What is rare these days?

Let's be honest... we know most people these days are self absorbed and will do little to help other people (unless it is a major catastrophe).  Good service seems to be a thing of the past (unless you are at Chic-fil-a), and greed tends to be the rule.  Almost everyone thinks of ME, ME, ME.  Well, the key words there are "most", "seems", and "almost".

Today I was privileged to meet some body whose motto for life seemed to be "How can I help you?  I am here to serve you."

I don't think I have mentioned this before, and I don't want to dwell on it, but I am a severe asthmatic.  Someone at work was kind enough to come to work with a 103* fever and walking pneumonia.  Of course they shared with me.  Well, this morning my nebulizer stopped working, and with walking pneumonia I really need it.  I called my allergist who had sold me the unit 5 years ago.  They said to call their supplier.  The doctor's sales rep called me within the hour and was at MY OFFICE with a replacement unit by 12:15 PM today.  Now, my office is in a ranch house that has been converted into the corporate offices for the company.  The owner of the company still raises Red Angus on the ranch.  Get the picture?  When I am at work, I am at least 7 miles from civilization!!  At least 20 miles from the sales rep's offices (I have been there to pick up parts before).

I just have to say that there still are people out there who care about others and will go OUT OF THEIR WAY to help.  Who ever raised that young man should be very proud of him.  He is a RARE breed.

I hope you can see the good in someone today and give thanks for them.

Not about tatting, but "My Life."

Projects finally finished

I have been working on a few designs of my own which has been quite challenging.  There has been a lot of picking out, cutting out, UGHs, and total rethinking of what I had done.  One of the designs has not been completed yet, so it will have to wait for another time.  

These went through many versions and mistakes until I finally settled on this version.  I think I will be making quite a few of these as I have a number of friends you are very patriotic.  This pair, the original, belongs to my mother.

I think I posted another version of this with a black bag and a red lower.  The flower is my design using principals from ANKARS tatting.  The leaves are Scheif leaves using the pattern for Gerdes Butterfly posted on Georgia Seitz web pages.  This bag will be going to a dear friend named Cyndi.

Finally, Jane Eboral's Flamingo.  I could not find a verrigated pink and white tatting or crochet thread at the time I tatted the little guy, so I used three strands of DMC floss.  I think it worked out pretty well.  Since then I did find some pink and whit thread at Michael's craft store.  This little guy belongs to another Jane who is also very dear friend.

Well, that is all for now.  

Happy Tatting everyone!!

Life Happens

Life can be very interesting.  About a year ago we were having severe storms coming in from the west.  I heard what sounded like thunder rolling in from the east.  "Sounded like" are key words, it was an earthquake.

Today a tornado touches down very near our house with power outage.  There is an earthquake.  I didn't get much tatting done tonight.

Thrift store find

I found a bag of thread at the local Goodwill.  Several new spools of thread and nearly new crochet thread and a tangled mess of DMC floss (not puctured).  Great for teaching my daughter how to tat. 

WHOOT!  WHOOT!!!  I am very excited tonight. 

This is a "My Tatting Life" post. 

For the first time in five years I have found a scented lotion that I can use.  In 2008 I developed severe asthma.  I have serious  asthma attacks when exposed to odors (even food), so maybe you can imagine my EXCITEMENT!!

Hempz Fresh Guava and Lemograss Aroma Therapy Lotion.  Hempz is test marketing a line of aroma therapy products.  Other fragrances being tested include Bergamot Lavender and Mandarin Orange & Sandlewood which I have not tried yet.  Check to see if a salon near you is included in the test market.  I know OK, USA is!  Woo Hoo!!!  I guess you should know that my husband is a salon product sales representative so we get LOTS of samples. 

Along those same lines, I have not polished my finger nails in several years either.  It takes about three days for me to stop smelling them.  YUCK!!  Then they start chipping.  Why bother with polish.  By the time I can enjoy them they start getting chipped.  He just brought home a starter set for gel nail polish.  My daughter used it today, and I can't smell them at all.  I can't wait to give myself a manicure!! 

It has been awhile.  I still LOVE the Hemps Guava and Lemongrass.  The other fragrances did not  stay in the house.  DH was so thoughtful and got several bottles while he could. 

The nail polish is a "no go" however.  Oh, it does not smell, and it wears beautifully.  However, it requires an adhesive, and I am allergic to adhesives.  Have your nails ever hurt?  Mine did! 

"My Tatting Life"

ANKARS Lesson 1 - Finally

Well, I finally finished the tatting for ANKARS Lesson 1.  I found working with the metallic thread and size 20 cotton to be very challenging, at least until I decided to use two shuttles! I is that cheating.  A double bobbin shuttle would work better, but I taped Clover shuttles together with a loop of packing tape.  Two metal shuttles held together with a strong flat magnet would work well also.  Now for pictures
I still have to finish the piece obviously.  I am thinking sapphire blue or emerald green beads, but I am not sure I have sizes that would work.  I do have several shades of turquoise with the right sizes of beads. 
I really like the affect of the very tight tatting, and the metallic thread is effective in this piece.   While I will use the tight tatting a lot, the metakic thread will be saved for special pieces. In this piece, the very large rings combined with the the very tight tatting were qutie bothersome.
You cannot really see the magnet holding the metal shuttles together, so I set another one besides them.  I cut the magnets out of a worn out purse I was throwing away several months ago.  They are much stronger that you might think.
I will add finished pictures when I can get to that.
I would really appreciate prayers right now.  I am not normally up at 2:00 AM tatting and posting blogs.  I am a severe asthmatic with a bad cedar pollen allergy.  Cedar pollen (alone) has had the tree pollen count up in the allergy alert category here in the last few weeks. I work in a ranch house that has been converted into offices (working cattle ranch) in the country with literally millions of cedar trees in the area, so the pollen count is much higher there than the count reports which are taken downtown about 20 miles away.  Consequently, my asthma is really acting up.  I also have a serious sinus infection which is affecting my vision.  Thanks

First design

This is my first real attempt at designing.  It took several days with a lot of picking out of stitches and throwing out of big mistakes.  It is to embelish a gift for a friend. She collects teapots and has teas for her church ladies regularly.  She is very "crafty".  The backs of her cross stitch work is as pretty as the fronts.  So it has to be just right.

TIAS

Days 1 and 2