Tuesday 10 January 2012

What happened to the lazy days of summer?

Happy(very belated) New Year!!   
I hope you've had a great start to 2012 and that everything is going your way.......

I had visions of a long hot summer, spending time with the kids, in the garden, on the farm, and hopefully lots of long evenings stitching....... but so far it's been anything but lazy!  Not too much time for gardening or stitching yet and the kids have been spending time with us, helping out on the farm........

We had New Years Day off farm work, so I added the borders to my A Gardeners Journal,(sorry no pics yet) while the kids played on their motorbikes with Dad, and their uncle and cousins.  Since then there has been three days of sorting lambs, drenching, weighing etc, 4 days back at my off-farm job, two days this last weekend travelling to Oamaru for a quick overnight visit with friends, and a fair bit of time worrying about the drought situation we have developing. 

We have had about 6mm of rain in the last 7 weeks, compared to our average 150mm or more for that period.  The rest of New Zealand has been experiencing a terrible summer, flooding in some place and lots of rain, but down south we have had a truly old-fashioned summer.  While it's been great not wondering how I'll ever get the washing dry on the clothesline, we are starting to despair.  We have a load of 750 lambs leaving tomorrow, just the smaller ones, they are heading north to Canterbury for finishing, who ironically are usually sending lambs to Southland by this time of the season ...... how the tables have turned!   I've already bought one truckload of water, and will probably need another 25,000lt within a few days.

You know it's dry here when the lambs would rather come in a slightly ajar gate and eat the lawn than stay in their paddock........lol .... and this was taken on the 29th of December, things are a lot worse since then. You also know you're a blogger when you go and get the camera before you chase them out.  lol


I have managed a couple of quick stitchy starts though, this little freebie from Lizzie Kate .........


........ and a half-finished little bag for me in Nicey Jane fabrics.... my current favourite.  Back at Christmas time I did get some more Butterfly Garden miniblocks done too, but need to take some pics.

 

Today I have started excavating in my sewing room, it's been a dumping ground for everything recently, and I've sorted out a few projects that need some urgent attention.  There have been so many wonderful SAL's and new and exciting stitchy projects starting online, but for now I am resisting the urge of joining in anything else for a while...... we'll see how long that lasts though!     In the interests of full and open disclosure I have to confess that I have been gathering fabrics for My Favourite Things, the new Stitch-A-Long project for 2012.  I put my name down for this SAL last year, and I'm not meant to start it till my Gardeners Journal quilt is all finished, but I am 90% sure I will be getting that quilted professionally, so I've done all I can on that one for now!  I won't be starting that for a week or two though.   

I've also updated my WIP list for 2012 on a new page at the top of the blog.......... and will try and post to the Sew It's Finished blog in the next few days. 

OK - if you've lasted through all that, thank you, you deserve a medal!  I'll be trying to catch up on my blog reading and emails tonight and tomorrow, so till next time .............. happy stitching ....Nicky





19 comments:

Deb said...

Happy New Year Lovely Nicky. Don't worry about your GJ, I have still only got the stitcheries done and nothing else (lol)I love the fact that your sheep are sensible enough to come into your front garden for a nibble. It has been a wickedly dry summer for all you guys and I certainly hope you get some rain soon to ease your worries.

Anonymous said...

oh Nicky i hope that you get a good lot of rain soon.xx

suzitee said...

You and I have such similar tastes Nicky...Nicey Jane is one of my favourites too, and most of my GJ is made from it :) Speaking of which, mine is back from the quilters and is sitting here, begging me to put the binding on...I'm blocking my ears :)
So glad you are planning on joining the SAL again...what fabrics are you gathering?
Hope it rains at your place soon!

Michelle said...

If only I could send you some of our rain... you know I would if I could... :O)

Christine M said...

Happy New Year to you too Nicky. Your little cross stitch is lovely. Hope you get some rain soon.

Theresa said...

Happy New Year Nicky. Sounds like a very busy time for you, hope the water situation improves very soon. Love the cross stitch and the fabric for your bag. Look forward to seeing what fabrics you're going to use for SKOW.

Siobhán said...

I hope you get some rain soon! Love the stitching, and that Nicey Jane fabric--LOVE!

Wendy said...

Happy new year! Lovely little cross stitch - I love Lizzie Kate designs. Can't wait to see that bag, it looks fab!

Annie said...

So sorry to hear about that rain situation. Mother Nature seems to have a mind of her own these days.

Cute little LK piece. And those fabrics look wonderful.

Tricia T said...

You've been busy! Love your little L*K piece. I pray you'll get lots of rain, soon!!

Tricia

Aunty Bee said...

I did hear there is drought conditions down Otago and Southland way. Very worrying for you, it's strange weather here, humid, damp but not really wet, hot and windy. Let's hope you get some rain, before to long.

Raewyn said...

I have been wondering how you have been faring down there - and hope some rain heads your way soon... how kind of you to share your garden with the lambs :-) [I can relate totally to the blogger grabbing the camera!] Love all your projects; good on you for sitting on your hands and not putting them up for too many new projects - some of us aren't so strong!

Lara said...

Gus loved you lamby pic :) I tried to convince him that they were going to go for a jump on the tramp but he wasn't buying it! Cute wee cross stitch. Where did you find the pattern?

Cardygirl said...

Hope you get some rain soon. Don't get lost in the excavation!

Lynda said...

What a great choice of word: "excavation", I know exactly what you mean! I hope you have some rain soon and so e free time to do whatever you love.

Anonymous said...

Hope you get some rain soon! We have had TOO much! I'm not doing the stitch along this time. I just know that I won't have time to get it finished! Keep plodding along on your GJ or ditch it all together - Chooky can't be that mean can she?! ;)

rosie said...

Hi Nicky, it's so hard to believe that a part of New Zealand is dry..For those of us who make a living on the land, the weather holds us to ransom at times... I do hope that it rains soon for you.
We are having a typical summer here, with heat and no rain. We are doing the meals on wheels 'thing' every second day!!
xx

Peg - Happy In Quilting said...

Let it pour Nicky..Happy New Year to you....love your projects...

Karyn said...

Happily send some Akld rain your way. First day today without rain in ages! For a small country the weather does vary from region to region.

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