Lazy Blogger Catches Up

Once again time goes by and my poor blog is neglected. I've had time, just not the inclination. I write them in my mind, but never post them. I could even do them on my phone, just jot down notes and then elaborate when I'm near my MacBook, but I don't.

The school holidays went by quickly, and were so relaxing. The first week was an odd one for me. I lacked motivation to do much and actually missed my kids while they were at golf clinic. The dust storm really played havoc with my eyes so I'm glad that week is over. In the second week, we just chilled out at home for much of it. We watched some movies together, and went to the pool a couple of times. Peter's niece Ashlea helped the kids with some swimming pointers, as I especially want Mickey to feel more confident swimming in the pool at the holiday house in Rainbow. I can teach swimming, but somehow I knew the kids would take instruction more kindly from Ash than from me. It was good, because I took them out again the next day to continue the lessons. I don't think my kids quite reconcile "Mum, with teacher".....

The card making retreat was last weekend. It was an away one staying at the Mapleton Holiday Centre, ooops a feeling of de ja vu, I know I've already blogged this stuff lol.... My mind is a sieve!!

On Wednesday I went to Maroochydore and picked up my cousin. She's from Germany and has been in Australia for 18 months and we've only just met. I was so excited and nervous. I have never spent any time with any of my cousins. I met one once in 1984 when I went to Europe, but it was a family dinner, where we only spoke a few polite words. In all my life, I've never even said the word 'cousin' in relation to myself. I took her up to Montville for the morning. It was nice we browsed through a few shops, had a coffee and a light lunch and then came home. It was lovely to speak German to her too. I was surprised at how much I still know, and it was lovely to be understood. I know that if I spoke it frequently, it would improve very quickly. It still feels quite familiar on my tongue. Sara was a lovely houseguest, considerate of us all, and helpful too. The kids just fell in love with her, and as she's a Nanny and au pair, she related to them very well. We had an easy evening watching TV and then a fairly early night as we had to get up early so she was at the bus station at 4am!!! I'm so glad she came to visit, and even happier that we made it happen. It's not easy meeting someone and then having to feel close immediately just because you are related, but we got along well. For her sad upbringing, she's got a good head on her shoulders and has learned some hard lessons in life through her Mother who tragically committed suicide fifteen years ago. I never met my Aunty, and knew next to nothing about her. She was 8 years younger than my Mum, and when they moved to Australia, Toni was the annoying little sister that shadowed my Mum. When my parents married, Toni went back to Germany with her parents. Sara said she always spoke of Australia and would have loved to come back. It's a shame that she never got her life in order, her drinking undercontrol and her manic episodes managed enough that she could have made something of her life.......very very sad. Sara has a close bond to her other sisters, who when I think about it one of whom is also a cousin, the other not......ah, so confusing, my family is so small but not simple. I had a good day of feeling connected with family, an insight into how other people feel when they are surrounded by a large family....... I have two parents and my brother and my closest relatives are my Aunt and Uncle in Geelong, who aren't even my aunt and uncle.....technically speaking. My Uncle is my Dad's cousin, so actually my second cousin.... Very nice to spend time with a cousin. I wish she lived closer. She left on Thursday morning to spend five days in Cairns and then she flies out to Germany to return to her sister who's very very ill and will die from Endometriosis!! The sadness in Sara's life is not ending yet.

We arrived in our rented holiday house in Rainbow Beach yesterday. It's an awesome house, and the best part I can access my wireless internet....I'm very very happy about that. I thought it might be a little too remote for wireless. There's nothing around here, we're miles from Gympie....... The house is spacious, newly renovated inside, (the outside is tired, but the pool is nice). There's a living room AND a family room and the bedrooms are spacious and there's an ensuite. This so much nicer than the unit in Caloundra. The kids can have one area and we another. The beds are so comfy, with eggshell mattresses, I had a lovely night's sleep. (Thank you Alaine)

We went exploring this morning. It's a bit blowy and Peter wanted to find a fishing spot that was sheltered, we had a late lunch and now the boys have headed out. I was going to lie by the pool, but it's a bit cool, so I'm updating my blog instead. My bed beckons and my Diana Gabaldon book is too....

A few photos.

A girl needs to Facebook, even in the bush!!

At Rainbow this Morning. (ISO set wrong, blown out but still a nice pic)

Sara and I

One of the cards I made on the card making weekend, and the reason my ISO was set wrong on the little camera. Love this card.

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Daisy Chain Scrapbooks Cardmaking Retreat 2009

I've been away for the weekend to my first card making retreat. The Food and Wine Show, is on the same weekend as the next Scrapbooking retreat, and the girls have been trying to get me to the card one all year, but I declined, thinking two was overkill..... but when it fell on the same weekend as the F&W show, it was a lay down miser e (sp?).

I wasn't even really thinking of this retreat, it was so close to the last one, so I didn't feel like I 'needed' a retreat. When I spoke to Barbi and Suzy on Thursday morning, I felt the first stirrings of excitement, and from then on I looked forward to the weekend with a keen anticipation.

On Friday I created my 'to dos' and set about making sure the weekend was a success, for myself and for my boys left at home. The house was left tidy, everything up to date, and I was packed, rested and organized for a great weekend of creating.

I'll start with the negatives as I update my thoughts from the weekend, get them out of the way and pay them the negligible due that they deserve. Sleep, as always when away for a short time, was pretty crappy. Late nights, combined with crappy mattresses, early mornings and unfamiliar surroundings resulted in a night of light dozing at best and full wakefulness at worst.

That's out of the way lol, and I can discuss the myriad of positives.....

* I got to see Barbi doll sitting across the table from me - just like the old days. She didn't need to cook and the demands from the other cardmakers were minimal, so she actually got to play and create and converse....... We stayed up till last, with Dawnie, just like the old days, like our first retreats, it was lovely to revisit those moments.

* Spending time with Nellie and Linda. I enjoy their company, and their antics, but it's so often snippets thereof as I see them when they're working, or on their way home, so I rarely get a chance to spend any length of time with them.

* An opportunity to focus on cardmaking rather than scrapbooking, effectively taking away the need for me to feel guilty about not scrapbooking. This meant that I could focus on playing with items I'd only read about previously. I got to colour in with water mixed with Tim Holz distress inks, and I used Tombow markers.

* At long last I mastered the Cuttlebug and am even proficient enough to help others..... I'm sure Suzy and Barbi have breathed a huge sigh of relief lol..........

* Got to spend an entire weekend with Suzy. We spend a nice easy, relaxed time together, in sync with each other's thoughts and needs - pretty special actually. There's a calm and soothing aura of understanding when we're togeth, er, doesn't matter if we're shopping, having a D&M or creating together......

* Spending time not worrying about a single chore! No washing, dusting, cooking, cleaning, or tending to anyone's needs other than my own. Soooooo self indulgent!!

* Catching up with friends I don't see nearly enough, Carrin, Sue, Susan, Alaine and Kristie-Anne. I wish I'd had more time to catch up even more. The time flies by so quickly and I wish I could have chatted more.......

* Even with sleeping much worse than with recent retreats (and coming home to sleep) my hours spent in bed were cut drastically and thanks to the new eye gel I have, and lots of pain killers for the hangover without a drink syndrome, I feel remarkably wonderful this evening.....

I'm so looking forward to spending the night in my own delicious bed. I hate sleeping in a single bed, it's far too small.....and those plastic covered matresses aren't the most comfortable things to sleep on.

I've come home to a happy family. Mickey and Billy-Joe had funny tummy cramps, not sure from what though. DB was cooking my steak burger for dinner and cut his finger as well as the roll!!! Of course he won't go and get it stitched...... He'd changed the sheets on his bed, so I've gone down and remade his bed and cleaned up, we're just having ice cream and enjoying Idol.

Kids are back at school tomorrow, and I'm a little sad. Who would have thought school holidays could become such a wonderfully relaxing experience.......just an awesome break. And the best thing, is four days back at school and we had to our rented house at Rainbow Beach for ten days.....

I created lots of lovely cards...... I will photograph and upload them tomorrow.

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