I am cleaning up

No it is not spring time, it is the height of summer, hot and very, very humid but I am cleaning out this house!

This year with Charlotte at school everyday and Chanel at daycare two days a week I am vowing to be organised! Last year some time Patty listed her cleaning schedule with daily, weekly, monthly, six monthly and even annual chores. I kept it and although most of her routine is not relevant to me I will adapt it and change accordingly. One thing I remember her saying was if you are in a mess, give yourself the time to de-clutter and have bags for

1. THROW AWAY

2. GIVE AWAY

3. PUT AWAY

Well I haven't come across too much to put away. Gradually as Charlotte has grown out of clothes and toys they have gone to Chanel. But Chanel is growing out of things now. The baby toys are gone, the hand knitted baby clothes are gone (except for what my mum, nan and mother-in-law knitted). This is the tropics after all.

All my odd glassware that is not longer a set is gone, we have acquired far more along the way. Unused wedding presents, we will celebrate our 8 anniversary this May.

The girls bedrooms are looking lovely and tidy. I know it won't stay like that but everything has a home that it can go back to.

For now Chanel is not sleeping all the time in her bed so we still need the cot as well. When that goes she will have a lot more room. I have fairy lights for her room but she is still at the pull it apart stage so hopefully soon we can make everything prettier.

I am particularly happy with my hallway cupboard, there is now some empty space in there.

Well if you lasted this long, well done. Not the most interesting post.

Thanks for all the well wishes on Charlotte's first day of school. She had a ball. She came home hot, sweaty and grinning from ear to ear! She hardly ate any lunch, so finished it at home for afternoon tea. When I asked her why she didn't eat much she said "Mummy I was too busy!"

Jodie

Look out Grade One, here she comes!!

Today is Charlotte's first day in Grade One. She looked so cute in her uniform. She went to preschool last year at the same school, so she already has some friends in her class and met her teacher last year but this year she is wearing the uniform and will attend five days a week.

She found her desk and started colouring in when we arrived. I stayed for awhile but she was happy so Chanel and I kissed her goodbye, she gave us a wave and we left her to it.

I can't wait until 3pm this afternoon to hear all about her day.

Jodie

Comfort Cushion

Remember that beautiful cushion cover that I got from Christina with all the stitching, well I am not so clever but here is the one I made. Modelled beautifully by Miss Charlotte wearing her Rhapsody Fairy Dress over her pyjamas - very stylish. Miss Charlotte starts Grade One in two more sleeps!!!!

I am happy with my effort on the cushion cover. Look out Bonijo it is headed your way! Here is the back view!

Jodie

Australia Day

Today is Australia Day. It is a public holiday. We are off to party this afternoon around at some friends house. Should be lots of fun.

Australia Day is the anniversary of the day the First Fleet landed in Sydney in 1788. For anyone interested here is some more info for you!

Wherever you are, have a great day!

A January Finish

This Panel has been quilted since before Christmas but now the binding is done too. I used a verigated thread for the quilting and I like how it has turned out. The backing is flannel pieced from two bunny rugs.

It is going to an aides orphan in South Africa

Jodie

New Goals.....

Now I know I am early but I am starting to set goals for February..........

Bind Russ Quilt

Finish Loretta's Sudoku

Make Loretta' 40th Birthday Wall hanging

Start BOM (first installment hasn't arrived yet!)

January has been a crazy month here, all I really want to accomplish this late is

Annie's dilly bag for her checker pieces

Bind Giraffe panel and send off.

All is do-able, now I need to get moving!

Jodie

(Just for something pretty to look at, here is a recent sunset on the lake)

How special is this!

I am very lucky to be involved with a small group of ladies that encourage, support and inspire each other. I have never met any of them in person, we 'met' through an online quilting group and formed our own little "sub-section".

We are currently running a comfort cushion swap. We were each given another in the group to make a cushion for, so when things aren't great you can hug or punch your cushion, whatever makes you feel better.

Mine arrived to day. THANK YOU SO MUCH CHRISTINA! The verse is lovely, but my favourite bit is the "Notes for Jodie" pocket bottom right.

That make three posts in one day, think I need to go do something more productive!

Jodie

Today's Photo Shoot

Loretta phoned last night and said when she visited at Christmas she went home without any up to date photos of the girls.

To rectify this we got snapping this morning.

Jodie

Apricot Jam

Purists should look away now!!

I made these little jars of jam yesterday using the Microwave. It was so quick and easy. It took a maximum of half an hour and no mess.

All you need is:

500 g apricots

¼ cup lemon juice

Microwave for about 6 minutes in a large container with the lid on.

Add 2 cups sugar, stir. Microwave for about 16 minutes with the lid off.

That's it!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to thank a lady named Helen who provided the recipe on an online quilting group I belong to. She says it also works with nectarines.

Jodie

Found 'Um

Remember before christmas when I couldn't find the checker pieces? Well I found them! They were in the bag I thought they were in but the bag wasn't were it was supposed to be! Can't blame that on anyone but myself. DH will get his back and still another set left!

Jodie

Our Tess is Home

Tess didn't get home last night, the vet kept her again to be sure, but we were able to pick her up at lunch time today.

She is far from well. Still sluggish on her back legs, I had to help her into the car and then when she went outside to inspect her turf she tried to break into a run and couldn't.

Rob the vet said he was very worried about her Sunday night, he stayed with her for a long while and then went back in later to check on her.

We are to keep her quiet for a few weeks as her heart will take the longest to recover, watch her bowel movements and eating to ensure there is no paraylsis and give her soft food to eat. Have some premium mince out defrosting right now.

Her bark is still a squeak but like everything else it will improve in time.

I have asked the girls to be quiet as Tess needs her rest so they sat beside her making sure she was resting.

This is an old photo of her as a puppy with Russ's work boots, she was so cute (she is seven and a half now, still cute, just bigger!). At the moment she is lying in the entry way asleep and I can't take a photo with out disturbing her. There is current photo of her on my Mapleton post.

Jodie

Camping

We took the girls and Tess the wonderdog on their first camping trip last week. We went to Flannagan's Reserve out west from here. We went there 'cause dogs are allowed if you keep them on a leash.

It was a full moon while we were out there and the silly birds got confused and were noisy throughout the night thinking the sun had risen when it fact it was the moon! We slept through their noise the second night.

We set up our site looking out towards the adjoining property. There were cows in there and kangaroos early in the morning.

The other side of the reserve was on the Logan River. We kept away from there just to be safer with the girls. It was very pretty though.

Chanel fought having an afternoon sleep and literally nose-dived into her bunk!

The down side when we got home was that our Tess had picked up a paralysis tick. We rushed her to the vet late yesterday and she is in Doggy hospital now. Hopefully she will be home tomorrow.

Jodie

Mapleton

After a crazy christmas time we took off for a few nights up to my SIL's little cottage at Mapleton, in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Gaye works in Japan, teaching English at University level, so she only gets back a few times a year.

We had a very relaxing time, walked a little, read a little, slept a little. The girls had a great time. We took some colouring in, two games - Junior Monopoly and Trouble and their baby dolls. No fighting and no "I'm bored".

Mapleton is on the Blackall Range and the soil is very red. Some lily ponds and beautiful gardens .......

The other great thing about going up there, is we can take our four legged family member with us. This is Tess the Wonderdog relaxing on Aunty Gaye's front deck ......

Jodie

Our Christmas

A bit behind I know, just catching up. I hope everyone had a wonderful festive season and that 2007 is good to us all.

Our festivities started on the Saturday evening before Christmas with a BBQ with friends. No I still haven't found the last packet of checker pieces but my DH came to the rescue and offered me the pieces from his Checker set that I made for his birthday last May! Bless him. I still need to make a little dilly bag for everything to go in, but Annie loved it and doesn't know she was supposed to have a bag as well. Here she is with my two playing in the Hammock....

Sunday was cooking and preparing for Christmas Day. Then to finish DH wall hanging. I had the idea of handprints for a long time and didn't really know what to do, so ended up cutting them out of felt and sewing onto another 9 patch snowball quilt. I thought it would only take me a couple of hours to sew them on. Wrong!! I finially finished at 3am on Christmas morning. It was worth the effort, I am happy with the result and DH has agreed to hang it in the entry of our house.

We had a lovely lunch with family and did it all again Boxing Day with friends. I got some great goodies but my favourite gift was from DH. A Rule Steady that I had asked for during the year but never thought he would remember. He did :)

Hope everyone else had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Jodie