What do you do when you worked all weekend and have nothing better to do on a Monday. You head to the beach. The older kids were at school, so it was just me and the little guy. Fortunately my lovely long time friend was free to be picked up on the way.
This my friends is Ocean Beach. Today the water was stunningly
clear, with the bluest water. And on a Monday the beach was practically empty.
A beautiful 35minute coastal drive from the city, Ocean
beach is one of Whangarei’s favourite surf beaches.
We are so spoilt for choice in here. It takes about
30-50 minutes to get to several lovely beaches. You can choose the Tutukaka Coast or the Whangarei heads. Want a nice calm beach you go
to Whale Bay. Keen for some waves keep driving until you hit Sandy Bay. Or you could head South and drive to Ruakaka or Waipu.
We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful part of the country and I better make the most of it this summer!
The creative juices have finally started to flow.
Its been a while. A long while. But I have discovered that I like trying new things. What I used to enjoy creating BC (before children), is different to now.
Out of virtually no where I decided I would try and make a quilt. How hard could it be right? Well, pretty hard! For me anyway. I am once again winging it. In fact..."winging it" is my life mantra! I bought some square quilt pieces and have progressed slowly. As I have mentioned before, Im no natural sewer...in fact my sewing machine still lives in its box, and I have mini panic attacks when I go to the spot light fabric department.
There have been times I have wanted to give up, but my lovely mother in law has helped me breath through it and encouraged me to keep going and get it finished. Its supposed to be a picnic blanket. I have the finished product in my head.... But im thinking quilting might not be for me. I'm quite OCD about things looking symmetrical and and having the colours coordinated EXACTLY. So it has been an interesting exercise. Sewing straight and cutting straight are not my best skills. Anyhoo heres a sneaky peak. I think perhaps showing you might help me actually finish it. I would like to sit on it at the beach this summer!
Laying all the patterns out the first day I bought it.
Sewn it all together. Not sure what to do next?
Added some black around the edge.
And that's all I have done so far. This is going to be one expensive picnic rug!
Creating Curry.
I'm loving my curry spices. I'm a bit of a plastic Indian I love the spices but hate the chili heat. My little brother bought me this curry spice tin for my wedding present many years ago, and it is special to me because it has an engraving on the top with out wedding date and name on it. A very thoughtful present for an (at the time) 18 year old boy.
You can make a curry out of anything. And what I learnt from my mum is there is no recipe, you put and little of this and a little of that. No curry ever seems to taste the same, well none of mine do anyway. Most towns have an Indian curry spice shop. If you are desperate you can try the supermarket stuff (think masterfoods or greggs), but in order to get descent turmeric and ground Marsala you need to hit the authentic Asian markets.
Other key ingredients for a curry are onions, garlic and ginger. Thankfully my kids love curry, so no worries about having to get the kids to eat.
Go on, give it a go!
Or if you are local, come over for dinner, and ill cook you up a feed :)
Creating CAKE
I had a friend over for coffee this morning, and we are both moaning about how we need to get out and lose some pounds, but I really wanted cake!
So I made a mini layer cake. I have these cute little mini spring form tins and made a double layer chocolate fudge cake with a butter mocha icing.
So good and it was so little we didn't feel so guilty!
Yee Haa. I may be just a little excited today. Actually there are a number of things that make me happy today.
Ill start off with today...and work my way backwards.
The exciting news of the day is that the kids went back to school today. A little earlier than some of your kids...but...we started the holidays way back at the beginning of December, so its been a long one. Joe woke up and was ready, dressed, fed and had made his lunch before Miss Joy had even woken up. She had surprisingly slept in longer than usual. Weird.
They have new Smiggle back packs and duraseal covered books, all ready to start the new year. What can I say, I loved school and they do too.Both of them are starting in a new class room and with new teachers. Aw they are growing up.
Zak zak also went to play school this morning (his one of two mornings a week), so I had the whole morning free. I met a lovely friend for coffee and breaky.
And then I went and saw a movie, a tear jerker. I don't normally cry in movies but the movie "The Impossible" was incredibly emotional. Its a true story survival tale of a family caught in 2004 Boxing Tsunami. Amazingly realistic I saw the trailer when I went to see Les Miseables and got I got teary just watching the trailer!
Yesterday I went to a beautiful baby shower. We had to bring a baby photo, and do the match the baby photo with the person game. Surprisingly every single person guessed me right?!
What a cutie. Recently I was visiting with my uncles, and they told me about when I went to Fiji as a baby they would carry me through town showing me off. What a sight that would have been, a couple of Indian teenage boys showing off a chubby little white baby. They relished in the ooh and aahing apparently.
