It's nearly wattle time again

I have just strolled around our large wattle bush looking - sadly, in vain - for some little yellow balls of fluffy goodness, but as yet there are none to report.  It shouldn't be long, though, until it's bright gold again.

There is a little breeze blowing, just enough to wave those branches around and make it tricky to take a clear pic.

Wok continues on Arboretum's label, which is now down to the last few words.  Once that's done the final trimming and binding can be done - and oh! how I am looking forward to seeing it finished.

This is a project from a long time ago, so long ago that it wasn't on the computer.  It wasn't a quilt, it was a banner made for the Scottish country dance group of which I was a member, back in the very early noughties.  Each year a school, 'Winter School', was held with visiting teachers and musicians, culminating in a ball with participants in full Scottish regalia, kilts for the men, tartan sashes and brooches for the ladies, and I'm sure it was a very grand affair; however, tickets were a bit pricey, so I never went.  One year each group was approached about making a banner to decorate the hall for the ball, so I volunteered to do ours.  We were given a large piece of unbleached calico (muslin, for some of you) with the design drawn on with black marker, sample pieces of poly/cotton fabric to use as colour inspiration, and a smaller copy of our design to help with colour placement.  Each design was different, and groups could choose their method, paint, fabric, whatever they wished.

Well, what fun that was, tricky but fun!  The original was used to make tracing drawings for placement, and to work out yardages of the poly/cottons.  I decided on the gold for the background and used the other colours in different parts of the design.  A whole roll - 30 metres - of black 1/2" wide bias was bought for the leading (24 metres were used), and an attempt was made at gluing down the smallest pieces of bias prior to stitching.  That didn't work too well, so pins were used and the bias was machine stitched down along both sides.  The under-over crossing of the design meant that all raw edges were covered.  The background had already been hemmed along one end with a casing for a hanging rod on the opposite end, something I didn't need to worry about doing; the design was about - from memory; it was a long time ago - about 36-38 in wide.

And, the best part - my banner was hung in the position of honour directly opposite the entrance!  It was considered to be the best, although it wasn't a competition with a prize.  I could have had it back afterward, but gave it to my group (after all, they paid for fabric and bias) and it was going to be hung every time there was a dance.  

How has everyone been?  I have been trying to make phone calls on Kevin's behalf, and ended up frustrated with people who don't return calls.  Some stitches were sewn but not knitted, words were read.  No songs were sung or plinked, but U3A ukulele starts again tomorrow afternoon; choir is still on a break.  We hunted and foraged.  We haven't starved.

We managed to keep warm despite yesterday morning being the coldest day of the year, it was very freezy frosty chilly.  It would have been nice to stay inside but no, it was my quilt group's AGM; we meet in one of the coldest buildings in town.  There are heaters but the ceiling is very high, it started life as a large old industrial tin shed and, although the interior walls are lined, I don't think there is any insulation so it's not ~ quite ~ warm inside.  Today is also fairly cool, but not as cold as yesterday's minus 6 C with a 'feels like' of minus 9.5 C.

Oh well, it is still winter, after all......

We haven't finished with our groomsmen yet.

"At the church the groomsmen are the first to arrive.  They stand by the inner entrance and offer their arms to escort the ladies, as they enter, to their proper seats in the church.  If a lady be accompanied by a gentleman, the latter follows the groomsman and the lady to the seat shown her.  The groomsmen, knowing the two families, understand where to place the nearer, and where the remoter relatives and friends of the bridal party, the groom's friends being arranged upon the right of the entrance, and the bride's upon the left.  The distribution of guests places the father (or guardian) of the bride at the proper place during the ceremony."

Do people still sit on the bride's or the groom's side of the room, or has that custom gone with the wind?  Where does one sit if one knows both bride and groom equally well, I wonder?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Not a very productive week

This week hasn't seen much accomplished, although stitches have been knitted and sewn...songs have been sung and plinked....the backing pieces for Arboretum have had one selvedge trimmed ready to be joined into a bigger piece....and, of course, words have been read.  Reading is my escape from the reality of our lives these days.

Never mind.

It is still midwinter.  I chuckle at those optimists who say "now that the winter solstice has passed we can look forward to longer warmer days" - well, yes, you can.  However, that doesn't happen instantly; scientists tell us it takes several weeks to notice much difference, and even then it's gradual.  We have had a few fairly cool days, and mornings with light frost, but so far (touch wood) it has been a fairly mild winter.

With that in mind, let's see if we can find some winter pics.

Back in 2009 we hitched up our caravan and headed for Nundle, a small village less than an hour south-east of Tamworth.  By then we had planned to move here the following year anyway, and we knew that once we did there was a very slim chance that we would take the van to Nundle - so we stopped there first.  Back in the mid-1800s Nundle, as well as many other towns, was the scene of a gold rush.  A steep drive from Nundle takes us to Hanging Rock, once the scene of a thriving settlement, but today just a few houses and a community hall.

This is one of the two Sheba Dams at Hanging Rock - and you cannot tell from this photo how cold it was.  It was a very still day with no wind, but the air was so crisp and chilly that we didn't stay out of the car for long.  The temperature was probably a low single digit.  In summer this is a popular camping spot, people even swim in the dams....but I wouldn't be dibbling my fingers in the water on a cold day!

