It's wattle time again!

Once more our wattle is blooming in all its golden gorgeousness.  This is our view from just outside our kitchen window, on a cloudy grey day......

.....and from outside.  The bush is getting so big that's it's difficult to fit in one photo, and it has grown into a beautiful shrub.  Isn't it a glorious shade of yellow?

Many Aussie native plants aren't long-lived, so we enjoy them while we can.  I have had large healthy plants suddenly keel over and depart this earth forever - especially grevilleas; much as I like them, they can be so finicky that I have given up on them.  We know that our lovely wattle may one day suffer the same fate, but until it does we will enjoy its annual display and try not to trip on those low branches when we go outside.

Bees like it, too.  The world needs more bees, so any plant that they like is a good thing to have.

We are noticing more signs that winter's days are on the way out, even though it will be a while before we can say "yippee - it's spring!"  Magnolia and blossom trees are blooming, and some bulbs are popping up although I haven't seen daffodils anywhere.

How has everyone's week been?  Mine has seen some time spent in the sewing room; a couple of blocks made for members of my quilt group's monthly BOM were made now that I am able to use a rotary cutter again, and some of the third border on the autumn leaf was made.  Before we went off on our holiday back in March I had cut a good supply of diamonds as a take-along project; some were made while we were away, and since being able to sew again more have been assembled.....so much so, that the supply of cut diamonds was diminishing at an ever-increasing rate, so more needed to be cut.  That is being attended to, each day I try to cut enough to make two, three-diamond hexagons - so, two light, two dark, and two somewhere in between.  That's enough for my hand; no matter what I do it usually complains after a short while anyway, so frequent breaks are the way to go.

While tootling around on the internet (as one does) I came across another tutorial for the twisted column quilt, this time as a runner called 'Ribbon pole quilt'.  Check out this bloke's videos - he has some fun projects; the tool pouch is a good idea, and I really like his 'Fields from above' quilt.  

Words have been read.  Songs have been sung, and notes have been plinked.  Our challenging friend wasn't at U3A on Thursday so we had to manage without her, and manage we did.  Jolly good for us.  The usual hunting and gathering to round out the week and stave off hunger, and that was our week.

We have had more rain this week, something we probably didn't need....the ground is already saturated from the last lot.....but with every drop that falls we remember the bad drought of just a few short years ago, and we don't complain about rain.

Another anniversary coming up in the week ahead.  On Tuesday it will be 25 years since my mother died, a whole quarter of a century ago.  We didn't have a close relationship; during my childhood she was emotionally and physically abusive and I was glad to move out when I married, even though it was to the wrong bloke for the wrong reasons. 

Ah well.  

Continuing on with Conduct in an artist's studio:

"Use no strong expression either of delight or disapprobation at anything presented for your inspection.  If a picture or a statue please you, show your approval and appreciation by close attention, and a few quiet, well-chosen words, rather than by extravagant praise."

That seems like a good idea.  Extravagant and fulsome praise can, and indeed probably is, insincere.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer