A cactus or a tree?

 They are not the same - cactus aren't classed as trees, they are a different species altogether.  However, one has snuck in with my trees, so it can stay there.

A desert cactus......

And an autumn foliage tree.

Two very different trees this week, numbers 81 and 82.  Only 17 to go!

During the week I managed to fit in a visit to the local quilt shop where I found a few batik fabrics to add to the stash.

No doubt they will make excellent trees.  

Every now and then this pic comes up on the computer.  It was taken at Butchart Gardens back in November 2012; we were visiting with friends, and their car was parked in front of a tree which was busy dropping leaves.  The fallen leaves put me in mind of some of my batik fabrics.

If you have ever visited Butchart Gardens you will know how beautiful they are - if you haven't been and the opportunity arises to go, take it.  It is a never-to-be-forgotten experience at any time of year.

How has everyone been this week?  We have managed to survive a whole week with no medical visits necessary, for which we are thankful.  Hunting and foraging, as usual, filled in some time.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  Words have been read.  Sadly no notes have been sung; I was all geared up for choir on Thursday afternoon but received a message from the director earlier in the week to say there would be no choir on Thursday.  So......now I am doubly eager for this coming Thursday to roll around!

Last night daylight saving began, so our clocks (body clocks, and horological clocks) will take a few days to re-adjust.  I don't mind daylight saving, although there are those (a couple of women in my quilt group come to mind) who are vociferous in their dislike - nay, hatred - of it, but why waste energy?  There is nothing they can do about it; it is here to stay having started over 50 years ago in our state, so all their moaning and whingeing won't make it go away.  Not being a morning person, particularly not being an early morning person, means I don't mind darker mornings so it doesn't bug me too much.

Over 20 years ago we were visiting southern Queensland in summer.  Queensland doesn't have daylight saving, and it was a great shock when the mornings were getting light at about 4 a.m.!  At that stage we had been used to daylight saving for well nigh on 30 years, so our bodies had adjusted to it.  We stayed in Toowoomba, a nice town, which seemed to close down at about 5 p.m.....which is no wonder, when it's daylight again not long afterward......

We are having a quiet long weekend lying low.  There is a massive footy (i.e. rugby league) carnival taking place in our town with thousands upon thousands of visitors, so we are keeping out of it.  It's the annual Labour Day weekend which can often be busy, but a peaceful day suits us.  Workers - stonemasons - in Victoria, Australia, were the first in the world to achieve an 8-hour working day, so that's something to celebrate.

"Mutual trust and confidence are other requisites for happiness in married life.  There can be no true love without trust.  The responsibility of a man's life is in a woman's keeping from the moment he puts his heart into her hands.  Without mutual trust there can be no real happiness."

This is probably so.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

I have seen the light......

A few months ago when having my annual eye exam the optician recommended getting a task light.....good idea, I said.  I kept meaning to go shopping for one but time flew by then we went away and were busy after coming home again.  However - a few days ago I announced that I (we) would go light shopping.  So I (we) did.

Isn't it a pretty colour?  It goes with my green chair - in the same colour family, at least - and gives a wonderful light for handwork; the flexible neck was pulled down for this pic.  You can also see my new Jennifer table with my Stuff on it, including a wombat coaster for my drink of choice which is usually either water or coffee.

The lighting shop had this colour reduced because - can you believe it - green doesn't always sell as well as other colours do.  It is euphemistically called 'Mint' although I have never seen mint that colour; it's more like aqua, and it holds hands nicely with my smokey turquoise chair.

If you look up 'mint green' a range of colours appears, very few of which I would associate with the bright vibrant green of mint plants.  

Some fallen leaves in Canberra last month, mostly from plane trees.

Even when fallen they make a pretty picture against the grey pavers.

Plinking has happened, practice for the Eisteddfod on Saturday afternoon and the market outside town on Sunday morning.  (No sleep in for me on Sunday!)  Knitting has happened, the first sleeve on the new jumper/cardy is coming along well.  Sewing has happened, a few more diamonds have been sewn together and more have been cut.  My Canadian quilt is now on my work table waiting to have the batting tacked together inside the border layers - not as difficult as it sounds - I am looking forward to having it done.  

Books have been read, some better than others.....I've always been a quick reader, had my own library card when I was about four years old.  Neither of my parents were readers, so I don't know where I came from.

We are now seeing ads for the next sportfest, the Commonwealth Games, which will be happening in the next month or two or three, I don't really know or care.  What I do care about, what really makes my blood boil, is the wording of ads for those games, ads hailing our 'heroes' accompanied by people wearing sports clothes and waving medals.  To me a 'hero' is someone who does something selfless for another, sometimes at the risk of their own life, not someone who can run or swim faster or jump higher than another person.

Another grumble:  last night one of my favourite movies 'The Dressmaker' was on TV so we watched it - and it had scenes cut out!  How annoying was that!  At least we could still admire the wonderful costumes.  Not everyone who sees this movie has enjoyed it but anyone who grew up in a country town would, I think, get it; the pettiness of small town life, the gossip, the closing of ranks against anyone perceived as an outsider.  Our Canberra son's father-in-law also likes it; he grew up in a small town.

We've had some cold frosty mornings and some grey days.  I'm glad I don't live where the sun doesn't shine for months on end.....I can't imagine what that would be like.

Continuing on with General Rules for Balls:

"The difference between a ball and an evening party is, that at a ball there must be dancing, and at an evening party there may or may not be.  A London authority defines a ball to be "an assemblage for dancing of not less than seventy-five persons."

Considering that many dances are for two people, or for two or four couples, I wonder who decided the figure of seventy-five persons was a good number?  Someone who can't count, perhaps.

Enjoy your days!

Leaves, leaves and more leaves

My photos have been loaded onto the computer but they aren't yet captioned; if it's not done soon we might forget where they were taken.  After tomorrow's gig there will be more time.

Isn't this an amazing colour?  It's called Burning Bush.

 Some golden goodness across the river.  This pic and the one above were taken in Parry Sound, Ontario, on a cold slightly snowy day.

 Fallen maple leaves in the rain, in Goderich.

 More fallen leaves on a damp day in Bayfield.

So many colours - the reason why our trips to Canada have been in autumn, it's such a beautiful season.

We are settling back into our usual routine although I did hit the ground running, as two days after we arriveded home the uke group had a gig at a small church just out of town; it was a 'thank you' early Christmas lunch for church helpers, and as we have played at their monthly markets during the year we were included.  We were the entertainment, and we were also recipients of a very nice lunch.

Tomorrow's U3A Christmas lunch will be more Christmas songs which we are now getting good at playing.  By next November we will have forgotten them all again, you know.

We had a great time in Canada.  Our boy is doing well and we really enjoyed our time with him and his lovely partner; she and I had a few 'girls days out' together, to a craft festival, a quilt show and a textile museum.  I think of her as the daughter I didn't give birth to and wish we could see more of each other - but it is such a long way!

Honestly, I don't think I can do that long flight again.  Plane seats have become thinner and more uncomfortable (probably keeping the weight down) and 20 hours spent in one of those seats when one has a sore neck anyway is hard work.  We can't afford the expensive seats up the front, and in any case would rather have the money to spend at our destinations than in getting there.  Add to that humping one's bags around airports, lots of self-service stuff - checking in and going through customs and security is all about 'do it yourself' these days but of course we don't get a discount for that - it's not fun any more, if indeed it ever was.

Ah well.  Our boy said they would come and see us in a few years, his first visit back since leaving in February 2005 - that will be wonderful.

"The comfort of others.
In seeking his own comfort, no passenger has a right to overlook or disregard that of others.  If for his own comfort, he wishes to raise or lower a window, he should consult the wishes of passengers immediately around him before doing so.  The discomforts of travelling should be borne cheerfully, for what may enhance your own comfort may endanger the health of some fellow-traveller."

These days, sadly, it's everyone for his or her own self, and be darned to anyone else.

Enjoy your days!

Some more colours

The reverse of the sign....you can take your pick whether you prefer to read it in English or French!
The picnic tables were on a small rise but there were no picnickers on the day we were there. Wouldn't this make a slightly surreal pic on a misty day with the tables looming out of fog? I haven't seen this grass growing in Australia, it's a lovely emerald colour and is very soft.
And of course leaves don't stay on trees, do they. What a lovely mix of colours.

While browsing blogs recently I found this one - isn't Sarah's idea of making decorations with leftover snips of fabric and threads great? Next time I am The Big Craft Shop I shall look for some of those glass or acrylic shapes, I could hang them in my sewing room at Christmas....or just leave them up all year round.

And I have been enjoying Elaine's travels, she is writing about her cruise on Canada's east coast. It looks so beautiful! She is generously having a giveaway for Thanksgiving.

"When dancing a round dance, a gentleman should never hold a lady's hand behind him, or on his hip, or high in the air, moving her arm as though it were a pump handle, as seen in some of our western cities, but should hold it gracefully by his side."

Now I am off to enjoy making some more little pinwheel blocks.

Jennifer

Slowly sewing!

No wonder it's called "Fall"....all those lovely coloured leaves on the path! These pics were taken at Scarborough Bluffs.
I love this one with the different tree shapes, sizes and colours. The sign you can just see says...........
We photograph signs when we see them, it's a handy reminder of where we were at the time.

I have been sewing! Much cause for rejoicing! In my sewing room was a box of squares, each one made of two half-square triangles, the trimmings of star block corners from a quilt made some years ago. (it's still a top, but what the heck.....you can't rush genius) The fabrics are blues and yellows with white-on-white backgrounds. I found out that I can feed them s-l-o-w-l-y through my Singer Featherweight, four of those little squares makes one pinwheel block. The blocks will only be about 2-1/2in finished but there will be 128 blocks. Setting them on point, using alternate squares and borders, will make a quilt nearly 50in square; I have been playing with a few ideas on EQ6 for layouts. I can't sew for too long at a time as my left arm (the plastered one) doesn't like it, but you have no idea how much I am treasuring this small achievement. When the blocks are all made I will go looking for fabric to complete the quilt.

Yesterday we endured a dreadful day, the temperature was 39 degrees C here - that's over 100 degrees F for those who use those numbers - today is milder (mid 20s), but tomorrow is forecast to be another stinker. Let's hope it's not quite as bad as the forecast indicates. Anything over 25 degrees C is too much for me when Sydney's humidity is taken into account.

"Never turn a corner at full speed or you may find yourself knocked down, or may knock down another, by the violent contact. Always look the way you are going or you may chance to meet some awkward collision. People are very rude and vulgar who do not look the way they are going; it annoys others."

Enjoy your weekend.

Jennifer