A picture packed post

ANZAC Day


Last Wednesday was ANZAC Day and every year we go to Sydney to watch my Pa march. Pa was Navy and part of Z Special Unit, and wasn't allowed to talk about his involvement in the war until 50 years after the end of WWII. Its only in the last couple of years that they've been able to make an association and march under their banner. Its become a part of my year, like Easter and Christmas, that I couldn't miss. Things have changed over the years; it used to be just Pa, Nana and I, and the three of us would kick-on with the young sailors way after the other old diggers had headed home. This year it was me and my husband and daughter, my Mum and her husband, my sister, my uncle and my Nan and Pa. There was no kicking on but it was a good day none the less. My uncle held the banner, my husband marched with my Pa, the rest of us stood on the corner of George and Bathurst to wave them on - with Lil waving her flag and shouting "Good on you diggers!". But it's sad too. Their association only has seven members left and one of them passed out even before they started marching. And I love all these old guys. And once they're gone I'll still trek up to Sydney (a city I dislike) for the March and for their memory.

On to other crafty things now. I pray every night that my passion for a wide variety of crafts will be taken from me and I will wake up with a new fidelity to just one craft. But alas it is not to be so....

my new baby

Isn't she beautiful! I'm still learning, but I'm having fun.



The lovely lady who sold her too me gave me so beautiful roving too so I've had some lovely stuff to practice on...

The thickness is, shall we say, variable? But I'm assured that I'll improve.

Then my Mum bought me a little wet felting kit - I'm waiting for the right idea to strike me before I attempt it, but I'm thinking I might make a couple of little bowls or something???

And I've unravelled my first ever cardigan which never looked any good on me anyway, in order to refashion it into Knitty's Bobbolicious

Unfortunately I used two strands in this jumper and I only need only for the Knitty thing, so I'm having to separate into two balls. Its a painful task.

And finally, two lovely friends have had bubbies this week so I've had a go at stenciling some little singlets for them. I love stenciling with freezer paper, but really don't have the time to spend carving out intricate designs. I was trying to think of personalised - and quick - presents for them. And then I remembered my little paper craft punches which are now part of my daughter's craft box.

I just punched out a couple of each animal onto strips of freezer paper and it was sooooo quick! It would be better if you had larger ones because the definition isn't great on some of the small bits, but I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out.

Anyway, that is more than enough from me. I should be restoring order to my life after a weekend of tantrums (hers and mine) and sickness (his - hers and mine to a lesser extent) and general destruction of the home unit (all of us).

Oh stop, I'm blushing!

I finally met The Shopping Sherpa today when she popped by work to hand deliver the wonderful Canberra book. It was so lovely to meet her, kind of like meeting a penpal. She and Taph have evidently both been saying lovely things about me which I'm tempted to make some kind of self-deprecating remark about (but am secretly chuffed!).

As she said it was a bit like a blind date... I mentioned that George and I had the same discussion the first time we met outside of SnB; with me saying that it seems so, well, freaky to ask another woman out for a coffee or admit that you would like to get to know them better. To paraphrase TSS, 'when you're little you say "Hi, want to be my friend?" and lo and behold you've got a new mate'. But as we get older we become a little more cynical and start questioning motives and generally trying to deny what is probably a genuine attraction - in a totally non Single White Female kind of way!

Anyhoo, we chatted about stuff; Australia's cultural cringe about Canberra, moo cards (I love mine! She loves hers!), ladies shopping fabric (here's the one I was thinking about TSS), blog directions and pressures and such. We chatted for a good half hour and then she was off - because she had 'meeting' - the classic blind date trick just incase things didn't work out ;-) But I'm sure we'll cross paths again soon!

Its taken me way too long to write this post, so I think I'll just remove my heart from my sleeve and mosey on to bed. But I'll leave you with these Dilbert cartoons

Back soon

Hi folks
I've been sick and away and busy with work but once I get myself sorted it will be back to regular programming. I had this awful feeling that I was going to miss another SnB tonight, but it seems it's on next week, thank goodness. So I'll drop another missive once I've got myself sorted out.
Lovies
TF

Finished items and a rush of blogging!

Little cardy I started knitting many moons ago, sewed up a couple of moons ago, and finally got the buttons on one moon ago. The little monkey looks really cute in it. People at childcare must be able to identify my child immediately because for the last two years her only jumpers have been in that yarn...

A little Lion brand Kimono sweater for the lovely G in Sydney. Her Mummy liked the wool, having seen it so frequently on my child, so this little one is for her. The pattern was uber simple (lacking in the finishing department), and I think I'm confident enough now to add some 'fluff' - like an edge and a neckband. But goodness help me if I have to knit in that pink stuff again. I think three years with a yarn is more than enough. I'll bundle it up and weigh it and offer it up to the first one who wants it.



And the beehive hat from Stitch and Bitch Nation. I look shocking in it, although my DH doesn't seem to think so. And Lily looks absolutely gorgeous in it. Anyhoo, best go. I'm killing time waiting for Lil to wake up after she decided to adopt '2am-5am is party time' as her mantra. I knew the sleeping all night was too good to be true!

Oh, and a new blogger to check out - the lovely George! http://georgieskitchentable.blogspot.com/

I'm spinning around

Well, not yet I'm not. But as of tomorrow I will be the proud owner of a spinning wheel! I've often been tempted, but thought that my husband would baulk at the idea of yet another fibre related craft. But today there was a notice on our work notice board, which mentioned (amongst many other things) two spinning wheels for sale and DH not only drew my attention to it, but even mentioned the spinning wheels specifically! I took it as permission to engage the enemy and purchased myself a little upright thingy. I'm so very excited. Add to this the fact that my lovely mother bought me a little wet felting kit over the weekend, and Lily slept through the night for the first time in ages, and I got to knit the whole way to work while DH drove and I tell you that I'm about as happy as I can get.

I am not gone, I'm just away...

sad - a friend's father passed away. I cried at the funeral, even though I didn't know him really, mainly because I could feel my friend's pain. I wanted to pay my respects to man who made G into the wonderful man he is.

bittersweet - catching up with G, even under such sad circumstances. He normally lives so far away. And also catching up with beautiful people from Sydney who came down for the funeral.

happy - Big Lilly and Savannah coming to visit. Savannah saying 'Meow'. Our girls playing together at Questacon - Mini Q. Sidesplitting laughter shared with Big Lilly and Nicole. Ah, if only I could bottle it.


busy - traveling hither and yon to see relatives.

chocolatey - around 3kg of chocolate received at last count...

fatal - my accidental hitting of a bunny on the way to the airport this morning. The universe punctuating the end of Easter perhaps? RIP Flopsy.