Washed out World

In our corner of the world, it is a very washed out looking place. There is a little eerie sun trying to poke out from thinning clouds.

We contacted friends yesterday, whose house has been flooded, as we thought they may need a dry berth for the night, but were assured they were ok. Hopefully they are still coming here for the afternoon, as planned, but it will depend on the state of treatment for their carpets.

As many suburbs were without electricity, we considered ourselves very lucky! After the one small outage in the morning on Friday, we have been well warm, & fully lit- one might say!

We also thought we may have to have our daughter & family here for the night, as their front lawn is like a 2 foot deep lake! But the house is set higher, & so they were safe & dry.

I dont think there was as much rain fell last night, & the highway was certainly not so filled with sirens screaming past.

Thank you for concern regarding my daughter's hand, it is responding very well to the antibiotic, & she is certain she wont require surgery for it, so that is good news.


Quite a few of you commented on Bronwyn Hayes, who markets her designs under the name Red Brolly. I have posted some quilts I have done using her designs, & though I have posted them before I am sure you wont mind seeing them again.

This photos shows Bronwyn's quilt pattern Country Cottage, & it was featured in an Australian Country Threads Magazine, Vol 3, No 10.

SG loves this quilt, & it is a regular favourite for making his Cubby Houses.
This pic features my favourite angel, & I have used this pattern for other purposes, putting on a bag I made for a loved cousin, & I have another I was going to frame.... in the to-do file! haha.

And this is my favourite cat block. I just love that lazy sleepy cat, so comfortable on the old chair.

This is the complete quilt hanging on the window drapes, after I had first finished making it.

And here is a pic of the quilt I made for my SIL's 50th birthday. I used the same cat pattern, but enlarged it & made a patchwork version. I designed the quilt myself, & featured flying geese on the back, so guests could sign the cream patches. I dont think she got it signed, as she didnt want harm to come to the quilt. I adore scrap quilts, & was very pleased with how this one turned out.

We are having some friends & family over today, so I had better get myself off this & tidy messy sewing off the dining room table.

I have started a new project... even though I havent sashed the spider webs! And I did get out a WIP & put the final round on it, so it is ready to be backed & quilted, so I felt the new project was ok. haha.

I dont very often buy magazines, except at garage sales or op shops, but one little treat I do give myself is a subscription to Autralian Country Threads magazine. I love their patterns & have used many ideas from the magazines. A particular favourite is Ruth Buchanan, whose designs really appeal to me, & I have used 5 of her patterns for quilts for family & friends.

Hope your weekend is safe & warm!

Wintery thoughts

Last evening, while the winds were raging & lashing our corner of the world, & the temperatures plummeted to a chill 10 degrees, I thought it might be time to get out some of my WIPs- works in progress. I had been working on these little Bronwyn Hayes stitchery patches, & thought to get them out to work on, & finish. After scrabbling about looking for the magazine that featured the pattern, I discovered I had actually finished all the stitching on the squares. The pattern had four smaller patches worked & placed at the corners of the smallish quilt.

This is my favourite patch I think. I love Bronwyn's cats, & have done other work featuring her little cats, turning one stitchery pattern into a patchwork block for my sister in law, who loved a ginger Tom, who strayed into their lives. He was a very large & cunning cat, & was owned by noone, & he dined royally & largely, at several households in the area, & made himself at home whenever the mood suited him. He could be very aloof when it suited him, & made no secret that HE chose the moments he could be patted, cuddled etc.

My brother was never enamoured of the Gingey, & I suspect Gingey knew, & he would sit smugly beside SIL & almost pull faces at my brother. My second Nephew & I used to plot scenarios to get rid of the Gingey. But of course it was all in jest, & we would never have harmed him in reality.

I think he has gone off to the great cat house in the sky, as he no longer calls to invade their house, or eat the best of foods.

The world is looking very lashed & almost washed out. Our patio area is covered in dirt & leaves which washed down the path as the rain poured faster than it could drain away. One of my large heavy pots got blown over, but apart from that, we havent sustained any damage.

We are lucky we are situated on a hill, & so are never in danger of being flooded. We can see the Pacific Highway from our windows, & looking down on the river of almost stationary lights last evening made us glad we didnt have to be out driving in the atrocious weather.

It is our Queen's Birthday weekend here, so we get a holiday Monday. Many people come to our area for long weekends, & it is a designated resort area. Poor holiday makers will be in for a wet & rather chilly weekend, if they have ventured here. The night was filled with sirens screaming down the highway, & I was glad to think that none of my loved ones had to be out in the mess & dreadful driving conditions.

My daughter quite often works on a Friday evening, but due to her poisoned hand, she could not work last night, & said they collected SG early, & were all snug, warm & safe at home.

I am wondering if I should get out fabrics & see if I can get my little stitcheries into a quilt. And I have not made a decision on the sashing for the web blocks either. Hmmm, perhaps a visit to the fabric shop might be on the cards.

It seems the rain has eased, & the skies have brightened a little- I even caught a glimpse of blue earlier.

I am listening to Blue, Joni Mitchell. It is one of my all-time favourite albums.

Current track? River!

All Fuss & Bluster

This morning we have wild weather, with blustery winds lashing the trees, & driving sheets of rain into places normally not wet. We had a power cut briefly, & so everything halted until power resumed. And here is Leo, in his 'I hate storms' mode. He gets in behind the sofa & hides. And if there is thunder, such as the great deafening clap we had yesterday morning, he runs to me for protection!! He is a bit of a wuss really, though he pretends to be the big watch dog.

And here is quiet sensible little Honey, who takes it all in her stride, & doesnt let it upset her.

GOM had to go for some blood tests, so she is patiently waiting for his return, keeping a chair warm for him.

This is the palm tree beside our balcony, being lashed by the rain. I took this through the window, not wanting to get wet.

And here it is being lashed by the wind this time. There are 2 really tall palms- not sure what type they are,- on a neighbouring property, & they almost bend double. I am constantly amazed that they dont snap.

I am pleased we are getting some heavy rain, & hopefully it will fall in places desperate for the water. The farmers will be rejoicing, & I hope it is going to dams & catchment areas.

Our daughter had been doing some weeding, & a rose thorn went into a knuckle on her hand. She said the pain was excrutiating, & I urged to her go to a Dr. She did, yesterday, as over night it had got worse, & the Dr told her it was poisoned. She may even have to have surgery on it, if the antibiotics dont work on the infection. She said she wouldnt have thought it could be serious until I told her roses can be really poisonous.

