Last Day

Last day of the year.

Last pair of socks for the year.

That makes 19 pairs this year.  Not bad as I was aiming for 12.  

Happy New year to you all.  

Socks # 19 - 2017

Family Fun Day

It is funny how things happen.  Only the other week I said to Stuart that we should try a game of the 20/20 cricket sometime with the boys.  Sure enough, an advert turns up that says there is a game a little closer than it usually is.  So tickets are booked. 

So why not make a day of it. 

(Cast on & toe complete on the drive.)

An early start gave us a good full day ahead.  We had a look around the city first & were actually disappointed.  It seems that empty shop issue isn't only in smaller towns & cities, but the bigger ones too.  The whole place had changed a lot & the shops we used to love were either gone or reinvented & didn't have the quality we liked about them before, anymore.  Did buy a couple of little bits but nothing riveting! 

The cricket consisted of 2 games through the afternoon & evening.  It was going to be a push to get the boys to both, so I spent a few hours in the afternoon with the boys at a soft play place that of course we hadn't tried before.  So that was fun.  They had a blast there, & it catered nicely for a 9 year old where as our local one he is just getting a bit past. 

(sock progress)

Tea out & then off to the cricket.  We had bucket heads, thunder sticks, posters & a very late night.  BJ loved it & got into it.  DJ was over it about half an hour into it.  He sleeps...  in that noise!  Lucky him.  

(sock progress)

A fun day with some new experiences for the boys.  Oh & me too!  

Books 2017

All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doer
Really enjoyed this one.  Was a slow read for some reason, but not because I didn't enjoy it.

The Dress Maker - Rosalie Ham
Audio book - glad I didn't read this in paperbook.  Didn't really enjoy it at all.

The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes - Anna McPartlin
Stuart's Christmas gift book to me.  I was dreading it but it was really good.  I thoroughly enjoyed it considering the sad subject matter.

The Light In the Ruins - Chris Bohjalian
Audiobook - quite enjoyed this one.  Second of his I have listened too.

Violent Exposure - Katherine Howell
Audiobook - wasn't too bad for a crime one.  Even set in Aussie.  Quite enjoyed it though.

Random Act of Kindness - Lisa Verge Higgins
Audiobook - enjoyed this one.  It was slow to start but quite enjoyed it in the end.

The Great Christmas Knit Off - Alexandra Brown
Ok story.  Not a huge story line, was lacking a little.  But a quick enjoyable read in the end.

The Burgess Boys - Elizabeth Strout
Audiobook - This seemed to go on for an age.  Slow going & wondered the point of it really but got there in the end.  Wouldn't have bothered in paperback though.

The Book of Lost Threads - Tess Evans
Really enjoyed this.  Has been on the shelf for a few years I reckon.  It finally got read.  Went quickly as I was enjoying it so much.

The Beekeeper's Secret - Josephine Moon
Liked this a lot.  A really enjoyable story.  Second book of hers I have read.  Both great.

That Gallagher Girl - Kate Thompson
This was OK.  A follow up to one I had previously.  Enjoyed that one better.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson
This was a let down.  It wasn't awful but didn't capture me in anyway.  Was a struggle to finish it but I did.

The Girl On The Train - Paula Hawkins
Picked this up cheaply in a bookshop.  Wasn't a bad story & I got through it quickly.  Been a while since I have read a thriller.  Looking forward to seeing the movie sometime in the next couple of years!

True Colours - Kristin Hannah
Enjoyed this one.  Quite a good family drama.

The Adventures of the Wishing-Chair - Enid Blyton
Read this one, a chapter a night to DJ.  Thoroughly enjoyed it.  I read these as a child myself so to read again from an adult perspective was fun.  One of the pictures I remember so very clearly too.  I like how these are written.  Straight to the point really.  A chapter in roughly 8 pages & it is enough to bring out the magic & adventure.  She is an incredible author.

The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah
Really liked this one.  Based on WW2 was really interesting though horrible too.  But a good read.

The Difference a Day Can Make - Carole Matthews
Wasn't bad.  Another mindless read but not too awful, though a bit predictable too.

Class - Jenny Colgan
Ok read.  Really mindless & simple which was great at the time.

Delicious! - Ruth Reichl
Loved this.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  So much.  Can't explain why, just was so nice, lovely, easy to read, but really drew me in too.

The Beach Cafe - Lucy Diamond
Nice story, although predictable too.  Good holiday read, & enjoyed it over all.

The Christmas Tea Shop & Bakery  - De-Ann Black
Just a light read for travel on the tablet.  Was Ok, certainly nothing to get excited over.  But helped fill in time.  More of a novella.

Thursday Thanks

• A lovely Christmas.
• Terrific time with family & friends who are family, just not related!  lol  
• Lots of fun preparing for Christmas.  
• Stress free & fun times.  
• The laziest Boxing Day ever!  Was terrific!
• Lunch with friends.  
• Beaut weather for a perfect summer holiday season.

