Passing on the Baton

Les just start with sewing. There has been A LOT of it this week.

As I very briefly mentioned just before Xmas, I had a mad dash to my sisters to very quickly sew some curtains whilst bleeding everywhere. Well, Friday was the refit. I'd always planned on going back and redoing them properl and therefore recruited everyone to help this time. My nephew was using the overlocker and my neice was sewing in tandem her machine as I furiously ploughed through them on mine. My hubby was unpicking the original seams and doing the hevy lifting getting them down and up again, and after a furious 3 hour sprint, they were done.

We then collected the kids and headed back to give my sister and her husband a much needed break. My neice was actually working this weekend, so whilst she joined in in the evening fun and board games, it was really a weekend focused on my nephew. 

So what did the 14 year old boy want to do? 

Sew. Sew like his life depended on it. Were taking him to a cosplay convention in July, because he really wants to get into cosplay. So this weekend was step one in learning to sew and making his costume. There's a lot to do, a hat and gloves and then the prop pistols, but his Alucard outfit is already off to a great start. He helped cut the peices, did most of the overlocking and the sewing too. It's in my care owing to some hand sewing it needs done, but for all accounts and purposes, he made a coat in a weekend - his first sewing project.

The baton I thought I was going to hand to my neice, a lifelong love of sewing and creating bizarre and wonderful things, has been pipped at the post and taken by my nephew. And long may it continue! 

We had the extra dog and did fit in a few lovely walks with Wee Ben, but he's turned into a grumpy wee old man of late and absolutely refused a second walk, preferring to sleep on the sofa and use the garden if need be.

A funny wee thing he is. 

Right. I'm free of children and about to soak in a well deserved bath, so until next week, have a lovely time and share your hobbies! 

Peeking through the Snowdrops

It's been a busy run. After the dash up to Aberdeen and back following our Disney holiday,I've hit the ground running. A full day in person team meeting and a two day conference on Flood Resilience (with the current weather, does that not seem apt?) I've barely had time to do very much!

My Inverness based friend joined me in the last day of the conference, and that meant she stayed with us for the weekend. Missy views visitors as a slightly different hot water bottle to try, but we managed to keep her from the worst of her Goldilocks antics! Instead we enjoyed a nice walk around Dechmont all together before my friend and I gave up in the bad weather and settled to tea and crafts. An avid fantasy fan, she wanted to make a mist cloak and I was happy to oblige.

Sadly, I didn't get a better picture. We then had another friend visit for board games and played Ivor the Engine. It's been a verygood-for-the-soul sort of few days, with much grazing of snacks (after a comment I made at the conference in jest, about being on a hobbit schedule of being fed every hour and a half, we sort of jokingly rolled with it) and seeking adventures when weather permitted. 

Although I'm now trying to rationalise how this will sound at work next week - oh, we had a lovely time as Hobbits, we went to an insane asylum, made a mist cloak and then spent an evening saving lost sheep in Wales. Perhaps the less said, the better! 

Then it was brunch out with my Disney friend (we three make the caballeros) before my Inverness friend headed home. It was then a dog walk with another friend at the House of Binns to admire the snowdrops. 

I keep saying it's going to be a quiet weekend, but we all know that isn't going to happen! 

Until next time, "I'm going on an Adventure!". 

To the Real Start of 2024

As mentioned in a previous post, I decided to not worry about starting 2024 until February. Not only was this partly due to the funeralearlier in the month, but also because last week was our swansong. The final Disneyland Paris trip on our passes before they expired, and the final planned trip until after the proposed park expansions have completed. 

Weather was mixed with it leaning toward fairer for the bulk of the trip, so I'm happy to take the win and we made the absolute most of it. There were princesses, meet and greet shenanigans, lots of tears of childhood joy and plenty of those calm moments where you soak up the moment to treasure. 

Missy was not abandoned for the excursion and instead had a mini holiday of her own in Aberdeen with the in-laws. Shes come back knackered, but a happy dog, which is all I could hope for. 

And that's us. I could ramble on for an age, but I'm happy to sit back and enjoy the memories for what they are.

I did manage some new disney bounds which required some speed sewing, but I never got a chance to get a nice photo on the mannequin, so I shall endeavour to have that done for next week! 

So, what's the 2024 plans you ask? I'm keeping resolutions fairly broad this year: firstly I plan to see and visit far flung family more this year. The poor start to this year has given me some urgency in that matter. 

Secondly, to take time out for myself. Despite promises that 2023 was going to be my selfish year, I found myself stretched further and thinner than ever before. It was the right thing to do, but now emergencies are over, I need to step back and figure out how to build breathing time into my routine. 

Lastly, in addition to the usual eat better and generally look after myself more, is to find the "Miyazaki Moments". I mentioned it above, a heartbeat of a moment to stop and take in the happenings about you and appreciate the beauty or chaos you see. Physical and mental health come hand in hand, and I think that little hat trick should hold me in good stead this year. 

So, until next time, embrace the child in yourself and do something that makes you happy.