Category Archive

Me watching the other 7Days guys , after work today. Too tired for anything of Artistic Merit

I’m home. I have slept. I have recovered.

The Australasian Quilt Convention was fantastic! All you quilty types need to go!! The only bad thing about it was the lame photos I took -you’ll just have to trust me that everything about it was great, because all the proof I have is blurry. I had the BEST classes! Friendly, happy, competent students make tutoring a breeze and such fun. And the exhibition alone was worth the trip, but once again you’ll have to take my word for it. I don’t know quite what I did wrong but my photos are baaaaaad.
Even the pics I took of some of the fabric I bought are baaaaad…

The best part of the trip was meeting bloggers. I met this one and this one and these ones. They were all lovely and no one was an axe murderer (I’m secretly a teensy bit disappointed about that).
Pixie drove across town in a taxi just to have a drink with me before she headed off on a hot date! Thank you, Pixie; it was above and beyond to put in such an effort for such a brief visit.
Leanne and her mate Melinda and I sat together at the Gala Dinner and scoffed large quantities of scrumptious food while being entertained by equally scrumptious half-naked boy acrobats. Stomper and Crafty took me to a Japanese restaurant on Brunswick Street and we talked about EVERYTHING until we were very nearly kicked out at closing time. I’m not sure the sweet girls working there had heard some of the words we used. After we had worked our way through sex and religion and politics and childbirth, I was just about hoarse. We took photos and Stomper’s seems to be the best - of mine, one was blurry and the other has Crafty blinking and me looking like a startled panda (it was the end of four days teaching; I was knackered). Stomper, of course, looks gorgeous (Crafty, you look gorgeous, too, just asleep). I wish I could have dinner with Pixie every Friday, Leanne and Melinda every Saturday and with Stomper and Crafty every Sunday!

Melbourne is just as beautiful as it has always been. I would love to go there more often.
And Brunswick Street. What can I say? I’d move in today, given half a chance.

Here’s a snippet of what’s coming up next…

Tomorrow is Twelve by Twelve Day. Watch this space.

Twolimeleaves will be a bit quiet for the next five or six days. Tomorrow I’m heading down to Melbourne where I’ll be teaching at the Australasian Quilt Convention for four days. I love teaching, so I’ve been looking forward to this weekend. The BIG bonus is that I’ll also get to meet some bloggy peeps. (I’ll try to sneak some photos of them, OK?) (shhh)

While I’m away, my second anniversary as a blogger will pass. Hard to believe really. Me. Sticking at a project for two years.

In celebration I thought I should give y’all something. So in my sidebar is a little giftette from moi. A pattern for a Good Dog pincushion. Making one of those puppies (heh heh little joke there) is so simple - have a go. Just copy the file and print. The applique design is full-size, ready to use.

Happy pin-cushioning!

Jess and Meggie and Molly and Mary and heaps more of you have been writing these amazing statements. I believe it started here with Suse. They have intrigued me and I have found myself writing my own in my head for days. Mine became further removed from the original concept as I went along. But it made me cry. Time to put it here…

I am from Strong Women. Land-owning, moko-chinned women. Far-from-home, desperate-for-a-new-beginning women. Women who worked hard, physical work, who created, who birthed and buried. Maori and Pakeha, New Zealand women.

I am from Weetbix and Marmite and Vogel bread. But also Mum and Dad making jam in a steamy kitchen, measuring sugar, cutting plums and peaches. From duck and pheasant, plucked by Nanna, shot by Papa, making his own cartridges on the back verandah; from flounder and crayfish, caught by my uncles, drying and cleaning their nets in the sun. From whitebait, feijoas, plums and mandarins. I am from sun-ripened strawberries growing safely under old fishing nets.

I am from a sandpit, huge and deep - built by Dad, digging with my brother; Mole Holes and tunnels to China, shared baths and sandy feet.

I am from freesias, grape hyacinth and roses. But also bracken, ponga and moss. From damp bush tracks, swinging vines, tuis, fantails and bellbirds. From cold, bare legs and sweaty wool-clad torsos; from home-knitted hats and Swan-dris; from canvas packs and scroggin.

I am from a river, deep and dark. The Waikato. Forboding, menacing, comforting, home.

I am from immigrant Presbyterian straightforwardness, threat, control; softened by years to simplicity, inclusiveness, morality. I am from whakapapa, so that my family includes all things and everyone and is everpresent. I am from karakia, prayer for all things - welcome, recognition, gratitude, farewell.

I am from Christmas indulgences. Ceiling-scraper trees that leave sap on the plaster, wooden crates of soft-drink bottles, present-opening that lasts all afternoon (one at a time so everyone can see). I am from my Papa, roasting assorted fowl all morning, revelling in the luxuriousness of our lives.

I am from Nanna. From crochet and knitting, from sewing needles dangerously parked in the back of the sofa, horse racing on a transistor radio. From bags stuffed full of wool and patterns and magazines. The New Zealand Women’s Weekly.
From Choysa tea, arrowroot biscuits, 20 cents to buy yourself a creamy. I am from you.

I am from barefooted primary school days. Hand stands, four-square, school journals, muddy playing fields, thick Education Department crayons. From kids who smelled funny and boys who played rugby and girls in Grandma-knitted cardigans.
I am from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer and boater hats and school ties and timetables and Latin verbs and Chapel and matron and The Bursar and The Headmistress. I am from naughty boarders, brothers at St Pauls, sneaking hone early.

I am from wet, foggy mornings with the washing machine sloshing and my mother’s red hands.
I am from homemade clothes, Holly Hobbie-embroidered and pin-tucked. I am from Singer sewing machines, forever patient Teacher-Mother with needle and thread, hours spent looking a patterns and fabric in shops, pinking shears, pins in foam-topped plastic boxes.

I am from rides in the wheelbarrow, a Daddy with strong arms; piggyback rides, a Daddy with a strong back. Wrestling on the lounge floor, pinned in The Scissors hold. Laughing, laughing, laughing. I am from my parents cuddling in the car, flirting in the kitchen, dancing in the lounge. I am from kissing and cuddling and love.

Ko Taupiri te maunga
Ko Waikato te awa
Ko Aotearoa te iwi

Taupiri is my mountain
Waikato is my river
New Zealand is my people

I live life on the edge. The police were on my tail last night.

That’s right, you heard me. The Fuzz.

$60 for an illegal U-turn.

Cos, I’m wild like that.

Chocolate quilt closeup, originally uploaded by twolimeleaves.

A little smackerel of something
A morsel of chocolate for this month’s quilt for the twelveby12 challenge. The date of the Grand Reveal is 1 February, but I just finished today and had to give you a glimpse, at least.

Few things give me the endorphin rush that a Really Good Op Shop Find does…


Button Porn. Few understand it.

Thanks for the “are you still alive?” emails and messages! Still here. Still hiding (although I have emerged a few times to buy food and check the mail).

The Boy has shingles (!!) (I thought only old men got shingles. He said,”Great. What’s next?” I replied, “Piles. Then your prostate will pack it in.”
We’ve been serenading him with “Shingle Bells, Shingle Bells, Shingle all the way!” He doesn’t laugh, but we think it’s hilarious.

Ali asked if I would make a gingerbread house for Christmas. I made one as a surprise for the kids a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, because teenagers go to bed so late, to make it a surprise required that I be baking gingerbread in the middle of the night. It was worth it. It was a cute house and everyone loved it. This years? I’ll let Ali describe the Debacle…

we made a Gingerbread tent because… here’s the story:

so now we have a Gingerbread tent, with five jelly-baby people out front, a red frog lolly on the door with a handle looking like a white poo (you know, a swirly kinda one) and a black cat lolly (licorice) on the roof of the tent. so the peoples home looks like a tent-house…. thing. and to top it all off, mum attacked it with hundreds and thousands in an attempt to cover up how bad it looked. it made it worse.

There are no photos that can do justice to how truly hideous it is, so here’s a pic of last year’s tree instead

Happy Christmas, Bloggers One and All!!
Peace, joy and boundless love to you all.
May next year’s gingerbread house be more successful.

“Ha!”, says Peter, ” and Ha! again.”

What I mean is, BLOG housekeeping. As life became busier of late and blogging less, I realise I haven’t kept up with what is needed. There are cobwebs in the corner of my blog. YOU can help. Here’s what I would like - do you link to my blog and I have neglected to link you back?? This is a nasty oversight on my part. Now is the time to tell me if you should be on my links page! Don’t be shy, just leave a comment. “HEY YOU!! LINK ME ALREADY!!” would do. Or, if you don’t like making a public spectacle of yourself, email me on the Q.T. at kirsty(at)kirstenduncan(dot)com(dot)au
***NOTE***if I don’t link you after that it means I didn’t get your email, so don’t pout!***

Thank you! thank you! thank you! for the confidence boost you all gave me over the last few days. I really needed it and it REALLY TRULY helped to hear from you guys. You’ll see that I’ve deleted those last two posts. That’s because I’ve become a bit twitchy about theft. I’ve had a few posts pinched lately and I really don’t want to lose any of my design work! I’ll keep posting pics but I might be a bit selective about what I put out there for a while.

Yeah, well you’re a big doody head

Our new office is in an interesting area on the edge of the City Centre, surrounded by other engineering-type businesses. I look through the windows from my desk and see everyone who walks by. I realised yesterday that there are really only Two Types of Passerby - engineers and people who live in the local halfway houses/hostels.
I’m starting to have favourites. My bestest favourite is Waiting-For-the-Mothership-Dude. He wears one of these.

Peter tells me it’s a radio, but I know different. I know he actually waiting for contact from Beyond. And when that Mothership comes, he’s going to be ready. I hope he’s happy in Space.

I met another man this week, who at first glance is very unattractive. Now I am a firm believer that there are very very few truly unattractive people in the world, but he NEARLY qualified. Within minutes, however, I found him to be one of the most appealing people I have ever met - intelligent, charming, witty, principled and, above all, kind. And I swear he became better looking with every passing moment. I remember a teacher at my (girls’) school telling us fourteen year old fools, “Handsome is as handsome does”. We were a little too vacuous, a little too dumb to really understand. She was right. And Fine Character is a powerful antidote to having missed out on the Cute Gene.

I have been eaten. I have been attacked and bitten in HUNDREDS of places, some of which rarely see daylight. Our fabulous new office is overrun by fleas. BLOODY FLEAS!!!

It is an old building and, at the back, there is a weird storage section that has a bare earth floor. The plumbers have been scrambling about in there and have disturbed all of the earth. In this part of the world, bare, dry earth means fleas. And disturbing the eggs means that they hatch and go looking for food. They found me.

We have flea-bombed, we have sprayed the carpet. I have literally hundreds of bites all over me. I am covered from head-to-toe in Stingose to try and stop the itching. It dries to a white powder on the skin so I now look leprous. Very attractive.

And it gets worse. We found a litter of feral kittens in a drain in our garage at the office. They were dying so we collected them and took them to the RSPCA. They had fleas. They over-nighted at our house. SO NOW WE HAVE FLEAS AT HOME AS WELL!!!!!!!!!!!

Excuse me, it’s time for another coating of Stingose.

The hurrier I go, the behinder I get…

Today, I FINALLY posted off the “woo hoo you won a prize” prize to Margie (had to tell you publicly, Margie, so you didn’t drop dead of fright at the letterbox). Oh, the shame!! I see it is THREE months since I promised these prizes! Tomorrow will be Christiane’s prize mailing day (I ran out of wrapping paper today).
Crafty Pay It Forward-ers, you are next on my list of Gifts to Make and Send! My head is full of ideas (and I’ve actually started!). Nicolette, I’m working up a little gift stash for you, too :*

Behold, the wonderment that is the beautiful glasswork of Chronicler…


How gorgeous is that turquoise-y blue? And I love the way the squares float in the glass. The dichroic glass pendant was sent especially for Ali (who loves blue!) and the sparkle is beautiful. What talent that Chronicler has (have a look here if you want to see more or even buy your own!).Thank you, C, so much for your thoughtfulness!
You can see I’ve been photoshopping - I’m trying to remember how to do all that I learned a few months ago. If you want to see my piece de resistance, click on my etsy button and have a look at the new banner I made for my etsy shop. I am so pleased with myself that it’s nauseating…

Another project that I haven’t mentioned yet…
I am a member of the Twelve by 12 group begun by Diane and cleverly named by Brenda. There are twelve of us and we are making 12″ quiltettes every month or so, inspired by the suggestion of one member each time. This month’s is “Dandelion” and if you have a look at the group blog you will see the amazing diversity of work that this one word is initiating. The quilts are due to be finished 1 November. I have just begun and will post pics of the completed work rather than progress shots. It’s taken me a little while to kick off - dandelion yellow is one of my least favourite colours and it took me a while to mentally put that colour aside and allow other thoughts and ideas to form. I have been helped along in the process by an obsessive re-visiting of R.E.M.’s song Wendell Gee.
R.E.M. songs have a way of embedding themselves in my skin…

I’ll be back soon. I’m just exhausted and need to think about nothing for a while. Peter will be home in less than 48 hours and we are going away for a weekend to recover. I don’t remember anyone telling me that being a grown-up was soooo tiring.

I’ve been MIA for a while, I know. We have been planning on opening the business on 1 October (two days after Peter gets home!) so I’ve been wrangling sub-contractors at the office. Oh. My. Goodness. They are a scary bunch. As two-faced as the 14 yr old Queen Bitch at any girls’ school.

First Contact -
Me: I need you to come on ___day and do ____. Can you do it and how much will it cost?
Large Intimidating Criminal-Looking Smelly Subbie: Yeah, of course, Love. No worries! I can pull some guys off the Other Job down the road and be here and gone in one day. It’ll cost $732580235.00 on completion, “through the books”. (NB: this is an ACTUAL quote - “through the books”. Am I supposed to be impressed by his honesty???)
Me (hyperventilating over price but desperate enough to crush own feelings of Being RIPPED Off): Great. I need a firm commitment from you on this because I have other guys to organise too.
LICLSS: She’s right, Love. We’ll be here. In fact, you tell us the day - we can do it any day you want this week.

Third/Fourth/Fifth/Sixth/Seventh (you get the picture) contact -
Me (firmly but calmly): You said, “blah blah blah but now you are telling me blech blech blech”.
LICLSS (leaning over me in ever-so-slightly threatening manner): Now just a minute, Love. I made it very clear that jwegrt9p814615t9[#@G(*^_&T$. I said we’ll be here June 2008 and we will be. By the way, Where’s the 98% deposit we asked for?

I can now see that employing these guys is like having a pet lion. They may act like big kittens when you first meet, but turn your back and they’ll tear you apart. Then claim that it’s what you asked for in the first place.

Thanks everyone for the wonderful, enthusiastic messages of support and encouragement! And, thanks too, for the great discussion on my last post. I love you all, too

Krista left a comment recently that included this:
usually i get the most hits when i’m sharing my DIRT. isn’t that sad? i’m boring unless i’m in crisis. lol.

It got me thinking, because I can say pretty much the same thing. And then, yesterday, a blogger who I am starting to know a little more about, wrote a pained and honest post about some problems he is having. He didn’t ramble on and on and it wasn’t a pity-fest - just stated what was happening and how he felt about it. I related to some of what he wrote and left him a message of support and a “Me, too, mate”.

Today I went back to his post and…

…he’s edited it and removed all of the parts that showed him to be a vulnerable, exposed human being. I felt so sad. As far as I could see no one had said anything mean to him. I’m assuming that he just felt too unsafe baring his soul that way.

Blogging forms connections between people that can be unexpected. There is often debate about the validity of ‘virtual’ relationships and we all see stories on TV about people who fall in love and then meet and realise they don’t even like each other. I don’t particularly care one way or the other whether I would be friends in Real Life with my internet mates, the point is that we connect with and support each other. We genuinely care about each others’ wellbeing. These relationships may be brief - maybe only one comment left on one poignant post - or they can be ongoing over a long period of time.

What’s the difference really between this and spilling your guts to a stranger on a train? Or smiling at a mother whose toddler is throwing a wobbly in the supermarket?

Isn’t ALL emotional connection between people valuable?

So I know you are tired of hearing about the searches that find me
but how could I NOT share this????

should my son where an athletic cup at 1

What a surreal few days it’s been!

Thursday:
8:00 a.m.dropped Ali at school
ran a few errands in town
9:00 a.m. drove out to Hughenden (400-odd km) to collect Peter - his last day there! woo hoo!
2:00 - 5:00 p.m. packed remaining possessions from house there into back of car (almost - had to leave some with a friend!)
5:00 7:30 p.m. Peter coached his last group of Hughenden kids’ tennis
10:00 p.m.drove back to Townsville, arriving 2:00 a.m. Friday (Ali stayed with a friend)

Friday:
tried to sleep in
failed
Peter madly working on computer trying to organise a TENDER - yes, you read it right
NZ partners to rescue - they will complete tender (wonderful, thoughtful friends)
Peter and I lay down for nap
I fluffed my pillow and rearranged covers
He got up - claimed he had rested enough (in three minutes??)
more errands around town - buying chairs for office, clothes and shoes for P and paying bills
at shopping centre, P has notion to check whether his mobile IS set up for international roaming as requested TWO MONTHS ago
surprise surprise surprise - IT ISN’T
$300, half an hour of clenched teeth and barely civil phone call later, it IS
dinner out at local restaurant, nearly asleep in mushroom sauce
packing suitcase, photocopying passport, discussing clothing options at length
bed by 10:30, alarm on mobile phone set for 4:00 a.m.
awake at 11:25 - memo on phone has woken us up to tell us that Peter is flying to LA in the morning (so we’d better get a good night’s sleep. Oh the irony)

Saturday:
4:00 a.m. eyes are open
5:00 a.m. wake up in cafe at airport with a mouthful of coffee
5:30 a.m. Peter leaves. Trying hard not to cry.
home and back to bed
7:30 a.m. P calls from Brisbane
1:00 p.m. P calls from Sydney
Spend day sorting through his clothes and tidying wardrobe
nap in afternoon
starting to feel human again
more tidying, shopping with Ali
early night
wake up all through night waiting for the phone to ring. It doesn’t.
8:00 a.m. email from Peter - safe in L.A. , phone not working (Well, of course not. Why the hell should it?? We asked nicely, paid the $$ but forgot to sacrifice our youngest child and smear her blood all over the Telstra Shop) BUT he has seen Chronicler and is very happily visiting with an old friend. By now, I suspect, he is comatose on her sofa!
8:01 a.m. email from Chronicler (now this is amazing!). She has driven HOURS to meet with Peter for TWO minutes and give him a gift for me!!
12:00 p.m. look at this!! How weird it feels to see my husband on an American blog!! Wish I could see the present he is holding just a l i t t l e better - I have to wait two more weeks to see it.

How incredible are bloggers? The generosity of absolute strangers is a delightful reminder of how cool human beings can actually be. People who think that the computer age has damaged the way in which humans communicate with and relate to each other should spend a day or two blogging. And Chronicler’s blogs are a good place to start. She also has some awesome stuff for sale!

After a couple of days in LA and then a few in Boston, P will be on his way to Germany to visit his brother and sister-in-law. I am so excited for him. This will be the very first time he has ever visited his brother in his brother’s own home!
Next time, we’re hoping to both go

You have heard me extolling my husband Peter’s virtues many times. I don’t want to bore you (or, heaven forbid, drive you away!) but this post is about Peter and What He is Up To.

This man is a Good Man. He is the son of a Good Man (and a Good Woman) and the father of a Good Man in Training.
We are blessed in my family, we have many Good Men - fathers, brothers, husbands. We do not take them for granted. We love them and we tell them so. We are proud of them and we tell them so. I suspect that there are far more Good Men in the world than the bad ones who get all the press, but that is no excuse to undervalue the ones in Our Lives.

Peter decided when he was twelve that he wanted to be a Civil Engineer. This amazes me. How many kids that age even know what an engineer does? Anyway, he did and he liked it and wanted to do it. He will tell you that he is Averagely Smart. I take serious issue with this. He is far from average. He is VERY smart, he is principled, he loves, he takes responsibility, he inspires other people, he nurtures, he expresses his ideas and opinions and he puts his heart and soul into everything he does. Look up “Commitment Phobic” in the dictionary - see there, under “antonym”? It says Peter.

If you ask my mother, who is one of Peter’s Greatest Fans (he has many, but she is probably Vice President of the Club, under me as Pres.), she will tell you that Peter’s parents were not only fabulous parents but they were very wise when they named him, because he really is a Rock. He is calm, strong, reliable, solid and a trustworthy anchorpoint.

Now the reason for telling you all this is to prove my next point. Peter is about to get his Just Deserts. After many years of working hard for other people, he is opening his own Engineering Consultancy. We have gone into partnership with a New Zealand business and will be the Australian arm. I am so proud of Peter and so happy for him. This is exciting stuff!
Here are Ali and Peter at the company launch which we held in Cairns while we were there for the conference last week.

We had a wonderful night! Yummy food, gorgeous venue and good company.

This whole process is very busy-making! And we have (cleverly, I think) combined setting up and opening the office with
(a) moving the rest of the family and belongings to Townsville
(b) Peter’s two week trip to Europe and the USA (he will leave next week and gets back a few days before we open).
SO, the garage to our tiny two bedroom townhouse looks like this…

…and we have more stuff in storage…
…the office is currently an empty concrete construction zone…

…and we open the doors 1 October!

So there’s some explanation for my distraction in the last few weeks. I’ve been doing all sorts of new things and the next few weeks won’t be any slower.

***I’ve been having some Issues for a month or so now with comments. Not all of them are coming through to my email, so if you haven’t received a reply from me, my apologies! I’ve tried to get back to everyone but I’m sure I have missed some. It was especially nice to hear that everyone else is just as fragile as me over stats and thanks so much for the congratulations for Ali on her maths success!

Also, to those of you that are camping by your letterboxes waiting for presents from me - I hope you’re comfy and well-stocked with marshmallows The wait should nearly be over!

Tell me, just how pathetic is it to feel a stab in the heart when someone unsubscribes from your blog?

I want to shout COME BACK!! I CAN CHANGE!!!

I am a Busy Blogger right now. Remember I said we were starting a business? The Bisyness has begun. In a day or two I will have a moment to explain further. In the meantime…

…the Lie.

The Lie was that There WERE Lies.
In actual fact there were none. All of that was true!! Even the Priest.
Although (you deserve an explanation for that one!) he was not Really Truly a Priest, but an actor playing a Priest in “Constance Drinkwater and the Final Days of Somerset”.

