Home in the Small Smoke again

Had a good time last week, the quilt show was very good.....by gosh, there are some talented folks working in fabric, aren't there? You can see the prize winners here, and be sure to click on the headings at the top of the page (Amateur, Open, Professional, Juniors) to see more.

There is a large craft show held at the same time as the quilt show, but this year I had no need to hit the shops for fabric. However some luscious knitting yarn from Bendigo came home with me, and a new jacket pattern, as it gets cold here in winter.

A couple of days later, though, we did get to a fabric shop as I was on a mission to find Just The Right Fabric for the binding of my challenge quilt. It needs to be yellow but not lemon or butter yellow, not gold and not orange, but somewhere in between. I was so pleased when I found just the exact colour - isn't it difficult sometimes, to get precisely the colour you need? So many fabrics to choose from, but so many not....quite.....right?

We had visitors in the reserve while I was away, Kevin took a few pictures. We can see these kangaroos from inside the house. Looks like mum, dad and the kid. Those pesky tall thistles that grew all summer are finally dying off too.

Check out this quilt, isn't it great? First large quilt, in fact one of the first quilts by this maker, and all her own design. We are proud to say she is part of our family too.

You will be pleased to know that my train trip was uneventful. The trip to Sydney was quiet, the trip home less so because of two children travelling with their father. All three seemed incapable of sitting still but were up and down....up and down.....giggle giggle......harmless enough, just a bit irritating. For a while the seat beside me was vacant, until taken by an older bloke who had obviously booked it. When he sat down he reclined the seat right back (I felt sorry for anyone behind him), spread himself out as older blokes do with his legs apart and his arms on the rests, put his hat over his face, and went to sleep. And snored.......and he was between me and the aisle......fortunately people were leaving the train soon after that, so when he moved to the vacant pair of seats behind us the last three hours were more peaceful. I was very relieved when he moved, as you can imagine.

If you come to visit this week, chances are you would go away with a jar of home-made citrus marmalade......yes, folks, I am making jam. A couple of weeks ago one of the Thursday night choir members brought along some fruit to give away as she had more than she needed, so I took some limons (which, she informed us, are a cross between lemons and limes; round like a lime, yellow skin like a lemon, and pale green flesh) and a couple of grapefruit and lemons. The local fruit shop had oranges on special so I bought a couple of those too. According to the freezer test it is set, and I only hope I have enough jars because there is an awful lot. In the past I have made marmalade and it has been very edible, so I hope this will be too - it was quite good when I tried it. Even added a little Irish whiskey to this batch, something I haven't done with previous batches.

So if you see me dancing a jig with my breakfast toast, and singing "diddly-aye" in an Irish accent as I prance round the kitchen.....that's why.

"It is necessary for a gentleman to bow to his partner before a quadrille; after, it is enough that he offers his arm and walks at least half way round the room with her. He is not obliged to remain beside her unless he wishes to do so, but may leave her with any lady whom she knows, or conduct her to a seat."

Perhaps a quadrille would be more seemly than a jig? I can dance a quadrille, you know.....one of my many talents.

Enjoy your days!