It's not ~quite~ warm here today

It is far from being freezing cold, it's quite nice when the sun peeks out from the clouds....but then it goes into hiding again and it gets cooler for a while.....still, July is the coldest month and we aren't even halfway through.

Never mind; it won't be long and we will be complaining about the heat again.....

Some diamond trios have been joined into strips.

Three strips, two of five trios and one of four, seams not yet pressed (which won't get done until I know which way they have to lie) but enough for a preview of the finished product.  The maths have been worked out; there need to be 11 strips of four trios and all the rest, however many that is, will be joined into strips of five.  First and every other row is 20 across, rows in between have 19, and the holes along all the sides will be filled with partial blocks continuing the pattern.  It's very therapeutic sewing, something much needed at present.

These days there are many phone calls to be made and some forms to be filled in on Kevin's behalf.  I have never liked filling in forms for any purpose....it makes me feel like I'm back at school doing a test, something I always dreaded, and I freeze up.  Ditto on the phone calls.  No good asking Kevin to make them, he gets confoozalated and difficult to understand, so it falls to me.  I find it quite stressful and I'm sure he has no idea that I do, because I can't seem to make him comprehend.  Come to that we don't really have many conversations about anything much, any more.

On to happier Stuff.

The choir has been practising for our winter concert to be held next Saturday afternoon, with proceeds going to a charity which supports cancer sufferers.  A few years ago our director Bill announced that we would no longer do concerts, and there was quite a bit of mumbling about that; just going along each week to sing is one thing but practising for a performance really gives us incentive to strive to do better, so we were all pleased when he eventually decided that yes, we would still perform after all.

Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  The label for Arboretum has been printed and traced onto fabric, a floss colour has been chosen (a warm brown DMC colour, a favourite for labels) and the non-woven interfacing has to be ironed onto the back before stitching can start.  It will take but a moment to do - the trouble is finding the moment!

Songs have been sung but not plinked this week as I've been too busy to pick up an instrument, and I miss it.

The new white kettle works very well.  The pretty green one would have worked equally well too, but would it make my coffee and Kevin's tea taste any better?  Well, that's the question, isn't it.....

Our musician friend has already booked his bed with us for next January's music festival, and we are looking forward to spending time with him again.  He, too, will be able to try out the new white kettle.  I'm sure he will be impressed.

Many folk during the past week have had phone problems, myself included.  I could send and receive text messages but couldn't make or receive calls.  That was somewhat of a nuisance so I had resigned myself to some time spent getting frustrated in the telecommunications shop trying to make young folk understand, but this morning I had a brainwave.  I turned the phone completely off then charged it fully.  Turned it back on, tried ringing Kevin's number - it worked, yay!  Tried ringing my phone from his and once again, it worked.  Fingers crossed that it stays working.

We are still finding out about the latest ceremonials.

"While the bride and bridegroom are passing out of the church, the bridesmaids follow slowly, each upon the arms of the groomsman, and they afterward hasten on as speedily as possible to welcome the bride at her own door, and to arrange themselves about the bride and groom in the reception room, half of the ladies on her side and half upon his - the first bridesmaid retaining the place of honour."

How many bridesmaids and groomsmen were in a wedding party, one wonders?  Sounds like rather a lot.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Midwinter sunshine

Today is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year...and the longest night.  The sun is shining brightly, but the warmth isn't ~quite~ there.  It's definitely not the day to be prancing around in shorts and bare feet, that's for sure.

This is today's view looking over the back gate.

Not so long ago there was no lush green grass, everything was dead and brown....but we have had good rain in recent weeks, and this is the result.

Looking to the left below we can see one of the cows from the other side of the hill, who roam freely from time to time.

Lots of lovely shades of green!

During World War II all this land was occupied by the Australian Army, and many soldiers spent time in camp here - my father included.  When I was a child, some of the old wooden huts which had been used to house soldiers were still in use as social housing; there was a great shortage of houses for all those returning servicemen (in those days they were nearly all men) and their young families.  In the early days of their marriage my parents lived with my maternal grandparents, certainly until after I was born....and, I think, until my brother was born just 13 months later.

When we decided to buy this house I had forgotten all about that connection, it only came to mind when I was looking at the photographic history of the town on my bookshelf.

How has everyone been this week?  We have been drifting along; the backing pieces for Arboretum have not yet been joined, but that's on the list.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted.  Words have been read, many words (probably the reason why those backing pieces haven't been joined, if truth be known).  Songs have been sung and plinked.  My troublesome foot spent time with a physio but is feeling better every time it goes, so we are spreading the appointments further and further apart.  We hunted, foraged and gathered.

Much time has been spent on the phone trying to make the appointments that Kevin needs.  It's frustrating to be left on hold until a call drops out - especially as the hold 'music' is not something to which I voluntarily listen - or being told, "no, we're not the people he needs to see, you need to talk to so-and-so else".  No doubt there will much more time in future spent in the same manner, time in which I could be sewing, or knitting, or reading.  

Many years ago I spent six months working in the city - the heart of the Big Smoke - I was the telephonist, and one day had occasion to hear their 'on hold' music.  Much to my surprise it wasn't the latest hits, or even a spiel for the company (which supplied legal stationery and software), it was music of the Baroque era, early to mid 1700s, which is music I really like.  When I mentioned it to one of my colleagues he said that studies had shown that, when people have to spend time on hold, the music which puts them in the best frame of mind is Baroque music - who knew that?  Not me!

All I can say is, it doesn't happen these days......

Continuing on with our bridesmaids-less wedding.

"The bride leaves the altar, taking the bridegroom's right arm, and they pass down the aisle without looking to the right or left.  It is considered very bad form to recognize acquaintances by bows and smiles while in church.

The bride and bridegroom drive away in their own carriage, the rest following in their carriages."

These days it is smiles all around as the happy couple leave the church.....and oh, how perfectly spiffing it would be to have one's own carriage.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

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

One down, eight to go

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nothing here about fake TV weddings, you notice.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

They call me mellow yellow

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

The rose garden café where we breakfasted before leaving Cowra:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continuing on with our wise words on Breaking an Engagement:

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

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

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

My halo is all polished and shiny!

The top which has been languishing in my sewing room for far too long is done, and you can probably see the gleam of my halo from wherever you are right now.  Big pat on the back for me!

The decision has been made on the backing for my table centre.

My stash includes some of the scattered cream maple leaves on red which was my original thought, but then the red leaves on cream came to the fore, jumped up and down and said "what about me?"  So, that's what it will be; a strip will be cut, the printed stripe will be sliced down the middle and the lighter strip inserted, then it can be layered and quilted.  I am even thinking of turning one of the two striped pieces to face the other direction so that the stripes don't have to match across the inserted strip.  Binding still to be decided, but possibly might be red.

The original plan was to have it done for show and tell at quilt group next Saturday but that probably may not happen, as there are concerts to be attended, and music to be played, and musical friends to be seen.  Never mind; if it's not done for next weekend it will do nicely for February's meeting.

Our annual challenge for this year is to finish a UFO - now, which one shall I choose, I wonder?  Decisions, decisions....the idea is that we take it along next Saturday where it will be duly photographed and recorded, then we flash the finished quilt around at the final meeting of the year.  I am thinking that my house quilt will be Just The Very Thing, as I am determined to finish it this year anyway.

Our musical friends arrived yesterday, and we have spent some time catching up over a cuppa and a piece of fruit slice.  We spent money - a whole $10 (!) and bought an official program, something I don't usually bother doing, but finding out what's on and who is where is much easier that way.  Feedback from our friend's time spent strolling the main drag yesterday afternoon checking out the many buskers was - don't bother.  It was far too loud for comfort, he said.  My ears thank him for his research on our behalf, so we will keep away.  Buskers have always been a major part of the festival and are spaced close enough that, if one player turns up their sound to be heard over a player nearby, everyone else around them turns up theirs too....and so it goes on.....

Fortunately, too, the weather is kinder than usual.  Some rain during the week and again early this morning has cooled temperatures down to make getting out and about much more pleasant than usual, too.  Higher temps aren't supposed to arrive until much later in the week, and even then not as hot as most years have been.  Those folk camping in their tents may have been somewhat nervous during this morning's thunder, though.

My doctor visit during the week was supposed to be for one thing but I ended up being called in by the nurse first....our records show that you are due for two immunisations, she said....I expressed some slight scepticism (not fond of injections, me) and she pointed out that the five yearly pneumonia vaccination was one, so I reluctantly said oh all right, go for it.....and she did.....not kindly, either.  So roughly, in fact, that I pulled away and apparently ended up with only half a dose and a scratch wound on my upper arm.  I have dealt with her in the past too, and she isn't as gentle as other nurses at the practice; she has a way of making a question sound like an accusation.

Another grumble:  the annual package of goodies for our son and his partner way over there in Canada was packed and wrapped using copious quantities of tape, taken to the post office, the customs form was filled in and taken to the counter.  Oh no, said the post office woman, you haven't put the weight of each individual package on the customs label....it's apparently a new thing, it used to be just the total weight of the whole parcel....so now it has to be taken apart, some items weighed because they don't have the weight printed on them and the label re-written (I was so annoyed that I tore it in half) and taken back to the post office to go through the whole procedure again.  Sigh.....

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted, the second sleeve on my jumper is coming along well and is an ideal project to pass the time while waiting at appointments.  Songs have been plinked and sung.  We hunted and foraged, and visited the post office - see above - and that's another week gone.

"The rejected suitor.

The duty of the rejected suitor is quite clear.  Etiquette demands that he shall accept the lady's decision as final and retire from the field.  He has no right to demand the reason of her refusal.  If she assign it, he is bound to respect her secret, if it is one, and to hold it inviolable.  To persist in urging his suit or to follow up the lady with marked attentions would be in the worst possible taste.  The proper course is to withdraw, as much as possible, from the circles in which she moves, so that she may be spared reminiscences which cannot be otherwise than painful."

We don't want our rejected suitor to be tasteless, that's for sure.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Around the octagon

All four rows of strips have been added to the moose fabric centre, which makes the top complete.

As there aren't enough Canadian themed fabrics in the stash, some of my favourite autumn prints have also been added.  The top measures a smidgeon over 20-1/2 in across....

....but the stripe fabric chosen for the backing isn't quite that wide, it only measures a smidgeon over 20 in across.....

It's long enough in the other direction being the full width of fabric selvedge to selvedge, but when it was purchased this project wasn't in mind.  Never mind; it's an opportunity to be creative, isn't it.

Sewing has been a good pastime in the heat; today is a wee bit nasty hot although not as bad as many other areas are getting.  With the fires down south, and cyclones up north, it's definitely summer in Australia, folks.  

How has everyone been?  We've been staying inside, and keeping as cool as possible.  I'm ready for autumn to arrive as summer is for enduring rather than enjoying, in my book.  Just a few months to go.....we are making plans for our annual trip down south for our older son's Major Milestone Big 0 birthday in March, and we hope it may be a bit cooler by then.

Words have been read....many many words, as staying inside and reading doesn't use much energy in hot weather.  Stitches have been sewn by hand and machine, although that voile top still isn't done....My Lovely New Bernina is set up with the right colour thread, and the right presser foot, and the right throat plate to do so.  However, that machine will be needed for quilting the moose table centre as my 1950 Singer Featherweight doesn't have a walking foot, so that top had better get done first then thread, foot and plate can be changed for quilting.  No stitches have been knitted this week as it's been a bit warm for having wool on one's lap.  

A few days ago was my annual eye exam, and they received a very good report - so good, in fact, that my glasses prescription doesn't need to be changed, which is not bad for a decrepit Olde Pharte of my advanced years.  Besides which, I like my pretty green glasses and will be sorry when the time comes to say goodbye to them; new lenses were put in the same frames last year, but that's not always possible as the frames get older.  The slow-growing cataract on my left eye which has been hanging around for a few years hasn't advanced which is probably a Good Thing, despite the fact that many folk in my age group have already had surgery for theirs.

We will just have to see what the future holds, won't we....eye eye, sir....

People are gearing up for the big country musical festival, which starts next Friday.  Camping areas are filling, and buskers have started appearing in the main drag.  Many locals loathe it, many leave town to avoid it, while others can't get enough of it.  We're somewhere in the middle although we tend to avoid crowded loud venues - I would rather stay home than have my senses assaulted by sound.  It is said "if it's too loud you're too old", but I beg to differ; back when I was young (and slender....sigh....) sound gear wasn't what it is now, and certainly wasn't cranked up to the same volume as it is these days.  There will be ukulele sessions, something which hasn't been done before - not in our time living here, anyway - so I might trot along to the first one to suss it out and decide if I wish to continue.

Who knows, perhaps fame is just around the corner!

"No true-hearted woman can entertain any other feeling than that of commiseration for the man over whose happiness she has been compelled to throw a cloud, while the idea of triumphing in his distress, or abusing his confidence, must be inexpressibly painful to her."

Perhaps the true-hearted woman's name is Tess?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Stormy trees

This week has lived up its reputation as being the time of years for storms......thunder, probably lightning too (I wasn't getting out of my warm bed to find out), and quite a bit of rain for which the garden is thankful.  The tree in our front garden is now missing several branches, too.

Never mind.  The trees in my sewing room are safe.

A blue-grey print of eucalyptus buds and blossoms, with a bright contrast.  Eucalyptus flowers come in many colours, even this bright pink/red.

A gold tree, just because I like the colour.

Two contrasting trees this week, taking the total up to - 94!  Five more to go.

Gold trees really do exist - taken in Bayfield, Canada, on an overcast autumn day.

This is the pink apron which is no longer in our house.  Melissa likes it, and it suits her vintage style.

The cross stitch design would have been easy, and quick to work up with just three colours, pink, green and deep dark blue; the trim on the pocket is nylon lace.  It is pretty but being pink it's just not "me", so it has gone to a more appreciative home.

A visitor has been lured back by the recent rain and storms.  Monsieur le Frog is back in the drainpipe and the garden croaking his little heart out, as he lives in hope of finding an inamorata with whom to share his life.  He was fairly quiet during the storm last night and this morning, though, so perhaps he has already found a nice Mademoiselle la Frogette to warm his clammy bed at night.....or perhaps he wants more than one, as he's just started croaking again.

You might be familiar with at least one version of the song 'Frog went a-courting', but did you know that the first printed version was published in Scotland in 1549?  That's getting on for nearly 500 years ago; it may have been sung for many years before that, but without printed proof we don't know.  Nevertheless it's a much older song than many people realise, and you could spend much time researching it should you wish.  Or you could take my word for it.

How has everyone been this week?  We've been busy here; stitches have been sewn, but not many knitted.  Words have been read.  Songs have been plinked and sung.  Another visit to the physio for some ongoing treatment for my troublesome right foot....it's been broken twice in recent years, has a bunion and now is suffering from plantar fasciitis which is not much fun, but the physio is helping so I will keep going.  At least all the problems are in one foot - the other foot is amazingly fine.  A veritable princess of a foot, one which deserves its own tiara.

Something about the rain has brought out the somewhat *rural* aroma emanating from the hill behind us, thanks to the herd of cattle which roam freely.  We wouldn't mind if they buggered off to from whence they came and stayed there, taking their smelly deposits with them.

Our hopeful suitor is still waiting.

"No lady worthy of any gentleman's regard will say "no" twice to a suit which she intends ultimately to receive with favor.  A lady should be allowed all the time she requires before making up her mind; and if the gentleman grows impatient at the delay, he is always at liberty to insist on an immediate answer and abide by the consequences of his impatience."

I wonder if that also applies to green tree frogs?

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

Slightly late slightly stressed trees

Much of yesterday was spent at a museum sewing, and singing and playing ukulele, and talking to people about sewing and about singing and Stuff......and another visit to the emergency department in the evening to have Kevin's hand checked because it was swollen....and that was my yesterday.  Today, however, is another day.

This week's trees, one which reflects the now-darker wattle.....

....and one which looks like interesting petroglyphs.  Some sort of glyphs, anyway.

Both reverse trees.  It's interesting to see how fabrics change according to the other fabrics they are partnered with.  There are now 76 trees, the same as the number of trombones in the well-known song.

Yesterday's time at the historical museum produced one bag; two were cut out and went along with me, one was started and completed.   The other will be made up on a day that I just feel like some mindless sewing

The white lines are straight but to fit it in a photograph it needed to be bent a little, hence the wiggly lines.  I'm not sure that I love it enough to want to keep it but my friend was admiring it yesterday, so it might be gifted to her.

The weekly wattle.  As you can see the bright lemon colour is darkening; we had rain during the week, and those little fluffy yellow balls were heavy with the weight of water.  They have since popped up again.

The colour, however, has changed for the season.

Kevin's hand is, we hope, healing.  The last stitches were removed on Friday but a close eye is still being kept on it by the medical people.  As directed by the hospital people ("see your regular doctor in a week") we duly trotted along last Tuesday, and indeed every day for the following four days.  We will be back again this afternoon at 4p.m. - we should have had a reprieve from medical visits over the weekend, but Kevin's hand had other ideas - and possibly several more times this week.  At last night's visit the hand was unwrapped, checked....not too bad, you can wait to see a doctor if you think you need to, but it will be several hours' wait.....re-wrapped by the nurse who didn't think it needed to be seen by a doctor, thank goodness...so we will see what is said this afternoon.  It doesn't feel too bad he says.  That's good, I says.  Have you ever tried to keep an old bloke from doing things?  It's not easy, let me tell you.  I do let him put the car in and out of the garage, magnanimous person as what I am.

The historical museum yesterday was fun.  The house is called 'Calala Cottage' and this year celebrates 150 years since it was built, so of course the ukulele players sang 'Happy Birthday' with the audience joining in.  The Cunning Plan had been to take one of my 1920s Singer treadle machines along but, as Kevin's hand didn't lend itself to taking apart, carrying and re-assembling a heavy machine twice, I came up with the idea of taking my 1950 Singer Featherweight 221 instead.  It's still an old machine albeit 75 years old rather than 98, but as it's so small and easy to manage it was the right decision - and it still generated a lot of interest.  A couple of women said "oh, a Featherweight!" so of course we chatted about them, and even a few older blokes talked about their memories of learning to sew by hand and by machine as children; one man in particular was very interesting.  I didn't mind the chats; if no one was interested in the machine and what I was doing I could have accomplished more, but it wouldn't have been as much fun.

In fact, it's been such a busy week that I still haven't had that rest......

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn and knitted - my knitting now goes with me every time we get in the car, because we never know how long these medical appointments are going to take....one sleeve is nearly completed, and the other has been started.  Many songs have been plinked and sung, and yesterday's audience enjoyed our offerings; a few of the U3A folk had never performed in public before but did very well, and our audience said nice things to us and about us.

"Requirements for a happy marriage.

Respect for each other is as necessary to a happy marriage as that the husband and wife should have an affection for one another.  Social equality, intellectual sympathy, and sufficient means are very important matters to be considered by those who contemplate matrimony."

Well, yes.  To which I would add, to be happy to drive each other to medical appointments.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

A couple of slightly stressed trees

Because it's been a slightly stressful week.

Firstly, the happy stuff....two trees were made.  A green tree with blue spots which could be raindrops, because we certainly had our share of rain last month.

Every Arboretum needs a blue and green spotted tree, yes?  The contrast is interesting; on its own it is a slightly pinkish tan, but set inside the bright green fabric it looks brown.

This bright fabric wasn't wide enough to cut the 6-1/2 in by 9 in piece for a tree....but it was wide enough to cut two, 3-1/4 in by 9 in pieces and join them using a contrast trunk.  Pat on the back for me too, because I even managed blend the foliage design.  The blue and green fishy print makes a fun contrast.

This week's trees, 73 and 74.  We won't quibble about which is which.

The weekly wattle.  It's difficult to get a close-up on a windy day as those thin branches wave and dance with every puff of air, but I managed.

How has everyone been this week?  We attended the anniversary morning tea at the library on Monday, and Hizzoner duly delivered his waffling rambling (fortunately not over-long, but long enough) speech.  I believe that councillors undertake some media training upon being elected; the mayor has been on council for over 30 years, so perhaps a refresher course would be a Useful Thing.  He and I did not need to speak so the dilemma of what to address him shall, for the foreseeable future at least, remain unresolved.

While there I was introduced to a woman named Joyce, "she's 90, you know".....Joyce started working at the library a few years after I left and continued there for several years.  Every time we hove in sight (or earshot) of Joyce we heard "I'm 90, you know....."  

The following day, Tuesday, was one of my two monthly quilt group days but as my tummy had been feeling a little unhappy for a few days, I decided to stay home.  Kevin wanted to catch up with a few things down town, so took the car and drove off.  Some time later, just as I was about to settle down for a rest, I answered a knock on the door which turned out to be the wife of a café manager.  Kevin had decided to treat himself to a coffee and, while walking from the car, tripped and sliced his hand open, it was bleeding profusely, so off we duly drove to the hospital.  Many hours later, several stitches in the hand, lots of padding and bandages, and we finally made it home again.  Back the next day just to get it checked - I'm not a medical person, I wasn't going to be the one to unwrap it - it was wrapped with new bandages, leave it on said the nurse, see your GP in a week to have the stitches removed, don't get it wet, etc., etc.  It's his right hand, and of course he's right handed, so all the chores which are usually split between two people are being done by one.  Never mind....it's my turn this year, Kevin did the chores last year when my arm was in plaster.

Over the past several years Kevin has developed what I call the Old Bloke Shuffle.  Have you noticed that old blokes don't pick up their feet?  I keep telling him to do so, you'll trip, I say......older women don't shuffle as much as blokes, perhaps because we wore higher heeled shoes in our younger days.  One cannot shuffle in a heel, even a low heel.  Old blokes are also likely, as is Kevin, to be taking blood thinners so a badly cut hand means pressing all sorts of panic buttons.

I still haven't had that rest......

Words have been read, stitches have been sewn and knitted.  (I wish I had taken my knitting or my hand-piecing to pass those interminable hours in hospital.)  Songs have been plinked and sung.  I hunted and gathered all by myself, and hey-ho, so passed the week, stress and all.

We have had some very pleasant mild days, but more rain is forecast for the coming week.  The washing is hanging out in the breezy sunshine as we speak; like many Ozzies I have never owned a dryer, something which to me seems like a useless extravagance.  We use a solar dryer - a wash line in the sun!

"An acceptable suitor.

Parents should always be able to tell from observation and instinct just how matters strand with their daughter; and if the suitor is an acceptable one and everything satisfactory, then, in this country, the most scrupulous rules of etiquette will not prevent their letting the young couple alone.  If the lover chooses to propose directly to the lady and consult her father afterwards he has a perfect right to do so.  If her parents have sanctioned his visits and attentions by a silent consent, he has a right to believe that his addresses will be favorably received by them."

You notice that many of these quotes refer to how the young woman should behave, and very few as to what the man should do?  The old double standard was alive and well in 1885.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

A tree growing underwater, and a winter tree

It must be underwater, because there are fish.

Another fabric from my prize bundle which was used in Summertime Blues....fish swimming in a tree is not something that you see every day, so perhaps it's in the depths of the ocean somewhere.  The contrast is left from my Canadian quilt, in keeping with the blue watery theme.

My memory tells me that this fabric was bought on one of our trips to Canada.  I'm not sure if the background is blue, or grey, or even edging toward pale lavender, but it suits our current freezy frosty chilly weather.  The contrast was a piece of fabric from I know not where which would have made an interesting tree; sadly it wasn't wide enough, but it livens up the pale background.

Two very different trees, numbers 57 and 58.

How has everyone been this week?  We shopped for various things, including the ongoing search for another vee-hickle (of which more later).  Words were read, stitches were sewn; the hanging sleeve on Autumn Rhapsody is about one quarter done, and it keeps my lap warm while doing so.  

Songs were sung, and my Eisteddfod song is being practised again because - I have been asked for a repeat performance!  How fabulous is that!!  Our choir director Bill has asked me to reprise both song and poem at a concert we are doing next Saturday evening, for an organisation which raises money to give practical help to local folk who are given a cancer diagnosis.  Bill himself was on the receiving end of their help a few years ago, so he does as much as he can to assist.  His original plan was to ask a few of the shining lights in the local music theatre scene to perform, but he has since decided that "we can do it ourselves, we don't need outsiders to put on a good show!"  I feel very honoured to be asked.

The search for the new car has moved onto Plan B.  Last weekend we went for a test drive in a car about which we know absolutely less than nothing, and an online search turned up quite a  bit of dissatisfaction among owners.  Added to that Kevin drove it to our regular mechanic around the corner from the car yard, and was told "nah, mate, I wouldn't touch it".  The four-letter word starting with sh and ending with it was also used by the mechanic as a description, so we hastily backed out of that deal and went to another dealer up the hill.  Result:  we have found our new chariot and will take possession when the money side of things is sorted, money is being moved around as we speak, and hopefully it won't be long.  It's a smallish-medium SUV; much as we would both like a little car for zipping around we are finding that small low cars are getting difficult to get in and out of as we age, and as neither of us are tall we like the extra height while in traffic.

Only thing is, like many other cars on the road the new car is grey....the current car is very light silver/grey, the new one slightly darker silver/grey......grey is not a colour.  Grey is a mood.

The rain which we were eagerly awaiting last week eventually fell that day, but not in any great quantity.  We are told there may be some sprinkles during the coming week - we certainly hope so.

The elbow which is being treated with the fancy (expensive!) cream hasn't fallen off yet, for which we are thankful.  I am assuming that the cream will do wonders and, eventually, make it heal.  We live in hope.

Continuing from last week's quote:

"A lady's conduct toward gentlemen.

No well-bred lady will too eagerly receive the attentions of a gentleman, no matter how much she admires him; nor, on the other hand, will she be so reserved as to altogether discourage him.  A man may show considerable attention to a lady without becoming a lover; and so a lady may let it be seen that she is not disagreeable to him without discouraging him.  She will be able to judge soon from his actions and deportment, as to his motive in paying her his attentions, and will treat him accordingly.  A man does not like to be refused when he makes a proposal, and no man of tact will risk a refusal.  Neither will a well-bred lady encourage a man to make a proposal, which she must refuse.  She should endeavour, in discouraging him as a lover, to retain his friendship.  A young man of sensibilities, who can take a hint when it is offered him, need not run the risk of a refusal."

There has to be quite a subtle knowledge of behaviour in these situations, yes?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer