Back to work.....

oh yeah pictures are coming...... why am I so intent on making this entire border production such a time consuming, fabric consuming, challenge?

I gotta stop looking at things through my left eye..... gonna start wearing a pirate's eye patch (Im sure Samuel has one somewhere) and getting a different view! what am I talking about exactly? I decided to do a patchwork celtic knot, waited and waited for the perfect fabric to arrive in the mail and I have 1/2 metre too little.... so Ive figured it all out but I even lost the train of thought on the way and had to have my 14 yr old girl pull my brain back to the station! (very long suffering... luv come and tell me what you think?)

I had to cut a little piece out of my sensational waterfall piece... I just needed 1 1/4 x 4 x 8 of something.... and that thank god works. It has browns and blues and purples and creams..... actually Im glad I locked it away and only went to that place in state of desperation because otherwise it works perfectly and I might have cut half of it up and saved the agony.... no no cant do that. It is too sensational to cut up into 1 1/4 inch strips! slap

I gotta go Ive got too many irons in the fire and dont want things to get out of control. OMG R U ROFLYAO? me too!

The poll ... from LiveJournal

I need to get back into university and use my spare time for good instead of evil.

This might be a riot.... thought I would cross post. It is the results of a little poll I put together.

This was a totally scientific poll which 7 participants answering a wide range of clear cut sociological based questions. The results were not anticipated and are extremely worrying to this Virgo who to coin a phrase, likes coffee with her oxygen. I have grabbed some clothes, pushed aside the vodka bottles, to bring this report to you.

A huge 57% dont believe in Santa Claus, dont anticipate a gift, nay dont enjoy Christmas and the big holidays.

Potentially.... a wopping 57% (the same people?) will live their last day on earth wishing they HAD made a list of what they would like to achieve in their lifetime.

Most of these fantasy free, totally realistic people however, are adventurous enough to sample weird and wonderful meats, some of which are national symbols. Perhaps with the knowledge that they have strong bodies with all those antioxidants from all the tea they drink yep 71% tea drinkers. Who knew? Well yeah we knew.... this is why Im not friends with you people LOL

I guess sitting on the porch isnt the same as sitting on the fence... but the writer is disappointed that 85% would sit on the fence(sorry)porch in the heat watching the rain fall. That doesnt leave many of us dancing now does it?

You certainly dont have to have any alcohol to be high on life. But further studies might be needed to clear up whether this lack of high spirited=ness has anything to do with the fact that 3 out of 4 people said they would reach for something non alcoholic on a hot day.

100% stated they had no preference (men or women) as friends. Well I lied (sorry it was a "control" vote) did you?

Thank you to everyone who participated.

The kids....

Well Charlie has her heart on her new guitar and she still wants her cello..... oops mummy bought the cello before the guitar (why oh why do her friends water down her enthusiasm.... new rule in my new world in my next life.... no friends LOL)

Thomas is being good. Lovely kind attitude..... something is wrong.

Samuel .... wow my delightful 2 yr old has turned 3 recently and now we have tantrums that I never saw coming. Sorry little man but Im an old mummy and Ive got not problem in scooping you up and giving you a good tickle or smack.... whichever fits. No he isnt too bad... but he cant graduate from hitting his head on the floor to hitting it on the walls. Nope... not having that. Im sure his lack of words give him frustration but I give him heaps of words to try and help him express and I just keep taking him away from the floor and walls. He isnt really that kind of text book baby it is just that his vocab is letting him down when it comes to emotions. Mind you Im not worried one little bit because his general vocab gets better every day.

On the flip side he kicks a ball and catches a lot of the time. He is pasting and play doh - ing and drawing. He knows some of his letters and he can count a little bit. He is so cute. Oh and we need to rotate the books. Aunties.... any more books coming our way.... we have read all of ours.... preloved books I mean well of course.

Have finally shaken off the health scare from last week and Im bouncing around juggling housework, "drink" (that's Thomas), mum poo (Thomas too ... no just joking that's Sam), (yes Ive tried toilet training but we arent quite there yet) outdoor housework and everything else.

Im finishing off strawberry patch embroidery and Ive got patchwork all over the dining room. Yep Im really really happy.

Here is a crochet pattern Im trying for my sister's baby (arrival mid December)... Im making in white. The baby patterns on the internet were so boring to I found this stitch and Im making up my own size and then will add a tiny edging later.

Inauguration Quilt Art

Thank you to my friends who shared fabric scraps with me so I can finish this quilt.

I feel so lucky. This week has been a roller coaster ride but all good now. And you just dont have a great life if you dont have good friends and I really needed them and found them this week.

The inauguration quilts will go on show February 13 in Montgomery College. Susan Walen has organised a venue and there is talk of a book and different promotions. Just goes to show you what people can achieve when they are passionate about something. This is such a huge opportunity for me and I will always be grateful to Susan.

A lion and eagle await... Im off.

Quilt for overseas....

Im so excited... but dont want to say too much because Im just in the process of drawing with oil pastels on big bits of art paper..... sorting out all my ideas bouncing around in my head...

(A lovely lady from USA has written to me with heaps of information concerning the proper use of the USA emblems.... very important to get the images right when dealing with a nation's icons.)

Im making a 46 inch square art quilt to hang with others overseas in a special showing.

No fame or fortune... but a great opportunity.

p.s. yes... at the USA presidential inauguration. Im very very excited.

NOTE to self: never again live in the same street as the CFA and ambulance. Twice around midnight.... emergency service "air raid" siren. Sure I hope no one was hurt. But with pagers, phones, personal alarm technology.... they have to wake me up?

Out of the mouth of babes.....

The older two kids and I were watching a show with some quite unattractive people in it who just happened to be getting married. I made the comment that I feel pretty bad that even people that plain looking can find true love and have a wedding day.

My kids came up with a theory. Apparently it isnt my looks as they are united in the view that no one would actually be physically sick just looking at me. (Good to know) They do feel however it comes down to my personality.

Also - good to know.

What are you doing this week?

My list:

1. the love of my life has a bit of a family crisis.... so lots of energy into all good thoughts & prayers.

2. trying out sashing for Christmas table runner ready for quilting - this one is going to charity.

3. basting Samuel's brick wall single bed quilt.

4. getting onto the healthy trail. This one is easy because fruit and salad is easy if you have a pile of hand quilting to do.... honestly housework and eating just gets in the way of my two passions.... can only talk about the fabric passion here LOL. Im pretty sure I have to tick a special box if I feel the need to discuss the other... oh you love it!

5. cutting out more blocks for another quilt for Samuel.

6. collecting fabrics and sketches for a couple of art quilts Ive in mind.

7. have to get latest photos onto CD ... chemist here I come.

Oh yes... and plenty of singing, dancing, acting the clown, play doh and drawing and stickers with my bubby. Such a joyous time.... well compared to 14 yrs of age when all that is required is money and understanding. A little short of both most of the time. God help me when it turns to 16, 17, etc.

OMG didnt get to bed till late and then Tom's alarm went off at 3.30am and he couldnt wake up to turn it off. I thought he was joking when he said he had set it for that time. It had to shake myself awake and go turn it off. OMG I wanted to smack him around. What could he have been thinking? Isnt 5am bad enough?

Gas playing up but got hot water for a shower. Thank God. Have to wake up Charlie now. That wont be pleasant.

Hope they have a good time this weekend. Im gonna be home alone with 5 kids. Cool! It's my three that are the terrors!

We leave at 6.30am tomorrow. The house is cleaned from top to bottom. Just have to pack. Oh and try to get the kids into bed at a reasonable hour.

Charlie is trying to fit in as much friend time as possible... Thomas is making sure his alarm is set and he is showered with plenty of clean clothes. Ah my anal retentive clean freak! Hope some of it rubs off onto his sister eventually .... she is a girl... isnt she?

Fingers crossed our house is safe while we are away. I dont like leaving our stuff but at the end of the day we are going away to help family and what we are leaving is only possessions... dont get much back if you try and hug them!!

Im taking an art course book with me and while I mind the kids... Im gonna do some drawing. Ha! let's see what a bad student I am.

Ive had a couple of rough days trying to let go of a special project I was proud of initiating. It's ok. The most important thing is that I love people and I love to sew. Everything will fall into place.

Oh did I tell you? only 1 yr and 11 months till I get to be Mrs. so and so.

OK.... you up off the floor.... wanna tissue for those tears of laughter?

It's all Ive wanted for 20 years. Wonder how I ever talked myself into feeling ok with NOT getting the guy. Nope. Im not ok with it.

To Do List..

Post out christmas ATCs
Finish 3 round robin borders (another is on its way omg)
Cut out more christmas blocks
Select new baby quilt block patterns
Set in blocks and quilt table runner for fundraiser
Work out designs for 1/2 dozen heart needle books
Find or design a half decent crochet baby layette (good god they are ugly)

Done & Dusted:
Brushed down front outside of the house..... sneaky spiders
Raked nature strip and front yard
dishes done
beds made
played heaps with Samuel
cleaned the bathroom
culled unfriendly craft groups... yep they do exist

My darling man often comments that I should write a book and Ive been thinking about it for years. Wouldnt it be the ultimate irony if I wrote a book and got it published. Irony plus miracle if it sold!!! You know stranger things have happened.

People on blog sites all over have been talking about ownership of everything from short stories to photos. It seems there is a disclosure kind of clause in all or most blogging site agreements (you tick a box when you sign up) that basically puts everything you post in their hands. It cancels out any confidentiality or copyright. So even though Im pretty sure no one will want to steal my work... I wont be writing my book on some site on the internet. It would really suck to find that your idea was good enough for some desperado to take hold of.... suddenly you can buy YOUR story for $ when you havent even been rejected by a publishing house yet.

Ive been far too cautious (yeah quieten down the guffaws) in my life and Ive decided that in my novel I wont be cautious at all. So watch out. Is there a chance I will hurt someone's feelings or get a kick in the head? well not from any one new .... ok?

Ive hesitated in the past because I want to write about issues that have been raised in my life but didnt want to offend or put people off (more laughing from the peanut gallery?) but then it occurred to me (yep... Im a bit dim sometimes) that while I might make some comment about my life... there is no reason NOT to enjoy poetic license and write about whatever I damn well please. Who says it has to be memory by memory .... the more I think about the possibilities, the freedom, of writing.... well Im a person of extreme behaviours so who knows what will happen. I could pad my life story a little or create characters that arent one bit like the real people in my story.

The first thing is to write a plan. And my first hurdle there really is.... in what "person" am I writing this? ok Im off to ponder and do some research.

how will I be remembered?

it's quite sobering ... dad going to yet another funeral. Im glad Im not him.... friends and others dropping like flies.

Makes me wonder.... what kind of memory or mark will I leave behind?

Rather than ponder the unknown... perhaps it is better to reflect on what I feel are treasures I have gathered thus far on my walk through my very short life (in terms of the planet). And let's keep it to the living..... loved ones lost are too difficult today.

There are no limits to my feelings for the love of my life. For going on 20 years I have praised heaven and earth for the moments of intense closeness Ive had with him. I can only say that if you have found your soul mate ... then you know. If you havent... there are no words or images spectacular enough to explain it.

My children show potential in the areas of kindness, wit, consideration of others, street smarts, logical thought. And they are healthy.... good god how do parents cope with life threatening childhood disease?

I guess when it comes down to it .... you can only leave your legacy behind within your children. Lucky for me then.... because if you are gonna measure my life success to this point... then my bank balance or resume is going to disappoint.

The big thing for me in my 40s is knowing who I am a little better, knowing parts of me Im accepting of .... and working around that place of stability.... making it a more common practice to listen and learn and consider other people. I really want to leave my critical eye on the back seat and notice people's perspective and needs.

Finally ... I want to pull my finger out (get these kids into government run childcare - yep kinder and school) and study and work.

Three kids and a man who never quite loved me enough to take my hand and jump..... well its good so far but its not enough forever.

We made it Samuel.....

my hands were shaking while I was signing forms.... but with a little boy's strength and love for his mum I guess.... well he has come through the otherside of his dental procedure just fine.

I find it interesting that the dentist blamed me entirely for his teeth's condition. They have put a stainless steel crown on his most developed molar and white crowns on all others. There was the comment that now they have taken out half his teeth I should find it easier to clean them. Yep. Well go fuck yourself George because I clean my baby's teeth. We have a check up in 6 weeks time.

Im working on this but my great sis gave me photos of my kids I havent seen in years. So check out the slideshows to see them grow.

Financially this whole thing killed me so Im glad I stayed where I did..... it might have cost me more! ?

The older kids were pretty good considering the potential problems that I had sleepless nites over.

Have to go play playdoh with Sam and hang out the washing. Gosh isnt it warm today? Mind you.... the roses are lovin the warmth and they are stunning.

Am gonna investigate a length of grey water hose when my money gets a bit better.... the back lawn has died so much just with this few weeks of no rain and its no good for us or the next people.

The move to Ballarat. I dont need to worry about anything except keeping up the bills and getting over there.... I dont care if I have to fill nail holes and paint a room - my family will help. But it would be great to pay $175 NOT $195 - $210 - $225

My girl is playing games with a guy over the internet and phone. My first reaction is to take it all away but that sends it underground. It is a certainty that I wont be letting her go to her friend's house without me..... the boy is 20 kms away..... put 1000 kms of ocean in the middle... and she can go.