One more hockey rambling...and a photo of current WIP

Your attitude is your choice. It always is. We live in an age that has developed the art of shifting blame to very high levels, and sometimes we get caught upin that same tendency. "Well, if you had my job you wouldn't be so positive.""If you had my kids, you wouldn't feel so good." "If only my boss were different,
I could be a positive person." In other words, "My bad attitude is not my fault!" The truth is, however, your attitude and mine are always our choice. No matter how bad things are, no one can force you to have a bad attitude if you don't want to. Now that should come as really good news because it says our attitudes don't have to be victims of our circumstances or of other people. We choose our responses.
Mary Whelchel

I thought that saying was very fitting this morning. Yesterday, when the AAA hockey team was posted, Robert saw that his name was not on the list and 3 of his former teammates made the team. He was disappointed and DH & I were too. But, we know that he did his very, very best - there wasn't anything that he could have done better...as we say "leave it all on the ice," which he did. He just didn't have the height, strength, "top-notch" skills or the experience that the majority of the 2nd year bantams had. Throughout the afternoon yesterday, I could tell that he was bummed...he wasn't sure what to do with himself yesterday. Not that he was underfoot, but he did "plop" himself down by me and watch me xstitch...and then when that grew old, he "plopped" himself down by DH and watch him play a computer game. He talked about his feelings and went over the whole tryout skates (looking for something to be critical of - for he is his worse critic - but he just couldn't find anything that he did wrong. He knows where he has to improve, but knows that he didn't do anything wrong...as there is a difference, which he has figured out). There was no one to blame - not even himself - it just happened, he just didn't make the team based on the rest of the kids who tried out (38 skaters trying out for 18 spots).

He processed it all afternoon and into the evening, and by the time he was ready for bed, he was ready for AA tryouts (too bad that those don't follow immediately after so that we could get this over with!). I am so proud of him...he got hurt on Friday night and dealt with it (doing what needed to do that evening) and was able to got back on the ice Saturday morning and Sunday morning....he skated hard and battled for the puck and a spot for the team each and every opportunity...it just wasn't meant to be. He has come to terms with it over night and is now ready to go again next weekend. Robert, I love you and proud of the way you are maturing. These opportunities to deal with disappointment are a step to maturing to a young man - which you are doing a great job of. And one last note...to my wonderful DH, we dealt with the scary moment of Friday night and the disappointment of the outcome together very well - I love you very much and would be lost without you by my side!

Ok...enough of my Hockey Ramblings...on to the things that you all are more interested in reading (hopefully you have reached this point!). To reward you for suffering through the first part, here is a photo of one of the things I am working on (sorry for the blurry photo...it was a rushed shot). This is from L*K "It's a Girl Thing". I am planning to use this as part of a little gift for one of my sisters for a holiday gift in December. The stitching of this is just about done. I have been stitching on 28ct evenweave - one over one - using the colors/thread it called for plus making a x-stitch border using Threadworks. In addition, I have been stitching another model for CindyMae (from CindyMae Designs). The mailperson should be delivering the next round of RRs to me, which I hope to receive in the next day or two.

Hope everyone is doing well. Thank you for sticking with me during this weekend of ramblings. Hope your week brings much love and sunshine!

Remember...Live, Love, Laugh and stitch often! Lisa