Finding the joy

I'm somewhat overwhelmed at present. It's hard to find joy when I'm so worried about everything.

So many lists, trepidation regarding the long flights with my children, whilst my husband is somewhere on a different plane.

Quiet time can be hard to find when you're all sharing a room. I'm hoping to make quieter time through crochet, reading and headphones.

I am looking forward to warm, humid air. That'll be nice. And its only a treat thanks to our climate here. Which also gives us lovely spring blooms.



The whingeing is over. I'm going on a holiday, and I WILL enjoy myself!

Preparations continue

With less than 48 hours remaining till we leave, I've got down to the really important stuff.  This morning, I've been making iPod and iPad cases.

Now that critical job is out of the way, perhaps I can get to deal with actual.... clothes packing.

Random photos

Found on the memory card....

Creative burst

With a week to go, I think we've booked everything necessary for our holiday. Our dollar is dropping, but I'm hoping it will rebound.

I've been evaluating our wardrobes, and as a result have finished two new skirts for Annabelle, with plenty of help from my mother and sister.






Oh, how I love Kaffe Fassett fabrics! I might have to whip myself up one of these...

Current obsessions

This week has been absorbed by planning. I don't have time to do anything creative, when I have to learn EVERYTHING there is to know about Orlando this week. It looks like we are definitely going, although nothing has been actually booked, except Mr Puggle's conference attendance.

The cold has been persistent, but my voice is finally returning - I haven't had to whisper yet today, for which I am very grateful. Both children are slightly offcolour - a bit of a cough, a slight temperature, putting themselves to bed early (!?) but I really hope they fight it off.


Lucas learnt how to play chess on the weekend, and is very


keen to play anytime. He taught his 5 year old cousins the basics too, and they all seemed to have a good time playing.

September sometime

Creativity has come to a full stop. It's been all I can do to keep the routine going, while collapsing during school hours.

In very good news, my Mum came home from England last week, where she's been having a fab time playing with my sister's children, walking a Spanish pilgrims trail, and doing very fancy needlework classes. She and Dad came over for a flying visit yesterday, and brought some great souvenirs with her. For me there was a Cath Kidston handbag, and a pack of Liberty hankies. Lovely, lovely things.




My voice is still absent, so I'm whispering to everyone, which seems independent of the vocal cords. So it was extra nice to be with Mum and Dad - talking, (and soaking up some sympathy!)

I'm feeling marginally better today, and am feeling optimistic that things might improve. I'm not going to commit to making though, because I've already used up a fair bit of energy with the washing and vacuuming, and still have the groceries to go.

Day Eight

Yesterday was pretty much a wipeout as far as creativity goes. Some serious couch time didn't leave room for anything except playing with my grandmothers buttons. The children had earlier been playing bowerbirds with the buttons, and they really caught my attention.

Day seven

Reworking of the now abandoned shawl. I think it will be a rug now.




In other news, I have a chest infection which is pretty much sapping all my energy. Can't sleep, because of the coughing. Can't talk, since I've no voice left. And the doctor said rest and fluids.... And it shouldn't last longer than six weeks. I cannot imagine.

Day six

Bag cut out, pockets inserted, and pleats completed. Then the needle broke. The last needle, of course. So a quick trip to my local quilt shop resulted in a new packet of needles, and an enrolment in a purse workshop by this lady. Lovely to anticipate.

I didn't get back to the sewing room yesterday, but hope to make it today.

Day five

Day five was absorbed by family admin tasks. There a slim possibility that our family will be able to join DH on a business trip at the end of the month, and so I spent most of the day shuttling between the passport office, school and home. The applications are done now (despite me taking along my current passport, not the one I had when the children were born. I can't even remember what I did with my old one - surely I would have regarded it as unnecessary clutter, and destroyed it? Anyway, I digress.)

I did manage to print and enlarge a pattern and dig out some fabric. I'm thinking a new spring handbag would be nice.

Day four

Creativity today centered around the kitchen. Fathers Day celebrations included pancakes with chocolate sauce and strawberries, and afternoon tea of chocolate brownies. I'm not really all that keen on chocolate, but my husband is. He's happy tonight.

Day three

An ongoing source of angst in our house is knotty hair. My daughter's hair tends to tangle overnight, resulting in daily screaming sessions while I brush. It's painful for all of us.

We've taken to plaiting the hair most nights, but sometimes she's too overwrought to even do that. Hence, a satin pillowcase. I hate sewing with satin, but the went together surprisingly quickly, French seams and all. A project with a real purpose.

Day two

September of creativity continues with further knitting on my knitalong shawl. It actually should be finished, but the vast amounts of stocking stitch in the third week defeated me. My shoulder just couldn't cope.



It strikes me that instead of creating things, I could quite possibly work on a different UFO each day of the month- possibly a project for next month! Meantime, day three will involve an actual finished item - I'm thinking achievable today.

30 things in September

This September, I'm going to be working creatively on the 30 days of September. Rialla, of http://with-both-hands.blogspot.com/ is going to be completing 30 creative projects. I'm not sure I can finish that many, but committing daily time to creative endeavors will suit me perfectly. Lately, I've only been making for deadlines. This daily deadline may be the stimulus I need.

Last night, I spent some time crocheting Eva's shawl. (the pattern can be found at http://www.milobo.wordpress.com). It's fast to crochet up, but I've tried three times now, and after a certain point, it turns into a bowl. Clearly, I'm doing something wrong. I think the time has come up to frog again, and start something new.


Last night should have been spent at the Canberra Quilters meeting, but the friend I take along was unwell, and I was headachy and lazy, so instead spent the evening at home. Maybe I'll go to one of the day meetings this month instead.

Spring!

Now I can start feeling optimistic!