Small Talk on Tuesday - Here, Present and Now

My Prairie Schooler Santa 2009 is coming a long. His red jacket is now complete and I have started to work on his green sack of presents. This weekend, while ALL the boys were away at their respective hockey tournaments (Robert in Atlanta...my DH & Matthew in Texas), I enjoyed some time to myself again. In between the time I needed to be in one store or the other, I did manage to have time to plop my ever growing bottom on the couch.

Friday and Saturday evening, I only managed to find time to do nothing but lay in front of the television and tune the world out. That always feels good, doesn't it. To be able to lay ones head down and just "be"?

On Sunday, since the store closes early, I was home around 2pm. Early enough to get in my couch potato nap out of the way in the afternoon - while enjoying the parade of stars on the Golden Globe's red carpet. That meant, in the evening while the Golden Globe Award show was on, I would be clear-headed enough to enjoy stitching while watching.

It is always fun to watch the stars parade in fancy dresses and bling, as well as see what movies and tv shows have been deemed worth watching...for I don't get too much time to take in a movie or watch too much tv. However, now I have my list of movies I would like to try and find time for (yeah, right...between all the hockey coming up and the last big tournaments and preparation for Valentine's Day at the store...well, a girl can always make her lists...and if I can't see the movies in the theater, there is always rentals :)).

Well, ALL the boys are back home now. My DH & Matthew arrived back home first, which gave me some time to get all their dirty clothes clean and listen to stores of their weekend. It was nice that they were able to combine a hockey trip to Texas with some family visits. The in-laws (mother, father, brothers and sisters) all live in the Kansas/Texas area and it sounded like they all came down to visit and see DH & Matthew. It has been awhile since all of them have been together. Robert (older son) got home late...so I haven't had any time to really catch up with him.

Before I ramble on too much more, I will conclude this post. Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

Thoughts for Tuesday...

On Arturo Toscanini's eightieth birthday, someone asked his son, Walter, what his father ranked as his most important achievement. The son replied, "For him there can be no such thing. Whatever he happens to be doing at the moment is the biggest thing in his life--whether it is conducting a symphony or peeling an orange."

~Ardis Whitman

What we are talking about is learning to live in the present moment, in the now. When you aren't distracted by your own negative thinking, when you don't allow yourself to get lost in moments that are gone or yet to come, you are left with this moment. This moment--now--truly is the only moment you have. It is beautiful and special. Life is simply a series of such moments to be experienced one right after another. If you attend to the moment you are in and stay connected to your soul and remain happy, you will find that your heart is filled with positive feelings.

~Sydney Banks

Do we need to make a special effort to enjoy the beauty of the blue sky?
Do we have to practice to be able to enjoy it? No, we just enjoy it.
Each second, each minute of our lives can be like this.
Wherever we are, any time, we have the capacity to enjoy the sunshine,
the presence of each other, even the sensation of our breathing.
We don't need to go to China to enjoy the blue sky.
We don't have to travel into the future to enjoy our breathing.
We can be in touch with these things right now.
~Thich Nhat Hanh



Santa 2009 Status - Phone Photo (not great quality)


Yesterday, with DH taking care of all the hockey responsibilities and, me, hanging out at the house "on-call" with any store issues...I took the opportunity to sit my fanny down on the couch and stitch. I was able to make some pretty good progress on Santa; but with those little teenie-tiny stitches I did have to take a few breaks. Some breaks were to call into the stores, some were to switch the laundry from the washer to the drier, and some breaks were just to curl up and nap.

It was nice to have a slow Saturday and just enjoy "being". Got to enjoy them when I can :)

Hope you are finding moments of "Just Being" this weekend. Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

Thursday's Check in

Hello friends, it has been a few days since I have last checked in; just trying to get back into the groove with the boys back in school after the winter break as well as deal with their hockey schedule and find my "full-time" role in *The Business*. No new routine has formed yet...I am sure it will take a while to figure things out.

In the meantime, I have found a few spare minutes when I was able to pick up the thread & needle. So, as mentioned in my last posting, I have not been working on Family Sampler laterly...

so what am I putting X's in, you ask?

Do you remember my special little package that I received from my dear friend CindyMae in November?

Here is a snap as a reminder...

One of the items was the Prairie Schooler Santa 2009 stitched and finished as a pillow

Well, in our household, a Santa with hockey skates & stick & puck is well thought of - so, since Cindy also included the pattern for this jolly hockey guy I wanted to make a couple of ornaments for the boys. I started stitching one the middle of December, but with all the holiday craziness I didn't get it done for this year's Christmas tree...so I am hoping to have it for the 2012 tree.

Anyway, here is where I am on the first one (with 2 boys, you know I need to stitch 2)...

I am stitching it one-over-one on 28ct evenweave (I think) - yikes it is tiny! I am hoping to finish the first one up by the end of the month (seems to be a realistic goal). Stay tuned, for I will post another update.

That is all I have for now, my blogging friends. I hope the first 5 days of 2012 are going well for you. Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

A little package arrived, from a dear stitching friend!!

Yesterday a little package was sitting on my doorstep. I wasn't expecting anything, although some of our relatives have started their Christmas shopping a little early. However, this package was from my dear stitching friend - CindyMae. Totally unexpected, I of course couldn't wait to tear into the package...even through we were 1/2 our the door for a hockey game.

Rip...Rip...Tear...Tear...YAHOO! HOW COOL!...sob, sob..OMG, I can't believe that anyone would do this for me...

In the package was a pillow, with the Prairie Schooler Santa 2009 stitched AND the pattern...and a beautiful door hanger that reads: "Stitching Friends Forever."

Can you find any holiday stitching pattern that would be more perfect for my life than a Santa with a hockey stick, a couple of hockey pucks and ice skates?  Like, this is so ME...so my LIFE...and hopefully Santa takes the hint that the boys could always use a new pair of skates, a stick or even the puck for their stockings. And if that isn't enough, she threw in the pattern as well. Which, is awesome because after I showed my boys the pillow, they immediately said that would make a neat ornament for me. So, I guess I need to get my supplies together and stitch some skating Santas for the boys.

And the other stitched "door hanger" - Stitching Friends Forever, I think really sums up the friendship I have with Cindy. Through the blogging community of stitchers our paths crossed. A new and upcoming stitching designer, she needed people to help her out and stitch some of her designs so that she would have some models...I volunteered. And we have kept in contact throughout.

Cindy, thank you so much! I love my package. The pillow I have placed on my bed and the door hanger on my bedroom doorknob. You have truely spoiled me :) My life has been richer since you have come into it years ago and even through we live thousands of miles appart and have never met, you are a very special friend!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Yesterday's two hockey games, which Matthew and his team played, were pretty good. We knew going into them that his team would be challenged. Matthew played well and the team was not totally shut out...but they did loose both games with a score of 1-10 and 2-8. It could have been worse, for the opposing team, who is from Southern California, does a lot to recruit players from all over California as well as the US.

Today, my DH just left with both boys at 6:30am. Matthew has another game, an exhibition game against an older team from our club and Robert has an early morning practice with his team. Then later today, Robert will be playing in a hockey game as a member of his high school hockey team. This is the first game for this team and the first high school hockey game for his school. High school hockey is just getting organized in California (so, if you are keeping track, Robert is on two hockey teams - his high school team and his club team). 

Well, Robert will get to play in that High School game if he gets his homework done...Matthew has informed us that his homework is done for the weekend and he is ready for school tomorrow...fingers are crossed that we will not have any homework surprises at bedtime tonight!

That is about it my blogging friends. I am trying to get all my "to dos" crossed off my list before the boys come home from hockey: exercise, blog posting, catch up with relatives, grocery shopping, folding the laundry and prep a family lunch. So I better keep going to knock the things off. Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa