We spent the day with friends, eating [...]]]> Yesterday here in Australia, it was Australia Day, and for that we get a public holiday. (Australia is often known to Australians as the land of the public holiday, however, having spent time in Ethiopia, I now believe that Ethiopia is the true holder of that title!)

We spent the day with friends, eating great food, enjoying lovely company, doing a jigsaw puzzle. It was a wonderfully relaxing afternoon, and we enjoyed it greatly. Back to the grindstone today – more website.

I made some changes to some files, and on trying to access White Threads this morning I was told I was getting a server error. [...]]]> I spent Saturday working on the Vetty Creations website. I need to add information about the new book, and that’s going to require quite a bit of a re-jig.

I made some changes to some files, and on trying to access White Threads this morning I was told I was getting a server error. I realised that the “things” I had done while fiddling with my .htaccess file probably weren’t a good idea. Back to the file and deleted the changes, and voila, the blog works again!

Sorry that its been offline since Saturday…!

This week the husband is back to work, so I’ll have a bit less time working until the kids go back to school next week. But I’ll try to get the website redone as quickly as possible, so that you can all place your orders for the new book!

Dad came around yesterday to show us how to put the tent up – he said it wouldn’t be [...]]]> Elder Daughter has been reading “Swallows and Amazons” recently, and decided that she’d like to camp out in the back yard as a bit of an adventure. We’ve borrowed a tent from my parents for this.

Dad came around yesterday to show us how to put the tent up – he said it wouldn’t be intuitive. We did a test run and it went up just fine, but I can’t imagine we would have figured it out without him! The girls enjoyed getting inside the tent and imagining the possibilities.

We only have a small backyard, and much of it is taken up by garden and the swing-set. So we tucked the tent in an area that we noted would have a water frontage if we had a downpour. (We have had so much rain here this summer that the ground is full of water, and if it rains there are parts of the yard that become ponds quite quickly!)

We considered having the sleep out last night, but realised that we still need to organise mattresses to sleep on, so down came the tent again in preparation for our mower man coming today.

Last night at about 10pm, a huge electrical storm came over. It was terribly close, with lightning and thunder following VERY close on its heels. The rain thrashed down, and at one stage we thought we might have heard small hail. I’ve just heard a report on the radio that we got about 27mm (about an inch) of rain in this area!

So I’m very glad we didn’t go camping last night. The position we had the tent in would have indeed filled up with water. I can imagine there would have been some wet bodies seeking shelter in the safety of the house! And the girls aren’t real fond of electrical storms so I can’t imagine they would have agreed to staying out in one!

We’ll find another night to have our holiday sleep out.

In the meantime, the book keeps getting closer and closer.

Have a great day!

I just have [...]]]> Ok, here’s something I bet you didn’t know about me: until very recently I did not have my driver’s license. Yesterday, however, I passed my driving test and am now licensed to drive by myself. Quite frankly the thought of that scares me! But I am now officially able to do it.

I just have never wanted to drive. I still don’t really want to, but with Rainbow Girl needing to get to gymnastics training a good number of days per week, it became necessary.

Here in Australia, we have a system where learner drivers have to accrue 120 hours of driving practice before they can take their driving test. Fortunately this changed a few years ago, so that drivers over 25 (which I am just *slightly* over) no longer have to do the 120 hours, just as many as they need to learn to drive well.

However, because I didn’t have to do the 120 hours of practice, I feel that I have cheated (I did not, though!) by not having to do it. I feel very inexperienced, and very much like I am not ready to drive by myself. However the driving tester obviously felt that I was good enough, or they wouldn’t have passed me.

So if you see me out on the road, give me a wave and a nice wide berth!

While I’ll be around, and may even read emails, I won’t be blogging (unless I think of something absolutely thrilling [...]]]> Just a word of warning about my upcoming office closure. Vetty Creations will be closed from Christmas until and including the New Year’s Day public holiday. I’ll be attempting to get the book FINALLY finished!

While I’ll be around, and may even read emails, I won’t be blogging (unless I think of something absolutely thrilling to tell you – such as that the book is DONE!) or filling orders. Partly this is because I’ll be busy doing the book, but partly it is also that my suppliers will be closed, so if I run out of stock of any particular items, I won’t be able to restock until they reopen.

If you call and leave a message on the Vetty Creations answering machine, I’ll return your call when I get the chance, which may not be until after New Year.

I apologise if this causes you any inconvenience. It is not my intention to annoy you! I was hoping to have a break during this time, but that won’t be possible until after the book is done.

Here in Australia we are about to finish up the school year. That means end of year reports and presentation day, where individual achievements are recognised and applauded.

Yesterday my elder daughter was awarded not one, but three awards at the school presentation day. I am [...]]]> Please indulge me today, in a proud mother moment.

Here in Australia we are about to finish up the school year. That means end of year reports and presentation day, where individual achievements are recognised and applauded.

Yesterday my elder daughter was awarded not one, but three awards at the school presentation day. I am so pleased that three teachers chose to recognise her participation in, contribution to, and huge efforts in the areas for which she was awarded.

She’s worked very hard throughout her time at school, so it is lovely that this year it has been officially recognised. The awards are a huge boost to her self confidence, and made her feel very special. I’m very proud of her!

However, due to attending the school awards presentation unfortunately I got very little work done!

I didn’t panic. I didn’t scream. I DID think of [...]]]> Had a bit of a scare last night. My husband and I had just finished watching a Miss Marple DVD and very soon after that, there was a noise (I can’t remember how it sounded) and the screen went black and the computer wouldn’t work.

I didn’t panic. I didn’t scream. I DID think of all the work I’ve done over the last week or so since it was last backed up.

I remained calm.

I went to bed, trusting that when I restarted the computer in the morning, when it had cooled down, all would be well. I did have a little panic in bed – my breathing got all out of control, so I just prayed and God got me back to rights!

So, this morning sort of all was well.

The laptop battery seems to be stuffed as I can’t start the computer when it is in. But without the battery it starts. (Otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this!)

So that’s all you get from me today, as I am off to back up all my recent files. And you know what the moral of the story is: BACK UP YOUR WORK REGULARLY! Oh, and probably you shouldn’t blame Miss Marple.

Edit 10 minutes later: Book now backed up.

(I’m providing a link to it – above – as I don’t know the legalities of me writing it out [...]]]> When I was in secondary school, we studied some of the poems of Robert Frost, including “After Apple Picking”, “Mending Walls”, and my personal favourite “The Road Not Taken“. This poem really resonated with me.

(I’m providing a link to it – above – as I don’t know the legalities of me writing it out here.)

Years later, when my husband and I were planning our wedding, we decided to have it read as part of the ceremony by my sister-in-law (Hi S-I-L, I know you’re reading this!), as it was special to both of us.

The other day we were driving down a road where a little walking track goes off from the road. The vista made me think of Robert Frost’s poem. As I recited it to myself in my head, I found myself realising that in our family’s life, we really have taken that road with many of our choices. It was an interesting discovery to make, and one that I am very pleased about.

I don’t want to live an “average” life. I don’t have to have the same life as everyone else. I am happy to make choices that others might be afraid to make. I am happy to be counter-cultural. I am happy to be led by my God onto roads less travelled.

—-

And as a report on yesterday, I had a lovely morning yesterday with my blog reader friend and her friend. We talked, ate, discussed fabric, embroidery and sewing. It was lovely. Thanks for a great morning! We also enjoyed our Thai green curry last night with our friend, though only about 3/4 hour before he was due to arrive, I discovered the curry paste that I was sure was in the fridge must have been finished as there was none to be found! A quick trip to the local asian supermarket by my husband, and we were right again!