Jimmy is a champion!!

Yesterday SH and the 'horsey' one went to a local agricultural show with Dudley (the pony) and Jimmy. The 'horsey' one and Dudley picked up 3 blue 1st ribbons including one for showjumping so a very happy combination! Jimmy entered the dog events and came home with a first for 'best groomed' and a second for 'any breed puppy'. It was only a small show but we are very proud of our pup!

I've been on holidays this week. Quite unplanned and not for any special reason other than I have plenty due to me and I haven't had any since January and was feeling like I could use a few days to catch up with myself, clean the house, do some stitching, read a few books and completely organise Christmas including cards and gifts!!!! Mmmm how successful was I ???? I wasn't! My biggest (and only) achievement for the week was to get my two swaps finished and in the mail and of course they both seemed to take a lot longer to finish than I expected! Because they are swaps I can't even show you photos and prove that I have indeed been stitching but my SSCS and decoration swap are on their way! As Murphys Law would have it , because I was on holidays this week I was called up for Jury duty and had to present for 3 days this week. Luckily court was cancelled and I wasn't needed!
Had a wonderful blogging experience in the last week or so. I had an email from a lurker wondering if I was a friend of hers from when I lived in Canberra. We had stayed in touch but due to me it had become just at Christmas each year. She is a very talented stitcher / quilter and an even better friend. I am so thrilled to be back in regular contact. I would love her to start a blog especially as the way she decorates for the silly season is amazing!!
This week my darling children have had exams. It is always a week I dread. They are tired and uptight and I am anxious for them and at the same time sure they could study a little more!! After a final 2 yesterday for HS and 3 for the 'horsey' one they are finished for another year! Only 1 week of school left then summer holidays and we are all ready for it. Going off to work in the mornings is so much easier if there are not uniforms and lunches to prepare and kids to try and prise out of bed!!! By the end of January I will be craving the routine again!!
Another busy weekend ahead, the 'horsey' one played in her basketball grand final last night and won by 1! so a very happy girl! while HS refereed 2 grand finals. This morning I am off to the boarding house to do a 24hour shift while SH is taking the 'horsey' one and Jimmy to a local agricultural show to take part in the horse and dog events. It will be quite an unfamiliar and interesting experience for him!!!!! HS has baseball this afternoon then a party to celebrate his friend's 16th birthday at a farm just out of town, fully supervised bbq and pool party - just the way I like it when I don't have to worry!!

Mother of the year???!!!

Okay as part of my attempt to become 'Mother of the Year' I went outside my comfort zone last weekend and took the 'horsey' one and a friend of hers and her mother to Equitana in Melbourne for 2 days!!! For a non horsey person I think this is a huge achievement, to surround myself in all things horsey!!!! For those unsure what Equitana is, well according to the program it is "the biggest non-racing horse festival in the southern hemisphere and offers a comprehensive program of equine competition, exhibition, education and entertainment"! I almost enjoyed the first day, we sat out in the sun and watched the miniature horses, the vaulting, the mounted games and the breed parade. We then spent the afternoon looking at all the various stalls - kind of like at a quilt market but they were all selling horsey things! The horsey one was good, she didn't spend all of her money and certainly didn't want everything she saw unlike others we watched! She bought a new pair of breeches - blue,red,yellow,orange and green stripes, very loud, lets hope she lets me take a photo when she wears them!! We also ordered gaiters for her christmas present so another tick on that list! Okay so the 2nd day, it was not so pleasant! by the time we got from the car to the gate we were wet! my boots I didn't know leaked did, my socks were wet, my backpack was even wet through, it was cold, it was windy, it hailed, it was plain miserable and noone wanted to go home! By the time we drove into home it was 11.30pm! I swear it has taken me all week to get over it! On the upside the horsey one loved every single minute with some highlights, she was able to get her photo taken with some olympians, Clayton Fredricks and Megan Jones. The major highlight though was having her photo taken with the 'Saddle Club' girls!!!!! We don't have the new series on yet, apparently it is already showing overseas, but she is waiting. Even funnier as we were fumbling with camera batteries a little girl asked the horsey one for her autograph thinking she was also in the show. My cheeky girl was about to sign!!! until I let the girl know although she'd love to be part of it she was only a fan like herself!

Off to market!

Well I am hopeless!!! It is now almost a fortnight since I posted and since I spent the weekend in Melbourne at the Australian Quilt Market. It is also about that amount of time since I have caught up on everyone elses blogs!!
Had a great weekend at the AQM. Robyn released her new quilt, 'The Sewing Circle' 50's themed. It was well received which is great. I loved seeing what everyone else had and there are a few patterns I saw which will be ordered soon!!! Shame they didn't come with 'time' included to complete the projects! Robyn and her
son painted this life size 50's model for the show. We named her 'Edie' and had great fun changing the saying in her speech bubble over the weekend! Some of them were a little naughty! Others for example were , 'Housework is evil, It must be stopped!'and ' I haven't had my coffee yet, don't make me kill you'. She was really gorgeous and Robyn and Lewis are very talented.

This is post no. 100 and I have decided not to do a giveaway to celebrate. Instead as the festive season is looming quickly (far too quickly!) I am popping a few small surprises in the mail for some of my earliest blogging friends who supported me when I took such a big step and set up this blog! I will have a giveaway in the early part of next year when I am not feeling so overwhelmed and can put together something special!!

Hoping to get back to blogging regularly (how often do I say that??) now, lots to tell!!!

Oh and once again, no I'm not in the photos, it's Robyn, Rex and my Mum!

Baking, bands and Jimmy!!

Thought you'd like to see the photos of yesterday's baking for work. The cheese scones were good but the chocolate caramel tarts were YUMMO!!! and just the perfect size. You make them in a mini muffin tin so they are almost just bitesize.

Yesterday was also the day that the Playstation game 'Guitar Hero World Tour' was released! HS has been counting down the days and actually used some of his hard earned money (which doesn't often see the sunlight!!) to buy it. Not only does it have the guitar but it also has the drums and vocals. I was so!! lucky and given the chance to sing vocals on the microphone, not so lucky when I was so bad at it that the song kept being stopped!! Oops singing is not one of my stronger points!!

I received a letter in the mail yesterday from my darling niece Daisy from the UK. A bit hard to see but she has drawn a picture of herself asleep dreaming about our dog Jess. It was the most beautiful sympathy letter that we got after losing Jess and there were tears all around as we read it. I so wished my sister and her littlies lived closer!!

Thought it was time for some updated Jimmy photos. He has been really miserable since we lost Jess. We are trying to decide how to best help. I think the rest of the family would like another dog but I'd rather just find him a friend to play with during the day!? Any suggestions?? He has grown so much and is needing even more exercise now! Loves his balls and must take at least one on each walk. He has outgrown another bed and has a pair of my old shoes for his own now which he is slowly destroying. He normally sleeps with it close in case I should try and steal them back!!

I am off to the Australian Quilt Market in Melbourne tomorrow with Mum to help our friends Robyn and Rex (she makes buttons!!). It is a trade show and we had such fun last year when we went. It will be an early start but I will have lots to tell you next week!!

nb: this post was written last Thursday but when I went to publish it my rotten computer wouldn't cooperate so I had to head to Melbourne without doing so. I will be back in the next few days with lots of photos from the weekend!

**Just another thing - has anyone noticed what number post this is?????

Lots of bits and pieces!

Had a lovely but busy day yesterday and I actually have some photos to share! No, not of work I've been doing - that's all still top secret, and yes I have been plodding away and may actually make the swap deadlines!!! I had what feels like an odd day off and boy did it go quickly and did my list still have a lot on it at the end of the day! Mum and her friend Sue came over and as usual Mum was not empty handed! She spoils us so much and always makes us feel loved
The roses are actually from our garden and SH often brings in an armful for me to enjoy inside. These are a few days old but are just beautiful and mostly scented. It is worth a snuffly nose to enjoy the beauty!!

Mum made the cupcake pincushion for an end of year challenge at the doll group she goes to. Of course she wasn't happy with the first one and wondered if I'd like it. There was no hesitation on my part!! The box of gold tealights was just because!!! She'd found them shopping the day before and thought I might enjoy them!!

Every year Mum makes us an item to decorate our home over Christmas and yesterday she delivered this years. They are not great photos, I wish you could all visit in person to see it yourself. It is a wall hanging with 'The twelve days of Christmas' stitched. The rust color that she has bound it with is not a traditional Christmas color but it looks fantastic. I may even not pack it away in the New Year. Haven't decided on it's final position for the 'Silly season' but will play over the next few days!!

Received a card from my 'fairy godmother' Aunt Jude yesterday. She thought I might enjoy this 'Pig Wand'!!! We both struggle with our weight and when she saw these at her church fete recently thought it would give me a giggle.(Just realised it is hard to see what it says: Magic Pig Wand, Wave over food once to remove kilojoules. Wave twice over desserts. Now Pig Out!) Think it will be used today as I am in the midst of making chocolate caramel tarts to take to work for our fundraising morning tea!! Yum, I hope they turn out as well as Sarah's from http://spoonfullofsugargirls.blogspot.com/ . Also taking some cheese scones with quince paste. We have a morning tea each Wednesday morning and each department takes a turn in catering and then choosing which charity to donate the gold coin donations to.

Congratulations today to my sister-in-law Nene & her husband Steve celebrating their 25th Wedding Anniversary!

Dreams can come true.....

Let me start this post by saying I am not an expert in political matters, I do not even know as much as I probably should as a parent and a citizen, but I do care about the future of the world we live in for my children and their children in the long, far away ! future. This is a simplistic, individuals view so please accept it as such.
This week from the other side of the world I watched what was happening in the USA elections. It was on our news and in our papers (not as much as I'm sure it was there!!). Now that I have some great blogging friends in that country and I had read some of their comments I was even more interested. I was interested in the fact it is voluntary to vote in this country - it is compulsory here and you are fined if in fact you do not cast a vote.
I was wanting Barack Obama to win and scared that it may all become pear shaped on election day and not happen. I had a few tears when he did for a few reasons. The most important - he has sent a message to our children, whatever your race, whatever the circumstances you are born into and live, You can do anything you want! Your dreams can come true! Lets hope they grab hold of that message with both hands and and make the most of every opportunity they are given and they live their dreams.

Off and racing!

Well today is the infamous Melbourne Cup Horse race. It is part of the racing Spring Carnival and the cup itself is always held on the first Tuesday of November. I was actually born on a day the cup was run and HS and my birthdays often fall on this day. I have never been to the actual meet but traditionally have a flutter and take part in cup sweeps. I have worked the last few years as reception for the visiting paediatrician and because it is a public holiday this gives me an extra day to take at christmas time. The oldies Day Centre that operates in the building always have a special day, dressing up, wearing hats and having a special lunch. The tables are always decorated with the most beautiful roses out of staff member's gardens. Unfortunately today I had no luck, in fact my horses may still be running...................but that is part of the fun!!
( I did get a little stitching done between patients today so might! just make my swap deadlines!!)

Birthday Loot!

With the busy weekend we had HS and I didn't open our birthday gifts until late last night when we returned from paintballing. We both got some great gifts. HS was happy with many vouchers and cash and a 'skins' top from us for baseball. From SH and the kids I got a beautiful 'Royal Albert' cup,saucer and plate, and a great enamel jug which has a rooster pictured on it. I just love it and it is all the more special that they thought of it and chose it themselves. Another special present I got was from a work colleague, this gorgeous ceramic cat tape measure. It is perfect and just so me!! My special Aunt (fairy godmother) from NSW posted me a lovely gift. She knows of my fixation with all things 'cupcake' and made me a lovely table runner and some new tea-towells which are far too nice to use!!!! I feel very spoilt!

The 'horsey' one headed off on school camp this morning until the end of the week. They go canoeing, surfing, bike riding and hiking as well as make all their own meals and sleep in small shelters (not proper tents). The weather is VERY ordinary, cold , wet and windy so it could be a long week for her!!

Another Birthday!

Today my Handsome Son has celebrated his 17th Birthday! We took him, 8 other teenagers and 5 parents in total to a city 2 hours away for a day of paintballing!!! We all played although I became the official photographer after the first two games! It was lots of fun, there are lots of bruises and I'm sure lots of tall tales about the day.

Happy Birthday to me!

From the minute I got up this morning my phone has rung hot with various friends and family wishing me a Happy Birthday! Yes, I am a birthday girl today!! Unfortunately the day was not spent doing anything special but at Pony Club with the 'horsey one'!! It was very pleasant especially the afternoon walking the cross country course in the sunshine, that is until one of the girls took a very nasty fall and the ambulance had to be called. Just brings home what a dangerous and unpredictable activity horse riding is. At this stage it looks as though Jess may have broken her pelvis although they were also querying spinal injuries. Got my fingers crossed it will not be too bad and she will recover quickly and well.
The big excitement for the day is that this morning I parked myself in my chair where I could see their lessons, ignored the cold wind and stitched away on my Secret Santa Swap. It felt so good, and I just wish I could share with you what I managed to get done but of course it is a secret!! Not finished by any stretch of the imagination but on its way!