Thanksgiving

This is super late as we had Thanksgiving on Saturday October 6th, but I been busy (knitting). This was the third annual New Zealand (Canadian) Thanksgiving at Jenny and Colin's and it was once again a hit! Jenny and I have perfected feeding 15-20 people. Early in the day, Wallis decided to let the neighbours know that we were having Canadian Thanksgiving by writing it on the driveway in sidewalk chalk. She is way too adorable.


Shelley and Grant (part of the original kiwi Canadian Thanksgiving crew) brought their new little baby Matthew along for his first outing at 5 weeks old. Vicki (Jenny's sister) had a good cuddle with him (as did everyone that could get their hands on him).


Sorry, no pictures of dinner. No time. Once dinner was called a wave of hands and mouths filled the kitchen. I can tell you that it did look great and tasted even better. The rest of the night was spent playing Singstar (like karaoke) and EVERYONE (even the shyest people) had a go. I may have hogged the mic at one point. I love Singstar - especially after a glass of wine or 4 :)


Wallis and Jonathan having a battle - can't remember what song.


Alaina, me and Nathan chatting on the couch about what song we will do next, while Kiko watches.


Wallis and Sidonie (regular singers that night) - with (L-R) Jenny, Roxane, James and Connor in the background.

It was another successful night. As always it was so much fun that I forgot how much I missed being at home for Thanksgiving. I wonder if they will carry on the tradition next year when I am back in Canada? Doubt it.

My birthday

This was my third birthday in New Zealand and hands down the best yet. We had drinks and nibbles at the house with Jenny, Colin and the kids. Nathan, Jonathan and Dave came over armed with delicious food and a divine chocolate and hazelnut cake.


Wallis, the little helper, helped me to blow out the candles and cut the cake.



I received tons of awesome gifts from some great friends. Wallis even wrote me a story and ilustrated it. It's called Sneaky the Snake and it is friggin ADORABLE. Colin, James (Colin and Jenny's brother-in-law), Jonathan, Nathan, Dave and I all left for town at about 11:30pm. We met up with my friend Alaina, and I even met up with Rachel later on. We danced the night away and Colin and I ended up getting home at 4:30 am after a walk through the McDonald's drive-thru!!

The next day was a bit fuzzy. I slept until noon!! I could here Wallis outside saying, "Dad!! Tarra is still asleep and it's lunchtime!! I want to give her her present can I wake her up??" The answer was no, but I dragged myself out of bed eventually and put myself through a shower. I went outside to find Wallis had made me a giant T out of some wood. She still needs to paint it, but what a doll. I am a very lucky birthday girl.


I have had 29 amazing, fun and lucky years. I can't wait to see what my 30th year has in store. (Ugh... 30)

Thailand

Here are some pictures from Thailand. I have quite a few so I'll just post my faves. On the knitting front I have just sewn up a tank top that I crocheted before I went to Thailand (I HATE sewing up - I often have projects completed for ages before I sew them up, it's brutal) and I am wearing today. And I pretty much love it because it pretty much rules. I'll take a photo soon because it must be seen. It's from the Rowan Cotton Tape (It's a tape thing) pattern book. Very cool.

We headed to Chaing Mai first and did a 2 day trek which was awesome. We swam by waterfalls and walked through amazing jungly sort of trees, ate curry and thai pancakes in a little thai village, and even slept on the floor in a bamboo hut. Here is AJ by a rice paddy. They are so cool.


This photo is quite embarassing, but those of you who know me will know that my ankles do NOT look like this normally. After a 12 hour flight, a 12 hour bus ride to Chaing Mai and another 12 hour bus ride back to Bangkok a couple days later, my ankles became cankles. My family was brought to tears from laughing so hard, so have a chuckle at my expense.


Hahaha, yeah laugh it up people. Just don't come crying to me when it happens to you. It's traumatizing - you worry that they will never go back to normal. Thank god mine did! Next up we have me on a motorbike by the sea (no I didn't drive it, I was on the back) and then AJ and I at sunset on Koh Lanta. It was by far the most spectacular sunset I have ever seen. It lasted so long. We enjoyed it with my friend from high school Kristin and her boyfriend Mauro.



Here is a picture of AJ bringing me a beer on the beach. This is a little place called Ton Sai and it is very secluded and wonderful. It is a short way from Krabi and around the corner from Raileh. Our little hut only cost 100 Baht/night (about 4 kiwi dollars) but here is the catch - shower and toilet outside, roof and walls didn't meet so mozzie net around the bed and power from 6pm until about 4am. Pretty budget, but alright when you only stay a couple nights. Oh yeah, and these beers were 100 Baht each, so they getcha there too.


Here is the reggae bar that AJ and I went to lots while we were staying in Ton Sai. The guys that worked there were awesome - so laid back. And they laid those mats out at night so you could just lay back and chill while looking up at the stars.


And last one for now is one from the fill moon party on Koh Pah Ngan. Fluorescent paint and blacks lights made it for me. It was a bit pricey to get painted, but looked mean so I had to! Definitely a fun night. A long haul though, AJ and I stayed at the beach until about 7:00 am, went to town for some breakfast (AJ found 1000 Baht on the ground so we had Baileys and coffees and steaks for breakkie - yum!) and then went and crashed out hard. Needless to say the next day was a rough one spent recovering.



My birthday is Sunday so I am having some friends over for drinks and nibbles on Saturday night and then we will hit town. I will most likely take a few pictures and post them next week. Have a good weekend!!

Crocheted bolero

I decided to just take a picture of the bolero on its own. I can't be bothered getting all prettied up for the camera right now for a proper picture, but when (if) I can, I'll post it. I have worn it a couple times and I really do love it. It's fuzzy and warm (believe it or not). I must say that this pattern came out of the Debbie Stoller book Stitch n Bitch Crochet - the Happy Hooker. An EXCELLENT buy (as are all her knitting books). It takes you through the basics and onto more advanced crocheting. I would (and do) highly recommend any/all of Debbie Stoller's books if you have any interest in knitting/crocheting.


This is the pattern up close. It is so worth doing and I will probably do it again in another colour/wool for myself if not for someone else.


I put in some hard hours of knitting my army green cardie this weekend (it was labour weekend for us) and I am quite excited to finish that. It is going to be so nice. I wish I had a picture of Jenny, Wallis and I sitting in the living room yesterday all knitting together. I love little knitting groups. Wallis suggested that her mom and I have a knitting night at least once a week. I told her I have a knitting night every day of the week!!

Ella

I brought my camera to work today so that I could pull off some pics of Ella I took while in Havelock North. She's friggin adorable.


She keeps herself busy and although I love to play with her, it's also fun watching her play on her own.


And the lucky little munchkin has a sandbox in her backyard! It was fun building mini sandcastles with her (fill a bucket, turn it over, and there is your mini castle) - even though as soon as it's finished she knocks it down :)


My next trip to see Ross, Ang and Ella is tentatively set for the weekend of November 10 and 11th. Can't wait!!

9 hours of knitting - the bus to Hastings and back

I still haven't taken a picture of my bolero. But I'm wearing it today and was hoping that when I got home I would take a picture so I can post it tomorrow. I really do love it. I am in the middle of knitting an army green (my FAVOURITE colour) cardigan in mohair for myself. It is the business. I cannot wait to finish it.


I went to visit Ross, Ang and Ella this past weekend and had the best time!! Ella is getting so big and becoming such a sweet little girl (instead of being a sweet little baby). If you want to see how Ella really feels about me - go to Ross, Ang and Ella's page in my links. Friggin adorable. Ang and I picked out some more wool so I can knit Ella a beanie and some mitts, a beanie for Ang, and a little jumper for the new baby (due in January). Those will be quick knits so I will probably get on those after my cardie. There aren't enough hours in the day for knitting!!!

I spoke to AJ yesterday and we are sorting out him coming to see me at Christmas while I am (briefly) in Winnipeg. I cannot wait to go home and see my family, friends and my boyfriend. Hopefully I can get a lot of crocheting done on the plane :) It'll be 12 hours of hard core crocheting! I can easily get 4, maybe 5 beanies done in that time, easily...

Cheating - an old photo

I have finished this crocheted bolero I started months and months ago - and I LOVE it. I have been too busy to take a photo of it to post, so I am going to be naughty and post a photo of my friend Jeff posing in a tuque I knit him when I first moved here almost 3 years ago.


Jeff Palmer is a proud Palmer, hence the tuque with his family name. He is actually the father of the sweet little Leni who I knit the blue and brown cardie for. I just realized I knit them both brown and blue things...

Tomorrow we are having our annual Thanksgiving dinner at Jenny and Colin's house. This is our third year. I love that my kiwi friends get so into a canadian holiday. We are having about 17-18 people. I have a can of pumpkin from Canada (because I taste a huge difference between New Zealand pumpkin and Canadian pumpkin) to make pumpkin pie and we are having turkey and potatoes and brussels sprouts and stuffing - the whole deal. It is so much fun that I forget how sad it is that I'm away from my family (sort of). I am actually so excited. I LOVE THANKSGIVING!!!! I am going to pig out (as per usual). Hopefully I'll have some fun pics from our dinner to post Monday. Happy Thanksgiving!