We are off to Boston tomorrow morning to spend Thanksgiving with my son and his soon to be fiancee.  Both Eric & Polly have to work the day before Thanksgiving and the day after.

Eric, because he is a Sous Chef and black friday is a big restaurant day too.  Polly, because she is “the new girl” and so, at the bottom of the holiday totem pole.

We are going to take Polly out to dinner Wednesday night at the restaurant where Eric works.  That should be fun.  He can come out and visit with us and make a big fuss over us.  

On Thanksgiving, none of us wanted them to cook a big dinner on their one day off so we are going to have Thanksgiving dinner at The Top Of The Hub.  It is a big deal restaurant in Boston.

Eric called his former head chef & mentor, Chef Bill who called a friend of his and we got a coveted 7pm reservation for 4.  

Eric & Polly are making a brunch Thursday morning (11ish, I love it).  I am bringing Perrier -Jouet champagne for Mimosas

This should be a terrific holiday.  

Thanksgiving is my favorite, it contains food, no gifts and is about being thankful and that I am.  It has been a ok year and I expect better next year.

Much Better…and the year after that maybe Grandchildren  (please).

This must be a big deal for me since I am leaving my brand new and spectacular Tempurpedic Electric Bed to do this.

Did I mention my bed not only has regular massage, it has something called “rolling massage”?    Sort of a nice wave like movement up & down the bed.

NewNeedlepoint.com had it’s first holiday sale today, that was fun.  I helped a woman find a book for a very experienced, very knowledgeable stitcher.   I suggested a few including my Margaret Boyles Bargello books but she chose  Di Van Nierkirk’s  A Perfect World in Ribbon Embroidery & Stumpwork.    A spectacular book made even more valuable by the fact it has been discontinued.  I have 2 copies left, they might be the last 2 copies anywhere.

They keep doing that, discontinuing books that sell well for me.

The Anna Crutchley Tassel Making books are gone and I can’t get anymore copies.  it was a good book and a fine seller.

I can only get Charted Monograms for Needlepoint & Cross-Stitch by Rita Weiss on the 2nd hand market now (and sadly, thinner “pamphlet type books” do not generally do well  2nd hand).  They are hard to find and I do not have any right now.

And this book,  The Complete Illustrated Stitch Encyclopedia.  This is an excellent stitch book.  When I learned they had discontinued it, I , right away, bought every copy I could find.  I have 5 new and 2 VG used copies of it .

I have ordered replacements for most of the Bargello & needlepoint books my Australian customer bought from me.  When I will get them listed is THE question.  I am slowly falling even further behind and I was already way, way behind.

I am pitiful.  

I just finished reading this years Man Booker Prize book The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes.  A VG (haha, I am amusing myself) book.  Real.  I followed it up with Georgette Heyer’s  The Convenient Marriage.  It is not one of my very favorites but I thought it was due for a re-read in my amazing bed.  All good.

So, I wish everyone a lovely Thanksgiving.  Good food, company, feelings & comfort with no weight gain.  I will leave you with my picture of Jack The Cat mesmerized by the fireplace.  

In general, the Bargello Needlepoint books I list on NewNeedlepoint.com sell very well.  There are not that many titles out there, I buy all that I can find (with a few not-so-good exceptions) and list them in either my   New Bargello Books category or the Rare Bargello Books category.   But this is amazing.

I told you about the order from the lady in Australia, she all but cleaned out my Bargello books.   I do have replacements for some of them but they have to be photographed and the condition described, each book is individual and no 2 are in the exact same condition (having said that, I admit if a replacement book’s condition is close to that of the original, I will not re-photograph it, I will just list it, that does not often happen)

It was a huge order 22 rare/used books, 3 new books, 3 needleholders and 1 DMC travel roll (my last one, I am unsure if I should re-order them or not).  The shipping for the order came to $117, using Global Flat Rate Priority Mail.  I could not fit the last book, Shirlee Lantz’s famous A Pageant of Patterns for Needlepoint Canvas.  That book alone weighs 5 pounds and not only was there no room, there was a 20 pound per-box weight limit.  The USPS wanted $48 more to ship just that 1 book alone so I refunded her payment for that book.

