1 week. A long 7 days, but 7 days all the same

1 week. That is how long it has been. 1 week, 7 tablets, support, understanding and self forgiveness. How much is under rated I wonder. Not by me. My flu symptoms are gone. I am still tired but working on beating that!! Sleep is a wonderful ally.

I am feeling so much better. I can smile, I feel calm and capable of coping. I was still tense on the weekend..had trouble coping with a family gathering, but it was with all of my family that understand.

I now realise that I was drowning more that I gave myself to admit. But who of us like to admit fault? Hey I have grown up with a Dad who is "PERFECT and WONDERFUL" or so he told any one who asked how he was....so wasn't I supposed to be the same?

I realise, NO WAY!!! But I can tell people I am great and good and lovely!!!! Like father, like daughter! Stiff upper lip, that is what I perceived on how I was supposed to be. Huh. Laugh at that one, I think not. Day by day I am just being me, what ever shape that takes.

I had my TKD grading last night. I am now a Blue belt. That in itself is no task to be undertaken lightly....kicking, punching, patterns, self defence, ending up on the floor!!! I have been going for 12 months now. To say that I am proud of myself is an understatement. Even when I was drowning I kept going. I have to admit I had stopped enjoying it and was finding it a chore. There is fun back in TKD now, already, even after this short period.

I managed to finish one project last month: This is a small wall hanging of a snow scene...the snow was french knots but I decided to use seed beads for the glitter effect. I sent it to the US for our friend Lisa and Tom for their Christmas gift.

Speaking of the US, we booked and paid for the tickets two weeks ago. So now we have tickets, travel insurance but no spending money or accommodation! We will book the hotels in the new year. Try to save up as much as we can for that. Hoping the US $$ gains some ground as the current exchange rate hurts, especially when it was not that long ago that it was nearly $ for $.

For my friends I thank them for being there no matter how silent. I am sorry if I caused any hurt for the worry that some have felt, but this was a way for me to expres myself, something I have not done for a long time. It was a way to let out my hurt, I have kept things bottled up, no wonder I am a little nutty, but then again who among us isn't slightly on the twisted side!!

Honest depression

So very tired, fragile, on edge. My body whilst aching from the flu, has felt like it was buzzing, shaking internally. Not the visible sort of shaking when you are cold or in shock but the sort where you are over alert, the smallest thing could make you jump or frighten you or worse produce the sot of tears that would never stop. The tears that produce the shoulder hunched body sobbing.

My mood in short…fucked. I don’t want to keep existing like this. I am not living I am just going the false motions of being day to day. I am living a charade that begets my inner sorrow and misery. I have no interest in anything. I pretend, don’t get me wrong, but going through the motions of doing things that normally fill me with joy and happiness are empty and meaningless. The children help me in retaining this façade that I have kept up. But I am no actor but people see behind this veiled curtain that I try to keep up. It is a lot easier just talking to people, that I know.

But how can you talk to people when you don’t even know your self that you are slipping until you have started to slide that little to fast to stop your self easily

I have found solace and comfort in my friends and family. Their tolerance for my flatness is overwhelming and I truly appreciate what they are doing by just being there.

I have found that my tolerance with my general health is extremely decreased leaving me more susceptible to this virus that I have caught. But I also believe that my body is sick, my blackness has more control over me than I thought. I am not allowing it to take control fully, but it is taking control. My inner strength, I feel is at an all time low. But….I have control because I have the power to stop this. My power comes from my chemical saviour of antidepressants.

It is sad that I have slipped down to this level. I believe that I did have control over this not that long ago, but bit by bit it has regained its hold over me, I feel the strength of its embrace is some what suffocating. I am wanting to throw of the shackles of this demon, turn around punch it in its face and kick it where the sun don’t shine!!!

Today I have done myself a justice in writing this down, I have been honest. Honesty is a hard thing to bring forward, especially when you are exposing ones self.

We're all going on a summer holiday...

Wow over a month since I posted. I have been struggling with keeping my head above water, especially around my cycle. I went to the Dr in an absolute mess, and I am now trying a medication for two weeks during the cycle while I am ovulating. She thinks I have PMDD. Think PMS but with dynamite added. My depressive symptoms were really bad, but only for those two weeks. The other two weeks of the month I am fine.

