ALL BLUE TODAY

 MORNING!

I'm looking forward to sewing today.

It's gunna be a blue day.

ABOVE:  'Squeals'... the fabrics I have lined up for my next 2 or more runners!  I just love these shades of blue... so bright and happy looking.

Before I start that though, there's a load of washing to hang out (in the garage) first.  MEH.

And that's me for now.

Catch ya later.

9.30 am:  half way through the vacuming and I see wet patches!  (cleaned up now of course)

ABOVE:  A certain 'older dog' doesn't like going outside in the rain to piddle.

And I'm like... FUCK IT!

We will have new carpet in a few months.

So, HOW do I stop her?

She's done this before, even on our bed and sheepskin rug.

I don't want her to become a 'garage only' dog!

Thank You Vickie.  That is a brilliant idea and one I have now instigated.

From now on... a friend of mine is going to 'read and vet' EVERY comment I get on my blog.  She will delete all negative and nasty comments from now on.  She will not even TELL ME about them.

That way, I am no longer having to deal with the hate and malice that these trolls and haters throw my way.

That should make my blogging experience that much better, and I'm less likely to get me tits in a knot.

DOGSTAR:  OMG there is no way in hell I'm putting a dog in a diaper!  Fuck that.  It was bad enough with having to go through 8 kids in diapers over the years!    I dread to think how many I've changed.

Dog shit in a diaper?  OH HELL NO.

Now... back to  my list of jobs, before I can get back to me sewing room...

ABOVE:  Finally in the sewing room!

I spent about an hour cutting out the pattern pieces... time to cut out fabric.

And I just heard from the fabric shop owner who I spoke to yesterday.  My parcel of fabric is getting posted today.  OMG she's fast! I think I love her.  lol  😊😄💜

Well... I've been in the sewing room for about 3.5 hours and I'm done.

Just not got that much energy today... so will pack it in until tomorrow.

I think I get really tired faster when I have stuff on my mind... and my mind is going around and around in circles most of the bloody time!

Why can't it just be peaceful for once?

BUT WAIT!  THERE IS MORE.  

I have the worst heat rash.  I am getting hot flushes every half an hour again.  And then I'm freezing cold.

I can't win.  

So many things set off a hot flush for me.

Heat.

Stress.

Frustration.

And just damn anger.

I am simmering people.  SIMMERING.  

But, tomorrow is another day, another chance to have a GOOD DAY.

And right now I'm listening to music with my earphones on because fucking Stew is eating nachos and corn chips.  RIGHT NEXT TO ME.

I am turning up the volume so I can't hear him eating, otherwise he'd be dead.

Stabbed 16 times in the chest.  

Amen.

He just reminded me that he gave me 'fair warning' ... pfffft.  But thanks darling.  No stabby stabs for you.  Tonight.

AND THE DEBATE CONTINUED

 Yesterday I talked a bit about how I was feeling in relation to blogging.

After lengthy discussions with Stew and others, I am going to do this.

Diet Coke Rocks will become less 'personally informative'.  As in, some things will not be published on here anymore.  

In particular, anything to do with stuff that allows trolls and haters to have a go at me!

It might make the blog slightly less 'interesting' I suppose, but hey... I just want to maintain my/our personal space.

Also, there is a good chance Diet Coke Rocks will wind down over the next couple of years, and it will become a totally private blog for my family members only.

I've been blogging for 15 years and life changes, the reasons for me blogging have changed in that time.  It has become a personal, day to day diary of our life and at some point, I need to step away and let our lives become 'private' again. 

So that's where I am at the moment.

And of course, that may change at any given point, and I could just GO, or decide to STAY.

Lots of variables will dictate which way I go in the future.

ABOVE:  It's a terrible photo... but I just wanted to say how proud I am of Lacy.

She let me book her Covid Vaccinations last night!

Like me (to begin with), she was totally against getting it, but we managed to persuade her it was the right thing to do.  Not just for HER, but for everyone she comes into contact with.

So in about a week she will have her first jab, followed in 3 weeks by her 2nd one.

BEARING IN MIND... this is a personal CHOICE we have made.  We in no way advocate, condone or criticise anyone else for what they choose to do. 

Stew is back at work today (in the lounge).  There will be a meeting of Managers today (via ZOOM), to see if they will be going back into the office on Wednesday, when we drop down to level  3.

I am going to do the housework, then decide on my next runner design.  Possibly a Christmas Gnome one next.

NIC... I totally agree!  lol

Brylee needs food, so I shall go do her grocery shopping this morning.  Kids needs come first.

10.50 am:  And the shopping is done.  I'm very disappointed in Countdown.

ABOVE:  There was bugger all meat, and what they had was very limited in choice.  NO PORK. NO LAMB. And you were only allowed to have 6 meat items.

ABOVE:  Want an egg or 12?  Sorry.  NONE.

I am not going to Countdown again until lockdown is over and they have their shit together again.

Pak 'n' Save has MASSES of everything.  

I managed to get most of the things on Brylee's grocery list, plus a few more things to top her up for longer.

Now?  I might just relax for a minute, then go do some table runner planning.

I went into my sewing room to start working on the next runner.  But started feeling quite ill... over tired I think.

So I came back into the lounge and perked myself up by ordering some new fabrics online.

Such fun!  I ended up ringing and talking to the shop owner... and I've left it up to her what she sends me.  I want White/Silver/Grey Christmas fabrics for runners.

She was amazed that I was letting her choose my fabrics!  😆😅😃  I told her she would do fine... I will like whatever she sends.  

So now I just have to wait for my parcel to arrive.  It's so much fun getting parcels.

I might have to order from other places!

I had a nana nap this afternoon.  Took some nurofen too.  Just feel 'off'.  Lucky I don't have to cook dinner again this evening.

Left overs again.

 

If you have never had a problem accessing my blog before, but are today... it's bound to be a BLOGSPOT glitch.  They happen.  It probably won't last.

Dinner tonight was left over baked carrot dish, mashed potato and mushrooms.  So yum!

And there ends the day.

I'm off to bed.  

A FINISH TODAY

 So.  Late start as I was thinking.

My inner debate with how I feel about blogging in this day and age.

With trolls and haters reading my blog, leaving nasty, vile comments... it does make me wonder if I want to continue blogging.

I know I've talked about this before, and contemplated leaving the blog community altogether.

I constantly WANT to stop.  The single and ONLY reason I have not YET is because Stew does not want me to let the trolls and haters 'win'.

But is it 'winning' if I am not happy doing this anymore?

So the debate continues in my head.

AND BACK TO TODAY....

Well.... as I thought, I did not get the Fat Bottomed Girls Runner finished yesterday.

So, I will finish it today.  For sure.

I only have one more lady to complete, then the backing and binding added.

ABOVE:  This is the third girl... all done.  Just one to go.  And she is 70% done too.  I just have to do her hair.

I took a few photos of flowers and foliage on our walk yesterday.  Lacy said I was being an 'old lady'.  Pfffft.

ABOVE:  I'm like, what's wrong with taking pretty photos of nature?  

I anticipate another walk around the neighbourhood sometime today, apart from that, it will be a stay at home day.  Funny that, considering we are still in lockdown.

I wonder how many new cases will be reported today?  Our numbers are quite high (for our country) at the moment.  I sure hope they start falling soon.

I miss not being able to go shopping.  I need more cottons, and some fabrics of certain colours are getting low too!

Once lockdown is over I can see a fabric shopping trip happening. 

I've had a 'pow wow' with Stew.  Discussions abound.  Things will become clearer which way to go soon I hope.

Yesterday Lacy broke our tin opener... so today when Stew wanted to open a tin of pineapple he had to get clever.

ABOVE:  Might not be pretty... but it worked.

ABOVE:  Number 4 girl is done.  She's gorgeous.  I'm having lunch, then going back to sew on the baking and binding.

ABOVE:  And there it is.  Sharon... if you want it I will post it to you as soon as the post office is open.

We are having left over spag bol mince and potato pies for dinner. 

ABOVE:  Well that was bloody yum!  AND we have enough mince and mashed potato to feed Stew and I again tomorrow night.

I just love cooking enough for three nights!

Time to sign off for the evening.

Catch ya tomorrow.

PIE!

 Last night Keera helped me make dessert.

An apple/berry pie.

ABOVE: This apple peeler/corer is the best thing since sliced bread!  I utterly love it.

As you can see, even a child can use it easily and safely.

Keera certainly enjoyed using it, though she found out pretty quickly that Granny Smith Apples are rather tart!  😆😅😂

ABOVE: Last night's pie.  It was really yum.  A bit too tart for Keera, but she loved the custard and cream.  😊😋

ABOVE:  Looks yum eh?  I think there's some leftover.  Lacy might get lucky later.

We are looking forward to next Wednesday!  Our Level 4 lockdown ends, and we go down to Level 3.  Which means we can add Steve and Bex into our bubble, and get takeaways delivered, but not much else.

Sadly, Auckland and Northland will have to stay in Level 4 for at least another 2 weeks, as all the new Covid cases are occurring up there.

Of course, I'm not stupid enough to think we are out of the woods yet... anything could happen yet.  But fingers crossed, we don't get any cases here.

I'm going to do more of the FBG runner today.  There's a good chance I'll get it finished either today or tomorrow.

Rather amusingly, it is already SOLD!

That means I will have to make another one or two for my markets.

Just as well I really love them.  😊

10.06 am:  And thanks for all the unsolicited information on who we can and can't have in our bubbles ANON (s).  Now you can fuck off. 

We don't know who we are exposed to via Keera's bubble do we? But we are prepared to take that risk in order for Lacy to see her daughter.

 

All I know for sure is we are obeying all the rules, keeping our bubbles intact and safe as we can.

Fuck I hate bloody know it all's and keyboard warriors.

ABOVE:  Two down, two to go.  There had to be one wearing purple eh.  😊😏

3.24 pm:  And we have done heaps today.

I have one girl to go, then backing and binding.

Should be finished by tomorrow.

Lacy did this for me:

ABOVE:  Our plans changed for this wall in the lounge, so the paper had to come off.

Keera enjoyed helping her Mum do it too.

When she wasn't doing that, she was annoying the bejezus out of me in the sewing room!

ABOVE:  about and hour ago we felt the need to stretch out legs, and as it wasn't raining we went for a walk to the dairy.

Met that lot!  So the kids had an ice cream, then they went their way home, and so did we, but not before the dogs snuck over the 'divide' for a cuddle.

I'm now going to get dinner sorted out.  We shall be having beef sausages, mashed potato, baked carrot dish and PEAS.

I love Peas!

Well dinner was really good.  That baked carrot dish went down well with Lacy and Keera, I was most surprised!

We've been watching the telly since then, but as we are both tired, we are heading off to bed.

Catch ya tomorrow.

ANOTHER WEEKEND LOOMS

 Because of Lockdown, one day feels just like the other.  All week, I've woken up with pretty much no idea what day it is.

It's a weird feeling.  

But I do know it's Friday today, because it's a Keera day.

We are picking her up this afternoon, and have her until Monday.  

Because all playgrounds, shops and so on are closed, it will be a fairly quiet weekend.

We can still go for walks, so we will be getting fresh air, if nothing else!  I'm sure Keera will enjoy walking one of the dogs for us.

Until we get her though, I will be in my sewing room.  That new runner is hardly started, I've got all the pattern pieces to cut out yet.

Not to mention choosing the fabrics for the 'interesting bits'.  That's usually so much fun.

I hope to be able to show you what I chose to do with this runner, later on.

For now, I suppose I'll get up soon and get on with the day.

12.27 pm:  And it's so cold today!  Both of us are feeling it.

I've been in my sewing room all morning, cutting out fabric for my runner.

ABOVE: Sharon it amazes me how you always guess right!

It is fat bottoms.  And they are going to be so cute!

And FINALLY... the rules are in OUR favour.  

ABOVE:  Lacy and Keera hanging out with me in the sewing room.

I got one fat bottomed girl completed today, and am calling it quits till tomorrow now.

ABOVE:  Isn't she gorgeous!  I will be putting some foliage along the bottom of the seat... so I don't have to dick around trying to make realistic looking legs and feet!

That hair... OMG so much stitching involved, but so worth it.  

SHARON:  I shall  put your name on it, with you having the option to buy (OR NOT) once it is finished.

Funnily enough, I was thinking of you when I did the first FBG!  She's rather fetching eh?

I cooked a pie for dessert.  Will show ya tomorrow.  Right now... I'm full as a bull and am going to chill out for a couple of hours before bed.

Time to get Miss Muppet off to bed too.

MEH

 I'm awake...

It also doesn't mean I'm getting out of bed any time soon!

I just love being able to sleep in now days!

Stew is still getting up at his normal 'work day' time, and heading off to work ... in the lounge.

He has appointments, meetings, zoom conversations all day long, so no sleeping in for  him.  Poor bugger.

ABOVE:  Sorry ... I couldn't resist sharing that one.

Now... how about yet another 'sneak peek' at the next runner?

Well, ya don't actually have a choice!  You are reading my drivel after all!

ABOVE:  There ya go.

Any idea?  I'm sure some of you will get it, cos you are clever buggers, and probably know me too well.

And with that ... I'm gunna just lie here and read the news, check out some Instagram posts etc.

Catch ya later.

12.45 pm:  I stayed in bed till 9 am!

Then I got up, made the bed, cleaned out the freezers and went and did a big grocery shop.

We were down to just a few items of meat left, so I stocked up on meat.

Dropped some face masks into Brylee's letterbox too.

The supermarket was packed.  NO social distancing going on in Pak 'n' Save that's for sure!

But they were fully stocked, unlike our two local Countdowns.

On my way home I stopped outside Steve 'n' Bex's and threw these to the boys:

ABOVE: Apparently you put them on ya hand and wave... and bubbles emerge.  I hope they work.  I got one for Keera too.

ABOVE:  Steve was taking advantage of being at home, and is tidying up his garage.  

ABOVE: some new dog toys somehow managed to slip into the trolley too.   Marley is thrilled to bits.

It's now lunchtime.... time to have something to eat then head off into the sewing room.

ABOVE:  Well, that took far to bloody long!

I finally settled on backing fabric for my latest runner.  

It was not an easy decision today.

It's now dinner time and I forgot to actually keep something out for dinner!  Whoops.

I better pull finger now and sort that out too. 😉

8.45 pm:  Anyone would think it was Friday!  Stew had baked beans on toast for his dinner.  I don't know if I'll even bother having anything. 

Why eat if you are not hungry?

And on that note... I'll bugger off for the day.

Catch ya tomorrow. 

DO YOU?

 So.... who is like me and is AMAZING at keeping the washing up to date?

All washed and dried...

ABOVE:  Yesterday's washing... and um, some from last week too!

Yeah, I may be good at getting it all clean and dry.  But folding it and putting it away?

FAIL.  It is a pet peeve of mine.

Like... how the hell do we generate so much bloody washing?  It's just me and Stew here now!

Fucks sake.  (sorry Mum, bad word 😂)

Another peeve of mine: hearing people eating!

It's called Misphonia.  Our son Steve has it too.

ABOVE:  Stew put himself into 'self isolation' last night.  He went into the lounge and closed the door.

WHY?

Cos he wanted to eat some peanuts!

I'm sad to say my 'misphonia' is getting worse as I age. There's a good chance Stew won't live to old age!  (Just joking of course... or am I?)

Anyone else got it?  Tell me how tolerant you are towards noisy eaters.  Do you want to stab them 16 times in the chest like me????

Now, back to today.  Sewing first up.  I will finish that cat runner, then contemplate my next one.

How about some ideas people?  Bearing in mind what I obviously enjoy making fun runners!

9.33 am:  I woke with a pounding bloody headache again.  Grrrrr.

So, while I waited for the nurofen to work, I folded that freakin' washing and put it away.

I want a medal now.  

Stew said something so lovely to me yesterday.  I just remembered.  He looked over at me and said "Darling, I'm just so happy to see you back in your sewing room, doing what makes you happy again".  (or words to that effect)

It is like my life is starting to get back to normal, and my depression is lifting too.  I don't want to stay in bed when I wake up now.  I immediately start thinking of what I need/want to do today... and up I get!

It's such a good feeling.

Some interesting ideas for runners girls, thanks.

One sparked my interest, and I might look at doing it next. 

ABOVE:  Slightly annoying when you are only trying to HELP someone and you keep getting your head snapped off. 

I'm freezing just sitting here.  Do I go and finish that cat runner, or do I get me blankie and blob out for a while?  Hmmmm.... decisions, decisions.

So, I totally blobbed out for a few hours!

And although the headache didn't go, I am now in me sewing room, finishing off the Cat Runner.

I just have the binding to go.  I'll probably spend half an hour trying to decide what fabric to use!

*sigh*... yeah.

CHRISTY:  Water?  OMFG you do know me right?  When do I ever drink WATER?   Like almost NEVER.  That would have to be a last resort, after all other drinks in the world were no longer available!  😂😅😆

ABOVE:  And another one done.

I might not do any more today... except maybe do a pattern for the next one.

Wonder what it will be? 

Dinner tonight was left over beef rissoles, mashed potatoes with cheese, coleslaw and left over baked carrot dish.   It was bloody yum.

Now... I'm gunna chill out, then probably cut out my patterns for tomorrow's runner.