Still stress free

What a lovely surprise, my ami dolls that were in Handmade this time last year have made it onto the cover of a knitting and crochet magazine Of course it would be nice if I got paid again for them but unfortunately I don't. The snowmen were a bit miffed as they had to share the front cover back in October but Lally Long Legs and Stacey got the front cover all to themselves. The new bunnies and the Little Grub doll are hoping they might have equal fame, but I'm not sure whether I will be submitting them this year. 
As the title of this post say I am still stress free - despite having car trouble yet again and it costing me over $200 to fix. But it was out of my hands and I paid up with no qualms. I didn't even stress out when the car rego came, thats due in two weeks. I was hoping pay for the whole year but it looks like I'll only manage to pay for 6mths, oh well, at least I have the money for it. The sons are getting themselves into strife but they are grown men now and are quite capable of looking after themselves. 
I had a good result when I had my heart check up last week, the doc is really pleased with the bloodwork and my health. I might be gluten sensitive, while I was waiting for my GB removal I stuck to a practically no-fat and no wheat diet. I'm still sticking to it, mainly because I feel healthier on it, but I have started to eat more bread and I've started to get the muscle cramps and headaches at night again, I stopped eating bread and pasta for 4 days and the cramps have stopped, I had bread again and the cramps came back.  I've started using a gluten free bread and pasta and I have had no problems with cramps. The specialist agrees with me that it could be the bread and wheat so I'll have to see my own GP and arrange for tests. My annual Macular test came back fine, no change.  Just waiting for the thyroid and cholestrol tests to come back.
January is nearly at an end already, I've done a few jobs on my to-do list, the back door is half sanded down. I'm back house-keeping the holiday home next door so theres a bit of extra cash to keep things flowing along nicely.  I'm keeping on top of the garden, I've made two more garden beds. The boys had a massive clean out in the sheds and we did at least 5 dump runs. 
Life seems to be running along smoothly, I'm well aware of the occassional pothole and speedbump and can cope.  Not sure where my road is heading, I feel like I am on one of those moving walkways, just moving along slowly and getting off every now and again when I see something I like or need a break. 
Okay, the ovens pinged, my healthy vegetable pizza is ready, I'm going to have that and then settle in for a night of reading, hooking and a bit of tele.

Sticking to my new years resolution

All the ami's I made in September/October/November

I really didn't make any resolutions but I did say I wasn't going to stress out over things not getting done or over things I had really no control over, so today is day four of not stressing out (Despite the phone bill and electricity bill ariving in the post).  Talked with my bro and mum on Skype this morning for over an hour and then with a friend on yahoo so the morning came and went without a thing being done.  The weather is crap, wet and windy (but warm) so the garden jobs will not get done today either.  So I think I'll sit and hook for the rest of the day, one bunny down and one half done.  I might get into the craft room and try and get all my jewelry findings and beads all into one place but no biggie if I don't, I know what I will do and thats bath the dog, even as I type she has picked up my thoughts and is creeping towards the bedroom where she will hide under my bed quivering.
Depending on what the weather is doing at the weekend I might go to market with a few things.  I have no flower hair ties left and they sold really well in the past so that might be tomorrows little thing to do. 
One of the chrissy presents I got was a new laminator, I'm itching to start making small affirmation cards, using some of my photo's edited with an affirmation on them. Its on the list of things to do this month but again no stress if it doesn't get done.  There is also another little idea I have involving crochet and laminating but thats my secret for now.

January is also earmarked for getting at least two patterns down, I've been promising the little grubs and little petals for ages now.  I've started a wordpress blog for crocheting and another one here as well. I'm finding it increasingly hard to use Blogger because XP is out of date and I can only update if I go to 7 or Vista. Its a bit of a bugger getting into Blogger, sort of going round the houses and up through the back paddock and then sneak in over the fence.  But i'm used to it now and I much prefer it to wordpress so I'm hanging in there.

Jan

2012, finally

Snowman Central November/December 2011

So, so glad to see the back of 2011. I handled everything that was thrown at me and came out unscathed.  Well, apart from an empty bank balance and purse thanks to escalating car troubles and being unable to work for 5 months.  The bills are all paid and I made most of the chrissy presents and I didn't stress out over anything. Didn't have a traditional christmas dinner for the first time ever, I just baked a ham and made a potato and  pasta salads and had a panettone instead of a fruit cake, no mince pieces or puds here - it was a virtually fat free christmas, no lollies or choccys even and you know what - I didn't miss them. I was at that stage of recovery where certain foods still turned my stomach when I thought of eating them.

The car died and needed part after part to be regenerated. But she's fixed now (thanks to my wonderful sons) and hopefully will last a couple more years.  Me, well I'm all fixed up as well and I hope I will last many more years. 

Christmas must have been the quietest one yet and new year  crept in with fluffy slippers on, the whole village was deathly silent, nothing stirred...........apart from me, cursing and hopping round the garden blasting cane toads with a spray bottle so the dog could have a pee and poop in safety. 

So here I sat, doing what I love - cruising round blogland, checking up what you have all been doing, I have decided to jump to typepad on a more permanent basis soon, when I discover where I put it.  I'm not sure what direction I'm going in with my creativity, I have so many things I enjoy doing and am good at (toot, toot) but I am not going to stress out over it.  My craft room is all tidy with a new to me work bench in and a slight rearrangement of bookcases - which means I now have to rearrange the living room bookcases to accomodate the books that are now homeless cos I borrowed the entrance bookcase for the craftroom. I spent ages sorting out boxes yesterday looking for the drawings and draft embroideries I had intended for submission, I tidied and threw out as I went along but still didn't find them - doh, they were in the old straw bag I had with the broken handle where I keep felt bits and pieces, I knew that.  So I have my fabric and threads, a clear workspace, a new design on the drawing board and now all I have to do is get out of here and make a start. 

a few of the stocking stuffers I made for everyone, I added a co-ordinated t-towel to go with them.

First though I have to add a few piccys to this post, just check a few other blogs out, check my emails, put a couple of loads of washing on, do the poop hunt, have another coffee, water the garden and hanging baskets, get some chicken out of the freezer, drag the dog out from under the bed, make the bed, get dressed, open all the curtains and windows and 25 mins to do it all in.  Better get a wiggle on then.

Uhru

My favourite little nook, tea or coffee anyone?

Oh yes, and I dyed my hair purple the thursday before christmas as well, but you won't be seeing a piccy of that LOL.