Needlepoint Treadmill

Today was a red-letter day in my small world.  I got back four ornaments from the fabricators.  Not just any ornaments, but two were three-dimensional ones and one was a fairly big Santa.  The HOHO Jack-in-the-box was probably the biggest ornament I have made so far so seeing it finished and ready to go on the Christmas tree was very exciting to me.

What, its only August — aren’t you thinking about Christmas too?  I dream about Christmas all year long.  This year especially since I set a goal to make a dozen needlepoint ornaments.  See, if you want to make an ornament and have it on your tree this year you have to finish stitching the canvas by September 10^th so that the saints who take them from that point into the beautiful ornament with braid on the edges and a nice cloth backing have time to do their magic.

True to form I way surpassed my dozen-ornament goal long ago.  I am going to have to keep my actual number to myself so that I appear less obsessed.   I can justify doing all this needlepoint because it was a goal I set, but I think it has been at the expense of my weight loss goal.  I certainly do spend more time sitting than I do working out.  I am able to needlepoint standing up and have been known to do it while standing in the parking lot at school while waiting for Carter.

I think that what I need is to start to do needlepoint on the stationary bike at the gym, or on the treadmill.  I’m not sure how fast I can walk and needlepoint, but since I have already surpassed my ornament goal I need to add exercise to the equation.

One of my favorite parts of this needlepoint life is going to Chapel Hill Needlepoint, by local store owned by Nancy McGuffin.  Not only is Nancy’s a place to buy canvases and threads and all the do-dads needed for needlepoint, but also she has a big round community stitcher’s table.  Sitting around with Anne, Kate, Mary, Vickie, Elizabeth and any number of other enthusiasts is great fun.  I have learned from them all and they kindly listen to my stories.

I’m not sure there is room, but if Nancy were to replace the round table with a circle of stationary bikes I think she could charge us gym memberships and we could still stitch and talk while we worked out.  My other idea to keep me moving while still needle pointing is that maybe I have my strong light source powered by a treadmill and unless I am making enough energy from walking I won’t have the light I need to see.  I’m not sure what the answer is, but I do know that working out just to loose weight is not enough for me, I like to have a finished product for all my hard work other than my body.