Surfing along

Im adding a few blogs I found over last few days and maybe Ill add to list if I think of it and have time
Inspired by
http://hollyberryideasdesign.blogspot.co.uk/
http://doctrow.com/
http://soulsongart.com/
http://blog.mariadenmark.com/
I keep losing favourite blogs too
anyway a bit more fun today,if I can finish carving Ill try a test print tomorrow,should be planning my work for the WIK but in my head i havea few months,yer right study starts soon

And two more  finished things the first is the Wollmeise hat using black and natural of which the latter was from a ball sent out of the goodness of her heart so I could do this pattern!!

 Ravelry link http://www.ravelry.com/projects/myfivesons/131-13-nordic-nights---hat-with-norwegian-pattern-and-large-pompom for hat
the second is a cowl from spun up top,I think it was " Walk inthe Forest " or " Forest Floor" from EGMTKs, I picked this up at the last Toodyay Retreat. Mobius cowl,dont think i put this on Raverly,Ive gotten lazy there

Sad there isnt a retreat this year,probably good in a way seeing I have to help son no 3 set up house in Kal,it dawned on me today bugger he ll need a washing machine,$580 will pick him up one from Retrovision but he also needs a fridge too and the list goes on and I have another ones private school fees in April...

Just me Just playing

Out with the ink...

 a few trial peices...

 interesting results including my hands which Im not showing!

 More details I think!!!

Now I can see where Im going Ill carve a bit more and then print again

OH bugger

Christmas was too short.though the boys did say they love the time leading to that day and then to New Year,I had to work today and thats sort of shifted my idea of enjoying the festive season,I coud have slept the morning away when I was rudely awoken at 5.30am. Why is it that a good sleep in morning is buggered by A. alarm, B. people.I have chronic fatigue growing I think,cant let it get a hold, I need that job.
Son no 3 has his new job/apprenticeship to sort out,it looks like I have to squeeze that unforgiving rock for enough to get him someplace to live close enough for the bus that travels to he mine,a month and he ll be on his feet,I think on top of roughly $1200? a fortnight ,God I hope hes not on monthly pay,plus allowances from centre link,so other than setting up he should be ok.Ideally if he can share in flat or like,I can help out with stuff like furniture etc,it ll sort out some way or another,it may be a good learning curve for him too in the terms of making do,lol,fussy bugger!
I went walking with Tilly on Christmas evening,the boys wouldn't budge but I thought it was a very pleasant evening! Tilly was extremely pleased

 A silky pear opening up

 and isnt nature wonderful,just look at this

Photos are bit wobbly,Tilly was too excited to hold still on her lead!

The Man in Red has been!!

I can safely say that no one in this house has any reason not to smell for a long time,well smell bad, hahaha, the buunies were laying in wait too,,wondering what the fuss was about!!



Son no1 is back on shift today at St Ives,we ve put off Christmas dinner til he gets home tonight,the hams been attacked alreadyand is awesome. Hes looking at a shift in location to Cloudbreak Mine near Newman,so FIFO of Perth,Ive volunteered services as housekeeper,lol Id love to live in Perth.
My goodies..

 And yes I garranteed getting it, but the boys surprised me with extras,Son no 2 was sold the gold top not! Son 3 produced the Tulip and son 1 went all out withe help from son 3 for the big bundle down in next pic.

 This however blew the socks off, Ive been after one for a while!!! Now I can clean my car properly!!Thanks to you son No 2!!

Now I going to sit back for a little while and watch a movie and knit til its time to prepare the big dinner!!
Merry Christmas everyone,hope all have a lovely day full of family joys and relaxation

Christmas Eve, 2013

The big day is nearly here and I hope I havent forgotten anything,went over budget a bit and I owe a bit to one son but I think all will enjoy their family day.Plenty of good food (I try not to think of those who arent as lucky and thank chance that we are where we are today even if theres financial woe around every corner). Work was rounded up fast,as usual Im the one left behind as carer of everything while everyone goes off into the world with their long service leave and transfers,sad that some who Ive known for a few years didnt even bother to say good bye. Disappointing that the Principal is leaving us for a supposed 12 months for I dont think he will be back.He didnt even say Merry Christmas!! I could have gone looking for him but he seemed bent on chasing up EA's and Admin despite me bringing in a Humming bird cake for morning tea on the last day in aggreeance and encouragement from office Oh well lets hope his replacement has more human tendencies. The up side,I have place to myself,Ive taken only Christmas Eve on top of public holidays off,the person who had work there wont be coming back, sleeping for an hour at a time due to alcohol consumption the night before, day after day, is not conducive to good work practise when caught sleeping on duty numerous times, one hour for a 7.8 min tea break and then again for lunch break plus disappearing for a snooze in between over a 7 hour work day is not good. I think Ive saved a few of the plants that were in bad shape on my arrival back at work.Just me and my birdies now on!
First up this morning,unlock for assistant and leave him to it,go to town and grab last gift and a nice iced coffee from Gloria Jeans,Im hooked on them, home and get ham done,sponge roll soaked ready fro trifle,now have to find something good for dinner,not christmassy food
Pineapple Crumbed ham in progress

 Chucked in oven to soften skin,and remove said skin

 Cut into diamond sections and place a clove in the centre of every diamond

Cover with bread crumbs and drizzle reduced brown sugar and pineapple juice,replace in oven until lightly browned,as the picture shows I like a lot of crumbs,this leg had little fat too. Baking the ham like this makes it a bit dryer which I like while boiling with remove the extra salt,I havent got a big enough boiler hence I heat in oven

With my ongoing mission to keep the spirit alive at work,I found we have a core of people willing to share and in return for my efforts this great work friends contributed this year!!

Now all I have to do is find those tea light candles for birdies and whip the cream,etc and all good,theres a bottle of Brown Bros Cienna waiting for me and tomorrow theyve predicted more of this

The weekend at Last

Now I know I only did two days this week but arriving at work on Thursday and OMFG,no work had been done,according Boss no sign of the person for nearly two days although had entered time book. Dead and dying plants,the ground was rock hard around them,the lawns not mowed,well ..half an attempt had been made,too hot apparently,no raking or picking up of rubbish...a typical comment,"we knew you weren't here cause the lawns were scruffy" at lest Im not that invisible lol. Give out instructions in a tight lipped way and rush to do double duty to reclaim beautiful grounds. Found said person asleep today,obviously a hangover involved.Count down to Christmas when he shall be no more.Unwashed,same clothes for 5 days,shaggy teenage looking whiskers,just like catweasle  http://www.east-anglia-sea-angling.co.uk/Archive-2007/JAN07.html  scroll down and you will understand...including the other sensory bits as in description though I would put it more like rotten scrambled eggs.

 Now I have that off my chest,hows your Christmas planning going?, Im taking boys in tomorrow for their special shopping and I have a list to finish,not much,just a few things that will brighten the day,thankful we can do it.Hubbys running shop so much he wont make it so shopping for myself from him as well myself to him,lol
Ive bought a skein of Laceweight Wollmeise, naughty but next year I doubt Ill be able to buy any,
Tomorrow I shall get a bottle of this

I loved it last Monday and thought Id drop hint for the boys to pool and just get that for me! I will one day pick up Dot and Honey and the So Fresh version,at around $70? it ll be a while,White Linen is another one Id love,whenever we ve been on the bones of our butt,having a bit of nice perfume makes one feels so much better
Now on the hottest day weve had I had to go and do this...

It has been infused with Spiced Rum

Simply cause Patrick left it there from the night before and although I hate Rum ,this wasnt too bad!
The weather has gotten hotter and hotter since Monday to a big 43' on Wednesday, then a cooler 25;yesty and in came the rain today to a chilly 15' and damp

What a beautiful sound it made on the tin roof of the front verandah,I came home to swap for Bike due to the reports of hail in Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie,luckily I only saw a couple of small possible bits of hail. BTW I took bike back to work carefully during a break in storm as there was no where safe to put car but the bike could park in gym! I discovered or remembered cold bike tires and greasy wet bitumen do not mix,a slow trip it was !
Something Ive been working on too,A wonderful fellow Wollmeise lover sent a ball of natural to make this hat,I had the Schwartz,Ill be done by tomorrow and then back to generous pwerson she is with remainder of white!,I shall weight everything and estimate what I used in that contrast so I can keep an eye on any destashes for future hats! This Ive knit without too much tension as others have noted its a firm fit but Ive tried it on and am reasonably happy with it.

The start

of my 5 day break.yay!! Ill still sneak in late in the afternoon to check and put a couple retics systems on as they dont work and havent been able to get them fixed,two Im going to play with during holidays but two are too big a job for me.
I have a ten dollar bet with another staffy that the Principal wont come back,he lamented he would have liked to stay another year,WTF??? he s telling everyone hes only taking a year off to run his wifes tutoring business as she has to care for parents.Nope I dont think he ll be back. Stated in my meeting with him that Ill be leaving if I get the harrassment of previous years due to water bills but hes reassured me that the new bloke /woman whoever, will maintain current level but it is up to them if they do want to reduce water etc and at the moment he is blaming the higher bill to leaks within the building,in short hes put it on the cleaners for lack of reporting faults,Ill lay low around here for a while.
On the other front,no morning tea,its drinkies after work on Tuesday with, Im thinking after conversation with another staffer,pizza from our shop. Pity I cant be there,no email etc again word of mouth and cleaners haven't been told ...
I  aim to do some painting,water colors and start a lino cut for a forethcoming print swap,plus I have to get some ideas forthcoming of a work to submit for the Women in Kitchens exhibit in Naracourt,SA. The theme has me buggered but the artist statement I submitted went along the lines of the kitchen being the centre of female memories. I have a vision that I need to put onto paper and play around with it,somehow I see a neutral graphite composition with a lemon to the left of veiw. Its part of my own memories of yummy times cooking with home grown lemons and my Grandmothers old recipies.My Mum is a good cook but has lost that vibrancy of  good food. Last time I stayed with her she served up a lunch I swear was fast evolving into a different being,I declined of course citing having lunched earlier at the shops but she went ahead and consumed the said organisms and only when she finished that she piped up stating that it was past it,cast iron gut mother dearest, any wonder as they only run the generators for a few hours a day at Dunlop,the fridges were never cold...
I managed to finished the patch work projects too,Im happy with them and hope the recipients will love them,theres enough fabric left to make a few more too! I rarely have hand made things in my own home,i tend to give them a away. I made four,the last one is going to a lovely lady here in town who exclaimed her pleasure at the site of them,she doesnt know she getting one.I really must knit a lacy shawl for her one day.

 I made a mistake with first one but clued in to attach the tie/hanger like this!

And wasnt I so lucky to receive this as my Curtin Arty Groups Christmas card swap,I think my effort pales alongside it,I ll be having this framed!!

Holidays are coming

I love Christmas and Im learning not stress about if the kids like their pressie, thats great and this year Ive concentrated on a main gift not the many small ones to fill the tree. Me? I always shout myself something either a new book,a spinning batt or new art stuff.This year Ive spotted a nice inexpensive pair of earrings,in flower shape,if its there just before the big day (my last day to go shopping) I will get that.
Im thankful have a roof over our heads to be in all honesty and this year its all about getting together as a family possibly for the last time for a while...
Chrissy cards,

Bugger the second wont right itself,lol,Im keeping this one to frame,I really like it and want to do a larger one. The top is doen with Inktense Blocks,not a really good one but its bright and has character..
This week I was planninga few days off as I wont get that chance til staff come back next term,until I realsied I still have to get out early to get son no 5 onto Bus at 7am,so have decided to wait til next week,maybe Tuesday,Wednesday or close to that. Theres no farewell morning tea apparently so I can choose which ever day I want, we re losing our high flying Principal,hes taking 12 months leave,its odd considering he was full of plans to fix the school. I have no idea if he intends coming back and whether he wants m etp continue the gardens as he asked,im expecting the finance manager to jump on me for water cost etc,I should have a meeting with him I suppose..its all rather depressing,a heap of staff are scrabbling to find other position away from here and others are trying to keep their jobs...for me Im safe,be humble and stay out of sight.Sent an email to the trainer this morning with a few queries,it ll be interesting what comes back. The cleaners have their noses out and I dont blame them,they weren't informed of the staff Christmas dinner at the local water hole and it seems true that the social classes are getting wider each year.
Enough of the sads,I have some little tags to paint!!! Balls, baubles and green trees!!

Ladi da da da

I had full intentions of completing a sort yard clean up today,I got as far as whipper snipping the front and back with exception of a little bit where i run out cord,then I discovvered the mower was out of fuel and the boys had knocked off the last in the jerry can,so this week sometime.I hope to take three days off during this week,not sure which days but I think Wednesday to Friday.It ll be the last I can get during holidays and taking these days while there someone else to watch assistant.Hes terminated at end of month so there may be a chance Ill be working solo for a little while.
I dont have much of measn to rid the garden refuse,no trailer and Hubby refuses to hire the garden handyman to cart it away,at $90 an hour Id be glad to pay that to clean up place.If I cut and stack it he only has to pick up and run to tip.only other way is to hire a skip but I think well cop a $300 fee to drop at tip like that. So the grand plan,prune the smaller buses a few at a time,use one of our garbage bins, stack the limbs in a "vcacant "spot and wait til it legal to bon fire them.
This part of front

These need trimming back,I could do it by sections and not over fill bins,I get cross if they go out on rubbish day half full.One day Ill have enough money to put a concrete driveway down.Just look at that bloody couch grass...
Today I finished two cards and sprayed varnish over them to seal,not sure who s lucky this time,I love both and I hope the recipients will enjoy them too.I stick them temporarily to a folded card so they can be framed or used some other way.

Tonight I want to finish another little quilt and start the stranded section of the Wollmeise hat.The very generous lady who sent me nearly a full ball of natural will waiting to see if Ive done something and I would love to return to her the remaining yarn.
Tomorrow Im going to shop to whip some cakes and have coffee with friends.Ill try to remember the camera

Counting the Days

Id love to say til I have holidays but no if Im lucky Ill get three days next week ,RDO tomorrow helps, theres no one to cover for me thats capable or trustworthy.My Grandmother and Mother are both having operations early next year and I need to get over there so hopeful they ll have someone then. I regret not getting home in time to at least be with my Dad,this time Im doing all I can to get there.Money will be a big factor but at last count I have enough points with Qantus to get a cheap flight.
We look like having son on his way to work and finishing his apprenticeship,hopefully it ll work out well enough that we can recoup the dollars put into the gear he needed to get going. The shop is very slow and it looks like ill be doing my job on top of working shop over Christmas as wages are killing us to the point that its going to be put on the market. I started work yesterday at 6.30am,i got home at 3.30,by 4.15 I was on the way to shop to get it cracking.Got home finally at 8.30pm. Its understandable Im feeling a wreck today, we do what we have to to survive.Just as well Ive taken time off study over Christmas.

 20 people lost their jobs at West Track in Kalgoorlie,it must have been terrible at the meeting as their names were read from the list of redundant,many had young families,some were apprentices like our son,just let loose to try to survive.How they felt is something only those who've been there before.

The first pic is a beautiful tri coloured hybiscus that has flowered numerous times this year, it was a gift from my line manager a few years back,i think the hand knit socks i gve her for an earlier still birthday may have helped,lol,she couldnt believe how well they were made,Im an even knitter apparently.
The above is my first kangaroo paw,an orange one,I thought Id lost it but it struggled through enough to throw up a few more flower stalks,I will plant more now!!

I love orange!!!
I have a skein of sort of burnt orange that I picked up in Perth, also another from Toodyay which I paired with a dark blue,the first will be a baktus, http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baktus-scarf I think while the paired ones a stripe study.http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stripe-study-shawl   meanwhile I have a shit load of UFOs to try to get done...