It was so nice to go to see a play (and an unexpected treat - we didn’t plan for it but the theatre was right next door to our hotel). We haven’t done it for AGES and it was an interesting one!!
Must dash…

We are home. I wish I could say I am pleased, but this was one of those holidays that you don’t want to end. Yes, it was THAT good!
I have been greatly enjoying the wonderful lies that so many of you have been telling, inspired by Tracey who, I must say, is the most unlikely of liars! Instead of doing her meme, I am going to tell you about my week - you can decide which points are real and which I’m lying about…

1. We stayed at this place. It was beautiful, had spectacular views over the sea and delicious soap and shampoo (lemongrass and eucalyptus).

2. Ali and I spent a morning standing three metres from lions and a tiger as they tore into huge chunks of raw meat and crunched through three inch thick bones. Did you know that when the lionesses are in heat they bonk up to ninety times a day for three days straight??

3. We ate crocodile at a teppanyaki bar.

4. Peter was in need of new clothes and we found a wonderful menswear store where we bought him a beautiful suit, pants, jacket, belt and shoes. The suit cost more than my wedding dress (Hell, the jacket and the SHOES each cost more than my wedding dress!!) and he hyperventilated when it was time to pay but he looks thoroughly gorgeous and lustworthy.

5. We were in Cairns primarily for Peter to attend a conference and the Gala Dinner was a wonderful surprise for me - the entertainment included legendary Australian band, The Black Sorrows. They were superb. Consummate musicians. If you haven’t seen Joe Camilleri perform live, you should. I think I will marry him next. Who can resist a man in a linen suit? Certainly not me.

6. On Thursday night a priest was talking to us and when he turned around his cassock was completely open down the back and he mooned us with one of the prettier boy-butts I’ve seen.

7. We snorkeled at Green Island and I swam amongst a school of coral trout that were each about 40 cm long (16″).

8. Ali and I saw a green turtle.

9. I saw a whale.

10. I got seasick on the way to Green Island and the only thing that stopped me chucking my breakfast in front of a hundred strangers was pride.

11. I ate cherry flavoured gelato for the first time in my life.

12. Peter can use an espresso machine and froth milk and I never knew it.

13. We watched Blazing Saddles on TV two days before we gave it to Peter on dvd for Fathers’ Day.

14. Sept 1 was the 26th anniversary of Peter proposing to me. Legend has it (i.e. Peter’s version of events) that we were in a terrible restaurant and he offered to “take you away from all this”. Next thing he remembers is walking down the aisle…
Of course, that IS a lie - a colossal lie - we were in a fabulous restaurant and He Proposed Properly. I know because I was there.

15. Cairns is full of tourists. FULL of tourists. I walked along the Esplanade and was the only person speaking English. It was lovely hearing so many different languages.

16. And FUNNY to see all the English tourists sunbathing in Winter!!

17. Yesterday was Peter’s brother’s birthday. Happy Birthday and kisses from Queensland!!
Peter’s brother designs Porsches.

18. A Japanese man glanced up at Peter as we walked past him on the beach and exclaimed “OH! Very strong!!”

19. Ali and I shopped until our feet ached. We had to stop and go back to the hotel because we couldn’t take another step.

20. I sat next to a man at the Gala Dinner who was Sir Les Patterson in a slightly cleaner suit. He gleefully informed me that key note speaker who addressed Life/Work Balance had said that “we should have intercourse three times a week”. The room started swaying at that point and my seasickness returned.

So, where are the lies??

Things are looking up again :

I got an email this morning from one of my beautiful sisters-in-law *blowing kisses*
Ali got 83% for her maths exam and topped the class
You guys all sent sweet messages and cheered me up
Peter phoned and kissed me (you can so do that by phone)

and this afternoon, this bracelet was in the mailbox…
Isn’t it lovely? I bought it here. And it has arrived just in time for me to take it away on holiday. Don’t panic if you don’t hear any more from me for a week or so. I’ll be soaking in the bath in my luxurious hotel room. Don’t hate me. Someone has to be spoiled - thank goodness it’s me.

I know Sussanah told me to stop, and I know I probably should …

…but

weird little toe nail

and

napping on the couch

Pretty much sums me up.

I’ll be back soon, I promise. I’m just a little flat is all.

Hey, this beats even towel-folding…

praise the lord give me your money

Hell, YES!

Someone found me today by googling

correct way to fold a towel

Holy crap, she must have been disappointed.

butterfly4, originally uploaded by twolimeleaves.

…finished. Yes! Can you tell that I get tetchy when I’m sewing class samples?? I’m sorry I snapped yesterday, but talking to you guys and checking out what you are all up to is so appealing when I’m trying to make myself sew. This is what it is - a sample for my students to make in class. I’ve been thinking that it really does need to manifest itself in a full-size quilt (along with a whole cluster of butterfly buddies), but it makes me feel just a little bit sick when I think of the amount of sewing it will need.
Thanks for all the Good Lovin’ comments (except YOU Sussanah, pretty , jealous thing that you are )

butterfly applique, originally uploaded by twolimeleaves.

Stop DISTRACTING ME!!!!!!!
I’m trying to get this finished!!

This is my new bible… I can thoroughly recommend it. It’s so well-written that I understand it and, as a bonus, it’s even funny!
I’ll put it down long enough to say Hi…

About three or even four weeks ago, Kirsten dished one of these my way…

…which was very cool of her and I’ve been feeling guilty about not responding for about, ooh, three days now! (just kidding really - it’s been weeks) Thank you, Kirsten C., you rockin’ chick, you!
I happen to know countless rockin’ girls, so handing this out will be a piece of cake. I’m supposed to give five awards:
Sussanah has to be on the list, because we all know that she wants to grow up to be a debaser AND she loves her husband, and I’m very much in favour of that.
And Sarah, well, she’s the closest chick I know to a groupie! And she is a superb photographer. And when she’s not playing wii she grows mega-veges.
Nicolette is definitely a rockin’ blogger in any language.I get the impression she can make anything.
Craftymum scares me a bit. She finds more hideous craft stuff than anyone else I know, which makes her a rockin’ blogger in the same way that, say, David Lee Roth is rockin’. Remember him? Small pants, big hair? I know you know what I mean, crafty
Joni has so much energy you can feeling it exploding through the interwaves, or whatever the Internets travel on. She absolutely rocks!

I made another couple of peg aprons today for the etsy shop. I have a real thing for apple green, so it was good for the soul to use some.
I’m really enjoying making projects that don’t take too long. By the way, I haven’t forgotten that I owe some pincushions - they ARE coming, I promise!
And in case you’ve been worried about me and my phone we’re good now. We kind of have an understanding. It doesn’t demand attention from me and I only bother it occasionally.
I even got a text today from the Prodigal. It said “please please please please mummy send red rock deli chips theres money in my acct”.
What a kid! Does he miss me? No, he misses potato chips of the Right Brand!! (and thinks I would want HIM to pay for them !)

It’s been a busy week. For the first three days I was completely engulfed by a computer course. I need to learn how to use MYOB (a book-keeping programme) so that I can be of a little more use to Peter in his new business than just a coffee maker/receptionist/kisser in the kitchen. It was all very interesting. I had to keep reminding myself that book-keeping is not Quantum Mechanics. Unfortunately, the course assumed large amounts of prior knowledge - they were there to teach me the PROGRAMME, not BOOK-KEEPING - so I had to keep my wits about me and pay attention. It’s been a while since I did anything that demanded that level of concentration! But it was fine and, while I’m pretty sure I failed the exam (!!), I do have a fair idea of what the programme is about.
On Friday I collected the new car. It was rather hilarious. I dropped Peter at the airport at 5:00 a.m. (in my clapped out trade-in) and, as I was driving home, I turned on the fan to demist the windscreen. Roh-Ro, Rooby-Roo!! Instantly a new grinding noise started. I limped it home, took Ali to school a few hours later and let it have Nanna-rests for the whole day. After school we drove to the car dealership, willing the sad little car to last the distance. How embarrassing would it have been for the engine to seize on the way to trading it in??? The new car is lovely! It starts first time, doesn’t clunk or grind and smells of leather. Oooooh!!!
As so often seems to happen, the leafy quilt has fallen by the wayside. I have been distracted by flowers and ribbon and lace and other fripperies. This afternoon has been productive, though. I made a new bag (cos you know I don’t have enough of those!)…

SO, all in all, a good week. New stuff and an aching brain.

ps: I should sign off with the new name my brother has given me:
Dual Citrus Foliage.

Today is A Red Letter Day. Three good things happened today. We are getting a new car (yay). My offer on commercial premises for my husband Peter’s new business was accepted (bigger yay) (and I’ll tell you more about it later)….

…BUT, the BEST NEWS EVER E. V. E. R. is…

… that Myer is coming to Townsville! Non-Australians, let me explain. Myer is a department store. Myer is where I have disposed of 85 % of my husband’s earnings over the last 24 years (OK that’s a little exaggeration. Give me a break, I’m in ecstasy here!). Myer is as close as Heaven on Earth as it is possible to get.

When we moved here, I never thought to ask if there was a Myer. I just assumed that A CITY OF MORE THAN 100 000 PEOPLE WOULD HAVE ONE!!!! I was crushed to discover that Townsville was Myer-less. I had to go to Brisbane or Sydney for a fix!
Then I found out that Cairns has one. CAIRNS??? What has Cairns got that Townsville hasn’t? MYER, that’s what. Until now…

I am so happy

Peter is in shock.

This is probably the closest I can get to looking intimidating. If I’m watching anything it’s likely to be TV.

YOOHOO!!! ALL WANNABE CRAFTY PAY IT FORWARDERS!! If you have missed out joining in this cool swap thing, drop by Prickly Pear Bloom and sign up with Tracy. She’s a graphics boffin so she’ll be guaranteed to come up with something arty and awesome for you!

School holidays around here mean endless games of Scrabble. And, for the record, I WON!! nah nah nah nah nah *cough* not that I’m competitive…

There’s a cool Pay It Forward Craft exchange happening. It’s been at Leanne’s blog and Leisa’s and I joined up at Nicolette’s.
Here’s the deal. I send a crafted gift to the first three people who comment on this post saying that they want to play. Each of them then posts the message below on their blogs and invites another three. Yay! Presents for everyone!

OK. Who wants to play?

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week… LOL… but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

This photo is small because you DO NOT want to see it big, trust me. And just pretend for a minute that it’s still Sunday, because I forgot to post this yesterday (heck for some of you it IS Sunday anyway. The world is so confusing like that).

To calm you after that shock, here’s a pretty flower.This is one of a kazillion photos I took of waterlilies in New Zealand last January.

Beautiful parcels from friends I’ve never met…

from Erin at house on hill road
(how did she know that ribbon would make my heart skip?)

Coming home from work, tired and stressed, to find my precious daughter making sushi for dinner…

Those of you with toddlers - there IS hope!

Thanks so much for all the Etsy love and encouragement! It’s really nice to have a cheer squad saying “You can do this!”
So far, I’m happy. So far, this is fun! I sold the two Goth babies, so today I’m making more
I had a little draw for my Doggie pincushion giveaway and…

… Christiane and Margie won! Send me your snail mail addresses, and they’ll be in the post before you an say, “Not ANOTHER trip to the Post Office!!”

Ahem, you may have noticed the new Tragique Look my blog has taken on I changed templates at 1:30 this morning (NEVER a good time to do anything mentally challenging!) and stuffed up my sidebar. I have sought help from the Great Gods of WordPress, so hopefully this is a temporary state.

You may ALSO have noticed what I was doing at 2:00 a.m. I had my first attempt at making my own buttons! That funny looking brown bird at the top of my side bar is a link to my website. And the blurry looking thing underneath it is a link to my Etsy shop. Sadly, the Princess of Photoshop (my 15 yr old daughter) was asleep when I needed her most and I had to fly without a wingman. So these feeble attempts are IT.

I have also transferred all my links to you guys, my mates, my peeps, on to a separate page. Can you have a look at your own link and just make sure it’s working AOK please? I had to do it all manually and working manually in the wee hours of the morning is a dangerous thing.

Happy day, darlings!

Thanks to your poking and prodding, I have opened an Etsy shop! How hilarious!! I really need you guys stabbing me with a sharp stick sometimes. As Sarah said, “Oh, just do it.” I could almost imagine her rolling her eyes ;). And as for you, Sarah 2, what’s this having an Etsy shop and “nothing to sell in it. I just liked the idea that maybe one day inspiration - and skill - would strike and away I’d go …” You truly are priceless!

I’ve only got two things in it so far (!) and I wouldn’t even have those if it weren’t for the help of my sweet Ali, Princess of Photoshop. I tell you, how people without teenage kids cope with technology, I. will. never. know.
She also made my banner
(which looks a bit like this)

when, after at least 12354985789172 attempts at it, I STILL had a banner that looked like a streak of snot on the screen.
As soon as I finish this post, I’ll be editing photos of the Goth Babies to add to the shop. (Yes, Anina, they are my design *cough* OUR design - Ali drew me a picture of what she wanted and I drafted a pattern).

I know I’ve been really really slack about replying to your comments this week. Sorry about that Thank you, thank you, thank you for the encouragement and kind comments. You guys are The Best and I’m glad I know you *mwah*

To put my money where my mouth is, I’m going to have a Prize Giving Ceremony. Leave a comment on this post and I’ll send two of you a pin cushion as featured in my Etsy shop. (did I MENTION THAT I”VE OPENED AN ETSY SHOP???? WITH HARDLY ANYTHING IN IT????)

Outback Australia is like all wild places - very difficult to imagine. Impossible to understand unless you’ve been there. Kind of fascinating in a scary “glad I don’t live there” way. Oh yeah ! I DID live there! I would love to be able to paint word pictures for you, but I’m not the most articulate individual. What I would most like to be able to do is let you smell it. I know that sounds kind of kinky, but this is a place with a unique smell. I was talking to A Local about it one day. She told me that she loves that smell. To her it means Home. I hate that smell. It’s acrid, salty and to me it means, “Not this bloody place again.” I can see beauty out there, truly I can, but the glimpses I have aren’t enough to feed my soul day in and day out.

I would like to show you these pics, though. This place enthralls me.
It is the original hut on a property that belongs to a couple we are acquainted with. Until a few months ago when they moved a newer house on site, they lived in this hut (along with their three sons) whenever they were at the property to work. You can see the new house through the window of the hut.
While this may look third world, you need to understand the context. Queensland properties (farms, also called stations) can be wild and woolly places. Many of them are very remote and the land is not cultivated - it’s just expanses of scrubby bush that animals are grazed on. Like many property owners, these people own several parcels of land that are many hours travel time apart and they spend varying amounts of time on each property, as the work is required. Their sons go to boarding school.
This hut was built a looong time ago (nobody really knows when but it may be well over a hundred years old).
It has a (mostly) concrete floor, electricity (generator, I think) and running water, although those features are relatively new additions. This wood range was used for cooking and heating water. You can see that there are no glassed windows - just openings with prop-up shutters. It is surprisingly cool in there on a hot day.
While I find it fascinating, I couldn’t stand sleeping in there because it has, on a number of occasions, been known to house snakes. In fact, the owner told us that for a while they had a King Brown (a couple of metres long) living in the rafters that they found hard to budge. Every time they tried to get him, he would flatten himself into a crack and escape their efforts. And, yes, they are deadly poisonous! Eventually, one day, they caught him in the open and he was disposed of.

Interesting place. Wouldn’t want to live there

Yesterday I had a great time teaching a machine applique class here in Townsville. I had one of the most competent groups of students I’ve ever had! Those ladies really know their way around a sewing machine. So it was a lovely relaxing day with yummy food and good company. These cushions were my class sample…

Today, however, is dull as dishwater - it’s pouring rain and cold. I have a jumper on! AND I’m working at the bank this afternoon. Blech.
Interesting to hear your thoughts on links. It’s made me think about other ways to do it and I’ve been thinking about maybe having a separate page for my links.

I’ve noticed something strange in the past few weeks. Lots of the blogs that I read have suddenly removed ALL of their links. I don’t get it. For me blogging is largely about communicating with other people and networking. So when someone links me, I usually link them back. And when I feel like meeting new people I often do it by following the links on my friends’ blogs. So why are people not showing links anymore? Am I out of some loop that says that links are passe?? Or does the number of bloggers that one person can keep up with eventually reach critical mass and require a shutdown of some kind?

Amongst the newer blogs that I’ve been reading lately are
the lovely Flo (I know Tracey and I always call her the ‘lovely’ Flo or the ‘beautiful’ Flo, but she just IS!) at Red Slippers
Crafty Mum (Stomper Girl’s next door neighbour)
Tanya, who has a brain and isn’t afraid to use it
Sussanah’s mate Jennifer is at Precious Pink Pumps

and, finally, I think I’ve read every post at Trauma Queen over the last few days! I have had many rides in ambulances with my son, James, and this fascinating blog is written by an ambulance officer in Edinburgh. He is funny, gentle of spirit and has compassion in bucketloads. One of those truly loving people that you really need around you when your world is caving in!

I’ve been tagged by Jade to list my Top 5 Eating Spots. After Tracey’s post about Top Ten Lists, it will be a challenge to stick to five so I’m limiting myself to eateries in four places I’ve lived.

1. Fifteen years ago Pete and I went to The Walnut Room in Brisbane. I am STILL talking about it. It rates as the absolute-no-competition-alltime-best restaurant I have ever eaten at! The food was good, but the service was outstanding. We had our own exclusive waiter and he was so discreet that he managed to refill my glass without me even noticing. Superb.

2. In Townsville we like to eat breakfast at a cafe called C-bar. The food is nice/average but we like it because we can walk there and it is right on the sea. There is nothing between us and the water. Here’s a photo that Katja blogged a while ago. Wouldn’t you love it too?

New Zealand is FULL of excellent restaurants! I’m not kidding. If you love good food, then you need to book a holiday in New Zealand NOW and go on a restaurant crawl.

3. Palmerston North is not a big place but it is chock full of great places to eat. My favourite is Bella’s. The menu is good, the food is fantastic but, again, what makes the place extra good is the service - it’s one of those lovely places where you feel truly welcomed.

4.Hamilton (my home town) is also overloaded with choice. You can’t beat Scotts Epicurean for breakfast. They make amazing homemade crumpets (nothing like the supermarket kind!) and salmon that I’d walk a hundred miles for (mind you, I seldom meet a salmon I don’t adore).

5. And a few doors down is Metropolis which is practically a Hamilton Institution. And so it should be! It’s impossible not to love the place.

If Peter and I had every dollar we have eaten in restaurants over the years, we would be able to laugh about my dying car!! But we do love a good meal
Where do you like to eat??

My car is old. And somewhat crappy. It’s probably worth about $4000.00 on a good day. That doesn’t bother me. I don’t particularly value cars and as long as the thing starts when I want it to and doesn’t break down I’m happy.

BUT… (you knew that was coming)

Last week, new tires $600.00

This week, new idle bearings $370.00

Oh and the following quote from the repair dude:

Fix airconditioning system $1200.00 (non-urgent)
New cooling system $1100.00 (URGENT!!! FIX NOW OR ENGINE MAY SEIZE!!!!!)

I think I’m going to get a bus timetable tomorrow.

Pears, originally uploaded by twolimeleaves.

I’ve never been a big fan of the taste of pears -too sweet and not sharp enough for me - but they are very beautiful.

You have to look at this blog. I just wasted about half an hour trying not to pee myself laughing and being grateful that a) I never went flatting and b) I don’t work in one of those big, sucky offices anymore.
Having recently written a note to all of my neighbours about garbage disposal (the maggots in the bins finally got to me), it felt so close to home! It’s always such a comfort to know that one is not alone and there are other petty passive-aggressives out there. The only note I’ve ever actually left was on the window of a car that had parked about 5 mm behind me (that ISN’T an exaggeration) so that the only reason I could get out of the park was that I have Super Driver of Doom Skillz. The note said “Next time try getting CLOSER”. I’m so witty.
This is my favourite - it’s the ” That’s an excellent start” line that gets me.

All you kiwis out there are going to be ashamed of me. I’M ashamed of me. I have become a wuss. This morning at 8:15 a.m., in fact.
I stepped outside to take my daughter to school and immediately said, “Brrrr! It’s cold!!”
I had goosebumps and wanted a jumper.

It is 17 Degrees Celsius.

I think I have acclimatised to a tropical climate.

Sometimes I try to be a Woman of Few Words (as if that will ever be possible) and end up just confusing people.
In answer to the questions about the 365 quilt - no, it won’t be huge. The little blocks are only 3″ square and I’m making the quilt 20×20 blocks, so before I put the borders on it will only be 60″ square. The extra 35 squares (20 x 20 = 400 - 365 days = 35!!) will be little pieced blocks, or have something appliqued on them or just be a piece of some yummy fabric.
I’m writing on the fabric with a Micron pigma pen which you can buy at just about any quilt shop. There are other fabric-safe pens around, too.

While I’m housekeeping, FELICIA and MARGIE (hope they heard me), I have been trying to reply to both of you but my emails bounce every time!!

I never said I was healthy…, originally uploaded by twolimeleaves.

Breakfast Sunday is a flickr group that Shula started. I think I have the worst breakfasts in the group. Curse you, healthy people!! And pass the whipped cream…

I have officially been a T.I.T. for long enough!! (that’s “Tyrant-in-Training”) Today I am Guest Despot on Soozadoo. All visitors will not only be up to date with the new rules (and therefore avoid the Accidental Gaffe) but will also be declared Friends of Kirstadoo and Pretty.

Tell me, how long did it take for you to grow up? How old were you when you figured out who you are? When did you stop having doubts about yourself? Will it ever happen to me?

And while you’re at it, tell me how to help someone ELSE grow up. How do you do that? How do you advise teenagers when you aren’t sure yourself? What do you tell them about life when you are still trying to figure it out? Do you ever reach a point where you feel you have imparted enough of yourself to them - when you feel that they are ready? When you stop being terrified that they will be hurt?

I got up early-ish this morning. Good thing, too, because a courier van rolled up at the door and the driver handed me my BREAKFAST. LOOK WHAT MEGAN SENT ME!!!!!!!!!!!

(Doesn’t everyone open lolly packets with a rotary cutter??)
It’s a bit hard to talk with teeth glued together with pineapple flavoured chewy stuff, but I’ll try. These are Pineapple Lumps. I don’t know if you can get them in other countries or not, but I think of them as Kiwi Lollies. Part of a good Kiwi childhood is walking down to the dairy (corner store)to buy lollies (sweets/candy). And I always chose pineapple lumps. Even though they were 2 cents each and fruit tingles were five for 1 cent.

Oh, and there is FABRIC! Look at this gorgeous stuff! Even my non-sewing daughter noticed it and said, “Oh look - she chose fabric that looks like lollies!!” And pretty pretty red ribbon…

Thank you, beautiful Megan! That was a wonderful way to start the day

I started reading a new book this morning.