Work In Progress - Summer Blanket

A blanket started *ahem* last summer ... 

Progress is being made albeit slowly 

Should be finished by next summer

And That Was April

Marvelling: At home grown goodness - from garden to plate 

Knowing: I need to replant more carrot seeds and tend to my garden 

Wishing: There were more hours in the day to achieve everything I want to

Thinking: How when I was so sick last year this amazing Mama simply told me to put my kids on a plane and send them to her!  

Liking:  Being in Wellington on a Mama and me weekend.  Liking staying with bloggy friends who have become IRL friends who have become family friends.  Catching up with lovely Wellington bloggy friends.

Feeling: That this is what blogging is all about - connections.  

Wanting: to find my blogging mojo again and not to be scared to write.

Needing: To grieve - To show emotion

Deciding: Death is nothing we can expect (even when we were expecting it) or imagine (until we are experiencing it) and 'hiding/suppressing' our grief in the public eye was not the right way for me 

Buying: Coffee

Drinking : Coffee

Smoothie and morning coffee

Coffee at the gym 

Coffee at the airport

Coffee after the gym

Coffee whilst event planning

Coffee sitting outside listening to the rain

Making : my summer crochet blanket - (that I started last summer)

Reading: Text books Text books oh and Text books - Medieval Europe so much easier on the heart mind and soul than Gender Violence

Watching: Netflix . . . loving it . . . Upstairs Downstairs 

Wearing: A timing chip on my shoes for my 2nd 1/2 marathon training race

Noticing: How other peoples comments still affect my heart

Getting: Fitter and Healthier 

Looking: At paper piecing 

Pondering: Life and Death 

Hoping: I find my paper piecing knack as I have a giraffe to make 

Playing: On the swings before my Boxing Bootcamp

Giggling: Like a child

Feeling: Free ... Flying through the air

Considering: Doing this more often - it frees the mind

Enjoying: Exercise !  I love it ! 

I'm fit and healthy and I get to hang out and exercise with amazing friends all in the name of exercise.

Loving: Exercise

Waiting: for a bus .. .. .. wall sits!  honestly who's idea was that?

Wondering: Why people never commented on my weight 18 kilos ago but yet they feel compelled to now I've lost it?  hmmmmmm

And that was March

Looking: At all the lovely handmade'ness around our home

Deciding: Handmade is pretty and comforting and colourful and . . .

Wondering: if our children will take up any of our hobbies

Thinking: about the women who taught me to sew, knit, crochet, cook, bake, preserve

Buying: clothes clothes and more clothes, NOTHING fits anymore

Wearing: a size 10 again

Smelling: his aftershave

Thanking: our out of town visitor who babysat so we could enjoy a night out with out of town friends 

Loving: a girlie week, just me and my girl

Watching: her write a postcard to Grandma

Hoping: her innocence lasts forever

Marvelling: at how my Tsunami has blossomed into such a lovely wee girl

Following: the school camp blog

Feeling: proud of my boy pushing his comfort zones

Missing: my boy and man . . .

Knowing: this week spent together is oh so good for them both 

Cooking : Beautiful nourishing soul fulfilling clean food LOVE 

Drinking : Coffee always coffee - I really did try to give up

Opening: Dr Libby's cook books and book marking 

Bookmarking: Raw caramel slice OMG so good 

Giggling: with friends, friendship is so gloriously good

Playing: at the Holi Colour festival

Thinking: How wonderful it was Lara came to Auckland - Lara took BOTH my kids last year when I had glandular fever.  She took time off work and loved my kids like her own.  Blessed beyond measure.

Knowing: Friends who you can pick up with like you last saw each other yesterday are special friendships

Celebrating: Friendship

Reading: ick ick ick

Pondering: ick ick ick

Writing: ick ick ick

Wanting: this paper to be over

Getting: A+ despite my despise for the subject matter

Making : Crochet Boot Toppers 

Enjoying: Some down time crafting again

Wishing: it didn't take a slipped disc to slow me down

Loving: my physio and new PT for having me and my health at the centre of their minds

If you want a list you can get it from Pip at Meet Me At Mike's too!  

And that was February . . .

Making : Memories

Hoping: These gorgeous days of summer last

Wearing: Togs and bikinis all day every day

Smelling: BBQ dinners 

Noticing: The colours of the sunset

Enjoying: Friendships

Getting: Lost as we explore 

Eating : Fish and Chips for dinner 

Loving: Summer camping holidays with friends 

Needing: New clothes - 16kgs lost by end of February

Knowing: The weight loss has been done _properly_ and _healthily_ 

Buying: New clothes

Drinking : Champagne

Thinking: What an amazing milestone we've accomplished
Feeling: Freedom from the mortgage

Considering: Goals 

Deciding: Everyone needs to do a colour run - its so HAPPY

Giggling: !! Just giggling !! 

Feeling: Happy 

Admiring: The friendships made in 3 weeks 

Marvelling: At the growth in confidence in these two boys in the 3 weeks they spent with us

Studying: Korea - we are off on holiday 

Looking: Looking forward to seeing family I haven't seen in 7 years!

If you want a list you can get it from Pip at Meet Me At Mike's too!  

