I'm Back minus the GB

Well that little op wasn't as bad as I expected, I didn't have as much pain as I thought I would have and had my first painkiller free day yesterday.  Saw my GP today who read the surgeons report and it was a text book lap op.  Not eating much, everything cause the most terrible wind and I'm thinking of hiring myself out at the wind farm, I think I could single handedly generate enough power to keep a small town going for a few weeks.  I'm a bit upset about my belly button, as belly buttons go it was quite a nice one, now it looks horrible with a scar running through the centre of it, its a good job I don't parade around in bikini's (boy o boy, now that would be a sight).
The storms that have been threatening us all week finally arrived - the second I walked out of the docs to walk to the other side of town where I had left my car.  Oh well, a bit of rain never hurt anyone.  My car overheated and lights came on on the dash that I didn't even know were there, I was close to home and since I had left my mobile phone on the bedside table I carried on going.  I know I need a new battery and I just have enough for that if tighten the purse strings and don't buy presents for anyone.  I thought about making up gift baskets for family and close friends - garden ones, pamper ones and goody bag ones for the girls, I'm making them a bracelet each and the long legged dolls that were in the mags earlier in the year.  I've been trying to catch up with making stuff for the markets, I missed two this week so hopefully this coming weekend the storms will stay away till the late afternoon and I can get a market in. 
There is so much I need to get done, this year has just galloped away from me no matter how hard I pull on the reins, it aint slowing down.  Bit I have packed a lot in, even so I will be glad to see the back of this year and start the new year healthy and happy.

Jan

new blog

Despite the hiccups I am having with blogger and the fact I can only see half a page here as I am typing I have started a new blog - mainly about the crochet side of my life. http://littlepetalstitches.blogspot.com/.  I will, once I get my finger out post my patterns and ideas.

Jan

Right at this very moment I hate Blogger

What did I do, I really don't know what I hit but I can't do anthing now, it says my browser is no longer supported by Blogger and some parts will not work and you may expereince problems, try Chrome. No I will not try Chrome, I do not want to try Chrome, I want my old blogger back please.  I'm busy trying to get everything back to how it was and I just can't.  So I'm going the long way round and copying all my posts and blog lists into a file and then I'm packing my bags and moving on. 

Jan

Its raining......

I awoke to blue skies very early, workmen clunking and banging away, starting up trucks, how can people be so cheerful so early in the morning.  Too late i was wide awake and no hope of going back to sleep.  By 8.30 the sky was dark and rain had set in, no complaints here, its a bit cooler and the new trees I planted will benefit from a shower and I'm sure the lawn is just soaking it up.

So much for hanging up the hooks for a while, I have orders coming out of my ears, just when I thought it was going to be another frugal christmas.  I'm not going to wait around I'm going to get stuck into them and get them all out of the way asap.  Normally I will procrastinate and dither about but the new me is going to get stuck straight in.

Yesterday I decided to home colour my hair, rather than going for one a shade darker or lighter than my own I chose Mahogany.......... I keep going and looking in the mirror to see if I'm used to it yet. I use argan oil (it keeps the frizzy bits at bay) occassionally and also when I use the straighteners.  I used them this morning and my hair looks like those ads, its all straight and smooth and very shiny. It doesn't look like me but I do love the colour and the grey bits which seem very coarse have gone pink. The highlights which were gold are now a pinky colour as well, overall I'm happy with the result. 

I'm just going to have another look in the mirror and then settle down for an afternoon of hooking.

Jan

Watch this space, I'm going to post the pattern for the little flower grubs soon. They are so addictive and only use a small amount of yarn so are good stash busters.

I told myself that once the rabbits and elephants were finished then I would put away my hooks for a while and concentrate on other things.  The rabbits still need assembly, but I started a few more little grubs last night and some crocheted felted flower brooches and the rabbits lay unfinished. It was be a mind thing - do I really want to put away those hooks and so I am creating more things to crochet before I finish the bunnies.  I even started creating a small crochet christmas tree. I get side-tracked so easily.
On my drawing desk there are 6 designs already to be stitched, christmas stitcheries that were planned for submission a magazine.  I might make a couple up to put on the market stall but I can't see that happening.  They might make christmas in July next year if I get my finger out. 
After a long email to a blog friend I have realised that a lot of what I do around the place are just delay tactics. I might seem busy to you but I do these things so I don't have to do what I have to really do.  But I'm not quite sure what it is I really have to do.  I'm on top of my health thing for now, I can't really make any work plans till after my gallbladders out and I know I am back to normal.  I'm coping with the bills and other expenses. Despite my house needing a few repairs, its serves its purpose as a shelter and protection giver very well.  The only thing I can really think of is selling myself, getting my ideas out there, the occassional magazine project is not going to do that. I need to make the decision to actually make a living at what is now only a hobby.  Well I can't think about that now I have to go remake beds and do the vacumming and dusting and then the ironing and I might make a grub or two.

On the list of the many jobs I have to do around the place, or rather the list of things I have for the boys to do is 'clean the paths'. Over time with all the drizzle and wet weather we have had (yes I know we've had it dry recently) the paths go mouldy and very slippy. I bleach and scrub them usually but had asked No.1 son if I could borrow his pressure cleaner to do them, he looked at the back path to the shed and asked why.  I looked and they were spotless, i went round to the front and looked at the front path and steps and they were spotless. The rain was that heavy in those few days that we had the storms it must have cleaned them, I know there was hail in it. So thats one job ticked off the list that I didn't have to get dirty or sweaty doing.  On the other hand all that grass seed I keep putting in as sprouted, even where some spilled out of the box when i opened it, so now I can take down the all string and posts I put up to keep the cats and birds off it.  Its almost knee high now and nearly ready for its first mow.  I finally got the Jaboticaba in the side garden, well if you've got a son (No.3 who lives in Cairns) calling in for a quick hello you might as well get him to do something for you and since he fetched me all his washing  it was only right he should do something for me.  I wonder when he puts his work clothes on tomorrow he'll notice the softness and the perfume of new comfort rose conditioner. 
So working my way through the list, I now have new locks on front and back doors, lawn reseeded, tree planted, paths cleaned, work bench painted, rain water tank reconnected still need the loo flusher thingy fixing, new floor in spare bedroom, new glass in window laundry, old car and broken ride-on mower removed, washing down walls, sanding doors down, floor boards replaced in front of sink and back door, 2 light bulb sockets replacing, living room repainted, back door repainting. Sitting here isn't going to get any of it done, todays tasks are sanding the back door and mowing as much of the lawns as I can, finishing washing the craft room walls and making three crochet felted brooches, finishing the rabbits and sewing up the elephants finally.

Jan

Poor old brain and fingers don't want to co-operate this morning, must be a two coffee start today, only I've just got enough milk left for one, I'd better make it a strong one.
I finally got the paint out this week and painted the work bench, just needs one more top coat and I'm done. I'm even considering sanding down the back door this arvy and putting the undercoat on, its only needed doing for the past 19 yrs. It was one of those jobs that always got left and we were always going to replace it one day so it never got done, but now it has its new lock on and its vintage (1940's) brass knob all polished up I might just get around to it.

I'm making mutant rabbits at the moment. A few years ago I made an amigurumi bunny and accidently sewed him up wrong. He still looked like a rabbit and obviously the person who bought him knew he was a rabbit, but try as I might I cannot get another one to look like the original.  In fact I cannot get any of the amigurumi I now make have the same weirdness about them that the original ones had.  Perhaps my inner neat freak needs to go take a break for a while, sometimes she has this urge to make everything 'just so', no stitches loose, correct spacing between increases and nicely rounded shapes filled perfectly with no bumps and lumps.  To me now, he is too simple, i know at the time it was hard for me to make him, the same with the prim stitcheries I just found it hard to do not do it perfect.  Which is all very strange cos anyone who knew me when I was young will tell you what a messy bugger I was, never neat and tidy, my needlework teacher at school despaired of me ever making anything where the stitches stayed in the first time they were sewn.  Bootees I knitted were always different sizes with loose open stitches.  About ten years ago I made a conscious effort to do everything the proper way, I disciplined myself to prepare my work, and do everything in order, to finish off properly.  Maybe I got too obsessive about it.   Now I need to lighten up a bit and strike a happy medium.  One area in which I am not neat and tidy is my craft room.  I love its disorder, the neat freak gets left at the door and is barred unless invited in when things get a bit too disorganised. My garden is also messy, perhaps once or twice a year I allow the neat freak to take over and she tidies up the lawn edges and gets a family working bee going to make it spick and span, but mostly I just keep the lawn raked of leaves (its exercise) and mow the lawn once the grass is ankle deep (again exercise).  

I've stuffed all the rabbits and all their body parts are laying in a pile ready to be assembled, I'll post a piccy later today, maybe I will try and ditch the neat freak and invite the inner sloven out for a while.

I've got a spy job on this morning and my printers out of ink, so I've got to make notes.  I am so sure my black was two thirds used last week and I haven't printed anything out for days but now its says it is empty.  The Post office is closed on a saturday and I've been to town twice this week so I really don't want to go again since I have to spy in a town the opposite end of the shire and they don't have a place where I can get my ink, occassionally they will have it at the newsagents but not very often and I'm not sure wether my computer man is open on a weekend.  But I've done the job a few times now and I know the brief. Sounds good doesn't it, I always wanted to be a spy when I was little - Violette Szabo is my all time favourite, but unlike her going into the thick of things in war time France I'm just popping to the next town and fighting my way through customers to do a customer service check. 