She has never liked roses, curiously enough. She had a boyfriend who used to buy them for her regularly, & we all thought how romantic, but she admitted she hated them! I love rose blooms, but must say, I am very wary of the thorns. But if anyone buys me a bunch, I am always thrilled!

****

Noise can be an irritating part of our lives. I find it can be extremely irritating. We have a neighbour who does a lot of work at home with a compressor- I think. And clangs metal, & thwacks things, & runs other machinery sounding items. I feel the urge to run, shouting, into his yard & flagellating him savagely with a cauliflower stalk or wilted leek. Always supposing I had one of either!

I have been heard to mutter that if I wanted to live in an industrial estate, I would have chosen a house close to one. I never say anything though, because I am sure he does good with his constructions/makings or repairings or whatever, but sometimes... well, it can be an irritation.

And our dogs are not perfect, & will rush out barking now & then, & we are conscious that barking can be a real irritation, so we are always rushing out to hush them, or to bring them inside.

I must be getting old & grumpy like GOM, as I hate him mowing the lawn, & using the leaf blower/mulcher....especially when he mis uses it!! haha.

I hope you bloggers in the northern hemisphere are having some warm, & sunny weather.

I admit to having got soft, since living here in Oz. It used to be much colder in New Zealand!! But now, if it gets to 15 or 16 I think, "How chilly!"

When All Around You...

A dentist I used to attend had a lot of 'Inspirational' & 'Humourous' posters pinned to the ceiling in his surgery.

As I lay there, rigid as a board, with every muscle screaming pain, I would try to relax, - funny how that gas never made me laugh! I would read & reread those posters- which never seemed to rotate or change.

There were plenty to read, as the whole ceiling & quite a lot of high walls were covered with them. Sprinkled with small children's grateful thankyou pictures!
A concept so strange & foreign to shakingly frightened me, I could never imagine being grateful to a dentist, as a child! Although I must say, I did really like this particular dentist, & I loved his accent. He told me he came from Poland, & he had marvellous green eyes. And he did extensive & excellent work on my teeth. I even trusted him. Not enough to completely relax, mind you!

The one poster that always stayed in my mind is one that said, "When all about you looks Dark... Look up!" It was printed on some artful photograph of light coming out through clouds, & it really struck a chord with me. I often think of it, & will always 'look up' when things are particularly trying or frustrating.

When we lived in the inner city Hotel in the Southern City, our flat overlooked a carpark. Not a very large carpark, but it was usually full, as parking was hard to find on the busy one way street thoroughfare.

Almost the whole of the front of our flat was a huge balcony that had been glassed in. It was beautiful in winter, as the sun poured in, & warmed us on chilly 5 degree days. Our lounge had huge sash windows, which we seldom opened- they were so heavy, & the sounds, & exhaust fumes, of the traffic was too intrusive to invite into our home.

But the sights we could see from our windows were often extraordinarily funny, unexpected, & very interesting, & sometimes quite shocking. I would urge folk to always 'look up' should they be parked in a carpark overlooked by tall buildings.

At lunchtimes our busy Bistro was crowded with diners, & more than a few would linger long over lunch, especially on Fridays, which seemed to be a chance to start an early weekend. The patrons would perhaps indulge in one too many glasses of wine or beer, & then they would retreat to their cars, in very amorous moods, & well... we quite often closed our drapes!

And many was the patron, who would furtively look all about them, then decide to pee in our shrubbery at the edges of the carpark. I could never bring myself to shout at them, though I suppose I should have. My Father in law, who maintained that garden hosed it very vigourously, & kept the shrubs trimmed very closely, while he was our gardener!

Once, when the shrubs were quite tall & vigourous, the police came to the hotel looking for a man who had been seen running into the hotel. When he saw the police he bolted, & though they looked everywhere for him, they couldnt find him. They searched all the shrubs, with no trace of the man. Finally they left, & as I looked out the window, I saw the man crawl out from under a car, & run off in the darkness. I dont know what his 'crime' had been, but I thought he was probably very lucky the car owner had not decided to leave, while he was hiding under the vehicle.

Once we saw a very elederly man come lurching out of the hotel, set sail for the footpath, & as the ground sloped towards the river on the far side of the road, he gathered speed, & rushed straight across the road & fell over the chain fence & rolled right into the river! GOM, who was Happy Young Publican Husband, in those days, tore off downstairs just as others were shouting & rushing to rescue the old chap from the river, which luckily was very shallow at that point.

Quite often, that same elderly gent, who had been hospitalised, escaped from the hospital in his pyjamas & caught a bus into the city to come to the Hotel. HYPH would ring the Hospital & someone would come & collect him. He was quite frail, but surprisingly strong when he was thwarted in his efforts to spend the afternoon at his favourite 'watering hole'.

We do have a lot of peculiar memories of sights & sounds from the carpark.

So, dont forget to always look up!

Trying to Stay Grounded.

This is a pic of SG, small grandson, taken yesterday morning. He decided he would like a photo taken with the cactus, so here is the result. He has a scratch on his right cheek which is the accidental result of boisterous play with his dog, whose claws perhaps need a clip.



After writing yesterday's post about our travels in Thailand, it got me thinking about other holidays & trips we have taken.

When we first moved to Australia to live, I used to take trips back to visit my mother, who lived in Auckland, approximately once a year. I often went alone, leaving GOM to hold the fort, & I loved to travel alone. Sometimes we had trips back to the South Island, to Christchurch to visit GOM's family & our friends who live there.

A couple of times we met up with our son & his partner, who were travelling in NZ at the same time. Our son B, was keen to show his partner where he grew up, & memories of his childhood years. They spent a lovely time in Kaikoura, which has always held a special charm for our son. It can be very cold, & when the snow is on the mountains it is freezing. There is a flourishing Whale Watching business there now, but in our day, it was just a rather bleak seaside town, which could be guaranteed to have Crayfish available almost all year round.

There is a rough rocky beach with very little sand, it is mostly pebbles. There is a seal colony lives on some huge rocky outcrops & we sometimes took walks to view the seals. Well rugged up, usually, because of the cold winds coming from the mountains on one side, & the Antarctic from the sea.

We would often stay there on our trips up to see my stepdaughter, & of course our children remember those trips, - now rather vaguely. But SB has always retained a fondness for Kaikoura, in spite of once having a dreadful asthma attack while we were staying there, & because he hadnt exhibited any symptoms for about a year, we had no relief available, & no Doctor could be found at night in a small seaside town. Our remedy to was to give him a little brandy in warm water with sugar to relax him, & he went off to sleep quite comfortably, & in the morning all signs of asthma had gone. Our GP later told me I had done just the right thing.

