End of the week

Finish each day and be done with it.

You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can.

Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is Friday -

yahoo! And it has been a long, long time since I have had a Friday off...off of work, off without children in the house, off without any expectation from others to do "their things".

I can't report that I have done too much relaxing or anything really exciting - but I did sleep in until 6:30am (by mistake, as I didn't hear my 4:30am exercise call), I did go into *The Store* at 9:00am (I had an appointment with an advertising guy for DH & I need to start making our marketing plans for *Our Business*), I did go home at 9:30am and clean the bottom floor of our house (something that has needed to be done for quite awhile) and at 12:30pm, I was able to veg out on the stationary bike for a couple of hours while catching up on facebook, emails, reading/commenting on blogs and writing this new post.

Thank you -

I was so excited to read the comments on my last post - for thanks to all the offers to add hearts to my Friendship Sampler. I will be emailing those of you who offered to get your snail mail...what a fun way to complete this project :)

Last night -

I had to take Matthew (younger son) down to the hockey rink, but not for ice practice...his team was scheduled for "off-ice" conditioning. It is one of those things which I know is necessary for him to do and to be there to do, but it is hard to swallow the driving to and from the rink for the hour activitiy (it took almost an hour to get to the rink last night and 45 minutes to get home). However, once at the rink, I used my time wisely. I decided to sit in my car and stitch on Family Sampler...so with the car engine off and the battery on so that I could listen to the radio and turn on the over head light, I stitched...

I stitched for a little over an hour, while Matthew was out in the parking lot with his team - running ladders, jumping on big truck tires, shooting into a hockey net, etc. Just as they started to pick up the equipment to help their coach put everything away...the radio died and the overhead light went out...the car battery was dead. Yikes! Thank goodness that many of the hockey dads were out watching their kids, for I was able to catch their attention to "jump my car" to "give it the spark of life" again. It didn't take much to revive it, and we were on our way back home. How embarrassing :) Next time I decide to stitch in my car, I will bring one of those little battery operated stitching lights and use my ipod & headphones!

BTW...I was only able to stitch that floating leaf above the house in that time period. I was going to stitch the leaves on the tree, to the left of the house, but I realized that I never stitched all the branches...and the over head light in the car really doesn't give enough light to see very well. Oh, well...at least I was able to put the needle to the thread for a bit last night!

Well, my friends, time to end this for the day. Take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

Opt-ing out and UN-subscribing

YOU HAVE MAIL...

Has your email inbox become like your 'snail-mail-box'...filled with junk email? While I do actually get a lot of my communication from family and friends via email, much of the other stuff has been sale-emails, advertisement-emails, junk-emails...basically unwanted clutter. So, for the last 5 days I have been going through all my emails (carefully, for I make sure that none of it is viral) and "clicking" on the unsubscribe or opt-out button. Little by little, my inbox has had fewer "unopened" notices from the companies I do not wish to hear from in the last few days; but it is interesting to note how many times it takes to go through the unsubscribe process for some companies. While they claim it takes 10 days for the request to take place, they continue to litter your box with more ads - so I continue to go through the unsubscribe process again & again in hopes that I finally do not hear from them.

Stitching Update...
Well, aside from that minor new year's resolution of cleaning up my inbox clutter, I don't have much to report on my Stitching. Yet, while I was able to stitch on a few leaves onto the left-hand side tree of my Family Sampler while at the hockey rink on Tuesday evening, it isn't enough to show at this time. I am hoping to get some time today or tomorrow so that I have some progress to "show and tell".

Speaking about stitching and my goals...in a comment on my last post, Julie said that she would be willing to stitch a heart on my sampler...and she has the pattern. I was kind of thinking of asking some of you if you would be interested in helping me finish - the thought about having a piece of needlework with stitches from my RR group and many of you...well, it would be priceless...but I felt funny about it...anyway, Julie I would be honored to send my Friendship Sampler out to you so that you can add to a heart. Thank you so much for offering - I will get it in the mail today or tomorrow. If anyone else out there would like to help, let me know.

Last night's activity...

Last night, the hockey carpool was driving, so I was able to have a hockey free evening...however, due to one of our employees having to take the night off, DH asked if I could come in after dropping Robert off at the carpool pick up location, which is very close to *The Store*. When I first got there, there was an arrangement that needed to be made so DH could get it delievered before 7pm, it was...

Once it was made and wrapped, he left. With no more orders to produce for the day, I busied myself with the clean up procedure so that the kitchen would be ready for Thursday morning. There wasn't much to clean up, except for empting the trash, sweeping up and mopping the floor. Once done, my thoughts turned to the condition of our house...I wish my house was as clean as the kitchen in *The Store*. Oh, well...I know that if I wasn't at *The Store* I would have planted myself on the couch and stitched, so nothing would have been getting cleaned up last night :)

Tonight - I will be back at the rink with Matthew who has "dryland" or, also known as "off-ice" conditioning, with his team. They do some running, pushups, jumping rope and other conditioning activities outside in the parking lot of the rink. Thank goodness we live in California - even though the temps have been a little chilly (we have been waking up to temps in the 30s and heavy frost on the green hills; it does warm up to the low 50s by the afternoon), there isn't too many places where you could do outdoor activities in January at night without wearing heavy winter outer ware.

Well, that is enough for today my friends. I hope that the first week of the new year has been going well for you. Until next time...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often,

Lisa

PS...Melanie R, do you have a blog for I would love to read it...please let me know.

