Long time has past! Happy Mother's Day!

(Click on pic for a closer look)

It has been a LONG time since last post. That is not out of neglect just life getting in the way. I took the challenge for Internation Tat Day of designing a fish and sorry to say it is still being 'tweeked ' and not ready to share. Jane Eborall has been kind enough to help me with it and as soon as I get the bugs out of it (and Jane says it works) you will see it. Meanwhile you will just have to settle with my attempts at Jane's Butterfly bookmark found at http://www.e.n.e.btinternet.co.uk/ .

The first picture is really the second one I made in 'Tutti Fruity' Lizbeth thread size 20. The second is also a new color which escapes me now, but it is Lizbeth and size 20 and my first attempt. The tail for the second is lock stitch(or a poor attempt at it) and the tail for the first is something that I'm not sure what stitch it turned out to be. The fun of tatting! you can learn and create things all the time!

My little tatting group is going well and it is fun to work with someone who wants to learn. I don't consider myself an expert tatter but I know enough to get someone started on the right path. My three ladies are working on rings, chains, joining and following a pattern. One of my friends is actually working on dimple rings and doing a very good job. Lindsey was taught when she was 6 originally by her GGrand Mother but hadn't touched it for many years. She is really the more advanced and is having a great time. My other two ladies are knitters and crocheters so getting them to get the flip was a challenge. But they are determained!

It is Mother's day and I am enjoying lovely flowers my children sent to me. I am also getting over a very nasty reaction to a bee string I had several days ago. I ended up in the ER on IV for it. And now have to carry an EPI Pen with me along with Benadryl. I have been stung many time from bees(we raise them) this was the first time I ever had that kind of reaction. My GrandMother was allergic to bees so there is a predisposition there. My daughter swells from stings so she should be careful that later in life it could happen to her.

Becki has come and gone and will be home sometime in June to get her car. She resigned from her job as they didn't renew her contract so she is going through the nerve racking process of job hunting. She is hoping to go to Anchorage. Only because there are more job possiblities and it is the largest city in Alaska with a real town and everything! It still sits near the water, but you can get from one place to another by car! Not just by Ferry. Weather is like Northern Illinois so they have snow(still in April) and it gets colder than were she is now, but unlike Illinois there isn't the humidiy and 100+ degree temps in the summer. Actually weather here is more severe than most of Alaska. And I live in Illinois why?lol.

I would like to say that life has been good ,and in many ways it has. But because of how the State is treating schools and not paying them there has been many challenges for schools to make it all work. This effects my job next year in that since I am an 'At Will' employee they can cut our pay(again) and there is really nothing we can do about it. It means that because how pension funds are set up I will be looking for a different kind of job in 4 years so as not to have a dramatic drop in my pension payout. Trouble is I like what I do and being marketable at 60 is really hard. To old to start over, too young to retire. What are you going to do. Well I hope everyone has a great week and enjoy Spring! Just think how it makes you want to get out and tat! Happy tatting to all! :)