And how, you may ask, did we happen to have brandy with us, & not asthma treatments?? Terrible parents! Publicans, though.

We always called in to visit with friends who lived just outside of Kaikoura, & usually took some bottles of alcohol as gifts or to have a drink with our friends.



This next photo is of the Port of Lyttleton, taken from a lookout accessable by Gondola. The Gondola had never been there, when we lived in Christchurch, so it was as real tourists we rode for the view.
I see I took this photo in November 95.
And here is GOM, with son B, & his partner M, taken looking down at Lyttleton Harbour. You can see the harbour is formed by a crater, & there are many bays round this Harbour.

We used to have quite a few visitors from overseas come to visit us when we lived in the city Hotel, in Christchurch, & we used to try to take them to as many places of interest as we could. It seemed strange visiting as tourists, & perhaps seeing things through new eyes. There are so many wonderful places to visit, & interesting historical towns, I would love to go back & do it all again as a tourist.


I do get itchy feet from time to time!

And here is the view looking East last evening. I loved to rolling fluffy clouds highlighted by the setting sun.

And this was the view about 30 minutes later, looking to the West, over the hills.
And there is that lone pine again! Still waiting ...

I had better go & get busy so I dont fret too much about being stationary, with no immediate prospect of travel in sight!!

A Thai Holiday Remembered

In about 1990 or 91 GOM & I took a trip to Thailand. It seemed a dream come true, to both of us.

As I remember the trip now, I am surprised at how few souvenirs we seemed to bring home with us. Not even very many photographs! Which I really now regret, of course.
This was taken at the Rose Garden, as you can see. The photographers were waiting when our bus pulled in, & the snaps were quickly taken. By the time we had completed our tour & attended a performance of singing & dancing, we were offered these rather ghastly plates, for purchase with our images on them. I remember at the time, being a little horrified at the idea, but now I am glad we decided to buy one. I think we only have one other photo taken on a Chinese Junk dinner cruise one evening in Singapore.

When we planned our holiday, we had never been to a country other than New Zealand & Australia. We were advised language would not be a problem, as everyone spoke English. I would agree, most did, but I dont know that they always understood it. Occasionally we would request something, & would get the polite bow, & the wide beautiful smiles, & a "Yes Madam". And then we would all stand & smile & wait.. & wait.. & wait.

We wondered if we had made the right decision on destination when our plane was delayed leaving then we were told we would have to spend our first night in Singapore, which had not been the plan at all. So all our travel connections were disrupted, & after a hot night in a Singapore Hotel, we arrived late next day, in Bangkok.

Which was somewhat of a culture shock. We were typical lost tourists, not knowing our way about, & the heat & the hustle & bustle of Bangkok Airport was quite terrifying in a way. As had been Singapore. It was the guns that I think we found most terrifying. And the soldiers patrolling. We were eventually directed to a man in a thin shiny blue suit who smoked furiously the whole time we tried to converse with him. This was our first inkling that not everyone was going to understand English they way we spoke it!

Finally, after many showers of ash, & lungfulls of secondhand smoke, from many cigarettes, we were given a phone to call the Hotel to ask how to proceed. We were told to get a taxi to take us to the hotel, & we would be reimbursed. We began to suspect we were never going to make it alive to the Hotel! The long ride was so terrifying, we both thought it would be the end of our lives! The traffic seemed manic, & at any given time, any lane seemed to flow in all directions, with little sane movement! And the tuk tuks seemed to be so reckless, & dangerous, it was a while before we got the courage to ride in one of those.

But the people of Thailand we found to be wonderful warm people, who were mostly very welcoming, & very eager to please. The staff at our Hotel were lovely & the various Restaurants we visited in the Hotel were all lovely. I knew I like Chinese & Japanese food & was thrilled to discover that Thai food was even nicer, if that were possible. I loved the tangy sweet & slightly sour flavours, & learnt I also enjoyed chilli, for the first time, I think.

The busy colourful markets were an experience & we bought all sorts of things for ourselves & those at home. Our Granddaughter was only a toddler then, & we had a wonderful time buying her clothes & toys & shoes that squeaked when she walked. And the fake watches, & the rip off clothes. And GOM had clothes tailor made by fast Indian stitchers, who made wonderful suits & shirts.

We did our own thing for some days, & other times we took some tours with a guide, & we did the Bridge on the River Kwai tour. We had a lovely guide who spoke beautifully, & we had a lot of fun on that trip. The train was rather terrifying & it was so hot & really uncomfortable on the hard wooden seats. The hot cemetary was a sad place, & I was glad when we left it. Changi prison was sad too, & I felt the ghosts of sad men, & wasted lives were present.

We stayed on an Island, in huts that were moored to the banks of the river, & they swayed when the fast motorised long boats went zinging along the water. There were ceiling fans, & no hot water, but the food provided was magnificent & in the evenings it was lovely to sit & watch the water.

We had 4 nights in Phuket, which was truly beautiful. We loved the Hotel we stayed at, & had a beautiful room overlooking the Andaman Sea, & watched the most spectacular sunsets I have ever seen. It was beautiful, & I could have stayed there longer. The Hotel had a nice pool, & you could sit in the water at a counter & have your lunch or dinnner.

Though we had been warned about touters, & to be careful of strangers, we grew friendly with a nice young man who asked if we would like to go to a Restaurant for dinner one evening. We agreed to go, & arranged a meeting place, where he said he would collect us in his car. We wondered if we were being big fools, but set off anyway.

The young man had cleaned his car, inskde & out, & it was immaculate, with leather seats. He drove us over some rough roads to a small place with wonderful fresh seafood. We were greeted by the smiling owners, & the whole family seemed to come out to meet us, from small children to elderly people! But, oh, the food was fantastic!! We felt like royalty, & felt we were given the best of everything. I dont know if we were charged more than usual, but it seemed to be cheaper than Hotel meals, & somehow it all seemed just that much nicer. We have never regretted taking that chance, & felt we got fair exchange for our money. And the nice young man took us home to the hotel afterwards too.

We had 4 nights in Singapore, which I found to be a big disappointment after Thailand. I am not sure why. GOM got very sick & so it was rather a sad end to the holiday.

We also discovered he was afraid of heights, when we took a trip out to Sentosa Island, & travelled in the huge Gondola, high above the sea. GOM spent the night before terrified of that trip, & yet, I, who am openly afraid of heights, didnt seem to mind it! I did not enjoy Sentosa Island though, the thought of the prison was horrible, & I suffered so much from the heat, it was not my favourite day out.