 Who can tell the value of a smile? It costs the giver nothing, but is beyond price to the erring and relenting, the sad and cheerless, the lost and forsaken. It disarms malice, subdues temper, turns hatred to love, revenge to kindness, and paves the darkest paths with gems of sunlight. A smile on the brow betrays a kind heart, a pleasant friend, an affectionate brother, a dutiful son, a happy husband. It adds a charm to beauty, it decorates the face of the deformed, and makes a lovely woman resemble an angel in paradise.

~Tryon Edwards

Update from the Mundane Life...

The first day back to "normal routine" seemed to go well. The boys' first day back at school after the holidays seemed to go without any problems - not that I expected any as they both enjoy school and have a good base of friends. My day back at my job went well too, just spent some time on cleaning up my desk from last year and started in on the 2011 budget for my department passed to me by my boss and my boss's boss - spreading out the monies throughout the calendar year. DH worked at *The Store*, finishing all the accounting things to close out 2010 and start gearing up for Valentine's Day business.

To continue with the mundane paragraph of life...afterschool, I took Robert to the eye doctor. Last year he received his first pair of glasses as his eyes are starting to get nearsighted - and while they really hadn't changed this visit, we did decide to start him with some contacts. Sports glasses or goggles were something that he didn't want to wear, and we have a feeling that he hasn't seen the hockey puck very clearly - so contacts were in order hoping that this helps with his receiving a pass and perhaps scoring as well :)

In the evening, it was to the rink I went with Matthew for his Monday late evening ice practice. The coach ran a really good practice last night, so good that Matthew was very fired up after it! Scoring during the scrimmages, getting compliments from coach during one of the skill drills - he got in the car and just chatted for the whole 45 minute drive home. I learned all about the drills: how he did and how several other of his teammates did; I learned about who he eats lunch with and what they do when they are done eating; I  learned that they changed desks in his history class and who he sits by now; we went over what he liked about his winter vacation and the LA hockey tournament; he talked about working at *The Store* and our employees...he was a "Chatty Kathy" for the entire drive home and as soon as we pulled in the garage he repeated the whole conversation for DH. It is fun when he gets in these moods for I know that everything is "great".

Stitching update...

As soon as I posted my goals yesterday, turned off the computer, and started to pack my huge backpack that I carry all over with me (it is packed with my latest stitching project and a couple of others, a few magazines and other things...let's just say that I am always prepared to go to the rink or jump on a plane), I realized that I did forget one other project that I will need to finish this year - the Friendship Sampler RR that contains stitched hearts from all the women in the RR group and is now home, ready for me to stitch the last few hearts and finish it. So, on to the list it goes. I know going public with a "goal list" is the kiss of death, but it is something that I will always see and will to my best to work toward completing.

Although, yesterday wasn't a good day for stitching - to much running around; and even though I was at the rink, where I tend to do a lot of my needlework, I spent a good hour of that time in the fitness room on the treadmill. Tonight I am down at the rink longer as both boys have practice, so I can do my fitness routine there for the first hour and reward myself the last hour and a half with some stitching...how does that sound?

Well, I hope that I didn't bore you too bad.

Take care and remember...
Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

Back to the routine

Today the boys go back to school...and I go back to my job...and the evening hockey practices start back up. The "normal" daily routine begins for the first time of the new year.

It has been a nice holiday break - busy - but very nice. Lots of good quality family time, when we could work it in, and a wonderful time spent with my boys in LA.

As the new year begins, I have been working on some minor changes to my blog design...basically getting rid of the old...and setting my stitching goals for 2011. There are a couple different Challenges out there as per what I have read on many of your blogs. My personal challenge, which I have noted right on the heading of my blog so that I can see it every time I log in is to:

1. Finish Family Sampler by LHN - which I began in November (WIP)
2. Finish Mary Wigham - which was begun in November 2009 (WIP)
3. Finish Hockey Rivalry - which I began 3 years ago and have considered it a UFO
4. Begin and finish the Monthly Samplers by LHN - there is per each month, thus 12 in all.

So there are my 15 projects that I would like to work on and complete - while intermingling it with the 2011 Ornament Exchange Group ornaments. So, there you are...I have made my public announcement of my projects...now I just need to figure out how to sit by butt down and get them done :)

Hope your day is wonderful!
Take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

CRASH...

So...

1. take two boys - ages 11.5 and almost 15
2. tell them that they have a great opportunity to stay home and have a pajama day
3. give them a little time and they will begin to get "antsy"
4. provide a day without rain, a hockey net, 2 hockey sticks and a street ball
5. let them go out and play

after a while, when some of their energy has been spent and their patience (aka 'brotherly love') has waned...

a orange street ball flies through the air and breaks the front window of our house. Well, I guess I know what Robert is getting for his 15th birthday in 9 days.

Grilling our way into 2011...

"1-1-11"

Happy New Year friends and family!

I hope everyone rung in the New Year in a fun and safe fashion. Our celebration was nice and quiet and...at home! I needed that day to just be...and just catch up. I did get a lot done, not as much as I hoped to, but did manage to get all the laundry from the LA trip washed and put away; the Christmas tree & ornaments have been put away and the faux needles vacuumed up; bills and hockey forms have been filled out/paid/mailed; the house has been re-stocked with food and the boys were able to catch up on some sleep. And I even got to sit and stitch for a while...took out Family Sampler and put in about 30 stitches before taking a nap. Just one more thing that has to get done and that is make airline reservations for Matthew's hockey tournament that is coming up at the end of the month (probably will be "punished" with higher priced tickets due to procrastinating).