Taken the same day, and yes, it was very cold.  Snow is not unknown at Hanging Rock because of its altitude.

At the top of that steep climb, before arriving in the village itself, is a path to a lookout overlooking the valley below.  That's Nundle in the distance on the right.

It's hard to imagine how busy and bustling those towns were in their heyday with a population of several thousand, but that is the story of so many gold mining towns, isn't it?  Some still thrived after the gold was gone, some stagnated with a few optimists hanging on, and some have disappeared completely.

Several years ago I read a book, "The Wallabadah Manuscript".  It was written when the author was getting on in years - dictated to his daughter, who wrote it down - and in it, he describes a shipment of gold taken on horseback from Nundle to Tamworth.  These days it's an easy 45-minute drive on a sealed road, but back in the 1850s it would have been a track through the bush which would have taken much longer.  The policeman leading the horse containing the gold, it seems, stopped at every farm along the way to slake his thirst; of course in those days it was safer to drink beer than water, so that's what he did.  He eventually fell off the horse somewhere, the horse continued on to Tamworth and arrived with the gold but with no rider.  As a result the policeman lost his job, something which doesn't come as a total surprise.

"Invitations to the ceremony only.

When the circle of friends on both sides is very extensive, it has become customary of late to send invitations to such as are not called to the wedding breakfast, to attend the ceremony at church.  This stands in the place of issuing cards.  No one must think of calling on the newly-married couple who has not received an invitation to the ceremony at church, or cards after their establishment in their new home."

I wonder if that is still done?  More than 30 years ago our younger son was involved in gymnastics, and two of the coaches married - the girls' coach married the boys' coach.  Kevin and I were invited to the wedding as were many of the parents, but all the kids - and there was quite a large number - were invited to just the church ceremony.  They still felt as though they were part of the day, and I don't blame the happy couple for not wanting to feed a horde of hungry teenagers.

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

Rattling it down

Many years ago - many many years - a Scottish woman where I worked referred to pulling knitting undone as "rattling it down".  "I had to rattle it down to fix the mistake", she would say.  Well, I have been rattling my knitting down.....the cable on the front of my jumper was proceeding nicely when I noticed a mistake several rows back, so off I went a-rattling.  It has now been rectified and can proceed, but that will teach me to be careful about keeping track of where I'm up to; over the years I have knitted far more complicated cables than this one, and they always work out in the end.  

That jumper may be needed this winter!  The weather has turned freezy frosty chilly with frosty morning and (mostly) sunny days, although today is grey with a nasty wind blowing.  Inside is definitely the best place to be.

A few days ago Kevin took the secateurs to the bottle brush just outside the garage.  It's been getting ideas above its station and taking over its small part of the universe, so he cut back some of the foliage that was starting to encroach on the garage door.  Don't throw it away, I said, we'll enjoy it inside - and we are.  It's from Western Australia, and is called 'Kings Park Special'.

The day we came home from Tooraweenah we looked back at The Warrumbungles, and although it was a misty view that morning it's still an amazing vista.

Another rock from our Canberra trip.  This is from Victoria, from the Central Goldfields, an area which has seen a lot of gold mining.  Members of my family lived there back in the 1860s.

The note on this plaque pointing out "This specimen contains no gold" is in response to a robbery several years ago, when the original top rock was stolen.

It's not something you can hoist up with one hand!  It would have taken some heavy machinery to lift and remove it, and more than one person too.....a pity such enterprising people couldn't have put their 'talents' to better use, isn't it.

Words have been read, notes have been plinked and sung, practicing for next Sunday morning's market gig,  A little hand piecing has happened, but no machine piecing; the day is not yet over, far from it, but I don't hold out any great hopes.  Never mind.  Stitches have been knitted, both before and after the aforementioned rattling down, and the chosen cable design will suit very well.

My baby wombat picture is now in a framing shop.  A frame has been chosen, and two different mat boards will compliment both the picture and the frame, and my little baby should be home again at the end of next month.  Some of the components had to be ordered as they weren't in stock; I suppose framing shops can't keep huge quantities of every colour board and wooden frame, but I eagerly await my baby's return home.

The funeral for our choir member went off as well as these things do.  We do have some other older members, although Wally had been our oldest - but Bonnie is 93, so one day we may be called upon for a repeat performance.

A couple of much-appreciated comments have been left on my blog recently, but for some reason they haven't arrived in my inbox so haven't been replied to - if you think I'm ignoring you, I'm not!  Thank you for visiting, and I hope you will come again.

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Walking with a lady acquaintance.

A gentleman should not join a lady acquaintance on the street for the purpose of walking with her, unless he ascertains that his company would be perfectly agreeable to her.  It might be otherwise, and she should frankly say so, if asked."

She should.  No gentleman worth of the name would force his attentions on a lady of his acquaintance, would he?

Enjoy your days!

Time for the autumn leaves

Now that the tree hanging is done, it's time for one of my favourite pastimes - mindlessly feeding fabric through the machine.

A couple of years ago while going through some 'free to good home' magazines at a local quilt shop a front-cover project caught my eye.....can't resist those autumn colours......so it came home with me.  All the fabrics have been cut for a while, some half square triangles sewn as leaders and enders then trimmed to size.  One hundred and twenty 2-1/2 inch squares are a wee bit fiddly-diddly to trim - not all at once, thank goodness - but they are now all done.  Then 15 stems had to be made, because there are 15 leaves.  This will be the first one, pieces are laid out ready to be joined.

The magazine design (an issue from 2007 of a now defunct Aussie magazine) had the leaves all in shades of one colour, all red, all green, etc., but I like my autumn leaves mixed, so mixed they shall be.  Just like leaves are in real life.  Lots of different backgrounds (but no white, the corner piece is actually a pale beige print) and lots and lots of leaf prints, many of which are souvenirs from Canadaian trips.

Then.....would you believe it?  While going through magazines recently to sort out what to keep and what to give to the Rotary Club book shed I found I already had that magazine!  The spare copy has now been donated along with other books and magazines, and a couple of books from the Rotary Club book shed came home with me in return.  We have all missed the Book Shed which has, of course, been closed for a few months but is now open again.

Every town needs a Book Shed.  It's a place for us to donate our unwanted books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, jigsaw puzzles.......and a place to buy more.  Yesterday my $5 bought me two good quilt books (each of which probably cost up to $40 new, and they are both only a few years old) and a CD, and the money raised goes to support various worthy causes.

Welcome to Frédérique from France, the first time I have had a French visitor to my blog!  

What do you think of the new Blogger?  Looks like it is being forced on us whether we want it or not, so I might as well give it a try.  No use postponing the inevitable, is there.  

Today is the winter solstice, the day of the year with the least amount of sunlight.  Pretty right too; it's been a cold grey day with a few showers, a good day to stay indoors and sew.  Or look at those two new books on scrappy quilts.  Or veg out on the computer.

"Always recognize acquaintances.

One should always recognize lady acquaintances in the street, either by bowing or words of greeting, a gentleman lifting his hat.  If they stop to speak, it is not obligatory to shake hands.  Shaking hands is not forbidden, but in most cases it is to be avoided in public."

Looks like that answers last week's question, doesn't it?  Of course, when that was written in 1885 people - most ladies and many gentlemen - would have worn gloves in public, so no touching of actual hands would have taken place.

Enjoy your days!

Hanging in there

How is everyone doing this week?  I hope the "social isolating" we are all practicing isn't doing anyone's head in, it could be a bit lonely if one lived alone.

We have discovered an internet radio station which plays folk and blues - just our kind of music, so we are happy.  It makes a change of diet from our usual classical station.  If folk and blues are your thing, try this - it has presenters and programs from different parts of the world.  Currently it's Celtic music from somewhere in the U.S.A. which sounds very Irish to me.

Right now it's the only folk music we can have (apart from our own CDs) as the festival in Canberra has been cancelled.  Our son's band also had a gig booked that we had planned to attend while we were there but it, too, is off.  Sigh......

Stuff has happened in the sewing room, the block for Yukon is done.

Early in our Canaussian son's time in Canada (this was way back early in 2005 when he was still only intending to stay for one year, he hasn't come back yet) he spent a few weeks in Whitehorse, Yukon, and one night was lucky enough to see the Northern Lights.  That is the one thing on my bucket list, but I am realistic enough to know that I will probably never do so - while I can cope just fine with winter in Australia, I don't know if I could survive those wintery temperatures!

A whole heap of oak leaves cut from one batik fabric......

......and the result.  It is still spread out on the ironing board to cool, I'm not game to move it until it has cooled down.

"Hanging On", pattern by Edyta Sitar.  Once I know everything is stuck it will be layered and quilted; the quilting holds the applique down.

We cancelled our market gig this morning.  Much of the audience is on the shady side of 60-65 (as are we!); we didn't want to make any of them sick, and we darn sure didn't want any of them to make any of us sick either.  While we can we will continue to meet on Mondays at the golf club as we are a small group even when everyone is there, and the room is large enough that we can keep far enough away from each other but still be heard.  Humans are social animals; we need that contact, and we need our music.

We did manage to get out for our anniversary lunch on Thursday, our anniversary, and were one of only two or three couples in the restaurant.  We had a really delicious meal with great service, and on leaving were presented with a bottle of bubbly - wasn't that nice?  It is chilling in the fridge as we speak.

We have passed the equinox, so summer is officially over (although it is having a last hurrah this weekend). It can take its heat and bugger off somewhere else. Sadly it takes apricot season with it.

"Presents after engagement.
When a couple become engaged, the gentleman presents the lady with an engaged ring, which is worn on the ring-finger of the left hand.  He may also make her other small presents from time to time, until they are married, but if she has any scruples about accepting them, he can send her flowers, which are at all times acceptable."

We didn't use an "engaged" ring, or an engagement ring as they are now known.  It was my second marriage, so the whole engagement thing seemed a bit superfluous.  Nearly 20 years later I was given a lovely emerald and diamond ring instead.

Enjoy your days!

Done!

