life's free treats

The Backwaters of the Mind

2008-07-24T08:18:00.003+10:00

"Where is the Olive Oil?"
"What Olive Oil?" feigning ingnorance.
"What do you mean, 'What Olive Oil?' The Olive Oil that lives here? That I use for cooking!"
"I don't know. I haven't seen it."

Of course he hasn't. It lives in the exact same spot on the bench in the 'business corner' of the kitchen, every day. It has always resided there. We may buy different brands, but nevertheless, it all lives in the exact same location.

"Don't tell me you threw it out?"
"Well if the bottle was on the 'rubbish side' of the bench, I may have." Note, careful non-admission of guilt. He would have made a good lawyer. Deny Deny Deny.

Meggie stumps off down the stairs to investigate the bin. Yes, there is the bottle, half full. Lying on top of cardboard, & newspapers. How could Gom not notice that the bottle was half full? I had been preparing a potato dish. I used a little olive oil in the dish. He had swooped into the kitchen like the Kitchen Nazi, & whisked the offending bottle-in-the-wrong-location off to the garbage bin! I had probably put the dish on to cook, & momentarily left the kitchen.

We seem to be into the 'business end' of winter. It has got very much colder. It began raining yesterday, after being bitterly cold & cheerless for the day. I was very glad to get into the 'Oven' yesterday, & cook a spell. I am beginning to wonder if the UV light is having a beneficial effect. I havn't had the urge to claw myself apart since Saturday.

It is pouring with rain this morning, & seems to be getting colder since I got up at 6.45am. I have a little heater I use in this room. I am thinking of turning on the ducted air to warm our living area.

I dreamt vividly last night. Another new house. More unexpected rooms, & much space to delight me. Neighbour guests invited themselves to visit & barged in the front door. How curious. I sneaked away & left Gom to entertain them, - or not. This house was situated close to the beach front. It was built for a lot of family or friends to inhabit. There was a pool, & a wonderful garden. Some of the rooms remained furnished, & what delights they contained.

Sometimes I have a better life in my dreams than I do in reality! This particular dream had all sorts of interesting side diversions. The police came to see if we had seen a person drown. There had been a body found in the surf. They told us we were now living among the 'others'. I have an idea they meant that in a racist way.

A chance to observe humanity is always welcome.

The Biker couple, dismounting the huge bike. She, shakes out her long, Ruby Henna-dyed hair, as she removes her helmet. He, sporting a wild & woolly black & grey beard, removes his helmet, & shakes out.... his Ruby Hennaed hair!!
I smiled at the image, all the way home. They were not young Bikers. They had reached portly middle age. They must have invested considerable $$ outlay, in their leather outfits, as they surely would have had to be custom made, to accommodate added girth of the years. I will say, they both looked happy! They were not going to be 'Grey' Nomads!

It was so warm in the car, once the heater began to work, I urged Gom to 'go for a drive'. He, ever mindful of the price of petrol, declined my urging. Home we came. Let the dogs inside, & they seemed very grateful to be in the warmth.

We watched a DVD, Chaos Theory. It was quite harrowing in parts. I enjoyed most of it ~~except of course those parts when drowsiness overtook, in the warm haze of the artificially heated air~~. Gom snarls me awake, & so if I get away with snoozing a little, & don't get caught, I can't exactly backtrack to catch up! Of course, it is a different story if he snoozes. With a DVD, he can't use his classic, "The commercials were on!" I don't say much, best keep the peace.

We both laughed when we read an article stating that aftery surveys, & much research, it has been discovered that old men are much Grumpier than old women. We could have attested to that - freely too, thus saving much money wasted on the research! haha.

Bob Dylan, Forever Young

Blinked- or is that Blinkered?

2008-07-22T10:28:00.005+10:00

It seems I blinked a bit, & there was a whole new world of blogs waiting to be read, & I am dragging the chain, here.

Firstly, I was awarded again, by Ann of Ancient One's Place. I humbly thank you Ann, for the Award. I have been given this attractive award recently, but I still appreciate the thought. Please pay a visit to Ann. I am supposed to award this to 7 other awardees, & share it about. I find I cannot limit myself to 7.. it just wouldn't be fair.

I was also given this Award by Tanya, The Art Butcher. Thankyou Tanya, I love this too. I do in fact return the award to you, as your posts either have me choking to death or at least wanting tissues to mop the tears- laughter mostly, but not always. I would urge readers to visit Tanya, also.
I know the rules state that I should nominate other 7 & 5 other bloggers, respectively, & pass this along, but there are also a lot of folk who don't wish to be awarded or go through the agony of choosing recipients, so if you are reading this, please take the awards, & I know you will be worthy recipients.

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I have been quite busy, head down, bum up, as 'they' say.
Saturday was a beautiful sunny day here, very mild. I found it rather chilly in the house, but outside was beautiful. I basted a quilt ready to be quilted, outside on the patio table ~~having cleaned off the assorted bird poo, & the dog pee stains, where Leo had jumped on the table, because Gom forgot to tilt the chairs~~.

I wanted to sew, so I decided to give the 'new' garage-sale-find-sewing machine a good workout. I took it outside, & set it up on the clean table, & sat for the afternoon quilting in the sun. It was wonderful, & the 'new' machine sewed like an absolute dream. It seems to have a hair-trigger foot control too, so it is very zippy indeed. I love it, & am very glad to have it as a backup should anything untoward happen to my Janome. The new one is a Brother Electronic, My Star 3. I paid $25 for it, & it is worth every cent!!

I am still hell bent on keeping up the sewing. Spent Saturday evening binding the newly made quilt, & Sunday morning I made a label, & it is all ready to be gifted to the recipient.

Sunday afternoon, we had welcome guests over, & we had a great time. Fun, & laughter. Laughter being the best medicine, I could not understand why I felt so tired yesterday.

I still sewed a good part of the day, but sat down to watch a DVD, & dozed off where I sat. Gom prompted me awake several times. I was off to bed early last night, & yet I am still really sleepy today. It might be the antihistamines, but I only take them at night, for the itch.

Here is progress on the back of the next one to finish I think. I had never made a Rail Fence block before, but looked at the extreme scrappiness of my stash, & decided now was the time to make one. It is very bright colours, & I think I might give it to my daughter, who is always wanting more quilts!

Here is "A Dream for Jas". It is completed, & ready to be gifted. I am pleased with the result. I feel it will always have the sun inside it, as I sat outside to quilt it, in the wonderful warming rays.

Honey 'Test drove' it on Sunday morning, & she gave it her approval. She looked quite peeved when I told her it is not for her.

Perhaps she is feeling the cold snap we are now experiencing, since her clipping. She certainly looks a smaller dog, but I have not clipped it too short, so she shouldn't be too cold.

>>>>>A side track here. I often think about the English language, & the use of words, some of which have many meanings, which I am sure makes it difficult for others to learn the language.

I find there are many words I dislike. For no particular reason. One of those words is 'scant'. There was a scant amount. She was scantily clad. There was scant space for a foothold.

No, I just don't like it.
Have you got words you dislike?

Joe Cocker, Hitchcock Railway.

Just An Udder Filler Post.

2008-07-20T09:01:00.002+10:00

Couldnt help myself.
TCA, Mike, & many others, whose links you will find at Reverand Anaglyph or Mike's. They are responsible.

Normal transmission should resume before too long.

A Shambles of sorts...or, Confessions of a messer.

2008-07-18T16:46:00.005+10:00

Warning! The following photos may cause extreme anxiety to "Neat Freaks"! or, even just normal folks!

OK. I have warned you all, so I feel I can now safely continue.

Having visited Mike's place, & seen his neat, plus his art, I thought to be a devil & show my extreme messy, along with some almost art.

These were taken evening. There are 3 projects underway, & they are being worked on simultaneously.

I am sure the 'neatniks' among you, will cringe in utter horror! Note the leg of the tired Bear, who guards the remote-come-scissor-holder, near the top left of the pic.
The top of the ironing board, with more shambles on a chest in the back ground. Gom comes to the door, gasps in horror, & retreats off back to his book or his TV viewing.or to tidy his endlessly-being-tidied garage- which at the moment is similar to my mess, because of a leaking shower pipe, in the downstairs shower, & the resulting disarray while the repairs are being very very slowly under-taken. The Plumber has the 'flu, & he is a friend, so no pressure on completion dates!
Now that I have 'bared all' so to speak, I feel better! Ha Ha.

Hopefully, I will have some finishes to show, but the flow has been interrupted today.

We had an electricity outage for most of the day, due to a replacement of a decaying wooden Power Pole. The one right outside our place is actually in far worse condition, but 'they' in their infinite wisdom, decided to replace the other one!

I even scrambled eggs for Gom, for brekky, but he declined the eggs. Oh well, more for me. ( I forgot, & added parsely, which he is not so keen about.) He had the coffee & toast I made him. Because of the power being off, he had to rise an hour earlier than usual, & he was a bit grumpy about that.

After my "cooking" session, in the skin treatment Tardis, we proceeded to the shops. A small business matter attended, I decided to see if it was my lucky day for a haircut.

Now of course, if you read here often, you will know of the agony of haircuts. However I seem to have found a hairdresser who 'knows his onions', so to say. He also seems to train his young assistants to recognise their 'onions'. Last time the girl did an excellent cut. Today, the Master cut my hair, & I am very pleased with the result. It is not too short, & the style is just what I wanted. A minor miracle.

Now, I am a great 'hater' of fast food outlets, mostly because I can't bear the thought of the 'food' they serve. I have never cared for hamburgers in any form. ~~though, to be honest here, I used to make them for our children, & ourselves, & of course chose what I deemed to be 'healthy' versions, & our kids, & Gom loved them!~~ I loathe the buns, & everything else about the commercial versions.

I think the power of advertising has rotted our heads, however. We jointly decided we would not mind trying the Wraps advertised by a certain McD's place. It is perhaps the first or second, time I have ever eaten there, in any country- neither time did I eat 'burger'.

Today, it was rather chilly, & so, having no electricity at home, we drove to the local Golden Arches. We dined in-house. In our 10+ years of living here, it is the first time we have ever been there! We had the wraps, 'Taste of Asia', I think they were called. They were delicious. The coffee, while not wonderful, was drinkable. And the 'fries' were lovely. (We managed to restrain ourselves from buying the current earth polluting plastic toys!)

I spent the remainder of the afternoon, capturing, & trimming Honey. She is a most reluctant participant in any of this. She dislikes everthing about it, the brush, the scissors, the kidding & lying. The nail clipping was not accomplished, so she is still long in the claw. Why does she let strangers cut her nails??

On the other hand, I have a dream of having a pedicure. ~~strangers can cut my nails anytime!~~ I want someone to cut my toenails, & give me a foot massage. I suppose I can dream on. I suspect I might be developing a hip fault, which prevents an easy tending of one foot. One is fine, but the other presents a problem.

I dislike having long toenails. I have a nephew whose 'excitement', or 'tension' activity, was to trim his toenails! I used to go shopping with my mother, who invariably cut her toenails at the end of a long day's shopping. If I have to be on my feet for prolonged periods, I notice the length of my toenails, if they are long.

I do not understand people who can wear their toenails long?? How about you?

My Granddaughter likes to paint my toenails at Christmas. It takes at least 6 months for the polish to grow off! I love to see surprised reactions when she paints different colours, & I wear sandals! Usually, no one comments, but I see their eyes return again & again to the nails. Inwardly, I chuckle.

The Verve, Album, Urban Hymns. Sad I know, but I love the melodies, particularly Bitter Sweet Symphony, & Velvet Morning.

A Few Free Treats.

2008-07-16T11:24:00.004+10:00

This morning seemed a lovely clear day. As I hung out washing to dry, I noticed some free treats, & thought I would share some of them.

Blogger had other ideas about the order of uploading the pics, so something, which I hope is going to be a free treat for someone, is a look at a quilt top. It just has to be sandwiched & basted, quilted & bound.

It is a Dream & as is often the way with such things, it made itself as it grew. There are stars to wish upon, friends for company, & butterflies to carry the owners dreams.

I seemed to suddenly get the sewing mojo back yesterday, & spent most of the day working on this quilt top. It had been bit stalled, but suddenly decided to move forward!

This is a little treat I discovered on the pitiful little Azalea, & so I rushed in fro the camera. I think it is exquisite, & it is sort of cup shaped. Must be a small spider, as it is a small web.

This, last evening. Do we 'treat' our animals?? Do you think? Gom called to me to take the pic, -"You have now show of getting your seat!"
True, they had my cushions, & the quilt I sometimes use, & were indeed looking very cosy.

Another morning treat. The heavy dew on a lemon leaf.

A place where little secret beings dwell...

Vapours, rising like the misty dreams that vanish with the wakening day.

(which reminds me, I dreamt I picked up 2 $2 coins somewhere? in last night's dream. How odd)

Shame about the neighbour's phallic symbol tree, huh? Which is home to Mynah birds, horrible creatures they are. I think the pole is an aerial of some sort.

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We have been out to the 'oven' for my skin.

Off to visit the Butcher for meat items. I gag when I enter the shop, & I can't help myself, I feel a little tremor for all the creatures that die for man's greed. I once knew a man who pondered such things, who suggested the animals were happy to die, as long as we offered their spirits thanks. He seemed to feel it was their 'reason for being'.

I am not sure what I believe about that thought. It is a bit like telling a clergy man that "My Invisible Friend is Better than Your Invisible Friend."

*******

I have noticed lately, that some of the Free things we get in life, are not Treats at all.

One is the far-too-loud thumpity music played in shops. It is like being assaulted to have to listen to that! Complaint seems to bring vacant surprise. I suppose they don't even hear it, or perhaps are so deaf from the constant noise, it doesn't register.

When we visited the Market, there was a young band of lads, playing their hearts out. I suspect they were quite talented in a young way. The songs they were imitating were good cover versions. The volume was horrendous though! It was also unfortunate that they were situated beside a seating area, so, being blasted was unavoidable. The stalls directly opposite were far too painful to visit! The sheer noise almost knocked me flat! I felt as it I had been beaten about the head, if I got in line with the full volume.

This day is so blue, & so clear & crisp. I am off to sew some more.

Jeff Buckley, Hallelujah.

What is the world coming to??

2008-07-14T14:37:00.004+10:00

While life was happening to me... well, I was participating in it, too, a few things were happening in the Blogworld.

I recieved an award from Rhubarb Whine I feel quite honoured to be given this award. Thank you, graciously.

I cannot read the words, but am trusting the explanation at Shirley's blog, & say if I were a tree, I think I would like to be an Oak. I have fond memories of Oak trees. There was a huge one growing in the grounds of the little school where I spent my Primary School years. We spent hours under that tree playing, & we usually had our school photos taken under the old Oak. I loved the shape of the leaves, & I loved the little acorns, & the little cups that they grew in, which made for wonderful little 'teasets'. I loved the way the little acrorns would sprout, & I loved knowing that they each had the potential to be another mighty Oak, if they only got the chance.
We played marbles, hopscotch, ate our lunch, & made & lost, "Best Friends", under that old tree.