Morning Mist

This pic was taken off our balcony yesterday morning, as the sun crept across the trees in the Valley. A lone wreath of morning mist, from domestic fires, I suppose, just lay across the valley like a girdle across Rumbalara.

It was a chilly beginning to the day, but as the morning wore on, the sun was surprisingly warm, & I was struck by the various colours on this pretty tree, on someone's front lawn.

We were out garage sale-ing. For once, I did remember to take my camera. Our daughter & grandson came with us, & DJ fell in love with this cottage, with the pretty tree. She would have liked me to take a photo of the house, which had a lovely vernadah with pretty furniture & pot plants. Not knowing the owner, & not wanting to trespass, I didnt venture onto the property.

We had a mixed lot of sales to visit. I got some books for very little, -one of which is the Time Travellers Wife, which has been getting some good blog reports, so hope I enjoy it.

We found some beads with laces for SG, so he was happy. GOM ended up bookless, but he didnt seem to mind. It was one of those mornings when toys were not about. Mostly furniture. Not what we wanted.

More self help books. This time the how to get rich variety. They obviously didnt work, judging by the folk selling them. The pretty young girl even tried to give some toys away to SG, but he was having none of it. They were, I suspect the Macca's* variety... & for all I know he has them already. His father is apt to give in, & take him for a Cheese Burger, so he gets the toy. Nanna does not approve, so I guess what she doesnt know wont hurt her!

One very unusual lady was selling most of her large furniture, from her small villa. She had a lounge suite, with a 3 seater sofa bed, plus a 2 seater couch. At first glance they looked ok. She wanted quite a lot of money for them, & once we got close, we could see they were alive with cat hair!! I doubt it would ever come out, the cats must have been long haired cats, judging by the length of the hairs waving in the morning sun, as it streamed into the room. She told us one end of the sofa bed was 'shredded' by one cat! We quietly left, wishing her well!

****

And early yesterday morning, Leo came rushing inside sneezing furiously. I couldnt imagine what could have made him sneeze as we really have no flowers he could get to. Or so I thought.

Later, I went outside, to discover a 'branch' of the Zygo Cactus lying on the table. The little hound must have jumped up onto the table on the patio, sniffed the flowers which are in full bloom, & knocked the branch off! No wonder he was sneezing, as the flowers have a lot of pollen on the stamens.

I had put the pot on the table to enjoy it, & keep it from being romped on by dogs, or SG's ball.

I have still made no decision on the sashing for the quilt blocks. DJ & I test drove a dark jadey green yesterday, but it did nothing for the blocks. We decided a blue would look nice, or perhaps a greener green. I dont have any red to test drive, so will have another think about it.

And bless Mary, she has sent me the instructions for the pinwheel cornerstones! So I can be making those while I continue to think. I didnt get any sewing done yesterday, so maybe today.

There is currently a thick white fog out over the valley, & I cant see Rumbalara at all! I thought it was foggy, as I was hot in the night. I think my body thermostat has broken!!

*Macca's is the local name for Mc Donald's.
This is an edit, hope the paragraphs stay in this time, but I wont hold my breath!

Webs

Well as you can see, the webs have all been joined up. I finished them last night, & now I will have to decide on what colour to use for the sashings.
Mary used green, & I rather like hers, but she has also used a more random scrap effect, & has put windmill blocks in the sashings. My limited maths wont allow me to calculate what size to cut those- I have to be honest! Maths is not my skill at all. I think there is some knack to working it out, but I haven't got the knack or the info that would give it to me.

Any suggestions for sashing colours??


I suppose I should audition some fabrics I have here. I have a feeling a dark colour would be good, to downplay the light.

We had Small Grandson here this morning for breakfast, & then took him off to Pre School. He gets such a kick out of playing with the scraps, & is thrilled when he recognises fabrics that I used in his quilts.

I feel rather sad that I hadnt discovered quilting while my parents were still alive. I would have particularly loved to make a quilt or quilts for my mother.

I have made other members of the family quilts, giving one to a beloved Aunt, & I have also made her a bag.

My daughter gave me the hint that SIL would love his own quilt, as he loves snuggling up in hers, & he once told her he thought the huge cushions I made for them, were the nicest things they owned! Daughter is a very good quilter herself, but she never seems to get time these days.

It is certainly a priveledge to be retired, & have my faculties, & be physically capable of sewing, & doing most other hobbies I have. And another benefit is to be able to spend time with people you like & love, as opposed to having to be at work perhaps with people you dont always want to spend time amongst.

GOM & I met a man this morning who told us of his wife's recent, post operative death, & it was a heartbreaking story. He seemed so lost without her, & couldnt believe she has gone. He said he is involved with his church, so I hope that gives him some solace. His son & grandchildren live in another State, & I think he is wondering if it would be a good idea to move to be with them, or stay with his network of friends here. It would be a very hard decision to make I would think.

We have had another beautiful day here, the sky is blue, & I sat out in the sun reading, really enjoying the warmth on my body. Nights are chilly, so it is lovely to snuggle down in bed, even if the dogs think they should have the lion's share! Leo walks carefully round GOM, but of course, he still wakes him up. Then he whimpers at me in the early morning to get up. It is lucky I like to get up early!

Still Playing..

As you can see, I am still playing with the Spiderwebs.

Have not made any blocks completely as yet. I will have to play about with them.

I dont have a design wall, so this is the part where I use our bed, or the floor. Small dogs seem to feel they have to test drive the patches too, so the floor is not always such a good idea!

Here are the small dog babies, lording it over GOM, last night. He loves to sit in his chair with the dogs on top of him. Not such a bad idea, as they are nice & warm in the chilly evenings we are beginning to get.

******

I read a very interesting post this morning concerning labels for quilts. It was posted by Taniwa & I found it very interesting. I was quite surprised to read in the comments, how many people tend not to make labels for their quilts.

Sometimes I make very plain ones with just the date & who it is for, & my name.
I became interested in foundation piecing labels, & have done some using that method. I usually make one if it is a gift quilt.

And sometimes I include details, such as how the quilt came about or what special occasion it was made for.

I wonder how many other people make labels. I think it is nice to think our labels might last a long time, & I am often surprised to realise how long ago I made a quilt, when I see the date.

I Won a Prize!

How lucky am I! I have just had my day made! A wonderful surprise package in the mail, from Alison at Rags to Riches.
A lovely meter of gorgeous fabric, tied up with a lovely pattern. Her gorgeous girls chose my tip for quilting, & I was so thrilled to learn I had won. I am going to have fun making this pattern it is lovely.

It is a pretty pattern "Was she so Loved" designed by Sarah Alexander.

It has stitchery with embellishments, & looks very romantic. My chance to use some of the laces I have collected over the years. And that beautiful fabric with the soft romantic roses.

This pic includes my lovely Zygo Cactus, a pretty soft pink. I am so thrilled it is flowering! I bought it for a $1 including the pot, at a garage sale. I love pink!

Thankyou Alison, and thank you to her lovely girls!

It must have been my lucky 'streak' or something, because I have been told I have won another prize on another blog. So I will have to tell you all about that lovely surprise when it arrives.

********

I have been having major problems with my computer. No speed, no emails, no access to other blogs.

After several calls, I found a very nice young man last evening who solved my problems at last. I do like the service they give, they are always so polite, & pleasant. It would be mean to curse at them.

I really made the young man last night laugh, & laugh. We had spent ages trying various things to try to get the problem solved, & since things were running soooo sloooow, it was taking an age.

I menioned it must be boring at times, & asked if he could do sudoku or crosswords while waiting.

Young man laughed, & said 'No, they cant do that, but they log details of the problems & the call.

Which prompted me to ask if they classify the callers, with such things as "This client is a F*%&wit". He burst out laughing, but assured me they dont do that, the calls have to be checked & are monitored, so no untoward comments are logged. That is a comfort I guess.

But, of course, Big Brother is not a total reality yet, so who knows what they think?? haha.

Role Reversal

I am thinking since GOM retired, our roles have reversed somewhat.





I used to be the one who was a little anal about keeping the kitchen immaculate. (Mind you, I never did have the 'Good Teatowel') Now it is GOM who fusses & flaps about, harrumphing, & muttering, about plates not put in the dishwasher, or lunch preparation items left on the bench.





I kindly remind him of the days when he blithely left all the mess, & never gave it a second thought.


"Oh well, I was WORKING, wasnt I?"





It is like a red rag to a bull! I was WORKING too, as it happened, but apparently that didnt count. GRRRRR!





But now that my arthritis & slight disabilities keep me in some pain, he is very good about vacuuming, so I have to roll with some of his punches, I guess. I have harped on about his obsession with the pantry, but I have decided to concede that point to him...he can have it. As long as I can still find my ingredients to prepare meals. Which I quite often can't- but he can usually tell me where he has put it.

And, to give him his due, he is good about grilling some chops, for us, or steak for himself, & making a nice salad to go with, if I am not feeling up to it, or busy with the sewing.

Another reversal we seem to have reached is the body temperature. He was always warm, had warm hands, warm feet. And he was very kind about letting me put my frozen feet onto his toasty ones. I was a thin smoker in those days, & circulation was compromised I suppose.

Now I am a somewhat chubby nonsmoker, & my hands & feet are mostly quite warm. GOM is still a somewhat chubby man, but now his feet & hands are quite often cold. I will hold his hand, but I draw the line about the feet!





*******

And, I have started a new project! I could just spend all day sewing, & he wont mind. He even suggested some meals so that we can have 2 sittings from the one dish. He never used to like casseroles much, but has discovered he really likes them now, so it does make life a bit easier. Especially if I get on a roll with the sewing.





Mary kindly posted a PDF file for the pattern for a Spider Web quilt. I was impressed with her nice version, (check it out!) so decided to give it a go. Of course the first thing I did was make a mistake! O well, I managed to learn from it, & now it seems to be moving along, without hitches, & promises to be quite a nice quick project, which is what I need, after my 'quilting block'.

As my stash is just made for scrap quilts, it is an ideal pattern, with quick results... providing I dont make more mistakes, haha. I rather wish I had gone for the total scrap look of Mary's quilt, but never mind, at least it has got me moving again!

So now, I am off to sew! Have a great day!

Anticipation was the best part! Or a Day at the Races.

This a pic of the little Pot Pouri bear, which was my sole purchase at the Doll Bear & Quilt show yesterday. A blurry little pic, & I see she was made in China! Oh well, I suppose she is a well travelled little girl.

And, sadly, it is true, that the anticipation was the very best part of the Show. I never managed to get one photo taken, and barely managed to get any sightings of traders tables, the competition dolls & bears, and worst of all, the quilts were so poorly displayed it broke my heart for the entrants.

It was held at a Racecourse. A large building, with a bar. Which opened. Quite early. I was almost tempted to try a nice cold beer. And I dont really like beer. I saw 2 sad men standing quietly, drinking beers & keeping their distance from the madding throng! How wise.

I only met one person I knew, it was nice to catch up with her. We used to take Doll making classes at the same studio many years ago. She has stopped making the dolls now, too, but she still makes clothes & still has her stall at the shows.

It was a shame the show was so cramped, & the organisers were apologising for the lack of space. The venue has 3 levels, which had all been promised to be made available for the show. Only 2 levels were available in the event, which meant that things were so crowded as to verge on claustraphobic.

Saddest of all was the lack of space afforded the quilts displays. The aisles were so close it was impossible to take photos, or stand back to admire.

With age & time, girths increase it seems, & if two stout ladies met in an aisle one had to almost knock down a quilt (or the other lady) to pass! Which did happen. You could not stand with arms outstretched. It would have pushed quilts out on the hangers. The feet on the stands were almost death traps to unwary feet, I saw 4 near dives as the people tripped over the feet. One of the near dives was me.

I felt sorry -& irked, I am ashamed to say- by mothers who insisted on bringing their children in large fancy prams, upstairs, to clog the space even further. And the poor little old ladies with walker frames... Some of them may have been quilters, but I saw filthy looks aimed their way. Mutterings were to be heard, with impolite suggestions.

At traders tables, the crush was five deep, which meant viewing the goodies on offer was impossible. I would have loved a chance to look at some fat 1/4s but couldnt get near. Some people of increased girth seem to be unaware of their sheer volume of space taking! It is not a nice sensation to be shoved aside by a large breast! Which seemed as hard as steel! And almost at ear level! Or a gigantic bum, the owner of which, seems to be oblivious of it's size.

I suppose we still imagine ourselves to be the size 10 or 12 we once were?

I did note one woman, who came hesitantly round the quilt aisles, & screamed,
"OH my God! That is my quilt. It is the first one I have ever made! I have a Rosette! I got Second! I cant believe it. Oh I feel sick!" All of us around her congratulated her, & she was so excited she was shaking. What a lovely surprise for her.

I am not one to push & shove. I will stand politely aside. I dislike being forcibly shoved, from any angle. I did my best to view the quilts. I managed to speak to a nice quilter about her longarm quilting business. I was shoved & flung around the competition entries of dolls & bears. One circuit round, & I was flung out the other end, on a surging tide of humanity.

I left long before the 'lucky door prize' was announced. I even felt lucky to have avoided a panic attack. I have never had one, but felt as if it might just be the day I would!

It was so nice to get home, put my feet up, & just be calm! Bliss.

Odd little gripes...

Just a few odd little gripes today.
I have been doing my best to avoid the Televisual crap we are fed.
The so-called news, which is mostly utter rot. The 'Current affairs' which are just free advertising...or maybe it is not free?? Whatever, they try to pass it off an 'news.'

GOM likes his sport, which sees me vanish from the room. I dont mind if he enjoys watching it, & I can always either read or find something else to occupy myself. Or, I can always fall asleep!

But I was trapped watching a new series on the idiot box. A fresh variation on an old story. Gorgeous looking young things, male & female, dressed to the nines in wonderfully authentic looking period custumes. And swanning about in wonderfully authentic looking medieval sets, complete with animals, & old Oak trees, and ancient dwellings, ancient tools, ancient weapons.

And then they speak. The dialogue was obviously written by some clot who has no real knowledge of how language was spoken back in the period. Phrases such as "You owe me one!" "OK, Let's go!"

While I dont expect them to use the Shakespearian mode of speech, I also dont expect them to use modern, American slang terms. Especially when it is an English story, & English production. Nit picking? Maybe. But they lost my viewer interest. I just found it incongruous, & downright irritating, in spite of all the other visual treats.

******
You probably know by now, GOM & I like to visit garage sales. I search for fabrics for the stash. And the odd neglected bear, which calls my name. GOM seeks out books, as he reads about 4-5 a week, which can get very expensive.

I find it very interesting to look at the books. I read quite different books to GOM, I like non fiction more than he does. I like to look at the type of books, and compare the people selling them. I am surprised when there are a lot of meditation, spiritual type books, & the vendors, are the rough & ready 'salt of the earth types'. I wonder if the books had been gifts. Or had they had a shift of consciousness, that didnt last? Intriguing always.

Yesterday we went to a sale that had a large table of excellent books, hardbacks, soft covers, large small. All 50cents each. Most of the books were in pristine condition. All were clean & had obviously been well kept, indoors.

I noticed a lot of them were for 'self improvement'. A lot of diet books, how to eat healthy, how to keep fit. How meditate, how to get the most out of life. I sneaked looks at the vendors. They did look quite fit, slim, & healthy. So perhaps they no longer needed the advice dispensed in the books.

There were also lots of novels, & GOM came away with a nice stash to read. We met a fellow Kiwi, who has promised to come & visit us. He really made us laugh, & his lovely Aussie partner seems nice also. He asked me if I was a Hori*. I laughed, & shook my head. He is, & proud to be so. And he speaks a language we can understand. They live close to us, so I hope they call in to visit.

I had to laugh when he asked if I was Hori. I am not really dark in colouring, & dont know that my features would indicate Maori ancestors. But strangely enough I have often been asked the same question. Our Great Grandmother, who was said to be Irish had quite a dark complexion, & we have often wondered if there is a dark blooded connection. It would be interesting to have one of those DNA tests, to determine if we have. My Beloved Brother keeps threatening to have it done. I think perhaps cost might prohibit him actually going ahead. haha.

*****
I am off out to a Doll Bear & Quilt show today. It has been moved to a Racecourse, which promises more space, so it will be very interesting to see if there are more traders than there were last year. I am stocking the wallet, just in case.


*Hori, pronounced haw-ry, is a slang term for Maori. It is a long time since I had heard it used & it made me laugh. The nice young man, who used the term, is a Maori.

Talking to my Daughter J, on the telephone. We keep in regular touch, we have a lot of laughs, & GOM, & the SIL, can never understand what we find to talk & laugh about. She told me yesterday that she feels happy after she has spoken to me, I always manage to lighten her day. Which I thought was a very nice compliment.


SG comes out, asks his mother who she is talking to.
DJ "Nanna".
SG, "Can I talk to Nanna?"
DJ "Here you are, then." handing over the phone.
"Hello Nanna"
"Hello Darling, how are you today"
His answer is always the same, "GOOOOD!"
We chat about various things, then he usually asks what Leo is doing.
Yesterday it went like this,
"Can you put Leo on the phone?"
"No, you know Leo cant talk to you"
"Well put him on & let him lick the phone!"
Yuk! I dont think so!!

I went down to visit them later, & was almost licked to death by the Granddog. Who is Leo's full brother, but looks nothing like Leo, & is a very different natured dog. But I do believe he has been invited to "lick the phone, to say hello to Nanna!"


Today is my eldest son's 45th birthday.
I find the thought so enormous, I cant really comprehend he is that old!

This was taken last December when I went to visit him, at his home in New Zealand.
He has grown the beard to hide scars on his chin, from damage he sustained when he was almost beaten to death. I wish I could spend today with him. My heart swells with love when I think of him.


No matter how old our children grow, we always hurt for them, when they get hurt. I think most mothers would rather endure the suffering for their child if they only could.

I know everyone has to walk their own path, & make their own mistakes. But it doesn't stop a mother from grieving about her child.

Happy Birthday M. Go well.

Tidy? or Messy?

Messy collection. CD's DVD's, owls, dolls, bears, knitting, you name it. CRAP.But it is my crap, & I cant seem to part with it.

This bookcase would be more of a mess, but GOM sits beside the bookcase, & is inclined to obsessively tidy it all. At the extreme right you can just see the untidy toybox peeping out behind GOM's chair.

And here, on my side of the headboard, more books waiting to be read or finished. More mess.

I need to do some downsizing of the growing messiness in my life. I am a hoarder, much to my dismay.

When I was growing up, the constant cry was 'tidy up'. We lived in a very small house, so tidiness was essential really. But I was never keen to do the tidying- nor did I like the result much.

I remember going to school, I would walk to meet a friend, & she was usually running late. She had 2 older brothers, & a baby sister. I loved going to use the toilet in their house, because they had a huge calendar that hung on the wall, & her brothers used to write each other rude messages on the calendar. I loved to read the messages, & would always come out laughing.

Because her mother was always busy with the baby or the brothers, the house was always untidy. There would be books all over the place, football boots by the fire, drying off. Newspapers scattered about. Socks airing by the fire on a rack. They had 2 very fat cats, & they would sit beside the fire, or all over the seats. The kitchen was a huge room with one end of it the dining living room area. It seemed always sunny & warm in that wonderful, busy, messy kitchen.

My girlfriend had long hair, & her mother would plait it for her, & she would squeal with pain, & pull faces. I had wished my hair was long, but when I saw the ritual of the plaiting, I was not so keen. My friend would be apologising for being late, for her mother taking so long to plait her hair. I would watch the comfortable, chubby form of her mother, surrounding her family in love, it seemed with her size, & cheery face.

But I loved it all. I would sit happily among the cats, & watch the motes in the sunlight streaming through the kitchen window, & bask in the lovely warmth of the atmosphere. I was always sad when it was time to go, & we had to venture out into the cold morning air, & run shivering through the cold frost laden gully, that swooped down so steeply, & darkly.

The earth would stand on stalks with the hard frost, looking like funny little dirt trees. The ice would be thick in the puddles, & our hands would hurt with the intense cold. Grass would be heavily frosted white, & would seem ready to break or shatter if touched.

When we got to school, we would go to the oil heaters lining the class rooms, & try to warm our hands. They stung painfully as they thawed out. I cant believe, looking back, that we were not allowed to wear long pants. Our winter clothes never included long trousers at all. I suppose it has all changed now, with the advent of track pants for children going to school, or long pants at least.

But I still remember the wonderful relaxed mess, as being so much nicer than neat. I had another friend, whose mother was a neat freak. There was no relaxed comfort there. She was thin, angular, awkward, & seemed to keep her house the same. No mess, no warming boots or slippers. No chaotic heaps of books or toys. Just neat, clean order.

And I recall another friend whose house was the opposite. So messy the chickens ran in & out of the house. One might encounter cat pee or worse in the rooms. The kitchen was the domain of dogs & cats on the benches. Incredible. People said her mother was mad, or at least a little crazy.. she may have been.

The chaos & mess in that house seemed audible, cacophanous, not the wonderful humming melodic notes of the first friend, nor the thin squeak of the neat house.

I wonder what sort of noise my house makes. A chaotic one I guess, with laughter & barks, perhaps.

I just know I always felt much more comfortable in messy houses where casual was the order of living, than in sterile tidy houses. On the other hand, totally chaotic dirt was not to my taste either.

Changing Seasons

When the seasons change, I seem to get a restless feeling. Autumn is my favourite time of year, always has been, it seems. I love the leaves falling, & the changing colours.

This is our little Maple. It is not spectacular when it changes, like some maples, but I love it even so. It always looks beautiful in Spring when it gets the new leaves, & during the winter there are huge clumps of Clivea growing underneath it, which are given sun in the absence of the leaves, & seem to love being snuggled up to the Maple trunk.



You can see the bright shiny leaves of another shrub I planted called Wizard Magic- I think!, or something of that nature. I fear it is going to be much larger than promised, so it will need trimming. It has pink flowers, & is a pretty sight, but it is a little smothered under the maple.







When we lived in Christchurch in New Zealand, we lived opposite the river in the Inner City Hotel. The River was the Avon, of course, & there are beautiful old trees growing on the banks. They have spectacular foliage & look wonderful when they change colour & drop the leaves.



Tbey are also very beautiful in the spring when they grow their beautiful lime green leaves, & then become covered with flowers like huge candles of pink & white. We lived in an upstairs flat, so the line of sight out of our windows was the magical trees.



And in the Autumn when all the leaves fell, it was fun to rush through all the leaves with the children. A safe & happy place to play, & throwing huge bunches of crisp coloured leaves was fun for adults as well as the children.



Because we had no grounds or lawns, at the Hotel, we used to spend quite a lot of time over in the beautiful Botanical Gardens, a truly magic place at all seasons during the year. Wonderful fields of daffodils in spring, & beautiful gardens of roses, & Irises and all manner of other flowers for all seasons.



A small pool was built in the gardens so children could swim or have a splash in the hot summer days. There was a wonderful area for picnics, & it is really a lovely park, so close to the city centre.



The edges of Hagley Park had huge trees of the deciduous type, that all shed their leaves & it was lovely to go running through the deep drifts of leaves, lying like great curdles of gold & brown under the bare branches, in the late Autumn sun.



GOM's parents lived within walking distance of our Hotel, & we would sometimes take the children through the Park on the way, & I think their favourite time was Autumn also, when the leaves were such fun to romp about in.



Once, GOM lost all his keys to the Hotel! We searched for hours to no avail. He knew a man who collected the leaves, as they did from time to time, & he promised to look for them. We never did find them, & all the locks had to be changed on the Hotel doors, although there were no identifying marks to say where the keys belonged.



The falling leaves were the bane of GOM's father's life. He had retired, & he loved to potter about so GOM offered him the job of keeping the Hotel carpark, & yards clean & tidy. He loved doing it, & he came up every morning to have breakfast with the children, so it was a nice chance for them all to really spend time together. He was a very nice man with a great sense of humour.



But he would get out in the yard, & he would grumble at those leaves! And he would cut all the flax really short, & trim all the shrubs to within an inch of their lives! And of course when the riverbank trees shed their leaves, they would inevitably blow across the road, & into the carpark, making him grumble all the more.








And here is a beautiful sunset taken up at Tuncurry Caravan Park, where Mr & Mrs NN have recently been staying for a little break. It is so tranquil looking.




Maybe it is seeing pics like this that have given me this restless feeling, that I would like to take a trip or just have a change of...of ... something!

Maybe I should give up this blogging lark. I have just discovered a blog that makes me feel all my writing is pedestrian scribble.

The blog is written by Lucy & in particular, a post titled 'Quiberon'.

I have been back to read it twice. I just love her command of words. A gift, talent, call it what you will.

And the photography - both hers, & her husband's, are wonderful.

Is it bad etiquette to recommend another blog? I hope not.
I do it purely out of admiration.

Moeraki Boulders.

After reading a very interesting post by Catalyst about Granite formations, it reminded me of these unusual boulders. For detailed information about them you can read this Site.

A classic boulder alone on the beach/

The children sitting on one of the boulders.

Our Son B with a group of boulders.

Daughter J atop a boulder with SB beside her.


And here is another view showing the miserable overcast day it was. It had been raining, & was rather cold.

This was taken at Lake Brunner area where we detoured to see some Maori art in this shallow cave area. Unfortunately the art does not show in this photo at all. It was very faint, & had been done on the wall behind us, & was supposedly very old. It certainly looked aged.

We had decided to take the children to Dunedin, for a fornight in February which is summer time, & school Holidays in New Zealand. I had never been down to Dunedin, & was looking forward to visiting this most Scottish of Cities in New Zealand. It has a Castle, & was a destination I had wanted to reach, since moving to the South Island.

Well, best laid plans, & all that. The weather did not cooperate, & we had nothing but drizzle, rain, & cold from the day we set off. We were motelling it, & the children had been looking forward to swimming in pools on our trip south. Normally during February it is quite hot & so it had seemed a lovely trip idea.

We spent two horrible cold & miserable days at two different motels, & decided to press on.

Shut in a motel with no comfortable lounging furniture, boring TV & cold cold cold, was no joy for any of us. The kids began to squabble as bored kids do, & we started to get that 'edge on the tone'. Smiling the teeth smiles! Snarling at the kids. Thrashing the egg beater hands about at squirming, fighting bodies in the rear seat. Driving through rain. None of it was good, so we decided to head for home.

As we were almost at Moeraki we decided to stop to see these mysterious boulders we had heard so much about. I am glad we did, because they certainly are unusual, & unique. The theory of their formation is very interesting too.

After we had taken the photos, & found some food, we headed off homeward, via a detour, so we could see the not-too-famous Maori art.

We were so glad to get home, & the kids were equally as glad to see all their familiar things to play with. The summer didnt improve, & I guess if kids have to be shut indoors it is just as well to do that at home, with all the comforts, & entertainment.

Summers are not always like that, but it is a bit of a pot luck affair, planning holidays.

I am ashamed to say I have still not been to Dunedin! My sons have both been there, & they say it is lovely. GOM had been there long before I met him. One day.....

Tagged Again.

Sometimes I feel my life is like a waterfall. Water keeps on falling, events keep on tumbling over the edge.I have been tagged again by Suees for the 7 Random things meme.
I have recently done this as a pictorial, so for Sue, I will have another go.

* I feel everyone has the right to be 18 at least once.
By that I mean the mindset of 18. You know, when you are teflon coated, you can fly, anything is possible! You are SO right, you know so much, you are so wise.
By the time you turn 19 you realise what a mistake it all was, but it was great while it lasted. Everyone is entitled to that teenage arrogance... just as long as it does not last!

*I believe if it wasnt for the mistakes we make, half the fun in our lives would not be. Some of the wrong turns in the road, lead to the most glorious views! The most laughter, the most sheer joy!

*I believe everyone should have the chance, at least once in life, to love with such a passion & fire, it would blind the gods. To be filled with the sheer wonder & joy of another, to lose sight of self.
I also think such a love can be for a child.


*I wish everyone had a chance to dance. No matter how clumsily or awkwardly. No matter what style. Dancing is such liberation.


*I found out with dismay, that the sea I so loved could also take my life away. I could swim, quite well. I just loved the ocean. I almost drowned under a log we had been playing on. It was a huge log, & it rolled on top of me, pinning me down. A friend saved me. I have never forgotten the fright of that near drowning. Much worse than when the huge breakers dash you down, & grind your face into the sand, & you eventually surface gasping for air, spluttering, filled, it seems, with seawater.


*No one should ever know everything about another. No one ever can. It should be so. My brother once asked our mother something, & she snapped he didnt need, or have the right, to know everything about her. It stays in my mind as true.


*My MIL was considered "the salt of the earth", by some who knew her. That "salt" in my wounds smarted for years.
The liberation I felt when I 'let it all go', was wonderful.
I dont really believe we can 'forgive those who trespass against us'... they have to forgive themselves in the end.
Someone, who nearly killed me, once asked if I forgave them. I told the person forgiveness was not mine to give. They had to forgive themselves. I still believe that to be true.


I dont usually tag anyone else for these Memes. A lot of people dont like doing them, or feel pressured about it.
If anyone wishes to take a tag, feel free. I always love to read other people's random thoughts- or any thoughts at all!
I know I am breaking the 'rules' here but hell, Isnt that what rules are for??

Party

This little Wilma, newest orphan bear. I think she is quite sweet. I am sure Leo would find her delectable! Leo finds anything delectable, including the little plastic jug for putting water into the iron. GGGRRRRR.




Yesterday we had been invited to a 50th Wedding Anniversary.



It had been fine all week. It is gloriously fine today.
Yesterday it persisted down all day. Heavily.



Isnt that always the way.


There were lots of nice people at the party. Lots of family, & friends & everyone wishing the happy couple every best wish. The happy Bride was showered with gifts- the happy Groom didnt seem to get any? It was also the happy Groom's birthday though, so I am sure he did get something.


They both looked so happy, it was lovely to think they had been married for 50 years, and still adore each other. The Bride suffers ill-health now, & has to stay in a nursing home at nights. But the Groom goes to collect her every day, and takes her to their home. And on good days, when she is feeling well, he takes her out for lunch or for a drive.


There was a beautiful new great grandson, 3 weeks of age. He was handed about, & admired by all who saw him.
"What is his name?" someone asked.
"Noah" was the reply.
"Oh... well, I see he has brought the rain!"


Lots of photos were being taken.
"I dont like these new digital cameras"
"No, I dont either, you never get to see the photos!"
"Oh but 'they are all in the computer', they tell you. But you never get to SEE them"
"I would rather have an old camera, so I can see the photos!"


"Do have some of this trifle, it is delicious. Or how about a sausage roll then? "
"Oh, no thankyou, I had something before I came".
"Well! That was a stupid, wasnt it!"


"Does anyone want a beer?"
"Wine,? there is wine."
"Well there is tea or coffee if anyone is interested"


"Oh the Bride is enjoying herself. I was her Bridesmaid. I am not needed today"

"I remember our honeymoon. We went in a caravan. The biggest disaster ever. Never went near a caravan again. A disaster!"

"I was a very thin bride. The Bride was a very thin Bride. She is thin again now, it has gone full circle."

"How does it feel to be a Grandmother?"
"I dont really know yet. It is too new."
"Doesnt he look like K?"
"He looks like a baby, they all look the same to me."
"Men always say things like that."

"Before you go, are you sure you wont just have some of this Lasange?"
"No, I dont actually like eating lasagne"
(I wonder what he prefers to do with it??)


It was a lovely party.
I wonder if GOM & I will last the distance?