I apologised to Miss S the other day for yelling and growling, saying I did not mean to take it out on her...I get back thats' ok Mum I'm used to it. OUCH. Just twist and drive that knife a little deeper into my scarred heart. There was no malice there on her behalf but boy did that hurt. I can't keep living like this, nor can the family.

I have not even been able to get motivated to use the sewing machine or do any of my craft...I should have heard the alarm bells then.

On the bright side of life, I paid for our travel insurance today, the plane tickets will be next week.....so our big holiday is going ahead....finally, it is becoming real.

Now if the kids would just stop costing us a small fortune with their teeth. Sarah had to have 3 teeth out this week. Zach needs to have 5 teeth out soon, and next year the will both have to have palate spreaders in to help re size their palates to fit the adult teeth in........heck either we are going to have to sell the kids to pay for it or our holiday loan is going to have to include $$$ for the orthodontist.

Still going

October another month of being medication free. I am still wary of how thing are going. Mood wise I am OK, no real great downs, the odd bad day, I think I am waiting for the crash, it has happened so many other times that I am kind of expecting it, which I know is the wrong attitude. It is so easy to condition yourself into a certain thinking pattern. I am seeing a therapist, psychologist to support the drug free me. That is helping but bugger me they expect you to look into your self so that we can decipher thought process and patterns. That is scary. I question myself as a parent, as a wife and as an individual. I wonder where my frustration and anger and anguish comes from? There are no bells and whistles for parent hood and marriage.

The holiday plans are still underway. All 4 passports are in now. We are getting quotes then we can book the flights. Just need to save up the money it all. Does not help spending $700 on car service and brakes, $150+ on my therapy sessions (if I did retail therapy for that amount of money each week I would have a new entire wardrobe!!) Sarah needs extraction of teeth that is going to be $++ Good thing Dave and I both work hard, just need to curtail the spending!

The lounge

My lounge room got laid today. Well the carpet did actually!!! The painting is completed the flooring is down and the contents will be put back in this afternoon when Dave gets home from work, with the help of Levi. Finally one room is finished, just have to do the rest of the house, but hey one room at a time.

We are out to dinner tonight. Mum is turning 60 on Monday, so we are out for Chinese to celebrate. My folks won't be here over the weekend to celebrate the milestone. Dad is taking Mum away for the weekend, she just does not know it yet!!!

I made mum a wall hanging, designed by Beth Ferrier, from Applewood fame. I love her easy applique patterns. Her web site is http://www.applewd.com/.

I also attempted to make a cake......yes well we won't be discussing this at any great lengths!!! I managed to sort of rectify the cake, I made another one, cut the other one down to the #60 and put it on the new cake, covered it in icing and silver balls....well it tasted good any way

Renovations and grading

Yes the reno's are still going. I spent yesterday afternoon cutting in ready to get the roller out today. The 1st coat is completed and I am leaving it in the capable hands of Dave to do the 2nd coat while I am at work tomorrow. We chose carpet last night and it will be laid on Thursday. Yipee, I can put my lounge back together again. The kids helped me with the painting yesterday....

Zach is becoming my master in photography!! A lovely shot of my foot as I try not to paint the cornices in tea rose.

Sarah and I graded in TKD this week. I am now a yellow 3 and Sarah a Blue 3. The boys did not get to grade this time, hopefully they will in December.

After I had painted the room this evening the children started to drown each other in the bath, I decided that I had enough of the kids arguing so I put a stop to it with my wonderful powers of distraction.

Guess I showed them whose the boss!!!!

I forgot....

I mentioned a while back that I was doing a marathon, well I did it. Sunday the 31st of August 2008 I was in the city of Perth, at a little after 7am with 35000 other Perthites, and I walked 12km to City Beach, all through Perth, Subiaco, Floreat, Perry Lakes and down to the beach. This is a picture of my first ever medal. I am really proud of what I acheived...I then came home, showered, put on my pj's and proceded to not move for the rest of the day. I was stuffed!!!

Back for a visit

I have realised that I have not posted for a wee while. I am now totally medication free but I tend to tire very easily and I would have thought my body would have adjusted to this by now. Mentally I feel fine, I have discovered how to laugh..you know the real belly laugh because something is funny. I also cry if I watch something sad. I had not had the extremes of my emotions for so long. Just being. Just doing, just....

