By the way here is the 12th day of Christmas present. the box says 12 bears but they really only could fit 8 in as it is very small. 

It's Thursday the 27th of Januray its been over cast all day hinting at rain but no go. It did rain Boxing day and Christmas day. It is great to get a nice gentle soaking rain so it was like an extra present. We went down to Bev's for Boxing day and enjoyed time with her and Mary, her mom along with Jan and Gary, her sister and brother-in-law.  Hadn't seen Jan and Gazza in donks so that was nice. Greg and Anne and the squirts were there as well as Bev's daugther Kelly and Ben (spawn of Jan and Gazza) we had a huge feed of 'leftovers' Just brilliant! Callum and Greg and Gene got out guitars and Greg's new banjo and played and played. I'm afraid my engine ran out of steam mid afternoon and I nodded off, literally, through the concert. We jumped back into the car and Joyce drove the four of us home.  

A very quiet day reading eating sleeping, well nap later maybe. 

I've been doing 'art'.... craft really projects....shadow boxes with 3D elements. We gave Bev one of my pieces about buddas. I finished another that I call Christmas 2006 'cause I was recovering from spleen surgery and awaiting transplant and that was on my mind as well as Christmas. there's more in my head and we'll see where this goes.

Bluey and I had a great musical Christmas. She gave me a Bodhran (celtic drum) and a Ukelele and a profession shssssss shsssss precusion thing. I went to town today and picked up papers and stopped at the music store for a Concertina book 'cause that's what I gave Joyce! a 20 button Anglo C/G. We are getting button charts off the web and now we have some music for the 'squeeze box' we'll both be joining in the family band. I've alreadly started working on bodhran  rhythms off the net and that's coming along too. I picked up the first three levels of theory books to so we can get some background in reading the music but we are slowly getting there. 

I also have plans for a video project that involves you ALL so work out how you can do a 30 second video to send to me and I'll let you know later what I want on it.  I'm not kidding get ready.

more later

Chris

...and

We're also looking forward to Brenda coming in the new year! She's spending months and months here. We also hope to get a visit in with Dan & Marie in some midpacific hideaway. a dn merry christmas to Chels and the gang at Staff room one and all of USHS. 

more later

 Chris

"Like a 2 year old with a beard"

That's what Bluey just said to me!  She's sitting here with me in our living room after I took this pic. It could be because I just called to her and snaped a pic, or it could be my big belly hanging over my computer or the fact that I'm relaxing in shirt and undies in the middle of the day!

It's what we do here in Takura on a holiday. We are just relaxing and wrapping and chatting and playing with the dog. That's Chilli just visible under the table behind me. Its been raining on and off all day so far it's only 1:30 pm on Christmas eve here now.  We have a quiet evening planned with Jo and Gene... having supper and maybe gene will play guitar.  Tomorrow we are at Jo and Gene's all day.  We have a great butcher that was on a national TV show the other day and talked about his favorite Christmas dinner of Prime rib covered in scallops and that's what we are having tomorrow.  Boxing day we are off to Bev's in Brisbane  for a boxing feast. It'll all be leftovers! then back here for a day then I'm back for an appt. with Doc Schoozenbootz. Bluey will drive of course, because we want to get there fast and get back fast. The Mullers are here Friday for a few days so that will be great. Mary Ellen and Wal have Clydies and cattle  southwest of brisbane. Don't know which or how many of their lovely children Thomas, Gabe, or Kaitlin they may bring.

The new year holds many things for us not the least of which is my continued good recovery, but also I'm doing a lighting design for the local amateur production of Oklahoma, I'm returning to work, doing more of my art work ideas, and just more fun. Joyce has got to look forward to (hopefully) turning sod on her new building,  we'll be seeing the start of our new house. 

O the other 12 day gifts were a big round tray with green and red candles, table center pieces, a christmas basket with several smaller Christmas deco's in it and lastly today Joyce got a box of bears.

Anyway Merry Christmas to Melissa and Mark hosting Kathy and Cory in Calgary, Mike and Gayla somewhere with Stars of David on their Christmas tree; Arlene and Al at their cabin in the woods with their sons and families; The cousins in Seattle and Sanfran; my Bro in Victoria along with Marge and the Geerdinks in Victoria; Jim and Irene in Kelowna with their kids and kids kids; Auntie Marion whereever she is (she just sold up and is living on the kindness of strange......children...)Sid,Kirk,Colleen et al); John Marlene Nicole and Joni in 

Alberta; to all our friends and supporters far and wide

more later Chris

okay first things first

Here are the catch up images of the 12 days prezzies.

Day 4 is a tree (not shown) made out of lights. Day 5 is the book of the 12 days of Christmas, Day 6 is a garland I made up from bits and pieces, day 7 is the Maruska Santas, day 8, today is the little fireplace and bear ornament that I made from a smaller ornament then added the nut cracker and the toy train and a new base.  I have not finished the other day 12 presents but I have the bits to make them.  I've also been making a bunch of shadowbox art pieces like the snata I did for day one. I did one where I filled the shadbow area with M&M peanuts and put a little sign on front "In Case of Emergency Break Glass"  I'm doing one about last christmas facing surgery etc but that is taking a little longer to get right as I have an image in my head but I need to get materials to fit the image.  They are more of a design piece than art but I'm having fun anyway.

IWe are having a quiet Christmas. Every year for a few years we say that then something comes up and we are racing across the state to attend some event or lovely wonderful people come to visit and we end up having a ball. Horse Flu broke out here a couple of months ago and Greg and Anne are in the red zone so can't do their usual and bring their horse up to visit over Christmas (They can feed them better when they are here and we get to 'work' them and ride) this year they have to stay home but we are all meeting for Boxing day at Bevs place.  Gerry and Matt have decided not to come up for Christmas. They would have to drive and the trip is too long for gerry (recovering from his heart transplant).

We are going over to the Mckay wrights sunday night to watch Miracle on 34th Street, out in their open BBQ shelter. It's like out door cinema, we use a big sheet of white plywood with a data projector. Big fun

A quiet night is planned for tonight.  I'm making waffles for the guests on Sunday the cinema sunday night.  relaxing on Monday and Tuesday, Race to brisbane Wednesday back to see friends on Thursday, back to Brisbane for Doc Schoozenboots on Friday then I think we fall apart on Saturday. 

My Shave for a Cure Campaign is just starting to bubble a bit I don't want it boiling until January. But I have $660.00 banked. pledges for another $90.00 and offers of three places to put donation tins out. I may end up having my own event as I have three others volunteering to color and one other volunteer that's going to shave.  I may have to get a team name going. What are some good names? that link the idea of Shave for a cure, bone marrow transplant and some funny element?

more later

Chris

P.S. I've redecorated again, for Christmas 

This is todays Day 3 present

catch up this is the 12 days day two present for Bluey

I turned on Anonymous comments so you don't have to have an account here to comment so let's go folks

3rd day of Christmas

Well there you go. Didn't get time to post yesterday. Yesterday I gave my true love a christmas deco that's a tree build like a shelving unit with tiny wooden toys in each box.  Today she gets a book about celebrating Christmas with receipes, poems, stories etc. 

Bluey still is sleeping, she was up in the night from 3 to 5;30 and just now fell back asleep. I woke up to get a phone call at 6:30 but I it was from out of area. Probably Jo and Joyce's Mom she is the only one that calls us at odd hours. It's nice sometimes being up and alert early. It's still here, this morning and bright already.  We got a little rain in the night for two nights this past week, but just sprinkles really, no storm.

We are getting ready for Christmas and I put the tree and lights, got out all the boxes and put everything up except the tree decos.  Joyce will do that today I think. It was a big day on Thursday when I did that but fun. I like being home at this time and not working because I have been getting ideas for art projects and decorations and just doing them. I spent all day shopping yesterday and we go again today with the two of us.

I'm good, I'm on Lipitor now as my cholesterol has gone to 6.5 (usually 4) and even worse the balance between the LDL and HDL is absolutely the wrong way around. We thought were doing pretty good at keeping a good diet but Bluey's has gone to 5.5 as well. We have gone to total fat ban for a while to see what's what. I think I may have been overheating the olive oil too many times and we were getting a muesli with too much coconut I think. Anyway it's zero tolerance on fats now.

I'm going back to the school at the end of January.

The house plans will be ready for the 8th of January and go to the certifiers then, I think they will be into council at the middle of January. We may be able to start the build in March or April will be my guess.

More later

Chris

The Twelve Days of Christmas

This is a piece I created over the last couple of days. It's found objects, computer image photoprint, and a shadowbox frame.  I gave it to Bluey today as the first of the 12 days of Christmas. (its hard to see that the back of the fireplace image is one inch back from the mantle photo and that snata' bum is 3D along with the gifts)

I'm going to try to post every day until Christmas. Lets see if I do! 

Oh its entitled "oops"

The first days of Summer

Its the third day of Summer, at least by Australian custom. Actually its been summer weather or what Canadians would call summer weather for months now.  Anybody remember having backyeard BBQs wityh Bluey and I at 518 8th Street NE Calgary?  We used to make our guest stay in the the yard even it got cold. We'd go and get blankets and coasts for folk but make them stay out!  We obviously were more suited for the Australian climate eh?  Our friend Joanne is online in Calgary right now asn tells me its (^%^$## freezing. I've tryed to find a website that gives a conversion to celsius but no luck so far, I take it that it is very cold.