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. 

I'm Back minus the GB

Well that little op wasn't as bad as I expected, I didn't have as much pain as I thought I would have and had my first painkiller free day yesterday.  Saw my GP today who read the surgeons report and it was a text book lap op.  Not eating much, everything cause the most terrible wind and I'm thinking of hiring myself out at the wind farm, I think I could single handedly generate enough power to keep a small town going for a few weeks.  I'm a bit upset about my belly button, as belly buttons go it was quite a nice one, now it looks horrible with a scar running through the centre of it, its a good job I don't parade around in bikini's (boy o boy, now that would be a sight).
The storms that have been threatening us all week finally arrived - the second I walked out of the docs to walk to the other side of town where I had left my car.  Oh well, a bit of rain never hurt anyone.  My car overheated and lights came on on the dash that I didn't even know were there, I was close to home and since I had left my mobile phone on the bedside table I carried on going.  I know I need a new battery and I just have enough for that if tighten the purse strings and don't buy presents for anyone.  I thought about making up gift baskets for family and close friends - garden ones, pamper ones and goody bag ones for the girls, I'm making them a bracelet each and the long legged dolls that were in the mags earlier in the year.  I've been trying to catch up with making stuff for the markets, I missed two this week so hopefully this coming weekend the storms will stay away till the late afternoon and I can get a market in. 
There is so much I need to get done, this year has just galloped away from me no matter how hard I pull on the reins, it aint slowing down.  Bit I have packed a lot in, even so I will be glad to see the back of this year and start the new year healthy and happy.

Jan

new blog

Despite the hiccups I am having with blogger and the fact I can only see half a page here as I am typing I have started a new blog - mainly about the crochet side of my life. http://littlepetalstitches.blogspot.com/.  I will, once I get my finger out post my patterns and ideas.

Jan

Right at this very moment I hate Blogger

What did I do, I really don't know what I hit but I can't do anthing now, it says my browser is no longer supported by Blogger and some parts will not work and you may expereince problems, try Chrome. No I will not try Chrome, I do not want to try Chrome, I want my old blogger back please.  I'm busy trying to get everything back to how it was and I just can't.  So I'm going the long way round and copying all my posts and blog lists into a file and then I'm packing my bags and moving on. 

Jan

Its raining......

I awoke to blue skies very early, workmen clunking and banging away, starting up trucks, how can people be so cheerful so early in the morning.  Too late i was wide awake and no hope of going back to sleep.  By 8.30 the sky was dark and rain had set in, no complaints here, its a bit cooler and the new trees I planted will benefit from a shower and I'm sure the lawn is just soaking it up.

So much for hanging up the hooks for a while, I have orders coming out of my ears, just when I thought it was going to be another frugal christmas.  I'm not going to wait around I'm going to get stuck into them and get them all out of the way asap.  Normally I will procrastinate and dither about but the new me is going to get stuck straight in.

Yesterday I decided to home colour my hair, rather than going for one a shade darker or lighter than my own I chose Mahogany.......... I keep going and looking in the mirror to see if I'm used to it yet. I use argan oil (it keeps the frizzy bits at bay) occassionally and also when I use the straighteners.  I used them this morning and my hair looks like those ads, its all straight and smooth and very shiny. It doesn't look like me but I do love the colour and the grey bits which seem very coarse have gone pink. The highlights which were gold are now a pinky colour as well, overall I'm happy with the result. 

I'm just going to have another look in the mirror and then settle down for an afternoon of hooking.

Jan

Watch this space, I'm going to post the pattern for the little flower grubs soon. They are so addictive and only use a small amount of yarn so are good stash busters.

I told myself that once the rabbits and elephants were finished then I would put away my hooks for a while and concentrate on other things.  The rabbits still need assembly, but I started a few more little grubs last night and some crocheted felted flower brooches and the rabbits lay unfinished. It was be a mind thing - do I really want to put away those hooks and so I am creating more things to crochet before I finish the bunnies.  I even started creating a small crochet christmas tree. I get side-tracked so easily.
On my drawing desk there are 6 designs already to be stitched, christmas stitcheries that were planned for submission a magazine.  I might make a couple up to put on the market stall but I can't see that happening.  They might make christmas in July next year if I get my finger out. 
After a long email to a blog friend I have realised that a lot of what I do around the place are just delay tactics. I might seem busy to you but I do these things so I don't have to do what I have to really do.  But I'm not quite sure what it is I really have to do.  I'm on top of my health thing for now, I can't really make any work plans till after my gallbladders out and I know I am back to normal.  I'm coping with the bills and other expenses. Despite my house needing a few repairs, its serves its purpose as a shelter and protection giver very well.  The only thing I can really think of is selling myself, getting my ideas out there, the occassional magazine project is not going to do that. I need to make the decision to actually make a living at what is now only a hobby.  Well I can't think about that now I have to go remake beds and do the vacumming and dusting and then the ironing and I might make a grub or two.

