It's been a while...

Hello!


I thought I should finally post something, seeing as it's been well over a month since my last post. (I don't think I'll ever quite succeed at this blogging game.)


Some catch-up:
- This year is going way too fast!
- I'm behind on my 'finish crochet/knit 52 projects in 2012' challenge
- I'm on track with my 'read 50 books in 2012' challenge (are you on Goodreads? Friend me!)


And most importantly of all, I'VE HAD WORK! Seven days to be precise! Relief teaching is at once more fun and infinitely more challenging than I ever could have imagined. I've already semi-lost my voice (happily now recovered). I haven't got any more days lined up the moment, so I'm enjoying my time off while I have it.


Also, the new Sherlock Holmes series is quite good - I am very pleased! And I've started reading Charles Dicken's Great Expectations (because I saw the first episode of it on iview the other night) and I like the book but the writing is so old fashioned I sort of feel like I'm reading by "squinting". Do you ever read like that? Where you sort of just read and let the writing wash over you so you get the general impression, and not letting yourself get caught up in the old-fashioned language and writing. It makes it a whole lot easier. I have just reached "The End Of The First Stage Of Pip's Expectations".


Lastly, I still need to either commandeer Julian's laptop or install the camera software on the desktop... until then photos are stuck on my camera. When I finally do either of those two things, I'll finally be able to do a crochet/knitting update post.


Until then!

Pinch and a Punch

... for the first of the month!

As you can see, blogging is high in my priorities this year. *Ahem*

January passed quicky and smoothly, for the most part. My husband is still limping from hurting his knee about three weeks ago. It appears that his cartilage is damaged, and according to his medical certificate there should be "considerable improvement" in approximately two years. "Rest" is prescribed. Needless to say, I'm being much nicer to him, mostly because when he walks it looks so painful it makes my knees start to ache.

In other (and much nicer) news, my teacher's registration was approved VERY quickly (in less than a third of the time it usually makes) and now I can legally teach primary school in Tasmania. I am extremely happy! Private schools go back on Febuary 9, and public schools on the 15th, so it won't be long until I have relief work.

Looking at my photos, it appears that January has mostly involved taking photos of Bumblebees and flowers... here are some of my favourites.

 Next post, I'm hoping to show you some of the stuff I've made this year... until then!

Happy (Belated) New Year!

I'm a bit late to the party, I know, but I really must wish you all a happy and fulfilling 2012!

This year has already been busy, though also very relaxed. We were away camping with friends from the 31st of December to the 3rd of January, and I feel like I've only just settled back in at home (probably because I've been on an uncharacteristc cleaning and organising splurge!).

The beautiful Gunns Plains, where we camped.

Now, I didn't even think of making any resolutions until a couple of days ago, but (truth be told) I don't usually make them anyway, because I don't like setting myself up to fail. So instead of listing my resolutions, here's a list of some 2012 firsts!

Firsts for 2012 so far:

- First celebration: My 26th birthday!

- First sunburn: Julian, though his wasn't as bad as mine, which I got the next day

- First bug photographed: Dragonfly - it flew past and landed right by me!

- First alcoholic beverage: merlot/baileys in milk (I was sort of alternating between them)

- First cooked meal: Eggs and bacon for a camping breakfast

Bacon clothesline!

- First crochet project started: Tiny Whale, pattern courtesy of PlanetJune.

- Books: first finished = Princess Charming; first started = A Woman's Place

- First movie session: Alvin and the Chipmunks 3: Chipwrecked, followed by Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (this was rather fantastic!) 

- First in-joke: POPPIES!!!

These are the opium kind - Tasmania is a huge exporter of these.

Records in 2012:

- I've worn a skirt everyday this year! My legs are looking a bit wonderful :D

- Rose early every morning while camping: 7am, 5am (!), 8am (this is later as we were exhausted from the early start the day before... air mattresses with leaks are NOT fun).

- Went as far along the north-west coast of Tasmania that I've ever been: Table Cape.

Table Cape Lighthouse

Stuff that has excited me so far:

- Swam in the same river my dad learnt to swim in (the Leven River, north Tasmania).

The Leven River, my husband, and two children who are not ours (though I boss them around heaps!)

- Visiting the Gunns Plains Caves (glow worms!)

"Bacon" - very cool cave fomation, the colours are from minerals.

And, Oh! I've decided to list my (very general) resolutions for this year after all:

1. Work hard but don't strive;

2. Be restful and peaceful but not lazy; and, most importantly,

3. Do everything with diligence and a happy heart (give, work, serve, create and play with joy!)

What are some of your firsts for 2012? What are some of your resolutions?

Merry Christmas!

I think this just might be the most adorable retelling of the Christmas story ever.

Wishing all of my readers a wonderful and happy Christmas!

Snickerdoodles!

It's been, I think, about two weeks since I actually made these snickerdoodles. I took photos of them, however, and I don't want them to go to waste.

I've been wanting to make snickerdoodles for years and years, and so when I finally took the plunge the poor cookies had a lot to live up to.

Did they meet my expectations?

YES! In more than one way, too.

They are delish, but they are also so easy to make. Best of all, they don't need any special ingredients. Perfect.

I used this snickerdoodle recipe, but added a little cinnamon into the dough, too. I also cooked it as a slightly higher temperature (about 180C). This time, I cooked them perhaps a minute or two too long, because they should be moister and chewier than this, but they were still wonderful.  

This one is bleeding :(

The dough is like heaven, too! Ah! Couldn't stop eating it!

Christmas has Landed

So! Today was awesome!

I did some volunteering in a friend's classroom (which I've enjoyed so much) and that led to me getting to decorate a gingerbread house! I had to do it super quickly as it was almost lunch time (and the kids were using all the lollies I wanted!), but I think it's cute.

That's the door - notice the two hinges!

After supervising several groups of children, I knew that for a gingerbread house to be successful (and look extremely tempting) a huge amound of icing is crucial!

A bird's eye view.

After volunteering (I was only there from 9 until 1), my husband and I went to Mitre10 (a hardware store) to find a real, live, prickly, conical and cute Christmas tree. I love the one we chose - a White Spruce, still very much a baby.

It's decorated with bells (red and while), angels with glitterly wings, and a starry garland. We think it's too small for the lights, though I may add them. It would be nice to have it lit up.

I also wrapped a silver and red ribbon around the pot, to make it look a little nicer.

As we now had a Christmas tree, it meant that decorating could happen, and now the house is decked out. 

I'm pleasantly surprised at how many times I've already posted this month, I half expected to get to Christmas and realise I hadn't posted at all!

I'm planning on being back soon to share about my snickerdoodle making venture and the recipe for the yule log I plan to make for boxing day!

Wedding Anniversary Number Six!

I've been looking at wedding photos for the last few days (preparing to finally get them printed!) and so now it is finally my wedding anniversary and I'm so excited!

Tonight we are going out for dinner and then a movie - nice and relaxed, just like our wedding day was! I can't wait! Wood fired pizza, here I come!

Also, honey, if you finally catch up on reading my blog, the last six years have been wonderful, and I'm looking forward to the next 60! 

Summer is Here! Hence the Rain!

In typical Tasmanian fashion the first day of December - and of summer - was cold and drizzly. Not that I'm complaining, becuase I LoVe this sort of weather! But it would be nice to have warm toes!

The "Christmas Month" has started off slowly. Today I did the dishes and some present making, and that's pretty much it. The yarn for one of my husband's presents (a beanie) arrived today, which is a relief - I was starting to get concerned I'd run out of time to make it.

I've been thinking about trying to post every day in the lead up to Christmas, but I'm not going to be too strict on myself. I will try to post every other day though. Be forewarned: it will mostly be crochet and food and house rearranging and decorating. 

And because I don't want a pictureless post, here are some snapshots of a sunshower we had just the other week: 

I love how the rays of sunlight are visible, there's something so magical about it.

See you back here soon!!