Coming to the end of my Verandas rotation

Just coming to the end of my second week on the Verandas. I've put in some late nights stitching in a push to try and finish House #6 and environs. I'm down to the bush on the right of the house and it's touch and go whether I finish it today. Because I'm going to be out all day Monday and Tuesday I thought at least I'd write about my progress and then wait and see how far I get today before I put up a photo of it.

The weather is very hot and sticky and it's been a job to keep my hands clean for stitching. I'm looking forward to the cooler weather.

I'm trying to decide actually how to use this blog. It's really no fun if I only post once a week but I don't want to be taking photos of my work constantly. I am finding that doing this blog again and doing fixed rotations is spurring me on hugely to make progess. I want stitching to be fun though. The purpose of stitching is the journey not the end product.

In addition to stitching I've also been decluttering. I've done the filing cabinet, which was so full I couldn't file anything away! Now it's got plenty of room. I've reorganised and tidied the papers in the kitchen which used to take up one whole bench. Then I've done the window seat cabinet in the study where lots of old papers were hidden. I'm now in the process of clearing out and tidying up the triple cupboard in our upstairs hallway. My tidying up is motivating my kids to also tidy their rooms and closets up. There's still lots more to do including organising all of our photos--digital and print. That's got to be a several months job in itself. Anyway, I keep plugging away at it bit by bit which is the only way to get things done.

Tomorrow and Tuesday my daughter is going to be at a gymnastics training camp so I'm bringing my stitching and hoping to get some done somewhere even if it's at a coffee shop nearby. Evidently parents aren't allowed in the gym to watch!

I'm stitching again

Well it's been a long time since I've added to this blog. From my recollection I was still stitching in '07 but just not blogging. But then '08 hit. What a frantic and frenetic year with work, study and kids. I totally abandoned stitching.

This year looks to be very different. Firstly, my uni position has not been reinstated and so far I haven't looked for any other work. I do have some weekend work as an English as a second language examiner so I'm doing that more regularly to make up for not having the other job.

Secondly, I finished my Graduate Diploma (major equivalent) in Chinese!!! Hooray!! However, I would still like to continue studying Chinese in some form but I haven't been able to find anything formal. And, really, after 9 years of Chinese what I really want now is to be able to speak more fluently and classes just weren't giving me that. So I'm continuing to meet my language partner from uni once a week and getting some Chinese practice in that way.

Thirdly, my daughter's gymnastics commitment is getting heavier and heavier to the point where it's going to be pretty difficult to find work around the times I need to be available to drive her to training. Right now she's doing 17.5 hours per week over 6 sessions and some of these impinge upon school hours. I haven't given up on the idea of weekday work but I want to finish things I'm doing around the house first.

So I'm home, doing a huge declutter of over a decade's worth of course notes from courses I've done and teaching handouts from classes I've taught. I started with the filing cabinet then progressed to numerous boxes stashed all around the place. I'm still not finished but I can only do it sporadically as I fill up the recycling bin quickly! I've also gone through the kids clothes and given away heaps to the bushfire appeal.

A couple of weeks ago I got out my stitching and started working on it. I'm going to rotate my pieces like I was doing before as I think that is a way to make progress and prevent boredom. I started with my smallish Golden Gate Bridge by Debbie Patrick. It was going so well that I kept with it for 2 weeks. Now I've just switched to the Verandahs of South Battery from Charleson. I'm working on my third house and in just one day have done heaps. I'll have to take photos as all the pieces have advanced from the last photos on this blog. I don't know which project I'll rotate into but I'd like to stick with the Charleston piece for a couple of weeks and possibly finish the third house.

I hope you enjoy reading my blog!