So here we stand at the cusp of another year. I found a quote that I think will be my moto for this next year. I have printed it out, laminated it and put it up on my book case.
I will leave it until tomorrow to look at what I achieved during this last year. I might even leave it until the whole weekend is over.
Happy New Year.
Those days in between Xmas and New year some how just muddle through. I don't need anything from the sales, all the fabric shops are shut and so are lots of other business. As I found out when I went to get some service on a hearing aid. I did manage a trip to the Doctor to get my Vit B injection so my mind is working again. The humidity is sky high here and the beaches are full of day trippers and holiday makers. You can't get a seat at the local coffee shop and now it is starting to rain.
So it is time to bunker down with a book and listen to the radio. I got a good book from my sister for Xmas.
I have read all of Jane Harper's books and this one doesn't disappoint either. Set in Tasmania it is a great story, so far.
The other thing I bought was a new Diary for 2021.
I am surprised just how much I have to put into it already. Next year is going to be a busy one, that is unless that virus upsets all my planning. The new year is rushing to greet us and after all the turmoil of 2020 I have been thinking about where I am headed. My health has not been good this year and I am still dealing with the repercussions of Ross River Fever virus I got nearly 3 years ago. That has left me with a movement disability that I thought I would recover from but it looks like it is here to stay. Upside of that is I have a disability parking sticker for the car. It leaves me wondering just how long it will take for those that got Corona Virus to fully recover. There are stories emerging of it leaving lingering problems for some. Just like myself and the Ross River Fever.
Well, there wasn't anything else I could do!
I made the mistake of mowing the lawn to have the house looking cared for when everyone came over on Boxing Day. Problem was that I got severely over heated and pulled some large muscles in my hip and leg. On top of this I forgot to get my Vit B injection, so I am walking around like a zombie! All this has stopped me in my tracks. I have to keep still and just let my body repair itself. I hate sitting still, with a passion. So, I found some needles and yarn and have started on a bunny. Just the legs and stuffing to go now. (Oh, and the clothes.)
I get to see the Doctor tomorrow so hopefully the injection with help bring me back to life again. Although all the other ailments are still there. Not much I can do about those. But actually, knitting bunnies is a great night time activity. I don't have to do it all at once. I can knit parts and as I finish a head or a couple of arms I have the satisfaction of reaching a mile stone. I am seriously considering making bunnies my charity activity for 2021. Lets face it I don't have to buy any supplies, you should see all the wool I have. This one is going to be for the daughter of my cleaning lady. Amy is a non verbal autistic woman in her early 20's and she loves toys. I hope she loves this one.
If you are tempted to knit rabbits I can highly recommend buying one of Julie's patterns which you can find here.
So it is finally here again. What with lock-downs, the danger of the virus' spread and social distancing I wonder how we will look back on this Christmas? But some things don't change. We know from past experience, that this too shall pass and we will hold our loved ones again. Some of us still welcome the birth of the infant Christ and remember and retell the story. To others this time is all about friends and family but we will be apart so we hold the memory of them close to our hearts, others have set up Zoom meetings so they may see their faces even if they can't hold them.
So, from my family to yours have a Happy and Holy Christmas.
Well, this is a Christmas like we have never experienced before but still we can each celebrate the birth of Christ in our own way even if numbers at church are limited or in some cases you are not allowed to attend church.
My grandchildren came over to the island to decorate their ginger bread house. All the "decorated people' were eaten straight away but the house was left to be the centre piece of the boxing day gathering. It will be just too hard for everyone to be here for Xmas day so we have decided to meet for breakfast on Boxing Day.
Each year their decorating skills improve and this year the only help they needed was in sticking the house together. They so look forward to decorating this house. (I'm glad I got a picture of it because it collapsed overnight due to the high humidity.) I used to bake the whole thing myself but these days I can get all the basics from IKEA. I hadn't realised just how much decorating this cake meant to them. A memory for the future.
One memory from the past for me was singing the Australian Xmas carols. The music was written by my husband's uncle William James and the lyrics by Wheeler, which made it extra special. This version is a bit more modern. If you want the traditional version your can see it here. along with all the others that were written back then.
I have finally got back to my stitching faces course and have started module 2 which looks at facial features. The first thing we are looking at is eyes. I'm not quite sure where my mind was when I started this. Home schooling has had a rather detrimental effect on how I am thinking. In fact that is the problem I'm thinking to much, if that is possible.
I started with pencil sketches of 4 different eyes.
My first reaction was " there must be 15 shades of grey in there. I don't have enough cottons to stitch this. So I tried again with coloured pencils.
All I could think of was all the colours I had used to get each eye to look like this. I would have to stitch this with silk shading. I don't have nearly enough threads to attempt this. So I gave myself a talking to. I remember my dance teacher saying to me, (rather screaming at me), stop thinking just dance.
So, I selected three weights of black and grey thread and just stitched. With each attempt I tried to be more minimal and just catch the essence of the photo.
By the end I felt I was stitching expressions not shapes.
That was an interesting exercise. The next one is mouths.
It turned quite cold here, well cold enough to put on a T shirt with sleeves in it. It hit in the middle of the night and, half asleep, I headed to the linen cupboard to get a quilt. I pulled, what I thought was a quilt out and went back to bed. Next morning I found I hadn't got a quilt but an embroidered woollen blanket! I have never used this, it is too pretty and besides the dogs have a habit of jumping on the bed. It is a bit creased because it has been in the cupboard for about, I don't know, 20 years. (It is the blanket I found a note pinned on saying "this is mine when Mum dies" Laura.)
I must say the embroidery is rather good. Those cast-on roses are perfect, well I did a number of them,
and I nailed those cherries.
I remember thinking, " I can make the bow stand proud if I stretch the fabric in a hoop". I used a shadow stitch and it worked.
This was about the time that Carolyn Pearce first had her wool embroidery featured in Inspiration Magazine. I was so taken by it I had to try wool embroidery.
I added a few extras stitches to what she used (like those roses instead of silk ribbon work).
Carolyn's work from Inspiration Magazine
As I was working at the time all the stitching was done here on the island when we came over for out July school holidays. It was cold and I remember sitting out in the sun in a sheltered position and stitching. It was too cold for the beach and I had my little radio and discovered some classical composers I hadn't heard before. What lovely memories.
I have to make some more of those rabbits. Julie keeps putting up such cute patterns and these little scarves are great for a quick easy sit and knit. Problem is I don't have any rabbits to put them on, but I will.
I am becoming addicted to computer games. I have to stop that and knitting might be the answer. These are small enough to finish in a night.
Just a note about this weather event. It has been extremely wet and wild and has done 'things' to our internet reception.
(local resident's photo)
I notice that non of my recent replies to comments have got through. They may appear in the future but they may also have got washed away. My sewing machine is due to return this week and the problem has been gekkos sheltering in the fuse box. They blew the CPU in the machine but that has been replaced and it is due back this week. I just have to get a booking on the barge to bring it home.
We didn't fare as badly from the storms as residents who live 50K north,
or 50K south of us on the bay. (It's a big bay.)
Looks like we might be in for a few cyclones this season.
This is a nice Xmas present, I have finally got the Nastursions to strike. It was by accident, not by design. I planted out several pots, all to no avail. The seeds left over I threw into a pot with other plants and then gave up. But, they struck.
We have had a major weather event with very heavy rain and high winds so I haven't been checking on the garden, plus it is nearly Xmas with so much to do.
I see he bugs like them as well.
But peeping though the greenery, my first flowers, all two of them.
rather wet and bedraggled but still flowers.
I love the way the rain drops sit on the leaves.
And I wonder if the other plants in this pot will thrive?