Month in Review :: December 2009
December in review

Books and/or magazines I read:

  • The first three books of the Twilight Series (Twilight, New Moon & Eclipse) (again)

  • "Breathless" by Dean Koontz

  • "The Law of Nines" by Terry Goodkind

  • Creating Keepsake's December issue

Movies, television shows, plays, etc I watched:

  • New Moon (again, with Tamie)

  • Notting Hill (a couple of times, because it has come on Austar)

  • not much else, other than some old, turn on while doing stuff, movies

Fun things did I do with family and/or friends:

  • MRC Social Club Christmas Party at the MECC

  • A Christmas get-together with the Gordons and Kirsty & Luke

  • Council's afternoon Christmas party at Queens Park

  • Aikido Christmas party at Neil's place

  • A Christmas get-together with the Krolls at our place

  • Brunch with Grandma at the Lagoon's Cafe

  • Lunches with Bev and Kirsty

  • A Christmas get-together with Leah, Justin, Josh & Ally

  • A great (but too short) time away at Tamie and Daniel's

  • A day trip to North Stradbroke to see Bryde and Matt

  • Christmas day with my whole family together for the first time in over 6 years

  • Spending New Year's Eve with Bryde & Matt and Emma & Andrew

Best meal or food eaten in the past month:

  • Aroncini (Risotto) Balls, Tamie and I made for made for Christmas lunch

  • followed very closely by the Canoli & Tiramisu Tamie made for Christmas lunch

  • OK, lets just say the whole of Christmas lunch

Gifts I gave and/or received:

  • Best Christmas present I received was my Pandora bracelet (from Jason), and the beads for it (from Jason, Grandma, Tamie, Imelda & Frank, and the Gordons)

  • I gave Jason the complete seasons of Buffy on DVD, and season 3 of Veronica Mars (which never came to TV in Australia)

Special or unusual purchases I made:

  • Mum and Dad didn't want to exchange presents this year, but after finding a lego set of a caravan/motorhome, I couldn't resist. The idea was that they could put it together and then give it to Fletcher

The most challenging thing I did:

  • Swim in the ocean at North Stradbroke, with fire jellies and all

Something I learned or tried for the first time:

  • Looking after a 6 month old for a span of 2 hours (including changing nappy, feeding him a bottle, feeding him solids, and entertaining him)

The best advice I gave or received:

  • Kirsty's advice on changing baby's nappies (only do it if you are the baby's guardian at that time. ie if the parents are there, they do it)

Anything else noteworthy:

  • Christmas with my family went off with out any of the expected drama (mostly anyway)

  • We had our Kearney family photo shoot, and I can't wait to see the results

One thing I would like to repeat:


  • the day on Stradbroke Island was great, and I'd love to spend a longer amount of time there

Something I’d prefer to erase:

  • The flight to Brisbane and back again (I'm not getting any better at flying with practice)

Training summary:


  • I choose to not record any training or weights this month. Let's just say it's not good.

Things to aim for next month:


  • Determine my goals for 2010 (read 'goals' not 'resolutions')

  • Get back into a routine of exercise and eating well

Note to Self:

  • "If you can walk you can dance, if you can talk you can sing" - an old Zimbabwe saying

At this point in my life:

  • I am … appreciating the good things in life

  • I need to change … my all-or-nothing approach to everything

  • I can … not wait until Tamie, Daniel & Fletcher come up to visit us in June/July holidays

  • I deserve … some time to create

  • I know … that I have the cutest nephew ever (for evidence, refer photo below)

  • I am thankful for … some really great friends

  • I am looking forward to ... setting some goals for 2010, and then trying to achieve them

Favorite photo:

Nothing depicts the joy of Christmas more than this.

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week in focus :: Sun 20th Dec to Sat 26th Dec
Woke up on Sunday morning to the sounds of Fletcher gurgling away in his cot. After a quick (or relatively so) walk with Jason, we lazed around the house, before heading out to lunch at Angel Cafe. Tamie went for a spill out the front and grazed all one leg and arm, which meant the poor thing was hobbling for the rest of the day. After leaving Daniel and Fletcher at home, Tamie, Jason and I braved the crowds at Grand Central, only to find there wasn't many last minute shoppers. We bought some stocking stuffers headed home, before heading out to see New Moon again (and again with out Daniel). Jason was not impressed with the pervy or 'Team Edward' comments throughout the movie (by Tamie and her work friend), but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

On Monday Tamie and I bought some decorations for their new tree, which Daniel had cut down and bought home that morning (don't ask where he got it, and I won't have to tell you). In the afternoon, we went for our family photo shoot (sans Ben), and it went a lot better than I thought it would. Can't wait to see the results. Fletcher was a bit grumpy towards the end, but I think there were a few nice shots of their little family (hope so anyway).

Tuesday saw Jason and I driving back into Brisbane and catching a water taxi across to North Stradbroke Island, where Bryde and Matt spend their Christmas. The island was much bigger than I thought it would be, with heaps of things to do and see. In the one day we managed to pack in:
  • an ocean swim (probably only my third in my whole life, ending abruptly when Matt thought he had been stung by a fire jelly)
  • fish and chips eaten on a picnic blanket overlooking the spot where Bryde's print had been painted
  • a walk around the gorge (saw dolphins, turtles, and possibly a shark)
  • the best gelato I've tasted in a very long time, and
  • a paddle across Brown Lake on a rescue board (well Jason and Matt did that, while the girls watched)
After a fair bit of sunburn (on my part), Jason and I braved the water taxi back to Cleveland, just missing the major storm. We did see quite a few lightening bolts hit the mainland on our way back.

Instead of heading back to Toowoomba the same day, we stayed at LastMinute.com's secret 5-star hotel, which turned out to be the Sebel Suites in Brisbane's CBD, and coincedently where Ben was also staying for the night. I don't think I've stayed anyway so grand, especially for the 1-star price we paid.

Wednesday we headed back to Toowoomba (with Ben) and started preparations for Christmas Day. I took Ben shopping for all of his Christmas gifts (nothing like leaving things until the last minute), and Tamie started cooking. Thursday was much the same, with Tamie the chief-cook, and me, the chief-present wrapper. Is it a little sad that I even had to wrap my own present. Apparently Ben doesn't wrap things...
For Christmas Day we started at Daniel's family's place in Pittsworth, and after getting home, started opening the plethora of presents. My favourite present was a new Pandora bracelet (from Jason), along with beads for it, from Jason's parents, Tamie, Emma and Grandma. I also scored a boardgame (from Ben), two Smiggle mechanical pencils (from Tamie and Jason - great minds think alike), some fudge, and a cute Fletcher desk calendar.
As predicted, the italian-themed feast for lunch, was a hit, with no tummy going hungry. In fact, most tummies, were full-to-exploding. My favourite was the strawberry and chocolate filled canoli, closely followed by the aracini (deep fried risotto) balls. I'm kicking myself that I didn't take any photos of the food. Too busy getting photos of Fletcher, I suppose.
On Boxing Day we did brave the crowds at Grand Central, only to find there were no crowds, and disappointingly no specials. I did pick up a few treats from Smiggle, including a decorative scissor set, a wall planner, and a cute turtle-looking usb hub (I know I'm a nerd at heart). The rest of the week was spent chil-axing, which wasn't hard to do in the dreary, foggy, rainy weather of Toowoomba.

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book review :: Breathless

For our Christmas holiday in Toowoomba I had planned to start reading the Millenium trilogy, on Caitie's recommendation. I did start the first book, but just couldn't get into it (sorry Caitie). Perhaps I'll start when I get home...

Hungry for something to read, I bought Dean Koontz's latest "Breathless", and ripped through it in a couple of days. I haven't read any of his work since I was in my early twenties, and now I'm wondering why. It was a compelling storyline, and an intricate weave of stories of individual characters, leading to the last couple of chapters, where it all came together.

Bordering on the science fiction, but very much maintaining realistic themes, it was a little unlike other Koontz novels I have read. I will definitely be looking out for more of his work when trying to detach myself from those vampire novels...


Star Rating :: 3.5 out of 5

Book details from Fishpond:

"New York Times"-bestselling author Koontz delivers a thrilling novel of suspense and adventure, in this story of a world where good itself is an endangered species and one man will risk his life--and more--to save it from extinction.

Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 0553807153
EAN: 9780553807158
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week in focus :: Sun 13th Dec to Sat 19th Dec
This week it's all about trying to get everything done, that needs to be done, before leaving for Toowoomba. The hope was that things would be a little less social, to allow that to happen. As usual, things don't always work out the way you plan.
Our new desk finally arrived, but it took over an hour to pick it up from Amart. Setting it up meant that I was distracted from other things that really did need to be done this week. Can't say I was worried about that though, when I sat back and admired the new, clean and organised desk, that now matches with the other lounge furniture. I'm going to wait until we get back, before setting up the new bookshelf. Not sure quite where to set that up yet, so a bit more thinking time won't be a bad thing.
The Gordon's entrusted me to take their family Christmas photo on Sunday afternoon. After a few cheesy grins, yawns, chewing of dresses, we managed to get a couple of nice ones. I also managed to take a few candid shots of Charlie, which I am really happy with. I used my new 50mm f2.0 macro lens to take these shots, and am really impressed with how they turned out. Being a semi-professional lens, with a much larger apeture capability, the depth of field is excellent. I also used an external flash for these shots, with it pointed at the ceiling for a reflected light, rather than direct 'blinding' light.

Our present exchange with the Gordons netted me another bead for my Pandora bracelet, and a beautiful canvas Emma made up for us, with the words Kroll, and 'live, laugh, love'. I think it might find it's home above our canvas gallery. We gave Charlie a shopping trolley and plastic food, which went down a treat. I wanted to give each of them a guardian angel figurine, like I have done for each of our nephews, but the shop I usually buy them from was all out, so I bought them a 'brother and sister' figurine instead.
Just when we thought the Christmas dinners were over, Leah organised a fantastic Christmas get together at her place on Monday night. Having the day off meant that she cooked a ham with all the trimmings, baked merengues, marinated strawberries, decorated, and bought bon bons and egg nog. Time with these guys is always fun and relaxing. The next dinner party is scheduled for our place, in early January, with a mexican theme!

Met both Bev and Kirsty for lunch at Sorbellos (on separate days). Can't get enough of that pumpkin and pinenut ravioli.

Gate crashed Aurecon's Christmas drinks.
Went for lunch (yes, again) with the staff of Technical Services, to Pacinos. Apparently a yearly tradition, and one I can definitely get on board with.

Made our way down to Toowoomba for Christmas.

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from the studio :: Cards and Presents #1
Getting back into some creating this week, mainly out of necessity. With the arrival of baby Gordon, Christmas a matter of weeks away, and a couple of birthdays, any creating has been very goal orientated.

Firsty, a baby card for the Gordons:
I love this little knitted soft toy that I picked up from Pillow Talk, that I'm actually giving to Fletcher for Christmas.

Finally, a few sneak peaks of an album I have put together for a Christmas present:

I hope (and doubt) that the recipient will see these photos, and I'll post more photos after the gift has been given.

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week in focus :: Sun 6th Dec to Sat 12th Dec
Whew, what a busy week! We have had something on every day, and in between, I've been trying to prepare for Christmas in Toowoomba.
Sunday we did nothing but lay back and watch movies, recuperating from the Christmas party the night before. Later in the afternoon, I managed to emerge from the house, to visit the Gordons, cuddle with baby Angus and muck around with Charlie.

Finally decided on what to spend my Aurecon going-away gift voucher on, and took home a very beautiful, and very red, jewelery case.

Participated in our department's Secret Santa. Came away with some sweet-smelling body wash, and thankful that I didn't end up with a gag gift. I think I'm too new for them to start paying out on. Memorable gifts to others included Killer and his platform thongs, John and his toy helicopter, Tracey and her re-gifted book, and the young surveyor and her loaf of bread with vegemite.

Organised the printing of my Christmas present tags at Healthpoint, and wrapped all the Kroll family presents.

Dinner with the Roberts and Gordons, where my nickname changed from 'Ony' to 'Hoey'. Do not know what prompted that, and I can't say I'm happy with the change. I was just getting used to 'Ony'. It was hard to be upset though with Charlie's little face pleading up at me "Come on Hoey, let's go shopping". Angus was so sweet and cuddly. The baskins icecream for dessert was great, since I haven't had it in ages (at least that's what it feels like).

Council Christmas party down at Queens Park, for the whole of Thursday afternoon. Plenty of beers (a lot more than the 4 vouchers we each received), swapping of earrings (don't ask), and lots of laughs. This was then followed up by the Aikido Christmas get-together at Neil's, from which Jason had to drive because his wife had had one to many during the afternoon...

Friday night was the Kroll family Christmas present exchange. Karen and Daniel bought some crabs, and we picked up some Sorbellos pizzas and Baskins for desert (yes, for the second time this week). Just that couple of hours with Jason's nephews have set back any desires I had of having children. While the evening went off without a hitch, I can't say it was relaxing. Reed loved his Thomas the Tank Engine tent. Jason and I scored quite a few pressies, including movie tickets and gift cards. Imelda and Frank bought me a bead for my Pandora bracelet, but I've decided to wait, and open it on Christmas day. Karen bought me Twilight perfume. No, not in any way related to the books or movies, but the one 'developed' by Sarah Jessica Parker. In any case it is very nice.

Saturday morning we had breakfast with Grandma at the Lagoons Cafe, and checked out my photo in the Creative Shots photo exhibition. I'm pretty chuffed that it's displayed, as I'm sure Tamie is chuffed at having a photo of her on display.

I dropped in briefly to catch up with the girls from Weight Watchers, for coffee. After a bit of negotiation, Ben finally decided he would come down to Toowoomba, and I booked his flights. After an afternoon of doing mostly nothing, and reading the Twilight books, we were set for an early night, but Justin and Josh decided to pop over for some drinks.


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week in focus :: Sun 29th Nov to Sat 5th Dec
The start of the Christmas season has meant an escalation in things to do, places to be, and projects to finish. This week has also been funny, in a way, learning the fesive traditions of my new employer and co-workers. You can't say that council workers don't know how to party!
As more of a record for myself, I've decided, in addition to a regular 'month in review' post, that I would try a 'week in review' post. The weekly post will have more of a visual nature, though. That's the plan at least.

So, here is what we got up to this week:
Fulfilling this diva dog's every wish.....

Meeting sweet, adorable Angus

Re-reading the greatest series of books...ever

Chillaxing on the couch

The end of the Polly Waffle...can you believe it?
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review :: NEW MOON!

I can't believe it has taken me this long to post this review! Jason and I saw it over a week ago now, and I've been counting down til I am able to go see it again (with Tamie over Christmas). It was so much better than the first movie, which came as a great relief. I had many issues with the first movie, mainly that the storyline was very disjointed, and don't even get me started on the 'meadow' scene.

New Moon, however, was much better, more blockbuster, and more true to the book. A couple of the scenes were moved around a bit, but they were there, at least. The werewolves were excellent, but my favourite character (besides Edward and Bella) was Aros, of the Volturi. He was excellent. The movie actually made me empathise with Jacob a little more. I even caught myself hoping Bella would return his feelings, but then I woke up to myself and jumped back to 'Team Edward'. It was impossible not to, with those heart-breaking stares, and swoon-worthy, romantic lines.

I strongly recommend this movie, to other Twilight fans, and to those who haven't read the book, who I think will equally enjoy it.

PS. Caitie, if you haven't already given in and seen it, go now!
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Weekly Challenge #48
This is my first weekly challenge post for Log Your Memory, and the topic is:

"How do you relax?"

journalling reads:

I don't have very much trouble relaxing. Whenever I am stressed or overwhelmed, I usually just try and sleep it off. Not the best method out there, because the stressors are usually still there when I wake up, but it seems to work for me. Sometimes stress makes it easier for me to get the job done, rather than procrastinating. Sometimes stress stops me from doing the job altogether. Even when I am not stressed, I still like to have nanny naps on the weekend. I have found, as I've gotten older, that they are becoming less frequent, although Jason may point out otherwise. My favourite naps are during winter, when it's chilly, and gives me a reason to pull out a blanket/doona and snuggle on the couch with either Jessie or Sam. Sam, I think, loves the blankets even more-so than I do. A nanny nap goes especially well with a good chick flick, which I hardly ever see all the way through.
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inspired :: randomness
A few random things that inspired me this week:

this quote from MCP Actions Blog and their post of 300 photography tips:

Without knowing your destination, you may never reach it. But without having a destination you may go places that you never dreamed possible…

some amazing examples of canvas arrangements:


Nicole Southworth's bold use of red cardstock:


and a way to keep your christmas cards and memorbilia (thought this could apply for whole year):
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November Monthly Roundup
November in review

This is the first of what will (hopefully) be a monthly post, as part of the Log Your Memory journalling I will be doing for 2010. Rather than trying to make it a new year's resolution, I've decided to start early. So on to the roundup...

Books and/or magazines I read:
  • Dan Brown's "The Lost Symbol"
  • tried to read this god-awful book about an Aussie vampire/were/shifter (not good)
  • Creating Keepsake's November issue
  • a couple of USA/Canada tour pamphlets
Movies, television shows, plays, etc I watched:
  • New Moon
  • True Blood
  • Zoolander (yet again)
  • Castle
  • Medium
Fun things did I do with family and/or friends:
  • Dinner at Kirsty & Luke's new house (with Emma, Andrew & Charlie)
  • Photography workshop on studio lighting
  • End of year Creative Shots Photography Club meeting (Jason came along and tried to do some macro photography with his iPhone)
  • Get Scrapped Getaway
  • Artspace Lunchbox Tour "Waters Edge" with Leah
  • Harrup Park with the Krolls and Mary & Robert
Best meal or food eaten in the past month:
  • Strawberries dipped in chocolate (at Kirsty & Luke's)
Gifts I gave and/or received:
  • Purchased almost all of our christmas presents
Special or unusual purchases I made:
  • I had a great idea for Jason's christmas present, I just hope he likes it
The most challenging thing I did:
  • Adjusting to using 12d (after 14 years of CivilCAD), at work
Something I learned or tried for the first time:
  • Using studio lighting, at the photography workshop
The best advice I gave or received:
  • Emma and Jason's ideas for presents for the Krolls
Anything else noteworthy:
  • Angus David Gordon arrived 29th November
  • Linda & Lee moved into their new house at Marian
One thing I would like to repeat:
  • seeing New Moon, on the big screen
Something I’d prefer to erase:
  • My increasing back and neck pain

Training summary:

  • Total No. of Walks or Walks/Runs - 19
  • Total Distance - 64.09km
  • Fastest Average Pace - 9:07min/km
  • Weight - 78.0kg max. and 76.9kg min.
  • Overall Weight Loss for Month - 0.3kg

Things to aim for next month:

  • Minimum 30 minutes of training each day
  • Enjoy the christmas period
Note to Self:
  • Take your camera and take photos!
At this point in my life:
  • I am … getting better at keeping up with housework
  • I need to change … my thoughts on food
  • I can … re-read Twilight, now that I've seen New Moon (self-imposed restriction)
  • I deserve … a relaxing christmas
  • I know … changing employers was a good decision
  • I am thankful for … the safe arrival of Angus Gordon
  • I am looking forward to ... christmas at Tamie & Daniel's (probably not conducive to three dot-points above)
Favorite photo:

This really large dragonfly spent a couple of days inside our lounge room, until I was able to get him through one of the front windows (with great difficulty).


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inspired :: HDR Photography

Stuck in Customs is a fantastic travel photography blog. Most (if not all) of the images he posts (and there is at least 1 per day) are using the HDR technique, of overlaying multiple exposures of the same photo. This blog not only inspires me to try this technique, but also ignites my desire to travel. In particular check out his description of HDR photography here. This page has some of his best work.
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New Moon Is Here!

You may / may not notice that the New Moon countdown widget has been removed from the side bar. That's because it's here! I can't wait to see it, but J & I have decided to hold off until the end of next week, when the teeny-bopper crowds have dispersed.
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inspired :: Log Your Memory

I can't remember whose blog put me onto this product, but I have found it very inspiring, and can't wait to use it. The product is Memory Logbook, sold by Log Your Memory, and it can be purchased as a download-able file, or a pre-printed book posted to you.

It's a journal, sketch pad, idea book and scrapbook planner. The list of features (from their website) are:
  • Monthly & daily calendars, to jot down your activities.
  • Space to document daily memories, jot down ideas, or create lists.
  • Your own personal “Story List” so you can track those pages & stories you know you want to share but haven’t had a chance to create yet.
  • Weekly pages for sketching layout ideas.
  • Weekly challenge questions to get creative juices flowing & help you tell the “real” story of your life.
  • Examples of “real life” scrapbook layouts for added inspiration.
  • Annual & monthly questionnaires to help track how life changes over a year.
  • Monthly worksheets for documenting family holidays, plus extra pages for birthdays and other celebrations.
  • A handy list of 2011 holidays, plus a place to jot down birthdays and other important family dates.
I've purchased the download-able PDF version, and being a realist, I'm aware that I won't be able to keep up with some of the daily stuff, but I am coming up with a bit of a plan to put some of these ideas in practice. Particularly inspiring to me is the weekly challenges.

If you're looking for a relatively easy way to document your day-to-day life, I strongly suggest you check out their site.
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book review :: The Crimson Rooms

This novel was recommended a few months back in Notebook magazine. I thought the story line looked interesting, and a little different to the books I've been reading lately.

It is set in the 1920's, when women were trying to find their way professionally, and release their ties to remaining in the home, at least until they were married. The main character is trying to do just that, by studying and practicing as a lawyer, but trying to overcome the chauvanistic attitudes of her colleagues, all the while trying to solve a murder case and save children from a child's home.

Being over 30 during that period, she has pretty much resigned herself to the fact that she'll never be married, but the story does bring in a love interest. The book also deals with the aftermath of the first world war, and its
effect on her family.

In general the book was pretty good. It was well written, and even though the middle was a little slow, the pace towards the end made up for that.

Star Rating :: 3 out of 5
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book review :: The Lost Symbol

The latest Dan Brown novel, was as I expected, pretty darn good. I am amazed at the obvious amount of research that goes into his novels, and the level of intracacy and detail. Even though the reader is told upfront what is factual, and thereby, what is not, you can't help but go away thinking "yes, that could be true". I have no doubt, that conspiracy theorists would love this book.

Being based in Washington DC, I was especially interested for our US trip (over another year away), and consequently have added a couple more 'must visits' to our list.

My only issue with Dan Brown's books that involve the Robert Langdon character, is now, since the movies have been released, when I read the book, I picture Tom Hanks. I was not impressed with his casting in the movie role, and I am even less impressed that I can't picture anyone else as the character.

Star Rating :: 4 out of 5
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inspired :: not that much
I just haven't been feeling that inspired lately. This could be because of a number of reasons:
  • I have been sick with the flu and feeling down-right mopey
  • No access to gmail at my new job, means I am blog hopping in my own time, and therefore a lot more picky about what I read, and
  • October in the US, means Halloween. I have nothing against their Halloween celebrations, but I am a little over all the spooky-themed craft. Now I'm worried that their Thanksgiving season is approaching....
All that being said, I have found a couple of cute/interesting items.

A lesson in teamwork:


OK, so this is halloween related, but I couldn't resist:


The following were some amazing photos emailed to me. They are some of National Geographic's best photos of the year:


and finally for something not so animal related, Little Box of Ideas has put together a series of 43 Typography themed wallpapers. Here are a couple of my favourites:


for the drafter in me:


and aren't there days like this:

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