I have come back from a weekend away with the girls, Fairbridge, just outside of Pinjarra. Quilting of course, mind you I spent much more time at the house sleeping and resting as I have got this nasty flu type bug. Such a fine picture if you will indulge me....I had an afternoon nap, and woke feeling SO cold and shivery, I was freezing. So the girls decided to play dress ups. I got given a long woolen coat to put on, then told firmly to sit on a chair with a quilt on then I was wrapped up in it. The heat pack was reheated and put on my lap. I was then given gloves and a beanie to put on. I looked like a bag lady, so I was kindly informed. Much giggling was to be had at my expense, but all in good nature, as only friends can do. I just needed the shopping trolley, and maybe the brown paper bag and a couple of cats!!!

We are on the next stage of the renovations. The wall is complete. We (Dave) has painted the cornices in the lounge white, he will do the ceiling next. The kids had great fun in helping to pull up the old carpet after Dave and Levi moved all the furniture out under the patio. We will get and buy the new carpet this week, so that after we have painted we can get the new carpet laid and the room will go back together. The kids are under threat of death if the even think about eating in the lounge when it is finished!!!!

Murphy..who invited him?

You know Murphy is not a nice man at times. We had family dramas between siblings on Friday night that rocked my foundations. I worked on Saturday and I managed to old things in check until I was balancing the till, we had children running around yelling and in general making a lot of noise. Not being naughty but just being.

My side kick in my job came into the office and said "Hi, how are things?". I just shook my head and said nothing when she patted my shoulder, well that was it the flood gates opened and I sobbed, and sobbed, and, well you get the idea.

So I let out all the emotion that I had left from Fri night and was left feeling rather drained. I decided retail therapy was a good idea. DD wanted to join me. OK positive it is only 1 child and we can have quality time. Yes well, "I want"; "Can I have"; "MUM????X!!!!" Is it to late to get a refund on her (or him for that matter?) But that is OK I survived, managed to get me a nice outfit and the kids some new clothes and we enjoyed quality coffee and cake. Back to the car.

"Hello Murphy". The battery had died in the remote for the alarm for the car. OK we can look at this one of two ways. Yay for me, I rang Dave he was at home and could come to help. So we sat by the car in the sun reading a book until my knight in shining armour arrived, well a dusty work van at least. Could be worse.

Today woke with a rotten headache, I am off my antidepressant medication totally now. I had my last tablet on Thurs so I an having some withdrawal side effects that and hormones ohhh good mix, NOT. But this is alright I can get there. I check Sarah's hair head lice AGAIN no problem I love dealing with a 7 yo carrying on while I debug her hair again for the 5oth millionth time. We then go to a family do for Nephew B'day. Zach gets his nose out of joint and upset because the nephew will not share the Pstation and play a two player game. Kids are so much fun.

We get home and "Hello Murphy" Zach goes to make himself a milo, pours the milk in and, ohhh I don't think milk is supposed to have lumps like that. The fridge is ptttthhhhtzzzt. Positive, we have a beer fridge in the shed that works well and we do have money as stand by for savings.

I am surprised, a lot of small things are being tossed our way and in a not good way. For the first time in forever my mind set can cope with these things, yes I might melt a little, yes I might yell, and yes other non important things are ignored until I/We can cope with or attend to them.

I have decided that Murphy is not an invited guest but with him here in our life my perspective is sharper than I remember it being. Maybe Murphy needs to be here as I am coming off my medication to remind me life has curves, twists and bumps. I can laugh at Murphy as I can genuinely laugh at myself now..And a perfect statement I heard from dears friends reminds me,

IF THIS IS THE WORST THING THAT HAPPENS TO ME TODAY THEN I AM TRUELY BLESSED.

Saturday quickie

Just a quickie for all. Nothing like a quickie in the morning!!! I have not been doing alot of sewing of late but have been concetrating on my flowers for my Pinwheels and Posies BOM from Applewood.com this last while. I finished glue basting the last one last night. I shall then sit at my machine and sew the units together. The last block is due this month, so I am up to date with it all.....surely the age of miracles, oh you know the rest.

I have been busy with work and my fitness at TKD. I am more hands on at the NH with the computer these days than I am with the residents, so it is great for me when I get on the floor to do some "real" caring. Nursing would be great if it were not for the paper trail.

