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

A bit of a fizzer

Is what my birthday was.  

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

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

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

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

Then - it will be done!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here we are back at the altar.

"The bridesmaids and groomsmen.

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

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

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Laid out ready to be sewn together!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final words on Breaking an Engagement:

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

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

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

A sunset tree

An Aussie sunset tree, at that.  This is the only batik fabric in the Big Basket which has an Aussie design, of eucalypt leaves and blossoms.  The colours are 'late afternoon/sunset', aren't they?  The contrast is a deep creamy colour.

Another fabric used in Summertime Blues.  The contrast is a smokey grey/green with more colours than it shows here; it reminds me of some species of eucalypt leaves which are grey/green colour rather than bright green.

An interesting pair, taking the total up to 46.

The knitting's progress.  The back of whatever it is going to be - jumper probably, cardigan possibly - is now long enough that decreasing for the armholes can start.

I like the colours, but am not sure that I love the stripes - I was hoping for more random patterning.  Never mind; it will probably be worn at home rather than out, as when one is no longer in the first slenderness of youth (not like I was once.....sigh......) horizontal stripes are not flattering. This blue/purple/green colourway is not as green as I thought it might be, to judge from the sample yarn in the colour card, but I can live with it.

I remember when yarns with more than one colour first appeared on the market, and what a novelty they were!  Most were variegated shades of one colour, but some were multicoloured; many was the child in those days (late 1960s/early 70s) who wore bright multi-coloured jumpers, so much more cheerful than the single coloured yarns previously available.  I remember making and wearing a sleeveless crocheted buttoned vest, in variegated mossy green.....it went very well with a white shirt with a big wide collar (also made by me, as were most of my clothes in those days) and a long dark green woollen skirt made of woven fabric, not knitted or crocheted.  Long woollen skirts were The Very Thing back then, as was crocheted clothing, and I certainly made and wore my share. 

One of my 'makes' was a crocheted top in good quality (read: expensive) bright red wool yarn, .  The body was plain crochet with a lace work yoke, and the tops of the short sleeves were the same lace design.  It was pretty, I wore it with pride, until one day it needed to be washed and the bloke to whom I was married at the time threw it in the washing machine with everything else.....I wasn't home at the time to throw up my hands in horror and say "fergawdssake don't do that!"......and, of course, it shrunk and felted.  It still fitted - just - but had lost the crisp stitch definition.  As you can probably guess, I wasn't impressed.

Many of those patterns came from women's magazines of the time.  In later years those same magazines were derided by feminists for their recipes and knitting and crocheted patterns, and while many of them are still around they now seem to be filled with rubbish articles on so-called "celebrities", people we neither know nor care about.  At least those magazines of years gone by were useful.

Last week's rain has resulted in the garden looking lush and green, and the weeds doing amazingly well.  More is forecast for the coming week, enough to keep those weeds growing higher and higher.  Now it is June, winter is lurking around the corner, and those warm jumpers of mine will come into their own.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  Notes have been plinked and words sung.  We hunted and gathered and ran around a bit, and so another week passed us by.

"In assisting a lady to enter a carriage, a gentleman will take care that the skirt of her dress is not allowed to hang outside.  A carriage robe should be provided to protect her dress from the mud and dust of the road.  The gentleman should provide the lady with her parasol, fan and shawl, and see that she is comfortable in every way, before he seats himself."

Taking a carriage ride in those days was quite a business, wasn't it?  All those things to remember, although most of them are just common sense.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Well - that was fun!

Yesterday afternoon's performance went well....such a mix of performers, an old-style variety concert.  My poem was very well received and the audience loved my funny song; another performer said to me "Jennifer - you always do the best songs!" I really treasure such feedback, even more than winning.  And....I managed to play my three chords without my arm or fingers falling off.

Well, that's that for another year.....next year's pieces have already been chosen, there is a whole twelve months to practice......should be good to go by then......

The plaster was removed on Tuesday, my arm is free again!  The brace is much lighter than plaster but still supports my arm and stops my wrist from being floppy.  It's not doing much yet as it is quite stiff and tender, and I am surprised by how much it is still colourfully bruised after so many weeks.  Physio starts tomorrow, so no doubt it will be moving better soon.  The bruising on my eye is still evident, so much so that even yesterday's make up didn't quite cover it.

No progress to show for this week, but this is what I managed to get done while we were away before The Great Fall and Break.

Only eight completed, but then I did spend quite some holiday time playing music and socialising and attending exhibitions.  Another piece was started and will be finished in due course  Fabrics are mostly repros from years ago.

My snazzy new jumper (or perhaps a cardy....yet to be decided).  Love the yarn, love the colours, not so rapt in the way it is striping.  More or less stitches on the needle would change that, but that's the number needed for my size.  It also has more blue and less green than I had hoped it would.  Thoughts may yet be thought on it.

Words have been read.  Songs have been sung.  Hunting and gathering has been done.  Add in some medical visits, yet more X-rays, and that's been my week once more.

Winter has arrived with a vengeance, thank goodness for the fire!  Today's 'feels like' hasn't reached double figures, and it is 3.30p.m. so we are staying inside.

Continuing on with Conduct in Opera, Theatre or public Hall:

"The gentleman should see that the lady is provided with a programme, and with libretto also if they are attending opera."

Wise words.  However I have attended opera performances and never used a libretto to follow the plot; I keep my eyes on the stage, not on a book on my lap, even if the singing is in another language.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Answers

Answers are good things to have.  Some of my recent medical Stuff has an answer - one I wasn't expecting, but it's good to know that I'm not just a wuss!

A few weeks ago my left leg started being sore around the knee area....above, below, inside.  Well, darn, I thought, but didn't let it stop me from going out and about. One of those recent 'outs' was a trip down town and all was well although my leg was complaining mightily, something I was doing my best to ignore.  On the way back to the car we were crossing the road in the middle of the main drag when suddenly my knee collapsed and I could go no further; fortunately I managed to stay upright although by now in more than a certain amount of pain.  Well bugger, I thought.  (And probably said too.)  Eventually between us we managed to get me to a seat on the footpath....for my overseas friends, we don't have sidewalks in Australia, we have footpaths.....while Kevin brought the car closer.  With the aid of one of the helpful pharmacy assistants and the wheely walker she brought out, I made it into the car and we drove home.  The next day Kevin went to the op shop and bought a walking stick, something which has proven very handy, and an appointment with the physio a few days later has helped muchly too.  Turns out that the meniscus in my left knee was playing up so some treatment and daily exercises have made it easier, with a return visit in another week to check its progress.

Look after your meniscus, folks.  They really hurt if they aren't happy.  Still, all is good.....nothing has fallen off, my leg is still intact, and I can get around without the stick now although it comes with me when we go out.

Best of all - this week is slightly milder, and we welcome the cooler temps.  Some rain would be nice, though.  We're even noticing a few leaves beginning to turn and others losing their bright summer green, looking slightly tired and faded.  Days are getting noticeably shorter, too.  Roll on, autumn!

With the slightly cooler temps my thoughts have turned to knitting once more, so last night stitches were cast on for the back of the next.....probably jumper, although it might yet turn out to be a cardy.  Decision yet to be made.

This book is a good source of patterns; I have already three jumpers using their basic raglan sleeved jumper pattern, with my own touches added.  The bright green markers are placed every 20 stitches for the cast on because, if stitches need to be counted in that cast-on row, it is easier to count to 20 several times than to 139 once.

This is my bewdiful yarn, bought last year.  Every ball has the same colours, and the knitted examples on the Bendigo Woollen Mills website look very interesting.

Thirty years ago I worked for a time in a girls' school run by nuns, a couple of whom were inveterate knitters, and they told me about Bendigo yarn.  In those pre-internet days one had to ring the mill store (an interstate phone call!  how extravagant!!) and ask for a shade sample card which was duly sent, then one filled out the attached order form, returned it by post and eagerly awaited the arrival of one's lovely new yarn.  The balls are quite large, so there are very few joins to be dealt with during the finishing process.

We have an outing planned for Wednesday, Kevin's birthday, as we will be driving to a pub half an hour out of town for lunch.  It's a significant Big 0 birthday (mind you, at this age every birthday achieved is a significant milestone) so we would like to make it more special than a peanut butter sandwich at home.  The trip will be long enough for a few rows of knitting, then our trip down south next month will make opportunities for much more so the new knit will be progressing nicely by the time we return home.

Not much sewing has happened this week apart from a little hand piecing, and some more diamonds have been cut.  Words have been read.  Lots of notes have been plinked and sung as U3A ukulele returned on Thursday, and we have some new people too; we're quite a big group now.  No hunting and gathering was needed - I couldn't have walked around the shops anyway - but we had food, so we haven't starved.  We probably will if hunting and gathering isn't done within the next few days, but my leg should be fine by then.

Continuing with Etiquette of Public Places, Conduct in Church:

"When the services are concluded, there should be no haste in crowding up the aisle, but the departure should be conducted quietly and decorously.  When the vestibule is reached, it is allowable to change greetings with friends, but here there should be no loud talking or boisterous laughter.  Neither should gentlemen congregate in knots in the vestibule or upon the steps of the church and compel ladies to run the gauntlet of their eyes and tongues."

Yes, indeed.  There is no need to engage in unseemly sprinting to be the first out of the door after the service, and as for compelling ladies to run the gauntlet of eyes and tongues - well, shame on you for even thinking of it.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Busy busy busy

That's what we were, today.....busy little bees.

This morning we took ourselves off (at a fairly early hour!) to the house museum, laden with fabrics, sewing notions, ukulele, music stand, song book......you name it, we had it with us.  We delivered the machine yesterday afternoon to take the pressure off today's activities, and oh boy - just as well we did.  As on past occasions the treadle machine generated a lot of interest with many folk reminiscing about using one in their younger days, or of their mother, aunt or grandmother using a treadle to make the family's clothes.  A couple of hours' sewing then off to play with the ukulele group (our songs were very well received), back to the machine, back to the ukulele for more applause, back to the machine.....lunch, as we were peckish after our early start....packed up not long after lunch.  It was busy and tiring - but fun.

There was a sheep shearing demonstration....a blacksmith....a vintage car, and old fire engines, so something to entertain the whole family.  A old-style classroom with a suit-clad teacher, very different to today's informality!  And ice cream.  Yummy ice cream.

One bag was completely finished......

......and another started.  It will be finished at home using the treadle machine.

My jumper is finally ready to wear - and as summer has now arrived it will be put aside until next winter.  We're not sure what happened to spring.

I lurve the colour, which is richer than this pic shows; it's a deep rich gold.

Next weekend the quilt group is having a show, something they haven't done before in the 13 years I have been a member.  I have decided to show three quilts - my Canadian quilt, of course!  

It's fairly safe to say there won't be another one like it in this town.

My big hand-pieced tumbler quilt 'Weeds of Grace', one of my favourites.

And this one, 'There ain't no cure for the summertime blues'; although it's a few years old it hasn't previously been shown or exhibited in public.

These two still need to have temporary hanging sleeves pinned to the back.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been treadled.  Notes have been plinked and sung.  Jumper-sewing-up is completed.  The usual hunting and gathering has been indulged in, if indulged is the word for something so mundane.

The new computer is amazingly quick, much quicker than the old one ever was, we're sure.

"Avoid cutting.

No gentleman will refuse to recognise a lady after she has recognized him, under any circumstances.  A young lady should, under no provocation, "cut" a married lady. It is the privilege of age to first recognize those who are younger in years.  No young man will fail to recognize an aged one after he has met with recognition.  "Cutting" is to be avoided if possible.  There are other ways of convincing a man that you do not know him, yet, to young ladies, it is sometimes the only means available to rid them of troublesome acquaintances.  "Cutting" consists in returning a bow of recognition with a stare, and is publicly ignoring the acquaintance of the person so treated.  It is sometimes done by words in saying "Really I have not the pleasure of your acquaintance."

"Cutting" in this context is not a term used very often nowadays, is it?  "Ghosting" has become the term, instead.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Back in the land of the living

The computer living, that is......our computer has been in for repair.  The verdict is - its condition is terminal, something quite annoying considering it's only a few years old.  Forgive the recent lack of blog comments, we've been cut off from the world without it.

Oh well.  We have ordered a new computer, and will continue to nurse this poor old thing along until its replacement arrives and is installed.

The annual record of the blooming back yard wattle bush.

She's getting to be quite a big girl, isn't she?  (Anything this gorgeous has to be a girl, no way could it be a boofy boy!)  Considering she came *this* close to being pulled out when she was a mere stripling, just a few nearly dead sticks with three tiny green leaves, she's doing very well.  Kevin was going to get rid of it, don't you dare, I said, it's not dead yet....it has green leaves.....so, fortunately, he left it.

There have been no pics of diamonds for a long time, have there?  These are on the ironing board waiting to be pressed; it's more a summer project when the weather is a bit too warm for knitting.

Although......it's not the act of knitting, the problem is the weight of a woollen garment on one's lap on a hot day.  The current jumper is all knitted, and the seaming is well underway; there won't be enough winter left this year for its auspicious debut, so it can be flaunted next year.

Many words have been read.  Not one stitch has been sewn either by hand or machine, the motivation hasn't been present, but it will return.  Notes have been plinked and sung.  There are songs waiting to be arranged but that will be left until the new computer is ready; no sense spending that time until I know the result won't disappear into cyberspace never to be seen again.

Yesterday we took ourselves off for a Nice Sunday Drive to Nundle, about an hour away, for a concert featuring harp and classical guitar.  The music was sublime, the instruments amazing - I greatly covet that beautiful guitar, even though we're not supposed to covet other people's gorgeous Stuff.  Nundle is a higher altitude than here in the valley and winters are much colder, but yesterday was pleasant; there was no nasty wind, and the sun was almost nearly not quite warm.  Nearly.

Back when I was a stripling of about 17 or so there was a 'music shop' here which sold, among other things, LP records.  (Remember them?)  I used to check out the sale racks for anything that looked interesting, having begun to develop fairly wide musical tastes, and one day I bought a recording of Spanish guitar music by Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida.  What a revelation that was!  It sparked a love of classical guitar which has never abated, indeed, I had lessons in classical guitar for a couple of years in my 20s before I started having babies.  There never seemed to be time to go back to it but I still use the techniques that I learned to this day, even when playing ukulele.  Several years later I bought another guitar and still have them both, one classical, one more folky/jazzy...and of course, three ukuleles.  Kevin is very supporting of my musical efforts and I appreciate that very much, because I cannot imagine my life without music in it.

As a child and teen I wanted to learn music but it wasn't possible, there was no spare money for frivolities such as a daughter's music lessons.  (It seemed, and still seems to me, that there was really no place in that family for the fish-out-of-water-daughter anyway.)  Both my brothers learned because a state-wide youth organisation had a branch here including a band which was free to join and to learn music, but in those days it was an organisation for boys only.  My mother had played piano in her younger days and picking out tunes on her piano, still in her parents' house (but sold with the house a few years later when they died) gave me endless fun.  My father had played violin as a child.  I was the only one in the family who was left out of playing music, and I have always resented that.  While I know there is no point in dwelling on what's passed and can't be changed it still saddens me that I was never given that chance - even though it probably would have meant learning scales on piano, something that didn't appeal at all.  But....once I heard that guitar recording, I knew it was for me.

Continuing on with Etiquette for Public Conveyances:

"Never talk politics or religion in a public conveyance."

One might add, especially not using a loud voice on a mobile phone.  The rest of us neither want nor need to hear your thoughts on these or indeed any other matters, unless we are engaged in conversation with you.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

You're the top....

....you're the Coliseum, you're the top, you're the Louvre Museum......

With apologies to Cole Porter!

My top is done.

I am very pleased with it....once the sewing table is cleared off it will be layered and quilted.  It measures 48in by 60 in as is, without any borders.  I quite like its borderless look.  Some of the greens are edging a little toward yellow but not ~quite~ getting there, while a few of the blue fabrics are leaning toward lavender - but also not quite getting there, which makes for a good mix of fabrics.

Work has also started on sewing together the top for 'There goes the neighbourhood'.

It's a fun design.....and it will be fairly large!  I must admit I hesitated over those pieced setting triangles, but now I can see they were the right choice.  A decision has not yet been made as to trimming the outer edge, or whether borders will be added; if so, they will be more pieced greens.  These are opposite corners, and they will eventually meet as more rows are added.  The backing fabric is the only thing purchased for this quilt; it's all from my stash, but has left not even the tiniest weeny little dent in it.

Now that winter is beginning to wind down a little, it's wattle blossom time once more.  Our wattle bush is in full bloom once more, looking spectacular and smelling delightful as always, and is much beloved by bees and other insects; when we get close we can hear the bush buzzing and humming with insects.  This was taken late yesterday afternoon - it's a much brighter yellow in full sunlight, but is also a bit tricky to get a good photograph without too much golden glare.

Australia has nearly 1,000 species of wattle - Acacia - so many, in fact, that there is wattle blooming somewhere in Australia every day of the year, although Acacia is by no means exclusive to Australia.  We celebrate Wattle Day on 1st September, but our bush may have finished blooming by then.

Have you all had a good week?  Ours has been, although being retired Olde Phartes it's been fairly quiet.  No diamonds were cut or joined, stitches were knitted - the neckband on my jumper is nearly all cast off.  I am using an elastic cast off so it can be turned under and stitched down, I prefer a double neckband to a single.  Words were read.  Notes were plinked and sung.  Hunting and gathering was done so we can eat again, which is a good thing.

The song arrangement for the ukulele group was finished, has been tried out and approved.  There are two or three more arrangements I want to do, but as they aren't needed for next month's gig they will get done they get done.

Continuing on with Etiquette for Public Conveyances:

"A lady may, with perfect propriety, accept the offer of services from a stranger in alighting from, or entering a tram, omnibus or public conveyance, and should always acknowledge the courtesy with a pleasant "Thank you, sir," or a bow."

She should, indeed.  Acknowledging a courtesy with a "thank you" is the right and proper thing to do.

Enjoy your days!

A week gone, and nothing much to show for it

Do you ever have one of those weeks where you are busy, sometimes chasing-your-tail-busy, and at the end of the week there isn't much to show for it?  That was my week.

Last night's choir concert/party was fun, my song was well received, and now there is no singing for a couple of weeks.  The room we use is being renovated - something which was to have been finished several weeks ago, but which had not yet been started when we were in it on Thursday night - and our leader is having eye surgery.  We will miss our choral evenings.

This is my sparkly brooch, worn last night pinned to a lime green silk scarf.  A gen-u-ine 1960s design which is now quite sought-after, if online listings are anything to go by.  I don't know if this is the original box - there is no brand or other information, not even the name of the jeweller who sold it.

This morning my wool order arrived.....is it not bewdiful?  A mix of green, blue and a little purple.  Perhaps it will become a jumper.....

.....or perhaps a cardigan......yet to be decided.  Those big balls are 200 grams each, so not many ends have to be darned in to finish.

The jumper currently on the needles is having its neckband knitted; holding an almost-completed jumper on one's lap is quite warm, and evenings this week haven 't been too freezy.  (Mornings have been freezy frosty chilly, but then I don't knit first thing in the morning.)    Diamonds have been cut. Those yellow sashings which were cut too long have been shortened, and are now - fingers and toes crossed - the correct lengths.  Words have been read.  

The coming week looks like being even busier, too.  Activities which are suspended during school holidays will resume....there is a legal appointment to amend our wills now that there has been a marriage break-up in the family (not ours, I hasten to add)......monthly sewing guild.....quilt group next Saturday......volunteering......if I'm really lucky I may have a chance to turn around and scratch myself, as the old saying goes.  The plan (the hope!) had been to make a start on sewing those blue and green blocks, but alas - it was not to be.  

Never mind, it will happen in due course.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't find it easy to use a machine in the evenings when my eyes are tired; it's too easy to make mistakes, as I have learned in the past.  Evenings are for hand work, whether sewing or knitting.

We took advantage of a slight lull earlier today to fit in some hunting and gathering while we could.  As we were leaving the car park we were surprised to see, parked well away from other cars - a Rolls Royce!  Not something one usually sees in the supermarket car park in a country town, for sure; the usual selection of (slightly boring) cars doesn't usually include Rollers.  There was someone sitting in the driver's seat, and we couldn't decide if it was the owner or perhaps a chauffeur.  If it was a chauffeur that would mean the owner was inside hunting and gathering with the hoi polloi - and surely that would never do, would it?

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Ladies should not monopolize the time and attention of salesmen in small talk, while other customers are in the shop to be waited upon."

These quotes show that sales staff were male, as the word 'salesman' or 'salesmen' is used.  I would have thought that some shops were using female staff even back in the 1880s - surely goods being marketed to women - women's and children's clothing, fabrics, household furnishings, etc. - might have been sold by female staff?

Enjoy your days!

It's been said before....

....and no doubt will be said again......if I had half a brain, I would be dangerous.

All the narrow sashes for between the house quilt blocks were cut last weekend.  The shorter sashings had already been attached to the left side of each and every block, and the blocks joined into rows.  On Tuesday at quilt group one more sashing was sewn to the right side of every row so now all the blocks are sashed vertically, if one can have 'vertical' in an on point setting.  That just leaves the long strips for joining the rows into a quilt top.  (I dislike the term 'flimsy' used for quilt tops.  Believe me, there is nothing flimsy or insubstantial about this one.)  The shorter strips were the length of the blocks, so were all cut nine inches.  All well and good.  Hunky dory, one might say.

When cutting the longer strips a little voice in the back of my brain said to me "you need to allow nine inches for each block width, plus the half inch sashings, plus two times one quarter inch for the two outer seams".  Calculations were calculated and strips cut.  

However.....when I went to attach the first strip it's too long......because the blocks are not nine inches between the sashings, they are eight and a half inches.  That's what happens when one doesn't measure, one just assumes the guess is right - so now each and every one of those strips will need to be measured again, and shortened.

Oh well......although I suppose it's better than cutting them too short, isn't it?  Silver linings and all that stuff, but still....

Sigh.

I want to start sewing the green and blue blocks, but those sashings need to be corrected first.

My jumper is now being seamed in preparation for knitting the neckband.  Having the weight of a whole jumper on one's lap is really good on a chilly night.  Words have been read.  No diamonds have been cut or joined this week.  Ukulele groups aren't meeting because it's school holidays and some folk have grandparent duty, so it's a quiet couple of weeks.  A little hunting and gathering has been indulged in, although I'm not sure that 'indulged' is the right word for a foray into the supermarket during holiday time when some of the kiddie-widdies are a bit feral.

Some plinking will be done this week as the choir is having a 'Christmas in July' hooley next Saturday night, and I have been asked to reprise my recent prize-winning performance.  It's probably a good idea to practice before that so as not to make a complete and utter fool of myself, yes?  It has been suggested that we wear 'bright clothes', something not easy during the dead of winter.  I have a purple lightweight wool jumper, and a lime green silk scarf, and a sparkly brooch which was my mother's, so that should do nicely; if memory serves me correctly I may have given her that brooch a long time ago either for a birthday or for Mother's Day.  Some of those vintage brooches are quite sought-after now.

Wearing a brooch isn't 'done' as much these days as it used to be, is it?  I wear brooches in winter because they set off a plain jumper or jacket nicely, but summer clothing fabrics don't always lend themselves to a brooch.  Woven fabrics are usually sturdy enough to have a brooch pinned on, but not knits.

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"It is an insult for the salesman to offensively suggest that you can not do better elsewhere, which should be resented by instant departure."

Indeed.  If it is suggested that I may get a better price or article elsewhere, I shall be off post haste to find out if this is so.

Enjoy your days!

Well.....

.....I won!  Yay me!!

You could have knocked me down with the proverbial feather yesterday when my name was announced as the winner of the Mature Performers' concert at the Eisteddfod.  It's a mixed bag......we had poetry reciters, solo singers and various instrumental ensembles ranging from a string ensemble to a clarinet choir, no doubt making the job of the adjudicators a bit difficult.  A bit like comparing oranges and apples, I would think.  The winner is the performer judged to be 'the most entertaining'.  I played my tenor ukulele and sang a song arrangement that I worked out a few years ago, a mix of 'Five foot two, eyes of blue' and 'Ain't she sweet' that I call 'Ain't my girl sweet'.  I could see some of the audience singing along - they even worked out how the songs twisted together, and I was given a great round of applause.

So now I have my own trophy to keep forever (still to have my name engraved), a perpetual trophy (also to be engraved with my name) that I get to keep for a year, and I was even told there will be money.  How about that?

What a year.  A few months ago my hanging won a blue ribbon at the show, then I win at the Eisteddfod.....what next, I wonder?  Where does one go from here?

Not one pic has been taken this week as it's been rather busy, as you can imagine, but we can trawl through the vaults.

Autumn in Canberra is always beautiful; it's a colder climate than here and usually puts on a great display of colour.  These pics were taken at an 'Open Garden' visit.  This has to be the most fragrant rose I have ever smelled, it was climbing along a trellis by a small lake.  If you are into roses it would make a lovely addition to your garden, just look up 'Nahema rose' for details.

 I don't know who, or what or where 'Nahema' is.

The garden had many large pine trees blocking the light and it was an overcast day, so the bright leaves on this plant really shone out.  I don't know what it is....some sort of oak, perhaps?

There was a small lake - the rose trellis was along one side of the water.

Just inside the entrance we were greeted by these colours.

The blue and green blocks currently spread out will be pinned to the sheet under them so it can be rolled up, as the spare bed they are on will be needed for a visitor this week.  I am happy with the layout as it is, and that will keep them in order until they can be sewn together.  The ukulele group has a gig during the week at a retirement complex - we have played for them before; they like our songs and they also put on a scrumptious afternoon tea for us - that will be the last of the current musical calendar for a little while, so sewing can come to the forefront again.

No diamonds have been joined and no more have been cut, although that needs to change soon.  Words have been read and stitches knitted. with not many rows remaining until the front is divided for the neck.  When I receive my prize money it may be spent on some more knitting yarn.....the blues and greens of 'Mystic' appeal to me, but then, so do some of the other colours.....decisions, decisions....

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"It is rude to sneer at and depreciate goods, and exceedingly discourteous to the salesman.  Use no deceit, but be honest with them, if you wish them to be honest with you."

Indeed.  This is one time when it is probably preferable to say nothing, rather than to be negative.  You can always vote with your feet if you are unhappy with the goods on offer.

Enjoy your days!

It is freakin' cold

It is colder than freezy frosty chilly.  Record-breaking cold temperature cold.  It is downright nasty out there, which is why I'm in here by the fire with coffee brewing.  I'm not silly. 

Progress on the rattled down jumper front:

The cable design is called, very imaginatively, 'Wide cable panel'.....which it is, being 20 stitches wide with eight rows for each pattern repeat.  That makes the centre panel 51 stitches wide, and it is progressing quite quickly.  I am hoping that the vertical panel will make me appear both slimmer and taller but I fear that, at my age and stage of life, both of those hopes are doomed to fail.

Oh well.  It will be warm, at least.

During the week I took my $10 birthday voucher, trotted off to the Big Fabric and Homewares Superstore (which I won't name because they don't pay me to advertise but Aussies will know who it is), and found Just The Very Thing for the backing of my green and blue quilt.

Different shades of green with some blue swirled in.  I had hoped to find a green and blue print but had no fixed preference as to design, although abstract was preferred to a realistic print.  This fits the bill nicely.  At quilt group yesterday I made the odd (slightly smug) comment that my challenge for the year was progressing well....it's coming along nicely, I said.....quite enjoying making it, I said.....

Some blocks have been made, and more have been cut.  A decision about binding is yet to be made but I am thinking perhaps a pieced binding, something I have never done before.  Quilting hasn't been decided on either - it may be sent out for quilting, or I may have a go myself.  This backing fabric would be a good one to try free-motion quilting from the back, wouldn't it?  I might think about that.  Maybe.

This morning's market gig went off well although I don't recommend singing early on a very cold morning; some of our higher notes were a bit thin.  Fortunately we were warm inside the hall; we had fun, and our audience said nice things to us and about us.  We suspect that some of them may have driven home singing "Seven little girls sittin' in the back seat....." so now you can all sing it too.

Diamonds have been joined.  Words have been read.  Stitches have been both knitted and sewn, as you see.  Words were plinked and sung.  Time has progressed in its usual way, and here we are at the end (or the beginning, depending on how your calendar is printed) of another week.

Am I the only person who finds it annoying that everywhere we go, every purchase we make - or so it sometimes seems - we are afterwards contacted and asked "How do you rate our service?"  I let those messages drift by me out to cyberspace somewhere, and ignore them.  If I have a problem, I will tell you.  If I am thrilled to bits about you, I will tell everyone I know how wonderful you are.  That's my best offer, take it or leave it.

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Passing before a lady.

When a lady wishes to enter a house or room, if a gentleman accompanies her, he should hold the door open and allow her to enter first, if practicable; for a gentleman must never pass before a lady anywhere if he can avoid it, or without an apology."

That courtesy seems to be a thing of the past in many places, doesn't it?  Many gentlemen still hold the door, but not everyone does.

Enjoy your days!

Rattling it down

Many years ago - many many years - a Scottish woman where I worked referred to pulling knitting undone as "rattling it down".  "I had to rattle it down to fix the mistake", she would say.  Well, I have been rattling my knitting down.....the cable on the front of my jumper was proceeding nicely when I noticed a mistake several rows back, so off I went a-rattling.  It has now been rectified and can proceed, but that will teach me to be careful about keeping track of where I'm up to; over the years I have knitted far more complicated cables than this one, and they always work out in the end.  

That jumper may be needed this winter!  The weather has turned freezy frosty chilly with frosty morning and (mostly) sunny days, although today is grey with a nasty wind blowing.  Inside is definitely the best place to be.

A few days ago Kevin took the secateurs to the bottle brush just outside the garage.  It's been getting ideas above its station and taking over its small part of the universe, so he cut back some of the foliage that was starting to encroach on the garage door.  Don't throw it away, I said, we'll enjoy it inside - and we are.  It's from Western Australia, and is called 'Kings Park Special'.

The day we came home from Tooraweenah we looked back at The Warrumbungles, and although it was a misty view that morning it's still an amazing vista.

Another rock from our Canberra trip.  This is from Victoria, from the Central Goldfields, an area which has seen a lot of gold mining.  Members of my family lived there back in the 1860s.

The note on this plaque pointing out "This specimen contains no gold" is in response to a robbery several years ago, when the original top rock was stolen.

It's not something you can hoist up with one hand!  It would have taken some heavy machinery to lift and remove it, and more than one person too.....a pity such enterprising people couldn't have put their 'talents' to better use, isn't it.

Words have been read, notes have been plinked and sung, practicing for next Sunday morning's market gig,  A little hand piecing has happened, but no machine piecing; the day is not yet over, far from it, but I don't hold out any great hopes.  Never mind.  Stitches have been knitted, both before and after the aforementioned rattling down, and the chosen cable design will suit very well.

My baby wombat picture is now in a framing shop.  A frame has been chosen, and two different mat boards will compliment both the picture and the frame, and my little baby should be home again at the end of next month.  Some of the components had to be ordered as they weren't in stock; I suppose framing shops can't keep huge quantities of every colour board and wooden frame, but I eagerly await my baby's return home.

The funeral for our choir member went off as well as these things do.  We do have some other older members, although Wally had been our oldest - but Bonnie is 93, so one day we may be called upon for a repeat performance.

A couple of much-appreciated comments have been left on my blog recently, but for some reason they haven't arrived in my inbox so haven't been replied to - if you think I'm ignoring you, I'm not!  Thank you for visiting, and I hope you will come again.

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Walking with a lady acquaintance.

A gentleman should not join a lady acquaintance on the street for the purpose of walking with her, unless he ascertains that his company would be perfectly agreeable to her.  It might be otherwise, and she should frankly say so, if asked."

She should.  No gentleman worth of the name would force his attentions on a lady of his acquaintance, would he?

Enjoy your days!

I won a blue ribbon!

Never won a blue ribbon before!

This is special because it's the 150th anniversary of Tamworth Show - even the artwork on the prize card is from a design used on similar cards in the 1930s.  An Aussie show would be like an autumn fair or state fair, I suppose, with farm animals and birds being paraded and judged.  There were various cooking and handicraft sections, and there was even a recipe provided for a boiled fruit cake which had to be used by all entrants in that section.

My hanging (my prize winning hanging, how cool is it to be able to say that!) in full, plus some carpet.  One of the rules was that entries had to be finished in the past year.....mine was a little older, but as it hadn't been exhibited previously I was assured that entering it would be fine.

Last time I won a prize with my sewing was back in nineteen-umpty-um....might have been 1996 or 97.....my quilt group in the Big Smoke had a competition for a pieced or applique basket block.  Mine was pieced, and it was judged the pieced winner; the blocks were eventually made into quilts and raffled for charity.  I won a book and a pack of fabrics, but not a blue ribbon.

Some knitting has happened.  The decision to write out the cable pattern for the front of my jumper was, after a few minutes, abandoned as a lost cause, and a PDF pattern bought - this one, with the pattern all written out for me.  That's the cable I plan to use up the centre front, two repeats wide; it's not so difficult that it will take forever to do, but is interesting enough to be a fun knit.  I like intricate twisted and interlocked cables.  I don't care if they are in fashion or not.  It's my jumper, and I can make it how I like.

A few diamonds have been joined, more have been cut.  Words have been read.  Notes have been sung and plinked.  More sorting of music has happened but the 'waiting to be sorted' piles are very few and quite small now; a couple of folders containing Christmas songs were unearthed the other day, so they will now go into the Big Christmas Song Folder from whence they will be pulled out again in November.  Once the music sorting is done the next big sort will be the books which are in dire need of sifting and sorting, and which will be much bigger job.

It has even rained, lovely soaking rain last night and this morning, and very welcome it is too after the past few dry months.  Over the past couple of years we had a lot of rain, we even had several floods, but since the rain stopped late last year it has been very dry.  I'm sure the town will look a lot greener tomorrow than it did on Friday.

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Streets:

"Offensive behaviour.

No gentleman is ever guilty of the offence of standing on street corners and the steps of hotels or other public places and boldly scrutinising every lady who passes."

Indeed not.....the men of the mid 1880s really weren't much different to the men of today, were they?

Enjoy your days!

Sifting and sorting

Those many piles of music are gradually being sorted.....goodness, I had no idea there was quite that much....but it will be good to have it done, and to have it all in alphabetical order.  It has gotten to the stage where I couldn't find songs I knew I had so I would make another copy, and that is wasteful.

As a resuly not one stitch has been sewn, not one stitch knitted, although that will change once the music is sorted.  Words have been read, songs have been sung and plinked.

Consequently there are no pics of anything in progress, so we will visit the vault instead and enjoy a taste of autumn to come.

The pic doesn't quite do this tree justice - its colouring was spectacular and caught my eye when we parked behind the shops in Midland.

The building behind the tree was a child care centre.  I would have also photographed the carpet of fallen leaves under the tree but a person with a camera approaching a child care centre might seem suspicious, yes?

After several visits we have decided that Vancouver Island should be called 'The Land of Tall Straight Trees'.

Taken on a cool damp day.....the ground under the trees probably doesn't see much sun, so perhaps it never really dries out.  

A fallen tree with its coat of - moss? lichen? - not sure, but it was pretty.

Speaking of knitting, the Big Decision has been made as to the cable pattern on my in-progress jumper.  There will be two repeats of a twirled and twisted cable running up the centre front, and on each side will another narrow rope cable; enough to make it interesting to knit, but not so complicated or difficult that it will never get finished.  So....one will sit down with pencil and paper and write out the pattern sequence, then one will type it in large font so it can be easily read in a moving car.

Later this afternoon we will be taking a trip to the other side of town, across the river - it never ceases to amuse us that locals here, no matter where they live, seem to have an aversion to crossing the river, as though they are going to the deep dark depths of a different country - and collect my wall hanging which I entered in the show.  I could have gone yesterday to see it hanging but it was a bit too warm to venture out, and in any case I very much doubt that it will get an award....but that's all right.  As I have been saying for many years, blessed is she who expecteth nothing, for she shall never be disappointed.

Summer is hanging on by the fingernails, reluctant to let go, but this is usual for March.  We have noticed, however, that many trees are starting to change colour so perhaps they know something we don't.  Our trip down south next month will be a taste of autumn - something to look forward to, indeed.  The autumn equinox is in just a couple of weeks, and another year is rolling on.

My recent visit to the optometrist for the annual eye check-up had a good result, and my reading glasses don't need to be changed for now.  There is a cataract slowly growing on my left eye, it seems, and eventually it will be need to be fixed - but not yet, indeed probably not for quite a while.  Oh, the joys of getting older.....

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Smoking upon the streets.

In England a well-bred man never smokes upon the streets.  While this rule does not hold good for this country, yet no gentleman will ever insult a lady by smoking on the streets in her company, and in meeting and saluting a lady he will always remove a cigar from his mouth."

I am not sure which country is meant by "this country", as my book was first published in - I think - North America, but my 1886 edition is "Revised, Illustrated and Compiled expressly as a Household Treasure for Australian Homes".  Either way we prefer that no man, well-bred or otherwise, smokes on the streets, and indeed very few do so nowadays.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer