My Mom and Pics to Share

My life - it's a soap opera - and a very badly written one at that!

Last week, my mom was admitted to the hospital - she's stable for the moment, but still in intensive care - please remember her in your prayers. I've been spending every available moment at the hospital with her and Daddy - and trying to follow the admonition in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

I do want to share some pics of the Christmas present I received from my younger DDThis is her first attempt at satin stitch - don't you think she did a wonderful job?
Must share her story behind making this: Several months before Christmas, she mentioned to me that she to do a pattern that called for satin stitch, and she wasn't sure how to do it. "That's OK - just bring it here, and I'll show you", says I. Consternation! - lol! Obviously, she managed to figure it out.
After Christmas, she told me she worked on this while watching the Alabama (ROLL TIDE!) games each Saturday . How she managed to concentrate during the games is beyond me - Alabama football last year was intense!

On other fronts - CDB continues to recover and is trying to move on with her life. The DGS are settling in to their new school, and making new friends. DH has been ill for several days, but appears to be on the road to recovery. And I just keep on keeping on.

PIF

I've published a PIF (Pay It Forward) on my other blog Finishing Ideas for Handcrafts, and I invite you to come and join the fun!

CDB is Home!

My elder DD, whom I’ve always called CDB, was admitted to the hospital on 4 December 2008 with critical and life-threatening illnesses. CDB is the mother of our two grandsons. We prayed and solicited prayers from our friends and family for her recovery. Folks all over the world prayed for our precious CDB (our most sincere gratitude to all whom prayed with us for her healing!) Through the healing grace of God, she is recovering, and we brought her home on 9 January 2009. We brought her to our house so that I could continue to give her care while she completed recovery and regained her strength. We rejoice!

I solicit your prayers again – for strength for CDB and us all. Her marriage has been troubled for a while, and on 12 January, her husband brought their two sons to our house and left them, telling CDB he wanted a divorce. He did not bring any of the boys’ personal belongings. Over the next week, we managed to recover most of their belongings, and transfer the boys to a school near us (they lived almost an hour away and transportation to their school would have been very difficult, if not impossible). CDB has been far more gracious to her husband than I would be, allowing him to see the boys on Sundays. He has a long history of not keeping a job, and has not worked at all since sometime in December (and prior to December, had not worked for many weeks), so he tells CDB he has no money he can give her. DH and I are taking care of our daughter and grandsons, but it grates on CDB’s sensibilities that right now, she can’t contribute anything to their support. So please pray for CDB’s emotional health, for our dear grandsons and for us, as we manuever through this difficult time.

Happy Birthday DGS

Yesterday we celebrated my DGS's 8th birthday. He's Star Wars mad - so deciding on a gift was easy - found this costume online and ordered it from http://www.buystarwarscostumes.com/ (not affiliated in any way - just a happy customer). Here is DGS in his costume:

He also had a special request for his cake and called me a few weeks ago:

"Grandmama, can we make a Buzz Droid cake for my birthday"

"Sweetie, I don't know what a Buzz Droid looks like,"

"I can draw you a picture!"

So he did:

And here's my interpretation:

DGS: "It's pretty good - but you got the colors wrong."

Memo to self - figure out how to convince my dear grandchildren that "Grandmama can do anything!" is not a true statement.

BTW, the cake tasted delish and was enjoyed by all - even though it was the wrong colors!

Quaker Giraffe

I just finished stitching this Quaker Giraffe (from http://www.aurytm.com/). I love all her Quaker motif animals, but when she published this, I just had to stitch it first - it called to me.

It's stitched with 2 strands of Weeks Dye Works 4101 Trick or Treat on 14 count white aida.It turned out about 7 X 7 inches. But now, I don't know what to do with it! I love the colors for this, but it matches nothing in my house - oranges and browns are not really my colors. So I'm soliciting finishing ideas - what would you make with this?

This was my first time using WDW floss. The colors available are fantastic - but I didn't like the stiffness of the floss - guess I've been spoiled by my more recent experiences with silk floss. I also am not used to using these smaller skeins of floss - this one had five yards, and it took almost the entire skein for the giraffe :-( I did take steps to untwist the thread as I worked,, but the free end seemed to tangle and knot frequently.

