Went to Dunedin

Hung out in a cafe in the sun.

Yep, still alive

Really enjoyed the Annie Bonza exhibition at Te Papa.

That's a wedding dress from the early '90s that Annie made for a magazine layout. It says "three times a lady" on the front. You know, from the (dreadful) song. She didn't think a bride would want "once, twice" on the back. It says "how sweet it is to be loved by you" on the sleeves.

More wordy dresses. Loved 'em.

aarrghhh!

• Can't find my keys. Perhaps they're in Australia somewhere. Happily there was a house key stashed in a secret place so I could get in. Also happily there were spare car keys at my former residence.
• The smoke alarm decided it needed a new battery. Nice of it to let me know, at 3am.
• I managed to drain the car battery overnight, car won't go. Must have left the boot open or something.
• Missed my ocean swim because the car wouldn't start. Very frustrating. My body needs some serious exercise.
• Can't take the DVD back, because the car won't start. The first one I've borrowed on my new membership. HA!
• Met some nice neighbours who tried to help me start the car. Car won't go. Nice swim buddy came by to see if he could help. Car won't go. Called the AA. Oh yes, had to call former residence to get AA membership number. Bugger.
• Very nice AA man came. Car won't go.
• Very nice towing man came. Offered to buy car! Momentarily tempted. But then I'd need a new car. Not a good idea. Car gone now.
• Can't pick up boys, so they decided to stay where they were, then all (yes, all....it's very civilised around chez Pixie) come over for dinner. I figure I'll do the Mothers Day baking that Ed and I had planned, all by myself. Discover resident mice, in desperation, have got into the self-raising flour specially purchased yesterday. Which led to the boot being open. Which led to the car not starting. Well, you get the picture.

Oh yeah, happy Mothers Day to me. This independence lark is feeling a bit over-rated today!!

memememememememememe

Martha asked me some questions a while back:

1. What direction in life didn't you take when you were 18?
I didn't go to Otago University. I turned down my place in a hostel and pulled out of courses when I was offered a coveted, impossible-to-get job as a copywriter with Radio New Zealand. It was a good decision. I worked all over NZ for a few years and had a lot of fun.

2. What talent are you particularly proud of?
I believe in the power of positive thinking. And believe me, sometimes it takes real talent. (Sentence beginning with 'and', especially for Martha).

3. What is your favourite thing with pasta?
A good dollup of fresh tomato sauce with lots of herbs and garlic please.

4. Red or white?
Whatcha got? A good Sav Blanc please, or maybe a Pinot. A Merlot would be nice, a Chardonnay will do fine if it's cold. I'll have what you're having.

5. Who is your favourite actor?
Have you seen Breaking and Entering? I really enjoyed it. Jude Law. Quiet, subtle and a little too pleased with himself. And needing a shave. Mmmmmmm very nice.


Judy has tagged me with the 7 things meme. (I reckon she's stretching the truth with hers). Well let's see:

1. I hate marmalade. Hate it. It's the one thing I don't eat. Ever.

2. I love cherry ripes. A lot. That's one good reason to go to Australia. You can't buy them in NZ these days. Why is that?

3. I made my first quilt in 1983. Really. It's lovely too, a red, white and blue log cabin. I hand quilted it. I left it behind when I moved houses. That was a mistake. I'll pick it up tomorrow.

4. I struggled for 8 weeks to breastfeed Jack, my first boy. I did it. AOF sent me a medal to celebrate. It was so important to me, I refused to give up, although that probably would've been a healthy decision. It is a struggle I am very proud to have stuck with. The extremely necessary caesarian that probably saved both his life and mine, and meant he spent a week or so in intensive care, made breastfeeding extremely difficult. His little brother, in complete contrast, had his first breastfeed less than an hour old. Yes, I'm a zealot. One day I'll be a lactation consultant.

