BON VOYAGE

On Monday, 8 June we set off to Australia to validate our visas. We are going to be there for almost a month. We are getting really excited and are looking forward to seeing our family again. My daughter has her 9th birthday somewhere on the flight so I will have to keep my wristwatch to UK time so we know when to celebrate it. She is a little concerned because her daddy is teasing her about missing her birthday due to the 9 June disappearing somewhere along the way. We take off on 8 June and land in Sydney on 10 June, the flight takes 24 hours, we are going via Japan. I have told her not to worry, that mummy will know exactly when it's her birthday.

We are also going to travel north from the Central Coast where we are staying and spend some time on the Gold Coast and visit Brisbane. I am really looking forward to seeing a different part of Australia and also the weather should be a bit warmer there.

I have spent the last few days doing last minute shopping, washing and ironing and generally getting everything ready for our visit.

Our dog Jasper is going to stay with my elder daughter whilst we are away. I don't know what he will make of it. But he will be happier with her and her family than he would had we put him in kennels for a month. We will all miss him whilst we are away.

Amy was 6 when the above photo was taken, it is one of my favourites. I am going to renew it this year and will post it on my blog on my return.

When I am back I will be able to let you all know how we got on. Bye to you all for now!

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME

I have read many posts on blogs stating how the blogs have been neglected due to other committments. Well readers that is exactly what I am going to do today, write one of those posts.

I have not only neglected my blog, I have not done much dropping on Entrecard, I have not been very creative. My poor shop on Etsy has hardly anything in it. I have been so busy with other things that there has been little time for anything else. I have had so many decisions to make that my mind has had no time to think about doing anything else.

The biggest thing I have done is quit my job! It has taken me several months to make this decision but it was becoming increasingly difficult to juggle being a mum and working and I was getting fed up with that juggling. I feel so much happier and relaxed now I know that I don't have to go to work anymore and can get on and do the things that I want to do. I am looking forward to the school holidays so much more now that I know I don't have to make arrangements for childcare. I feel free!

The next big thing we have been arranging is our trip to Australia. Our flights are booked for 8 June and we will be over there for almost a month. We have not sold our house yet so this is going to be a visa validation trip, but at least it will give my husband an opportunity to look at the job market whilst we are there. We are both quite concerned about the current employment situation, he has a very good job in the UK and doesn't want to give it up to move to Australia if he is going to be unemployed for a long period of time.

Whilst in Australia we are going to visit the Central Coast region where my relatives live and we are also going to drive up to Queensland and visit the Gold Coast, Brisbane and surrounding areas. We are all getting very excited about our trip.

So hopefully now that things have settled down I can get back to my blogging, crocheting, knitting, beading and maybe now that I have more free time I will be able to have a go at other crafts.

SUPER SKINNY COTTON SCARF

I love accessorising and I love to wear scarves. I have knitted loads of cotton scarves for myself and have been asked for them by customers, but this is the first scarf I have crocheted and I am really pleased with the finished result. Up to now I have knitted all my scarves and they have been really popular. I got the cotton yarn I used for this scarf when I was on holiday in Cornwall. I went to one of my favourite yarn shops in Penzance. I purchased several balls of this beautiful cotton yarn in different colours. I have put this one for sale in my new ArtFire shop and it is available for purchase here.

HAPPY EASTER

I hope you are all enjoying your Easter Day as much as I have. We have spent the afternoon at Clumber Park, which is a National Trust Property near to where we live. Every Easter they do an Easter Egg Trail for the children and we have been going to it for several years. The children each get a booklet which includes a map with which they have to follow the trail. At several points around the trail there are boards which have a word on which is shown using small pictures. These have to be deciphered using the key in the booklet, eg a picture of a flower = the letter E. At the end of the trail these words then have to be put into a poem and then the finished sheet is taken to get your prize, a chocolate egg.

We then had a picnic and followed that by feeding the ducks and the swans. The weatherman had promised us a lovely day, but unfortunately they got it wrong again. It was a grey, overcast day and we had the usual spots of rain. But we all enjoyed it and it was nice to have a family day out.

WELCOME BACK

Welcome back Tina Turtle Keyring Buddy. This has been the most popular item I have sold in my Etsy store and today I finally got to make another one. She is now for sale here and due to the exchange rate she now only costs $7.00, what a bargain!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

It was Mother's Day in the UK yesterday and we decided to spend the day at the coast, at Cleethorpes. I must say this particular area isn't the most attractive that the UK can offer, but it is the nearest coastal resort to us and the dogs love a good run on the beach. I have never seen so many people there. We have been having some particularly mild weather at the moment and obviously the sun and the fact that it was Mother's Day drew out the crowds. My eldest daughter, her husband and my 2 granddaughters, plus their dog, came with us and we had a lovely day. We had a good long walk along the beach, our dog Jasper loves chasing Kay, my daughter's dog. The sun shone most of the time but it was very breezy. We had fish and chips and then doughnuts, very fattening but delicious.

I love this photo of my youngest daughter and my eldest granddaughter, walking along deep in conversation.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone who celebrated it yesterday, I hope you all had such an enjoyable day!

TWITTER MOSAIC

I have just found this fun Twitter thing that makes a mosaic of all your Twitter followers.  You can have this put on mugs, bags, t-shirts.  What a great idea! Can you find yourself?  

Get your twitter mosaic here.