All in all, I think the stitching turned out well - but I'm going to wait a while before trying another of the WDWs (I have another 23 skeins in assorted colors in my stash - so I will use it sometime - lol!)

I hope some of you have some ideas on finishing - I need something to spark my creatitvity!

Pendibule

Have you seen a pendibule? They are neat little ornaments made by stitching a square, folding it into a triangle, stitching the two sides, and bringing the points together.
Here's one I made for an exchange on the EMS board - the theme was redwork:

Russian Magazine

On the EMS Cross Stitch Board, a link was published to this Russian magazine. There are dozens of very pretty cross stitch patterns if you click on "Embroidery"

The charts are not keyed to a specific floss. Instead, they appear to have generic names, like black, green and brown. I've spent some time with Google Translator, and here is a list of the Russian color names I've managed to translate:

Черный = black
Зеленый = green
Коричневый = brown
Коричневый темный = darkest brown
Коричневый cветло = light brown
коричневый средний = medium brown
Temhый = dark
Светло = light
Зеленый светло = light green
Оранжевый – orange
Бежевый = beige
Белый = white
Красный = red
красная вишня = cherry red
красный рождество = Christmas red
красный ясный = bright red
синий = blue
желтый легчайших = lightest yellow
желтого светло = light yellow
желтый = yellow
желтый средний = medium yellow
пурпурный = purple
фиолетовый = violet
серебристый = silver
серый = grey, gray
светло-серый = light grey
золотой = gold
бирюзовый = turquoise
голубой = light blue
ясные = clear
синий = dark blue
темно = dark
Золотой = golden

There are still more, but maybe someone bilingual in Russian and English will help us out - Hint - Hint!

Found this Interesting

I am not a Catholic, but I found this article very interesting.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080513/ap_on_re_eu/vatican_aliens

What do you think?

Vikki Clayton Silks!

I have just finished stitching my first project with Vikki Clayton's Hand Dyed Fibers! These are beautiful hand dyed silks, and are a joy to work with. This is Tales of Wonder, a freebie by Jennifer L. Aikman-Smith Dragon Dreams. I used a couple of the "dragon" colors, and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. (I also added a pennant to the castle - it just felt like it needed one!) Here are the HDF silks I used:

5143 Kodiak Bear
2125 Mermaid Blue
Mountain Shadows
Victorian Mint
3255 Luteous Green
Huckle Berry
Dragon Fire
Dragon Hoard (used for Herringbone stitch, Four-Sided stitch, Rice Stitch and Long Tied Cross stitch)

I used Mill Hill Petite Glass Beads (gold) instead of French knots for the eyes.

The fabric is a 36-count hand- dyed evenweave I received in an exchange, so I don’t know what the fabric or color are called.

I plan to finish this as a bell pull with gold hardware, if I can find a source that is not outrageously expensive (might be time to put on my crafting cap and figure out how to make my own hardware - hmmm?).

Next project for these silks? Don't let the Weeds.

Some last minute finishes

A quick note to show off a few last minute finishes:

Bookmarks for Daddy and Mama for Christmas

I charted Psalms 57 - the Dove is from "70 Christian Symbols", purchased from http://www.patternsonline.com/ and the Resurrection Lilies is a freebie from http://www.michaels.com/ which I changed slightly. The pre-finished bookmarks are from CharlesCraft.

My parent celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this month. In honor of that, I did this small design from Carinne's site: http://users.skynet.be/bk236098/CARINNE/ (it's 21CoeurNoceArgent), again with a little change. The oatmeal color of the aida doesn't show up very well. I wanted to frame this in a square frame, set on point, but couldn't find one I liked, and ran out of time to make one, so it's framed in an 8x10 frame I found that looks kind of antiquey.

I'm doing the finishes on bookmarks for my DD this evening (she came down with the flu - poor thing). I designed the bookmarks for her, so I'll post a pic when I'm done.

Back to stitching....

Daisy Stitches Mail Art Contest

Well, I didn't win or place, but had fun, nevertheless. You can see all the entries at http://www.daisystitches.com/mailart.html, including mine.

I didn't take an pics of the construction process, but this is not the last Mail Art I'll do, so next time, I'll photograph all the steps and publish them on http://jcbsleep.wordpress.com/, my finishing ideas blog

Currently reading: Innocent in Death by JD Robb

Currently stitching: scissors biscornu; Halloween ornaments for wXSw SAL, EMS Kitchen alphabet and last, but not least, Needle Guardian by Teresa Wentzler

At Last!

Thought I was gone forever, didn't you? No such luck - lol!

But I have put some content on my finishing ideas blog - check it out here: http://jcbsleep.wordpress.com/

More to come - later!

Our New Furbabies

Say hello to Annie and Nellie:
They are mixed breed 9 week old sisters. It has taken us a while to decide to adopt more furbabies since our beloved Dolly passed away. But Annie and Nellie have stolen our hearts.

I had forgotten how much energy puppies have - they easily wear DH and I out every time we play with them. They are very typical sisters - each wants what the other has!

They may look close to identical in this pic, but they are not: Nellie's ears are carried farther out than Annie's, and Annie has a broad white/black brindle patch on her chest, while Nellie has a small white patch on her chest.

Annie

Perhaps one day I'll be able to get a pic of them sitting or standing - right now the only time they are still is when laying down chewing on something, or when fast asleep.

Nellie

The Courtyard of Alhambra

Let me introduce you to a new designer: Lady Periphaeria. I’ve just completed the stitching on The Courtyard of Alhambra (PD- #4), and it is beautiful! I used 28 count natural linen, and stitched it with Caron Waterlilies® Arroyo. Check out her other designs at Periphaeria Designs.

Now to decide how to finish. Lady Periphaeria shows it finished as a biscornu (always a good choice), but I hate to cover up any of the design by a button or bead in the center. Perhaps a needlecase? Or the start of an accordion book, or a flat fold? Hmm, this is going to take some thought.

Currently stitching: A surprise for the One World, Many Cultures Exchange on the EMS Board
Currently reading: Owlsight by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon.

Happy Birthday to me!

Received the nicest surprise today - my personalized bookmark from the EMS Cross Stitch Board Exchange. Isn't it beautiful?

I love to participate in these exchanges. I've made new friends from all over the world.

Yes, it is my Birthday, and I'm proud to be here. My life has been blessed, and I like to use my birthday as a very special time to thank the Lord for his many blessings: My beloved DH (and in 9 days, we'll celebrate the 36th anniversary of our first date, and in June, our 35th wedding anniversary), my children, my wonderful grandchildren, all of my family, and all of my friends, both in RL and virtual. Praise God for you all!


My DH is taking me to dinner this evening - and I'll have my once a year treat of Coca-Cola Cake with vanilla bean ice cream from Cracker Barrel. I promise I'll savor every morsel!

In other news, I've been thinking about publishing some tutorials, so I'll be looking for a site to do that on - cost is definately a factor. But I do love to create, and I love to teach - so I'll work on it and publish here when it's ready. I've already been taking photos and writing instructions for the first one - a covered Altoid box.


Currently stitching: Breadcloth for an EMS Exchange
Currently reading: Andre Norton's final fantasy Three Hands for Scorpio

January is almost gone!

I can't believe this month is almost over. Where did it go?

Thought you might enjoy seeing the finished presents for my co-workers. The baskets contain candies and a scented candle.

I've completed a biscornu and a bookmark for exchanges on the EMS Cross Stitch Board. Currently working on a breadcloth for another exchange.

Don't you just hate to get a brilliant idea and not have the time to carry it out? That's where I am right now - I've got to finish the breadcloth before I do anything else, but I've jotted down notes, so hopefully the brilliance won't fade - lol.

It's tax time again - Yuck! I hate filling out all these forms. Wouldn't it be nice if they'd just take the money through the year and then leave you alone? I know, I know, that's a simplistic view - but I think it anyway, every year!

Have lots of errands to do today, so this will have to end here. Take care, and God Bless!

Wishing You A Very Happy 2007!

A few of our traditions to share for New Year’s Day:

The meal – we have a traditional Southern USA meal on New Year’s Day: ham for health, black-eyed peas for good luck, turnip greens for wealth, and cornbread because it tastes so good with everything else. Dessert this year is peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream – because we like it!

We take our Christmas Tree down on New Year’s Day – so we carry the joy of the Season forward to the New Year.

