I'm back

Hello Blog-Land,

I have returned to blogging. I finally managed to finish my pesky degree and find a year's worth of work. I am actually super-dooper lucky and have a beautiful Kindergarten/Year One class for twelve months. I am incredibly fortunate.

Ritchie and I have moved to the country and are currently residing in the little town of Boggabilla, which is in North-West NSW,  next to the Queensland border. We have a great little unit here and are really enjoying living here, it is so exciting to have a new place to organise and decorate. As a New South Welsh-woman, it does feel a little strange to be closer to Brisbane, than Sydney, but I am sure I will adjust.

I hope to find time to get back into craft, I have to sew 'chair-bags' for my classroom, so I will undoubtedly post about the 'fun' that will ensue when I try and sew again, after quite an extended hiatus.

I feel like there are just so many things that I have to share, well there will be many more entries to follow, of that I am certain.

Love, E.

Currently Listening to: My fingers typing

Currently Reading: 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins.

On Hiatus

I'll be back blogging probably towards the end of the year. 

Ritchie and I are going on holidays to Tassie in January, 2012. I'm pretty excited about that.

Love, 

E.

Copy-cat, copy-cat, sitting on the Kitchen-mat.

I've taken inspiration from the lurvely Bianca of 'Goodnight Little Spoon'.

So here it is, 'Five things I've never done'.

(Click the image to enlarge)

Love, 

E

Currently Listening to: 'Robbers and Cowards' The Cold-War Kids.

Currently Reading: 'The Blind Assassin' Margaret Atwood.

The child you have, when you don't have a child.

I know I haven't written for a very long time. My little brother regularly reminds me how extremely slack I can be, when it comes to updating my blog. 

Yesterday, was my little Molly's first day of school. For those who don't know, Molly is my youngest cousin. She is Five-years-old. I was Twenty-one, when she was born. I have looked after Molly since she was 9-months-old and my Aunty (Nic), returned to work. 

I think I love Molly as if she were my own, I'm not 100% certain of this, because I don't have any children.

I guess it's pretty accurate to state that I love her 'To the moon and back', to use one of her favourite expressions.

I feel a little sad, because I know she will grow up quickly, now that she has started school.  I'm happy for her too,  I understand that tangible desire to get to school and learn to read and write (I was exactly the same way at her age). 

She was delirious with excitement and anticipation yesterday morning, a little snappy and irritable. I'm told she ran into the classroom entirely forgetting to kiss her Mum and Dad 'Goodbye'.

I don't know how they were so cool, calm and collected. I would have been a sobbing mess. 

I suppose, because I expect that I won't get to have my own children, I have a lot invested in my little cousin.
I'm definitely overly-attached to her.

I miss the little baby I used to spend divine days with. 

As a teacher, I know I should be over-joyed at the prospect of her learning and growing; intellectually, socially and emotionally. 

But truthfully and selfishly, 
I'm sad.

Love, 

E. 

Currently Listening to: Beck 'Odelay'

Currently Reading: 'The Blind Assassin' Margaret Atwood.

I refuse

To buy into all the horrendous RACISM disguised as patriotism, that surrounds 'Australia Day'. 

These attitudes make me sick and fill me with the deepest shame.

Albert Namatjira

Currently Listening to: 'Places like this' Architecture in Helsinki

Currently Reading: 'The Satanic Verses' Salman Rushdie

The BEST damn Shortbread ever.

Wow, Christmas has been and gone. Of course it was lovely. Ritchie and I were super-dooper spoiled. I made Margaret Fulton's 'Cherry Pavlova',  and it was flipping delish.

Given that it's Boxing Day and we're still allowed to feel festive, I thought I'd share a brilliant family recipe. This is my Nana Barb's Shortbread. It is THE best shortbread I have ever eaten, trust me, I've had my share. 

It is also incredibly easy to make. So here it is.

Barb's Shortbread.

INGREDIENTS

225 grams of butter 

2 tablespoons of icing sugar

2 tablespoons of castor sugar

2 tablespoons of cornflour

2 1/2 cups of plain flour

METHOD

Melt butter, add sugars and cornflour and whisk for 5 minutes.

Beat in flour and press into an ungreased tin.

Mark edges and prick with a fork.

Place into a moderate oven for 20-25 minutes.

Dust with additional castor sugar.

ENJOY!

Here's a lovely picture I like, as I hate to post without an image. Sorry, I can't remember where I found the picture.

Love, 

E.

Currently Listening to: The fan whirring and my fingers typing.

Currently Reading: 'Eat Tweet - a Twitter cookbook' Maureen Evans.

'Postcrossing' Heart

I know, I haven't written in a long time. What can I say? I've been busy (well I have been), but I have also had free time when I could have posted. I've just been a little bit unmotivated. Onwards and upwards.

I'm writing today about 'Postcrossing'. I'm a relatively new 'postcrosser', I've been sending postcards around the world for approximately one month. I can't speak highly enough of this website. It is a lot of fun. 

I love that 'Postcrossing' merges new technology with old, using the considerable benefits of the internet to connect fellow 'Snail Mail' enthusiasts. I have sent roughly 15 postcards from my little house in Newcastle, around the world. I have received one postcard in return so far, and do you know what? I don't even care. 

I enjoy sending them even more than receiving them. I delight in the cheerful comments I receive from the recipients of the postcards that I have sent out into the world. 

I am hooked, as soon as I receive an email informing me that one of the postcards I have sent has been received and registered, I am hitting up the website for a new address to send a postcard to someone else. 

I love that sending items through 'Snail Mail' necessitates an abundance of patience, it's NOT instantaneous and that in itself is strangely gratifying. I have never before been so excited to hear the postperson's motorbike. I fly out my front door, to see if I have a postcard from a mystery international individual and locale. I love imagining the people whom I have written to doing the same sort of thing.

'Postcrossing' is a lot of fun, and I highly recommend the site to anyone who enjoys writing letters and sending interesting, thoughtful items through the post. Get into it.

Here is a photo of my little Sylvie-cat when she was a kitten. One, two, three...AWWWWWWW!

Love, 

E.

Currently Listening to: 'Heart's A Mess' Gotye

Currently Reading: 'Sense and Sensibility' Jane Austen