Family
48/365 We are watching you
by Catherine on Feb.16, 2010, under 365 project, Family, Update
The last couple of days have been quite funny, there was a job interview but there has been other stuff happening after that. I am in Ballarat with Joyce and Arnie, in my old room that is the guest bedroom. There are some leftovers, my Cabbage Patch Kid and sampler cross stitch from 1990. Wow, 20 years ago, hells bells. The bed is the frame from their bed before they replaced it with a queen bed.
My father has become involved in cosplay, of all the odd things, he is making wooden swords for a girl who dresses up as computer game characters. She has won a lot of competitions and is heading over to Japan. So, yesterday and today Arnie constructed a sword that may come straight out of World of Warcraft. It is not actually WoW, it is from another game. It is quite funny to watch my dad carving out fanciful shapes because he likes a challenge.
Joyce and I spent last night sitting on the couch giggling; we were making origami butterflies and gold fish. We are not sure if cutting makes it real origami. We also watched the Top Gear winter Olympics special, the ice hockey with the Suzuki swifts and the flying mini being favourites.
We have been mother and daughter bonding with cake and fabric shopping, there is a new patchwork fabric shop opening in Ballarat. It is called Victoria Street Patchwork. It is not quite open yet but the array of fabric and the lively owner look promising. I am planning a steampunk outfit, western and Japanese combination, there is a thing in March I want to go to.
Yesterday Joyce was given a letter, hand written from my grandmother to a friend when her husband passed away. I have not read much of grandma’s writing, her handwriting is different to either Joyce’s or mine but the tome of the writing is very similar to my mother’s and I think to my blog writing. Very interesting.
I have been doing some sewing, finally putting together a dressing gown, it is satin, I had forgotten how slippy it all is. There will be a photo, no doubt. The next couple of days will be putting together some orders of adult aprons.
Joyce and Arnie are off to Queenscliff this morning, there is banging around and stuff. I am looking after the house whilst they are away. Tudor will hopefully sleep on the bed more whilst here, she is already spending more time with me. I need to pop to Melbourne at some point and pick up my camera which is being replaced. That was a surprising outcome, let me assure you. Also taking some rings in, including my engagement ring, to be remodelled, the promises are broken so it holds no emotional value in the form it is now.
40/365 Double Trouble
by Catherine on Feb.09, 2010, under 365 project, Family
Arnie was making Relish at home today so Joyce escaped.
We went to Geelong for the the day, well the afternoon. We bought fabric and found a big boob bra shop which was fantastic but averaging $90 a bra.
We went looking at clothes, where one remark heard was “Who would by a dress for $130 when it make the mannequin look fat?” this of course was me.
We them went down to have coffee on the foreshore and I discovered the Baywalk bollards. Something that slipped my attention all those years rowing in Geelong.
Here is the set, have a look, they are very cool.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjsteele/sets/72157623263337253/
We got lost coming back. Oh dear.
Going back to work, if I get a job will curtail these exciting trips.
Yesterday’s photo was a bit of a fail, I did have a lovely day visiting Flo and her baby but the rest of the evening was a bit meh. A lack of inspiration followed.
38/365 Bad Swedish
by Catherine on Feb.08, 2010, under 365 project, Family, Weekend Madness
This weekend has been busy.
Friday night saw me out, going to Gulag, a goth night. It was very nice, I will be going back as it felt like it could be a tiny vagabonds or B-movie.
Saturday Natalie and i along with Fergus and Ewan headed off on along drive to see the Redhill craft market. It was very interesting and we are going to put ourselves down for it.
Saturday night I was in Kyneton playing board games, I had a lot of fun doing that. I won one and lost badly in the train one. It was A’s birthday celebration and a lovely time.
Sunday was another craft in Gisbon markets, they were not quite for us. There were people selling aprons but at really cheap prices.
Most of the afternoon was spent in the Corner hotel beer garden in Richmond with camera people. It was lovely but I must get into taking photos of other things besides me.
The sign in the photo is meant to say “Rikard thinks I am awesome” there is no Swedish word for awesome so it is bodged together. the reason for this is he sent me a list of self portrait suggestions and this was one of them and i hacked the Swedish from online translators. It is a little nod to meeting 12 months ago.