Last night, I fired up the grill and threw on some burgers and hot links per a request from the boys who were tired of pasta & coffee-maker hot dogs. Any time that I can get Matthew to eat some form of protein, I typically change it. The meat was done cooking around 6:15pm, tried to time it so that DH could catch the end of the meal for he was at *The Store* all day and was due home around 7:15pm.

When the boys were threw, the charcol was perfect for marshmallow roasting...not your typical winter-backyard activity...I know. But one of the Christmas presents the family got was a hot chocolate-s'more kit, which I thought would be fun to do on New Year's Eve.

We got out the kabob skewers and the boys went out into the backyard to roast their marshmallows...



Robert, who actually finished up his dinner first, got to try his hand at roasting the first marshmallow over the flames. He didn't do too bad...just scorched the top slightly, forgetting to brown the sides...



but it didn't matter what the marshmallow looked like, or that it wasn't quite as "smooshy" as it could have been - for there is nothing like smashing the gooey sweet thing between a piece of milk chocolate and 2 graham crackers.

Once Matthew finished up his dinner, he joined his brother in the fun. Something about sticking something in a flame that always excites boys...have you even noticed that? Anyway, Matthew was having more fun roasting than he did eating the s'mores or the roasted marshmallows...and after feeding DH everything he cooked, it was time for Matthew to give up his right to skewer any more marshmallows. (BTW...if you ever run out of graham crackers and chocolate bars, Chips Ahoy cookies work just as well).

After the kitchen was cleaned up, we all retired to our TV room upstairs - the boys had their traditional chocolate milkshakes while we watched the NY's ball drop on Time Square...at 9pm our time before heading off to bed around 9:30pm.

Nice to have a little family time, as that seems to have been scarce around the holidays this year - so I will take whatever I can :)

I hope your New Year's celebrations were full of fun, love, happiness and memories. Take care my friends and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

By the way...Plum Street Sampler has a freebie - Hares' New Year - it looks great!

Catching up...@home :)

I am home after 6 days and 5 nights in Los Angeles! It is so good to be home! However, I do have to say that the time I just spent with my two boys down in So.Cal - watching 10 hockey games that they played in days, spending time with each of them while the other was on the ice, time in the hotel room and driving to/from - was priceless. Lots of Mother-sons bonding time...something that gets less and less as they grow up!

Yesterday, the last day of the hockey games, miracles happened...in order for Robert's team to finish in 2nd place and play in the championship game the following had to happen in the morning games: the Dallas Stars Elite Bantam AAA team had to beat the Phoenix Bantam AAA team...and Robert's team had to beat the LA Select Bantam AAA team. Well, all the stars and planets must have lined up perfectly because that is what happened. So, Robert's team ended up 2nd and played in the 3pm championship game. With 2-1/2 hours between the morning game and the championship game, the boys and I enjoyed a lunch at Panera Bread Company and then came back to the parking lot of the rink. Since we checked out of our hotel room, because I assumed that the miracle wouldn't happen, we vegged out in the car:

Robert enjoyed an hour nap in the back seat; I hung his hockey gear on the car in order for it to dry out in the sun (nothing is worse than putting on sweating, wet hockey gear, or so I have been told) and Matthew spread out a blanket to read on that grassy patch beside the car. I ended up dozing in the front seat of the car - in the sun, with the window open! A perfect way to prep for the next game for Robert...and a good chance for me to get in a little shut eye before the game and the long drive home.

The championship game was between us and the LA Select team again (the same one we played in the morning and beat to qualify for this game). The other team definitely utilized their "winning strategy" in the afternoon (something which I believe they didn't do in the morning), as they beat us 5-0.  But, as Robert mentioned in the car on the way home, whether the Selects played their normal strategy or not, it felt good to leave SoCal with some wins!

Well, as soon as Robert was changed and out of the dressing room, we "high-tailed it" out of LA trying to beat the evening commute traffic (you have never been in traffic until you have driven through LA, OMG!). It wasn't too bad...just took us about 1-1/2 hours to get out of there...and we were home around 11:15pm (a little over 6 hours of driving).

Today - I am staying home and will try to catch up on some of the things that need to be done before we settle down to ring in the new year: laundry, taking down the Christmas tree, stock up the house with food, etc. I might even be able to sit down and cross stitch a little today/tonight :)

Well, my friend, take care - Happy New Year (just in case I don't get a chance to wish you one tomorrow) - and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

How to keep expenses down during hockey travels

I'm still in LA and we just finished up a day with 3 hockey games. Matthew's team had a game at 6:15am and Robert's had two games: 9:50am and 4:30pm. It has been a long day, especially for Matthew and I who got up at 4am so that he could eat breakfast before leaving at 5am in order to be at the rink 1 hour before game time. Matthew's team lost...Robert's had 1 tie and 1 win.

Since we are housed in the Marriot from Dec. 25 through the 30th, eating out can get expensive. So, we have decided to enjoy one meal out while eating in our room for the other two. One meal, breakfast is easy to deal with - as there is a refrigerator in the room for the milk for the cereal and yogurt, which accompany the chocolate chip muffins. The other meal has either been a lunch or a dinner, which is what the boys are finishing right now. We figured out a way to warm up hot dogs in the coffee maker (innovative, huh?) and serve on hot dog buns along with canned green beans and some sort of fruit. Sounds silly, I suppose...but it does help save cost on these travel hockey tournaments.

