Just after I got to work today, my boss asked me in to his office … I’ve been offered a permanent position at the same level and am thrilled to bits! (I’ve been on a secondment since October last year, and have been loving it.)
So I’ve written my first ever real resignation letter, but can’t tell workmates until all the paperwork is complete.
More later :*)
How wonderful :*)
It’s been a long, long summer – no autumn. The end of May, now, and we’ve only had one really big downpour until tonight.
Just so good to hear and feel rain after so long ….
… a quick apology to anyone who comes across this blog expecting anything particularly witty, deep and meaningful, or politically edgy. This is just my way of getting some of the tangled mess out of my head and into some order.
I had a blog from mid-2004 to 2010, though it was dying for attention for the last twelve months until I put it out of its misery. I think it finally expired because I became too careful about what I said – afraid that I’d be criticised or judged.
I’ve resurected it – be gentle!
It’s been a very quiet but busy retreat. Time to come back now.
Mr Dombrowski aka Slapper has left the building, without any explanation or goodbye. I’m hurting and don’t understand, but am so glad he was in my life for so long.
I’ve deleted his phone number and email addresses to reduce the risk of me making a fool of myself at random hours of the night. It’s just sad.
For a few different reasons, it’s been quiet online. In real life, times have been busy.
I’ve rediscovered sewing – in particular, baby cot quilts, and machine sewn ones, at that!
Red’s housemate and good-friend-from-high-school found she was pregnant, so this was the first:
…and a lovely workmate went on maternity leave….
…Then a close workmate told me she was pregnant! I’m so over-the-moon about this. She’s an absolute delight to work with – hard-working, intelligent, and just one of the best women you could possibly share a workplace with.
She also happens to collect matrushkya Russian dolls, so – of course – her quilt has to be related! We don’t know if it’s a boy or girl, but progress will show you how I’m thinking to get around that. Applique on this one – good Russian, Faberge colours. I had spotted the backing fabric a while ago, and thought of Rhi. It all falls together, doesn’t it?!
It’ll be fun.
Freya watching Steve…
Scarlett, Purdy’s back end and Tess…
Freya and her new favourite toy…
This is lunch today, after being at the beach early for a swim, mucking around on the beach with Freya, and catching up with doggy friends … sweet and hot pineapple and prawn curry.
The original recipe is here, but I changed it a bit to use what I had – left-over cooked prawns (so they only needed to be heated through), lemon juice instead of lime, lemongrass from a jar and quarter the quantities, served with boiled basmati and wild rice. It’s delicious!
Christmas was great – peaceful and fun, but I missed Maddy. We talked to her a few times, and she was having a great time with friends, but misses the warm, beach Christmases that we always have here. A white Christmas just seems weird when I think about it, but I guess aussies are conditioned to accepting snow and images of roaring fires, etc, thanks to our generic colonial heritage.
I’m definitely on holidays and have fallen willingly into a lovely rhythym of waking early, taking Freya to the beach for a swim, and having a “nana-nap” on the couch in the afternoon sometime.
The Sydney-Hobart yacht race has started, I haven’t had a work-related phone call since Christmas Eve, and all is right with the world :*)
Merry Christmas, everyone.
… and I have three whole weeks off!!!
It looks like Mondays will still involve work, though. Despite three years of the merged departments, one of my staff can’t get his head around the regular Monday morning updates on one of the websites, so I had an urgent call in the supermarket yesterday and hurried home to upload some documents. Irritating, but it points out some of the bits I’ll have to leave very, very simple instructions about when I head off next year.
First things first – we’ve been heading down to South Beach every morning. I’ve been taking Freya down in the mornings before work for a month or so, now that it’s light earlier. Now, though, we go and swim and can stay until it gets too warm. This morning there were dolphins at the top dog beach, playing quite happily in between the swimmers between the two groynes. Just heaven :*) I wish I’d taken my camera, but here’s Freya a couple of weeks ago…
Other than the beach and gardening, I’ve been sewing. First off is a cot quilt for Red’s housemate’s baby (not due for ages yet, but we’re all very excited).
I haven’t made a quilt by machine before, but I could be a convert – it’s very quick!
It didn’t quite seem finished, though, so I copied one of the bees from the backing fabric onto one of the plainer squares on the front and embroidered it.
It’ll be a very quiet Christmas with the miniberk in the UK – just Red, Pete and myself (and Freya, of course!).
The pommie git has been quiet, but I think he knows how much I am thinking of him. Wish you could be here, Mr Dombrowski xxx
Just missing him.
Bugger.
Wish he’d been here to see this – first waterlily has opened.
I finally found a lemon verbena…
… Freya is exhausted after the last couple of weeks…
… and I go back to work tomorrow :*(
Not much to say, really – it’s been good to have time off work, away from the daily hassles, and just spending time with people I choose to, rather than those I have to.
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Slapper’s having a rough time – keep him in your thoughts. He’s a very, very special man.
On a beach ... sand between my toes 