Yesterday I noticed that my left heel wasn't quite as sore or painful to walk on ... and it didn't get worse as the day wore on either. I am tentatively hoping that my Plantar Fasciitis is finally settling down.
FROGGY: Plantar Fasciitis can be a contributing factor behind heel spurs, and really bad heel pain.
I didn't get a photo of Lacy's hair yesterday... but I did get one of Bex:
ABOVE: Streaks and tips of purple. Lacy suggested that she do my hair too... but I said "LIKE HELL!". Knowing my luck I'd end up with fluorescent green hair!
At some point soon I shall have to get my hair colour re-done. Maybe next week, when the kids are back at school.
ABOVE: The runner for Mum. I'm not 100% happy with it. I mucked up the brown edges when I had to take off the first binding. And I didn't have enough navy blue left to do the binding in that colour, so I used that stripy fabric instead. It's OK, but not quite what I wanted.
I am sure my Mum will like it though. She's mad about linen and doilies and stuff like that!
This afternoon I am back at the Hospice Shop in Manukau. I am really looking forward to that. There is something about 'working' in a shop and meeting lots of people that I really enjoy. Shame it's not a Jewellery Shop... NOW THAT would be my perfect job! All that ♥bling♥ *smiles*
ONWARD...
FUNNY, brotherly ♥LOVE♥
This morning. I'm about to get in the shower.
I tell Brylee and Griffin NOT to turn on a tap or I will kill them.
So Griffin immediately said:
"Brylee, can you turn on a tap?"
Sharp is our Griffin.
Every time I look at that Runner for Mum... I feel cross. I think it is going to be unpicked this afternoon! It is annoying me ... and I will not be happy knowing I could have fixed it before I posted it off to Mum. That will be my job tonight. FIXING it.
I'm off to Hospice Shop now... wonder if I will find some treasure today? You just know it's highly likely eh?
LYNDA: Read above in green. I am not happy with the runner and will be unpicking the binding and fixing the problem tonight.
Also, the 'Treasure' I buy at the Hospice Shop is not always for me. I often give lots of my purchases away to the kids/family. And yes, I do take stuff I no longer want down to the shop. It's called sharing it around.
ABOVE: today I bought this lot. The little glass leaf dishes will possibly be used as gifts... I can see lots of chocolates on them! The magazines will be read by us, then taken back to the shop.
That top might fit me next summer, if it doesn't, I will give it to one of the girls.
ABOVE: Bex ♥LOVES♥ orange. So this cute handbag screamed her name... so I got it for her. Steve said "Oh great, another handbag".
Clearly he has no idea, us girls can never have too many handbags!
End of Day: well I've had a lovely day, and plan on having another one tomorrow too.
nite nite
Sewing makes me happy, so that's what I will do today.
I have a few jobs lined up for the kids, that should keep them occupied for a while.
I don't think I can stand bored kids today!
As my Mum's birthday is looming (May 14th), I want to get her presents FINISHED today. She is getting Mug Rugs and a runner, which I cut out and 'composed' last night:
ABOVE: a really crap photo, my camera is still being a shit. Once it's finished I will get a better photo. I expect the quilting etc to take all day! I'm going to put a Rod Casing at the top of the runner, just in case Mum wants to hang it on a wall instead of using it as a Runner.
ABOVE: Bex made these two Mug Rugs the other day and I must say I am really IMPRESSED with how fast she has learnt to do the different techniques (quilting, binding etc). Her Mug Rugs are just lovely. She has an 'eye' for colours and design.
Lacy sent me some photos of Keera's latest accomplishment:
ABOVE: Yep, she's trying to escape from her Exersaucer ... (it's like a baby walker, but with no wheels). Lacy will have to keep an eye on her, she's a right little minx!
Last for now, we have Miss Molly, the smallest little girl from Coco's last litter. Molly lives with her family in Taranaki, and her Mum (Tracy) often sends me little updates or photos.
On the weekend Tracy's Mum gave Miss Molly a bone to chew on...:
ABOVE: !!! That bone is bigger than Molly! I wonder if she's still chewing on it? OMG I better not let Teddy and Coco see this, they never get bones like that. Doesn't Molly look a lot like Coco? Clearly she has taken after her Mother.
Righty-ho... time to get a move on and start the day.
ONWARD...
Bit excited.
I have an appointment to see the Diabetes Nurse on Wednesday morning. That's when I will find out the results of my latest blood tests. Can't wait!
Would you believe it is almost 10.30 in the morning and Brylee and Griffin are only just getting out of bed!!! BLISS. So nice and quiet up till now.
Well... it's quiet no more! Lacy and Keera are here. And Keera is anything but quiet... come to think of it, Lacy is freakin LOUD too.
Is it just me, or is no one getting any comments today? It's very disconcerting... I feel like no one likes me today! ???
Thanks Paula... I feel a bit better now! lol
The sewing is going as well as can be expected, working with a little machine that goes so SLOW I already feel like kicking it!
Lacy and Bex have bundled the kids out the door ... they are all walking down to our local dairy for tin foil.
Tin Foil: to streak Bex's hair. Well, at least they are keeping themselves amused.
ABOVE: since both dogs went to the groomers last week... BOTH of them have been itching and scratching and gnawing themselves. So... I had to go out today and buy some new cones for both of them. Coco has gnawed her rump and tail overnight something rotten! Now they will both have to be bloody cone heads for a few weeks. Grrrrr. I reckon they picked up fleas from the groomers? Or they used the wrong shampoo on them. Actually, it can't be fleas as they both had Frontline on them only a 4 weeks ago.
ABOVE: Both babies in Bex's pram. It's the first time they have used the toddler seat. Keera seemed to enjoy it.
ABOVE: Dante trying to figure out just what that was in front of him!
ABOVE: Both happy...
ABOVE: off they go... I had about 25 minutes of sheer, blissful silence!
ABOVE: two silly, giggly TARTS. They have put PURPLE in their hair!
No way am I letting either of them near my hair. I shudder at the thought!
I just got to the point of sewing the binding on the Runner.... ONLY... I didn't make the binding wide enough, so I have to unpick the whole damn thing and cut more bindings. Bugger, Damn and Blast.
End of Day: well it WAS a much nicer day today. I finally got the runner finished, so can post it and the Mug Rugs (Fabric Coasters) off to my Mum. It will take at least a week to get to her in Australia, so it won't be late for her Birthday this year!
nite nite
On our way home from having lunch with me Girlfriends yesterday, we stopped in at Amanda and Andrew's new home in Hamilton:
ABOVE: Me and Liam, who is now 11 weeks old. He's still so little ...
ABOVE: just a little man... and he's got blue eyes. Wonder if they will change?
ABOVE: our two and Amanda and Andrew's four. I'm sure Amanda never thought she would end up with 4 kids!
ABOVE: Yep, I had to post this one! She's looking a bit ... frazzled! lol Her house is still a shambles, they have only been in the house a week and there's still masses to do.
She had just bought a shelving unit to use in her 'scullery' off the kitchen, hence the packaging behind her.
ABOVE: last one for now of Liam... looking adorable.
Today's plans? No idea. Rest? Sew? Watch a week's worth of Home and Away? Grocery Shop... ikkkk... HELL NO to grocery shop!
ONWARD...
*sigh* we just did the grocery shopping. How I love doing the grocery shopping. NOT.
What else? I'm now going to watch all Home and Away episodes I missed last week...
'POOR' Griffin is learning all about CONSEQUENCES today. I am coming down hard on him... as I am over his pissy attitude. He has not been allowed to play ANY electronic games today. And WOW... now he can't on MONDAY or TUESDAY either.
I hope he learns fast because I am about ready to scream at him.
Some days being a mother pisses me off.
End of Day: well I've been feeling a bit 'flat' today. Seeing my friends yesterday was so nice, but today I have to face the fact that our getting together is only a once in a blue moon type of thing now. And I miss them.
And I let some things get on top of me today and I ended up really crabby. NOT like me at all! Yeah right... I'm renown for being crabby. *smiles*
Tomorrow will be better, I will MAKE it a better day.
nite nite.
And I have done this before!
*smiles*
Yesterday Stew and I were walking around the supermarket, and for the umpteenth time this week, my knickers slid off me butt and dangled around me knees. Luckily I had on tights, cos that's the only reason they didn't end up at me ankles!
So, last night I decided it was time to go through the FOUR drawers full of knickers and sort them out.
ABOVE: I have a lot of knickers.
Once I had tried on every single one... I ended up with four piles.
ABOVE: I am in XLarge right now, and I aim to be in the Mediums by Christmas.
The fourth pile was for the rubbish. It felt so good to actually be throwing some out at last.
Now, for today: we are heading off on a road trip. At some point we will meet up with my girlfriends from Palmerston North for lunch.
Destination is probably mid-way between here and Palmerston North.
I can't wait to see them again. It's been quite a long time since I saw them last.
Photos when we get home...
ONWARD...
HOME. Had an awesome day.
I'll show you:
ABOVE: We stopped at Tokoroa cemetary, where both my brothers and Dad are buried and we buried Keera's placenta there. My brothers were Peter and Vernon Marshall... you can see their headstone in this photo. My Dad's is just opposite my brother's grave. Their 'feet' almost touch.
ABOVE: about to cross over the new Atiamuri Bridge, that cute little hill is a landmark I am very familiar with as we lived only a few kilometres from there.
ABOVE: Steam being released from the Wairakei Geothermal power station. It's not too far from Taupo... which is where we ended up meeting the girls.
ABOVE: Me and my girlfriends. (Left to Right: Chris D, Chris H, Sandra C and Anne R)
It was just so nice to see them all again. We used to always have morning tea together on a Saturday morning... but now I can only hear about them. *sniff*... These girls are what I miss most about Palmerston North... well them and our boy Mike of course.
ABOVE: Griffin pretending to be the 'bag boy'.
Chris D said she was bringing along 'Muttley'... I had NO IDEA who Muttley was! I thought she MIGHT have got a new dog? Or a big soft toy dog?
ABOVE: But NO! 'Muttley' is her new car! And a very cute wee car he is too. She is thrilled with Muttley.
ABOVE: one more nice shot of us girls. I'm so glad I wore some colour now! That top is one I bought to wear next summer, but it fits me now, so I will wear it. Why not?
It doesn't get THAT cold here in Auckland. (It's a summer top, very thin).
By the way: Chris D... I love your new hair colour! Made me realise I need to get mine done again! I have massive regrowth. Gross.
Once we said our goodbyes, we headed back to Hamilton, where we caught up with Amanda and her family.
I will post those photos tomorrow.
For now... I'm going to think about going to bed early.
End of... a lovely, lovely Day.
nite nite
AND Stew is home all day too. Yaaaa.
He decided to take today off and have a four day break. Awesome.
We can spend some time together without the kids in tow.
Not that we plan on going anywhere, as we have a trip planned for tomorrow.
I really need to watch some of the programmes I've taped on SKY... I've been deleting heaps of stuff to make 'room' for more recent stuff. So that is my 'goal' today.
After that I will work on my Mum's gifts, I just have to quilt the two runners and bind them... and hopefully get them in the post in a couple of days.
ABOVE: a lovely photo of Keera and Brylee.
ABOVE: Stew teaching Griffin how to mow the lawns for the first time. NOT something we would ever leave him to do on his own... he's likely to do something silly and end up losing a body part!
ABOVE: I'm sure at some point he can do it unsupervised, but certainly not for a while.
Many, many years ago I knew a man whose young son was mowing their lawns on a sloping section. The boy lost half his foot when the mower slipped. I still have nightmares about that.
Right, let's stop yakking and get on with the day!
ONWARD...
I tried doing some sewing. And the 'MACHINE FROM HELL' is playing up again. I've been having a problem with it for quite a while now and have just put up with it. But now? I'm ready to throw it out the bloody window again.
I spent THOUSANDS on this bloody machine. It's supposed to be a 'TOP LINE' sewing machine, and all it's done is piss me off over and over again.
So, I'm taking back AGAIN.
In case you have no idea what I'm going on about, I got this machine a couple of years ago, and it spent it's first 6 months in and out of the repair shop. And I hope like hell it's not going to be the same all over again.
Well... the machine is at the workshop to be looked at. The bloke said he would not be able to even look at it for two weeks! So, I will have to 'share' the little Brother machine with Bex! That won't be too hard, I'm bigger than her and can just push her off the chair to get to the machine! lol
The shop had a very small selection of Fat Quarters, and I spied two that I just NEEDED to buy.
ABOVE: Both are awesome... and will be perfect for a really cute little drawstring bag.
Heading for home, not 2 km's up the road I spotted a Patchwork Shop I'd not seen before, so Stew had to do a big U-Turn so we could have a look-see.
It was just a small shop, with a very small selection of fabric. But ... knowing me, I saw two fat quarters that were ADORABLE... so Stew bought them for me.
ABOVE: See? Gorgeous!
I utterly ♥LOVE♥ anything nautical.
Mid-afternoon now, and I feel like we have done bugger all today!
Not to worry, tomorrow will be a busy day for sure.
I am beyond excited to be seeing my 3 girlfriends from Palmerston North again.
LEIGH: My machine is making a 'birds nest' of thread on the underside of the fabric, it jams the fabric to the plate when I use the auto-cut function, the stitches are long and short at intermittant intervals, which it should NOT be doing. And goodness knows what else.
This damn machine has been a right LEMON from the day I bought it.
I'm really annoyed that it's decided to pack it in again. Now I am without my 'good' machine for at least two weeks, if not more.
It's not like it's a cheap machine! It cost THOUSANDS ... HELL, my cheap little Brother works better than my Husqvarna!
I shall take some deep breaths and try not to get all wound up about it.... cos afterall, there is nothing I will gain by getting angry.
End of Day: a so-so day, only thing good was that I kept on track with the food... that is always a good thing.
nite nite
So... want to see the gorgeous Banana Cake Bex made for Steve's birthday?
Yeah... I thought so..... *smiles*
ABOVE: A truly lovely cake... banana cake, chocolate icing, and caramel bits on top.
ABOVE: Yes... he had to eat that bit!
ABOVE: I got spoilt early by Kelly and Gordon! They gave me this gorgeous shallow platter for Mother's Day. Which isn't until May of course. But they won't be able to come up then, so I got my gift early. It's stunning and I love it.
I will take another photo of it later to illustrate it's size.
ABOVE: It is ANZAC Day today here in New Zealand and Australia. The day we commemorate all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations, and the contribution and suffering of all those who have served for our countries.
As it's a public holiday, Stew and Steve are home. Steve, Bex and Dante are going to Hamilton for the day.
As for us... a lazy day at home I think.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my niece Shelley over in Melbourne. Lucky Tart, her birthday is ALWAYS a holiday!
ONWARD...
Lacy, Kelly and their girls are visiting us ... and I suppose I better think about lunch for everyone...
ABOVE: it didn't take long for poor Ted to be back in his cone.
ABOVE: My camera is playing up again. Kelly and Rena chilling after lunch.
ABOVE: Keera's first time in a highchair. She liked it.
ABOVE: Rena keeping a wary eye on Grandma. Grandma gets a bit crabby with Rena sometimes, and she knows it!
ABOVE: My HUNK. He's gunna pass for Santa the rate his hair is going grey. Weird how one side of his mo is more grey than the other side!
ABOVE: Miss Mini-Me! In looks anyway! *smiles*
ABOVE: he's rather pleased with himself... he got the baby to sleep.
ABOVE: yep, and Teddy & Coco! He's popular is my man.
Steve, Bex and Dante arrived home safely from Hamilton. They enjoyed catching up with a few friends.
They were going to get their own dinner on the way home, but when they heard what I had on the 'menu' for dinner, they came home and had my dinner.
Beef Spare Ribs in a sticky marinade and potatoe/vegetable/cheese mini pies. Super yum I must say.
End of Day: Sport on TV. It's driving me nuts. Stew has channel hopped all day... switching from one sport channel to the next. I would like to throttle him sometimes.
Lucky for HIM, I love him eh?
nite nite
