Foot Notes*

Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’

Christmas pillows for Nathan and Sarah

I’m happy to report that the Christmas Pillows for my twin grandchildren are officially finished.  (Whew, glad that’s done!)

I measured twice before I cut the fabric down to “pillow size” and then discovered that if you measure from the wrong place, you’ll cut in the wrong place.  Consequently, Nathan’s horse is about an inch off center.    Oh well…  these things happen.

In running news, unfortunately I’ve been forced (by my own wimpiness) to do most of my running for the last couple of weeks on the track at the rec center.  I’ve found a few more positives to the experience:

1. I’m starting to recognize “the regulars” and the smiling and nodding has begun.  (Perhaps I’ll invite them to join the LRR one of these days.)
2. Every now and then I can sprint for a bit and pass someone.  That’s kind of cool for me.
3. I’ve found another song on my iPod that forces me ever onward — Paul McCartney, Dance Tonight.

I did my thing for about 40 minutes this morning, and then finished up with Dance Tonight and End of the Line, counting the laps so I’d have an accurate report.  It came to 8 1/2.  (A mile on that track is 14 laps and change.)

Weekend Runs

I’m looking at the 7-day and it’s not looking pretty for Saturday again. 

I’m going to aim for Sunday from the high school for an “out and back” on the W & OD:

http://loudounroadrunners.org/lrr/run_maps/Thomas_Mill.pdf

 – unless there is snow or wind or rain or slush from the snow on Saturday –

A Christmas Pillow tradition begins!

When my own children were born, I made a needlepoint “birth announcement”  for each of them and a small needlepoint ornament with their name and the year for their first Christmas.  They were small little things and it wasn’t a big deal to make them. 

When my first grandson was born in February of 2007, I made him a cross-stitch birth announcement and then along in the fall, I got to looking for a pattern for a Christmas tree ornament I could make for him.  I couldn’t find any that I liked, so I wound up expanding the scope of the project and making him a Christmas pillow. 

I found a pattern for a “Christmasy” rocking horse, and I added his name and the year, and then cut some velvet for the back, sewed them together and put a pillow form inside.  VOILA!  A Christmas pillow.  (What the heck…  start a tradition!) 

Now, I admit that I was pretty excited about the arrival of my first grandchild, but I thought I was setting the bar for any future grandchildren low enough that it would still be doable.  Last thing I want is for a grandchild of mine to come to me with quivering lip and ask ”How come you didn’t make ME a Christmas pillow, grandma?”  :::::::sniff:::::::

I was excited again last summer when my daughter announced that my second grandchild was on the way. 

I wasn’t prepared (nor were she and her husband, of course) for the discovery that my second grandchild was in fact going to be my second and THIRD grandchildren.  EEEEEK.

I solved the birth announcement problem by finding a really wonderful cross stitch pattern for a “twins” birth announcement — Two Peas in a Pod.  Cute, cute, cute.  I was a little late getting it finished, but I did get it finished.  

Summer rolled into fall and I realized that I had some work ahead of me.  I probably could have taken the easy route and made one Christmas pillow with both names on it, but I figured that was the coward’s way out, so I vowed to suck it up and make two of them.

I’ve finished one and can see the light at the end of the tunnel for the second one….Just in time for the arrival next March of my fourth grandchild (from my son and his wife, this time). 

I’m getting really tired of the rocking horse pattern.  But I started it, and I can’t get out now.  I’ve got some time.  I won’t have to face it again until next fall.  I’ll have a break while I do a birth announcement.

I don’t know if my grandchildren will cherish these things I am putting so much time into making for them, or if they will wind up tossing them in the Good Will bag at some point.  I can’t worry about that.  I can only try to give them something of myself to take with them as they make their journeys through life.

Who knew I’d wind up with four grandchildren in three years?

Who knew I’d ever be able to run for even 3 miles?

And who knows what’s to come?

I guess there are two lessons from this little tale:

1. Don’t start something you aren’t prepared to finish.
2. Just keep doing the best you can.

We have a “wart-sponsored” run on Saturday this week from Lincoln Elementary, so it would probably be nice to have a reasonable wart contingent for that.   Who knows, Joanne might even decorate us up a cake (with the LRR logo?) to enjoy when we finish! 

Hey..  it could happen.

 http://loudounroadrunners.org/maps/Lincoln.pdf

We can always walk the hills for that one, and then show up again on Sunday to run from Greenberry’s on the trail.