Merry Christmas

I thought I'd take a quick moment away from the kitchen, and the making of the jellied ham terrine and frozen berry meringue parfait, to say me-e-e-e-erry Christmas! Thanks for your support, kind comments and good cheer this past year. 

I'm going to take a little break until the new year is upon us. Wishing you all a wonderful end to 2012, lots of relaxing time with family and friends, and some seriously good tucker on the buffet tomorrow.

Ho, ho, ho!

Sunday Lovelies

1) Spaghetti for dinner. Not messy at all.

2) Ruby slippers print from Flower Press for a 'Wizard of Oz' loving preschool graduate.

3) Santa on the back of a fire truck.

4) Great slabs of rocky road. It must be Christmas.

5) There was a little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead...

6) Dessert.

I'm looking forward to sharing some Christmas cheer with my sweet sister and her family at the beach this weekend. I hope there's something lovely happening where you are.

My emails have been disappearing into people's junk/spam folders lately. If you think you should have heard from me, perhaps check there. And sorry!

Subdued

When all about is red and green, silver and gold.

When everywhere is technicolour and bold-print and sparkle-glitter-sparkle.

When everything is jingle bells, ding-dong merrily, hark the herald angels sing.

When volume levels are increased to deafening, and visuals are just as loud...

How soothing to sink into these beautiful, undyed natural hues.

As soft on the eyes as in the hand.

Wending its way into tiny newborn hats for the shop.

Like knitting with bunnies and cotton wool and creamy hot chocolate.

And reading? Nothing. Completely nothing.

It doesn't feel right.

But I wanted to post in the last Yarn Along before Christmas anyway. 

Wishing all the lovely knitters out there a soft, gentle, natural, soothing festive season.

On the Last Day

We have been focusing so much of our energy on next year's momentous 'first' - big school - that I almost forgot the significance of today, her last day of preschool. She's been spending part of her week in some form of day care or preschool for three years, and today it is over, complete. She has been a little emotional. Make that a lot emotional. Wrapped up in all the end-of-year excitement, the Christmas tree cookies and cards from her little pals and presents for the teachers, has come the slow realisation, for her and for me, that time is a-rolling on and we are powerless to stop it. When she expressed her sadness today, I crossed my fingers behind my back and told her she could choose another year of preschool if she really wanted it. And she said no without hesitation. She's opting for the unknown, the adventure, the big wide world. Because without even realising it, she knows that's the right choice, and it's what she wants.

Homemade rhubarb chutney for the teachers suggests we are far more organised and crafty at this end of the year than we really are. It is chaos around here.

And I noticed that my last post was my 500th. That's quite significant. Milestones all round.

Sunday Lovelies

A sprinkling of lovely from a very busy week:

1) Girl with balloon.

2) Neglected houseplant comes back to life.

3) Why, it's a scarecrow in a field. Thank you for asking.

4) Girls in dresses, climbing. (And those are stockings in December, yes.)

5) Gifts for small playgroup friends.

6) There'll be beetroot on the menu on the 25th.

Wishing you a lovely lead-up to Christmas day. There is still much to do in this house before Santa visits. What about you?

One Year On

One year ago today, I watched as our home was up-ended and shaken out into the back of a truck and sent off down the highway. I piled my babes into the car, filled every empty space with the last bits of stuff, plonked the fish in its plastic bag on top of the teetering pile on the passenger seat, squeezed in the still-warm foil-wrapped food offerings from my inconsolable mother-in-law, and set off after the truck.

We've worked our way steadily through four entire seasons in our new country home. I've been frightened by a couple, and entirely mesmerised by the others. A pathetic chilly summer that had us questioning the decision to move. Enchanting, misty autumn with all of that colour and crunch. The depths of a winter, the first of many, I suspect, in which my toes will feel perpetually cold. And then spring, incredible spring, abundant spring, show-off spring.

The vineyard on the drive into town tells of it perfectly - leafy green turning to red and brown, dropping back to nothing, then bursting forth again. I grew up in a town with four seasons and, having found myself in such a place in adulthood, now I get what all the fuss is about.

This country life hasn't been all it was cracked up to be. There aren't 27 hours in the day like I thought there'd be. The weeks are still only seven days long. Life is busier than ever, more relentless than ever, as exhausting as ever, just with a prettier view out the window and far, far less traffic. The questions of 'where' haven't been answered entirely. We may have started here, but the decision now is where to finish. This region? This very village? In town or on the land? An old house or a new one?

For now, I'm not going anywhere. A year in and I feel I'm a small part of the neighbourhood. We've made friends, real connections. In a little over a month we'll join the thriving local school community. The people at the local shop know our names. I've finally memorised my own phone number.

And my babies haves stretched from chubby sausages into talking, thinking, proper people, naughty as ever, minds of their own, as ever. My big girl gets to start her formal education in a perfect, tiny country school, with a paddock for a playground and the best-stocked library I've seen anywhere.

There is still much work to do, much to improve. Sometimes it feels like we left so much opportunity behind and I have to remind myself why we're here. Despite it all, one year on, I know we made the right decision.

Lunch Date

Yesterday I drove up the Hume Highway, blissfully alone, to meet a friend and her sweet baby for lunch. It was a last-minute opportunity to catch up before Christmas, and at last a chance to check out the much-hyped Grounds of Alexandria.

We were tucked into a corner of the heaving restaurant where we ordered cooling ginger beers and delectable salads. The littlest of our party generously shared her fries with me. Later, we took coffee and cakes out into the rambling garden so she could play.

How lovely it was to pass a few hours in good company, eating the freshest food and drinking perfect, proper coffee. Ah, Sydney, some things you do very well indeed. 

Shop Update

Just popping in to let you know I've updated the shop with lots of new hats. The Chubby Pixie is there now in baby and kid sizes. And there are a few new colours as well. I'd love to hear what you think. My Facebook page is here if you need to stay updated - I'm expecting an order of lovely new yarn in the next few days.

Also, it's the 12th and last day of Christina's Christmas giveaway, and guess who's featured today! Pop over there quickly and enter to win a Typically Red hat custom made in your choice of style, size and colour. It's open internationally, and you can enter till early tomorrow morning.

And if you're visiting from Christina's blog for the first time, welcome! Grab a seat, I'll pop on the kettle and see if there are some of those gingerbread trees left in the cookie jar. Though I suspect the monkey in the red hat might have polished them all off yesterday...

Trees

I know it's a cliche, but Christmas has been creeping up so quickly, and I've been struggling to get into the spirit. So much so, I wouldn't have been disappointed if Santa rang to tell me the whole thing had been called off. Everyone says it's your kids that make Christmas special, but truth be told, it isn't the same for me without my family around. I miss my mum at this time of year, and it's getting harder and harder for the rest of us to get together. We try to make up for it at other times of the year, but it's never the same.

But with a freshly cut tree lighting up our lounge room, and freshly baked gingerbread ones in the kitchen, things are starting to feel a little more festive around here. And even though my big sis will be on the other side of the world, I've arranged to spend a couple of pre-Christmas days with my little sis at her holiday house. We'll sip champagne and break into the ham a few days early. 

I may have caught myself singing some carols yesterday. Perhaps it is beginning to feel a bit like Christmas.

Sunday Lovelies

 

I've been digging deep for my Christmas spirit, and there are a few hints this week.

1) Attempts for a photo for the Christmas card thwarted by one sick bub and two cheeky ones. At least there were some fun out-takes.

2) I received my ornament from the swap. Thank you, Maria. I love it!

3) We went to our local carols by candlelight tonight. Guess who was one of the angels?

4) Abundant green in the garden.

5) Abundant green in the kitchen.

Thank you for all of your kind well wishes for my Stella. I'm pleased to report she is back to her normal self.

And please head over to Baby Space to check out the fantastic giveaway. There's a Typically Red bonnet to win, amongst lots of other great stuff.

Aaaaand don't forget Christina's 12 Days of Christmas giveaway as well. Only a few days left, and so many great prizes. I wonder what the remaining days could bring...