As promised

Probably a short post; I can't really think of much to say. We have a new cat, Piper, who is sort-of a rescue.
I have two more weeks before going back to nights. So mostly I'm waiting for the change so I can get into a routine. I'm looking forward to not having to get up early, that's for sure. As for the rest? We'll see. I have some stuff I still need to figure out.
I've been stitching fairly diligently on my friend's wedding present, and I'm happy with the way it's turing out.
Weather has been cold, but luckily, we haven't suffered the cold snaps and snow that the rest of the country seems to be suffering from.
I had a spurt today and tidied up the bookcases in the living room. Nothing so ambitious as alphabetical/genre, that I even gave up on for the other bookcases, but they're much tidier than they were.
That's all I have right now.

Newbie

This is Piper ... real post later :)

Sunday Sunday

The usual today. Visited the cemetary to replace the flowers on Dad's grave. I started thinking about how the living become the caretakers for the memories and lives of the deceased.
If J and I ever have children, we're the only ones who can pass on memories of my Dad, because our children will never know him _ which does make me sad, because if I know anything, it's that Dad would have LOVED my children. He loved all his grandchildren (my nieces and nephews) but I was the youngest, and therefore a Daddy's girl.
Kind of a gloomy topic I guess, but that's the kind of mindset you get from visiting a cemetary on a winter Sunday.
On a slightly brighter note, I heard a bellbird _ there are a lot of trees around the cemetary here, and I know Dad would have liked that.
Two weeks to go on days, then a week off, then back to nights for me. I'm not exactly slavering with excitement at the prospect, but now that I've made the decision, I just want to get on with things. On a bright note, I won't have to battle with myself to get out of bed on time any more.

Part two

54): I can't lie flat on my back
55): My hair started going grey when I was 19/20
56): I hate wearing high-heeled shoes
57): Even though I'm only 5'1
58): I have a slight obsession with kittens
59): I love mysteries
60): I love old movies
61): And vintage fashion from the 30s 40s and 50s
62): I've only ever been travel sick once
63): On the Devli's Staircase between Kingston and Queenstown
64): I'm very organised
65): But messy
66): And terrible with money
67): My mad cat Scout is named after Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird
68): My favourite subject at uni was art history
69): Even though I majored in English
70): I'll take vintage over modern every time
71): Modernist Fiction gave me one of my favourite authors and books
72): Gabriel Garcia Marquez
73): One Hundred Years of Solitude
74): I used to be chronically shy
75): Working at newspapers for 10 years has fixed that
76): And now I'm anything but shy
77): I still consider myself an introvert though
78): My favourite scent ever is jasmine
79): My favourite perfume is Love Her Madly by Revlon, which I wore at my wedding last year
80): Our wedding song was I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness
81): The first ever concert I went to was a Eurythmics reunion tour in Melbourne in 1999
82): My nano novel was a ridiculous sci-fi confection about cannabil lizard aliens
83): That had been based on a nightmare
84): I'm very excitable
85): I'm irrationally attached to my iPod
86): I got married in purple (second wedding)
87): In a friend's backyard
88): I'll always be grateful my Dad was there
89): He died in January at 83
90): I love making lists _ even though this is taking me days!
91): I still love looking at wedding dresses
92): I'm a magpie _ anything shiny will attract my attention
93): I want to learn to read music again
94): I can touch-type but I don't know my speed
95): Despite being a journalist, I've never been a reporter
96): I met my husband on an internet dating site
97): My sister met her husband on the same site
98): History fascinates me, but I don't know a lot about it
99): Especially ancient history
100): I have a very sweet tooth
101): I have A LOT of books

That 101 things about me thingy - part one

This is taking longer than I thought so here's part 1 ... these are in no particular order; just as they come to me

1): I live in the same town I was born in
2): I'm the youngest of five children
3): My favourite colour is red
4): I've never been drunk
5): I don't have a full driver's license
6): I've never smoked
7): My favourite movie ever is All About Eve
8): I don't remember learning how to read
9): I've wanted to be a writer since I was 10. It waxes and wanes, but never goes away.
10): My first pet was a male cat _ called Cleo
11): I was 17 when I learned to ride a bicycle
12): I've done http://www.nanowrimo.org/
13): I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Lit _ that I barely scraped through with
14): I used to play the piano and I'd like to learn again
15): I did French for five years at high school but remember hardly any of it
16): I can't carry a tune to save my life
17): I have no talent,but I love art
18): My favourite book is Lord of the Rings
19): I've read it more times than I can count
20): I compulsively buy scarves
21): I have so many cross stitch projects started, I don't even want to think about it
22): I only have one finished and framed for myself
23): My favourite highlighter colour is yellow
24): My favourite birthday dinner is still roast chicken and pavlova
25): I've only been overseas once _ to Melbourne
26): My dream is to visit Paris
27): I love Cole Porter's music
28): True crime books are my secret reading shame (or they were ...)
29): I'm a terrible photographer
30): I'm not a sports fan
31): I watch too much TV
32): I love ice cream irrationally
33): I'm stubborn
34): I love cats
35): I should, I have 10
36): My favourite things are books, movies and TV
37): I write a TV column for the newspaper I work for
38): I've had the same job for 10 years _ at three different newspapers
39): I've been married before
40): I still daydream
41): I'm terrible at sitting still for any length of time
42): And I usually sleep badly
43): I'm a romantic
44): I obsess over stupid little things
45): I find it nearly impossible to relax
46): My favourite thing to do is to sit/lie on the couch reading/watching a movie/watching TV
47): I can't swim
48): I like to cook, but I'm no chef
49): I fall asleep with my electric blanket on far more than I should
50): My mad cat Scout, climbs on top of me when I'm in bed every chance she gets
51): My favourite Shakespeare play is the Tempest
52): But my favourite Shakespeare speech is the ''dagger'' one from Macbeth
53): I love surprises

A finish, a birthday and ch..ch..changes

Top, Sam and Chloe, keeping warm together. Aw.

Right is a Brambly Hedge quilt square, destined eventually for Love Quilts Australia. I want to finish a few more and send them all off at once.

I turn 35 tomorrow. Which I'm having a hard time with. I don't usually have a hard time wtih birthdays, either the day sucks or it doesn't, but this one ... oy! J asked me yesterday if I wanted my present then or on Monday when it would mean rushing around. So I said yesterday. I said I had wanted silver earrings, so that's what he got me _ silver earrings that I'm 20 years too old to wear. Normally, he does pretty well with jewellery, but normally I think he asks a jewellery store employee for help _ or I've pointed to them in a catalogue and said, ''oh, I like those''. It's not his fault, but now I REALLY feel my age. Sigh ...
Changes ... I'm switching back to working nights on the daily from next month. I had to think about it long and hard, and make sure I was doing it for the right reasons and not just because certain people get under my skin. But I'm doing it because it's time for a change; time for a new challenge. And I want to hang out with my friends again. :)
That's it for now, although I'll be back later in the day because I"m a post behind with my 101 goal list. That reminds me, I need to change the getting up in the morning one.
Think I'll do one of those 100 things about myself lists. After all, I am my favourite topic!

Long weekend

I have tomorrow off (yay) because Monday is a public holiday but I have to work Monday. So ... yay. :)
I'm going to stay home and try and shake off this stupid cough and sore throat.
I anticipate much lying on the couch being sat on by cats.
Woo hoo!