Clancy and Millie

This beautiful book, Clancy and Millie and the Very Fine House, written by Libby Gleeson and illustrated by Freya Blackwood*, is getting a workout here at the moment. It's a delight - thoughtful text and sensitive, brilliantly executed illustrations, with a poignant and extremely relevant theme; how does a child cope with moving to a new house in a new location?

I have to agree with the main character, Clancy - I would also prefer to stay in the pretty cosy cottage rather than the inner city townhouse with large cavernous rooms that his family have moved to. But that's not the point. As Clancy checks out his new surroundings, clutching to his security toy, he is nervous, anxious, displaced.

 

Just like my little girls have been feeling! Unsettled. For Miss M, it first manifested in her early morning writing session, all over Grandma's new couch. ALL over it. Wow! Completely out of character. And then she spent a week clutching on to her security toy, crying a the drop of a hat as she tried to find her way in this new place.

 

Five weeks on and they are doing better now, and school starts in a week. I'm looking forward to the routine it will provide and I have no doubt that our girls will be more settled when they find new friends. In the meantime, swimming lessons have helped, as have visits with their cousins and, this last weekend, visits from out-of-town grandparents and friends. And cuddles. Lots of cuddles, talks, letters and parcels sent to old friends, phone calls...

 

and Clancy.

 

 

What books have you been reading lately?

 

 

Sam xx

 

* Check out Freya's blog here. She is a very talented lady!

 

Seachange

 

 

Why move?

 

Our goal* is to eventually live on a large block of land (or as G would have it, a farm) where we can grow more of our own food. We did do that to some extent at our last home in the Perth Hills on 1/2 acre; we had a sizable vegie patch, 20 or so fruit trees, and kept up to 10 chickens while practising organic principles. Moving to the South Coast brings us closer to that goal, closer to another side of the family, closer to the lifestyle we envisage for our family.

So why, now, the smaller block near the beach? We no longer have any chickens**, our vegie patch is growing in pots, and there's not a fruit tree in sight!

 

It's all part of The Plan.

 

This house, while lovely and brilliantly located, is our 'Stepping Stone House'. It's purpose is not only to provide us with a beautiful place to live, it's also a gateway for us, a house through which we hope we can achieve our ultimate lifestyle dream - our 'Forever House' - once we establish ourselves in the community, and locate the larger block that we dream about.

 

Even so, this house suits us right now - and this has surprised us. It might be that we stay longer than we original planned.

 

A Seachange!

 

But I still miss my chickens.

 

 

Sam xx

* An idea triggered, once again, by Allison Tait and her Life in a Pink Fibro blog. Thanks, Allison!
** which have found (or rediscovered) loving homes before we left! I wouldn't leave them with just any one!!

Boxes, Bonnets and 'Brellas

 

Hooray and thank you to the movers who delivered all our furniture on Christmas Eve, and especially to the moving man whose truck broke down on the way back to Perth at 5pm with still a 4 hour drive ahead of him! Poor thing!!*

 

But for us it meant that we could wake up on Christmas morning in our new home, surrounded by tinselly decorated boxes. Phew! We made it!

 

And thank you to the talented and generous Greer of Typically Red and Christina who ran the Giveaway. The beautiful red bonnet arrived in time for Christmas. I had intended to keep it as a gift for a younger child, with both Greer and I thinking that it wouldn't fit a four year old, but it was quickly snaffled by Miss J when we collected it on Christmas Eve, and she would not remove it, not even for bed! And it was HOT on Christmas day - certainly not the weather to be wearing a woolly bonnet, nor for using the brand new umbrellas that a thoughtful and practical Santa had supplied:). However, the bonnet did come off the next day. I think even Miss J agreed that a bonnet is not quite the right attire for a swim at the new local beach!

 

And just how local is our new beach? Oh, only a leisurely 2 minute stroll. And a really good one is just a short drive away. Hee Hee!

 

It is truly beautiful down here in our new town, in many ways. But right now I am laid up in bed with a tummy bug. Which isn't so beautiful. So I'll write more later**. Of course!

 

 

Sam xx

 

 

*I am told he did get home before midnight. Please. Next time, take a mobile!

** Because writing in bed while flat on your back is not easy, not matter how stubborn you are!!

 

 

Spoilt

 

Farewell to the craziness that packing up a house brings and, while we may not have our furniture delivered until Monday*, we will be setting up the Christmas tree as soon as we gain possession of our new home!

 

Until then, we are staying with my parents for longer than expected, enjoying some quality grandparent time before we head south tomorrow. 

 

And it's not only the kids who are being spoilt with our stay here - I get to squeeze in some sneaky knitting on my Mara shawl before the unpacking begins. Hee hee!

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!!!

 

Sam xx

 

 

* Hooray to the movers who are bringing our furniture to us on Christmas Eve!!



Mara Shawl #2

Hello!

 

A couple of days ago, I finally finished this, my 'started first / finished second' Mara shawl. It's for Jacquie, my Mother-in-law, who a couple of weeks ago moved to the town on the South Coast that we ourselves are moving down to in a couple of weeks.*

 

Once again, I have used yarn frogged from an earlier project - Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed in Paper Rose colour way. This Mara version follows the pattern, using yarnover increases, until the cast off - I tried out “Jenny’s surprisingly stretchy bind-off” for the first time, but I think it has left the fringe almost too loose. The Mara pattern’s instructions for binding off are my preferred technique.

 

And, while the yarn is wonderfully soft and is beautifully light weight, it isn't very strong; I wouldn't use it to sew seams if I had made a garment from it - I would use something strong and sturdy.

 

Once again, "Yay" for the Mara Shawl pattern from madeleinetosh.com (but available on ravelry.com)! I have already begun another one, but this time for myself!!

 

But I am having fun....., even if I'm not packing as many boxes as I should!!

 

Sharing with Creative Spaces here.

 

 

Sam xx

 

*A couple of weeks? Aahhh!!!!

Relish

Making relish for Christmas presents - a surprisingly calming activity when negotiating the mechanics of bank finance approvals and purchase contract deadlines!

 

Sam xx

Sold!

 

 

By the way.....

.....we had our offer on that house accepted.

Yippee!!

I guess we will be filling it with lots of love and happy times!!

xx

Because

 

.....because sewing is much more fun than packing boxes!

 

 

Sam xx