Happy birthday to me......

......Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday to Jennifer,
Happy birthday to me!

Finished is a great feeling!

Finally......autumn is here, and my autumn quilt is finished!

 Flapping happily in the back yard.

 A close-up of the oak leaf quilting.

Leftover fabrics were pieced to make a strip for the back; it has to hang sideways, because it's too long for the space between wash line and ground.

Finally - the artistically posed pic in the remains of the we-think-it-was-an-apricot tree. 

This was started in a class taught by Lyn Hewitt, from the book "Start with Squares" by Martha Thompson and taught with the author's permission .  It was published way back in 1996 but a good design never dates, does it?  It was very easy to make, and does start with just squares.

Another dry week.  You can see in the background of these pics that the hill is very dry, not a verdant skerrick, not one blade of green grass anywhere.  So far this year we have had less than one third of our average rainfall to date; there apparently "may" be a drop or two in the coming week, but we aren't holding our breath for it.  Farmers are having to go farther and farther afield to buy hay, because so much of the state is in the same position.  People are saying it's worse than the drought of the mid 1960s, which I can just remember......that drought eventually broke, and this one will too.  Eventually.  We just don't know when.

Our quilt group's annual challenge usually has its Big Reveal in late November but this year it's at the start of July, and the theme is to make a 50cm by 70cm hanging of "a local icon".  I would like to have a go but my brain doesn't do fancy-nancy applique designs.  It would have to be self-designed and thereby lies a problem......I just cannot draw.  Give me fabric to cut up and sew together, or an instrument to plink away at, and I'm happy - but am absolutely no good when it comes to artistically designed free hand stuff.  There is also the fact that so much sewing time was lost last year thanks to two floods; I would rather try to catch up with some of what didn't get done, than finagling around designing and making something I would then be stuck with because no one else would want it.  Madame President keeps saying "you don't have to do it, you know" but still, the pressure is there.

Perhaps I will get enthused during the coming week......thought I just saw a little piggy flying by, too......

More tumblers have been cut out lately, I would like to have them all done soon - only another 300 or so to go.  I find that more enjoyable than trying to draw a commemorative obelisk from 1938, believe me.

The cooler weather means spending more time in the kitchen.  Today's attempts will include an apple and pecan cake, and roast chook with all the trimmings for dinner.  The cake recipe is new to us, I found it online; should the fancy take any of you to give it a go you will need to scroll down on the link for the recipe.

"The love letter.
Of this it may only be said, that while it may be expressive of sincere esteem and affection, it should be of a dignified tone, and written in such a style, that if it should ever come under the eyes of others than the party to whom it was written, there may be found in it nothing of which the writer may be ashamed, either of silliness or of extravagant expression."

Just remember those words, next time you write a love letter.

Enjoy your days!

Progress.....

Finally, the binding is being sewn on "Falling Through Autumn"!

More progress has been made since this was taken - the binding is machined down on the front and the label is pinned on ready to be caught in the binding seam.  The edges still need to be trimmed but that won't take long, then the binding can be hand-sewn down on the back.  It can go with me to quilt group on Saturday, both to be worked on and to be waved around for show and tell.

Just in time for autumn, which is finally in progress.  We are very thankful; summer started early, went on for way too long, and was far too hot into the bargain.  Nights have cooled down, sleeping is much easier, and we wake up refreshed instead of still half-asleep and groggy.

This year we will have a longer cool season!  Autumn and winter here, then when spring is beginning to really heat up we will be off to Canada for several weeks to enjoy autumn once more.

The expensive travel paperwork question has been solved.  If one buys one's eTA (electronic Travel Authority) through the Canadian government website one pays $7 for each person.  However if one thinks one knows what one is doing but one's slightly more computer savvy wife is in the shower so is therefore unavailable to cast her sharp eyes over the computer screen and one goes to a commercial site offering the same documentation at a commercial rate without knowing what one is doing, why then......that's what one purchases.  Cost: $127 per person instead of $7.  That's $240 out of someone's budget.  It's darn well not coming out of mine, let me tell you.  It wasn't my mistake.

Not much unpacking of Stuff has been done since last week......all right, none.....but much thinking about it has happened.  Kevin is making shelving for our CDs; the new three-month old shelving had to be chucked after the second flood, and the new book shelves too.  However by making it ourselves we can have what we want instead of having to take what's available, and that is a very attractive idea. 

