A week already?

I can't believe it's been a week since I update.

Seeing as Himself has just announced dinner is nearly ready (yes I am VERY lucky) I will do a quick day by day dot point and flesh the points out later.  Or not.  

• Tuesday - worked.  Himself heard that his father was in hospital after passing out and smashing through glass door.  Himself was really pissed that it happened the Friday before and his mother didn't think to check why we hadn't responded to the message she left on our answering machine that won't let messages be left.  
• Wednesday - worked.  Lost it with the boss and had a Big Talk.  With good results.
• Thursday - caught up with The Mermaid (she has busted up with her fella) and bought lots of fabric.  FIL came home from hospital and we found out!
• Friday - spent the day with Soooz and then went out for dinner at the club which should have been great but was pitifully bad.  
• Saturday - ran around, saw FIL (BIG cut on head and nasty wound to hand which is still in plaster), bought kitcheny bits and had The Mermaid over for dinner.  I made an awesome lemon sorbet.
• Sunday - very seedy (see Saturday!).  Sewed all day.  Boys over for dinner.  
• Today - tell you later .... dinner's ready

For Chris

Photos of the blocks to date and apologise for the poor colour replication.  I photographed them on the red day bed in the sewing room and on the small ironing board I'm using to press as I go.  Unfortunately it's a very dull day and the light could be better but I can't be stuffed going outside!  You get an idea, though.  The top one was taken without flash.

Now back to make some more and start on some pyjama pants for Himself.  I really hope they work cos I would love to have the boys wear mine rather than Peter bloody Alexander's!

Later.....   I am totally knackered!  I have been down here since just after 10 and it's now 7.30!  I stopped briefly for a sandwich and to make a couple of cups of tea but otherwise I have been very productive.  I now have 6 blocks and need to make 4 more for Thomas' throw and then will start on Sheba's (and this is from the woman who scoffed and refused to buy pyjama patterns that included matching his hers and DOGS!).  I could argue that the throws aren't for the cats but for the couches but who am I kidding?!

I then traced the pattern for Himself's PJs and cut them out and sewed them.  I think that's why I'm so knackered.  There were a few things I haven't sewn before or haven't sewn for a long time and there was a lot of concentration but they turned out really well and he is very happy with them.  He wants more and Three has agreed to a pair.  I am sure Two will accept some but it will be interesting to see what Mr 'it has to have a label' One thinks.

Work tomorrow.  What a waste of good sewing time.  Not to mention golf and exercise time.  And even housework time.  Oh well.  Funds the hobbies I suppose.  

Himself is cooking beef RengDang again.  Yummo.

Ah, Sundays!

Mrs Teacher didn't come in the end.  So it was just Dr Teacher and his elder son, Cousin It.  And Other Brother and Mrs Other, of course.  One and Ebs came over and Three was here.  Lunch was cold meat and salad with mini quiches (from the Mermaid's shop) and my chocolate truffle cake for dessert.  After lunch we walked down to the beach (Other and Mrs Other live in Canberra and miss the beach).  Then home and they left.  Mrs Other was very envious of My Room.

Two had arrived whilst we were at the beach and he and One were on the course when we got home.  I sewed for a while (I have now finished 4 blocks ... still love my seam ripper!!) and then the boys came home and we had dinner.  Spag Bol and salad with lime cheesecake for dessert.

Lots of laughs and now we are sitting watching the box as the boys get ready to go home.  Two and GGF are looking at a house not far from here.  Keep your fingers crossed - it would be just fabulous to have them on this side of town.

Tomorrow is a public holiday (Happy Birthday, Queen) and I plan to sew.

So a busy day but full of family and that is always good.

Home sweet home!

I am a very happy little vegemite.

The red boxes hold patterns and craft fabric and sewing notions and I now have an iPod player so as I sit sewing pieces of patchwork with my computer next to me I am listening to a selection of MY music.

This table is from IKEA and is height adjustable.  It can also be disassembled quickly and easily if we have overnight guests.

Yup.  I am content!

This is the first block I made which was meant to be for the throw that will replace the one Tom sleeps on.   I have fiddled with the colours so this will just be the first block I ever made.  I love the look on Tom's face!  I guess he wasn't happy with the colours either but was too polite to say!

Last night's dinner was OK.  Just OK.  The company, as always, was great but I don't think we will go back there again out of choice.  Maybe for takeaway but not for a sit down meal.  I did learn that Foxtel IQ has a feature which means I won't have to miss the first half of Silent Witness (or any other fave TV show) again.  I also took one of my blocks to show off.  Pathetic, I know, but there was someone there who gave a shit!

Today we raced around and got everything done.  Butcher, socks for Himself and undies for the boys for Christmas stockings (yay - I've started my Christmas shopping!) on sale, new fish for the tank (look really good and hope they survive!), deli for cold meat for lunch tomorrow (I have both brothers and sisters-in-law coming and Dr Teacher's boys as well), Spotlight for a pyjama bottom pattern for Himself (and the boys whether they like it or not - cheaper than Peter bloody Alexander!) and fabric and STUFF.  Then home (via supermarket for ingredients) to bake a chocolate cake for lunch tomorrow and to make a cheesecake for dinner tomorrow night.  Yes it's a busy weekend.  The walk didn't happen and I didn't eat anything until I was baking (does licking the spoon count as breakfast?) so the healthy bits didn't happen today.

