Be Merry, 12

I made myself take time out from straightening the shop to stitch several hours on Be Merry.

It's difficult to see without enlarging this photo, but I have been working on the blue background as I go along.  It's funny, but I catch myself looking forward to the "quickie" stitches.  After I have worked on a canvas as long as I have on this one, I have no shame.  Get it over with!

I've also been spending some time picking out gold metallic from a Christmas stocking I got a real deal on in Dallas.  Someone started stitching it and then returned it to the artist.  It was a really good deal because the artist didn't want to pick that stranded gold out!  I was surprised, though; it never occurred to me to return a partially stitched canvas for credit.  As they say, stick around long enough and you will hear everything possible.

I just saw the button for "save" depress on its own.  Why doesn't it do that when I need it to?

I'm putting on my opera critic hat now (and also kicking myself).  I had arranged for someone to come today at noon to put the pillows back on the shelf around the top of Needle Nicely's walls.  Then, late yesterday afternoon, my local theater, the Majestic, sent out a notice that they were rescreening last week's Tristan und Isolde from the Metropolitan Opera.  There were solar flares and the transmission was really messed up, I have been told.  Actually, I passed on attending last week because I didn't think the plaza (I share with the Majestic) had power.  Couldn't reach them on the phone, nothing on line.  So I napped all day.  I understand it was a good miss.

Anyway, I called off the "pillow man" so I could go to the opera.  The NYTimes gave it rave reviews.
I left at the first intermission, as did several others.  Definitely not my cup of tea.  I loved "The Ring Cycle", so thought this would be similar.  Not so--and in modern dress.  Sigh!  My karma was good for having Matthew side-swipe us, but obviously the mess-up devil hangs around!