The road ahead

At Kevin's last medical appointment the doctor confirmed what we had suspected for some time - a diagnosis of dementia.  He has Alzheimer's.  It's early stages yet but given that both his parents suffered from it in their later years, it's not surprising.  I don't know if there is a hereditary component, but it wouldn't surprise me if there was.

So we don't know if the road ahead will be bumpy - I suspect at times it will be - or smooth, which it mostly is now.  It will probably be a combination of both.  

Oh, well.  We can only do what we can do, can't we.....which is to keep our sense of humour as intact as we can as much as we can, and smile when we can't.

Moving on to happier Stuff.

We both had medical appointments during the week (mine was nothing drastic, just the Olde Pharte quarterly check-up) so the knitting came along with me to pass the waiting time.  The finished back and sleeves are plain knitting but I can't resist adding a pattern panel in the centre front; it's interesting to knit, and it's interesting to wear.

This is a cable panel from one of my knitting stitch dictionaries.  I can't remember what it's called, but its basketweave effect puts me in mind of wet sand on a beach as the tide goes in and out.

The collection so far of three-inch strips for the outer border on the house quilt.  It's a large quilt so is quite a long way round.....and I haven't cut very long pieces, which was probably a bit short-sighted of me......so some longer strips, which can be mixed in with the shorter ones, will be cut.

The house quilt will have its turn back in the sun once Arboretum is off being quilted, and I am looking forward to working on it again after so long.  There are a couple of days in the coming week which don't have commitments, so that drive to the quilt shop further north looks like being a goer; it certainly has a much bigger selection of batik fabrics than the local one here.  Kevin is still able to drive, for which I am thankful (I don't like driving but I know that one day I will have to be The Driver) so it's an excuse for an outing.

How has everyone been this week?  We spent time at appointments, and foraged enough to avert starvation.  Stitches were knitted, and also sewn by hand; the pile of diamonds waiting to be sewn together is getting smaller, then the three-diamond hexagons will be sewn in rows, or perhaps in blocks of three or four.  Yet to be decided....songs were sung and plinked, but there will be no uke group tomorrow as it's a public holiday for the monarch's birthday.  Most of my life it was the queen's birthday, it's been a few years but I'm still not used to saying 'king'!  There was a king when I was born, but I was quite young when he was replaced by a queen.

It's now June, so winter is well and truly here.  This morning was cold enough for a frost and quite frosty it was too, we are enjoying having a fire.  There is chicken simmering away in the slow cooker which, I suspect, will be welcome in a few hours; chicken thigh fillets cooked with Dijon mustard and maple syrup which we will have with rice and vegies to soak up the sauce.  On the kitchen bench is a butternut squash waiting to be turned into soup tomorrow as it's definitely soup weather now, and I haven't made any yet.  My version of pumpkin soup is cooked with green Thai curry paste, chopped onion and chicken or vegie stock, and some coconut milk stirred through once the squash is soft enough to be blended.  Depending on how heavy-handed one is with the curry paste it can be a good way of clearing out one's sinuses, too.

Neither of us like very spicy foods so there will be enough curry paste to an interesting bite, but not enough to take our breaths away.  We prefer flavour to heat - they aren't necessarily the same thing, you know.

"Presents of the bride and bridegroom.

Where the bride makes presents to the bridesmaids on her wedding day, they generally consist of some articles of jewellery, not costly, and given more as a memento of the occasion than for their own intrinsic worth.  The bridegroom sometimes gives the groomsmen a scarf pin of some quaint device, or some other slight memento of the day, as a slight acknowledgement of their services."

Pictures are appearing online of the wedding of a minor member of the British royal family, a second wedding for both bride and groom.  The bride went for the full white regalia, even a veil over the face when entering the church (an anachronism if ever there was one, I reckon; these days a groom is quite familiar with his bride's face before they meet at the altar) and the teenage daughters of both bride and groom had to wrangle a long train and veil while walking into the church in the rain.  I don't know what, if any, gifts were given.  Those girls certainly deserve a diamond or two each, for sure.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Finished is a good feeling!

As, I'm sure, we all know.

The last stitches were taken on the binding nearly half an hour ago.

Stepping back and looking at it finished - well, I like it. A lot.  Were there things I would have done differently - possibly.  Would I love it any more if those changes were made - no.

Fabrics from my stash of Canadian fabrics, and from my stash of autumn print fabrics, and from my stash of low volume background fabrics.  My stash contains several sub-stashes, as I'm sure everyone else's does too.

A couple of corners.

The back.  The original plan had been to use the wide stripe for the whole back, but it wasn't quite wide enough.  The maple leaf fabric is from the same manufacturer as the stripe - Northcott Fabrics - so the colours blend.

Large-scale stripes can be difficult to use; I remember I hesitated before buying this one, but I liked the Canadian-ness of it so it came home with me.  It suits the back perfectly.

Now there is a block sitting on the sewing table waiting to be made for next Saturday's group meeting....some fabrics were supplied, you will need four large-scale floral fabrics, said the instructions....I managed to find four in the stash.  The coming week is busy with several appointments and commitments for us both, but no doubt I will find the odd moment here and there to make one block.  Even though one of the supplied fabrics is pink, and I really don't love pink.

Words have been read.  As you can see, stitches have been sewn but none knitted, however the knitting will come with me to those various appointments, and who knows how many stitches will be knitted while we wait?  Notes have been plinked and sung.  We hunted, gathered and foraged in order that we may not starve, and because we are lucky we get to do it all over again next week.

Kevin was scrolling through the offerings on TV earlier, and he came across a cooking program.  I don't know what it was called, but it annoyed the bejabbers out of me because it was a man and a woman demonstrating.....she made a sauce out of I-don't-know-what, I think there was cream involved, then HE laid the potato slices tenderly in their dish, HE poured over the sauce she had made, HE placed the dish in the oven, HE took the dish out......all the while he was grinning inanely as if HE had just re-invented the wheel.....which is why I don't care for male TV chefs who have the "step aside, little lady, and let a real man do this" attitude.  Yes, I know many men like to cook.  Good for them.  I'm sure they do so without the superior attitude of most TV chefs.

The same goes for ads with a man showing a woman how to do the washing....in my experience it has been a woman (me) showing a bloke (Kevin and our two sons) how to operate a washing machine and how to use the iron. 

And while we're on the subject......do any of you sniff the contents of the wash basket before they go into the washing machine? Or blissfully sniff those freshly washed contents as they hang on the line in the sunshine?  Because I, for one, don't, despite those ads which show it happening.

When I rule the world, things will be different.

The plans for our 50th Anniversary Mini World Tour next month are proceeding nicely, all our accommodation has been booked, and I am starting to suss out places to visit.  Op shops, of course, that goes without saying....maybe a fabric shop or two.....hopefully someone to play music with.....family to visit in Canberra (no doubt the One And Only Grandkid will be towering over me by now) and friends to catch up with.

Something I have forgotten to mention: during the country music festival last month we attended a morning of poetry and comedy; we have been in the past and always enjoyed it.  As we entered we were given a numbered ticket and guess what - I won!  A DVD of poetry and laughs from some of the performers; we haven't watched it yet, but we will.  Just goes to show that, sometimes, you can be lucky.

"The relations of an engaged couple.

A young man has no right to put a slight upon his future bride by appearing in public with other ladies while she remains neglected at home.  He is in future her legitimate escort.  He should attend no other lady when she needs his services; she should accept no other escort when he is at liberty to attend her.  A lady should not be too demonstrative of her affection during the days of her engagement.  There is always a chance of "a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip"; and over demonstrations of love are not pleasant to be remembered by a young lady, if the man to whom they are given by any chance fails to become her husband.  An honorable man will never tempt his future bride to any such demonstration.  He will always maintain a respectful and decorous demeanor toward her."

That's right.  No PDAs please, folks.  One never knows where to look when one is a spectator to such an activity.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Upside down - or downside up?

The back for my table topper is pieced.

The decision was made to reverse the stripe for added interest, and because it then doesn't matter which way is up.

It's been a busy week, so this is pretty much all the sewing which has happened.  We have been going out and about, and taking in some music and poetry, and enjoying time with our musical guests.  They had planned to leave tomorrow but, due to a blown tyre which needs to be replaced and tomorrow being a public holiday (meaning that few businesses will be open, certainly not tyre shops) asked if they could stay another night.  Not a problem, we said, we don't mind.  Which, of course, we don't; a few years ago we had valuable help from a caravan park manager when we suffered a van mishap, so we don't mind paying it forward.  They have a long drive ahead of them, down south....way down south......so need to make sure that the tyres on the little blue car are in good condition.

The package for our Canaussian son and his partner is, at last, on its way.  We took it to the general store/post office not far out of town from us but, being such a small post office agency, they weren't sure what to do with a package for overseas.  So....back to the post office in the shopping mall on the other side of the river where much filling-in of forms took place, money was handed over - my goodness, postage costs have risen! - and a sigh of relief was heaved.

My house quilt is now registered as my UFO for the annual challenge of my quilt group, an easy decision because I really want to have it finished this year.  Once my table topper is done work will resume on the neighbourhood; more long green strips need to be cut for borders.....it's a large quilt and so far I have been cutting short border pieces, not such a good idea as it turns out.....but that's all right.  It was doing quite well until it was interrupted by my broken arm the year before last, but normal service can now resume.  The plan for the label is to make a very pale house with no colour on window or doors, almost no garden and very pale sky, and embroider its details in a multi-coloured stranded thread, something which wasn't easy to find, I can assure you.

Much fruit slice has been consumed, in fact there is another tray cooling on the kitchen bench as we speak.  Hopefully you can read this without having to pay....https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/recipes/mrs-atkins-fruit-slice-20111019-29v86.html because it's very easy, and certainly worth making.  I don't stick exclusively to "vine fruits" as in the recipe, I use a mix of whatever is in the pantry, including nuts.  So long as you don't exceed the quantity of fruit, 225g, it doesn't matter what the fruit and nuts are; this batch has Australian sultanas, craisins (dried cranberries), chopped dates, and pecan pieces.  If you wish you could also reduce the amount of sugar, it is caramelly and very nice....I don't.

Words have been read.  Songs have been plinked and sung.  Stitches have been sewn, but none knitted; appointments during the coming week mean that some possibly could be.  We managed to avoid the festival crowds in order to get some hunting and foraging done, and that was our uneventful but busy week.

"Presents after engagement.

When a couple become engaged, the gentleman presents the lady with an engaged ring, which is worn on the ring-finger of the left hand.  He may also make her other small presents from time to time, until they are married, but if she has any scruples about accepting them, he can send her flowers, which are at all times acceptable."

We didn't get engaged, we just got married, so I have no engagement ring.....but 50 years later it really doesn't matter, does it?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Less stressed trees

Less stress is good.  Kevin's hand is still healing (it was quite a bad injury) so the medical appointments are less frequent than they were, although they haven't yet ceased; the bulky bandage has been removed and it's now down to a large adhesive dressing.  He is relieved.  

Because he is complaining less, I am also relieved.  I might even get that long-awaited rest soon.

As a result, this week's trees are not quite as stressed as the past couple of weeks' were.  A slightly muddy brown, with green contrast.....

.....and a clear bright orange.  Both the orange fabric and the blue contrast are left over from Summertime Blues.

Numbers 77 and 78.  It probably doesn't matter which is which - and that only leaves 21 to go!

The conclusion has been reached that there might not be enough fabrics to make 99 different trees, so I might need to go shopping....gosh darn, what a shame.....several of the fabrics which were used for contrasts are too small to make a tree, while others are tone on tone fabrics which, while they made excellent thin trunks and branches, don't have enough variety of print or colour for a tree.  The result would end up looking like a blob of one colour, something I am trying to avoid.  

