Has it been ...

more than two months since I've posted? How time flies when you are NOT having fun!

The move is, for the most part, completed. What an undertaking. I'm having trouble reorienting myself to a normal life right now. No boxes to pack? No boxes to upack? What????

Almost everything is in it's place and we are functioning quite well given that we only had two weeks to get this thing done. There are a few items we can't find yet but I know from experience that they will turn up eventually, a few weeks or a few years from now ... or not ... but all the little necessities and knicks and knacks are settled. One more trip up to Steamboat in August to have a garage sale and do the final cleaning and then I am ready to leave that part of my life behind and fully concentrate on this part.

And it is sooooo good to have a little free time that isn't taken up by packing or unpacking something.

This weekend I had a few spare hours to get the old Bianchi fired up and ready to go. Two nice sized panniers for the back. Was considering a front basket but someone recommended these and they will be perfect for my errands. They snap on and off the bike rack and open up into nice size shopping bags. Sturdy lock ("I don't think we're in Steamboat any more Oliver" :-) and a pump. I'm ready to roll:

Decided to try to train Mr. Twist (Oliver) to run beside the bike as there is a lovely, large park with a bike path running around a lake just a few blocks from here. A little run every evening could burn up some of that crazy excess energy that seems to pop up around 9 or 10 pm. He took to it like a champ. Beardies are bred for agility and herding and it really came out when I gave him a task to focus on that required quick thinking and concentration. Only six months old and he worked it like a pro! Never once stopped to look up at me (a big problem when you need to keep the momentum going) and never once ran in front of the bike. I was very proud of him ... especially given the lack of attention he shows in all other activities. He is definitely NOT going to be a fetcher :-) But he's going to be a great bike dog.

  

 Oliver before and after bike training :-)

So, we are both adapting to this urban life-style quite well. I spent most of my young adult life in Los Angeles and San Francisco so I'm no stranger to this. Will miss the beauty of the mountains but I know it will lessen with time ... especially when the snow starts to fly. Love the close proximity of EVERYTHING. Can walk or bike to food, shopping and entertainment not to mention the dog groomer and a really, really cool pet store :-) In fact we walked up there today to get some new "chewies". They have the sweetest kitten up for adoption (they are working with a homeless pet shelter so NOT a mill cat) named Bo ... and it was great to see that Oliver likes cats. No prey drive whatsoever ... and Bo ... well I've always wanted a puppy and kitten that could grow up together. Bo is thin, petite and long legged. A real cutie pie. Hmmmmm ... you'll have to wait and see what happens. I don't even know yet :-)

But, I digress. This blog is supposed to be about Needlework, at least some of the time.

Just before the move I received some lovely new charts from Marie Thérèse Saint-Aubin. If you're a fan, check out the designs on our web site.

At the same time I received another package from France with some stitched models. Lovely job Anne-Catherine and Evelyne! I finally got my spare bedroom (also known as the "finishing department") set up yesterday so I can finish what my friends have started. October, November and December calendar covers are being stitched now which should give me enough time to get them finished and out by the end of August. Couldn't resist another little Halloween piece which I managed to stitch when not packing or unpacking boxes. New christmas piece is being worked on in Massachusetts. Thank you Nataly for taking that one on! So, between the four of us, we should have some pretty interesting things to release in August and then again in October.

And many more on the horizon. Going back to the garden, both literally and figuratively, with a new series and working slowly and lovingly on a teaching piece as when the dust settles here, I hope to get out there and meet some of you in person. The Denver Airport is now just a 25 minute drive instead of 3.5 hours (or up to 10 when the pass was snowed under) and I have loving siblings close by to look after Oliver when I leave.

We are busily preparing for the Rocky Mountain Regional Seminar's Merchandise Night on August 5th. Hope to meet and greet many of you there so please stop by and say hello if you're attending!

RMR Seminar 2011, Denver, Colorado

Lots to look forward to.

We are busy. We are content.

Off to the park so Oliver can practice being a bike dog :-)

Then maybe walk to Parisi's for Pizza and gelato????

TTYS,

Cynthia