Soprano Sunday

Inspired by Shellterrific's ravoli we had Sunday lunch, Soprano's style.

Which I think just means way too much carbohydrates, so after feeding 7 adults and 7 kids, I still have enough fettucine and meatballs, antipasto and spinach canneloni leftover for the rest of the week!

And, woah, does that make you sleepy, I almost passed out, there should be a warning on pasta, like there is on other narcotics. Maybe they should rename it Italian smack.





Note, Identity's masked to protect the innocent.

Also note, violin cases full of garlic bread!

A gift from beyond 2 graves

I went to visit my new neice in hospital and she was wrapped in this amazing blanket. It turns out the blanket was knitted by my Great Grandmother Millicent for my oldest sisters first babe. Before she died, Millicent gave it to my Grandma to pass on to my sister. Two weeks before my Grandma died she passed it onto my mother, who gave it to my oldest sister. Unfortunately she has not had any of her own babes, so she passed it onto the newest little girl in the family.

We think Millicent must have knitted it when she was in her eighties and she died about 25 years ago when she was 93. I really love the Art Deco feel about it, the colours and pattern remind me of the 1930s which would have been her heyday. All those generations of women in the family, it is nice to be reminded of the way we are all knitted together.

ps. I have added more pictures of Holly here

Introducing Holly M...

Here she is, my new neice... Holly... It was a quick delivery, healthy 8 pounds, Mum and baby doing well.....
In fact I have to say my sister is just glowing, and, wow, it is really hard to take photos of newborns.
I didn't want to use the flash, for fear of blinding her for life, and being only 12 hours old she hasn't quite got the hang of her mouth yet, so a smile was out of the question! But she is pretty cute anyway, but then again, I'm biased!



More photos here.

A slow day... lots of drizzle and mist... chuck in a dodgy bunny and a sleepy babe, stir gently and cook for 24 hours.

Domestic Bliss

The whole little-house-on-the-prairie thing of yesterday got me thinking about ... domestic bliss.

All these years I thought it was all about irony, and I guess as a way of describing a generation of women, then yes, it still is about being ironic.

But, I think it does actually exist. Domestic Bliss.

For example,

I can be hit by a moment of DB when the entire houseload of washing has been completed, washed, dried and put away.
or, when I have changed the sheets. Clean fresh sheets, 100% cotton - white, bliss.
Cleaning the floors can often yield a momentary sense of satisfaction, maybe not as far as bliss, but its good.

The thing is with all moments of bliss, spiritual, orgasmic or otherwise... they are only fleeting...

But at least it is real, and I can acknowledge that.

I don't have to feel like I am selling out the entire female population, when I when I feel joy at baking a perfect cup-cake.

Let them eat cake!!

[ Image is from a Coen Bros Website ]

The days of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll

.. are over..
long gone..
too bad, they were fun..

Yep it's all about something else now, I cannot quite put my finger on it. But there has been a change.

More like a little house on a little prairie, on the outskirts of the suburbs, of a little town on a little island. Doing little things.

Yep, I think that is it. I used to look at the big things in life, now I am happy with the small things.



(hopefully R will not end up being more like Michael Landon as well)

Long Live the King

More corners of the home around here somewhere..

Knitted Hugs

I saw these images of knitted graffiti here and on a number of other blogs, and it reminded me of a the great knitted forest protest that happened here in 2003.

A large 18m knitted 'hug' was wrapped around Gandalf’s Staff, a magnificent 400-year-old 84m high Eucalyptus regnans, as well as other old-growth trees in the Styx Forest.

More information and images from the project are available here.

Give a camera to a 4 year old

I wanted a little bit of time at the computer and Mr 4 was bugging me, so I handed him the camera and sent him off into the garden to take some photos. He had a great time - took 94 shots (yeah, for digital photography), some of them were great!

Click here to see my favourites.

Latest Handbag Creations

The first one is made from a polished cotton drapery fabric that is pretty pretty flowers and the second one is made from cotton printed with a map of Paris is dusty rose. I am a bit of a shoulder bag gal, but I was surprised at how much I like using them because they are not big enough to carry around all that excess baggage.

Sock Monkey Quilt

This is Sacha's Christmas Quilt. It is my first quilt and I really love the central block of sock monkey's looking a lot like police mug shots and of course the brilliant yellow bananas. Strangely, since he received the quilt he hasn't eaten another banana - that is a two year old for you.

First is the whole quilt, then two of my favourite acts of random quilting.

There are more images here.

Can't touch this

Lo and behold he has his own blog, mchammer.blogspot.com

WARNING: If you are reading this at work do not click on the above link, or turn down the volume before you do.