All's well but computer(s) broken

Busier than all get out here. Not a lot to report except I had a great time at the wedding I went to on the weekend - did pull a muscle in my shoulder/neck doing too much dancing(!). But I can't show you any photos because now our Mac is not working and I can't download any pics for the time being. Hope to get it fixed in the next day or so. Until then, I might try to get some more work done on Campbell's quilt and might finally have something to show.

A great night out

Wow I am so behind in my posting! I am still sick, although have been diagnosed as having contracted Sinusitis (a sinus infection following the head cold I had last week) - perfect! Am now on antibiotics and hope it clears up soon. It's been revolting. Really. Anyhoo, I am not feeling sick anymore, but still have sinus-related headaches and face pain and am blowing my nose every ten minutes or so. I won't go into the details. You really don't want me to!

I hope I am much better by tomorrow, as I'm driving up to Sydney by myself tomorrow (three hours) for a friend's wedding. Yes, I'm going stag, as Carl will stay home with Romily. It's really too difficult to find a babysitter interstate and we'd need one for the ceremony and then one later for the reception. It's a much better solution while Romily is so young for me to just go by myself and have some 'Lily time'. I am treating myself and staying in a plush hotel for the night and then will do a spot of 'big city' shopping before heading home on Sunday afternoon.

But that's not what I want to post about! I want to tell you how much Carl and I enjoyed our night out last Saturday. My parents flew up from Melbourne to babysit Romily for us and of course to see some more of their fabulously nutty granddaughter! Carl and I took ourselves out on a date - which we haven't done really since she was born - and went to see Cirque du Soleil's Varekai show. It was truly spectacular and the best night out I have possibly ever had! I just loved it - it's the kind of show you could go and see four or five times and not see the same show twice! There is so much to look at, absorb, take in, it was just astounding. And they had the audience in the palm of their collective hand from minute one. It was spellbinding.

Here's a blurb from their website:

Deep within a forest, at the summit of a volcano, exists an extraordinary world—a world where something else is possible. A world called Varekai. Varekai means "wherever" in the Romany language of the gypsies. Set in a mysterious forest of fantastical creatures, the show combines gravity-defying acrobatics, evocative music and otherworldly sets and costumes to tell the story of a winged youth who falls to earth and who strives once again to reach new heights. The show introduces acts never before seen in any other Cirque du Soleil show to tour Australia, including the technically stunning Icarian Games and Russian Swings.

What a great night out (in spite of the many drugs I had taken to help me get through the night). I strongly and heartily recommed you go see the show if it comes to a town near you!

Sick again

Yes, I'm still alive - barely. I have been sick as a dog yet again. Am starting to wonder whether I haven't managed to contract glandular fever or something, as I have been sick around six times since Christmas - most unlike me. I usually have a very hardy constitution.

I have been too sick to do any work on wonky geese - too worried that I'll slice and dice myself with the rotary cutter. And I've been busy to boot - what with visits to Melbourne and starting a new job, etc. I turned up to the first day of my new job sick and tried valiantly not to breathe or sneeze on anyone. Then on Friday I had to go back down to Melbourne for the day for a branch meeting and to meet my interstate colleagues. Let's hope I haven't infected them all. Things are looking positive - my new boss is lovely and very level-headed and even-tempered, so that's a good start! Today is a public holiday in Canberra (it's Canberra Day apparently), which is very fortunate as I was so sick this morning I would not have been able to go into the office. Let's hope I'm much improved by tomorrow morning, as I really do not want to have to call in sick in my second week on the job.

As I mentioned, I took Romily down to Melbourne the weekend before last to visit with family and friends. Here's a photo of her with my parents - affectionately known as Grandma and Huppa. My Dad's nickname came about when his eldest grandson couldn't say Grandpa - it came out as Huppa and it's stuck. It suits him though! Romily says it 'Uppa', which is pretty close. She also says 'Anma' for Grandma - who was tickled pink the first time she heard Romily say it!

Romily with her grandparents

We also went to the Baptism of my friend's daughter Alexandra - for whom I made the blue, yellow and lime green cot quilt. Alexandra is an elfin like little thing, who was agog at all the people smiling at her all day - she's such a good little baby and quite gorgeous too.

Baby Alexandra with Gabriel, Aaron and Diane

We did have a great weekend and it was so good for Romily to spend some time with her grandparents, aunt and uncle and four cousins, as well as some of my cousins and their children. It was exhausting though, and I think I'm paying for it now. Let's hope this dreadful head and chest cold recedes soon and leaves me feeling good as new again. I don't think I can take much more of being sick this year.

Romily with her four cousins - or 'boys' as she calls them all collectively!

Wonky geese!

So, taking advice, the working title of this quilt is now 'Wonky Geese' a la Gwen and Freddy. Very liberating!

I am loving the colour combo - and I again thank Patti for the inspiration! (See the purple and green quilt she made for her beautiful granddaughter Sophie here)

I sewed like a demon last night and got the purple panels made, attached the inner border to the centre and then sewed the purple panels all round. I have some gorgeous green print fabric for the outer border and then I have a reddish/brownish/orangey fabric I'm thinking of for the binding. The backing fabric is a jelly flannel - bright orange and I'll be machine quilting with purple variegated thread. No doubt I'll look back at these bright baby quilts in 10 years time and grimace at my colour selections, but, in the meantime, I really love them!

All the animals in the zoo

Carl and I took Romily to the zoo yesterday - I have an annual pass, so we only have to pay for Carl if the three of us go (kids under the age of two get in free), so it makes for a lovely outing - if the weather's not too hot. Which it wasn't. It was just lovely. We only usually get around half of the zoo, as Romily gets pretty tired after an hour and a half - those little legs have to take many more steps than ours!

We had a great time, and, at 19 months, she is becoming more interested in the animals, is able to spot them more easily, and knows some of them from the books we read her. It is becoming a more and more enjoyable excursion.

I also took my camera and had a bit of a play with the telephoto lens and took some okay shots of some of the animals in the zoo - I thought those from outside Australia might particularly like to see some of the Australian natives as well as some of the exotics.

Snow leopard (who looks like a big version of Bashka!) - definitely not from Australia!

Koala

Emu

King Cheetah (okay, so obviously not native!)

Tasmanian Devil (and funnily enough he was spinning around and around like the cartoon character!)

And my very own Romy Devil, with her keeper, er I mean father!

Professional chapter closed

Phew! I finished working yesterday at the company I've been employed at for more than the past two and a half years. I had around 14 months of leave without pay during that time so it's really only 18 months. However the last six months have draaaaged, being employed in a less meaningful job since I returned from leave after having Romily. The position I had been in before I went on leave was exciting and strategic and professionally satisfying - it was moved interstate and I didn't want to go. The job I had upon returning to work was boring, cyclical, unsatisfying and unchallenging. Not what I look for in a job!

I also suspect, although can not prove it, that my boss found me a little difficult to manage, as I don't take rubbish lying down. I think she was happy to have me in a job where we had little interaction. So it all added up to me being very unhappy at work and not using my skills, knowledge or qualifications. Therefore I had two choices - deal with it or find another job! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have done just that :)

I am going back to work at the Department of Defence as a public servant (known as a civil servant in the US) in a job that sounds like it will be much more suited to me and I will be much suited to it. Let's hope so anyway! I have a week off before starting the new job and I'm planning to make the most of it! I am taking Romily down to Melbourne this weekend to visit friends and family and leaving Carl to have nearly three days of peace and quiet where it's just him and the cat!!

I am also going to Gymbaroo (Toddler Kindy) with Carl and Romily - I haven't been since I went back to work and then Romily wasn't walking. It should be a lot of fun to watch her participating in all the activities fully.

On the stitching front it's been very quiet. Too tired at night to do any. Hope to get a little done over the next couple of days and then I'll have something to show you.

In the meantime, another photo or two will have to do. We took Romily to the Australian National Botanic Gardens last weekend and she had a great time wandering around the place. So did we.

Gorgeous Eucaplypt

Carl & Romily with a lovely copper sundial

How could you resist this face?

Byeeee!

Water Dragon - can you see him?

The kid and the cat

Nothing quilty or crafty to show you - have made a start on the purple flying geese, but haven't got a lot to report! Thanks everyone for your kind comments on my 'wonky' geese - I am letting go of that perfectionist side of my nature and agree that the angles not going all the way to the corners won't be a problem once the quilt is done.

For anyone who wants what looks to be a great speed piecing 'recipe' for flying geese, I did what was suggested and Googled 'flying geese pattern'. Up popped this website with an excellent 'no waste method' for making Flying Geese. Well worth a surf around the whole site :)

So, as I have no other photos to show, how's about some of The Kid and The Cat? They are getting along just fine and Bashka does a good job of tolerating an over-exuberant toddler!