Life has been getting away from me lately........

This is one of the new plants in our back garden, it's an Aussie native called Eremophilia Nivea from Western Australia.  Eremophilia plants are called emu bushes because emus eat the flowers and fertilise the seeds in their gut.  We have others too; red and yellow flowered ones will attract birds, while blue and pink ones will attract insects.  The insects in their turn probably attract birds too, and so the cycle goes on.......the foliage of this bush is a pale soft grey, almost white.  It is very pretty.  And tricky to photograph on a windy day.

 When we lived in the Big Smoke we had no luck growing cyclamens, so I am giving it a go here.  So far, so good.  Perhaps the drier inland climate will suit them better, they certainly didn't like the humidity.  We've started with this pretty cerise one which is waiting patiently to be potted.

The radio station is still going ahead, I have been sitting in with a couple of announcers watching and learning as they present their programs, and when we return from our holiday I will be trained in earnest.  Looking forward to that!

Ukulele group is also going along nicely.  We're getting a little advanced now, even trying some finger picking - those of us who are game to do so, anyway.  Some of the beginners haven't progressed past strumming yet, but they will.  Fortunately the pink uke was sitting on the other side of the room so I was spared being punched in the arm again.

Quilting on the challenge quilt has temporarily halted but will resume again today.  All the setting blocks are now done, the outside setting triangles are next.  Last weekend was quite busy and took on a life of its own, or the quilting would be much further along.  On Saturday a friend and I drove two and a half hours to a quilt show in a quite small town, and had a good time, then drove two and a half hours back home.  One of the few things I miss about living here compared to the city is the lack of quilt shows within, say, an hour's drive.

Sunday afternoon was taken up with a choir concert for a local fundraising group, our concert proper is on this Sunday so we gave a shorter program.  It was a good chance to iron out a few bugs.  I have become the choir percussionist because I play tambourine, drum, and rhythm clapping for this concert of African-American gospel and spiritual songs.  The Christmas concert will have to happen without me this year, because I will only be able to make two or three practices.

It is 27 days until we start our holiday.....that's less than four weeks, yay!  Not looking forward to the long flights, but it will be worth it when we arrive and see our son and his lovely girlfriend, and our Canadian friends, again.

"Premature declaration.
It is very injudicious, not to say presumptuous, for a gentleman to make a proposal to a young lady on too brief an acquaintance.  A lady who would accept a gentleman at first sight can hardly possess the discretion needed to make a good wife."

How long should a couple be acquainted, I wonder, before a suitable time has lapsed for a proposal?

Enjoy your days!