I divided the shipping cost with her, as a token of my free shipping.  I paid about 25%, she paid the rest.

Among the books she bought were

The classic, famous & excellent Bargello: An Explosion in Color by Margaret Boyles

Also The Margaret Boyles Bargello Workbook

Dorothy Phelan’s UK version of her Bargello book called Florentine Canvaswork in Gift Quality condition.  The USA edition is called Traditional Bargello.

TrianglePoint by Shirlee Lantz,  despite it’s age, still a interesting & modern stitch similar to the basic bargello stitches

Barbara Muller’s Florentine Embroidery.  Originally published in German, this is a good translation of a great Bargello book.

Needlepoint & Pattern by Gloria Katzenberg, a steady seller here always

As well as Dorothy Kaestner’s Bargello Antics, 4 Way Bargello & her Bargello Needlepoint.  Both my Barbara Snook Bargello books, of course she bought Elsa William Bargello: Florentine Canvas Work and much more.

For new books she bought The Best Bargello Book by June McKnight

She bought Beautiful Bargello by Joyce Petschek and Bargello Revisited by Janet Perry.  I do not have more copies of either of those, right now.

She also bought both Sally Nicoletti books, Weaving Designs for Needlepoint & Japanese Motifs for Needlepoint, Janet Granger’s Miniature Needlepoint Carpets, Katherine Ireys The Encyclopedia of Needlepoint stitches and of course, Geometric Designs in Needlepoint by Mary Jaene Edmonds

This book is probably the most often sold book I list.

Anyway, I did all the customs forms & shipped them.  Since then I have been having something of a minor run on my remaining Bargello Needlepoint books.

My other copy of Florentine Embroidery by Barbara Muller.  Another 4 Way Bargello by Dorothy Kaestner to a lady in Maryland.   And then, yesterday, the surprise purchase.  

I have had Gigs Stevens’ Free Form Bargello for sale here almost from the very beginning of when I started selling books.  I thought it was (and it is) a fabulous book full of original ideas and contemporary ways to use Bargello.  In fact, I like this book so much I have a copy of it in my own collection.

I had despaired of anyone every buying it.  Bargello Books raced out of my web store constantly while this poor little book just sat there.  It was sad.

Then…TaDa…..a smart woman with great taste in stitchery from Los Angeles bought it.

So, now I have a bunch more replacements to re-list…as if I was not already behind enough.

It is my intention (here I fall over laughing at my own presumption) to begin listing some of the canvases & kits from the Baltimore show this week.  I know it is only Tuesday but I have hopes. However there might be a small problem with my getting anything done this week.

Of course, you don’t know this but I sleep on a wonderful Tempurpedic Memory foam mattress.  This is my 2nd one.  I love it so much that one the first one got funky (after years of use) I bought another.

Well, we were at the Mattress Store on Sunday buying a twin size mattress for the DayBed I set up in the guest room for a spare bed.  With all my photography equipment in there, there was no room for a bigger bed and I figured a day bed would do (more or less).

While I was paying, I saw a remote on the nice salesman’s desk.  It said Tempurpetic.  I grabbed it and asked, hope in my voice  ”does Tempurpedic make an adjustable electric bed now?”  

YES!  They do.

I bought it,  I did not even draw breath, I bought it (well, why not..my son is already through college & grad school…and I am getting older by the second).

So, they deliver & set it up today.  It is 5:53 am.  I have been awake for hours, too excited to sleep.  It may turn out that getting me out of my new fancy pants bed this week might be difficult.

Did I mention that it has head & foot lift, massage?  rolling waves massage?   Did I mention that I am old, old, old.

