Tale of a Shooting Star…

Cathy:

1. What makes you laugh?

Terry. 🙂 He can drag a laugh out of me, even when I stubbornly try to resist. He also has one of the best, heartiest laughs that makes you smile just hearing it.

2. What is your favorite song?

I love music across many genres and I could not possibly pick just one. When it comes to classical music, Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings is my favorite piece. I find it to be very moving. My favorite pop group is Coldplay and my favorite pop artist (right now) is KT Tunstall. I like to sing along to KT Tunstall’s songs because they are mostly within my range, though her vocal range goes lower than mine.

3. On average, how much time do you spend stitching each day?

About 2 hours on weeknights, if I’m lucky. I’m throwing out the last couple of weeks because they are a significant outlier that throws off the calculation.

4. What is your favorite sleeping position?

Without a doubt, it is on my right side with my hands tucked up under the pillow and my knees bent. That’s right, the fetal position on my right side. All I’m missing is the thumb sucking. 😉

5. Have you ever been out of the country?

I answered this for Angela, but I’ll put more detail into it this time. Terry has relatives in Saint John, New Brunswick in Canada, so I have been there once and will be there again in July for Terry’s dad’s wedding. In 2000, Terry and I went with his parents on a trip to the United Kingdom. We spent a week in London (during one of their worst heatwaves ever, in a hotel with no air conditioning) and a week traveling through Scotland. I’ve seen Loch Lomond and Loch Ness. I’ve been in Inverness. We visit a textile shop where a master tartan weaver worked, the one who had developed the tartan for the Isle of Skye, I believe. I’ve seen many castles, including the one that housed the French taunters in Monty Python’s Holy Grail movie. I’ve seen brilliant greens like you have never seen before in your life and will probably never see outside of Ireland and Scotland. Since that trip, I’ve been to Scotland for work twice and we’ve been back to London several times; it’s our favorite holiday spot.

Anna: (I just had to laugh at your comment on James Lipton!)

1. What is your favorite word?

Love.

2. What is your least favorite word?

C***. It is the single most harsh and painful word in the English language, at least in my opinion. The mere pronunciation of it cuts like a knife and it should never, ever be used in reference to a woman. NEVER. In fact, I wish the word had never come into existence.

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

I find that I am the most at peace and well balanced late at night or in the early morning hours, when no one else is awake and the house is quiet and still. Late nights have always been my most creative time, ever since I churned out a very long poem at 2 AM one night when I was a teenager. I don’t know why, but my mind tends to churn out things while I’m falling asleep or asleep. To the point where I have to keep a notepad beside my bed because I’ll sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with an idea for a design or a graphic or some other random idea. Spiritually, I am fueled by deep conversations with Terry and with my (step)dad. And emotionally… well, that doesn’t take much. I am a very emotional person.

4. What turns you off?

Stress. It’s a killer for anything creative, spontaneous, spiritual, sexual, etc.

5. What is your favorite curse word?

B****. It’s so overused now that it’s kind of a fun word. So and so is in full b**** mode today. That project was a total b****. Very versatile. 😆 F*** is a really good one, too. I use it very sparingly and usually when I really want to grab someone’s attention, but it sometimes slips out more when I’m stressed out and talking privately to Terry. If I use it in public, though, you know something is up.

Isabelle:

1. What are your religious beliefs?

Ahhh, what a question! People feel so strongly about religious beliefs and I’m not mainstream, so I hope that the answer to this question won’t cause people to think of me any differently or not to like me anymore. 🙁 My parents were both raised strict Roman Catholic and followed this religion through their marriage and then some. My brother was baptized but never confirmed. By the time I was born, my parents had separated from the Catholic church. My mother didn’t like the answers she received from priests when she asked about birth control and some other topics. As a result, I was raised outside of any organized religion. When I was a child, I was taught how to meditate as part of the Transcendental Meditation movement. My entire life, I have looked into different religions including Christianity, Hinduism and Buddism. I have taken learnings from each of them that resonate with me at my core and incorporated them into my spirituality. I consider myself to actually be very spiritual, just not in the traditional sense. I spend time contemplating deep issues, like life outside of this one. I tend to take a scientific approach to my spirituality, as well. I chalk that up to being such a technical person and find that other techies take a similar approach to their beliefs, as well.

2. What inspired them?

I think I answered part of this question above, but part of my beliefs have been inspired by my mother’s continuing quest to expand and grow her spiritual beliefs. This quest has spanned several decades and many different areas, which has helped me to widen my areas of thought.

Jacqui:

1. Who is your favourite cross stitch designer?

At this point, I would have to say Sandie Vanosdall of The Sweetheart Tree. I love her designs, plus I have met her in person and spoken with her over the phone. She’s a very lovely person.

2. Can you play a musical instrument?

Absolutely! My mother was a professional flutist, so naturally I followed in her footsteps. I play flute and piccolo. I am lamely trying to teach myself piano, but there’s a world of difference between the flute and piano…

3. Do you drive and if so, what make of car?

Believe it or not, I can and do drive every once in a while. I even go out by myself sometimes! 😆 Terry has a control issue about driving and safety, so he usually drives if we’re together. I am the proud owner of a 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid in silver. I like not having to spend quite so much on gas.

4. What is your favourite season of the year?

Autumn. It cold be because I was born in that season, but mostly it’s because there’s a slight chill in the air, so I am more comfortable (I overheat easily). Also, I love the colors of the leaves once they’ve turned and the crisp, clean smell in the air. There are more reasons, too, but I don’t want to get boring. 😉

5. Do you own any pets?

Ah yes, our beloved furbaby, Phoebe. She’s an 8-year old orange and cream colored Pomeranian who is the love of our lives. She has an entire set of albums dedicated to her in my gallery.

Coral:

1. Are you intending giving up work when the ONS takes off?

If, after a couple of years, the ONS is doing well enough, I would consider giving up my day job. I am convinced that Cathy and I will be able to open a brick and mortar shop someday. In the meantime, if I start getting swamped with orders, I would consider going part-time. Fact is, though, I really like the money I’m making right now.

2. Do you believe most of your health problems are due to work pressure?

I believe that most of my problems are due to my anxiety. That can be aggravated by any number of circumstances, not the least of which is work. It is no secret that I am not exactly where I want to be. I would like to be excited about going to work every day and to be doing work that I absolutely love with limited stressors, but I don’t know that such a beast exists. If it does, it remains an elusive and as-yet undefined species. 🙂

3. Do you and Terry intend having any children?

Hah-hah. The inevitable question to which we have an answer, but not an easy one. Nor is it a decision that we have made lightly. We have conversations about this fairly often (especially after visiting with other couples who have children), but always reach the same conclusion. The answer to that question is no, we do not intend to have any children. That answer could change someday, but every time we weigh all of the factors, it comes out the same. This tends to be a very loaded question, but the plain and simple truth is that we have chosen not to have any children.

4. How are your relationships with your parents currently (all of them)?

Fortunately, I can answer this question very positively right now. I feel very comfortable in my relationships with all three of my dads (father, step-father and father-in-law) and with my new mother-in-law-to-be and my step-mother. I still struggle in my relationship with my mother, mostly because she wants to go back to the very close bond that we had years ago but I have bonded strongly with my mate. That relationship eclipses all others. 🙂

5. How does Terry feel about your stitching?

Terry is supportive of my hobbies, unless they cause me stress. When I have been overcommitted in the past, it is no longer fun for me, nor is it an outlet for stress. When it reaches that point, he always tries to talk some sense into me, although he rarely succeeds. I have an incredibly stubborn streak, especially when it comes to commitments that I have made; just ask Cathy (re: finishing her round robin)! He tends not to buy me much stash, though, saying that I buy enough for myself. 😉

Karen (in Canada):

1. Which do you prefer? Tea or coffee?

Tea, most definitely. Coffee smells good, but tastes bad to me (don’t faint, Christine!).

2. Where would you most like to live?

Actually, I am happy where I am. Except for the past year or two, the temperatures are within a good range for me, we see all four seasons and we’re somewhat close to a good number of family members. If global warming keeps going at this rate, though, we might have to move a little further north. I do wish that our house was a little more isolated. I like my peace and quiet and wouldn’t mind having more than our measly 1+ acre to insulate us from neighbors.

3. Who taught you to cross stitch?

My mother.

4. Which do you prefer? Cats or dogs?

Dogs, because I’m not nearly as allergic to them. But I had cats all through my childhood and love them immensely, as long as they are friendly (not like Terry’s Dad’s cats who will scratch your eyes out).

5. On a scale of 1 to 10, how organized are you?

Hmmmm… I personally think that I’m pretty organized, so I would put myself at an 8 or 9. You wouldn’t tell from looking at my cluttered house, though.

Outi:

1. How many languages you speak fluently?

Unfortunately, just English. Even after 8 years of French classes, I would never have claimed to be fluent.

2. What you wanted, as a kid, to be when you grow up?

Have I ever mentioned that I don’t have a lot of distinct memories from my childhood? This would fall under that category, but I do remember that I REALLY wanted to be a prima ballerina for quite some time, until I grew too tall. Other desired professions included being a writer and a professional flutist, both of which were based on my mother. Funny how I never really wanted to become a police officer like my father…

3. Your first kiss? When and with whom?

I really had to think about this and I’m still not sure, but I think it was the senior that I dated when I was a sophomore in high school. Or it could have been my good friend’s brother, over whom two of us fought. 😆 The only thing I really remember was being mauled by a kid who lived a few houses away and was in my kindergarten class. He slobbered all over my cheek and it was kinda gross. 😉

4. Is there any finishing method you dislike?

I am good with anything that I can hand-sew, which is probably why I like biscornus so much. Anything method that requires a sewing machine, though, drives me nuts because I am not very adept with my sewing machine and end up making it do all sorts of terrible things that it shouldn’t normally do. Sewing a straight line is a definite challenge for me. I do muddle through, though.

5. How old you were when you began to stitch?

I’m not sure of the actual date, but it was somewhere between 11 and 12. I lean towards 11.

I’ll take these on a couple at a time. Gives me more blog fodder that way. 🙂

Angela:

1. How old are you?

31

2. Do you prefer cross stitch or beading?

Ouch, do I have to choose? I started working with beads shortly after I learned to cross stitch, so beading is a close second. Beading is faster and the sparklies sometimes make it much more rewarding for the amount of work put in. But cross stitch is my original and still favorite.

3. What is one craft you’ve been dying to try and haven’t done yet?

I have to admit that I pretty much try my hand at everything I desire, but there is one thing I haven’t done yet. Quilling. I really will try this someday. I look at the supplies longingly anytime I’m in a craft store, so I should just break down and try it. My brother did quilling for a while when I was a girl. I just couldn’t figure out what practical use it would have nowadays, but I see that people are using quilled shapes on cards, so perhaps that is the answer.
Now look what you’ve done! 😆

4. Have you ever been out of the country?

Yes. Canada and the United Kingdom are other countries that I have frequented. I love London; it is one of my favorites spots to visit to hang out and relax. We also visited various counties in Scotland with Terry’s parents several years ago.

5. What’s your favorite book?

Just one? My favorite series is called The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. While I hope that he wraps it up soon, there are a dozen books so far in the series at 650+ pages a piece. They are hefty books hardbound, but I enjoy reading them.

Melanie:

1. Have you ever eaten Vegemite?

No, I haven’t, but I will try it someday.

2. What’s your guilty pleasure?

I had to think about this one pretty hard because I try not to feel guilt over anything. I think I’ll have to say that my crafting supplies are my guilty pleasure, though. When I decided to get into a craft, I immerse myself in supplies that then tend to sit around gathering dust years later.

3. Where in the universe would you most like to visit in your lifetime?

The universe is far too vast to narrow down for that question, so I’ll stipulate only to where on the planet I would most like to visit. There are several such places on this Earth. First up is Paris, which we are planning to visit for our 10th anniversary. Next is a 4 to 6 week tour that will hit Hawaii (just for a stop over; I can’t stand the thought of being in an airplane that long), Australia and New Zealand. This is our plan for our 15th anniversary. After that comes China and Japan. Sound like a plan?

4. What’s the most embarrassing album in your music collection?

Oh my. Which one to choose… Keep in mind that I still have a bunch of old cassette tapes from the 80’s. 😆 I guess it would be the N.W.A. album that I bought as a teenager. Yes, you read that correctly. Skinny little white girl with a hard-core, explicit rap album. What can I say? My tastes wander all over the map!

5. What’s the name of your soon-to-be-ONS?

Oh, now I can’t reveal that yet. Let me just say that I chose a business name and corresponding domain name over a year ago when I started to get more serious about eventually becoming a designer. The initials of that business name are OSL. The name of the ONS will be [OSL] Needlework Supplies. That’s as much of a hint as you’re going to get until March 1st. 😛

Ack! I’ve been officially and specifically tagged for this one by Laura. And I was hoping to just ignore this one, too…

Here are the rules:

1. Get tagged
2. List five things that have not been revealed on your blog
3. Tag five other people

I blab about myself a lot, so I’m not sure what I’ve talked about before and what I haven’t, so I’ll do a childhood edition for this meme.

1. My mother couldn’t stand handle me when I was a little girl because I was hyperactive, very bright and easily bored.
2. I would stand in my crib in the middle of the night and sing at the top of my lungs, keeping my parents awake. Now, how do you handle that? Yell at your infant because they are singing? 😉
3. I used to dance around the house and sing along to Copa Cabana while doing housework when I was a very little girl.
4. When I was young, I used to strip spinner seeds of their stems when they fell from the birch tree in our backyard and then I would pretend it was a salad (I never ate them, though).
5. I collected marbles of all types and sizes when I was a kid. I had a big Maxwell House coffee tin half full of marbles and they used to make the most wonderful racket when I shook it. Cat’s eye marbles were my favorite.

As for the tagging, this one has been around so much that I won’t bother, but if you haven’t already done this one and you read this, consider yourself tagged. 🙂