A girl's best friend

According to the song it's supposed to be diamonds, but what if you're a girl who prefers coloured stones?  Emeralds, peridot....my newest unaffordable love is demantoid garnets which are the most scrumptious (and expensive!) green ever....sapphires, topaz, garnets.  Rubies if they aren't too pink.

I don't even have an engagement ring, we didn't get engaged.....we just got married.....it was the 1970s, after all, when people were being different just to be different and it was my second marriage anyway, so the whole 'get engaged with a diamond ring' thing seemed a bit meaningless.  Many years later Kevin gave me a lovely emerald and diamond ring, an un-engagement ring.

Having always been one of the aforesaid girls who prefers coloured stones, though, I have to admit to being swayed by some of the trinkets we saw at the Cartier exhibition in Canberra a few years ago.  Some of those tiaras, a solid wall of diamonds perched atop one's forehead, came close to changing my mind.  

But - I still love coloured stones best.

Progress on the diamonds so far.

All the diamonds on the right are grouped in threes, light, medium and dark; the top left (there are more than you would think) are single light diamonds, and just a few medium on the left.  It's only two weeks and two days until we go away so I had better get cracking with cutting more, yes?  

I am pleased to announce that, finally, the batting is inserted between front and back borders of my Canadian quilt, and when we return home it will be quilted.  There won't be time beforehand.

It took so long to do because it's a method I haven't used before, and when one isn't a very confident person one hesitates to do new things in case one just messes up.  That probably comes from having perfectionist parents for whom one's best was frequently not good enough; a less-than-perfect school exam result - that is, anything not in the top three in the class - was looked on as abject failure and frequently resulted in a severe beating.  I'm not asking for sympathy, just telling how it was....but it has resulted in a lack of self-esteem and confidence, even all these years later.  Some things just never leave you, you know.

The new jumper is coming along well, decreasing for the armholes on the back is progressing.  Having two stitches less in every two rows means that the further along it is the quicker it progresses, if you can follow that.

This year I did something I've never done before, I ordered myself six hot cross buns from the French baker/patisserie on the other side of the river (because Kevin doesn't eat fruit buns, and because we've always been away at Easter), collected them yesterday morning and to date have conducted two taste tests....they are far and away the nicest hot cross buns ever with a hint of - something, could be cardamom perhaps?  Might need to taste test the remaining four to make a proper decision....

Visitors are arriving in town for the postponed country music festival which officially starts tomorrow, but which seems to be already under way.  Lots of new faces in town; it's easy to play 'pick the tourist'!  We have earmarked a couple of concerts to attend; these days 'country music' seems to have evolved into country rock with screaming guitars and loud drums and basses which is not our taste at all, but we can manage to avoid that.

More suggestions for gentlemen:

"When gentlemen, invited to a house on the occasion of an entertainment, are not acquainted with all the members of the family, their first duty, after speaking to the host and hostess, is to ask some common friend to introduce them to those members whom they do not know.  The host and hostess are often too much occupied in receiving to be able to do this."

Indeed.  Making the acquaintance of the family members of one's host and/or hostess is a polite thing to do.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

The wildlife around here is.....wild

A couple of days ago we harnessed up the trusty steed VW and drove downtown for the weekly drug run, because when you are Olde Phartes who haven't been anywhere much for the past two years (apart from one trip away, a year ago) the drug run can be a social highlight.  When we returned we drove up and stopped in front of the garage whereupon Kevin hopped out of the trusty steed, garage key in hand, to open the door.  (We are old school Olde Phartes.  We don't have one of those fancy-nancy electronic garage door opener thingies.)  As he walked around the front of the car he motioned me to come and look at something between the front of the car and the garage door.....and it was this big feller!

A big bluey, or blue tongue lizard - a very large skink.  Their tongue is indeed bright blue, and is used to scare predators.  This plump feller - we didn't ask if it was a boy or a girl - had flattened itself out to soak up warmth from the concrete in front of the west-facing garage door.  It would have been more than 30cm long, or over 12 inches in old money.  Needless to say, we didn't put the car away until it had moved back into the garden.

It is said that if you have a friendly bluey hanging around you won't have snakes, although that isn't quite so.  The story probably arose because blueys will eat snake eggs so there might seem to be fewer snakes around, but if it came to a fight between an adult brown snake and an adult blue tongue lizard the snake would probably win.  Despite this one's fearsome appearance they are good to have in the garden, as they eat snails and slugs.

Kangaroos have been coming around in the mornings, as grass with the dew still on seems to make for a tasty snack.

Progress has been made in the sewing room:  some diamonds have been cut, stitches have been taken in the flower basket quilt.  Stitches of another kind have also been knitted.  The Canadian quilt has been pulled out once more to work on the border; the batting is being inserted between front and back then it will be quilted to hold it in place.

If the world was in a different place we wouldn't be here this week, we would be in Canberra for the big folk festival.  It hasn't been held for the past two years due to the plague but is on this year......and we won't be there, first time (for me, anyway) since 1996.  By today we would have arrived, have our campsite set up and even been working the first of several volunteer shifts, something I first started doing in 2002.  Since the last festival three years ago there have been many changes, some due to the ongoing plague and others due to changes in organising personnel and procedures, but that's the way of the world now.  We understand that changes happen, even if we don't always like the changes.

Oh well.  We will see what next year brings, won't we....so much of our lives these days seem to be "wait and see'.

Our weather is definitely autumnal now.  Nights are cooler (although still not cold) and, athough the days warm up by mid afternoon, they start to cool down quicker than they did even a few weeks ago.  Perhaps if we are very lucky one day soon we might be able to take ourselves on a Nice Sunday Drive to admire some autumn leaves, because you all know how much I love those colours.

More "Suggestions for gentlemen:

A really well-bred man will remember to ask the daughters of a house to dance, as it is his imperative duty to do so; and if the ball has been given for a lady who dances, he should include her in his attentions.  If he wishes to be considered a thorough-bred gentleman, he will sacrifice himself occasionally to those who are unsought and neglected in the dance.  The consciousness of having performed a kind and courteous action will be his reward."

Back in my dancing days - not very many years ago - on entering the ballroom we were each issued with a dance card, and part of the fun was booking partners.  Sadly Kevin would not and did not dance, but I still enjoyed the exercise and the dressing-up.  Somehow, though, I don't think the twice-fractured right foot would go for an energetic polka, or even a more genteel waltz, any more.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Waiting for the heavens to open

Judging by the weather radar, that might happen fairly soon....

Daylight saving ended sometime this morning at stupid dark o'clock, a time when no one in their right mind is out and about.  We reset a few clocks before heading off to bed (although Kevin forgot to set our bedside clock, resulting in a little confusion on getting up) and found out that things like phones and computers had reset themselves as if by magic.  The stove clock, however, doesn't have magic and takes a bit of working out....and the less said about the car clock, the better.

Nothing photo-worthy has happened this week.  Strips have been cut for sashings for the house quilt - about two-thirds are done.  Stitches have been taken on the flower basket quilt, joining of the final two sections are progressing along nicely.  A few stitches were knitted.  No diamonds were cut out.  

Every time we go anywhere we notice more and more signs of autumn, and it seems early this year because of our relatively mild summer.  (Not that I am complaining, summer's heat and I not being good friends)  So how about some autumn glory?

These were taken on our last trip to Canada late in 2018, but the beauty of the colours never fades.  The pic above, taken in Midland, Ontario, is a tree we saw each time we drove into a car park behind main street shops.

Bayfield, Ontario, is a small town with beautiful trees.

Heading across country to British Columbia, we visited MacMillan Provincial Park with friends.  This was moss on a fallen tree.

Sad to think that it was probably our last trip.  By the time travel becomes relatively easy again we will be too old (and probably too poor!) to head off on such a journey; those long plane flights are no fun at all.  But - those trips have given us friends and memories that will always be with us.

Thanks to the covid plague, U3A has once again been cancelled.  Oh well; we had two ukulele get-togethers before the plug was pulled.  The Monday group is practising for our moment of fame and glory in a concert at the end of the month, although public holidays and school holidays (which mean grandparent duty for some) mean that we won't see other much in April at all.

During the week while out and about I even bought some new clothes, how about that?  Now that we can go out and about again those new jeans (sadly needed, I fear) and a new top will be Just The Thing.  

I smell rain.....won't be long now.....

More Suggestions for Gentlemen:

"If a lady asks any favor of a gentleman, such as to send a servant to her with a glass of water, to take her into the ball-room when she is without an escort, to inquire whether her carriage is in waiting, or any of the numerous services which ladies often require, no gentleman will, under any circumstances, refuse her request."

How many of us, I wonder, have ever had a glass of water delivered by a servant? or had someone check if our carriage is waiting?  Sadly, probably not many of us.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Every phone needs a case

My Lovely New (Green!) Phone now has a case.

Some quilted fabric left over from making a bag was used for a nifty phone case.  The hook fastening was self-stick but the edges started to kick up a little, so they were stitched down.

You can see the green phone and the green case don't ~quite~ match. but what the heck.....green is green, right?  This was the bag from which the leftover piece came.

Those fabrics were brought some years ago from a store in Canberra which has now closed down.....as soon as I saw it on the shelf I knew some had to come home with me.  The not-quite-solid shot green is a great match too, yes?  Pattern is McCalls 4118, but I'm not sure if it's still current or if it's been discontinued.

That's pretty much been the sum total of my achievements this week, although a few rows were knitted on my jumper and stitches were taken on the flower basket quilt.  Early in the week I was asked to swap morning tea/BOM duties with another member of my quilt group who is unwell; not a problem said I, and I even found a block which was first decided on two years ago before the world fell apart, so now it has left my sewing room.  

The Cunning Plan for the coming week is to cut more diamonds, and to make a start cutting sashing for house blocks.  That is the Plan.  Whether it will actually happen.....ah, that we don't know.

On Wednesday night we took ourselves to the theatre to see an amateur production of 'The Full Monty'...oh my goodness.  It was very cheeky....very cheeky indeed; six blokes' worth of cheek!  The film was a hit several years ago, the stage show came later but kept very close to the film plot.  I shall never look at that young bloke who does the sports report on the nightly news the same way.

It has rained, welcome rain, as the garden had started to dry out.  At least we have been spared the floods which so many other places have had to cope with.  One of these days we may even pull up a few weeds, once the ground has had a chance to soften and make that task easier.  Every time we venture out we notice more signs that summer is ending and the rich colours of autumn are on the way.

Now that mask wearing is only compulsory in a few circumstances - mostly medical - it is so good to be able to interact once more with people we meet and indeed to be able to recognise people without most of their face covered, although staff in various businesses still wear them. I have ventured out more in the past couple of weeks than for several months; it's been easy to become a hermit and stay home rather than cope with the stress and panic of having to wear a mask.  

Now we have worked our way to the end of 'Duties of Guests', we have specific advice for gentlemen:

"Some suggestions for gentlemen.

A gentleman should never attempt to step across a lady's train.  He should walk around it.  If by any action he should tread upon any portion of her dress, he must instantly beg her pardon, and if by greater carelessness he should tear it, he must pause in his course and offer to escort her to the dressing-room so that she may have it repaired."

Wise words to keep in mind, gentlemen, although in this day and age not many women wear a long dress with a train apart from their wedding day - and sometimes not even then.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Success!

Have you all had a good week?  We have, although it was busy busy busy....we were out nearly every day, now that activities are cranking up again.  Never mind; it's good to be among people again, and to catch up with folks we haven't seen for what seems like a very long time.

During the week the decision was made to trace around a few possible template sizes for tumbling blocks so some were chosen, traced around in threes to get an idea of size, and a choice made to go with size E as a finished size.  Best of all - the diamonds already cut fit inside this shape, so they can be recut rather than wasted.  

This will be a good size when more are made and joined; the lightest colour will be at the top of the box while the darker fabrics will form the 'sides'.  The fabrics were more or less sorted into lightest - darkest - everything else.  More or less.  These are fabrics used in my tumbler quilt and as with that there is no fussy cutting here either; the fabric designs just fall where they are cut.  I can do random.  Some people have trouble with random - I have no trouble with it at all.

Not sure what that says about my brain, you know......

This template pack has nine different sizes, the smallest is half inch finished.....it that fiddly-diddly, or what?  This one is marked "3 inch hex".

Yesterday, it seems, was International Quilting Day, always held on the third Saturday in March rather than a fixed date, so it's appropriate that my little block was made on that day.  Another block was also finished by machine.

It was also our anniversary.....yes indeedy folks, 46 years of wedded bliss and so far neither of us has yet committed murder!  We took ourselves out to lunch, and a very nice lunch it was too.  

All the house blocks are trimmed.  This is a cause for rejoicing.  Now the sashing strips will be cut; the directions in the book aren't very specific as to number of strips, but I can count the strips in the picture.  Then it will be sew-sew-sew.  And sew on.

Our long-awaited choir concert now has a fixed date after two on-again off-again years.  It will be on 30th April, so we have delayed our trip south until after that.  The ukulele group has been asked to be a 'guest artist' and I have also been asked to repeat my performance from last year's Eisteddfod, how nice is that.....fame at last, at my advanced age!

Tomorrow is the autumn equinox, the official start of autumn, as we were taught at school.  For some of you it will be spring with bunnies and blossoms, while for us it's cooler nights (this morning was a little chilly) and rich colours.

The last of our "Duties of guests":

"While the hostess is receiving, no person should remain beside her except members of her family who receive with her, or such friends as she has designated to assist her.  All persons entering should pass on to make room for others."

Yes.  Once you have greeted your hostess move into the room.  Don't stand in the doorway or block up the hall, as Bob Dylan said.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Breezin' along with the breeze

Like the old song.  Over the past week we seem to have been chasing our tails with very little to show for it; waiting at appointments (don't you feel like sending a bill for wasting your time when your appointment is for a specific time and you still end up waiting?  I do), filling in time while the lenses on my reading glasses were changed for newer stronger ones - I can now thread a needle again, yay! - and other ways to use up time.

We even had a ukulele group gig, our first since mid-November last year.  Our token bloke Brian asked us to be the entertainment for the monthly meeting of his prostate cancer group.  The members and their support people said nice things to us and about us, and we (and hopefully they) had an enjoyable afternoon.  The yummy home-made treats for afternoon tea weren't bad either.....butterfly cakes, chocolate walnut brownie.....I would happily play for them again.....

Our world is getting busier; the coming week has a few 'firsts' again after so many activities were shut down for so long.  First day back volunteering at a gallery on Tuesday, first U3A meeting tomorrow, first U3A ukulele get-together on Thursday, sewing group on Wednesday.  I'm wondering if I should schedule a time just to sit and draw breath.

While waiting for Kevin to come out of his appointment I managed to get a few rows knitted on the jumper I haven't touched for *ahem* some months.  It's now only one centimetre (or half an inch in old money) from being long enough for the armhole decrease.

Yarn is 'Rustic' 8 ply from Bendigo Woollen Mills, colour Mustard.  That's about equivalent to DK for the non-Aussies.  I just lurve the colour.....haven't decided if it will be a jumper (sweater) or cardy, but am leaning towards a jumper.  The back and sleeves are the same in any case so they will be made first, and one of my knitting stitch dictionaries has come up trumps with an intricate cable design for the front.

The decision also hasn't been made about what size diamonds to cut for tumbling blocks.  The smaller of these makes a 3.5 inch hexagon while the larger is four inches; the previous template was in between the two of these.  I quite like the smaller....perhaps I should do what was done before, and make one of each to see which I prefer.

If a little fabric is wasted in the process....why then, it's only fabric, isn't it?  There's plenty more where that came from....

Trimming the house blocks continues, the pile of 'to be trimmmed' blocks is diminishing and the pile of 'done finished trimming' blocks is growing.  Had the week been less busy more would have been done, but never mind.  It will get done.   

The world seems to be in....not a good place lately, doesn't it?  Some days it makes you feel like staying in bed with the covers over your head wishing it would all go away and be magically transmogrified into lollipops and rainbows again, but we know that's not going to happen.  Sigh....

The reason for the medical stuff is because once we reach a Certain Age the state government has decreed that we have a medical assessment declaring us fit to drive a motor vehicle.  It includes an eye assessment (I have an annual eye check-up in any case, have done for a long time) and questions being ticked off by a doctor.  Sigh....at least it is now done for the year, so a 12 month respite before having to do it again.  And again.....I really don't like going to the doctor, I try to avoid medical Stuff wherever possible.  If only it would avoid me.

Recently my phone died and had to be replaced.  I am now the owner of a new phone, pastel green, a pretty thing indeed.  It needs a padded case and in my sewing stash is the Very Thing, a piece of quilted fabric left over from a bag made some years ago.  Green, of course....when the house blocks are all trimmed.

Continuing "Duties of guests":

"It is not binding upon any gentleman to remain one moment longer than he desires with any lady.  By constantly moving from one to another, when he feels so inclined, he gives an opportunity to others to circulate as freely; and this custom, generally introduced in our society, would go a long way toward conributing to the enjoyment of all.  The false notion generally entertained that a gentleman is expected to remain standing by the side of a lady, like a sentinel on duty, until relieved by some other person, is absurd, and deters many who would gladly give a few passing moments to lady acquaintances could they but know that they would be free to leave at any instant that conversation flagged, or that they desired to join another.  In a society where it is not considered a rudeness to leave after a few sentences with one, to exchange some words with another, there is a constant interchange of civilities, and the men circulate through the room with that charming freedom which ensures the enjoyment of all."

Indeed.  You are permitted to circulate - in fact, please do.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Keeping out of mischief

That's about all has happened this week, actually.

Books have been read.....most not memorable, but enjoyable at the time. 

Stitches have been taken on the flower basket quilt and a name is percolating around in my brain - 'Flower baskets'  - but in French, 'Paniers de fleurs', which sounds more posh and less boring than English, n'est ce pas?  Many years ago a suitable label was bought for that quilt, and last year backing was bought. 

The soft lime green will compliment the flower prints on the front as many of them have green somewhere in the design, and the label will have the details hand-embroidered.  The label is not *quite* square, and not *quite* printed on the straight grain, but I'll make it work.

The diamond templates I ordered have arrived but nothing has been cut yet, as my back decided to be annoying every time I stood up.  Never mind.....it will get done.

Some house blocks have been trimmed, once again the rebellious back made that difficult.  Trim two blocks, sit down for an hour......trim another block.....give up.  Make coffee.  Sit down and read.  Fortunately it is slowly improving.

The big news in this part of the world of late has been floods.  Fortunately we don't live in a flooded area but having undergone two floods in 2017 I can feel for those who have been washed out of their homes - and our water was clean, straight from the town system, not muddy water carrying along trees, dead animals, parts of buildings and sewage in its wake.  Lives have been lost, homes have been irreparably damaged; farmers have lost stock, crops and buildings.  Our hearts go out to them.  I remember bad floods when I was growing up and a family we knew was regularly flooded out of their timber cottage; I remember Mrs Wilson saying to my mother "you can sweep out the mud when it dries but you never get rid of the smell, because it has seeped into the wood".

One of the saddest stories though - to me, anyway - is the damage done to a beautiful piece of furniture, the Hannah Cabinet.  On a visit to the Bungendore Woodworks Gallery several years ago we saw the Hannah Cabinet on display.....and I don't think I have ever seen such an exquisite man-made object; we walked around and ogled it, and watched the video, and walked around some more.....admired the marquetry made from many different woods and stones featuring Aussie birds and flora.  Those of us who make Stuff can appreciate things made by other makers, the hours of work it takes, the skills needed (even if we don't use the same skills), and to have it damaged so badly must be heartbreaking to its maker.  I hope it is able to be saved.

We have been lucky enough to see other pieces of Geoff Hannah's work, one being the cabinet held at 'Yarralumla', the official residence of the Australian Governor General.  Once a year (this was pre-covid, of course) the ground floor public rooms are opened to the public for charity, and we saw the Yarralumla Cabinet there.  I coveted it mightily then, and I still do today......and I love the "secret drawers", so watch it to the end.

We enjoyed a concert from a visiting choir last night, our first outing for a long time.  We even enjoyed a choc top ice cream at interval - our first for two years, how good is that!

More 'Duties of Guests':

"Another duty of guests is that each one should do all in his or her power to contribute to the enjoyment of the evening, and neither hesitate nor decline to be introduced to such guests as the hostess requests."

Sage advice.  The hostess, after all, is trying to keep her guests mingling, and a shy wallflower contributes very little to the occasion.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer