Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Fun

Hello and Merry Christmas to you all.  What a beautiful day it is.  We have travelled a wee way from home to spend christmas with our son and his wife.  The weather was coolish for driving.  And the day has got warmer since we got here to the Wairarapa. We had a few stop offs along the way to family and friends to deliver cards and presents.  Nice to catch up with others on  the actual day.
Our day started early today as a group of us met up to go and wake up some neighbours for christmas breakfast.  What a neat way to start the day.  Good company and a decent meal.  A couple of hours later we headed back to our own houses and the start of our own christmas celebrations.
Best Wishes to every one.  I hope your celebrations are going well and you are enjoying the cofmpany of others.  

Monday, December 20, 2010

Merry Christmas

Well christmas looms close (again).  Where does the time go?  I have not done half of what I planned to do since finishing work.  Not to worry, there is always another day tomorrow.  I am really enjoying my time at home.  I have seen a bit of my granddaughters and got to have the two eldest ones stay overnight with us last week. Especially nice as this year is the first year I wont see them on christmas day as they have gone to their dads already.  I look forward to when they come home again and we can spend more time together.  Before they left we got to open our christmas present from them. 

Isn't it lovely?  So nice to have an everlasting memory like this. 
We are heading away for a couple of days to spend time with our youngest son and his wife.  Next year they will be parents for the first time.  Bring on 2011. 

Merry christmas to you all.  Catch up with you again soon.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Guess what I have been doing?

I thought you might like to see what I have been spending my time on.  My friend Angela and I have been busy putting together an advent calendar which is put out by Kaisercraft


Instead of finishing ours with scrapbooking papers, we decided to adorn our drawers with fabric.  I have to admit it was a bit fiddly, but we enjoyed bouncing ideas off each other as we have worked together.  My drawers are also adorned with Charms that spell out "Merry christmas to everyone".  My one consession was to put paper in the middle.  And to finish it off, a ribbon around the outside.  Now to fill the drawers with something and give them to the intended receipients, my granddaughters.  I can't wait to see their reaction.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The Wide Blue Yonder

It has been a while since I last posted.  It has been a year of decisions for me and I recently made the hard decision to resign from my job of 8 years.  For the last four years I had travelled 86 km a day to go to work and I was fast getting very tired from all the travelling. Coupled with other things like health issues, I decided it was time to call it a day.  Not an easy thing when you love your job and the clients you work with become part of a large family.  I truly dreaded the last week and the final goodbye, but happily the tears were few and the days not too stressful at all. 
The first item on the retirement agenda was to have a holiday so after one week at home, I took off to Stratford and stayed with my daughter-in-law for a few days.  This was lovely and gave me the rest I needed.  I came home feeling ready to deal with the carefree days and all the housework that needed to be done.  It has now been four weeks since I finished up and I am becoming a bit of a country bum cum hermit as I do not really want to go out.  But give me time and I am sure that will change. I can honestly say I am not missing all the travel. Catch up with you again soon.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

In remembrance




One year ago this month my sister lost her life after a battle with melanoma.  How quickly this time has gone.  I have missed the chats we had and the times we shared.  As her life ended a new one began in the life of my granddaughter Annabelle born two days prior to her passing.  And while life goes on, there will always be a place of remembrance in my heart for a sister who died too soon.  R.I.P.  till we meet again.


Remembrance
Remembrance is a golden chain
Death tries to break,
but all in vain.
To have, to love, and then to part
Is the greatest sorrow of one's heart.
The years may wipe out many things
But some they wipe out never.
Like memories of those happy times
When we were all together
~ Author Unknown

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Shakin.............not stirred

Well the day started up a very cool one with a good frost on the car that needed to be washed off before I headed to town.  I headed off on my 43 km journey to work and a few blocks from work I (literally) banged into another vehicle that had stopped to turn into another street.  Luckily no one was seriously hurt, but bruising and whiplash are not to be sneezed at. Everyone involved was really nice and after the initial shock the other driver was very nice.  She had two children in her car and one suffered whiplash. I have since heard from her and they are doing okay.  Truly a lovely person who went out of her way to see how I was. Needless to say my pride has been dented a bit.  the afternoon has been a quiet one spent with a cold pack on my chest to help bring out the bruising.  It was a horrible feeling hitting a car that contained kids and even if they weren't in it I am sure I would have still have felt just the same.  And as for getting into another vehicle.  Well that was quite scary.  Luckily we have a second vehicle that I will be able to use for work.   I hope this never happens to me again.  With the mileage I travel frequently, I can only marvel that I have been soo lucky.  Definitely time to say thanks.  I am alive shaken, but well.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl.

