The big news this month is that Sarah is moving back to the Sunshine Coast from Hervey Bay. I’ll miss spending time up there (especially in winter when it’s absolutely glorious) but look forward to having her close to home again.
She’ll be renting down here with a friend so we’ve been busy arranging to put the townhouse up there on the market. Fingers crossed it sells quickly.
The weather …
It was a month of two halves:
Queensland – hot, humid, plenty of rain. It really has been the most unrelenting feral summer we’ve had since moving up here.
New Zealand – glorious warm days, cool nights and a blessed lack of humidity. I’ve decided we should relocate for January and February each year but Grant said no.
Anyways, you can check it out below in my temperature blanket progress …
Travel
We spent almost two weeks in New Zealand during February. While we’d booked to do the Queen Charlotte Track, we also took the opportunity to have a better look around some areas we’ve previously only driven through en route to somewhere else and, of course, catch up with my bestie in Wellington. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve visited this fantastic country in the twenty years my bestie has been back there yet each time I find something more to love.
Anyways, keep an eye out for my NZ posts – including a rundown of Queen Charlotte Track – over the next couple of weeks.
Watching …
This month I’ve loved the final series of the brilliant Total Control (ABCTV) – easily the stand-out watch for the month.
I’ve also been beyond excited to find a new series of Midsomer Murders (ABC TV), Father Brown (Britbox) and Changing Rooms (Foxtel/Binge) – an old fave rebooted.
Thanks to Air New Zealand I also finally managed to see what all the fuss was about with Barbie.
Writing
I’ve really been struggling to finish the first draft of this year’s Christmas novel – Christmas at Fountains Hall. It’s a sequel to Escape To Curlew Cottage. I’m running late to get it to my editor but more importantly I want to finish it as I have the next Philly Barker ready to come out of my brain and onto the laptop.
I did, however, receive the first draft of the cover for One For Sorrow – the first in the Whale Bay Mysteries. There’s more to do on this, but what do you think?
Word of the Year – Build
My word of the year is “build” and that means creating habits, structures, and whatever else can’t be done and dusted in a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon.
Last month I told you about the temperature blanket I was building, well, it’s progressing quite well. I’m still doing a crocheted row a day of the daily high, but I’m not loving it as there’s very little differential in temperature so very few changes in colour – in fact most of the last two months have just been dark blue (above 30).
In addition to this, I’m also creating a temperature granny square blanket using the daily highs and lows of wherever I am during the year. I haven’t sewn any together (and am waiting on more of the 30C+ wool colour to arrive in the mail to complete February) so will update you on this next month. I am, however, loving how this is turning out. Even though many of the squares are the same (lows 20-25, highs 30-35), the two weeks in NZ provided some variation.
Also, I finally finished the scarf I was knitting for Grant and have started on a new one. After an absence of about 30 years I’m enjoying crafting again. More importantly, it’s helping with other healthy habits as I’m not reaching for the wine I used to have while watching telly of an evening.
And something else …
During the month I also appeared (is appeared the right word?) as a guest on my friend Sue Loncaric’s podcast. We talked about creativity and following your dreams – and how there’s never a right time. You’ll find it here.
Over to you …
Alrighty, that’s enough from me … what’s been on your calendar this month? Perhaps you’d like to update us on your word of the year or intentions? We’d love to hear about what you’ve been up to…
The linky is below and it’s open for a week…
My co-hosts are:
Deb at Deb’s World
Sue at Women Living Well Over 50
Donna at Retirement Reflections
And Anyways... 
Hi, Jo – I am continually impressed by your endless talents. I learned to crochet in high school but honestly do not think that I could crochet anything now if my life depended on it. Your temperature Crochet Blanket and Granny Square Blankets sound fabulous.
I love the cover for ‘One for Sorrow.’ I am super excited that you are working on a new Christmas novel, and that another Philly book is ready to spill out on your laptop. Awesome!
It’s amazed me how the skill has come back – almost like muscle memory.
An eventful month with travel and writing and a podcast interview. Great news about Sarah – always nice to have them close. Good luck with those words that are stuck — I am looking forward to Philly so hope the other ones steps aside to the editor soon.
I can’t wait to get stuck into my new Philly!
Hi Jo – I just watched a short from an interview on the Graham Norton Show where they were reciting the magpie rhyme (and Cate Blanchett mentioned swooping maggies being scary in Australia and they were all surprised for some reason).
Lovely that Sarah’s moving back closer to home – I’m sure you’ll be arranging mother and daughter weekly catch-ups (at least weekly) like my mum and I do now that she’s moved down to be nearer to us. Enjoy the closeness and I hope the townhouse sells quickly. x
Thanks Leanne … fingers crossed.
Hi Jo, you can’t top the news that Sarah is moving back! How lovely for you and a definitely highlight for February. I enjoyed ‘visiting’ and ‘walking’ with you in NZ and your photos were stunning. We loved Total Control and have seen all 3 seasons. It was a great insight into politics and Deborah Mailman was fabulous. Thanks for being a stunning co-host and have a Marvellous March. xx
Glad you had a lovely time over here! Look forward to your new books.
Thanks … now to finish writing!
Hi Jo, I also loved Total Control and was so impressed with the acting and production – and wonder how much was based on real events and people?
Your NZ trip makes me want to go back there, your photos are fabulous. Great news about Sarah coming back to live nearby, I hope the townhouse sells quickly for you! Great to read what you’ve been up to and I have to say the podcast interview with Sue was great, you really are an inspiration! and a great co-host 🙂
Awwww thanks … you were pretty amazing too. In fact, we were both stunning.
the first image is really stunning. What a beautiful place!
What a gorgeous image, the first photo. And what a beautiful place!
Marina
Thanks … it’s an amazing view from there.
Oh your temp blanket wool would get a work out here! -31 this week up to -18 up to +1 — in 3 days. WT…. Weather is so so weird this winter.
Ours has been so consistent since early December: Days between 29-33C, Nights between 22-25C, Humidity off the charts. If I hadn’t been to New Zealand there’d be no interest in my temperature blanket at all!
We are still wildly swinging around up here! Hm….perhaps a temp quilt in my future?
I try to convince my husband of the same thing; moving during Jan & Feb (in our case I’d like to go south to warm weather and skip the cold) but so far he’s not having any of it! The new book cover looks nice!
My friend is heading away in January next year and I told her I’ll house sit … let’s see if it comes off!
You’ve been busy! One of these days I’d love to visit both Australia and New Zealand.
I haven’t seen any of those shows – including Barbie. Midsomer Murders looks like a lot of fun.
I love the cover for One for Sorrow. It would definitely make me want to open it up if I saw it in a book shop.
You must come! NZ is an amazing country & each time I visit I find more to love.
Looks like you had a full February, Jo. That’s great news about Sarah moving back closer to you. NZ has been on my list to visit for a long time. I love the cover for ‘One for Sorrow.’ Thank you for hosting #WBOYC. Have a wonderful March!
very exciting that your daughter is relocating closer to you! Love your new book cover – excited to read this one and also looking forward to the new Philly that’s brewing. I’m very envious of your trip to NZ – your photos in socials looked amazing and a great achievement to have completed the Queen Charlotte track. A very busy February!
Thanks Janine … I’m so excited to have Sarah close by again.
That Wellington view is gorgeous! And I really like the cover for your book too. Visiting from WBOYC today 🙂
Thanks for visiting Kym…
So pleased to read your news…and that Sarah is moving back closer to family/home. I know someone who did this too…”oh wait” that’s me!
Spreading your creative wings is awesome. I know time moves in different ways (for the good) when I am creating some kind of art.
Go well dear Jo.
LOVE the book cover and name..so coastal and Aussie.
Thank you for the link up.
Denyse
Thanks Denyse … I’m excited she’ll be close again.
I can’t wait for your NZ updates. Also, I’ve heard of the temperature quilts…so interesting. Last year someone brought one in to mail off to a family member and that is the first time I’d heard of them.
The books sound great. I need to get a few ordered.
The temperature blanket sounds like a wonderful idea, although I can see why you’re not loving it if every color is the same. Maybe you could do a project of creating squares based on the temperatures in the locations the people who comment on your blog reside in (high of 10°C here in the eastern Netherlands today).
Now, there’s an idea!
I did a temperature blanket one year where I would do a row per day. I was surprised after some it got so long. Initially it was suppose to be for my kid but it was too big. I still have it. Maybe one day I’ll pass it to her when she’s bigger.
I gave up on the row a day (only because it was all the same colour!) and am now doing squares a day. It’s going to be massive!