Happy birthday, Annemarie! Wow, has it really been a year already? Last year I made Annemarie a teensy little octopus ornie/fob to keep her mermaids in line.



This year, somehow, the sea theme continued. It wasn't really intentional, but I saw these great fish scissors and had to buy them. Of course I couldn't keep them (though I did take them out and admire them with some regularity) because they were specifically purchased to be a gift. But what should I do to go with them? I don't know if Annemarie actually eats fish, so a culinary gift could backfire. And scissors don't have much to do with edible fish, do they? Obviously I had to stitch something, but I didn't want to do another fob/ornie. Then, inspiration struck! I love the funky alphabet series (which are freebies!) being done by Atelier Fil en Scene and I loved making the Needleworker's Pocket (designed by Ellen Chester) for Aniza in an earlier exchange ... so I made a small scissors' pocket for Annemarie with her initial and stitching implements (taken from various charts in the Tout Rouge issue of De fil en aiguille)on one side and the super-fun fishy mini-sampler on the other side. That gorgeous thread is the other one Isabelle sent me for my birthday. I used what was left to make the cord.





I still get so nervous about stitching gifts for friends. I love doing it! But everyone else's stitching is so lovely and perfect. And their finishing! Wow, I can't imagine how they make it come out so beautifully! My attempts seem so ... awkward... in comparison. But Annemarie has assured me that she really does like this year's gift. And I am still so thrilled that it arrived on time!

Rigby had his second dog course tonight and did very well. We have had him for 15 days now, and I can't imagine life without him. We've managed to overcome the 'dark stranger' problem he had with dark-haired men (at least we've licked it for about 90%). He still gets incredibly nervous and insecure if we leave him for over an hour, so I continue to sneak him into work. Thankfully, I have very laid-back office mates! Now we're trying to help him overcome his insecurity, but the dog trainer says that the only thing truly required is time. And patience, of course, but that's a given.

Nicky and Rowen have transformed our living room into an obstacle course during the past rainy days. It keeps them busy and ensures that I clean behind and under the furniture, which winds up being moved all about the room. Max has his first volleyball game on Saturday and it's hard to say who is more excited: him or me. I am actually so excited and nervous about it that I may not go for fear of embarassing him.

On this rainy autumn evening, with moon getting full and the air full of the scent of fallen leaves, my thoughts go out to a few dear people who've been ill and/or in pain lately. I wish I could do something more than say "I'm thinking of you!" but I don't know what it is. Know that I'm sending hugs and support.