The Gift of Time - a work in progress

It shouldn't have been that difficult ...

... all I had to do was attach 2 small hinges to make two 4" square canvasses open and close to make a little 'shrine' for my time artwork.  I made tiny holes to start the screws off - but found out after talking to Duncan much later that I hadn't made them deep enough - which is the reason for the screws not going into the wood properly.  That coupled with the fact that I was using a really cheap and nasty screwdriver from my own toolbox (sounds impressive but it's the teeny tiny $3 special from Bunnings, filled with extremely cheap tools and a glue gun), so I had to go and pinch a decent screwdriver from my husband's toolbox.  Treading on dangerous territory here, woe-betide anyone who doesn't return a tool to its proper place!  

I was absolutely determined that I would do this by myself and not have to ask Duncan to rescue my hinges and canvasses.   By this time I was beginning to get bored with this part of the project, so I got my hammer and smacked the last screw the rest of the way in.  I figured as long as 3 out of the 4 screws were in properly it would be ok - it's a work of art darling, not a door I'm hanging ;)

Lego is the best!

For the past couple of weeks Little Man has been really ill with bronchitis.  He's much better and back to school this week thank goodness.  Lego came to the rescue - at times he didn't just want to watch TV or sleep (or do homework!) and building filled the gap perfectly.  We had such fun.  I think I was mainly there to find required bricks and to make all the boring bits - good bonding time though :)

Our house ...

And what every Lego house needs ...

is a big screen TV ...

and ...

a crocodile in a pen of course!

Love Lego!! 



And on that bombshell ...

Feeling decidedly yuck today ... why do kids feel the need to share their germs so freely?  So, short blogpost today.  I'm going to follow the Top Gear format and end this post with a bombshell (a nice one) ...

YAY!  I'm going back to the UK for a holiday in about 34 days!  Can't wait ... time to catch up with family and friends ... and visit places like Legoland and the Gnome Reserve ...

I'm the happiest bunny with lurgy on the planet :)

Thoughts in my head ... a creative block?

My word collage, helping me to unpack my creative block!

I'm trying to persuade myself out of this non-blogging fug I've been in for a few weeks now.  No idea why I've got it, I love blogging, it's just at the moment I'm finding it really hard to actually write.

Not that I haven't had anything to blog about.  Do you ever wonder how many thoughts we have in a day?  Well, I've had plenty, particularly on my walks which are my thinking times - these past few weeks I've even been imagining blogposts as I walk, but when I get home the inspiration seems to end there.  Maybe I need to take my laptop out into the woods?

What are your favourite ways to get out of that creative block?  How do you keep blogging regularly when you've lost the will?  Let me know, I'd really like to hear :)

For today I've decided just to write about whatever is in my head; suppose it's not too bad as a piece of gobbledegook goes ...

Gingerbread House

Thought you might like to see the collaborative gingerbread house project between myself and my boys.  Impressive hey?  A lovely rellie sent us a gingerbread kit at Christmas and we thought it was time to make it!

This is my contribution, silver sprinkles and icey icing icicles:

And this is my boys' contribution:

Bless 'em ... 

When I'm feeling blue ...

Many apologies for not writing for some time, but I have not been at my best for the past week or so.  It was only when a very intuitive friend said to me on Thursday that I looked as if I had a cloud over my head that I became aware of how bad I felt.  You see, when I'm asked to describe how depression feels, I reply that it starts with a feeling that I have a small black cloud that follows me everywhere, and no matter how fast I run, it always manages to keep up with me.  My friend had tapped into that, and all the little insiduous feelings I'd been having for a couple of weeks came together in one moment and I sat down and cried.  But at least I knew what was going on as the awareness hit me, and I could treat myself kindly with rest and not over-committing myself and I'm on the road to recovery.

Depression is a funny thing, even when you think you've got it beat, it likes to tap at the door and remind you it's there!  Even for the briefest of moments.  But the good thing is as I've 'struggled' with depression for years I finally learned not to fight or resist it anymore, but just to accept that it is a part of who I am and it seems easier to cope with.  I still have my blue moments, but I am learning to recognize them and put into play strategies that help me be present with the worst moments but not swamped by them.

It's a life-long learning curve, but the great part of my learning is that I've come to accept and love all parts of me, the good and the not so nice.  It's a good lesson to learn.

Feeling better, and promising to blog more regularly xx

Choice Collage

This quote came to my attention today, and I love it so much I'm going to use it in conjunction with my choice collage that I made the other day as one of a series.  Hope you enjoy it too. xx

"Every person, all the events of your life, are there because you have drawn them there.  What you choose to do with them is up to you." - Richard Bach