Even more streets in the neighbourhood

  It's up to seven streets, now.

Eventually they will meet in the middle....and I will soon need to find somewhere other than the spare bed to lay them out, as they will outgrow it!  It will be a fairly large quilt, and it has to be one of the funnest quilts - is there such a word as 'funnest'? because there should be - that I have ever made.  It's been a portable project for a while, going to the monthly first Tuesday quilt group with me, but after next month's streets have been added it will become a 'work at home' project; those seams are getting quite long, so it can stay here.  The only fabric bought is the wide backing, it's all from my stash.  The decision to make pieced setting triangles was a leap of faith, and I love the result.

How has everyone been this week?  We are doing well; we even had some welcome rain, although it came in the form of a storm.  My Thursday evening drive to choir was through barely sprinkling rain, the heavens opened while we were singing for a couple of hours (although we didn't hear it) and I barely made it home before it started up again; fortunately it's only a five minute drive, or six minutes if the one and only traffic light on the way is red.  However we aren't complaining, and our garden is smiling.

Stitches have been sewn on the musical hanging.  Some diamonds have been sewn and more cut.  Words have been read, notes have been plinked and sung.  The usual hunting and gathering has taken place, and heigh ho.....so passes another week.

It's been an anniversary week for our town.  Back in 1888 Tamworth was the first town in Australia - yes, even before much larger cities - to have a municipal street lighting scheme.  You can read all about it here and here.  In those days it was a town of only a few thousand people, so the town council of the day took quite a brave decision.  Don't you love the concern - from men, of course - that the new lights would make women look pale!  The large building in the first pic of the article is the post office, which is still there today.  Mrs Piper, wife of the Mayor - Madame Lady Mayoress - turned the lights on with a golden key which stayed in the family for a long time, and is now held in the Powerstation Museum.  While Tamworth was not the first town in Australia to have electric lighting many were run by private owners......but ours was the first municipally-owned scheme in the country.  

On 9th November every year those noisy old steam engines are fired up to celebrate the anniversary, and quite a sight (and sound!) they are too.  And of course - as is often the case - Hizzoner The Mayor Mr Piper has a street named after him and we hope also after his wife, although Elizabeth Street is not far away.

There is getting to be more and more Christmas Stuff appearing in shops......Chrissy food (I love mince pies)......decorations everywhere......the occasional piece of music on the radio......c'mon, folks, it's not for several weeks yet......the ukulele group is practising Christmas songs for a couple of gigs....all together, now...."I want a ukulele for Christmas, dear Santa please".......

We have come to the end of our Etiquette of the Street, so we move on to Etiquette of Public Places.

"All well-bred persons will conduct themselves at all times and in all places with perfect decorum.  Wherever they meet people they will be found polite, considerate of the comfort, convenience and wishes of others, and unobtrusive in their behaviour."

It seems to be fashionable to decry today's manners and standards.  I don't usually join in the decrying, but I must say that find decorum to be sadly lacking at times.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer