In which we have a citrus fruit salad tree

Yes - there is such a thing!  A 'fruit salad tree' is a tree bearing different species of fruit on one tree, achieved by grafting different fruits onto one parent tree....so, theoretically you could have lemon, lime, orange and even finger lime on one tree.  You could also have peach, apricot and plum, or you could have different varieties of apples and pears - the list is probably endless.

Like this citrus fruit salad tree, perhaps.

This interesting fabric, and the one below, were purchases on our trip to Canberra in March this year.  I hesitated to buy this at first, wasn't sure if it would make a good tree.....but it does.  Its contrast is a graduated lemon/lime fabric cut across the stripe, which suits really well against the deep dark green background. 

It's difficult to know if the figures on this fabric are butterflies, or flying women, or angels, but I like the background colours and the stars.  The contrast was used for a tree a few weeks ago, and was one of my prize bundle which was the start of Summertime Blues. 

Quite an interesting pair of trees, this week.

These weekly pics are taken on a white cloth spread on the cutting/working table in my sewing room, which has an overhead light.  Consequently, it's quite difficult to avoid getting my own shadow in the shot; I have tried standing in different places, and tried laying the blocks on another part of the table, but the shadow is always there.  The time of day factors into the success or otherwise of the shot too, as the light levels vary from hour to hour.

Work has also started on stitching the hanging sleeve to my autumn quilt, slightly awkwardly because of the hand which doesn't like being held in some positions, but it will be finished eventually.

How has everyone been this week?  We have drifted along as usual; words have been read, stitches sewn and knitted, fabrics cut out.  Songs have been plinked and sung, and now U3A ukulele is on school holiday break.  Many of the members have grandparent duty during school holidays so there's not much point in meeting, we'll start up again at the end of the month.  Fortunately choir continues during the hols, so I still get my musical fix.  We hunted and gathered for the usual food and Stuff, and that was the week that was.

Some slightly different hunting and gathering this week, too - we are shopping for another car.  The trusty VW was bought 11 years ago, and earlier in the week Kevin popped in to see our usual mechanic because he had noticed spots of oil on the garage floor.  Mechanic duly checked it over and presented us with a long list of "probably shouldn't leave it too long" repairs with an eye-popping amount at the bottom of the page.  If I were you I would put this money toward another car instead of throwing it at this one, said the mechanic.  Not what we wanted to hear.....so Kevin has been out and about to various car yards checking what's available, and we have pretty much settled on a white (sadly not green or yellow or orange) car.  At least we no longer have to factor in having to buy a car which can tow a caravan, which makes the choice easier.  We need to have another test drive, Kevin drove it yesterday, but I have yet to sit behind the wheel to give my considered but totally un-mechanically minded opinion.

Some folk might taking buying another vehicle in their everyday stride, but for Olde Phartes like what we are it's quite a big deal.....my goodness, the excitement......be still, my beating heart......

Some quite changeable weather this week, not much in the way of frosty mornings but quite a lot of cloud.  Yesterday when we were out and about test-driving cars it was so sunny that sunglasses weren't enough for me, one of my summer hats had to come out again.  Today's forecast was for showers, but here it is nearly 4 p.m. and we are still waiting for the drops to start falling.

Following on from last week's advice for gentlemen, this week we have advice for ladies.

"A lady's conduct toward gentlemen.

A young lady should not allow special attention from anyone to whom she is not specially attracted, because, first, she may do injury to the gentleman in seeming to give his suit encouragement; and, secondly, she may keep away from her those whom she likes better, but who will not approach her under the mistaken idea that her feelings are already interested.  A young lady should not encourage the addresses of a gentleman unless she feels that she can return his affections.  It is the prerogative of a man to propose, and of a woman to accept or refuse, and a lady of tact and kind heart will exercise her prerogative before her suitor is brought to the humiliation of an offer which must result in a refusal."

Well, yes.  

The folk in those days certainly knew how to string a long sentence together, didn't they?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Sniffle sniff....

Wretched hayfever....it certainly is a bad season this year.  I don't usually succumb to spring sniffles, mine are more common in autumn due to tree pollen, but not this time.  The spring equinox was yesterday afternoon and, according to Those Who Know, it is a bad hayfever season.

Oh well.  This, too, will pass.  In the meantime, it just leaves me feeling miserable.  And sniffly.

Our quilt group's show was yesterday and this morning, packing up was done just after lunch today, and the quilts are now back in their respective homes.  We have learned a lot and the decision has been made to hold a show every two years, it was felt that is often enough; there is a lot of organising to be done, and as it was the first for this group we had a lot of learning to do.  We aren't a large group which is fortunate as the venue isn't large, either.

Because my brain just wasn't functioning (blame the sniffles) I forgot to take pics of the show, but my quilts were well received.  It was decided not to have a "viewer's choice" vote.  How do you single out just one quilt?  The makers all put their heart and soul into their quilts, and if they don't appeal to one person they will appeal to another anyway.  

Let's see what we can find in the picture vaults.  We are heading into our warm time, so some autumn pics from our last holiday in Canada will be just the thing to cool us down.

I have often taken a photo of just one fallen leaf on the ground.  This one appealed because of the contrast between the bright leaf and the granite pebbles - however it's not a big leaf and the pebbles are quite small, so it was a "squat down and hope I can get up again" pic!

Lake Huron on a windy day.  Even though it is landlocked, it can whip up some fearsome stormy weather.

There is a reason for the green.....it was a drizzly day when we visited.

Another "squat down." pic.  

Sometimes interesting Stuff is at ground level, isn't it?  So we just have to grit our teeth, and bend or squat and hope we don't get stuck, because without a fancy-nancy big camera with lots of whoopi-doo lenses it's only possible to zoom in a certain amount without losing clarity.

Unlike many of you, I don't take photos with my phone.  Correction - one photo has been taken of autumn leaves on the ground, which was made into the home screen.  That is it.  Many people have their lives documented on their phone; it is whipped out so the rest of us (whether we want to or not) can duly admire the latest grandchild, or a dish served in a restaurant, or a view from a recent holiday.  All well and good until the phone is lost or stolen, or dropped and run over by a car......it's all gone then.  We download our photos onto our computer and yes, I know computers can fail too.  When we had those two plumbing floods several years ago we lost some older photos, but we seldom looked at them anyway.  Perhaps one day we will go through them and just keep a few.

Words have been read.  Notes have been plinked and sung, we played for a birthday function on Wednesday for one of the local VIEW Clubs which was celebrating its 55th birthday - the ladies had fun singing along with us, some even jumped up and danced!  Diamonds have been joined, but the supply is quite low so more need to be cut.  

The next couple of weeks will not be as busy as usual.  No uke on Monday afternoons as it's school holidays and some members have grandparent duty, the same for our Thursday afternoon U3A uke group.  Choir continues, as it's an evening activity.  There are no pending appointments, although hunting and gathering will continue because we need to eat.

"Avoiding carriages.

For a lady to run across the street to avoid an approaching carriage is inelegant and also dangerous. To attempt to cross the street between the carriages of a funeral procession, is rude and disrespectful.  The foreign custom of removing the hat and standing in a respectful attitude until the melancholy train has passed, is a commendable one to be followed in this country."

This is good advice.  

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer