The men in white coats will be here soon.............

My wonderful new cousins will be seriously thinking about cutting me out of the family tree after this. Well at least now they know which side the insanity runs in.

........and I wasn't even thinking of the ancestors when I did it.  There I was making breakfast, thinking about fitting everything into the my day, I have a meeting to attend, I have to shop, I have paperwork to do, I have to finish the cleaning job. Here there and everywhere today. I put my coffee and sugar in my cup, put the jug on to boil and got out the cornflakes. It was only when I poured the water into my coffee cup I realised what I had done - the soggy looking cornflakes floating to the top of the cup gave the game away.  In another life I might have thought - oh well, it all ends up in the same place and eaten coffee flavoured cornflakes.  What a start to the day.
I had a lousy nights sleep, the dreaded night sweats have started again.  I did four suduko puzzles in between tossing and turning, tried to read, then the legs cramps kicked in.  The poor dog got fed up with being kicked off the bed so many times. 

I didn't craft yesterday, I did pick up a needle and thread though so that should count, even if it wasn't for me and was just 'normal' sewing. 15 mins before he had to go out my son informs me I had sewn the stripe on his martial arts belt in the wrong place. I remember asking him exactly where it had to go. 'Sons',  no matter how old they get (he's 22) they will always be a pain in the rear end.

Jan

I got the job

Two posts in one day, I'm on a roll.

I've just had a phone interview for the mystery shopper job and I got it. I can fit it in with whatever I am doing, you choose where and when you work and the areas.  I have a cleaning job as well this week. Perhaps yelling at the universe that I was not happy at what it was handing out to me worked after all.
So far this morning I've defrosted and cleaned the freezer, done all the washing, put yesterdays washing away and I'm going to make a start on cleaning next doors holiday home. 

Jan

Look what I found under the Bed

.........apart from all that dust, spiders and an overdue library book.

These little treasures.  I collect pin dishes and mustard pots with the occassional egg coddler thrown in. I must have put them away after a massive clean up. So now I have to rearrange everything in the wall displays to fit them all in. 

A friend was also having a clear out and had a few of these cups and saucers so she asked if I would like one. I love the strong bold colours. I'm not sure whether the red was supposed to go with the blue saucer, but I like the match whether or not it does.

After cleaning out the laundry broom cupboard I finally found a use for all those shower curtain rings I don't use.

Better nip off now and go get dressed, I've excelled myself this morning. Just read Norma's comment so I suppose I'd better go take my meds as well.

Well I'm still here, didn't die in the night - I'd forgotten to take my heart pills for three days cos I was so engrossed in my new obsession and then I found I'd run out of them and I'd lost the new script, which wouldn't have done me any good anyway even if I hadn't lost it.since it was Easter and the chemists were all closed.  Cost me $25 for a quick in out visit to the docs to get a new script,  I hadn't even got my bum on the seat before he'd got it printed out, he asked a couple of quick questions, did my blood pressure and that was it. It usually only costs $16 if you are ordering a script but they've changed the rules and you have to see a doctor. I wouldn't mind but I was only there just over 10 days ago and that cost me $50, with the medications I've spent nearly a $100 on the docs, I got  a bit back on Medicare.
There isn't any doctors around here that bulk-bill Medicare so we have to pay up front. My own docs usually quite good if she knows I'm strapped for cash, she will waive the fee.  Doesn't happen very often and I'm grateful when it does. Just glad I have acess to great health care and can afford it.

I'm still doing my 20 mins a day, its moving me a little bit forward getting everything finished before I start on anything else.  I renewed my library book with the gorgeous crossstitch flower designs in it and I'm now doing anemones.  Nearly finished and I think that might be it though if I have the book for another week it might just give me time to do a rose one.

Because of my new obsession and equally my old obsession I have dragged out the slow cooker, got a beef curry cooking away in no time and now I don't feel guilty when my son comes home and I'm either sat at the puter digging up my great great great great granny or sat buddha like on the lounge room chairs, surrounded by coloured threads with needle  poised over fabric - just one more ancestor and I'll cook dinner, just wait till I get to the end of this thread and I'll make a start on dinner.  I long for the days when I am on my own and only me to worry about, I can spread myself all over the place with no-one to whinge about needles in the chairs or bits of paper covered in names scattered all over the dining table. 

The Skeat family tree is getting like an octopus,  arms everywhere. I just wish all my grandparents hadn't died young, I just wish we had had more contact with the reli's that we did have while we had them.  But we were strangers and for some reason outsiders.

Jan

So now all the excitement of the last two days has sort of died down a little, its time to start getting back to normal.  Well as normal as this household gets anyway.  The weathers wet and miserable again so gardening is out. My youngest and his girlfriend turned up yesterday and I managed to get him to finish trimming off the trees behind the shed. So now I have this mountain of branches in the middle of the back lawn.  I might potter on the verandah and repot some plants up.
I'm still managing to do 20 mins a day craft, I finished my gloves last night. I got a pair out of one ball of Carnival Soft yarn, its just under $3 a ball so thats not bad.  I think with these and the wool pair I did last year I should be right for the next few years, considering how often we get really cold weather they will not get a lot of wear. I still want to do another pair of socks, masochistic I know.
I need to finish the cross stitch I started the other week. What I really need to do is finish the ufo's that have crept up again before I start anything new. 
I want to start on my new embroidery project, not sure yet wether it will suit prim naive or the more traditional embroidery, perhaps somewhere in betweeen. I love jacobean/crewel work but it can be time consuming on a large design and I love thread painting but that will definately be too time consuming for what I have planned.  I can see two designs coming up now and sitting here at the puter is not going to get them down on paper. I will probably keep putting if off and making excuses like I normally do.  As I am typing away a couple more ideas have sprung up but I really don't want to go there - Applique. 
I'll make a start my sharpening my pencils and rescuing my colours from the grandgirls toy corner.  The desk in the craft room has to be cleared as well, but that means all my threads have to be sorted and put back and that means I might as well finish the cross stitch first and a couple of embroideries. See.....I managed to find that excuse not to make a start on the new project.
I'm trying very hard not to jump into Family Search today.  It is so tempting to just go look for one more clue in my search for the ancestors.  I need to find confirmation on one of my great great grandfathers I think I have finally found.  Its a wonderful feeling finding someone from your past and when you find LIVE reli's its even better no matter how distant the common ancestor is that you share. 
Should I or should I not go garage saling today, theres only two down in the paper.  I would need to put petrol in the car first, and theres a new second hand place just opened up on the edge of town as well I want to check out. Do I ignore the bills piling up, do I ignore that voice of reason that was so good when it came to not going to the Spotlight sale, but what if I miss that elusive bargain of the century I've been searching for, that perfect piece.  Grrrrrrrrrrrr.................


Jan

End of March already

Where has the time gone.  Not much happening craft wise. I seem to have slowed down though I do still do my 20 mins a day.  Easter just like christmas has crept up on me.  It not something we really make a fuss of. Maybe I will have the family round for lunch on Sunday, depending on my mood. I'm not feeling very sociable at the moment.  I'm in my grumpy old woman mode. 
I want to lock myself away from the world and just craft away to my hearts content, no stopping to cook meals or talk to friends. No cleaning or shopping. Its not going to happen so I might as well 'suck it up and deal with it Princess' as my friend would say.
I whizzed round the supermarket this morning, making chimichangas for dinner tonight. Got everything I needed and more while I was there.  I'm going to put the meat on now so it will be cooked enough to shred later.  Then I'm going to find a couple more ancestors to add to my family tree and then settle down while the meat is cooking to an hour of crafting. I have the house to myself for the first time in ages so I am taking advantage of it.


Jan

NEW SHOES

Since I was so determined I was going to come home with a new pair of shoes I practically tried on every size 6 - 7 in the shop.  The pretty trainers with the rose print on were too tight so that was a big disappointment.   To me the shoes that RIVERS sell are a bit quirky, but I decided that quirky was okay - suits me down to the ground in my present mood. So I got a pair reminiscent of little girl shoes. I've always shied away from them in the past but yesterday I bit the bullet and tried something new.  I also got a skirt, a pretty brown swirly skirt with beads and embroidery on, reduced to $29 from $59.  The op-shops turned out to be a big disappoint as far as rose themed items went. Not one thing. So I bought 2 pretty shirts and a cute little pot bunny.  I also bought a cotton overshirt that had aged very well, the faded colour blending perfectly. At a $1 I thought it was a good buy and I plan to do a little surface embroidery around the neckline, nothing too pretty as it isn't a pretty shirt.  I bought a new handle and lock for the bathroom door - no more yelling out to visitors - Put the big wooden duck behind the door.  Now all I have to do is find a capable man to fit it for me.  Actually I am probably quite capable of fitting it myself.

If I don't get new shoes today I will Scweam

and I'll scweam and I'll scweam and stamp my feet.

Yesterdays trip to Mareeba was cancelled yet again, my son turned up at my friends early in the morning to do her mowing and pruning and since we had been nagging and nagging him to do it and the weather was perfect we cancelled our shopping trip.  If we had been younger and fitter I suppose we could have gone in the afternoon but by then it was 90 degrees and neither of us fancied the journey and shopping in that heat.
So today we are going to be two determined little old ladies. We will get there, come rain or shine.
We've given ourselves a project - paint our garden pots, so we're going to the second hand shops to see what they have we could use as pots. Then the op-shops and then we'll end up at the store where hopefully we will have money left for shoes. 
I have given myself a challenge today - to buy 4 rose themed items and not spend over $5 for the lot.  I am so in need of 'pretty' in my life.  Having three boys and a husband who wasn't into frilly and pretty (though to give him his due he did like fossiking around op-shops and garage sales with me) I was overrun with masculine things. So now I only have one son at home I can gradually start prettying things up.  I am hoping that all the prettiness will get to him and he'll move out. Aren't I a horrible mother.

Well better get a move on, pots to wash, clothes to hang, shower, get dressed and prepared for a big shopping trip.

janjan

midnite ramblings

Why was I, at just gone midnight frantically vacumming. I'd had my UK crime fix - The Bill, Blue Murder and then an episode of Midsomer Murders I don't remember seeing before so it just gone midnight when the tele went off. I walked into the bedrooom and there suspended about a foot over the bed was a big spider, closer inspection revealed it had made a web from the top shelf in the wardrobe down to a bed post back up to the ceiling back down to the diagonally opposite bedpost back up to the ceiling and then to each of the other bedposts and was proceeding to weave a gigantic web over the bed.  I did briefly consider sleeping on the sofa but as the vacumm was still on the bedroom floor I set to, the spider fell onto the bed and went under the cushions, I was waving the vacumn around in the air trying to get as much of the web up as I could, the spider tried to haul itself up what must have been an emergency line and I homed in on it.  Just in case it had a mate it was weaving the web for I ended up vacumming all the nooks and crannys and then spraying surface spray all around with one quick last spray up the hose of the vacumn (I wasn't going to let the little pest creep out and get me in the night) Sod the ozone layer just this once, there was no way I was going to sleep there unless I knew I wasn't going to be attacked by a giant spider.  When I finally got to sleep it was very fitful, every little itch woke me and I was looking around for spiders.

The day started off sunny but its just gone overcast, so I'm not going to work in the garden today, I've decided to have a lazy day (I really mean it this time).  I finished the primula cross stitch and have started on crocuses. I went in to town yesterday to get more threads, came home made a start on it and then went back to town for some plant pots and potting compost. I potted up some Cordylines and Mother in Laws tongue.  M.I.L's tongue has just been declared a noxious weed in Queensland just when I've finally got it growing well in a garden bed, so I dug it up and potted it in a big terracotta pot.  I moved pots around on the verandah and made a nice little sitting area.  I did the washing, folded and put away everything.  So today nothing really needs doing. 

So now I'm going to go and continue being lazy.


Jan

NO NEW SHOES

My friend was feeling under the weather again, so I decided we'd leave it till Monday as I didn't want to go over to Mareeba by myself. It was our planned girls day out.

I decided to go grocery shopping instead and feeling energetic I decided to walk beforehand and check out all the op-shops. Parking spaces opened up for me just as I got to them, roads cleared of traffic just as I wanted to cross over. I found a nice pair of pants in one shop with a blue ticket half price sale - that meant only $3, but there was another ticket on it for $3 so she halved that, so I got them for 1.50.  I had ditthered over buying a t-shirt in Millers last week it was marked down in the sale to $8 from $20 I couldn't decide between the pink or green and I finally decided on the pink, but in the op-shop today they had the green one, never worn for $3.  Then I went to another op-shop and got a vintage crochet pattern book for 20c.
I walked back to the car and went to the store and got a parking space straight away - under the shade cover and facing forward.  The day got even better when i was unpacking the grocerys and found I hadn't been charged for the chicken breasts.  Considering how many times I've been overcharged I reckon we're even.  My son was even in a happy mood as there is the chance of getting on a training scheme.  I got on the scales and I've lost half a kilo. So, can this day get any better.

EASY DAY - YEH RIGHT

Why do we do it. What is it with us women. When we say we're going to do nothing and have an easy day why don't we mean it.  What we really mean an easy day on top of all the things we do to run a household anyway. The washing, the ironing, the putting away, then the thinking up meals, the shopping, the preparing a meal. Weeding the garden, dusting, cleaning out cupboards, decluttering, vacumming.  Are we so afraid that if someone comes and says 'and what did you do today' and you reply "oh I had an easy day today" that they are gonna look around the place and say"yep, it sure looks like it".  I'm long since past caring about that.  But whenever I say I'm going to have an easy day I seem to find extra energy to get big jobs done.  Perhaps an easy day for me is one where I can get extra jobs done - but at my leisure. If I want to pull everything out of the cupbaords and then go and sit down for 20 mins stitching then I can. If I want to leave the vacumm in the middle of the room till I get a fresh burst of energy to finish then I will.  Which is exactly what I did yesterday.
Though leaving the vacumm in the bedroom doorway wasn't such a good idea as I forgot it was there at bedtime and went flying.

But today - its an easy day.  Shoe shopping. Theres  big shoe sale over in Mareeba and thats where a friend and I are headed in about an hour.  Which means I better get a wriggle on and get showered and dressed.


Jan

EASY DAY TODAY

The worst thing about laundry is that just as soon as you fold it, put it away there it is back in the washing machine.  I tackled the mountain of clean clothes early this morning and sorted it all out and then put it all away.
Yesterday we managed to get out to my friends garden - WOW. She's been busy, its an amazing place, we felt like we were touring round a botanical garden. We managed to get a few cuttings as well.  When I got home my son had mowed and just left a little for me to do.
Today I think I'm going to take it easy, quielty cross stitiching, maybe read a little. Tomorrow we're going over to Mareeba to see a another friend and do some retail therapy.  This week has been really busy and its nearly the weekend again. Where is the time going.

