And......back home again

These few weeks have flown by!  We had a fun time down south (which would have been better had the weather co-operated, it was either cold or wet or cold again) and it was so good to catch up with family and friends again.  The One And Only Grandkid is shooting up, he's up to my chest now.....we enjoyed the autumn colours, and indulged in a little bit of shopping.  Well, perhaps slightly more than a little bit....here in the Small Smoke our options are limited, so we take the chance to stock up when we can.  We also took in a few exhibitions.

On our way south we stopped off at Sofala, an interesting little town made more so since we learned that Kevin's great-grandmother Eliza was born there back in the gold rush days of 1863.  This is the Turon River, quiet and peaceful now, which would have been a hive of activitity in those days.  You can see where branches have been carried along and left behind as recent high water receded, the Turon River in its steep valley can become a raging torrent when flooded.

We stayed at a caravan park north of Canberra as our regular park is currently closed.  It meant a bit more driving, but was quiet and peaceful with plenty of autumn colour.  This view was just behind our van site late one afternoon.  Don't be fooled by the blue sky.  It was cold.

A stop off at a favourite cafe provided entertainment on a wet day - the sulphur-crested cockatoos and galahs are fun to watch.  We were told these were all juvenile males, a teenage gang.  The galah with its back to the camera took exception to something it heard, flapping its wings and sqwarking.

Not all fallen leaves in autumn are autumn colours.....this plane tree leaf was still bright green.

We had ducks and rabbits regularly visiting our spot, each and every one of them incontinent; there was plenty of 'fertiliser' around.  I had to zoom in to get this shot because bunnies and ducks would disappear if we walked too close to them.

On the way home at a stop - one of many - for roadworks, on the Mid-Western Highway between Cowra and Blayney.

It was so chilly that we probably won't go to Canberra between the end of April and September/October in future.  If we weren't in a caravan - if we were in an insulated bulding - it wouldn't be so bad, but there were times when it was really unpleasant.  Our outdoor chairs and table weren't taken out of the car at all and my ukulele didn't leave its case either; it was just too cold to sit outside and plink away, my usual preference.

Some fabric shopping was indulged in, and some home-made jam shopping, and chocolate shopping (we found a place to have a birthday chocolate lunch, and very yummy it was too), and book shopping.

Now we are home, clothes are unpacked, washing is done, but my shopping is not all unpacked yet.  That's always the worst part of a holiday, isn't it?  Unpacking and putting away Stuff.

Some diamonds were stitched - a pic will be taken - and knitting helped to pass the long journey, the back of my latest jumper/cardy (still not decided but leaning towards a jumper) is done and one sleeve has been started.  It will probably become a TV project this winter, when there is something worth turning on the TV.  Which there frequently isn't, we find.

Continuing on with General Rules for Balls:

"The lady with whom a gentleman dances last is the one he takes to supper.  Therefore he can make no engagement to take out any other, unless his partner is already engaged."

Well, yes.  This is indeed so.

Enjoy your days!

Sixteen years ago......

Way back in early 2006 we were planning a trip overseas - a cruise, no less!  Our older son was working on board a cruise ship playing in the orchestra so we booked ourselves a flight to Vancouver, did some tootling around Vancouver then Victoria on Vancouver Island, cruised for seven days to Alaska on our son's ship, then spent a few more days in Alaska going as far north as Fairbanks before eventually flying home.  It was a very busy three weeks.

Because all those flights entailed much sitting and waiting I decided to do something I hadn't done before - piece quilt blocks by hand.  A six inch flower basket block was decided on and a few blocks cut from floral and white-on-white fabrics; these were first taken to Canberra for our annual Easter trip, and some stitches were actually sewn.  The original plan was to make 169 blocks to be set 13 rows across by 13 rows down....good heavens, I said to myself, that's a lot of sewing.  However I kept plodding away and after a few years was enjoying the process so much that I thought to make the quilt bigger, so ended up making 225 blocks.  There are fabrics from several trips to Canada, as well as that Alaskan trip, in it.

Once all the blocks were made several years ago they were joined nine at a time, three rows by three.  The original Cunning Plan was to do them quilt-as-you-go then join those blocks to make a quilt but I couldn't decide which quilting design to use, so they sat....and they sat.....and they sat some more until last year when the hand-piecing on my tumbler quilt was finished, and I thought "blow it - I'll finish the flower basket top and have it quilted".

On Friday night the last stitch was taken on the top - and it's done, sixteen years after it was first a bright idea in my brain!  I'll try to get a photo but it is so big that may be hard to do, so here are some progress pics.

The last block was made and photographed on 20th August, 2014.

One of the 25 blocks of nine; white and floral backgrounds were alternated.

This was taken just six months after the first stitches were taken, when enough blocks had been made to cover the top of our dining table.

There won't be a border, it's already large enough....90 inches square, 4,500 individual pieces.  It will, of course, shrink when quilted.

You probably heard my sigh of relief and achievement on Friday night from your house, wherever you are.

We will be going away on Tuesday so my knitting will come along, as will the diamonds which were recently cut for hand-piecing.  And some books to read, and a book of crossword puzzles - Kevin likes Sudoku, I prefer crosswords - our little caravan doesn't have TV.  When we come home, quilting on the border of my Canadian quilt will be done....it's time it was finished, and there are other machine projects to fill in the rest of this year and probably the next year as well.  And to start off the following year after that.....

Last night's concert went very well, it was so good to sing to an audience again!  The choir songs were well received as were the ukulele group songs, and my solo was much applauded; while I was packing up my uke a man from the audience came to compliment me and to say how much he enjoyed my song, which I thought was really nice of him.  I sang a parody - in French, no less! - of words which have crept into English, to the tune of 'La vie en rose'.  Other audience members also complimented me as we were leaving, saying how much they enjoyed my funny song.

Of course my uke will go away in the caravan too.  As will warm clothes, because Canberra's forecast is for some fairly cool weather.  My birthday will be a few days after we arrive and I had decided that Kevin could take me out for chocolate lunch.  At a chocolate shop/café.  Which we have now found out is closed, yet another victim of business downturn due to the covid plague.

Sigh.....

"General rules for balls.

A young man who can dance, and will not dance, should stay away from a ball."

Indeed.  The whole point of going to a ball is to socialise and to dance, so if you will not dance there is no point in going, is there?

We'll be back at the end of May.  Until then.....

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

A day late, but not a dollar short

Which is good.  We don't want to be short of a dollar or two, do we.

The music festival has been and gone, and from all accounts was a success.  We went to a couple of concerts - one was yesterday afternoon, which is why there was no blog post - and had a performer staying with us, a lovely bloke whose songs we really enjoyed and with whom we share mutual friends; but we didn't (as we have done in previous years) hang around town to listen to buskers and to check out market stalls.  There were a lot of visitors from all over bringing who knows what germs with them, and while we aren't living our lives in fear of catching the plague bug we are going away next week and didn't want to get sick before we go.

Consequently not much was achieved.  Songs were plinked and practised for the concert next weekend, stitches were knitted.  Some stitches were sewn on the flower basket quilt.....not long to go now, yay!....and some diamonds were cut.  As a result no pics were taken, so we'll dig into the vault today.

These were all taken at the Japanese Garden in Cowra on an autumn afternoon, some years ago.

Cowra is a pleasant town with a sad war history, which you read about in the link.

It's a very peaceful garden......

......a fitting memorial.

It seems appropriate to show these pics today as it's ANZAC Day.  This is a re-post of my words from several years ago:

'Today Australia and New Zealand are celebrating, if that is the right word, ANZAC Day.  It's the day when we remember the sacrifices of those who fought in wars for our country.  My father was stationed in New Guinea in WWII (as we found out a few years ago, he was in the War Graves unit) and never, never, ever spoke of his experiences - he was only 25YO when the war ended and it affected him profoundly.  Consequently it affected all of us; my mother, my brothers, and me.  He was not a happy man, he was a distant, sometimes abusive, father who walked out one day and never contacted any of us ever again; we found out he had died many years after it happened.  War doesn't only take people's lives....it takes away their souls too.'

He never marched on ANZAC Day.  It was not a good day in our house because he would go out and get drunk, my mother would get annoyed and bad-tempered, and we children would just do our best to keep out of the way. 

We do have a happier celebration though because, 48 years ago today, I moved in with Kevin - a minor scandal at the time, but inconsequential all these years later when so many couples live together without benefit of a ceremony.  Nearly half a century - my goodness!

Last week the courage was plucked up and a visit to the hairdresser took place.  I do not like sitting in the chair staring at myself for however long it takes.  I just do not.  However as it had been six months since the last trim and I want to look a bit spiffy for the concert next Saturday evening, it was time to have a few inches lopped off.  On the way home I called into the French café for a coffee (and a small treat) (because their treats are really nice) and asked if the hot cross buns were, indeed, flavoured by cardamom.  They were.  

"Duties of an escort.

A lady's escort should call for her and accompany her to the place of entertainment; go with her as far as the dressing-room, return to meet her there when she is prepared to go to the ball-room; enter the latter room with her and lead her to the hostess; dance the first dance with her; conduct her to the supper-room, and be ready to accompany her home whenever she wishes to go.  He should watch during the evening to see that she is supplied with dancing partners.  When he escorts her home she should not invite him to enter the house, and even if she does so, he should by all means decline the invitation.  He should call upon her within the next two days."

He sounds like the ideal escort, doesn't he?  Almost too good to be true.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

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