Happy New Year!

 Happy New Year!

Looking forward to 2022 with optimism.

I am still trying to work out passwords and photos and such for this space but we've reached that comfortable point of the holidays where the floors are crunchy underfoot and no one really knows what day it is?

Thought I'd do a quick new years "taking stock" post:

Making: calendars for the inlaws and James' office
Getting: excited about being back at kindy next year
Cooking: not much at all - leftovers anyone?
Sipping: blood orange cordial and soda water
Reading: Paris Kiss (about Rodin and his models)
Thinking: That I need to take proper photos on my proper camera this year
Remembering: That I need to look for my SD card and the camera charger
Looking: at the crafty mess on the bedroom floor
Listening: to a far off mower, and the hum of James' electronics
Wishing: it would rain
Enjoying: my gorgeous new-to-me kitchen dresser (still can't believe it was such a bargain and perfect)
Appreciating: how blessed my life is
Wanting: to sort out my craft room
Eating: too much chocolate
Finishing: my test knit for Jessica (hopefully soon)
Liking: Summer dress days
Loving: Braless summer days at home
Buying: a kitchen dresser today, a Kris Kringle gift tomorrow?
Watching: Call the Midwife and Jane Austen films and documentaries on World War 2
Hoping: for trt work in term one (enough that we don't notice that I only have one more regular pay check)
Wearing: Summer floaty dresses and bare feet
Walking: around in my garden a lot
Following: more garden inspiration on instagram
Noticing: that the news makes me anxious
Saving: nice quotes on my phone
Waiting: for the cleaning fairy to do her thing in my craftroom so that I can make a new quilting mess
Bookmarking: funny about that - I received a treasure from my mum for Christmas, one of the original bobbin lace bookmarks I made Gubby when I was first learning bobbin lace, along with two of my early tatted doilies.  How loved did I feel that Gubby had put them aside for me. 
Coveting: Kelsey's kitchen dresser no more! (long standing joke on instagram whenever my friend posts photos with her gorgeous dresser in the background!)
Feeling: so happy and content and in holiday sloth mode and so damn blessed to be living in the lucky country

May this year bring good things for us all,

Keep smiling,

Nell

p.s. last post was written in November but not finished or posted properly?

Hello again!

 Long time no see?  I'm wondering what I need to do in this space?  I still haven't found a decent solution to easily get photos onto the blog, and I think I really want to be able to post to the blog from my ipad but I'm not sure how to make that happen.  Might be time to call my IT guru and book some more time with him over the Christmas holidays.

I also really don't know whether this should be a space for sharing CTMH creations, or knitting, or quilting, or garden and home stuff, and whether it is still okay for it to be a mis-match of all of those things?  I suspect that as no-one reads blogs anymore I can do exactly what I like and just please myself!

My garden is going crazy with the mild Spring weather and extra rain - the roses have come into their own and I love being able to pick big bunches for friends.  The native bee/bird/butterfly friendly garden is finally getting a bit of height to it and I love that I am seeing honeyeaters and finches and parrots again.  I wake to the cacophony of birdsong each morning and it is just wonderful!

We're hurtling towards end of year and Christmas and that feels scary and exciting too.  Big changes as we navigate 2 years post fire, and the first Christmas in our new home, and the first Christmas without the family beach house.  Aldinga has been a huge part of our children's lives and it will feel strange not to have it as a reassuring safe space anymore.  Big changes too as Maddie starts high school, and Hannah begins her final year of high school.  Potentially big changes for me too as I am not sure my contract at my sweet little school will be renewed next year.  I may be back doing TRT work. I have mixed feelings about that.  I am trying not to take it personally but I am emotionally exhausted at the thought of more change and frustrated that, despite teaching since 1997, I am still bouncing from contract to contract with no permanency in sight.  Some days I feel like maybe it is time to walk away - to find a career somewhere else, and yet I know in my heart of hearts that teaching is my passion, and that I can't work in any other field.  It is hard to be so appreciated by the families and children, and so unappreciated by the education system.

My crafting space is a shambles at the moment - I still haven't got my built in storage in there and I ended up with boxes of stuff from the beach house that have no home and are just sitting in corners.  Maybe that will need to be my holiday project?

I'm just hanging out for the start of the Indi Giftalong this year - kind of between big knitting projects and the mojo is at a bit of a low.  I'm contenting myself with a few little baby hats and crocheted hanky edgings.

There has been a bit of Christmas shopping too, and the girls got the Christmas ornaments out of the shed and Hannah has already put up a small tree in her room.  She has a Christmas playlist on Spotify so we will be humming along to Bing all month long!  Maddie requested that I replace the Marg Low advent stockings so there has been a bit of embroidery happening.  I guess I need to think about a Christmas card photo too?