A few days ago I fronted up at the doctor's for the annual flu shot.  Like most people I'm not a fan of having painful things stuck into me, so imagine my horror when he said "come back a few weeks before you go overseas and I will give you another flu shot"!  When I asked why, he pointed out that we would be heading into the flu season in Canada and possibly sharing a plane with flu germs (as well as with 300 of our new best friends and 97 crying babies) so a further shot would be a good idea.  I can agree with that logic, but the thought of having another painful thing stuck into me doesn't fill me with glee.

Oh well......I have several months to psych myself up for it.

"Keep yourself quiet and composed under all circumstances.  Do not get fidgety.  If you feel that time drags heavily, do not let this be apparent to others by any visible signs of uneasiness."

While waiting for the doctor on Monday I kept myself occupied by some hand-work (as I usually do) and was also (as usual) the only person doing anything other than staring blankly into space or fidgeting with a phone.  I was certainly not visibly uneasy, even with the idea of having something painful stuck into me hanging over my head.

Enjoy your days!

It's now the middle of April!

We're back, as you can see!  We had a good holiday; the Canberra family is well and happy, Young Euan is growing like you wouldn't believe and leading his parents a merry dance while his grandparents sit back and chuckle remembering the days when his parents did similar things,  the folk festival was fun (although it would have been much more funner had I not succumbed to a bad dose of hay fever), no new instruments came home with me although I had a play of a beautiful small-body guitar which I still covet enormously, and the chocolate shops in Canberra still have some stock left.

The weather was surprisingly hot, dry and sunny.....a bit too hot and sunny for comfort most days.....Easter in Canberra is supposed to be autumn colours, mild days and cool nights.  Not so, this year.  Don't be fooled by the greens in the picture below, everywhere else was very dry.

 More like these two pics show.

 We discovered the new-to-us lookout at Red Hill last year and were most impressed!  This year we had lunch at the cafe overlooking Canberra, and a very nice lunch it was too.

Some brave locals were traipsing up and down the somewhat steep hill for their daily constitutional.  Hardy folk, those Canberrans.

We also went to the jewellery exhibition.....well, what can I say......those trinkets were mostly very gorgeous although there were some I didn't care for, the tutti frutti pieces among them.  There is just too much going on in those pieces.  I have never cared much for diamonds but after seeing some - not all, mind you! - of the diamond pieces on display I can see the attraction of a wall of shimmer on one's bosom or head; every time one moved one would sparkle and dazzle.  My favourite - even though it's not green! - is this pretty little tiara; compared to some of the jewellery on display it was fairly modest, but was quite sweet and I loved it.  Just the same, the green baubles were all rather lovely and I could have brought any of them home with me.

But I didn't.  Law abiding Jennifer, that's me.

Now we are back home and settling in the next Big Trip will be to Canada in early October......and the months won't take long to fly by, if the last few are an indication.  However, the Canadian government has now decided that Aussies travelling to Canada have to fill out and lodge a visa waiver form thingy which we have duly successfully done, but imagine our surprise when we found out, upon completion, that each form is costing us $127!!  Geez!!  That's $254 less to spend on maple syrup and fabric, you know......never had to do that in the past and we have visited Canada five times......sorry Canada, I love youse all but that's a bit rude......

Oh well.  If we want to see our boy we have no choice, and it's already paid.

My quilt is waiting to be bound, it is quilted with a design of oak leaves which suit the autumn colours.  The binding is made and pressed, still need to design a label but that will be done soon.  Something with an oak leaf or two, perhaps.  Then, hopefully before you know it, the whole thing will be all finished, done and completed!  Yay!

"Cleansing gold jewellery.
Gold ornaments may be kept bright and clean with soap and warm water, scrubbing them well with a soft nail-brush.  They may be dried in sawdust of boxwood.  Imitation jewellery may be treated in the same way."

I wonder if that method would be used on a diamond tiara?  And I wonder if one can buy sawdust of only one particular species?

Enjoy your days!

It's baaaack.......

Just when we thought the heat of summer had gone - it has returned!  We're having what the weather people call a 'mini heatwave' for a few days.   We still have to survive today and tomorrow and it should start to ease on Wednesday, just in time for when we head off in the caravan.....and we will be going south where it's cooler anyway, so that's all right.

