The list gets longer..............

As usual I have spent the first few weeks of January deciding what needs to be on the quilting MUST COMPLETE list for 2011.

I have decided to record that list here in the hope that some of you may try to keep me focussed on finishing these things rather than starting new ones!!!

- Journey of a Quilter - those familiar with this list from 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 will remember it is a block of the month that I completed one block of.....

- Be Attitudes - I need to do all the hand stitching of faces and details.....

- Angels Story - another long term favourite block of the month - although I have completed four blocks, have three ironed on and ready for applique and one to embroider ....as well as the other 7 to put together.

- my red, pink, white and black quilt - this one is only a the farbic selected stage - still haven't found a pattern for it - suggestions welcome.....

- Roll, roll cotton ball -a Bonnie Hunter mytsery quilt

- Kiss in the corner - a Bonnie Hunter Mystery quilt

Might work these two together like I did Caroline crossroads and Orange Crush when I got sick of one I worked on cutting or piecing the other and I finished both of them in five weeks - yes that is definitely the plan for these two.

- Birthday block quilt - at least it won't be making these blocks the girls in the quilting groups will be I will just put them together - this will be my next hand quilting project

- Zahlees Quilt - Speaking of hand quilting I have to finish the pastel quilt for my little Zahlee.

- And then there is a paper pieced quilt that I want for my new bed - it will be scrappy with a common background fabric - again suggestions welcome

And finally the one I added this morning a "Jared takes a wife " it is another of Bonnies quilts that I have rediscovered - and have decided I just have to make it ....I wonder if it would look good made with the red, pink, white and blacks I have chosen with no pattern????

Are you thinking what I am thinking ? Is she CRAZY there are too many - I agree but my mentor tells me you have to aim high .....if there is no update post in December this year feel free to renind me to fess up and see if I got to finish any of them !!!

Daisymum

2011 - what a way to start a year !!

This first post of the year was going to be last week and about our holiday- a new addition to the family and things like that.... now that all seems a bit trivial.

So a quick round up:

We have a new puppy she was a Christmas present from our son - her name is "pudding"

She is now about 9 weeks old and is very cute and getting used to us - I on the other hand keep stepping on her because she is always right under my feet!!!!

One of the best blog posts this week was when we all heard from Mandy from The Old Dairy - it was great to know she and her family were safe and dry.

I think now with all the devastation around from the flooding it is a good time to remind oursleves that fruit and vegetables will be expensive and probably in short supply - so yesterday I planted some tomatoes and lettuce and few bits and pieces more than I normally would because I figure if I have excess I can share it.

So Welcome to 2011 - we Queenslanders sure know how to start the year off big!!! My thoughts go out to the families in WA facing fire threats - if we could send water we would - stay safe everyone.

daisymum

Look what we got this year

These cute little guys are the ones that we bred from the ducks that daisyson6 got for his 3rd birthday, turns out they were great mothers and we got 19 ducklings hatched from them.

We lost a few to the Powerful Owl family that is nesting in the back paddock - but only when we were home too late to get them locked away.

The one we kept is now a snowy white muscovey duck and she spends her day with our lovely Gander - Kite. Poor Kite thinks she is a really small goose - and she isn't sure what she is but they are having a loveky time together anyway swimming in the dam - which if FULL with a capital F.

So with visions of fluffy yellow ducklings in your head - have a fantastic day!!

daisymum

A week and its December Already?

I can't believe it has been over a week since I posted and it is December!

I just worked out that I have made over 13000 - thirteen thousand school lunches and I still have about 4800 to go before I am done being tied to the kitchen bench at 6am.

But the really sad thing (apart from me taking the time to work this out) is that I am not sure just how many of them got eaten.

You start out the school year with salad sandwiches and yoghurt in new lunch boxes and end the year with vegemite sandwiches and cling film!!

Of course there are spurts of wraps, and casseroles in those hellishly expensive food carriers - you know the ones - the ones THAT NEVER COME HOME.

What does come home are the mouldy sandwiches, squishy fruit and the "healthy muffins" now a very healthy food source for nine previously unidentified strains of bacteria.

At the end of every year we all ask oursleves why bother but in eight weeks time we will all be in the kitchen with shiny colour coordinated lunchboxes and ice packs - packing healthy yummy lunches - with the naive thought that this year will be different, and your kids will eat the lunches you pack not sell them to the boarders - so they can buy chips and lollies!!

Daisymum

Balance - a challenge for you

A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to have a guy called Nique Stewart come and speak to us - at us - he is a motivational speaker.

He talked about goal setting and how setting goals isn't just about work goals but life goals as well. How you need to write them down and in the present tense ie: I am spending 1/2 hour everyday in my garden, not I will....

So why am I telling you all this? well because it works.

Now mind you sceptic that I am it may just be that is is summer and you all know how I LOVE SUMMER! But since I wrote down in my book - I am spending 1/2 an hour in the garden everyday, I am spending 1/2 sewing everyday, I am spending 1/2 hour cleaning the house everyday - I actually am! Not to mention all the work related goals that I wrote down and are now coming to fruition.

This comes as much of a surprise to me as I am sure it is to you. But I spent so many months saying "I don't have time" when in fact I do have time I just don't allocate it for the things I love. I try to get all the work stuff done first so then I can play - but play is what makes me who I am and how can I be effective at my job if I am not who I am?

So all those posts about the elusive "balance" - it is simply a matter of writing it down in the present tense and reading over it every single day (more than once).

I know it sounds simplistic but if it is so simple and no harm can come of it why not give it a go and let me know how you go?

Daisymum

Friday

For the first time in ages I don't have any appointments - so that means one thing - jeans and a tshirt and a day of paperwork. Now this may not seem very exciting but believe me it is like a holiday compared to what I have been cramming into my days lately.

But as you can see I ahve made time for the vege garden here are a few squash, beetroot and lettuce. With the wonderful rain we are having they are much bigger than when I took this photo on Monday!! Remember when we are desperately concerned about the lack of rain - how lucky are we now.




Tonight is the Primary school extravaganza - not one of our favourite evenings - oh it is lovely to see the kids perform and have fun but the behaviour of some of the parents leaves me quite cold. I think I am getting less tolerant of boof heads in my old age!!!lol





Huge work day tomorrow 9 Open Homes and an inspection at 7:30am so a long day - but I love Saturdays they are full of promise and meeting new people and adventures and achievements - for a whole variety of different reasons it is still my favourite day of the week.

I hope you are all having a fabulous run down into the weekend.

Daisymum

Beautiful Sunday Morning

Today was to be my first day off in 33 days but as fate would have it I had a huge day in Open Home land yesterday and I have some buyers who want a second inspection on one of my properties.

Now to be fair I did try to organise it for Monday or Tuesday telling them I hadn't had a day off in a month - but one is starting a new job tomorrow and hey have little kids - and my seller needs to move on with her life.

So I chose to look at it differently I will get dressed, take the kids with me and drop them to the park in town (with ice cream money) do my inspection then sit and have a coffee while the kids play. I like the idea of afternoon tea in the village today - and I wouldn't have even thought of it if these people hadn't wanted this inspection.

So the lesson is - always look out for the possibilities in every situation.

Other than that I am planning on getting the house clean in a blitz this morning, cutting out some more pieces of my Mystery Quilt, planting out some more seedlings in the vegetable garden (did I mention the nursery is right next to the park!!) and getting my quilt marked up with the quilting lines so I can continue hand quilting tonight, and getting to church later today.

These are the bits of the Mystery Quilt I have cut so far - not even enough to complete the first part of the first block!!! Need to get a wriggle on with this today so I can sit and sew for a while.

This is Sascha - we are looking after her for her owner who is away until February. What I didn't mention when I told you the big boys had moved out was that they took Turbo with them and Buddy went to live in Mitchell with a friend of daisyson23 - he is happy and healthy and spends his days mustering goats!!

So we were dogless - we looked at getting another one and at fostering for the RSPCA and then Sascha turned up. She is a great dog she never barks, doesn't chew shoes, doesn't dig, loves to go for a walk (but not too far she is 7) and her only vice is ripping the soccer and footy balls to shreds so the kids play in the back paddock instead of the yard.

We will miss her when she goes back to her owner in February and perhaps by then we will be ready for a permanent four legged member of the family.

Enjoy your Sunday whereever you are

Daisymum