If you want me, I will be in bed.   Oh yes, I am reading Robert K Massie’s Biography of Catherine the Great.  Interesting book, not the slow slog I was afraid it might be.

Ok, so I will be reading in bed.

And if you click on most of the links in my “big” blog, you will get nothing….zero, zip, nada since the listings have been de-activated until I re-list.  Big *DOH* here.

The lady from Australia agreed to pay shipping.  She says she never expected the books to ship free.

Whew.   Of course, she has cleaned out (almost) my Bargello categories.  I am going to have to find more of these books and list them (like I didn’t already have a mountain of books to list) but who’s complaining?   Not me.

Good News.  NewNeedlepoint.com received an amazing order today.  $590.10 in mostly rare books, 3 new books and a few tools.  I was thrilled to see it.  Sales have been very slow the last week,  I figured it was pre-holiday reluctance or something.

Then I saw the bad news, the order was from someone in Australia.  Australia!. It is, as the nice lady at the Post Office explained to me, as far as anything can be from me in PA.  The erxact (almost) other side of the world.  This was right before I had to pay $32.00 to ship a $40 (my sale price) book to Australia.

So, what did I do.  I emailed her and asked if there was any possibility of anyone in the USA I could ship the books to.  Knowing that was hopeless, then they would have to pay the $200-$300 (or maybe more) it would cost to ship them.   I told her I would  refund her money, which I will when I hear back from her.

Below is what she bought. I have put in links, so you can see each of them in my web store, if you want to:

1 x Elsa Williams Bargello: Florentine Canvas Work ($25.00)    The classic Bargello book by the Master Teacher

1 x Bargello Antics by Dorothy Kaestner ($22.00)   An amazing 4-Way Bargello book, with patterns that could be followed (although maybe not be me).  Wonderful stuff.

1 x Bargello: An Explosion in Color by Margaret Boyles ($50.00)  Again, the classic Bargello book by THE Master Teacher & the book I used to teach myself Bargello

1 x First Printing: The New Needlepoint: Stitches and Designs by Margaret Boyles ($14.00)  Like me, she is clearly a fan of Margaret Boyles books.  This is more a Needlepoint book than a Bargello book

1 x The Margaret Boyles Bargello WorkBook ($18.00) Another Classic Bargello book, very easy to understand and use.  I did.

1 x The Best Bargello Book by June McKnight ($39.95)  A NEW BOOK   A June McKnight book is always a good book, this one is no exception

1 x 4 Way Bargello by Dorothy Kaestner, Revised Edition ($22.00)  Dorothy Kaestner is another major name in Bargello Needlepoint book, this is a book full of 4-ways I wish I could stitch (and I could if I was not always distracted & lazy)

1 x *Gift Quality* Bargello Needlepoint by Dorothy Kaestner ($25.00)  Again, Classic & terrific book

1 x Bargello Revisted by Janet Perry ($37.95)   NEW BOOK  interesting book my my friend, Janet Perry (who is famous)

1 x American Heirloom Bargello by Millie Hines ($18.00)  This book sell almost immediately when I have it in stock.  It is hard to find and harder to find in decent condition.  Navaho Rugs & American Quilt patterns.

1 x Needlepoint and Pattern by Gloria Katzenberg ($18.00) Another book I can’t keep in stock,.  Surprisingly, the designs are mostly Bargello based, a great book that is getting harder & harder to get.

