Visitors

We have had visitors popping round lately, but not human ones......

 Ever since we moved here we have been entertained by kangaroos and wallabies on the hill behind us.  Sometimes they come fairly close to our fence, as they did earlier this week.

It was late afternoon, as you can see by the shadows.  Rain is badly needed, so the roos are coming close to fences in search of grass.

Occasionally we have seen two males roos fighting, and I wouldn't like to be nearby when they do as it looks quite vicious.  They balance on their tails while raking at their opposite number's chest with those powerful back legs and claws, while their heads are held back out of the way.

It's been an interesting time lately here at Chateau des Wombats.  Recently our main computer displayed a message that our virus protection wasn't working and suggested what to do about it......Kevin duly followed the suggested steps......computer told us that any added apps would be removed......right-oh, he said and pressed the 'run' button.......

......and all my bookmarks have gone, EQ7 disappeared into the ether, as did many other programs.  All are being slowly re-instated, the wonderful technical support folk at EQ helped with re-installation, and I am slowly becoming a happy woman once more.

Sigh.

The green purse only needs handles and an internal base to be finished, then a new guilt-free project can be started.

According to some people - not me, I hasten to add - today is the first day of spring.  Many years ago a bright spark somewhere decided that the first day of the months of September, December, March and June would arbitrarily bring a change of season, but you and I know that a new season doesn't suddenly happen overnight; it's a gradual process over several weeks.  It would make more sense had the first day of the following month been chosen instead, i.e. October, January, April and July, because that's when there is a noticeable difference in weather.  So every three months I yell at the TV when the announcer says "Today is the first day of a new season"......"No, it isn't" I say loudly.......

So spring is coming and that means the weather will get warmer, and before we know it summer will be upon us with its heat and I don't do summer very well, so will be hanging out for autumn to arrive......it's no wonder my life is flashing by before my eyes, is it?

My Winding Ways quilt is hanging in an exhibition at an art space in our local council building, the exhibition is of work by volunteers at a local gallery so there will be textiles, and paintings, and all manner of interesting works.  I shall endeavour to view it, for the thrill of hanging in public, before it closes; it only opened today, so there will be opportunities next week.  Fame at last.......

"Public mention of private matters.
Do not parade merely private matters before a public or mixed assembly or to acquaintances.  If strangers really wish to become informed about you or your affairs, they will find the means to gratify their curiosity without your advising them gratuitously.  Besides, personal and family affairs, no matter how interesting they may be to the parties immediately concerned, are generally of little moment to outsiders.  Still less will the well-bred person inquire into or narrate the private affairs of any other family or individual."

When I was growing up family affairs were never spoken of outside one's family, they were regarded as being no one else's business, and while this seems to have changed (reality TV, anyone?) I do my best to ignore other folks blathering on about their own and their family's private life.  I mind my own business, and expect others to do the same.

Enjoy your days!

A week in which not much has happened.....

Today is a cold grey cloudy day, a good day to stay inside and sew, or read, or toodle around on the computer, or just do very little.  As the saying goes, time you enjoyed wasting is not wasted time.

There is progress on the green purse.

That doesn't look like progress, but believe me it is.  Next step is to sew the inner pockets to the outer bag, which may be done today......and if not, why then it will be done on another day.  It will be a cheerful bright purse, just the Very Thing for our forthcoming spring.

The books are still not in order, but now there is A Plan in my head for doing that.  Meanwhile, it has been fun searching through shelves for a particular volume and being surprised by what is found.

The treadle practice also hasn't started because I have been unable to find the spare leather belt bought several years ago, and obviously put in the proverbial Safe Place when we moved here.  In the back of my brain I can still see the design on the plastic bag with the belt inside, but do you think I can remember where it was last seen?  At the time we bought two belts; Kevin installed one but the other machine is still beltless.  We have decided it will just be easier to buy another, because both machines need to be tried out to see which one is easiest to use.

Someone said to me at a meeting last week "I hear you are leading the U3A ukulele class"......"Oh, am I?  That's news to me" said I......I suspect (in fact I know) I am the most advanced in the group so it looks like it has fallen to me to lead, and I am in two minds about that.  We'll see what happens by the end of the year.

Lately our Federal Parliament has been in somewhat of a tizzy.  One section of our Constitution, put together in the closing years of the 19th century, requires that all members of Parliament must be Australia citizens - fair enough, I have no problem with that - and also that they must not be dual citizens of other countries.  Therein lies the fun......recently it has transpired that several MPs are, indeed, dual citizens although they all claim not to have previously known that fact.  Our local MP found out he is a dual citizen of New Zealand because his father was born there, and for 30 years from 1949 a child born anywhere in the world to a N.Z. parent automatically became a citizen of N.Z.  All these cases are going before our High Court, the highest in the land, for the learned judges to make their decision.  Personally, I hope they say that our local bloke (for whom I didn't and would never vote) is not eligible to be in Parliament and has to leave and, even better, has to pay back all the whopping salary he has been given since taking up his seat.  I would laugh loud and long.

We take our pleasures where we can find them, don't we?

I wish to goodness that TV and radio announcers would learn how to pronounce big words.  Don't they learn in school how words are put together?  A young woman reading the radio news has just said "prodiggus", but we're sure she meant "prodigious".  The woman who often reads our local TV news bulletin adds extra syllables to many words - "three" becomes "the-ree", "threat" becomes "the-reat".  She also mispronounces many local place names.  It has become quite irritating, and I am turning into one of those Olde Phartes who yells at the TV because of it.

"Writing as an aid to correct talking.
To converse correctly - to use correct language in conversation - is also a matter of importance, and while this can be acquired by a strict attention to grammatical rules, it can be greatly facilitated by the habit of writing down one's thoughts.  In writing, strict regard is, or should be, paid to the correct use of language, and when a person, from constant writing, acquires the habit of using correct language, this habit will follow him in talking.  A person who is accustomed to much writing, will always be found to use language correctly in speaking."

Newsreaders, please take note.  Not only do you need to pronounce words correctly and in context, you also need to be able to string words together on screen or paper to make sense.

Enjoy your days!

The books are not yet in order......

........but sometimes I just look at them, and sigh a sigh of contentment because they are home again.

Aaaahhhhhh.......

Not much of anything has been done at all lately.  For the past couple of weeks I have felt slightly ailing....but not ill.  Possibly coming down with a cold......but no, it seems not.  There has been a lot of lack of energy though; fortunately that seems to be going and some stitches were sewn in the sewing room today on the lime green purse. More will be sewn when I get off the computer.  The knitting has been continuing in the evenings as it's a great in-front-of-TV pastime, the front is nearly up to the armhole decrease.

Consequently no photos have been taken lately, either!  However, I've been trawling through the Great Photo File and found a few.

This callistemon - Aussies call them 'bottle brush' - was in our garden in the Big Smoke.

 These spring daffodils were in the garden of a very old house in a small town, an hour south of where we lived at the time.

The jacaranda tree in our Big Smoke back yard with a neighbour's huge house extension in the background, one of the reasons we moved.  I'm not sure why this photo has attached itself to the previous one; I can't be this beautiful and have a technical brain as well, you know.

Jacaranda trees are beautiful.  They originally come from South America but grow well in many other countries including much of Australia, and the view across our town in spring with those blue trees in bloom against the green hills is a glorious sight.  Ours was a self-sewn seedling a few years after we moved to the house, and twenty years later when we moved out it was a big spreading tree which took up a lot of the small yard but gave wonderful summer shade.

Lovely as that tree was, we don't miss living in the Big Smoke.  We have settled in here now.

The local historical museum is having its biennial (bi-annual? something that happens every two years, at any rate) open day next month and I have offered to demonstrate treadle machine sewing.  First, though, the machine needs to be cleaned and oiled.....and much practice needs to be done, I haven't treadled for a long time......I have two mid-1920s Singer 66 model treadle machines, one bought by my grandmother in about 1926 to make baby clothes for my mother and her little brother, the other given to me by my brother about 16 years ago because his neighbour was going to take it to the rubbish dump although there was nothing wrong with it.  They are wonderful machines.

"In every class of life, in all professions and occupations, good manners are necessary to success.  The business man has no stock-in-trade that pays him better than a good address.  If the retail dealer wears his hat on his head in the presence of ladies who come to buy of him, if he does not see that the heavy door of his shop is opened and closed for them, if he seats himself in their presence, if he smokes a pipe or cigar, or has a chew of tobacco in his mouth, while talking with them, or is guilty of any of the small incivilities of life, they will not be apt to make his shop a rendezvous, no matter how attractive the goods he displays."