The green top is finished!  It's a much prettier colour than this - green can be difficult to photograph well.

I wonder why this should be?  Greens in nature are easy to photograph, leaves, grasses, trees all look good - but for some reason, green fabrics look flat and dull.  This is somewhere between lime and olive.

The purple/blue passion jumper is coming on well, so far over 31cm - about 12 inches - of the back has been done.  The alpaca yarn is not bad to work with but the working edge curls like nothing I have ever experienced before, that could be because it's being knitted on a circular needle.  Ever since I discovered circulars over 20 years ago I don't knit with straight needles, circulars are so much easier on one's wrists and hands because the weight of the knitting is supported on one's lap rather on the wrists.

Winter has hit with a vengeance!  Mornings are now frosty and cold, water in the bird baths is so frozen that even a Pied Currawong missed out on its breakfast drink this morning, and the fire is burning day and night.  Frosty gardens make for a very pretty picture, but I'm not going outside in my jammies at 7 am to take a photo.

This morning I had an appointment way over on the southern edge of town - we live on the northern edge so it meant Crossing The River, something many locals seem to fear for some reason that escapes us - my knitting came along in case I had to wait, and I found out that the trip from here to there is long enough to knit two rows each way.  Another row or two while waiting made it a very productive trip!  Must get into the habit of taking the knitting every time we go somewhere.

Our trip to Canberra in a few weeks will mean even more knitting time because I can knit in the car.  I can also crochet without getting nauseous but can't sew or read; some folks can, but not me.

The uke group has another gig coming up in ten days for the women's organisation we played for recently.  We will part of a Musical Afternoon, doesn't that sound genteel?  There will be a men's choir from one of the local churches, a women's choir (the local chapter of an Australia-wide organisation), and us.  Perhaps we will be the comic relief.

In a couple of months the quilting group is having its annual weekend workshop with a visiting tutor, and this time I will be joining in.  She is making things difficult for us as she doesn't answer emails and her web page contacts don't include a phone number.  We would like to know fabric requirements in advance, I know most of us plan to use fabric from stash but in case there are any gaps we don't want to be forced into a last-minute spend.  Between now and our Canberra trip I will pull out fabrics I plan to use, any gaps can be filled from the shops there.  There are a few stash fabrics that I have in mind.......

"In receiving morning calls, it is unnecessary for a lady to lay aside any employment, not of an absorbing nature upon which she may happen to be engaged.  Embroidery, crocheting or light needle-work are perfectly in harmony with the requirements of the hour, and the lady looks much better employed than in absolute idleness."

My thoughts exactly.

Enjoy your days!

Berry berry good

These are Australian berries whose name is not known to me, photographed in the garden of the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra a few years ago.  They are dark blue in colour.

These are purple berries in Butchart Gardens, Canada.  On checking their list of plants I found out that this is Callicarpa Americana, and its berries can be used to make jelly.  The colour was very vivid against the more muted autumn colours in the gardens.

 My friend Lois held a spray of berries so I could take a close-up,  I have never seen those berries before.

Some plants have bright red berries in autumn, we saw those too in our wanderings in Canada.  We often tend to focus on flowers for garden colour, but berries can be just as pretty.  The berries on this bush were quite small, oval shaped, and very red.

The leaves were also very red - I think it is called Burning Bush because of its autumn colour.

Winter has well and truly arrived here at the Chateau des Wombats, yesterday and today have been quite cold.  Today has been overcast, chilly and dull with no sign of the sun until it finally peeked out from the clouds after 3pm.  Don't know why it bothered at all, there is no warmth in it.

A small project is being worked on in the sewing room as we speak, one bought last year in Canada.  Pics will be taken when it's done so you can all admire it.  After that, the black skirt will be made.

Uke group is on holidays for a few weeks, the local music school follows school terms for its teaching terms.  You will be pleased to know that 'Hotel California' is proceeding well, the fiendish chord changes are becoming easier, and my fingers are still firmly attached to my hands.  One of the teachers, Sam, has an interesting program on his electronic gadget pad thing that lets him slow music down, but it doesn't change the pitch at all.  Usually when you slow music down the pitch alters too, it becomes lower, but this doesn't happen with Sam's gadget.  It is much easier to play difficult chords at 80 % speed than at full speed.  It would be a very handy gadget to have, perhaps there could be one in my far-distant future.  On the other hand I have managed without it all my life, do I really need it now?

Probably not.

A few weeks ago I didn't use a mitt when taking a bowl which had been used for melting butter out of the microwave, because they usually don't get terribly hot - but this one did.  Burnt the side of the middle finger on my right hand and oh my, it hurt.  It was still hurting a few hours later, even though I held it under cold water for a while.  A blister came up and I was being super-dooper extra careful not to break it, but unfortunately a few days later it tangled in my wet hair in the shower and broke by itself.  I kept it covered for another week or so until it had dried out and new skin had grown; there is new pink skin there now but it still hurts if bumped.  It must have been quite a deep burn for its size.  The things we do to ourselves.......

"Burned eyebrows.
Five grains sulphate of quinine dissolved in an ounce of alcohol, will cause eyebrows to grow when burned off by the fire."