The wine never got opened I got so stuck into cross stitching I nearly missed Greys and then continued to stitch while it was on.  Should finish it today.  Trying to get out to my friends place again today but it looks like the rain has settled in for the day. Not much fun out in the rainforest when its wet and damp.

The laundry cupboard badly needs sorting out and theres a great big pile of clean washing to sort and maybe one or two things to iron.  I need another big project. Perhaps I'll dig out a couple of ufo's and see if I can get them finished.  A couple of rose ones I started when Mik was still alive so its about time they were done and dusted. My yarn box needs a good sort out yet again.  So if I clean out the laundry cupboard I'll reward myself with 30 mins in the craft room.

Jan

I finally did it

Big sigh of relief. The dolls pattern is all finished and sent off for submission. Now we play the waiting game.
It took all day - to retype out, triple check, add the photo's. I refused to leave the computer until I had hit that send button.  I don't think I had lunch and I've only had one coffee today. So I deserve a proper coffee for all that hard work.  Actually I have a bottle of wine chilling but I'm going to save that for Greys Anatomy later tonight.  My son cooked a beef casserole for dinner which was very edible, unfortunately he left me the washing up to do. 
So now I'm going to settle down to do a bit of cross stitching.

Vicky, if you go over to my other blog I've done the first installment of our move to australia, I know you wanted to hear more.

Jan

WET AGAIN

We had a couple of days brief interlude from the rain but now its back, just in time for the markets and my planned weekend of visiting garage sales and this big native plant nursery with friends.
Its cooled down a bit, quite pleasant. I'm sooo longing for winter and temps of 40 and 50, its a pleasant 70 this morning but will probably rise to 80+. The days are starting to cool down a bit (not quick enough for me though). Theres still the danger of cyclones right through to the end of March.

My foots okay, nothing broken just bruised and sore. It didn't stop me climbing up on the chair again. Cos someone had put the steps back in their proper place for once and I couldn't get them down.  I found one of my little Wade things on the net. The buyer wanted $38 for each of them so I thought I'd better get them cleaned up - now I know where all those beetles that fly in every night go to die.  They date back to the mid 50's (the Wade not the beetles) and I think I payed $5 for the pair of them about 6 years ago. I also identified a Wade cruet as well from the 50's but I paid $10 for that in an antique market in Brisbane 4 years ago.  I haven't found anything remotely like the pink Johnson Bros teapot, the design on the lid I think is from the friendly village series which was done over a few decades.  I've been through the entire sites of Go Antiques and RubyLane, now I'm cruising through etsy.

I got the most beautiful cross stitch flower book from the library yesterday and they have a gorgeous daffodil and tulip in it and there was also a primrose/primula in it. I'm so glad we get the books for a month now. I'm making a start on the Primula one this morning.  It should cover 20mins to get everything together and maybe make the first stitch. I can't wait.

Jan

OUCH

Well it was a really stupid thing to do, I thought so at the time and I thought so half way through doing it and I even thought so before I did it........but I did it anyway.

...........I climbed on the kitchen chair (the one with the wobbly leg - they all have wobbly legs but this one just had the one) to photograph my collection of mustard pots, I couldn't get one of the doors open on the wall cupboard so I climbed up onto the dining table (which I had polished that day), thats when I got worried. Carefully stepping down onto the chair I thought I was home safe and then my foot slipped. Visions of me lying there with a broken leg flashed through my mind and I managed  to right myself only to slip off the chair, i fell sideway and tried to grab the chair before it hit the deck, didn't quite make it as I trod on my pants leg and couldn't move. So the back of the chair hit my foot. Yells of pain, curses raining down, hopping round the kitchen.  Its fine when I don't walk on it, my toe next to the big one has swollen up, see how it is in the morning before I start panicing.   But me being a brave little soldier I got back on the chair and took the blooming photo's.

So here they are (not all of them though)  Some are glass, some are EPNS, some silver and some are china. My favourite set is the CarltonWare cruet set with the apple pear and plum. Now if you get curious and click on the photo's they come up really big, please close your eyes to the cobwebs, being only little and the cupboards being high up on the wall I never get to see the tops. That can be tomorrows job - only this time I'll get the steps out of the shed.

Mondayitis

Oh boy, I ache all over, if I worked for a living I'd be curling back under the covers right about now and getting someone to phone me in sick. My arms ache, my chest aches, my legs ache, my boobs ache, I feel like I have run a marathon.
What has caused this you ask - a seven year old and a three year old. I'm not cut out to be the 'fun' grandma.
Lifting  stuck kids off slippery dips and climbing frames, swing me higher grandma, catch me grandma, I'll beat you back to the car grandma, lets run in the water by the lakes edge grandma and see how wet we can get grandma, come on grandma Stacey let the dog out we gotta go chase her, you run that way grandma (MOI - RUN, I DON'T THINK SO). I've got We're Going On a Bear Hunt running through my head, I dreamt about being chased by bears all night, that and this silly old man playing nick nack all night long - I know what I'd like to nick nack and it wouldn't be his shoe.  We did have out quiet time though which involved turning half the front room into one giant tent with sheets and the carpet into a minefield of lego and duplo and crayons and buttons and Mr. Game (I resurrected this from the boys old toy cupboard). I managed to get the little one playing quietly by herself while I quickly gave Jess a  sewing lesson and got her started on a little embroidery for her mum. Oh - and we made sock puppets.  While the girls were playing quietly I went and made myself a cup of coffee (which I never got to drink) and watered a few pot plants and put the washing on and made lunch.  All this, which was noted by Matt - Hey Ma, you realise you've still got a sock puppet monster on your hand. 
At the end of the day there was one little old lady with a bar of Tiramisu chocolate in one hand a glass of wine in the other settling down to watch the demise of  Dr. Who.  Oh, David Tennant I'm gonna miss you. You could of whisked me away in the Tardis any day - I can handle my grandkids, I could of handled all those space monsters.

I'm going to go get dressed now, make the bed, sort the washing out, put the pots away, vacumm and then thats it for the day from me.  I'll be spending the rest of the day in a leisurely fashion recuperating. Unless of course the 'real' world has something else in store for me which it normally does.

Jan

LATE RISING

Oh boy, it was 8.45 a.m. when I climbed out of bed this morning. Not a happy camper at all.  We have bandicoots here, they squek like an old teddy and they love to dig up the lawn with their long snouts, searching for bugs and worms.  Especially when the ground is soft after rain.  I was rudely awakened by frantic squeking in the early hours, I actually thought they were under the bed, the dogs hackles are up and she's growling like mad. Our house is raised off the ground on stumps so we store all the building timber under there, I could hear the timber being moved and dull thuds. I really don't know what was going on under there. Then it went quiet for a while, the dog still growling though. Next doors dog  in the high set started growling and barking as well.  I dozed off to be awakened shortly afterwards with scratching in the wall above my bed., the dog sat on my pillows wondering why she can hear something but can't see it. I really don't think bandicoots climb internal walls so it must have been a rat. Oh great just what I need.  If it was a burglar I probably scared him away anyway - me thumping round the house, cursing and muttering things about I'll shoot the damm thing and rip it limb from limb - when I am disturbed from my peaceful sleep I'm not a very nice person to be around.  If it is a rat, its probably sitting in the wall cavity laughing at me thinking its going to stay there till it dies and then stink the house out.

