About this time last year, I climbed the Hux with the BBM crew. This year, as a family we decided to do it again, opening up to whomever wanted to meet us but not letting the lack of “me too” hold us back.
The Hux, or Hakarimata Mountain summit climb, can be divided into two portions. There’s the relatively easy walk to the site of the 1922 dam (nice waterfall is just past this) or the more strenuous climb to the summit. 1K almost straight up, 1349 stairs.
Because I haven’t been very active, my personal goal was halfway plus two flights. I kind-of bullied Karl into the same (he originally had halfway) but then we just kept on moving. And moving. And after about an hour, we were there (Si & Mase had done it 1.25 times by then & Louise & her friend A were a little behind us). Woot!
On the way up I’d seen part of the Tuakau and some Rewa league boys & on the way down, some of the Hamilton BBM crew. It’s nice to see familiar faces but even more so, nearly 99% of everyone else on the Mountain is also doing it tough, no matter how you measure them from yourself. There’s a lot of encouragement & good vibes.
On the WIP front, my work/travel piece is still Little House Needlework’s Bethelehem. I’ve finished with the lettering as of last night and YAY it well fits into the fabric with plenty of room. And I got some progress in on Fairy Idyll – not visibly much as it is such a big piece, but counting & double-counting has got me to the far right. Sorry for the crinkles – I am also stitching this one in hand.
Music wise I am slow to the party & have just discovered Sam Hunt. Gorgeous voice and a STORY in the song? Yes please. Also Do Right by The Glades – she has a beautiful voice.
On Ashley I finished the blend in the bow, the apricot roses and the greenery in her bouquet. Maybe 250-300 stitches? And I didn’t do anything more on Bethlehem.
So my focus pieces for 2018 (given that I want to end in the black for Stitch From Stash also) are in order of attention (bracket date indicates the start month & year):
I brought Si the Lego Technic Fire Rescue set on Friday & we sat down last night, telly on in the background (8 out of Ten Cats & Taskmaster Season 5, if you’re that interested) and stitched/bricked and talked into the late hours. He starts back at work today so that may not have been the brightest idea ever, but I found that as his hands were busy, they weren’t constantly changing channel & I could focus more on the stitching. I’m up to a bit where the symbols beside each other are shades of the same colour – a filled in heart & a filled in upside down triangle. I see a frog in my future!
Smalls SAL – for December I finished the Jamaica Santa’s – they are so cute! One for me, one for Louise. I plan on completing the set at some point in 2018. I’m not going to participate in every month’s check in for 2018, altho I have enough Cozzolino Santas to keep me going!
sewscrapmuse 