More stash arrived... (sorry it's so long)

Warning - health topic for a couple of paragraphs, you might want to skip over it ... Stash enhancement follows a few paragraphs down - just look for the photo :)

Thanks everyone for your kind comments you've left - as the doctor said the other day, I think there are a combination of forces at work with my headaches ... I haven't been eating, but been drinking more than normal (which is a good thing), and I've been very sinusey - added to the fact I've been spending way too much time on the computer of late ('cos I've been too tired etc to stitch), and the fact I wake up every morning feeling like I haven't slept ... so, plenty of things to try and hit on the head!

I've just found my 'old' reading glasses for close work - I've never ever used them, and had them sitting around for about 4-5 years unused ... I got them at the time 'cos they were covered by my health insurance that I was soon going to cancel - the optometrist said I could use them straightaway if I feel my eyes are straining at any time, but I could just as easily do without them and put off having to wear them all the time ... I'm starting to wonder if this is part of my problem - maybe I'm getting eye strain? So, I'll drag them out of the case and try them for stitching next time I work on my 'gift' piece to see if it helps ... I tried using them when I first got them and it made things worse, but that was 4-5 years ago ...

I'm also going to go out and buy new pillows, as my current ones are uncomfy - which is probably aggravating the stress in my shoulders/neck ... and I'm also going to try and cut down my computer time to help with the same - the problem is I work for 8 hours on a computer, then come home and do the same thing ... would be much better picking up a needle every night instead ;)

I'm also increasing my intake of water - which I detest - I've been drinking more herbal teas of late, and trying to cut down on the coffee a bit ... I figure at least those teas are getting more water into me - OK, that might be pushing it a bit. I'm also going to take a little bottle of Rose's lime juice with me to work, which helps me get the water down ... Last but not least, I'm going to try to get to bed at a reasonable hour - I've been on mainly late shifts at work just lately, which is really affecting me, and it's been hard to stick to a routine ... and this week I'm covering a different roster line for someone on annual leave, which means ... you guessed it ... back on a late shift yet again, the one I hate the most - 6pm to 2am YUK!!! So, even more important than ever to get these health issues under control as I always feel yucky on this shift anyway ... so I'm also dosing myself with multivitamins etc too ...

OK, boring stuff out of the way ... exciting stuff now (to me, anyway) - my parcel arrived from Dragonfly Dreams ... Folding Cross Needlebook chart by Indigo Rose (for a SAL later next year), the 2003 JCS Christmas Ornament magazine, Strawberry Patch needleroll chart by The Sweetheart Tree, a little blackbird button from Just Another Button Company, and 14 little bead flip-top boxes (10 x small, 2 x medium, 2 x large). I was thinking of moving all my Mill Hill and Delica beads into these little tubes, and thought I'd get a few to try them out. In hindsight I think the small ones are a bit too small, but I'll find a use for some other things in them pretty easily - I may have to get some more of the medium and large ones ... next year! I'm about to go officially "On The Wagon" - I have way too much stash as it is ... especially after my other purchases arrive - I'm still waiting for shipments from Stitching Bits & Bobs (that's a pretty serious order!!), The Silver Needle, and Nordic Needle - as well as some fabric from Silkweaver's Spooktacular Sale ... oh cripes, I really have to cut those credit cards up!! I think from now on the only things I'm going to allow myself to buy are fabrics for a specific project, if I can't find anything in my stash that will 'do' - and any threads I've run out of ...

Then Mum gave me some great news on the phone - she'd been ploughing through my piles of stash that's still back at home in NZ (gee, I miss it!!), looking for something I'd asked her to find, and she came across another JCS ornament issue I didn't remember I had - 2000. I've got issues 2001 & 2002 coming as part of my order in the above S.E.X.-fest, which means I've now got 1998-2005 yippee. Considering this year is the first year I've attempted to even start any of these, I really have no excuse not to now - there are oodles to choose from! Seeing as my Xmas tree is only relatively small, I'm thinking of hanging my old toy 'teddy chains' up from the curtain rod, and hanging my ornaments from that (thanks Mum for the great idea!) - yet something else for Mum to pack and bring when she comes over to visit. I was originally going to have a 'metal tree' on my dining table, that has scrolls you hang ornaments on, but they're all too small. I've suggested Mum should just leave some clothes etc here, then she'll have an empty suitcase to come over with, so I can fill it in its entirety next time hahaha.

Rightio, I'm tearing myself away from the computer now to do a bit more housework and get ready for work ... I'm going to try and have an early main meal today before I go - it's so hard trying to eat a 'proper' meal at 10pm when my lunchtime is scheduled for ... instead I'll take a bowl of muesli and yogurt with me to eat then, so that should help keep my energy levels up :) Hope you all have a good night ... thanks again for all your supportive comments - you guys rock!! :)))

Edited...'cos as I was putting things away in the dining area, I came across my shopping bag from yesterday ... I managed to find a budget shop closing down, and it had 30% off everything left in store. Pretty slim pickings, but I managed to buy a photo frame that I thought'd be perfect for my giraffe/zebra little piece - it was only $4 even not on sale, so I figure if it didn't work out, I'd just put another photo in it ... but I think it's going to look pretty good - at least it'll be something else out of the 'to be finished' pile, even if I can't put it on the walls yet. That's one of the reasons I thought of finishing Dena into a cushion - in a rented place, I don't have wall hooks (aside from one in the lounge and one in the bedroom I don't sleep in!), so thought I'd have to be more creative in displaying my stitched pieces. Anyway, just thought I'd share my cheap find ... right, back to cleaning!!! :)