Lunch tomorrow could be awkward as Dr Teacher AND Mrs Teacher are coming as are their boys (17 & 19) but I guess they will still be friends and will still do family stuff so now is as good a time as any for everyone to get used to it.  I think Other Brother was hoping to spend time with Dr Teacher but they can always go for a mosey down to the beach and I can talk craft with the SILs.  One and Ebs will be here for lunch as will Three.  Two and GGF will be here for golf and dinner later.  

I feel exhausted just writing about it!  I plan to just hide down here and sew on Monday.

And on that note I shall do a quick whizz around the net, check the news and then shut the old computer down and focus on other things.

EDIT:  I have just read back through my recent posts and can't find any reference to Dr. Teacher and why he was staying with us!  He and Mrs Teacher are having some issues which is why he was with us.  And it looks as if they will be parting ways after 22 years of marriage.  Very sad and you can understand why tomorrow could be a tad awkward.  No nasties, no rows,  just one of those sad things.  And that's all I'm saying at the moment.  His business that he needs to sort out but his Big Sis is always here.

The B word again

Balance balance balance.

I really need to keep reminding myself of the importance of balance in my life.

I had a lovely day today, spuddling around in my new sewing room and then some golf and then dinner with friends, telly with husband and now popping downstairs to My Room for some computer time before bed.

With the B word in mind I have decided to move the beloved computer downstairs to My Room so that it becomes a conscious effort to engage rather than something that happens every 5 minutes for a couple of minutes ... which turn into a couple of hours.  If I spent the same amount of time on the walking track that I do on the computer I would be very slim.  Ditto books = well read; asleep = refreshed; cooking = well nourished (and slimmer); sewing = fulfilled ... you get my drift!   Maybe I need to buy a lock up and visit the computer for a couple of hours a week!!

Tomorrow is Saturday.  I plan to shop for socks for Himself, fish for the tank, material for me, food for the weekend and a pot for the front porch which I can see from My Room.  I then plan to sew, sew, sew.  And maybe walk.  

Balance.  I really need to learn how to balance.

Let there be light!

The new skylight makes a huge difference.  Now I just need a sunny day to really see the change it makes.

The dentist wasn't nice (actually the dentist is gorgeous and gentle - it's his occupation I have issues with!)  I asked him about the whole super numb mouth and he explained it but it meant that I experienced the same again today.  But that is it now.  In fact I have been to the dentist more times in the last 2 months than I have in the last 15 years!  And to be fair, it really wasn't painful just not very comfortable.

Amy left a comment on yesterday's entry.  I can fully understand her frustration with swine flu!  The good thing is that it barely rates a mention in the papers today so hopefully the hysteria will die down.  Whilst we could have been facing something really nasty the reality is that this virus doesn't make people sicker than normal seasonal flu.  In fact it really is a mild illness.  And if there is a chance the virus might mutate into something more serious I would rather have it now so I have some level of immunity further down the track. (And that is MY personal opinion, obviously!)

Panic's over, folks!  

I caught up with the mermaid this afternoon (she was feeling a bit down after hearing about the deaths of two young men we both knew when our kids were in primary school - unrelated deaths but both so sad and a waste of young lives).  So at this stage I have plans to stay home tomorrow and spuddle around getting the sewing room ship shape.  

Himself is cooking dinner again tonight ... beef rengdang - we have just discovered it and it is to die for!  OK, we're a bit behind the rest of the world in the culinary stakes but I am making up for lost time (is 3 times in a week too often for the same dish?!)   I guess I'd better think about cooking something tomorrow night to share the domestic load.

But for now I will sit on the couch (again), drink some wine (again) and cross stitch (again).  I am nothing if not a predictable creature of habit!

Oink

I am over the whole swine flu.  

Tomorrow I am going to have the final tooth fixed and I hope the experience is as good as #1 and #2 and nothing like #3 which wasn't very nice.

Then home and we shall see ....

We are having a skylight installed tomorrow and I can't wait to have natural light in the place.  I love the privacy that the window tinting gives us (please god it really does work and I am not revealing 'bits' that the world does NOT need to see!) and I am grateful for the heat reduction in summer but I really hate feeling that the house is constantly in the dark.

Dr Teacher is unlikely to be back for any length of time so I will endeavour to get my sewing room set up to my liking.  

My floors need vacuuming (probably Thursday).  The fish tank needs some attention so I can look at replacing the large number of fish I managed to kill (ouch).  And most importantly there are patchwork blocks to be assembled, t-shirts for Himself to sew and lots of other creative stuff to indulge in.  

I will be as happy as a pig in mud .... 'cept I'm not very fond of pigs at the moment!

The mermaid needs to be visited and I might manage a hit (or 4,223,874) of golf.  

Monday is a holiday and I am doing my damndest to NOT have to go into work.  grrrrr.

Himself is making dinner ... mushroom cups stuffed with avocado and bacon.  YUM! I am spoilt.

I am still trying to work out why the camera won't talk to the computer.  When it does I will underwhelm you with photos of my creative attempts!

But for now, dinner is being cooked, the sauv blanc is chilled, the telly is promising and the cross stitching beckons.

Hope you are happy, too.