Opal tree

We all know that opals don't grow on trees.  My opal jewellery (I am lucky enough to have some) certainly didn't - but if it had, it might have been from a tree such as this one.  The fabric used for trunk and branches looks very opal-y, doesn't it?  (I know there's no such word, but I don't know what it should be.....opalescent, perhaps?)  The tree fabric has a look of William Morris about it.

Water puddles in a tree, another fabric used in 'Summertime Blues'.  We have had a little rain in recent days, and more is forecast for the next couple of days too.

An interesting pair of trees for the week, taking the total so far to 42.  The original quilt used 99 blocks.

This morning some of the members of my quilt group attended a trunk show put on by a quilter visiting from interstate.  Her quilts were all antique - and even if they didn't meet the definition of a true "antique"  (an article over 100 years old) they were certainly vintage, and each and every one was hand-quilted.  Many were pieced and appliqué quilts from the 1920s-30s; this was described as being "from the time of the American Civil War, early 1860s".  I don't know if it is or not, I suspect perhaps not, but it appealed to me most of all.

A couple of the blocks showing fabrics used.  I like the red used for the alternate squares.

Not all the light fabrics in this block were the same; two of the nine-patches use a different print to the other three.

The same blue fabric was used in all the blocks, and the sashings between blocks were a different blue fabric - but once again, all used the same blue.  The tan setting triangles were the same throughout the quilt, although faded in some places more than others.

How has everyone's been been?  Ours was, as usual, fairly quiet.....stitched were stitched, words were read, songs were plinked and sung.  We went out foraging for food and similar Stuff, and that was about it.  

All very unexciting, I suppose, but at least we haven't been affected by the blackouts happening in other parts of town caused by fruit bats roosting in electricity transformers.  We are supposed to love all creatures, but bats are a species of which I am not fond - especially these bats.  They are usually more prevalent at the coast a few hours east of us, but habitat clearing sends them inland looking for just the right flowering trees.  It seems that we have an abundance of the correct trees, so that means we have thousands upon thousands of bats.  Apart from some wildlife people no one likes them, but we are stuck with them until they move on....which they will, eventually, although that can't come soon enough for those poor folk who keep losing power.  A couple in the choir were saying on Thursday night that their part of town is the worst affected; the noise and particularly the smell are difficult to live with, but as horrible as it is they cheer themselves up by saying "at least we don't live in Gaza."

Eventually the bats will move away as they have before, and we will all breathe a deep sigh of relief.  Then one day they will return......

Continuing with last week's quote.

"Driving.

The place of honor is on the right hand of the seat facing the horses.  This is also the seat of the hostess, which she never resigns.  If she is not driving, it must be offered to the most distinguished lady.  A person should enter a carriage with the back to the seat, so as to prevent turning around in the carriage.  A gentleman must be careful not to trample upon or crush a lady's dress.  In driving, one should always remember that the rule of the road is to keep to the left."

Now, that is interesting.  This book is adapted for "the Australasian colonies" from an American publication, and Americans - and indeed the citizens of many other countries - certainly don't drive on the left these days.  Perhaps the advent of the horseless carriage brought about the change of custom?

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Birthday trees

On Friday I completed another circuit around the sun.  I am not saying how old I am now, suffice it to say that I am probably older than dirt.  It was a pleasant day and I was taken out to lunch; I always enjoy a meal I haven't had to cook and I never cook on my birthday anyway, so it was doubly enjoyable.

And now I am a bigger number.

This week's trees, started on Friday and finished yesterday, so they can still be called birthday trees.

A geometric tree, just right for autumn.  The contrast was used for a tree several weeks ago, and it suits this print well.....I quite like the combination.

Another blue and green tree, because it's a pairing that always works.  The blue is leftover from 'Summertime Blues', and the green is a tone on tone from the Big Basket.  The contrast was originally going to be a different fabric but it was one which suffered from the flooding several years ago - the fabrics were dried off but not checked at the time for any problems as we had to put the house back together and replace ruined carpets, furniture, etc.  Damaged fabric was the least of my worries.

