COLOUR!

I love colour!

I love playing with colour and all the different combinations you can design.

 

I love colourful yarn and that's probably why I have so much yarn in my stash.

 

I love the way colours make you feel

 

 

I love the way colour can lift your mood

 

 

I love colour in nature

 

 

I just love colour

 

Hello...........................Is there anybody out there???

It has been so long since I last wrote and so much has been happening. I'm thinking of trying again bit by bit, maybe try a post a week.

My business Rice Pudding Baby is powering on. I have had a shift and am now making crocheted dolls as well as blankets. Dolls are more popular and faster to make so they are dominating my time at the moment. Juggling this with a fulltime job can be challenging especially when crocheting is what I would love to do fulltime..........ah retirement how close are you???? Not close enough as my husband reminds me! Oh well at least I will be busy in retirement when I finally get there.

Ok, busy day planned and unfortunately not a happy one. A dear friend that I work with passed away last week and her funeral is today. It is going to be very sad and very, very big. She was a much loved teacher at the school and colleagues and students past and present will be attending. Her favourite colour was pink so I think it will be a sea of pink.

Be back soon

Anne

Lists!

I am a list person! I love to write lists. You either are or you aren't and I am. My Mum was a list writer and I still have scraps of paper with her lists written on them...precious memories

 I find it helps me to gather my thoughts and put them in order. It also keeps me on track....yes I am also a procrastinator...big time. So, if I write a list I at least have it in writing what I need or want to do.

Today I am going to start writing the list of things I would like to do these holidays. It will be a mix of need to, want to, have to and love to.

Need to

• Hairdresser - love this too as she serves the best coffee
• Scrub all bathrooms
• Vacuum house thoroughly
• Weed garden and trim and clean-up pot plants
• Organise my daughters 18th Birthday evening - BBQ and Bonfire ( I live with a family of Pyromaniacs)
• Hand washing - you know those things that always end up at the bottom of the basket until you have more time
• Clean and sort out my bedroom..... those little things that need to be put away in the right place but just don't over time!

Want to

• Walk every day for at least one hour
• Take my dog for his daily walk...as he has gotten older this has become a twenty minute daily sniff-fest. We just go for a wander and he can sniff whatever he passes.
• Cook yummy healthy meals
• Soup - experiment with some new soup recipes
• Organise my craft room - my daughter moved out 6 months ago and her room was meant to become a guest /craft room. So far it is only a guest room so I need to 'claim my space'!

Have to

• Write and send some letters to my Post circle (If anyone is reading this I am so sorry about being so disorganised and slow about this)
• Shop - I need new shoes and clothes for work. I might just need to combine that with lunch with a girlfriend (so that could also go in the love category)
• Take my daughter to her optometrist appointment. She needs her eyes checked every six months and scarily her eyesight deteriorates a little each time.

Love to

• Fly to Sydney to visit my Dad
• Road trip with my sisters (5 hour drive up the coast to my Dad's house to clean it and sort it out before selling. Fun times with my 3 sisters, no kids for three days)
• Celebrate my youngest daughters 18th birthday
• Catch up with friends that you have trouble fitting in when working fulltime
• Crochet - what more can I say....time to crochet, finish a few things for my shop, take better photos for my shop (not my best talent)
• Read - more books and less internet. I love reading blogs but I must admit that the online community can consume you and you find that hours have gone past very quickly.
• Sit in the winter sun. I love winter living in Brisbane. We do have very cold nights but the average daily temp is usually at least 20 degrees Celsius.

Wow what a list, lucky I have 15 days left to do all this.

Five days until......

In five days I am on winter holidays for two weeks. Am I looking forward to it.....am I ever!!!

Five days until I can

Put my feet up and crochet.....whenever I want to!

Five days until I can.......

Spend some time in the garden enjoying the winter sunshine with my loyal mate!

Five days until I can......

Take my dog for walks on the local beach

Five days until I can .......

Start reading the huge pile of books I have accumulated beside my bed....no this is not a real picture!

Five days until I can.........


.......just breathe because I can do whatever I want whenever I want.


