Betweens is back to share..LOL

Hello old and new friends, I know it has been a while and please accept my appologies.

Life has been incredibly busy as I am sure everyone else has been too, I don't even have as much time to blog cause when I want to there are 10 other things that have happened.

The most exciting news for me is in Aug I adopted a Chihuahua, I know I know a little dog he is 10 lbs of pure love to me, but he has some issues that we are trying to train him with...he has some fear agression issues due to 6 years of abuse and then at the Human Society kenneled for 2 years, they were good with him but still lots of fear. His name is Cheech and you can see some pictures on my blog. Some of the members here are on Facebook and has seen pictures of them there.

What brought me back you are wondering, dear Golo...dear wonderful golo, she has kept in touch and said that you all are wishing me birthdays so I thought i would come in and say thanks and that you are missed.

i will try to be regular, I find Facebook easier to post and keep up cause it is quick but then I have to be a little more diligent. I am not on the computer as much trying to exercise, lost 20lbs goal is another 30, so that takes up gym time, and not even quilting as much just starting to get into it again. I hadn't done any all summer long. that is unheard of for me!

Well let me browse but wanted to say hi Thanks Gimpy Cat for letting me join in again, I know the door is always open, hoping nothing has changed to much with everyone. Mundane lives are much better.  

WELCOME BACK Betweens!  We are so glad to see you posting again!  20 lbs...wow...thats wonderful!  Best of luck in reaching that next weight goal.  Love to see some pics of Cheech if you can find the time.

  

Oh Debra, it is so good to hear from you. I did miss you. I understand totally about there never seeming to be enough time. Feel the same, main reason I never joined Facebook, don't know how I would keep up. So sweet of you to rescue little Cheech. Dogs with problems have such a hard time finding a home. Bless you for taking the time to love him.
Congratulations on the weight loss. I lost 23lbs last year but am afraid I have gained about half back. Cassie moved to go to college and I did a LOT of stress eating over the summer. Hopeful I can get back to eating better.

Deb, welcome back! Congrats on the weight loss and the new dog! My oldest DS got married in April and they adopted two puppies. So now I hve grandpuppies!

 Yee Ha... Deb is back!! been keeping up on 'doings' with you on FB as you know. I agree is hard to keep FB, forums and blogs going in a timely manner.... I don't get on here as often as I would like either. Been having loads of problems with my computers and since we no longer have local computer geek...have had to muddle through by myself.

So very happy to have you here even if you just pop in once in a while  

Glad to see you back. Hope to see some pics of what you've been up to!

Wow! 20 pounds is awesome. I look forward to seeing your current work.

Wonderful to have you back with us Deb, we sure missed you. Im not a facebooker so cant keep up there, as someone else said, I have enough on my plate keeping up here without trying to stretch to others too. I have seen pics of your new fur baby, good luck with winning his trust, love goes a long way in building trust bridges. Sounds like you have been very busy.

Life here is getting back to normal, Mum moved down to live with us Sept 2012 while she built a granny flat on the end of our place. She finally moved into it around Sept this year and loves it. So life has changed a lot here, Laura grows like a weed, still into her photography, has another exhibition booked in January. My Gimpy cat passed and I wasnt going to ever replace him but I trapped a kitten and after placing it with a person who homes cats decided I wanted it and got it back. So meet Alchemy, he is the one on my avatar at the moment. He is a total love bug, he caught feline leprosy from a mouse that got into the house and bit him on the chin but is better now and growing as fast as laura is I think. Life goes on, glad yours has led you back to us

   glad your back Between...

  

Welcome back Debra!!!!!!! WooooooHooooooo!!!!!

It is really heart warming to see old and familiar names again!! and an even greater warming with the great welcomes and miss you's.
TxMary not to worry you will loss again just don't gain anymore and go back everytime you loss more it will come back a little but not all the way. I find with exercising it comes back more slowly especially when you gain muscle, the fat has to fight the muscle to gain entry..LOL

Mamu, I think of you all the time with my chickens hanging on the oven door and my apron I wear when I am sewing it is great with my tools in the pockets, as you can see I love your cowgirl country photos and still dreaming that I should be there even though you have given me a good awakening on what life is really like!

Anita congrats on the marriage of your son you have grandkids in the future to look forward to but it is great for now you have the joy of animated puppies to keep you busy.

Linda 2B, Quiltermarynel, quiltmom, TMM and Golo warm hugs to you all! I will try to learn how to post pictures on here to show what I have been up too...

Gimpy I remember when your mom moved in so glad that the flat is finished and that she loves being there, it is joy I am sure for her to be close to her gifted grandchild, and daughter, is Bob still writing?

I lost my dad last May he missed fathers day by 3 weeks and then his 85th birthday, I kinda knew he was living on borrowed time the last year we were lucky to have him that long. He was out selling tickets for the quilt raffle on the Sunday and that night had to go to hospital by Tuesday night he was gone, it was a blessing that he was not in hospital for too long, he hated hospitals. Mom is fairing pretty well, lonely but then they spent all their time together, we will have Christmas together this year she will be coming to our house. I was racing back and forth to Windsor in 2011 about every other weekend he would end up in ICU then in 2012 after they did the lung biopsy they found nodules at the bottom of his lungs. He was out of hospital for almost a year and then the last visit was the last visit.

Thank goodness mom has her organizations to keep her busy and she goes to hand quilt 2 times a week as well she still loves to quilt.
Well lengthy again...things have not changed still a chatterbox I guess..LOL

Betweens, so sorry for the loss of your father. It's good that you have the good memories of him and you are close for your mother.

Deb,  

Sorry about your Dad Betweens. I still miss my dad and it has been years. Hugs to you and your mom.  

at the time these thing happen you think life will not go on..but it does like the trees the leaves keep coming back every year with new growth and a promise of life ahead...

so glad your mom has projects to keep her busy... I have seen some of her quilts they are beautiful.. Our love ones are always in our heart and memories...

oh that must have been when we were in the swaps golo, which one did you get? We just finished making a quillow for the neighbouring little girl, it has horses on one side, and then the other side is what cowgirls wear but in a really cute type fabric.
Mom and started to make 2 more quillows but then it is was time to go, you would not believe how fast time went by this weekend.

Sorry about your loss Betweens. Hugs  

Sorry for your loss Deb, glad you still have your mom and she keeps herself busy with you sewing. That helps you both I'm sure.

Sorry to hear of your loss Deb. Welcome back, you have been missed! 

 Sorry you lost your dad, its been over 2yrs now but we still miss dad awfully here, the more wonderful things that happen in Laura's life the more we miss him some days, he was fascinated with Laura and really wanted to see who she grew to be, he would be so pleased/proud of her good fortune.

Yes, Bob is still writing, his publisher has just folded so his work has revereted back to him ownership wise and they were just about to publish the sequel to his first book. Thats ok, he has submitted books 1 & 2  to a big company he really wants to be with so fingers crossed. They actually opened their doors to submissions, its rare for that to happen and it coincided with his publisher closing, maybe its meant to be. He has the first in another series, I had to go find the publisher and see what I could find out about it, here's what I found, apparently its due to come out next year


New Killer Fantasy Signed at Ticonderoga

Ticonderoga Publications is extremely pleased to announce the signing of Robert Ashby's fantasy novel The Assassin.

The Assassin is the first book in Ashby's The Kingbreaker Chronicles series.

The Assassin follows the coming of age of Lydia Estrella, as she becomes an assassin in the employ of Lord Zhe, the crown prince of the Empire of Nara. The daughter of a merchant captain, Lydia is thrust into a world of intrigue, corruption, magic and, of course, murder.

"It's a great reading experience, and exciting to be working with a new talent,” Ticonderoga Editor Russell B Farr said.

"Robert Ashby is a natural storyteller, crafting a fascinating and engaging new fantasy world that we hope readers will love to share," Russell B Farr added.

The Assassin is scheduled for publication in early 2014. The novel will be available in limited edition hardcover, hardcover and trade editions.

He is always writing something, constantly at it and keeps him busy. He is busy as could be with teaching, running the gifted & talented program and all manner of things for the students.

Laura, well she could have her own topic, the kid is and has been busy and growing like a weed too! She is 9 now, here is a pic taken in Febuary, its one of my favourites



Now where do I start on what she has been doing? She is now a professional photographer LOL, I kid you not. Here are a couple of links to topics on here you can meander through if you feel like it

Laura's 1st Gallery Exhibition

Laura and the Tasmanian Land Conservancy

Laura learning to cook

Hmmm, she has been invited to have another gallery exhibition of her work in January at a different gallery, place called Sheffield Working Art Space. She has been invited to be the official photographer for the Sassafrass Heritage Farming Festival next March, they saw her work at the art gallery exhibiton in Febuary this year. She entered a local newspaper competition, an annual readers snap shots calendar, all money from calendar sales goes to charity. There were over 4000 entries and she got into the calender, the papers editor had to whittle it down to a few hundred then they were sent to Melbourne to the big paper there and the photo editor chose the winners. She did well to get into it and had a date with daddy at the winners enveiling night at a local whiskey distillery. Her quoll photo is hanging in the distillery entrance for all to see :-)    Hmmm, what else, oh she was commissioned to produce a coffee table book for a lady, she wanted it for her mothers 70th bday present, her mum is a photographer and the book was sent to Tennessee!

She entered her first ever eisteddfod, did a solo poem recitation and took 2nd place, missed first by one point, was most dissapointed as she wanted 3rd place because she thought the bronze medal was the prettiest    She entered the local daffodil show in Sept, had to create a floral display to the theme "magic wonderland" and she also entered a single flower, she won first place in both categories and also over division winner, was thrilled with her fat satin ribbon and got certificates and cash too which she spent on her fish tank. She is still busy selling her eggs at the feedstore/hardware in town, sells them cheap so local pensioners and families can have yummy organic eggs. She won an award end of last year at school, its sponsored by forestry tasmania a big company and they choose someone, the schools have to nominate students. So she won the Care For People Award, its awarded to students who show outstanding inititive etc in doing things to benefit others and the greater community. Was a real surprise to us, we sure were proud of her.
She has been having fun and learning that life shouldnt be about "whats in it for me" but more about "what can I do for the community"

Me, well while you have been away Ive helped the builder build mums place, done the usual gardening, had the usual scrapes and headaches, done a wee little sewing, got myself in over my head in numerous areas and been mean to Bob, as is my pastime. Guess its the same old for me, Im happy to be boring

What a great shot of Laura!!
 , Bob. Be sure to let us know when it is out. I want to read it..

I love that photo Marynel, she is cuddling and being kissed by a native animal, endangered, mostly gone on the mainland. Its a Spotted Tail Quoll, they are commonly called forest cats or tiger cats and very cat like in behaviour, this variety nest in trees during the day, they are killed a lot, people see them as chicken killers, lots and lots of misinformation about them and little education, its hoped Ziggy here will help with public education, perhaps people will see them as cute and adorable instead of their ignorant preconcieved ideas. Here is Ziggy investigating my head, he tried his darndest to get my bun undone and pinch my hair scrunchie, he has become a daddy since this pic was taken!

Wow you have been entertained by your loved ones around you, I am glad that life has been boring for you that means your health has held up, I know you had breathing problems before Tasmania must be good for you. I have to save my money it is just to gorgeous down there!!

Laura is becoming quite the young enterprenuer I am so glad that she has so much to keep her busy and out of harms way with society troubles. She is going to go far and she will be one to share.

I love that furry creature on your head! so adorable and the markings are exquisite!! I would love to be able to touch his fur it looks so velvetty.

I missed these wonderful tales from downunder thanks again for your sharing and letting us join your family in their life adventures...

My adventure today is Cheech was out going to tinkle and heard a noise sure enough next door there were deer standing there, they pounced away though when they heard the big dog bark (plenty of sarcasm there Cheech sounds like Dino on the Flinestones does anyone remember them?) LOL he is darling.