Hello from Hobart!

We’re here to quietly celebrate that big financial milestone with food, rest and art.

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Two pairs of jeans tried, two more rejected for a total of 19 pairs rejected.

What is The Universe trying to tell me?

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Tonight involved packing of small suitcases for tomorrow we set off on a short but well needed adventure!

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Eight pairs of jeans tried today – and again no success.

There was one possibility, but I realised what I was wearing was significantly more flattering and infinitely more comfortable – so onto the reject pile.

I need to start keeping records.

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Some excitement tonight as I played ambulance driver and transported Joe/Frank to the Emergency GP Clinic at Balmain Hospital after a shallot chopping incident. There was much blood.

He was seen very quickly and the staff were excellent. He’s okay and all glued up and tetanus injected.

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Like many of us, the COVID years were not great for my physique. I probably gained 10kg. I’ve certainly gained some centimetres.**

And now that we’re back in the office more, many of my office-casual clothes no longer fit me. Would that office-casual extended to the trakkie pants I’ve been wearing for the last 3 years.

I decided to take my wardrobe in hand, accept where I’m at and buy some jeans that fit. I have one pair I adore and 2 others that are okay, but no longer particularly flattering. And some that are waiting in a box for the day I return to “normal”. And which I should really donate.

I set out at lunch today and tried on 9 pairs. All of which were not good. I had assumed this would be a relatively simple task. Hah!

I did however buy two new bras which fit. I’ve been getting about in bras that are three cup sizes small. This wasn’t as uncomfortable as it sounds, but I was occasionally rocking a uni-boob, which is not a great look.

The quest continues. This could be quite a long term project.

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** I have a little body dysmorphia in that my brain thinks I am a much larger size than I actually am. This means I waste a lot of time in changing rooms trying on wrong things.

beware heavy plant

I do know what it means, but it amused me greatly.

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We were a small group of six learning to make bookcloth yesterday – everyone very lovely. Bookbinders are always excellent people!

It was an all day class. Fabric was provided, some people brought their own – which was really quite brave!

The process was fairly simple, glue rice paper to the back of fabric pieces and on to a large sheet of perspex. Let dry in the sun, cut the freshly made bookcloth off the perspex and you’re done!

drying cloth

We made as many pieces as we could fit into the time. I made seven, some people more.

My very underwhelming results photos – it’s really quite hard to capture the colours.

The glue is made from cornflour, water and pva glue. There’s definitely some skill involved in the application – I have a couple of wobbly and rippled pieces where I either glued incorrectly or removed the cloth from the perspex before it was entirely dry.

I’m very pleased with some of them, some not. I’m not sure if I’ll ever use any of it, but it was fun and interesting to learn.

I’ve no more crafty classes in the calendar, though I am on the wait-list for some book-related ones in the second half of the year. Must cast about for other items of interest!

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I spent today at the bindery learning to make bookcloth!

It was a ton of fun, but I’m absolutely exhausted and nodding off as I type.

More anon.

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I mentioned on Sunday that I’d dragged out my bookmaking supplies and was in the process of making two very tiny books!

I’d had the paper (off-cuts) cut and folded for a very long while and had been dithering quite a lot about starting. Perfectionisting paralysis ruling my brain as ever.

Eventually I made it out alive and I’m quite pleased with the outcome:

I even made tiny end bands!

They’re intended as very tiny sketchbooks for a colleague who needed some cheer. He was delighted.

I’m now a little more confident to 1. make more books and improve my technique; and 2. attend all those classes I’m aiming to do in the second half of the year!

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When I saw these heart-shaped stitch markers, I was absolutely powerless to resist them.

Hearts!

They are so cheering, I didn’t even blanch at having to unravel a few rows of my shawl this evening.

Up to now I’ve been using safety pins saved from clothing labels. They work perfectly well, but it is very nice to have nice hearty things!

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As has become my regular state, I’m completely wiped on Wednesday evening after two full days in office.

I’m not getting any less exhausted, so am making some very tiny baby steps toward improving health.

I’m back on the daily relatively light (but exhausting) rehab exercises. An unintended but positive benefit is that I’ve slept through the night for the last two nights and hopefully this one as well!

I’ve also taken my lunch to work everyday this week. Options around SML are dire and expensive, I’m no longer content paying $15 for a pretty mediocre sandwich.

That will do me for April! I think slowly building rather than All Change At Once might be the right thing for me just now.

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