Five days..................


Anny :)

Proud Mumma

This is my daughter...if you knew what she has gone through over the last few years you would understand how proud I am of her. Her comment to me...Mum I am leaving all that #%*" behind in the plane. Enjoy your fresh new life Liv xxxx

10 Good things right now..or maybe 8!!

So let's hope I don't jinx myself but I am going to give this a go!

 

1.The weather is changing. I live in Brisbane which would be considered Sub-Tropical and we can have very hot steamy summers. Don't get me wrong I do love summer but some years the humidity really wipes me out. Slowly the days have started to cool down and the nights are glorious...time for my snuggly crocheted blankets for the lounges.

2. My dogs leg is starting to improve. We have one very loved, very spoilt golden labrador that we all just adore. Since he was about 3 he has had trouble with his knee joint on one leg. He is now nine and recently it was giving him a lot of problems but we are now on a new routine of medicaton and we are starting to see some improvement.

3. I have made a few more sales of my crochet blankets on line. I cannot believe how excited I get when I make a sale. I make just for the sheer joy of it and when somebody else chooses to own one of my creations it just give me such a high.

4. All my children seem to be going ok at the moment. It's funny about being a parent, you think that as they get older you will worry about them less but that is so not the way it is. You just have different things to worry about and having 3 daughters, 25, 23 and 18 there is usually some drama happening in somebody's life

5. Work......I have had such a busy term so far....haha the two weeks that I have been back from holidays. Seriously, I love my job as a Special Education Teacher and everyday is certainly different with its range of challenges.

6. I received an email today inviting me to join a #Post Circle. I was reading about this here and thought what a great idea. I once had a Norwegian penpal when I was about 10 years old but it fizzled out after about 3 letters. I love the idea of actually writing a letter. Penmanship was always one of my best subjects at school and I enjoy writing in long hand.

7. Soup...I love it when the days get a bit cooler and we can start eating soup. We aren't big meat eaters in this family so most of our soup is vege based. My favourite at the moment is Sweet potato and corn from here.

8. Family....I love my family dearly and am looking forward to catching up with them all very soon. Unfortunately we live 1000km apart but as my eldest daughter is currently working for an airline we are able to get some good prices to travel so hopefully we can visit more often.

 9. Hmm I think I am running out of things...what about health and fitness. I am just about to start on a new fitness program. The senior students at school studying Fitness are training teachers and I have nominated to be one of the 'guinea pigs'. Time will tell!

10. Yes I made it to 10! Friends, I have some very close girlfriends, some of them going through some 'heavy' stuff at the moment and this makes you appreciate what you have and also what great support we bring for each other in times of need.

Well I did manage to find 10 good things. It's difficult to think over your life and try to be specific about what is good for you right now. This will definitely make me look closely at each day and see the good in what's happening 'now' and not be constantly planning and thinking of the past or the future.

Anny :)

Rice Pudding Baby.....my alter ego!

So, I forgot to add in my random facts last post that I have started selling my crochet on line. Yes I have opened both an Etsy shop and a Madeit shop.
I was taught to crochet when I was about 8 years old and fiddled around for a few years but really knitting was my 'thing'. Then I went to university and was busy, young and 'cool'. Then I married and had children...I did still knit the occassional jumper or hat but didn't really have much time with 3 small daughters. I think I found my crochet mojo again about five years ago. My hands needed to be busy, especially in the evening in front of  the television. So I started to crochet again and OMG am I now obsessed. I think my family would even say I neglect them for my crochet....bah humbug!!
 So what was I going to do with all this crochet...I live in the sub-tropics and my youngest daughter is 17 and no grandchildren in sight. Therefore to justify my yarn stash to my huband I decided I would give selling a go.
 So far so good...I have sold about 10 blankets and that has kept me motivated to keep going. I still work fulltime as a teacher so I am time limited but I'm pottering away at night and just adding blankets to the sites as I complete them. Please take a look and I would love to get some feedback.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RicePuddingBaby

http://www.madeit.com.au/storecatalog.asp?userid=79941

One last thing....why Rice Pudding Baby?? My Mum was a major part of my life and my favourite food that she used to make was her Rice Pudding...so add Baby and that's what I ended up with...a bit of Mum, a bit quirky, a lot crafty.

Anny:)

A Year has just slipped by.....

Today is once again ANZAC day and that means it is exactly one year since I have written on this page. I love the thought of being a 'blogger', but unfortunately I just can't get the hang of doing it in some form of continuity.

Yes I could say, Oh my life is busy.....but it's not really compared to some.....and I could say hmm what do 'I' have to say.....but that doesn't cut it either...Its my blog and really I should be able to write what I like. Maybe I just don't know where to start................

Let's start again with the basics...10 random facts about me

1. I am terrified of lizards.....major anxiety 
2.  I am dreading turning 57 or I could say looking forward to turning 58. Both my Mum and my maternal Grandmother died at 57 so it is an age that really stands out for me
3. I hate people touching my feet...sounds weird but my daughter is now the same
4. I enjoy time to myself with no noise...my house always has some kind of noise...my husband and daughters can come home and the first thing they will do is turn on either the television or the stereo...I love the silence
5. I hate my teeth...major dental problems but I carry my stress in my mouth!
6. I love the beach..my mother use to take us climbing over the rocks at the beach when we were younger and we would always come home with shells and pebbles. My children also enjoyed this time with her and after she died we often would collect a special piece and put it in the 'Nana Jar'
7. I have travelled around Australia with my husband many years ago but am now looking forward to travelling the world....after we married we had our children straight away and as I was a SAHM it wasn't in the budget to travel overseas. My youngest daughter is in her final year at school so we have some major travelling plans ahead
8. I want to go and live for a few months in another country...especially a non English speaking one. I want to live within a different community and immerse myself in a different culture
9. I am a perfectionist....in some things....not housework.....I love to crochet and every stitch needs to be perfect or I undo it.
10. I started this blog just over a year ago......I have told nobody that it exists......nobody

So, what next.....have I found my voice....I think so

Anny :)

ANZACS

Today is ANZAC day in Australia and New Zealand. It is a public holiday and many people take the opportunity to attend a local Dawn Service.

My youngest daughter and I both go and work at the same school. It is a local Catholic College and it is well known for its interest and participation in Social justice issues. I was so proud when Little volunteered to represent the school at the dawn service this year.

At 4.30 this morning we were up and dressed ready to travel a few minutes drive to our local RSL cenitaph where the service was to be held. Little was up before me dressed in full school uniform including blazer (note this is a day off for this 16 year old so that usually means her not emerging from her room until well past 10am). We then had to park over a kilometre away and walk silently with a flow of people towards the cenitaph (still no complaining about the walk!!) It was a moving service with thousands of people attending. We stood in the crowd for nearly an hour watching the sun come up while listening to the last post....so solemn, definitely a few tears shed.

She is now back in bed....and we probably won't see her until nearly lunch.....but, she did it because she wanted to be there. It is moments like today that you look at your children and think what great human beings they are becoming.

Anny :)

I am still here but life is just getting in the way!!

Sorry, I have just checked and it has been over two weeks since my last post! End of term is pretty full on in a school, especially in a Catholic school leading up to Easter....Lent, fundraising, Easter liturgies, reports, cross country.............

But........holidays started yesterday, YIPEE!!!! By the time I got home yesterday arvo I was truly spent. I sat down in my lounge chair and attempted a little crochet...my arms were so weary I could hardly hold the hook!

But.......today I feel revitalised! I am making a list of all the things I would like to do in the next two weeks....crochet, read, eat chocolate eggs, crochet, long walks with Cooper the dog, out for coffee, crochet, read, eat chocolate.....I can see a pattern forming here. Maybe I had better curtail the chocolate eating and add a bit more walking as my sister's wedding is in 4 weeks and the Year 12 formal in 3 weeks.

Ah yes I must add shopping to my list...I need a new outfit for the wedding!

And hopefully more blogging. I have nearly finished my sister's wedding blanket....so happy with it, photos coming

Be back soon......

Anny