we got 'em

easter came early this year, and with it came a two day trek to the sydney royal easter show to play flyball. the royal competition is a big one, lots of teams usually, and draws a huge crowd. possums team, the st george phoenix, were in division one, up against the same teams we raced with at the nationals. remember that whole roger federa thing, and how you can come first but then end up second etc. anyway, we raced them again. this time we beat them. we won four out of six races, despite a rather frightening start to the day when our little dog poppi got freaked out by the large and noisy crowd. but she came back, and the team was presented with their winning trophy (which weighs a tonne):

by none other than his eminence dr harry cooper:

gotta be happy with that. we were even happier yesterday when we went back and won again, this time we won six of our six races and ran the fastest time of the day. no trophy for the saturday comp, just a lot of supercoat prizes, and the satisfaction of a job really well done. the other team in our club, the st george dragon slayers, also won their division:

it was great to see them run so well. a great two days all round, although exhausting. trent and possum are still sleeping as i write this!

we got a chance for a quick look at some of the rest of the show. i saw donnas lovely shawl with its second place ribbon (yes the displays were really stupid!) and kris' funky highly commended jumper. well done ladies!

we bought a heap of cheap clothes at the drizabone outlet, and i was a very good girl, i bought only two other things and neither of them junk food showbags. i went down to the fashion pavilion and apart from some tiny skeins of expensive cashmere there was no yarn for sale anywhere. i did however, find me a new handbag at a little stall that i have not seen at the show before. they were selling bags made by the womens skill development project in nepal and i bought this:

it is 100% cotton, hand woven, thick and sturdy and beautifully constructed and a gorgeous bright red! it fits a lot in it too!

i am very pleased to have found something so lovely that is also so socially worthwhile. i also a bought a little bag of goodies:

from these people selling this hand repair lotion stuff, its a mix of sea salt and essential oils and it made my hands all lovely and smooth, and the lavender hand cream is to die for. winter knitting really dries my hands out, so i am now prepared.

on that front, i have decided what i am going to use all my recent stash enhancements for. i have decided that the two gifts from george, the knittery slimsocks in merlot and the knitter merino cashmere in midnight, will become embossed leaves from '25 favourite socks' and yarrow rib socks from 'vintage socks' respectively. the southern summer of socks prize of knittery merino cashmere in moses fire will become the swirly girl socks from yarn number 7. and bells' present of the cherry tree hill in serengeti i think needs to be either thujas or hederas. not sure which yet. as soon as i have finished my fancy silk socks i am going to start with the swirly girls i think. i also still have my blue ranco to make into poms. so much knitting. so little time.

thanks for all the kind thoughts on my post about kindness. i think i am over the introspection now, and will just enjoy my new simple life until something comes along. the jobs i have applied for are lecturers jobs which include the kind of teaching im doing now, so it might not be so bad after all. pure research jobs are hard to find, and lecturing may be a happy compromise. only time will tell.

happy easter everyone. this is what i will be eating:

a bilby. chocolate australian wildlife. yummo.

k xx