Love.

A mermaid on graph paper. Beautiful words. No, I didn't mind my early morning.

Would You Rather...

Somehow the new scarf I am knitting for my niece overtook the need to put washing away.

The fact that it is raining and the fireplace is roaring had more that a little to do with it.
And I might just skip taking the dogs for a walk in this weather too. I kind of like how rain makes you rewrite your day.

Waking Up.

In the weak afternoon light, the peppery scent of Stock gently guided me back to the world.

And as the sun strengthened, warmth entered my room, lighting up the boys' ukulele and reminding me that there is life beyond napping (unfathomable as it may seem).

Blankets and Farm Life.

There it is, my old friend the hexagon blanket. Every night it greets me with love as I let the best of my creativity pour through my hands into it. There is such an element of magic to the making of things. Once more, roll on evening so I can get back to work. The crochet 'hexagons' in the top photo are actually impostors being five sided pentagons rather than the required six. I must have been very tired one night. Instead these are going to become part of a scarf so I guess before any more blanket work, I had better stitch those pieces together. They can be my portable blankie - not that I need one because I am very sophisticated these days...

A little shot of our cows eating dinner in the hill paddock next to our house. I love this light because it means that in any second, a bright blue motorbike will come whizzing up the track and then all the fun begins.

Isn't that Number 164 a character, you would not believe the story she just finished telling me before I took the photo. You can see it in her eyes though. You know what she's talking about.

By the way, Archie did go to school today but was late!!!!! This morning he crept into my bed at 7am and fell back to sleep for an hour. This has never happened before in the history of our lives so I felt he must have needed it. Then I remembered. Last night I found him lying in his bed asleep, with a bowl of crusty sugar beside him, a bowl he had obviously been feasting on for quietly for many days. This morning he must have been on a major sugar low. Maybe it was a temporary diabetic coma. When he finally returned to the land of heartily awake, I mentioned the bowl. He visibly blanched, flailing in his own mortification. Underneath the "I'm so sorry" chant, I could definitely hear thoughts of "Note to self; always hide evidence before going to sleep".

Finding a bit of Sunday peace.

Some days it feels as though everything is so harried and children such whirlwinds, that peace will never be found again. Then strangely, the house quietens, the dust motes slow mid-track and breaths become deep and restorative.

After a day of cleaning the house, scraping the windows clean, washing a billion loads of laundry and restoring a weak shine to the floor, I am now sitting (dare I say levitating) in a moment of serenity. Dinner is bubbling on the stove and the boys are walking through the farm to meet Jonno at the shed as he finishes milking the cows. It's Sunday night so a cosy night of television on the big blue couch is waiting and Archie really, really, really starts back at school tomorrow. Imagine that.

I have just started back on my crochet hexagon blanket and I am completely in love with it again. After decreasing my ply (oh why not my thigh (s)) to the most ridiculous worm silk diameter, it is so comforting to be back on 8 ply wool again. And the repetition of doing a blanket... just what is needed. Better go and stir dinner. Have a lovely Sunday night. xxooxxooxx

p.s. Jonno just rang to say the boys made it to the other side of the farm safely - hurrah!!!!

Weired and Wonderful Auckland.

Sharks, sting-rays, giant squid tentacles, rats, enormous moa eggs, dinosaur bones and Egyptian mummies. A perfect holiday for two little boys (especially when one is supposed to be at school...).

Not so scary today.

It has softened out slightly this morning but I was still rather startled to see my face so bluntly framed. Am getting nearer to that pixie cut every day. I think the hairdresser was aiming for scary dragon lady because she made me try on my glasses at the end and was very excited. Much more than me. Anyway, time to pack the car and explain to Hugo on the way up why we will not be eating the dinosaur bones (they are very chokey) on the way up to Auckland.