Hot weather at this time of year isn't unusual, however.  Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary (42 years with the same bloke, I'm not sure which one of us deserves the bigger medal) and the day we married was very hot.  The heat stayed around for a few more days, but by the next weekend the weather had broken and summer was finally gone.  Fingers crossed that's what happens here, too.

Any sore heads from yesterday, St Patrick's Day?  We were very circumspect here, no leprechauns made their way into the Chateau des Wombats, just a little diddly-i music.

It was also International Quilting Day, did you know that?  I cut out fabric (some of which is green, thereby tying together both celebrations......you get value for money here, folks) and stitched a little, but no actual 'quilting' stitches were made.  If one doesn't actually 'quilt' on International Quilting Day, does this make one a failure as a quilter?

My quilt backing has been made, those two seams were quick to sew and trimming that humungous piece of fabric didn't take long either.  It has gone off to the quilter, and will be collected when we return from our jaunt down south in the middle of next month.  There are quilt shops down south, you know.....there is also a big music shop......

When in Canberra we often take in an exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia, or the National Library, or visit a chocolate shop - much as we love living here in the Small Smoke it is sadly lacking in chocolate shops - in short, we try to enjoy experiences we can't have here.  To this end we have booked tickets to an exhibition opening at Easter at the National Gallery of Australia, and you will all wish you were coming with us because it's Cartier trinkets and baubles, bangles and beads. 

I reckon every woman who attends should be given a little souvenir of her visit to take home and enjoy wearing.  I'll have an emerald trinket, thank you.....but not that one with the crocodiddlies.  I don't do reptiles, even if they're emerald reptiles.  The aquamarine tiara is pretty too, I could wear that shopping; after all, what's the point of having baubles like these if you never wear them?  A tiara would be the very thing for sashaying round the supermarket, yes?  Most of all I'm very partial to the necklace with the honking great emerald, it would sit nicely with the green strap on my tenor ukulele.

"To keep the hair from turning grey.
Take the hulls of butternuts, about four ounces, and infuse in a quart of water, and to this add half an ounce of copperas.  Apply with a soft brush every two or three days. This preparation is harmless, and is far better than those dyes made of nitrate of silver."

Copperas is also known as iron sulphate.  I always thought hair turning grey to be a natural process of aging so there isn't much can be done about it; one can refuse to accept it and dye the heck out of their hair, or one can just shrug one's shoulders and accept it.  I have done both, and for several years now have been shrugging for all I'm worth.  Surprisingly, considering my advancing age, my hair still has a lot of its natural colour although there is getting to be more grey with every passing year.  I can accept the grey but will not go for the Old Lady Chop, so it's still long.....an aging born-again hippy, that's me.

We'll be back in the middle of April.

Enjoy your days!

In which we revisit an old friend

A goal this year is to get a couple of my quilt tops finished, so this one has been taken from the Black Hole Where Quilt Tops Reside along with the backing pieces, one pieced strip (already done) (been done for a couple of years, actually) and two plain strips for the sides.  That is only two long seams.  I can do that.  Then there will need to be some trimming along the sides because it will be way heaps too wide.  I can do that, too.  Then......it can go off to be quilted!

If I get myself into gear and if the quilter can fit it in, it may even be able to be dropped off for quilting before we go away in ten day's time.  Binding will be the same brown print as the inner border.  I love this quilt, it really says "autumn " to me, so perhaps its name may be "Falling into/through Autumn" or something equally witty.

Aussies will recognise these handsome birds, our Aussie magpies.  Last breeding season seems to have been a good one so there are a lot of young birds around, and I have started to make friends by giving them an occasional treat of beef mince.

 Now, as soon as I step into our back yard, they come flying down to see me and sing to me.

 Probably saying to each other "here she comes, the sucker's on her way......"

 They are all slightly different but I am still learning to tell them apart, however the bird on the right in this pic and on the fence above is distinctive because it only has one foot.  It has a full left leg and foot, but the right leg ends at what I imagine would be its knee.  It can fly as well as the other birds, but sometimes its landings aren't very graceful.  We have named it 'Hopalong'.

Had this feller all lined up for the prize-winning shot, and blow me down if it didn't turn away just as I pressed the button.  Obviously camera shy, I sympathise.

In Australia we aren't encouraged to feed native birds, it's preferred that they forage for their own food and not become dependent on humans, but a lot of people do.  During the spring breeding season, August to October/November, magpies can be very territorial if anyone walks near their nesting tree and they may fly down and 'swoop' the person.  I've been swooped, it's quite scary - the clacking beak and the flapping wings from out of nowhere, then the peck on the head which drew blood.  However magpies are very intelligent; tests have shown that they can recognise faces (they certainly recognise mine when it's mince time) so humans within their breeding area are often regarded as 'family' and won't be attacked, the reason I am making friends by feeding them occasionally.  But - should you chase or annoy a magpie it will never forget that, and you will be swooped for ever more!  They don't, as a rule, like anyone on bicycles, our younger son was chased and pecked while riding his bike as a teenager in the Big Smoke.

As you can also see from these pics, we have had a little rain - the hill is green!  The grass isn't very long, but at least it's green!  The air has changed, too.....the heat of summer is nearly all gone, and there is a feeling of autumn in the air.  Nights and mornings are cooler, trees are getting ready to change, leaves are losing their bright green, and I have even spied the occasional yellow leaf.  Probably stressed from the hot dry summer, like the rest of us.

Plans are coming along nicely for our trip to Canada in October.  Plans are also proceeding well for the annual trip to Canberra for the National Folk Festival and to see our son and his family; Young Euan turned three just before Christmas, so I imagine he will have grown quite a lot since we saw him last year. 

"Be careful always to dry the hands thoroughly, and rub them briskly for some time afterward.  When this is not sufficiently attended to in cold weather, the hands chap and crack.  When this occurs, rub a few drops of honey over them when dry, or anoint them with cold cream or glycerine before going to bed."

Honey?  Surely that would just make the hands sticky, not soft and youthful?  I'll reserve judgement on that hint, but do let me know if you try it.

Enjoy your days!

In which we are making Plans

The main Plan is - we have booked our plane tickets to Canada in October, woo hoo!  That will give me several months to psych myself up for those loooong flights surrounded by 300 of our new best friends and 97 crying babies......

I am so happy to be going.  We need to see our boy again after his health issues - he's doing very well now, but it has been an anxious time for us all.  Even though he's now 39 years old, he's still our boy.

So.....we will be able to see sights like these again......

 .......because it will be autumn!

 We think we're doing well here to see a dozen trees in autumn foliage, so for us a whole hillside in fall colours is a glorious sight.

I am already drooling at the very thought!

Unfortunately the convenient self-contained unit we have stayed in on our previous visits to Toronto is no longer available, it has been sold.  Bummer......it was in a great spot not far from our son, far enough away that we all had our privacy but close enough that we could spend time together; their sometimes unsociable work hours weren't disturbed by our comings and goings.  However we have found another place just a couple of streets away that may be suitable, so we will enquire about bookings in the next day or so.

On another note, yesterday My Lovely New Bernina was used for the first time since the flood - and it still works, isn't that good?  Not to make anything exciting, though, just fulfilling a BOM obligation for my quilt group.  I really really don't like fiddly-diddly cutesy-woo applique.....little teeny tiny bird beaks and legs......the foot stool and  thick books which helped make the foot pedal and left foot a comfortable height were casualties of the flood, so I shall keep an eye out for replacements.

Some boxes have been unpacked, the house is slowly coming together.  Kevin is going to make replacement book shelves; we can't buy what we want, so that is the best option.  Once the cooler weather arrives we will feel more like the physical work involved in unpacking, sorting and culling - and there will be culling.  Maybe even a few books will be culled - now, that will be difficult.

We have had some rain!  Not a lot, but after such a dry summer we will take whatever we can get.  More is forecast, possibly even later today - we can but live in hope, clouds outside are getting quite dark already.

"Prompt payment of bills.
If an account is presented to you for payment, you should, if it is correct, pay it as promptly as though it were a promissory note at the bank already due.  The party who presents the bill may be in need of money, and should receive what is his due when he demands it, but some houses in a large way of business pay on special days of the week, and this is a good plan."

We have already paid for our plane tickets, does that count as prompt payment?

Enjoy your days!