Where oh where do the weeks go?  I have just spent a lovely few days away with a friend seeing the sights of Auckland.  It was nice to be there and see people and places that are special to others.  However I have to admit that I do not think that I am a city person.  I am definitely a country girl.  You can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl, lol. One of the many places I saw was Piha beach.  What a lovely place this was.  After watching the programme Piha Rescue on TV, I was delighted to see the place in daylight.  I can understand the pull of the place. It was certainly a nice break away and as my friend said, the longest I have gone without scrapbooking etc for a while.  Aint that true.  The full days did not tire me as usually happens and I was rested and ready to head off to work again this morning. Roll on another weekend..............

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

In my basket

A few weeks ago my husband took me out on the farm to see what he had found among the bullrushes. Needless to say we came back home with two stray kittens, that had obvioulsy been dumped on the roadside and had wandered into the middle of the farm. 
They were barely six weeks old but are growing quite quickly with love and care. They are getting to be little ratbags now. I have named them gypsy and wanda. Last night I went to put them outside and found them happily ensconced in among my scrapbooking basket. I think they may have been saying what's up mum? I am a lover of cats and have always had them in my life. Although I was not looking to add to the three I already had, it is not easy to find homes for them at the moment, and I am trying really hard, lol. On monday my day off from work, they did not greet me at the back door and I have to say I was getting really worried about them, but they had obviously gone outside exploring and returned at lunch time when their playmate, Our fox terrior pup Amba, turned up. Needless to say they were very hungry kitties. don't you just love them.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Friendship

After a recent bout of illness, I am gratified to know how much my friends care for me. I am better now and to prove it I have finally had a haircut after a few months of not particularly caring about it. Mind you I am probably just getting myself tidied up for a few days away with a friend next weekend. We are having a girls weekend away which should be good. I have even bought a new dress for it. Unfortunately my busy social life has seen me miss two of my craft pursuits that I normally go to monthly. I will just have to make up for it by doing some of this at home. Those who know me will know that I am quite passionate about scrapbooking and card making, so missing either of these activities is not something I do lightly. I spend time in Palmerston North with my sister who also enjoys these activities. I have met many lovely people since starting this hobby and enjoy six monthly excursions away as well as many other occasions. Next month I am taking part in an event called Pinkalicious to raise money for the Arohanui Hospice. I have been to this since it first started and enjoy meeting others, seeing their work as well as the opportunity to take part in competitions, make and takes and of course shopping. There are a lot of inspired people out there. And there is nothing so nice as being the recipient of a homemade or handmade gift or card. Bye for now.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

I Love Wednesdays


Cos thats the day the cleaner comes. I get out of bed and race around putting away all those things I have taken out over the week, and never returned to their usual place. (I think I will come back as a man in my next life, he,he.) On my way home from work I visit the cleaner to pay her for her work, and catch up over a coffee. Then I venture home to a house that looks lovely and clean and tidy.
If only I could bottle this up - I am sure it would sell well. lol. Why oh why can't it stay this way all the time. Probably because I am a crafty person (and messy). I enjoy creating and sharing those creations with others. Nothing gives me as much pleasure as the appreciation of my craft. I also like to inspire others with the joy of craft. No wonder I work in a job where I can share my craft ideas with others less fortunate than most. I am also into collecting all bits of bric a brac and enjoy looking at opportunity shops where I collect all sorts of bits and pieces for whomever I think will appreciate it. Lucky them I can hear you say, but I do think they appreciate me sometimes. Unfortunately living in a large house with no children at home has its bad points. There is too much space to put these collections. I think it is about time for me to clear some of this stuff out.
Anyway enough about me. Tune in again soon for more about me and my exploits.