Broken in Canada

We are having a lovely time in Toronto, our son is well and happy, the leaves are beautiful, all is good. Yesterday the Creativ Festival was fun.....haven't gone overboard with spending.......but I have some nice momentoes and souvenirs.

Except one. Last Thursday I took a tumble and broke my left arm. Bugger, double bugger and triple bugger. It will be a long flight home next week with my arm in a cast and sling. Erk. One-handed typing is a bit slow, and Kevin is learning to braid my hair.

Have a good week.

Jennifer

Travelling WOW

A couple of years ago before our last trip to Canada we stencilled wombats on our bags....that is to say, I suggested Kevin stencil wombats on the bags, and he did. I have had the stencil for many years and it helps to identify our bags from the sea of black bags at the airport. The idea came from something I read somewhere on line....wherever it was, thank you.....that suggested painting one's initials on one's bag. But supposing that there was someone else with the initials KR or JR travelling at the same time as us? So we modified the idea and used my wombat stencil instead. Our bags were easy to spot as they were the only bags identified by wombats! I also made wide fabric ribbons to wrap around the handles, yellow on one side and green on the other, serged together with yellow and green thread. The cat hair will be brushed off before we pack, Bianca The Beautiful has been walking around the bags.
Last week Kevin and I went for a Nice Sunday Drive (on Tuesday) to Mount Tomah Botanic Garden who were having a spring display of waratahs, the state flower of New South Wales. Inside the visitor's centre there were large displays of waratahs and related plants, and the results of a children's colouring competition displayed around the walls. We took quite a lot of photos but they will have to wait for another day, however this is one of the arrangements. Walking around the gardens was just gorgeous; the speciality of this garden is cold climate plants, so there were rhododendrons, and acers (maples) in glorious colours, and lots of plants I couldn't identify. One particular area showed plants from collecting expeditions of days gone by, all from various regions of Asia - China, Japan, Tibet, the Himalayas. They will grow at Mount Tomah because it is higher than Sydney, has much colder winters and less humidity.

On the way to Mount Tomah we stopped at Richmond and Kurrajong, two towns where my family lived over 150 years ago. The towns are more modern now of course, I wonder what they were like then?

On Friday we took My Lovely New Bernina to the sewing machine spa to be serviced while we are away as of course I won't be needing it for a few weeks. While we were there I checked out overlockers (sergers for those not in Oz) as I have had mine for 17 years and it has its drawbacks and tension problems, I have been thinking for some time that a new one would be great. One of the models is on special, so guess what.......when we come back I will be the proud owner of a new Bernina overlocker! I have paid a deposit, the shop will have it waiting for me when I collect my other machine. Woo hoo!

Tomorrow morning, Tuesday, we fly out to Canada. We leave Sydney at 11.30am, arrive in Los Angeles after a 13-14 hour flight before we leave Sydney, hang around LA airport for a few hours then fly to Toronto. We're due to arrive at 5.45pm Tuesday. It's going to be a very very long Tuesday............

"Etiquette of Travelling.
There is nothing that tests the natural politeness of men and women so thoroughly as travelling. We all desire as much comfort as possible, and as a rule are selfish. In these days of railroad travel, when every railway is equipped with elegant carriages for the comfort and convenience of its passengers, and provided with conductors and servants, the longest journeys by railroad can be made with perfect safety and but little annoyance."

Now I am going to pack. Have a lovely week. You will hear all about Toronto when I am back!

Jennifer

Special People

I just love flannel flowers, they have a Latin botanical name that I don't know and probably couldn't pronounce if I did. The petals are soft and fluffy - hence 'flannel flowers' - cream with soft green tips, the leaves are grey-green. This sweet vase of flowers was sitting on the concierge's desk at the spring flower show I went to see last month. Seeing them grow wild in the bush is such a pretty sight.

We have been noticing lately that there are many Special People sharing this world with us. You may have come across a Special Person yourself? These are the folk who are so very important that they don't have to wait in a line of traffic with the rest of us, but can drive alongside and push their way into the line further along. Obviously their time is much more valuable than ours, as they are in much more of a hurry. Kevin and I have decided that we feel privileged to belong to a human race which has such Special People in it. Invariably male, frequently driving an SUV (often a large black one) or the tradesman's dreaded white van (a rusty crapheap with at least one ladder on the top and paint tins visible through the windows). The dreaded white van is prevalent in our part of Sydney, and we have yet to see one driven as though its driver knows how to safely control a motor vehicle.

I'm sure Australia doesn't have a monopoly on Special People like those?

I am heading for the sewing machine while I still have it and while it is still daylight, as I need to hem a black top which I am shortening to disguise a tiny hole just near the hem; I need it to take away. Tomorrow morning My Lovely New Bernina is going to the sewing machine spa and will stay there whilst we are in Canada.

"Offensive Behavior.
No gentleman is ever guilty of the offense of standing on street corners and the steps of hotels or other public places and boldly scrutinizing every lady who passes."

5 more sleeps until we fly.

Jennifer