Grand Final days

The month of September was grand final month!

The first was youngest daughter's soccer grand final. She plays in the all-age women's team for our local soccer club. The women's division is played in Canberra and this was our first year in the competition.


Youngest daughter in goals!

They only had one loss during the year and it was that team they played in the grand final. Family and friends travelled to watch them play each week and grand final day was no different. They didn't win but gained the respect of the other teams in the competition and the administrators of Capital Football. The game was a cracker and we all yelled ourselves hoarse.

Last weekend my husband and I travelled to Melbourne to watch the Fremantle Dockers in their first AFL Grand Final!

It was a fabulous experience. Everyone we came across was in a good mood and regardless what team they followed, wished each other good luck.

My husband and cousins had tickets to the game but I didn’t so I spent the afternoon at Federation Square with thousands of fans. I even came across some people from our town which is a long way from Melbourne and has more rugby fans than AFL ones!

Just before three quarter time I was wet and cold and went for a walk and discovered the Ian Potter Centre in the National Gallery of Victoria was full of people watching the game on a big screen. I found a spot to sit and with a warming coffee settled in to watch the rest of the game.

After the game we ended up at a bar next to the NGV with Dockers and Hawks supporters enjoying themselves and dissecting every moment of the game. As we wandered around the city afterwards supporters of both teams were offering congratulations or commiserations to passers-by.

Bought a new purse in Melbourne to match my scarf

We didn’t get the result we wanted but Fremantle played their first grand final, the fans turned Melbourne purple, we met a lot of friendly, happy people and caught up with cousins we haven’t seen for a while and can’t wait to do it all again next year! Go Freo in 2014!

Not Without You by Harriet Evans is on top of the reading pile, still crocheting and the first story for my great-niece has been posted to her!

 

Sheep do have legs!

We have had a fabulous August. The highlight was our trip to Sydney with our girls to see Pink! What an amazing experience!

We stayed in an awesome apartment and went to High Tea at the Westin and to the Opera House to see an opera! We celebrated my husband’s birthday while we were there and had drinks in beautiful old buildings and breakfast in cafes with harbour views. I love having fun in Sydney!

We have stayed at the hotel before – in 2007, but it was a much different story.

Those who have read my previous blog http://sheephavelegs.blogspot.com.au/ will know my eyesight drama story and when we last stayed at The York I was just about blind and in Sydney to have some major surgery. It was a very different visit to the one we just experienced. After we checked into our hotel in 2007 we went for a walk and it was getting dark. For me it was a nightmare of flashing lights from cars and shops and not being able to see where I was going and despite the efforts of my family I couldn’t see people walking towards me and was knocked around a fair bit. In the end I went back to the hotel to lay down in the dark and try to get rid of the pounding headache I had.

This trip was different. I could see the amazing view from our balconies (yes balconies) and appreciated the gorgeous apartment we were in. The crowds didn’t bother me at all as I wandered the streets at night and during the day with my family. I saw Pink and the Opera and shopped and none of it gave me a headache – well maybe too much sun at Circular Quay!


View from our apartment!

August 15 was the anniversary of the last surgery to restore my sight and six years on I still don’t take my sight for granted but notice colour and beauty all around me. I often think about the team of doctors who looked after me and wonder what new, amazing procedures they are doing six years on. 

At this time of year I have a huge smile on my face when I drive past paddocks of sheep and their beautiful lambs (not to forget the gorgeous calves). What I do notice particularly is that yes, sheep do have legs because for quite a while a few years ago I couldn't see them!

 

I have been reading lots of children’s and YA books this month. Janine has been proofreading the stories for my great-niece and my crocheting is improving! Ah, life with great eyesight!

 

 

 




 

I promised a blog post once a month, what have I got to tell you?



Edward enjoyed the crocheting too!

As mentioned in my last post I am now a crafty woman. Six weeks after I learnt to crochet my first scarf is finished. Lovely Liana who taught me has been continually sending me encouraging emails and made a lovely beret to match my scarf. The scarf and beret had their first outing last week when they were worn to dinner. My friends nearly fell off their chairs when I announced I had made the scarf! Our daughters think it is hilarious, my husband is proud of me!

The stories for my great niece are coming along nicely and I have borrowed a number of books from the library to find out how to make handmade books. I have been an excellent customer in our local newsagency buying all sorts of supplies to make covers. 

Work at the library has been fun as we have had a number of storytime events including celebrating Hairy Maclary’s 30^th birthday. The mums had a great time and read along with me – they too grew up with these fabulous books.

I have discovered the Alice-Miranda books by Jacqueline Harvey and love them. I will now be known as Kerry-Lynn Hamilton-Malone!

Do you enjoy reading children’s books? One of the perks I love about my job is waiting for the new books to come in. Recently we have had lots of children’s books and they are 'such fun'.*

*Favourite phrase borrowed from another famous Miranda.

 

Hello again

It has been six months since I last wrote a post for this blog and I am staggered that people are still finding it and are interested in reading my ramblings. People are still following me on twitter and I really don’t contribute much.

A lot has happened during the last six months including job changes. The job in the city didn’t work out as the requirements of that job (I discovered six weeks in) put my local job at risk and I wasn’t prepared to let that happen.
 
My husband and I are empty nesters and settling into this new era in our lives. Both our daughters are now at uni in the city and living on campus and having a ball. They are doing well with their studies and enjoying what they have chosen to do. When they come home for weekends we have a lovely time and often my husband and I have plans and they roll their eyes at the extent of our social life without them. My husband is enjoying working part-time and I haven't cooked since December last year!

Janine and I are keeping our hand in and proofreading for family and friends. We are currently working on a children's book with a local author.

I did buy an e-reader and on a recent trip back to Perth didn’t take a book and happily read my way through a couple of Janet Evanovich books on my lovely Kobo Mini.

The trip to Perth also turned out to be creatively inspiring. In one of my first blog posts I related my lack of craft skills. A friend taught me to crochet – yes crochet! Liana didn't believe that I couldn't do it and patiently set about teaching me. She gave me a ball of wool and a hook and I have been merrily but really slowly creating a scarf. I am not very good but love it!

During the trip we spent time with my great niece. She is now 14 months old and adorable. She recognised us each time we saw her and then we left. It will be some time before we see her again and I don’t want her to forget us so on the plane home I wrote two stories for her. I typed them up and am now making them into little books to send back to her.

I am on a roll – crocheting and writing stuff, so it seemed fitting to start the blog again and let you know what I am up to.

I realised I have been trying to figure out too much stuff. I was worried about getting extra work as my husband is taking some time off. I was trying too hard to get another job, trying to find something I could do from home and was going around in circles. I was worried about being bored and not having a project as I wasn’t writing my 'book’ anymore and had given up a long-term community activity which took up time and energy. It was time to move on. Those who have read this blog from the beginning will know I have struggled to figure stuff out during the last few years but it was during this last trip to Perth I realised I don’t have to figure it all out at once. Concentrate on a few things at a time and it will all fall into place. I am certainly sleeping better (menopause aside) as my head doesn’t have so much swirling around in it and I have actually continued on with the crocheting instead of giving up. I have sent photos of my progress back to my friend in Perth and she has been a great motivator. Writing stories for my niece has been fun and not worrying about work has seen an unexpected job come my way.

The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots by Loretta Hill is the only book I have read since coming back from Perth as I have been trying to crochet!

 

I don't know how much I will have to tell you so at this point I promise to do a post at the end of each month. I love this new era of our lives ... anything can happen if we let it!

 

New challenges

The New Year holds lots of changes for our family which I have already talked about in other posts but a new one has popped up during the last few weeks. I have a new job and will be commuting to work in a city library three days a week and working in our town library two days. I haven’t worked full-time for twenty years! It is pretty exciting and amazes me that at this stage of my life I have found a job I love, want to study for and learn more about.
 

In keeping with the Letting Go theme I have decided to let go of this blog for a while as I find my feet with the new job and commuting. My husband is very excited about being a house-husband for a while and I may never need to cook again!

I will need a new hobby as I won’t be pretending to write a book anymore. A friend suggested ‘beta-reading’. That sounds like fun as that’s what I do – I read. I will look into it.

Thanks to the lovely people who follow me on twitter, I now have a list of new authors to try and can’t wait to get my hands on their books. Uni student daughter is taking me shopping tomorrow to finally buy an e-reader.

False Advertising by Dianne Blacklock is on top of the reading pile at the moment and soon I will have all the lovely new ones on my e-reader!

 

To all of you who have taken the time to read this blog I wish you a Happy New Year and thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings.

 

The writing and proofreading has taken a back seat but I will always be a reader. 

Kerry

Merry Christmas

We do a fairly low key Christmas here. Everyone is on holidays and looking forward to putting their feet up before a new year of change for us all.

Enjoy your Christmas and have fun.

I have just started reading The Harp in the South by Ruth Park. An Australian classic I have never read.

One of my favourite bits

It’s been another busy week in our household. The job interview I mentioned last week turned into an offer of employment so I have been busy filling out paperwork. I will tell you more about my new job soon. Youngest daughter received an offer for Uni so she is very excited. My husband and I had three Christmas parties in a row and we are exhausted!

As promised I will put up one of my favourite bits from my ‘book’. I hope you like it. I will put up some more in a few weeks.

Favourite bit number one:

‘Are you going?’ Leah was looking at the clock.

‘I’m a bit tired.’

‘You know you’ll feel good if you go.’

‘Alright, Suzie and Victoria have promised they’ll come.’

‘You guys will never keep it up. We have a bet on to see how long you’ll all last. Don’t go for a drink after, you promised to take it seriously.’

Zumba has come to town. Lily went for the first time last week and the hall was jam-packed. Did she really want to go back and make a fool of herself again?

Suzie and Victoria were there when she arrived. The gorgeous Kelly was up on the stage and it looked really easy when she did it.

Lily, Suzie and Victoria puffed their way through the lesson. When they finished they congratulated each other on surviving another week.

‘Let’s go get a glass of champers.’ Lily said to Victoria as they picked up their bags.

‘Forget a glass, let’s get a bottle. Are you coming Suzie?’

Victoria and Lily went out to the bar while Suzie had a chat to Mary.

‘I’m dead!’ Lily flopped into the chair.

‘Me too, that was bloody hard.’ Victoria fell into her chair.

‘Where’s Suzie?’

Victoria turned to the door and burst out laughing. ‘Here she comes, quick get the walking frame out!’

‘What the hell do we think we’re doing? I hate Kelly. She’s so perky and fit.’ Suzie collapsed into her seat and pulled out her towel to wipe away the sweat.

‘Who’s going to the bar? Maybe we can just shout our order from here ... Steve ... a bottle of bubbles please.’

Steve looked over and started laughing. ‘Have you lot been to Zumba?’

‘Yes,’ they replied.

He brought a bottle and glasses to the table. ‘Can’t have you getting up and walking to the bar now can we?’

‘Thanks,’ they responded.

Victoria poured the drinks and they raised their glasses.

Suzie proposed a toast. ‘Cheers to perky bloody Kelly.’

‘Cheers to perky bloody Kelly,’ Lily and Victoria chimed in.


I've not had a lot of reading time but am trying to get through Secret Mothers' Business by Joanne Fedler.