Tomorrow we have about the same schedule...Matthew will play in his last game of his tournament at 7 am, then Robert will have two games: 9am and 4pm. In the evening, after Robert's last game we will enjoy a meal with his team.

I am enjoying my time with my two boys, but I definitely will be ready to go home Thursday evening. Keep your fingers crossed that Los Angeles traffic will not be too bad that evening :)

Well, take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

"Hello"...from Los Angeles

'tis the day after Christmas...Boxing Day for our Canadian friends up north...and "return those unwanted gifts" day for others. For me, it is a day to sleep in a little before getting up and hitting the fitness room at the Marriot Long Beach, while the boys slept in a little longer.

Yesterday, after getting up at 6am to watch the boys open their Christmas gifts (they boys received "needed" items - underware, socks, pajamas -  so that they could use their gift cards received from their grandparents on "wanted" items) we had a quick breakfast and headed into *The Store* so that we could be there for all the Christmas fruit arrangement pick ups scheduled between 8 and 12. We even made up a few other arrangements to have on hand "just in case" walk ins came in looking for something special to take to a Christmas meal they were having that day - which was a good thing, as we sold 3 out of the 4 that were made. Just like Thanksgiving, the boys came with us to work, greeting the customers at the door, found their arrangement in the walk-in refrigerator and carried it out to their cars. They really have a good time coming in with us to "work". This wasn't your typical Christmas family celebration, but it worked for us...and if that wasn't atypical enough for you, around 3pm the boys and I had the car all packed up and started our journey down to LA for our hockey week.

Matthew's (younger son) starts his tournament today with a game at 4pm...his tournament goes until Tuesday evening...Robert (older son) starts his tounament on Tuesday and finishes up on Thursday evening, when we head back home. We have camped out in the Marriot, bringing food so that we can keep the costs down, eating breakfasts and some lunches in our room.

That is about it, hope you are having a nice holiday with your friends, families and loved ones!

Take care and remember...

Love, Live, Laugh and Stitch Often!

Lisa

Love is the greatest medicine.

I ask to be the healing medicine for others.

I ask my heart to expand its boundaries and to love others as they wish to be loved.

I ask my heart to expand its boundaries and open to my being loved as I wish to be loved.

~Julia Cameron

You are as prone to love as the sun it so shine;

it being the most delightful and natural employment of the soul of humans

~Thomas Traherne

Christmas Eve day....

As promised, above is a photo of my Friendship Sampler RR, which has "officially" come home after all the wonderful ladies in the group have stitched their heart on it. For those of you who aren't aware of the history of this...here is the short version:

Friendship Sampler by Carriage House Samplings
 (the photo from the insert in the pattern)

January 2009, a group of 18 women sign up for a "round-robin" which was organized by a wonderful woman named Sara, who collected the names/addresses, created a mailing list and sent out monthly emails to make sure that we were stitching and mailing. Each of us purchased the Friendship Sampler by Carriage House Samplings, fabric of our choice and stitched the first heart before sending it to the person next on the list...then stitching on a member's RR and sending it to the next woman on the mailing list, etc...until everyone received their RR back with hearts stitched by all the members of the round robin.

February 2009, the end of the month was the first mail date...after we stitched the first heart on our own we all packaged up our RR and sent it to the next person on the list. Each of us has some sort of special instructions regarding how we wanted ours to be stitched (some wanted only reds, others blue, several neutral colors or just a request to stitch as per the pattern). The first 4 months seem to go well, but by the summer time two of the RRs were missing at one of the member's houses and we never heard back from her again. One of those was mine. While the other member decided to withdraw from the RR in frustration, I decided to purchase more fabric and start all over (that is why mine was the last to make its way home!). After being re-introduced in the group again, my RR travelled pretty quickly for a while, but again during the summer of 2010 it lost a little momentum. Some of the members got busy with life, which caused some of the delay; and sometimes it was just that it took awhile to swim across the ocean.

Nevertheless...it is home...and it contains all the hearts, names and home state/countries of those women who stitched on it. Now, I just need to add the last remaining hearts to finish it up :)

Well, it is Christmas Eve...
What are your plans for this evening? What traditions do you have in your household?

When I was a little girl...my family would go to St. Louis, Missouri where my grandparents lived to spend Christmas - something that was a little unorthodox for a Jewish family. But my grandparents loved Christmas and passed on the spirit of Christmas to me and my sisters. Our tradition was to go out to dinner on Christmas Eve, was to drive to my great-grandmother's house (she was my grandmother's mother and also lived in St. Louis), where we would enjoy a buffet of all sorts of food - meatballs,cookies, brownies and rice krispie cookies (I am sure that there were other things on the food table, but those were the things that I remembered the most). After everyone was stuffed, my sisters and I would put on our Santa hats and pass out presents to all the adults...for this was the night of the Adult's Christmas, our Christmas was the next morning when Santa came. For a long time, I believed in Santa...and felt that since Adults stopped believing that they had to celebrate their own Christmas on the Eve and purchase things for eachother. The kids, on the other hand, believed in Santa and were treated to the magic of Christmas the next day (assuming that we were good).

When my boys were younger...our Christmas Eves were spent at home: DH, myself and the boys. After a nice, quiet meal the boys and I would sit down and work on their Christmas letters to Santa (a little late, but they were young at the time that this tradition started). Under the Christmas tree was bare, until the "day of", so in their young minds they still had time to draw and write their wishes.

Today...our Christmas Eve seems to have evolved into almost another day at home. However, given our crazy schedule this week, it will be a nice quiet day at home for the boys - a "sleep-in-late-stay-in-your-pajama-day"...they have had hockey activities all week up to today - this is the first day without. But while they get to sleep in, I will be going into *The Store* with DH as we continue to work with our wonderful employees creating fruit arrangements for delivery and pick up today. Over 175 were created yesterday and we do have more to do today. In the evening, though, I am planning to come back home and fire up the grill for cheeseburgers and Italian sausages...something that the boys requested to do this holiday break, but we haven't had the time to do. So, I thought that this would be the perfect evening to do such a meal. I am hoping, that while *The Store* is open tomorrow until noon, that since we have no deliveries taking place on Christmas Day that DH can come home early and enjoy a sit down meal with the family.

Well, whatever the tradition you have in your household - I hope that you have a wonderful evening filled with lots of love and laughter!

Take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing other's loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas. ~W.C. Jones

Somedays look the same

I'm up and spinning on this dark and rainy Wednesday morning. At 3:45am, the only thing on the tv to view is a repeat of the Jay Leno show...but the morning Early Today show will be on in 15 minutes. My days piseem to be running together during this Winter Break, with only little variations here and there...and I am just trying to keep focused on the "now" while trying to put a little planning of the future into the day.

The typical days I have experienced so far consist of getting up (hopefully early enough to get in my "drug of  choice" of a 2 hour-sweat-producing-stationary bike sping), showering & dressing, jumping in the car and heading over to *The Business* with DH. While he works on printing off any last minute orders for the day, I get the kitchen area ready to produce fruit arrangements and prep the strawberries (which are used in the arrangement plain or dipped in chocolate). Soon, our wonderful employees come in and start prepping the other fruit - melons, pineapple, grapes, apples, and oranges. Soon, there becomes a fruity chocolate aroma in the kitchen. Once the fruit is prepped, enough to make the number of arrangments for the morning, all the work stations are cleaned off and set up for production. Around 10am, the magic begins with hope that the mornings orders are wrapped and in the refrigerator quickly so that the drivers can begin their part.

The last few days, I have been able to put in morning hours until about 10am, then I have raced home to get the boys ready for a day of hockey clinic and practices. They have been pretty good about getting themselves up, fed and packed up before I get home. Then it is off to the rink for about 5-6 hours.

I have read some of my friend's posts about their kids getting out of school for the Winter Break, and within a few hours complain that they are bored...I guess I am blessed with all the activity as my kids don't have enough time to complain...and, while they are actually loving all their hockey activities & not being able to sleep in...they are welcoming Christmas Eve as a day "without" hockey so they can sleep in and have a "pajama" day. I am sure that with all the activities, a "pajama day" will feel good for them!

It is a crazy schedule, which many of you have commented on...and I am getting tired...and wish that I could have a day at home to clean the house and get caught up on all those things that I typically do when the boys' have school off and we are home. But, it doesn't look like I will have much of a chance for that this break. And I do need to find sometime to make the Chocolate Krinkle cookies that are tradition in our household - it is the cookie that we leave out for Santa. Maybe I will be able to get that done this evening after we get back from the rink????

Some exciting news on the stitching front...as you know I received my Friendship Sampler RR back around the first of November. However, since there was one more RR member that needed to stitch her heart on it, so I sent it out to her last week...and guess what...it arrived back here on Monday...it now is complete with every members' heart stitched on it. FINALLY, after almost two years - the RR started with the first round on February 15, 2009 - my RR is home; the last one to make the journey back! It is beautiful...I promise to get a photo of it posted very, very soon!

Well, that is it from rainy California! Hopefully Santa has an umbrella, 'cuz it looks like it will be a rainy Christmas here in California1

Take care, my friends, and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

Breathe in...1..2..3..4...Breath out

Taking a little time to breathe this morning as I have felt like I have been on the "rocket-ship of life" lately - currently I have gotten off at the station, waiting to board the next rocket. But I find that I still have some time to make my connection, so I will update you on things...

The Computer seems to be on the mend...
Well, friends, DH wiped our little laptop's memory clean and rebuilt it from scratch. So, I am up and running again and can catch up with all of your blogs...as soon as I up date mine :) . However, my time spinning on the stationary bike - while typically the time I catch up on emails, blogging and facebooking - was spent by reading a couple of books I have had in my book stash for a couple of years and haven't taken the time to read. The first book was "Things I want my daughters to know" by Elizabeth Noble. Great book - sad though. About a mother who kept a journal while she was going through chemo, telling her daughters things that she never took the time to tell them. As the women are reading what their mother wrote after her passing, the book relates some of the writings to the women's lives they were experiencing at the time. It was definitely a good read and a tear jerker at the end! The other book: "Isabel's Daughter" by Judith Ryan Hendricks takes place in Colorado/New Mexico area and is about a daughter who was abandoned at birth by her mother and ends up finding out about her mother's life. Another good read! While it was nice to shorten my book stash, it is definitely nice to have the computer back!

