Category Archives: grateful

Getting Closer…

Posted in grateful, me by

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As I write I’ve just ticked over to 99 follows. The latest has just thanked her 10k+ so it’s a good thing I’m not journalling for kudos or glory. Splat goes the ego!

But what I would like to do is to say Thank You to everyone who has commented and joined in. Reading posts (especially craft and book posts!) is a treat & I’m grateful there are others out in blogland who are sharing their highs and lows too.

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I’m planning a giveaway at follower #111. Woo hoo!

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Today was a Good Day

Posted in family, grateful, league by

Woke up late – eep! Three degrees outside and the cars were covered in ice (I’m such a jaffa now. No more Southland blood left)

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It was about half a cm thick on the Toy Car.

Got to New Lynn and the babes were awesome. Lots of quick passes and offloads; bring at the Fox game last week must have been good inspiration

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one thing about cold mornings is the bonus of full sun for the rest of the day.

This afternoon someone pulled up injured so Bran ran the line at the Pt Chev Fox game!  Not many 15 yo would get that opportunity. I stayed to watch for a little while (Si was on the other line) then Mase, Zac and I went to Animates to fish browse.

We brought 8 guys home (& I nearly picked up another tank for the kitchen). Three Black Widow tetras and five Neons. Neons are tiny!

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Black Widow tetra; I think it looks like a Barb

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Hopefully I don’t kill these guys too soon.

High 5 for Friday!

Posted in family, friends, grateful, High Five For Friday, me, round robin, stitching patterns, Teresa Wentzler, work by

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Visiting: today I’m meeting up with Angela from the NZ XS group. She lives very locally, on a farm. Looking forward to it!

Stitching: Blitzen, & incredibly curious about Angela’s choices for the RR. Plus must give Tapestry Cat some love. Watching the progress Theresa Wenztler is making on Illuminata is amazing. Designers don’t get enough kudos or money.

Pinning: lots of gorgeous things

Paying: bills. I’m grateful I have a good job that I enjoy and that enables me to help look after my family.

Watching: not a lot. Think I’ll have a NCIS binge. Yay for DVDs

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!

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.

Goodness

Posted in grateful, league by

And I don’t mean “goodness gracious me” or anything the Mom in The 70’s Show said – I mean the goodness in people. It’s the small things that make people smile.

In this case, it’s actually quite large. I know how hard it is to get sponsorship, and being completely honest, I thought this offer would expire in that “too hard” basket. I’m happy to report that I was wrong, wrong, wrong – here are my our babies in their new sponsored hoodies!

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My Mase is the tall blondie.

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 grateful, league, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, round robin, stitching patterns by

I’ve had to frog a bit (missed two lines of one colour) but Persephone is marching along nicely now that I’ve finished the confetti that makes up her hair. This is after six stitching nights:

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The other piece is Debbie’s RR, with Jacqui’s addition being the Moonlight Laguna mermaid. I am thinking I’ll stitch a portion of Mediterranean Mermaid, as I have that kitted up as my hospital WIP.

I also joined in another FB group today – surely I must be hitting some kind of threshold soon! This one is for the Christmas Couriers (my Sleigh belongs to that group of patterns). Hopefully some inspiration to get more reindeer done! Or… Maybe I use them as the theme for my NZ RR?

Lastly here’s Mase at training tonight. He’s thriving in this group. And I laugh so much on Wednesday nights. It’s a great bunch of kids.

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