762/1000

Taking Stock - December

Making :  lists.  Lots of lists.
Cooking :  too hot to cook...  
Drinking :  water, water, & some more water.  
Reading:  The Beach Cafe - Lucy Diamond
Trawling:  book sales.
Wanting:  the lazy days of summer to last for ages...
Looking:  forward to the coming weeks of holidays.
Deciding: on some new activities or places to visit in the holidays.
Wishing:  not scorching summer heat.
Enjoying:  the great memories from our holiday.
Waiting:  for Santa of course.
Liking:  the laziness of Boxing Day, the pleasure of doing nothing, eating out of the fridge & just hanging...  
Loving:  the work we have got done in the front garden.  
Considering:  options for other parts of the garden.
Buying:  Lego for all of us at the cool Lego shop on holiday!
Watching:  not much, tacky Christmas movies on Netflix.  Need a new series to try.
Hoping:  2018 is fantastic.
Marvelling: at the details that the boys remember from the holiday.
Questioning:  whether we will stay awake to watch a live cricket game.  
Smelling:  Christmas dinner cooking.
Wearing:  some new shirts.  
Noticing:  how early I am getting up after a few days away of really early, with no Daylight Savings there.  
Knowing:  getting up early won't last.
Thinking: how fast the next couple of weeks will fly by.
Getting: in some new experiences over the holidays.
Bookmarking:  some new ideas for the new year.
Disliking:  the weeks of school that they basically do nothing at the end of year.
Opening:  the Christmas boxes & getting excited at all the memories in there.  
Closing:  the Christmas boxes again.
Feeling:  like we are winning with our garden goals...  Another one off the list!  
Hearing:  BJ ponder Christmas...
Celebrating:   Christmas & all things end of year...
Embracing:  The Christmas spirit.

Our Christmas

Merry Christmas

From my home to yours, 

I wish you all a Merry Christmas.

Bye Elf

Day 22

Douglas has been busy!  He & Maggie have made us some photo booth props.  A frame & a few different head pieces for some fun Christmas pictures.  We had a lot of fun with them.   I do wish they would stop creating a mess though in the process.  It is just more cleaning up each time...  

They wrote on the window - Again!!!  It said 

"Take some pictures, it will be fun.  

Take some pictures of everyone!"

So we did.

Day 24

I can't believe it is done.  These guys have left us 2 magic eggs with a note to sprinkle magic dust on them & to wait until the next day.  

So we did.

Edited to add this picture from Christmas morning...  

This is what happened to our chicken eggs!  

The boys were stoked.

It's always sad to see them go.  You get rather used to having them around.  They haven't been really naughty either which is nice.  Leaving mess around is one thing, but they have had fun & quite enjoyable.  They took their snow globe that the boys bought them in Queensland & left again. 

Fun Elf

Day 19

So they packed the boys lunches for school.  Lucky for them I couldn't see what was inside or else I would have eaten it myself!  

Day 20

More Christmas lights.  Another string of lights on the curtain rail in the rumpus room.  

Also some icicle lights hanging outside on the deck roof.  They look so pretty.

It turned out well though as we were planning on having Christmas dinner in the rumpus room so it was nice it looked a bit festive already.  

Day 21

For Christmas dinner I had planned a little game for the 13 adults that would be coming.  The elf kindly found a little Christmas tree & decorated it for us so the presents looked better.  I guess they don't like presents & no tree.  

Day 22

Douglas found our box of Tas Rocks.  We have a lot finished & will hide them over the holidays.  

But he & Maggie painted some for us.  

We are going to keep them in our own garden though.  Four rocks, a self portrait, reindeer poo, a sleigh & a Santa hat.  Pretty cool really.  I just have to coat them.  Nice that they coloured some though.  It will be a nice addition to our garden rocks.  

It Was Going So Well!

Day 15

You remember how Douglas & Maggie ate the rest of the Krispy Kreme doughnuts last week?  Well they brought some more.  They were tiny but they brought us some all the same. 

Day 16

Okay, so the boys thought they were just boring, sitting up there on the curtain rail again.  

But umm... no, they drew all over the photos with paint.  

They very nearly got away with that one!  lol

Day 17

New pyjamas that were a little too big for them.

Day 18

Can you believe this?

I had spent that evening ironing until about 9.30pm.  Finished a stack of hankies but didn't bother to fold them yet as I just wanted to go to bed, so left it until the morning.  Well here are Douglas & Maggie playing checkers with BJ & DJ's toys.  One lot on each side.  Far out!  

(they did fold them the next night but still left them all on those places!)

Elf Shenanigans

Day 12

Looking at my new Lego sets, we think he was homesick.

Day 13

He got in the decorations box again.  Pulled out the lights we didn't have on the tree & put them over the sliding door.  They both got a bit tangled though.

Day 14

The boys got their school reports.  

So the Elf did "Elf Reports".  They did OK I think.