Winter Happy

It is grey. It is rainy. It is cold. It is Winter.  I feel like it has already rained too much. I feel like even the smallest kindness could bring me to tears today.

Today my extended family, the Cox "clan" (as we call my Dad's side) said goodbye to my Uncle Frizz. He was a funny man. Fun and kind hearted.  I am sad that I couldn't be there.

Can you maybe spot the one who is a couple of months overdue for her Vitamin D booster?

So anyhow, here are a few things that make me smile;
Our new bunny is called "Marmalade" - she is little and sweet and super snuggly and finally I have found a rabbit who likes broccoli stalks and nudges me when she wants a pat just like my sweet Kiara used to do.
There has been lots of knitting beside the fire. Mostly shawls for our rav shawl-along (A http://www.ravelry.com/projects/nelliebligh/quaker-yarn-stretcher-boomerang and then a http://www.ravelry.com/projects/nelliebligh/willowind ) then some socks for a test knit.  I love that the yarn for these was part of the Bungaree Swap/Destash so essentially free!  When they were done I put them on the end of Maddie's bed while she slept.  The next morning we had bush school.  We were sauntering along hand in hand when one of the other Mums pipes up with "Maddie, are those HAND KNIT socks you're wearing?!?!"  Not exactly school uniform but I bet her feet were nice and warm and it is nice to know she appreciates them.

She does know how to make a Mummy's Winter heart glad.

Love this kiddo and her funny ways.

Please pray for sunshine for Bush Kindy tomorrow so that I can get some much needed Vitamin D.

Stay warm folks!

xxx

Taking Stock: June

It is time to take stock again.
Making : socks for Maddie in bright spring colours
Cooking : marmalade - golden globs of sunshine to brighten dreary WInter days
Drinking : chai tea and instant coffee and red wine
Reading: The Peppered Moth
Wanting: New long black boots
Looking: at ravelry finished projects
Playing: dumb to the copious quantities of dog hair on carpet that needs vacuuming again
Deciding: what kind of quilt cover to get (old one is in tatters)
Wishing: Winter was over
Enjoying: the cosiness of a wood fire and the luxury of owning a working stove again
Waiting: for Winter to end and school holidays to start
Liking: the possibility of two new nieces in Spring
Wondering: how Trump could have got so far in the Presidential campaign and why Americans can't see the need to change their gun laws
Loving: these two sweet kiddos snuggled beside me on the couch
Pondering: how Hannah's feet could possibly be the same size as mine - surely it was only yesterday that they fit in the palm of my hand?
Considering: that children will grow up despite our best efforts
Buying:t2 tea, coffee pods, and the right to walk 35 kms for Mitochondrial disease in Keelan's honour
Watching:Outlander - I am obsessed
Hoping:that my local library has the books
Marvelling: that even with my considerable yarn stash I still don't have the wool that I need for a new shawl project
Cringing: at the thought that I won't be there to support my Dad and my 95 year old Gubby as they say goodbye to Uncle Frizz this Tuesday
Needing: the comforts of home and family, and a visit to my remedial massage specialist (my back is not good!)
Questioning: my work life balance and why we haven't seen Mr Fluffy the koala around lately
Smelling: old dog and wood smock and garlic butter chicken kievs cooking (they still remind me of my old friend Sharon McCallum who would bake them when I came to her house for tea!)
Wearing:comfy shoes and daggy tracksuit pants
Noticing: that people that I didn't even know were reading are commenting on how infrequently my blog is updated these days!
Knowing: we have another busy week ahead
Thinking: the year is going so quickly
Admiring: people who have the balance right
Sorting: which frames are being hung where - still boxes to be unpacked and things that don't have a home (and it has been almost 6 months can you believe it?!?!)
Getting: excited about my bare rooted roses arriving in July - I will have David Austens again!
Coveting: warm woolly crocheted blankies, and big cuddly winter jackets
Disliking: the cold
Opening: new paper - the Magical Times Paper Pack to play with next month
Giggling: at my kids beating my husband at monopoly
Feeling: like I could do with an extra day to the weekend, and a glass of red wine
Snacking: on almonds, and jersey caramels
Helping: knit for charity, run a friend's kids to school, organise the Kindy stall for elections, do Friday Foodies and Bush School - do all the good in all the little ways you can (Mother Theresa)
Hearing: my kids laugh and my husband's footsteps on the stairs
Mixing: odd bits of wool to make charity mittens and more little hats
Worrying:about work - looming National Quality Standards Assessment, too much to do and too little time - and a memory like a sieve
Slicing: carrots, and onions, and potatoes and a never ending quantity of lemons and cumquats and limes for marmalade
Celebrating: family, and my Uncle Frizz
Forgetting: to go to bed on time
Winning: kisses from my husband
Pretending: it is not Sunday night (and having another glass of wine)
Sneaking: the last of the New York Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Embracing: my kids and my husband because I am reminded this week of just how fragile life really is
Knitting:shawls for our shawl-along, socks for a sock-along, and the Kyla test knit socks (LOVE this pattern)
Crocheting: a zig zag chevron in the colours of our loungeroom, taking inspiration from a skein of Kathys Fibres Rose Garden
Weaving: a turquoise and white handspun scarf
Scrapping: Christmas last year and Easter of this
Dreaming: of Spring and warmth and sunshine

Have a good week folks!
xxx

Like Paddington

Like Paddington, I am up to my elbows in jammy goodness.  Golden globs of sunshine.  Cumquat marmalade.  I wish you could smell my house.  That citrus tang. OH MY!!! Cumquats are one good thing about Winter.  I don't know why, but to me cumquats are the quintessential marmalade fruit.  My love affair with marmalade began in my uni days when I rented a house with a cumquat tree.  I had almost forgotten about it until one of my uni flatmates posted a picture of her marmalade on toast blaming me for the fact that she is still slightly addicted and then, last Saturday, while pilfering lemons from my friend's tree, I noticed that she had two cumquats loaded with fruit.  A jar of marmalade in return became a very sweet deal.

Now, I promised New York photos.  New York seems like a dream ago now.  But at the time it really was magic.  I didn't ever expect to like it as much as I did.  Central Park was the standout. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.  James has been convinced to make me my own (somewhat smaller) version down the front.  It won't happen for a while as we want to see exactly where the water pools and drains this Winter.

The Birthday Boy outside of Central Park

Strawberry Fields - my new camera makes full use of available light with the flash off so this was captured at night.

I know I am ridiculous but I have such a thing about squirrels! I love the fluid way they move. And they are just way too cute.

Check the lamp posts? And this is near where we saw a blue jay, and a cardinal and a chickadee! I know I get excited about strange things.

Hans Christian Anderson was responsible for my love of fairytales.  I didn't expect to get nostalgic here but I did!

The cherry blossom was just amazing!

The view from Belvedere castle

Tulips - everywhere we went.  I love a city that values its citizens enough to plant tulips in public spaces.

This was one of my favourite spots to just sit and watch the world go by.

Told you my new camera was amazing.  We got some great night time shots.

Believe it or not I do have lots of more touristy photos of Times Square and the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge but they will have to wait until next time.
Happy Monday,
Nell
xxx