Sunday, April 20, 2008

I lurve being a Nanny

I had the two cutest little boys over for the morning - and their Mummy of course. Mummy learned how to thread her sewing machine, and wind a bobbin. And then she made 2 skirts for herself with an elastic waist. Both were from pieces of batik material - and she has enough for two more. next time we will make some little boys trousers with elastic waists - same process, adding the crotch seam.

Two boys helped Nanny made (and then eat) Anzac biscuits, played in their big cardboard box cubby house, tipped the toy box out, and had a long time playing while cleaning it all up, did some painting, including the balcony tiles (Poppy is asleep - he is not going to be happy!!), and waited and waited and waited for the cake Nanny made to get cooked in the oven.

The absolutely best bit was while driving them home I hear this little "Excuse me Nanny". "Yes love" I replied. "I love you Nanny"... Are their any sweeter words in the universe - I don't think so. Of course the same little munchkin was in charge of the plastic box with the freshly cooked cake in it to carry to the car - and couldn't resist opening the lid to get a smell. Of course you know what happened... so it got put in a plastic bag with the handles tied together to reduce the temptation involved.

All in all, the best possible Sunday morning - and now I am ready for a Nanny nap I think...

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Artwork on my walls

I thought I would show you the artwork I have on my walls. They all have a story, and precious memories.

Firstly there is these family trees made by my Mum. She cross stitched the pictures in the centre to represent her side of the family (top) and that of my father. The top picture has pictures of my daughter Rosie, to my great-great grandmother of the women in the family tree. The bottom picture has my three brothers, Dad, Grandad and my great-grandfather Polley. The photos were printed onto fabric by a local fabric printing store, and she attached them with a piece of fine cotton lace around each picture. They are precious family heirlooms as you can imagine.

This is a couple of needlepoint tapestries I made during a couple of years of deep depression and illness. It is the Earnslaw on Lake Wakitipu, in Queenstown, New Zealand. We spent a number of holidays in Queenstown, and it reminded me of good times there.


This is another tapestry I made at the same time, of the Church of the Good Shepherd, at Tekapo, Central Otago, New Zealand. We visited that church a couple of times, and the view of the lake through the window behind the altar was just remarkable. I found it a place of great peace.

Mum made this one in long stitch, and Dad made the frame by laminating the timber strips together, and turning them on the lathe. They are precious to me.

This peacock - again needlepoint tapestry, was made by Bob's mother, and a keepsake we were able to keep after her death.

This oil painting was done by an elderly neighbour of mine when I first returned to Maryborough from New Zealand. It is of Ibises and was a scene on the Mary River wetlands between Maryborough and Hervey Bay.

Bob's mother made this leather work, and she gave it to me before we were married. It was a sign to me of a real acceptance, and is much treasured. It was a scene from the Australian Bicentennial celebrations of the tall ships arriving in Sydney Harbour.

This precious appliqué hanging was given to me by a friend just before we left to come to Canberra. She was nervous giving it away, as it was the first hand made object she had given as a gift. it is precious, and so many little pieces of material were used and embroidered in such detail. I love it.


Finally this is the fabric painting I found this morning in my frugalling / garage sale hunting. I just love the colours, the fact that it is hand made, and the birds are beautiful. I stapled it over a canvas and have hung it on the wall unframed.

Health update

I have updated my report on health below.

Frugalling Saturday 1

This morning, we got a newspaper, and marked some garage sales to visit. What fun, even if we had to drive 80km to do it!

I found two boxes of scraps at garage sales - and people who understood the principle - "She who dies with the most stash - wins!" (there was another box of scraps, but no picture...)

and a pile of remnants I found at a church garage sale for $10

A bag of fabrics - including these curtains and the wool (shown later on) for $5

In the boxes I found these little treasures - some silk fabric

This tablecloth - what a cutie

Some Solomon Island place mats - make nice bags I think

A couple of Malaysian theme batik fabric


and this beauty - made with batik, and something like silk painting (on cotton fabric though) and signed by Arka. It will be stretched over a canvas and placed on the wall - I love it...
And of course, a bag of Totem bluebell wool bits... Nice for a patchwork blanket I have started.


I left home with $50 - and I spent it all (including the stuff below). But I think it was incredible value.

Tomorrow, Liz and the grandies come over, and we are having a sewing day. make some skirts for Liz, and some pants and shirts for the boys - as well as teaching Liz some sewing techniques. Will be fun. I will take photos.

Frugalling Saturday 2

As well as the material, I bought some more interesting things.

Firstly - all the bits and pieces I need to learn a new craft. Something I have been wanting to learn for a long time.


It has a styrofoam pad to pin the lace onto, a dozen bobbins (I already have four - so this is enough to do quite a wide lace piece), instructions and some cotton. Hmmm looks interesting.


A cool apron. I have been thinking about making myself one of these, in fact when I was thinking through what I could do today, making an apron was considered. Now I have one... and love the patchwork printed material.


Two little babies rescued from Aussie junk for $2. Twins I think.

And two more little celluoid dolls - much older, and rescued from Aussie Junk at Mugga Lane. They cry out for love. I love them.


And at a garage sale - bundle of Childcraft books - full of stories and poems and things to do, to be read with the Grandchildren.... because we finished the Winnie the Pooh book when they stayed over on Wednesday night - well actually we finished it Thursday morning before dropping them off home on on my way to work, because we were all dressed and fed, and wanted another story. We all love the cuddle together in Nanny's bed reading a book... ($2)

Saturday, April 5, 2008

70s Bed Sit

Thanks Charlene for the photo of my 70s Bed Sit display at last week's miniature fair.


It was fun making it - including the two little girls in their cheese cloth dress, and poncho.

Look what I made

It may have taken me all day - and I only managed one at a time, but look what I have made today. At last I have organised my knitting needles and crochet hooks. Yes I know they are too short for the long needles - but I recycled some matching material squares that I bought at the church fete last week - all in matching designs (3 fabric designs in 4 colour ways).

Now I have the needles sorted by size - under 3.75mm, 4 and 5 mm, and larger, as well as another one for my crochet hooks and miniature knitting needles. I don't know if I have found ALL the hooks and needles in my house - maybe I will find some more over the next few weeks/months/years.


Immediately before I went to Emergency, I called into a freecycler's place for some material pieces. She had managed to find my blog, and worked out my crafting obsession/interest. I also got three balls of wool, which I knitted into a beanie at while waiting Emergency (which was immediately snaffled up by my daughter when she visited yesterday - it was cool apparently), and I have started a matching scarf - for my grandson. Now he has no matching hat!!

Also I have received a knitting needle case of needles to include in the bundle, and some beading / jewelry bits and pieces. A real treasure trove really. Thank you Lorelle.

Re my health: I really appreciate the prayer time with our church elders - and this afternoon, perhaps I am feeling a little better - not quite so breathless as I walk around. We shall see how it goes over the next couple of days. It feels good to hold your husband's hand as wonderful friends take time to pray for you. When I come to think of it - I am due to take a tablet, and I usually am incredibly exhausted at this point in the medicine cycle. Hmmm.

Love to all

UPDATE - Saturday 19th April:
I forget to tell you - on Monday I went to see my GP, and was put on Warfarin to keep my blood thing - stop any potential slots forming, dissolve any if they have already formed. I also had an ultrasound for Deep Vein thrombosis because I was experiencing muscle pain in one leg. Anyhow - the upshot was no clot, and because I have been a good girl and wearing my compression stockings, they could easily see the veins (for the first time).

Then on Tuesday morning, I woke up all well again, and ready for work. Sometime on Monday evening, my heart went back into normal sinus rhythm - and everything is OK again. I am so grateful. Since then I have been OK most of the time. A couple of short episodes which passed quickly.

Lost week

I have lost a week - no, not one of those I have been so busy that I don't know where the week has gone, but one of those weeks where life has put me on hold from life for a week.

On Monday evening, my heart decided to beat super fast, and all out of rhythm. I have atrial fibrillation - one of the non-lethal heart problems, where my heart has extra beats - more so when I do anything besides lie in bed completely still. I spent most of 2 days in emergency, and the 2 nights in National Capital Hospital seeing a cardiologist. So I am on medication to slow the heart beat down, and try and make it regular again. If this doesn't succeed, they are threatening to give me the electric chair - nooooo I mean those electrical paddles that you see on TV where they say "Clear" and then you jump off the bed involuntarily. I feel perfectly OK when I am lying down - feel a proper fraud. But if I need a reminder, all I have to do is stand up, nearly pass out, and then walk 10 steps to my desk, and feel like I have walked a couple of km or more.

The elders from church are coming over later this morning to pray for me. What do I expect - a miraculous healing? Not necessarily, although I would accept it.

However, I do expect a sense of calm and peace that comes from getting in touch with the Divine. I do expect the sense of community and care that happens when people in your life are prepared to take time to visit, and pray for you. And I do expect that I will gain an inner strength and peace to deal with the situation I am presently in.

Now, God is God, and we are not in the business of telling (non-gender specific personal pronoun) what to do. But I believe that the way he chooses (non-gender specific personal pronoun) intervene with us as humans is in a partnership manner. there are times that (non-gender specific personal pronoun) wants us to request intervention in our lives. This is one of those times for me. I am seeking intervention, and would like this disabling condition to be gone from my life.

It has been my experience that sometimes after requesting intervention, it happens in a manner that has no other explanation than divine activity. Other times the intervention happens through medical assistance, and at other times it happens through change of lifestyle and activity. Sometimes the intervention happens within my heart and mind - I view things differently, find acceptance for things I cannot change, gain determination to do what is necessary to help myself, and find comfort and strength in having people around me who care about what is happening in my life.

Any and all of the above are acceptable to me - as is something else I don't have a clue about at this time.

Well - we have visitors in 45 minutes - and I now have to go and get dressed out of my jamas. This is not an easy task at this time, and totally exhausts me. At the moment, my Darls is applying the suction from the vacuum cleaner to the floor of the lounge. Don't tell anyone that most of what he has to suck up is threads and left overs from my crafting!!!

See you all later