OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD?

Rusty O'Toole

Laura J. Perin Designs

18ct. mono canvas in Heritage Sandstone

threads as called for in the chart plus DMC memory wire

Well, here he is. The new man in my life. This one doesn't have a face, so he can't sit on his little perch and make smarmy comments about me and my fumble-bumbling through life. He can't, furthermore, complain about the thermostat set to "meat locker", he doesn't veto my choice of lounge wear, and he certainly can't call his Aunt Chrissy to report on the latest shenanigans involving me and whatever failed craft project is now strew about the studio floor.

In short, he's just perfect for me.

I can't tell you how much fun I had working this piece. I followed all of the instructions (which are fabulous, by the way), but ran into a big fat roadblock when it came time to make mums. Laura's look so...autumnaly festive. That's how I wanted mine to look. But after three days of futzing and frogging, I realized that there was no way I was going to be able to make mine look anything like the ones on the front of the chart. So I punted and used the DMC memory stuff and a few little extra green leaves instead.

At first I thought..."too many leaves", but then I smacked myself in the forehead and said "That's what autumn is all about, Charlie Brown. Too many leaves." So too many leaves it is.

I'm off to do some banking today in the midst of a thunderstorm. Who the heck decided that rain and wind and thunder and lightening was what Hoosierville needed on a Monday morning should be given a stern talking to. Time to go wake up Stewey and let him have the honors.

(Besides, he's better at shaking his little paw at the skies while muttering "Go away, rain!" and I've got the added bonus that he will then pee on the drapes for emphasis.) Damn dog.