There is no weekly wattle pic today because flowering has finished for the year, but many branches have new growth on them, which augurs well for next year's flowering.

How has everyone been this week?  We have been well (apart from Kevin's hand); stitches have been sewn and knitted, one sleeve is finished and work is progressing well on the second sleeve, thanks to all those medical visits.  One sits and waits....so one knits......  Words have been read.  Songs have been plinked and sung, and there is one more Thursday ukulele left - so then I will be able to go back to choir!  One of the choir members was at last Sunday's historical museum day, and asked me when was I coming back....we miss you, she said....I miss you too, I said, I'll be back soon.

Being the current chauffeur, I am getting plenty of experience driving the new(ish) car.  I'm not a confident driver, in fact I don't really care much at all for driving, I only drive because it's quicker than walking.  It's not helped by the fact that Kevin used to be a instructor of advanced driving techniques.  I don't like driving with him beside me, as he's very critical of other drivers.  Super critical, in fact.  He knows I don't like having him as a passenger so he doesn't say much but I can hear his brain ticking over with what he's not saying, just the same.  Last Wednesday the doctor said no driving yet, we'll see what this week brings.

We are heading toward the spring equinox which, so my reading informs me, will be at 4.19 a.m. on Tuesday 23rd September.  I won't be getting up for it, it will just have to pass me by.  We are finishing the last few days of winter with rain - Friday night was very rainy - and slightly cooler temps than earlier in the week, so cool in fact that there is soup simmering in the slow cooker as we speak.  Early in the winter I made a batch of chicken stock which, because it doesn't contain preservatives and suchlike Stuff, needs to be used within a reasonable time frame; the last container of it is now adding flavour to butternut squash, and onion, and green Thai curry paste, with light coconut milk being added during the blending process.

"It must be remembered that husband and wife, after marriage, have social relations to sustain, and perhaps it will be discovered, before many months of wedded life have passed, when there is a social inequality, that one of the two have made a sacrifice for which no adequate compensation has been or ever will be received.  And so both lives become soured and spoiled, because neither receives nor can receive the sympathy which their efforts deserve, and because their cares are multiplied from a want of congeniality.  One or the other may find that the noble qualities seen by the impulse of early love were but the creation of an infatuated fancy, existing only in the mind where it originated.

Well, yes.  This is probably so.

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

Not such a wuss after all

We had been thinking, all the time we were away and since returning home, that it was cold....decidedly chilly, in fact....and it seems we were right.  The weather statistics up to the end of last month were released and our state has, indeed, seen the coldest start to winter since the mid-1980s.....and who can remember temperatures from that far back?  Can you remember how cold it was on a particular mid-winter day in, say, 1993?  

Neither can I.

This is The Big Green Jumper, a garment which is worth its (not inconsiderable) weight in gold during cold weather.

It is big, it is deep mossy green, and it is warm.  The pure wool yarn came from Bendigo Woollen Mills a very long time ago, and the pattern was bought a few years before that.  In the original design the rope cables outlining the centre and side front panels had bobbles knitted into them but I don't care for bobbles, so they were omitted.  I can't remember when it was finished, but I do remember knitting it while touring New Zealand in a hired motorhome back in late 2000.  It is warm because there are so many cables in the design and every cable is double thickness - because that's how they are made.

Stitches have been knitted on the latest jumper/cardy, whatever it decides it wants to be, although it is leaning towards being another jumper which would fit my clothing style more than a cardy, and guess what...it will have cables on the front!

Some more three-diamond hexagons have been pieced.  Two blocks were made yesterday, BOMs for the quilt group, so they are now caught up.  

The major project during the coming week is to get out the Canadian quilt, and start working on the borders.  The batting needs to be firmly attached inside the borders, then quilting will happen to hold it all in place.  Then binding....we'll be on the homeward stretch, yay!  And, of, course, a label.

Not much plinking has happened, but it will.  

Soup has been made, cauliflower and chorizo soup.  The original recipe called for bacon but one day I happened to have chorizo instead so thought I would give it a whirl, and we found that we prefer its smokey taste.  One it has cooled down it will be smooshed (technical word, that) with the stick blender, and there will be soup for the coming chilly days.  One thing to be said for cold weather - soup makes it easy to get in one's daily serve of veggies, doesn't it?

A couple of days ago we took a heater to a local op shop as we no longer have need for it, and in this cold weather someone else may need it.  While we were there we checked out the goodies for sale and found Just The Very Thing to sit beside my TV/hand work chair, a small square table with one drawer and room for all my paraphenalia on top.  What a useful little table it is, to be sure!  I was using a slightly ricketty folding tray table - this is more stable, and a better height for me.  I have no idea if it was a bedside table or a low hall table, but it makes a handy dandy Jennifer table and was $20 well spent.

Continuing on with General Rules for Balls:

"In leaving a ball, it is not necessary to wish the lady of the house a good night.  In leaving a small dance or party, it is civil to do so."

Indeed.  That sounds like the right thing to do, doesn't it?

Enjoy your days!

Done is a good feeling

Probably bad grammar, but still a good feeling.  All 277 of those 2-1/2 inch green squares have been cut; cutting is my least favourite part of sewing, especially fiddly diddly cutting, but it's now all done.

Lots of different shades of green, and bits of a few other colours too.  The Cunning Plan is to use these as 'leaders and enders' when sewing the next row onto the house blocks, an idea which came to me in a blinding flash of brilliance as I was settling down to sleep last night.

This week's completed houses, a pastel flower house and a black and white (plus colour!) house.

Before the decision was made to use black and white fabrics for the next row there had already been some houses made using these colours, but they still fit into the neighbourhood.

Nary a stitch has been done this week on the Canadian blocks, not one, but now all the tedious business of cutting squares is done that will change - I have high hopes of progress being made during the coming days.  The cutting would have been finished a couple of days sooner had not my hip decided to give me grief.  It's all downhill from 25, you know.....

Much staying home has happened this week.  Unfortunately two appointments await me this week (one is to get the whingeing hip sorted, something which really needs to be done) which will necessitate wearing the dreaded mask, but as soon as possible it will be taken off again.  

Remember the old song 'Stormy weather'?  'Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky, stormy weather'......you'll be singing it all day now, won't you?  It has been a bit stormy lately with rain, thunder, you name it.  Yesterday's wind was nasty chilly and blowy so we stayed indoors;  fortunately today is milder although it's a long way from being hot - or even warm.  Yesterday Bianca forgot that she is quite geriatric and raced around the house like a mad thing so today she is recovering in front of the fire.  Children and animals seem to be affected by wind, back in my days of working in schools the staff used to dread windy days.

Perhaps later today if the fancy takes I might make a fruit slice as no baking has been done for a couple of weeks, but then again I might lose interest in the idea.  We'll see.  I have discovered the wonderful world of cooking videos on you tube - what a marvellous place it is with really interesting recipes, much better than watching cooking shows on T.V.  If you want to watch something really mesmerising check out 'how to tie dye'......the revealed fabric or shirt is quite something to see although I can't see me wearing rainbow spiral tie dyed clothing, that ship has long sailed.

"If a plate is handed to you at the table, keep it yourself instead of passing it to a neighbour.  If a dish is passed to you, serve yourself first, then pass it on."

That is probably a good idea.  If a plate is handed to you it is meant for your use, not someone else's.

Enjoy your days!

Half the year is done

According to the fount of wisdom which is the internet (how did we ever manage before it?  Greatest thing every invented, in my humble but honest opinion) two days ago, 2nd July, we reached the half-way point of the year; 182 days had passed since last year's end, and there were 182 to go.  Now we are the downward slide.

Nothing, however, will be said about the Big C occasion just before the year's end.......

Thursday, 1st July, was marked by making date and maple syrup muffins using maple syrup from Canada, but instead of making 12 muffins I made a cake.  You eat a whole muffin whether or not you need a whole muffin, don't you?  So the mix became a nine inch square cake, yielding much more than 12 serves, and it's quite nice.  It would have been even nicer with chopped pecans added but the pantry held none.

This week's completed house blocks, a purple house with a scribbly border, and a cat on a hot tin roof house with almost the last of this chrysanthemum print.

These blocks are such fun - I really like how the black and white sets them off.  Considering that there was no intention of making another quilt when the first few blocks were made, it's coming along nicely.....as are (finally!) the Canadian blocks with seven having their stitching finished, six to go.

On our trip down south, on a warm sunny day in April, we stopped off in Blayney to pay our respects to two members of Kevin's circus family.

Charles Henry Perry was a cousin of Kevin's grandmother.  Back in June 1923 Perry's Circus was setting up for a performance in Blayney when both men were killed in a gas explosion.  Charles' sister Elizabeth was married to William Sole, so she lost a husband and a brother in one evening; Charles Perry had recently sold the circus to William Sole as he intended to retire, but had stayed on for a few weeks to help out.  Both men are buried in one grave, and newspaper reports of their funeral the following day indicate that it was the largest ever seen in Blayney.

On arriving at the cemetery we couldn't at first find the grave, so I asked a couple of young blokes who were, to judge by the sign on their work truck, familiar with many cemeteries in the area.  They took me straight to it and one bloke, in particular, was really interested; he said he had often wondered why the grave was so big and why there were two names as double graves are unusual.  We chatted for a while and he said that the company they worked for was one of the last remaining in the region which restores and makes grave markers and headstones......"it's a dying trade", he said.  I bith my thongue and didn't laugh because I didn't know whether he was making a joke or being serious.......but yes, I suppose in these days of people being cremated and their ashes scattered, instead of having a grave with a marker, it has meant that there is a lot less work than there once was in the monument industry.  It also means no headstones for family historians which is a shame, as they often contain interesting information.

It's been a quiet week as we - particularly me - have been lying low.  An edict has come from the state government in the Big Smoke that everyone in the state, regardless of where they live or how far away they are from cases of the current plague, must wear a mask in public.  That's a problem for me because as soon as I put a mask on I can't breathe then I have a panic attack.  So I stay home, which is fine.  However as Kevin did such a bad job of shopping last week (most of the items on the list were missing when he finished, including chopped pecans for the date and maple syrup muffins/cake) I fear that I will have to run the gauntlet of the hunting and gathering tomorrow while he pushes the trolley.  He's not getting out of it.  

I would rather stay home, and breathe, and sew.

"Do not find fault with the food."

This is probably tactful, no matter whether you are dining at your own home or someone else's.

Enjoy your days!

The house smells really good......

There is cauliflower and chorizo soup in the slow cooker.  It used to be made with bacon - perhaps I found the recipe online, I disremember - however on one occasion we didn't have any bacon, but there was chorizo in the fridge so I used it instead.  We liked it so much better that I don't use bacon in that recipe anymore, we much prefer the smokey flavour of chorizo.

Then just after lunch I really pushed the boat out and made a fruit slice, a favourite of ours.  Every time it's made there are variations; originally I used 'fruit medley' but over the years all manner of fruit has been used, depending on what's in the pantry.  So long as the amount of fruit is correct it doesn't matter what is used; I often chuck in a handful of nuts as part of the weight, either walnuts or pecans are good, and make up the total with dried fruit.  This time it's crimson raisins (because there were some in the pantry), fruit medley (ditto), and fresh walnuts given to us by a nice man at Sofala on our trip south in April.  He was harvesting walnuts from his tree before the birds ate them all, we stopped to chat on our way back to the car, and he shared some of his bounty with us......how nice was that!  We have tried a piece of slice each, and agree that it's not bad at all.

There is a finish to report this week.

The scarf which has been simmering along is finally done!  Pattern is Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf on Ravelry, yarn is Bis-Sock from Quebec bought in Courteney, B.C. on our last trip to Canada, made on a 4.5 mm needle.  The colourway is called "A la Belle Etoile", and it will be cosy and cheerful for our current cool weather.

Stitches have been cast on for a new jumper, and it will be shown when there is a bit more progress.

This week's additions.  The pink spotted house looks as though it is being whirled around in a cyclone, while the lime print is surrounded by birds' nests.  Or perhaps alien life forms......

Just for fun I laid them out on the fabric which will be used for the narrow sashing between blocks, and have decided it's a good choice.  The pattern calls for 'fabric for sashing to equal one yard', and my piece is almost a full metre - it's two inches over a yard, so it will be Just Right.

It was bought many years ago when we lived in the Big Smoke, at a quilt guild market day.  The family of a well known quilter was selling fabrics and books from her estate and I fell in love with this bright yellow fabric as soon as I saw it, even though I didn't have a use for it at the time.  Now it can have its turn in the sun as walkways through the neighbourhood.

We seem to have left the really really cold weather behind for now.  Next weekend is the start of school holidays, so it will probably turn cold and wet again......never fails, does it.......

Next Saturday afternoon I will once again make a fool of myself in public and sing a song, accompanied of course by my gorgeous tenor ukulele, in the Mature Performers section of the Eisteddfod.  This year's effort (which would have been last year's, had not the world shut down) is a parody of 'La Vie En Rose'; it is all in French, but consists of words strung together with brand names and familiar phrases.  I don't enter expecting to win......good heavens no, the winner has to have a photograph taken with their trophy and I have a severe allergy to having my photo taken......but just to have fun.  Next year's song has also been chosen.

"Eat neither too fast nor too slow."

Sage advice.  Too fast and you may cause discomfort to yourself, too slow and you may inconvenience your table companions - although I have always been a slow eater since childhood, but I try to keep pace with my fellow diners.

Enjoy your days!

The last of the houses is done

All 61 houses are finished, the neighbourhood is complete.  Lots more cutting and sewing still to come until the quilt is done, but hey.....no hurry.

Two more autumn houses to reflect the season, both made from autumn fabrics bought in Canada.

Considering that, a year ago when the first house was made, there was absolutely no intention whatsoever of making a quilt - it is coming along nicely.  My houses were, in common with many other quilters around the world, a 'lockdown' project......but onlike many of those, mine is still unfinished.

Never mind.  There are no prizes for 'first past the post' in this.

Well, it has turned freezy frosty chilly!  This morning was quite cold, coldest morning of the year so far, and the 'feels like' was several degrees colder than the actual temperature.  (It felt like -6 C overnight, that's a wee bit cool)  We have been promised more of the same for the next week or so; it's just as well we had the chimney cleaned out last week, isn't it?  We can now have a fire to keep us warm without worrying about being smoked out of house and home, which is what happened when we first tried lighting it.

My birthday last weekend was, as it is these days, quiet.  The Annual Phone Call came from our son down south (he does ring more frequently than once a year, that's just my joke; "Oh! it's my Annual Phone Call!" I say when the phone rings on my birthday) and we went out to dinner.  We had thought of lunch but decided against it because most venues were offering 'Mother's Day Lunch' and we had visions of everywhere being full of happy family gatherings with unrestrained children.  The restaurant we chose was busy - and although it was in the evening there were still several small children, one or two per table.  Fortunately they were well behaved......and that's it done and dusted for another year, only another 51 weeks until the next one.

The slow cooker has made its first appearance for the year, yesterday it was used to make pumpkin soup, and jolly nice it was too when we had some at lunch today.....just the thing for a sunny but quite chilly day.  

Ten days ago the remnants of the ukulele group played for a seniors' concert, the first time we have played in public for over 14 months - and it felt so good.  The choir sang too, something we also hadn't been able to do.  Our audience enjoyed the music, we enjoyed performing, and hopefully it will lead on to better things.....and also hopefully, we hope we can get some new members.  

The mouse plague continues.  Earlier in the week Bianca caught one as it emerged from under the dishwasher but we took it away before she could bite into it; we have been spreading baits around, and while we don't mind poisoned mice we don't want a poisoned kitty.  We haven't seen any more signs of activity since - fingers crossed that they have moved on, although the current cold weather may drive them indoors.  They are doing a lot of damage to a widespread area, infesting crops, causing fires by eating electrical wiring both in houses and vehicles, and similar nastiness.  People are looking to buy baits and traps to get rid of the little buggers but they are in short supply everywhere, it seems.  

I'm all for loving the creatures with whom we share our lives on this planet, but I draw the line at letting mice live in the house.

"Do not leave the table before the rest of the family or guests, without asking the head, or host, to excuse you, except at a hotel or boarding house."

The mice don't need to ask to be excused, they can get up and go at any time.  We won't think them impolite if they do so.

Enjoy your days!

We're just.....hopping along, you might say

Back when we lived in the Big Smoke our view was of neighbours' yards, and the street out the front with more houses across the road.  We now have an uninhabited hill behind us which is home to a mob of kangaroos; sometimes male roos, being fueled by testosterone and the desire to win the heart of of a young female roo, get stuck into each other.

These aren't the most brilliant shots ever taken, I was inside the house and had to zoom in; that's our wash line in the way.

When I - very quietly and carefully - opened the door to go outside for a better pic they hopped away, but not before I heard the grunts of the fight.  There's nothing wrong with their hearing, for sure.

They were back at it again this morning, too far away to even try for a photo.

The Ontario runner has had its backing pieced, and is layered and pinned ready for quilting.  Hopefully that will be done this week.......I want to have it finished!

Stitches have been knitted on the redacted scarf, and already I am much happier with it than I was with the previous design.  Stitches have also been taken on more rows of tumblers.  Books have been read......I'm a quick reader, and have been known to read a book in one sitting.  It's very hard to tear one's self away from a book one is enjoying, yes?

Today we're trying a different slant on a favourite soup recipe.  I have sometimes made cauliflower and bacon soup (which looks quite uninspiring, but tastes delicious) but this time chorizo is being substituted for bacon.  Hopefully its smokey flavour will do wonders for the otherwise fairly bland taste of cauliflower - which is why bacon is usually added - and we will have soup for several lunches. 

It has rained.  More rain is forecast, very welcome rain, because we are still in drought.  Not such a welcome story to the south-east along the coast, where some very expensive houses will probably fall into the ocean due to erosion.  Someone - original owner/s, developer, local council who has to give approval for such things - perhaps should have gazed into their crystal ball and thought "hey......building on unstable sand dunes isn't really a great idea, is it?"  It's not a new problem; back in 1978 a house in the same area fell into the ocean during a storm, but of course, as some folk say on the renno porn TV shows, "we wanna be right on the water!"  So we will ignore the history of such events, and ignore the science, and then weep and wail and gnash our teeth when our mansion topples into the sea.

I'm sorry these people have lost their homes, having survived two plumbing floods we have a small taste of what they are going through.....but honestly, did they just think their houses would stay on that high soft dune above the ocean forever?  Hindsight is easy, but perhaps a moratorium on all development within a couple of kilometres (or a mile, in old money) of the coast should have been considered a long time ago.

"Manner an index of character.
A rude person, though well-meaning, is avoided by all.  Manners, in fact, are minor morals; and a rude person is often assumed to be a bad person.  The manner in which a person says or does a thing, furnishes a better index of his character than what he does or says, for it is by the incidental expression given to his thoughts and feelings, by his looks, tones and gestures, rather than by his words and deeds, that we prefer to judge him, for the reason that the former are involuntary."

Probably.

Enjoy your days!

Rolling along nicely

But - we don't have much choice, do we? 

We have noticed that there is less traffic on our suburban street than usual.  It forms a semi-circle joined at both ends to a minor highway so doesn't get much through traffic, even though there are a few short streets leading off it and for whom the only access is our street.  It's always been a quiet street, and has become even quieter than before.  There is also very little air traffic over us, it's a rare thing to hear a plane!

How are you all coping with your house arrest?  We make one, sometimes two, trips out during the week for hunting and gathering, and one to the pharmacy for a drug run if needed.  It's enough to give us hope that other people are still alive out there, and if we are very lucky we even meet a friend to have a sociable chat.....at a suitable distance, of course.  Apart from those trips, we stay home.

Sewing has happened.  The next block, Quebec, has been stuck down.

Only two to go!  Although it doesn't look like it, those fabrics were pressed first.

There has been a bit of a thing online about making house blocks lately.  Many people seem to be quite taken by this one, which I quite like......but I wanted my houses to have a garden, which would make the blocks longer.  Aha, I thought to myself, I wonder what EQ7 has in the way of house blocks?  So I checked; there are several but I quite like this six inch square block called 'Little house', because it has a garden.  So.....fabrics were chosen, a purple house with an orange roof, a blue spotted sky, yellow window and bright checked door, plus a beautifully manicured lawn.  I can see many more of these in my future.....my Vintage Singer Featherweight (nigh on 70 years old) and I made it outside, in Birdland.

I did make a change to the sky; the original block provided templates to cut two pieces reversed but I thought again to myself, I reckon you could sew diagonally across a 2-1/2 in square of sky fabric for each corner and it would still look good - as well as being easier.  It does, it was, and the roof pitch is now a different angle.

Meanwhile the knitting continues, the tumblers keep tumbling, the tree hanging is not much further along.  When it comes to machine quilting I hesitate because I know my skills aren't very good, but then - if I never practice they never will be, will they.  I would really like to get it done so will have to hoick up my big girl pants (which used to be much smaller......sigh) and Have A Go.

Meanwhile, we spend a lot of time online, not much time watching TV, and are having fun discovering online radio stations which play music that we like.  I also managed to get an arrangement done for the uke group.

Yesterday I really pushed the boat out and made Anzac bikkies.  Some people like theirs thick and chewy, I prefer thin and crispy - which these are, but they are also a bit crumbly.  Because I have some I added 1/2 tspn of pumpkin pie spice, which doesn't hurt the flavour at all.....even though I am sure purists would shudder, but then they don't know what they are missing.

"Pastry should be eaten with a fork.  Everything that can be cut without a knife should be eaten with the fork alone.  Pudding may be eaten with a fork or spoon."

If you would like to try one of my crumbly Anzac bikkies with a fork alone, good luck to you......these are definitely finger food only.

Enjoy your days!

Rolling along nicely

Block number seven of my Canadian quilt, Prince Edward Island, is stuck down.

The Cunning Plan is to prepare all the blocks first then stitch the applique - hopefully (fingers crossed) the same fabric in all blocks can be done one block at a time before the thread colour is changed.  The next block is Ontario; some of the pieces have been traced, I'm not sure if they all have.  Will need to check.

'Hanging on' is still hanging in there.  It has been layered, now needs to be pinned.  I don't envy me trying to pin through - in some places - two layers of applique plus the background, so will just try for the empty background for pinning.

Meanwhile, the tumblers keep tumbling along.  Another row strip was finished a few nights ago which makes two done, four to do.  Each row strip is four tumblers high by 31 across.

Are you all staying safe, and staying sane?  We popped out yesterday for a spot of hunting and gathering and were surprised to find out that there are actually people in the world besides the two of us!  We will need to venture forth briefly tomorrow as the last of our nice dark chocolate will be eaten tonight, and a chocolate-less world doesn't bear contemplating.  Supermarkets hereabouts are opening at sparrowfart o'clock for oldies like us, so we will go then.

There is a small up side to the current shut-in situation.  Because we are wearing 'home' clothes nearly all the time, as opposed to 'out' clothes and 'home' clothes, there is far less washing than usual!  On the down side, looking like a dag each and every day is a tad boring.  Perhaps I should wear my tiara around the house, just because I can.  I do have a tiara, you know; a gen-u-ine rhinestone tiara from the 1960s, very pretty and very sparkly.

The kitchen smells nice thanks to 'Matrimonial Cake' not long out of the oven.  The recipe came from a friend on Vancouver Island and was her mum's recipe.  I added a little pumpkin pie spice mix to the flour/brown suger/rolled oats (oatmeal) base and topping; my friend hasn't tried that, but I thought I would give it a go.

The golf club where Monday's ukelele group met closed last weekend.  A few members came here instead, we were able to sit apart outside.  However, cases of the plague has now been diagnosed here so we have called a halt for the foreseeable future.  Yes, I can play here by myself, but......sigh.  Some things are more fun in company, and making music is one.

"A letter of introduction should not be given, unless the person writing it is very well acquainted with the one whom he introduces, and the one to whom he writes.  If the person who receives such a letter is really well-bred, you will hear from him or her within twenty-four hours, for a letter of introduction is said to be like a draft, it must be cashed at sight.  The one receiving it either invites you to dine, or to meet others, or to a drive, or to visit some place of amusement.  Too great caution cannot be exercised in giving a letter which makes such demands upon an acquaintance."

No letters of introduction in our changing world now, sadly......an email instead, perhaps? or a text?

Enjoy your days!

One thousand and eleven

That's how many pieces need to be cut for the elephant......er, the quilt......that is currently on the chopping board.  Out of curiosity I counted up the various labelled baggies; 120 of this, 90 of that, 333 of something else, etc.  I am really enjoying going through my Big Bin of autumn print fabrics, it brings back many memories; a lot have been bought on our trips to Canada while others have been in the stash for longer.

Never mind.  The cutting out will eventually get done, then I can have the fun of mindlessly feeding fabrics through the machine - definitely a favourite pastime.

Last Friday afternoon the uke group played for the 30th birthday of a support group for people who have suffered a stroke, and many nice things were said to us and about us.  One compliment we are often paid is "you look as though you are having fun" which we do - we are having a lot of fun!  Next Sunday we are back at a market day at a small church just out of town, then we can sit back and heave a sign of relief......but not for long.  We have several gigs coming up to Christmas, which will be upon us before we know it.

Proof that it has indeed rained since we came here - this was a few months after we moved in, a view of the hill behind us.  Those plants must have been knee to hip height, maybe even taller.

 Wet stuff!  Actual wet rain on the garden!

 Although this wasn't taken recently, the view hasn't changed.......it's still dry and brown now.

Sigh......it will eventually rain again.  We just don't know when.

Yesterday afternoon the boat was well and truly pushed out here - I baked a cake!  I used this recipe, but used an eight inch tin and gave it 45 minutes in the oven.  It also has a streusel topping of flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, walnuts and melted butter, but for some reason the topping soaked into the cake as it baked.  I may have overdone the amount of butter......but all is well, as usually that topping falls off instead of sitting nicely on top.  Instead of using the spices in the recipe I dipped into my little container of ready-made pumpkin pie spice mix bought last year in Canada.  There are many recipes online to make your own spice mix, but I thought I would try the real thing.  As we can't buy tine of pumpkin pie filling here I made my own by chopping a pumpkin (Japanese, from memory) into chunks and roasting it in the oven for half an hour or so with the skin still on.  No oil, no seasoning, nothing like that.  When it was done and had cooled the skin was peeled off and it was puréed in the food processor, then stored in self-seal bags - one cup per bag, most recipes seem to use one cup - in the freezer until the mood took me to use them.

Should you feel like joining me in the boat for a bite of something delicious I can recommend it.  Sometimes I make cupcakes with this recipe, but usually it's a bigger cake as it goes further......12 cupcakes is 12 cupcakes, but an eight inch cake can be cut into more than 12 slices.

"The beard.
Those who shave should be careful to do so every morning.  Nothing looks worse than a shabby beard.  Some persons whose beards are strong should shave twice a day, especially if they are going to a party in the evening."

A gentleman probably shouldn't eat cake while wearing a beard, as it would be a shame to waste even the tiniest crumb......which, of course, leaves more for the rest of us.

Enjoy your days!

Same old boring.......nothing

Right now I can barely get out of my own way, let alone accomplish much.  Can't drive while wearing the moon boot.......very awkward to use a sewing machine pedal (believe me, it's been tried)......sore hips because I don't have a shoe for the left foot which matches the height of the boot so my hips are lopsided when I walk.......etc.......

During the week I received notification from the fracture clinic at the hospital to say that I have an appointment in a couple of weeks.  That is four weeks after the original request.  What's the bet they just check the x-rays, tell me to keep wearing the boot, and send me on my merry way?

On the positive side, many stitches are being taken and many penny dreadful books are being read; I am learning all about how to commit the perfect murder.  Nothing like a mystery/murder story to pass the time, is there?

Early in the week Kevin noticed that one of our pillow slips needed a seam repair so I had a go at using the overlocker.  It's not easy to use a foot pedal while feeling like there is a solid block of wood between your foot and said pedal, let me tell you.  However it was done, and my shoulder was tender from patting myself on the back afterward.

On Sunday the uke group has a gig at the church markets just out of town; after that I will see what can be accomplished in the sewing room.  Next step for just about any waiting project is cutting, so we will see how long at a time I can stand to cut.

As a result, there are no pics of anything new so let's trawl back through the past, some of the natives we had growing at our house in the Big Smoke.

Grevillea, "Robyn Gordon" I think.

 Another grevillea, pretty sure this one is "Moonlight".

 Pink callistemon, I have absolutely no memory of its name if indeed I ever knew it.

 I do know this one, Callistemon "Taree Pink".  I planted a small bush along a front corner of the house and before we knew it, it had taken over the universe.  The reflected warmth from the brick wall plus sun all morning and some of the afternoon obviously suited it, and it grew like a weed.

Despite leaving these beauties we aren't sorry to not be living there now.  We much prefer our slower pace of life here in the Small Smoke, it suits us.

We have been having amazing autumn weather, quite warm and dry for this time of year, but that is due to change next week with a taste of winter.  Days have been really nice with cooler - not cold - nights, no frosts here in town although higher up the tablelands they already know what frost is.  No doubt we will have our turn.  We need a lot of rain, but it will come when it comes.  All the wishful thinking and praying in the world won't bring it any sooner.

Then it will be time to get back to cooler weather cooking, soups and stews and things like that......and baking.  Yummo cakes and slices, finally I will have a chance to try out the pumpkin spice mix brought back from Canada!  Yee har!  I foresee a pumpkin spice cake in our near future......

Continuing on from the last post:

 "Still more destructive of the beauty and symmetry of our women's feet have been the high, narrow heels so much worn lately.  They make it difficult to walk, and even in some cases permanently cripple the feet.  A shoe, to be comfortable, should have a broad sole and a heel of moderate height, say one-half an inch, as broad at the bottom as at the top."

Nothing about a heavy rigid moon boot, you notice.

Enjoy your days!

Golden orange light

Last weekend the backing for a quilt was finally assembled, it was held up due to the Great Flood and associated packing up and unpacking of stuff.  A rather gorgeous orange batik fabric was chosen for binding and to feature on the back; strips were sitting on my sewing machine waiting to be joined for length when I noticed the sun and machine light shining onto the fabric, and couldn't resist taking a pic.

 Is that not scrumptious?  You could eat it, couldn't you?

These pics have been shown before but being too lazy to link back to the post, here they are again.  Backing uses the blue fabric with orange/yellow spots, the luscious orange, and a strip of 12 in blocks to bring it up to the correct size.

It has now gone off to be quilted and I forgot to take a photo of the back, work of genius as it is......but here is the front again, below.  Binding will also be orange.

Pattern is called "Gumballs" but I don't care for that name.  I am thinking along the lines of "There ain't no cure for the summertime blues" - because, let's face it, there ain't. 

Now I am trying to pick up enthusiasm to make a BOM, a very simple block.  I am promising myself that when it's done I can work on my own stuff, which is a great incentive.

The other day I was inspired by all things Canadian (because last Sunday was, after all, Canada Day) to bake something delicious using maple syrup, and chose to make Maple Butter Bars.  The pinging sound you heard was probably our arteries snapping but an occasional treat doesn't hurt, does it?  Should you feel inspired to try it yourself, we can definitely recommend it.  Yummy doesn't begin to describe it.

Our rainless state continues.  Nothing new to report there.

Tomorrow we plan to go for a Nice Sunday Drive on Saturday to Barraba, a small town an hour or so north for their annual art festival.  We haven't been out driving since our return from Canberra nigh on three months ago, so that will make a change from staying home and grinning at each other.

"Etiquette of the street.
The manners of a person are clearly shown by his treatment of the people he meets in the public streets of a city or village, in public conveyances and in travelling generally.  The true gentleman, at all times, in all places, and under all circumstances, is kind and courteous to all he meets, regards not only the rights, but the wishes and feelings of others, is deferential to women and to elderly men, and is ever ready to extend his aid to those who need it."

Words to keep in mind, yes?  Especially as, these days, civility seems to be dropping by the wayside.

Enjoy your days!

It is really, really cold today

It was really, really cold yesterday too.  Barely an hour here from here it's been snowing all day, and pictures posted on a local facebook weather page are quite amazing.  For generations people have been coming to Australia for warm weather and sunshine......they won't find any here today, we haven't even made double figures in celsius temperatures.

These pictures were taken at Hanging Rock, about one hour's drive south-east of here, a few years ago.  Today's snow falls are much deeper.

 Warnings are out to avoid the area completely.  Road conditions are quite dangerous, and even 4WD vehicles are not recommended along many roads unless they have chains.

While I realise that quite a lot of the world sees much more snow than we do, it's quite a novelty for us!  The Small Smoke is in a valley so it's the higher country an hour to the south, east and north of us, and also a few hours west, which is getting its coating of white.  Snow has fallen here occasionally but usually it melts on the way down; the last decent recorded snowfall here was, apparently, in 1984.

It makes for good staying-indoors-and-sewing-or-cooking-or-reading-or-just-veging-out weather, which is what we're doing right now.  Kevin is reading, and I have just taken a cake out of the oven - a pumpkin spice cake with streusel topping, which we will try for dessert tonight.

Last week I ordered some Aurifil thread in variegated autumn colours to quilt the maple leaf runner, and it arrived on Friday......it is gorgeous, yummy enough to eat.  There are ten Winding Ways blocks cut out ready to be assembled, they might be done first then the runner will be quilted.  After that, those Winding Ways blocks had better be prioritised if the challenge quilt is to be done for later this year - that will be one UFO out of the way, when it's done.

On Friday night the uke group made its premiere inaugural first-ever debut playing in the local Eisteddfod and while we didn't win, we had fun.  Now that we know what to expect, we will back next year.  The audience seemed to enjoy our playing and singing, and one comment by the judge was that we blended well - that's good, it means no one stood out as, except for my playing of the introduction, there were no solos.  We even had people singing along with us, and several people came up to us afterwards to say how much they enjoyed our performance.

Who knows, we might yet become rich and famous.......in our dreams, I suspect......

Removal of the wallpaper cornice is proceeding nicely.  The corner near the fire will have to wait until the end of winter, for safety reasons - the fire can get quite hot - but nearly all the rest is done.  Even without the walls being re-painted the lack of floral borders really opens them up, they look so much less cluttered already.  The new wall colour will be a pale buttery cream.

"Here is the test of true ladyhood.  Whenever the young find themselves in the company of those who do not make them feel at ease, they should know they are not in the society of true ladies and true gentlemen, but of pretenders; that well-bred men and women can only feel at home in the society of the well-bred."

Indeed.  Like attracts like, it is said.

Enjoy your days!