That's it for the year, folks!

A last post to say farewell to 2024....and to practise writing 2025.  It sometimes takes a few days for one's brain to catch up with the different numbers, doesn't it?

Good news on the photo front, I have worked out how to download pics from my camera to the computer.  It entails a new card reader and a new SD card for my camera and takes a few more steps than it used to, but what the heck.  So long as it works.  In between feeling somewhat unwell (although, I'm pleased to say, slowly improving; if I don't talk too much I don't cough, so the house is fairly quiet at present) I managed to make last week's and the previous week's trees.

This blue and brown batik is leftover from a kit for a bag bought on a trip to Canada, some years ago.  I like the contrast with the orange/red and yellow.

This interesting batik has the Colorado state tree and state flower - thank you, Dianne!  This is the second quilt it's been used in, and there is still some left.

A pretty pale yellow batik with highlights of blue/green; the trunk and branches were going to be a bright turquoise with hints of purple, but then my eyes lit on this mottled green in the Big Basket of Batiks.  I seem to recall buying this yellow fabric in a pack with a few others in Canada, too.

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There are fires burning not far from our town at present, and very bad fires in Victoria.  The colours of this tree block say 'Aussie summer'.....I have to say it just might be my favourite block, so far.

And.....look who came home before Christmas!

Poor thing has been languishing waiting for me to feel well enough to think about binding, or adding a hanging sleeve, or even making a label, but a corner seems to have been turned and the label information has been printed off ready for tracing.  It will be embroidered by hand.

How was everyone's Christmas?  Ours was quiet; we managed a video chat with our Canaussian son and his partner in Toronto, Canada, which was wonderful.  We also spoke to our son in Canberra.  Our Christmas dinner was yummy, we had a small turkey roast (bought from the shop at the turkey farm on the outskirts of town) with vegies, and Christmas cake with gelato instead of the more traditional custard or cream, and even a glass of bubbly.  Yes, I know it's hot.  We have often had a cold meal on a hot Christmas day but this year decided to have our meal in the evening.  It was jolly nice, too.

Words have been read, a few stitches have been sewn....none by hand yet, but those tree blocks were made.  Not one note was plinked - or sung, as the result would have been a credible imitation of a donkey braying.  We did manage to get out to hunt and gather, although it took a lot of my energy.

One of the downsides to feeling so unwell (or 'crook', as Aussies say) was being unable to enjoy a coffee, thanks to the medicated lozenges which helped with the cough but left a taste in the mouth which did nothing whatsoever for coffee.  On Friday while we were out and about we stopped in at a favourite café for a cuppa but I didn't fancy my usual hot coffee so I had an iced coffee, and jolly nice it was too.  This morning I managed my first hot coffee for over two weeks which was thoroughly enjoyed, and now I am about to partake of another.

Many years ago when we lived in the Big Smoke we had to make a decision on where to move when we retired from work, as we both wanted to move out of the big city - big cities are not always user friendly for older folk.  In our travels we often visited Victoria, a state we both like very much, and were even thinking that we could up sticks and move down there.  (My father was born in Victoria's capital city, Melbourne, so I joke that I have Victorian citizenship.  The wonderful staff at the two Victorian hospitals where I was treated after the Big Fall earlier this year thought that was funny.)  However, one day I read that Victoria is the most bushfire-prone state in Australia - I have since read that is one of the most fire-prone areas in the whole world, and that would be heartbreaking. That is the sole reason which decided us to stay in New South Wales, albeit in a country town rather than the big city.

There are only a few days left of the year, so here is some advice should you be travelling:

"If, in riding in the street tram-cars or crossing a ferry, your friend insists on paying for you, permit him to do so without serious remonstrance.  You can return the favor at some other time."

Indeed you can.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

WOW Day again

It's Monday again, my life is flashing by before my eyes, and March is more than half over. Summer's heat has gone (thank goodness) and autumn will soon be rolling in. Lovely autumn.

Today's wombat is a little different as it's a stained glass picture. As it looks good with the light shining through I placed it against my sewing room window to take its photo, that's some of our little backyard in the background. I bought this one on one of our trips to northern New South Wales, in a little town called Walcha. Walcha has a great craft shop selling goods made by local people (I seem to remember I also bought some apricot jam, apricots are my very favourite fruit) and this was hanging in the window. It's made by a lady who lives at Ogunbil in the Dungowan Valley....the beautiful place in my blog header. Wouldn't that be a wonderful view to wake up to each morning.

Had an email from my friend Alison the other day; she looks forward to Mondays, as she enjoys seeing which wombat will be having its turn in the spotlight that week! You can see here the bowl that Alison made as a retirement gift.

And today is the first day of Kevin's retirement, you can't count the weekend can you? Today is the first day he hasn't had to go to work, not counting holidays, since he was a young bloke of 17 or so. It's whole new life stretching out in front of us both.

Have a good week.

Jennifer

Not quite Road to St Louis

This is a quilt made by a colleague and me a few years ago, for another colleague who was about to go on maternity leave. It's based on the Road to St Louis design that I have been blogging about, but instead of pieced blocks we used squares of kids' prints, and alternated them with hourglass blocks. The blue/lime/turquoise striped fabric in the border gave us the idea for the colour scheme. It's backed with a cute frog print. The original design used 6in blocks so I wrote the instructions for this using 4in blocks. (did a terrific job if I do say so myself) I quilted it using a blue variegated Aurifil thread. We bought the border fabrics, and the fabric for the hourglass blocks; the kids' prints came from our stashes - we had one duplicate! We specially included a couple of cat prints as the recipient isn't a cat person and we both are....she took it in good spirit.

Many thanks for the encouraging comments about having a retired husband! It will be a new step in life for both of us, no doubt we will get on each other's nerves from time to time but we wouldn't be human if we didn't. Kevin is playing in a lawn bowls tournament this morning and I am enjoying peaceful music.

Last night we had a daddy of a storm - thunder, lightning, and very heavy rain; we had the TV volume up to 21 and it normally never goes over 12. It had stopped by about 8.30-9.00pm so the party around the corner continued, from the sounds of it they are still going and it's now midday. Must have more stamina than I do. Perhaps I should gently point out that their music, like mine, has a volume switch that turns to the left as well as to the right?

Enjoy what's left of the weekend.

Jennifer

Peaceful Friday

I made this cushion several years ago, the kit was a gift. Not my usual colours but soft and pretty, and I agree with the sentiment; I have been told it's from a quote by Homer (the Greek bloke, not the Simpson one).

Thanks to the lovely folk who have been so encouraging about my green quilt. Meggie asked if I was using my domestic, yes indeed. I am quilting it on My Lovely New Bernina Virtuosa 160 (which is now nearly ten years old), and it's doing a great job. I have been busy for the last few days so haven't gotten back to quilting the borders but it will be done soon. Today is not looking good either, but you never know. I am off to the shops soon to buy supper for the music club tonight - I don't mind being the supper shopper because I get to pick the chocolate biscuits and cake I like!

Today is Kevin's last day at work for ever. Tomorrow he will be a retired Olde Pharte like me. It will be strange having him around all the time, of course we have had holidays together but that's not the same, as holidays end and then we go back to work. And we will be sharing one car, because for some years now the car that Kevin drove belonged to the company for whom he worked. I bought my own little car in....oh, must have been late 1974, maybe early 1975......we have had two cars since then, except for when our sons were living at home when we had three or four cars in our driveway and on our front lawn. It did get crowded at times. Kevin plays lawn bowls every weekend which is almost sacred to him, but I pointed out that there might be times when I have something that is sacred to me too (like quilt guild, or a music club gig) and need the car to get there; public transport where we live isn't great, to say the least. Can't see me walking 20 minutes to the train station carrying a fairly heavy guitar in its case, and a music stand and guitar stand, then trudgeing up and down the station steps, changeing trains (more steps) and then walking home again. I would be too knackered to play a note by the time I arrived at the gig. Compromise will have to be the order of the day.

No doubt all will be well in the end.

Now I am off to the shops to buy cake for tonight, probably chocolate cake, because chocolate makes nearly everything seem right.

Jennifer