Hello May

(source)

Hello May...already! I found out today that I officially have a "new" job in Ballarat (I type "new" because it's with the same organisation, at the same level, but I still had to put in an application and go for an interview and get it on merit).  So things are moving along.  I try to be patient, but I think May is going to be a long month.

All take, no give

Photo from State Library of Victoria

Things have been quiet on the blog this week, as I've found myself with nothing I really want to say. It's one of my beliefs that if you have nothing to say, then don't say anything at all...I don't feel the need to blog for the sake of it, or push anything...so I've been quietly reading and digesting other people's efforts.  This includes this book, and this blog, among others. I've been filling my Blog Lovin' up with new favourites, such as this girl, and this one. And I keep checking in on these two and this lovely to see what's new with them, as I'm in a similar headspace. 

All in all, I've been stressing myself silly this week, but have had good news from the bank, so the new Casa Pudding is going ahead...which is both awesome and scary.  I have an job interview early next week, so I've been brushing up on the relevant skills for that position. Hubert is regularly job searching, the Pudding snoozing, and I've been plodding along on crochet blankie. 

I know I'm always first-with-the-last, but I found this craft book (Panda Crafternoon) online last night, and am a bit taken by some of the projects...must pick up a copy next time I'm out a-purchasing. None of it is new and exciting, or earth-shattering, but I like the presentation, and I like the idea of a few nanna-crafts together in an easy format for me.

Ye olde standards.

Why does the little girl look so freaked out? 

[images from here]

So daily life is a bit limbo-ish at the moment, I've started to mentally say "Oh I won't do that now, will do that at the new place."  I don't know if that's good or bad, but I guess I'm trying to rein everything in before we prepare for THE BIG MOVE.  (See, scary!!)  Anyway, back to the blankie...

One step back

Today was a very hard day.

Autumnal

So so SO glad the weather's cooled down FINALLY.  As I type, the Pudding is asleep on his bed in front of the heater, and I have a nice cup of (tapir) tea.

I borrowed this photo from Green Eggs' Facebook today, because it made me think of one the things I like about early Autumn (that is NORMAL early Autumn weather, not this freaky stuff Melbourne has been having so far)...it's still sunny and warm-ish, but not melt your brain hot, and there's a nice chill in the air in the mornings.*  Plus a sunny afternoon field of chickens never goes astray.

I was pondering my craft mojo as I was on the train this afternoon.  It's still missing in action. But then I thought, "Maybe it's never coming back?"...maybe I just took refuge in excessive crafting and the crafty community at a time in my life where I was very unhappy and finding little fulfillment elsewhere.  Perhaps my NEED for crafting is gone...although the desire is still there, but no pressure, just when I feel like making something or merely doing something tactile.  So I decided not worry about my long lost mojo, and just resign myself to being a dilettante crafter. C'est la vie.

*Of course, I'm loathing getting up for work in Winter already...I don't love everything about the cold weather!  When can we win Tattslotto and retire?

Things are afoot

This

was a "horoscope" that a FB application gave me at random one day last week. I copied it into a draft post at the time, because it spoke to me in a spooky sort of fashion.

"Today God wants you to know that humans learn only by trial and error, and that includes you. You've got to live life, not think about it. Step into the midst of things, try and fail and learn and stand up again. The question is not whether you will or will not make mistakes - you will. The question is do you want to learn and grow, or do you want to shrink back and be stuck? Take that step you've been avoiding. You can succeed, or you can get feedback that it didn't work, but in either case you are sure to feel alive."

Even FB is trying to tell me to get out of my rut. Argh!

At the moment

...With New York's Favorite Beer, originally uploaded by What Makes The Pie Shops Tick?.

I am so glad it's Friday again. I seem to be dragging myself through each week. Hubert suggests that I make some goals to give me some focus and something to work towards, so that's on my list of things to do.

...
No bowling this weekend, that was last Saturday night...it's one of my new favourite things to do. I'm not sure why, unlike the photo I don't have a colour coordinated bowling outfit, don't do leaps of joy, and certainly don't drink beer whilst bowling. Perhaps adopting all these practices will improve my game? Maybe the appeal is that I just enjoy smashing things down. Most of the time. When I actually hit the pins, that is.
...

Been thinking of another name for the blog...haven't got anything yet. Meh. The only thing I can't thought of, I can't really use, as it's a bit inappropriate. My friend the Knitting Knazi was telling me how her boyfriend has a tattoo (one of many) on his arm that says "Hello fuckers". What a delightful name for the blog, thought I. Maybe it would look lovely as an embroidered blog header.

...

Just finished reading this book, as I bought it here for $5. If you ask me, is it good? I'd say with all sincerity "Yes, you should read it", but at the same time, I didn't really enjoy it, and couldn't "connect" with the author. Oprah would probably say "Oh you're not ready for it yet, or you don't want to change blah blah" but I think it's more a case of "One man's meat is another man's poison"...well in this case, not quite poison, but maybe I'd prefer the chicken or fish to the meat. It should be noted that I recently started reading a Deepak Chopra book on death and abandoned it three quarters of the way through because I thought it was both boring and uninspiring. Also I didn't feel that his examples were logically proving his arguments. I don't know if Deepak is chicken, fish or maybe even lentils. My favourite "improve yourself" type book that I've read in the past year is this one.

The other thing I'm reading in bed is this...and golly it's slow. I enjoy a nice Agatha Christie novel on the tram, and was hoping the autobiography would discuss her writing process in more detail, but it's more like "around the same time that we were holidaying in Torquay, I worked on 'The Man in the Brown Suit', and it was eventually ready for the publishers." Hence, it gets me in a very sleepy mood before bed each night.

...

In other news, I bought Hubert this as a pressie.

He had a guitar years ago, and had to sell it... he told me that he was told at the time something to the effect of "You should grow up now anyway". This made me both indignant and sad. I found the guitar on ebay, so it was a bit of a bargain. One of my ambitions it to learn the piano, and Hubert has offered to give me a hand with that. Wonder if he realises what he's gotten himself in for?

...

In other news, still trying to overcome my fear of "rolling". Let's hope I get there. This girl is encouraging me lots.
...

Happy Friday, whatever you're up to this weekend.

Random blog content #2

rides1, originally uploaded by drewzel.

Today I am peeved as I went to get the showbag guide out of the work paper, and someone has pinched it! Before it even got to our office...and even wrapped the papers back up to look like they'd been untouched. Colour me disgusted. Now my plans to peruse the showbags and plan imaginary purchases are thwarted. Grr.

However, all is not lost as I messaged Hubert who has a copy of today's Herald Sun for me to plunder. He sent me a message back "we can go if you like". Hmm, a quandry, to show or not to show? There are animals and showbags. (Like like) There is craft to um, err, wonder at. (Like) There is fairy floss. (Like) There are rides and lots of people. (Do not like.)

PS. yes, I can hear you thinking "Wow, tackling the big issues of our time there Drewzel." To which I say, yes, I know, but I'm really not capable of anything much at the moment. I don't want to think any more. Maybe I can rename the blog "Vacuous and Mundane"?

minus mandrills

This blog is always minus mandrills...actually I don't like primates much at all really. Anyway, last weekend we journeyed to Adelaide for a visit to Hubert's daughter and very much enjoyed seeing her. Can't say I really enjoy the outer Northern suburbs of Adelaide, but that's by the by. One of the joyous things about Adelaide is that their zoo has not one, but two species of tapir! This of course, probably does not excite you, as you have have to be a tapir lover, and I'm guessing that the mandrill fanclub has more members than the tapir lovers, but I am not bothered by this. I was excited. And that's all that counts.


The tapirs remained indifferent to my presence, the Malayan ones (above) content to stay dozing under their fig tree. The Brazilian tapirs only perked up when a keeper bought them some leafy matter to munch on.

before

after

But nevertheless, I had seen real live tapirs! Cheers all round.

PS. the other big attraction at the Adelaide Zoo are the giant pandas, Wang Wang and Funi. They are very cute. But they don't have proboscises. Proboscides?!

Long time, no tea

Indeed, the casual observer will note that the blog has been quiet. This is because I've been uninspired, uncrafty and unmotivated. It's been Winter. Bunker down. Some happy things have happened, life has gone on, a terribly tragic thing has happened, which I must confess has made me re-evaluate many aspects of life.

But anyway, today is the first day of Spring, so let's see if I can attempt to blog again.

Swimmers

Swimmers during learn to swim week, at a suburban swimming pool, probably Wellington region, ca 1939, originally uploaded by National Library NZ on The Commons.

No special reason for posting this one, other than I like it. It's certainly not swimming weather right now. It's a bit b&w around here lately on the blog, unlike my life. I'm trying to avoid the 'flu kicking in, so have been hiding on the couch under my blankie all day. No crafting has been achieved though...I've just been a big blob. Actually not much crafting has been done at all lately, I appear to have lost my mojo.

Right now

I haven't been blogging much, as have a few things going on, and not really good ones, somewhat unsettling things. Combined with the fact that the internet is basically shickered for the rest of our billing cycle, I haven't been reading blogs much lately, as nothing really loads, especially the photos.
So I'll blog again when everything settles down a bit, at least Hubert and all the animals are well.

In the meantime, I've started knitting as stress release, and just finished reading a memoir by Madonna's brother, which, although he's actually gracious about everything, confirms my suspicion that she's a self-obsessed egotistical monster. Anyway, the knitting - on Friday I was left to my own devices while the fella was at the nautropath, and so I ended up in the wool shop, buying this pattern, and the wool in a musk pink shade to get started:


Not that the photo is very clear, but it's just a basic stocking stitch top...supposed to be easy. That fact didn't stop me from having to pull out everything I'd done yesterday, as I'd messed up the decreases, doing them every 4th row instead of 12th (yes looking at the directions for the wrong size.) I guess it remains to be seen if I'll finish this one (no?) but in the meantime it's keeping me busy. And I need that at the moment.

Some happy things

...to balance out that last post, I do have some happy things from the past week:

~ "spring" cleaning the loungroom and rearranging the furniture. Hubert reckons the energy is better here now. I might even try and take a farty photo or two when the afternoon sun comes in:



~ playing with a favourite friend and having dog lurve.

[Spike and Leroy @ Holly's place]

~ a good movie

['Eat Pray Love' photos copyright big arsed movie studios or whoever]

~ borrowing lots of CDs that I want to hear from the library, including Grinderman, Washington and Funkadelic.

~ cupcakes and BBQ noms

[made by me, om nom nom]

~ the sunny weather.

Sunny days

Nothing much to say today apart from how much I'm enjoying the current Spring weather. I like lots of warm sunshine and even a stormy night.
And here's a picture I found on Tumblr, just beause I like it.

Monday Monday

Dear Blogworld,
It's been 2 months since my last confession.

MsCheesePlease reminded me of the existence of blogs this morning (via Facebook, of course. I've said it before, and I'll say it again...if you really want to get any idea of what I'm up to, FB friend me.) ...What's a blog, said I.

Apparently "It's that thing you used to like to do but then it became stressful and mostly just a painful obligation so the longer you don't blog, the more guilty you feel about it and the harder it becomes to start up again."

Aha! thought I. I have no obligation, because no-one reads me anyway.
But decided to do a post all the same.

Stuff on my mind = almost incoherent babbling

Such is my mood this week, I can't even be bothered thinking of an exciting title for this post. I haven't been in blog world too much of late, as work has been crazy busy and I don't do much beside Facebook on the puter in the evenings. Work is also trying to move my office into the CBD, and I fear the commuting will kill me (yes I know other people manage it, but I am not other people, and I've definitely been occupying a fragile mental space lately.) I thought I'd found a solution, and had a job interview last week, but alas, found out yesterday that I didn't get the job. Winter has definitely got me down, and the new place is proving to be most freezing and damp in this cold weather. I feel a bit directionless and uncertain. This is leading me to sleepless nights and general blahs. But Hubert and teh wee beasties have been keeping me sane and so I'm hanging in there.

[Miss Burton C Bell, gazing at Hubert.]

So that's the whingy crap. But there is good stuff too. Did I tell you that in true "have a crack" spirit, Hubert has proved to be most handy in the kitchen? Quite remarkable. He decides what he might be interested in making, looks up a recipe on the trusty interwebs, and off he goes. So far his efforts have been highly successful. Toad in the Hole was good, plus provided me with amusement. Sunday saw a super yummy Potato and Leek soup (no photos because I scoffed it all). One of the ways to my heart is indeed through my stomach.

This post made me laugh and laugh this morning. I can so relate, I've been there. Not any more though, again, I'm very lucky that the fella leaves me alone to do the house thing. However, I haven't made any progress on it so far. Last Monday I took all the pictures off the lounge room wall, moved them about for an hour (repeatedly) and then cracked the poos and put them back where I'd started. The house (which is supposed to be retro really) is getting a bit Nanna-fied. Although the big Queens of the Stone Age print would beg to differ. It seems that Ninja has finally grown out of his eat-the-palm-trees phase, so the house can again have pot plants.

[Portrait of the Ninja as a young hooligan.]

[Although these two are looking mighty suspicious.]

Last Thursday we went to Savers in the evening, and I bought NOTHING. Not a sausage. I left feeling rather unfulfilled. There was no vintage teatowels, pillowcases or reasonably priced china to be found. I hope this is not a trend. Not that I need more stuff really, I still have a whole heap of clothes, books, china and furniture at my old house to round up.

Speaking of furniture, this cupboard has been hiding in the shed since we moved in, and I feel it is nearly time to unearth it and install it in the casa. It needs a good clean and a coat of paint - most probably white. I think I'll leave the drawer liners as they are. But the writing really has to go. One drawer is marked "skivvies". I'm grateful I don't own any of those anymore.


Guess who gets the fun job of doing most of the work? No, not Ninja.

In crafty news, I've been stitching (embroidering) pillowcases (what a surprise!) and have decided to make a granny square cushion cover. Yesterday we* swapped my big 50s kitchen table for Hubert's small wood and white version, which fits the space much better. But I then decided that the kitchen chairs needs cushions/chair pads, preferably with granny square covers. This lovely tutorial gave me a new square design and off I went a-hookin'.

[camera hasn't picked up the true colours though. Damn this fluoro lighting.]

As usual, I'm having issues with the colours. Do I like the combo? How come I like the wool until I actually make the squares? ARGH! I really do think granny squares and I are not meant to be sometimes.

You know those blogs with the gorgeous, perfectly styled photos? This is not one of them. But I think you'd probably noticed this already. Thankfully, I now have a camera again (thanks to my mate Nat) so maybe the photos will improve. Can only hope.

I shall return ~ at some stage ~ with pfaffed up house photos and some completed craft. Yeah.


*the royal we of course. You know who does all the hard work around the Villa now.

Taking and giving - two birthdays

On Saturday, a couple of things struck me...well a couple of people illustrated to me the concepts of being a either giver or a taker in life.

Saturday arvo we attended a friend's 60th birthday. I was pleased to go because this man is a good person, always ready to drop everything and help a friend or relative out. (His wife is the same.) At speech time, what touched me was the real respect (and love) that all his friends and family had for him. He's worked long and hard to earn that respect. Today's his birthday, and I wish him many many more.

That same morning I received an email from a friend in response to one I'd sent earlier in the week, wishing him a happy birthday. I apologised for not getting the day exact due to my bad memory but wished him a great day all the same. The response was only "Yeh it's not until Monday." I was angry to the point of tears, as this person and I have had some ups and downs in the past, but I was trying to do the right thing and genuinely wish them well. I guess I'd like to think that he'd have the courtesy to say "Thank you" at least, but no. Today's his birthday, and all I can say is - rot in Hell arsehole.

I guess the point to all my babbling here, is that some people give themselves and their time, sincerely and reliably, while other people are just interested in themselves and what they can get from people. Probably not hard to guess which one I decided to end all further interaction with.

The post with the crappy photos

My weekend was good ~ the usual fare: stitching, drinking, movies, hanging out, nom-ing. Rain. Wee bit o' shopping. Trip to Ballarat to watch a derby bout on Sunday.
I attempted to take some pics, but couldn't get Hubert's camera to co-operate with me. But here they are anyway:



Edit - added pic of Isis for Steph who commented.

I love all the Derby girls, they rock my socks.
And now, back to Monday...

I have cake

Yesterday I arrived home to find that Hubert had baked me a cake. This overwhelms me with goodness. So I had cake for my play lunch this morning:

Fluffy cake with gooey icing. Nom nom.

You know, I'm really going to miss my desk when I move out of this office. It's such a lovely big solid 70s number. Sigh.

Post

Option 2, originally uploaded by ilustrista.

I'm sure I have some words to go with this illustration soon, but they haven't come to me yet. All I know is that I find this drawing terribly uplifting. And I need that right now.

I also amused myself with this today. I luvs me some heffalump antics.