Waiting for the heavens to open

Judging by the weather radar, that might happen fairly soon....

Daylight saving ended sometime this morning at stupid dark o'clock, a time when no one in their right mind is out and about.  We reset a few clocks before heading off to bed (although Kevin forgot to set our bedside clock, resulting in a little confusion on getting up) and found out that things like phones and computers had reset themselves as if by magic.  The stove clock, however, doesn't have magic and takes a bit of working out....and the less said about the car clock, the better.

Nothing photo-worthy has happened this week.  Strips have been cut for sashings for the house quilt - about two-thirds are done.  Stitches have been taken on the flower basket quilt, joining of the final two sections are progressing along nicely.  A few stitches were knitted.  No diamonds were cut out.  

Every time we go anywhere we notice more and more signs of autumn, and it seems early this year because of our relatively mild summer.  (Not that I am complaining, summer's heat and I not being good friends)  So how about some autumn glory?

These were taken on our last trip to Canada late in 2018, but the beauty of the colours never fades.  The pic above, taken in Midland, Ontario, is a tree we saw each time we drove into a car park behind main street shops.

Bayfield, Ontario, is a small town with beautiful trees.

Heading across country to British Columbia, we visited MacMillan Provincial Park with friends.  This was moss on a fallen tree.

Sad to think that it was probably our last trip.  By the time travel becomes relatively easy again we will be too old (and probably too poor!) to head off on such a journey; those long plane flights are no fun at all.  But - those trips have given us friends and memories that will always be with us.

Thanks to the covid plague, U3A has once again been cancelled.  Oh well; we had two ukulele get-togethers before the plug was pulled.  The Monday group is practising for our moment of fame and glory in a concert at the end of the month, although public holidays and school holidays (which mean grandparent duty for some) mean that we won't see other much in April at all.

During the week while out and about I even bought some new clothes, how about that?  Now that we can go out and about again those new jeans (sadly needed, I fear) and a new top will be Just The Thing.  

I smell rain.....won't be long now.....

More Suggestions for Gentlemen:

"If a lady asks any favor of a gentleman, such as to send a servant to her with a glass of water, to take her into the ball-room when she is without an escort, to inquire whether her carriage is in waiting, or any of the numerous services which ladies often require, no gentleman will, under any circumstances, refuse her request."

How many of us, I wonder, have ever had a glass of water delivered by a servant? or had someone check if our carriage is waiting?  Sadly, probably not many of us.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Breezin' along with the breeze

Like the old song.  Over the past week we seem to have been chasing our tails with very little to show for it; waiting at appointments (don't you feel like sending a bill for wasting your time when your appointment is for a specific time and you still end up waiting?  I do), filling in time while the lenses on my reading glasses were changed for newer stronger ones - I can now thread a needle again, yay! - and other ways to use up time.

We even had a ukulele group gig, our first since mid-November last year.  Our token bloke Brian asked us to be the entertainment for the monthly meeting of his prostate cancer group.  The members and their support people said nice things to us and about us, and we (and hopefully they) had an enjoyable afternoon.  The yummy home-made treats for afternoon tea weren't bad either.....butterfly cakes, chocolate walnut brownie.....I would happily play for them again.....

Our world is getting busier; the coming week has a few 'firsts' again after so many activities were shut down for so long.  First day back volunteering at a gallery on Tuesday, first U3A meeting tomorrow, first U3A ukulele get-together on Thursday, sewing group on Wednesday.  I'm wondering if I should schedule a time just to sit and draw breath.

While waiting for Kevin to come out of his appointment I managed to get a few rows knitted on the jumper I haven't touched for *ahem* some months.  It's now only one centimetre (or half an inch in old money) from being long enough for the armhole decrease.

Yarn is 'Rustic' 8 ply from Bendigo Woollen Mills, colour Mustard.  That's about equivalent to DK for the non-Aussies.  I just lurve the colour.....haven't decided if it will be a jumper (sweater) or cardy, but am leaning towards a jumper.  The back and sleeves are the same in any case so they will be made first, and one of my knitting stitch dictionaries has come up trumps with an intricate cable design for the front.

The decision also hasn't been made about what size diamonds to cut for tumbling blocks.  The smaller of these makes a 3.5 inch hexagon while the larger is four inches; the previous template was in between the two of these.  I quite like the smaller....perhaps I should do what was done before, and make one of each to see which I prefer.

If a little fabric is wasted in the process....why then, it's only fabric, isn't it?  There's plenty more where that came from....

Trimming the house blocks continues, the pile of 'to be trimmmed' blocks is diminishing and the pile of 'done finished trimming' blocks is growing.  Had the week been less busy more would have been done, but never mind.  It will get done.   

The world seems to be in....not a good place lately, doesn't it?  Some days it makes you feel like staying in bed with the covers over your head wishing it would all go away and be magically transmogrified into lollipops and rainbows again, but we know that's not going to happen.  Sigh....

The reason for the medical stuff is because once we reach a Certain Age the state government has decreed that we have a medical assessment declaring us fit to drive a motor vehicle.  It includes an eye assessment (I have an annual eye check-up in any case, have done for a long time) and questions being ticked off by a doctor.  Sigh....at least it is now done for the year, so a 12 month respite before having to do it again.  And again.....I really don't like going to the doctor, I try to avoid medical Stuff wherever possible.  If only it would avoid me.

Recently my phone died and had to be replaced.  I am now the owner of a new phone, pastel green, a pretty thing indeed.  It needs a padded case and in my sewing stash is the Very Thing, a piece of quilted fabric left over from a bag made some years ago.  Green, of course....when the house blocks are all trimmed.

Continuing "Duties of guests":

"It is not binding upon any gentleman to remain one moment longer than he desires with any lady.  By constantly moving from one to another, when he feels so inclined, he gives an opportunity to others to circulate as freely; and this custom, generally introduced in our society, would go a long way toward conributing to the enjoyment of all.  The false notion generally entertained that a gentleman is expected to remain standing by the side of a lady, like a sentinel on duty, until relieved by some other person, is absurd, and deters many who would gladly give a few passing moments to lady acquaintances could they but know that they would be free to leave at any instant that conversation flagged, or that they desired to join another.  In a society where it is not considered a rudeness to leave after a few sentences with one, to exchange some words with another, there is a constant interchange of civilities, and the men circulate through the room with that charming freedom which ensures the enjoyment of all."

Indeed.  You are permitted to circulate - in fact, please do.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

The next row begins

The next stage in the Cunning Plan for the neighbourhood houses has started.

Four triangles to turn the block on point, a chance (yet another) to dip into the black and white stash.  Each block only requires two, 5-1/4 in squares cut once on the diagonal so this will be easy; the goal is to do two a week which, even with my sometimes hectic life, is possible.

The step after this requires 277, 2-1/2 in green squares.  I reckon if I cut just a few from as many green fabrics as possible it will be done before we know it, particularly as there are about 70 already cut.  The blocks are sashed, but the sashing is quite narrow - one inch cut, so only 1/2 in finished.  I have a yellow and black fabric which will, I think, turn out to be The Very Thing to make sashing pathways between the houses.

Those BOMs have been finished.  When I went to do the block given by the whip cracker I found it was already sewn - it was in a plastic bag, and she didn't check if it was completed.  That made one less.  Jolly good.

We are having quite a taste of winter lately!  Days have been sunny but fairly cool - downright chilly at times - and nights and mornings have been frosty.  Trees around town are shedding the last of their autumn colour now; it won't be long until they are bare for a few months.

Our state government has been handing out goodies as if there is no tomorrow, to keep the economy moving after lockdowns.  We have vouchers so we can go out and eat - two each for "dining", and vouchers so we can "discover" something.  In our case that probably means going to the movies or the theatre, but right now there is nothing at the movies which appeals to either of us.  We don't do superheroes or blokey action movies, don't do 'rom coms' (whatever they are), most certainly do not do teenage angst, and a friend recently pointed out that while there are movies being made about older people they all seem to have the theme of dementia and are quite depressing. Which doesn't leave much choice, does it?  Living away from the Big Smoke means that there aren't the opportunities for "discovery" that city slickers have.  

Oh well......if we can't use them, then we can't.

It would have been nice if they were able to be used in fabric shops......or music shops......speaking of which my tenor uke is loving its new strings, it sounds gorgeous again.  We have a music shop here in town, but after a few attempts to buy strings from them I have given up and will not spend my dollars there.  Their service is poor and their knowledge of music no better.  Given a choice I will always support a local business, but there's no choice in this.  There is an excellent music shop in a town an hour north; I would rather make the trek up there, or buy strings online from an interstate retailer who gives excellent service.

"If by chance anything unpleasant is found in the food, such as a hair in the bread or a fly in the coffee, remove it without remark.  Even though your own appetite be spoiled, it is well not to prejudice others."

Besides which, there might not be enough to go around.

Enjoy your days!

The neighbourhood!

Here it is, all 61 blocks!

One of these days I might have a proper design wall, but for now it's a design bed.

The houses look a bit dull here, don't they?  Take it from me - they aren't.  Next thing is to cut 122 squares of black and white prints......which will get done eventually.  First up is to make a few blocks for the quilt group's BOMs, I had thought that by being away last month I would miss out - but no.  The whip has been cracked by one member (it's not even her block.  I don't care if someone who is away when it's my turn doesn't make a block); fortunately it's a quick easy block, as are the others.  I can see a session in the sewing room during the week, once fabrics have been chosen.

A word of advice - do not, repeat, do not, get sucked into watching 'fail' videos.  They are hilarious, and it's so easy to click on the next, then the next......some things I have learned from watching are:  adults should not, under any circumstances whatsoever and no matter how many alcoholic beverages they may have imbibed, try to use or ride children's playground equipment or toys.  It never ends well.  The ice always wins, and the human body was not designed to fall heavily (or indeed lightly) onto concrete.  One can feel one's self wincing in sympathy.

Oh well.  That's enough time wasted for today.

Last night I really pushed the boat out, and changed the strings on my tenor ukulele.  Now they need to stretch out so they can be properly tuned; goodness knows how long it had been since the last string change, and that gorgeous instrument was sounding muddy and dead.  We can't have that, so something needed to be done.  It's a month until the Eisteddfod performance, and I need to be word and note perfect with my uke sounding good.  Hopefully I don't make too much of a fool of myself.

We all tolerate heat and cold differently, don't they?  It's not unusual to see, on the same day at the same time, someone wearing a puffy jacket with a scarf and someone else in shorts and sandals with bare arms.  I feel the cold so I dress warm, but at the same time I don't mind cool weather......which is probably just as well, because next weekend is forecast to be quite chilly.

I cannot, however, bring myself to wear the puffy jacket, a garment which has been increasing in popularity for some years now.  Anything which makes me look puffed out and bigger than I already am has no place in my sumptuous wardrobe.  Those jackets are made from synthetic fabric and stuffed with synthetic filling, can you imagine how unpleasant that would be to wear?  Many years ago when a friend in the Big Smoke was getting started with a large quilting machine I let her do one of mine, and she talked me into having a synthetic polyester wadding.  Never again.  It's like sleeping under a sheet of plastic - unlike natural fibres it doesn't 'breathe' at all.  I imagine a puffy jacket would feel like that.

There have been no more signs of mice, which is good.  We do not like the mice.

"Tea or coffee should never be poured into a saucer to cool, but sipped from the cup.

If a person wishes to be served with more tea or coffee, he should place his spoon in his saucer.  If he has had sufficient, let it remain in the cup."

My grandfather (I spent a lot of time with my maternal grandparents as a child, I suspect my mother wanted me out of the house as much as possible) would pour his tea into the saucer to let it cool before drinking it.....something which isn't seen so much these days.

Enjoy your days!

Not back to normal yet

Like that shampoo ad said on TV a few years ago, it won't happen overnight......but it will happen.

Well, it seems this flood really caused damage.  The bottoms of several doors soaked up moisture from sitting on wet carpet, so they will also be replaced.  Some skirting (base) boards will need to go, but only a couple - most are made of proper wood, so they have less damage.  We can't help wonder why real wood was used for some, and cheap crappy artificial wood for others?  We have noticed that some odd short cuts were taken when this house was built 25 years ago.  At least one inside wall has to be partially removed to check for moisture between inner and outer walls.

Two of my books were lost.  One was a Mon Tricot knitting and crochet stitch and technique dictionary which I bought new in 1974, and to which I refer often; even though all that stuff can be found online sometimes there is no substitute for a proper book with real pages, is there?  Guess what - I found a copy on Ebay!  A small thing to be sure but something to cheer me a little, it should arrive soon.  The other was a book of basic women's knitting patterns which is still available, so that will also be done soon.  Both those books had their pages stuck together too firmly to be separated, because of the paper used.

However we aren't buying 'stuff' at present, because there is nowhere to put it!  Much of the house has been emptied, and furniture which hasn't been hauled away is stored in the garage.  We are trying to keep floors as clear as possible to make it easier for whoever puts down the new carpet.  One thing is for sure, though......we won't be going back to the store where the last replacement carpet was furnished, the owner bloke wasn't wonderful to deal with.  When we said to the assessor/builder from the insurance company that we would prefer to use another supplier he asked was it because of the boss man......we said yes......funny, he said, several other people have told me the same thing. 

Having said that......this morning a fundraising Christmas Fair was held and I couldn't resist some pretty blue and green earrings, they won't take up much room will they......and a necklace made in Madagascar from cow horn dyed in bright colours, which I am wearing as we speak.  I will call them my Christmas present.

My guitars and tenor ukulele were sitting on the wet floor but because they were in their cases I think they will be all right, and my cheapie soprano uke is probably some sort of plastic which would be impervious to water anyway.  On another cheery note, there have been a couple of ukulele gigs lately, playing music is more fun than moping about our spoiled house! 

Our town has two big used book sales a year, one in May organised by a Rotary Club and one in November organised by a Lions Club.  Since moving here I have found some wonderful treasures at these sales, but didn't go to the current sale in case I was carried away and bought books.......and right now we have nowhere to put them.

Sigh.  I do enjoy those book sales.......

"Never hold your companion in conversation by the buttonhole.  If you are obliged to detain him forcibly in order to say what you wish, you are pressing upon him what is disagreeable or unwelcome, and you commit a gross breach of etiquette in so doing."

Oh my - I would never do that to anyone, and I hope no one would ever do it to me.

Enjoy your days!

Oh dear.......

Last Wednesday we enjoyed the fiddle concert, in fact all week we attended several concerts and heard some great music.  However, Wednesday wasn't all good.

We took the bus to town because the bus service during the music festival is excellent, and there is a bus stop directly across the road from us.  Spent time at the concert, had lunch, wandered around, chatted to friends, listened to more music, bought ice creams, then because it was hot we decided to catch the 2 P.M. bus home.  Just before leaving home we had turned on the cooler, and during the ride home we were looking forward to walking into a cool house......

......but alas, it was not to be.......

......the hot water tap under the kitchen sink had become disconnected, and hot steamy water was pouring through the kitchen and onto carpets.  The smell has been quite nasty.  We contacted our insurance company who sent a remediation company to take up the damaged carpet and see what damage there was.  They have been and gone today, and the damage is so much worse than we had realised; all the carpets in the family room, bedroom hallway and in our formal living/dining room will have to be replaced.  The bottoms of two bookcases in the living room are soaked, fortunately the contents seem to be all right.  Kick boards have mould behind them, the kitchen has signs of water damage on kick boards, and some of the floor tiles are now loose.  We don't know what damage has been done to the kitchen cupboards, so we don't know if the entire kitchen will have to be replaced too.

We also came home to a blackout because the water had shorted the dishwasher power point under the kitchen sink.  The plumber came, the electrician came, we mopped and mopped and mopped and laid towels on the carpet, but obviously it wasn't enough to deal with all the water.

The remediation folk have left two noisy industrial fans blowing to help dry out any residual moisture.  They are very efficient, but did I mention that they are very noisy?

Right now we are feeling slightly shell shocked.

Moving onto other stuff.......

Not one stitch has been taken on my row by row because we have been out listening to music so much, but now that the festival is over it will be picked up again.  My painful hip means that sitting is easier than standing or walking, so the hand applique will be a good project.  Today the hip had an X-ray and an ultrasound, tomorrow it is having a cortisone injection.  Won't that be fun?

Next week the uke group resumes after their holiday break, and it's very doubtful if I will be with them.  For quite a while now I haven't been learning anything as the class has sunk to the level of the most inexperienced players and Young Michael the teacher isn't good at standing up to a group of older women.  The music school also offers private lessons about which I shall inquire, but as I can't afford fees for both private lessons and class lessons the decision to drop the class lessons is easy to make.  I'll be happy to join them when they have a gig, if they still want me.

One lovely thing happened today!  Our visiting fiddler and I had several chats about music and I mentioned a Quebecois waltz he didn't know but that I really like, Valse Frontenac.  He left here with a copy of the music and promised to record it for me......which he has, it arrived in my inbox this morning.  He plays both guitar and fiddle on the recording and also said he will play with it, perhaps add more instruments.

Geez, those fans are noisy.

Not sure that the earth is smiling for us right now.

"A home.
After marriage one of the first requirements for happiness is a home.  It will best be found in a house or even a cottage apart from the immediate association of relatives or friends, acquaintances or strangers, and here husband and wife may begin in reality that new life of which they have had fond dreams, and upon their own actions must depend their future welfare."

Once the carpet is replaced and any other necessary work carried out, our home will feel like home again.  It will, of course, mean emptying all cupboards and bookshelves......

Those fans are really noisy.

Enjoy your days!

Something rare - time at home!

This week has been one of the busiest that we have had for a long time - many regular commitments and some irregular ones have all happened together, but now we're enjoying a rare afternoon at home.

It hasn't been totally wasted, though; a small project was assembled at sewing group.  Mind you, the pieces were cut out two months ago and have just been sitting around in my sewing room since then waiting for an opportunity to be made up.

Isn't it interesting?  My Victoria, B.C., friend Lois (who doesn't have a blog) gave me this row by row "West Coast View" last year when we visited, it's from Snip & Stitch Sewing Centre, Nanaimo, one of our shopping stops on a trip up island, on a freezing cold day with a howling gale blowing.  I love the colours!  It will have a border or two added and become a table centre.  Rose Marie also gave me a row by row from Ontario (which, coincidentally, uses very similar fabrics and colours) and it is next on the 'smaller projects' list, once Winding Ways is quilted; I plan to have a go at needle turn applique on that one so it may even go away with me next month.

Six days to go until the challenge quilts are revealed, mine definitely won't be finished.......but I can live with that.  The world won't stop spinning on its axis because of it.

This morning the uke group played at a Christmas fair for a local worthy cause and it was fun, as usual.  We even had people dancing when we played "Sway"!  Two more weeks until the next gig, we'll be famous yet, you know.

It hasn't been all fun and games lately, though.  Last weekend our choir director's partner died; he had been ill for some time so it was not a surprise, but was still sad.  Yesterday he was given a send-off with much love, music and friends, and a couple of songs from the choir.

Today is one year since we arrived back from our trip to Canada, and given today's heat I would gladly go back.  If only it wasn't for the long flight up there in a tin box with 300 of my new best friends and 97 crying babies........

Saw my GP earlier in the week for a check up, and pointed to a 'thing' on my right cheek.  Oh yes, he said, peering at it through that magnifier thingy doctors use, it's a sun spot.  Keep an eye on it, he said.  (pretty difficult when it's low down on my cheek south of my eyes)  Take photos on your phone looking in a mirror to track its progress, he said.  Um yes, I said but I probably won't take a skin selfie, next time I see him in a couple of months he can check it again.  You're not burning it off, I said, you can burn anywhere else but not my face.  No, he said, it will probably have to be (gulp) surgically removed eventually.  Something to look forward to, for sure.

Oh, the fun of having ancestors from northern Europe.

"Freckles.
Freckles are of two kinds.  Those occasioned by exposure to the sunshine, and consequently evanescent, are denominated "summer freckles;" those which are constitutional and permanent are called "cold freckles".  With regard to the latter, it is impossible to give any advice which will be of value.  They result from causes not to be affected by mere external applications.  Summer freckles are not so difficult to deal with, and with a little care the skin may be kept free from this cause of disfigurement.  Some skins are so delicate that they become freckled on the slightest exposure to open air in summer.  The cause assigned for this is that the iron in the blood, forming a junction with the oxygen, leaves a rusty mark where the junction takes place."

What do you know.......I have rusty skin, and here was I thinking that it was only my joints which were rusty.

Enjoy your days!

What a week

Let's not get too hung up on negatives, though......the world is still (mostly!) an amazing place.

Last week we went for a Nice Sunday Drive on Friday to a small village 40 minutes away and stopped off at a water storage lake which we last visited in mid-September, when there was much less water in it than there is now.

Water in this section of the lake was nowhere near as high as here, and the trees now in the water were still a long way from the bank a couple of months ago.

As promised (sorry, can't remember who was promised but I know I told someone there would be pics) the backing for my Winding Ways quilt.

 The backing has to be joined, so why not make a feature of the join?  The centre two stripes are four inches finished, the next two are eight inches, and I have forgotten how wide the two outside stripes are but they were duly measured and cut.  I quite like this idea and may use it again.

 Lots of circles in these prints.  The quilt is being finished - finally - for my group challenge, which this year is "Circles", hence the decision to get a move on because it fits in with the theme.

Mind you, it still may not be completely finished by the deadline which is two weeks from tomorrow.......never mind, it can still be taken along and flourished aloft, then brought home to be completed.  Quilting will follow the lines of the circles in the blocks on the front and will be done with the walking foot, using a black and white variegated thread.

And I can tell you now that Madame President won't like it.  Not enough garish colour for her taste, but it's my quilt and I do like it.  I like it a lot.  I'm thinking of calling it "The long and winding road".

Last weekend we had a tutor visiting from the Big Smoke, it was lovely to renew our acquaintance; many many years ago we were members of the same group.  I have long admired her work and it was interesting to have a go at machine embroidery/thread painting/whatever you like to call it.  The background is different tones of silver-grey and is more textured than it looks here, the large copper-coloured leaf will be finished once a new bobbin is wound with dark maroon thread and the remaining white spaces filled in with colour.

This technique is quite hard on one's neck, shoulders and back, and the fact that my machine was sitting on a regular table and not in my own lower sewing table with my own chair adjusted for my own short self made it even more difficult; I was quite stiff and sore by Sunday evening and haven't sewn a stitch since.  Despite that it's now number two on the list of Stuff That I Really Want To Finish, and will have its turn after Winding Ways is done.

We're having a little taste of summer now with the occasional warmer day - today isn't too hot but it is, surprisingly for here, a little humid.  Rain is forecast for tomorrow, that might explain it......for once my hair isn't dead straight!

Every now and then the thought crosses my mind to get my hair cut shorter and just as quickly my mind says "oh, don't be silly.  If you have it cut you will look the same as all the other old ladies in town."  So I don't listen to the thought and I keep my hair long, because I like to be a little different.  Perhaps when it's all grey or white might be the time to cut it shorter and have coloured streaks put in - green, of course - but, considering my somewhat advanced age (big significant birthday coming up next year, you know; I'm trying to ignore it) there is still a lot of its natural auburn colour left, so while I still have it I'm going to flaunt it.  Nothing like wearing one's hair up with a flower pinned in to make a slightly frivolous statement, is there?

The uke group has a gig next Sunday morning so yes, there will be flowers.  I'm thinking the blue orchids, because my plan is to wear bright blue clothes.

"The dress for the theatre.
The promenade dress with the addition of a handsome cloak or shawl, which may be thrown aside if it is uncomfortable, is suitable for a theatre,  The dress should be quiet and plain, without any attempt at display.  Either a bonnet or hat may be worn.  Gloves should be dark, harmonizing with the dress."

Well......we will be performing but not in a theatre, we will be outdoors in a garden at the local racecourse, and considering that it could be anything from a bit warm to stinking hot we'll give the cloak or shawl a miss.  Definitely be wearing a hat though, my wardrobe includes several Noosa hats which keep the sun off my face in, hopefully, quite a stylish way.

Enjoy your days!

It is really, really cold today

It was really, really cold yesterday too.  Barely an hour here from here it's been snowing all day, and pictures posted on a local facebook weather page are quite amazing.  For generations people have been coming to Australia for warm weather and sunshine......they won't find any here today, we haven't even made double figures in celsius temperatures.

These pictures were taken at Hanging Rock, about one hour's drive south-east of here, a few years ago.  Today's snow falls are much deeper.

 Warnings are out to avoid the area completely.  Road conditions are quite dangerous, and even 4WD vehicles are not recommended along many roads unless they have chains.

While I realise that quite a lot of the world sees much more snow than we do, it's quite a novelty for us!  The Small Smoke is in a valley so it's the higher country an hour to the south, east and north of us, and also a few hours west, which is getting its coating of white.  Snow has fallen here occasionally but usually it melts on the way down; the last decent recorded snowfall here was, apparently, in 1984.