We did have beautiful blue skies - I managed to pry my eyes open and squint into the sun, but now they are grey again, more rain and storms threatened.  So many things i want to do but I just can't be bothered, this apathy is killing me.  I forced myself into the shower this morning, my hair needed washing and I couldn't bear another day of having it tied back to hide the fact it was looking a bit tatty. I'm so close to getting the doll pattern finished, I managed to get stuffing yesterday. I was out all morning, bumping into friends and catching up on all the goss and then coffee with another friend, a cruise round the craft shop and then off to grocery shop. It was lunchtime before i got home. 

I can't even be bothered to go to the library, I've read all the books I got on Tuesday   I hate being like this, I want to go off garage saling, looking in antique shops, I want to find that elusive bargain.  The last one I got was a sweet little chest of drawers, its needs a new bottom in one of the drawers, new handles and a new coat of paint. But it sits in the spare room waiting to be brought back to life.   Perhaps I should just go jump in the car and go for a drive, who knows what I will find.


Jan

SHOPPING DAY

I really really do not want to go shopping today, only the temptation of meeting a friend for coffee in town is enticing me.  Its wet out there, its miserable and theres more to come.  If the roads on the coast get cut off with floods, as they are very likely to do then the food lorries can't get up here so while I have the energy I'd better get in there and do things. I need soft toy fill as well, I bought the last few bags that Crazy's had before they closed down and now I'm down to enough to stuff a hand.  I hope I can get some as I'm on a roll with these dolls and hope to get them off to the mags next week.  The storms are getting worse here, I've never known thunder and lightning like it. The Transformer outside my friends house about 7 klms away took a direct hit the other night and she narrowly missed being hit as a bolt of lightning shot through her house, she lost her computer and the electrics to all the plug sockets in the back of her house burnt out.  They don't usually start till about 3 in the arvy, so I get the dinner started and all the chores in and out done before then, then I curl up with my craft or a book on the sofa with the dog pressed as close to me as she can get and watch the storms build up. 
I rearranged the books shelves yesterday, dusted and polished so I can actually see and smell that I have been busy.I'm into table runners at the moment, I've picked a few up at garage sales and op-shops with the intent to do something with them.  The book stand in the main living area is only very narrow so I want to make one for the top of there. I might crochet one in white, I keep the family photo's on there and there is a white mirror over it.  Well better get off, got to go get petrol first.

Jan

BORED

Me getting bored is a dangerous thing. Who knows what I can get up to.  I've done double my 20 mins crafting today, the washings on and the breakfast pots washed. Dinners planned and I'm restless. I'm actually looking at paint charts - now you should be worried.  I tinkered around with a piccy of some of the flowers i crocheted and made a pretty piccy for the blog head. I love playing around with piccys though I have no idea what I am doing.
I need to get the pattern finished for the ami dolls so I can submit them to the magazine.  I am getting so slack again at finishing things off.  I'm half way through another doll just to make sure the pattern is okay, a few tweaks here and there and it should be done.  I haven't even started the polyanthus/primrosey embroidery yet - I found a nice cross stich tulip design when I was tidying up the wardrobe so I'm working on a trim for a nice pink handtowel. 
I think I am finally nearing the end of my decluttering.  Now all I have to do is rearrange all the stuff that is left.  The book cases need redoing. I did get rid of a few books for the garage sale so things just need moving around a bit.  I'm going to start on the entrance area. I

Happy Valentines day

Well there won't be any cards, flowers or choccies coming my way this year. No man on the horizon for me. I'm just too fussy.  I like being on my own (when I'm allowed to be). I really don't think I want to go through all the hassles of building a new relationship up. But if it happens it happens and if he's rich as well - then maybe I'll make the effort.
But for now I LOVE ME, there are parts that I have fallen out with though, but I'm sure I can learn to love them - grey hairs, wrinkles, saggy bits.

My youngest and his girlfriend dropped in last night on their way home from riding motorbikes and quad bikes all over the hills, muddy, bruised and very happy and very tired. I was worried about them driving down the mountain range late at night but Linda had to get back so we fed them, poured coffee into Ryan and off they went. 

I'm going to settle down today to watch the winter games, I used to like the Luge but after that poor Georgian luger was horrifically killed I think I'll give that one a miss. I hope they do ban it.  It showed the arial view of the Luge track on the news last night, its hard to imagine travelling along it at 148+ klms, with really no control at all.  I didn't think they would show the actual moment of impact, I thought they were just showing another Luger on the track.  Prayers and thought go out to his poor family.

On a lighter note I'm trying to find photo's of all my past craft work, I lost a lot when my puter crashed but I have a lot of 'real' photographs in a suitcase I can scan.  Despite losing my mojo I have been quite busy these last couple of months. In fact when I look at all the stuff I have made in the past 9 months I am amazed. Not bad for someone who isn't feeling crafty.  I was forced into it though and if thats what I can do when I'm not in the mood what can I achieve when the mood finally does hit.

These gloves I knit before last winter, first attempt and I was quite pleased with them.  I used the itchy grey vintage wool and since they've been worn in and washed a few times they are not too itchy and have softened up.  They'll probably last a few years since there probably only a couple of weeks of really cold weather in our winter. 

....and this little beauty is the first sock I knitted, the second one looks pretty good as well.  First time I had knitted on four needles, took a while to get the hang of it, needles flying everywhere, the poor dog diving for cover every five minutes but I mastered it in the end, turning a heel and doing the toes were easier than I expected and I will definately be doing another pair ready for this winter, might be a bit braver and do a patterned one. 

The weather is fine at the moment but storm clouds are around, the monsoon rains will probably wait till this arvy so I want to try and get the lawns around the house done while the grass is still dry.  Now, do I have brekky first or after I've mowed. Looking at the dark clouds that have just come over and the way the birds are behaving outside I might be better rushing out now and getting it done. The weather here is very unpredictable at the best of times but with all these 'worst/wettest/hottest/driest/snowiest/coldest etc weather since' patterns around the world who knows what its going to do.  But there again I might just go into the kitchen and make myself a bacon butty, hopefully the aroma of cooking bacon might waft through the house and waken my son and he might get out there and get the lawns done. We live in hope.

UPDATE: 12.59  - well fat chance of that happening, he's gone off to Kuranda to see a mate, I got out the mower and made a start, done half of the back lawn and half of the driveway side of the house.  Pulled out my 100 weeds a day, hung out the washing, put 100 crosses in a crossstitch, had my bacon butty, just about to have my fourth coffee of the day and then defrost something for dinner tonight, might put yesterdays washing away if I get a burst of energy after my coffee.  No-one could call me lazy, so I'm going to plonk myself down soon and just take it easy for the rest of the day.

The Stars of the Show

These beauties first made light of day on Crochetvilles CAL (Crochet A Long),  I started off learning the pattern with a 6 point, then 12 and then 24 (which I won't be doing again anytime soon)  They became very addictive and I'm think that maybe I could do a rainbow one with all my yarn stash, just a little baby 6 point.. I did follow the original pattern  but then after making a few serendiptidous mistakes went my own way with them. Most of the yarn used was already in my stash and I think I only had to buy a couple of hundred gram balls for the 24 point one. I love the varigated yarn thats in the middle of the 12 point and the outer edges of the blue one, unfortunately I can't get that one any more. Its funny because I didn't like it when I bought it but needed a more masculine yarn, it crocheted up really well but the craft shop in town decided at the same time I wanted more that they weren't going to stock wool anymore and were just going to be beading, patchwork and scrapping.  A new shop has opened up that supplies all the old dears for their charity knitting and she will order in small amounts but looking through the Magnum books this one seems to have been discontinued. I live in hope that perhaps I'll find some on my garage saling and op-shop forays.

I'm trying to arrange a play date with my friend, we need to catch up, I really do need to vacumm though before I do anything else and wash a few blankets, if I'm lucky I might get stuff out on the line for a few hours. The storms have been starting early these days but if I get a couple of hours drying time that should get everything dried. 

Hex quilts

Since I've been looking at blogs with hexagon quilts on I thought I'd show you my little offerings.  I had a mad passionate affair briefly with hexagon quilts a few years ago.  This was the first one.    I also started collecting rose patterned fabric at this time. From this little darling I went onto bigger things, but just before you scroll down make a guess on how big you think this quilt is.  Okay so then I started my lifetimes work.  My late hubby would patiently follow me around craft shops, garage sales and op-shops on my hunt for rose patterned fabric, he would be amazed as each evening I would sit cutting up old chrissy cards to make the templates and then spend the next evening watching me cutting fussy cutting up perfectly good metres of fabric, then he would mumble something about womens logic as he watched me sewing it all back up again. We joked that it would never be finished until we were pensioners. It started off a hexagon, then it went star shaped and then back to a larger hex with the addition of smaller hexagon pieced hexs. Not quite sure how it ended up diamond shaped, it took on a mind of its own and I managed to slowly get it into a rectangle shape.  Other things took over our lives, the unfinished quilt occassionally brought out by a proud hubby for a show and tell session.  But it didn't get finished, there were over 7000 mini hexs in that quilt, all stitched by hand over a period of about 8 years.  The quilt made its final trip into the outside world a few days after my beloved passed away.  I gave it to the undertaker and he wrapped by husband in it. He probably thought it was very strange, but that quilt was made out of memories and I had plenty to spare so I gave it with love. I still have a few of the hexs left and might one day make a small wall quilt.  When laid flat on the floor and standing over it looking down it had a very strange effect, very hypnotic so it was called the gypsy rose mandala quilt.   

                    I'm finally getting to the end of the de-cluttering in the craft room. I decided that the tapestry frames had to go and a quilting frame. I found a quilt, dusty and full of spider poo and gubbins.  I really should clean it up and finish it once and for all.  Its a dresden plate, started when I was pregnant with my second son 23 years ago, the bets were on at quilting class wether the quilt or the baby would get finished first. I'm quite sure that if Matt had decided to arrive on time and not 2 months early I would have finished the quilt.  Every so often I get it out and put a few more stitches in, its embellished with embroidery and hand stippled quilted.  Hopefully i can finish it for when matt has kids and since there isn't even a current girlfriend on the horizon I reckon I've plenty of time. You can the first hex quilt hanging on the rail over the single bed in the craft room.

Decluttering

I have been decluttering for the past three years.  Seriously that is, being ruthless and determined.  A friend is having a garage sale to raise funds for our Relay for Life team so yet again I'm sorting out stuff for her. Over 100 craft magazines - I'm never going to make any of the stuff in there and they are just taking up room. Tapestry yarn in colours I would never use, I've kept a few skeins back for dolls hair but out the rest of them go, glasses to use as candle holders - out, lots of crafty bits I picked up at garage sales, never used - out they go.  Clothes, bagged up for the op-shops.  Where does it all come from, surely after all these years I should be getting to the end of it, my home should be neat and tidy, I'm only bringing in things that I know I will use.
Books I buy from the op-shops are read straight away and then passed on.  The yarn stash is mysteriously re-growing. I keep finding odd small balls in strange places - why did I have a ball of lime green yarn in my underwear box. I opened a unused cupboard and found three unfinished projects hidden away - cardigans started for my grandkids three years ago, well at least I know the larger size will now fit the youngest - a wool scarf knitted in lacy panels, the yarn horrible and scratchy (it was vintage, never used and came from an old haberdashery shop), so I'll frog that and use it for felting, an embroidery that was meant to be finished four years ago, the child who's birth it was meant to celebrate nearly five years old. 
I've decluttered friends and relationships, those past their best and those who have just faded away.  Sometimes that happens, we outgrow them or they move away their lives taking a different path. I no longer worry that 'was it me', I've let then all go and moved on.  Grateful to them though for the wonderful memories. I need to de-clutter a few more feelings that are not serving me well. Fear being a big one I can't seem to let go of, inadequacy another. My mind definately needs a good de-clutter, lots of unused stuff in there, locked away, very dusty and old-fashioned, very vintage.  
So this is the year of the grand final de-clutter, the big one, the ultimate upheaval. 

Thanks Tallis, the lillies are from my garden, rescued just before a big storm hit. 

Jan

CurlyPet - what every mum wants

 

Today I am decluttering - I'm going through each drawer of the craft dresser and turfing out 10 things. Found where I had stashed all my vintage knitting pattern books. Not really looked at the ads but this one caught my eye.  Somehow baby had to have a curly head of hair to be classed as a beautiful baby and wow all the young matrons could even style their own hair with it.

My First Award

Thankyou Vicky for that, now I have to find out how to get it up on my blog so I can send it out to others.

Okay so here it is, now my part is to list five things which give me pleasure and then pass it on to five deserving bloggy friends.

1)  Collecting(read hoarding here) - I must own up to being a buttonoholic, I love buttons, I have jars and jars and jars and jars. I did have over 250,000 before I had a big clear out, now maybe only about 150,000 (buttons not jars hahahah).I have antique glass ones, beautiful little enamalled stars reputed to have been from Queen Victorias dressmaker, celluloid, silver, bakelite, fifties, sixties, tiny up to Kirsty Allsops huge things.  I have a big 50 litre box of loose buttons which is wonderful to just dive into.  I promise a photo some day soon.

I also collect mustard pots, I have two wall cupboards full of them (well only nearly 50, theres room for a few more), I love the thrill of the chase.  Again I'll post piccys someday.

2)  Embroidery - my all time passion, I love threads, I love creating something that hopefully in a hundred years time will be on antique road show with a holographic Michael Aspel wondering over my fine stitches.

3)  My family - really that should of been number 1 shouldn't it.  From my sons to my grandkids, my wonderful in-laws and all my wonderful friends that are honourary family members - I love them all.

4)  I love blogging, reading blogs, cruising blogs and creating blogs - from all corners of the globe sharing our passions,  making friends and holding out the hand of friendship.

5) Reading - I love to read,  biographies, cook books, chick books, murder mysteries, crafting, blogs, metaphysical, self help, history - anything with words in fact.  I've even got a whole shelf dedicated to books on words. I draw the line though at military history books though despite having shelves full of them.  

So who do I pass the award on to, so many wonderful deserving blogs out there and I have to pick five, hard call.

Why can't I turn off italics.

http://missnance.blogspot.com/

http://michellsplace.blogspot.com/

http://vonlipisfavorites.blogspot.com/  - this will open your eyes to the world of Pyrex, believe me you'll be racing to your cupboards looking fro granny old hand me downs.

http://marmaladerose.blogspot.com/  - a wonderful post, join the 20 min a day challenge here, encourage those on this journey. 

http://lalleescottage.blogspot.com/  -  Check out the finds, lovely vintage, shabby things. I want to go stay in her guest room, without the cats of course.


Check out these wonderful blogs, give encouragement, leave a comment. Who knows where it will lead - a new pyrex collector, there are the most wonderful scrapbookers/vintage, shabby etc who are seriously tempting me to start a new craft.  Look at my blog list, make a deal with yourself to look at one new blog a day and add it to your favourites.  Try and make something from someones blog at least once a week. Believe me there are some excellent recipes out there, its worth the drool over the keyboards.

Happy blogging

A BIT DAFFY

I was all embroidered out so instead of stitching a daff I crocheted three while watching tele tonight.  Made it up as I went along, not rocket science, not much thinking out and I think they came together nicely.  I only had bright yellow. For the stems I did single crochet over florists wire.  So I completed two challenges today - Vickys flowers and 20 mins a day craft. 

Ouch

I decided yesterday that the sweet potatoes had to be dug up.  Lots of greenery around but they didn't seem to be going down into the ground. So I ripped and pulled and dug up all the beautiful little things.  There just the right size for roasting, just a quick wash and a scrub with a brush, a bit of oil and sprinkle a bit of seasoning on them, cook till crunchy on the outside and meltingly soft on the inner. Yum, theres only me likes them like that so I get to pig out.  There were a few big ones  and I suspect there a few more to dig out but it won't be me doing it.  I'll leave one plant in and it will soon take over again.  I found the ginger as well, i put the trowel through a piece of root and the pungent aroma came up out of the soil. I thought I'd lost it but closer inspection showed plenty of little knobs of new shoots, so I replanted it.  After digging yesterday I hadn't realised that I'd got the biggest blister I have ever had on the palm of my hand - from the supposedly cushioned handle of the trowel. I tried again this morning while it was still cool outside to turn over the soil but it was just too hard.  The mini tomatoes are next to go, the capsicums have a few fruit on that just need another week to get a bit bigger, keeping a close eye on them, the silverbeet is just about over. Garlic chives are ready for splitting and I noticed there are a few paw paw seedlings coming up. I've replanted two paw paws down the bottom of the garden and I might put these new ones down there as well. I've got tomato seedlings coming up all over the place, in the cracks in the paving, in plant pots, in the lawn.  I haven't bought a tomato plant for years, I just oick them out and bung em in a big pot.  The same with basil, i'm finding the little seedlings all over the place, so again they get put into a big pot. We use a lot of basil and I want to put more herbs in, I did have some coriander seeds somewhere.  I lost the oregano, it was wet for it and the parsely as well.  Somewhere I have chocolate mint and spearmint, I'll have to go sniffing around the garden for it. The Mother of All Herbs is just growing rampant, break a piece off, stick it in a pot and it takes straight away.  Even leaves that fall off take off. 
So today I ache all over, its a good ache though and while I feel guilty that I'm not doing anything at all today except bake a birthday brownie cake for my baby boy I'm going to force myself to do nothing. 
My baby turns 21 tomorrow.  He arrived after only a couple of hours in labour, two weeks overdue and facing the wrong way, the cord was round his neck and he wasn't breathing. Those few minutes when they tried to bring him back was the longest of our lives. I have never prayed so hard in all my life.  The following 24 hours were crucial, if he survived then the chances of him being severly disabled were high, on day two he had to have a blood transfusion, he had swelling on the brain and they had to drain it. He had tubes in and out of his poor little body I finally got to hold him on day three. He was on phenobarbitone to keep him asleep and I longed for him to open his eyes.  I kept myself busy, back and forth to the hospital, expressing milk not just for him but half the preemie baby ward.  A local taxi service ferried the milk to the hospital free of charge when we couldn't make it in.  He never cried, just a strange high pitched squeell, he grunted when he was touched as they reduced the pheno'b he was like a addict going cold turkey.  Finally I was allowed to try and feed him myself, he latched on, opening his eyes for the first time, squinting into the light, at last we were able to introduce ourselves.  We were allowed to bring him home when he was 3 weeks old, there were months of therapy and tests ahead of us. He was a bright happy baby, a little slow to reach the milestones but by two he had caught up.  He was slow to talk but he is a man of few words anyway, he's turned into a wonderful young man as all my boys have, kind, generous, warm hearted, helpful, funny, hard working.  At 13 he had his own lawn mowing business, he left school early, he might not be academic but he knows what he wants and he goes after it. He's a dare-devil, loves his offroad motorbiking, he's full of scars from accidents.  He hates fuss - especially his mother fussing over him, he didn't want anything special doing for his birthday. We're not a family big on parties and making a fuss anyway. I'm just happy to get all my sons all grown up and happy.  His 18th was overshadowed by his dads death a few weeks before. I'm sure wherever Mik is he'll be toasting his boys.  They'll always be the boys, ma coyles boys.

20 MINUTES A DAY - Update

A little each day, sometimes  3 lots of 20 mins in one day. Some days it felt like the world was conspiring against me, phones ringing, visiting calling, dog pestering. But I got there. Here we are Vicky, challenge flower number two finished. Okay so it isn't the parrot tulip I intended to do. I doodled with threads, tweaked a basic crewel design and this is what was created. Yes, I did enjoy it, yes I did forget about the world outside for a while, yes I did forget to do dinner one night and yes I did have moments where I just had to do one more stitch and one more and one more. It was only when the last stitch was in that I realised that the overall design was actually tulip shaped.

So, Vicky whats the next flower going to be.

Sorry the picture quality is off, I've got my camera instructions out and going to try and figure out how to do it better. Some days I get them perfect, others I can't seem to just get it right. 

Sunny Wednesday

Hurrah.......we have blue skies at last. Still windy but everythings finally drying out. Got the washing on the line for the first time in weeks.

Inspired by Vicky at Angelsey Allsorts and Her Geoffrey I thought I'd show you my froggie. He's a regular visitor to our place, occassionally ventures into the house and occassionally wraps himself round my ankles at 2 a.m. when the dog decides she wants to go out.   We have little apple green tree-frogs with red bellys and big tree frogs, all protected.   He's a real cutie, but I draw the line at sitting on my clean washing (or the toilet bowl).  Sometimes he sits in the down pipe and croaks away which of course echoes like mad and sounds like a whole army up the pipe.

I love the way the flash caught his eyes, he looks like some mutant sliding down the back wall over the potting table. He'd actually been hiding in a plant pot and I don't know who got the bigger shock, me or him. He jumped higher though.

2 a.m. FROGS

The sun came out for a short while yesterday afternoon so feeling a tiny bit energetic I walked down to the servo for fuel for the mower. There we were chatting away while she filled the can for me when we realised we were getting wet feet. I'd sprung a leak.  So that was an extra $12.00 for a new can, $3.00 worth of petrol spilled all over the floor and $5.00 to fill up the new can.  Not a happy jan. I'd filled up over a week ago and had noticed the other day that the can was empty. I'd accused my son of taking the fuel for his car.
Oh dear, better go apologise.

I started the mowing on the driveway side just to make it look a bit neater, the holiday home next door really needs doing but the owners are in Japan and I don't know what they want me to do. I mowed a bit round the back of the house and then stopped for a rest.  Then after an hour I got stuck into it again.  Matt came home and said he would finish it off for me the next day.I didn't mind doing it but I realise that maybe its something I should leave to the boys.

Mum just phoned from the UK so I've not got chance to even mention the 2 a., frog. Maybe later.
Got to meet friends over in the next town for morning tea. Goota dash

jan

WET AND WILD SUNDAY

......it certainly is.  Not a day for going out, its a day for staying home and being creative. That is if I can get my act in gear.  I've been very good with the 20 mins a day, I can crochet one strawberry and get it all finished in 20 mins.  Once I get going I find it hard to stop - I just need to get going thats all.  The 20 mins helps me do that.

On Tuesday I got a crochet book from the library and made a comment about I'd whip up a few of the things in it and they could have a display on the shelves. "What a great idea" was the reply. OOOps, mouth running away from me again, I really should think things through before I say anything.  It fitted in quite nicely with my 20 mins a day and I soon had a orchard of fruit, couldn't stop myself.  So this is what I did this week when I got bored.  Last night I played around with motifs from the 250 Crochet Motif Book and using a rose as a base made up this pot holder, I was going to make it up into a cushion but got bored with it so I folded the corners to the back stitched them  up to make a double fabric and there we have it.  This took the last half  of The Bill and the first half of Taggert last night.

I haven't been and bought new yarn, I really should, I actually have to despite saying I wouldn't buy any more till the yarn box was decimated.  But (what an excuse and its a valid one ) if I submit the ami doll design I have to put in what yarns I used and since the ami's were made with scraps that I am not sure of the origins, I'm going to have to bite the bullet and go to the craft shop and buy more.  The stash box is getting down, though, the lid still won't stay on of its own accord yet so theres a way to go.  I've been making flowers and leaves with the smallest balls of yarn and just throw them into a box when done.  I felted a few that were made with wool to make into brooches when the mood hits. 

I drove around Atherton yesterday looking for garage sales and didn't find one, which is good really since I didn't have any cash on me. So frustrating to find something and not have the money.  Theres a really nice antiquey place outside town but its not open, I was going to call in on the way home just for a browse and a drool.  Thwarted at every step.  So I'll just placate myself by drooling over blogs.


Jan

Handkerchief box

I found this pretty little hanky box this morning, its about 1 inch deep, burgundy covered board sides and the lid is covered by a etched and embossed tin sheet. It was so pretty and perfect for the hankies I bought for 5c each at an op-shop a few years ago.   The lady in the op-shop wanted the grand sum of 50c for it and as I only had a $50 note on me she let me have it for nothing as I am a good customer.   I rummaged around at the bottom of my bag and found 35c in change so I handed over that.

I haven't even crafted at all today so far, rushed into town and managed to round up enough money to pay the rego on the car for 6 months. Phoned Telstra and pleaded poverty and got an extension on the bill. I really should join the circus as my juggling skills are getting better.  I've managed to pay a little of each bill to keep them all quiet and have till middle of Feb to pay the rest.  With careful budgeting I should just make it.
All the departments I dealt with wanted to know why I couldn't pay with a credit card - cos I don't and won't have one. The only money I owe is for immediate bills.  Why is that so strange. If I can't afford it I go without or if its something I really want I save up - by the time I have the money I usually find I no longer have a need or deisre for it.

Just realised I haven't had lunch yet and its 2.30 p.m. already.  I was so good in the shop I hesitated over the chocolate, should I shouldn't I and I was so good and walked out with just bread and milk.  I'm denying myself all the goodies and yet the weight still refuses to budge. I park the car the opposite end to town that I want and walk everywhere.  I'm happy though that over christmas I didn't gain anything which is a plus. I think I'll just have a couple of crackers and a piece of low fat cheese and hang on till dinner.

Jan

20 mins a Day (Tulips)

Well, maybe not full blown parrot ones, but they are tulipish.  I'm going for jacobean style, that could change but at the moment its going okay.  I spent the day looking for stitch ideas and colours which of course led me off course.  Found some stuff I had been looking for.  20 minutes extended into a couple of hours and since I was all fired up after the drawing out, scrapping, drawing out again I put the first few stitches in.  It felt good knowing that all I needed to do was 20 minutes. I was allowing myself those 20 mins to craft anything after that was a bonus.  No guilt over me time, no feeling that I had to do it.  I still really would like to do the parrot one, but that would be a big job, one that would take me a while to do and I haven't found the right flower yet anyway. The design I'm doing now I feel could develop into one for submission.  So when finished it will go into my design folder.

Nothing much else to tell today, still raining, grass is still growing like mad and I'm lounging about in my jami's as usual.  School went back today after the long summer break.  I don't have kids that young anymore but we live just a few hundred yards away from the little village school so now I have my time keeping back. I know when to eat lunch and when I should be getting dinner on etc.

Jan

Tulips

I love tulips,  especially the big flashy parrot ones. When I was a little girl in the UK I used to go to a big park, I wasn't supposed to go there on my own but I did. I loved the sunken italian gardens, in spring full of tulips, I loved how the rows and rows moved in the breeze, if I squinted all the colours blurring together. One year there were builders in one part of the park - they were going to build a miniature village.  All the rubble lay for months. Then come spring out of the grey broken pathways and piles of earth came shoots of green, in the midst of all this upheaval came colour. The parrot tulips bravely reaching skywards, I managed to pick a couple of the blooms and took them home to mum, telling the smallest of white lies that a lady had given them to me from her garden.  I have loved them ever since. 
When I asked Vicky to choose another flower for me to do, I was saying over and over - please pick tulips, please pick tulips. Thank you Vicky.

Well my time here today is short. Its Australia Day today and I was going to go down town for the big barbi but unfortunately we have rain, lots and lots of rain, thank you ex-tropical cyclone OLGA (who despite fizzling out and moving towards the Northern Territories is still causing us grief). Its thundering and lighning now so I'm going to switch off the puter, grab a shower and then look through lots of garden books to find the perfect tulip.  There is a design in one of my craft books that I have always wanted to do. Maybe I'll do that, maybe I'll scan a picture and make it into a crossstitch.  So much possiblities. OKay I'm off before this storm gets any closer.


jan

SNOWDROP

It took 30 mins and I'm not happy with it but its done.  I tinted it with crayon and really it should be washed out so that just a hint of colour remains. But I wanted to get it photograped and out of the way.

So Vicky whats the next one.

20 mins a day

I have joined marmalade Roses '20 minutes a Day challenge' marmaladerose.  Theres actually a fair bit you can get done in 20 mins, its not just hands on crafting job,- weavng in loose ends on crochet, winding yarn, cutting out fabric and if the 20 mins wants to go on a bit longer then let it.  Some of us have lost our mojo, our passion. We've just got a little bogged down in everyday life. For me I created because it helped me get through the hiccups, speedbumps and upsets of a not so normal life. I could lose myself in the stitch.
My life is now normal after years of being a wife, mother and carer. The only person I am responable fr now is ME.  My health is doing okay.  My finacial situation sucks bigtime but apart from needing to pay this months bills and get my car rego next month I owe no money to anyone.  I have a craft room full of material, threads and yarn.  I have wonderful friends who are always there for me, my family support me in anything I do.  So, life is good.  What I need to do now is get back my passion for crafting without the drama and stress I escaped from by immersing myself in stitching, just plain old simple passion for the stitch, I need to do this for me.

The SNOWDROP will be my 20 minutes for today, theres probably only 20 mins left to do on it.  I've gone back to the simple outline stitch. I tried to do it in thread painting but despite two attempts that looked like they were going to work it refused to allow me to do the flower.  I tried crewel, it didn't just look right, I couldn't get the correct tension on the shading on the thread painted one, I frogged and frogged.  I'd chosen a silk fabric for the thread painting, the light was so bad yesterday I had to turn the lights on, which reflected off the fabric, then the bursitis started.  I gave myself a good talking to, it was no biggy if this wasn't going to work, if the the basic outline stitch works, then go for that.  Why did I have to do something I was in no mood to do.  The snowdrop made the decision for me, as soon as I redrew it on a tatty piece of fabric, as soon as I put those first few stitches in the flow happened.  Its basic stitches, its just four colours, it gives me pleasure to sew.  I know I can thread paint, I love crewel work, but it just wasn't the time to do it.

Olga like Neville fizzled before it hit the coast.  Its now a LOW, but we are getting plenty of rain from it. I put back all the verandah furniture and rehung the plants,   en I was woken by the house shaking and banging. My heart raced, the dog was quaking, then the room lit up followed closely by roaring thunder.
The wind howled and the rain lashed the house. Okay, I thought, so its not a cyclone just a LOw, don't panic.  We were just on the edge of the weather system, if this is what we were getting from just LOW, what were the poor things who were in its path getting.  It was 4 a.m., I did a quick tour of the house, laying down towels on the window sills in case the rain came through. The furniture I'd replaced on the verandah had blown over, the cushions soaking wet, I just threw everything in the house, some of the plants had blown over so theres soil to clear up this morning. JUst a normal monsoon storm, something that we get a few times a week during the WET. The thunder and lightning stayed around for a few hours gradually moving away. I read for a bit and then dozed off again.  The BOM says we will get a lot of rain and storms out of this system, doesn't bother me, I'm going to stay curled up with my book and my stitching.  I'm not venturing out today. 

Jan

Wet Sunday

One of the things that annoys me when there is cyclone around is the uncertainty. The one time I will get complacent is the one time a big one will hit - when 'LARRY' was heading straight for us nearly four years ago we were on a plane flying to Brisbane.  (is it really nearly fours years ago that our lives were turned back upside down again). That was a pretty scary plane ride, we must have hit every pot hole in the sky. Especially when the pilot came on and told us we were flying right past the eye of the storm.  That time we left all the preperations to our sons, we had other things to worry us.  We watched news reports as the far north received a battering like no other, at the hospital when my beloved was waiting for his PET scan we listened on the mobile phone as we called home, hearing first hand the noise of the area being ripped apart.
Then all phone coverage was lost, no way of finding out if our loved ones were safe. 
Flying back in later that night was so eerie, no lights at all in the City, drving through it was an impossible task to even drive on the right side of the road, constantly swerving round fallen trees.  We couldn't get back up the mountain till the next day, one range road had been cleared but the winds had shredded all the leaves and they lay like a sheet of ice making it perilous to drive on.   We had to drive through 3 towns and the closer we got to home the worse the devastation got.  Innisfail on the coast was the worst hit, the banana industry totally ruined, our little towns on the Tablelands up in the mountains got off fairly easy compared to the coast but it was still the worst cyclone the Far North has ever seen.  There was no power for days, a neighbour plugged in our fridge to his big generator and on alternate days we did the washing, I cooked on our gas barbi for the neighbour on the other side, the boys were out every day helping with the clean-up. Roads down to the coast were blocked and the coast roads that brought all our food up were cut-off by flooding for weeks.  The damage to our house was minimal, a leak in the roof where the tin had lifted and the whirly bird blew off, a couple of broken windows where flying branches had hit, the big soursop tree broke in half (luckily falling away from the house narrowly missing the sheds) and since it was dangerous had to be chopped down.  The big shed got flooded and the beer fridge was the only casualty.  So if I get complacent over this latest one I just remember LARRY.   OLGA is going to make land further north now, but we will still get the gale force winds and the driving rain and our rivers will get flooded.  The good side is that if the power goes off I can't do anything, no telly to watch, no cleaning to do - all that spare time to sit and sew.

Every morning I try to read through at least one blog on my list.  Who needs books when there are so many wonderful ladies who can weave magic with words.  If I need a recipe or an idea for dinner - just go to the blogs, the same for a crafty idea.  There is soooo much inspiration out there, so much so that I tend to just look and not do, filing it all away in the "ONE DAY" basket.  Scrapbooking has never really gotten hold of me (I'm still annoyed that the one craft shop in the area went over to the darkside and doesn't stock anything other than beading, patchwork and scrapbooking items) but I am drawn to all the vintage cards being used in the blogs.
So i phoned home and asked mum if she still had all the cards from the 40's and 50's - YES.  I don't care what you leave me in your will mum, just make sure I get those cards. I've instructed my bro to scan them for me as well.  Just in case one day the scrap booking bug bites of course.

Another little part of my craft room.  All my ami dolls wanted to pose so I had to let them, they are getting quite fond of the camera.  I had made a few granny squares for a cot blanket but gave up after 10, the pink was tooo dark. They lay in the UFO box for weeks until I made 9 of them up into a little doll blanket for one of the girls.  Now I have one little square left, all on its lonesome, what shall I do with it.

Wonderful weather for Ducks

.....and the rain came down. Not unusual since we are in 'The Wet Season'.  The cyclone that was, then isn't, then was and now isn't again is hovering off the coast further north and I'm not going to worry about it any more.  My neighbours ducks are splashing about in their little pool, quaking and thoroughly enjoying their little selves. Taking their lead late yesterday afternoon I went out into the garden, walking down the driveway was like walking down a river bed, the rain felt so good, who cared if the neighbours saw. I was actually rescuing some lillies that had chosen that moment to open, I didn't want them getting ruined so I picked them. It was invigorating. We got 80mm out of that little downpour and since it has been raining steadily ever since theres probably another 80mm from overnight.  The only downside being that it is our villages market day today and there is no way I am venturing out to a muddy paddock. I wanted to buy some more gem stone beads but I reckon most of the stall-holders will have peeked outside and just gone back to bed when they saw the weather.  Some old die-hards like the old italian small holders will have braved it - even after "Larry' they were their selling there produce out of the back of their ute.

But who needs veggies from the market when I have these beauties growing, going back to the house after my stroll around in the rain I noticed something red in the veggie patch near the house. Aren't they gorgeous, they remind of the sour apple lollies we used to eat when we were kids. I think these will be going into a tuna and pasta salad. I'm out of olives and I just remembered there was a market stall holder who sold the most wonderful dried herb and spices mixes, dare I get dressed and wander down, chances are he won't be there, I forgot to go to the bank yesterday, oh poo, so no money anyway.  Oh well, they'll be other markets he'll be at.

When I make a conscious effort into being motivated I can do it, I stuck at the snowdrop, not rushing in and losing heart early in the game, I did the preparation.  I am gradually rediscovering my deep passion for embroidery.   I love thread painting and jacobean work and even just doing the outlines for the snowdrop fired me up, beacuase the outline stitches are just used as a guide and padding for the surface stitches they are not too neat but I think it would look good as an outline and maybe just one leaf and the flower petals filled with a crewel stitch.  I might work another one in stem stitch later today and just see what it would look like. 

Doesn't seem to by many cars around, usually the road is chocker block market days, so I think I'll just stay home today, I'll drive down to the library later to stock up on some feel good books, then go get some chocolate and a packet of Grain Waves and hole up for the day. Got Adam Sandlers Bedtime Stories to watch as well.  All thats missing is a pot belly fire to curl up in front of. 

Update:  Ex Trocial Cyclone Neville fizzled out, typical of a bloke and Tropical Cyclone Olga category 2 flew in. She's hovering off the coast and expected to hit land maybe tomorrow evening,  This one will hit the area I live in if it does as predicted. I have a son living on the coast so maybe I should get the spare bed made up just in case he decides to head up the mountain where it will be a little bit safer. Better rush around like a headless chook getting prepared, I wasn't intending to go back into town, looks like I'll have to.

jan