many things

Oh my goodness, but I've been busy!!!!
First, there was the winding of the balls. Of wool etc.... I love my swift and my new ball winder, and I think that if I ever divorce my dog (because I have to marry him), then I will propose matrimonial bliss to my ball winder. That's right, no life.
Then, my garden man has been laying pavers (it is not my place to judge.....oh boy, did I warn you about the shockingly bad jokes??) along my driveway. He also top-dressed my "lawn", and tonight I water-soaker-stuffed it, and watered it for the first time in about 6 years. I hope it works....can't water again til Wednesday, and there's another few 39+ degree days forecast....feels a lot like a waste of resources...might re-think that one, eh?
What else.....
Oh!! Christmas came and went, Mum and Dad celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary yesterday, and today I spent a lot of money - new outdoor setting, from which I plan to compose my next post (one with actual knitting content!!), and air-con for my little hot-box of a house!!! It's been ten years of searing heat, I won't know myself when it's installed next week!!! I re-financed my mortgage in July, and with the extra moolah I'm doing a lot of things that have been waiting patiently to be done - gardens, air-con, carport etc.... I'm such a grown-up!
Right, and now I'm tired, so will leave you with:
my Christmas Day breakfast at Mum and Dad's;
a leadlight mermaid that my Mum made - she's a very clever lady!
my brother Nick. Yes, I know he's a dog. He has my eyes...

Bella, helping....

That's your lot. For today, anyway!!

Sleep tight,
xxxx

41%

Want to be a x ray technician?

...can't type....busy winding balls on new ball winder......pics later....

Yaaaaaaaaaarn

I have issues with the word "yarn". It (in Australia) means a 'story', and I feel silly saying it when I mean 'wool' ('wool' as in 'yarn', not 'wool' as in fibre what comes off a sheep.....see my predicament?). 'Wool', to me, means 'stuff you knit with'.
Plus, it sounds stupid when I say it - it's not a word designed for the Aussie accent: yaaaaaaaaaaahn....
sigh.

geezzzzz....

I have been awake since 5.34am. There is no need for me to be up'n'at'em today, or tomorrow, or the next day, or the next.....
Connor however, IS asleep. He's too lazy to close his eyes...

Is it wrong to want to paint his nails? And why is my thumb so wrinkly?

I'm going back to the laying-down position. With two cats balanced precariously on my bladder....

xxxx

not much...

hmmmm..... started a sock for Jules.
Went to work again, only this time I achieved something - tidy desk, purged 4 years of junk!
Ate a microwaved croissant for breakfast, paid over $5 for the privilege....
Yarny goodness in the letterbox when I got home - pics when light is better (Artyarns, felting book, Yarn Cafe yummies....)....
No school tomorrow - am highly delighted at that happy fact....
Dog porn:

Lucy-Bell with the glowy-eyes....

Poster of me in my classroom (yes, there are mathematical formulae superimposed on it) - one of my Year 11's improved it.....(he asked me first, a polite vandal....mind you, it's a disgusting pic!)


Bed.

xxxxx

It's Monday again!!

Good evening, dear Reader!
Hmmmm....... big day today, went into work and cleared my desk....okay, I went into work, with Connor, and mooched around all day, not achieving much - except for photocopying the Christmas day sing-a-long songs (our ripper idea to liven up the day!)!! I took down the Chrissy decs, and wandered around the empty school, perved on a tradie who was ripping up carpet in the staffroom, pinched a coolie from the drinks fridge (okay, I owe a dollar), and finally declared myself knackered and went home via Hungry Jack's drive-through....

Finished a sock yesterday, and it is delightful. My camera, however, is not. It has a flat battery, and I cannot locate the charger at this time.... so just hold on to your excitement for a day or two...! I tell you, I don't think I ever want to knit a sock in sock yarn ever again! This sock is the squishiest, softest sock (knit in 8-ply crepe) ever, and it knit up really quickly - I don't love needles smaller than 4mm, so how am I ever going to use the twentyeleven balls of sock wool that are languishing in the bottom of my knitting basket/sea chest? Maybe I could knit with doubled yarn....

Yesterday I started my Christmas knitting - I'm only making three gifts this year (after my epic 2006 efforts....), cotton face cloths for my cousins wives/girlfriends. They're getting a face washer and a bar of Nutrimetics soap, and that's it - I think I'm finally learning my lesson about giving gifts to people who don't appreciate/deserve my affections! So, I'm keeping it simple - one is a mitred square, done in lemon/lime/white and teamed with a lime soap; one is plain white moss-stitch, with frangipani soap; and the third is pinks and whites and matched with a wild raspberry soap - and not turning up empty-handed! Finished the lime/white one, an inch into the other two.....

Look closely, what can you see....? (scene in the foyer of the venue the Year 10 Dinner dance was held at this year...made me giggle a bit....)

Kisses,
Me
xxxxxx

Paying it forward

Just read this, on The Knitting Wildflower blog:

These are the instructions:

“It’s the Pay It Forward Exchange. It’s based on the concept of the movie “Pay it Forward” where acts or deeds of kindness are done without expecting something in return, just passing it on, with hope that the recipients of the acts of kindness are passed on. So here’s how it works. I will make and send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I do not know what that gift will be yet, and it won’t be sent this month, probably not next month, but it will be sent (within 6 months) and that’s a promise! What YOU have to do in return, then, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

I will now Pay It Forward to you THREE, I wonder who you will be?! Please, be a PIF! You will enjoy it just as much as we do!”

And, remember…you have 6 months to get your gifts done! Come on, you know you would love to be one of my angels. Then, one day, but you don’t know when….you will get a gift that I have made especially for YOU!

I love the sound of this.... so if you'd like to be involved in the loveliness, just leave a comment saying so, and post this (or a message like it) on your blog - first three (do three people READ this?) get a gift from me sometime in the near future!

xxxxxx

Sock.

Hello My Lovely Reader!
Here is the sock that I am currently knitting (sorry, ONE of the SOCKS that I am currently knitting...):

It's a really bad photo, because I'm really bad at TAKING photos....but Connor's foot is there next to mine, which is a bit lovely.... and I shaved my legs last week, so no-one should be losing their last meal whilst viewing this post....

Last Wednesday I had the dubious pleasure of attending our school's Year 10 Dinner Dance. As the person who organised this spectacularly underwhelming event will never ever read this blog, I feel safe in bagging the crap out of it.... Staff had to pay $35 to RUN THIS THING. If we don't go, the kids don't get to go, so I'm still unsure why we teachers have to pay... anyway, it was a DINNER dance, so a meal would be nice, right? WRONG!!!! It was a COCKTAIL FOOD DANCE....(can't really call it a Cockdance now, can we Lisa) So, for my $35 I ate: one quarter of a stale chicken sandwich, 2 twice-fried mini-spring rolls (you know the bulk party packs you get in the freezer at Coles?) with sweet chilli sauce, 1 triple-fried mini-samosa (see bulk comment), 2 squid rings (again with the bulk) and 3 ex-frozen wedges. No sour cream. I shouldn't complain, the kids had to pay $45.... After the lavish meal, I volunteered to go outside and do "duty" on the balcony (had to get out of the windowless room that was pulsating with what kids call music these days - oooh, I just got old...), and I was SO glad I did - this was my view (still broad daylight at nearly 8pm) :

I stayed outside till the peace was shattered by bloody kids having a good time, whereupon I plonked myself down with a cup of tea and continued being old.

On a Christmassy note, here is my desk at work:

The two clowns in the second pic are co-workers - one is my immediate superior (or so he thinks, anyway), and the other is the out-going Year 12 Co-ordinator (I'm 'it' for 2008). The "circle of love" is a highly effective discipline tool I have developed over the years, particularly useful in the stunning and maiming of Year 9 boys. It is a non-contact method, involving the encircling of the child with outsretched arms and channeling "love" towards the child....they love it....I once chased a kid around the quadrangle to implement this strategy...is that wrong??? Once utilised correctly, this method often renders the affected child speechless and immobile for up to two whole lessons.

Okay, I need a nap....

Kisses,
Me
xxxx

wish I was still asleep....

....but at least now I know what I should be when I grow up - if only I had done this quiz 20 years ago....(tongue firmly in cheek, just in case the sarcasm doesn't show up too well on the pink background...)
xxxxx

You Should Be a Social Worker

You are deeply caring and empathetic. You are able to take on other people's problems as if they were your own. Sensitive and intuitive, you understand human emotions well. Helping others gives you the most joy in life. You feel like it's your purpose in life. You do best when you: - Have a lot of responsibility - Greatly impact someone's life with your work You would also be a good philanthropist or stay at home parent.

What Should You Be When You Grow Up?

woke up too early....

You Are a Marble Cake

Eclectic, inventive, and peaceful. You are never willing to accept what's "normal." You live to push the envelope. You find it hard to make up your mind. You prefer to have everything you want, right away!

What Kind of Cake Are You?

What the....?

Where did last week go? Last thing I remember is writing the last post, waxing lyrical about my lovely Southern Summer of Socks newbie-sock-knitter prize, and drooling over my Jolly Jumbuck purchase, and all of sudden I'm here, AGAIN writing about Monday..... Must pay attention to time flying by.....

Some knitting, not a lot:

The lovely Jolly Jumbuck yarn (the yarnis called Aphrodite, the colour is Athabasca) is becoming my very first toe-up sock!! This pic is from Friday, when I hid out in my classroom at lunchtime...I'm now up to the gusset increases, and I think all is well!

That's it. The rest of the week went by in a blur - Friday night at Jules', with the Rottnest crew, then I slept most of Saturday (I know how to manage my time....). Sunday was housework in case of an impromptu visit from Mater - turns out she let me know beforehand this time!!!

Okay, last week of school (for the kiddies at least, I have a couple more days next week), and I'm running late already....

Kisses,
xxxxx

Oh how I love Mondays...

I've had a crap day.
Until I got home and found these goodies in my letterbox:

My prize for being a new sock-knitter - from Southern Summer of Socks (CHEERS to Rose Red, Bells and Shazmina Bendi!) - cute little beaded stitch markers, and a wee tape-measure!
Dk WA Merino, Athabasca colourway, from Jolly Jumbuck (and the lovely Irene has treated it to a soak in a Spiced Plum wool wash, so it smells as good as it looks - and feels!!!) - check out the Jolly Jumbuck stitch-markers!!!!

So now I'm smiling, and am only troubled by one thing - what pattern should I use the plummy-fragranced for....??

Kisses,
Moi
xxxx

3 posts in one day??

Well, I've finished my Bag -a-holic bag swap bag!! I've got some little gifts to put in it - the obligatory kangaroo toy and Australia keyring (thanks to Jules - it IS going to New York!), some Cascade Fixation in an olive green (Cynthia said she likes greens), Brittany birch dpns, some wishing stones (pretty glass beads with words on them - hope, dream, happiness etc), a beaded bracelet and earrings that my Mum made, some strong pins with big heads for blocking, some ribbon trims in greens, and some bag hardware (swivel attachments for bag handles). I'm going to get some chocolates tomorrow and then it'll be winging it's way O/S!!! I hope it gets there before Christmas.....




I've also decided that I need (okay, "want"...) a new camera... maybe I'll treat myself for Christmas.....(the colours in this bag are much nicer in person, much richer - Mum reckons they're real "Australian colours", and I think I agree.

Okee dokes folk/s, I'm off to the land of nod - see you later!!

xxx

oh, the knitting...

hehehehehe.....

Knitting progress:
- only half a sock to go and SIL's birthday pressie is done (not needed till January,maybe they can wait!)
- quarter of a sock to go for Jules, aiming to get these finished this week
- half an entrelac bag for Mummy - I ripped it out and started again, much neater now that I know what I'm doing! My picked-up stitches were shocking.....!!
- Lady Eleanor for me has begun! I already had a stash of Silk garden just waiting for the right project, and I'm waiting for more to come (a mighty fine eBay purchase!!!)
- in the middle of lining my Bag-a-holic bag-swap bag, for Cynthia
- stash enhancement (can't remember "brand", but the colour is "Strawberry"; Lorna's Laces "Jeans"; Araucania in pinks; Seawool....can't remember the colour, and I've wound it into a ball since this pic...lost the band)

- and more stash enhancement - Berrocco Peruvia, red, black and cream, for a felted zebra-striped bag


Will try to get some pictures of actual knitted items today - if I can crow-bar my lazy arse off the sofa!!
xxxxxx

Nod. An explanation.

Noddy was my boss in my first year of teaching. I was 20 years old, and, if I may say so myself, a bit hot.... Anyway, Nod was a sleaze, and one day introduced me to a group of (male) maths teachers at a conference as his "Luscious Lisa"... I was so taken aback (and young) that I said nothing, but grinned pathetically instead.... Anyhoo, my colleagues took to calling me Lushy whenever Noddy left a room, and the nickname seemed to stick....
Fast forward nearly twenty years, and I went to sign up for a gmail account - I typed in 'Lushy' as my username, and it came back with "that username has been taken" and suggested "lushorama" - hence my email addy, and the name of this blog.... and maybe a set of pink personalised plates for my car....

Now only my nearest and dearest call me Lushy, and they aren't lecherous (well, maybe Jules is) or sleazy, so they must mean it with love!

So there you have it, an explanation of my blog name.

Fascinating stuff, eh?

xxx