5. I read a book a week. Most weeks anyway. I read all kinds of things, which I think of as trash. I rarely remember their titles or authors. I read to fall asleep, and I read to quiet the thoughts in my head. I'm reading my way through the homeowners bookshelves. Not a lot of trash there, but plenty to interest me. I'm reading poetry, Welsh poets. Very lyrical.

6. Can't decide where I want to live next. I'll have to move Dec/Jan. City apartment? House of my own? Can't decide.

7. My favourite place that I've travelled to is Bangkok. Oh, and then there's this little place in Tasmania with a pretty view.......... Ah, travel. I love to travel. This year I have my sights set on the USA.

I'm supposed to Tag some more people. I tag you dear reader!

Travelling

I've been to Sydney. Not time for much but my lovely hotel room and the meeting. The Marriot (the Hyde Park one) is an old favourite for lots of reasons. Look at that view! And that beautiful bed. I managed to mess it up all by myself.Then I went to Hobart. Did a little work, and met these guys. Casper and Austin. They were lots of fun and very cute. I'm pretty fond of their human too.

I went up a mountain. Mount Wellington. So high! Above the bush line by car. That's a pretty laid back way to climb a mountain. There was also some great Pinot Noir (Tasmanian of course!), wonderful seafood at The Drunken Admiral, a nice lunch in a little country town, and oh......that perfect spa bath (insert contented, very relaxed sigh here). The warm fuzzy glow hasn't worn off yet.

Back to Sydney after that....more meetings and a long flight back to windy Wellington. For the first time this house is too quiet.

And I've lost my keys somewhere, which is going to make it hard to drive the car.

Silent

I am rendered silent by the death of a colleague. A hard drinking, heavy smoking, diabetic colleague. But still. He was unexpectedly, prematurely farewelled in a simple little ceremony at the sports club he loved. It was hard to see his family, to talk with them about his working life, to hear those stories of him as a boy, a university student. To see his brother, looking so much like him, with the same smile, same hands. The sight of his jacket on his casket, branded with the yellow and black of our rugby team, made us all smile, and cry. It's funny how just one ordinary thing can be so redolent of a person, a personality. I wasn't close to him, but he's been part of my daily working landscape for over 5 years. There is a gap. It's hard to get used to.

Bugger it.

Questions

• It's the ex's birthday. Do I buy him a present?
• I've made spanakopita. It was great. I'll be eating it for a week. What do I do with the rest of the filo?
• Keep the guns away from the people. Then the people can't do the shooting. It's easy isn't it?
• and that guy, the one that fell asleep getting petrol...his sentence oughta help him get his act together don't you think?
• so why is everyone criticising the sentence for this young fella? For crying out loud, he got the toughest sentence someone his age could get for that crime. Isn't that sufficient?
• If Ali is only just testing the kiwifruit to see if it's time to pick them, where do the rock hard, very sour ones at the supermarket actually come from?
• I've only got to write another 200 words or so. Then tidy up the references, make sure I spelt my name right and the essay is done. I can do that tonight can't I?

Dear Big Horn Quilts

Dear Big Horn Quilts,

I got a lot of mail the other day. There were bills, of course, and lots of mail for people who cannot have lived here for many years. The lovely post-person had ventured through the gate and left the global priority envelope on the front step. It could only be from you. It arrived really quickly, not withstanding the Easter holiday, and was beautifully packed, as ususal. I especially like the handwritten 'thanks' from the person who packed it.

Look what was inside. Does it amuse you to send a package from Wyoming to little old New Zealand? It sure makes me smile to open it. There were two Quilting Arts Magazines because I'd got a bit behind. There are the daffodil fabrics for the back of my quilt. I'll have to finish it now. There's the tape measure fabric just for fun, and that pink rosy thing, which is for something specific. I don't like it much, but it's perfect for the job I have in mind. Oh, but look at this one. Birds and roses. Red and gold. And I have a whole yard of it! Sorry I haven't ironed it, I'm too busy studying to be ironing.

It's beautiful isn't it? Thanks Big Horn Quilts. I'll come and visit you one day.

Love Pixie, who is studying, of course.

Saturday again

I did enjoy all those blog birthday comments, thanks!

I'm studying today, and tomorrow. Have you noticed how I write blog posts when I'm "studying"?

I've eeked out the very last shred of sunlight left around the house to sit in to read. See how the shadows have finally caught up with me? I'm going to have to sit by a heater now. "Drug and Drink Driving by University Students: An Exploration of the Influence of Attitudes" (Davey, Davey and Obst). Want to join me? No, thought not.

Look, the sun is still shining way over there. This is the view from my favourite room. The windows are superb aren't they? They're very english in style, hand painted and hand coloured glass I suspect. (Dear A&E, homeowners, see how calm the sea is? No good for surfing, no point in your returning early).

Blog birthday

The Pixie Post is one year old today. I remember starting it on a grim Wellington day, when I needed to distract myself. It worked! It's still working!

That piece of birthday cake comes from the border of this quilt "2001" completed.....oh, go on, guess when.

That was the year I turned 40. Hence the bit of birthday cake. I stitched all sorts of things about me into the border, see me swimming down the wiggly blue line? There's my blue and white china collection, and my scissors, a symbol really, cos I don't use them that often. There's a pig and daffodils, and a lovely blue rose, shells from the beach and a big wine glass because those are things that make me smile. There's a hammer and a paintbrush too, because I did lots of decorating that year. It was my last year as a full time stay at home Mum. There's a blue ribbon, because I won my first one that year at the National Symposium in New Plymouth.

There's a teddy and a golly (we must talk about gollies sometime), for my two sons, that's a computer mouse, and there are 3 hearts for family. It has some stars too, one with american flags on it for Sept 11, and one with my friend's name embroidered on it, because Annette died that year. How I miss her. "What's happening this year" she asked me in January. "I'm going to be 40" I said, thinking to myself "oh my god, oh my god". "Great" she said, "we can celebrate". Had to do that without her in the end, but I've never felt bad about having a birthday ever since.

The best thing about this quilt is the gazillion 3 inch 9-patch blocks, stitched by 10 wonderful women, who swapped them fortnightly for a whole year. Deb made some. So did Morv. There were 9 quilts in the end, and they were all very different. We had crazy awards. I got one for the "bravest, most adventurous border".

It's been an adventurous year since the Pixie Post began. Thanks for stopping by.

I love my wetsuit

This is my wetsuit. Of course it looks much better with me in it. I love it dearly, I love it more than I love my sewing machine, and that's saying something. I could always sew by hand, right? But could I swim in Wellington's waters without a wetsuit? Not me. A couple of my (mad) swimming buddies do though. Today the inner harbour waters are choppy, which makes the outward swim hard going, and the inward swim much easier. We swam from raft to raft to a buoy and then around the fountain and back. There were a few jellyfish...we try not to bang into them, although I did hit a couple today. They're harmless to the wetsuit clad...and quite beautiful. We climbed up onto the rafts and leapt into the water. Must have amused the Sunday strollers on shore. We swam the last lap from raft to beach a couple of times, stopping to check out the starfish, big and bright on the sandy bottom, and we had a couple of underwater swimming races. No one was in a hurry to get out of the water. Then we all went out for coffee and planned a marathon swim before the end of the season. The Sunday morning swims are going to keep going all winter. So they say. Time will tell I guess.

The sea, good company, good coffee, and my beautiful wetsuit. I'm a happy Pixie.

Happy April

There was a time I was longing for March, because some hard stuff would be over with. Now March has been and gone. Phew. Now the hard stuff is about studying, and assignments with April deadlines. Look, I'm working at the table......

and still working after dark......When I'm not reading academic research articles I've been reading this (with a much more sedate cover too!)...You can read the first chapter online here. I'm really enjoying it. And while those northern hemisphere bloggers are boring us all silly (joking...joking) with pictures of daffodils and spring blossoms.....I've been to my favourite Big Horn Quilts and ordered these! Gorgeous. For the back of the daffodil quilt I think.

and do you think I can get the pictures to sit side by side? no I cannot, so I give up!

