Self Aware

Jennifer at Owl in the Rain recently wrote a post revealing some things about herself  that she was afraid to tell. It was in protest at the ridiculously high benchmark of perfectly, perfect perfection that blogs with their exquisite photos of idyllic lives set for us...well, that we set for ourselves, in truth.

We are our own worst enemies. Hoisted by our own petard, as it were.

I've tried to do the same. The problem is that I'm an Australian. Self deprecation is sort of our "thing". When someone asks, "How are you today?" We answer, "Not too bad." (Actually, I never say that. It irritates me when people do. I mean, really, "too bad"? What do you mean? "Yes, I feel bad but I'm not quite a puddle on the floor yet, so I suppose I'll struggle by until the next time you ask").

Anyway, I think I've revealed a lot of my failings in these pages already. And in fact, I started this blog (in part) to chronicle my life as it is. In all its pure and uncensored warty mess.

But the cause is awesome. There should be more honesty about how messed up we are out there. We're human and don't play to a script. There are naturally things that I'd rather not tell the world, things that if I put out there might give someone else courage to be imperfect. I'm a perfect role model for imperfection:

1. Sometimes, the sound of my family eating annoys me. It's all snuffling, snorting and slurping. Actually, I suspect my tolerance for what are probably quite normal sounds is directly related to a particular time of the month. And, this really annoys me. Because it means that I am influenced by my biology and I can't stand it when "pre-menstrual" is used to diminish an aggrieved woman's complaints...wait, what day is it? Perhaps now is not the best time for us to discuss these things, or on second thought, perhaps it is the perfect time.

2. I'm afraid that people will work out I'm not as clever as they might think I am.

3. I've had enough of "playing". I spent years having to be the "Fat Controller" in my eldest son's Thomas the Tank Engine games.

I've been dragons and unicorns and squirrels and aliens. I'm tired and I'd like to retire. Fortunately the Historian still loves playing, or does a better job at faking it.

4. I'm becoming a dreadful hypochondriac.  As I age, weird aches, pains, sensations appear and I spend far more time focussing on them than is healthy. I convinced myself a couple of years ago that I was getting all manner of hideous diseases. I blame Google.

5. Just as Jennifer confessed, I drink too much (wine) and eat too much (cheese and bread-like things) and move too little. I was secretly pleased when I gave up alcohol while pregnant (3 times), because it proved I "could" do it and therefore perhaps wasn't an alcoholic...yet. Unfortunately the flip-side was that pregnancy gave me the perceived right to eat whatever fatty thing I felt like with impunity and I'm still paying for that.

4. I don't like that I'm constantly using "parentheses" and ellipses...but I can't seem to stop.

There. They're out. For all to see. Or at least the 2 or 3 people who read my blog.

Next post, I'm going to tell you about all the things that are wrong with the complete nameless strangers that I have to deal with daily getting to work. That will be much more fun!..............for me.

Inevitability Strikes Again

Some things are inevitable, unavoidable, irresistible (tautology is my middle name, by the way).

First of all, at this time of year, there is the buying and giving of "stuff". Unavoidable.

And inevitably I become frustrated with the volume of plastic-y "stuff" that have a built in obsolescence set to expire and become landfill before the year is out so that they can be replaced with a shiny plastic-y thing-a-ma-bob du jour next Christmas.

And here (unavoidably) I become another in a long history of people worldwide to exclaim, "Why aren't things built like they used to be?"

This was literally brought home to me recently. Astrid had seen a waffle iron in a Christmas brochure that was (inevitably) placed in our letterbox. Shiny. Plastic. Junk. I remembered that mum had a Husqvarna waffle iron and so we've borrowed it for a while to sate Astrid (and, after being reminded of waffles after many years waffle-less, my) waffle cravings.

This beauty must be close to 50 years old! And yet, here it is going strong and turning out beautiful waffles.

Hard to imagine a single appliance that will be given to anyone anywhere this Christmas that can become a family heirloom.

The inevitable angst about presents starts. We try to make good choices. For the children: Lego (this is sanctioned plastic as far as we are concerned...and also heirloom material as the kids actually have Lego passed on from my brother and I in their box), art supplies and books, that sort of thing.

And this year, for the adults, we have decided as an extended family to give donations to charity.

Take that JUNK.

In other inevitable, unavoidable and irresistible news: I have once again missed the first of Advent and have to sneekily, secretly, covertly light the second candle during the week to make it look like I didn't!

I think perhaps that if I did actually remember to light the first candle on the actual first of Advent, we may all disappear in a POOF of unpredictability.

So it's probably better that things remain inevitable, unavoidable and irresistible .

TAH-DAH!

Before and After shots of our rejuvenated "free" deck sofa...

...of course what you can't see is that I pulled out a bazillion rusty staples and replaced the seat webbing and that I sanded and refinished the wood. Also, while the shape is really, really cute, it was a bit of a bugger to sew removable slip covers for. I cut up an old foam mattress for the base and the cushions are also recycled, so it's cleared up random junk as well as made a useful piece of furniture. Now on to the chair...and finishing the deck so I can do a really impressive before and after of that!

BEFORE

AFTER

So far the cats haven't claimed it as their own but they're lurking.

Productions

Finished Astrid's cardigan this weekend (pattern linky). It's still a little coolish in the evenings so she may get some wear out of it before it's put away all the long, long months of summer. There is not a hint of "itch factor" with this one as it's made from lovely Patonyle (sock wool). It's also blocked in shampoo, so it's passed Miss Fussy's stringent criteria for acceptable knit wearability.

I've also almost finished restoring the  found sofa. I'll get some pictures of it soon.

We went on a walking tour of some heritage sites around our neighbourhood yesterday. It was a bit like being tourists in your own backyard. It was fun and something we'll be doing more of now that I've made myself an early New Year's Resolution to do more family/community/free and low cost stuff next year.

Yep, all in all, it was quite a productive weekend.

Congratulations Australia

WHOOOOOO-HOOOOOOO

Beautiful South

The south coast of our part of Australia is truly beautiful.

 It's for salty eyelashes and never brushing your sea-tangled hair.

It's for exploring secret paths sliced through granite boulders.

And discovering an ancient herd of elephants frozen together forever.

For building sand civilisations and climbing willow trees.

It's for making new friends.

It's for waking every morning to have your breath taken away by an ever changing view that is somehow disconnected from time and ordinary things.

It's for dreaming of another life...(this vineyard is for sale)...sigh.

When the internet is really helpful

I hate folding washing.

It's probably my most hated household task.

It's probably because there's ALWAYS mountains of it.

It's probably because it NEVER ends.

I stumbled on this video today. I'm sure it will wear off but at the moment it's actually fun to fold (T-shirts anyway).

Thank you the Japanese, thank you the internet.

I'm off to Google Origami Undies now!