Thank you, thank you......

.....to the lovely folk who have left comments of concern about my injured foot. I have been remiss in not saying 'thank you' before now! I'm not usually so bad mannered. Blame the pain. It's slowly getting better but is still sore and bruised.

Have been looking at some blogs from Norway, isn't it a beautiful country!

And if I ever try making a pattern again that doesn't have illustrations, you have my permission to take it from me and throw it away. I have decided that I am a visual learner, and the bag pattern I am using (it was a free pattern when I bought the fabric) doesn't have pictures and the instructions leave a bit to be desired. However I am fudging it as I go, and it will be very pretty, and bright, and summery. When it is finished.

I mentioned in an email to my quilting list that I don't make new year's resolutions, but last year I made a vow to myself that I have kept. I vowed that I would learn a new song or poem to perform each time I attended the folk club, and I have done that. Even at the last meeting of the year I sang a new song. I plan to continue that this year, and also to tackle - one at a time - some of the projects that are partly finished in my sewing room, as well as attempting new things. I would like to hope that I end this year a little slimmer than I have begun it too, I'll happily settle for 5kg less. When my foot is better I plan to walk more than I have done in the past.

Another heatwave is starting....roll on autumn...... I love autumn!

Jennifer

First Wombat of the Week (WOW) for the new year

Isn't this great - wombat footprints! When we visited Cooma we found this lovely silver jewellery made by Bushprints. Beautifully made and packaged in dark red boxes, with the outer wrapping featuring a picture of the creature who made the prints.
DH Kevin bought it for me, as a late Christmas present - we hadn't shopped for each other before Christmas. I still haven't found anything for him but trust me, the right thing will come along soon.

And, lest you all think I was idle while we were away....not so. I made three blocks for my Flower Basket quilt (all by hand), and did a lot of knitting, the right front of my cardigan is nearly finished and one sleeve is almost up to the armhole. And I read several books.

I found out the other day that it is possible to operate a sewing machine safely while under the influence of strong painkillers. I was very careful, and was only sewing pre-cut squares together for my latest bag which is so bright it will knock the socks of everyone who lays eyes on it. Picture will be posted when it's finished.

This morning the chiropractor worked (gently!) on my foot, and it isn't as sore as it was a few days ago. He also suggested arnica drops which help to get rid of bruising. First time I have driven the car since it happened...interesting, to say the least!

Now it's lunch time and I am going to see what gourmet delights I can find in the kitchen.

Jennifer

Made by me!

No, not the lace tablecloth! I made the glass paperweight last week in Canberra. The glassworks in Kingston have a program that lets anyone over the age of 14 (I think I qualify for that) make something, helped of course by glass artists. This is called the 'fireworks' design and I chose to use white, yellow and blue, and to put some bubbles in the glass. It arrived by post today, I had no idea what it would look like as the glass is a golden honey colour while it is being worked, and the blue and yellow were red and orange when it was hot. For some reason the photo came out better with the lace as a background rather than the wooden table.

I am flying high as a kite. my foot is still very sore and aching all the time, so at lunchtime I took a very strong painkiller. It doesn't hurt so much now and I am floating on air....must be good stuff......'do not operate machinery' on the packet, I wonder if a sewing machine qualifies?

Off to crank up the machine, and admire my new paperweight some more.

Jennifer

Holiday pics

A very cheeky currawong, who was strolling in the sculpture garden at the National Gallery in Canberra...s/he mooched around for a while in front of us, then flew up into a tree. It didn't seem bothered by humans at all.
Sorry about the streaky lines! This was taken on a very dark night in Wagga Wagga, at the caravan park by the river; the lines are just reflections from the various lights around the park. It's the first time I have used the 'night' setting on my camera. The possums visited us at night and quite enjoyed the apple I cut up for them. This was a mum and her young one, when mum possum took the piece of apple from my hand the young one kept trying to get it from her. They were very amusing.
DH Kevin relaxing behind our caravan in Wagga Wagga. The trees around the caravan were quiet during the day but a hive of activity when the possums appeared at night.
A beautiful spot, the Snowy River at Dalgety. First time we have visited Dalgety, a tiny village, and hopefully it won't be the last. It's a lovely part of the world. About 100 years ago it was on the short list of possible locations for the national capital of Australia, and I'm so glad it wasn't chosen. It wouldn't look like this if it had been.

We saw some wonderful parts of this country. But I would need the world's best camera to do it justice, as so many of the vistas were endless....rolling plains, farms, hills; the views when we drove over the top of the Snowy Mountains were breathtaking.

Jennifer

Oh my....it is hot.......

Have I mentioned that I don't do heat very well.......a little while ago the weather station nearest to us was 39 degrees C. Apparently the cool change is heading up the coast to us, and it is raining a bit now, but still well over 30 degrees. I have tried to concentrate on some sewing but my brain is fried.

And my foot is getting sorer, it's swollen, the bruising is coming out now and my toes are black. I'm not walking very well and I can't bend my foot to drive the car. At least the bowls bag has gone back to its home at the bowls club.

And tomorrow when it is cooler I will be sewing up a storm.

Jennifer

Ouch ouch ouch......

......I kicked DH's lawn bowls bag hard this morning while I was making the bed, I don't know if I have broken my foot/toes or not as it is very painful. Bianca The Beautiful wondered what the cries of agony were. The bag usually lives in his locker at the bowls club but came away on holidays with us, he played a couple of games at Wagga Wagga. So far I have had an anti-inflammatory tablet, and a strong coffee, and a chocolate, and it is still painful. Ouch. And the bed is still not made.

I haven't mentioned a couple of highlights of our holiday. While we were in Cooma I took part in the local radio station's morning quiz and I won! Yee har for me! My prize is the DVD of the wonderful program on the Galapagos Islands that was on TV late last year. And last Saturday in Canberra I made my own glass paperweight at the glassworks, it will be sent to me when it finishes annealing (cooling down - if it cools down too rapidly it will crack). That was great fun, I have always wanted to work with glass. I wonder if there are any glass studios in Sydney that offer classes?

Now I am going to finish making the bed. Carefully.

Jennifer

Back from holidays

And life slowly gets back to normal. We had a lovely break, travelled in some parts of New South Wales that we had already visited and found some new places to visit. It's a beautiful place. A slightly sad homecoming however, as we have a funeral to attend this afternoon; DH's Uncle Ern passed away last week aged 97. A good life and a long life.