Twas the day before Christmas

and I'm not ready and not sure I can really be bothered leaving the house for anything.


We've just spent 4 hours at a scout den. The New Zealand Scout Jamboree is in 5 days. We've packed and packed and loaded and loaded. Everything from a entire kitchen (which the scouts have to build!), a washing machine powered by a bike, army size tens, tresle tables, seats, wooden bench seats, huge number of bamboo poles, equipment like camp stretchers and pillows for the Australian troop we are hosting - the equipment and packing is something else - incredible to watch! All the boy's gear has been packed in big 60L plastic containers as a lot easier to freight down. They are chartering a plane and no luggage is allowed on the plane.


it took hours and hours and hours of packing and labelling clothing with not just a name, but a troop name, a site number and a number. On it went. One kid has truly got zero underwear left now and barely any clothes left for the next 5 days.


It will be an adventure. Now all I really want to do is sleep. We have a kid with zero Christmas gifts. I still have not done any food shopping for tomorrow... Dad had open heart surgery 2 days ago.
I think I've run out of Christmas inspiration/interest really!

time on my hands!

46 days! I've 46 days of free time! I've the 18 year old working crazy hours; a 15 year old has taken himself off to tramp with the venturers (older scouts) for 5 days (then one night to wash half his wardrobe to be packed in a bin for the NZ Scout Jamboree ready for the next day to be shipped down south!); and the 13 year old is kicking around the house with me.


My Dad was medi-vacced (ie flown in a medical plane) from down south up here a few days ago. He probably should NOT have left town, but you can't tell that to a stubborn 70 something year old! We have no idea if he'll be home for Christmas or not.


But the 46 days... the days so far have involved breaking my glasses (and I so do NOT want to spend $1100 ( !!!!!!!!!!!!!!) on a new pair...) -  they are being welded at the moment and I'm half blind in old frames... and then generally reading two great books in the first 4 days of my holidays ; and scrapbooking! Plus a bit of Christmas shopping - still not finished; I'm in no rush!!


Luckily the weather has been grand, and those of us who are still around, eat outside on the deck!


Think I had better go and tidy the scrapbooking table - oh it is so good to sort and scrapbook 18 months of photos !!

Tis nearly the Season

My letterbox (or the front porch!) has been a bit cheery lately. All the lovely swaps I've been taking part in, as well as surprise packages, have been turning up. The husband keeps on coming home with amazing gifts from clients too - we don't really need to give gifts to each other!


On my birthday (December 2) at 7.20am, the doorbell rang. It was a big package from Tracy. Now this package had been lost in the skies since it was posted by air on August 26. It was wonderful timing to arrive on my birthday.


This is what Tracy sent. It was a "just because" package really and was incredible...


I love the bracelet and put it on straight away!

 sock wool - well probably a shawl as there is plenty of it! Will be neat to see how it knits up!

 fabric and a neat brooch

 Good old Boots with my favourite moisturiser and cleansing wipes and tea! I love tea!! First thing I do in any country is buy tea!

 Isn't this a-m-a-z-I-n-g? Tracy crocheted me a bag - in my favourite colour no less! Using at the supermarket several times a week.

 And (she is such an incredibly talented sewer too!) also made me a gigantic size knitting zippered pouch - fabulous for full size needles, what you are knitting and the pattern. I love the fabric of course!!!

 And the stripes inside. One day I must learn how to sew box corners.

 Oh the Maori design book cracked me up. this is perfect for school! And the stupid crazy thing is that it is so incredibly had to find anything like this in New Zealand, but here it is, found , withdrawn from one of Tracy's local libraries!! Fabulous indeed!! And the vintage Ladybird tea book! Love. Adore. Books. Tea. Ladybird!

Than you so much Tracy for the awesome package - you are so generous and talented and the box was full of all of my favourite things! xo

Hello 46 days of holidays!

Another school year is finished. Hello to 46 days off school! That seems massive. But it will go fast.


It was not my favourite year at school. At all. I'm mentally and physically exhausted. I need a holiday.


I got two B+ (75-79%) grades at university this semester. I am as pleased as punch! There is no way I even dreamed of getting grades as good as that! I think having the Friday off every week since July helped an awful lot. It was also very good for my mental health. A lot went on at school this year!


Now I'm reading a book, surveying the mess and having a cup of tea. I dropped 4 big boxes of things at the charity shop this afternoon, so that is a great start.


Here's my Christmas lily  - it is glorious! the sweet peas are still beautiful too.

Cousins' 24 Day Advent Calendar Swap - days 6 to 10

My cousin and I are enjoying our Advent Calendar swap immensely. We chat on line every night. These are the gifts I gifted her on days 6 to 10. I am super proud (ha ha!) of the wool project bag I made on day 7 - it has a hole where the wool can come out of (obviously starting a new ball of wool!). I was sent a couple a few years back and thought they were such an ingenious idea!  I've made a few super long to fit full size needles in, as well as a 50 to 100gram size ball of wool. I liked the reindeer oven mitt from Kmart so much I bought myself one too :) (actually that might be a bit of a theme with quite a few of the items I found for my cousin...).

And Jackie gifted me these items -

 love this writing paper

 need to figure out where I can plant these - great thinking!

 a very cool bag pull

 and I adore this wool (bought for me in Arrowtown!)

and I can't find the last gift....

Two more days of school and then weeks and weeks and weeks of holidays....