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