Fortunately it has been a long time since a retail dealer was chewing tobacco in my presence.

Enjoy your days!

Best of all - we have our books back!

Early this week a nice young couple drove four hours to our house (all part of the insurance service, they packed up our books and treasures months ago too), carried a heap of boxes from the garage into the house, and unpacked our books and stuff.  The books used to be in order, they aren't now but will be again.  My music books are back......and my quilting and sewing books.......  I am a happy woman.

That is the end of the insurance claim for flood damage, six months to the day.

Sighing a contented sigh here, folks.

After the slow start my knitting is progressing beautifully.

 As you can see below, I do know how to knit fancy patterns.

The centre panel looks familiar, yes?  Because almost all my knitting pattern books were packed in the garage there was limited design choice available for a feature panel on the new jumper; I looked online but there was so much choice it was confusing.  One booklet hadn't been packed because it was in another room at the time, it was bought......oh, 20 years or so ago, probably more......and has instructions for four jumpers.  I loved them all so decided to eventually make each one, and this was first.  Two others were also made and are worn each winter, the fourth was started but was messed up - it's the most complicated of the four, this is the simplest and I love the colour and the design.  I'll make that really fancy jumper one day, though.

During the week I took myself, a uke and a song book along to the U3A uke group......not too sure about it......there were only three attendees besides me, and they are way behind my level.  Not wishing to boast, just stating a fact.  I didn't even play that slow when I was learning.  Apparently the Token Bloke who seemed to be leading the group (by a whisker, I think) prefers to play slowly and the others tag along behind.  The two women asked me how fast I would play, so I played at what I would consider a normal speed, they bravely joined in - and guess what, their fingers didn't fall off and the earth didn't stop spinning on its axis.  I pointed out that if we singing but not playing ukes we wouldn't sing that slowly, and they agreed.  The group co-ordinator hinted that I may end up leading them.  We'll see.

A couple of days ago we had our coldest morning temperature for four years, minus 5.3 deg C, but there was no frost......strange......we have had frosty mornings with milder temps.  It must have been very dry.  Rain showers are forecast for tomorrow, forecasts have been wrong before but we live in hope that this time it will be right.  It's a very dry season.

"Another condition of domestic happiness is intellectual sympathy,  Man requires a woman who can make his home a place of rest for him, and woman requires a man of domestic tastes.  While a woman who seeks to find happiness in a married life will never consent to be wedded to an idler or a pleasure-seeker, so a man of intelligence will wed none but a woman of intelligence and good sense."

A woman of intelligence and good sense......that sounds like me, don't you think?

Enjoy your days!

And finally.......we have furniture!

Our trip to the Big Smoke last weekend was hectic, but we now have our replacement furniture.  Kevin has been having a lovely time putting it together......just one desk left to go.

We don't miss the Big Smoke.  It was lovely to come home to the Small Smoke, where traffic is low and the air is quiet.  After seven years we belong here......not there.

On Friday night we paid a visit to our old music club and it was lovely catching up with folk again!  Not so many familiar faces though, lots of new ones, and much electronic gimcrackery with microphones and backing tracks and such like.  We used to be totally unplugged with just voices and instruments and no amplification because the acoustics in the hall are excellent.

Ah well.  Change happens.  We accept that, but we don't have to like the changes.

The trip down and back was livened up by flowering wattle alongside the highways - isn't it the most glorious colour?

 My knitting came along with me; the front of my newest creation was cast on, and 20 rows of ribbing completed.  The pattern I'm using from a book is plain; this travelling rib design was added to the front because I felt it needed something to give it a little oomph.  On the way home I started the pattern above the rib, knitted one row and realised that my calculations were out by 12 stitches.  We made a pit stop, I sat down with a coffee, pen and paper, and worked it out again.  (I'm better with words than with numbers, you know, it's no surprise there was a miscalculation) That row was un-knitted, and it was started again.

Two-thirds of the way along the third row I realised that I hadn't been following the directions correctly; instead of purling the background stitches I had been knitting them, so the relief pattern didn't stand out the way it should.  Le big sigh......those two and two-thirds rows were once more un-knitted, and it was started again......

......and now it's working out correctly, for which many sighs of relief are being sighed.  It's my current in-front-of-TV project; back and sleeves are already finished.  With luck, it may be ready to wear before winter is done although I am a long way from being the world's fastest knitter, and these days the old arthritic fingers don't like knitting for too long at a time so they need to take several breaks.

Because this is such a busy week not one stitch has been sewn in the sewing room.  Tomorrow is not looking good either......neither is Saturday, and Sunday is booked too......perhaps by the middle of next week there could be hope for a seam, or even two......

This morning I joined the local chapter of U3A!  They have a ukulele class on Wednesdays so I will check it out, because too much music is never enough.  There may even be other activities which appeal.

"Idleness a source of misery.
Perhaps the greatest cause of misery and wretchedness in social life is idleness.  The want of something to do is what makes people wicked and miserable.  It breeds selfishness, mischief-making, envy, jealousy and vice, in all its most dreadful forms."

That's pretty strong stuff, isn't it?  I, for one, am doing my best not to be idle.

Enjoy your days!

Like Goldilocks, it's just right

Recently I was browsing in a local quilt shop and found The Very Thing for the back of the Gumballs quilt.  While it wasn't previously at the top of the "to be quilted" list, the backing fabric was purchased and pieces have been cut to make more blocks so it has now moved up the list.  The Cunning Plan for the back is a wide piece of blue fabric, a narrow strip of orange, a row of pieced blocks, another narrow strip of orange, and the blue fabric to finish, as you can see below.

See why it called to me?  Different tones of blue with orange and gold spots.....the quilt top is pieced blocks in blue, orange and gold......how could I leave this on the shelf?  The orange fabric was also purchased because my stash didn't include a large piece of orange batik, and it will also be used for the binding.

We're well and truly into the depths of winter now.  Winter here is much milder than many parts of the world, and much colder than other parts.  Now that the house is carpeted again it is warm and our new fire is wonderful, so we won't be frozen little icicles by the time spring rolls around again.

Today has seen a buzz of activity in the kitchen.  A half-leg of lamb is roasting away in the slow cooker (using this recipe) for dinner tonight, potatoes and sweet potatoes will be roasted later.  I also made some roast sweet potato soup, it's done but we are yet to try it.  Winter is soup and roast time, isn't it?  Not ice cream weather, that's for sure.

Right now there is a heap of sport on TV and the woman of this house is not much of a sport fan.  The household bloke is enjoying watching the cycle race in France and the tennis in England, while I am fighting off boredom.  The TV is in the warmest room so in the evenings I just hunker down in my beautiful green chair and read......and read......knit a few rows, then read again......say "hmmm" at the appropriate time......I've been reading free mystery books on my tablet for quite a while; I like a bit of blood and gore but I am selective, you know.  The cover picture and blurb help me decide whether I will download and read it; if it has a bloke wearing very little while showing off his bare chest it won't make the cut.  The words "mystery" and "romance" together make me shudder, "cosy mysteries" are often very twee and not quite my taste, neither are books about international espionage/saving the world in five minutes/ancient holy relics suddenly reappearing after centuries/anything with a medical or legal background/anything with more than the merest hint of the supernatural/anything wallowing in teenage angst/serial killers/psychological horror stories......I want to be entertained, not have the bejabbers frightened out of me.  It also has to have at least 200 pages.  The current book is set in England the the main bloke (it would be stretching it to call him the hero) is a fairly depressing man whose aunt and uncle turn up dead leaving him the sole heir.  The story is interesting enough to ignore his continual need for a cigarette and/or a glass of whisky.

Looking at old shows, or shows set in the past, it's hard to believe that people smoked so much, isn't it?  I have never smoked in my life not ever never, not one ciggy has touched my lips, none of the funny stuff either, despite being married to a smoker for five years when I was young and silly.  I can't, and never could, stand the smell.

"Take care of the eyes.
The utmost care should be taken of the eyes.  They should never be strained in an imperfect light, whether that of shrouded daylight, twilight or flickering lamp or candle-light.  Many persons have an idea that an habitually dark room is best for the eyes.  On the contrary, it weakens them and renders them permanently unable to bear the light of the sun.  Our eyes were naturally designed to endure the broad light of day, and the nearer we approach to this in our houses, the stronger will be our eyes and the longer will we retain our sight."

Probably.

Enjoy your days!

To my Canadian family and friends......

......best wishes for Canada Day!