On the list of the many jobs I have to do around the place, or rather the list of things I have for the boys to do is 'clean the paths'. Over time with all the drizzle and wet weather we have had (yes I know we've had it dry recently) the paths go mouldy and very slippy. I bleach and scrub them usually but had asked No.1 son if I could borrow his pressure cleaner to do them, he looked at the back path to the shed and asked why.  I looked and they were spotless, i went round to the front and looked at the front path and steps and they were spotless. The rain was that heavy in those few days that we had the storms it must have cleaned them, I know there was hail in it. So thats one job ticked off the list that I didn't have to get dirty or sweaty doing.  On the other hand all that grass seed I keep putting in as sprouted, even where some spilled out of the box when i opened it, so now I can take down the all string and posts I put up to keep the cats and birds off it.  Its almost knee high now and nearly ready for its first mow.  I finally got the Jaboticaba in the side garden, well if you've got a son (No.3 who lives in Cairns) calling in for a quick hello you might as well get him to do something for you and since he fetched me all his washing  it was only right he should do something for me.  I wonder when he puts his work clothes on tomorrow he'll notice the softness and the perfume of new comfort rose conditioner. 
So working my way through the list, I now have new locks on front and back doors, lawn reseeded, tree planted, paths cleaned, work bench painted, rain water tank reconnected still need the loo flusher thingy fixing, new floor in spare bedroom, new glass in window laundry, old car and broken ride-on mower removed, washing down walls, sanding doors down, floor boards replaced in front of sink and back door, 2 light bulb sockets replacing, living room repainted, back door repainting. Sitting here isn't going to get any of it done, todays tasks are sanding the back door and mowing as much of the lawns as I can, finishing washing the craft room walls and making three crochet felted brooches, finishing the rabbits and sewing up the elephants finally.

Jan

Poor old brain and fingers don't want to co-operate this morning, must be a two coffee start today, only I've just got enough milk left for one, I'd better make it a strong one.
I finally got the paint out this week and painted the work bench, just needs one more top coat and I'm done. I'm even considering sanding down the back door this arvy and putting the undercoat on, its only needed doing for the past 19 yrs. It was one of those jobs that always got left and we were always going to replace it one day so it never got done, but now it has its new lock on and its vintage (1940's) brass knob all polished up I might just get around to it.

I'm making mutant rabbits at the moment. A few years ago I made an amigurumi bunny and accidently sewed him up wrong. He still looked like a rabbit and obviously the person who bought him knew he was a rabbit, but try as I might I cannot get another one to look like the original.  In fact I cannot get any of the amigurumi I now make have the same weirdness about them that the original ones had.  Perhaps my inner neat freak needs to go take a break for a while, sometimes she has this urge to make everything 'just so', no stitches loose, correct spacing between increases and nicely rounded shapes filled perfectly with no bumps and lumps.  To me now, he is too simple, i know at the time it was hard for me to make him, the same with the prim stitcheries I just found it hard to do not do it perfect.  Which is all very strange cos anyone who knew me when I was young will tell you what a messy bugger I was, never neat and tidy, my needlework teacher at school despaired of me ever making anything where the stitches stayed in the first time they were sewn.  Bootees I knitted were always different sizes with loose open stitches.  About ten years ago I made a conscious effort to do everything the proper way, I disciplined myself to prepare my work, and do everything in order, to finish off properly.  Maybe I got too obsessive about it.   Now I need to lighten up a bit and strike a happy medium.  One area in which I am not neat and tidy is my craft room.  I love its disorder, the neat freak gets left at the door and is barred unless invited in when things get a bit too disorganised. My garden is also messy, perhaps once or twice a year I allow the neat freak to take over and she tidies up the lawn edges and gets a family working bee going to make it spick and span, but mostly I just keep the lawn raked of leaves (its exercise) and mow the lawn once the grass is ankle deep (again exercise).  

I've stuffed all the rabbits and all their body parts are laying in a pile ready to be assembled, I'll post a piccy later today, maybe I will try and ditch the neat freak and invite the inner sloven out for a while.

I've got a spy job on this morning and my printers out of ink, so I've got to make notes.  I am so sure my black was two thirds used last week and I haven't printed anything out for days but now its says it is empty.  The Post office is closed on a saturday and I've been to town twice this week so I really don't want to go again since I have to spy in a town the opposite end of the shire and they don't have a place where I can get my ink, occassionally they will have it at the newsagents but not very often and I'm not sure wether my computer man is open on a weekend.  But I've done the job a few times now and I know the brief. Sounds good doesn't it, I always wanted to be a spy when I was little - Violette Szabo is my all time favourite, but unlike her going into the thick of things in war time France I'm just popping to the next town and fighting my way through customers to do a customer service check. 

Jan