We honor the belief that having a clean house on New Year’s means the house will be clean all year long – but no cleaning on New Year’s Day – sweeping or washing will sweep or wash your good luck right out!

We make sure that everyone in the family has at least a dollar in their pocket – to ensure they won’t be broke in the coming year.

We spend the day with as many loved ones as possible – so we’ll be surrounded by love all year long.

It’s not good to start a new project on New Year’s Day – but it’s a wonderful omen to complete projects – it guarantees that projects will be completed throughout the coming year!

Wishing you a joyous and prosperous New Year!

Godt Nytår
Felican Novan Jaron
Bonne Annee
Prosit Neujahr
Felice anno nuovo
Bliain nua fe mhaise dhuit
Felice anno nuovo
Akimashite Omedetto Gozaimasu
Feliz Ano ~Nuevo
Gott nytt år!
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

Gift Tags

Wanted to share the tags I stitched for small gift baskets I made for my co-workers. These are small, only about 3" x 4", and I designed them with possible use as ornaments in future years in mind. The baskets are small, only about 6"x6", and contain a scented candle and some Christmas chocolates - I think they'll like some part of their gifts, no matter what - lol!

BTW, the DGS's teachers loved their bookmarks - they got them this morning. The younger DGS (in kindergarten) ended up choosing his own gift in the class gift exchange - all the younguns were required to gift books. When DD asked why he chose the one he had brought, he said, with perfect logic, "I wanted _that_ book"
My other DD has started blogging today - you can check her blog out at Becca's Fancies

Currently stitching: finishing ornaments for my family
Currently baking: Honey Walnut Cookies (tastes so good, you know they're bad for you - lol!)

DD's Bookmarks

DD has finished one bookmark and made a good start on the second. They have to be finished by Tuesday night, so my GSs can give them to their teachers on Wednesday. These are the ones I charted for her. She's done a fantastic job on them, so I just have to share: I'm so proud of her!

The First Gift of the Season

is from one of my Floss Daughters - Jenny, from Sweden. Isn't it adorable? Thank-you, Jenny!

Warning, Warning, Warning - Danger, Will Robinson!

Sunday, I checked out this link weffriddles posted on the EMS Board.
Do not go there! :-D
I've spent precious stitching time solving these puzzles (bragging - I'm at level 44), and I'm not going back until I complete at least two projects - so there!
btw - if you like puzzles/riddles, these are pretty challenging - and you absolutely must consult the Forum for hints/tips (#1 tip - very important - keep a log of the levels, clues, titles, and what you did to solve it - you must be able to refer back to solve future levels - seriously, folks, this is sooo important or you'll end up begging for someone to knock you upside the head with a clue X four)
Why am I telling you this - because misery loves company!
Must go to bed now - work tomorrow, and I haven't been getting into bed before midnight since Sunday - all thanks to Weff Jebster!

Currently stitching - nothing!
Currently reading - Forum

The Last Bead is On

Ta-Da! Here's the completed piece for my friend's daughter's wedding (not yet washed, ironed or framed - but that will happen later today):

It's a freebie from Designs by Amy The hardest part for me was getting the spacing of the beaded border I added right, but I think it turned out well. The observant will note I only have one week to complete it - good thing I do my own framing - lol! Back to stitching!

This and That

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and now I’m into the mad race for Christmas. How about you? Only 24 days to go!

I’m so relieved to report that one of my DH’s health issues is now resolved. He underwent a procedure yesterday that should solve it for good. We are at home and recovering from the stress and strain attendant to any medical procedure.

I’m stitching like mad to finish Christmas gifts, and only have a few more beads to attach and the wedding gift will be finished and ready for framing. I finally found a perfect frame, so hopefully will have that done this weekend.

DD asked me to design bookmarks for her to stitch to give to DGSs teachers. I’ll post a picture later this weekend of my finished efforts.

I've added a link to The Gift of Stitching - the December 06 issue is fantastic! Please do check it out. Right now you can get two years (24 issues) for only $20.00 - I'm almost at the end of my first year, and it is worth so much more than the cost. And yes, I've already renewed my subscription!

Currently stitching: Christmas Gifts!
Currently reading: Jesus the One and Only by Beth Moore

Books, Books, Books!