It makes for good staying-indoors-and-sewing-or-cooking-or-reading-or-just-veging-out weather, which is what we're doing right now.  Kevin is reading, and I have just taken a cake out of the oven - a pumpkin spice cake with streusel topping, which we will try for dessert tonight.

Last week I ordered some Aurifil thread in variegated autumn colours to quilt the maple leaf runner, and it arrived on Friday......it is gorgeous, yummy enough to eat.  There are ten Winding Ways blocks cut out ready to be assembled, they might be done first then the runner will be quilted.  After that, those Winding Ways blocks had better be prioritised if the challenge quilt is to be done for later this year - that will be one UFO out of the way, when it's done.

On Friday night the uke group made its premiere inaugural first-ever debut playing in the local Eisteddfod and while we didn't win, we had fun.  Now that we know what to expect, we will back next year.  The audience seemed to enjoy our playing and singing, and one comment by the judge was that we blended well - that's good, it means no one stood out as, except for my playing of the introduction, there were no solos.  We even had people singing along with us, and several people came up to us afterwards to say how much they enjoyed our performance.

Who knows, we might yet become rich and famous.......in our dreams, I suspect......

Removal of the wallpaper cornice is proceeding nicely.  The corner near the fire will have to wait until the end of winter, for safety reasons - the fire can get quite hot - but nearly all the rest is done.  Even without the walls being re-painted the lack of floral borders really opens them up, they look so much less cluttered already.  The new wall colour will be a pale buttery cream.

"Here is the test of true ladyhood.  Whenever the young find themselves in the company of those who do not make them feel at ease, they should know they are not in the society of true ladies and true gentlemen, but of pretenders; that well-bred men and women can only feel at home in the society of the well-bred."

Indeed.  Like attracts like, it is said.

Enjoy your days!

One-twelfth of the year has gone, you know......

.....never to return......not this year, anyway.

We had a busy hot January , first the trip to Canberra to see the family (who are all well.....Euan is now crawling and we suspect he will be a late walker like his father was) and to see a wonderful exhibition of works by Tom Roberts, one of the best shows I have ever seen.  Paintings that many Australians know well, such as his paintings of sheep shearers, were hanging - they were painted just a couple of hours north of here.  'Bailed up' was also hanging in the exhibition and if I could have snuck out of the exhibition with just one painting under my arm, that would be the one.  It's so evocative of the Australian bush in summer that it took my breath away.

There was a 'play room' attached to the exhibition where one could dress like some of the women in Roberts' paintings to take a selfie (something I have never done in my life and don't intend to start doing now) but I tried on the hats anyway......oh my......one flash number from Edwardian times in black with a wide veiled brim and a red feather was very oooh-la-la, I liked it, then I tried on a smaller-brimmed black bonnet......well......not so good, I looked like a Salvation Army lassie of old, and the white wide-brimmed hat also did nothing for me.  White has never been my best colour.  But it was fun, it's been a long time since I played dress-ups.

From which you can tell that, although seeing the family was good, that exhibition was the highlight of my trip away.  Sorry, family.  That's how it was.  Especially after being told by our son and his wife and child, as we handed over Christmas gifts for all and a birthday present for Euan "sorry, we didn't get around to getting you a Christmas present".  I con't care about the lack of a present.  I do care that you couldn't be bothered to find five minutes in your oh-so-busy lives to at least make the gesture.

Anyway.  Moving right along.

Yesterday the last stitches were taken on a project bought last year in Canada!

 A couple of days before we left to fly home the friends with whom we were staying on Vancouver Island took us for a drive from Victoria 'up island' to Courtenay.  The weather which had been so nice the day before turned cold, windy and rainy and, each time we stopped (there are several quilt shops along that drive, you know, and my friend is a quilter too) we dashed very quickly from the car into the warmth of the store.  The husbands had more sense - they waited in the car!  We had a lovely evening with our friends' friends, and next day drove back to Victoria in slightly better weather.

One place we visited on the way back was Parksville, and in Sweet Pea Quilting I saw the kit for this table topper.  The dark colours of the fabrics reminded me of our drive the day before with dark waves crashing on the shore and boats rocking at their moorings, so it came home with me.  Pattern is 'The Centrepiece Tablemat' by Sweet Treasures.

These pics were taken on the way home......waves were still churning and the wind was still cold, although not as fierce as on the previous day.

 As you can see, there wasn't much sun that day either!

I'm glad I wasn't out on the water in a boat on either day.  We left Swartz Bay on the ferry for Tsawassen the following day and had a good crossing......but the day after that, the weather turned so nasty that all B.C. Ferries were cancelled, including the one we would have taken had we stayed one more day!  That was our trip back to the airport to fly home so, while I'm sorry we couldn't have stayed longer, I'm glad our travel plans weren't disrupted.

It's good to make a more complex and/or larger project, but sometimes a smaller one with some mindless sewing and not much brain power required is Just The Very Thing for hot weather when the heat fries one's brain, and it has been hot......so one's brain is well and truly fried.

We have survived another country music festival.  The whole town is taken over for much of January by country music fans and it is fun, but it's also good to be able to just go inside and shut the door on it all.  We had friends staying this year, a woman connected with one of the 'fringe' events and her teenage daughter; their billets were supposedly already arranged by someone, but the bottom fell out of those plans and we offered them beds here.  It was very nice to have them and we have made the offer for next year too.  My friend and I had a little music session one day, she played my baritone uke (she plays guitar and banjo) while I played my tenor uke......well......I have never heard the two ukes played together before and it was magical.  They were made by the luthier out of the same woods, and they blend beautifully.  If there was a way to play both ukes at once I would do it.

"True hospitality.
Try to make your guests feel at home; and do this, not by urging them in empty words to do so, but by making their stay as pleasant as possible, at the same time being careful to put out of sight any trifling trouble or inconvenience they may cause you."

I hope - in fact, I'm sure - that our friend and her daughter enjoyed their stay here, and it was no trouble or inconvenience to have them; quite the contrary, it was a delight.

Enjoy your days!

Hopefully.......

........the resized photos will work.

First, the little guy:

 As you can see, he's growing.  From the nose down he looks very much like his mum, but from the nose up (including the shape of his head) he is the image of his dad at the same age.  It's like looking at my first-born all over again......not sure I would want to repeat some of the intervening years, though.  Grandpa Kevin is providing a comforting arm, because Euan was still a little wobbly when it came to sitting unsupported.

One of the visitors who kept us entertained in the campground in Canberra, on a rare sunny day.

 The weather wasn't always that nice, you know.

On both trips we spent a night in a camp ground at Cowra where Phil the owner has a great shed, a previous owner decorated it with railway memorabilia - the platform seats and station signs you can see are just part of the collection.  Each evening Phil lit a fire in the big pit to boil the billy (for the non-Aussies, a metal can is called a billy and a drink made from adding tea leaves to boiling water in said billy is known as billy tea, we even have a commercial brand of tea called Billy Tea) and campers all converged for Happy Hour.

 It looks a bit daggy, but was a really fun place!

On the trip south Phil played old records from the 1950s and 60s, but on the way home guess who was the entertainment......just plinking away in the background while people talked and became acquainted, I didn't sing because I didn't want to interrupt.  However everyone said how much they enjoyed it, and all admired my tenor uke - as well they should, it's a beautiful example of the luthier's art.

We enjoyed our time in Canberra, highlights were spending time with family (of course!), and we visited the National Library of Australia to see the Rothschild Prayer Book - what an exquisite thing that is.  Made between 1505 and 1510 and illustrated with glowing colours and rich gold, it has been so well preserved that it could have been made yesterday.  We quite spent some time marveling at the workmanship.  It was quite a busy week and no doubt you will hear more in due course.  The shopping list had all items ticked off, black walking shoes for the trip to Canada (for which we take off in 67 days, woo hoo!), beads for knitting, and of course the new camera.

One day we went for a Nice Sunday Drive - from memory it was on a Friday but I could be wrong, it was a busy week - and called in at a lovely place out in the country where we found out that it is possible to have lunch made entirely of chocolate.  Should you ever find yourself in Canberra I can recommend a visit to Robyn.

Now back to normality.......

"Do not lack politeness.
Never hesitate in acts of politeness for fear they will not be recognized or returned.  One cannot be too polite so long as he conforms to rules, while it is easy to lack politeness by neglect to them.  Besides, if courtesy is met by neglect and rebuff, it is not for the courteous person to feel mortification, but the boorish one; and so all lookers-on will regard the matter."

We endeavoured to be polite to all we met, and hope we succeeded.  Politeness and courtesy go a long way to making one's stay in a camp ground enjoyable.

Enjoy your days!

We're back......again!

We had a fun time on our holiday, Euan The Wonder Kid is growing - four months old today but not yet walking and taking, as we expected (obviously our expectations are a wee bit high) - all our family and friends in Canberra are well, and the folk festival was great.

First up, Euan The Wonder Kid looking serious while relaxing on his father's lap a week ago:

 Talk about living the life of Riley.  He's not fading away, is he?

A couple of days earlier we went for a Nice Sunday Drive on a Friday, and stopped here:

 Not to camp, but we had a look around and took a few photos.  Although you can't quite see it, the Murrumbidgee River is behind those trees.

Then we drove to Tidbinbilla......

 ......where we admired this beautiful eucalyptus tree, had to stand a long way back to get it all in because it was tall and wide......

 .......and when I turned around, we could see across the car park for a very very long way.

The countryside around Canberra is really lovely, so Australian, and can get quite cold; it snowed on some far-away hills while we were there, we could see it on the mountain tops in the distance.  No wonder it was slightly chilly for a few days!

As usual the folk festival was wonderful, spending time catching up with friends not seen since the last festival and seeing a few performances.  I had more artists marked in my program that I missed seeing because of time spent with aforementioned friends, and because I had a fabulous time playing music and singing......'my' festival is more about participating that watching, about making my own good times rather than watching other people make theirs.  A couple of souvenirs came home with me, a new hat in a gorgeous shade of emerald green to keep the sun off my face (because I burn fairly easily) and......a new baritone ukulele, the big sister of the tenor uke bought at the festival two years ago!!  I had no intention of buying a new uke, but on the first day went into the instrument makers' display to say hello to Doug who made my tenor uke and mentioned that I had been wondering about playing a baritone uke, whereupon his partner Dale handed one to me saying "here you are, Jennifer, it has your name on it"......I played a few chords......thought "geez, Dale, you shouldn't have done that" because it was so good to play and sounded so amazing......and I bought it.  A baritone uke is strung like the top four strings of a guitar, and I can play guitar, so this is easy to learn.

If only I could play a uke in each hand at the same time I would be one of the happiest women in the entire universe, because deciding which uke to play at any time is a Big Decision.  Uke class starts up again this week, so I shall be a show-off and walk in with two instruments.

Euan's quilt was handed over and duly admired, when he is older he can use it to play "I spy", and count how many dogs, and how many cats and penguins and butterflies and other creatures, and learn his colours, because it has every colour of the rainbow in it and a few others too.  Now comes the decision - what to work on next?  First up is to clean the machine, it's probably full of lint after all that quilting, then I can play with fabric again.

"Introducing yourself.
If, on entering a drawing-room to pay a visit, you are not recognized, mention your name immediately.  If you know but one member of the family and you find others only in the room, introduce yourself to them.  Unless this is done, much awkwardness may be occasioned."

Does this also apply, one wonders, when one joins in a music session - as happened at the folk festival?  I did know one person in the session and he knew me, we (two guitars, two mandolins and two ukes) had a great time playing together until well after 2am.  I never did learn the names of the other players.....but it didn't stop us from enjoying ourselves.

Enjoy your days!

Poor neglected blog

Finally - a chance to sit down and compose some thoughts, without having to race out the door for practice, or to a gig, or to chauffeur Kevin who had an eye operation last week and is doing very well thank you but couldn't drive for a couple of days, or.......or......

A couple of nights ago the last stitches were taken on the fourth large flower basket block, here are all four laid out.  Each block is 18in square finished, and each will be quilted before being joined into a quilt.

 When one is short, as one is, and one has to stand on a chair (which one never quite feels secure about doing) to be able to get far enough away to get all blocks in one photo, one just snaps a quick pic and gets down.  Which one did.  Which is why this is far from being a prize-winning shot.

Last year we fell in love with this pretty Aussie native plant and ordered two from a local nursery.  The young bloke who works there kept shaking his head and saying "you shouldn't be able to grow correas where you are......I love correas but I can't get them to grow for me, they don't grow well in this town" however they are thriving in our garden so well that they are now flowering!  When it stops raining I will sit on the ground to photograph them (because the plants aren't yet very tall, although they are growing beautifully) and you can seen their pretty pink bells.  To give an idea of scale, each flower bell is about three quarters to one inch long.

The music festival is over and the uke group has no more gigs for a while, so Euan's quilt can be layered, pinned and quilted.  The orange sashing will have a vine design, the blocks will have a variation on a continuous curve design, and the borders will have cats on two borders with dogs on the other two.  Euan's parents have a dog and his Other Grandparents have a dog, but we have a cat so he might as well learn early that dogs aren't the only animals in the whole universe.

Uke class starts again next week, and the other day I pushed the boat out and changed the strings on my uke because they were sounding muddy and didn't have the clear ring that new strings do.  It should have been done before our festival gigs but it's a bit late to think of that now, isn't it?  Now one item on tomorrow's 'to do' list is 'call in at music shop and buy new set of strings' because it's a good idea to keep a spare set.

By golly, those new strings do sound nice......

Not only has it been raining again, it has turned quite cool for this time of year.  Not that we are complaining - it makes a change from being too hot.  Our plants are very happy with the rain, because restrictions mean that we can only water them sparingly.

"Signature of ladies.
A married lady should not sign herself with the "Mrs." before her baptismal name, or a single lady with the "Miss."  In writing to strangers who do not know whether to address you as Mrs. or Miss, the address should be given in full, after signing your letter, as "Mrs John Smith," followed by the direction; or if unmarried, the "Miss" should be placed in brackets a short distance preceding the signature.
Only the letters of unmarried ladies and widows are addressed with their baptismal names.  The letters of married ladies are addressed with their husbands' names, as "Mrs John Smith."

In other words, when a woman married in the 1800s she ceased to exist as herself and became "Mrs husband's-first-and-last-name".  I wonder what the good folk of that time would have thought of the idea, now widely used, of married women retaining their maiden name - whether for business (as our daughter-in-law does) or personal purposes?

Enjoy your days!

Happy New Year to everyone!

As it's the first time we have been together since the start of the new year, I would like to send everyone best wishes for a wonderful 2015.

Meet our grandkid Euan, who is a nice little feller.

He was 16 days old when this was taken, and supposedly a few weeks early when born......doesn't look undercooked, does he?  Like all babies at this age he does very little other than eat, poop, sleep and cry, but as he gets a little older that will change......and by the time we get together again in a few months he will no doubt be walking and talking.

We enjoyed our trip to Canberra, and of course loved meeting the newest twig on the family tree and his parents, and the Other Grandparents (with whom we stayed).  While I didn't get to the fabric shop or the book shop, they will still be there in a few months calling my name.  We did manage to each get some new summer sandals, and some undies for me (because here in the Small Smoke we only have one specialist lingerie shop, although we can of course buy undies in various chain stores) and some lovely scented lotions as I was given a gift card to the Beautifully Scented Lotion Shop for Christmas.

We enjoyed the trip each way although it is a long drive, but it takes us through some interesting small towns and it is fun finding places to stop for coffee or lunch.  Each trip we enjoy revisiting places we like, and looking for new ones.

Visitors are arriving in town for the big huge country music festival which starts here next week - some hit town early last month, that's keenness for you!  It's not unknown to have 50,000 extra people in town.  Some locals love the festival and the crowds, most tolerate it, some hate it, while one woman I know loathes it, detests it with a passion, and is very nasty and vitriolic about it.  I don't see the point of that; it's been happening for over 40 years, she hasn't lived here for that long so would have known about it before she moved in.  Many people leave town for the duration and often let out their houses to festival goers, while others move in with friends or family and rent out their house to get some extra money for their mortgage or household expenses.

By the end of the month it will all be over for another year, and next year it will happen again. The world keeps turning, doesn't it?

The uke group has two gigs; we will be opening one concert at a popular venue (yay for us!) and playing at an outdoor concert, once again opening for a couple of well-known performers......not well-known to me, I'm afraid.  I don't follow modern country music, although I don't mind some of it - but my tastes run to old country music, the older the better.  Think Hank Williams......early Johnny Cash......1950s, and even before.  Songs to which we all know the words, and probably sing along with every time we hear them.

"Be always mild and cheerful in their presence, communicative, but never extravagant, trifling or vulgar in language or gesture.  Never trifle with a child nor speak beseechingly when it is doing wrong."

Indeed.  We shall endeavour to remember this advice when next we meet up with our grandkid.

Enjoy your days!

Off travelling......again

On Thursday morning we will hitch up our caravan, get in the car, and go - first to a folk festival where we will catch up with friends not seen since the last festival at Easter, then to the coast to, as the song says, view the still waters and taste the salt air.

We will see mountains........

 ......beaches.......

 .......and perhaps some greenery, or even orchidery.

Both tops which were being made are finished, the knitting is going great guns - front, back and one sleeve are done, the second sleeve has been started and will be continued whilst we are en route.  My hand-piecing will go along too, as will a book of crossword puzzles and pencil, and my tablet which is loaded with books (our caravan doesn't have television, by choice) and, of course, my ukulele and songbooks.  Many camping parks seem to go in for late afternoon 'happy hour' which is not really our thing, but you never know......there may be a first time.

On Sunday the uke group played at the local monthly market on the main drag, and people even gave us money!  We had decided that, should anyone be so generous, we would donate to a local Worthy Cause (of which there seem to be many) so this will go to an organisation which helps local people with expenses for travel and accommodation should they need to go out of town for cancer treatment.  The market organisers have invited us to be regulars so next month our takings will be donated to a local group who raise funds for nurses to help breast cancer patients, as one of our members had treatment last year.

Speaking of which, pink October is well under way with fund-raising morning and afternoon teas and lunches, and merchandise being sold......and it's all very pink.  I don't like pink.  I'm happy to donate my money and my time, but I don't want pink stuff.  One is encouraged - even compelled - to dress head to toe in pink for these events so, as there is nothing pink in my wardrobe at all, I don't go.  If you saw me in pink you would understand why I never wear it; it's not a pretty sight.  While I know breast cancer research is an important cause, I still won't wear pink.

When one has auburn hair, freckles, pale skin and dark brown eyes, one does not wear pink.  Even though my hair is greying, the rest of my colouring hasn't changed - and pink does not suit my skin.  Now lime green, on the other hand.......indeed any shade of green, or peacock, or teal, or turquoise.......is a totally different thing.

"Discretion in forming acquaintances.
While an acquaintance formed in a railway carriage or on a steamboat continues only during the trip, discretion should be used in making acquaintances.  Ladies may, as has been stated, accept small courtesies and favors from strangers, but must check at once any attempt at familiarity.  On the other hand, no man who pretends to be a gentleman will attempt any familiarity.  The practice of some young girls just entering into womanhood, of flirting with any young man they may chance to meet, either in a railway carriage or on a steamboat, indicates low breeding in the extreme.  If, however, the journey is long, and especially if it be on a steamboat, a certain sociability may be allowed, and a married lady or a lady of middle age may use her privileges to make the journey an enjoyable one, for fellow-passengers should always be sociable to one another."

This sage advice probably doesn't apply to me, as my husband and I will be travelling together......and none of our journey will involve a railway carriage or steamboat, but we will still be sociable to each other.

Enjoy your days!

Charging ahead

Here at the Chateau des Wombats we are going great guns.  Progress is being made on the knitting when the shoulder permits, and on the flower basket blocks - some blocks have already been joined, so the first set of nine blocks is under way.  Also under way is quilting on my Maritime Beauty topper.

You can see some of the shells already quilted, and the current one under the needle.  Only one or two blocks are quilted per session, because that is enough for my shoulder at present.  The paper is being torn away as designs are finished and thread ends are buried as I go instead of leaving that tedious job for the end of the quilting.

A couple of days ago Anna The Nice Young Physiotherapist said that, while my shoulder doesn't seem to have suffered further damage, the muscles fore and aft of the shoulder took the brunt of the jerk when I grabbed the crepe myrtle to keep from falling.  She did quite a bit of massage work on said muscles much to their disgust, and has suggested exercises to build up more strength in that area.  It has been a bit tender since and last night at uke group it was very unhappy, but feels a little better today  That was a relief to hear, because I was getting a little concerned that worse damage had been done.

You will no doubt be pleased to hear that the crepe myrtle didn't suffer either, and indeed has been enjoying the rain which fell yesterday and today.  Not enough to break the drought, but good soaking rain just the same.

Speaking of uke playing, this weekend a small town 45 minutes south of here is having a uke workshop with visiting tutors so I have put my name down for the advanced group.  Hopefully it will be fun, and we might even learn something!

Lately I have been looking at front doors.  A house two doors away from us has been undergoing renovation, and a painter's truck was parked out the front for a few days.  It now has a newly painted front door and side panels in an unfortunate shade of battleship grey - considering that the house is dark brown brick with white trim I keep hoping that it's only an undercoat and will soon be covered with something more cheerful, but alas no, the painter appears to have moved on and the door and panels are still grey.  Many houses in this area are all brick in various colours (our house bricks are tan, and our trim is all white) while doors and trim seem to be invariably white, dark brown or an unhappy shade of beige/putty.  I know your own house is your own house and you can paint it whatever you wish, but the rest of us have to look at it, you know.  Should our front door need repainting I'm not sure what colour it would be........but it certainly wouldn't be mission brown or beige/putty, and it may not even be white.

Perhaps it might be green.  Have I ever mentioned that I am quite fond of green?

"When a color is chosen which is favorable to the complexion, it is well to associate with it the tints which will harmonize by analogy, as to use contrasting colors would diminish its favourable effect.  When a color is used in dress, not suitable to the complexion, it should be associated with contrasting colors, as they have the power to neutralize its objectionable influence."

House colour schemes are just as important as colours in clothing, yes?  They are probably left in place for longer - clothes are changed more often than houses are painted.

Enjoy your days!

Crystal clear!

Quilting stitches are being taken on my Maritime Beauty topper, isn't that great?  A couple of shells are being quilted at a time, then my shoulder is given a rest as it hasn't quite forgiven me for that almost-tumble in the garden last week.  These are the designs being used, they were found at colouring pages online.

 

 The bottom shell has my pencil marks to show me a path to take while quilting.  The top design will only use the centre shell, not the interesting scroll border, which will however be kept for future reference......because I like it.

While on things I like, here's another bird at the wildlife park, a yellow-tailed black cockatoo engaged in a favourite pastime - stripping a tree in its aviary.  They have very sharp beaks, as you can see by  its progress so far!  Cockies are very handsome birds, and this one was being chased by a mischievous young magpie half its size; every time it turned its back the magpie lunged for cocky's tail, and with a "gotcha!" look in its beady little eyes it finally succeeded in pulling out one of cocky's beautiful yellow tail feathers.

I was laughing so much that I couldn't take a picture as magpie stalked away with a "see me, I'm so clever" look.  Poor cocky was a bit disgruntled at losing some of his magnificence, though.

Recently an antique fair was held here in town, and like many other locals I took myself along because the trinkets on sale each year are really drool-worthy - some gorgeous antique jewellery, and furniture, and all manner of lovely goodies to buy if one is into spending money and amassing stuff.  A pretty bracelet did come home with me, natural pale yellow-green stones (could be jasper or agate, but I'm not an expert) with sparkly crystal beads in turquoise and lavender.......an odd combination of colours, but it works for me and will spark up my wardrobe in spring when we can let our bare arms see the light of day again.  My best buy was a book about coal mining in New South Wales which has a lot of information on the incident in which my mother's cousin was killed in 1929, including many historic photos I had never seen.  On entering the hall we paid our admission fee, and bought a raffle ticket - I had a few coins in my purse so I lashed out and bought two tickets.  Imagine my surprise last Sunday on receiving a phone call to say I had won a prize!  I now own a lovely crystal-glass bowl which will be used rather than hidden in a cupboard and forgotten, because I really like glass.

Our uke gig on Sunday went really well, people have said lovely things to us and about us, and the feedback we have received has been wonderful.  We performed two songs, "I am Australian" and "Walking after midnight".  Except for our two young tutors, we are a group of older folk - probably the oldest group at the concert!  As our tutors Sam and Brooke said, we are an example to others, even younger people, who think they are too old to learn an instrument or take up music.

It's probably better to be a shining example than a dreadful warning, yes?

"During the performance complete quiet should be preserved, that the audience may not be prevented from seeing or hearing.  Between the acts it is perfectly proper to converse, but it should be done in a low tone, so as not to attract attention.  Neither should one whisper.  There should be no loud talking, boisterous laughter, violent gestures, lover-like demonstrations or anything in manners or speech to attract the attention of others."

The audience was quiet when we performed, and even applauded - which made our practice worthwhile.

Enjoy your days!