R.I.P Malcolm John 11/4/41 – 23/2/09

Today, I learned that my biological father passed away suddenly at the age of 67 years.

I’d only met him a few times, but I was aware that I had half sisters and brothers somewhere.

I didn’t expect to feel so devastated.

I didn’t expect to learn of his passing from my mother who had read the death notices in the paper today.  I’d hoped that someone would try and find me.

On Friday I will attend his funeral in Hobart and there I will at least see 7 new family members - brothers and sisters – who knows how it will go?

I’d spoken about trying to get in contact many times over the past few months, that option no longer exists.

It really does hurt more than I thought it would.

He was my father after all.

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A Stitcher’s Heritage

I had a wonderful addition to my living room yesterday.

MOTH’s parents had a chair and that they asked if we had room in our shed to store it.

The chair belonged to MOTH’s grandmother and it is the chair in which she used to sit stitching.  When I heard this I immediately said no – we didn’t have room in our shed, but that I would make room for it in the living room.

MOTH’s mum informed me that it wasn’t very pretty and had a bit of a split in the leather at the front and asked did I really want to put it in the house?

The split in the leather gives it character, and just knowing that it was used as a stitching chair (I’ve yet to see some of her handiwork) means a lot to me.  It’s a big comfortable chair and I’ve placed it in my stitching corner, and will use it as a stitching chair too!

Perhaps some of her mojo will rub off on me

Grandma's Chair

 I love tradition and I love knowing that MOTH’s Grandma sat in this chair to create.  I’ll be sure to post pictures of her work when I finally see it!

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A finish and some progress.

I did manage to finish Victoria’s Quaker in January – the 31st to be exact

Terrible photo but I will take another when she is framed

 

A Mon Amie Pierre – Victoria’s Quaker
Stitched on Brown Apple Bint 32 Count linen in Needlepoint Inc Silk conversion

Started on 22 August 07 – Finished 31 January 08

And my progress on A Quaker Study:

 

Thanks you so much to everyone for your messages after the passing our gorgeous Puku – the family really appreciates it.  I am so very sad.  We are going to plant a red rose in her honour by our front door.

But to bring a smile – here is Banjo relaxing in my hammock today

He laid there in my hammock in the sun for hours today – we had to put sunscreen on his ears

For February’s finish I hope it will be the needlepoint piece I started oh so long ago

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R.I.P Puku

 With us April 2004 – February 2008

We will miss you.

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Painting and Decorating

I never knew I could hurt this much….

This past weekend, MOTH and I started painting the living room/music room and the master bedroom as we have ordered new carpet and we came to the conclusion that we better paint BEFORE the new floor covering arrives… (After a minor spill of white gloss on the existing carpet – I now KNOW this was a good idea!)

We achieved a lot over the weekend.  MOTH painted all the ceilings on Thursday while I was at work and on Friday he took a break because we have a gig on Friday evenings.  Saturday morning I had to attend LHM’s first cricket game from 7.15 AM!!!  I must say that cricket isn’t half as civilised as junior footy – at least there’s COFFEE at football!!! ( I will be much better prepared this week!) Anyway home from cricket at around lunchtime and straight into the painting!  We managed to tape and paint all the windows (we have multi-panes) and skirtings and architraves (primer and three coats of gloss white) and our feature wall which is “chocolate”.  It looked like chocolate in the can too – I was almost tempted to dunk a marshmallow in it!

Just the walls to go (antique white)  and neaten up the edges on the feature wall and then we can call the carpet guys in!  MOTH also put up some new light fittings to replace the yicky 70′s inspired floral ones that were there! 

I can’t wait for the new carpet.  The old carpet is around 15 years old, the underlay has deteriorated to the point that the black rubber is starting to make stains that just wont budge and it’s so thin that it feels like the carpet is laid directly onto the concrete!!  The new carpet is a 80-20 wool nylon mix (very hard-wearing) in a chocolate colour and we have red cushions on the bench seat and a gorgeous red rug! Just need to find blinds (romans), a new sofa at some point and I am going to treat myself to a RED stitching chair! (I think).

All in all everything is coming along nicely!

But…and it’s a big but…I hurt.  I hurt in places I never knew I had bits that could hurt AND I have a blister on my paintbrush hand.  My hands ache so much I couldn’t stitch on the train this morning and I am so tired that probably wouldn’t have been a good idea – I could envisage a lot of frogging.

Tonight it’s early to bed again because tomorrow is SAL night and I don’t want to miss out!

Here’s some piccies of the work we’ve done

This is what all our windows/architraves/skirtings look like BEFORE – it’s a yicky dirty looking lime-washed type wood – yucky! (apologies to those who have it – and like it – just I don’t!)

This is what they will all look like after – all nice and crisp and white.  You can see the pink walls that look even pinker now!

Here is the newlight fitting!  The white part of the fitting is supposed to be metal but we have to get the trimmed a little so they fit better on our bayonet fittings.  The old fitting was that brassy-looking plastic with etched plastic”glass” shades.  We had these in nearly every room (inherited from the previous owner).  I did take a picture but it’s not a good one.

 

 Here is Cara investigating the spill…I hope she has her toxic hazard boots on!  You can see how icky the carpet looks – I believe it was once green!

And just because they looked cute (as always) Banjo (bottom)  and Cara (top)  asleep on the bed.

I will post some pictures of the feature wall once the carpet is laid, etc!

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Good morning…

It’s been a glorious weekend but very busy.  I am back to work tomorrow after quite a long time off and I am both dreading and looking forward to it.  However, I have so much to do to be ready to get my 6.55 train in the morning!  Ugh!  I’ve decided my train piece will be Rosemarkie on the way to work and I will knit on the way home   I’ve almost finished my Irish Hiking scarf!

Last night LHM had a couple of mates over and they stayed up very late watching Japan being trounced by Australia at the world cup…who knows what time they went to sleep!  They were really good – not noisy at all.

I made excellent progress on Faith, Hope, Love and will post piccies later.

Wednesday’s An Open Heart progress was very minor – lots of frogs,  Those woven cross type motifs are very tricky – but I think I’ve finally got them!  Also there were frogs on Thursday when I realised that I had stitched the outside border of the needlepoint piece in the wrong place and had to tear it out and start it again…I’m almost done with that again now though.

Friday I started a gift.

Progress pics in one batch a little later   Sorry

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An industrious household…and free stuff!

There has been knitting and stitching aplenty in the house this week.

LHM has learned to cross stitch and has started on a Workbasket Hedgehog in…wait for it…blue!  He has also re-learned his knitting skills and is working on a lovely scarf!

Grandma has knitted a footy scarf for LHM in gold and royal blue and has had a purple and pink striped one requested by the Little Princess.  This will happen today!

I am almost half-way through throw rug number two, but it’s now too big to carry on the train so I started something new.  While dragging my weary body through Spotlight the other day I threw a few balls of Cleckheaton wool in my shopping basket, picked up a free pattern and started to knit pattern number 37 from a great magazine called Knitting Essentials . 

The magazine is free!  free!  free! and is available on the Spotlight website along with loads of free pattern goodness and we love that!

For my overseas viewers, Spotlight seems to be kind of like Michael’s or Joanne’s perhaps my overseas Aussie friends can confirm this.

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An afghan finished…and other news!

Firstly, I finished afghan number 1 yesterday – fringe and all!  I will post a picture later!  Having my parents here and with them being old an all, (their words – not mine) means that the afghan has already had some use over laps in front of the telly!  Excellent – that is what it is for!

Secondly, news from the doctors was both good and bad.  Good – I don’t have anything sinister, bad is I have to go for some more of those yucky tests….I wont go into it here – but if anyone wants to know – just ask – am happy to email about it.

Thirdly, we decided to get Banjo (Some may believe that – others wont!!!)  some company!

Introducing “Champion Zwei Farbe Carra” isn’t she just the sweetest.  She’s off to be desexed this week (her owners are flooded in would you beleive) and she will join our little family after that!  We are very excited and it will be great for Banjo to have some company.  She is just gorgeous and we can’t wait!

Not much stitching done, although the Little Princess and I did make a start on her first project   We will post something when there is al ittle more to show.

