Author: Anne S

Well, I’ve decided with my weird hours at work and the ensuing flagging energy levels sometimes, that my planned rotation of having a day set aside for different projects isn’t working too well. After doing some research (web-surfing), I thought I’d try a set time rotation. I think it was Tannia early on in my first blogs that suggested a certain time frame for each project, and initially I thought it was too constrained for me – but the more I think about it, the more I think it would suit me better for my current lifestyle … so I figure I’ll stitch my projects for 10 hours each, before moving onto the next one – at least that way every project gets some stitching done on it regularly, rather than skipping days and weeks at a time. So, my first rotation plan is as follows:

1. Dolphins XS
2. Chatelaine’s Egyptian Garden
3. UFO’s (free choice or random – not sure yet)
4. Dolphins XS (wanna get this finished!)
5. Smalls/Ornaments
6. Mirabilia’s Winter Queen
7. Dolphins XS
8. Finishing items (putting needlebooks etc together)
9. Free choice

I’ve been sick all yesterday and today – so it’s been a good chance to blob out and just ‘surf’. I’ve been suffering from a migraine headache since I found out about not getting the job … I think the tension from that, plus the fact I’ve had a sore throat the last couple of days, got my immune system down – my headache was so bad I wanted to throw up, then I got the sweats followed by chills, and to top it all off I’d had chilli con carne the night before, and had excruciating pains compliments of my gallstone troubles (even though this was ‘prime’ mince, obviously I can’t eat that either!) … so, all in all I was feeling very sorry for myself – and ended up in bed almost all day … but got up at midnight after not being able to sleep, and surfed for almost 6 hours – almost like being at work on the night shift LOL. Anyway, just a bit bunged up today, and the headache is more manageable – so I might try and get a bit of stitching done today. Only one more work to go tomorrow, then I have my 5 days off – I think I need them to recuperate!

The heading says it all, really … Feel pretty flat and pretty disappointed – even though I knew it was going to tough to get it, it still kicks you when you get the news. It was especially hard ‘cos I had so many people come to me and say they were shocked as they thought I was a ‘shoe-in’ … never mind – definitely a night for stitching to take my mind off it. Better make it something simple, as I intend stitching with a glass of bourbon and lemonade in my hands in commiseration to myself …

So, it’s back to having my rosters chucked at me every few weeks, and not being able to plan much in advance, as it could all change at a fortnight’s notice (or in this week’s case, a week!) … good job I learnt to stitch for stress relief ;-P

OK, Mum, here are the chart scans for you … hope these come through OK – sorry email wasn’t working!

…for so many kind words about my canvaswork piece – really really appreciated :-)))

As for any stitching updates … there really aren’t any, which is unusual for me – haven’t put a single stitch into anything for a few days (since Dena was completed, actually). Really need to get moving, but just haven’t had the motivation – have been going for a walk before work instead (which isn’t a bad thing, considering how much weight I need to lose LOL). This week’s shifts have mucked me around a little bit physically … after doing my 6pm-2am and 9pm-5am shifts last week, it took me all weekend to get over it – and this week I’m doing 7 days straight, with 3 different shift times (2 of 3pm-11pm, 2 of 12noon-8pm, then 3 of 9am-5pm) – hard to get into a routine … but then due to a last minute bout of relieving for me, I get another week on the hotline covering someone on leave, which means I get an entire 5 days off next week … yippee!!! Will be nice to have some time off for a change, and have a full day or 3 of stitching. Was going to go home to NZ for a quick visit, but the flights are looking pretty full, and it’s not worth taking the risk trying to get there – will hold off until the next days off, I think (sorry Mum!).

Well, today was my interview day – I felt it went pretty well, but there are certainly no guarantees, and the competition is the toughest there has ever been, in my eyes … it’d be nice to get the job, so I’m on a permanent roster and not having everything changed on me every month when I’m asked to do relieving – makes it so hard to plan anything in advance! But if I don’t get it, at least I can say the person who does get it is of a fine calibre and deserves it 🙂 Anyway, hopefully we’ll all be put out of our miseries by Friday this week – otherwise I’ll be glued to the phone on Monday, as it’s my first day off of five … I think it had been getting to me a bit, and I was feeling anxious about it all deep down, as I felt a huge weight had been lifted off me after the interview …

On a happy note I am overjoyed to announce that my 2004 JCS ornament issue FINALLY arrived at my PO Box today – can’t believe it … I had literally just given up hope of ever receiving it, and placed an order for one online, and the little slip arrived saying “you have mail” … yippee! And I LOVE loads of the designs, even more than the 2005 one, I think … yet more and more to drool over for a few days – and I still haven’t finished drooling over the last lot!

Rightio, off to bed early tonight – I might have to put a couple of stitches into something before I go to bed, though – I feel a bad not doing any stitching at all … maybe I’ll just finish the Wisper beard on my no humbugs allowed ornament … that should just about take me no longer than an hour to finish – right, get off the computer Anne, and get moving with that needle!!! ;-P

Pretty impressed with the amount of stitching I got done today – compliments of only getting about 5 hours sleep last night (thanks for the early morning start, bin-men!). I’ve been pretty hazy-eyed all day, so didn’t have the energy to do much … just sitting around and stitching. Unfortunately it doesn’t bode well for my 6pm-2am shift tonight – if nothing else, I’ll be well and truly ready for bed when I get home! Managed to listen to about 1/2 of a talking book today, which means I’m almost at the end of it (You Belong To Me by Mary Higgins Clark – not a bad read, a crime book, which I enjoy, and pretty easy listening). I might even get this old UFO finished next week! This is the last band to stitch, and not much left to go at all. Would be tempted to take it to work to finish, but I think I’ll take that dratted Xmas ornie for the girl at work, as it’s easier to transport. I’ve decided when I get Dena finished, I’m going to put navy fabric edges on it, and make it into a cushion – it’ll go nicely on my sofa with the other plain navy cushions.

Anyway, better start getting ready for work – have to wear office clothes unless you’re on the 9pm-5am shift, which is crazy … so I think I’ll be a rebel tonight, and take my jeans to change into at 10pm (lunchtime haha). Anything for a bit of comfort at that time of the night!

I never would have believed how the simple art of blogging would have made such an impact on my life – at the right time. Since moving out to a flat on my own, I was worried I’d ‘stagnate’ a bit due to the fact I don’t really know that many people outside of work … but instead of that, blogging has opened the doors to different people I’d never previously known, but have quickly felt like friends 🙂 It’s also so nice to have a forum to more openly talk about my stitching … as much as I still adore my best mate and ex-flatmate, stitching certainly wasn’t in his sphere of interest, apart from taking the mickey out of it. It’s nice to share with people who have an appreciation of the art!

G and S … would love to catch up face to face some time. It can be hard with my shift times, but I’m sure we could come up with something that will work out. You know, G, if I come to your place I may never leave, as long as those ducks are in sight! LOL. Next time I pop home to NZ, I’m going to pick up a box of charts/magazine pages I was donating to the local Guild, and if you like you can rumage through them to see if there’s anything you want … can’t guarantee it will be this side of Xmas, though – but it would be nice to get home before then.

No stitching done today, as I went out straight from work to have dinner in the city with F (ex-flatmate) … was lovely to catch up, even though he bailed on going to the movies, which was the original plan – gave us more chance to chat, anyway. Even though I’m enjoying living on my own overall, I miss our late night chats about everything and nothing – he’s one of the few people I could always bare my soul to, and could be brutally honest with.

This week it feels like a joy to be in Melbourne – in my new flat I’m on the 3rd floor of a block of flats, overlooking the street, with large leafy trees in front of the lounge window, with bay windows looking off to the side by the dining area/balcony. The dining area is my favourite spot – the light streams in so cosily, and I love to sit and watch the birds flying past … it’s so lovely. Where I used to live, it struck me often that I very rarely used to see birds anywhere – apart from the very occasional magpie in the front garden … the first thing that struck me when I moved here is the abundance of wildlife (bird-wise). When I took Mum for our first walk round the beachfront, we were treated to seeing our first ever blue wrens – they were so beautiful. And over the last few days I’ve been overjoyed to see some of my favourite Aussie birds (aside from the ducks haha) flying overhead – rainbow lorikeets. What a sheer pleasure it gives to see them flying around in the wild, with the sunlight highlighting their bright plumage … just gorgeous. I laughed this afternoon … birds were making a raucous noise bright and early from, it seemed, the nextdoor neighbour’s garden this morning – I just shook my head and thought, noisy devils … then I was walking home from work to my car tonight and heard the same noise – I stopped dead in my tracks and looked upward to try and track down the source of the racket … to my shock, I realised it was a rainbow lorikeet making all that noise! Now, I’ll be smiling every morning and thinking “keep chatting, little birds” – it’s a pleasure just knowing the lorikeets are so close 🙂

I’ve got a rainbow lorikeet XS chart in my stash in my to-do list, so it will always remind me of my time in Australia … I really must pull my finger out and get it stitched, as it should be a pretty easy on to stitch (unless I decided to stitch it over-one, which is an option I’ve considered hmmmmm).