Well, that's Christmas done and dusted!

The Chrissy earrings have been packed away for another eleven and a half months, likewise the Christmas music and songs.  Just a few more days left of this year, then we start a new one.  

I don't do resolutions.  I do, however, have hopes.

The new project was started on Boxing Day.

Isn't this fabric fun?  It came home with me from Canada (as if you couldn't guess!) and was a gift from a quilt shop in Maxwell, Ontario.  We were driving from one town to another late in October 2018, it was getting a bit snowy - more than a bit, actually; it was getting darn near to being a whiteout, something we aren't used to driving in....add that to being on an unfamiliar road, driving on the other side of the road, and you can double and triple the stress.  As we approached Maxwell....there's not much at Maxwell, let me tell you....I told Kevin we should stop as he needed a break from driving, and I wanted to call in at a quilt shop that we had driven past without stopping at three years earlier.

So we stopped.  'Threads That Bind' had a lot of fabrics and all manner of other quilting Stuff, and was just finishing up with a demonstration when I walked in.....did I mind looking around while the owner dealt with purchases from the demo, I was asked, not at all, I said......and bought some prints that have been used in my autumn quilt.  When I went to pay, the owner sussed out that I wasn't Canadian (the accent gives it away every time, doesn't it) and said she always had a gift for quilters who had come from far away.  This was my gift, a FQ of Robert Kaufman moose fabric.  Just the right pattern was waiting for it too, also purchased in Canada a few years earlier.

The selvedge is pretty, with colourful maple leaves.

While I was happily browsing and shopping and chatting Kevin drove to the diner further down the road for coffee, and he was also chatting to some locals while he waited for me.  After my stroll from the quilt shop to meet him at the diner I enjoyed my coffee too, and as it was just a couple of days before Halloween the diner's front steps were decorated.....even the fallen snow looked like part of the decor.

A couple of strips have been sewn around the outside, and more are waiting to be sewn.  That pine cone print might not be used, though, as it's a bit too yellow compared to the other strips.  The print with tiny leaves has been in my stash for *ahem* quite some time, it's a Debbie Mumm fabric that has been waiting for the right project.

No strips were sewn yesterday as I took the opportunity to give my Singer Featherweight machine a grease and oil change; it was a bit sluggish when sewing those first strips, but now it is purring along beautifully.

This is what it will become.  The 'Sweet Treasures' pattern and the fabrics were bought as a kit from a quilt store on Vancouver Island....my friend took me to so many stores that I can't remember where it was bought.

We had a very quiet Christmas, a phone call from our son in Canberra was a highlight of our day.  We don't bother with presents any more, but there are a couple of items that we want so we will check them out while the sales are still on.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  My fingers and the ukulele have been resting, but we'll get back together this week.  Plan B for fixing my voile top has been thought out in my head so will now be carried out - fingers crossed that it works - some hunting and foraging early in the week before the shops became too hectic with Christmas shoppers, and that was us done.

We are still learning how to treat a refusal of a proposal of marriage.

"In refusing, the lady ought to convey her full sense of the high honor intended her by the gentleman, and to add, seriously but not offensively, that it is not in accordance with her inclination, or that circumstances compel her to give an unfavorable answer."

It is good to be serious without being offensive, yes?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

The day before the day before the day before the day before.....

....the fat bloke in the red suit comes to call!

But only if you have been very, very good.

Because we are currently suffering in a heatwave there hasn't been much action in the sewing room, but temperatures are expected to drop somewhat after today (although it will still be a long way from what could be considered 'cool') so more green fabrics will be cut.  My brain doesn't cope well with extreme heat, and I can't settle to doing much at all.

As a result, we will be trawling in the photo vault today.

Another view of Butchart Garden, mostly green with just one red tree for contrast.

It shows how successful a monochromatic colour scheme can be, doesn't it?  The garden beds are planted with flowers that aren't yet flowering, just the young green leaves are visible.

More Aussie natives from the big store display, taken in our last year living in the Big Smoke.

There are those who decry our native flowers...."oh, they're not as beautiful as roses or pansies" they say.... but all have a place in this wonderful world of ours, don't they?  This selection is bright and vibrant, and has some of my favourite colours.

Different doesn't have to mean worse or better, does it.  It just means - different.

That applies to people, too.  Just because someone looks different to us, or thinks differently, or worships a different deity or indeed doesn't worship anything at all, doesn't make them worse than us.  

We have had a fairly quiet week, a couple of appointments to liven things up, lunch on Monday with my ukulele playing friend Clare, some suitably seasonal hunting and foraging.  Stitches were sewn and knitted; the jumper (the second sleeve of which is proceeding well) came with me to a medical appointment as there is always waiting time which can be put to creative use.  Repairs to the summer top have been started but didn't go well, so Plan B will have to come into play.

Problem is, there doesn't seem to be a Plan B yet......

