bugger

my computer crashed.

so THAT was weird

I'm in the midst of my cook-a-thon. Trying to get some good, healthy meals in the freezer for the next month. And a few baked goods for good measure. I know I'm weird. I know it's very Type A.

Rosemarie, just 1 month, though, not NINE!! But you know I'm just jealous :)

So far I've made 2 veggie lasagnes, lots of sloppy Joe filling, a steak & dumpling casserole, 20 Asian pork sausages, too much Asian plum sauce, a batch of healthy chocolate chip biscuits, and some cranberry scones (half of which are already gone.)

On the agenda tomorrow...a mashed potato casserole and sesame chicken.

But believe it or not that wasn't the WEIRD bit.

So I had to run to the local 4Square for milk in the middle of it all. As I entered the shop, 2 ducks walked right in front of me. Weird. I know it's been raining a lot, but not what you expect to see as you enter the grocery. When I left, the ducks were just hanging out in the middle of the village street. Taking their time. Meandering straight up the middle of the road. People couldn't pull their cars out, so we were all trying to shoo them to the footpath. Pretty unsuccessfully.

WEIRD. No?

nice way to start your saturday...

ha.

We awoke to find that a window in the guest bedroom--that doesn't lock properly/that we've been meaning to fix--had blown open overnight. I'm talking a meter square gaping hole open to the elements. And oh the elements. Torrential rain and serious wind all night.

Well the nicest bed in the house, with its bright white linens and 6 million brightly coloured throw pillows, is an absolute mess. The comforter cover looks almost tie-dyed. If ever I needed to channel my mother's stain-fighting expertise, it is now.

Oh yah, and I switched offices the other day (Stef was barely on the plane and I was dismantling her bed ;). I had the closet so organized. All the plastic ugly but functional storage was nicely tucked away on the shelves--filled with brads, letters, and various other tiny things. My works in progress stacked in boxes. My out-of-control ribbon collection hanging proudly from hangers. And it collapsed. The whole closet. Seriously.

You just gotta laugh.

boy was i wrong

I was under the impression that we had a pair of wood pigeons that for about 8 months of the year lived in our yard.

Not so.

I moved my office yesterday and I have a different view of the yard from my new space. I glanced out just a bit ago to find

.
.
.
SIX
.
.
.

The kereru may be one of New Zealand's protected native birds, but you'd never know it if you looked out my window.

They are frolicking about and chillin' just on the other side of the glass.

They are massive. They are colourful. They aren't your average, everyday pigeon. They hang in groups. They make me want to grab my camera everytime they get in a new configuration. The wind makes their metallic-looking feathers do all sorts of funny things. They make me smile. They are distracting me.

stef was here

and I so enjoyed her companionship over the last 10 weeks. Having a family member here for an extended period sharing in the everyday is something I will always treasure. I love that she fit right into our family.

She is laidback, funny, genuine, helpful, pleasant, and interested. She is one cool chick.

She wanted to hear every single, solitary story from Sydney...all hundred of them.

She became a dog lover.

She is training for the Chicago half-marathon.

She read heaps of books.

She drank LOTS of milk.

She became an Amazing Race & Grey's Anatomy junkie.

She worked hard and never lost her sense of humour, no matter how tedious the task.

She inspired me to start swimming again.

She enjoyed many crumpets with Nutella.

She shared in an evening tea ritual with me.

She kept a wicked travel journal. I will be inspired by it each time I go on a trip.

She insisted on Heinz ketchup (instead of the local tomato sauce)--proof that she wasn't, in fact, always laidback.

She scrapbooked (nearly) her entire trip while living in the moment. Fabulous. Great pages.

Stef was here. And now she's gone.

Off to LA & then Cincy...

And she will be missed. A lot.

One more thing... I love that when talking to Jeremy on the phone before leaving for the airport, he said "tell our little 'n that I'll miss her." See, I told ya, she fit right in.

ps: an Ali E inspired title

post-CC Wellington wrap up

Wow, what a whirlwind!! Crafting Connection was fantastic. All that prep and it flew by, just like a wedding.

I loved teaching with such an awesome group of tutors...

top row: Ali Edwards, David Roberts, Mary Roberts,
Cathy Zielske, Donna Downey, Faye Gregory
bottom row: Nic Howard, me, Wendy Redshaw-Bruhns

But I think I kinda freaked Cathy out...

The KiwiScraps team had everything under control, despite how it occasionally looked...

How can you not love Rhonda? And her fish nets.

It was great to be in the company of so many crafty, scrapbooking enthusiasts. Excitement all around, I tell ya.

I loved how receptive my students were to my Being Kiwi class, despite being only an Amerikiwi.

The reaction to my greener pastures paper and stamps was incredible. Thanks to everyone who made "my reveal" less scary. I'm so excited about this adventure.

Last but not least, my TA was phenomenal. Stefanie was by my side through it all...the painting, the gorilla filla, the tedious kits, the bleeding hands, listening to my schpiel over and over, and just generally being at my beck and call.

But it wasn't all work and no play for her, I gave her a few minutes break to teach Ali the catepillar face.

Now it all happens again in Sydney, although I get to play TA this time. Next week I'll post photos of my projects. Until then, you can enjoy a few more of my CC photos here.

i'll do it...

after Crafting Connection.

That seems to be my response to everything at the moment.

I'll spring clean the house...after Crafting Connection.
I'll make a bunch of belated b-day gifts and new baby pressies...after Crafting Connection.
I'll start submitting again...after Crafting Connection.
I'll get back into a good dog walking routine...after Crafting Connection.
I'll get my office organized...after Crafting Connection.
I'll finally take Jeremy to the movies for his b-day (2 months ago)...after Crafting Connection.
I'll spend some stressfree time with Stefanie before she leaves...after Crafting Connection.
I'll begin thinking clearly again...after Crafting Connection.
I'll make a nice big batch of cards to have on hand...after Crafting Connection.
I'll stop being a slack friend...after Crafting Connection.
I'll get crackin' on new designs...after Crafting Connection.
I'll plan a craft day with Ollie...after Crafting Connection.
I'll get the garden in order...after Crafting Connection.
I'll write some long overdue emails...after Crafting Connection.
I'll do some advance cooking and stock up the freezer...after Crafting Connection. I'll scrap for fun...after Crafting Connection.
I'll solve all the world's problems...after Crafting Connection.

Sounds like I need to work on getting some balance in my life.

After Crafting Connection.

enjoying the process

It's the journey not the destination.

Some of the papers in my lines are photographic based. They are especially close to my heart because I so enjoyed the journey to create them.

Here is a sneak peek...

on the road :: sunday driver

aoteoroa :: blue skies

I talked about the great experience I had traveling around the countryside, snapping photos for this project on these two posts:

on the road & wailing dogs

fyi: Fingers crossed, my website, www.greenerpastures.co.nz, will be up in the next week.

a good day

You know it's a good day when

• your niece makes you pikelets for breakfast
• you get emails from 3 siblings
• you don't need a jacket on a not-so-cold winter day
• your dogs keep your lap warm while you spend the bulk of the day working in your pj's
• your husband gets excited to see a fur seal on his walk home from the ferry

So, yup, that's a pretty good day. I'm tellin' you...i'm a bit stressed at the moment and I'm up far too late, so it's the little things that make me smile. :)