they didn't charge us for. Nashville...just keeps coming back to haunt me. Merchandise is still dribbling in....it's like Christmas all over again. I love getting boxes. Stitched like a demon last night and got to the last part of the section and was one row off because I forgot to move everything down a row to compensate for an earlier mistake...crap! crap! crap! So tonight I'll be redoing a few things, no big deal though because I will get this block done tonight. And then it's on to STU and then once that's done I have to wait for the rest of the alphabet to be designed and shipped. So I'll no doubt be moving on the finished the Mermaids piece...and then...oh, my God...I get to start a new project, my heart is beating a mile a minute at the prospect. I know we're all experiencing the warm weather today..it's it beautiful...sunny, still cooler here than where you are, but lovely none the less. I feel spring is right around the corner...clocks spring forward this week...you just know I'm going to forget and miss church...a couple of years ago that happened, almost. I got to church thinking it was 7:50 a.m., thought there were a lot of cars, but still I wasn't thinking anything was amiss, then as I'm going through Dewees Hall and people were in the Kitchen I thought, how unusual, everyone got up early today...and then when I got upstairs, just outside the santuary I heard voices and though, uh-oh...something is not right...so I peek inside, see that the Bishop (who was visiting for the day) was giving his sermon. I thought...I'll just go in quietly, sit in the back pew, and no one will be the wiser. I sit alright, however, the Bishop stopped the sermon and says, "Well, welcome to church, we assume you overslept." I was like a deer in headlights. He then came down the aisle, shook my hand, with our minister at his heels smiling and doing the same thing...so much for my sneaking in. What made matters worse.....I had just been elected to the Diocesan Finance Committee, however, the Bishop had not met me up to this point. I figured I was still in the clear on that because he wouldn't remember by the time we had a meeting several months later. Unfortunately, I snuck out after the service and while at the Bishop's reception after the service Bishop Shand asked Father David to introduce him to Sally Rutka, the new appointee....yea I heard about this for months. Father David said, "you already met her, she was the one sneaking into the service late." What's amazing about this is I came from the era where you arrived early, never on time, slidding in as the clock struck the hour, I have always been anywhere I had to be 1/2 - 1 hr. early. You never know when you will have to call a tow truck, fix a flat tire (does anyone actually do that anymore, etc.) so I've always started out early. For the Diocesan meetings which are 1 1/2 hr. away, I usually arrive 1 hr early. They make fun of me because I'm so early, but I prefer to be prepared. So to forget the time change, especially with the Bishop there...well, it still haunts me (obviously). On the other hand, I can use it as a excuse to skip church (do you suppose God would know?) I'm sure my conscious will get the better of me and I'll be sitting there in my usual spot. It's it strange...an hour of stitching is over before I know it, but an hour of church feels like a long hour. What's that about? Have a great evening stitching...talk to you tomorrow..maybe.

My security system

I have the disorder where you feel you haven't locked the door so you have to keep checking it...or at least I thought I did. There are some days where I will check the front door to the shops 2-3 times and each time I walk away but by the time I get to the back door I can't remember and have to go back again. When it happens too many times in one day I keep saying out loud, "you've locked the door, you've locked the door" until I get outside. Usually once I leave the building even if I can't remember I just go on home and pray for the best. However, while I seem to be able to function at the hotel, all security goes to hell in a basket once I get home. I don't know if it's because I'm so happy to be there or what my problem is. However there have been too many mornings where I can't find my house keys only to open the front door and there they are along with my car keys still hanging in the door. Security...obviously not a huge priority with me at home. I'm not sure if it's that I don't give a damn (so unlike me), too tired to know, to lazy to go look, or too stupid to remember (could be all of the above)...but anyway, if you hear I've been murdered in my sleep you'll know I left the keys in the door again. Last night I continued with the ABC sampler but I should have stopped...I ripped out more than I put in...damn it. I hope to do better tonight. I hope to have the scissor holder done and on line tomorrow...it certainly didn't turn out as well as if Carolyn put it together, but it's together and while it could have been put together better, I love the color and the initials which came out of Eileen Bennett's new monogram book....the initials work up beautifully. Oops, Sara just brought over the mail...got to go. Have a great weekend...hope your weather is as beautiful there as ours is. It's 50 degrees and sunny, although there is a wind which is cooling it down.