Hockey travel...
I got back home this morning at 3am from a bus trip to Los Angeles (about a 7 hour drive) with Matthew (younger son), his hockey team and some other hockey moms & dads. We left at 2pm on Friday afternoon, as all the kids seem to have had the 1/2 day of school before the winter vacation. The boys sat in the back and the parents/coach in the front. On the ride down we watched: "Miracle on Ice," and "Remembering the Titans". Two very good movies to watch with a young hockey team travelling down to play 2 games. We arrived in Long Beach, at the hotel, around 9:30pm...checked in our rooms and headed off to bed. Saturday morning, after a good work out in the fitness room, I got Matthew up to enjoy breakfast in our room (brought a tupperware bowl of cheeriors, a bag of Hostess mini-muffins and Dannon yogurt with me...little money saving actions I have learned over the years). Because it is important to bond with the team, after Matthew finished up his 'breakfast brought from home' and I finished packing up the suitcases, he and I headed down to sit with the team and the parents to visit for a while before we loaded up the bus and headed off to the first rink for the first game. Saturday, the boys played two games at two different rinks...a nice lunch at Fudruckers in between. After the last game, which ended at 7pm, we loaded up, watched: "Despicable Me," and "Blind Side"...arrived back at the rink around 2:00am where I picked up my car and then headed home. While the bus ride down and back always has its time where it feels like "forever", the trip was fun and the boys played pretty well - even though they lost both of their games.

Next trip coming up...the evening of Dec. 25th the boys and I head back down to LA to the same hotel in Long Beach - both of them have tournaments down there. We will be down there until the 30th.

Winter Break...
As mentioned, the boys are on winter break and I am taking some vacation time off from my job...however, I don't see any relaxing in my future! In the mornings between now and Christmas Day, I will be working in *The Business* and in the late afternoons/evenings, I will be taking the boys down to the rink for a hockey clinic and team practices. *The Business* is going well and it is busy...lots of fruit arrangements to make between now and Christmas! Yahoo!

Stitching News...
Over the last few weeks I have been talking about stitching some "secret" ornaments. One, I finally finished and sent off to its receipient...and I heard that she received it:

The design is from Just CrossStitch 2010 Christmas Ornament edition.The design is called " 'Tis Red" and is by Lori Markovic of La-D-D. No...I didn't stitch it in red (the first time), but in a NeddleNecessities green overdyed color thread on a fabric from my stash. To finish it off I had some fun beeds from my stash of beads - from the days when I was beading. The person who received this ornament was Valerie of FogCity Dweller blog (my computer is still acting funny, so I can't get the link right now).

So, that is about it - that should catch everyone up for now. Take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

Life is chugging along...

Life is short.

Each year passes more quickly than the previous one. It's easy to deny yourself many of life's simple pleasures because you want to be practical. Forget about practical and decide instead to be a joy collector. Always be on the look out for gifts without ribbons. God is strewing them across your path right now. His gifts come tagged with a note:

"Life can be wonderful. Do your best not to miss it!"

Enjoy what IS before it ISN'T any more.

~Barbara Johnson

Here we are - December 14th...hard to believe that the "big man", the man in the red suit, will be making his appearance in 11 days and I just don't feel very ready for that moment. It seems to be sneaking up on me this year and the panic seems to be rising. The tree is up, the ornaments in place and the lights are twinkling. However, the boys' wish list needs to be looked over and the famous chocolate crinkle cookies need to be made. Just need to find the time to make those things happen. I am sure that I will get it all done to the best of my ability, in between all of the activies :)

Hockey News...
We got some great news on Sunday...Robert, who tried out for the Pre-Select NorCal Camp (hockey) was selected. On Saturday, 35-40 Bantam aged (birthyear 96) boys  from all over the Northern California area tried out to be selected to represent NorCal - only 6 forwards, 4 defensemen and 2 goalies were selected to move on to the next selection process. What is this all about? Well through a process of several tryouts (NorCal Dec. 11, California/CAHA Jan 28-31, and Pacific Districts in early spring), a U14 National hockey team is created to play in a high level tournament over the summer, where there will be scouts from different junior leagues as well as schools will be watching. Last year Robert tried out, but due to having bronchitis, just didn't perform up to his potential, thus didn't make it through the first cut. This year he was healthy and had a wonderful tryout and, thus, was selected. We were very excited for him. So, now we fill out all the paperwork and pay for the next set of tryouts and see how things go the end of January. In the meantime, we have a few tournaments and hockey clinics to get through first :)

Stitching News...
As mentioned before, I have been working on a few Christmas Ornaments as surprises (so I can't show them yet)...just about finished stitching them and should be able to finish them in order to have them in the mail shortly. Then it will be back to stitching Family Sampler.

Well, that is about it right now. Hopefully DH will be able to get my little laptop cured of it's virus so that I can be back in business...multi-tasking on the stationary bike. I miss reading everyone's blogs while biking. Keep your fingers crossed that the computer will work again.

Take care my friends and remember...
Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

Catching Up...

It has been a long time since I have sat down and blogged. The computers that I normally use - the little laptops which I can use while spinning on the stationary bike- have been plagued by all sorts of viruses that we haven't been able to nurse them to health, so we have had to put them asleep until we can find a cure...or maybe Santa will bring us a new lap top. In the mean time, thank goodness for our ancient "big" computer we have had since the dinosaur years, the kind that is so slow but you are thankful that works so that the kids can do their homework and you can log (when they aren't on it) and catch up on facebook or blog reading.

Anyway, between work - the boys' hockey - *The Business* - I have been crazy busy still, however today I find myself with a little time between Robert's hockey select camp tryouts to sit and catch you all up on my life.

