Goofin' Off First Project and News Updates of 2021

It's been a long time since I updated...way too long!  I want to give a very quick personal update...then on to a few projects...and lastly all the upcoming fun for the Goofin' Off family.  

I am happy to report that Mr. Goofin' Off and I are both healthy and strong.  

Mr. Goofin' Off has been working from home since the first of March 2020. At the start of the pandemic, he thought he would be only working from home for a couple of weeks. His company announced that they would having their employees work from home through June of 2021. Thank goodness we quickly figured out we actually enjoy being home together 24/7...and he loves the 5-second commute down the hall every morning.  

We were able to do a lot of travel during the first two months of 2020. We managed a trip to Disneyland and were honored to be a guest of a member of Club 33 (only you real Disney fans will understand what a bucket list item this was).  

Here is a picture of Mr. Goofin' Off ringing the secret doorbell to get into the club.  

And if you look closely at the picture below, you can see this is where I signed the Club 33 guest book.  Other guests that night were Demi Lovato, Andie MacDowell, and Stanley Tucci.  As guests, we were not allowed to take pictures or approach any other guests in the club.  When these books are filled, they are placed in the official Disney Archives. I guess you could say I am going to be a part of Disney history forever...or at least as long as the company is still around.  

We arrived home to a snow storm...and a dreaded phone call the next morning. I received a phone call from my brother that my dad had been taken to the hospital and was in and out of consciousness.  When I arrived at the hospital, they said my dad had a bowel blockage and that my dad had opted not to have surgery. He was missing my mom and was ready to be with her again. The hospital gave him two to five days...but I knew he was not going to make it that long.  

I decided to stay with him at the hospital that night. They moved him to the hospice wing where he was just one floor below the room where my mother had passed away. After everyone else had left for the night, I sat next to him and said my goodbyes and held his hand.  He passed away very peacefully just minutes later.  It was a very beautiful and sorrowful moment for me.  But I am so grateful to have been there with him.  

My Disney travel agent business was thrown into a huge disarray when everything shut down for Covid-19.  I spent weeks on the phone on hold cancelling vacations...knowing that for all the hours I spent on the phone, I wouldn't be paid a penny.  Luckily, business has begun picking up again and I currently have seven groups on the books to travel to Disney in the next few months.  

If you want to know what I did to stay busy while there wasn't travel, you can find it at the bottom of the post.  I am not one to just sit around and do nothing.

Now for the project updates:  

Cross Stitch Projects

In my last update, I was working on this mystery project.  

I have now completed this piece and it's headed to a charity stitching group to be used as a block on a child's quilt.  I'm so happy with the way it turned out.  

In case you hadn't guessed, it's the outline of Eeyore with a picture of Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet inside.  The colors were so cheery to be working with...especially during the beginning of the pandemic when there were so many unknowns.  

The Quilt Finish

Although I've had several quilt finishes, here is a close-up of the most recently finished quilt top.  It's themed with World War II aircraft.  This has been gifted to a charity who makes quilts for those going on into the same hospice program both my parents wound up going into.  Did you know Walt Disney created artwork and films to inspire patriotism during World War II?  Just a fun little side note.  

Link Parties:

• Can I Get a Whoop Whoop!  

Other Updates on Me

When the pandemic hit and my business went quiet, I began to pivot and actually created a new Disney-inspired blog.  I had been sending my Disney clients games and puzzles I had created so that they could still get a little "Disney" in while the parks and theaters were closed.  

It was recommended I begin a blog on adding Disney magic into everyday life...so a new blog was formed!  If you're interested, you can find it at www.livelaughdis.com.  Currently, all content, printables, and downloadables are free.  I hope to keep it that way until I run out of space.  

Here is just one example of some of free puzzle books I offer:  

Feel free to click through and check it out if you enjoy brain puzzles like sudoku.  I need to reorganize the site so the puzzles are easier to find.  

I am hoping to get back into quilts and cross stitch blogging.  My goal is to post here on Goofin' Off Around the Block a couple of times a month.  I've missed you all sooooo much!  

Have a magical day!  

Andrea