Busy!

Its a sure sign that I have had a busy week as I haven't even thought about posting anything for over a week!

The last seven days have seen me rushing around getting ready for a quilt show as well as have an editors meeting AND the magazine's annual 'do' last night. I've driven quite a few miles the last few days and its not over yet as there is the quilt show to help pack up at tomorrow.

Having suggested a compromise in recalculating my child maintenance with the ex husband several weeks ago, as usual I haven't heard a thing from him. I suspect I will get my answer when its next paid on 1 Feb. Do they EVER stop being bitter and awkward and difficult?
I just keep thinking to the future like a certain son's wedding should he choose to get married, and how we can both stand there on his big day when we have no communication at all.

The work do was fun last  night. I had been quite nervous about going as I haven't been to an office do for nearly 20 years. I'm also still adjusting to going to social events on my own as a single person. It is social occasions like that when I sometimes wish I did have a special someone and when I don't 'meet' any potential mates I start to wonder if I will ever meet anyone again. Whilst beauty is skin deep, I think some kind of weight loss and exercise program might be in order!
I just need to find a bit of spare time..............

Veg of the Month

So we had our first new veg of the month last night....................
we tried celeriac. I baked it thinly sliced in the oven with carrots and potatoes and some stock. It was ok. TK tried it at least which is the deal we have.
We still have some left so will probably mash it or make a dauphinoise with potatoes.

The other choice for January was kale but I'm not sure if I can eat that or not!

I've been busy editing this week but the next few days will be spent getting ready for a quilt show next week including getting new kits together.

 

Hello Winter!

Although it has been milder today, we had a reminder that it is actually winter at the moment. I took the chance to go out into the garden on Saturday and snapped a few frost laden plants.

Even this thistle looked pretty!

Seeing as my garden is new to me, I'm trying to take photos throughout the year so that I can see whats in flower and when. A lot of the plants are new to me. At the moment the hellebores are in flower

Life's Frustrations

Just when you think your divorce is done and dusted, it rears its ugly head again!

Is there ever an end to hassle when you get divorced?

The week didn't start well with the ex husband announcing, by email since we don't talk, that he wanted me to open a cash ISA for our son and wanted to reduce the child maintenance he pays by a third so that he can pay money into the ISA. I started composing an email to my lawyer till I realised how petty it all sounded as at the end of the day its for our son's benefit. Basically the ex wants to ring fence any money he pays me so he ensures its used solely for the benefit of our son. The trouble is that's not how it works; he just doesn't 'get' what maintenance is for.
I hope I have suggested a suitable compromise because I really don't want to have to involve lawyers or the CSA.

On a more positive note I have finished block B5 of our SBS quilts and will try and remember to take a photo in the daylight tomorrow. I think I need to alternate between piecing and quilting each evening so that I make progress on each project.
When I got the quilt out to do some quilting the other night, the cat decided for the first time for ages to sit in the lounge with us..............under the quilt of course!

Funny that!

Time

Life is so frustrating sometimes.

I have so many ideas buzzing around my head all the time; projects, class ideas, business ideas and that's not including all the thoughts I have about things to do in my new house.

And yet each day goes by and I don't seem to accomplish anything!

How do people manage to be productive and achieve things?

Is it just down to my inability to be decisive? I probably spend too much time sitting at my computer wasting time when I could be actually doing the things I want to achieve but I think its also to do with being the only adult in a household and having to do certain chores and other things at certain times. We'll ignore housework because I'm not big on doing housework, but someone has to cook each evening and then there's washing up to be done..........and all of a sudden the evening has gone!

Maybe I just need to be a bit more organised and allocate a small amount of time each day to various tasks and that way I will achieve several things over a period of time rather than spending a whole day working on one task and then feeling guilty about neglecting another task.........and I'm including the pile of ironing I have in this!

Maybe I need to make a list..............

Back to Reality

So its back to reality as the new school term started today and back to the old routine of dealing with mail order first and then making a start on editing.............yep as the Feb issue goes to print I am working on the March issue and we are still in the first week of the new year!

Its funny how your kids constantly surprise you. Whether its a new-found confidence or he just feels safer, but all of a sudden my son has decided he's ok for me to leave him at home for a short time while I go to the post office or the local supermarket. Only a few months ago, he didn't like me leaving him in the car while I popped into the post office and even though he could see me from the car........
I think he realises that its only a matter of months now before he has to walk to and from secondary school on his own, so its something he needs to get used to. Jeez I'll have to give him his own key to the front door soon!

He also surprised me by tucking into dough balls dipped in garlic butter at Pizza Express the other day when he has avoided all contact with garlic bread up to now!

We have a sort of new year's resolution that we will try a new vegetable each month to try and widen our vegetable tastes. Neither of us is a big fan of veg but one of my Xmas gifts was Hugh Fearnley Whatsit's Veg book. I think we will see which veg is in season each month and see what we can rustle up.

Now that my working week is fully restored, my sewing will be restricted to evenings. Last night I was playing with a bias applique design for a quick quilt pattern that I have been working on using the new Patternista fabrics

You probably can't see much of the design from this picture I'm afraid. It needs a little bit of work still but its almost there. I may continue with TK's SBS block this evening though........

New Projects

I always feel like starting a new project in the week after Christmas. I have no idea why but the urge to do so is always strong at this time.

But I have been good this year and carried on with my SBS blocks.

Its not like I don't have any fabrics to start something new with, hell I have a whole cupboard full of various collections of fabrics just waiting for inspiration to strike.........
My new collection of fabrics is a selection of red and whites.

My mum started me off with them after we were both inspired by that wonderful display of red and white quilts in NYC last year; Infinite Variety. (if only it could come to the UK...........)
As you can see I have plenty of reds and quite a few white on white prints, but harder to come by are the medium tones of red on white so my collection is not quite complete yet and not ready for a quilt.
I have had some thoughts about design though and have in mind a pieced background with floral applique.

As part of a (kind of) new year's resolution about walking more and doing more geocaches, TK and I went out for a walk yesterday in Baldock to try and find the remaining clues for the geocache that takes you around the town. One of our co-ordinates is still way out for some reason but we luckily found where we were supposed to be so we managed to get  a little bit further with the clues. Unfortunately it started to rain before we could get the last couple of clues so we will have to try for a third time another day!

I want to try and go out every weekend but for some reason its really hard to get TK go out sometimes; he seems to be in teenager mode already even though he's only 10! Geocaching lets you find places on your doorstep you didn't know existed and its kind of cool knowing that hundreds of people (muggles) pass by the locations where caches are hidden not knowing that they are there.........