Category Archives: family

WIP Wednesday #276

Posted in Christmas, cross stitch, family, grateful, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, Smalls SAL, stitch from stash, stitching patterns by

Well, it’s still Wednesday somewhere in the world, even tho it’s definitely Thursday for me!

Barbados Santa – #3 in the series

I put away Fairy Idyll last week – she wasn’t bringing me any happiness and it felt like a chore. I guess a two week slog every now and again will be the norm with her. Instead, I worked a few days on the Barbados Santa pair (I’d only got the hat/hair part completed before) and then a new start – Luce Mia from Nora Corbett on Countrystitch Cook Strait (cause mermaids always belong in the sea, right?) which is the other half of the fabric used on Sirens of the Sea. This is two of her hair colours complete, and I’ve kind of worked out a GAST conversion for her tail (it’s mostly one DMC which is booooring). She’s about the right mix of size, complexity and interest that I want now, as we head into the busy retail season and all the end-of-year things.

And today I opened a parcel I’d ordered in APRIL from a local crafter. These are the initials of everyone in the family and my plan is to hang from the light garland that will be on the big mirror on the lounge wall. I’ll have to either add new initials as partners/children come into the fam or give the ornament away when child moves out – I like the first idea better! Have a lovely week. If you’re in NZ, stay safe this Labour Weekend and enjoy some time in the outdoors.

WIP Wednesday#274

Posted in cross stitch, family, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash, stitching patterns by

Hello everyone! Sorry for not keeping up with at least the weekly posts but this world? It’s got me hiding under the bed mentally.

Auckland has had another lockdown, due to Covid reappearing in the community after we had 102 days of normality. I’ve taken this hard in some ways, with my anxiety high, sleep is hard to find and frankly, I’d give Grumpy a run for his money.

So this month I have a finish – hooray!! – and a lot of progress beading on Shakespeare’s Fairies by Mirabilia. My finish is When Life is Done, by Dianne from Silver Creek Samplers.

It’s full on a tribute to Carol, with the butterfly instead of a bird, and the script in an autumn thread as we both loved the trees changing, and tulips as Mase chose those for her service. We’re waiting for Homestead to reopen then we’ll chose a frame together.

In the NZ XS group there’s a weekly focus challenge. I’m nearly there with Shakespeare’s Fairies & expect that I’ll have this one complete next week, if I have enough beads… So many beads…

The Mount

Posted in family, grateful, travel by

For some odd reason, every Kiwi seems to have the knowledge built in that if you’re going to the Mountain, you’re off to the snow; and if you’re off to the Mount, it’s all about sun and surf. It was part of my childhood, growing up in a suburb of Tauranga, we spent a lot of time at the beach and it’s something I remember fondly.

Bay of Plenty

We had the force’s apartment thanks to a last minute cancellation. The mattress is well past expiry but the location and other features of the apartment well overcame the annoyance. Look how close we are to the Mount!

We drove down Friday after work – ugh – and spent Saturday exploring. We had arranged to view some MR2 parts down in Whakatane (which is about an hour further down the coast) so once we’d done that, it was all about the exploring. We went down to Ohope Beach peninsula, then back to the small township (best hamburger, chips & milkshake combo we’d had in a long time), then Whakatane township, then Te Puke, Papamoa then back to the apartment. Si rested for a while and Mase and I went out exploring.

That kid simply did not shut up for the next two hours! We went along the surf beach and clambered on Moturiki Island. Onto the Cenotaph, where we watched the moon rise up from the sea and the sun setting over the Mount.

Sunday was travelling home via Hamilton and the new Waikato expressway; family dinner and going over Grandma’s photo stash. Good memories.

May WIPocalypse

Posted in cross stitch, family, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash, Teresa Wentzler, WIPocalypse by

Hello everyone if you’re still following! I have been deliberately limiting my web activity during the NZ lockdown (I worked thru apart from the one week of bereavement leave, and an afternoon where all I wanted to do was throw this !#$%*$%! laptop out the window) so I cut down on everything else. I read a lot (lots of romance, as I couldn’t follow non-fiction to save myself) and stitched and gardened and Lego. Nearly every cupboard has had a clean out, a lot of maintenance is already done and I’m ready for a long, solitary holiday.

Since I wrote the March WIPocalypse, I’ve had a few finishes. The Antique Celtic Sampler by Elisabeth Designs; Hands on Design covid freebie, Choose Happy; two Sandra Cozzolino Genoa Santas; a mash-up snarky hoop for a friend using a Brooke’s Books Elphaba and lastly, Nora Corbett’s Garden Party Cakes. I haven’t brought much, a Santa from Michelle Bendy that still hasn’t arrived and I spent a whopping buck fifty at the op shop in Paihia this weekend. I’m actually $20.30 in credit, so should finish the first half of the year in the black.

Currently I am beading Shakespeare’s Fairies, and I took Fairy Tales away last weekend. I have been more about finishing all the things rather than starting, although I would have liked it to be about working on 12 Days it’s nearly all Mirabilia. But I’m not beating myself up about goals or haul or tidying up or whatever – simply surviving without a breakdown is the short term goal, and measured daily.  

April’s question was Talk to us about your longest-running WIP or UFO. My oldest WIP is still Tapestry Cat by Teresa Wentzler. It’s still about 75% complete and I don’t think I’ve touched it this year. It’s not something I can focus on as yet…

May’s question was Tell us about a piece that you absolutely loved stitching. For me, this was my first Mirabilia, Stargazer. I adored this piece from when I first saw an image but it would be 10 years before I came across the chart, and I only completed it 4 years ago. She is in my hall so I walk past her daily, and she’s one of the few charts I would consider stitching again.

All the best to you and yours – I’m not sure if I will rejoin as a weekly post yet but I will try to post for June WIPocalypse at the least.

The Friday Recommend – Self Recalibration

Posted in family, grateful by

Normally, I’d be at the office today. Instead, I’m at the dining table & Mase is at the breakfast bar, working on his Passion Project which has to be handed in at 3pm today (he’s chosen to learn about Mull, as this is where my maternal clan came from). We’re already missing the Dawn Service and it’s only the 24th.

HISTORY: from https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/anzac-day/introduction

The date marks the anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand soldiers – the Anzacs – on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. The aim was to capture the Dardanelles and open a sea route to the Bosphorus and the Black Sea. At the end of the campaign, Gallipoli was still held by its Ottoman Turkish defenders.

Thousands lost their lives during the Gallipoli campaign: 87,000 Ottoman Turks, 44,000 men from France and the British Empire, including 8500 Australians. To this day, Australia also marks the events of 25 April. Among the dead were 2779 New Zealanders, about one in six of those who served on Gallipoli.

They may have ended in military defeat, but for many New Zealanders then and since, the Gallipoli landings signalled that New Zealand was becoming a distinct nation, even as it fought on the other side of the world in the name of the British Empire.

Anzac Day was first observed in 1916. The day has gone through many changes since. The ceremonies that are held at war memorials up and down New Zealand, and in places overseas where New Zealanders gather, are modelled on a military funeral and remain rich in tradition and ritual.  

standasoneTOMORROW: instead of joining thousands of others in the pre-dawn dark at Auckland War Memorial Museum, we’ll be out at our driveway, one of us holding the cellphone listening to the radio transmit the service. From the Last Post to the Prayers, we’ll be remembering the sacrifice of those brave men and women (and animals!) who won freedom. It won’t be our expected tradition, but we will still be able to join in gratitude.

Please join in.

Friday Review: 10 Things

Posted in family, goals, grateful, growing, Journal, me, You Can Quote ME by

Hi everyone! Day 9 of official NZ lockdown, day 14 for us and things are pretty level. We are allowing the kids to do whatever today, although Si is now out with a drop saw, so good luck with the “sleep all day” goal that one of them set!

10thingsThis morning I have been listening to Laura Tremaine. I’ve talked about her work in the past and I’m sure I’ll talk about her in the future – I find her to be real, to show empathy, humorous and good-natured, and I think she’s probably a pretty awesome wife & mum too. This last episode was aptly titled : Marry The Person You Could Quarantine With & I think too, I’m fortunate in my choice.

Laura’s intro is:

 

I’m Laura Tremaine.

I live in Los Angeles. I’m a reader, a podcaster, a wife, and a mom.

At all times, I have (at least) 10 Things To Tell You. And I know that YOU have 10 Things To Tell.

This place is about connection, with each other and with ourselves. We can only do this by opening our eyes and seeing others and (even harder) by letting ourselves be seen.

Let’s tell our stories.

Let’s share our stuff.

I’ll go first.  

https://www.10thingstotellyou.com/podcast

WIP Wednesday #271 & whatever

Posted in cross stitch, family, goals, grateful, me, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stitch from stash, stitching patterns, work by

Hey blog buddies! I hope you are all doing well, and have everything you need. Here in NZ, we’re about to go onto a State of Emergency and as of midnight tonight, everything non-essential will be shut. For our family, it’s kind of odd…

On Monday, my much loved mother in law Carol passed away in the early hours. She had fought her illness for so long & was physically ready to leave, but not mentally until this last week. Because of the situation we can’t have a funeral, so at this stage, we’re looking at church on June 19th, on what would have been her 74th birthday. I miss her already.

Stitching wise, plans are out the window. Work on what makes me happy is now my priority, so first up I finished Mermaid of Atlantis this morning. The fabric is Cook Strait lugana from Countrystitch.

There’s a number of changes:
  • The Kreinik 060 is completely omitted. In the border, I used DMC 3371 & Mill Hill 16609. In the tail, I used Mill Hill 00332. In the fish, I used 011HL.
  • In the garland, I used MH 00525 instead of 10036.
  • Skin bs is as always DMC 356.
  • The fish has a mix of DMC 2141, 2142 & 2144.
I’ve pulled out Antique Celtic as my next project, as this was the last that Mum had an influence on, choosing the fabric.
Anyway, time to go.  Please keep well, keep in touch, keep on praying.

Book Review The Star Giver by Ginger Nielson

Posted in books, family by

BLURB: Deep in the forest where the wind never blows, in a far away cave where the sun never shines, lives a man made of stars and the branches of pines. So begins the legend that answers Little Bear’s question: “Where did the stars come from?”

MASE’S THOUGHTS: I loved this story because it was a story of determination. There was a mother bear and a baby bear and the mother bear went on a quest. Mother went and saw all of the animals and went in some bad conditions like windy rainy and snowy. Eventually when mother finished she tucked baby into sleep.

MUM’S NOTES: we haven’t read a picture book for quite a while but we’ve been looking at myths & legends of different cultures lately. This title popped up in my Kindle Unlimited list (.com.au, so I’m not sure if it’s available in your county); check it out with your little. Or really, just for the gorgeous illustrations. Mase gave it 5 stars.

Book Review: Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings

Posted in books, family, photos, travel by

I meant to post this yesterday, but best laid plans and all that. We’re currently down the country, living the dream… sea, sand & finally some rain! BLURB: A magnificent epic set against a history of seven thousand years of the struggles of Gods and Kings and men – of strange lands and events – of fate and a prophecy that must be fulfilled! THE BELGARIAD

Long ago, so the Storyteller claimed, the evil God Torak sought dominion and drove men and Gods to war. But Belgarath the Sorcerer led men to reclaim the Orb that protected men of the West. So long as it lay at Riva, the prophecy went, men would be safe.

But that was only a story, and Garion did not believe in magic dooms, even though the dark man without a shadow had haunted him for years. Brought up on a quiet farm by his Aunt Pol, how could he know that the Apostate planned to wake dread Torak, or that he would be led on a quest of unparalleled magic and danger by those he loved – but did not know? For a while his dreams of innocence were safe, untroubled by knowledge of his strange heritage. For a little while… THUS BEGINS BOOK ONE OF THE BELGARIAD’

MY THOUGHTS: I love this book. Totally adore it. It was the first title I brought with my own money, earned from a paper round (which I hated, BTW). It’s classic high fantasy, good vs evil, with a few twists & turns along the way. Recently I listened to it on Audible, with the gorgeous tones of Cameron B (think Sean Connery *sigh*). Yes, it has gaps and there is a bit of patriarchal character development, but that reflects the period of writing. After all, not many people complain about Tolkien’s writing!

WIP Wednesday #265

Posted in cross stitch, family, grateful, me, stitch from stash, stitching patterns by

Hello everyone! As I write this, it’s Wednesday afternoon and I am at work, plodding away at work. I keep ducking and diving away to the hospital – I was there until 1am today, back home for a nap, back in for a catch up with the doctors and a natter with Mum, then into work. It’s tiring, for sure, but it’s not permanent. Meeting tomorrow with the palliative care team, hospice team, family & medical. If you can, I would appreciate prayers for grace and peace in this last season of Mum’s life.

A quote via Vonna, who is The Twisted Stitcher: “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” Leo Buscaglia

Stitching wise, I have been plugging away at Fairy Idyll while watching the Miss Fisher Mysteries and last night (until I got an urgent call) the fictional Agatha & the Truth of Murder. I’ve got about 45min of that one left, which I probably won’t get to until the weekend now. Out & about I’ve finished the first panel on Antique Celtic Sampler and started the second. I’ll show you all the FI progress in my WIPocalypse update next week, it’s impressive!