Remember last post about me mentioning going to Christchurch? Well its all on! Plane tickets with Paisely Jade are all paid for. Rego is in for the blogger conference. I have picked all the social-able electives, because really the only reason I'm going down for is the friendships. The only reason I blog really is for the friendships to be honest. Looking forward to spending my birthday weekend with some groovy gals.
Speaking of groovy blog girls. I caught up with Gail and Meghan on the weekend. Meghan has been planning her Northland trip for months, so to finally have it all happen was very cool. Of course the Whangarei Bloggers tried their hardest to behave in public, but we always seems to be the rowdy ones in the place. Too much laughing. Meghan assures me we didn't scare her off...talking about death and heaven and colonoscopies at the dinner table. Oh well that's just how we roll.
And so lovely to catch up with Gail after following her China travels for the last couple of years. Amazing chick and amazing family. Her kids are almost exactly the same age as mine. Quite uncanny.
The lame blogger I am, I forgot to take pics. Fortunately I am always sure that Paisley Jade will take her camera...or have her instagram machine. See here for the fun
See what I mean about the friendships? I would never have met these girls if it weren't for blogging.What I have learnt from my couple years of blogging is if you want to make friendships through blogging, you connect though commenting on blog posts. Commenting shows you care and a reciprocal relationship can be built. It is silly to assume that because you comment on someones blog, that they must in turn do the same to you...it wont always happen, so don't be offended. just keep it fun people!
Well that my 2 cents worth today.
Any hoo where was I? Oh yes...things that make me happy today.
Finding a quiet place on my new swing seat to read the Good Book.
Enjoying Christine Caines book "Undaunted", and looking forward to getting into the next biography.
So much to be thankful for.
Oh happy day.
{ ADDIT: I just wanted to add in that bit about the comments thing...am I in NO way fishing for more comments for MY blog...im happy with the fact that anyone besides my family reads it all...I was just merely writing it for some peoples benefit who haven't quite been able to find friendship yet...that all :) }
I'm not sure what has happened to me. Somewhere in the last year, I have become comfortable. To the point where I don't want to move. I'm not up for anything new or beyond my control. What has happened?
This once adventurous gal, ready for anything, stands still, crippled by fear.
Only a couple years ago I jumped out of a plane with a thin canopy preventing me from plunging to my death. My death! Would I do it again today? Right now. Nope not a chance.
Not that long ago I stood in front of a few hundred people and sang into a microphone confident as anything. Today crippled with fear. Excuses, excuses but all the while knowing the real reason is fear.
Only last year my husband and I dreamed of waiting for the kids to turn 18 so we can embark on our world trip. Alone just the two of us with our life savings, seeing the world. Today, I cannot fathom it. Why would I want to leave the safest place on earth, Godzone, and embark on the unknown.
Stuck in the same job I have done more or less for the 10 years...too afraid to try some new in case I don't like it. Driving the same car for the last 9 years, too afraid to buy a new one in case it is a lemon. No new challenges set for he year. Nothing really exciting to look forward to, just living. Surviving.
Whats that you say? a trip to Christchurch. But...that's on a plane...to the South Island...Earthquake zone. Whats that you say? meeting new people, for a conference, in a town I don't know?
This control freak is afraid. Worried even.
Why? I don't know. And I don't like it. This is not me? I'm not a whimp. Where is this coming from? Stupid fear. You are NOT going to hold me back.
I'm going to go, just to throw it in your face. I'm going to show you that you don't get to control who or what I can do. Whats more, I'm going to have fun. Yeah...I'll show you!
And for great measure, I'm going to dream again. Dream that my life is more than this. More than just surviving the day.
I will not live vicariously through my kids encouraging them to face their fears, all the while hiding behind mine.
My life will be more than working to have possessions, but about getting out there and experiencing all that life has to offer.
I will not sit here seeing the world through the eyes of my friends on the internet, but I will see them myself with my own eyes.
Yeah Fear. Take that. I'm ready to JUMP again.
{For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.}2 Timothy 1:7
That's right people, its time for a bullet point blog post. The kinda post where random thoughts that are inside my brain synapses are blurted out.
I haven't made any New Years resolutions. I was trying this thing where I would go for a walk everyday of January. I lastrd until day 5. Sad. My only resolution is to never work New Years ever again.
One thing I may do this year is send a little letter to the drug company who makes the Iron tablet. It would read:
Dear pharmacologist person.
I am writing to you because I am supposed to take these Iron tablets that you created. But there is one tiny problem. They cause constipation. And its not just me. Every poor woman who try's it get bunged up and full of crap. Come on, its 2013. Surely you could work on it a little more.
Your sincerely
Jacksta BLOGS.
Meghan from M&Ms always beats me when we play Word with friends.
I went to the movies the other night. Alone. Yep that's right alone. I really wanted to see Les Miserable on opening night. It is my Father in Laws favourite Musical, and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. I texted all my other potential spontaneous friends, all were busy. Hubby didnt want to see such a late one on a school night. So I went by. my. self. Am I secure enough to hang out by myself at the movies. Hmmm. May be not. Awkward. But the thing I like about seeing a random movie like that is you can feel what you want about it with out being swayed by what the friend thought about it....you know when you see something you loved and they're like...that was lame. Downer. Another person had seen it and said they forgot their tissues, and I HATE crying in front of people..so that was a good reason to go myself.
I didn't cry. Yep this always happens to me. Someone says they saw a movie and they cried...I watch said movie and don't feel a thing and feel like my heart is made of stone. Maybe I intentionally go prepared NOT to cry. I don't know.
I did like the movie though. I read up on some random facts about it. Like, they sang the words on the set like normal dialogue with an ear piece with a piano playing, instead of acting and lip-syncing to the music. Made it really realistic.
Not long until school starts up again. I'm trying to get in lots of catch ups before the holidays end and everyone gets back into school/work/ busy with life mode.
We had a break-through with Little Zak zak last week. He has been going to "Playschool" a couple of mornings a week. And usually I have to physically pass him on to one of the teachers. But after heading back there after the holidays, he has been happily settling in on his own, even telling me to go away the first day back. I've heard of this happening with other mums...but none of my other children have ever said this to me before! I left rather shocked and bewildered.
Joe has been pondering about heaven lately. He decided he would like to die and go there now because it sounds so awesome. Hmm. Awkward. I do remember having the exact same conversation with Miss Joy when she a was a similar age. I love this shot he took of him self on my Ipod. He looks rather heavenly already. Its no secret that I love blue eyed boys. I now have three of my own. (Hubby and two boys).
The kids were lucky to spend and entire week at a holiday house with a back yard pool. Miss Joy spent a lot of the day in there, and seriously browned up despite lathering herself in sunscreen. I marvel at how lovely she is growing. It seems like she has grown a foot just in these holidays alone. I am starting to realize we are soon going to be faced with a tween in the house soon. I. cant. wait. ♥
My favourite internet meme at the moment. Grumpy cat. Mashed with the Ermahgerd chick. Gold!
I made something!!
You may remember back to this day when the bloggers came over to visit...and I bought a sewing machine especially for it. Well that was over a year ago, and sadly I haven't used the machine much. But that all changed recently. I had a brain wave to make an apron for my brother's Christmas present. I googled apron patterns and thought I could give this one a go.
I found a "Dummies guide to sewing an apron" at Spotlight. Thankfully I knew the chick on the counter so she could at least tell me what fabric to choose! Paisley Jade knows that I get panic attacks in the fabric department of Spot light (joking...just a little..)
Geez Im such a moron...I could barely follow the instructions...So I mostly winged it. I used the Dummies guide for the basic apron but made the waist coat part my self. I used cooking paper to make my pattern on.
Its starting to come together...
My little brother in his new apron.
We had Christmas with my family at his place the Saturday before Christmas day where he was hosting our delicious lunch. He put it on and used it that day.
He is a great cook and loves dressing up...this apron suits his personality to a tee.
The icing on the cake was when he asked where I bought it from! I said it was handmade...he said...but who made made it? I said ME! To which he replied...You could sell these.
Hi. Back again after the holidays....don't worry I've been keeping up with you lovely bloggers and your thoughts about the holidays etc.
In the mean time I have filled our holiday period with things like...
Time at the beach...
drinking...
eating...
chocolate... stress chaos...
All the usual that goes with a family filled Christmas/New year season.
There is an absence of photos. 1) because we forgot the camera 2) sometimes its just nice to be in the moment.
I won't bore you with the details. Except that one lesson I learnt was...NEVER under any circumstances work New Years if you can help it. It just didn't feel right not being next to the one I loved at midnight...even if we would have been in bed together at the time.
My brother gave us a cool present this year. A family pass to "Action World" at Waitangi, Bay Of Islands. It had been on our to do list for a few years but the kids were too young.
It was the last day of Hubby's holidays so we drove up there for a fun filled day.
I gave the trapeze one go...yep...somebody really needs to lose some kgs! Almost dislocated my shoulder!
Heres a little montage I put together of SOME of the fun. Poor little toddler missed out because he was too little for most of it... but he did get get his first ever pony ride!
heres their website for more info. www.actionworld.co.nz
.jpg)
.jpg)
