Grey day

May referrals are expected soon! Early rumours point to the 12th of January as the cut-off for this batch. This means that people whose LIDs are dated the 10th, 11th and 12th of January, 2006, would be included. This is the second tiny batch in a row, though most people seem to expect small referral batches until the end of the Olympics.

It's not the upbeat, encouraging news I had hoped to read on a chilly, drizzly day, but it does mean more children will be united with their families in the near future.

Room to dance

Wow, my arts & crafts room has never looked so good! It didn't take very long to clear enough floor space to do a waltz! The room is not entirely finished, but in another day or two my sewing table might magically reveal itself, meaning I will no longer have a (semi-)valid excuse for putting off learning how to quilt.

To make a good day even better, I signed up for a Painter X course that will take place this summer. I am really looking forward to this course and to getting back into a creative frame of mind. The last year was all about the paperchase and deadlines, and the years prior to that were spent working on the family business. This is the first time in over a decade that I've had time to spend on my own pursuits. It's a nice feeling!

Quilt squares around the world

The quilt squares have left the building. Hurrah!

It's a tradition for parents who are waiting to adopt from China to make a quilt in advance of their child's arrival. The quilt is called a 100 Good Wishes quilt because the fabric which will make up the quilt is given by 100 friends and family members, each offering a square of fabric and a good wish for the child. Collecting 100 squares isn't necessarily an easy thing to do, so it's common for members of online adoption communities to set up "quilt swap" lists.

And that is precisely what I've just done, except I may be the world's slowest preparer of quilt squares! I have sewn for years, but had no first-hand experience of quilting. Measuring the squares according to each participant's specs, cutting the fabric, assembling the good wish cards and preparing the envelopes for mailing was a little more time-consuming than I'd anticipated. I am looking forward to learning how to put all the lovely squares together into a decorative quilt, once I've decided on a style. I'm told this is a highly effective way to pass time during the wait.

For today, it's a relief knowing the squares are finally on their way to adoptive parents around the world, from the Netherlands to Canada.

One Month

Today marks the one-month anniversary of our LID. I'm not sure whether to feel happy in a "one month down, 35 or so to go" sort of way, or whether to feel sad in a "one month down, 35 or so to go" sort of way, if you know what I mean! But it's early days, and I'm committed to concentrating on the positive aspects of the wait. I have so much to do, and although it doesn't feel like it at this moment, on referral day it will undoubtedly feel like there wasn't nearly enough time to finish everything that needed to be done.

This month's agenda includes a few juicy projects:

• finish a pile of "100 Good Wishes Quilt" squares I've been working on for ages and getting them into the post;


• clear my craft room so I can access my sewing machine;


• start work on my good wishes quilt;


• learn Corel Painter X;


• finish our business accounts (ugh); and


• file our tax returns.

Maybe I should add "discover previously hidden superpowers" to that list? Ha!

Lady in waiting

It's official! My husband and I have received our log-in date from the China Centre of Adoption Affairs and are now waiting to become parents. Parents--that sounds so strange after all these years. We'll have plenty of time to get used to the title given that the wait may stretch upward of three years. Luckily there are lots of projects to tackle and goals to achieve during the wait, which should help keep our minds occupied!