Last night, after Matthew went to his first middle school dance, I was able to finally put up our Christmas tree.

Our faux tree is 20 years old and is in sad shape (I was thinking about the tree that Charlie Brown brings home from the Christmas tree lot) - the top is a little wobbly - but it still works as a good tree to put lights and ornaments on. It was fun this year, pulling out some of our favorite ornaments and putting up my new ones that I received from my ornament exchange group as well as some others I received from exchange groups throughout the year. To be able to say: "This one is from Australia...and this one is from Canada...this one The Netherlands...this one from Oklahoma...this from Michigan, etc." is pretty cool, don't you think? Then there are those that the boys made over the year and the ones DH & I had when we were first married. And my special ones that came from my great-grandmother and my grandmother, which I remember hanging on their trees when I was a little kid. Isn't hanging ornaments a fun way to reminisce?

Well, just wanted to stop by and say "hi". Hope all is well with you all out there and that you are finding time to stitch and laugh! Take care, Lisa

Things happen for reasons

Sometimes things happen for reasons we just aren't aware of, but we just need to accept. And tonight, Matthew's hockey practice was cancelled - which was perfect timing as DH let his closing employee go home due to sickness, which would have made it difficult for DH to leave the store to pick up Robert when he was done with wrestling. Now that I don't have to go to the hockey rink, I can pick up Robert when he is ready. And I can also catch up on things - blogging being one of those things!

I haven't really posted much - only the small, quickie - when I was in Denver. The little travelling lap top seems to be picking up little viruses here and there and was out of commission while we were in Denver. But I found a "restore" button, which seems to have temporarily fixed this little computer allowing me to catch up on my life tonight.

I had a great weekend in Denver. Matthew's team played pretty well over the weekend - a little inconsistant - but the games that they were "on" and "focused" they played amazing. Saturday was one of those days. Their first game they played one of the top ranking PeeWee AAA teams in the nation and ended the first period 0-0...unfoturnately they had 2 more periods to play and ended up loosing; but overall it was a great game. The second game that day, they actually ended up in a 5-5 tie...Matthew scored 2 goals: one on a penalty shot and the other was a power play goal. It was fun!

The weekend in Denver also gave me an opportunity to meet up with family and friends. I have an Uncle and Aunt who live there, as well as a cousin...and I have a college roommate I got to see, whom I haven't seen since we graduated college 20 years ago.


Cousin Jeffrey, Me and Matthew



College roommate Laura and Me

Being able to combine a hockey trip with visiting is a wonderful bonus. Next up is a trip to Los Angeles this month and then down to Dallas, TX and Coral Springs, FL in January. I wonder if there are any blogger friends who live in these areas who I can meet :)

Well, I know that I am just blabbering on and on, so I will sign off. Hope everyone is doing well out there!
Take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

in denver colorado

Hello from Denver. Matthew's team is playing their 5th game of the weekend and it isn't a great one this morning. However, the weekend has been nice, as I have been able to visit with my uncle and aunt, a cousin and his girlfriend, and a college roommate I haven't seen since we graduated 20 years ago. And I have been able to get some stitching in because of all the waiting time at the rink before the games.

Just wanted to update you and say "hi". More later.
Lisa

Welcome December

Thank you for your comments...I forgot to acknowledge my gratitude to my kids who made my quiet birthday celebration one that was sweet and thoughtful and the fact that my RR finally came home (and Kathy, I still have to get it in th we mail so that it can "officially" be complete. i was at the post office today, where I did get it in a priority mail envelope but lost patiences with the 5 people in lines with packages piled high...I will try again soon!)

So we reach December in the year 2010. Hard to believe that this month is already here! Today I feel like I got a few things accomplished...on my "to do" list at my job I had to visit a off-site storage facility and move out all our trade show booth parts which have accumulated over many years. Since the facility was located near our local "giant" hockey superstore and near the local stitching store, I was able to:

1. get the boys skates sharpened - which Matthew's were in dire need of a good skate shapening

2. purchase, with reward points, the last in the LHN Monthly Sampler - November & December 

Now I have the whole series:

And will now have to determine when to start working on it...hum, I have the Family Sampler going on...Mary Wigham which is now over a year old UFO...a hockey winter scene which is at least a 3 year old UFO. Well, I am sure that I will find a way to work it in. I purchased the fabric in the Summer making sure that it fit all 6 kits...and the kits already come with the "called for" thread. Maybe it will be a sampler a month (no pun intended) and I can start it on Jan. 1 and maybe finish on Dec. 31...you think?

Well, anyway it was go to get the skates sharpened and that last pattern, both something that has been on my personal "to do" list for quite awhile.

Tomorrow Matthew and I leave, yet again, for another hockey tournament. This time we are off to Denver, Colorado...DH and Robert get to stay home. While in Denver, I will be able to hook up with some more family and friends - which is always really cool to do! Since I really didn't get unpacked from the Arizona trip 2 weeks ago, it won't take too long to prepare to fly out tomorrow.

So, blogger friends, I bid you good night until next time! Take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

November 30...NaPoBloMo Ends

The end is near, the month is done...yet soon we begin another one.

I gave it my all, the NaPoBloMo fun

Hard to keep up, for the craziness won

But your comments rained and kept me sane

Throughout the month of November...and for that, I'll always remember!

Well, today is the last day of November - a day to look back and gleen all that I have accomplished and received. It has been a crazy month for me and my family as we "officially" became owners of *The Business* on November 1. The first 2 weeks of November, DH was out of town for training and the rest of the month he has been working open to close at the store; so I have had the feeling of a "single mother" trying to get everything accomplished for everyone - driving the boys to where they need to go, making sure everyone's clothing is cleaned & dried, organizing life so everything runs as smoothly as possible, making sure that Robert had what he needed before he left on his first hockey tournament solo (without DH or I), etc. I am not looking for sympathy nor am I asking to be put on a pedestal. While there are definitely days that I want to pull my hair out and scream "what about me?" or "why me?", I look at the choices I make and what I do have!

During the month of November:

1. I was able to get everyone to where they needed to be...by the time they needed to be there
2. I was able overcome my anxiety of sending Robert to a tournament without DH and I present
3. I traveled with Matthew to his hockey tournament and shared time together that we haven't had in a long time
4. I was able to send out Angela's Ornament for the Ornament Swap early in November and she received it before her Christmas Tree was set up and decorated
5. I was able to bake 4 batches of chocolate chip cookies and share them with our employees at Edible Arrangements, my co-workers at Hexcel, Matthew's teammates at a hockey practice
6. I was able to work in *The Business* with our wonderful employees and crank out over 80 arrangements
7. I was able to work in our store with DH and my sons on Thanksgiving day, when customers came and picked up their arrangements for their family gatherings; and beamed with pride when my boys walked the arrangements out to the customer's car.
8. I was able to share the evening with Matthew when he received his 4.0 acknowledgement at his 1st of many Honors Evening. I witnessed his proud smile that stretched from ear to ear!
9. I was able to sneak in some morning and evening time to stitch on my Family Sampler and an ornament; as well as time to spin on the stationary bike to maintain my health and sanity
10. I was able to share priceless moments and have wondeful conversation with my boys as I drove them to and from the hockey rink 4-5 times a week.
11. I have enjoyed and received support from the wonderful comments of blogging friends from all over the world
12. I shared a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with my family; who, for the first time in many months, all sat down at the table together to enjoy all the same foods...and had no where to go after the meal was complete. That in itself is priceless.

So no matter how crazy life seems around my household...and no matter how many times I do want to yell or feel resentment building...I do try to "stop" and take a look at what I have and put a postive spin on the situation. My crazy November was full of love, family team work, and friendship. My heart swells with gratitude that I can share this all with you. I pray that your November was as fullfilling as mine was and here is hope that December will be too!

Take care my blogging friends - thank you for visiting and all your comments you take time to write. Until next time, remember....

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

November 28...29

November is coming to an end...and so is NaBloPoMo, something which I have failed to blog every day during the month of November. I had every intention of doing it, for I was definitely busy and there were things to write about...but it is because I was busy that I truly wasn't able to blog every single day during the month of November. I tried, hopefully I can get some brownie points for that.

Anyway, Sunday DH went to work at *The Business* (we are open from 9-2 on Sundays). There were just a few fruit bouquets to make and a couple to deliver...it seems to be the "quiet before the next storm." After some research regarding last December's business, the week before Christmas is going to be crazy! DH emailed last year's order/delivery report to me, which the boys and I tallied up all the orders/deliveries per day. This information will definitely help when creating the schedules for this month. Tallying up all the information took over 3 hours to do...that is where some of my blogging and stitching time went yesterday...oh, well, there are priorities in life, I guess.

However, once that report was handed over to DH to play around with, and after the boys had their dinner, I did find sometime to get in a little stitching. I have put aside Family Sampler for just a little bit to stitch an ornament for a stitching friend (which, for obvious reasons I cannot show you it). It will be a quick stitch and finish and then I can get back to stitching Family Sampler.

Today it is back to the normal-routine (whatever that truly is)...I go back to my job and the boys go back to school; there are evening hockey practices and after school wrestling; I get up early in the morning in order to try and get in a good spin on the bike and to bed as early as possible in order to get some rest before starting the next day. However, on Thursday Matthew and I leave for Denver, CO for he has another hockey tournament already. I have family and friends who I am making plans with, which always adds something special to these hockey travels.

Well that is it from my household. I hope that you and yours are all doing well. Take care and remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa

November 27

Well, I wasn't sure what I would post today as we really didn't do much today. DH went and worked at the store, the boys worked on their homework in preparation to go back to school on Monday, and I...well, I am not sure what I did today. However, I just heard from Angela P who is the last one to receive ornaments from our Ornament Swap Group and she received the one I sent her.

I made a two sided ornament...

Side 1 - "Snowmen"  Designed by Valerie Danish of Val's Stuff
Just CrossStitch Ornament Issue Preview (October 2006)

Side 2 - "Be Merry" Designed by Valerie Danish of Val's Stuff
Just CrossStitch 2006 Special Christmas Ornament Issue

Angela loves snowmen and it sounds like she has a lot...but, thank goodness, she didn't have these :) I really enjoyed stitching these and was excited about the way the finish came out....almost kept it for my self.

Oh, my I just noticed that today is my 2nd blog-o-versary...I have been so busy with things that I haven't put any thought into celebrating it. Mmmm...I will have to put some thought into it.

It seems that my brain is in salt over load...just got back from dinner at a mexican restaurant. So, I will end this with hope that your evening is going well.

Take care and remember...live, love, laugh and stitch often! Lisa