I have entered a marathon at the end of the month. My first one. It is the city to surf and I think it is 12km. I am not running, although my fitness instructor assures me I would do it easily. I am walking with a couple of my quilty friends.

Oh well my go and do teeth and get jumper on and go to TKD to do my Saturday job. I took this job as both the kids train on a Saturday, guess what they are not training so I get to go to work for me.

Heart String

I have made another heart string quilt. This one is for Jo a work colleague for my DH this time. Jo has breast cancer and will soon be undergoing either a lumpectomy or the more radical procedure of mastectomy, she is unsure yet of what is to come. I hope that this quilt will bring her some comfort.

The quilt was put together and quilted on my new machine. The blocks themselves came from Stephanie again. This quilt took longer than the one evening the other heart string quilt....3 days instead!!!

Weddings, birthday party, and my new toy

What a week I seemed to have worked almost non stop. In between juggling my 2 jobs, school holidays and my normal daily stuff, I helped a friend decorate for her boyfriends' 40th birthday party. Little did the majority of the guests know but there were to be an announcement to surprise one and all. First there was the "Thank you for coming, oh by the way we have just got engaged!!" and "Don't expect a wedding any time soon." Half and hour later walking into the room was the civil celebrant....."With the power etc...." and then they get married. The couples parents had no idea so there were a lot of screams, yells and tears. It was great night.

The only "down fall" of my busy schedule was that it prevented me getting intimate with my new toy
I brought myself a new Janome 6600p. I am still playing with it to figure out what it can do and I can do with it! But I competed my first project. I sewed a label for the quilt I have been working on and off for 2 years.

This quilt was made of scraps from my Bendigo signature quilt. Hundreds of scrap pieces joined together in long pieces, squared up then black borders placed around each block then cut on the skew. The quilting is a design the DH had played with using auto cad...just geometric shapes forming diamonds, stars, squares and kites.

Did you miss me?

The rain is falling outside, quite heavily too, I must get up and turn on a light but this is the first time in a while I have managed to get time in front of the puter long enough to side and update the blog. So I will and sit by the light of the monitor and continue to type.

Last weekend I have a get away with 9 other good friends. We went to Collingully, in Meckering, http://www.collingullycottage.com/, a wonderful "little" quilt shop with accommodation up stairs. We arrived around 330pm, after having to buy a new rear tyre in Northam, it had a 4" nail in the tyre that had eroded the inside away. Lucky to not have a blow out on the way, and of course the spare was in the boot, which was full with quilting essentials.

On arriving, after unpacking the car, I proceeded upstairs to put on my PJ's, of which I remained in all weekend!!! I showered Sat and proceeded to put on clean PJ's. Between us all we catered for the weekend, so every now and then we would get up reheat the next meal and then continue with the sewing.

On the weekend I manage to put together the majority of my scrappy oriental coins, need now to add borders. I then started to cut out the bits I needed to make the block for my Applewood BOM, "Pinwheels and Posies". I made 4 blocks of each. I then started to work on the Hydrangea flowers, 12 in total plus 72 leaves (not pictured).

I also stated to piece a bolster pillow that Lynley and I are working on. We will be working on it Saturday afternoon.

This last week I have started to decrease my antidepressants, I am hoping that I can come off them all together. My life style has changed a lot as well as my mental out look, and I feel that I am in a good place to try. I will have to go back to the Drs when I am on the lower dose to check my progress. At the moment I am alternating two doses to cut down, in another week I will be on the lower dose totally, should be interesting...that will be when I am hormonally challenged!!! Bring on TKD and the boxing bag!!!

Oh speaking of TKD I had grading two weeks ago and I am now a Yellow belt 2. Zach is a Red belt 1 and Sarah a Blue 2. David is a white belt in Kick boxing and has had his first lessons in the class....he was a little sore afterwards...oh I can empathise with that......I had days after I started fitness that I had trouble walking! The things we inflict of ourselves!!

Withdrawal

I have written about the retreat before. A month ago we had our retreat here in Perth. Lynley, Lyn, Stephanie and myself were the core committee for the retreat. Leading up to the retreat we were getting together weekly, preparing ourselves. Since the retreat we have gone back to having our fortnightly quilting GTG's.

I had been feeling that something was missing in the last few weeks. Finally put two and two together. I was missing my friends. Today we were all at Lyn's to help her make a quilt for a friends child, and we were all in the same predicament. It is amazing how small things that seem every day can make such an impact on your life when they are not there.

So this is to and for all my friends that have and continue to impact on my life.......sisters and family of choice.

Epic admissions

What a week. I feel mentally exhausted. I had a go at my dear DH last weekend. I spoke, nay, I told him off for his continuing lack of enthusiasm, or joy in life itself. His ease at irritation at the children, basically his overall apathy of life in general. He does not sleep well, nor does he look after himself.

I finally got an admission from him that yes he does have a problem with his general mood (depression) and he did need to do something about it. It has only taken me 10 years to actually have him admit this. I am so proud of him for finally admitting that he is fallible, unlike me!!!!! VBG.

The children had a tournament on Sunday to trial out for the State team. While they did not make the team they did get a silver (Sarah) and a bronze (Zach) medals. DH was talking to some of the other TKD parents and one of them mentioned to him that he should try Freestyle at TKD.....TKD with out the patterns and self defence component, more fitness and sparring. DH jokingly turned to one of the other DH's and said about joining and this DH (bless him) said you should give it a go.

Something sunk in, with the admission of depression and the encouragement from a fellow male, Dave has started Freestyle, he had his 1st private lesson on Wed and will have another one this coming week. The kids are over the moon that Dad is joining in, this is becoming a family thing.

On the not so bright side I went to see the Dr yesterday to see about a blemish on my breast, she found a lump, that was no where near the blemish. She did not seem to be too concerned but I am having a ultrasound next week with a possible fine needle aspiration if needed. I am not loosing sleep but when I am sitting quietly I am tending to worry a little. On the positive side breast cancer or cancer in general is not known within the family...........................Oh well at least I am busy for the next week, work, work, sewing, TKD, work and maybe a little cleaning!!

Friends, known and unknown

Friends are every where. Sometimes you never will meet them. A friend of mine is unwell, she has cancer and is undergoing radiotherapy whilst still being a normal up and go get them girl . I wanted to make her a quilt so that she could curl up underneath it if, well, she did not want to go get them.

I mentioned to Miss Steph that I wanted to make a quilt. Steph offered me some blocks, heart string blocks. The blocks are made up by strips onto a foundation block, trimmed to 10". The central strip is the same for all the blocks to tie the whole quilt together. Heart strings Quilt project is a yahoo group who make quilts for people in need.

I received 24 blocks plus material for the border from David, who played courier from Steph to me. I sat down at 630 after the kids had gone to TKD and by 1030 had a quilt all together and quilted. I sewed the binding on. I ended up going to bed before I had finished sewing the binding down, but got up this morning to finish it before I went to work.

On giving the quilt a huge hug was received and then told that the quilt would be going to hospital with the lady on Tuesday while she was having some tests and procedures.

So a little love from friends, known and unknown warm the heart of us all

Busy but achieving

Can you believe it??? I know I can't, we are now in June, almost half the year has gone by. This weekend here in WA is a long weekend. A weekend to celebrate the foundation of West Australia.

Well this weekend, to date has been put to good use, I have finished...hang on finished is not a good word to use, people get kinda technical with this word. I completed two projects, one of quillows for a friends kiddly pips, and the other a bag for a friend who is a mad keen surfer and beach babe. She has recently moved to North Beach and is practically spitting distance from the water.

Visited her today and went for a walk along the beach, now lets keep in mind it is almost winter and yesterday was storms +++++, 40mm rain, some hail, gale strength winds, a black day in all. Today the kids, Amanda and I were walking on the beach, in the water and collecting shells!, I even took off my cardigan it felt that warm with the sun on the shoulders.

The other two projects that are not finished but they are completed tops. One Serengety was a project I brought at Collingully Quilts in Meckering on the Tuesday after the retreat. Could not help myself had to get to it. The other is all of my signature squares from the retreat. I have gone with plain and simple this year with the squares. Just trying to work out what I will do with the back or how I will quilt it.

I am really happy with my achievements this last few days, a shame I have to go back to work on Tuesday really, but then I do need to keep earning so I can keep spending!!!.

The Wall

A very dear friend of ours,who shall remain nameless, shan't you Levi, recently viewed my blog and he commented on the fact that we had a good time at our retreat. He then followed this up with a tongue in cheek comment about the wall. So just for you my dear friend, here is the wall.