A pair of interesting trees.

We haven't seen the kangaroos on the hill behind us for some time because this herd of cattle roam around, and we are told that kangaroos don't like cattle and vice versa.  We think they belong to a bloke on the other side of the hill.

The breed is 'Speckle Park', or 'dalmatian cows' as our son called them when we told him.  They are apparently good eating.  When they visit, we notice that the air wafting around is definitely more.....rural.

How has everyone been this week?  Apart from Birthday Friday it was the usual uneventful week; stitches were sewn, words were read.  Songs were plinked and sung.  Hunting and gathering occurred, and that was about it.  It is now Mother's Day which we are spending quietly, with a welcome phone call from our Canberra son earlier.

During the week the previous U3A leader contacted me to say she would be absent for some time as she has shoulder problems, the message was very affable and friendly.  I have not replied, because I don't care.  She left me in the lurch last year without a word of warning or apology when I was still recovering from the broken arm and other injuries, so she can take a running jump.  I'm not usually nasty unless I consider I have been wronged, and in this case I do.  All sweetness and light, that's me, folks.

Moving right along.

It's been cool enough at night to have a fire burning, although we let it go out in the mornings.  This house cools down once the sun moves around by mid-afternoon, so it feels a little cooler than we like to be.  Having the fire burning on low all night means that the house warms up quickly when the sun hits it, rather than having to wait for the warmth of the sun to do so.  The first couple of winters after moving here we wondered why it was so cold in winter despite the fire, and closing doors to rooms not in use at the time etc., so we had the ceiling checked - only to find that there was absolutely no insulation in the ceiling at all.  Not a skerrick, as my Nana Davis used to say.  We soon had that remedied, and immediately noticed the difference.  There seem to have been budgetary short-cuts taken in many areas of this house when it was built; some we have had fixed, others we can live with.

"Driving.

The choicest seat in a double carriage is the one facing the horses, and gentlemen should always yield this seat to the ladies.  If only one gentleman and one lady are riding in a two-seated carriage, the gentleman must sit opposite the lady, unless she invites him to a seat by her side."

This week's quote is a wee bit long, so we will have the rest next week.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

May the fourth, and all that Stuff

Although I'm not a Star Wars fan....my brain doesn't do science fiction, I have never seen any of the movies and don't really care for the music either, but they are popular.  So, May the fourth be with you, and all that.

Moving right along.

This print has different background colours including pink and green but many of the flowers on the green background have solid petals, making them dark blobs.  That might be good on a larger block but not one this size, so just the orange background was used.  

This blue fabric was the back of Summertime Blues - as soon my eyes hit on it at the quilt shop, I knew it was perfect.  The orange fabric has been used on another tree, a dark green one, but it looks different here because of the background.  I'm not going to be precious about only using fabrics once....if they look good they will be used, and this looks good.

This week's bright trees.

During our visit to Canberra in March we managed to find a parking spot at the National Arboretum, a rare thing indeed as it's a very popular place to visit, so we had lunch at their cafe with the wonderful views.  We were too early for the autumn colour, although some plantings were starting to change.  We don't visit the Arboretum every time we are in Canberra, but we go often enough that we can enjoy its progress over time.

How have you all been?  We survived an election yesterday; some people may be disappointed by the result but, as it was well and truly a majority win, many people are obviously pleased.  Our MP has been returned....he wasn't part of the winning team....perhaps one day he won't be our MP any more, either.  We can only live in hope.

Words have been read, and music has been sorted.  Stitches have been sewn.  There is mending in the sewing room waiting to be done, a bed sheet which has a small hole to be fixed before it gets washed, otherwise that small hole may become a much larger hole during its time in the washing machine.  Songs were sung at choir.  We hunted and gathered to avert starvation, and that was the week.

Best of all, it's definitely autumn!  For the past few nights we have had a fire to keep us warm, and to stop the house from cooling down too much overnight.  Earlier in the week the slow cooker came out for the first time in quite a while, to be used for maple mustard chicken; it's a bit like honey mustard but with maple syrup instead of honey - it's quite yummy.  Shorts have been put away and longer sleeves brought out.  I don't mind cooler weather but do feel the cold, so need to warmly dressed for it; the maximum daytime temperature is deceiving, as the wind chill takes it down several degrees.  Lovely in the sun, but as soon as you turn a corner into that south-easterly breeze it's a different story.

We have an anniversary coming up this week - on Wednesday 7th May it will be 15 years since we shook the dust of the city off our heels and moved here, to the Small Smoke.  It's been a good decision; nowhere in the world is perfect, but it comes pretty darn close for us.  15 years is a whole decade and a half....it doesn't seem that long!

"Assisting a lady to alight from her horse.

After the ride, the gentleman must assist his companion to alight.  She must first free her knee from the pommel, and be certain that her habit is entirely disengaged.  He must then take her left hand in his right, and offer his left hand as a step for her foot.  He then lowers his hand slowly and allows her to reach the ground gently without springing.  A lady should not attempt to spring from the saddle."

That sounds complicated, doesn't it?  I wouldn't blame a lady for springing, you know.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Up to three dozen trees now

Three dozen is 36, so that's several weeks' worth of trees.  A whole forest of trees.

On our visits to Vancouver Island we have been amazed by the trees - in fact, we call it "The Land of Tall Straight Trees".  If memory serves me right this print was bought on Vancouver Island, so it can be one of those tall straight trees.

Several years ago I looked at this print and thought....hmmm, I thought......there's a quilt in that.  Summertime Blues was the result, with the colours reversed; blue was the main colour - every shade of blue from pale turquoise to deep purple - with orange/gold as the contrast.  There was a piece left that was just big enough to cut one tree (fabric is cut 6-1/2in by 9in) and the contrast is also a leftover from my Canadian quilt, used to represent the ocean.  

An interesting pair of trees.  After sewing and trimming, they finish at 6in by 8-1/2in.

Spread out in all their glory.

They really are fun to make.  A group pic will be taken each time another 12 trees are added.

"The Land of Tall Straight Trees", for sure!

How have you all been this past week?  We finished off Easter, then had a few normal days before Anzac Day brought another holiday and another long weekend.  We don't do any special celebrating for Anzac Day, as most of Australia seems to do.  I have memories of that day when I was young, it was never a good day in our house; my father enlisted when he was 20 and was eventually sent overseas to New Guinea, where he served in the War Graves Unit - which would have been horrific  Like many returned servicemen he never joined in the march on Anzac Day, but he did play in a band which marched in the parade.  The march ended with an ecumenical church service at a sports ground, after which the adult band members went around town on a pub crawl.  They would set themselves up outside each pub in turn and play, drinkers would send beers out to them, they would get more and more stonkered - my father did not have a good tolerance for alcohol, it didn't take much to put him under - and eventually he would make his way home.  My mother's fuse was quite short by then (it was never a long fuse at the best of times) so of course there would be fights and arguments for the rest of the day, while my brothers and I tried to keep out from underfoot and away from arm's reach.  

So no, it was never a good day.

Words have been read, stitches have been sewn.  Sorting of the music continues. and will do for quite some time.  Some stitches were knitted; knitting is a good thing to have along when going to the doctor, as I had to a few days ago.  Nothing major or even exciting, just the medical driving check that we in New South Wales have to undertake every year from A Certain Age.  While I was there the nurse asked about having a flu shot....all right, I said, been having them for over 25 years without any problems....although I really hate, detest and loathe having injections.  (I don't like them, either.)  She must have hit a blood vessel because it bled, and we chatted about the fact that redheads - which I was, before going grey - bleed more than other folk.  It's genetic, she said.  Fancy that, I said, and we feel pain more than other people do too.  Apart from unusual tiredness for a couple of days there have, fortunately, been no ill effects from the injection so now I have a whole year to psych myself up for the next one.

A place we visited on our trip away was the Holtermann Museum at Gulgong.  Several years ago, while visiting the Big Smoke, we were lucky enough to see the exhibition which spawned the founding of this museum and found it really interesting.  Considering those photos are over 150 years old they are so clear, and paint a vivid picture of life on the goldfields of the time; women appear to be wearing their best clothes and children have been spruced up for the photographer, while men have also been fluffed and polished despite the mud and dust.  I wonder what they would think of us now, looking at them as they were back then?

It has been raining all night and most of today, gentle soaking rain.  It's been cloudy and misty, not very warm although not too cold, not quite, but an extra layer of clothing is welcome.  The thought of lighting the fire has even crossed our minds.  Quite a lot of rain fell here while we were down south but none since, so this rain will be beneficial.

"If a gentleman, when riding alone, meets a lady who is walking and wishes to enter into conversation with her, he must alight and remain on foot while talking with her."

Well yes, so he should.  The average woman - and people were generally shorter then than now - would probably develop a crick in her neck trying to converse with a gentleman seated on horseback while she was on foot.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

A year in the making

A few days ago was the 12-month anniversary of the fall which resulted in a broken arm and a truly spectacular black eye, and I'm pleased to say both arm and eye are working properly, or nearly so.  There are still some wrist movements which are stiffer than they used to be and unwelcome twinges of pain from time to time but, as the orthopedic specialist pointed out, "given your age, your arm may never be what it was before".  He's right, you know.....it isn't.  However, considering the damage (and, of course, my advanced age!) it's not too bad.

During our autumn trip to Canberra last year I visited a fabric store, and bought a few batik fabrics for the trees which I hoped to make one day.  The day has, of course, arrived, and now those trees are being made.  First a smokey blue, with a pale contrast whose design makes me think of mysterious hieroglyphics from an ancient civilisation.....

....then a brownish-greenish-khaki with touches of red.  The red fabric used for trunk and branches were already in my stash, but the others were bought on that trip.

Not a bad effort for the week.

During last month's trip there was, of course, another visit to the same fabric store for a few more batik fabrics.

This was before we departed on our recent holiday, all the thread which was left on the spool after making that week's two trees - certainly not enough to make another tree.

Talk about cutting it fine!  I find this Guttermann colour to be a Very Useful Colour for piecing.

During the week my autumn quilt was laid out once more, this time to have its hanging sleeve added.  That wasn't done in time to enter it in the show a couple of months ago, so it will certainly be done for next year.  I have found a good spot to photograph it, once the sleeve is on.

Yesterday we picked up our hot cross bun order from the bakery on the other side of the river, and jolly nice they are too.  Kevin doesn't eat fruit buns - although he really like date scones - so I will have to eat them all myself.  To make them last longer all six buns were cut across into two halves and placed in the freezer, so my daily treat isn't too huge.  Even though I could quite happily eat a whole bun by myself....those buns are my consolation prize for not being at the folk festival this year.

Words have been read.  Stitches have been sewn, and fabric cut.  Sorting of music has commenced, and I am being quite ruthless culling anything which I don't want to keep.  We hunted and we gathered, and went here and there, and that was another week done.

During our trip away we took the opportunity to try a couple of different - to us - roads, and we drove through Binda.  Thirty years ago I heard (and have been singing ever since) a song called 'Binda Ball', about a trio of bushrangers crashing the 1864 Boxing Day ball held in the small town of Binda.  The Binda police were away at the time escorting prisoners to Goulburn, so Ben Hall and his gang took advantage of that to kick up their heels for a few hours.  The storekeeper Morris, a former policeman, tried to get some of the local men to rush the bushrangers during the dancing and capture them, but the plan was overheard and foiled.  In revenge, they burned down Morris's store; he lost all his stock and his account books, without which he couldn't continue trading.  The girls who had such fun dancing with their 'bushranger sweethearts' were arrested; there are accounts published in newspapers at the time which can be read online.  All three - Ben Hall, John Gilbert, and Jack Dunn - died the following May.  Many bushrangers were descended from convict parents or grandparents; as such, most had scant respect for authority.

We all make choices in our lives, and these three men made unwise choices.  Others, in the same circumstances, made different choices and consequently lived (mostly) blameless, if less adventurous, lives - and longer ones.  Jack Dunn was still a teenager when he was hung for bushranging and murder.

Last week's etiquette post was about assisting a lady to mount a horse, using a side saddle.  One of the items held in the historical museum here is a side saddle belonging to Esther Stace - Mrs Arthur Stace, because women were known by their husband's name in those days - who held a side saddle jumping record which stood for nearly 100 years, only being broken in 2013.  Side saddle always looks awkward to me, but perhaps it's really quite comfortable.....who knows?

"Riding with ladies.

In riding with one lady, a gentleman takes his position to the right of her.  When riding with two or more, his position is still to the right unless one of them needs his assistance or requests his presence near her.  He must offer all the courtesies of the road, and yield the best and shadiest side to the ladies.  The lady must always decide upon the pace at which to ride.  It is ungenerous to urge her or incite her horse to a faster gait than she feels competent to undertake."

It is indeed.  Not every side saddle rider has Esther's skills.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

Nearly half way through April!

How can this be?  I'm sure it was January just the other day.....

Easter is coming up next weekend, and we won't be at the folk festival.  Oh well, we shall just have to play some of our CDs bought at festivals in the past, and pretend that we are.  Perhaps I could plink a note or two, and maybe burst into song very late at night, as one has been known to do at folk festivals.

This week's trees.

The palm tree fabric has been in my stash for quite some time.  Our town has a lot of palm trees.

A bright fabric, a gift from a friend several years ago, some of which has also been used in another quilt.  Not sure what the leaves and fruit are - olives, perhaps?  The contrast fabric looks solid but has different colours, almost too pale to show up in this pic.

A twin portrait.

We get to enjoy this gorgeous hibiscus which is in our neighbour's front garden.  The flowers are quite large and frilly; fortunately this one was low enough that I could photograph it easily, which is not always the case.

I don't know what this blue flower is!  It pops up in the garden every year, although it's not one that we planted; it was already here when we came.  The flowers are quite a bright electric blue (not as light as they appear here), and the leaves take on a beautiful rusty-red colour in autumn and winter, so it's not an Ozzie native.

A sign in the Canadian pub in Canberra, which made me chuckle.

How has everyone been this week?  We have hunted and gathered, and gone out for various purposes, and come home again.  Words have been read, stitches have been sewn.  Notes have been plinked and sung; no choir this week because of Easter, so we have a week off.  U3A ukulele group is now on holidays as we go by NSW school terms; several of the members have grandparent duty in the holidays, or are away, so we don't meet for those weeks.  We will back playing together next month.

A project which will be done during the cooler months will be sorting out music.  Some weeks ago I bought a two-drawer filing cabinet, and during the week bought a box of hanging folders and tags to use with it.  There is so much music spread around our living/dining room that the table is unusable, so that will be taken care of....some will be filed, some will be culled, but a decision will be made on each and every piece of paper as it is picked up.  Once that is done, it will be the turn of quilting, sewing and craft paperwork to be sorted.  A big job - but eventually it needs to be done.

"Assisting a lady to mount.

The lady will place herself on the left side of the horse, standing as close to it as possible, with her skirts gathered in her left hand, her right hand upon the pommel, and her face toward the horse's head.  The gentleman should stand at the horse's shoulder, facing the lady, and stooping, hold his hand so that she may place her foot in it.  This she does, when the foot is lifted as she springs, so as to gently aid her in gaining the saddle.  The gentleman must then put her foot in the stirrup, smooth the skirt of her riding habit, and five her the reins and her riding whip."

I wonder what those women back in 1885, with their riding habits and side saddles, would make of how women dress to ride now?  They might be aghast at the current skin-tight riding clothing....but on the other hand, they may envy the freedom it gives.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

It's good to go away.....

.....but it's even better to be home.

Well, that was a fun couple of weeks!  Spending time with family and friends - hello, Janice and Mick - going places we hadn't been before, and a little (just a little) shopping.

