Geoff and I were talking the other day about how since we got married 2 and a half years ago we have:

• Lived in three different houses
• Moved from the East to the North (of Melbourne)
• Geoff has had 3 jobs (Including a career change)
• I have had 3 jobs (plus freelancing)
• I have completed my uni degree
• Geoff has been on teaching intensive and has also done some additional study at Tabor
• Two family weddings
• Two family funerals
• Overseas trip to the Solomons
• Three churches (YVV, Ranges, Missio Dei)

Not all these things have been bad, infact on the whole they’ve been a step in a direction toward the better. But we are fairly tired and are both looking forward to some kind of vague stability for a while.

So here we are. Perhaps we’ll have a holiday in New Zealand later in the year, but besides that we’re probably staying put even if you try to drag us. Lets think about actually living for a while.

For Christmas Geoff bought me From Sometimes which is a conceptual book of postcards. I am inspired to find a mechanism to write down small things.

I truly love the new Imogen Heap CD Ellipse. Here is a youtube clip of ‘Wait it Out‘, do listen.

“You will have to manage without pocket-handkerchiefs, and a good many other things, before you get to the journey’s end.”

I am in the midst of a terribly crazy last week (now) of packing to move. Geoff is on his intensive and I have plenty of other things I have to do as well as things I would like to do but don’t have time for. It’s not exactly the most relaxing of Christmas Holidays but then again not all of them have ever been that relaxing. Thus the absence of things like Illustration Friday (which will resume when things settle down) and the low to none content on this blog.

I have also had my first interview – which I think went quite well, although I don’t think the job is really quite what I’m looking for. It would in many ways be easier if I don’t get it, but we shall see.

This lack of understanding compounding
my tiny brain.

How can I understand a child
before I am a mother
How can I understand a man
so dimly tangible

God man.
Jesus.

Help me find you through your birth

This frailty a point more clear
and at our mercy to choose
day in, day out
-too often I do not choose

Help me to choose
The word
Who has become flesh
and dwelt among us
while you seem more near
(Or at least while you are smaller)

You can follow his progress/journey on Son of a Teacher Man

This leaves me at home. I get to see him on weekends (half of Saturday if I’m lucky) and at very least tonight I went into the city and had dinner with him – most nights classes go until like 8pm. In my ideal little world this is not how things happen, I’d rather be in the same house as him, or be able to hang out with him a few more evenings than I can, but it is two three week blocks and pretty important. (Okay it sucks). Thank goodness it all sounds so incredible or I’d be thoroughly pissed off.

Will be glad when it’s over. Keeping myself busy with catching up with people, Christmas shopping, loads of freelance design work, job hunting and packing (when I actually get to packing). Moving in less than three weeks. It’s all a bit psycho in a really mosey kind of way – in that I probably haven’t thought about it enough to be bothered…

You haven’t got *good Christmas music if you don’t own Songs for Christmas – Sufjan Stevens. I particularly like how little credit he gives to Jingle Bells. It’s a super cd. Peace: Songs for Christmas, Vol. V (recorded June 2006) is my favourite of the five volumes. It has the the three best songs: Holy, Holy, Holy | Sister Winter | Star of Wonder.

*(If you have Handels Messiah you might be doing alright but you should vary it up with some Sufjan goodness anyway)

Pleased to report that we have our housing sorted for next year! We will potentially see if we can get out of our current lease a little bit early but might have to play that one by ear. If that’s the case we’ll can potentially move around the Christmas period. Which could be a bit crazy, but considering the whole of November through January is going to be totally out of whack with Geoff on intensive and me job hunting and everything else, I’ve decided that a little bit more of crazy wont make much difference. I am looking forward, oddly, to sorting through our crap and whittling everything down before moving. I intend to be ruthless.

And while I’m talking about houses, check out:

The Clingstone House. Oh my gosh it’s awesome!

I have a few endeavors floating around in my head – that involve making things:

• The first is to have a go at some more painting – something less abstract.
• To dry felt (which I have not done, but have seen done and it looks simple enough) a moe onto a grey felt laptop case – which I will also make. I’m not a huge fan of most dry felting (in how it looks) but this idea works in my head.
• To finally get hold of my dad’s electric sander so I can finish the pallet coffee table
• Learn how to knit better i.e. quickly and nicely enough to make something worth keeping

I really rather enjoy trying new things, making things, growing things, changing things. Would love, love, love to do a short illustration course, but not sure where to find one that lines up with what I want to do. All the uni short-courses are about traditional line drawing people and portraits and I just want to do the err, cutesy stuff.

• I also need to make becmatheson.com look more presentable and update the hell out of it
• Write more (of calibre and not just blog entries)
• A bookbinding course would also be fun, and useful!

Other exciting things happening to indulge myself are that Cat and I and who knows who else are starting a book club based on that plethora of Penguins. I am quite excited. Although not sure how I’ll go talking about books as my short term memory is appalling. Notes Rebecca. Notes.

Things I will probably never get into:

• Quilting/Patchwork (sorry ladies, I’m just not a fan – except of the very very traditional ones and then only rare cases, most of them look naff)
• Tapestry/Needlework
• Making my own clothes – I could be convinced, but I’d doubt I’d have the patience
• Cross-stitch – had my stint of this when I was younger, now it’s like pixelly pictures but WAY less cool.

Inspired by Jon Huck’s marvellous breakfast series. I also have the flu of some kind (Swine? Yay? Nay? Don’t care?), it’s charming. I really admire conceptual work like this. And yes, I did only have a cup of tea for breakfast, because  woke up at almost 11am and the cup of tea/coffee is a pretty much the standard routine anyway. And yes I am rather annoyed I missed the rest of Wimbeldon after I gave it a small sleepy stab. But really, 4 hours of tennis when all you want to do is sleep or cough or wallow with a sore throat is not the perfect combination. Pleased Fedderer won.