Dave put the last coat of paint on last night. The book shelf and dresser went back into position last night and this morning I finished cleaning and putting the room back together.

The other side of the wall needs painting too but we are still deciding on colours, and saving up to replace the crappy carpet that almost has a life of its' own plus doors to go on. The room looks totally different now and we are really pleased with the finished effect. Dave had done a wonderful job.

The after effect

This is the four of us, Myself, Lyn, Steph and Lynley, Thursday lunch time going over last bits and bobs for the retreat. I rolled up at Lynleys at 9 am and greeted her with, "We're having a retreat, aaaggghhh!" which became a catch cry for a little while, it eased the tension.

Thursday afternoon after lunch saw us settle into the committee bedroom/ apartment.Unloaded the cars of all the goodies that we required for the weekend and then set out to start packing goodie bags, 3 patterns, a survival kit, material, pens, pencils, note books, cards, discount vouchers, and 130 bags to fill.

Thursday night dinner was a relaxed and very large affair at an Italian restaurant, the name of which, at the moment, eludes me. It was a great chance to start catching up with old friends and make new ones before the retreat began in earnest.

Friday morning was another "We're having a retreat, aaaggghhh" warm up, then set up our magic helpers to set up the prize wall (every retreater came away with a prize and some of the luckier ones got two). A quiet lunch back in the room and get dressed for the registration desk. The four of us wore matching flannelette's at rego, with a purple ribbon in our hair. It was a back to basics theme after all and what is more basic than lounging in your PJs having a sewing day, this a lone was enough to set the tone, mood for the rest of the weekend. People generally relaxed, tried to do some hand sewing but mainly talked and laughed. Oh there was a little bit of siggie swapping happening too.

The whole weekend seemed to go by in a blur, prize draws, show and tell, swap challenges, meals (which were very ordinary). I won EQ 6 in one of the prize draws and I get home to show DH who then tells me this computer is not suitable for the program...bugger will have to read the book and be content with that for a while.

Monday was the bus shop hop. Five shops, Patchwork Cottage, Hand Crafters House, Carols, Homespun Workshops and Textile Traders. I spent a "Little" money on a few of these shops but then I did not have an airfare in the cost of the retreat!!!

Tuesday was a side trip with some of the retreat ladies out to Collingully just past Meckering. Another buzz of the CC. Found a pattern that did not call out to me more like bellowed my name. I can not wait to start that. ( My machine has just come back from being serviced.)

The retreat is over, and I have spent the day today, from 9am, sweeping, vacuuming, dusting and washing my floors. DH (gotta love them) has finally finished his new wall in the lounge.....I had gyprock and plaster dust every where...I had white furnishings, white upholstery, white carpet, white benches, kitchen, I think you get the picture.

After the craft fair yesterday, which for some reason just did not do it for me, we, (Lissa and I) got home to the smell of roast beef in the oven and a snowy looking man, who grinned widely and said "I finished the wall" after which he added a sheepish "Sorry about the mess."

I am about to tackle the mountain of clothes which are on the couch ready to be folded and put away, at least they are washed, in need of an iron, but washed. Oh and I still am Mum to the same number of children as when I left to go to the hotel.

I am looking forward to sitting in clean house tomorrow while kids are at school and playing with my purchases over the last few days.

FINAL COUNTDOWN

Well this is it. Tomorrow is the pre retreat dinner, so we are down to counting down in hours. Had a committee meeting last night at Stephs and folded lots of paper lists put together bits for the goody bags, loaded up the cars, my boot is full of boxes and I still yet am to pack my bag and load that in the car. Got home last night well and truely after 1230 and thought oh bed. Noticed DH asleep on the couch ( eminds me of a sack of potatoes!!) So I thought great, bed to my self, full night sleep. Walk into the bedroom, turn on the light and.........

There goes that idea, rearrange the child and get into bed at which point in time the dogs come into the room and the little one jumps up and curls in behind my knees. Oh I am to tired to care. Goodnight.

I have finished work for two weeks, 1 week for the retreat and one to recover. My mind has been so set on the retreat and everything else I am doing, I got to work today, and my nurse manager says to me ,"Why are you here you are on holiday". I normally work Mon to Wed so I automatically thought yes I will work my 3 days then be on holiday, nope I only needed to work two!!! One day my brain will catch up with my body! (A scarey thought indeed)

See you in a week for the update.

Super Mum????

A friend of mine is seeing someone to help her cope with a few aspects of life that can send the strongest of us into a tail spin. Speaking to her today she stated "When I stop......"and I laughed, "Stop". What's that? She had been described as doing to much, the Super Mum (woman) complex.

In the course of the conversation I mentioned something about my second job. A second job I am asked. So I then described my typical week. Work Mon to Wednesday at the Nursing Home. Do fitness at the TKD (Taekwon Do) centre twice in those 3 days plus 2 sessions of TKD. The children of course are doing their lessons around the time I am huffing and puffing doing the cardio session at the centre.

Thursday, another session of fitness at lunch time, it is my day off after all. Oh and if I have not made TKD I will do a make up session. The kids also do a sports class twice a week on the off days from TKD, training for competitions.

Friday is the day to attempt to do some house work and grocery shopping to top up the ever dwindling supplies, if I am lucky I might get a Nanna nap...me tired never!!!!

Saturday is again at TKD, my second job. I am the "Program Director". Sounds flash doesn't it? I am there for 3 hours and at this time the kids train again. Sunday, sleep in? Not a chance, I am up early in the morning as I am currently doing boot camp to get fit!

Somewhere in all that I am part of the retreat committee for Southern Cross Quilters annual retreat, it is here in Perth this year. 1 week to go. So there have been committee meetings all around for that, plus the fortnightly quilting nights. I am also working frantically doing gifts for my secret mortal at the retreat plus a thank you for my angel who has been sending me yummy gifts and chocolate frogs.......gotta exercise if I wanna eat frogs right?

I am now trying to use up the scraps from my siggie quilt from the Bendigo retreat last year. Lots of useless 1.5" - 2.5" scrappy bits. I am thinking of framing them with black, any comments?

I am looking forward to the retreat so I can STOP!!! Ha as if we ever do.

QAYG

I finished yet another project. I made a QAYG (quilt as you go) for a friends daughter for her 16th. Hours of sewing, cutting, hand stitching. I finished it at 3pm, the party was a 6..Yay for me.
The pictures are of the quilt folded in half across the back of the chair, so it is 24 blocks in size.

Get to the party, Miss 16 opens it and says..."is it a blanket?" Cough, splutter and choke. I soon put her straight! I was sorely tempted to take it off her but you don't argue with a big italian familys, who all do Taekwon do and are black belts!!

We are less than two weeks from the retreat. All is organised, had a scare with our committee rooms. Thought that they had not been booked and there were no more rooms available!!! AAggghhhh. STRESSS. No not us, never. Ring the venue, and the rooms had been reserved but with name to be advised..whew let out a collective sigh.

Off to finish my gift for my retreat Angel.

Right idea, Wrong time

Do you want to hear funny a funny story as to why not to sew when tired. Decided to stitch an applique picture that had been fused onto a picture... ironed some stabiliser onto the back, put it on the sewing machine table get set up and sew. Finish sewing.

Turn the peice ove to remove stabiliser and find that I have sewn an A4 peice of paper onto the back of the applique picture, the paper was folded in half!! I am now trying to remove said A4 paper...., knew I should have stayed in bed!!!

Heaven Sent

I love the post man. Well at least I do when he is bearing gifts and not bills.

My door bell went ding dong this morning and in amongst the children yelling and the dogs barking I managed to fight my way to the front door. One foot holding the puppy back, the other foot holding the fly screen open, one hand stopping children from rushing out the door, the other hand retrieving the parcel from the door step.

I got a pressie, I got a pressie. Ignoring the fact that we are going to be late for school yet again I open my parcel. OOOOOhhh two gifts, one long and narrow the other squarish (is that a word??).

The long one first. A beautiful beaded necklace blue, green in colour. Plus Freddo frogs....mmmm chocolate. The second parcel an absolutley wonderful scarf also in blue green colourway. It looks as though it has been woven not knitted. I will have to ask my angel, as that is where my gifts have come from, Lacey the angel from the Perth rereat Angel Mortal swap. I think her name begins with B. I have three cards and on each card there are letters on the very bottom placed, I suspect, not very randomly.
Who ever you are Lacey I thank you with all my heart. I look forward to meeting you in a little over 1 Month.