Every year when we visit Canberra I tell myself I will take lots of pics, and it seldom happens.  It didn't happen this year either; we have been making these annual autumn visits since 1996, and it's so familiar now that I forget to whip out the camera.  However, occasionally something will catch my eye, and I think to myself "now, that's nice"!

This was taken outside a café.  The cloudy diffused light through the leaves shows some autumn colouring just starting to peep through.

One place which has been on my list for a few years is the Canadian pub, on the south side of the lake.  We met our son there one day for lunch, and jolly good it was too.  There are quite a few artworks with a caribou theme throughout, but I specially liked this one stitched in gold (it doesn't show in the pic, but it was gold) on a dark fabric background.  The finger marks in the corner are not ours.

A yarn bombed tree.  The other side was even more colourful, but because of plants and the sloping ground I couldn't get to it so easily.....still, this is very bright!  

Canberra weather can be quite chilly, so the tree is probably glad of its warm blanket.

The view looking down from my chair at a favourite café, one morning.  As soon as I had taken this pic a little puff of wind blew those leaves in all directions, and - pouf - they were scattered.

Our anniversary lunch the day before we left was special.  We tried a new-ish restaurant and oh, it was good.  Might be somewhere to keep in mind for my birthday next month.....I could certainly eat there again......

Fabrics for the next two leaves were chosen before we went away, so they were made yesterday.  This one puts me in mind of the old rhyme "Lavender's blue, dilly dilly"; the background fabric was used for my Summertime Blues quilt, and the lighter fabric was left from my Canadian quilt.

I quite like this tree.  My first thought in choosing these two fabrics was that they would clash - that's all right; I'm not a great fan of matchy-matchy, I like contrast - but it looks good!

Two contrasting trees to welcome us home.

We had a medical moment while in Canberra, but this time it was Kevin's turn.  While I was browsing at a used book and CD shop he realised that he had left his phone in the car, so trotted off to get it.  On returning he tripped going up a step - there was only one step - and banged his head on a convenient metal pipe.  A helpful woman brought him over to me, so after I paid for my purchases (wasn't going to let those chosen CDs get away!) I drove him to an urgent care centre.  Nurse Lucy cleaned and dressed the wound on his head and sent us off to the hospital for a scan, as head wounds in older folk need to be checked.  Fortunately the scan showed no damage, so we went back to our cabin for a quiet night.  The next day was Saturday; we had arranged to meet our son and The One And Only Grandkid but the weather changed, it was cold and raining, Kevin was still recovering, so we stayed in for a quiet day.  I had hoped to get to the farmers' market that day but with the rain and associated mud and slush decided against it.....the first time for many years that we have missed going.  Never mind, there's always next time.

Words were read while we were away, and since coming home.  Stitches were knitted, and also sewn - the box with finished three-diamond hexagons now contains exactly 300! - and even crossword puzzles attempted.  Some plinking took place in Canberra as my tenor uke came with me, but sadly there were no other uke players to jam with this time. 

The rain which our town missed out on before going away certainly fell while we weren't here!  We had quite a bit in Canberra, but much more fell in our town.  When we left things were dry and brown, just a little tinge of green.....now all is lush bright green, and it looks really good.  Daylight saving finished last night so today was an earlier start than I would like, my body clock needs to reset itself, but it will.

And the end of an era has come.....as of ten minutes ago our caravan has gone, sold to an interstate buyer.  It is now on its way to its new home in The Land Of The Queen, or Queensland as some folk might call it.  I'm sure its new owner will enjoy it as much as we have - even if they don't have it for 27 years as we did.

"The gentleman's duty as an escort.

When a gentleman contemplates riding with a lady, his first duty is to see that her horse is a proper one for her use, and one that she can readily manage.  He must see that her saddle and bridle are perfectly secure, and trust nothing of this kind to the stable men, without personal examination.  He must be punctual at the appointed hour, and not keep the lady waiting for him clad in her riding costume.  He should see the lady comfortably seated in her saddle before he mounts himself; take his position on the lady's right in riding, open all gates and pay all tolls on the road."

Probably very good advice.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer