I ain't got the blues

But I do have a third place.....

....which I am happy about.  

Autumn Rhapsody is quite large; I wasn't able to get far enough back for a full pic but this shows most of it, although the colours are more vibrant in real life.

Arboretum now has its own award, too.

They were hung facing each other.

So that's the show done and dusted for another year.

I treasure the comments I received from strangers; when we were walking back to the car this morning after picking up the quilts a woman stopped me to say how much she loved Autumn Rhapsody, which I was carrying.  She is not a quilter but had one of her paintings of autumn leaves hanging which also won an award in the painting section, so we congratulated each other.  Both of us are lovers of autumn, it seems!

On Friday I went along to see my quilts hanging and while there was talking to a couple of women, one of whom I know slightly.  She loved Arboretum, do you mind if I take a picture she said....not at all, I said, flattered to be asked....it should have won its section,  she said.  I suspect there may be an Arboretum quilt in her future; she would like to make a quilt for the caravan she and her husband own, but doesn't want pink and frilly.

There was jousting but the grounds where the show was held are quite vast, Kevin was having trouble walking around; we stayed in the main building and the jousting was in another building so, sadly, I missed seeing it.  

Ah well.  Ever upward and onward.

A highlight of our week was meeting up for lunch with Janice and Mick when they were passing through Tamworth on their way back from further out west.  We even managed show and tell in the middle of the restaurant - and Margaret, who quilted Arboretum for me, was also there having lunch with a friend that day.  That's the thing about country towns, you often see someone you know when out and about.

Is anyone else having trouble with comments on Blogger?  I have tried commenting on posts recently, the comment window comes up, I type my words, then it just sits there and the comment is not published.  Technical Stuff like that is above my pay grade, I'm afraid.  I read on another blog yesterday that the problem is fairly widespread.

How has everyone been this week?  Words have been read, stitches have been sewn.  There have been no appointments so no stitches have been knitted.  Songs have been plinked and sung.  We shopped.  We delivered and collected quilts. That is all.

I am getting used to driving the vee-hickle, and Kevin is getting used to being driven.  I suspect neither of us are happy about our roles in this, but that is how it has to be.

The weekly wattle, which seems to be nearly past its best now.

However, there are already little shoots getting ready for next year's flowering.

"The wedding ring.

All churches at present use the ring, and vary the sentiment of its adoption to suit the customs and ideas of their own rites.  A jewelled ring has been for many years the sign and symbol of betrothal, but at present a plain gold circlet, with the date of the engagement inscribed within, is generally preferred.  The wedding ring, a plain hoop of gold, is used at the church.  A jewelled ring is placed upon her hand by the groom on the way home from the church, or as soon after the service as is convenient.  It stands guard over its precious fellow, and is a confirmation of the first promise."

The darker blooms on our wattle are nearly the same gold colour as my plain-hoop-of-gold wedding ring.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Arboretum is - finally - a finished quilt!

Not the best pic in the world, but good enough to give the general idea.

The holder-upper had gone for a walk, so the fence had to stand in as substitute.

After all, trees grow outside.

Finished is a good feeling!

There still needs to be a cover made from leftover backing fabric tacked over the label for both quilts, and a hanging sleeve improvised with backing fabric and pins for Arboretum, before they are delivered on Wednesday.  The Cunning Plan is to attend the show on Friday and see them hanging, although I don't expect to see blue ribbons pinned on.  

While at the show I am hoping to see - jousting!  Something I have never seen live, but it looks interesting; two people on horseback galloping towards each other, lances at full tilt.  One could pretend that one was back in the middle ages in days of old when knights were bold and all that Stuff, couldn't one.

The weekly wattle.  It is starting to look a little scrappy compared to the past few years, but it still puts on a glorious show.

Of course the little breeze sprang up again.....

We had some good rain early in the week, and the green hill is a sight to see.  That's our (slightly boring) wire fence which visually disappears and doesn't interrupt our view, unlike a solid wood or metal fence.

Well, here we are again at the end (or the beginning, depending on which calendar you follow) of another week.  Kevin hasn't made a final decision as to handing his driving licence in but I think that will come sooner rather than later, so he won't have to do that assessment in a couple of months.  I am getting the feel of driving in a car that I don't like, that is too big for me, that wasn't my choice, but that I am stuck with because at this stage in our lives it doesn't make financial sense to get something different.

Ah, well.  It's quicker than walking, isn't it.

We have a bus stop across the road, and during the week Kevin took the bus into town to collect his watch which was having a new battery put in.  It's very convenient for us; no worries about finding a parking spot, or having to contend with traffic (for a country town we seem to have a lot of traffic, as several highways converge here), we are taken right to the centre of town, and dropped off again just over the road.  We have used it from time to time over the years, and I can see it being very useful in future too.

Stitches have been sewn, as you can see.  None have been knitted as there have been no appointments, for a change.  Words have been read.  Songs have been plinked and sung, and a decision has been made as to next year's Eisteddfod song - 'Ukulele lady', a song which celebrated its 100th anniversary two years ago; not just the chorus which is familiar to many people, but the verses as well.  A choice of poem is still pending.  Yesterday we betook ourselves to the 2nd hand book sale down the road, run by one of the Rotary Clubs, which is open twice a week, and a book of Aussie poems was purchased.  Perhaps there will be a gem inside that I won't be able to resist.....if not, then I will make a return visit.  

Being a service club the book sale is manned (personned?) by volunteers who do a wonderful job of sorting and shelving the thousands of donated books, CDs, DVDs, jigsaw puzzles, you name it.  While looking for the poetry section, I was tickled to see books on war adjacent to books on religion.  There were a lot of quilting books but I kept away from them, likewise music books, as my goal was poetry.....but I have more books to drop off, so there will be another visit in my future.  A CD of music from an Ozzie guitar quartet also came home with me, I am looking forward to hearing it.

Now that we have had our "at home" reception and dropped many of our former friends from our list, no doubt causing offence to many, we come to "Calls".  

"Calls.

All guests and friends who receive "at home" invitations, or who are invited to the church, are required by etiquette to call upon the family of the bride, or to leave their cards, within ten days after the wedding."

That would be if we have any friends left after offending so many, yes?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

The weekly wattle

Is looking glorious.

It's fairly sunny today - just a few clouds, as you can see at the top - and the wattle is looking good.

There is, however, a sneaky little breeze, so some of those golden fluffballs are more out of focus than others.

It's also snowdrop time; we didn't plant them, they were here before us, and they pop up to brighten our days.

Yesterday we took the trailer to Phil the wood bloke's place out of town to bring back a trailer load of firewood, and with his permission I took a few pics at his yard.  Aren't these granite boulders wonderful?

The large one on the left is bigger than some houses.

 

He lives in the hills which border our valley, among some spectacular country.

Arboretum's binding is coming along slowly, because my aging fingers whinge and complain if I sew for too long.  The fact that I (stupidly) take teeny weeny tidgy-widgy stitches is probably a bit foolish too, but never mind - it will be finished one day soon, I hope.

Tamworth Show is on in two weeks and this needs to be finished to be handed in on Wednesday week.  I found out yesterday that, although a hanging sleeve is needed, it doesn't need to be sewn down; pinned in place is fine.  The label also needs to be covered, so a piece of backing fabric will be tacked over it; the label on Autumn Rhapsody also needs to be covered because it is being entered too.  

Our changing lives continue.  Kevin received notification from the state transport people that he can still drive pending an assessment in a couple of months, but must now have a condition on his licence that he has to be accompanied by a fully licensed driver.  I don't like that as it puts an onus on me; he drove to the wood yard yesterday, but I have to say his driving is not what it once was, or what it should be.  Now there are more phone calls to be made about that assessment, so guess who will probably have to make them?  Perhaps I should go on strike, and refuse.

How has everyone been this week?  Words have been read, stitches have been sewn.  Notes have been plinked and sung, and on Friday I ventured forth to the music shop to buy a tuner for my recently refurbished guitars.  For the time being they can share a tuner, but a second one will soon be purchased.  They can then fight over who gets which one.

Some years ago an excellent music shop here closed when its owner retired, and its new owners ran it into the ground.  Not long after that another music shop opened at the other end of the main drag, and its owners were unhelpful and ~ almost ~ rude, so I only shopped there once - never again.  At the end of last year it, too, was taken over by a new owner - and what a pleasant young bloke he is!  He was very helpful; we debated the merits of different tuners, I bought a well-known brand to try and said I would be back for another, either the same brand or something different.

More on our newly-wed couple.

""At Home" Receptions.

When the newly-married couple commence life in a home of their own, it is customary to issue "at home" cards for a few evenings, at an early date after the wedding, for informal receptions.  Only such persons are invited as the young couple choose to keep as friends, or perhaps only those whom they can afford to retain.  This is a suitable opportunity to carefully rearrange one's social list, and their list of old acquaintances may be sifted at the time of the beginning of housekeeping.  This custom of arranging a fresh list is admitted as a social necessity, and nobody is offended."

Well, I don't know.....I think there will always be those who are offended, for one reason or another.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

The binding choice is turning out well

I was hoping it would, but of course until it's actually sewn on it's not always possible to tell, is it....but it sets off the colours of the various trees beautifully.

It looks good with the backing fabric, too.  They hold hands and play together quite nicely.

The weekly wattle.

Today is overcast and cool, but the wattle's perfume is a foretaste of spring.

Just as I pressed the button a little breeze sprang up, just a gentle zephyr, but still enough to make those golden blossoms dance.  

This species is, I have been told, a sawtooth wattle, so named because of the shape of those small fingernail-sized leaves.  Their edges are a bit prickly, but fortunately not too sharp.

Well, the day I have been dreading has arrived.  At Kevin's medical appointment during the week his doctor said the time has come for him to give up driving, so I am now the (reluctant) chauffeur.  He has alternated between disbelief, resentment, annoyance....all understandable, but no need to take it out on me.  Driving has always been important to him; back when he was young and silly he was into motor sport and used to race on weekends.  He doesn't take well to being a passenger.  Yesterday he said he thought he might go to the bowls club for a while....do you want me to drive you there, I said....no, he said, I'll take the car.....you can't, I said, doctor said you can't drive now.  That was just a few days afterward, and it was already out of his mind that he had been told "no driving".  He hasn't yet handed in his licence, I thought I wouldn't push that too hard, but it looks as though it might have to be sooner rather than later.  

As people say, it is what it is.  Much as I dislike that expression, it's pretty spot on at present.

Next year will be 30 years since Kevin's father died, and he had to give up his licence a few years earlier - much to his resentment, too.  "Nothing wrong with my driving......"  However, I recall one time a few years before he died MIL's mortification one day on answering a knock at the door, to find the police asking to speak to FIL.  He had damaged someone's car while in a car park and had been seen doing so; a bystander had made a note of his car's number, hence the police. He had no memory of hitting another car badly enough to leave damage and had driven merrily on his way.  His licence was taken away but was given back on appeal, however it wasn't long after that (thankfully!) he stopped driving.  

How has everyone been?  Time has been spent accompanying Kevin to his various appointments - that's my life now, whether I like it or not; I can't leave him and go off somewhere, because of his speech problems.  Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn and also knitted, as the knitting comes with me to fill in the waiting time.  Songs have been sung and plinked.  The weekly hunting and foraging happened.  

On Tuesday evening I filled out our census form, something which is done every five years.  For many years now, even before we moved out of the Big Smoke, we have using the online option rather than paper forms; it's easy, much less tedious and is soon finished.  The year after we moved up here was a census year and talk at a sewing group turned to filling out the forms.  We'll do ours online again, I said, it's easy....oh no, said one woman, I'll use the paper form because I don't want the government knowing all about me.....well, isn't that the idea?  In vain did I say they don't care who you are, only what you are, but to no avail.  Closed minds, and all that.

We're still getting married.

"The evening wedding.

If the wedding occur in the evening, the only difference in the ceremonials from those in the morning is that the ushers or groomsmen wear full evening dress, and the bridal pair retire quietly to dress for their journey before the dancing party disperses, and thus leave unobserved."

An evening wedding seems like quite a civilised idea, to me.  We were married in early evening, but there was no dancing party.  Kevin does not and will not dance.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Binding away

The sewing of Arboretum's binding has begun.

The next side is pinned ready to be machined down.  

The weekly wattle.

I made sure to hold my breath when taking this.  There are, of course, more blooms out in the main part of the bush but they are scattered, whereas this shows them clumped together.  When I was snapping away I was even able to get a waft of its delicate perfume, letting us know that spring is definitely on the way....not that we have had a really cold winter, but we have had some very chilly frosty mornings.  We won't be sorry to say goodbye to them.

My guitars have come home, and they look and sound wonderful!  During the coming week the plan is to pop into the music shop for a couple of tuners, so each guitar will have its own tuner in its case.  An out-of-tune instrument, no matter what it is, is not lovely to listen to.  When I was playing them regularly the nifty clip-on tuners now available were fairly new on the market; I had an older tuner which had to be held close to the instrument to get the note, and before acquiring that I used a tuning fork.  Many years ago there was a lovely man (sadly no longer with us) who used to attend various folk festivals and who had a collection of different instruments - and his car bore a sticker saying "Love thy neighbour.....tune thy piano", which always made me smile.

Now I need to get back into practice, however I won't be volunteering for a duet with our muso friend when he returns in January for the country music festival.....he would leave me for dead, he's a professional after all and I am but a mug amateur.....

How has everyone been this week?  Stitches have been knitted as we both had appointments so there was (of course!) waiting time.  Stitches have been sewn by hand and by machine.  Songs were sung and plinked, as choir has returned from its brief break.  We shopped.  We won't starve.

These days our house is fairly quiet.  One of Kevin's symptoms is a form of aphasia, meaning he finds it difficult to get the word he wants; many a conversation is left unfinished as those words prove to be too elusive, and a lot of the time I have no idea what we are talking about anyway as his speech is often mumbling and indistinct.  If we didn't have the radio playing, our world would be nearly silent.

Continuing on with weddings at home.

"When the marriage ceremony is concluded, the party turn in their places and face their friends, who proceed to congratulate them."

Short and sweet, and probably very decorous.  No doubt the happy couple yipee-ing and turning cartwheels would be somewhat frowned upon; however, a smile of happiness would be considered suitable.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Moving along slowly

Arboretum's label is finished, ready to be stitched on the bottom right hand corner of the back.

Two of the label edges have been finished with a narrow border of the backing fabric, the remaining sides will be tucked under the binding; a hem would be slightly bulky, as interfacing was ironed to the label before the embroidery was started.  The thread is DMC floss, colour 3781, using one strand.  I wasn't sure if quilter Margaret wanted her full name slathered across the internet, so....when in doubt, don't.

This is the controlled chaos of Arboretum, with its binding made, pressed and ready to be sewn on.

The Cunning Plan was to have it done by Tuesday morning so it could be taken along to quilt group for hand-stitching the binding to the back, but that may not get done.  Never mind....

