Once a mum always a mum....no matter how old they are

This past week has got me thinking about the importance of being a Mum. It doesn't matter if you are a SAHM or a working Mum, your children always need to know that you are there for them.  In good times or bad, and no matter what age your children are, you are the glue that keeps it all together, and are the one that your children turn to in times of need, and of course in times of celebration.

Yes, there are days when you feel that you are losing your identity and when you look in the mirror and see yourself and think"is this all there is now"? And yes I hate to have to tell you that you do have the hardest job in the world bringing these children up to be responsible adults. Oh, and wait until they are teenagers, boy oh boy, you are entering a whole new set of rules then. But you know what, with all the ups and downs that go on with your children you will look back on these years take a big sigh of relief and give yourself a big pat on the back for doing a great job.

So what is it about this week that has made me think about "once a mum..always a mum".  I guess that it's because in the space of a week I find myself being needed more than usual by my grown-up children. Don't get me wrong, my lot are in no way "clingy, always in our house" style adult children. In fact, quiet the opposite, they all lead very normal lives and usually do okay with their day to day living. This week, however, is an exception and I have supported my youngest through day surgery, and then discovered yesterday that middle child is having surgery on Monday and will be staying with us for three weeks while he recuperates.

And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way...like I said earlier...
"Once a Mum always a Mum" 

Family History Journal - Second photo in the second album

What a great idea.  I had forgotten all about this photo, it was taken in February 2009 on the day that Evette, Emma and Lucca arrived in New Zealand for their holiday. After a very long flight, and a long drive to our house in Waiuku that took about 50minutes from the airport., it was all too much for Emma and she had to have a nap. Although it was about an hour after arriving at our house,  so she didn't do too bad.

As you can see she fell asleep wearing the plastic fireman's hat that I bought for Lucca, and for some reason she was taken by some skittles that we had, and of course one should always take a bucket too bed with you. So here she is, bless her, sound asleep in her bedroom at Nana and Poppa's in New Zealand, with her special blanket,wearing a fireman's hat and clutching a skittle.

Too cute for words. Love you Emma. xoxo

Sewing Patterns , Old patterns,retro patterns, childrens patterns....lots and lots of patterns

2010, I decided, would be the year that I would get back into doing the things that I used to enjoy, but have  put on the "back burner" for whatever reason.

 One of these things is sewing. So at long last and not before time, I have started to get back into it. Not  sewing anything special, or putting pressure on myself to do something by a certain time, but just sewing when I feel like it.

Of course you can't sew garments unless you have patterns, and this is where good old" Trade Me" came in. I have just recently purchased 50 patterns for $5.00, yes you read correctly, not $5.00 per pattern, but $5.00 for the whole lot.

It cost more to post them than what I paid for them. And here they are, I am so darn excited I can't stop looking at them, and already have ideas buzzing away in my head about what I can start to make.

Oh, I so wish I didn't have to go to work today.

Steve + Motorbike = Moto-cross

Today Phil and I decided, after a phone call from Steve, that we would go out to Harrisville and watch him race.  Harrisville is not far from where we live, and we have been meaning to go to the last couple of Club meets, but they had been cancelled due to bad weather.

For those of you who are not aware, Steve has ALWAYS loved bikes. From a toddler he would spend hours on his three wheeler bike racing up and down the driveway wearing his Dad's crash helmet. Unfortunately we just did not have the money to be able to get him a little racing bike, and kit him out with all the correct gear. So, Steve has had to wait until he was an adult to be able to do what he loves.

We arrived just as his second race had finished, but were able to see his final race and get some photos. It was so much fun to be at the track, I had forgotten how much I love watching moto-cross.

He's in this bunch somewhere. This is after the start of the race, into the first corner. And no he's not the one at the back, he is right in the middle.











 Photos below: Coming up and over the hill for the first jump, straight towards - then past us. His race was about 10 laps around this huge track and took about 20mins to complete.

And of course he just loved the whole experience. Go Steve!

Our Summer Garden

The weather here has been so warm, it is perfect for growing vegetables. At present we have an over abundance of vegetables in our garden. Not that I'm complaining, I love summer veges. Tomatoes, beans, lettuce, basil. There is nothing like picking your own.

Our tomato plants are huge, and the tomatoes hang on the vines like huge bunches of grapes. We have beans growing so quick that we can't eat them or give them away fast enough. So there is nothing else to do
but to freeze the beans and start to think about making some Tomato Relish as the tomatoes get a bit riper, or, perhaps some Green Tomato Relish, if someone has a recipe for Green Tomato Relish I would love it.
This afternoon I started to prepare the beans for the freezer. I will have to do some more tomorrow, as they seem to be growing overnight.
And of course there will be bean salad with our dinner tonight, together with tomatoes, fresh basil, loads of olive oil and black pepper.

Family History Journal -The Sounds of Love

This topic did get me thinking, and I would have to say that the "Sounds of Love" that mean the most to me would have to be the sounds of my family when we are all together.  I love my family, and even more I love when we are all together. The noise is unbelievable, as we all talk and laugh at once and catch up.

Because we don't see each other all that often it makes it that much more special when we are together.

The worst thing to do at a family get together  is to come along feeling down in the dumps, because we just do not do "grumpy". So, below are some photos from a few of the get togethers that we have had over the years. I just wish there was a few videos with sound so that you could all hear how much we love each other.

Happy Valentine's Day

Some hearts made from toast.......

A cute little love poem.......                             Some rose petals from the garden.....

                                  Happy Valentine's Day breakfast      xoxoxo

Family History Journal - Best Things in Life are FREE!

I LOVE Skype..  It's free and means that every week we can link up with our daughter Evette in the U.S.A.,  and have a Nana and Poppa catch-up with Emma and Lucca. This is a wonderful time for us to talk to Evette and see how her week has been, as well as getting to do all sorts of fun things with Emma and Lucca.

Over the years we have developed special "Skype" only games, read books together, played "Barbie" dolls, watched dance moves, sung numerous songs and best of all we get to see how Emma and Lucca are growing and changing on a weekly basis. I can't imagine what it would have been like if we did not have Skype.

Afternoon Sewing Project - Cute Little Skirt

What do you do when Hubby has gone to watch Motorbike Racing and it's a hot Summer afternoon?  Too hot for gardening,  too hot to cook or bake anything. I guess I could grab a book and go read under the shade of a tree, but I already did that yesterday, and even a shady tree can't stop the humidity. So there's nothing else for it but to get into the sewing room and make something. At least with all the windows open it's cool.

Check out the blog site "Made"  on my blog list. I downloaded the tutorial for this cute little skirt from that and with some fabric remnants I purchased off the internet ,  I was set.  It was so much fun to put together, the tutorial is easy to follow, and I couldn't contain my excitement as it all came together.

I love it and can hardly wait to make the next one.

Waitangi Day - New Zealand - Celebrating our nation

Today is our Nations day, a day to celebrate being a New Zealander  (aka: Kiwi) and to acknowledge the diverse range of cultures that make up our beautiful country.

Personally, it is a time for me to reflect on my own culture. My Great-grandparents, Grandparents and my Dad immigrated from Croatia to New Zealand, in the 1920's and 30's. In those early days the men would leave their homeland and their families behind to come to a new country, that they knew nothing about, and with no knowledge of  the English language, either written or spoken. The vast majority of them found work in the gumfields in Northland and once they found work, and saved up enough money they would send for the rest of the family. I can't even imagine what it must have been like living in those harsh conditions.

I am very proud of  the past generations who made that journey from Croatia to New Zealand,  to start a new life. I am proud of how hard they worked to make a life for their families.

In this photo are my maternal Klinac family, they are from back left to right:

Baba ( Croatian for grandmother) Klinac, Rita Labb guest at the Hotel, Annie Klinac (my Mother) and next to her Aunty Mary.

In front  left to right:

Steve (Stipe) Pervan (my Dad),  Dida (Croatian for Grandfather)  Tony Klinac  and in front of him my fav Uncle Tony. Missing from this photo is Uncle George, who may have been behind the camera.

This photo was taken in Palmerston North.

Family History Journal - Simple Pleasures

I love Fridays, not only because it's the end of the week and the beginning of a weekend, but because of the simple pleasures that Friday brings.

Fish and Chip Friday, we have in our house, a non-cooking night of the week and it is usually Friday. In fact here in New Zealand it is sort of a tradition that the end of the week is take away night. So the first of my simple pleasures is knowing that when I get home on Friday night I don't have to cook.

I work full-time, and my job is deadline driven and very busy, so by the end of the week after working on two newspapers, going to the gym three times a week, two nights of Taekwon-do and cooking dinner every night all I really want to do once I get home is to get out of my work clothes and into "MY JIM -JAMS" (pyjamas for the foreigners). Oh the pure joy of it, I can't describe the feeling of absolute relaxation that comes over me once my "JIM-JAMS" are on. Summer or Winter it doesn't matter it always feels the same. There is, however, one more thing that makes my Friday even better and that is when my Next magazine subscription arrives. If it arrives mid-week then I make myself wait until Friday so that I can really enjoy it.

So my ULTIMATE simple pleasure is Friday night, fish & chips on my plate, Next magazine in hand just Chillin' Out in my JIM JAMS. I can hardly wait until tomorrow, cos guess what? my Next magazine arrived today and here it is just waiting for me to read it, fish & chips and all.

Enjoy