a new year

I always feel very retrospective at the end of another year and the beginning of the next.

I've never been one for writing resolutions, but one of the things I am going to start doing this year is to keep a notebook of positivity. I'm going to try and write down something positive for each day; a highlight of the day, something I've done, created, something to remember, to be grateful for. A word, a sentence or a paragraph.

I often feel like I haven't accomplished enough each day, well not what I want to accomplish! Hopefully by writing things down I'll feel like each day has been lived more fully. Hopefully by taking the time to notice the small things, and not worry about the big picture, the anxiety will lessen.

I've also thought about what I want to do with this blog. And I'm going to worry less about it! Not worry about how often I post, or how many followers I have, or how many comments I get. Not to compare it to other blogs I read.

The photos were taken today, on a not very summery beginning to 2014. Between showers we managed a half hour walk beside the sea. To the Motueka Sandspit a place we'd never been before, yet is only 20 minutes from home. It's currently home to the godwits after their epic flight of 11,500 kms from Alaska, along with numerous other birds. It's good to get out and explore new places.

Later in the afternoon looking out the window I saw this rainbow. A good omen for 2014. Wishing you all  the best for this year, may you find happiness and joy in your endeavours. Sally x

absent to present

 I have been absent  (see the bottom of the post for a brief explanation). Here's what I've been up to over the past few weeks.

Beach walks and enjoying our balmy summer evenings, although there should have been more walking.

Enjoying the company of our animals, especially Mumbai.

Mr Frizz (our rescued frizzle rooster) still hasn't regrown his feathers. But he's the loveliest, kindest rooster we could ask for, and he keeps the girls under control too.

The alpacas lost their winter coats.

Shiraz wondering what's about to happen to her.

Rounding Shiraz up again after her escape, while she's wondering what just happened to Chardonnay.

Telling her it's going to be alright, and will be over before she knows it!

I stopped to take photos of the wildflowers (from a packet!) that grow in a spot along the road from us.

I've not had much time in my studio since the Open Studios at the beginning of November  (which I still want to share in a separate post, along with my long overdue giveaway!)

After what seemed like non-stop sewing for six weeks in preparation for two craft markets (one of which I helped organise) it was nice to make something for myself. Although I do have to make sure how I display the cushion otherwise it can look quite rude!

Wishing you all the best for the season. A special thanks to my faithful followers who brighten my day with their much appreciated comments. Sorry I haven't been so good on the commenting lately.

Pohutakawa flowers - New Zealand's Christmas tree.

Footnote:  There's been a little grey dog called anxiety nipping at my heels. I've had to admit I'm not as tough as I thought I was. I've had to seek help - not something that comes easily. I'm trying to take things easy, which is not easy to do in this "silly season." We need to remember be kind to ourselves as well as others. xx

finding joy

A few moons ago I took part in my first ever bloggy swap organised by the lovely Anne of My Giant Strawberry in the U S of A. She called it the Handmade Joy swap, and we had two partners one which we received some handmade joy from, and another we sent it to. This post has been sitting around in draft form as I was waiting for Anne to give us the all clear for posting - as one parcel hadn't arrived at its destination.

The swap partner who I received from was Sharon. Look at this beautifully wrapped box that made it's way from Wisconsin to me.

Sharon sent me a beautiful handmade paper box, glass bead jewellery (which Miss L promptly claimed!), and some crochet and patchwork - both handicrafts I'm not au fait with. The parcel arrived the day I was sorting out my first (and possibly last!) patchwork woollen blanket which I posted about here. The patchwork sachets are filled with lavender and flax seed, so I put them in the freezer for 24 hours in case there were any bugs in there. They were lucky to make it through NZ border control. They are now residing in my smalls drawers! Ironically I was going to send one of my lavender hearts but didn't want the parcel opened so didn't include it. I loved the colours of everything, Sharon chose them imagining that I lived on an island paradise (well she is close!)

Now I did take some photos of what I sent to my other swap partner Karen, but can I find them anywhere on my computer .......

Anne has a regular post on her blog about finding joy.  And it makes me think about those small things that you get joy from, especially when the big picture might not be quite panning out as you had anticipated. Here's same random photos of what brings me joy.

family time at the beach (roll on summer!)

where we live, a constantly changing view

Daisy, I love waking up to the reassuring lump on the bed

the rest of our animals (although some time they do cause trouble too!)

And here's something which I saw which made me feel awe inspired. I love watching the full moon rise, and we often get a great view of it. But this short video takes the cake. It was filmed in Wellington, the capital of NZ. Enjoy! (look there's 'joy' in enjoy)

dear christchurch

We've just returned from a wee break away in Hanmer Springs and Christchurch. We barely spent 24 hours in Christchurch, but it was enough time to stay with my sister, have wontons for lunch, visit an op shop (I was the only taker), take a bike ride through Hagley Park (the rest of the family), have dinner with some friends, watch a funny man, and have a wander around the city centre before the 5 hour drive home.

Trying to gather my thoughts and feelings and write coherently about them is a bit like trying to take a family selfie in front of the Christchurch Art Gallery. I thought it would be easy, but it's not.

I lived in Christchurch for about 9 years. It was the first city I'd lived in and the first I got to know and love.

Christchurch is where I met my husband. Our first date included a trip to the art gallery, but not this one, the old one.

Our second date was to the movies in the Arts Centre. My car was parked very close to where those sculptures outside the new art gallery are now. It was probably about there that I realised the guy I'd just met might be "the one".

 

I brought my first house in Christchurch. Soon after the guy I'd only recently met moved in with me. I made my first garden, and we did our first renovations together. We got our first cat from the SPCA.

We moved from Christchurch two years later, and headed to Wellington for new jobs. I always enjoyed trips back, to old familiar haunts, shops, cafes, op shops. I could even still manage to navigate myself around the unique one-way road system.

But now when I return I wander disorientated and disbelieving. So much has gone, so much has changed its hard to get one's bearings, to remember what used to be there. It's so sad. So many people have been affected.

Things have changed a bit since our last visit in September last year. More buildings have been demolished, and the cordon area has been moved. New Regent Street has just "re-opened". But apart from people walking about in hi-viz gear there are not many others on the streets, just a few "tourists" like us. Walking about trying to take it all in.

These last two photos are from the Sept 2012 visit, as the Bridge of Remembrance is now surrounded by scaffolding and re-construction.

 There is more public art than there used to be. But there needs to be.

Over two years later there are still stark reminders, of the day the world changed for this wonderful city and its people.

Driving home through the beauty of North Canterbury I told the kids not to let this put them off living in Christchurch. On the other hand I feel glad that we no longer live there, that we haven't had to go through what the people of Christchurch have had to endure. I don't know how I would have coped. I don't know how they cope. My heart goes out to Christchurch and its people.

passing time

Time is flying, another month is almost over, and summer is definitely over. I've had a busy month with painting and a solo exhibition, which I will blog about soon. I was so pleased to get both my entries accepted to Changing Threads - National Contemporary Fibre Awards, with "Coming Home to Roost" getting a Highly Commended. The exhibition is still running in Nelson until 13th April.

We've had a long and dry summer, I think it rained once at the beginning of February. Finally it rained two weeks ago, we got 80mm over three days, which filled our water tanks. We are totally reliant on rain water collected off our roof, while we still had plenty in the tanks it certainly makes you think about how long to stay in the shower! 

So with the breaking of the drought (other parts of the country are still unfortunately much worse than our area and are still in drought) autumn arrived. The days are shorter, and the clocks haven't gone back yet so when I get up in the mornings it's dark. I love seeing the start of each new day, and the best bit is I'm usually the only one awake. I love walking across the lawn to take photos of the sunrises. If a car come I quickly run back inside, my pjs are not for public consumption!

 

The autumn evenings have been lovely too. We often don't get such spectacular sunsets, but the sky can still be dramatic.

Last night the full moon was rising in the east, and with the sun setting in the west, we were treated to a lovely moonrise. When I got up this morning the moon had travelled over the sky to the other mountain range we look out to. The photos were taken between 7 and 7.35am, and in that time some mist had rolled into the wee valley behind our house. Yes we are truly spoilt with views where we live, and after 18 months I still can't believe how lucky we were to find our little bit of paradise on top of a hill.

Thanks for all the lovely comments you've left on my blog over the last few months, it really helps with the motivation to keep on with the blogging lark! If you're on Instagram do pop over and check out my photos. I love the fact I can take photos and upload with ease and few words, it seems to suit me more than blogging at the moment!

It seems everyone is signing up to Bloglovin with the imminent demise of Google Reader, so I've joined in. Although it tells me how many followers I have I can't actually tell who you are, so thanks to the secret seven!!

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insects i've met recently

Here are two insects I've met recently. Firstly a manuka chafer beetle which made its way into the house, I usually find them dead outside.  Bright shiny green, and quite large by NZ insect standards. Which is how I managed to take some half decent macro photos on my point-n-shoot camera.

And off it flew, that's its shadow following take-off!

 Second up was a cicada that spent the night in the laundry basket with the freshly washed clothes. In the morning I carried it outside, and it greeted the sun. Once sufficiently warmed up, off it flew too.

So why am I devoting one of my few and far between blog posts to insects? Well once upon a time insects were a passion of mine. I went to university with the aim of becoming a Landscape Architect, which in those days involved getting an undergrad degree first, but after the first entomology paper I was hooked.

When I was in my mid 20's  I had to make a couple of decisions that looking back were significant turning points in my life.

Firstly there was leaving my first husband and getting on a plane at Manchester Airport to return to New Zealand. In hindsight not that hard a decision to make, but it was still definitely a turning point. Once back home I enrolled to do a PhD in Entomology. Six months later, and having gained a good scholarship, with an excellent supervisor and with my mum terminally ill, I made another hard decision - to quit. I realised I was doing a PhD for the wrong reason, because mum wanted me to, and I didn't want the life it would entail - research or lecturing. I knew I wasn't cut out for either. Maybe I should have done an arts degree instead of science?

I've no regrets about the four years I spent at university doing the degree I did, even although I don't "use" it in my present life. Do you ever look back on your life, and pinpoint one or two major decisions that you made which changed the trajectory you were on?