.....because.....

tomorrow morning my guitars are coming home from the guitar spa!  They didn't suffer too badly in our two plumbing floods back in 2017 because they were in their cases, but the cases were on the floor sitting in water.  I have been meaning to get them made playable again, but you know how it - life gets in the way sometimes, doesn't it, and there is always something more pressing that needs to be done.  A couple of weeks ago our musician friend stayed with us for a night on his way to warmth and sunshine up north and I showed him my guitars, which he hadn't seen before.....oh, this is nice, rosewood with a cedar top, he said, and the other one has a Brazilian mahogany back, very very nice, he said.....when I'm back here in January I want to play these, he said, so I decided it was time to stop thinking about it and start doing it.  Off they went to Matt the instrument repairer, and it will be wonderful to have them back again.

Now my aging fingers will have to re-learn to play instruments with wider necks than a ukulele, but that's probably good for my equally aging brain.  The classical guitar has softer nylon strings but a wider neck to stretch my fingers, while the steel string guitar has a narrower neck but harder metal strings for my fingertips, so they require slightly different techniques.

It always saddens me when I see instruments in museums used for display but never played.  Some of them may be past playing, I understand that.....but just the same they need to sing, because they all have a voice which shouldn't be silent.

The wattle is now blooming.

It's difficult to take a decent photo of a plant which shivers in the slightest breeze, even my breathing is enough to move it, but hopefully it's in focus.  One needs to breathe even while taking a photo, doesn't one.

How has everyone been this week?  Stitches have been sewn, binding strips has been cut, joined and pressed.  No stitches were knitted but the coming week brings appointments, so they probably will be.  Songs were plinked and sung.  Words have been read.  Food was foraged, and so passed another week.

Despite some quite chilly frosty mornings, and the promise of more to come this week, days have been fairly pleasant.  A sheltered spot to sit on a sunny winter day can be a treat indeed.

We have finished with the duties of groomsmen, so now we move onto to domestic weddings.

"Weddings at home.

Weddings at home vary but little from those at church.  The music, the assembling of friends, the entree of the bridal party to the position selected, are the same.  An altar of flowers, and a place of kneeling can be easily arranged at home.  The space behind the altar need be no wider than is allowed for the clergyman to stand.  The altar is generally only a table with cloth over it.  Other floral accessories, such as the marriage-bell, horse-shoe or white dove, etc., can be arranged with ease by a skilful florist, if desired."

While I have been to weddings which were not held in a church (including our own wedding) I have never been to a wedding at a private home.    As far as my experience was concerned, home weddings only happened in movies.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Quilted trees

Arboretum is back from its visit to Margaret quilter, and I couldn't be happier with it.

The quilting design shows more in the light blocks, as dark green thread was used.  The quilting pattern is, so Margaret tells me, called 'ebb tide' - but it evokes wind blowing through trees, to me.  The back is quilted with dark brown thread which blends so well with the fabric that it's difficult to photograph, so I didn't....but perhaps will when it's bound and finished.

Embroidery is continuing on the label, several lines have been done but there are still a few to go.  It's been my TV project for a few nights, however last night's program choice was so dreary that the TV stayed off and my book came out instead.  Goodness gracious, there is a lot of sport on free TV....far too much, for a non-sporty like me.  Kevin usually drops off to sleep so he doesn't notice if it's on or off anyway; watching through one's closed eyelids is a bit tricky.

Yesterday afternoon's choir concert went off very well, nice things were said to us and about us, and our audience seemed to really enjoy it.  Afternoon tea was excellent (much of it was provided by choir members) and was so generous that the organisers from the cancer charity plated up the leftovers and sold them off for the traditional 'gold coin donation' - i.e. a $1 or $2 coin per plate, each containing several pieces of something yummy.  I had some coins with me, so left a few behind and brought home a couple of plates of goodies.  My contribution was lemon squares, a recipe found many years ago on the web site of a now-closed quilt store in Ontario, Canada, which has become a favourite of ours.  

It tastes as good as it looks, too.

A phrase which has long puzzled newcomers to Australia is 'bring a plate'.  It is, of course, understood that the plate will contain a contribution to afternoon tea (or morning tea or lunch, depending on the time of day) but many a newcomer has turned up with an empty plate, expecting to have it filled!  At the last couple of Thursday rehearsals we were reminded "don't forget to bring a plate" to which some wag usually added "with something on it".  In days gone by it was usually "ladies bring a plate and gents bring a bottle".....which, back then, meant a bottle of beer.

Words have been read, songs have been sung.  Stitches have been sewn, but I don't think many were knitted as we had - for once - no appointments to attend.  We hunted and foraged, so we won't starve....although I have no idea what we are going to eat tonight.....no doubt something will come to my brain.  I just wish a food idea would come to Kevin's brain, for a change, but unfortunately there is little chance of that.

"The groomsmen's duties.

The groomsmen at the door of the reception room offer themselves as escorts to parties, who arrive slowly from the church, conducting them to the bridal party, and there presenting them by name.  This announcement becomes necessary when two families and two sets of friends are brought together for the first time.  If ladies are present without gentlemen, they accompany them to the breakfast or refreshment room, or provide them with attendants."

For many years a wedding reception was known as a 'wedding breakfast', because weddings often took place in the early morning.  Breakfast was then served before the happy couple set off on their wedding journey, with many daylight hours for travelling.  Even when most weddings moved to the afternoon, the wedding meal continued to be known as 'the wedding breakfast'.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Behind the trees

Backing has been bought for Arboretum - much to my surprise I was able to find Just The Very Thing at the local quilt shop, so there was no need to take that drive north.  The batiks in the main part of the shop were all delicate tone on tone pastels in shades of pink, lavender, blue, etc.  Very pretty if that's your thing, but not at all what I wanted.

Let's have a look in the sale room, said the assistant......

.....where my eyes lit on this.  The background is a deep rich chocolate, with little yellow/gold - squiggles? commas? hooks?  

Here's a mock-up with the intended binding fabric around the edge.  Today is dull and cloudy, not ideal conditions for photography, as the colour looks more washed-out than it is in real life.

So, yes - Just The Very Thing!  I must admit I had been hoping for lighter brighter fabric but this suits the binding and the price was amazing.  If the bolt was emptied the price was even better, so there is now a leftover piece in my stash; a hanging sleeve will be needed as the plan is to enter it in both the local show in September, and our quilt group exhibition in October.

How has everyone been?  We have had a fairly quiet week.  Stitches were sewn and knitted, fabric shopping was done.  Songs were sung.  We hunted and we foraged in order that we may not starve, and that was the week.

To make up for missing out on my trip north let's go to a pub in a small - very small - village half an hour south, said I, so we did; we drove to Currabubula where we had lunch at the pub.  There has been a pub in the village for a long time.  Australian author Kate Grenville has written a book "One Life" about her mother, and her grandmother, and her great-grandmother....I came across it in the library several years ago not knowing of the local connection, and found it fascinating.  

The weather has been winter on-and-off.  Days are fairly mild but nights and mornings are cool enough that we are glad to have a fire to keep us, and the house, from cooling down too much.  We've even had some more rain - it's unbelievable how much every blade of grass has changed to bright green from the dead dry brown of just a few weeks ago; we are even seeing the occasional kangaroo on the hill behind us.

Finally the hay fever cough, the gift that keeps on giving, seems to have abated - for which I am thankful.  It still catches me unawares from time to time, but not as severely as before.  

"Ceremonials when there are no bridesmaids.

When there are no bridesmaids, the marriage ceremonials at the church are as follows:  The members of the bride's family proceed to the church before the bride, who follows with her mother.  The bridegroom awaits them at the church and gives his arm to the bride's mother.  They walk up the aisle to the altar, the mother falling back to her position on the left.  The father, or relative representing him, conducts the bride to the bridegroom, who stands at the altar with his face turned toward her as she approaches, and the father falls back to the left.  The relatives follow, taking their places standing, those of the bride to the left, those of the groom to the right.  After kneeling at the altar for a moment, the bride, standing on the left of the bridegroom, takes the glove off from her left hand, while he takes the glove off from his right hand.  The service then begins.  The father of the bride gives her away by bowing when the question is asked, which is a much simpler form than stepping forward and placing his daughter's hand in that of the clergyman.  Perfect self-control should be exhibited by all parties during the ceremony."

Today's quote is fairly long, but there isn't really a suitable place to break it into smaller bites.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

A bit of a "ta-da" moment

Arboretum is now a finished top.

It was a bit too big for my regular holder-upper's help, so yesterday it came along to quilt group with me where some obliging arms helped hold it.  It was even a bit large for those arms, but never mind.  It's done.....and I am thrilled with it!

Now to join some wadding pieces together, and go shopping for backing fabric, and have it quilted.  And of course, not to forget to make a label.

The thought has even occurred to me that four more trees could be made and turned into a seasonal hanging....now, that would be fun.....

How has everyone been?  The Hay Fever from Hades is (mostly) moving back to from whence it came, thank goodness, although every now and then it makes an unwelcome return to tap me on the shoulder as a reminder of its presence.  We had some rain earlier in the week and more is forecast for the coming week, so perhaps that will wash away some dust.  The hill behind us was dry, dead and brown, but now it has a little coating of green.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn, but not knitted.  Much practicing of next Sunday's poem and song competition pieces have been taking place, and those errant chords are now firmly fixed in my brain along with the words; a little fine tuning, and it will be even better.  I made it to choir on Thursday afternoon after two weeks' absence and managed most of the notes, although there were a few which defeated me.  We hunted and foraged, our regular social activity - there's usually someone we know to chat to as we wend our way around the shops, so it's quite a sociable pastime for a couple of Olde Phartes.

There are still trees with autumn colour, but those leaves are rapidly dropping; a tree not far from our place will soon have bare branches as its glorious red/bronze leaves will be a thing of the past - but also of the future, because next year it will happen all over again. 

"The bridal costume.

The most approved bridal costume for young brides is of white silk, high corsage, a long wide veil of white tulle, reaching to the feet, and a wreath of maiden-blush roses with orange blossoms.  The roses she can continue to wear, but the orange blossoms are only suitable for the ceremony."  

I am assuming that the maiden-blush roses are artificial, as real roses could be used for one occasion only.  The "white wedding dress" with its accompaniments is a relative modern idea, started by Queen Victoria back in 1840; before then a wedding dress was not necessarily new (a bride would probably wear her best dress, no matter what the colour) or even white.  A white dress was not a practical idea in those days before modern washing machines, so only wealthy families could afford such an unsuitable dress for a daughter's wedding.  The 'virginal purity' symbolism of a white dress is, likewise, not such a very old idea either, just something which has become attached to the colour white over the years.

