PhotoHunt - Magical

This week's PhotoHunt theme is "Magical"

This was the magical sunset I got to witness as we arrived in the Dominican Republic in February of this year.

PhotoHunt - Scoop

This week's PhotoHunt theme is "Scoop"

I took this picture in February of this year at a sugar refinery in Consuelo, Dominican Republic.  This big piece of machinery scoops up the raw sugar cane and dumps it into the opening in the ground which moves the cane into the refinery to be turned into sugar.

May WIPocalypse

This last Saturday was the full moon, a super moon!  Holy cow was it birght!  I spent some time stitching with Tracey in the evening and as I drove home the moon was so bright I almost wanted to pull my sun visor down on my car!

I was just plain lazy on Sunday, taught Taekwon-Do Monday night and had my big award Tuesday night!  Its been busy.  But I've finally had the time to sit down and share my report with you.

In the last month I've not stitched as much as I liked and usually do, its been a combination of busy/lazy and tired!  Here are my WIPs to date:

 The Accolade

 Seasonal Mandalas - Spring

Snow White (crappy picture, whites blown out)

Since last month I've alos managed to finish :

 Beading and dreamcatcher on Earthdancer

Seasonal Mandalas - Winter

A Special Evening

Notre Dame Basilica - Ottawa where Education Week Mass was held

Last night myself and 26 others were recognized at an award ceremony following mass to celebrate Catholic Education Week within the board I work for.  I was nominated by my peers at work, who wrote such glowing (embarrassing) letters talking about how I do my job, my work with the Dominican Experience trip that we put together for students each year.  Their letters were enough to sway a committee to select me for a prestigious award that is given to one support staff member each year.

 Official Photograph - Receiving my Award from the Director of Education

Its hard to read about yourself, to read how others see you... because you never see yourself in that light.  I just like to do my job, and do it well... and of course with a smile!  I've never done anything in the hopes of an award.

Myself and the DOE award winners with he Director of Education

It was a special night, some of my friends and co-workers joined us for dinner before coming to mass and the award ceremony.  They helped make it a great night!

 Todd and I at dinner

My friends Tracey (left) and Marline (right) ... Marline's brother George in center (first time I met him)

May Stitching Goals and Helping Out

Its taken me a few days to get around to doing this... well a week actually.  Its the start of a new month so its time to talk about what I hoped to accomplish and what I actually accomplished in the last stitching month.

April Stitching Goal Review

Stitch one ornament - Yes
Work on The Accolade - Yes
Finish Winter Mandala - Yes


May Stitching Goals

Stitch one ornament
Finish Outlining on Spring Mandala
Finish Page 2 on The Accolade

Earthdancer when I received her

I think it was about 2 years ago Christin and I started talking about the retirement of one of her co-workers, who is a former co-work of mine.  She is such a great person that we BOTH wanted to do something for her.  Finally Christin came up with the idea to stitch up Butternut Road's Earthdancer.  I immediately offered if she would do all the cross stitch that I would do the beading and the ultra suede fringe and dream catcher.  Oh I cursed and cursed for many hours but she is now done and looks magnificent!  Bonus... there's still some time (months) before the retirement!

 Earthdancer all finished!

I'm a little late with the WIPocalypse update as well that will be coming this week.  I doubt it'll be tomorrow... tomorrow evening I'm receiving a BIG award from my employer that goes to one support staff employee each year.  Hopefully someone will take some pictures for me, the awards are being given after mass at the Notre Dame Basilica downtown.

PhotoHunt : Zap

This week's PhtoHunt theme is "Zap"

This was a tough theme to find the right picture for, I was also willing to only spend so much time going through my photos.  This was the best I could come up with, these are old insulators.  They were put on the cross bars of the power line poles where the power lines touch the cross bar.  I imagine if you touched those power lines you'd get zapped!

Red Hot Chili Peppers!

I think I've loved the Red Hot Chili Peppers since around grade 9... oh that was a LONG time ago!  Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik hit the charts and I was hooked!  The Peppers were in town last night, and there was no doubt that I was going to be there!  Actually this is the third time I've seen the Peppers, but the last two times they were here I sat up in the 300's way up high!  When I heard they were coming back again, I said to Christin and Tracey that we were going and this time... we were sitting in the 100's no more nosebleeds for this girl!!!!

It was an awesome concert!!!  I had a great time I sang along and danced to every song except maybe two.  They played a lot of the hits, and they played quite a few of the not so well known songs that I love!  Oh and of course they played "my song" ... "Dani California" ... well I'm not for California but how many songs have the name Dani in it????

Here are some of my favourite shots from the night... I keep thinking if I had my good camera and I was much closer imagine the shots I could get?  These were from way back with my point and shoot digital camera with 14x optical zoom.

What I would give to be given the chance to be up front inside of the security barriers with my D-SLR!!!