HOLEY SCHMOLEY

Wow. I feel like the friggin' Prom Queen today! (Oh, so sorry about the friggin'....Sopranos carry over.) I just cannot believe what a wonderful response I've had to starting this here little act of random creativity.

So many things to answer/talk about, that I feel I must pace myself. Firstly, please forgive/understand if I blunder my way through things for a bit. I am rather computer-challenged, so I might miss a thing or two along the way. I also have no clue about the proper etiquette of it all, so until I find the Rule Book, I'm flying without a clue. But I am determined and not afraid to try, so buckle your seatbelts and grab a cocktail.

My studio is open to one and all. I'm serious. Come for a visit and stay in the guest room and I'll make muffins and damn good coffee. You're welcome any time at all. (Hmmmmm. Wonder if I'll make Oprah. "Girl invites world to home and ends up making muffins for a living.")

Stewey could/should have his very own blog. For a few years, I wrote email stories all about him and sent them to the poor, unsuspecting members of my address book. I do intend to share some of these stories with you too, but I'm hoping I can concentrate on stitchy things here initially. Suffice it to say that if he were a person, he'd be Nathan Lane in "The Birdcage".

Two other things that hit me in the head this morning....guilt and spinsterhood.

As for spinsterhood....I know that some folks are really put off by that word. I personally think it is a fabulous word and am here to re-define it. A Spinster is a woman of "a certain age" who has never been married and doesn't have children. Spinsters are funny and sexy and smart and usually live in happy/cozy homes. Spinsters are great girlfriends, because they'll let you bitch about your husband and kids but won't remind you about it later, and they'll be there for all of the happy occasions in your life. They travel and read and write and usually have pets. Sometimes cats. Sometimes dogs or birds or hamsters. Spinsters know how to fix stuff around the house, or they know how to call somebody who does. They plant flowers and mow the grass and drink martinis and occasionally have great love affairs. They don't envy your life and they would be sad if you envied theirs. They need friendship and looking in on every now and then and watering. Spinsters can be lonely or not, but they don't always come with a rumpled cardigan and sensible shoes. So if you're a gal about town who hasn't had the white dress or a labor and delivery room experience, shout it from the rooftops and get on with it. Life's too short.

Now guilt is another matter entirely. As it relates to stitching, I simply refuse to let it in. I was standing in the grocery store with Chrissy and a woman gave me the hairy eyeball because I was selecting the $11 a pound Starbucks beans. So I looked at Chrissy and said (fist thrust in the air): "I refuse to lay in my coffin and wish I would have stitched less or drank lousy coffee." So there. I start new projects with impunity, I lust over new silks and linens like Carrie Bradshaw over Manolos. I might lose an entire weekend to the studio doing nothing but looking at charts and color. Stitching Blogs are my porn and stitch shops are my Mecca. I save my pennies and savor every new purchase and my Christmas and Birthday lists are full of things stitchy related. It is my sanity, my refuge, and my saving grace. It's lowered my blood pressure, kept me out of jail, and decorated my home with wonderful things of which I am very proud. So go on out and spend that grocery money on good coffee (or tea, if that's your thing) and ENJOY your passion.