Dancing the Happy Dance - a finish and a received ornament!!!!

It is finished...It is finished!

Tuesday night I put in the last back stitch

So exciting to have finished the pineapple

AND

Not only did I finish stitching this fruit

BUT

Last night I found myself at home

without anyone else here with me

Last night I did NOT have to drive down to the rink

Last night I had the house to myself

Did you hear that...I will shout it out again:

"I had the whole house to myself

The whole house to myself"

So I sat my bottom down in front of the sewing machine and finished

the Pineapple Pillow:

Daisy Bear showing off the Pineapple Pillow

And here is a close up of the pillow:

This morning, after I quickly ran to the grocery store to pick up some mangos for a couple of Mango Kiwi Festival arrangements, I gave the wrapped up pillow to one of our wonderful employees. I think that she was embarrassed receiving the gift, for she thanked me and then put it with her purse...to open later when she was on her lunch break (respecting the other employees who didn't receive a gift, which I appreciated...guess I should have thought about the timing a little better). DH said that she did open it and said to him that she really appreciated the handmade item and was touched to receive it.

And...speaking of gifts, Angela P finally received the ornament I stitched her for the Ornament Swap group. Due to a postal strike in Canada it was delayed - but she received it...better late than never, right? Here is the ornament I stitched for her:

Meet Peppermint Paul by Helga Mandl Designs from thegiftofstitching.com (I forgot which edition). I stitched it on 28ct evenweave using most of the recommended colors, with only a few substitutions.

Tonight I find myself at home alone again. Matthew was taken to the rink for the last night of the evening hockey clinic by a teammate's parents again and DH took Robert, who skates later in the evening for the same clinic. It is nice to have had these two nights without the need to get in the car and drive down to San Jose...a 40-60 minute drive depending on traffic.

I also had a simi-day off...for I didn't have to go into work or Edibles and I didn't have to drive to a hockey rink. I took this opportunity to:

1. take the car in for their routine oil change

2. go to the grocery store to stock up the refrigerator, freezer and pantry - got 2 teenage boys at home that I have to feed

3. caught up on laundry - now it is up to the boys to put their clothes away where they belong

4. napped

5. went to the local farmer's market down the street which I have been wanting to do since they opened up a month ago. I got some yummy apricots, plums, pluots, aprums, cherries, fresh french bread, tomatoes and green beans. Nothing is better than fresh veggies and fruit from the fields!

6. napped

7. got in a good 6.5 mile run. I wanted to go further, but waited until 11:30am to go out and by that time the temps were well in the high 80s.

8. ate

9. napped

10. got in a good spin on the stationary bike and updated the blog.

Awesome day, don't you think. I will probably be able to pull out Family Sampler and get in some stitches before I get into bed.

Well, that should get you caught up on things here in my household. Hope that things are going well in yours. Until next time, remember...

Live, Love, Laugh and Stitch often!

Lisa