A new beginning

What a whirlwind of a week!

It began last Wednesday with orientation. This was a great introduction to University (as I have never been before) and made me feel a lot more at ease with this big transition. The teachers seem really lovely, down to earth and helpful, although with a class of two hundred they have a big job ahead of them. Uni seems to be a much more organised organisation than Tafe, I think this is out of necessity. Web based learning seems to be a big part of the course, I hope not too much (I am dreading this first months internet bill)!

On my return to work, I was training the new old girl (she used to work in the head office of the company) and I don't think I have worked so hard in the whole two years I was there. I feel confident I am leaving my job in good hands, but with all the exitement I am feeling, to be honest it doesn't really concern me.

Monday starting with an 8am lecture! (I thought I was supposed to be scaling back my early mornings). Fortunately it seems to be a relatively easy subject and not too taxing on the brain for that time of morning. The rest of the week is at more reasonable hours, with nearly a whole day of lectures on Fridays and nothing on Wednesdays. I feel at a bit of a loss at the moment with all this free time, but I am sure it will soon be filled with much studying (I plan to ace all my courses) and part time work. For now I am just enjoying having a bit of a break and enjoying my daylight hours!

And so begins a brand new phase in my life and I couldn't be happier.

Catch up

I spent the weekend very quietly. Catching up on correspondence, sleep, solitary time, reading and doing nothing.

I love to make my own stationery and will avoid sending mail, Christmas cards or thank you notes if I haven't made anything myself. This is terribly rude and even though something bought would be preferable to nothing (and most people probably don't even care) it is a quirk I cannot shrug.

I found this thank you note I made a couple of years ago during my cutesy phase (I don't know if I will ever grow out of this phase - but it was definently more pronounced during this period) to send to my Auntie Janny. She sent me some lovely fabric for my quilt.


I also found a tiny Puss-in-boots I was making from this period which I would like to finish (although I think I have enough projects on the go at the moment).




Here is a new letterhead (for lack of a better word) that I made yesterday to send to my cousin. Those are her initials in the corner. It is done in a very poor imitation of the Art Nouveau style (my current phase) and it looks kind garish and childish in its scanned form and with those colours. I would like to make some monogrammed stationery for myself but some kind of printing method (lino or lithograph?) would be a better option than pen and watercolours for such repetitive work. Anyway, enough thinking out loud.

Have a lovely week!

Six more days!

I am progressing nicely on my ski trip jumper, this is some quick knitting. I think (and hope) this is the first thing I have knitted that I will actually be able to wear in public.

I may not have as much time to work on it when I start uni, but I'm sure I will need a break sometimes.

Speaking of uni, I have spent the last two weekends doing a short introduction to photography course at the University of Queensland, which was fantastic! I really learnt a lot about the basics of photography in such a short period of time.

Here is a photo I took on our field trip to the Roma Street Parklands. It is over exposed, but at least I realise that now and understand why it happened. I did take some better pictures but being the Scrooge that I am decided to scan them myself rather than having the processors put them on disk and most of my scans became contaminated with dust - I will have to try again - and pay the processors do it next time.

Only seven working days to go...

Until I no longer have to be disrespected and demeaned (at least not by the same people every day). Although if everyone was nice and tolerable I probably would not have felt so motivated to leave, which I needed to do anyway- so in the end it was a good thing, maybe even the best thing.

This contradicts my last post in which I remarked on the kindness of everyone - what I should have said was the majority of the office are being lovely, and the unfortunate minority are just being their usual selves. Fortunately, their moods and demands are no longer my problem. Hoorah!

(Sorry for being such a downer, I just wanted to get it out - like my hero L.M.M. - "Temperaments such as mine must have some outlet, else they become morbid and poisoned by consuming their own smoke".)

Although I am not as good as expressing myself as L.M.M., I do become morbid and poisonous when I don't have an outlet, although I don't always have to have a write or talk about my problems, just making things works as an outlet for me (obviously not today).

Wondermail

I received the most wonderful package from the lovely and generous Kathleen of Liquid Sky Arts on Friday. My photo does not do justice to the deliciousness of of this little parcel (and I forgot to take a picture of it wrapped up I was so excited!)

It is a pendant from Kathleen's beautiful Par Avion series that she made for me in return of some Rock Star stamps that I mailed her. I didn't expect anything in return and certainly not something this lovely. I am touched.

In a strange coincedence I also received The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery Vol. I - V from Amazon.ca nearly four months after I ordered them (they came by sea). Hooray!

I put in notice at my work today and everyone is being lovely, maybe they are just happy to be rid of me - just kidding. Not long to go now! (only two weeks in fact - eek).

Quote of the day: Three years goes in three years no matter what you do with it. - K.M. my workmate on my next three years of full time study. So insightful and so true!

Michelle Conley - Student Nurse

I've been accepted into Nursing School at Griffith University! I'm beginning a new life in a big hospital. It was kind of a last minute decision, I only put my application in a couple of weeks ago.

I am looking forward to helping people (especially children) and having more daylight hours to myself. I will also be no longer working for The Man - yay.

In even more exciting news, I am planning a ski trip to New Zealand in July. In preparation I have started knitting this in bright cornflower blue Jet (pattern by Patons);

I might make mine a little shorter; my poor, stumpy, little legs don't need any more cutting off. I'm thinking about changing the collar as well - the current garter stitch collar doesn't seem (to me) to go with the detail of the rest of the jacket.

I like this collar (in fact I like the whole thing - but that is a whole other project).