Look what I found....

I was doing a bit of a blog hop this afternoon and found this great link from Jodi's blog. Scrappin Bridge is having a great give-away. I love these gorgeous flowers. Have a look at her blog and you might be a lucky winner.

Valentine's Day

John and I have never really fussed about the day. I made him a card (so he can share the chocolate) - and he gave me a tattslotto ticket which I must check today.

I was up at 6 to take Em to RSPCA for work placement. She is nearly half way through the course but this week will be stressful as there are several things for presentation on Saturday as she has difficulty talking in front of others. Today the kennel girls thought she was a hero for stepping in to assist when two dogs were attaching another and they were having problems separating them. Her supervisor was amazed and so pleased with her quick(and safe) reactions when she saw someone in trouble, The smile when I picked her up at the end of the day would have lit the MCG.

Bec is away on her "Independence Holiday" with Beth. The girls decided to avoid schoolies and go to the Gold Coast when everyone else has gone back to school. The week was fully organised, booked (and paid for) by the girls - including all their attraction tickets - so all they needed to take was spending money. They have been cooking their own dinners and have survived. Pity that Bec was unwell once she got there but a phone call to mum solved that! Now she has gigantic mozzie bites. Look forward to seeing the photos.

A stitch in time....

I have been searching for a bag of dress patterns - some of which I bought in the early 70's, there are a few girls dresses with matching cabbage patch doll clothes that I bought when Kate was about 5, and smocked baby dresses. I emptied out the big cane basket and found a skirt pattern that had been lengthened with pieces from the Green Guide (Nov 17, 1975 - announcing the first episode of a new current affairs show - 60 Minutes), many other odd patterns, recipes and knitting patterns cut from magazines and a number of unfinished embroidery projects.

I knitted and sold many of these cat jumpers - each cat I made had a different colour colour, mine naturally was a diamante one.

A collection of recipes and knitting patterns from magazines circa 1983

A DIY cabbage patch doll pattern - I made one for Kate but from a different pattern with a pre-made head from Cleggs

The patchwork quilt - started in 1978 after I broke up with Mark - wonder what ever happened to him? The colours are quite disgusting and I have no idea why I picked them at the time and I have no idea what I am going to do with it.
The Willow Pattern cloth is a long way from finished - this was started in about 1985. My mother in law worked for Semco and had rooms full of linen, threads and lace and I picked out many pieces along the way which I used to do on the train trip to and from work.

The basket was like a time capsule. I loved fine embroidery and have done many pieces over the years - even finishing a tablecloth my mother started before she got married in 1954. My hands can no longer hold a needle for any length of time so I can't see these being finished.

I didn't find that pattern bag.

Its been a big week.....

Emily has started her course and completed the first 4 full time study days. Its meant leaving at 7.15am, dropping her at the RSPCA in Burwood, going on to work in St Kilda then picking her up at 3.30pm to return home. It is a fabulous experience for her and the assignments and work placement days will continue during first term.

Bec is excited as she is now accepted for Deakin University. She will be doing Bachelor of Environmental Science (Enviromental Management).

Sarah has been accepted for Bachelor of Science at Monash.

It's been a big and exciting week for the girls!

Holidays are over.....

They seem to go much faster when I don't go away. I did manage to catch up with Wendy for coffee and didn't even touch the surface of what has gone on in our families since we last saw each other - we'd better not leave it so long until the next time.

Going back to work was fun - 40+C and I don't have airconditioning in my office and my old computer hates even warm days. Luckily as the place (1900's terrace house) had been closed up the heat didn't really hit straight away. Boss has airco in his office...

Yesterday I went and saw Avatar with John and the girls - I can't remember the last time John and I were at the movies together. Em was seeing it for the second time - and Bec the third!

I have also done about 50 pages for the albums given to the kids at Southern Cross Kids Camps. Seems a lot but when each album needs 20 pages heaps more are needed. If you can help, the details are in an ealier post.

Tomorrow will be an exciting, although very scarey day for Emily as she starts her course in Animal Welfare at the RSPCA. We are hoping it is a great experience for her.

Imagine...

When I was a consultant for TLC they produced a line of Wall Art and discontinued it due to lack on interest in the US (this was years before House of 3 or any of the others started making it). While sorting through my boxes I found my wall word "Imagine" so guess what my word for this year is. It is now on the wall above my scrapping table.

I also managed to finish a page for Arabella

I've made something, after last year's lack of creativity - who could have imagined that!

It's SCKC 2010 time!

It is time for me to start making pages for the Southern Cross Kids Camps again. Usually I do these before Christmas but as there were so many generous scrappers out there Julie had enough pages for the first couple of camps. But now its time for action! These pages are 6 x 6 - and really simple. A spot for a photo, room for some writing - very little decoration. See the above link for more details.

This is a little from Julie's email to me today:

It is hard to fully explain the importance of these books to the kids. we have started a pilot Mentoring club for 14 of our local SCKC campers and their carers, parent or case workers always mention how much the kids look through them. It is a wonderful thing to think by getting together to do all this the children have beautiful books as keepsakes of their childhoods!

If you can help either contact me or send pages directly to:

Julie Stone

C/O SCKC Memory Books

PO Box 290

Unanderra

NSW 2526

2009 is over.....where did the year go?

Its been a busy year. During 2009 :-

Sadly.....

• I farewelled my mother in law Bessie, and Sarah's mother Toni, Lydia and Jen - and I miss them all
• We emptied my MIL's house
• We moved house after 5 years - packing and moving 2 houses in one year - not recommended.
• Em tried to return to her old school
• Em said goodbye to Molly and Nat, her rats
• My income reduced - but my blood pressure hasn't!
• My creative mojo went missing

BUT .....

• We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary
• Bec represented Australia at the Oceania Championships
• Emily and Bec went to the school formal
• We LOVE the new house (and I love that over 20 cubic metres of rubbish didn't come with us)
• Em turned 16 - and now has Abi and Ziva the rats
• Bec and Sarah both turned 18 - and neither have their P's yet even though they both have cars!
• Sean turned 20 - and now has a new car to play with
• Em completed year 9 and is much happier thanks to Alison
• Bec passed her VCE and is wants to go to Deakin University
• Sarah passed her VCE too and wants to do a science degree at Melbourne Uni
• Sean has almost completed his course.
• Em has been accepted into a Cert II in Animal Studies at Victoria University - this will be done at the RSPCA in Burwood.
• We have a new nephew - Lachlan
• John now has 3 grandchildren with the addition of Arabella and Emma and appreciated Kate's comment on what a lovely big family we now have at our Christmas gathering - and is so happy their relationship is now so good.

And for me - most of the time just taking life a day at a time was about all I could manage.....

Let's see what 2010 has in store for us.