My goal for the summer.

I have made a resolution to finish the third page of The Chess Game by the end of the summer vacation.I go back to work on September 1st so I have just over 7 weeks to finish the approximately 1,400 stitches remaining on page 3.
I have stitched approximately 150 stitches this week, most of them single colours so I am constantly rethreading my needle and progress is very slow.

Progress from June 20th until July 9th

It's my birthday!

It was my birthday on Wednesday. I waited all day for my husband or boys to say something- nothing! They had all forgotten!
One of my best friends called around 7pm and asked what I was doing. Thirty minutes later we were having dinner at Bateel! We had a great time and it really cheered me up.I came home and went to bed.Only Hussain remembered at 10.30pm and sent me a text message.
It wasn't till the next day that they all realised and I came home from work to find a cake,flowers and chocolates and a sincere apology from them all.

The Chess Game June 2008

This has been a work in progress for 2 years this week.It will probably take me another 2 years to finish! Hopefully once I finish work for the summer on July 3rd I'll have more time to stitch and will be able to get the third page finished.

Wind and dust galore!

It seems like these windy conditions will never end.It has been windy and dusty for nearly two weeks now. Just when it seems the wind has died down and the skies are clear once more, the wind starts again. It's really blustery today and in some places visibilty is down to a few metres with the sand and dust blowing everywhere.Our house is right on the edge of the desert to the north of Doha so we are exposed to the strong north winds. Everything in my house is covered in fine,creamy coloured dust and we're fighting a losing battle to keep it clean!
We shouldn't complain too much as the wind is keeping the temperature down to around 37-38 C instead of around 40-44 C and the humidity levels are low which makes the heat more bearable.
To the right of my house is The Lagoon and the green area is Doha Golf Club.Qatar University is in the centre of the picture and The College of the North Atlantic is in the central,bottom area of the picture.

Chris de Burgh in Iran

Chris de Burgh is the first Western singer to sing in Iran since the Iranian Revolution.
This is one of my favourite songs.

Happy 14th Birthday Nasser

It's hard to believe that this once 4lb skinny, premature baby is now a handsome,tall,bright young man.Nasser will be 14 on May 31st and to celebrate we have hired a bouncy castle for the weekend.
Happy Birthday Nasser,may all your dreams come true.

A walk on the Corniche

The weather is starting to get a bit too warm now, approx 30-32C but it was quite pleasant today with the strong breeze that was blowing.After our walk we drove along the Corniche and towards West Bay, through the Lagoon and back home past Doha Golf Club.
Hamad is in the red Tshirt on the left of the picture,Nasser is on the wall and Hussain is just in front of him.

The Chess Game April 19th

Quite a bit of progress this week filling in the black background.

Doha's Development

The skyline of Doha is changing dramatically, especially on the Corniche.As little as 10 years ago the only buildings along the Corniche were the Post Office,Qatar National Bank and at the far end,the Sheraton Hotel. This month the Qatar National Bank building was demolished and ,as you can see from the photo , there are many new high rise buildings in the process of being constructed.

The Chess Game update April 6th

I started this project in June 2006 and it is currently my 'Friday afternoon' project as this is the time I usually stitch.When completed it will be approx. 63,000 stitches. Progress is quite slow because of the large number of colours and single stitches.

It is stitched on 16 hpi aida and will measure 16'' x 16'' approx when complete.I reckon it will take me at least another 2 years to finish it!

The old souq

The 'old' souq in Doha has undergone a transformation in the last year or so. Many of the 1970's buildings have been demolished and the old souq area has been regenerated and extended. It is a wonderful place to browse and you can find anything and everything there from spices to shoes, perfumes to fabrics, pots and pans and sweets,tools and jewelery.One of my favourite areas is the spice section, the smell is wonderful and when you purchase things there are porters [usually elderly Iranians) with wheelbarrows who will transport your purchases back to your car for a few riyals.($1 or$2).At the far end of the souq area near the Arab Bank roundabout is the coffee shop area which has become one of the most popular haunts in Doha with its abundance of restaurants, shisha places and coffee shops, and live music at the weekend.