Twin WOWs

The wombat collection has a few duplicates because many have been gifts, and other folk don't always know which wombats are already lurking in this house. That's how I came to have two of this one. They are both the same, just photographed at slightly different angles - so they don't quite look the same, do they?

There won't be a WOW for the next two Mondays as we will be away, we are heading off to Canberra for the National Folk Festival. It is held over Easter each year and is always great fun.....several days of 24 hour non-stop (if you can stand the pace) music, and concerts, and workshops, and dances. But I won't be dancing, not with a recovering shoulder. In the past I used to spend a lot of the festival dancing, but I have been injured by over-enthusiastic dancing partners and I don't wish to be so again. The shoulder is a little better than it was but is not pain-free yet.

The house sale and purchase are apparently progressing along as best as these things can. We have done a little more clearing-out here, but of course there is more to go. I think as moving time comes closer and panic sets in we will surprise ourselves by how quickly we can clear 'stuff'.

Yesterday while getting prescriptions filled at a local pharmacy I was talking to the very nice young chickybabe behind the counter about a product they had on display, it promised the effect of botox without the injection. I think if I tried it, it would be a case of too little, too late. Besides I have earned my wrinkles (although why they have to be on my face I can't imagine; why can't they all be on the soles of my feet?) and my grey hairs (when I am emotionally ready to let them show, it's amazing what hair colour can do isn't it and I am not yet up for The Cut, I don't want to chop off my long hair) so I think I will just take aging as and when it comes. Besides when I see how some women 'age' with more cosmetic surgery every year I thank my lucky stars I am too cowardly to go under the knife. Do they honestly think that the stretched skin and too-wide-for-their-years eyes make them look good? Embalmed, is more like it. And the same for older blokes who have had surgery.....a little mightn't look too bad but they don't seem to know when to stop.........and they end up looking like caricatures of their former selves.

Ah well. To each his/her own.

On a happier note, the applique on the bag I am making is proceeding along well. The past few days have been a return to summer here so progress has been a tad slower than it otherwise would have been. It gets a bit warm sitting at the machine, head down, while sewing buttonhole stitch applique; and, because I have chosen to match the thread to the colour being appliqued, frequently changing colour makes it slower than if all the applique was done with one colour, or with monofilament thread. I like the effect of the matching colour which is why I chose this method for this project. Never mind - I shall see if I can blitz it over the next day or two.

"Dyeing the hair.
A serious objection to dyeing the hair is that it is almost impossible to give the hair a tint which harmonizes with the complexion. If the hair begins to change early, and the colour goes in patches, procure from the druggists's a preparation of the husk of the walnut water of eau crayon. This will, by daily application, darken the tint of the hair without actually dyeing it. When the change of color has gone on to any great extent, it is better to abandon the application and put up with the change, which, in nine cases out of ten, will be in accordance with the change of the face. Indeed, there is nothing more beautiful than soft, white hair worn in bands or clustering curls about the face. The walnut water may be used for toning down red hair."

There you are....that's how they saw it in 1885. And I can truly say I never used walnut water to tone down my hair.

Have a wonderful week!

Jennifer