1 x Bargello Magic by Pauline Fischer & Anabel Lasker ($18.00)  Not my favorite book but almost everyone else praises it.  I think I am too fussy, maybe

1 x Beautiful Bargello by Joyce Petschek ($24.95) NEW BOOK  Advanced Bargello patterns and an absolutely gorgeous Bargello book

1 x The New World of Needlepoint by Lisbeth Perrone ($18.00)  She Cancelled This One, Said She Already Had It.  Again, both Bargello & needlepoint written with Ms Perrone’s expertise

1 x Step by Step Bargello by Geraldine Consentino ($12.00)A real beginner’s book, impossible to find in good condition but I buy & sell it anyway in not so good condition, an important book for beginners

1 x *Gift Quality* Geometric Designs in Needlepoint by Mary Jaene Edmonds ($19.00)  This may be the most often sold book I have every listed.  It sells usually within a week of my re-listing it.  Getting more expensive each time I re-buy.  I love this book

1 x Mira Silverstein’s Guide to Upright Stitches ($16.00)  Useful Bargello stitch book, again almost always in lousy condition.  These are great books but they do not age well.

1 x Florentine Embroidery by Barbara Snook ($23.00)  Bargello from a good teacher

1 x The Craft of Florentine Embroidery by Barbara Snook ($16.00)  And again in a slightly different title, a different book

1 x *Gift Quality* Florentine Canvaswork by Dorothy Phelan ($20.00)  Another of my “core collection” of needlepoint book I used to learn it with and a member of my own collection of stitch books

1 x Trianglepoint by Sherlee Lantz ($24.00) This is a fascinating book, want to see some of my Triangle point?  This is one of my Bargello canvases

Remember when I had some email dialogue with Shirlee Lantz about the Trianglepoint corners.  It turns out she never went into that, so I fudged mine and it worked ok.

3 x DMC Needle Organizer ($2.75)  great tool, good price.  She bought 3

1 x DMC Travel Roll ($16.00)  Handy if you travel with your stitching (which I do)

1 x Japanese Motifs for Needlepoint by Sally Nicoletti ($18.00)  Very fine needlepoint design book

1 x Weaving Designs for Needlepoint by Sally Nicoletti ($13.00)   very interesting book, way before the current interest in Needle Weaving

1 x The Encyclopedia of Canvas Embroidery Stitches by Katharine Ireys ($20.00)  Extraordinary stitch book, even if dated.  it is all there.

1 x Miniature Needlepoint Carpets by Janet Granger ($14.00)  doll house size designs

1 x A Pageant of Pattern For Needlepoint Canvas by Sherlee Lantz ($20.00)   Many people consider this book to be (or have been) the Needlepoint Bible.  Wonderful book but weights 3 ounces short of 5 pounds.

Clearly my customer is interested in Bargello Needlepoint.  She  had all but cleaned me out of my current inventory of Bargello books, if I had been able to ship them. (I do have duplicates for some of the most popular ones but not all of them far from it).

She bought the 2 Sally Nicoletti Needlepoint books I stock, Weaving Designs & Japanese Motifs, both excellent books and a few small tools.

This is, no joke, is breaking my heart, I would love to fill this order but with the shipping to Australia, I would be losing considerable money on the books.

I think I will offer to ship them to her, with a surcharge.  I agree it should cost me some but not all, to send them.  I wonder if she will agree.

So, everything else is OK,  Jack the Cat thinks he needs slippers, the tile floors can be chilly but I love them.  I wish they made Uggs for cats, I wear pink Ugg slippers. I have been looking at pictures of kittens in the local shelter and I found an Abyssissian cat breeder in Kentucky.

K says we can’t get another cat, that Jack does not know he is a cat and that would traumatize him.

I sort of see what he means.  I am told that when my brother was born (I was 2) and they brought him home,  I rolled him out the front door and closed it.  They found him between the door and the screen door.  I am pretty sure I did not understand what they needed him for, they had me.

I suppose Jack might feel the same.

I am reading, of course.  Have I mentioned that I love Kindle books on my iPad.  If you are buying a present for a reader, I can’t recommend an iPad Or Kindle ( now down to $79) highly enough.

***Ooops, or buy them something on NewNeedlepoint.com******

I am reading Robert B Parker’s Jesse Stone books, in order alternating with Joan Smith romance novels, very good books and not tainted by impossible modern attitudes for the heroines (as many are)