What I've been up to

I told you I had been knitting....Here are the squares for the blankets, because of other commitments on Saturday I was missing SNB, but I had the newspaper clipping from Wednesday's paper saying the Knitting Frenzy would be held in the Old School Park next saturday the date and time. I thought DH is at work I have time to drive down and knit abit before going to friends party in afternoon.
I got my knitting together, my chair and headed off down, I got there and no-one was to be seen, I thought they must have packed up as the weather was turning cold and wet looking. So I went and got some supplies for party and the alcohol (most important) and headed home, only to read the date and it is Saturday 1 October. So I will drive back down this saturday morning and knit a bit. I always get confused with the "next saturday", I take it that it is the saturday coming up not the one after.



I have been knitting the tops on some kitchen hand towels, which should keep me going for a few more years to come. Some are Christmas hand towels, but they will be used all year round. They are all different in colours and patterns, which is the beauty of having a timber kitchen, with black benches and white tiles, any colour matches.



I am working on a blanket for my in-laws for Christmas, I am not sure on the colours, but I am trying to use up this ridiculously huge stash, so I am trying to match up colours the best I can. They are a blue and lemon colour, so hopefully when finished won't look to bad.

My DS #2's girlfriend (damn what a mouth full), was looking at the book I got from the Bookman who comes around work, I was going to get it for my niece, but it had some useful things in it so I decided to keep it for myself. So the girlfriend said last nigth she would like to learn to knit, so she said she would have a go at it from the book, I left her some needles and yarn out on the book this morning, so maybe when I get home she may have started. Would be nice if the dishes were done, the washing folded etc, but that would be just too much for my heart to take......

I'm Back......

I have been off work for a week and a half sick with this damn virus head cold thing. I fought it off for about 3 weeks, a girl at work was a sick as a mongrel dog but hey she kept on coming to work each day, well isn't she a martyr, it really floored me when it finally hit. I was so sick on my birthday, I hate that.

The day before my birthday DH rang me in the middle of the day and said he would get pizza for dinner, you beaut I thought, as I don't have any taste so if you all want pizza then go for it. I did think it a bit strange also as we would be having something special for my birthday the next night. Scott's partner was flying to Melbourne on my birthday, so I though with her away, they will be over for pizza. I had a shower around lunchtime and washed my hair, I know what has that got to do with it all. Well, I forgot to put the hair stuff in my wet hair, you know that stuff that when you blow dry your hair, it sometimes looks OK. Around 3 o'clock, I thought I should do my hair if the kids are coming over for dinner, took a look in the mirror and I looked like shit, so I didn't bother with the hair, anyway it is only pizza...Right!.

Steve gets home, I ask is he going to order pizza and drive into Kiama and get it and what time. He rushes downstairs to see Tim (second son), he then rushes across the road to see Scott (first son), he then comes back and as he is getting in the shower he annouces.....Well I have to tell you, we are taking you out for a surprise dinner. Well I nearly had a heart attack, I took another look in the mirror....NOPE, nothing in this world is going to make me look or feel better to be able to go out.

I went and looked for something to wear, jeans are always good. I put some of that hair stuff in the hair and blow dried into something presentable. Put on the makeup, got dressed and I was ready. We had a really nice dinner, presents, and a Chocolate Mud Birthday Cake with candles and song. Well didn't they all make me feel special. The card from the kids was the best thing ever, I know I get a bit soppy about cards, but it really made my day/year. Seanna wrote the following:

To dear Mum (Anne),

We hope you have the best birthday,

with love from your boys Scott and Timothy

and your girls of course Seanna, Abby and Ruby

Woof, Woof. XOXOXOXO


The card was one of those mum cards, with Now that you have spend all your time running after us, being there picking up after us etc etc etc, it is now time for your to relax and take it easy..... inside the card read: Yeah Right! - to the most amazing Mum.

It was so special, the boys had borrowed our car at lunchtime to go fishing down the river, they hooked up the little tinny boat and off they went. They got home about 4 hours later. When at dinner and they gave me my present, they told me that they unhooked the boat in front of an aunties place opposite the river, then drove out to the shopping centre to get my present and card, then came back and did a bit of fishing.... I wouldn't like to be relying on them to eat fish, we would have starved long ago.

Seanna's dad came along for dinner as well. They all made my birthday so special. And a sick as I was, It was the best.

I have been getting some knitting done while sick. A have done about 20 squares for the local Rotary club's Knitting Frenzy which will take place this saturday, they make blankets and send to Peru, and other countries in need for the winter.

I even knitted the tops on kitchen hand towels as all my older hand towels were looking pretty shabby.

I have started a blanket from Knitters Universe magazine, I will give it too Steve's parents for Christmas, I plan on doing one each for them.

Photos will be coming, YS borrowed camera and has it full of car photos, I will have to download them so I can take knitting photos.

Secret Pal Gift

I got home yesterday and had a huge box on the kitchen bench for me. It was from Danielle my Secret Pal. Wow, you should have seen all the great stuff. The Stitch N Bitch Handbook, I was really hanging to get that, which reminds me I must cancel the back order I have for it. Well I will just put the picture here for you all to see, the lollies are nearly all gone, Hersey Kisses are yummy! Two things didn't make it past customs, that was 2 packets of microwave pop corn. The letter from customs said that I could put them through quarantine and then pay $42.50 to get them or have them sent back to the sender for a cost of $42.50 or just let them be destroyed for nothing, sorry Danielle but they will be destroyed. Thank you so much for all the wonderful gifts, I have an idea on what to knit with the burgandy/pink wool and maybe a baby thing with the homespun, it is such a nice colour. The lip cream is great, I used it on my lips going to bed last night. Ruby took her ball and play bone thing to bed with her last night. The teddy bears are great, the tiny white one with the knitting is in the china cabinet with my other two larger bears who are also knitting.

Spring is looking good.... abit of rain & sun

Spring is only a few days old and already we have had a nice bit of rain on Father's Day, a sunny but a bit cooler day yesterday, we had a flexi day each yesterday, got heaps done, it would be really nice to have every monday off.

I finished the bandage for Leprosy, I haven't taken any photos of late as I have to remember to buy batteries for the camera. I have finished the knitting part of the poncho but still have to sew it up. I started on blanket squares for the local Rotary Club, they have a knit a thon one day in October and make the squares into blankets and send overseas to needy countries. I thought I would get more done this year, so I have started them now. I just knit the squares on the triangle, you know start with two stiches, increase at beginning of every row until desired length then decrease at beginning of every row until two stitches left and cast off, the squares I am doing are 18cms so that was increase until 53 stitches on needles then start decreasing.

Random thoughts.....

I have a lot going through my head at the moment.......wouldn't it be nice to be able to just put your arms around all the sadness in the world, give it a big hug and it would make it alright. Wishful thinking I know......but one day!

I finished the scarf's for the little girl and her teddy bear my Mum was going to knit. I will post them off today to my Mum on her holiday. This little 4 year old has been with the grandparents for a short time, they didn't know she existed until recently when someone called them, her Mum is away until Christmas time for doing something wrong, this little thing couldn't even talk, I am seeing a different side of my Mum which is so heart felt, she has always been a caring person, but now I know where I get all these feelings of fixing up all the problems from, From my Mum. Anyway after a few weeks away with her grandparents and meeting my parents she is talking alot. Someone who needs a huge hug to make it better.

Then there is Katrina and now didn't she let loose on New Orleans and surrounds, what can we do we are all wondering, maybe we should just start knitting all kinds of things for them, the children, the adults I don't know but they will be coming into winter soon, is their winter cold like say in New York, or do they have mild winters??? See being an Aussie I don't know these things. If there is anyone In America who is going to be knitting for these people and passing things onto them, let me know I am happy to contribute.

When it comes to doing things, sometimes I think the actual item is better than money, as with most charities it takes up to 75% for administration costs, that doesn't leave much from your donations going to the actual cause. There are some highly paid CEO's heading most Charities.

Then Baghdad...all those people killed from a stupid rumour which would have made them totally freak out and try to save themselves. Some people are just so cruel, you can only hope the person who started the rumour got hurt, Yeah I know that is not very nice, but hey, it isn't nice what the others are going through either.

Anyway it is Friday and the weekend hopefully will be good, and we will be thinking about all the people in Baghdad and New Orleans.

On a lighter note and something a bit funny....I was checking out my secret pal's blog last week and wanted to make a comment, I thought about it as I didn't want her to know who I was, so I made up a false blog site address, and bugger me if it wasn't a real website, it was in Australia luckily as it was www.topsecret.com.au. I don't think I will do that in a hurry again. I had to then email my secret pal on my secret email address and tell her that it was a made up address and it wasn't me.

On the needles, is a cotton bandage which the knitters guild send overseas for people with Leprosy.

Anyway, hope everyone has a great weekend.

The Big Reveal part 2

I have just got an email from the secret pal who has been spoiling me, not with who she is but to let me know my next package is on its way, she did leave some more hints as to who she might be, I got right onto it and have worked it out, hope I am right. I have added her to my side bar under the Secret Pal 5 button. It is so good to be out in the open now, and be able to get to know the person more through their blogs. I have really enjoyed this secret pal thing, but I don't know that I will be in Secret Pal 6, I think I will just do this once a year, So I will wait until next year and join another Secret Pal then. Thanks for spoiling me so well Sassy-gina-d.

My wild child started a Pre-Apprenticeship Mechanics Course at TAFE today, he will attend two days per week and do work experience at the local mechanics, which he will be able to walk to. Hopefully this will keep him on the right track from now on.

It is the first day of spring today, and what a lovely day it is, I was having Friday off but my boss will be out of the office all day, so he as declined my day off. So I will just have Monday off, which works out better I guess as DH will be off. Don't you just love this DH thing it can stand for Darling Husband if the mood goes that way or DickHead if that is more appropriate at the time of writing. I guess I am in the middle on this with having Monday off with him, as you know how I like to have time every now and then by myself.

Fathers Day this Sunday 4 September, haven't made any plans as yet, my Dad is away, and I don't know what Darling H wants to do with his, and the boys haven't made any suggestions on what they want to do either. Might just have a barby if weather is good like today.