Today is shopping for fabric for a couple of custom aprons and lunch with F whom I went to school with.
3/365 Face painting
by Catherine on Jan.03, 2010, under 365 project, Family, Photography
Today was Ewan’s fourth birthday and a party. There was lots of food and cake and some face painting.
I need to have a play with the Optio’s settings as a lot of them were over exposed because of the bright sunlight out of the shade.
Ewan had a great time and when I got home this morning he was terribly excited. He is quite a difficult subject to capture, very much a child that will say no to everything but I was letting him paint my face so he allowed the camera to be used.
He then took some terribly unflattering photos of me and we posed for the following one.
and the arty farty shot for the day.
I am quite tired today but had an email that increased my cheer by quite a lot.
13/52 Christmas Dinner
by Catherine on Dec.25, 2009, under 52 weeks project, Family
Merry Christmas, I think most of the world is in Christmas now.
I have had a lovely couple of days. Yesterday was my family all together at my brothers. Today, Joyce, Arnie and I had lunch in a restaurant with a buffet style meal. I think Arnie ate 2 dozen oysters and I don’t need to eat for a year.
It has been lovely. Tomorrow off to catch up with Jack and Tracey.
Merry Christmas
by Catherine on Dec.24, 2009, under Family
I have spent today with my family. I have received presents and worn my silly hat. Which rocks it Japanese Disney pants off.
Tomorrow, Christmas day will be spent with Joyce and Arnie after a phone call from Rikard.
Very nice to have family around for Christmas. Missing a partner to spend it with but no longer really missing Anthony.
I hope everyone is having a grand Christmas, where ever you are.
Craft Market, Museums and Small Boys.
by Catherine on Dec.21, 2009, under Family, Weekend Madness
Friday afternoon Nat and Michael headed off to a wedding in country, leaving Fergus, Ewan and I to hang for the next two days. We hung about the house Friday, just chilling and cooking dinner. My mash potato is apparently not as good as Nat’s in ewan’s eyes.
Friday night saw Fergus decide that coming and sleeping with me was a good idea. The jury is out if snoring adult males or tossing small children are the worst at disturbing sleep.
Saturday we headed into Williamstown to scope out the craft market. I got the wrong day but that was fine because it meant Fergus and Ewan got a huge chunk of time at Scienceworks. Melbourne’s Science Museum. It is wonderfully designed for kids. Lots of hands on interactive stuff, things to build and push, generally just get into. It was hard to pull them away for lunch and they had a ball in the nitty gritty city and they were quite tired when finally left. Again my mashed potato was scorned and we watched Muppet Treasure Island. The Swedish Chef appeared and I now am going to chase up the Swedish Chef in Swedish just to see how it is translated.
I had two visitors in the night, well early morning, Ewan wanted a cuddle and chess the cat wanted join in. Chess was the worst, she just could not get comfortable and Ewan steals the doona!
We all piled into the car to scope the Craft Market in Williamstown, I had the right date. It looks like a good place that we can sell our stuff, lots of middle strata parents and older couples. The quality of stuff on sale was quite high although one of the older ladies with frilly coat hangers from baccus Marsh was there. I am not sure how she sells stuff there, having said that the woman selling knitted toys was doing a roaring trade.
There was a lot of playing on play grounds followed. On the way back Ewan had a sleep that ended up as a four hour nap.
Michael and Natalie returned looking a little tired but had taken some good shots of the wedding. I may have needed a rest at that stage and had a 10 minute nap that turned into two hours. Opps.
Sunday night was date night. Rikard and I had organised to buy the same bottle of wine and we both dressed up (for me this was little last minute but I am glad I did because Rikard wore a shirt and tie), we drank the wine and chatted. It really was nice, it had very much a date feel to it. We talked about lots of things, from Icelandic to travel to the Wotwots to California Bungalows to wine. Rikard generally drinks whiskey and bourbon so this was the first bottle of wine he has ever purchased for solely his own consumption and it was Australian!
This week will see a very busy time as we hurtle towards Christmas. I have my Christmas photos ready to send out. I really need to find out what is happening about New Years. I am currently on the train to have afternoon tea with my parents and some friends. The train is very good for catching up with blogging. I am sitting watching the landscape whizz past with Voltaire singing about bombing New Jersey.
12/52 Socks and Toes
by Catherine on Dec.18, 2009, under 52 weeks project, Family, Life
We are back. The website has been down as we moved servers.
If you see anything wrong let me know.
Since getting back from Sydney I have been looking for work, sewing and Christmas shopping.
Michael and Nat have gone to a wedding and left me and the boys to fend for ourselves.
Tomorrow we will be looking at a craft market in Williams town to see if our wares will sell there. Lots of fun.
I spent some time purchasing wine in preparation for a skype date. Rikard and I have the same type of red wine. A bit funny but something we can share.
A different style of family
by Catherine on Nov.29, 2009, under Family, Social
This weekend has been surrounded by a different type of family. I had a transport fail with spending time with the Duggans, if I had a car that was mine it would be a different story. I am hoping December will bring transport and bit more freedom. Having travelled via public transport to see Dave in Oak Park from Melton and it took forever. Metropolitan trains that runs only every half an hour off peak! Although having a car is expensive it is a necessary evil. So, a fail for one family but a huge welcome from another. My sister in law is Maltese Australian and comes from a large extended family. Saturday night when it was discovered I was not visiting the Duggans I was invited for dinner at Natalie’s parents house. So I ended up sitting a large table with small children, brothers and sister, parents and grandparents. There was BBQ food and lots of banter and the most divine potato salad. It was a very pleasant evening. Today we headed out to spend time with Jade, Natalie’s cousin. Again, lots of food and chat. Jade decided that champagne was required but she is breast feeding. So she had a glass, I may have drunk the rest. Natalie’s brother, wife and son visited as well. I am currently in Oak Park at Dave’s, staying over for an early start to take photos of Parks Radio Telescope. ROAD TRIP. Nine hours. Whhheeeee.
Meeting the Family
by Catherine on Nov.28, 2009, under Cooking, Family
I have eight cousins. Well, technically nine cousins. Two on the Currie side we don’t communicate with. The others are Duggans, there are M Duggan’s lot, Steven, Bruce, Robert and Anne (dec) and then there are the K Duggan’s lot; Sandra, Mark and Wayne. We range over ten years, including Michael as the youngest. I am a similar age to Robert and Wayne who are the youngest of their families. We are a mixed bunch with our own heavy burdens. Sickness, marital breakup and curve balls have littered our adult lives. Michael and I grew up in Ballarat whilst the Duggan’s grew up near each other in Melbourne so as a result they are closer.
So why am I telling you this? Well, you will see I have one girl cousin, Sandra, I still remember her playing dolls with me when I was young. I still remember some of her boyfriend’s and the fact she always time form her cousin who was quite a bit younger than her. I think it is 8 or 9 years, she will correct me if I am wrong. She is about as close I have a sister in blood relation. She also reads this blog.
I don’t have a huge readership but Sandra has always read this and when life his rock bottom she sent me an email. Not much besides she and the family were thinking of me and that was a nice boost in a tough time.
Thursday night I caught up with Sandra, she is now very successful having worked her way up from a filing clerk to high up in a well know Australian company. She has two little boys who were toddlers when I last saw them and a delightful husband who has had some really tough battles over the past years.
We strolled around South Melbourne market, shopped a bit and caught up. It was really nice, the steamed buns so good we went back for seconds. It was great to chat to someone who has seen marriage break ups from a family perspective and talk about the genetic heritage we share. We have a common Grandmother, Alma, who was a ruling matriarch until she passed away and even in death manages to keep the family together with trips to Castelmaine.
Chatting with Sandra, made me think, I really should get to know my cousins better. They are all at different points in their lives to me but I should make more an effort. One thing I have learnt of the past few years is family is important. They are the rock that stops you being drowned. Family put up with the odd balls and embrace them. There are very strong personalities in my family and it causes clashes but I suspect as we get older we find ways around this.
My first step to that is facebook stalking them all. Sorry Robert, you can’t hide.
They may not want to have much to do with their little cousin, I have changed a lot, I am more jaded and cynical, I have a more bleak out look on life and that is a great pity. But then again that maybe for the best.
One thing is for sure. I am going back for those steamed buns.. Thank you Sandra for reading.
