Caityquilter.com » Family

Obsessed! (a bit…)

Caitlin — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:43:37 +0000

ARRGH! I have LOST an issue of Cloth Paper Scissors magazine and I MUST FIND IT!! It’s soooooooooo frustrating – I have every .single. other. issue and there is stuff I HAVE to re-read RIGHT NOW in issue #15 and I have been looking for it for days. ALL WEEK, in fact.

I have looked through all my nests. (This is what Mr Beloved calls the accumulations of STUFF that appear around me when I get interested in something… my armchair and my bedside table are permanent nests.)

I have shaken out every magazine on the bookshelves in case this issue somehow got tangled inside another one. I have pushed and pulled at books in case the magazine had slipped behind a larger volume.

I have looked in the sewing room, under the kitchen table, under the sofa, behind the tv.

I have found MANY MANY places where this magazine ISN’T.

I have found the instruction sheet for the washing machine (the powder is meant to go WHERE?), many old envelopes (pre-paid – I wonder if Australia post will still honour them?) and where the missing reams of printer paper have been hiding.

I have found several older journals with only a few pages used up. (It’s hereditary – my grandfather was just the same, he’d use up three or four pages of a writing pad and then start a new one. 10 years after his death, my parents and I are still using up his writing pads. I particularly like the ones which have aged to a yellow or brown, it’s a very nice patina to them.)

BUT I HAVE NOT FOUND CPS 15!!

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!

No related posts.

Cough Hack WHEEEZE

Caitlin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:54:30 +0000

Ugh. Have pretty much lost my voice. Hurts to cough – the pain goes right down my sternum and also right down my back. Off to Doctor’s tomorrow arvo. Not my usual (wonderful!) doc, but another in the same primary health care centre, so that’s ok.

It started with a sore throat on Friday, got to hurting on Saturday night, and yesterday and today I’ve mostly spent trying not to cough and swearing when I do, and sleeping. Very boring to do and even more boring to read about. Even more boring for the puir wee poodle, who sees it as her DUTY to stay by my bed. She won’t even eat until I’m up.

Tonight I’ve been catching up with a lot of blogs that I’d stopped reading – I’d kept them on my bloglines rss feeds, but just hadn’t had the energy to follow them. Very interesting to see the development of many of the Artful Quilters BlogRing. Some people who were just starting their adventures way back have become successful artists, some published authors.. and many have found other interests as well.
And I’ve been well looked after by Mr Beloved, Bringer of Cups Of Tea (also known as The Teabot 5000™) – ahhhh, so loved!

Another good activity when confined to bed is flicking through back issues of Cloth Paper Scissors and Quilting Arts magazines … gotta do something with my time after admitting that I needed to suspend my gym membership for the fortnight, since even if I’m not infectious I’m not about to go and hurl myself about! I’m getting inspired, starting to draw, and seriously considering some inchies as a way to get back to art quilting… and drawing and painting and collage too. Anyone wanna swap some inchies with me sometime?

Good thoughts etc please

Caitlin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:37:53 +0000

This is my Dad

with the cat that owns my parents, Chips.

Chips is a “retrofitted scottish fold” – see his poor little ears? He was rescued, but the nice vets couldn’t help all of the burns. The scumbuckets who hurt him as a kitten should die painfully.

ANYWAY, Dad is currently in hospital in Wagga Wagga, recovering from what he (rather graphically) described as “A pull-through with a live ferret” – otherwise known as prostate surgery. Apparently it’s a nasty one to recover from. So please send any prayers (if that’s your thang) good energy (ditto) best wishes and kind thoughts, eh?
Ta.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Nothing for WEEKS then they all come at once…

Caitlin — Mon, 25 May 2009 10:44:59 +0000

Yes, I know I have remarked previously that my posts tend to be like busses… (the public transport kind, not the kisses. Although it would be sweet if you think of them as little kisses, too!)

Do please pop on over to Mr Beloved’s blog to see some bamboo. (and be sure to check his previous entries for some lovely water dragons).

And I’m thinking about food.

I made a brilliant (if I do say so myself!) quick Thai chicken curry (oooh, modifiers – it was the CURRY that was quick, not theTHAI or the CHICKEN!) from one of my favourite Nigella recipes tonight. (Her Green Curry in a Hurry recipe, on her website.) I was totally extravagant and used TWO chicken breast fillets. Nearly $10 of meat, for just the one meal for the two of us. (Well, I couldn’t finish all my chicken, there’s actually enough for Mr Beloved to have that plus noodles for his lunch tomorrow).

Which set me thinking: I need to be kinder to myself about food. Actually, I’ve been thinking this for a while, (and BFF has been prodding me about it, too!) but having lunch in Canberra with friend M (*mwah*, sweetie!) slapped me upside the head with the realisation. M is going through a horrible breakup with a man who has been abusive for years – but she told me “I’m not scrimping on food.” So for lunch together we had a gorgeous duck ravioli with luscious sugo, followed by a green salad and then small cakes for dessert.

For YEARS I have treated myself as though having good food was something I need to do in secret: going out for coffee and cake. Refusing to buy the “nice” biscuits. Eating the cheapest possible meat. I’M WORTH MORE THAN THAT!! I’m not saying I’m going overboard – I am NEVER going to be over 100 kg again (and am looking forward to the “never” number heading ever downwards). Nor am I saying that it’s all foie gras and scotch fillet from here in – I simply can’t afford to eat like that, even if I wanted to! I don’t actually *like* meat all that much, so only having it once or twice a week is fine. And I don’t mind cheaper cuts of meat slow cooked – mmm, maybe I’ll make stew later in the week, yum!

But – I’m not going to feel guilty about using the whole tin of lite coconut milk in one meal. Or splurging on fruit and veges in season. Or even on decent tinned fruit (does ANYONE still eat tinned fruit in heavy syrup?), since I lack the patience, space, and skill to perserve fruit the way my Nana did…

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to have rice pudding and apricots. Enjoyed my rice pudding with apricots – It was sooooooooo gooooooood! Creamy and nutmeggy. Proper arborio rice – what a joy! (Although in my scrawly handwriting, Mr Beloved read the shopping list as “aboreal mice.” We truly do not need to buy tree-dwelling rodents. Especially since next door’s locat tree is full of ripe fruit and therefore many fruit bats….)

And now: some housework. Actually, now I check my list, I see I need to make cards (two, sympathy) TONIGHT. Off I go.

Back from the trip…

Caitlin — Mon, 18 May 2009 07:33:37 +0000

So, that’s the view from my friend R’s 9th floor flat in Kingston, Canberra, this morning. (For any foreign readers, the big flagpole-y thing is the top of Parliament House.)

Nice place to visit, but I couldn’t live there again. It’s funny how quickly one acclimatises to a new place! I lived in Canberra (brrr brrr brrrrr) from mid-1990 to the end of 2003. It’s changed a LOT in the last five and a half years – much bigger, with more buildings everywhere, and even worse traffic.

I’m VERY glad to to be home in Toowoomba! The funeral went well, and all the travel was ok. I shall blog more later… meantime, I need to go SLEEP!

Sad News…

Caitlin — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:21:15 +0000

My Nana (Dad’s Mum) passed away on Thursday May 7th. She had a stroke (they think) and went very quickly. She was 93. (I think. Oh, I feel awful not knowing, but I just can’t remember right now!)

I’ve been asked to give the eulogy. I feel really honoured – I’m looking forward to it, even though I know it will be hard… but there are so many good things about her life. I have so many happy memories of her (and my Grandpa, who died in 1997).

She was funny and compassionate and strong. She valued learning and having a go at things, from building bookshelves to learning to knit for her baby son while her husband was away for the War. She taught me to make her prize winning scones. She never had a teddy bear as a child (because she was born during the First World War) so at age 50 something she rescued a darling old nearly furless bear from the tip, sewed him new clothes, and that was her bear. She never had a paid job, but she worked hard all her life looking after other people – whether family or the charities she supported. Her favourite colour was green (which we’ve been asked to wear for her funeral. I like that.)

(She wasn’t actually a bikie – LOL!! A local group of motorbike enthusiasts visited the retirement village where she lived in 2002, and she happily posed for this picture… it was the photo on my wall calendar for all of 2003!)

Her funeral is next Thursday in Leeton, NSW. I’ll be travelling down south on Tuesday; then heading over to Canberra to catch up with some friends over the weekend before flying home Monday.

I am a big fat WUSS.

Caitlin — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:01:25 +0000

I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t make myself go to the 18 year old’s funeral.

Excuses included: my bones ache; I’m too exhausted; it’s about to rain (and the church is never going to fit in all the people who will attend); and the ever popular tantrum cry of “I DON’T WANNA.”

The real reasons I didn’t go include: the last funeral I attended was my sister’s. And somehow, I’m still not ready to see someone else’s siblings and parents grieving.

Also, I’m a wuss. When his parents asked everyone to “Please wear bright colours to celebrate his life” I had to fight back tears and a ginormous lump in my throat.

I’ll send a card, but I just couldn’t do the funeral. Does that make a selfish bitch?

Sad News…

Movie Happiness, birthday, and a fitness rant

Caitlin — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 06:51:04 +0000

It’s my birthday tomorrow – in fact, it’s the 1st anniversary of my 40th birthday. Look what Mr Beloved got for me!!

Both movies I’ve wanted to see for ages; both extremely chicky flicks; and, I just noticed – both starring Amy Adams, and I don’t think I’ve seen her in anything before – how odd! I wanted “Miss Pettigrew” primarily for the ’40s fashions. Which of course I adoooooore!

And “Enchanted” just looks like so much FUN!

In other news – my weight is DOWN this week (hooray!) – I’m now 97 kg, and my blood pressure was 117/83. Sometime in the next few visits I’ll get the dietician to take my measurements and do the Body Impedance Analysis thing that measures how much lean muscle mass and how much FAT there is now… I’m hoping, obviously, that the fat has decreased and the muscle has INCREASED!

It does annoy me though that the dietitians seem to be OBSESSED with “working at 65% of heart rate to lose fat”. Uhhh – for a start, I don’t have a heart rate monitor, and there’s no way on earth I’m going to be able to stop and count my pulse while I’m exercising – it takes all my concentration to just keep going! And for another thing, surely ANY exercise will help? Yes, I might be “burning carbs instead of fat” but given that this time last year I hadn’t been inside a gym in 20 years – well, I think I’m doing ok getting there regularly.

And yesterday I did Bodystep – remember the disastrous first attempt at that, back in January? Well, this time, I DID NOT FALL OVER… and I managed the whole class – although I did it at a much lower intensity than people like Sue, who have been doing it for a lot longer. I’ll get there!

No matter what the scales read, I’m happier that I’m fitter than I used to be. SO THERE, scales! (No really, it’s hardly bothering me at all, WHY DO YOU EVEN ASK?!)

Meanwhile, do have a read of what I think of the latest Vogue patterns over on Sewing Queens…

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Caitlin — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:27:29 +0000

(hands up who now has a David Bowie earworm? You’re welcome!)

I have made a lot of changes in the last year. Losing weight, starting exercise; the TAHBSO (Total Abdominal Hysterectomy and Bilateral Salpingo-Oopherectomy and ensuing surgical menopause; taking better care of my skin, wearing make-up more; and getting more interested in clothing and fashion again after years of hiding in shapeless oversized clothes.

Not to mention actually getting real help with my mental illness(es?!), being in a stable and loving relationship (*mwah!* to the Teabot5000) and working towards not only getting out of debt but STAYING out of debt.

Most of these changes have been difficult, and especially so for the poor old Teabot5000 – He. Does. Not. Like. Change.

I mean, it would be hard enough for most men – but throw in the Asperger’s and you could have a disaster.

So far, we’ve managed to keep sailing. Mostly. We’ve had a few instances where we’ve both had to bail water out of the bottom of the boat, so to speak…

But then today I was soooooo ANGRY!!!

Not really at himself. Just at – well, EVERYTHING! I’m tired of being broke. I’m REALLY tired of that. I’m tired of having to watch every single cent as it briefly transits through our bank account into someone else’s pocket.

I’m tired of being TIRED. Still. (although some of that may be due to not getting enough iron – see “watching every bloody cent” above…)

I’m tired of feeling like my life has no meaning.

Yes, I know we’re well off compared to many – we have the house, we have the car, we have each other, we’re not starving, we have clean water etc etc. I know I should be grateful for all that and I am – but I am feeling whiney and miserable and I just want to know WHY IS IT ALL SO HARD?!?!

There are some luxuries in my life, after all – the gym membership is expensive (but nowhere near as expensive as staying fat and inactive); and I generally get help to see the medical professionals I need to see. We have the internet, for gawd’s sake.

And I am fully aware that my former spending habits (and a few episodes of uncontrolled mania) are largely to blame for our current situation.

Maybe if I sell a kidney, I could afford some fripperies?

(you know I’m joking about the kidney, right? But if you’re interested in second hand sewing machines, let’s make a DEAL!)

BUT – I would like to be well enough to work. At something meaningful. Is that too much to ask? (Probably, given the economy – with so many able bodied/non-mentally-ill/more recently employed potential employees out there, who on earth is going to “spare a shekel for an old ex leper?”, to slightly misquote The Pythons.)

They all want the one advertised job...

Congrats if you’ve managed to read this far without my whine turning into the noise Charlie Brown’s teachers make:

Wah Wah Wah

Because there has been a serious lack of POODLE posts…

Caitlin — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:02:58 +0000

Who's a cutie, then?!

She’s just adorable, yes?

You might also notice from this photo that our lawnmower still isn’t back from repair. This is what 3 weeks of no mowing and intermittent summer rain does to our yard!

Oh yeah – And I went blonde a few weeks back!