For Sale.

* Small assistant. Nice line in shouting to be let out before wee accident occurs. Inability to read clock and recognise 'reasonable hour' dictates sales. Terms negotiable.


* Child (blue 2001 model). Quite tall, sound teeth and advancing fixation w style of hair. Growth spurt and resultant shitty moods when required to do something non-compatible w personal life view demand removal from premises. Kicking of tyres when viewing not recommended. All good offers considered.


* Proto-teen (pink 1998 model). Witty, dry SoH. Despite best efforts and years of practice am still unable to communicate w said model. Result - inability of model to understand need to be aware of PE bag when at school. Minimal negotiation on price as need to buy new PE kit. Sadly instruction booklet unavailable. Would suit patient languages student/lecturer.


* Lace pattern book. Thick book w glossy pages and many colour pics. Sadly all patterns include fatal flaw, some just gibberish. Very useful for jigsaw-loving family or care group. Will ensure all pieces included in posting envelope.


* Swap/Trade - buggery awful cough. Just noise, no yuk. Two weeks of ownership means have gotten best from it. Willing to exchange for new lungs and/or oesophaegus. Benefits - sexy husky voice, great abs workout.

10 things that make me happy.

It is raining here today. Again.



I have read lots of blogs when I should have been doing other stuff.



I have been doing the other stuff but it has made me cough.



I think I will make a'Happy List'.





1. Watching my old dog sleep. For a biggish dog he can curl up very small.



2. Watching my black dog prepare himself for sleep on a cold day. His very fluffy tail is curled around to cover his nose and half his head. Everytime he does it I have stop and watch. It makes me smile.



3. Going painting. I did this last night and had a fabulous time. Those women make me laugh and the painting gods were smiling on me. Things were finished off.



4. Posting parcels and packages. I sent things off to April and also to Missus Stashbasket and a young man on the other side of the world. I hope all are pleasantly surprised with their mail.



5. Learning new things and finding them less complex than anticipated. I taught myself how to knit a picot edge this week.





6. Gifts from friends - I was given an 'official helper badge' this week.



7. Knowing there is only a month until we head for the sun.



8. Destructoboy.



9. Princess Curly-Wurly.



10. CK.

It's heeeeerrrreeee!!!!!!!!

THE BOX has made it home safe and sound - you guys weren't kidding about the tape on that sucker, were you?


I have taken three thousand and twelve million photies unfortunately this very old computer isn't really a friend when it comes to dowloading my pictures so that shall have to wait. But you are all so amazingly kind and generous and lovely and wonderful and I shall be offering proposals of marriage to you all at some point.


The only thing that has come back to me is the balls of red (burgundy, maroon, etc) yarn and quite honestly I am chuffed b/c I really liked that yarn.


Once I finally got inside THE BOX I found a veritable Aladdin's cave - yarn, beads, gold, patterns, oh, oh, oh!!!!


I have put together a list to tide you over until there are pictures. If you recognise something you put in these please let me know. In case you didn't get my email or are choosing to ignore me (ha! as if!!)


two balls of *sparkly gold* green, v. soft yarn brand RYC. (Is this Rowan, I don't know??)
two balls of multi-hued blue/green Debbie Bliss yarn
A watercolour paper pad v. pleased to see this as donkeys take up a lot of paper ;-)

a set of watercolour pencils
a box of small beads (greens, pinks and some metallicy ones)
a skein pink lacing braid
spool of gold thread
a bag of blue and pale blue and white beads
bag mixed buttons
Pre-stamped, cross-stitch baby bib
Portable stitch storer spool gadget thing
'All Our Yesterdays' cross-stitch kit of children on a beach
a Melly & Me 'Mrs Perkins' pattern
fabulous lime green, blue and chartreuse floral pattern fat quarter
three pieces of v. delicate, pretty floral swiss cotton
Elements Star bead necklace kit
1 'fat quarter metre' of pretty flowerpots w flower on pale background
'Village Fabrics'
Elephant wooden spoon kit and dinosaur pencil pot kit
purple bead bracelet in pretty bag
Brown w small geometric pattern fat quarter.
A teddy bear kit with patterns for both Noggin and Nutmeg



Some huge thank yous on top of the already grateful and joyous thank yous I expressed before.

Lesley over at Moogsmum who has made me a real ass in the course of this swap ;-)DottyCookie who made a fantastic set of stitch markers AND THEN put them on a teenyweeny little piece of knitting with titchy needles. It is so wonderous that I shall be backing it, attaching a pin to have myself a fabulous brooch!
Kitty who sent me a sweet card.
Gina sent me something I have longed for for some time - a tin (right there I was pleased) of cupcake papers and flags from Momiji. *le sigh*



Last but not least was the presence of The Blue Guy in the box. It was mentioned to me at some point as THE BOX made its way around the troops and I had assumed this was the Blue Guy who played in people's homes and then went back to WMK tell all. But this one came with a passport and his very own camera so I have my fingers crossed that he will be allowed to stay :-)



It has been great fun to have organised this lazy man's swap. I know that Snailblazer's original Box Swap has also recently returned home to roost. She and I are currently in talks about a U.K. v. Aus BOX SWAP in 2009. I shall keep you posted.............

Things I have done today.

1. Finished the bag for Princess C-W's friend's birthday.

2. Posted half of the parcels I have had hanging around here (for several months!!!) to the Tropical family.

3. Made myself a birthday cake - pineapple and coconut since you ask.

4. Hoovered (vacuumed for any 'foreign' readers) the living room, hall and dining room.

5. Made two lovely knitted flower broochy/corsagey things. One of my borrowed childer helped choose the centres!

6. Bought my first ever balls of Noro - I have never understood the appeal but I think my friend will. I'll be making the potato chip scarf (we call it 'the chippie scarf' here) for her birthday.

7. Discovered three balls of wool I bought a few weeks ago. Two of my best and favourite Cashsoft in a lovely lime green and one of Kidsilk Haze (bleurgh, definitely not my favourite) in a vivid greeny colour. My plan is to knit them together - possibly in the aforementioned 'Chippie' scarf pattern [thanks WMK;-)].

8. Ogling the growing pile of birthday presents on the toy trunk in the living room. (Since you ask - No. The children may not access any relevant play things while MY birthday presents need a place to accumulate! )

9. Did an emergency lunch dash for Pr.C-W as she had 'left' hers at home and could I please bring it down before break as it had her apple in it! I scoured the house but nada. Naturally it was only after I had purchased & delivered emergency rations that I discovered it hiding behind the door in the dining room! Apparently she did not put it there........ perhaps monkeys?

10. Perhaps may have bought a special something for a Valentine's Swap personage of

great beardiness ;-))


Will edit later to add pictures.