Tag Archives: grateful

Current Favs

Posted in family, goals, grateful, me, weight loss by

IMG_20160702_090214We had an amazingly beautiful, clear weekend here in Auckland. On Saturday, most council grounds were closed, so we only had to get to Si’s line (that game was on TV, and certain people (coughmeaswellcough) have taken delight in commenting), B’s line and Zac’s school rugby game. I did a lot of driving tho and not much walking.

This is from the top of Metcalfe hill – I thought the fog looked like an ethereal wave taking over the city. That’s Rangitoto on the left; you’d usually be able to make out the Harbour Bridge in the middle – not today!

Sunday after chores I chose to head out to Bethells Beach – still my all-time favourite place. The tide was all the way out, so we explored rock pools and the caves.

IMG_20160703_184259.jpg

It was surprisingly busy (even tho it looks empty in the shots) with full carparks – so probably a few hundred people there.

And my week was alright too – making the decision to put myself first above work has meant that I’ve already made a difference. I’m trying to get out for longer at lunchtime but as I do generally walk with someone else that can be a compromise. But Monday I could only manage 4 lengths – today was 10. I’m getting there.

 

Sharing is Caring: How Emma can teach us

Posted in books, growing by

image: ©BBC In Mansfield Park the charming Mary Crawford claims, “Selfishness must always be forgiven, you know, because there is no hope for a cure.” But she’s dead wrong. Jane Austen shows us in another novel, Emma, that there is indeed a cure for selfishness: love. And no I don’t mean just falling in love or…

via Emma Woodhouse and the Cure for Selfishness — Carrots for Michaelmas

WIP Wednesday

Posted in cross stitch, grateful, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, stash cache app by

Dear Diary,

It’s been a while since I last wrote. This is not because I’ve been busy (altho I have) but more because I am simply too tired. Which isn’t really an excuse as I generally update WordPress from work. And it’s on my phone, so this changes the reason to because I’m lazy.

I haven’t stitched much at all this last fortnight. I have about half of my Small to go, and I’ve added a few beads to Persephone so that I can roll her up on the scroll and start that humungous skirt of hers. I’ve changed out the bronze/brown bugle beads to a smaller gold for her necklace, & I love how they look against the blue. So much better that the original. And there’s a little more work on MotDB but that’s about all, folks.

20160419_053156.jpg

I won a USD20 voucher from @donnamurray86 (her IG account) through a giveaway she hosted on her flosstube channel, so I grabbed The Silver Dragonfly (I hear it’s nearly OOS) and a more recent release, The Snow Queen. Postage took over half the voucher, so as I was going to have to top up any purchase I made, I made it worth my while. I also won a Trademe auction for Santa’s Magic, a very early Mira. All three are now added to the Stash Cache file page, if you’re using those.

20160419_141042.jpg

We gained a digital Freeview tuner and I hooked that up Monday night to our TV – while the TVs have built-in Freeview, they don’t have a series-link capable recording capacity. By adding a 1T USB to the tuner, I’m hoping that I will have some of our favourites recording so I can binge-watch as I want. I hardly stay up to TV past about 8.30 at night, and most of the good stuff starts then. Neil Oliver’s Coast New Zealand started last night – I love his BBC series – & I think it will be interesting to see what he made of our shores. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11623166

WIP Wednesday

Posted in 16 in 2016, cross stitch, family, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, round robin by

One really good thing about regular posts is that the pressure is off to create witty titles. I’ll leave that one up to Maia, eh?

This week hasn’t been great. This fortnight, really. I am dependant on meds to keep the headaches at bay and continue functioning. I am nowhere near as bad as some people (and freakily there is a shortage of Sumatriptin right now here in NZ, so I am hoarding the 10 tablets I have left and using the other stuff) but I am going to have to have a serious conversation with my boss when he returns from Ambiente next week. Ideally I’d like to work from home Wednesday and use that to catch up on sleep and slide my working day by a few hours. I’m fairly disciplined and there are no regular scheduled meetings for me that day, apart from his catch-up. Say a prayer for me, please?

20160215_215159On the Finish front, I have #3 – Crafty Rahenna’s round robin is done, and will be off in the post today. I think that is actually ahead of schedule! There are no beads, as she will add these post a wash (Poppy’s wings need it, they aren’t as white as they could be) and no thread conversions on my part.

20160215_215128.jpg

Mase has begun to stitch again – he is already converting the baseball from this chart to a red cricket ball and made the decision to swap around the two colours in the gridiron ball.  Okay, then. I might have started a monster! This is at about an hour of work, and he’s actually done more. Apparently he “needs” his own Instagram as he doesn’t want to continue to use mind. Hmm, really? Need?

The Cousins are Over

Posted in 16 in 2016, conversion details, cross stitch, family, freebies, friends, grateful, Mirabilia, Nora Corbett, round robin by

And if you’re a FB friend, you’ll have seen that we have been very, very busy each evening. Combined with the fiscal year end here at work, I’ve barely had any space to stitch. However, we do have a finish! My second for #16in2016. This is the Mirabilia 2004 Cherub with Tree freebie, with lots of conversions:

20160208_144359

The changes are:

Original Used Notes Original Used Notes
310 823   500 319  
356/758   1/2 strands 502 320  
356/434   2/1 strands 598 932  
839 938   926 931  
3052 3022   3756/3811 3753  
3768 930   Kreinik 009 2 strands

Backstitch: 2 strands 844 for border & wings, 356 for skin & 310 for lashes.

Beads: N in the border 02026 to 03050; O in the border/hair + collar went from 02010 to 00161; tree is all 03050 except the star is 03016; O in the dress is all 02026.

20160206_184954.jpg

Orewa beachfront

On Saturday we escaped the mugginess of the city and went for a tour north of the city. We did Waiwera pools to relax (I want this place, but Ben says 650-700K and I just about choked, so that’s a no https://www.barfoot.co.nz/562286 ) and ended up at Orewa for dinner. There’s a good takeaways on the edge opposite Hillary Square, and we trudged across the road to the beachfront. We drove home via Riverhead (which is where I wanted to live, but now I’m thinking the village vibe is going to disappear in the new subdivisions that are spreading out).

20160207_144820.jpg

the boys at Arataki, looking out towards Manukau Heads

Sunday was a bit easier – Sharon’s place, then Arataki, down across town to Devonport (proper lager at the pub, apparently) and home for dinner.

 

20160208_201656_011.jpgYesterday was recovery day, so Si & his dad chain-sawed pine trees for the gf & grandma to last them a couple of winters, then BBQ at Grandad’s – and no summer Barbie is complete without a game of cricket. See Mase in the front left, in blue? From that spot he threw the ball to the far wicket and ran Zac out. Amazing arm on that kid.

Today is the first day all three boys are at school – hallelujah! –  so of course I’m celebrating this by being at work. Hmm. Something is wrong with this picture. At least I have Rahenna’s piece to stitch on. By default I’ve ended up with Lily of the Valley, which I haven’t stitched before.

Poppy reminds me of Anne, as it was one of her finishes last year. Hey, Anne!

IMG_20160208_213525.jpg

High 5 for Friday!

Posted in 12 Days of Gifting, cross stitch, family, grateful, High Five For Friday, me, Mirabilia, round robin by

It’s been a busy few weeks. To be honest, I am struggling – with pain & loss of function, the return of the Screaming Teen, a tired partner, feeling oh-so-obliged – and being grateful went by the wayside.

Yesterday was a big day in the household; (bottom left) Mase’s group had a concert at school (they are repeating it at local resthomes today & for the public on Saturday evening) and (top left) Zac graduated intermediate. He also got a Service award!

IMG_20151211_115901.jpg

(top right) I am very nearly at the end of Lenna’s tail – there has been a bit of juggling to get the colours right in the roses. I can’t justify the drive across town for the three Waterlillies threads, especially as I’d be in so much discomfort after, so I dug in my 3 thread boxes and came up with something true to the original picture but also unique.

Mase is totally into Christmas – the last pic of the layout is my new Rudolph. He kind of reminds me of Beaker from the Muppets!

I am just about at the end of the “12 Days of Simon” for this year – but I think I will just number them and place them under the tree. I saw this boy at Living & Giving today & it’s perfect for Day 11 – my (frog) Prince 🙂 cheesy, yes. Who cares? If you’re looking for something similar, these are by Zoku and widely available world-wide.

frog prince

WIP Wednesday

Posted in cross stitch, friends, grateful, Mirabilia by

I’m still managing small portions of Persephone most days. She has an “armbow” and last night I found the edge of page one. Yay!

image

Today I was totally spoilt by a stitching friend,  Andrea. This box arrived (to scale, that teddy I made sits 30cm high):

image

And inside are the bits to make this!

image

It’s a lap/desk stand. I’m so grateful and can’t wait to put it together.

Inheritance

Posted in 16 in 2016, cross stitch, grateful by

Last week a workmate’s mother lost her fight against cancer. Judith was also a stitcher, and I am very fortunate that I have been given a large portion of her stash. The only request was from her husband, asking that I finish her Grecian sampler (that’s the one started below on the white linen). It’s quite unlike anything I have in my current WIP pile, and definitely one for my “16 in 2016” list.

20151110_053752

Also included is this sampler. I took the notes from a historical sampler blog  www.Needleprint.blogspot.com

 mary miekle002

This stunning sampler from the Wyndham and District Historical Museum in NZ, which was likely stitched by Mary Meikle in 1836. It is probable that Mary was born to Robert Meikle and Sarah McPherson in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Robert’s name is worked in black, the custom being that he was deceased at the time of stitching. In fact, Sarah went on to marry Andrew Wilson in 1826, who would have become Mary’s step-father. I particularly like the variation on the dedication: I have done this to let you see how kind my parents were to me. Which feels a little less remote than the usual – what good care my parents took of me. This is such a fabulous Scottish sampler with its large thistle, cupped garlands, row of family initials and the distinctive paired urns in the lower corners. But not only that, there are two darling confronting birds perched on a heart over the word Amor – Love. And look at the labelled deer and lepord. And for good measure, at the base is a Solomon’s Temple above which the date stands with its quirky reversal of the numeral 3. For your copy of this sampler contact Sherelyn at Heirlooms, NZ or visit the Heirlooms web-site.

I’ve never stitched a historical sampler – or any really, apart from birth records. Has anyone out there done one?

Hi Five for Friday!

Posted in cross stitch, family, grateful, High Five For Friday, house - gardens, Mirabilia by

Because it’s October, I’m in my Grateful series.

  1. The leaves are starting to appear on my dwarf apple tree. And there are buds on my climbing rose, which I still need to plant in situ. I forgot to take photos, sorry.
  2. ROPI had so many choices about what to start on my next stitching piece which will be (tah dah!) Roses of Provence. I’ve just snuck off my beads & Kreinik order to Elizabeth (stitchnz.co.nz for Kiwi followers. Her service is AWESOME!). Unfortunately the Summer Queen didn’t arrive in the post, but the seller gave me a refund.
  3. I’m recovering from the flu so my energy levels, while still all over the place, are coming back.
  4. 240_galleryBran has agreed to join Swim Club at the base. He was reluctant as it’s a step up, more time and he will have to wear “budgie smugglers” but he’ll get over it when he realises all the other boys are too. I’m glad because otherwise we would have run out of class options at the end of this term & swimming is such good therapy for head injuries as well as a de-stressing tool. I’m tempted to get him these ones (available at budgysmugglers.com.au) but I think I’d best go with plain black speedos.
  5. My eye test this year only showed a slight deterioration in one eye, not enough to warrant changing my prescription. I am ordering prescription sunnies tho and I expect that in a couple of weeks I’ll be asking myself why I didn’t do this earlier. I drive into the sun in the morning and then again in the evening which we agreed is stressing & adding to the headaches I can get. But there is no disease apparent or retinal detachment. Yay!

High 5 4 Friday!

Posted in cross stitch, family, friends, grateful, High Five For Friday, Mirabilia, round robin by

As it’s Thanksgiving period for my State-side friends, I thought this month’s High 5’s would be things I’m grateful for.

image

Cross stitch can be so so satisfying. I finished the V (another goal crossed off!) and rocked straight into the international Mira RR piece. This is two days of Christmas Elegance.
Daylight savings means more play time. Z at Browns Bay.
Flu mess keep the crap at bay. But they do stop me from hitting post on the last entry!

But the most important thing this week is Baby M. He belongs to M, and is an absolute sign of faith and prayer. Born in early September at 30 weeks, he’s a fighter. He’s inspiring a group of us to praise God & keep praying for his family and the hospital staff. Please join us in prayer. Seeing faith in action is amazing.