A little while ago, Heidi tagged me for Books, Books, Books – I didn’t mean to ignore it, but you know, life’s a stitch! So with no further ado, here are my answers:

1) One book that changed your life:
Too easy – The Holy Bible, KJV
2) One book that you’d read more than once:
I re-read almost all my books – if I have no desire to re-read it, I don’t keep it in my library. Having said that, I decided to go with the first book I ever bought with my own hard-earned money (I was 7 or 8), and still re-read to this day: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
3) One book you’d want on a deserted island:
If it’s truly only one book – the Bible.
4) One book that made you laugh:
Love Conquers All, by Robert Benchley
5) One book that made you cry:
There have been many – but I’ll mention Grumbles From The Grave, not because the book made me cry per se, but because I still cry when I think that Robert Heinlein is no longer with us
6) One book you wish you’d written:
All of them – lol!
7) One book you wish had never been written:
Can’t think of one right off hand
8) One book you’re currently reading:
Just finished Valley of Silence by Nora Roberts
9) One book you’ve been meaning to read:
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger – because so many people have mentioned it – I’ll probably order it after Christmas – right now, all my spare change is going towards Christmas stuff - YKWIMV?

Currently stitching: A wedding sampler for a friend’s daughter, and some Christmas presents.
Currently reading: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein (re-reading some old faves – no money right now for new books)

And no more posts today - I've done all the catching up I'm going to do for the day!

What Color is Your Brain

Snatched from patternnuts

This was fun - and amazingly accurate (for me). Give it a try and tell me what you think.

What Color is Your Brain?

GREEN:

At work or in school: I work best by myself. I like to focus on my ideas until my desire for understanding is satisfied. I am easily bored if the subject holds no interest to me. Sometimes, it is hard for me to set priorities because so many things are of interest.
With friends: I may seem reserved. Although my thoughts and feelings run deep, I am uneasy with frequent displays of emotion. I enjoy people who are interesting and of high integrity.
With family: I am probably seen as a loner because I like a lot of private time to think. Sometimes, I find family activities boring and have difficulty following family rules that don't make sense to me. I show love by spending time with my family and sharing ideas and interests.
Take this quiz!








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New Links!

I've just spent the past hour or so learning how to do some new things (new for me - lol!) - look to the left and you'll see that I've added some links. This may not seem like much to more experienced bloggers - but it's a major step for me. Now if I can just remember how I did it when I get ready to add some more :-)

On the home front - got some more flooring in the kitchen put down - but we're not going to meet our goal of having the renovations finished by Thanksgiving :-( DH has some health issues that have taken up most of our time for the past three weeks. Prayer team - mark your calendars and keep us in your prayers as he undergoes a procedure on 30 November - hopefully it will resolve one major problem.

One last note - Christmas is 38 days away - Must Stitch Faster!

Sewn Christmas Ornament

There was a question on the EMS Board about how to make a fabric framed ornament - this is my solution: (click on the thumbnails for a larger view)
1. Cut four squares of fabric - mine are 4' x 4"
2. Mark a circle in the center on the wrong side of one square - you can see my very scientific method of marking a precisely sized and placed circle!
3. Sew around the circle - I used red thread so the stitching line would show for the photo - normally I would use a thread that matched the fabric.
4. Trim the circle out to about a 1/4" seam and notch - be careful not to cut your stitching.
5. Turn the top layer thru the circle and match the corners. Pin them. When you have matched all four corners, the circle should lay flat.
6. And here it is, all turned.
7. Cut two pieces of batting (my British friends would say wadding) and use the same scientific method to mark a circle in the center of one of them. Cut out the circle from the center.
8. Insert the batting between the two layers - one for the circle piece, the other for the backing.
9. I wanted a hanger in the corner, and used a 1/4" grosgrain ribbon inserted between the circle piece and the backing piece.
10. Sew all around the four sides with a 1/4" seam - you are going to turn this thru the center circle, so you don't have to leave any side not sewn. Trim the corners and turn.
11. Ta-Da! I tucked a scrap of fabric leftover from a quilt I made in the center. I didn't have a cross stitch piece prepared :-(.

Things I learned:
A. This took about 45 minutes to cut out and assemble - it honestly took longer to upload all the photos than it did to make it. I expect the next ones will go faster, because I won't be stopping to photograph each step - lol!
B. Trim the batting squares 3/8" smaller than the fabric squares so the seams won't be so thick - I sewed right thru the batting, and it made it thick on the edges.
C. To make the center puffier, insert a circle of batting behind the insert.
D. It would probably be a good idea to make the lining squares in a solid color to match whatever you are going to insert - you can see the print if you look closely at the center.

Currently reading: Under the Mistletoe by Mary Balogh
Currently stitching: finishing ornament for EMS Board exchange.

Update: Photos of the Kitchen!

Wow - I'm so impressed - DH did a wonderful job on the countertops - these are 2x6 pine boards that he planed and joined to make the custom tops. I stained them, and we've sealed them with a sealer made for floors (hoping that it will be more durable than sealers made for furniture).

I hope you can see the basketweave pattern we used in the corner - I think it came out fantastic! And I am so pleased with how the breadboard edge looks at the end of the peninsula - we used the same technique at each end to keep from having the end grain showing. And do admire the artwork on the fridge - I've been teaching my grandsons how to use watercolors!

Sorry for the mess sitting around - although the sink and diswasher are sitting in place, neither one is actually connected (that will happen this weekend - so DH promised me - lol!), so I'm still trekking to the bathroom to wash dishes, and honestly, it's such a pain, I put it off as long as possible.

I _do_ love to see progress!

Currently stitching: Ornament for the EMS Cross Stitch Board exchange

Currently reading: Empire from the Ashes by David Weber

Currently sewing: Pageant dress for my DGD

Kingfisher Chart

Just a picture I'm playing around with in Paint to try and make a kingfisher chart.

I’m Tired

Not much progress to report on any front. We’re waiting for the base cabinets we had to special order for the kitchen. Mighty Samurai is at a standstill. I did complete a bookmark for an EMS Board Exchange, and I’m 90% done with the Small Needlebook for Ellen’s Stitcher Tools set (also from EMS). I’m kind of excited about an idea I had for Christmas presents – when I complete the first one, I’ll share the idea (want to make sure it works – lol!).

My tiredness is due in large part to my blood sugar being out of whack. After four years of perfect control, all of sudden – it’s not. So I’m having to play around with dosages (under my doc’s supervision, I hasten to add), and putting up with the resulting swings. When it drops too far, I’m exhausted for the rest of the day. When it gets too high, my thirst is enough to drive me mad – and the frequent trips to the bathroom are a pain. Pray for me on this issue – genetics are stacked against me, and it’s being a real battle. Praise God for DH – he’s my anchor and my barometer.

I only have another 1-½ rows to crochet on the pillow top that I’ve been working on (and off – lol!) for the past year – I want to complete it mainly just so it will be done, IYKWIM. Hard to believe that at one time I crocheted for a living and completed four jackets a week.

Hopefully the next post will include some update pics. CYL!

Currently reading: To Distraction by Stephanie Laurens (a favorite escape author)

Busy, Busy, Busy!

You may have heard "Man Proposes, God Disposes". At my house, it's Nita Proposes, DH Disposes. I thought we were going to complete the study next - foolish me! It's the kitchen instead. We've installed the new upper cabinets, but now have to scrape together the moola to order the lower cabinets. Then it'll be the new countertops. I feel so broke! The samples taped to the cabinet door are the countertop colors we're considering.
The foyer is to the right of this picture. We're planning a penisula coming out from that side of the wall, which will have the sink and dishwasher. You can just see the butler's pantry door to the right. The fan and fixture will be changed (our kitchen table used to sit under it). The range and microwave go beneath the shorter cabinet. We decided on the taller cabinets, because the space above the old cabinets just collected dust, and we can use the extra storage space. Doesn't matter how many cabinets I have, I always have plenty to fill them - lol! The fridge will be going about where the ladder is sitting. This layout will be much more efficient than the old one - but it can't be done soon enough to suit me! I'm taking the color scheme for the kitchen from a set of canisters, so it will be blue and yellow.

Currently reading: Dragonsblood by Todd McCaffrey
Currently sttiching: bookmark for EMS fall exchange (almost finished) and The Mighty Samurai, which is going very slow ;-(