Six months ago today........

..........we moved here. Doesn't seem like half a year, does it? But it must be, because the calendar says so. That's the neighbour's house in the top pic, ours in the bottom pic, but the garden is ours.

It seems that every time we turn around there are more discoveries to be made in the garden. An uninspiring shrub (of which there are six, in different parts of the garden) turned out to be Brunfelsia - you can see one just coming into bloom. We might let them stay because the flowers are so pretty, even though they are very blah when not in flower. The previous owner seems to have gone in for multiples of things she liked, perhaps plants which were easy to grow? The bright green plant is nandina, one of which we have removed already but there are six or so still to go. Don't like them.

Today I delved into my dressmaking fabric stash and found a piece of mustard gold solid knit I had forgotten was there, then went shopping for a contrasting fabric to make some new pyjamas. Found an interesting small print knit in navy and white which, as luck would have it, was on special so I will have me some tres stylish jim-jams for not much moolah. Most ready-made pjs are pink and I don't wear pink...if you saw me wearing pink you would understand why, it's not a pretty sight. Kevin, bless him, has been known to occasionally look askance at the amount of fabrics I have, but I told him it was for my retirement. Now I'm retired and I am using my stash even if occasionally I need extra fabric. It's a good feeling. And he is happy.

That fabric, plus some other I want to use, is pre-washing as we speak. When I was young and slender - a thousand years ago - had only been sewing for a couple of years, I bought a pretty piece of yellow printed cotton and made a dress, there was only just enough fabric, I had to use lawn for the facings and turn up the teeniest hem - wore it, it was so pretty - washed it - and it shrank. I could still wear it but it was a snug fit. While I think fabrics have improved since then and shrinkage isn't the problem it used to be, I don't take any chances. Everything I buy is pre-washed before I cut into it. Lesson learnt.

No doubt about it, my new Sew-Ezi table takes some of the pain out of machine quilting. The challenge quilt is partly done, the yellow (sand) middle section is done, the blue (water) bottom section is done - not very perfectly as the fabrics seem to have stretched as it was going through the machine and there are puckers, but it is done - now to do the top blue (sky) section. Then the borders. Then the binding. Mustn't forget the label too. All to be done in three weeks.........I think I can, I think I can.......queen of procrastination speaking here.......

Yesterday we went to a quilt and collectibles exhibition put on by a local organisation which raises funds to help people living with cancer, in memory of a local woman who passed away from cancer some years ago. What gorgeous quilts there were! I didn't take pics because the hall was a less than ideal photograph-taking place and it was difficult to get far enough away. Even a few of my modest efforts were on display.

"Flattery.

Do not be guilty of flattery. The flattery of those richer than ourselves or better born is vulgar, and born of rudeness, and is sure to be received as emanating from unworthy motives. Testify your respect, your admiration, and your gratitude by deeds more than words. Words are easy but deeds are difficult. Few will believe the former, but the latter will carry confirmation with them."

Now it's time to perhaps have a go at more quilting, or I might cut out some fabrics for a change.

Enjoy your days!

We're baaaaaack........

We went to the rainforest, and it rained.......

Had a lovely weekend at the music festival catching up with friends and hearing great music, even the rain didn't stop our enjoyment. We arrived on Thursday afternoon and set up camp. On Friday morning we explored the town, checked out the quilt shop (excellent), got back to our caravan just before the rain started.

It poured, there was thunder and lightning, the rain came down in buckets.

On Saturday morning it was nice and sunny, we listened to more music, I had a go at singing with the festival choir although it wasn't 'me' (I'm not one of those happy clappy types who prances and jigs around when they sing, getting into the moment).....but never mind, we caught some more concerts before it rained again. I joined in a ukulele workshop which was fun even if we didn't learn much. Later on it poured and the rain came down in buckets.

However I did have a go at singing with a band later, much fun was had by all - several of us got up and did our 'party piece'.

More of the same on Sunday, except the rain started earlier in the day. More buckets full. And there was more thunder and lightning too.

On Monday we visited the local rainforest centre and walked through the forest in the rain.....it wasn't heavy, just lightly drizzling, which made the experience magical as you can see in the pic above. There is a walkway over the treetops but all we could see was white mist. The whole area is beautifully green and lush. No wonder, with all the rain they get.

Next day we headed off to the coast and spent a few days by the water, being bitten by sandflies. It rained there too. But not as much as up on the plateau in the rainforest.
We treated ourselves to a boat cruise on Wallis Lake - yes, it really is this colour. It's a tidal estuarine environment, the captain told us. It was a very peaceful couple of hours.
The area is famous for its oysters, you can see some of the oyster leases on the other side of the little island. The previous day we had a wonderful lunch of fish and chips but avoided the oysters, as oysters and I are not good friends (they make me really ill) and Kevin doesn't really care for them anyway.

More pics will no doubt follow in due course.

We also caught up with some Sydney friends for lunch while we were away, which was great. Visited three quilt shops and helped along the local economy a little in each - we are always being told 'holiday at home and save local jobs' so I did my bit - I am now the proud owner of a Sew-Ezi table from one of the shops. My Lovely New Bernina is all set up in it ready to go. I'm happy to sew on a desk for most things but quilting a whole quilt on the desk is difficult, so hopefully this will make it much easier. The challenge quilt is calling.........just wish I wasn't such a wuss about machine quilting.......

Waiting for me when we arrived home was a parcel from Dianne who sent me some pumpkin seeds, among other goodies! So hopefully I will be able to make my pumpkin spice muffins taste more like the ones we had in Canada last year. Thanks so much Dianne, you are a gem - a veritable pearl. I also have my very own made-by-Dianne apron too. It's green.......and coffee brown. Yum.

Have to say, the folks I have met through blogging, both on-line and in real life, have all been lovely folks and I feel my life is richer for knowing them. So thank youse all for being there.

The kitties were very pleased to be home again, Binky talked to us all the way home in the car......and all that night while we were trying to sleep......she talked so much she lost her voice........just imagine a talkative kittie who can barely raise a croak, and that's Binkie.

"Parties in the country.

Morning and afternoon parties in the country, or at watering-places, are of a less formal character than in cities. The hostess introduces such of her guests as she thinks most likely to be mutually agreeable. Music or some amusement is essential to the success of such parties."

Believe me, watching while I machine quilt would be amusement enough.

Enjoy your days!

My facebook account is now deactivated

I only wanted to add one friend, and facebook was trying to add 84........so I have given up on the whole idea. In the three plus years I had the account I barely looked at it, so I don't think I will miss it.

See you in a couple of weeks........

.....because we are going away to a folk festival about 2-1/2 hours from here. We're coming home at the end of this month. Looking forward to it, as some of the performers are friends who we haven't seen since Easter.

Last Sunday, after the weather improved from Saturday's blast of winter, we visited two of the open gardens. We have taken some beautiful photos.....that is to say, Kevin took them because my camera battery was flat and needed to be charged. But he takes lovely pics which, blogger being amenable, you will see in due course. At present image uploads are disabled for a couple of hours due to maintenance, so the little message is telling me. One of the gardens was on top of a hill and was really superb, it's cooler than here so had plants that we can't grow. I'm so glad we went as the garden has changed hands within the family and it won't be opened again. The other was on a north-facing hill - our sunny side - only three years old. I would love to see it again in about five years as it has a great deal of promise. We were talking to the owners who said they wouldn't open next year, I said how about in five years time.......what a good idea, they said.

Our roses are blooming away, the glorious yellow one has two more blooms, and the little miniature with different coloured flowers will be abloom in two or three days. And we won't be here to enjoy it......three of the larger rose bushes are red, one is the deep dark rich burgundy while it looks as though the others are brighter.

Goodness, I am being swamped by facebook! This afternoon I went looking for one person to add as my friend - don't want to be poor little Susie No-Friends, do we? - and messages have been sent to just about everyone to whom I have ever sent an email, or who has ever sent me one. I was not expecting that. So if any of you receive the message and don't want to take it further I won't be offended, and I apologise profusely. I have been on facebook for a few years and don't check it very often.......I forget to. If anyone is hoping to have a rich online experience with me they will sadly disappointed.

This afternoon we packed up the cats and took them to their holiday resort. They are staying in a lovely cattery way out in the country with their own covered verandah, and rural smells, and birds to watch. They weren't thrilled about the 25 kilometre drive (consequently neither were we) but I'm sure will settle in quickly. They were there when we first moved from Sydney so it will be somewhere familiar for them. We were pleased to get Binky out of the car because she gets very nervous, and does what nervous cats do......fortunately the smell soon cleared.

"The hand.

The beautiful hand is long and slender, with tapering fingers and pink, filbert-shaped nails. The hand to be in proper proportion to the rest of the body should be as long as from the point of the chin to the edge of the hair on the forehead."

Yep...my hand is in proportion to my face. But is my face in proportion to my hand?

Enjoy your days!

Winter has come back

A close-up of the quilting on my scrap Road to St Louis quilt which is entered in Quilting Gallery's weekly contest - not prize-winning by any stretch of the imagination, but not bad for a mug like me. All done on My Lovely New Bernina. I traced the pattern onto lunch wrap paper (not waxed paper) and quilted through it, then one good movie on TV......a rare occurrence, I must say.......was enough to provide entertainment while I tore away the paper.

Deb has a giveaway but you can't enter, because I want to win the lovely fabric and book she is so generously giving to one lucky person! While you are there you must admire her gorgeous chocolate brown quilt, do you think if I asked very nicely do you think she would give it to me?

Winter has returned here today with a vengeance, we are having very cold winds and rain. Instead of the usual 23 deg C (that's 79 deg F) it was only 4 deg C (39 deg F) at 11.30 this morning. That is very cold, so we have our woodburning stove keeping us (and the kitties, it's all for them you know) from feeling too chilly. This weekend some local gardens are open to the public, we had hoped to go to one in particular but it's so cold and windy and nasty that we have stayed in. We'll see what tomorrow brings. I feel sorry for the gardens' owners as they have worked hard to make their gardens beautiful, then the weather comes along and mucks things up.

Have started on quilting my challenge quilt and will do a little more later when my pedal foot recovers from standing in the kitchen while making chocolate hedgehog slice. For the non-Aussies, that's broken plain sweet biscuits (cookies) mixed with melted butter, sugar, dessicated coconut, cocoa powder and beaten egg, pressed into a large pan then iced with chocolate icing. No, I don't intend to eat it all myself - although I may have to try a piece to make sure it's OK before serving it to guests on Tuesday. Don't know what I have done to my foot but by gosh it is sore. But it was worse before the chiropractor worked her magic the other day, so that's something isn't it.

"Cleaning silver.

For cleaning silver, either articles of personal wear or those pertaining to the toilet-table or dressing-case, there is nothing better than a spoonful of common whiting, carefully pounded so as to be without lumps, reduced to a paste with gin."

Or you could put up with your silver being tarnished, and drink the gin yourself. A much better use for it, I would have thought.

Enjoy your days!

Quilting Gallery Weekly Contest

This week's contest is "scrap quilts", so just for fun I entered my Road to St Louis quilt. I called it "Meet Me At The Fair" - remember the movie and its title song? Here it is in progress when I was quilting it, the contest and a full pic are here. There are some lovely scrappy quilts!

Slacko that I am, I still haven't started quilting my challenge quilt. My pedal foot and back have both been saying "wait a few days" but I want to get started. Yesterday the chiropractor did wonders so I think it's time to begin.
The reserve over the back fence is green and full of growing plants, I have no idea what they are - probably weeds. The taller flowers poking up their heads are wild poppies, pale mauve with deep purple centres.
The previous owner planted a large clump of these irises just outside the back fence, then dug some up to take with her. We don't mind as there are still lots and lots left! We have been noticing that irises are popular in gardens here and I have seen some beautifully coloured ones, these are pale creamy peach. The whole clump seems to be the same colour.

They will probably grow even more today because it is raining, very welcome rain. The yellow rose in the front garden is fully open and is scrumptiously gorgeous. Looks as though another of the roses will be red, and we don't know what the other colours will be. Next week we will be going away for ten days so with our luck they will all come into glorious bloom while we are away.

And The Only Choir In Town definitely isn't! I have joined another choir so that means singing on Monday and Thursday nights. One is more formal in its repertoire, the other is more light-hearted - each have their place, and I enjoy them both.

"The Obligation of an Introduction.

Two persons who have been properly introduced have in future certain claims upon one another's acquaintance which should be recognized, unless there are sufficient reasons for overlooking them. Even in that case good manners require the formal bow of recognition upon meeting, which, of itself, encourages no familiarity. Only a very ill-bred person will meet another with a stare."

Now that I have learnt how to put a fancy-nancy signature on my blog posts I would like to learn how to put my name on my pictures. I could always google it, couldn't I - that's how I found out how to make a signature.

Enjoy your days!

Shopping WOW

Dear me, this came out a little dark didn't it! This little wombat is decorating my shopping buggy and is the same design we used to decorate our luggage before an overseas trip. Last year when my broken arm was healing I bought a trolley to use - it's still very handy for library visits, because I don't just borrow one or two books. When we first moved here my trolley was still in Sydney so I bought this one, just a cheapy but it is very useful. So now I have two, but only one is decorated with a wombat.....shall have to fix that.We have roses! This evening I picked these beauties and there are still more on the bush. They are large, very dark and velvety, really beautiful, but unfortunately have very little fragrance. The leaves are quite large too. You can see our little back yard through the window with the reserve beyond that. And our oh-so-beautiful wash line.
I left this one on the bush to finish opening up. I love flowers, all flowers, but have to admit to having a particular soft spot for yellow roses.....never thought I would have one of my own.
This is a miniature rose in a small garden by the mail box, the first flower that greets visitors. When the buds first open up they are gold, then they turn orange, then coral pink. The bush has a lot of buds so when it is covered in different colours it will be such a pretty sight.

Because we didn't plant any of these roses we don't know what they are called. There are still some that haven't flowered, a few standard and another miniature, so we are looking forward to seeing what colours we get. I have never grown roses before, but we pruned them in winter as one is supposed to do, and it seems to have worked. The climate here is much drier and less humid than the coast, and I believe roses prefer that. They certainly seem to do well here.

Tammy, Sandy, and Fiona all have stylish new signatures! Don't know about you all, but I thought making my new signature was fun.

My challenge quilt is pinned ready to be quilted, I was going to start today but my back had other ideas. Never mind, there is always another day.

Yesterday we heard the news that Dame Joan Sutherland had died at the weekend. She was a wonderful singer who did so much for young singers, and for opera in general, in Australia. She will be very much missed. However I was saddened to find the notice of her death tucked away on a corner of a major online Aussie news site - because sport was the major story. 'Someone' at the Commonwealth Games had run faster than 'someone else' and that was considered to be the top news story of the day. Whoopee.

Another thing that makes my palm itch (because I want to smack them severely about the head) is the media commentator at the Commonwealth Games - I am not watching much of it, but Kevin is enjoying it - who talks about the opening and closing "ceremoanies". Australians don't have "ceremoanies". We have "ceremonies". While I'n not one of those people who gets hot and bothered about the so-called Americanisation of Aussie English, that particular one annoys me. Language is fluid, it is continually changing and evolving, words are wonderful things and can be very powerful - and part of what makes it interesting are the differences between nations, their cultures and and their language. Let's keep the difference. Homogenisation is for milk, not words.

"Politeness.

Politeness is kindness of manner. This is the outgrowth of kindness of heart, of nobleness, and of courage. But in some persons we find an abundance of courage, nobleness and kindness of heart, without kindness of manner, and we can only think and speak of them as not only impolite, but even rude and gruff."

Enjoy your days!