So long ago, three months go so quickly, when I last posted.  I now work seven days out of every fortnight, for the sake of my childrens' education, and the fact that they are ten hour days doesn't leave much room for the important and routine parts of my life. 

This morning I have been browsing the photos and doing the feel good thing, and I came across this picture.  Not a particularly AMAZING quilt, but seven of the eight blocks were made by friends, and it isn't even finished, but I like it.  It has made me wake up and come to a realisation.

What I have realised, besides working out that my job is a thankless; mind numbingly boring; repetitive; and did I say thankless job, that I have to sew on a regular basis.  For a while there I was taking my hexagons to work and sewing at morning tea. it was great but I wanted to keep on sewing and the longing to was making me even more grumpy and restless.  So I have to clear a space; tidy up; and get motivated to give back to myself that spring in my step and my tonic that keeps me going through the rough patches.  Sewing and quilting irons out all the wrinkles in my soul and soothes the troubled spaces in my mind.  Have a good one, and for your own sake, do something that gives you Bliss. 

I have given much thought about my hexagon quilt.

As I have completed 75 GF, and 20 of those with partial edging, I am reticent to frog.

So after much playing around ...............................

this is the design that I have come up with for the centre ............and the outer quilt?

At this stage it is unknown.

(PS the GFs aren't coloured in - this is just a layout guide.)

The layout grid I printed off Lizard of Oz

I'm in a bit of a quandary and I'm hoping that someone can help.

I have been making 0.5" hexagons for over a year now and been sewing them into grandmother's gardens and in fact I have quite a lot of them. However today I saw a fantastic hexagon quilt that was scrappy all over, with no regard to light and dark except that it was and the outer border was a greyey/brown fabric. I can't remember which blog it was on. Has anyone seen a quilt like that? Could you point me in the right direction AND am I delusional to even think about frogging my hexagons and piecing them together with a laissez-faire attitude?

PS I also asked the same question on Hexagon Along 2

It's a wonder what a difference a hair cut can make.  I left 2/3 of my hair on the hairdresser's floor and I'm not missing it.

  Hostel Boy's hand is fine, just severely bruised.

And the photo?  From last years visit to the Pinnacles.

It's a bit cold and damp here in Paradise - my faithful hot water bottle sprung a leak.  Never to worry - there are another three in the cupboard awaiting to make their debut.  Will it be another blue one, or the purple or red one?  Quite warm outside and really rather chilly in the bedroom, I can see that I will have to go outside to get some warmth.

Just had a call from Hostel Boy, I love to hear his voice, unfortunately he has hurt his hand and needs an xray.  Initially it was for 3pm TOMORROW.  I rang the Hostel and said that I thought that was too long, which thankfully they agreed with me, and they did the heavy and he is in for 3.45pm today.  From what he has said I think that it is heavily bruised.  Better to be safe than sorry.  I still get a feeling of joy when I hear his voice on the 'phone, will that feeling be replaced with that of trepidation?

This a group of us working at our local Arts Council on a quilt made for a very dear friend whose son died recently.

And the final quilt and we finally gave it to her yesterday.  Many tears.

I'm excited.  Bugger Blogger has spell check.  Thankyou to the Big Buggers Bloggers who look after us.  It appears that I don't go out much.

There is another reason

why I'm excited and it's because I haven't been able to join the tracks on my iPod for my talking books and this has put me out of sorts as I listen to many, many talking books.  So today, being sick but alert, unlike the previous few days, I googled my problem and, delight of delight, some heavenly nerd had the fix.  All is right with the world.  Yes I can read, although at times I don't have the time.    I have a stack of sound recordings waiting to be heard and now I can put them into my iPod and listen at my leisure or rather when I'm working.

This is one of the things that I did today ALL BY MYSELF.  Sorry for the shouting but it was fantastic.  No children, no spouse.

I also picked up my new sunglasses (in my favourite Blues Brothers style) with the darkest tint that they make.  And my eyes went 'Aaaaaaaah'.  The library also figured in my day - always a great destination - and went to a fabric shop.  

This one is for all of you but especially for my favourite Hostel Boy as he hasn't seen this yet. 

Lolly our favourite sheep has had a lollypop.  We have been watching Lolly with an element of excitement and trepidation.  Anyway late on the 12th March, sometime before midnight, the lollypop was born.  Everything went smoothly, no malpresentations or looping of the cord around the neck and there she was.  The only problem was with a very persistent fox which I ended up chasing off three times before it gave up.  I never thought that I would use the infrared light on my headlamp, but that night it was very handy.  And I got to see the sun came up before I fell asleep in my bed roll in the middle of the paddock.

Combining two absolutely great things - Talking Heads and ukuleles.   Talking Heads 'Pyscho Killers' played by the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

I am enjoying playing the ukulele soooo much.  The group of people that I learnt with is about 300kms away and they have set up a their own ukulele group and gettin together once a week with the view to taking on busking gigs in and around their town.  To say that I am green with envy is an undestatement.  I know where my mind and spirit will be on Monday night.  It has been suggested that the youngest Sweetie and I go down for pest guest appearances when possible and we will do that whenever we can.

A great one from the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra

'It's a Heartache'

PS  Dear Bugger Blogger, you really need spell chech.  Have I told you that?

Well the last couple of months have been busy and enjoyable.

The boys completed another successful school year and both made the observation that the year went too quickly.  The youngest Sweetie has decided that when he was younger, time went slowly and the fridge was always full of food.  Now that he is older, time gallops and there is never any food in the fridge.

This is a bag that I made out of scraps for Blogless Kathy and filled it with goodies and sent her for Christmas.

After Christmas we headed down to Albany for some much needed R&R for all the family.  Three of us took part in courses at the Albany Summer School and the Hostel Boy started a diving course.  The Hairiest Sweetie was enrolled in Metal Sculpture and the Youngest Sweetie and I had a crash course in ukelele.  It was utterly fantastic and exciting and FUN

We were also able to catch up with some great friends who live down there - always wonderful.

I have also started a new job at the local Hospital after much badgering by friends and I am thoroughly enjoying it although we are understaffed.