I suspect one would have to stand very close to a fire or do something very silly to burn off one's eyebrows.

Enjoy your days!

Winter has arrived!

Oh my.....we have had such lovely autumn weather lately, sunny clear days, cool (not cold) nights.....then late yesterday afternoon a cold change blew through.....and today, it's winter.  While the temperature is not specially low it feels much colder than the number would have you think, and last night's temperature was only 1 degree.  No wonder I couldn't quite get comfortable in bed......that's 1 deg C not F, by the way.  Even now at mid-afternoon which should be the warmest part of the day I'm wearing jeans, a long sleeved tee and a heavy hand-knitted sweater, and my hands are still cold.

Kevin had his shoulder operation and is recovering well, his biggest problem is boredom.  It's his right shoulder and he is right-handed, but he is managing to do soduku, and can look after himself as far as getting dressed and showered.  Before he went under the knife I suggested that pants with elastic in the waist would make getting dressed easier, and also shirts with buttons down the front rather than tee shirts.  He thought I was being over-cautious, but acquiesced........and sure enough, he is finding those clothes easier to manage.

Lately I seem to have been so busy that I don't seem to have time to turn around and scratch myself, and even allowing for the fact that I have to be chauffeur for a while there seem to be so many things to be done that there is no time to do things I enjoy, like playing music and sewing.  Even like updating this poor neglected blog......so I am trying to be more organised.  After lunch today the fabrics for next weekend's UFO weekend project were gathered, except that mine isn't a UFO, it's a USO - UnStarted Object.

Last year Karen very generously sent a package to my son's address and it it was waiting for me when we arrived in Canada.  This is one of the two patterns included, and during our Canadian visit some of the batik fabrics shown were purchased with it in mind - the two charm packs in blues, golds and browns, and the pack of brown and gold fabrics top left.  The two bright blue fabrics are from my stash and whichever one suits the finished project best will be used for the binding, a few more gold squares from the stash were added, and the mottled blue and cream fabric in the centre ( a lucky find at a local quilt shop) will be the background.  The name "Maritime Beauty" is lovely, so it will have a theme of sand, water, rocks and sky!  One place I would love to visit is the maritime provinces of Canada.  Thank you, Karen, for your generous gift and I hope you like what I make using this pattern - I am really looking forward to making it!  Have a look at Karen's blog to see her gorgeous Maritime Beauty made from rich metallic fabrics.

Next week my ankle is booked in for an ultrasound to find out why it still troubles me; the broken foot bones seem to have healed, but nice Emma the physiotherapist said that the ankle ligament was damaged, either stretched or torn, because of my limping for so long when my foot was sore.  In hindsight it should have been checked by a doctor when it was first damaged, on Halloween.......but how many of you have kicked a toe or foot and, apart from bruising and soreness, done no lasting damage?  I have, in the past....will probably do so again before I die.......just the same, that was one almighty whack.  I kept thinking it was only bruised, it would get better.....walked everywhere on it for a couple more weeks in Canada.....walked a lot since coming home.......and it was still sore and swollen.  Never mind, I kept telling myself (and anyone who asked), it's only bruised, it will get better soon.  And it will.  It will either get better, or fall off.  Meanwhile, I have been wearing an oh-so-lovely ankle brace for several weeks.

A couple of other health issues are being checked too.  I definitely picked the wrong parents.  Genes have a lot to answer for.

On a somewhat lighter note the rough road up and over a small hill between here and town is finally being repaired.  While one side is being worked on, the other side has two narrow lanes made so traffic can continue in both directions, albeit at a lower speed than usual.  This morning on our way into town traffic in the opposite lane was being led up the hill by a bloke on a bicycle.....he was followed by a huge truck and trailer, then a few cars, then another huge truck and trailer, then several more cars, all unable to pass because of the narrowness of the lane.....and, with the exception of the first truck, none of the line of traffic would have been able to see the bloke at the head of the line pedalling furiously.  No doubt they were all wondering why they were crawling up the hill at such a snail's pace.  He may not have been the most popular bloke in town today.

"Shouting.
Never speak to your acquaintance from one side of the street to the other.  Shouting is a certain sign of vulgarity.  First approach, and then make your communication to your acquaintance or friend in a moderately loud tone of voice."

Perhaps some of the drivers in that long line of traffic may have felt like shouting at the hapless cyclist, when they were finally able to pass him.....even, perhaps, to use a vulgar tone to him.  While we wouldn't condone that, we could certainly understand it.

Enjoy your days!

Merry Christmas to all!

For my Australian friends - here's something to make you feel a little cooler, and for those who live in colder climes a little taste of what to expect as winter continues.

We woke up to this snowy view after spending the night with a musical friend in Ontario, and were very entertained watching birds at his many feeders.....a cardinal, chickadees, nuthatches and finches......and our first woodpecker!

Best wishes for a Christmas full of peace and love.  For those who have lost loved ones during the year, I hope Christmas brings healing and hope for the future.

Enjoy your Christmas Day!

Some results from last weekend's workshop

As you can see, last weekend I had fun slicing and dicing and chopping and sewing fabrics - and these blocks are the result.

 Don't you just love the colours?  Very autumn....now there's a surprise, yes?

Unfortunately due to circumstances which won't be related here I was unable to attend the workshop on Saturday, so my weekend was only one day long.  The tutor helped me by cutting and pressing for which I was very grateful, because otherwise I would have been way behind everyone else.  All the blocks are now assembled and I need to cut fabrics for the borders, but that can wait until I repair the pants which need their elastic replaced.

Are all you mothers having a nice time on Mother's Day?  I know it's not Mother's Day all round the world today but it is in Australia.  When I was young it had become traditional to wear a white flower on Mother's Day, I wonder if that is still done?  In Australia the white flower was nearly always a chrysanthemum, because they are in flower at this time of year.  Then chrysanthemums seemed to become unfashionable for a while.  I like them, especially the lovely bronze ones.  And the lime green ones, because I quite like green.

Today we really know that winter is on the way, in fact if you stood outside in the cold wind you would say it's already here.  It's not.....quite.......warm.  The sunshine is lovely, the sky is clear and bright blue, but ooh - that wind.

Seems a lot of you agreed with my ravings a recent post about ageing.  Much is made of girls and young women and their body image problems, but what about older women?  Aren't we allowed to be unhappy with ourselves?  Are we supposed to be resigned to who and what we are, and to rejoice in it, and to celebrate every grey hair and wrinkle?  Resigned.....yes.  Rejoicing....no, not at all.  And as for celebrating grey hair and wrinkles, forget it.  They have become part of me by circumstance but they don't define me.

We enjoyed a nice dinner out for my birthday and the restaurant even gave me a bottle of champagne to bring home, bubbles, yay! So that will be drunk with tonight's Mother's Day dinner which will feature something along the lines of a frittata with eggs, silver beet leaves, fetta cheese and perhaps sweet potato - details to be worked out later.  As usual I will be cooking it myself because Kevin doesn't know what is in my head.  He can cook, but his cooking is unimaginative if he doesn't have a recipe to follow.

When I become queen I will never again make decisions about what to eat, because I will have someone to do it for me.  I don't mind cooking but after so many years (over forty.....erk) the novelty has well and truly worn off making the daily decision on What To Have For Dinner Tonight.  I really wouldn't care if I never had to make that decision ever in my life again.  I am over it.

"It is of the highest importance that all persons should conduct themselves with the strictest regard to good breeding, even in the privacy of their own home, when at table; a neglect of such observances will render one stiff and awkward in society.  There are so many little points to be observed, that unless a person is habitually accustomed to observe them, he unconsciously commits some error, or will appear awkward and constrained upon occasions when it is important to be fully at ease.  To be thoroughly at ease at such times is only acquired by the habitual practice of good manners at the table, and is the result of proper home training."

Even though we will be dining a deux this evening we will certainly observe all the little points we can.

Enjoy your days!

We've been counted in

No, not the kangaroos....the one in front looks headless, doesn't it? Taken about six weeks ago from our back yard looking into the reserve.

Last night was Census Night so we duly filled in our form, online this time. Had to chuckle when I heard a few of the locals say they weren't going to fill it in online, but would use the paper form instead....because.......

wait for this......

they didn't want the government to have their details!

Isn't that the whole point of a census? The government finds out how many people it is responsible for, and what its future needs will be based on numbers, locations and ages of the population. The information can also, if you tick the appropriate box, be kept for 99 years which can be a great help to genealogists in the future. We ticked. Doesn't bother us. The government already knows all it wants to know about us, anyway.
On our way home from Canberra at the end of April we stopped off in Sofala, an old town that started life in the gold rush days of the 1850s. This large tree was getting into its autumn clothes, and a week or two after this photo was taken would have been spectacular.

Life has been exciting here this week, we actually had some rain! Not much, and certainly not enough for farmers' needs, but water fell from the sky so that is cause for rejoicing. Considering that last year we had three floods - minor, but still floods with water overflowing creek and river banks - this year has been been very dry. Last year was the wettest year for goodness knows how many years; last month, July, was the driest for more years than the locals can remember. Light rain is sprinkling right now and the garden is thankful; my sweet pea seedlings are growing beautifully.

It's been the sort of weather to stay indoors and not do much, because it's also been cold again. The table runner on which I was working is up to binding stage, my latest knitted creation is coming along nicely, and it's been good weather for reading - we have been reading books by Giles Blunt, we like the 'Canadian-ness' of his writing compared to American, British or Australian writers - and for cooking. The other day I used a recipe for pumpkin cupcakes to make one larger cake, the quantity fitted beautifully into an 8in (20cm) square tin, and rather than use icing as a topping I made a streusel topping with brown sugar, soft butter, walnuts, cinnamon and brown sugar. Yummo. The recipe makes 12 cupcakes, but making it into a larger cake will yield more than 12 pieces.

Yesterday I succumbed to a new book of slow cooker recipes, so right now this very minute tonight's dinner of Coq Au Vin is summering away. Very useful things, slow cookers.

"Promptness in answering.

