Summer has arrived

Yikes...we have gone from cloudy, rainy, cool to blue sky, dry, hot! Yesterday it was in the low 80s here and it is expected to continue. It is already mid-60s (@ 5:30am) in San Francisco, where you typically find the coolest weather in the mornings and even throughout the day because it is located on the bay...but right now it is warmer there than the in-land areas by about 5-10 degrees...omg, the weater lady just said that it was going to be in the 90s. Poor kids, they have afterschool track practice today...need to make sure that they have plenty of water!

Yesterday after running around trying to make sure that Robert's job application for the summer Rec Leader position got filled out and turned in, I did manage to get in a little jog of 3.5 miles...but between being sore from the 12.5 mile run the day before and the horrible heat, the jog didn't feel as wonderful as it did the day before.

Speaking of the job application...Robert has entered into the teenage procrastination stage. When there is a due date that is a week, 2 weeks or 3 weeks out...there is no reason to start right now, right? Or even start 2 days before...almost best just to start it the day or night before the project is due...well, that has been the story with him lately and caused him to miss the due date of the application. The city uses an online application program and stated in the email that the application would close on March 29. Well, on March 29 when he was going to proofread what he started so that he could finish it up and submit it...the application and job announcement was taken off the system. Can you say panic? I did make him email the 2 people who oversee this and the city's summer activity programs. Thank goodness that they know him, as he volunteered as a Junior Leader for the last 3 summers; for they forwarded a hard copy of the application and we got it filled out and turned in. This behavior, which DH & I hope is shortlived, is affecting his school work too. I don't think that his grades have drastically dropped, but he definitely is not putting out his best work right now. Last night we attended Robert's Academic Achievement night where he received acknowledgement of his 4.0 from the 1st sememester...so, he can achieve it...only 2-1/2 months left of the school year, hang in there Robert!

Between the job application issue and getting everyone fed and around for the Honors evening, I didn't get a chance to sit and stitch. Tonight, though, I am hoping to get some time for tonight will be a repeat of Tuesday evening - just track for the boys afterschool and then nothing in the evening!

That's all from here. Hope you and your family are doing well. Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

Done with M&T...entering the WTF part of the week

Welcome Wednesday, I greet you this morning a little later than I had wanted, but never the less I am up and going. It was so nice to be home last night - I got the grill going and threw on some chicken and pork chop kabobs...added a side, a veggie and a fruit...and the boys enjoyed a nice, filling healthy meal after they both got back home from their school track practices. It is nice to take advantage of these evenings. Evenings that don't require a quick, microwaved meal before heading down to the hockey rink. A night that almost all of the family can be home at the dinner table together and talk over what is going on in school, at track, in our lives.

I say "almost all" of the family, because DH is still at *The Store* and works until after 7pm. Many will ask...why not wait for him so you can do a total family meal...well, the other benefit about no hockey practice is that boys can get their homework done right after track practice & dinner so that they can enjoy some quality time with DH and also get in bed before 9pm. We always hear stories about families who allow their teenage children to go to bed a lot later; and while there are many nights that ours don't hit the pillow until 10:30-11:30pm, they demand more sleep and choose to continue the routine of getting into bed before or around 9pm if they can.

And, without having to go anywhere last night...I came home from work and had a wonderful 12.5 mile jog/run. I completed this in less than 2hours...and was only .6 miles short of what could have been considered a 1/2 marathon. Oh, well next time. After the run, I had a good hour to nap before getting dinner around and picking up the boys from their respective school. In the evening, I got to sit and stitch while DH had to study for a Food Safety Test that he is taking today. All in all...it was a very nice evening.

Wednesday is upon us and I am looking forward to see what it will bring my way. On the calendar is Robert's Academic Honors Evening, which is his first one in High School...and hopefully one of many over the next 3-1/2 years.

I hope your Wednesday brings much health, happiness, love and peace of mind to you and yours. Until next time...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

Entering into a little reprieve

Good morning fellow bloggers and good morning Tuesday.

Last night was "official" last night of hockey practice for the season - and at this moment I will express my gratitude for our rink hosting the Tier II PeeWee National Championships which start on Wednesday - for this means that all the ice time is designated to that tournament...otherwise, I am sure that Matthew would have had more practices this week. But, with the tournament taking over the rink, we will be without hockey practice until next Monday - as Matthew's post-season team is getting ready for the Chi-Town Shuffle in Chicago the weekend of April 14.

Anyway, without hockey means we can stay close to home - no driving the 75 mile round trip down to San Jose - which in turns means less gass usage...a money saver for a week. I'll take it - every little bit helps.

However, while we are without hockey practice...the boys are both participating in track, which is an afterschool activity. This is wonderful! For I don't have to pick them up until close to dinner time, which gives me more time after my job to come home and have some "me" time. Time I will definitely enjoy!

Speaking of things that were enjoyable...Sunday's CPR/First Aid class that I took with Robert was fun. Made for a long evening, but we had a good time. It was fun to learn along with Robert and to practice the CPR procedures with him. There have been some subtle changes to the procedure since I was certified last, but nothing drastic. I do have to say that he and I make a good team. With his upper body strength, he does some great compressions...and I can do the 2 quick puffs in between each of his 30 compressions. The new thing I did learn was how to use the AED machine and how to combine it with the CPR. Let's hope that we never have to use any of this...but it is nice to know that we can step into help if a situation arrises.

Other accomplishments in the last 24 hours: I was able to get into the medical lab yesterday morning to have my fasting blood work done, so now all my tests should be up to date...just waiting for all the results. I photographed and packaged up Sharon's ornament for the Ornament Exchange and will take it to the post office today; thus, it will make it into the mail before the deadline - YAHOO! And last night, during the last hockey practice, I vegged out and stitched on Family Sampler. I know, I owe ya'll a progress photo. I will try to get that taken and posted tomorrow.

Well, my friends that is all I have to ramble on about today. I hope all is well with you and your families! Take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

Super Sunday

I got tired of the snow image in the background of my blog and thought I would upload one of the flower photos I took while I walked to school with Matthew several weeks ago...I am not sure that the image is appropriate for the blog as it seem to make some of the text hard to read, but I will keep it up there for a while and see how I feel about it over the next week or so.

Friday evening I put the finishing touches on the ornament for Sharon - as it is the end of March and time to get the ornament in the mail for the Ornament Swap. I know that a few of the women have already sent theirs and Sharon has received 1 or 2...better get mine in the mail :) It is slightly hard to part with, for I do like the way it came out...but as Matthew said to me yesterday, "ya know mom, you can stitch one for us too." I suppose he is right...however, with another ornament complete and some time before I have to start Angela's, I have continued to put some stitches into Family Sampler. I will get a photo posted either Monday or Tuesday of the progress I have made.

Yesterday I worked in *The Store* most of the day, giving DH some time to get away from it. However, it was almost comical...as I was walking out the door in the morning to go open it up and do some of the prep work before the employees came in, there was a laundry list of things that he felt he needed to inform me of and even suggested that maybe he ought to come in...to make sure that the new employees were trained well on cutting the melons and that delivery routes were created for the driver when she arrived. It was one of those moments that I wanted to remind him that I have actually worked in the store on the weekend while he was out of town...that I have cut melons and can show the new hires...that I have created delivery routes without any problem. However, while this is OUR store/OUR business, he works in it everyday basically and has a strong feeling of ownership. So, I didn't say anything...just let him bark his list of "to dos" but told him that he didn't need to come in (he did end up coming in later in the morning to check on things and did make a couple of deliveries...but he did take some time to hit the couch and nap).

Today is Sunday...nothing really special about it as the title might suggest, but that was what popped into my mind as I decided to post today. DH is down at the rink with Matthew, who had a 6:15am practice this morning and I am spinning on the stationary bike while the bed sheets are being washed (got the mattressed rotated and the sheets changed...looking forward to night-night time tonight). Again, today, I am going in to *The Store* so DH can nap and relax, but he will coming in the last hour to close up. Today Robert and I are taking a CPR/First Aid class. He is old enough to work as a camp counselor at the local city camps this year...and get Paid! However, one of the requirements is to be CPR/First Aid certified. When I signed him up for it, I thought that it wouldn't hurt for me to go through the class too. I haven't taken a CPR class in over 10 years and I have heard that some of the procedures have changed; and I thought with all the traveling I do with the hockey teams & working in *The Store* it might be good to have this training. Have you taken a CPR class? If so, are you still certified?

Well, enough babbling for a Sunday morning. Hopefully you are enjoying your weekend. Until next time, remember to take care and...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

TGIF - Yahoo!

It is Friday...thank goodness. Since I was in Phoenix last weekend and then came home to deal with laundry/work/boys' school/*The Business*/after-school sports - I was looking forward to my Friday "day off"; however, I spent most the morning in the doctor's office taking care of all those yearly things that I have put off for two years...I even took care of getting the mammogram out of the way (I was able to just walk right in without scheduling an appointment). Now the only thing left to do is the fasting blood tests, which I think that I will take care of next Monday morning (that too is just a walk in situation - so if I get there right at 7am, it shouldn't be too bad). It is nice to take care of these things and check them off my "take care of me" list.

The rest of the day I spent doing some errands and deliveries for *The Business*. There were a couple of Edible Arrangements that needed to be delivered before noon, which DH needed some help to complete as our driver was already out and about doing the early morning ones and he couldn't get away until later in the afternoon. It is fun to deliver these big fruit arrangements, for the recipient is always excited to receive them.

So now for some really fun news...I was a winner of a give-a-way...a give-a-way that Edgar of Blacksheep's bit of the Web blog...a little background of the give-a-way if you aren't a follower of Edgars. Edgar visits the best estate sales and finds all sort of treasures. He advertised a piece of Belleek as a give-a-way that he was going to award on St. Patrick's Day. Well, Belleek is something that I have a collection of, for when my great-grandmother passed away about 18 years ago, I inherited her collection.

Belleek porcelain basically is from Ireland and the style of china that my great-grandmother collected and I continue to add to, has the shamrock design...fitting for St. Pat's, isn't it. Well, the reason my great-grandmother collected the Irish pottery is because she loved to brag about her Irish heritage. See for a long time, the family believed that her mother Katherine grew up in Ireland, feel in love with a german milk man and got married. However, the truth came out while my uncle was researching the family history that Katherine was from Iowa...granted somewhere in the family lineage that side of the family did come from Ireland, but it was generations ago.

As I said, my collection started with my great-grandmother's and has been added to over the years, as my family has given me pieces for birthdays and anniversaries over the years.

Above, you can seem my collection. The lady in the Belleek frame is a photo of my great-grandmother - Alyce Friedman. Below is what I received from Edgar for the St. Patrick's Day give-a-way he hosted:

My winnings...a beautiful Belleek creamer and lots of green candy (there were Junior Mints and an Andes Mint...but I gobbled those up before I took the photo). Thank you so much Edgar! I love my new piece and definitely enjoyed the green candy!

Well, my friends, it is time to sign off. Hope everyone is doing well - keeping dry if you are getting rained on and warm if you have been experiencing some snow showers. Spring and Summer will be here soon, they usually do arrive eventually.

Take care...and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

Catching up...

I am back...arrived back in town Sunday night after a 30-45 minute delay of our return flight from Phoenix. Weather was so bad up and down California that any plane coming from the state was late and many out of Phoenix to the southern part were cancelled...thank goodness that I had a direct to Oakland...so it was only late, not cancelled!

The weekend in Phoenix was wonderful. It started out with an early arrival on Thursday, March 17...just Matthew and I that whole day. We were able to get a room downtown Phoenix for the first evening because the team hotel was booked. My goodness...was the Phoenix airport a mess, for it is spring training and there were so many baseball fans - San Fran Giants, Oakland A's, Los Angeles Dodgers...on our plane, in the airport and waiting in the very, very long line for the rental car bus. Thank goodness that we were taxi-ing to the hotel for my patience would have been shot if I had to wait in that!

Anyway, once we reached the hotel and got checked in, we pulled out some mac-n-cheese and created a little room picnic for Matthew so that he could get in some lunch before we headed out to explore the city.

Mac-n-cheese, sour dough french bread, applesauce and apple juice...good source of fuel for the walk to the first museum.




I guess Matthew wasn't quite done eating when we started out to our first museum. Stopping to touch a cactus, something that he wanted to do immediately, I caught him mid-chew of his last bite of bread.



After he finished eating and I finished unpacking, we headed out and walked down the street to the Heard Museum, where there is one of the nation's largest collection of Native American cultures - especially the cultures of America's southwest. Matthew and I really enjoyed walking around the museum, there was a lot of wonderful information to read and activities to do.

Matthew outside the Heard Museum in the sculpture garden. It was a very warm day outside...upper 80s.



A mask from the Kuba (?) Tribe from S.America...Matthew thought that this was a very cool mask, because it reminded him of one of the first units he studied this year in Social Studies; so of course I took a photo of it and emailed it to his Social Studies teacher :)

After the Heard Museum, we headed further down town, taking the light rail so we didn't have to walk the short 3 miles in the heat we weren't use to :) While downtown, we visited the Science Museum where we only had enough time to watch a movie in the IMAX theater; for afterwards, most of the "fun" science activities had lines of kids and it was close to closing time...aside from which we were also hitting our wall of exhaustion & hunger. So, before we went back to the hotel, we took the light rail to one of our favorite restaurants - Sweet Tomatoes...the endless salad bar, with a pasta station, bakery and dessert counter (fruit & soft serve ice cream). We had a nice day together, Matthew & I. It has been a long time since we have traveled and did something non-hockey related. It felt great.

On Friday, after a good night's rest, a great 8.25 mile jog downtown and back, Matthew and I packed up. Our little mini-vacation was over and it was time to get back to reality. We were here for a hockey tournament...and the last one for the "official" season. One of the other hockey families were kind enough to pick us up and bring us to the "team" hotel in Scottsdale.

With a game Friday evening, 2 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday....eat, sleep, hockey (and I did get in some stitching; took out Family Sampler while sitting around the rink waiting for the game to start or at the hotel while we were resting) is about all we did until leaving Sunday evening. While the boys lost 4 games and tied 1 - they played amazing!!! The losses were only by 1-3 points for the most part. They have come a long way since their first games back in September. We are all proud of them...and I am proud of Matthew!



Matthew is in back - the one with the blue shirt and tie/no jacket
(fyi-this is only 1/2 the team)

Now it is really back to reality...laundry, work, *The Business*, continuing hockey practice for Matthew, track & field for Robert, school...never ends, does it?

Anyway...hope you all are doing well and until next time, take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

May the Luck of the Irish be yours...

Happy St. Patrick's Day at the wee hour of the morn...I am up and about at the dark hour of 2am in order to get in a nice spin on the stationary bike before Matthew and I head to the airport for a 7am flight. Suitcase, hockey bag and stitching backpack all stuffed, ready for travel. I heard that the weather is nice and warm down in Phoenix, AZ - so I am definitely looking forward to hanging out in warmer weather today! Joanie, who commented on yesterday's blog, gave me a heads up to a great needlework store - Attic Needlework - which doesn't look like it is too far from Scottsdale (that is where we are staying with the team for the tournament). I will be without my own set of wheels during the weekend, but maybe I can borrow someone's car and take a field trip during the weekend ;).

It is weekends like this, even when I travel and it is filled with activity and preparation for hockey games, I do enjoy them...more so now then in years before. First, these weekends bring with it some "downtime", more than I get, or allow myself to take, when I am home. This is the time between activities when I can hang out in the room by myself or with my son or with a fellow hockey mom. Second, these weekends provide me with some one-on-one time with my son; as they continue to get older this time becomes more valuable. Lastly, where else can I go where someone else makes the bed, picks up the towels on the floor and cleans up after me???

Anyway...I am looking forward to getting away! And if I have free internect connection, I will keep you informed...if not, then I will catch up with you all when I get back! Until next time...

Wishing you a rainbow

For sunlight after showers—

Miles and miles of Irish smiles

For golden happy hours—

Shamrocks at your doorway

For luck and laughter too,

And a host of friends that never ends

Each day your whole life through!

 

Take care...Lisa

 

Where did time go?

Oh, my it is Wednesday already? I know that we lost an hour on Sunday, but I feel like I lost a few days there too!

Over the weekend, DH and Matthew were in Los Angeles. Matthew's hockey team played a few hockey games down there against a team who was visiting from the Czec Republic and one game against the LA Jr. Kings PWAA team. Sounds like it was a fun weekend, especially with a pizza dinner on Saturday night where they got to visit with the Czec Kids and trade gifts. The Jr. Sharks (Matthew's team) gave San Jose Shark T-shirts and a Jr. Shark pennant and, in turn, Matthew's team received a hat with the Czec hockey team logo and a pennant. Aside from hockey, the weekend was also about father/son bonding - something that DH hasn't had a lot of time to do because of *The Store*.

So, while they were down in LA I was minding *The Store*. I worked in there all day Saturday and then again on Sunday. It was fun, but tiring. When I got home, I did do a little stitching on Family Sampler as well as napped...however, I wanted to finish the ornament for the ornament Swap, but didn't have the creative energy to complete it. So, I will have to do that when I get back from Phoenix.

Yes, that is right...tomorrow I am off to Phoenix with Matthew. He has a hockey tournament down there again, but it doesn't start until Friday evening. So we will have all day Thursday to explore downtown Phoenix before moving to our assigned hotel on Friday. This trip, which hasn't even started yet, has caused some stress. First, it was an issues with our airline tickets for tomorrow. Using point to save some money, I accidentally booked a 7 AM flight instead of a 7PM one...and since I used reward points you really can't change them without a headache. Once over that mistake, I found out yesterday that we didn't have a room for Thursday night at the hotel that we are staying at for the tournament. Because our travel plans differed from the rest of the team, the manager forgot about our need for a room and just booked us Friday-Sunday like the rest of the team. No big deal, except that the hotel is over booked because Spring Training is going on down there. They did put me down on a waiting list, but for a piece of mind, I went ahead and book a room at another hotel for Thursday...using points.

So free airline ticket down to Phoenix,

free night stay at a hotel on Thursday...

no hockey until Friday evening = mini vacation for Matthew and I. 

I did a little research finding this hotel for Thursday, and we are staying right down town where there seems like there are a lot of museums, shops and restaurants to explore. I am sure that we will find some things to keep us busy!

Hopefully the weather down in Arizona is better than here. We have had some wet days lately..."Spring showers bring Spring Flowers" I guess. However in between showers I have been able to get out and do a little jogging. Monday I had a very nice 6.5 mile jog around the neighborhood and yesterday I did a 9 mile one. It felt very good...but just a little sore this morning. Nevertheless, I was able to get my butt out of bed and on the stationary bike for a good spin - to loosen up my legs and get in a good sweat before getting everyone else up and around for school/work.

Well, before I sign off on this post, I will leave you with this to think about:

Watch children running around in the playground and you will soon be thinking,

“They’re having so much fun.”

Why are they having so much fun?

The better question is, Why aren’t you having more fun?

Children run around and play as if by instinct.

They do not question whether they should have fun, they just go out and do it. . . .

 Having a little fun, a time for pure silliness and happiness, is an essential part of every day.

~David Niven

Make the most of your day today...

go out and play, be silly, be happy!

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa



A breath of fresh air

....WARNINING...put new batteries in my camera...Post contains lots of photos....

Enlight of the tragedy that occurred in Japan today and the wait for the tsunami wave to hit the coast of California...I decided to take a break from the morning news programs and go out...enjoy a walk to school this morning with Matthew. Bruno, our 8 year old/90 pound mutt, enjoyed getting out and taking a walk too. The cool, damp California air smelled good - sweet from the early blooming spring flowers & trees.

While we have some trees that turn colors in the fall and loose their leaves during the winter months, many of them tend to stay green all year long. And it is during the winter time when all the hills around us turn green (when we moved here, the real estate lady told us that this part of California has 2 seasons: brown from June-October and green from November-May - right now we are in the green season) which is reminds me of photos of Ireland...green rolling hills.

Many of the trees that drop their leaves in the fall, tend to be crab-apple and cherry trees. In the springtime, they are filled with white or pink flowers before they get their leaves. This time of the year is beautiful, for you look around and there are so many trees filled flowers. I can imagine little leprechans running around during the night and pasted pink & white cotton balls on the end of the trees.

As our walk to school continues, I spy a small patch of wild California poppies. In the cool evening, the flowers close up tight...but in the morning light of the sun they start to unwrap themselves to let in the warmth. I love the vivid orange against the cool green of the grass...and the sparkling of dew in the sunlight.

Once we reach the top of the hill, where the crossing guard leads the kids to the school, Bruno and I say "good-bye...have a great day at school" to Matthew; then we start our journey back home. Home - where Bruno gets his breakfast of low-fat, senior citizen doggie food and I can get my morning workout started. However, before we get in the house I notice that the garbage men have made their visit - so I can take the trash can back to the house. There, where we keep the trash cans, I notice that our wild Lily has started to grow and bloom again.

We are always amazed that these flowers grow and thrive year-after-year without us doing anything to take care of them. I guess their roots are deep within the fertile soil, where they get the perfect amount of water and nourishment.

Well, my walk has ended and now I find myself back inside the house, sitting on my stationary bike getting my workout while up-dating my blog. And...as promised earlier in the week, I do have a photo of the progress I have made on Family Sampler.

First...here is where it was the last time I posted a photo:

Family Sampler - progress last posted January/early February

Now...here is what it looks like after spending a few days stitching recently:

Progress!!!!

Thank you for coming on a walk with Matthew, Bruno and I. I hope that you enjoyed the scenery. Take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

Midweek Maddness

Here we are on a Wednesday, right in the middle of the week. Last weekend ended 2 days ago and the next weekend is 2 days away. I still haven't made a run to get batteries so I can snap a photo of Family Sampler, I just needed to do a little blogging...to get a little off my mind.

First up...the price of gas.

Ugh, boy do I dread getting gas right now. What is the price for a gallon where you live? Here, in the East of San Fran & Oakland, in a area called Tri-Valley the price of Regular unleaded is hovering close to that $4/gallon mark. I know that there are other areas of California where it has already hit and surpassed that mark. And the increase has already started to show up in the grocery stores in the price of food...the bread I have been purchasing at our local store was 88cents, it is now 99cents. One gallon of milk has gone from $2.59 to $2.79 each...and you have to purchase 2 to get that price or you pay $2.99 each.
I filled up my car on Monday morning at the Safeway gas pump; they offer a 10cent off per gallon of gas when you spend $50 or more on a shopping trip. Feeding my growing boys is more than $50 a shopping trip, so I have a lot of these fuel awards. Monday's gas trip caught the pumps at Safeway to be $3.89/gal or $3.79 if you have the 10cent off fuel reward (not too bad, as it isn't $4 yet). So, I filled up my car for around $50. Well, after driving to/from the rink on Monday, which is a 70 mile round trip...and again last night I am already at half tank. Thursday there will be another trip to the rink, so I am sure that I will have to fill up again before the weekend. It is just crazy!

Second topic...schools...
Ok, I know that schools in California don't get a lot of money from the government. They have cancelled a lot of programs to help save money...they have increased the size of the classroom and gotten rid of some teachers...they have increased the amount of dues for school sports at the high school...they continue to try and sell wrapping paper, magazines, raffles, signing telegrams, etc to raise money to fund projects, programs and buy equiptment to better educate our children.

They have added a new law to make it madatory for kids to be in school - students can only have 3 unexcused absences a year and will start being hounded by truant notices if they have more...and in extreme cases parents of truant kids can be fined & incarcinarated. The only "excused" absence is if a kid is sick, but they can only be sick 3 times throughout the year, and not 3 days together or you will need to get a doctors note to verify that the kid was indeed sick. So, both of my boys play travel hockey...both have had about 10 absences (or 7 because the first 3 are 'freebies')...I received Matthew's truant notice before winter break, talked with the middle school principal and an understanding has been reached. Because I knew that Robert would be absent for hockey after the first of the year, I initiated the same conversation with the prinicipal at the high school...just got a "thank you for informing us of Robert's extracurricular sport. He has wonderful grades and we are glad that he is able to balance his absences with his education and keep his grades to a 4.0 (straight As), but unfortunately any absence he has will be unexcused." I know that there are families who take their kids out of school for a trip to Disney or where ever during non-school breaks so that they can miss the lines at the amuesment parks...or pay the lower out-of-season prices. Why punish the kids/families who give a damn about their kids' education, whose kids have straight As, and turn in all their assignments on time? They continue to say that if a kid is not in school they cannot learn and do well - it is time that the educators state the obvious: If a child is not in school, the school receives fewer dollars that day - for each student represents a $.

Then, there is this situation...which I just don't understand. One of Matthew's friends participated in a school fundraiser hosted by a local company. It is the kind of fundraiser where you have to go to the company's webiste and click the name of the child. The more clicks they receive the more chances they have to win whatever that company is giving. Well, the school sent out emails and requests to go to the websit and click on this little girls name. If she received the most 'clicks' she would win a party for her whole class at the business in addition to a iPod Nano & Laptop for her school. She won, they had a celebration assembly yesterday. Long story-short...the school kept the iPod Nano to use for future assemblies, but the teacher who the laptop was for, decided she didn't want it...so she gave it to the little girl. Excuse me? Wasn't that for the school? The school who continually needs money to fund projects and buys equiptment, such as new computers? I am sure that someone in the school would have been able to find a use for a new $1200 computer. Better yet, I am sure that there are some children whose families can't afford a computer that would love to use it for the school year to do their school work. Hello? Is it only me who doesn't understand this?

Third...an apology...
I am sorry for all the whinny this morning. Between the increase in gas prices, the increase in food prices and our education situation...well, I just needed to vent and get this off my shoulders. I appreciate your visit and reading.

Until next time...which I hope to have a photo of Family Sampler progress...remember:

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

My plate is a little less full...

Well, Robert's hockey season is over - but they did go down with a fight. The team played a good game on Saturday evening, which was the Semi-Finals between them, the San Jose Jr. Sharks from Northern California, and the LA Selects, from Southern California. I guess it could have been dubed the "Civil War" of the Pacific District Championship weekend. They lost with a score of 4-3.

While I have a lot of feelings and thoughts about how the game was played, I will not bore you with too much or write too much (for the fear the hockey-idiots will stalk my blog again and lift what I say off, only to manipulate my words in their mentally-sick way and post on a hockey forum adding to the poison they love to spread). Let's just say, they could have won the game if they played as a team...working together...and leave it at that.

There are some finishing touches to both the Pacific District Championship and the hockey season that I have to complete - basically submitting an expense report for the items I purchased for the PDC...and cleaning up a few issues from the hockey season. So, with Robert done for a few weeks he is looking into the school track team, which already started their season. He is planning to talk with the coach to make sure that he can join in as well as discuss some conflicts that will arrise in April as the Spring/Summer hockey clinics start up.

Matthew's season is still going on - although the way his team is classified, his will just continue through the end of the season and skate into the Spring/Summer hockey activities.

Well enough about hockey - on to stitching...
With time opening up for other activities I was able to put the last stitch into Sharon's ornament (for the Ornament Swap) and will make time this coming weekend to finish it up. With that completed, I was able  to pull out Family Sampler and work on that a little last night. It felt good to sit and stitch on it. I didn't get too far...and I still do not have any batteries for the camera. But I will make sure to get a photo of it's progress posted sometime this week. My goal was to have Family Sampler stitched before April 7 - which is the date of my wedding anniversary. This year we will be celebration number 20 - wow. Well, I have exactly one month...there is still time to get it done...definitely a good challenge!

Well, time to sign off. Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

The weekend is arriving...

and I am looking forward to it. Not that I will get too much rest, but since the Pacific District Championship started yesterday and all my responsibilities have basically been fullfilled my "to do" plate is a little more managable. Now I just have to wait and see how Robert's team does over the weekend, for that will determine whether their season is over (then my team manager responsiblities are complete) or if they win the districts and proceed to Nationals (then I continue manager duties until after the end of the month). Yesterday was the first game and they, unfortunately, lost in over time with a score of 3-2. The second game is this afternoon. Let's go Sharks!

I have been reading all the posts and was saddened to hear about the loss of Lisa from Primative Needle. I know that there are SALs going on all over the world in her memory. What a wonderful tribute. Will you be participating?

Well...time to sign off and get ready to go to the rink. Take care my blogging friend...and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

Mid-week rambling...

I am up and going this morning. Something that I haven't done for a couple of days. I have been finding the bed more comfortable lately, which makes it extremely difficult to get my butt out of bed and onto the stationary bike like my "normal-so-called-routine" should be. If I can get my early morning spin on the stationary bike out of the way in the morning, it just makes the rest of the day go that much better. Oh, well...I am up and spinning this morning so that is something to definitely express thanks for!

So to catch you up on life in this crazy house, Sunday DH took my Honda into the brake shop that was open and the noise that we have been hearing, that went from sounding like a goose-honk when I applied the breaks to a continuous whine, was due to the wearing down of the rear breaks. So my year and a half Honda, with only 22,000 miles, has new rear breaks. But we caught it in time so the price of the fix wasn't too bad at all.

But during the time that we only had one car, which I drove down to San Jose for Robert's hockey practice that afternoon, DH was out doing deliveries in the Edible Arrangement van. All was going well, until he turned off the van to take a delivery to up to a building. When he got back to the van it wouldn't start...dead battery. He called me in a panic - he was stuck, he had been waiting for over 30 minutes for a tow truck to come and jump the van and the shop where the Honda was at closes at 3pm.After our conversation, I dropped everything I was doing at the rink and drove back up to our neighborhood (it is about a 30-45 minute drive) to pay for the Honda before the shop closed...and to be close to where he was just incase he couldn't get a jump start. By the time I made it to the shop (with 10 minutes to spare), DH called and said that he got a jump from some passerby and was on his way to a auto shop to get a new battery before making his last delivery of the day. So, back down to the rink I went. Like I said in the last post: "It is always something, isn't it!"

Tomorrow starts the Pacific District Hockey Championship for Robert & his hockey team and it is taking place down in San Jose, CA. We are the hosting club and I am one of the co-chairpersons. While I did take on some of the responsibility, the other co-chair is bearing the brunt of it for there was no way that I could committ to being more involved than what I signed up for...which was to get the team badges created & printed, design & get printed the attendance badges, make signs to hang around the rink for different things and to help brainstorm about food for the hospitality room...and to be the support for the other co-chair as she stresses out about all the responsiblities that the tournament chairs are required to do. Which became more than was initially described over a month ago. As several of the other mothers from our team have stepped up to help, things are pretty well organized and I know that we will be ready in time for the managers/coaches meeting tonight and for the first drop of the puck tomorrow morning. It is a small tournament, with only 9 teams, which makes some of the tasks pretty easy. If Robert's team wins this (if there is a miracle) then they proceed to Nationals which is at the end of the month in New Jersey...but there is a team which will be very hard to beat. We'll see how the team does.

Well, that is about all that I have for you today. Lots of activities, but not much stitching the last few days. Hopefully I will find time to do some over the weekend, once my responsibilities for the tournament are complete and things just flow.

Hope everyone is doing well...take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa