My name is Charlotte, sometimes known as Ms Lottie, occasionally as The Slightly Mad Quilt Lady. This is my blog, where you'll find me writing a lot about my quilting and textile arts and a little about my family's life in a small seaside town in New Zealand. Haere mai!

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Quiet Moments

I'm off to night duty tonight.  People often comment on how hard doing night shifts must be.  And they are right - it sucks to lever my body out of bed at 10.30 pm after an hour or so of snoozing and head off to work.  And yes, you are pretty tired the next day.  But I also privately savour night duty.  It's quiet, there is often not much to do and my children aren't with me.

That last one sounds a bit mean, but anyone who's been a parent knows how precious some quiet, kid-free time can be!  Mental rest and recuperation.

And I figure I deserve a little mental R and R.  We took six little kids down to Whangarei (an hours drive) yesterday to play LaserTag for my son's eighth birthday.  (I have to let you know that I bet the pants off my husband - just saying!).  After we had played LaserTag and had a snack, we found the best playground near the Marina, next to Reyburn House.  If you are ever in the area, take a look.  There is a huge rope climbing frame and lots of whirling, twirling equipment that made me a bit motion sick just looking at them, but the kids loved it.





If it's busy at work, it's quite satisfying.  Time goes fast and I know that the work I do as a midwife is important and meaningful.  If it's quiet, then I can get my list of jobs done uninterrupted and then settle down to some serious quilting.  Occasionally I'll read a book - sometimes I can almost finish a book in a night, but usually I go 'blurry' at about 4 am.

I've been stitching a few artist trading cards in my recent quiet moments.  I put together a couple of little bags with some scraps, threads, bits and pieces and needles and it's interesting to see what comes together.  Then when I get home to my machine, I can back them and edge stitch them to finish.


So now I'm off to bed for my precious couple of hours.  Think of me when you go to bed tonight - I'll just be getting up!

6 comments:

  1. I love your card's, I keep thinking of having a go.

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  2. I thought you'd have lots of babies born in the wee small hours to keep you busy, but obviously not this time. Glad you can get some sewing done and a break from your kids, I understand that totally!

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  3. Have you not been to that playground before? The best bit is spinning the kids in the off-centre seats, then getting the kids to walk, or rather, try to walk. Just as well it has a spongy flooring!

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  4. I do remember those quiet times sans kids with pleasure! It's great you have a fun hobbby you can do in those quiet hours. Laser tag and the playground sound like a perfect children's holiday outing.

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  5. Our kids are so big now that we are lucky if we score even an hour of evening time to ourselves and somehow, daytime hours are just not the same as there is always something you 'should' be doing.

    viv

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  6. From one who does the night shift too......I hear you! and so agree with your comments. Yes 4 am is the hour I start to 'flag' if it's not busy..! I don't usually get much down time but always take my book to read just in case.
    We visit that playground in Whangarei whenever we are there with D. He loves climbing up that rope frame! The marina area is one of my favourite spots. Also further up from Reyburn house is the park with the sculptures, have you been there? Sometimes we stop there for a picnic.
    cheers Bridget

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