Tomorrow is the summer solstice, which will happen at 2.02 a.m.  I don't plan to be nekkid dancing around the bonfire at the time.  I have other plans, chief of which is being deep asleep in the arms of Morpheus.

I wonder if our ancestors really did dance nekkid around the bonfire at solstice time, as they are reputed to have done?  It mightn't be too bad in summer, but winter would be a different story.  In any case, given our current heatwave and fire danger conditions, a bonfire would be out of the question.  Perhaps the crafty ones could improvise with some strips of red cellophane and a fan set to 'high'.

Many many years ago - before we bought our caravan - we were travelling in Victoria, and I had addresses of quilt shops to check out; in those days one had to peruse the ads in quilt magazines to find shops, as the internet was in its infancy.  One shop was half post office/half quilt shop, the post office's owner was a quilter.  (I looked it up, and it's no longer operating....it was nearly 30 years ago, after all!)  While paying for my purchases the owner and I were chatting, and she told me that she always started a new project on Boxing Day which had been not long beforehand, it was her reward to herself for her hectic Christmas each year.  That seems like a good idea to me although I have seldom followed through with it, but I plan to this year.

So - come Friday, who wants to join me?  Pick a project, no matter how large or small, and start it. I've picked mine, and it is small.

My Canadian tree featuring decorations we bought in Canada, or were gifted by Canadian friends.

In parting - no matter what you celebrate, or even if you don't celebrate anything at all, best wishes for a season of peace, happiness and love.

And chocolate.  Good quality dark chocolate.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Green, green, it's green they say....

....on the far side of the hill.....

Anyone else remember that song?  It seems appropriate, considering that I've been cutting green fabrics for the outer border of the neighbourhood.  This is what's been cut so far.

But - there is still lots to go, because in my wisdom (not sure that it was very wise, but there you are) I have been cutting short pieces, and it's a fairly big quilt.  It might be a good idea to get cracking and cut some longer strips, those shorter pieces can be used between the longer ones.

This is Butchart Garden on Vancouver Island, Canada, in autumn.  That garden is famed world-wide for it's wonderful floral displays but when it's not flower season all the tones of green are highlighted, as they were back in November 2012 when this was taken.

Speaking of colour - no doubt you may have already heard that the Pantone colour of the year for 2026 has been released, and after so many colourful years it seems like a cop-out that white has been chosen.  It's been gussied up with a fancy name.....'Cloud Dancer'.....but white is still white.  I always thought that white was the absence of colour - yes?  If that's so, how can it be chosen as colour of the year?  I must admit to being somewhat....underwhelmed.

Here's a site I found which shows the colours of the year going back to 2000.  While I don't care for them all (although I do quite like 2017's colour) each and every one of them is more inspiring than boring white.

For many years now home renno shows have been showing white kitchens, which remind me of hospital laboratories.  Give me some colour any day.  Our kitchen (which came with the house but we like it, so it's been left) is light creamy-beige; it's not brown, it has warm yellow undertones with enough colour not to be boring but is still light enough to be practical.  There is also a fad on those shows to have dark kitchens with dark floors, dark cabinets, dark bench tops.....why, fergawdssake?  You would have to have the lights on all day, and even then you would need a magnifying glass to chop vegies so you didn't chop your fingers instead.

We have had more storms, and a few more small branches have fallen from our front yard tree.  They seem to recover, though, so we won't panic just yet.  Don't want to waste a good panic, do we.

The festive season is getting closer.  On Wednesday my sewing group had our Christmas lunch and jolly nice it was too, while the ukulele group finished for the year on Monday.  One of the members, Chris, gave me a jar of sweet onion chutney that she made herself (which is very nice too, it's already been opened and tried) together with a card, the hand-written message inside thanking me for, as Chris put it, "sharing your love of music with us".....isn't that sweet?  So, that's the end of music groups for the year...but I can always plink and sing away to myself, can't I.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been knitted and sewn but that summer top isn't yet repaired, as time just ran away from me; while the coming week also has some appointments, I live in hope that the top will be done by next weekend.  We hunted and foraged and will do some more this week because, even though there will just be the two of us for Christmas, we can still enjoy some festive foods.  The idea of going out to a restaurant for an indulgent Christmas lunch has been left in the dirt as these days it's way out of our budget, so we will just have to indulge at home.

When you are the person responsible for meal planning, and shopping, and preparation, though, Christmas is just like any other day.  Compared to a meal which someone else has prepared, served and cleaned up here's nothing special about a meal you have had to make yourself, is there?

The One And Only Grandkid has an upcoming birthday.  He will turn eleven next Friday.  We have deposited some money in his father's account so he can be taken shopping and choose what he would like; there is an excellent children's book shop in Canberra, and we are told there are also good toy shops.  We don't see him enough to know what he would like (although you can bet that fantasy/superheroes would feature somewhere, just like his father at that age) so it's better that he makes his own choice and has something he would like.

"How to treat a refusal.

As a woman is not bound to accept the first offer that is made to her, so no sensible man will think the worse of her, nor feel himself personally injured by a refusal.  That it will give him pain is most probable.  A scornful "no" or a simpering promise to "think about it" is the reverse of generous."

We certainly don't wish to be ungenerous, do we?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Gone gone gone......

Those Christmas blocks have moved out of our house and are now residing at the craft centre, where my quilt group meets, awaiting a new owner.  They were taken along on Tuesday but, as no one put up a hand to take a block or two (or maybe more), they have been stashed in Our Box in the cupboard and will be brought out again in a couple of weeks.  There is another Saturday quilt group so, if no one in our group wants them, someone in the other group might.

Either way, they are no longer in my possession.  Gone gone gone.

This week's blocks were made in between storms.  Butterflies flitting around a contrast print of eucalypt blossoms and leaves......

....and a tree whose rich colours put me in mind of trees seen on autumn trips in Canada.

Numbers 91 and 92, so now there are only seven to go; the end of this month will see the last trees made, just three more weeks.

One of many autumn trees photographed in Canada, this was huge - so big that it took a while for the colour changes to happen, depending on how much sun different parts of the tree were getting.  

The colours brightened up a dull overcast day which later turned to showers, but you can see how those leaves inspired one of this week's trees.

Fort York was an interesting place to visit.  You can read about it here - Fort York - we missed out on the re-enactments which happen because we visited in autumn, and they are mostly in summer.  That would have been fun.  It's an oasis which sits quietly among the tall buildings and bustle of a modern city, something which makes it all the more peaceful by contrast.  The style of many buildings is similar to that of early Australian buildings built in the same era so there was an unexpected familiarity, although we had never been before.

A copy of the Magna Carta was on display in the newly finished visitor centre, to celebrate the 800th anniversary of that document.  Our guide was suitably impressed when she found out we were Ozzies because Australia has its own copy, dating from 1297, while Fort York's was on loan from elsewhere.

How have you all been this week?  We managed to survive some stormy weather....being kept awake by loud rumbling thunder rolling around the hills behind is not my idea of fun but we did get some welcome rain from it, and there was repeat albeit on a lesser scale yesterday afternoon after I arrived home from lunch.  Words were read, stitches were sewn and knitted; the second sleeve on the probably-a-jumper is proceeding well now.  Songs were plinked and sung.  We hunted, foraged and gathered comestibles to keep starvation at bay, and that was about our week, folks.

Yesterday was the first seasonal function, an end-of-year/Christmas lunch for members of the historical society.  It's interesting to be able to sit and chat to folk usually seen briefly.  One woman rocks a vintage look which suits her, and the talk turned to aprons because she wished she had one; she was our drinks server, and is also in charge of supper at the monthly meetings.  This morning it occurred to me that there is a pink gingham apron in our linen cupboard, part of a long-ago raffle prize, which I have never worn - it's pretty but it's pink, I don't do pink - it's been taken out, and will be gifted to Melissa if she would like it.  The pink gingham is used as a base for a cross stitch design in deeper pink, green and navy, and there is white lace trim on the pocket.

My mother's Aunt Emily would make items such as tablecloths and aprons in gingham, using the grid for what is now called 'chicken scratch' embroidery - Aunty Em didn't call it that, she used a different name which has since flown out of my brain because it's been so long; I was but a child at the time.  It's a technique I have never tried and probably never will because, even though I like the result, there are so many other things I want to try while I'm still around.

Our suitor is still hoping.

"Though a gentleman may repeat his suit with propriety after having been once repulsed, still it should not be repeated too often nor too long, lest it should degenerate into importuning."

'Importuning' means to harass repeatedly, something I am sure no gentleman worthy of the name would do to a woman for whom he professes to care.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Halloween trees

They were made on Friday, 31st October, so they are definitely Halloween trees.  Perhaps this one is being blown by the howling wind.

Not too sure what this plant is, but they are definitely flowers of some sort.  The name probably doesn't matter, anyway.

Numbers 89 and 90....so now there are only nine more trees to be made!

An idle thought popped into my head recently concerning a collection of 12 inch Christmas blocks stashed away.  These six are all the same design, and were a win in a BOM draw in my quilt group way back when we lived in the Big Smoke.  The block just peeking in on the far left is mine.  (The green wavy lines belong to the damask tablecloth used as a backdrop for my photos; I have a green one and a blue one, goodness only knows how old they are.  They were my mother's.)

These next blocks were also a win, on a retreat weekend.  From memory we were told to make a star block which could be any design, using Christmas fabrics; they were bundled together in groups of six and a few winners chosen.  These six blocks were my prize, and my block is the green and white on the centre top.

I used only two fabrics, the green and red print and the cream solid background, and the block is called 'Coronation'.  There are a lot of pieces in one 12-inch block, but it was fun to make.

My question is - what shall I do with them?  My original thought was to set all 12 blocks together and use the result as a tablecloth.  As you can see, that was never done.  However, we already have a few Christmas cloths and don't need any more.  Earlier in the week it occurred to me that they could be made into two or three table runners, one for us and the others gifted, but on laying them out I'm not sure that I love them enough to want to do that either.  In Australia we don't need quilts on the bed at Christmas, so they won't ever become a quilt.  

I may just end up giving them away to someone who can use them, rather than having them sit in my cupboard any longer.  Gone gone gone, she says, dusting her hands together with a sigh of relief.

As promised, winter made an unwelcome visit earlier in the week, and the winter woolies were dragged out again to keep us warm.  On the news that night we were told it was "the coldest October day since 2012", but we didn't remember that - because we spent most of October 2012 in Canada!  This was taken on 28th October, the same day as our record-breaking cold here, but 13 years earlier.

When visiting with Rose Marie and her husband we were taken to a pumpkin farm and corn maze, something we don't have here!  A delicious pie was bought, which we ate that evening.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  Songs have been plinked and sung, and rehearsals for our choir's charity concert at the end of this month are coming along nicely.  Appointments have been dealt with too, because various hurty bits of our aging bodies need checking out from time to time.

A highlight on Wednesday was catching up with Janice and her husband who were here for a few days - we girls had a lovely chatty lunch, which was very enjoyable.  The next day our two blokes took themselves off to one of the lawn bowls clubs for a game, where a fun time was had by them too.

"A lady's first refusal.

It is not always necessary to take a lady's first refusal as absolute.  Diffidence or uncertainty as to her own feelings may sometimes influence a lady to reply in the negative, and after consideration cause her to regret that reply."

It is to be hoped that any influence brought to bear on our young lady does not cause her any distress, or make her reply something she does not wish it to be.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

That's it for the year, folks!

A last post to say farewell to 2024....and to practise writing 2025.  It sometimes takes a few days for one's brain to catch up with the different numbers, doesn't it?

Good news on the photo front, I have worked out how to download pics from my camera to the computer.  It entails a new card reader and a new SD card for my camera and takes a few more steps than it used to, but what the heck.  So long as it works.  In between feeling somewhat unwell (although, I'm pleased to say, slowly improving; if I don't talk too much I don't cough, so the house is fairly quiet at present) I managed to make last week's and the previous week's trees.

This blue and brown batik is leftover from a kit for a bag bought on a trip to Canada, some years ago.  I like the contrast with the orange/red and yellow.

This interesting batik has the Colorado state tree and state flower - thank you, Dianne!  This is the second quilt it's been used in, and there is still some left.

A pretty pale yellow batik with highlights of blue/green; the trunk and branches were going to be a bright turquoise with hints of purple, but then my eyes lit on this mottled green in the Big Basket of Batiks.  I seem to recall buying this yellow fabric in a pack with a few others in Canada, too.

.

There are fires burning not far from our town at present, and very bad fires in Victoria.  The colours of this tree block say 'Aussie summer'.....I have to say it just might be my favourite block, so far.

And.....look who came home before Christmas!

Poor thing has been languishing waiting for me to feel well enough to think about binding, or adding a hanging sleeve, or even making a label, but a corner seems to have been turned and the label information has been printed off ready for tracing.  It will be embroidered by hand.

How was everyone's Christmas?  Ours was quiet; we managed a video chat with our Canaussian son and his partner in Toronto, Canada, which was wonderful.  We also spoke to our son in Canberra.  Our Christmas dinner was yummy, we had a small turkey roast (bought from the shop at the turkey farm on the outskirts of town) with vegies, and Christmas cake with gelato instead of the more traditional custard or cream, and even a glass of bubbly.  Yes, I know it's hot.  We have often had a cold meal on a hot Christmas day but this year decided to have our meal in the evening.  It was jolly nice, too.

Words have been read, a few stitches have been sewn....none by hand yet, but those tree blocks were made.  Not one note was plinked - or sung, as the result would have been a credible imitation of a donkey braying.  We did manage to get out to hunt and gather, although it took a lot of my energy.

One of the downsides to feeling so unwell (or 'crook', as Aussies say) was being unable to enjoy a coffee, thanks to the medicated lozenges which helped with the cough but left a taste in the mouth which did nothing whatsoever for coffee.  On Friday while we were out and about we stopped in at a favourite café for a cuppa but I didn't fancy my usual hot coffee so I had an iced coffee, and jolly nice it was too.  This morning I managed my first hot coffee for over two weeks which was thoroughly enjoyed, and now I am about to partake of another.

Many years ago when we lived in the Big Smoke we had to make a decision on where to move when we retired from work, as we both wanted to move out of the big city - big cities are not always user friendly for older folk.  In our travels we often visited Victoria, a state we both like very much, and were even thinking that we could up sticks and move down there.  (My father was born in Victoria's capital city, Melbourne, so I joke that I have Victorian citizenship.  The wonderful staff at the two Victorian hospitals where I was treated after the Big Fall earlier this year thought that was funny.)  However, one day I read that Victoria is the most bushfire-prone state in Australia - I have since read that is one of the most fire-prone areas in the whole world, and that would be heartbreaking. That is the sole reason which decided us to stay in New South Wales, albeit in a country town rather than the big city.

There are only a few days left of the year, so here is some advice should you be travelling:

"If, in riding in the street tram-cars or crossing a ferry, your friend insists on paying for you, permit him to do so without serious remonstrance.  You can return the favor at some other time."

Indeed you can.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

The computer has been unwell

So, too, have I.

The computer spent several days in hospital having its innards poked and prodded before returning home.  It seems to be just hunky dory tickety-boo, now.  However, when I suggested earlier that it could get some photos from my camera's SD card it shook its head and said, nuh-huh.....and the computer hospital is closed now for the next couple of weeks.  

Fortunately my innards didn't need to be poked and prodded like the computer's did, it was a very nasty dose of sinus/hayfever with a non-stop cough.  While the cough is settling it hasn't left, but I have high hopes that it, too, will soon be healed.

Hence the radio silence last weekend.

With the SD card reader not working the pics taken earlier today cannot be uploaded, which is disappointing.  Take it from me, though - two trees started last week were finished this week.  Autumn Rhapsody has come home from Margaret quilter and looks great; sadly I have been in no position to start on making the label, hanging sleeve and binding....but that, too, will happen, hopefully before too long

We survived yesterday's summer solstice, and can now look forward to summer.  We have been having hot temps for some time now anyway, and more is forecast, but now the solstice is over I am telling myself -  every day that passes is a day closer to autumn.

A couple of Christmas pics to round out the post.  This is my collection of Christmas wombats, a small tree and my Jim Shore angel.

My collection of Canadian decorations, another small tree and even a sparkly red maple leaf.

So.....no matter where you are, and no matter what - if anything - you believe, best wishes for a time of love, and peace, and good health.

And chocolate.  Good quality dark chocolate.

Enjoy your Christmas days!

Jennifer

Well....it works!

How have you all been this week?  It is still quite warm here - one might even say it is hot, which it is - and today is hazy and smokey.  There are fires two or three hours west of here and smoke is drifting this way, so the air outside has a tinge of gold.  It's good weather to stay indoors, because being outside is probably unhealthy..

My idea about slicing and dicing the blocks shown in the last post actually works, which makes me happy!

The original block.  This pic will be added to the written instructions handed out to the quilt group next month.

When the blocks come back to me (doesn't matter if it takes a few months, there's no hurry) they will be cut on the diagonal and the colours mixed around.

Then two of those triangles will be joined with a one inch strip of black solid, and voila - we have a new block!

  This pic makes it look rectangular, but it isn't.  My ruler tells me it is definitely square.  Because there will be several seams coming together they will be sashed with plain black, and I am hoping the effect will be of stained glass.

Needs some green, doesn't it......

For the last sewing group meeting for this year one of our members showed us how to make an origami tree.  We had to take along a square of paper and our paper scissors....not the Good Scissors, no!......and we folded, cut, folded some more, snipped some more, and this is the result.  I used Christmas wrap which looks good when finished, although it was more fiddly to work with than a stiffer paper would be.

Should you wish to make your own, or perhaps need to entertain a younger person during the holiday break by making a tree with them, here are instructions and a video for you. 

The silly season is upon us.  A few nights ago we were watching something forgettable when an ad break came on, so of course the mute button was pressed.  (We don't enjoy having ads blasted at us.....they are always far too loud.)  An ad came on for a barbeque griller thingy, the well-known brand starting with W, they don't pay me to advertise so I won't name them. The grills come in different sizes, and this ad was for a 'baby' one. The young couple in the ad looked the part, he was smiling proudly at the new small grill while she, gazing adoringly at her man's prowess with the tongs, was holding a small child. Quite a young child. Just then the 'baby BBQ" writing flashed up on the screen, and I lost it completely. Nearly-fell-off-my-chair-laughing lost it.

Well.....what else would you cook on a baby BBQ?

Yesterday I put that on my facebook page and one person (who must have had a sense of humour bypass) took it seriously. "Oh no, they shouldn't imply that" she said.......truly......

A fun week this week with a couple of end-of-year functions. A 'thank you to our lovely volunteers' party at the gallery where I do my monthly shift; my last shift for the year will be coming up on Tuesday. My new-to-me recently op-shopped red bag made its first appearance, and looks like being very useful.

Thursday was lunch and a final play for the year with the U3A ukulele group. I was surprised and touched when both the leader and I were each presented with a lovely hand-made card signed by the members and a 'thank you for your help with the music' gift; it was totally unexpected but very appreciated, and the hand-written messages in the card are a delight to read.

Words have been read.  Diamonds have been joined, and (finally!) more have been cut.  Notes have been plinked and sung.  We have hunted and gathered, and so another week has passed.  Hi ho, and so we go.

Continuing with Etiquette of Public Places, Conduct in Church:

"It is ill-mannered to be late at church.  If one if unavoidably late, it is better to take a pew as near the door as possible."

Indeed.  In fact, it is ill-mannered to be late nearly anywhere, although we understand that traffic can be unpredictable.....especially at this time of year.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Melting moments

'Melting moments', for those of you who don't live in the wonderful land of Oz, are a favourite Aussie treat which have been around for a long time.  There are many recipes online, to make it easy I found one for you....Melting moments......not having tried it I can't vouch for it, but I'm sure they are yummy.

We've been having our own moments of melting this week.  It has been, and continues to be, very very hot with not much relief at night for sleeping....although the daytime heat is so tiring that the night time warmth certainly hasn't kept me awake.  In C degrees we have been nudging 40 for the past several days with those temps to continue for much of the coming week.  (That's over 100 deg F in old money)  We stay indoors as much as possible and drink plenty of water, we know that one day it will be cooler, and then we will feel better.

A few nights ago there was, as they say on the news, quite a bit of storm activity around.  Here on the northern edge of town we had a bit of wind, some lightning and thunder and about half a dozen drops of rain, while on the other side of the river there were blackouts, trees down, car accidents (because people don't know how to drive in anything other than bright sunny weather, do they) and teeming rain, even hail.  The official weather station at the airport on the south-west of town received - not one drop.  So, it didn't happen.

Unfortunately the heat fries my brain making it difficult to concentrate so not much has been achieved, but I did manage to get the three blocks made that I need for next month's BOM.

The two blocks on the right will be cut once diagonally.  There will be one intact block left to show the group what is expected (there will of course be a pic on the instructions which I will hand out); two of the cut blocks will be joined with black sashing, while the remaining two will be left so I can explain my idea.  I has also occurred to me earlier today that those blocks could be cut twice through the middle - up and down, and across, mixed around and sashed with black - but I like the diagonal idea better.  If you want to try it for yourself the centre square is cut 3-1/2 in, and the surrounding strips are all cut 2 inches.

It will not be long until the season is upon us, the musical wreath will be hung on the front door once more.....probably during the coming week.  Ding a ling.

Last night the ukulele group played for a Christmas carols evening at a small village 15 minutes out of town, and it was fun.  Despite the horrible heat we enjoyed ourselves, the audience seemed to as well, and we all had fun singing along with Christmas songs old and new.  The choir included one of the Australian Christmas carols......yes, there are some; in fact there are 15.....in their set, and we sang another.  My generation grew up singing them at school so of course are familiar with them, and they do reflect an Aussie Christmas more than carols from colder climes.  When there is a total fire ban (as there is again today) we would certainly not think of roasting our chestnuts on a fire, open or otherwise; in the words of 'The North Wind': "The north wind is tossing the leaves, the red dust is over the town....the sparrows are under the eaves, and the grass in the paddock is brown......" which is Australia in summer, and Australia at Christmas.

Some work was done on the neighbourhood at quilt group on Tuesday, then the bobbin thread ran out halfway through adding a setting triangle to the end of a house row.  It was nearly packing-up time anyway, so - when it's not quite so hot and when the social seasonal happenings let up for a while - it will be finished off at home.

Diamonds have been joined.  Words have been read.  Notes have been plinked and sung; choir has now finished for the year, and U3A ukulele group finishes next Thursday with lunch at the club where we hold our weekly meetings......first we will eat then we will play and sing, which sounds good to me.  Hunting and gathering, as usual, happened, and a birthday gift was posted off to The One And Only Grandkid who will soon turn nine.

Each year a 'Colour of the Year' is released by Pantone, and next year's colour was released this week.....'Peach Fuzz'.  Now I don't know about you but I would call it 'Blergh'.....or perhaps 'Bare Bum'.  I can't see it setting my world on fire, that's for sure.  When I posted about it on my online quilt group it reminded many members of sampler quilts they made in the 1980s-1990s which were peach/apricot with pale green or blue - a scheme they thought (hoped!) had gone forever.

Continuing on with Etiquette of Public Places, Conduct in Church:

"People should preserve the utmost silence and decorum in church, and avoid whispering, laughing, staring, or making a noise of any kind with the feet or hands."

Indeed.  Attending a church is not the same as attending a theatrical performance, although there is an element of theatre just the same.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Meet Rusty the wombat!

Rusty tried living in a pot with a succulent.....he was a bit too big to fit; he's longer nose-to-tail than he looks.  He tried another pot....there was room for either Rusty or a plant, but not both.  So he and I had a chat and we decided to move him to the back garden, where he now resides in his own little spot among some rocks.

There is a wombat friend behind him to make sure he doesn't get too lonely, although I don't think the friend is ever awake.  Rusty is made from metal, and has a spike stuck in the ground to make sure he doesn't go anywhere.  The post behind is one of the uprights for the wash line.

The Christmas occasions continue.

Yesterday the quilt group had its last Saturday meeting for the year, we waved around our challenge quilts (in my case still just a top but mine wasn't the only one unfinished, which made me feel better; the most popular two-colour theme was blue and white/cream), we had a cuppa, some small quilts and the bags I made were handed over to a representative of a charity, and we had a 'lucky dip' gift exchange....not a Secret Santa, as we weren't given names.  My gift is lovely!  A zipper bag with sewing notions stitched in silvery-grey on a yellow background which contained a spare cutter blade (always welcome); a pretty lacy hanky for when I feel like being a posh lady (I do sometimes, you know); a pair of 'Thangs' in a felt case; a pack of stationery notes and cards; and a gadget with a secret.

The back of the bag continues the yellow/grey theme, my two 'Thangs' show up against it - and the secret of the gadget is revealed!  The long silver end pulls out and is reversed, placed back in the holder, and it becomes a stitch ripper.

There was also a beautiful hand-made Christmas card with an Aussie bird, but it missed being in the pic.  The 'Thangs' case has the name "Sewmadic" so I looked it up and found that, through Kiva, they help women in developing countries to start and run their own businesses.....definitely a cause to support.

Next year's challenge was voted on, a few suggestions were tossed around, and the winning idea is to make a row by row quilt, something I have never done although they were all the rage several years ago.  I am feeling a bit lukewarm about it.....a regular commitment doesn't work for me, because if life is busy and I get behind it causes me stress, and I don't sew to be stressed.  I looked at ideas online, and none of them really floated my boat.  It's not compulsory to participate, so perhaps I won't.

After our meeting/cuppa/gift exchange/charity handover we adjourned to a pub on the other side of town for lunch.  It was a very wet drive; we've had quite a very welcome wet week, with more rain forecast.  Lunch was yummy, and you will be pleased to know that I stuck to alcohol-free as a 15-20 minute drive home in steady rain is easier with a clear head.  (Not that I indulge at lunch time, anyway)  There were several family groups in the pub and, because the rain was so heavy; all the little kiddie-widdies who would otherwise be running around in the outdoor playground were stuck noisily inside.  I was glad I hadn't worn my very bestest sandals as my feet did get very wet going to and from the car, both for the meeting and for lunch.  Splish splosh.

Diamonds have been sewn.  Words have been read.  Notes have been plinked and sung as the uke group is playing on Wednesday afternoon at a seniors' residence, and as I have a solo gig (!) next Saturday night at the choir Christmas party (which has been called an "extravaganza" by our director) so that will be fun.  The usual hunting and gathering, and that's pretty much it for this week, folks.

The U3A ukulele course leader and I have decide to divvy up the job.  She is quite happy to continue being the contact person and to do any admin Stuff, and I don't mind taking the group on Thursdays when she isn't available - although she said recently she thinks they do really well under me, better than under her!  (I don't know about that.....)  I did suggest that she add my name as official joint leader so the previous leader can't push his way back in, which she said she would do.  We aren't doing this to be nasty, you know; there are valid reasons for our thinking the way we do.

Continuing with Etiquette of Public Places.  The first two are quite short, so we will combine them.

"Conduct in church.

A gentleman should remove his hat upon entering the auditorium.

When visiting a strange church, you should wait in the vestibule until an attendant appears to show you to a seat."

The 'conduct in church' chapter is quite lengthy.  I suspect that, in days gone by, many folk did not go to church because they believed in the message being preached, but because it was a social activity - a case of seeing and being seen, particularly while wearing one's newest finery

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

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

Finally....

....some quilting is happening on my little hanging.  Some is still to be done, and provided that he promised storms don't eventuate that may happen later; being slightly fiddly stop-start stuff it takes longer than one would think.

Using a computerised machine in a storm is not, apparently, a Good Thing.  So I don't.  The plug only goes in the wall socket when I am using the machine.

Incidentally, something we have learned while watching home renno shows on our visits to Canada  - what we call a socket, or a power point, over there is called a 'receptacle'.  We speak the same language, but sometimes you would never know it.

Because it is autumn over there in the Land of the Maple Leaf beautiful pics are appearing on social media, and I am sighing with longing.  These trees were taken on the same visit to Bayfield.

The colour difference from green to orange is striking.  Obviously this was trimmed by someone who went to the same school of tree lopping that some people attend here, with the same unfortunate result....but the leaves are a lovely colour.

Bayfield is a very pretty town and the trees make a beautiful display, even if the occasional specimen wasn't trimmed as well as it could have been.

Diamonds have been cut and sewn.  Words have been read.  Notes have been plinked and sung.  Words have been read.  The usual forays to shops for various items....and so passes another seven days, or sennight, as we apparently used to say in centuries gone by.  It means - obviously! - seven nights and days.  A week.

It is indeed storm season here, and we have had a few of late.  As we speak the wind is picking up and a check of the weather radar shows storms not far away.  We had some welcome rain last night, a change from the previous day which was quite miserable; we woke up to the smell of smoke - even inside the house - from fires a couple of hours north.  My eyes were miserable, my nose was miserable, and I had a miserable headache.  Fortunately yesterday was much clearer, the weather change is helping put fires out and the smoke is blowing somewhere else.

Last month was an anniversary, 15 years since I started blogging.....it just passed me by, I completely forgot about it.....that's a lot of waffle over a long time about not much, isn't it?

Christmas Stuff is starting to appear in shops, Christmas music is sneaking into the classical music station playlists.  It will be here before we know it, folks.  We have made no plans for anything special although I did point out that, if I still had to prepare and cook a fancy meal (even a fairly plain meal) it was just the same as any other day for me.  In years past we have gone to a restaurant for lunch, but they are pricing themselves out of our reach for just one meal.  Perhaps we could go to a Chinese restaurant instead.....I like honey chicken, I know it's not very authentic Chinese food but I don't care.  I just like it.

Our U3A ukulele course leader was back on Thursday, much to my relief.....however, she announced that she was stepping down next year.  I know she would like me to take over, but I am undecided; while she knows I already have other Stuff in my life as well - we both do - a previous male leader is making noises about coming back and taking over, and neither of us want that.  We are meeting up tomorrow for a cuppa and a chat so I can find out just what is involved; if she is prepared to back me up, it might be possible.  We'll see what our chat throws up.  Even if I give it a trial for a year.....I'm sure I can survive a year.....

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street, Some General Suggestions:

"Do not quarrel with a cab driver about his fare, but pay him and dismiss him.  If you have a complaint to make against him, take his name and make it to the proper authorities.  It is rude to keep a lady waiting while you are disputing with a cabman."

Words just as relevant now as when they were first published in 1885, yes?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

As we march ever closer to the Big Day....

A small amount of decorating has been done, as you can see if you come to our front door.

Welcome - do come in!

Flossie the Angel is guarding the wombats; some of the wombats were gifts and some were bought by me.

Or.....perhaps the wombats are guarding Flossie?  Who knows?

The Canadian tree, once again some gifts and some purchases, but all come from Canada.  The tiny green lights are little pine trees, appropriate considering how many of them we have seen growing in Canada.

That's pretty much it for this year, folks.

We have bought a seasoned turkey roll so we can feel a bit festive, it will be cooked on Christmas Eve (if I am organised enough) or Christmas Day (if I'm not).  The turkey farm just outside town has a shop; it's been a local hangout for years but we hadn't been before, so yesterday we harnessed up the trusty steed and out we went.  Anything turkey - you name it!  We also bought some turkey sausages to try.

Now I think I have said that I never make new year resolutions, but I do have Hopes.  Some of the current Hopes are gifts from a friend in Canada that I plan to make; since making my tree hanging and my Canadian quilt I have lost my fear of fusible applique, so it's time these were done.

First will be the musical piece on the bottom right; the fabrics are mostly from the Grunge range in muted browns and greys, appropriate considering that guitars and ukuleles are mostly made from wood.

It may go on the wall, or it may become a table centre.....yet to be decided.

Some (many!) notes have been plinked, some diamonds joined although more need to be cut, not one stitch knitted.  Words have been read.  Rehearsals have happened.  The usual hunting and gathering took place, and so another week has passed.

The ukulele group played its last gig for the year last night at a small village not far out of town, and considering that it was pretty much thrown together with not a lot of organising it went off well.  The folk who ran it were lovely and they want us back next year; we sang our funny and happy Christmas songs, a choir sang a few songs, and there was a pianist leading everyone in the carol singing.  

Seasonal music is taking over the air waves, as they say, and we are being regaled with the usual December selection.  While I don't mind most of the traditional carols - indeed, I grew up singing them - I do draw the line at songs which are about winter but not about Christmas. Songs such as 'Let it snow'......'Winter wonderland'.....'even 'Jingle bells' was not written as a Christmas song, you know.  Our Christmas is in summer and it can be very hot, so we don't need songs about nostalgic winter Christmases in our December playlists.  Many Christmas songs are too sentimental and mawkish for my taste, anyway;  I don't put my foot down very often with the ukulele group, but under no circumstances whatsoever will I ever sing 'I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus' - I can't stand that song, grumpy Olde Pharte though I may be.

Some recent visitors to my blog have come up as "no-reply bloggers", meaning I can't reply to your welcome comments....if this is you, you might want to change your settings so I (and other bloggers) can reply.

 Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Bowing to strangers with friends.

If a gentleman meets a friend, and the latter has a stranger with him, all three should bow.  If the gentleman stops his friends to speak to him, he should apologize to the stranger for detaining him.  If the stranger is a lady, the same deference should be shown as if she were an acquaintance."

Indeed.  One should always be polite.  Politeness costs nothing, and leaves a lasting impression.

Enjoy your days!