Now if you wish to participate in the PIF phenomenom, please leave me a comment and email me your address, (ausxser at gmail dot com), the first five people to do so, will receive a little something from me sometime in the future – probably when you least expect it.  All you need to do is offer the same deal in your blog for five others   It’s lovely to receive unexpected mail surprises – we all know that – so lets spread the joy together!  Thanks Carol for encouraging me and a host of others by all the wonderful things you make and share.  You’re amazing!

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Primping and preening for princess party!

The party was a great success (I think – you never can tell).

6 little princesses arrived at home yesterday to celebrate the 8th birthday of MOTH’s DD.

After a last minute visit to Spotlight for a couple of extra beady goodies for the party bags, fashioning a princess hairdo and popping the obligatory Kylie CD in the player, The little princess – or Miss 8 as she will now be known on this blog – settled in to make jewelery with her friends.

     

Each girl made a necklace and bracelet from the myriad of beads provided and much fun was had by all!

 

This is what Banjo thought of it all!  Although everyone fell in love with him – and one of the little princesses’ sister loved him so much – her parents called the breeders to get a Banjo of their own!

The actual birthday was Sunday and there was more merriment happening at No8 with the gathering of MOTH’s nearest and dearest for HIS birthday on Monday- was fun.  Thank goodness for the entertaining area complete with open fire as it is bitterly cold here in Melbourne at the moment!!

As I mentioned previously – I’ve not been able to stitch much – wonky eyes – but here is a picture of the knitting effort!  I’ve done quite a bit more since this was taken on Saturday!  It’s a lovely pattern – not too difficult and I don’t need to have the pattern in front of me - only 16 rows to it and 8 of those are the first 8 in reverse   As I’m not a knitter (really) it’s a pretty easy one for me to do!    Knitting this has also been keeping me warm too!  Did I mention that it’s been getting really cold down here in Melbourne?

Thanks for all your comments – I really appreciate them. 

 

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Quite a bit to show….

I know I promised you stitching piccies last week but I didn’t get around to it so I have a couple of VERY bad pictures today.  I’m not sure what is going on with my camera – but the piccies are not very clear – oh well…..better than no pictures at all….perhaps! 

Firstly though, I  MUST say a big thankyou to the very gorgeous Carol who sent me a lovely parcel in the mail most unexpectedly.  A beautiful stitching cherub fob and some lovely stork scissors together with a lovely card featuring a kitty who so reminds me of one of my fabourite kitties ever, Felix, who was with our family a few years ago!  Thank you Carol – you’re really very thoughtful and kind and the world can only be a better place with you in it!  I have a perfect pair of Dinky Dye scissors to go on the fob you stitched and currently I am stitching the perfect fob for the blue ones .   The pictures on Carol’s blog are MUCH better – I am so sorry Carol – I didn’t really do the stitching justice did I?

   

Secondly you may recall that it was recently LHM’s 11th birthday and he decided he wanted a disco party at home…..well here are a couple of photos of the evening.  One of the mothers told me that her little princess had been dolled up and ready since 3.00 pm!!!  How cute!  All the kids looked fantastic and they had a ball however I was surprised at how much they ate!

The ‘disco’ included lights, smoke machine, mirrorball (at my behest – can’t be a disco without one) and the associated glitter, black curtains, smoke tunnel and thumping music!  It was very successsful and all the kids had a great time. 

MOTH decided we needed a bouncer for this night and he certainly looked the part didn’t he? Please take note of the ‘bling’!

I’ve also done a bit of stashing but overall I’ve been pretty good.  From Dragonfly Dreams I got a stack of Blackbird Designs including the Loose Feathers 23 and 24, some Blackbird Designs freebies, and A-Z of Whitework (sensational book), and the Rebecca Blake Needleprint Sampler which is beautiful.  I also got a chart with some cute little houses and sayings on for gifts for family.

   

I was also very naughty and stashed up on some kitty related items from Colours Downunder, one from Isabelle Vaultier (Le Chat) together with Isabele’s Owl and JBW’s French Country Cat and French Country Love.

Now for progress.  Not a great deal to show, but a little nonetheless.

Firstly Rosemarkie (which is my travelling project) has suffered somewhat because I haven’t actually been to work that much in the past few weeks and the two hours or so per day on the train is perfect time to stitch on it (except when the train is packed to the hilt which is often!  This picture is REALLY awful and doesn’t show the colour well – you will need to look at previous ones if you want to see them better – sorry!

This is a picture especially for Bren…don’t feel bad Bren – I’ve not had much time for this one either lately although I hope to spend a little time on it tonight.  I must admit I am enjoying needlepoint for a change and I can’t wait until Dragonfly Dreams gets some new designs in…hint hint….

I’ve been reading all your blogs but not commenting much – sorry – but sitting at the pc is not the most comfortable place for me at the moment.

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It’s Raining

It’s been raining all night. The air is clean and fresh and about 20 degrees cooler.

Yesterday was the hottest March day since 1940-something (it got to 39 degrees C in parts of Melbourne) and the previous night the minimum temperature was an unbearable 26C!

It’s Autumn…I can’t wait to feel cold and damp!

We need the rain so much!

The MOTH and Liam are going out on the bay tomorrow. Liam’s dad is in town on his Naval vessel HMAS Melbourne and they will spend the day on the ship rubbing shoulders with local dignitaries. Liam is very excited.

On the stitching front, “Puss” now has four feet and half a tail and perhaps he will be finished tomorrow and you will be able to see him.

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A Red Ribbon and a Feline Face !

“Puss” now has a face and a very cute one at that. I may post a progress piccie, I may not – perhaps I will tease you and keep him a surprise. I am really liking the colour combination I chose. The Needle Necessities (colour 128) does have a little bit of a ‘greenish’ tinge, but it’s not really looking green at all – very tortoiseshell as I said.

Now, Liam had a very successful day yesterday. A very snappy second in his 200 metres race (nice red ribbon), a very close fourth in both the 800 (it’s just so cute seeing kids running that far!) and his 4 x 100 relay! It was a beautiful day and consequently I am suffering the effects of a small ring of sunburn around the back of my neck!

I just love to watch children’s sporting events. Yesterday there were lots of occasions when children weren’t the fastest runner, or didn’t jump the highest, but they all tried and didn’t give up! Was wonderful to see those qualities in our children. It’s funny but I even feel proud of everyone else’s children too!

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Update!

Thank you to everyone who has enquired after my Dad – he is doing well, tired, a bit flat but otherwise “Dad” and secretly impressed that ladies from all over the world have sent him good wishes!  He is on a long course of antibiotics to fight infection and then the docs will start him on a rehabilitation program.  Silly man still plans to visit me with mum in a couple of weeks, (between you, me and the lamp post – I’m so happy that he  is still coming) but this decision may change I guess depending on how he progresses).

Thanks again for your well wishes.

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Luck…or whatever.

I don’t normally get into this personal type stuff on my blog, but I feel an intense need to offload, hope you don’t mind.

I feel like someone in my family must been cursed or something!  Recently, both my mother and I have been suffering with health issues.  Firstly,my mum has had an abdominal aorta aneurysm (AAA) for years and finally she got to the stage where she had to have surgery, and this happened a few weeks ago.  It didn’t go well, and she almost died, but thankfully she finally came through, only to suffer a series of little strokes afterwards.  She is improving though every day.

I am having girlie issues which I wont really go into but save to say there is some surgery on the cards for me sometime soon as well!  (I am looking forward to lots of stitching time!)  I have a blood disorder which makes any surgery (even dental work) a bit risky, so it’s not without its hassles!

Yesterday, my mum called me several times and left messages on the home phone and when I finally get to call her back (wondering what was wrong NOW), she tells me that my dad had an accident yesterday, severing three fingers from his left hand with his power saw.  *sigh*  several hours of surgery last night and hopefully they have been able to save one finger and part of his hand.

My dad is a national treasure.  He is always doing something for someone.  He is one of those wonderful men that just knows how to fix things and is constantly in demand here or there.  The entire extended family depends on him.  He is usually so careful with his power tools, but apparently yesterday the saw kicked back from a piece of ‘bad’ timber and took some of his hand and three fingers.

I just wish they weren’t so far away.

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State of the nation

Last night I started one of the initials in the M Designs project….the letters seem to be a really quick stitch because there’s so much more ‘space’ and less stitches! I should knock over the “T” today. I will need to order the other initial this week I guess so I have it here when I need it!

As an aside – if you happen to have the “W in your stash and you’ve used it already and you want to trade it – let me know

EDIT: Oh I just ordered it from DragonflyDreams so not to worry!

I’ve had a few health issues lately so am having a week off. Going to sit on my butt in my stitching chair for the entire week I think (that’s my plan – but we all know that it is highly unlikely as I need to have medical appts etc….!). Might visit a bead shop or two, visit some blogs I’ve neglected and generally bum around. Might even just stay in my jammies today…we all need days like that sometime!

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The Cat in the Hat is 50!

According to the Borders newsletter I got today, “The Cat in The Hat” is turning 50 on the 2nd March 2007!!

In our lifetime, there may never be another revolution like it. And, as revolutions often do, this one started in a small way. In 1957, Dr. Seuss was asked to write ‘a story that first graders can’t put down’. Given a list of 236 words drawn up by three experts, Seuss wrote ‘The Cat in the Hat’ and changed the world as we know it.

The Borders Kids Webpage lists the Cat in the Hat Project 236. On the 2nd of March 2007, at 2:36 pm we are all encouraged to read aloud the Cat in the Hat!

I know I will enjoy reading it to my chickadees! : )

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One down…one more to go.

I sat one of my two exams today…I think I did ok, but you never can tell, can you? One thing I have found with post graduate study is…it’s bloody hard work and takes up a lot of valuable time I could be doing the things I love more, like stitching and singing! Oh well only another 4 semesters to go although I might stretch it out a little and have a semester off somewhere in the middle…

Liam is with his dad at the moment (in Sydney) so I had a quick trip to Canberra to meet his dad who drove down from Sydney. Consequently it made me very tired for my exam today. I guess sitting up until midnight last night doing last minute study didn’t help!

Tomorrow night I am taking mum and dad to see my friend Andy sing with the swing band – absolutely my favourite place to be on a Tuesday night. I have tomorrow off to study for my economics exam on Wednesday afternoon, so the disruption of some great music will be welcome.

Tonight I am resting and I will try and finish my June goal on An Open Heart and perhaps stitch a little on the M Designs piece

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*eek* time…need more of it!

I haven’t stitched hardly at all this week, although I must admit I was STRESSED when I got home from work the other day so I did a little to calm down….AOH got some of area 3 stitched so I’m on target for that June goal

I have exams in just over a week, Economics (26th), and Management Science (28th) so I probably wont post much, but will try and read al ittle in my forced study breaks. I’ve been finding study very hard – it’s been a long time since I studied anything and its been a real challenge. Hopefully I will do ok! I think next semester I will just do one unit rather than two.

It’s also school holidays, my parents arrive tomorrow for a three week visit and I have to go to Canberra next weekend (the weekend BEFORE my exams) to take LHM to see his dad!

There’s always something! Why does it all seem to come at once!

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My Exciting Saturday Night!

Last night my dad was visiting from Tasmania!

“Why don’t you go out dear?” he said, “I’ll look after Liam.”

After getting through to about W on my mobile phone with no takers, I decided to stay home and stitch!

I worked on An Open Heart and am now down to the dividing band under the second row of text and I started the area underneath that….all in all a good night AND I got to have a good gasbagging session with my dad! Love him to bits!

Sometimes those nights are just the best!

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Bad luck in threes? I have proof!

This week has been a nightmare as far as appliances go!

My washing machine, my dryer AND my vacuum cleaner all needed ‘repairs’. Well I manged to get my dryer and vacuum fixed ($160 later) but my poor washing machine has died (R.I.P Hoov…) So out I went yesterday and bought a new one. I got a nice Fisher and Paykel 7.5 kilo beauty ($900) ! My old one was only 5 kg so this one should be better…and I am hoping it wont sound like a 747 taking off in my laundry when it spins also!

It’s a factory second which means it had a little dent in the side (so what??) and the retailer can’t sell it as ‘new’ any more because of the little dent and the fact it doesn’t have a box….again I say….so what? You don’t do the laundry in the box….do you?

So today, while LIam and I are both off wiht the flu, I am going to do laundry as my new machine should be here very soon! I do feel a bit sick though…..really….sick of the sight of dirty clothes!

Besides, I can’t go to work….I’ve got nothing clean to wear! (The bonus being I can stay home and wait fo rmy DFD parcel to arrive!)

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