All invitations requiring answers should be answered as soon as possible after receiving them. The French have a saying, applicable to all notes of invitation, to the effect that it is as important to reply as promptly to a note requiring an answer as it is to a question in speaking. All refined people who are accustomed to the best social forms, consider that it would be an unpardonable negligence to omit for a single day replying to an invitation or a note requiring a reply."

So should you receive an invitation from me to join us for dinner, please don't neglect to reply promptly - otherwise I may not cook enough food for you.

Enjoy your days!

What passes for snow here

That's right, folks.....real snow, about 45 minutes from here. It was very cold last week. Now I know that compared to where some of you live this is nothing, probably not even worthy of being called snow, but bear with us. It's a novelty here in parts of sunny Australia, and we think it's great. Don't rain on our snowy parade.

Following on the story of Lily May, I sent for an official copy of her marriage certificate during the week - but when it arrived it is for another Lily May Brown, one who is younger and has two parents, so I don't know any more about my aunt than I did this time last week. But I will try to keep digging; I don't consider that I wasted my money getting the wrong certificate because it has shown me where not to go. Some years ago my local library ran a very interesting course in genealogy, and one thing that the librarian running the course told us was that sometimes you pursue what you think is your family story only to find out that is not so. As she said that can be a good thing, because it stops you from pursuing a wrong path any further.

By a coincidence, that librarian and I turned out to be third cousins......our great-grandparents were brother and sister. How strange is that? We even have the same first name.

Next weekend one of my quilt groups is bring a tutor from The Big Smoke for a weekend workshop and I honestly don't know how I will go......it's a more arty project than I normally tackle, I don't have an arty bone in my body......I'm fine cutting out fabrics and sewing them together again, whether for clothing or quilts.....but I'm not arty. Ah well, if it doesn't work out the cats will have a fancy bed. If it works out, the world may see a picture - if there are no pictures, then don't ask.

The radio has started a program of music from movies in which Ginger Rogers danced, such fun! You can probably hear me singing along wherever you are. Last week was the centenary of Ginger's birth so the program is a wonderful tribute. Don't you just love those gorgeous floaty frocks she wore, all chiffon and feathers? Apparently Fred Astaire's will stipulated that no movie should ever be made about him, that's fine for him but what about Ginger? They made so many movies together that it would be very difficult to make one about her without Fred being in it somewhere.......so, no Ginger movie.

The lurgy has departed again and we hope it will stay away this time. We both had to miss out on a night out we had been looking forward to, but never mind, there will be other nights. Early in the week friends from Canberra came to visit and we had a great time with them; just as well they didn't come a week earlier.

"Less formal invitations.

Invitations of a less formal character are sent for charades, private theatricals, and for archery, croquet, sailing and garden parties; but, however informal the invitation (except only when a visiting card is used), on no account neglect to give immediate attention to it, by sending a reply, for any want of courtesy in this respect is unpardonable."

Keep that sage advice in mind next time you receive an invitation to private theatricals or croquet.

Enjoy your days!

Cooking up a storm

The past week has been the coldest weather so far this winter, so it has been good weather for staying indoors and cooking. Apart from last week's 14 (14! - and Kevin doesn't eat jam) jars of citrus marmalade I made an orange cake which is very nice - recipe here, I can recommend its yummy taste and ease of making. Then this morning I made bacon jam.....oh my goodness, what can I say. This is seriously good stuff. A little would certainly liven up some plain old sausages and give new life to a burger, let me tell you. Or you could just try it straight from the jar. Which, being the cook, I had to do to see if it was all right........can't serve up stuff which is no good, can I?

Have also been doing a little cooking up in the sewing room. Last year before we moved I won Tammy's giveaway which included, among other goodies, a pack of Moda Garden Party charm squares. Not long before that Carol swapped me some patterns for some Aussie craft magazines, so the charm squares plus some lovely cream solid are being used to make a table runner from one of those patterns. The large flower centres are appliqued and now the flowers need to be joined into one long piece. It will give a touch of spring to the table when it's done.

Next Monday it's my turn to design the block of the month for one of my quilt groups, this is my choice - can't you see a flotilla of these little ships sailing along on a child's quilt? Our BOMs are used to make up quilts for the local Ronald Macdonald House. The colours are a little brighter than in the picture.
By gosh it has been cold this week, and frosty too. This morning's frost was the heaviest for a while, and yesterday I don't think we reached double figures despite the official weather numbers. It's a bit cooler up here on the hill than out of town at the airport weather station where readings are taken. But it's not too bad really, provides one wears warm clothes and doesn't sit in the shade for too long. Our back room is a sun trap and gets the sun for much of the day, to the cats' delight. And ours.

While our winters are nothing near as bad as winter in some parts of the world, and we sound like a bunch of wusses when we complain compared to those of you who have snow for months on end, it's as cold as I can happily cope with each year.

Last night and tonight one of my choirs is giving concerts, and I suspect by tomorrow I will be all sung out - particularly as we get together to practice on Thursday nights, so that's three nights' singing in a row this week plus Monday night with the other choir. Last night's concert went well, we in the choir had a great time, and the audience seemed to enjoy it too; at least they said complimentary words to us. Kevin thought we were very good, however tonight I will be going along on my own as he can't make it.

"A young lady should, if possible, avoid walking alone in the street after dark. If she passes the evening with a friend, provision should be made beforehand for an escort. If this is not practicable, the person at whose house she is visiting should send a servant with her, or some proper person - a gentleman acquaintance present, or her own husband - to perform the duty. A married lady may, however, disregard this rule, if circumstances prevent her being able to conveniently find an escort."

Isn't it odd that A Young Lady had to be escorted home, but a servant - presumably female - was allowed.....nay, compelled.......to walk alone by herself unaccompanied at night, as she made her own way homewards? The servant may have been even younger than the young lady, but because of their different stations in life that counted for nothing.. However as a married lady, I am able to find my own way home - just as well I know the way.

Enjoy your days!

Tomorrow is the winter solstice

But I can promise I won't be dancing naked around a bonfire at midnight to welcome the gradual warming and lengthening of days.....it's too cold. There are some things for which the world is not yet ready.

Of course in the northern hemisphere it's summer solstice, so to my overseas family and friends - have a good one.

Some lovely autumn brightness in a park in Bathurst, in late April - aren't the colours scrumptious?

Tomorrow I am off to the Big Smoke, and when I return I will report on the quilt show which is one of the reasons for the visit. Last weekend a member of my quilt group was telling me about the horror trip she and her husband endured the previous weekend when returning home. Because of track work the trains were not running the full distance from the Big Smoke to here, so they had to travel by bus for the first few hours.....on the motorway with heavy traffic and large trucks whizzing by.......in pouring rain. The windscreen wipers were working so hard that they fell off. When they finally managed to board the train, having been several hours without food or drink, they were told the train staff would not begin serving food until it left the station - which didn't happen for another hour. There were apparently more details she didn't tell me, as she is a kind woman and wanted to spare me any anxiety.

However I have checked the website, there is no track work scheduled, and my trips both to and from the Big Smoke should (hopefully) proceed without any similar incidents.

"A lady obliged to travel alone.

A lady, in travelling alone, may accept services from her fellow-travellers, which she should always acknowledge graciously. Indeed, it is the business of a gentleman to see that the wants of an unescorted lady are attended to. He should offer to raise or lower her window if she seems to have any difficulty in doing it herself. He may offer his assistance in carrying her packages upon leaving the car, or in engaging a carriage or obtaining a trunk. Still, women should learn to be as self-reliant as possible; and younger women particularly should accept proffered assistance from strangers, in all but the slightest offices, very rarely."

Of course I shall endeavour to be as self-reliant as I can......and should a gentleman, or any person of the male persuasion, offer to help with my packages.......I shall keep a close eye on him. Can't be too careful these days, can we?

Enjoy your days!

Our kitties

Sometimes the kitties are mentioned on this blog, so it is time they had their pictures shown on it again too.

Binky is our old puss, she is 14YO and is a very friendly cat. We think she is The World's Friendliest Cat. But even friendly cats have to sleep sometime, don't they?
Bianca The Beautiful (but slightly brainless), keeping her bum warm one evening just after the fire had been lit. She moved off there pretty smartly when it warmed up too. Bianca is not a fat cat but she is quite a big girl and has odd eyes, one blue and one green. Unlike many odd-eyed cats, though, she is not deaf.

Winter has hit us with a vengeance. A few frosty mornings (although no frost this morning) and some very cold winds during the day. Yesterday's wind was vicious. It's 4pm now so today won't get any warmer, and the highest it reached today was 14.3 degC which is only 57 deg F. But it is warm inside, the fire is burning, the coffee is good, and the music on the radio is lovely.

It's good weather to sit at the machine and quilt. Only the binding remains to be done on the charity quilt and that will be machined front and back. It is the first time I have quilted polar fleece and I must say I won't be in a hurry to do it again, but it is a popular and warm backing for these children's quilts. After making a hash of the first bit of free-motion quilting I unpicked it, hitched up the walking foot and quilted diagonal lines in the centre, with ditch quilting (and the occasional jump out of the ditch, but if you don't tell I won't tell either) along the edges of the borders. When that's done, the borders will be cut for my challenge quilt.

Today we had a highly entertaining territorial dispute at our bird bath, two different types of pigeons each decided they had the best claim to it. A couple of Spotted Doves were there first, and some Crested Pigeons kept glaring at them until they flew away. The small tree beside the bird bath is an excellent spot to perch while waiting one's turn in the water, and the Crested Pigeons were strutting their stuff along the branches while giving the death stare to the Spotted Doves. Crested Pigeons are quite funny birds, especially when one is being chased by another with obvious lust on his or her feathery little mind - they scuttle along indignantly and look quite outraged.

"Trifling with a lady.

A lady who really means "no" should be able to say it as to make her meaning unmistakable. For her own sake and that of her suitor, if she really believes the suit ended, her denial should be positive, yet kind and undignified, and of a character to let no doubt remain of its being final."

I wonder how a bird would say "no, thank you" when asked by another bird for her hand in marriage? Hopefully kindly, as she would not wish her dignity or that of her suitor to be upset. Feathers could fly otherwise.

Enjoy your days!