Author Archives: Holly

About Holly

fiber person - knitter, spinner, weaver who spent 33 years being a military officer to fund the above. And home. And family. Sewing and quilting projects are also in the stash. After living again in Heidelberg after retiring (finally) from the U.S. Army May 2011, we moved to the US ~ Dec 2015. Something about being over 65 and access to health care. It also might have had to do with finding a buyer for our house. Allegedly this will provide me a home base in the same country as our four adult children, all of whom I adore, so that I can drive them totally insane. Considerations of time to knit down the stash…(right, and if you believe that…) and spin and .... There is now actually enough time to do a bit of consulting, editing. Even more amazing - we have only one household again. As long as everyone understands that I still, 40 years into our marriage, don't do kitchens or bathrooms. For that matter, not being a golden retriever, I don't do slippers or newspapers either. I don’t miss either the military or full-time clinical practice. Limiting my public health/travel med/consulting and lecturing to “when I feel like it” has let me happily spend my pension cruising, stash enhancing (oops), arguing with the DH about where we are going to travel next and book buying. Life is good!

Down to six

I counted on my WIP shelf. I am down to six projects carefully stored in their project bags with origin dates from 2019-2022.  Looking at them, I don’t think I really have anything left over from last year. Strange that … Continue reading

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Turkeys!

And…. they are back! It has been more than a few months since I have spotted any of the stupid birds around the intersection of San Pablo & Marin in Albany. But there they were, on a Saturday morning hanging … Continue reading

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The 2022 Hanukkah SAL

Which I mostly stitched on while cruising or in Australia during the last quarter of 2022. And then I either forgot about it, couldn’t find it, or just plain ignored it for all of 2023. When I first pulled it … Continue reading

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Napping

Today was a day of little to no energy. I can blame the extensive day yesterday. Or being back on medication. Or just being tired. I think Miriam’s cat demonstrates it the best. So, rather than celebrate PI Day, I … Continue reading

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Round 2

of six scheduled.  I keep thinking – escape in August.  Meanwhile, it is once to twice a month across the bay, the Bay Bridge, and SF traffic to spend most of the day literally hanging out in the Infusion Center. … Continue reading

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my grey shadow

It has been a long time since I lived with a cat. Decades in fact. I am not counting  temporary cat sitting, especially of one that spent all its time living in the linen closet. This time it is different. … Continue reading

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Did you spring

forward? This question obviously applies only to those living in 48?/50 US states. I know that Arizona decided a number of years ago that Daylight savings time was stupid and doesn’t play.  Smart state. They don’t have some of the … Continue reading

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and Libra is 23

Never mind that dyslexia struck sometime back in 2022. I decided that I am not frogging about 120 blended stitches and redoing them.  Additionally, I had assumed that a bit of backstitching & 250 beads was all that was needed. … Continue reading

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And 22

Of this one – there is really no excuse. It should have been finished years ago. The Tired Trio by Plum Street Samplers. Stitched on some nondescript 14CT Aida with the called for specialty floss. Start date? I think March … Continue reading

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Finish 21

So far this year..  Wonders of the Solar System. The 2021 mystery stitch-a-long from ClimbingGoat Designs. Stitched with DMC on 16 ct Navy Blue Aida. I had finished the comet and went on to those two bits of “rock stuff” … Continue reading

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and now found

As should be obvious, as soon as I didn’t need my mail-in ballot anymore George pointed to it sitting on my sewing table partly buried. It should have been obvious. But then, we often don’t see things directly in front … Continue reading

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Go vote

If you are a US person, and live in one of the states which are holding primary elections today – please go and vote. Or mail in your ballot, which ever applies. California is an automatic mail ballot state. This … Continue reading

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and on to Earth

This is the last planet that I need to stitch. Beyond that – there is a comet and a number of floating chunks of this and that. It should be complete by the end of the week. Then I need … Continue reading

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Saturn

is now stitched and I am one more planet close to a finish on this SAL which has been hanging out way too long. Perhaps it is because I didn’t touch it last year at all? Anyway – In family … Continue reading

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Aries Completed

Done, done, done and I still have both hair and some sanity – in spite of 437 beads today. Which took a lot more hours that I would have thought. I wound up having to make a trip to the … Continue reading

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Starting March

It is a new month, and I am trying to resist starting anything new until I am reasonably caught up on old projects. But there are three potential projects that are calling my name. Anyway – I finished the backs … Continue reading

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summing February

I could make all the bad jokes about leaping years, months, and extra days. But since poor February is still short a day or so, I am not going to indulge. Rather, I am just going to summarize what I … Continue reading

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Early morning

and apparently the metering lights now go on before 0600 on the Bay Bridge. Which means that the backup starts even earlier. At least I had my latte from Peet’s while crawling along with the traffic. Once I had cleared … Continue reading

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Also too many beads

This is Aires – whom I stitched back in early spring of 2022. On the same  32ct Vintage Country Mocha linen as almost all of the rest of the series. She will be number 8 of the completion stack of … Continue reading

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She is finished

The last 169 beads – Pisces – by Nora Corbett on 32 Vintage Country Mocha linen. less than 5k stitches but it seemed like all the beads. Started about Feb 2022, finished 25 Feb 2024. Which is actually during Pisces.. … Continue reading

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