Besides which, white doesn't suit everyone, does it?

When Kevin and I married, my dress was a very 1970s long floral dress with a deep double frill around the hem, much in style for the time.  It was certainly not white.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

A bit of a fizzer

Is what my birthday was.  

The Hay Fever from Hades had moved in earlier in the week, and from then on it has been cough-cough-cough and more cough.  Sadly the anticipated birthday lunch had to be postponed, but it went ahead yesterday and was all the more appreciated for being delayed.

I can understand why sleep deprivation is used as an instrument of torture, sleeping is so difficult when one is continually cough-cough-coughing.  However the cough is more settled now and I have managed a few nights of nearly uninterrupted sleep, which certainly makes me feel better.  The rib muscles which had been so painful (because: cough) and made machine sewing difficult as a result, are also easing.

Consequently, much as I had hoped it would be, the top of Arboretum is not quite finished.

The section on the bottom right needs to be joined to the section above it - you can see my yellow pin marker top centre on the blue peacock tree - then that whole section will be joined to the much larger section to the left.

Then - it will be done!

I could manage an occasional stitch by hand or by knitting needle in between coughing, but much of my spare time was spent reading because it doesn't require much physical effort.  This was on the "take one, leave one" table when I went to the physio recently; I have read another of Jane Harper's books so this one came home with me.

I enjoyed it, although it's by no means a light-hearted read.  It centres around an annual memorial for Sam, a man who disappeared on his 21st birthday five years earlier, and we find out relationships are falling apart....buildings are falling apart....the town itself is falling apart as a nearby mine encroaches closer and closer.  Despite that it's not all gloom and doom, and there is much positivity.  The book has now gone back to whence it came, for someone else's enjoyment.

Words, as you can see, have been read.  Stitches have occasionally been sewn or knitted.  Not one word has been sung or plinked; I haven't been to choir because it's difficult to sing when one is coughing, but that also means that no practice has been done for the Eisteddfod competition in just two weeks (eek!).  Appointments were kept, something which seems to be happening more and more these days.  We managed to go out for food to keep starvation at bay, and that was our week.

When one is spending more time at home because one isn't well one's world shrinks, doesn't it?  Not sick enough to need medical attention or to take to one's bed like the heroine of a Victorian novel, just unwell enough to feel tired and listless and to occasionally spend time in one's comfy chair wrapped in a quilt.  Which, of course, one made some years ago.

For many years it was my caravan quilt, and now it's my comfy chair quilt because it matches my comfy green chair and because it's warm.

Early last week we had a small rain shower which was very welcome, and more is forecast over the next few days.....which will be even more welcome.  Our drive on Saturday for lunch was to Bendemeer and we drove through very dry brown country, so that rain is needed.

Here we are back at the altar.

"The bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Only relatives and the most intimate friends are asked to be bridesmaids - the sisters of the bride and of the bridegroom, where it is possible.  The bridegroom chooses his best man and the groomsmen from his circle of relatives and friends of his own age, and from the relatives of his fiancee of a suitable age.  The dresses of the bridesmaids are not given, unless their circumstances are such as to make it necessary."

You notice that small children are not mentioned.  For many years now small children - some quite small - have been part of a wedding party, and I must admit to not being a fan.  A retinue of cutesy-poo kiddie-widdies seems to de rigeur at royal weddings; I remember reading many years ago it started with Princess Margaret of the British Royal Family as she and her groom were short and didn't wish to have bridesmaids towering over them, so her attendants were all or nearly all pre-teens.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

The story so far

Arboretum's top is more than two-thirds done.

The resident holder-upper doesn't have a wide wingspan, hence the bottom is touching the ground.....but I love the stained glass effect looking out from our back verandah, don't you?  The remaining section will be done this week; it's a busy week with appointments, choir, quilt group, U3A ukulele starting back tomorrow, but somehow during those days I will find time to make three blocks each with nine trees in them, sew them together and join it to the right of this piece - then the top will be finished.

Getting this far is a good feeling.  Knowing how close the top is to being done is even better.

Thoughts have also been thought about a label for Arboretum.  One of the batik fabrics from the Big Basket is a pale yellow leafy print which will make a good label background while also looking suitably....leafy, and the details will be embroidered by hand.

When I retrieved the quilt from holder-upper Kevin's embrace a visitor fluttered in for a drink, a rainbow lorikeet, a species we often see hanging around this area.  

They are noisy chattering birds, and their bright plumage is very colourful.  When we moved to our last house in the Big Smoke back in 1987 we never saw them, but as the two Callistemon trees on the front footpath grew larger and produced more flowers - and more nectar - they were more frequent (and noisier!) visitors; by the time we moved out 23 years later their numbers had grown considerably.

Several years ago rainbow lorikeets were the inspiration for an art quilt challenge, with fun results.

Next Thursday, 7th May, will be the 16th anniversary of our moving out of the Big Smoke, and into this house.  It's been a good move, and we both know it's a better place for us to spend our declining years than in a huge metropolis with too much traffic, too many people, and construction everywhere you turn.  I used to like spending time in Parramatta which wasn't far away and which has some interesting old buildings to explore from colonial days, but these days it's just another huge city....and those attractive historic buildings are now dwarfed by their taller neighbours, something I'm glad not to see.  Some have even been deemed surplus to requirements and removed, knocked down, which I find a shame.

How has everyone been this week?  We have had the usual running around with appointments and shopping.  Words have been read, stitches have been sewn and knitted.  Songs have been sung.  Some practice went into refining the song for the Eisteddfod concert at the end of this month (so close!), and it's coming along well.

No rain fell this week, not one dribble or drip.  It has now been over five weeks since the last shower of rain, but we have hopes that the next day or two may bring a little drizzle.  Temperatures are still mild but next Friday is forecast to be an early taste of winter, so the winter woolies had better be checked to make sure they are fit to be seen in public.

Continuing on with Etiquette of Weddings:

"After the marriage invitations are issued, the fiancee does not appear in public.  It is also de rigeur at morning weddings that she does not see the bridegroom on the wedding-day, until they meet at the altar."

I find it strange that a newly-engaged woman has to hide herself away from public gaze until she becomes Mrs Someone Else.  Perhaps the idea is to stop her finding a bloke she prefers to the one who finally plucked up enough courage to pop the question?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

One down, eight to go

Arboretum is being constructed in panels, for ease of handling.

The trees are set 11 across by nine down in the finished quilt, but four across by three down is a manageable size to work with.  New panels will be joined to the previous one as we go along; the next piece will go on the bottom of this one, hopefully that will be done later today.  There will be nine panels.

Some jiggling of blocks is still happening.  Every time I walk into that room and look at the trees spread out on the design bed another one or two get moved......but it is getting closer to being the final design.

It will go out to be quilted as I'm not sure that my sometimes-painful shoulder and wrist could handle machine quilting, even though it's not enormously huge.  It's about 60 inches across by 72 down.

How has everyone been?  We have dealt with our usual Olde Pharte appointments, and even fronted up with our sleeves rolled up for the annual flu shot early in the week.  Geez, I hate having pointy things poked into me.....apart from tiredness for the next couple of days and a slightly sore arm from the pointy poke there have been no side effects.  I've been having the flu shot for over 25 years without a problem, but I am not having any more covid shots after bad side effects from the last two.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  The shops were shuffled around for the weekly wanderings and food was purchased for the consumption thereof, in a never-ending cycle.  Songs were sung, and the realisation come to that I had better get cracking on learning the chords for my Eisteddfod song; the poem is in my brain, the words of the song likewise, but those chords have yet to follow - and they have just a month to do so.

Our autumn weather has been pleasantly warm, not hot, but it is oh-so-dry....no rain has fallen at all this month.  Not one dribble, not a drip.  Nothing.  Reports have been coming in on social media about kangaroos coming into town because their usual food supply in the bush has died off due to the complete lack of rain.  Apparently autumn is usually our wetter season, so a dry autumn does not augur well for the year's crops.

If wishing would make it rain we would have a flood, but alas......

Do any of you watch the program in which people get 'fake married?  Just seeing the ads is bad enough....I think to myself (and indeed, usually say out loud) "what drivel!"....there are far too many programs in which people are pitted against each other to win a cash prize, or perhaps a fake spouse....the TV stays off more than it is on in our house.  We don't subscribe to streaming (I nearly wrote 'screaming' there) services, either.   I would far rather read a book.  Growing up without television didn't bother my brothers and I; we were teenagers when it finally arrived in our town, and I was far too busy being a social butterfly to stay home and watch.  Kevin is a great one for channel surfing with the remote - it's a bloke thing - but doesn't end up watching much anyway.

 We have finished the chapter on Courtship and Marriage, so now we move onto Etiquette of Weddings.

"The circumstances under which weddings take place are so varied, and the religious forms observed in their solemnization so numerous, that to lay down rules applicable to all cases would be a matter of great difficulty, if not an impossibility.  Consequently, only those forms of marriage attended with the fullest ceremonies, and all the attendant ceremonials, will here be given, and others may be modelled after them as the occasion may seem to require."

Nothing here about fake TV weddings, you notice.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Laid out ready to be sewn together!

All the blocks for Arboretum are laid out on the design bed.

I think this will be the final layout, but of course it's subject to change.  Every now and then I look at the blocks then swap a couple around, but it's pretty close to being ready to sew now.  I hope.  I didn't go for the colourwash idea, because it's never appealed to me - I quite like random.  Nature is random, after all, it's not neat and tidy.

However, I am having second thoughts about the backing fabric.  It's black and white; although I really like it I would have preferred something more autumn-y, so perhaps I should go shopping again.  The black and white fabric can instead be used as the backing on another quilt in progress, one which has lots of black and white.  Decisions, decisions......looks were looked at fabrics during our trip away, but nothing jumped up and down and said "pick me, pick me"......

The labels for both Arboretum and the house quilt have been put into the brain cells to be worked on.  A few years ago a skein of multi-coloured floss was purchased for the house quilt label, and my brain is thinking it will also do nicely for Arboretum's label.

We have noticed that trees are finally turning, leaves are changing colour at last.  No pics of autumn colours were taken on our recent holiday, because there was very little to take; most trees were still wearing their summer clothes, albeit somewhat faded in places.  With the much cooler weather of late there would now be autumn colours galore down south, but we're not about to head off again to find out.

How has everyone been this week?  We've been settling back into our everyday life once more.  Stitches have been sewn but none knitted, although that should change this week.  While we were away the final stitches were knitted on the second sleeve, the page was turned to the instructions for the jumper front, and the knitting bag was reached into for the required 3.25 ml circular needle to cast on......but alas, there was none!  It had been left at home!  Never mind; off to the big op shop, but neither a 3.25 ml circular nor a pair of 3.25 ml needles were to be found.  Not to worry, a set of four 3.25 ml was purchased and when the predicament was explained to the helpful young bloke volunteering at the counter he gave me some rubber bands to improvise 'knobs' on the ends of the needles to stop stitches sliding off.  The required number of stitches was cast on for the front and many rows knitted before we arrived home, and the next row could then be knitted onto my preferred circular needle.

Words have been read.  We went out hunting and foraging to avert starvation, probably a good idea, but of course it has to be done again and again, doesn't it?  That troublesome wrist has mostly been behaving itself, the brace has been worn when needed, and all is (mostly) good.

Final words on Breaking an Engagement:

"Many men, in taking retrospective glances, remember how they were devoted to women, the memory of whom calls up only a vague sort of wonder how they ever could have fallen into the state of infatuation in which they once were.  The same may be said of many women.  Heart-breaking separations have taken place between young men and young women who have learned that the sting of parting does not last forever.  The heart, lacerated by a hopeless or misplaced attachment, when severed from the cause of its woe, gradually heals and prepares itself to receive fresh wounds, for affection requires either a constant contemplation of, or intercourse with, its object, to keep it alive."

Well, yes.  Time heals all wounds, as they say.  Or perhaps it's, time wounds all heels.....

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

They call me mellow yellow

How many of you remember that song from back in our hippie days?  Yellow is a glorious happy colour, so here are some yellows from our recent trip.

The rose garden café where we breakfasted before leaving Cowra:

I'm always drawn to yellow/gold roses rather than pink or red.

Lovely molten gold roses, like this one.  There may have been a label telling its name but, if so, it was at ground level, and I don't get down that far because getting up again in a dignified manner....well......

I don't know what these pretties are called, I thought perhaps autumn crocus, but the leaves look wrong....I thought autumn crocus leaves were quite skinny, and these aren't.  Taken in Molong at the 'Yarn Cottage', a visitor information centre in a cottage dating from 1860 or so, with a Cobb & Co Coach House at the back; these flowers were growing in its garden.

Some fabrics bought in Canberra for the yellow quilt, the plan is to hopefully start it before the year is out.

Hopefully......not too sure about the fabric on the right, it could be a bit brown, but we'll see.

And these because I couldn't resist them, they were bought in Tumut at The Cotton Merchants:

Because one day there may be another autumn quilt in my future. 

How has everyone been?  Hopefully we have caught up with various appointments - for now, at least - and we won't starve, because some hunting and foraging has been done.  Words have been read, stitches have been knitted and sewn.  My right wrist is a little limited at present; it was broken in the fall two years ago (two years this coming week, actually) and, while it's mostly not giving much trouble, of late it has been sore.  On Friday the chiropractor said it appeared to have a slight sprain and recommended wearing a brace for a while....well, how lucky, there is a right hand brace in the drawer as it was worn after the plaster was removed.  So now my wrist is braced again, but the support helps with the discomfort so it can stay on.  It makes some activities a bit tricky but provided it's worn more than it's not worn, it can be taken off occasionally.

Best of all, summer has drawn its last breath!  Daytime temps have still been fairly warm, but last night a cooler breeze blew through....quite cool, and now it's properly autumn.  Today is cold enough to wear long sleeves, and even proper shoes with socks rather than sandals.  Some rain would be welcome, though, as it's been a couple of months since any rain worthy of the name fell from the skies.

The blocks for Arboretum are in the process of being laid out as we speak, and oh - they look so good!  There is a red house BOM to be made for my quilt group, and as soon as that's out of the way the trees can be sewn together.  More diamonds need to be cut, over 400 three-diamond hexagons have been made (although I don't think of it as a hexagon quilt) and diamonds for only another 10-12 triples need to be cut.  Without the brace.  The cooler weather gives my brain a boost, and it's easier to get motivated to do Stuff when one's brain cells aren't frying.

Continuing on with our wise words on Breaking an Engagement:

"It is generally best to break an engagement by letter.  By this means one can express himself or herself more clearly, and give the true reason for his or her course much better than in a personal interview.  The letter breaking the engagement should be accompanied by everything, by way of portraits, letters or gifts, that has been received during the engagement.  Such letters should be acknowledged in a dignified manner, and no efforts should be made or measure be taken to change the decision of the writer, unless it is manifest that he or she is greatly mistaken in his or her premises,  A similar return of letters, portraits and gifts should be made."

I can remember a song from the radio during my childhood 'A broken engagement is like a divorce'.  These days it would probably be considered a somewhat mournful country song....it was certainly mournful when my mother sang along with it, for sure.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer