Category Archives: family

WIP Wednesday – is it really a day off?

Posted in Christmas, conversion details, family, grateful, House, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitching patterns, work by

I got asked by a couple of people what I plan to do on my day off. Apparently one in particular is under the impression that I will sit around all day. Hmm.

This is one text:
Day off today so menu planning/grocery shop. Vacuum/wash floors. Laundry. Some stitching on my latest project. Mase has a party (I find it odd that the Muslim boy’s party is at Macca’s). Potting up some herb cuttings, planting more seed. And painting mirror frames black so they match my picture frames. It would be more restful at work, except Si took Bran to the Navy league tournament today!

Apart from the party it’s a very normal Mum’s Day Off, isn’t it? Chores are a never ending circle, most of us like to do something to improve our homes, but some of us don’t attack the day with a plan. 90% of what I intend to do will take a half hour chunk and I get satisfaction from crossing stuff of the list.

I’m in between pieces so I picked up my Reindeer parade. Rudolph was stitched a while ago, and I’m now adding Blitzen. The ribbons will eventually connect them.

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This is at the three hour mark. I’m planning on beading and doing the snow swirls/trees later on. And I’m not doing the “glow” part of Rudolph’s nose. I like him as is. Plenty of thread conversion too which I will post later on as I’m still working on some.

Yay, it’s Monday

Posted in family, grateful, league, Mirabilia by

As in, this weekend was a killer! I’ve come back to work for a holiday 🙂

On Saturday Zac was injured in his league game. The person tackling him bent his fingers back, and the result is a broken 5th proximal phalanx – or the first bone of his right little finger. He’s casted just to protect him from knocking it around but as it’s the championship series already, this is probably the end of his league season both for the club and for school. Neither of us are impressed, but it’s an accident. I can let you know that the White Cross A&E has a better selection of kids’ reading at St Lukes, with better magazines at Henderson. Should have had my eReader with me!

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On Sunday we went out to Pakuranga league club for the delayed Under 6 Gala. We only had the minimum number of players but I had a ball. These six are a great group of kids, and the family groups are funny & genuine. A big change from last year! We didn’t win the Best & Fairest trophy but I think they gained a lot of confidence & I was proud of how they played.

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So as a result, not one stitch in any WIP, which is a worry as I have to post my NZ RR this Friday. I can see some late nights in my future! And rather stupidly, I have TWO copies of a Mira on the way, as I thought one online shop had forgotten my order…so if anyone wants a copy of Mermaids of the Deep, please email me. Sale or Swap for one I don’t have is fine 🙂

Also for fellow stitchers, Chiara raises some interesting points: https://thegreytail.wordpress.com/2015/06/26/real-stitchers-dont-steal/

High 5 for Friday!

Posted in family, grateful, High Five For Friday by

High Five

LISTENING: to TobyMac, Olly Murs, TayTay (can’t get away from her!), Ministry of Sound – iPod is on shuffle today.

READING: The Gamble by Kristen Ashley and Empress Dowager Cixi by Jung Chang. I know virtually nothing about Chinese history, so it’s interesting. I keep having to text Wenjie to ask how to pronounce things tho! Cixi – She Sea. You’ve learnt something today too.

gamble Cixi

PINNING: far too much! Kitchen tables made from old wooden doors, cross stitch stuff, One Little Word stuff – or stealing it from other blogs.

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CRAFTING: only seven sleeps before I need to post my NZ RR piece. Haven’t sorted out the signature panels yet!

DOING: Procrastinating about work, finally updating my job description and “just in case I get hit by a bus or win Lotto” manual. It will feel good once I’ve completed it. Or so I keep telling myself!

CELEBRATING: I brought a skirt yesterday (I know). It is a design I’ve wanted for a while but couldn’t find (I know). It was on sale (I know). There was another 30% off (I KNOW!). I must have got one of the last as it’s no longer on their website, but there are still some lovely things at www.maxshop.com

SPOILING SIMON: I’m picking up some new footy boots for him today. Coincidently it’s at a Rebel right opposite Ribbon Rose. Score!

LOSING COUNT: Of the ammt of times I have touched my kids this week. Was so grumpy at B this morning but I am grateful that I can be grumpy at him. Does that make sense? Besides, it was mildly satisfying this morning to whack on his bedroom light and strip the covers off at 6am – offset the feelings I had when looking at the kitchen!

LOSING COUNT PART II: Yes, this is more than 5. So what?

This:

Posted in family, friends, grateful, OLW by

I spent a good portion of last night just watching my children. Bran didn’t know for a bit that I was grieving, but he picked up on the sadness and was so gentle. He stayed up with Simon and I, just relaxing (they watched Lewis while I read & surfed comments others had made on Farrah’s FB posts) then when I got back up, I found he’d spent 30 min or so just sitting beside Z in this room, calming Z down as he is nervous about the Interzone Rugby tournament today.

This is what Farrah won’t experience again. And that makes me well up again.

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others”

Pericles (Greek Statesman, c 420BC)

Charlie

Charlie

I’ve decided that I will be making a donation to the local Cystic Fibrosis organisation in Charlie’s name.

http://cfnz.org.nz/you-can-help-2/

If you’re in the States and you wish to donate, or to understand more about the disease, we think Charlie’s chapter was likely the Houston one, or you can donate at Walgrens until the end of June.

Texas Gulf Coast Chapter – Houston
50 Briar Hollow Lane
Suite 250E
Houston, TX  77027
p: (713) 621-0006
Email: texas-gulf@cff.org
Contact: Executive Director: Ms. Sissy Boyd

Here’s a bit of a teary story as to why the disease is also known as 65 Roses: http://www.cff.org/aboutCFFoundation/About65Roses/

WIP Wednesday

Posted in family, me, Mirabilia, round robin, Smalls SAL by

So I screwed myself over when I said I’d possibly have a finish by now. The whole family has had one bug after another (I’m hoping that B’s vomiting last night is due to something he and he alone ate!) and I didn’t pick this up for three days. Still hoping to have a finish by next Wed, the Smalls check in date.

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I also fell in love with the new Mira release, the Raven Queen. She’s on order now.

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I did Mase’s reading with him last night (he usually does this with Grandma). He’s reading early chapter & nonfiction already!

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Saturday and I’m winning

Posted in family, grateful, league, me by

Out of the house before 8:30. Z to one muster, B over an hour early to his first ref assignment and we were late to M’s muster at Ellerslie.

But all settled down and M actually was player of the day!

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Back to Fowlds just in time to see the ref call the game off after the second red card to Z’s opposition. Z was at the bottom of the heap so it was a good thing I missed that bit!

Wendys to reward both for their efforts then back to Cornwall to watch B ref the second of his games.

Now I am more than ready to head home for a cuppa & a little bit of lazy. How was your day?