When we bought our first house here in Australia, there were 3 Oak trees the previous owners had planted in our new backyard. I knew we probably would not live there forever, but I also knew the trees were not suitable for a small suburban backyard. As it happened the local council were asking for unwanted trees for a new park they were developing. Not wanting to 'murder' the trees, I called the council to see if they wanted the trees.

They gratefully accepted them, & came, dug them out carefully , & took them away to use in the Park. A happy ending for them, I hope. They also took the Sycamore, which would have been another too-large friend.

Now I am to choose 6 things that make me happy.

1. A warm house, on a cold day, with books to read, & sewing to do, & company to keep.

2. Our dogs. Love the dear little woolly bundles, even if Leo is rather a naughty scallywag at times.

3. The world of blogs, & all the people who make me laugh, & keep me happy.

4. Having contact with my family- the closer & the wider, I love them all.

5. Food. I love my food, I love mostly healthy food, & I love to try new tastes- the Internet is an ideal source of new ideas!

6. Friends. Definitely, friends make me happy!

Now I am supposed to pass this on for 6 others. I am a rule breaker in this regard, but if you would like to do it, please do. It really is a nice meme, & also a happy one. I found it interesting to contemplate the tree aspect.

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Next, I was given this lovely award from Julia, of Julia's Place, recently renamed, from being Camille's Place, (& still listed as Camilles on my sidebar! )Julia is a lovely lady, so friendly, so talented, & so ready to share her tips with others. Her work is beautiful, & she is very generous with her pictures of her latest projects. And check out her son Joe's Blog! Recipes to die for!!! Being such a foodie, I am always taking a look to see what treats he has on his blog.

I am honoured to recieve this award from you Julia. Thankyou.
Now I am supposed to choose 5 blogs that inspire me, but I cannot choose a mere 5. Everyone on my sidebar, & many more I read, inspire me every time I visit.

If you like it, please use it with joy!
I break rules all the time!!

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Yesterday, was our 42nd Wedding Anniversary.

We won't mention anything about the lack of food, ~~or the lavish dining out to which I had become accustomed, which never happened yesterday.~~

I will just mention that I visited blogs where sumptuous feasts were vicariously enjoyed.

Today, after my 'cooking' visit, -for the still itching skin-grrr! -we travelled to remedy the food situation. Suffice to say, the visit pleased me well, & I was well mollified ~~& filled, as well!~~

We have more or less ceased with the gift thing, we are old, so have most things we want or need, ~~& apart from knee replacements or new skin, &/or teeth, we cannot purchase the things we perhaps need the most!~~

We visited a Club, & played a little on the Pokies. It is a long time since we have done that, & it was quite a thrill when we won $83 for very little outlay. Then, further won $26 on another little win, also for very little outlay.

I did watch in astonishment, as a dear old soul, who appeared to be missing an actual nose, played happily away on various machines, with varying degrees of loss & gain. She had simply placed a plaster over her nonexistant nose, & perched her glasses on that, & happily trotted about, seemingly enjoying herself. Good for her!

Here are some pics from over the years. If you read here often, you may be excused from looking at these, I think I have published them all before.

We dont seem to have any current photos together. I am usually the pic taker!

This taken in December 1988. Of course I looked happy, our daughter had returned from living overseas for a year. ~~I hadn't learnt about the tattoos at that stage!~~

This awful shot taken from an old photo, was in the 90s some time. It was a very happy gathering of relatives, in a beautiful house they built from rammed earth.

This, below, was Meggie & the Hyph, (Happy young publican husband.)

It seems terrible to remember those drapes were once covered in raw eggs, when Gom, then Hyph, had an 'egg fight' with a friend!

This of course is the wedding day. It was darned cold, & I have no idea why we arbitrarily decided to wed on the 13th of July! Mid Winter. Auckland, New Zealand. Almost sleeting as we walked up the street to the photographer's!

I had never wanted to be a "bride" in fluffy clothes. Not my style. ~~though over the years, I have taken some ribbing over my 'fluffy' pillbox style hat!haha~~.

I did not believe in churches or any of that fairytale stuff.

BTW, did anyone catch sight of that man, who wears ridiculous dresses, & often, silly hats, dancing about in red highheeled slippers??!! I swear I caught sight of such a vision last night on television??

We began our married life with about 25 pounds sterling between us! We went through a lot of hard times. We weathered some sad times. We weathered some ridiculous ~~think mashed potatoes here~~ times.

Here we are, still hanging in there. Still spatting occasionally ~~occasionally frequently~~. It seems to work, most of the time.

Oh, & poor little SG has Chicken Pox! He is very miserable. They showed up on Sunday.

Simon & Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Waters.

Any Day Now..

2008-07-11T19:50:00.002+10:00

Any day now, I will change my headline banner. Any day now, I might change the photo signature I have.

Everyone gets bored. They want change, the new, the different. The novel.

This does make me wonder about the average life of a blog. I read it is about 2-3 years at most. Perhaps I am at the end of my 'tether'?

I have gone to visit some, I felt I had some connection with, only to find it is either shut down, or 'invitation only'. And, you know what is coming... I am 'not invited'. WTF???
OK moving right along...

A question I have pondered, is, when do we learn to become 'embarrassed'? It must be a learned behaviour, emotion, state,- call it what you will.

A friend once told me his small girl-child- under one year- sat in her highchair, broke wind, loudly. He said he & his wife laughed, & when they looked at the child, she was blushing! He said she continued to be so sensitive, & he had never imagined a child to be so aware. How do we learn embarrassment?

How do we learn, what is socially acceptable , & what is not?

And when we learn we are not invited on the basketball team, or the secret society for blah or blah.
Do we laugh, or do we cry?

I think I tend to laugh. Rather after the mode of
'PLEASE ACCEPT MY RESIGNATION. I DON'T WANT TO BELONG TO ANY CLUB THAT WILL ACCEPT ME AS A MEMBER. '

I never wanted to be a 'joiner'. I don't suppose I will ever want to be a 'joiner.'

Today, we watched a movie. Helen Hunt. "Then She Found Me". I loved it. Gom hated it. Chalk & Cheese. As usual.

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The Glow.

We all know "the Glow".
You feel it when you meet someone, & instantly you feel 'the glow'. You know this person is magic, beyond your wildest dreams.
You know this person will transform your life.
Their thoughts, their ideas, ... & yes, their body, will transform your life. Forever.

If you are lucky, you languish in that glow. You enjoy the sensual moments of that glow.
You can actually 'wallow', in that glow. ~~wallow is such a sensual word, when you stop to ponder~~. You can feel that ebb & flow, the wonderful currents, swirling about your body, in giddying eddies...How intoxicating.. How intriguing. The comfortable 'wallowing', better than a bath...

The perfumes, of seduction.. the wonderful scents, of delights, yet to be found...
Perhaps, the smell of the perfect being's body. How can you define desire? lust? longing? sensuality?
Perhaps you can't define such things??

Memories.

Neil Diamond, Barbra Striesand, You Dont Bring Me Flowers AnyMore.

Another view, from the window...

2008-07-09T18:28:00.005+10:00

To me, this vista is spoilt, with the telegraph pole in the scene. It is a fact of our modern lives. It is to be 'lived with'. Ugly though. I don't have to like it. May have to accept it, but the 'hippie' in me protests.

This next photo is the wider view. No telegraph poles. Is it real?

I hear the TV bleating about brain disorders. Alzhiemers. A subject close to my life. A Mother-in Law who suffered, &, eventually died from the disease. It took years. Who knows the pattern of this terrible disease.

I tend to see this as the vista, more preferred. No Alzhiemers. No dementia.

Just huge threats?? Perhaps the wrong end of the telescope. I am sure. But...

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We have very different tastes, the Gom & I. In all sorts of areas.

He likes RED meat. I don't. He loves Red, as a colour. I don't.

We can mostly overcome our differences, & agree to disagree. Certainly about food, ... as a rule.

I cooked a chicken dish, Coq au Vin. A Classic. Which I have cooked, & served, to acclaim, to guests.

Gom's verdict was.... "Bloody awful."

Wha???~~this man obviously has a death wish!~~

If you have ever cooked a classic dish for someone, & been met with such a response, I wonder how you felt/would feel?

The hurling of food is foreign to my nature. Occasionally, I will be forced out of my comfort Zone.

I was about to say I have never hurled food at the Gom, but I take that back. There was that one occasion, when he wore mashed potato, on his eyelashes, as he blinked-in utter surprise!- & it jiggled in his nostrils, & eyebrows, as they rose & fell in rage. But happy as that image may be to contemplate, it was shortlived. He blinked it all away, & sneered as I cleaned the extras off the cupboard. The joys of early marriage are such treasured memories!!

I would like to think it taught him the limits of my tolerance. But WTH?? He is a man, & they just don't get those warning signs.

*************

On other fronts, I narrowly missed being annihilated under a car, this morning, on the way to Heat/Light therapy. I cursed the slowness of the f***ing driver. I could have been dispatched to the land of the lost! Bugger!

I told the nurse, enquiring of my ~~fecking~~non progress, that I will be divorced before a cure or answer is found. Sympathetic clicking noises were heard from her throat. I had the heat. I left, feeling more inclined to think it some sort of ^$***%&*%%% con!!

Sod.

Beatles, Strawberry Fields Forever.

Trivial Scribbles

2008-07-08T17:37:00.005+10:00

A collection of the everyday trivia, that makes up most of our lives.
I was so happy to recieve an email yesterday, informing me that the gift quilts had been recieved, & were duly allotted to their recipients.

Raspberry Ripple was claimed by the eldest girl, & I could just imagine her with this quilt.

I Spy went to the younger sister, who was delighted to discover she could play with it as an I Spy game. I am told they went to sleep last night, respectively covered by their quilts, & so I hope they enjoy them.
I was very relieved to hear they had arrived safely, as I made a silly mistake when addressing them, but no harm was done, & their safe arrival was good news.

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The weekend was lovely, with Sunday being one of those 'out of the box' days. Clear skies, warm sun, little wind, & warm warm temperatures.

We travelled up to the Hunter Valley, to the Maitland Markets, which are a once a month event. It is a huge Market, with many traders. It takes some stamina to 'do' the Market. We overheard a man on his mobile phone telling someone it is the largest outdoor Market in the Souther Hemisphere. I dont know about that, but it is quite wearying to cover, & I confess, we didn't manage the whole of it!

We travelled on further up? down? the Hunter River, to a small historic town called Morpeth, which is faithfully preserved, in as original state, as it can be. This was once a busy port for the Hunter Valley, & has many lovely old buildings, which have either been restored, or retain their original condition. Lots of Antiques for sale- for large sums- equating to their age!! A lot of Craft stores too, & old wares for sale. A township which is not 'done' in a mere afternoon. We have vowed to return on a quieter day. It was very crowded, & some of the small shops, crammed with goodies, could not be inspected at enough of a liesurely pace, or enough viewing space, to be done justice.

We lunched outdoors in the hot sun, & really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, & the wonderful sun. Considering it is Mid Winter, it was very mild! Food is quite an industry, in Morpeth on a Sunday, with many wonderfully fresh meal outlets competing for custom. We were very happy with our choice of venue.

I did take my camera, & was dismayed to discover most of my photos did not register. Idiocy on the part of the photographer I am sure, because 2 of them are excellent! I had hoped to include some, when I did a post. Oh well, next time, as they say.

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Another little matter of interest, is the 'hoarding' of 'things'.

Recently Gom & I have been having some 'serious' discussions. Maybe even 'grave' discussions is a term which could be used. ~~he will be in the grave, if he doesn't lighten up!!~~

I have .... well, yes, I will call it 'mess' in my computer/sewing machine room. I don't regard it as 'mess', but it seems Gom does.
He has become so obsessed with neat that he puts the hairdryer away, while I am in the middle of drying my hair!! WTH?? & he used to be such a slob! His shoes might have spent weeks where he left them, had I not become fed up, & moved them. His clothes, shed at odd places, could languish in dirty disarray, had I not come along, & in exasperation, washed them.

When he was moaning about the ironing board being up, & looking 'untidy' when guests arrived, I pointed out to him I was using it, for my quilting. I also pointed out that I live in this house! I am not running it as a show home! I am actually living here! It is clean, though often untidy. It is lived in!! He used to be so untidy before he retired. He never cared what 'visitors might think'. I still don't worry. If they came to judge my house, well, ....they can leave.

There is just one grizzle I have. All the pictures we have on our walls are crooked, as a matter of course. No matter what I do, or how careful I am, they never remain straight. Of course I have given up caring, mostly, about this fact. Occasionally when someone comments, I will tell them that I can't fix the problem. If it really bothers them, they can try to set things straight.... or they can leave! Simple really.

***********

A footnote to the light ~~torture~~therapy.
There is no relief. My GP was quite surprised I have been given no diagnosis. The blood tests offer no indications or answers... which is a disappointment! I had to undergo that trauma for nothing??
Anyhow, the naked trauma goes on. The staff are very, very, very, nice!! I am bolstered by their lovely manner, & hope the ~~fecking~~blinkety blink treatments work!!

***************************

We had SG -Small Grandson- for the morning today, & what a treat he was. He did all sorts of things, & helped me do some dishes. He asked me if he was a good helper, & I assured him he was excellent. I had not seen him for a time, & it was lovely to have him here.
He gives me so much joy, just by being!

Ben Harper, Diamonds on the Inside.

You know your guests are truly relaxed when...

2008-07-04T19:59:00.005+10:00

You know your guest is truly relaxed, when they can sit & pick their ear, & examine the pickings, with ease, & that you have succeeded as a hostess, in making them feel truly at ease, & at home.

Or, if, they can divulge the answers to questions you have long wished to enquire about, but have refrained from the asking. If they volunteer this information, you know they must trust you. You hide your glee, along with your further dismay, as you are intrigued by the information divulged. As opposed the information not yet divulged, which makes said info already divulged, somewhat irrelevant.

My Gosh Life can get very complicated! Perhaps the Captian Klink, is the best judge... I Know Nothing!

We all 'know nothing'. Do we not!

Roy Orbison, Falling.

The First....

2008-07-03T16:47:00.002+10:00

This morning, I decided to treat myself to poached eggs on Crumpets. I really like poached eggs, & hardly ever have them. I do enjoy crumpets, preferrable to bread or toast, somehow.

Not liking butter, I use margarine, but I rarely have Crumpets as a sweet treat.

As I enjoyed my breakfast, I was reminded of the "magic" first time I ever had Crumpets.
I would have been perhaps 5 or 6. My mother took me with her, on a trip to our nearest City, to do some shopping. She promised me a 'special Treat'. It was to be a 'surprise'.

Of course I was so excited, I could barely contain myself. Having learnt that nagging or persistant questions tended to dull the promised delight, I carefully kept quiet.

To set the scene, you must remember that this was post War New Zealand. (WW2). New Zealand was a small country, on the 'bottom' of the world. The 'Treats' were few & far between, & very plain fare was the order of the day. I suppose the Americans may have introduced new ideas (ketchup??) & new foods to the country, as they were stationed in New Zealand periodically, the war having progressed to the South Pacific Region, with the involvement of America, through the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour.

My mother says I owe my life to an American Serviceman, who caught my very pregnant mother, as she fell, on a steep set of steps, leading up to the Central Post Office, in Auckland. She felt forever grateful, & was sure, that, had she fallen, I would have been no more!

Here I digress. Back to Crumpets- & not the American version either!

Having completed shopping requirements, my mother declared we were going to have lunch. It was a cold day, with cold winds off the harbour. A small Cafe, facing the Harbour. We entered the warm Cafe, steamy windows attesting the cold outside temperatures. Seated at a small table. My mother ordering Crumpets & Honey. A pot of tea for her, a 'Soft drink' for me. I have forgotten what the drink was, probably orange. Fizzy Orange. Or 'Creaming Soda', perhaps an American addition, to the bottled, aerated drink selection.

What, I wondered, were "Crumpets"? I had never heard of them.

When they arrived I looked in astonishment at the round shapes, full of holes! Glistening with butter, & the Honey, fallen through the holes.

But,- Oh! the blissful magic of that first taste!! It will never leave my memory. I had never before encountered such a lovely, exotic, strange, unusual, thing! The holes, perfect for soaking the honey! The wonderful light texture! Surely a magic gift!

Today, when I eat Crumpets, I tend to like them savoury, such as with poached eggs. Or Baked Beans. Or Eggs & Bacon.

Every time I see them though, I am transported back, to my first taste of Crumpets, with the magic!! I can never recapture that first bliss, but I can still recall the memory of the bliss!

**********

The posting of the gift quilts is accomplished. Now I have to wait to hear of their arrival.

I am working on another gift quilt.

My Son sent me a link to a discourse on possession as a 'habit'. Or a state of being. It discusses the idea of an article 'being', as opposed to an article as 'being mine'. It discusses the idea of monkeys & possession. If something is gifted, it becomes the property of the 'owner'. If it is not gifted, it remains the property of the maker, or previous or original owner.

I have often pondered this, as I have made various items I have, & various items I have made, knowing I am gifting them. I don't feel any sense of 'mourning' or 'loss' if I have specifically made those articles for giving.

Is this confusing? Gom just came racing in, read some of the text, & told me it is 'crap', to use one of his technical terms, haha!

Does anyone else know what I mean? I feel quite detached to an item I have decided to make as a gift, whereas, if I make it for me, I feel very attached. Mind you, some things I make, to give away, I find I feel very attached to, in spite of knowing that item will be a gift!

Roy Orbison, Blue Bayou.

Mail, Treasure, & Sewing.

2008-07-01T16:26:00.007+10:00

We have had some lovely balmy days. Not very Wintery, for this time of year. A gentle warm breeze, & some beautiful blue skies & sunny days. We are warned it is all about to go pear-shaped, so at least we can be grateful we have had such a nice break/

Monday brought treasure in the mail. How excited I was to recieve a packet in the mail from England. I had been told it had been posted, & was quite impressed with the speedy delivery!

Inside the parcel was this lovely treasure from Quilting Bebbs. It is so sweet, & every bit as lovely in 'person' as it looks in the picture. I was the lucky person to win this on a giveaway Anne had.

Anne's work is lovely, so neat & her stitching is perfect. Just the thing to perk up winter days. I love strawberries!

I have been very busy sewing, working away on gift quilts. I have finished, & even labelled one I Spy quilt, ready to give away. I chose a cheqered patterned fabric for the binding, as I thought it a little like a snake to go around the jungly border. I am quite happy with the way it finished, & I have backed it with flannelette for warmth, & snuggles. My daughter made the first I Spy quilt I ever saw, for her daughter, & we all had so much fun playing with it. A good way to dispel some boredom.

I decided to finish this quilt instead of the other I Spy. As the recipients are sisters, I thought they might like something different, & perhaps can share. I love this quilt & am very happy with they way it has finished too. I decided to call it Raspberry Ripple. I love the colours.

It is also backed with flannelette, for cuddles.

I hope both quilts will be enjoyed & loved.

*************

Skin update number blahtey blah blah.

Finally got to see Specialist. He was stunned to see the referral letter was written in February! Perhaps I should have explained how it came to be, that I could not get an appointment until now! Perhaps he doesn't realise how busy he is!

As it was, I apologised for the disgusting letter of referral. It was handwritten, in illegible writing, & the page was covered in masses of blobs of ink, from a leaky printer. I don't think he could quite believe the state of it either!

As it happened when I went to see my GP, in desperation, for a referral for the Specialist, GP was away on holiday. Consequently the Doctor I saw was a relieving GP. He seemed to be very disgruntled with a lot of things, the printer not least, leaking it's ink as it was.

Isn't it funny how we become loyal to those we like. I felt quite indignant at the criticism implied, & offended to think he was making noises of disapproval. It so happens we really like our GP. We feel really comfortable with him, & we know he is a very thorough Doctor.

End result of today's visit is I am to try Light Therapy.
This in itself sounds ok. The idea is, rays of UV light, & UB -I think- light will be directed on my body 3 times a week. Times for the exposure will vary, increasing as I progress, from what I can gather.

After declaring I am not claustrophobic, I was taken to a cubicle to disrobe! Completely! Imagine if you will, the horror of such a thought.

Then, it turns out I have to walk stark naked, from this cubicle with just a mere curtain for privacy, over to a ~~contraption~~ box, Octagonal in shape. Rather like a circular phone box- or the Tardis, for those who like Dr Who.

There are lotions, & potions to be applied to certain -ahem- extremities. N!pples is one location. Not being a male, the other location did not apply to me!

Sunglasses are supplied, with disinfectant to wash them before you wear them. There is a curtain arrangement for the face. This has your name applied & lives in a plastic bag, in a cabinet for future use. I noticed there are cotton gloves, presumably for those whose hands dont itch.

I cringed out into the light box/cabinet. I was so traumatised I had forgotten to remove my knickers. They lay on the floor after prompting from the nurse to remove them.

Huge elements turned on & glared rays at me. Quite a warm sensation. Quite short blasts. I was assured the door is able to be opened, should sudden claustrophobia occur.

I thought to myself, it is very lucky that it is not Gom who suffers this ailment. He is extremely claustrophobic, as he discovered when he had to have his head scanned for fractures, after being attacked in the Hotel.

The plan is, I will recieve this treatment 3 times a week for a time. I was told it is not a quick result. I was also told I can actually wear my underwear to walk to the Light Box - if I feel embarrassed?? WTH?? Who wouldnt feel embarrassed knowing all it takes is a twitch of a curtain to expose your *all*? Sometimes I think they become so blase, they don't realise how traumatising it can be, to have to suddenly 'grin & bare it'!!

Not much comfort there, but better than nothing!

I have new tabs to take. Hope they work. "Itch Pills" the Professor called them!

Hope the light works. There is no readily available parking in the vicinity. Stressful to say the least!

Roberta Flack, Trade Winds.

The Pain...

2008-06-28T19:24:00.002+10:00

I heard a story, today, of one young person's life, that made me so sad.
I wished I could heal this young girl's life. I wished I could take her 'to my bosom' & heal her pain. I know I can't. I am too old & cantankerous to deal with such heartache, any more.

She has expressed a wish to be 'adopted' by our family. She loves us all, & we are very fond of her, by the same token. I would welcome her into our family, the safe parameters. The strong ties that stand in defiance, against all comers. Against any criticism. A Family, United!

But, if I were to do that, what might I do? In defence of this lovely girl?

I might resort to going & belting her father, biffing her mother, to realise what a perfect gem their child is. I can't take her into our home, & lie awake at night, worrying if she got home safely.

I have done that in the past. With troubled souls. I do think I did good things for those people. I do think I had a positive effect upon their lives. But now, I am old & tired. I struggle with what I feel I should do, & what I am capable of doing. Without detriment to my own family, my own health.

I think, I believe, that I cannot change the destiny of any other person. I also like to think I can ease their pain, & I can help their passage in this life. If I could, I would house this girl, & love her to health. I know I can't be so arrogant to suppose I could achieve this. I like to suppose our support might help.

So we give what we can.

I read there are upwards of 1,000 people without homes in our area, every night. It is very cold now, & I cannot imagine going to bed in the open. Or under the nearest bridge.The local Soup Kitchen, turns away hundreds of hungry souls every night. I feel mortified to think we have 'enough', & these people have nothing.

Currently there is a petty squabble over some local political 'lights'. Dining in Luxury, at a nightspot. The statement " Do you Know Who I Am?" was uttered. I find it so sickening. I want to grab a homeless person to scream, " Do you know who I an NOT?" in some kind of warped redress.

My heart breaks for these unfortunate people, .. I feel there but for the grace of fate, go I. Most of these folk are not bad people. Nor are they people who wish to wrought the system. They are, by & large, folk who have seemingly 'slipped through the cracks of Society'.

I am ashamed to say, I don't do enough for these people, I don't really know where to begin.

Rolling Stones, I Can't Get No Satisfaction.

An Evening in Paris, & Winning Post Chocolates.

2008-06-26T10:37:00.002+10:00

As a child I loved to watch my mother getting ready to go out. I would sit on the bed, & watch, as she put her makeup on, combed, then recombed her hair. I know it annoyed her to have me watching her every move. She would sometimes snap at me to go away. I adored her though, & thought she looked lovely.

In later years I was to feel that same annoyance of watching small faces, as I prepared to go out.

The perfume of the day was always "Evening in Paris" in a small dark blue bottle, with a fancy little lid. A small dab behind each ear, & perhaps a little at the throat. She would carefully choose earrings, & sometimes a matching necklace. No pierced ears in those days. The earrings had clamps, painful things, I later discovered. Or they had screws which tightened to hold the earrings in place. Also painful, I was to discover. I went & had my ears pierced, against Gom's wishes when I was a mother of 3. I have no idea why he was so against it, as his mother had pierced ears, & had had them done when she was very young- by a friend with a hot needle!!

My mother didn't go out socially, very often. Occasionally she would go to the Races with friends. I know she loved a day at the races. She would arrive home happy, & slightly flushed from a drink or two. I never did share her liking for Races, & could not stand to watch the Trotting, which my mother loved. I remember once a would be suitor of mine took me to a Trotting Meeting, thinking he was giving me a treat. I was so bored & cold I didn't go out with him again!

The absolute treat of the day, when my mother was young, was a box of Winning Post Chocolates. Remember those? I am sure the PC Police would not allow such a name to be used today. It almost reeks of intent on the part of the gift giver, to reach the 'Winning Post', so to speak! From memory there was a picutre of a horse, & a horseshoe on the box, which I seem to remember as being blue? I suppose some suitor may have given my mother the chocolates on occasion.

I remember once, as my mother did her hair, & sprayed it to keep it neat, I remarked to her how like Mrs Ball's toilet her hair smelled. She quickly looked at the can of spray & was dismayed to see she had used air freshener instead of her hair spray! How we laughed. Mrs Ball was a friend & I used to babysit for her & her husband, when they had a night out.

I remember the smell of Evening in Paris. It was pleasant, dreamy & soft & not sharp or musky like some of the nasty perfumes of today. Some that I won't name smell just like ~~cat pee~~ animal urine, & take the breath away, & not in a good way! It didn't seem to make anyone sneeze or feel sick, either.

Though lipstick was popular in red colours back in those days, my mother never wore the bright, bloody reds. She usually wore soft pinks, often Tangee. Was that a colour or a brand? I know it was very popular, & was very soft. She seldom wore nailpolish either, & never bright reds.

I have an Aunt who married one of my mother's brothers, & she had beautiful strong long fingernails, & dark colouring. She wore Ruby red lipstick, & Ruby red nailpolish. It always suited her so well, & gave her an exotic look, to my eyes.

I can remember the thrill of being allowed to share some of those Winning Post chocolates. What a treat they were then. Now it seems the treats like that have all been spoilt by our overindulgence. Because I don't eat sweets often, I still find them quite a treat. I also love to get flowers. My daughter hates to be given flowers, which I find an odd thing. One of her partners used to give her roses, & she actually told me she hated them! She finally told him, too.

******************

I have been wondering why some people seem to wear a psychic "Kick Me" sign.

I know a young man, who was last born, in a family of 4 children. He was born quite close to a much wanted girl child, after 2 older boys had been born. He seemed a 'forgotten' child in some respects. Almost treated as an accidental addition to the family, which I think he was, in actuality.

When he grew to adulthood, he met & fell in love with a girl, who seemed a perfect match. However, she developed some hideous disease, that caused her to go utterly bald. Perhaps it was alopecia. Every hair on the girl's body vanished. She became depressed, gave up her job, wouldn't go out in public. The young man truly loved her, & still thought of her as beautiful.

He spent all his time, trying to make her feel she was still loved, & still a lovely person. He told her to wear hats, scarves, & he took her out for drives to get her out of the house. He just adored her. He asked her to marry him, they became engaged.

Eventually, whatever the hideous disease was, went. The girl's hair grew back, & she became conventionally 'pretty' again. She then told the man she no longer loved him, & wanted him out of her life.

The young man was devastated. He could not understand how his devotion was thrown back in his face. He spriralled into deep depression.

After a time, he met another girl. Fell in love again, asked her to marry him. She agreed. This time it seemed, he was destined to find happiness.

They were to be married at the girl's parents picturesque property. All the guests assembled, on the lawns in the beautiful gardens. The nervous groom waited proudly for his bride. Waited. Waited.

The bride appeared eventually, very late indeed. Clutching a bottle of beer, swaying & slurring. Quite obviously very drunk!

The Groom's mother, who is a little naive, & generous in giving the benefit of the doubt, asked another guest, with surprised dismay, "Do you think she is drunk?"
"No no" the other guest replied, not wanting to spoil it, "Perhaps she is just nervous."

The 'happy couple' were duly married, & sped off on their honeymoon. The car boot, loaded with beer. All the guests hoped it would be a happy marriage, though the chances looked a little slim.

For a time all seemed well. The Bride became pregnant. There was jubilation. A beautiful son was born. The Father was so thrilled. The Mother spiralled into depression. No one knew why. The Father tried to get the Mother to seek help. She refused.

One day, the Father came home, to find the Mother had fled, taking all the furniture, plus their son. The Father was devastated. He followed the Mother, he begged & pleaded with her to return. He asked why. What could he do, to change things. "Nothing" the Mother replied. She didn't know what was wrong. She only knew she would not go back.

So the almost-young man, even more broken by life, lives a lonely existance. Alone & sad, the only joy in his life, the times he has his son for visits.

Life often seems to be so unfair. I don't understand how or why, one person seems to be singled out for such unhappiness. Such kicks in the ar*e for just 'being'.

It is said we are all born with a set quotient of happiness, that will not change. It is said it is about even for us all. This young man's life would seem to give the lie to that idea.

************
We have blustery winds. I find windy weather very unsettling. I always feel colder, & a little bleaker, when it is windy. In spite of the coldly blue diamond sky, the lemony sunshine, which cannot warm in the face of such biting wind.

Paul Simon, The Boxer.

That Huge Ball, Rolling Down the Slopes..

2008-06-24T10:25:00.004+10:00

I feel as though there is a huge Ball of something, racing down the slopes above me.

If it is snow, it might disintegrate & melt away.

If it is mud, it might swamp me, & splatter all about me...or smother me...

I think it is just a feeling that I need more hours in the days. Or more efficiency in my scattered activities, perhaps.

The feeling that, the more it rolls, the more it gathers, of "things & stuff", that I can never get to meet or greet.

I seem to feel sudden, overwhelming, realisation that I am never going to read all the books I would love. I am never going to hear all the music I would love.

I am never going to sew all the quilts I would love to make.

I am never going to travel to all the wonderful destinations I would wish to visit. Even allowing for the monetary factors, there probably wouldn't be enough years left.

I will never read all the wonderful Blogs out there, that take my breath away, with the beauty of the words, the art, the photography.

I spent a lot of time yesterday, on a Blog site I would like to share. If you are at all interested in quilting, it is Quilting Heaven! I was led there by Christine's mention. Thankyou, Christine.

Del, of Del Quilts. I spent hours enjoying her quilts. Reading her words.

Today, there is a post leading to another site, equally as fascinating. Whales. Please, go & enjoy it all.

This is the wonderful world of Blogs. One more medium to gain so much pleasure from. One more medium to gather knowledge, & hopefully, to share in the wonderful world about us.

One more reason to be grateful that I have time & ability to access the magic.

We have been discussing with friends what we would like to do, should be win large amounts of money.

Our friend says, though 'they' say money cant buy happiness he would like to give it a shot. See what type of misery it might buy.

My Beloved Brother says "Ah, but always remember, happiness cant buy money!"

My theory is to just keep on imagining what we ~~could~~ will do, should we ever have access to large amounts. It is said you won't achieve anything you haven't previously imagined... is that how it goes?

**********************

I think I found this Glow Worm on another blog, & I pinched it! If it was yours, sorry, but I wanted to share it.

On the quilting front, I have almost got the binding on one of the I Spies- aka Dog's Breakfasts.

I am still dithering with the top for my Granddaughter.

I am trying vainly to catch up with correspondance I must get written. I am limping along mentally in many fields, it seems. Too many books I am reading at once. Too much music to listen to. Too many posts, written in my head. Too many words, waiting for release.

***************

Gom had a horrible nightmare last night. He doesn't remember what it was about, but has a nebulous memory of having had the nightmare. It was a vocal nightmare, with horrible wails from Gom. From where I lay, beside him, it was a nasty nightmare to 'witness'. I attempted to wake him, but he couldn't be woken. He finally turned over, & his breathing resumed a regular rythym.

My dreams of mansions I own seem to have slowed!

Newton Faulkner, To the Light.

The Magic of Long Term Friends.

2008-06-20T16:28:00.005+10:00

There is something just magical about long term friends. People you have known 'forever', it seems. Not the 'relative family', friends, who are part of your life, for most of your life.

I am referring to the 'friend family', of friends, who are the network of friends you have made along the path of your life. I am so lucky to still have contact with friends I have had for 60 or so years.

Because I grew to adulthood in the same small town where I was born, I was lucky to have that continuity of friendships. Ties that were forged with such reinforcements, they have lasted throughout lifetimes. Differing career paths, living, circumstances. Children, travel, changing/moving residences, changes of country. All fall away, as we recall old jokes, old events, wonderful shared memories.

Oddly enough of all the friends made when I was very young, most of the marriages we made seem to have stood the test of time. It must say something about the times we grew up amidst, or the values we were taught.

I was priveledged yesterday, to spend a magic day with a friend I have known since before we both started school. I had met her husband once before, & she had met my husband 2 or 3 times before.

Here we are, in our first year of school in 1949.
J is on the left, in the front row of seated girls, & I am second from the right.

I can remember the name of almost every child in that photo, which seems incredible to me now. Another girl in that class was a playmate too, before school days, & she & I used to attend Sunday School together. I had not realised how many more boys there were. I love the boys braces!! The little knitted pullovers, that were the fashion then!

As we sat & reminisced, our husbands chatted quietly & most amicably. I wish they had had more time to spend, some time to stay with us. I was so thrilled to have even one day, to see my friend of so many years. She is, as she has always been, a lovely generous person with an absolute heart of pure gold. My brother remembers her with fondness too, as a person who was always lovely to everybody, & that is exactly how she is today.

I feel so lucky she is still a part of my life, even though it is mostly a distant -in miles- part.

It is so interesting to think how little she has changed in her fundamental personality. She still has the same wonderful sense of fun, & humour. She is still generous almost to a fault. She is still so warm!

I love the way these old friends & I speak the same language. We know exactly what we mean by a word, or a tone. It is like 'coming home' to spend time with such friends.

I think she might read my blog. I hope she does, as I can say the things I didn't say in person. It was one of life's true treats, to have her for a day.

**********************************

Help....??
I seem to be lost a little in the evolution of this quilt I am making for my Granddaughter. She was here to visit, & helped me choose the differing purples for the rounds on the blocks. She hasn't seen the green checks yet. I really like them, the colours are very good.

It is the next round I am pondering. I tried a dark pink... it just killed the dark green, & looked awful. I am thinking something light, but am not sure what or how light to make it.

The stitchery blocks are from a Bronwyn Hayes pattern, featured in a Australian Country Threads Magazine, & I ~~can't do much by the book, have to be different~~ decided to change the settings, so I am winging it here. Colours are quite different from Bronwyn's pattern. GD loves the colours, so there is no problem there.

Any suggestions??

I have not backed or basted the fun ~~dogs breakfast~~ quilts yet. They are looking at me a little accusingly. I am thinking to be making some more blocks to do another for SG. I guess my thinking is, you can never have too many quilts! haha. What do you think??

********************************

We are having more rain. It is a peculiar Winter for us. Usually Winter is clear fine days. This rain is wonderful though, & goes a long way to redressing the drought that has been a factor hereabouts for so long.

The garden... well the weeds are just flourishing! The Daphne is just beginning to bloom.

I know the full moon is about. I have been having incredibly vivid dreams again. I keep dreaming of huge houses, & I am the owner. I have no idea what this may mean, but I do know, that I am sharing these houses with may folk, family & friends, so I feel happy about that.

Randy Crawford, Tender Falls the Rain.

A Sewn Evolution

2008-06-17T16:11:00.007+10:00

I am calling this my evolution story. It is not really very dramatic, or exciting, but I have been pleased with the process of it all. Small Grandson has been here for breakfast for the past 2 mornings, & he loves to play with the scraps off the scraps. He was a little crestfallen when he found out they may not be for a quilt for his use.

These 2 photos are with my first choice of border, just to frame the 'bursting out all over' centres. A black on black print. Somehow I couldn't seem to get clear pics, these seem a little fuzzy.

These past few days, the quilting mojo seems to have returned. I have been in an almost fever, sewing away, & getting these quilt tops to the backing stage.

I thought my quilty friends, or even non quilters, might like to see how I progressed these very casual scrap quilts. I am very happy to say they have come from stash too, which is always a bonus. I did purchase some baby jungle-animal print for the final border, once I decided what I wanted to do with that.

This was the next step, & I decided to use different fabrics for the border, & was determined to only use what I had on hand.

Here are the final 2 with the outer borders. I am now up to the batting & backing stage, which is my least favourite step in the construction, since I find it really hard on my back. These really are 'patchwork' since I had to improvise in some places. To me, that is "True Pioneer Patchwork Ethic"

Since I can no longer get ~~down & dirty, ha ha~~ down on the floor, I do my basting on a table, using a method I found on Keryn's blog. Thankyou Keryn!!

Once I get this done, the quilting will be very simple. After all, such busy quilts don't need elaborate patterns, & hopefully, the end result will look good in spite of the quilting! Also, children seem to be nonjudgmental, & don't look for perfect matching corners, or even "perfect". Sometimes, just love is the "perfect".

The strange winter weather is having the effect of keeping folks at home, snuggled up, as far as they can arrange. We had a partial day out yesterday, visiting various outlets for neccessities, with some degree of success. Bargains were to be found in the seafood section.. woo hoo, makes me happy!

The Gom is still happy with basic meals, & he is happy rearranging his freezer drawers in the upstairs freezer. Of course, this means every time I attempt to find a vegetable package or some other frozen goody, they have gone missing, or merely been relocated!

Goodness knows about the downstairs freezer- I feel it is safer not to ask!!

The visuals in the Front Garden are woeful! Gom has wielded a mean hand. Half the plants are decimated, the other half are bewildered & confused. When I enquired why some limbs of Grevillea are poked into the ground, I am 'assured' it will 'grow again'. Of course it won't!! It is much like the "late Parrot" of the Monty Python fame. They wrote this whole series with Gom in sight!!

Gom's father, was a small-framed man, who put up with all sorts of disappointments in his life. But he sure could grow things in his garden! He had a lovely big back yard, & he used every inch of the soil, to positive results. His potatoes were legendary, & generously shared. As were his wonderful peas, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, ~~when he finally worked out how to grow them!!~~. The pumpkins were delicious!

I regret we have not got the space for vegetable growing. I loved the gardens of my childhood home. I loved the garden of my Father In Law. Gom has not one whisp of garden talent. The Anal distruction gene seems alive & well. I have to devise a way to curb it, & keep the level to a dull thrumm.....

John Denver, Sunshine on My Shoulders.

Twists of Fate... & other dances...

2008-06-14T17:58:00.003+10:00

When I was a young & slim girl, the Twist was the Dance. Everyone could do the Twist, or an approximation! It was fun, & it sure did make for fit bodies, with slim waists. Ahh those were the days.

Best Friend J & I would go to dances rather than go on dates. Unbelievable, but true. We had our favourite Dance Halls, & we had our 'regular partners' on the night.

Largely, the same faces could be seen at the different venues. The same 'favourite partners', would ask to dance.
Chubby Checker, Let's Twist Again, Like We Did Last Summer became somewhat of an "In joke" with BFJ & I.
We had another girlfriend who would come along with us, but she met her Fate. She fell in love, & soon, was exclusively dating P. Her dates with us, reduced accordingly.

BFJ "Twisted on" all summer long, & on into the Winter. Nothing like the Twist to warm the body. Various partners came & went, for both of us. We planned our get-away, to the South Island. Applied for jobs, were accepted, & travelled off to meet our fates.

Which happened to be husbands, & children, in the Southern Island. Fate caught up with us...perhaps. My marriage lasted, BFJ's didn't. Twist of Fate. Our friendship lasted though. Over 46 years, & still, too much left to say, when we meet. I love that friend, a sister could not be closer.

The Twists of Fate moved along, we moved a Country. We lived a new life, Gom & I & our children. Our life is in Oz now. We regard it as Home. Though we still miss our friends in Aoteoroa. Always will.

Today, I read a post on Tanya's blog, which seemed strangely, almost prophetic, of a twist of fate here in Oz. A young man, a father at 15 years of age, had been run over by an unlicensed driver, of a vehicle. The young man, who died, had been visiting his girlfriend, who was the mother of his 5 month old son. They argued. He fled, clad only in a towel, & proceeded to lie on a busy Highway. One has to wonder at the twists of fate that conspired to make the meeting of events, that led to his death.

I have been hard at the sewing machine front over the past 2 days. I have played out with ideas. I have had plans, vaguely in mind. I thought to make some quilts suitable for the young. I chose bright, & what I thought were interesting fabrics, for children, to perhaps play "I Spy".

I laid some sewn blocks on my ..cough cough, 'design floor' haha. Leo proceeded to dance the Tango ~~or the Doggy equivalent,~~ over the lot! After admonishing him, I re laid the blocks, & viewed the result.

Hmmn, the kindest comment is Dog's Breakfast! Or Pig's Nest! except, I dont think I have one Pig to display.... just the leftover nest.

Here are some "Options". Nothing set in stone. Nothing committed.

Here is Leo's repaired Dance Floor!
I straightened things up, but still, Dog's Breakfast springs to mind. I can't call it that-- children won't understand!

I realise the lines between my values are too blurred for this to be a rousing success. But children just might enjoy the 'random' to quote my Adult Granddaughter.

I must give credit, ~~though she may cringe, & wish I didn't~~ to Finn, for giving me the 'Kitchen Sink' idea for the quilt. Even if mine has not worked well, Finn's has.

Ah the wonderful Twists of Fate.

Today is my Nephew's 20th Birthday. Happy Birthday D, Love you!

America, You Can Do Magic.

A TAG.

2008-06-13T19:13:00.003+10:00

I agreed to do this tag, but have not prepared the pics!

These are the rules.

The Rules:
Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What I was doing 10 years ago.

We were relocating to the area we now live. We were hoping for a change of pace, & a laid back lifestyle. We got our wish! We love our new location!

2.What 5 things are on my to-do-list for today...

Well it is late in the day, but I did most of them.
1. was to answer emails.
2. clean the remaining windows, not on computer, in the house!
3. sew some squares.
4. hug the resident GOM.
5. Phone my children.
All checked, all done!

3. Snacks I enjoy.
Too many:

I love calamari.
Cashew nuts.
Hazelnuts.
Celery.
Macadamia nuts.

5. Things I would do if I was a Billionaire:

OMG where does one start.??
Buy Houses for the kinder.
Give to a charity, that I think is very deserving, & is local. ( I have one already selected, with a very enlightened outlook, for the misguided young- I would SO give to this man!!)
Travel, hopefully to broaden my outlook & understanding, thereby enabling gifting to deserving charities.
Gifting to priorly discovered deserving charities.
Enlightening my family, to do good for the future.

5. Places I have lived.
A small BOP town in New Zealand.
Auckland.
Christchurch
Sydney, Australia.
Central Coast, NSW Australia.

This easy tag was given to me by Dawn of Sew Ritzy Titzy, & so I will not tag any one in particular, but if you would like to do this, it is painless, & can be fun.

Please do this. It is fun to dream about what we could accomplish!

I would also like to say, if I could, I would establish a home for all the 'unwanted dogs & cats, so a huge portion of funds would be for RSPCA!!!.