Treasure

Each time I pick up the boys to come spend a few days with me, I bring home some treasure, some missed item from a previous life that I now really want to have with me. It has surprised me that there have been few things I care much about. At the weekend it was this. A large glass vase, filled with a years old collection of shells and beach glass from all over New Zealand. Oh, and there's the candle of course....which is burnt low now and has a gorgeous golden glow when lit. I don't remember where most of the shells came from...but there are a few things in there that are memories of special people, places, times.

Guess I'll have to spend some more time on some more beaches and fill it up.

Happy Saturday alone

I've edited this post to put the pix back in.

I'm spending Saturday home alone. It feels like a rare treat to take my time to do absolutely nothing. I made a chicken curry for dinner.

The sun has set. It was very pretty. Love those hills bathed in golden light.

I've got the daffodil quilt out. I'm making it a border.

I got mail

I got mail. Real mail. In my letter-box. For me, not for anyone else. A gift, from AOF, acknowledging this transition I'm in. A little art, to help mark this place as my own. Could it be any more appropriate?

How to Metamorphasise Jenny Mitchell 2005, a limited edition artist's book, handbound. Beautiful.

Then this came. Two colour patchwork, beautifully handmade, just for me. Wow.

from Flibbertygibbet. A housewarming card. Isn't it lovely? It was a big surprise, and bought a tear or two to my eye. So kind.

And then, by email, from the Sagittarian....

She took this picture in Christchurch, during the Chinese New Year celebrations. It reminds me of a picture I took in Venice, 20 years ago. Hers is better.

Friends. It's an inadequate little word sometimes.

Daffodils

Judy posted pictures of daffodils and daphne. Got me thinking.

It's far from daffodil time here in the southern hemisphere, but I love them very much. I've been collecting daffodil fabrics for many years. My favourite is the Hoffman, bottom right, I must have had it for 10 years. I bought many of these over the internet, some from ebay. Once I bought some vintage daffodil fabric, had it sent to an internet buddy because the seller didn't ship outside the US. Sent the buddy the money for the shipping to me. Never heard from her again. Ever. Phooey.

Look, there's a quilt here isn't there? A giant 9-patch I think, which will go together quickly.

The computer is going to move over for now, because this is such a pretty corner to sit and sew. I'm coveting a Sew Ezi table. It's just what this room needs.

Dear E&A, view pictures are not intended to make you homesick and hurry home.

Oh, and I'm feeling good thanks, I have been for a lovely long walk. Now, where did I put my rotary cutter?

Adventures

Went to Auckland.

It isn't that bad you know, even though us Wellingtonians love to loathe it. It's warm and pretty. Oh and there are trains there of course, and train-loving colleagues (though they'd deny it I bet) who are fun to be with. Even got to drive over the bridge. This one. Nice.

Flew home. Suddenly got to meet some paramedics, ambulance drivers, hospital registrars. I guess you know you're not so sick when you have to wait for hours, and there aren't people rushing to your bedside in tears. Hospital emergency rooms aren't fun places, but I did get a cup of tea.

So, now we know my heart works fine, but could be a lot better (bugger it). My blood pressure is pretty good, considering. I think I've had enough drama for a while though, could March be nice and quiet please?

I think now would be the right time to figure out where to put the sewing machine.

Oh, and go donate some blood if you can. Looks to me like hospitals need all they can get.

Too high

I lie on my back on the sofa. The very big, chocolate brown leather sofa which I am falling in love with (girl's gotta love). I see spider webs on the ceiling. The very, very high ceiling, which there's no way in hell I am going to reach with a duster or vacuum cleaner. Am I going to have to learn to love spider's webs too?

And isn't it time I figured out where to put my sewing machine?

And hey Martha I like sentences that begin with 'and'!

Who's counting?

Over 5000 visitors. 110 posts.
Hours spent wasting time reading blogs........hmmm, well, who's counting anyway?

Keeping on

On Sunday the bay was full of boats for the annual blessing of the local fishing fleet.

A hard, speedy swim at Karori Pool today. 5 x 200m free, 20 x 50m free. A little butterfly along the way, because I am aiming to do 100m fly at the next swim meet. Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon at the Boutique Cafe.....very, very good, and well earned if you ask me! Went op shopping for jeans with Jack. Success....2 great pairs for $10, and a very happy boy. And for his mother, a beautiful creamy woolen blanket trimmed in blue (of course), and a bundle of cotton thread, including some glorious colours, and some old wooden reels. Excellent.

Oops, I forgot, I had planned to go to work this afternoon. Shame. On Friday night my very lovely boss stood beside my chair, put his hand on my shoulder and said "now, just becos you may be home alone doesn't mean you stay here all night". Hehehe.

Study materials for the semester arrived in the mail, and I'm wondering quite why I did this to myself this time....4 x assignments due in rapid succession. Oh well, keeps me out of trouble I guess. Or at least sitting at the computer and gazing at the view.

Sunrise is always pretty here. I'm such a morning person, and it's nice to know there are lots of others; running, walking, fishing, rowing as the sun comes up. I'm gonna have to swim out to that island soon.

Thanks

Friendship is a sheltering tree

for which I am deeply grateful

The picture came from www.volvoadventures.com. There's nothing like a pohutakawa. Nothing.

Busy

I've been on a couple of planes (I love flying), hung out at a foundry, and been for a ride on a tourist train. I love the train trip, but it's the people that make it fun. It's so nice to be out of my bureaucratic world and into this world where people make things, do tangible things, rather than deal in paper and ideas.

I had dinner (and drank far too much) with some funny Aussie colleagues.

Came home in time to farewell a fine woman who died too soon, of cancer. RIP Scottie, I'll make sure C and I are at our graduation ceremony at the end of the year, and we'll think of you insisting we get on with the study, every Thursday. We'll aim for the distinctions you encouraged.

I pad around this house that is mine, yet is not mine, trying to figure out how to live this new life.

I'm sitting here a lot

And contemplating this.

I gave up trying to figure out the can opener. I bought a new one.

Long story short

I moved.
I now live in a house by the sea.
Most of the time I live by myself.
A few nights each week I have the company of my lovely sons.
They're doing pretty well so far, thanks for your concern.
I'm okay, thanks for asking.
Yes, it's been hard, but most of the major milestones are behind us.

Oh, and broadband gets installed on Wednesday.
Guess I'll update my profile then, and show you the view!

Onwards!

A little retro

"Can I get a tie dyed tee-shirt?" asked oldest son. Tie dying isn't something I'd tried before, but you wouldn't let a little thing like that stop you, would you? He even wore one to school today.

I thought about this post from Pea Soup, from drought-ridden Melbourne while I was rinsing, rinsing, rinsing then washing these out. All that water down the drain without much thought. Not a problem here in Wellington where it hasn't rained...oh...for days now...but is supposed to at the weekend.

Funny old world.

Quilt of the Day

Here's a very fine quilt to keep you occupied.

'Open the Doors' a collaborative work, by me and my clever friend, recently hung at the 2007 Symposium. Current whereabouts unknown. I trust it's being looked after, in preparation for touring New Zealand. Perhaps it's been sold. (I kind of hope not, I'd quite like to live with it for a while).

'Open the Doors' was entered in the Human Rights/Domestic Violence challenge at the Symposium exhibition. Open doors let the secrets out and the help in.

Funny how some quilts hang straight and flat effortlessly, and others, despite hours of effort simply refuse. This one never had a ripple.

A little glitz

This is my little piece from Sue Dennis's class. The shiny blue 'river' is metallic thread stitched on washaway fabric. The 'trees' are metallic treads stitched over Angelina fibres. It's nice to have a little glitz.

Not just another Saturday

Edward is 10 today.

This is JoJo, the latest addition to his collection of monkeys. Happy birthday Teddy.

Sunny came home today. Kitty seems pleased.

Quilt Symposium Manawatu

I went to the thriving metropolis of Palmerston North and lost myself among people and things textile. It was very, very good. The exhibition was superb, ranging, as it has to, from traditional to high art. It seemed to me the judges had used a fairly conservative eye in jurying quilts into the show, but then, it's a difficult job, and I don't envy them. My quilts looked pretty good hanging in some fine company. This quilt won best of show. The sky seems to be painted, and is beautifully quilted, the hills and sea are pieced. There was lots of discussion about this award, but generally people agree it is a beautiful quilt. What do you think?

Across the Bay II by Chris Kenna, Wellington

It was a very busy 5 days. I did a class with Sue Dennis. It was a great 2 days. There's something special about Queenslanders, they always make me laugh. I'll show you what I made when it's photographed. I like it a lot! I also did a class with Susan Carlson. Not so good results (yet) so I'm not showing you. I'll do some more work on it in future though, because it's going to be great. Susan was a lovely tutor, the work the class produced was really wonderful. There were lizards and fish and flowers and a house. She teaches fabric collage, and I'm making a rose. You must check out her pink rhino and her Polkadodo on her website here. I volunteered one day, and ended up helping out in Bonnie McCaffery's portrait painting class. She's a very classy lady, very professional, and I was impressed with her use of a video camera and data projector so everyone could see what she was doing. Bonnie's website has video and audio podcasts, well worth a look.

The next Symposium is in Wellington in 2009. That's something to look forward to.

Gallivanting

This post is brought to you by Blogger gremlins, which are determined that you do not see photographic evidence. Shame really, because I'm sure you'd be impressed.

I've been to Auckland, via Taupo of course, and to the Coromandel, mostly in Whangamata, but with excursions to places like Hahei, and Cathedral Cove. The Coromandel waves were spectacular, the sand was golden, the sun was hot. A couple of days of rain were even reasonably welcome as the fair skinned, befreckled half of the family were happy to get some relief from the sunscreen/hat/shirt ritual that accompanies beach life in this part of the world. I now have some stupid tan lines from my (very nice!) boy-leg swimsuit that are going to look ridiculous when I put on my training swimsuit at the pool tonite. Oh well, the boys and girls lining up at the pool will need a giggle.

It rained really hard for a couple of days in Whangamata, and because I'd read far too many books (all night, all morning, most of the afternoon on the beach....) I decided I needed something else to do. I bought a book (!) Instant Expert Crochet edited by Katy Bevan. Hooray for holiday bookshop sales. I got some wool and a hook. It worked, so I got some more wool. A couple of days later I had about 150 chains and 16 rows of double crochet. We'll see how long it takes me to make a blanket. Madness. But I like it!

I am of course heavily influenced by Bella Dia and Yarnstorm. I've been thinking a lot about why I am so drawn to these blankets, and I've decided it's the colour. It's the riot of unplanned, abandoned colour. I like the kindof kitchy grandma-ness of crochet too. So, if I'm going to own one, I'm gonna have to make it!

At the end of this week I am off to the Quilt Symposium 2007. I've got a ticket for the opening award ceremony, two quilts hanging in the exhibition, two classes, and I've volunteered to spend one day as an "angel". Dogsbody more like, hopefully they'll have an interesting task for me. There will be quilts to see, lots to learn, new friends to make, bloggers to meet, and the company of old friends to enjoy.

After that, it really will be hang onto your hats, new year, new me. I'll keep you posted.

Happy New Year

Live, Laugh, Love

That's my new years resolution.

I've got big plans for this year, but that's pretty much what they amount to.

First up, I'm going to learn how to really use my digital camera. It's a Samsung Digimax V50. It isn't flash, but I reckon I can learn how to get the most out of it, and lookee here, using the manual aperture control. I like a little blur in my pictures.

So, I wish you some living, laughing and loving for yourself.

Happy new year.