WIP Update

I have some progress on my Home of a Needleworker from a week ago.  This week I was working on my froggy exchange for the ILCS yahoo group. No photos of that until it arrives at its destination overseas.

I've had a really busy week with school activities and sports.  DH got home last Sunday and has another 2 weeks here before heading overseas again.  Yesterday I got sunburnt at DD's cricket game, it was a hot day and the shade was disappearing.  I'll be more careful next time. 
Tomorrow I have a business lunch and Tuesday I'm on tuckshop roster at DS's school.  Hopefully it will cool down a bit by mid week.

Started Home of a Needleworker

While I was resting my knee in Vancouver I started Home of a Needleworker by LHN.



It is very hot and muggy here in Brisbane so I haven't done any more since getting home.

Home again

We had a fantastic holiday.  Our 5 days skiing at Whistler was great and we would all love to do it again.  Of course the kids learnt much faster than DH or I.  The weather was nice and cold but not unbearable.  It snowed one day while we were skiing then was sunny and  -15C the next day. 



Here I am

I twisted my knee on the last skiing day and probably did some ligament damage.  It was a week before I could bend it easily but it is mostly fine now - just uncomfortable if I am on it for a while or twist it again. 
After Whistler we had 4 days in Vancouver while DH was working.  DD, DS and I had an easy few days and I was able to put my knee up for a few hours every aftenoon and get online to check what was happening at home.

We stopped in LA on our way back home for 3 days - 2 days at Disneyland and the last day at Universal Studios.  Again, we all had a ball and were exhausted when we got on the plane.




DS, DD and I at Disneyland



We loved our time away but were glad to be back home.

DMIL was going to come with us, but 2 days before we left her mother had a mild stroke so she stayed.  While we were away Nanna had more strokes and is now in a high level nursing home unable to walk. 

The Floods

We were not affected by the Brisbane floods.  Our house is in the northern surburbs away from the river and we are on a hill. It has been horrible to see the damage done to my city and state from the floods and this week Cyclone Yasi.  

The Winner Is....

Well it is Christmas night here.  We had a good day starting with church at 7am, opening presents at home, then lunch at parents in law, home by 4.30, an hour talking to my brother on the phone, cold meat, prawns and salads for dinner.  Pavlova for dessert later.  Yum!

I have drawn a name for the 123stitch giveaway.  The winner is

Hishandmaid

Congratulations.  I will email you.


Merry Christmas to everyone.

Centre finished

... on romantic rose garden mandala!  I've added all the beads and pretties so it sparkles.

I'm going to put this aside and get back to Hypnotic.


It looks like it's going to be a wet Christmas here.  We are expecting rain everyday starting today.  Good weather for stitching!
My Dad is staying home instead of visiting us.  He lives on the coast in central Queensland and the weather forecast there is for heavy rain everyday for the next week and he has had problems with water from a neighbours yard coming into his house. He has spent Christmas with us every year  for the last 12 years.

Welcome to my new followers.  I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday. 

Good luck in the draw.

A Giveaway

Well, it's time for a giveaway.  The Aussie dollar is strong and Christmas is coming. 
I've had a good year and my family is well.  I'm looking forward to next year and hoping to do more stitching.

So, here it is.


A $50 gift voucher to 123stitch



Comment on this post for an entry.  Leave your email address if you don't have a blog where I can get it.



If you become a follower, that's great and thank you.

You are welcome to publish a link to this post on your blog.


You have until Christmas Eve to enter and I will draw a name on Christmas Day. 
Remember I live in Australia and work on Brisbane time.

Good Luck
Kate

A Small Finish

Here is a picture of what I finished a few days ago.

A Life Lived for Others by Glendon Place

Stitched on 32ct Autumn Blush Lugana

with Caron Waterlilies, dmc, Kreinik and Mill Hill beads

This took forever to finish because I kept getting sick, it was the end of the school year chaos, and DH was overseas.  But, I am better now and the kids are on holidays until the end of January.  DH spent last week at home after 2 weeks in North America but left for Japan and Singapore yesterday.  He gets back on Thursday then is home until we all leave for our holiday in January.

Holiday Plans

We have asked DMIL to come to Canada with us so I hope she has a good time.  We are spending the first night at Vancouver then we have booked 5 days at Whistler, then back to Vancouver for another 5 days (DH has to work there).  Finally we have a few days in LA before coming home. 

Weather

It has been a cool and wet summer so far.  We have had only 2 days where the temperature reached 30C.  Yesterday I drove DH to the airport.  I checked the rain radar before we left and it looked like I might have to go through a shower or two on the way back.  It started to rain 5 minutes after we left home and on the freeway I had the windscreen wipers on the fastest setting and was still having trouble seeing.  It was worse coming home.  Of course it eased up soon after I got home!  We had about 75mm (3 inches) in less than an hour.  The only problem we have had here was water flowing over the top of our retaining wall and flooding a neighbours front yard.  I'm not sure we can do much about such an extreme weather event but DH will look at it when he gets back.  DH's plane was held up an hour because of the lightning but luckily he had managed to get a seat on an earlier flight to Sydney so he still had time to make his international connection even with the delay.

It's School Holidays!

and my life gets much easier.  This was a busy year because DS is at a different school than DD.   DS has grown taller then me now and will be 14 next month.  He has done well at school this year and got 7 A's and 3 B's on his final report card.  He entered some competions this year and is in the top 1% of the state for maths and science.   The last term was a bit of a struggle as he seemed to be constantly tired and hungry.  DD has also been busy.  She started playing cricket in October and loves it.  She had to miss a few games because of ballet concert practice but is keen to start again in February.   She does dancing, swimming, cricket and cub scouts after school.   I have more time to stitch during the holidays so I hope it's not too hot and humid this year.