Taking Stock

Making : Breakfast in bed for Daddy
Cooking : Homemade toast with homemade (by Grandpop) Peanut Butter

Drinking : Coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice 

Feeling: the temperature drop

Noticing: hail/ice that hasn't melted - that one time is was "Auckland Cold"

Wanting: to build a snowman

Reading: The Nicomachean Ethics

Enjoying: the peace and quiet

Looking: at my beautiful tea pot, milk jug and cup & saucer, gifts to me

Playing: catch up on my studies  

Deciding: The Classical Era was not a good time to be a woman or a slave

Wondering: when our views on certain topics changed

Needing: Coffee

Loving: Cuddles from a wee man who sleep walked from the bedroom to his Mamas lap, curled up and continued sleeping - awwwwww

Watching: him sleep and frown

Hoping: I'm getting this right, some days and some questions are so hard

Waiting: We do A LOT of waiting here .. .. ..  A LOT 
Learning: patience 

Pondering: Why isn't there a "I hate coming here" "This place now gives me panic attacks" button 

Knowing: One day we will look back and smile on these days 

Wearing: His new onsie

Contemplating: Spots and Dots and Lego

Buying: Tend Magazine

Bookmarking: "Mothers Matter" - Finding Value in Motherhood in a Society that Devalues Family 

Getting: a lot of crafts done for the upcoming School Fair

Admiring:  Flowers from my garden

Smelling: Scented Yankee candles

Liking: Lemon cupcakes

Thinking: how fortunate we are

Wishing: for health 

If you want a list you can get it from Pip at Meet Me At Mike's too!  

Taking Stock

Learning: that whilst we may no longer attend the faith we were brought up in, doesn't mean we no longer follow/believe the values and beliefs we were brought up with 

Deciding: Some values/beliefs make no sense
Wishing: I could understand 

Drinking : Coffee 
Reading: Mental Disorders In The Classical World

Pondering: Mental Health

Considering: How well I did in last semesters papers 

Buying: lunch

Liking: lunch

Wearing: a hospital gown

Giggling: at my Mr B in a hospital gown

Needing: breakfast, lunch & dinner - NIL by mouth 

Watching: pain relief going in

Hoping: it takes effect real fast

Getting: A diagnosis

Hiatus Hernia

Unable to be controlled by medication and/or lifestyle changes

Less than 1% of people require surgery.  My Mr B falls into that less than 1%.

Hospital have agreed only way forward is surgery.

They will pull the stomach back down into the abdomen and tighten diaphragm muscles around the oesophagus.

Waiting: for surgery date

Opening: Happy mail 

Looking: At the beautiful wool, embroidery, chocolate and courier deliveries from the week 

- THANK YOU xxx

Smelling: Taking time to smell the roses 

Admiring: the pretty things around my home 

Feeling: Loved

Making: A quilt hug for a very good friend who is also waiting for surgery

Enjoying: the process of mindless sanity sewing 

Wanting: to finish this quilt hug and get it on the courier 

Loving: family .. .. .. siblings all together for the first time in the long time

Big Sister, Little Sister, My Mr B, Daddy, New Brother In Law, Little Brother

Waiting: for my new nephew to be born .. .. .. 3 more weeks

If you want a list you can get it from Pip at Meet Me At Mike's too!  

Taking Stock OR Hiatus

Waiting: At my Mr B's hospital bed

Wearing: A lovely hospital gown (him) Jeans and converse (me)

Wanting: Life to have less judder bars 

Buying: Hospital coffee & Magazines

Drinking : Hospital coffee

Reading: Magazines

Knowing: After the storm comes the rainbow

(As I walked the kids to school the first morning my Mr B had been taken to hospital I was greeted by a double rainbow!)

Pondering: on how much to tell them 

(I came so close to saying "Daddy is at work" rather than "Daddy is in hospital again")

Needing: Extra cuddles as Daddy is in hospital for the second time in less than a week

Noticing: how extra sensitive they both are - we all are 

Hoping: I'm getting this part of parenting right

Looking: at the joy on Philosophers face when he came home from school to see his Daddy home 

(The first time my Mr B went to hospital, Philosopher saw his Daddy go in the ambulance)

Making : lots of cups of tea 

Playing: my yoga sound track _A LOT_ to keep my mind quiet and peaceful 

Liking: this photo of us at The Wizard of Oz
Watching: my children closely, very aware of the effect seeing a parent in hospital can have on a child.  
(I was a very similar age to my Philosopher when I saw my Dad in hospital.)

Getting: by with a lot of love help and support from the most amazing Mummy network of friends I could ever ask for 

Loving: my friends who have been there no matter what time of the day or night to take my kids at a moments notice.

Deciding: no matter what age you are it's lovely to have your Mum around

Feeling: Grateful for my Mum the washing fairy!

Cooking: soup and lots of it 

Wishing: for answers and solutions - soon - 

Hiatus - hahy-ey-tuh s

* a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc.

* a missing part; gap or lacuna:

* Anatomy. a natural fissure, cleft, or foramen in a bone or other structure.

Sliding Hiatus Hernia - the reason they believe my Mr B has been in such incredible pain since the beginning of June

If you want a list you can get it from Pip at Meet Me At Mike's too!