Jan

oh me poor tootsies.....

I have learnt three things today and yesterday.......you can't change the tv channels with your mobile and you can't use the tv remote to phone a friend. Third thing..........don't break in new shoes and a new bra at the same time.  Scuse me while I go rip the darn things off.
I strolled down to the folk festival and lasted about five minutes, a quick chat with my niece, I looked for a friend I was supposed to meet, couldn't find her and that was me out of there.  I don't seem to have much of an attention span for things like that anymore, besides losing my temper with tourists who stop dead in front of you or wander in your path.  By the time I had walked back up the hill my new Homypeds had rubbed and so had the bones in my stoppen floppen.
 I had an convo with a neighbours hubby on the way down the hill:
Him: Hello there, haven't seen you for ages, you been hibernating, you're looking good.
Me: Yeh, thats right, thanks.
Him: You been out chasing the men.
Me: Yeh, but I can't catch em, they run too fast.
Him: You continue keeping fit like you are, they'll be soon chasing you. 

So by now half the town will know I'm in the market for a new man. 

I got bored last night and painted my nails on one hand in different colours to see which colour I liked best.............just looked at my hands now and realised I didn't take the polish off.  I really shouldn't be let out on my own sometimes.

After the past couple of days busyness in finally getting new locks on the doors I am going to  read books, drink coffee and a bit of stitching.  Maybe stuff an elephant or two.
The music from the F.F. carries up the hill so its nice to sit on the verandah and listen.

No chance of getting anything done now......

.........see that little widget, the one with all the pretty flowers on.  Well I joined the flower garden.  So many pretty blogs and so many pretty flowers and projects. I was going to be oh so busy today sewing the elephants up and making a few more flowers for the garlands, cleaning of course and a bit of weeding.  Then making a start on someones birthday present. No chance, zip, nada, buckleys, a cat in hells etc etc etc.  I'm curled up on my puter chair, with biccys and coffee (healthy biccys) and reading blogs.
The wind is howling outside and its RAINING, we've been thrashed with it, the coast has had 200mm of rain in 24 hours, we had just over a hundred mm, a few areas have flooding. The farmers are doing happy dances, the rains going where its needed.  Its our local folk festival this weekend, plus the markets, lets hope the rain fizzles our by then. I don't think we'll do the markets if its too wet and blowy.  I never go to the folk festival, I did years ago but its lost a lot of its charm, now its all money money money. 
Okay, I'm going out to the flower beds and do a bit of reading.

Jan

...........

We had a lovely storm the other afternoon, thunder lightning and wind which blew the rain horizontal so none of it went in the rain gauge.  The thunder shook the house and bounced a few ornaments off the shelf. The hail was only as big as peas, but I moved the car under cover just in case.  So armed with a few library books and the dog I settled down to an afternoon of reading.
I dragged myself out of the house early saturday and went to a few garage sales, scored a round patio table and two chairs for $10, definately not shabby chic or vintage but it will serve its purpose. I rescued an old work bench from next door, just needs a quick paint job and it will go in the craft room. I had the shock of my life when I went under the house to get it and I'm sure Mandy and her friend when they were clearing up the day before didn't see it, cos I didn't hear any screams.  I actually thought it was an old belt under the bench and went to kick it out of the way, luckily it was dead......yes, it was a snake, only about a metre and a half, couldn't tell what sort it was but not a carpet snake.  We get a lot of browns and taipans around here (both deadly) so I am always careful when going in the sheds or gardening around the buses or near rocks. 
I raked leaves and weeded today, good exercise and I worked up a sweat. I put all the winter clothes away in the suitcase under the bed, hopefully next winter I can throw them all away and buy lots of lovely new clothes, cos I'm gonna be at least 3 sizes smaller by next winter.  Treated myself to a new nightshirt as well on Sunday and that was one size smaller than I usually get. 
I'm  trying a bit more food now, I would love to eat chocolate and chips (not at the same time) and I would kill for a bacon butty but I know it would be a trip straight to the hospital if I did.  I can only tolerate the smallest amount of fat before I start to get pains. But, I keep telling myself 'this is a good thing'. Despite the scales telling me I have lost 7 kgs I would like to know where from, cos me bums still huge.  Though it could be my waist as I had to take in a skirt by two inches on friday, but my trousers don't feel any slacker.  I'm wallowing around on the floor in the mornings  with a resistance band, I'm terrified the thing is going to snap and knock me out or take the dog out along with everything on the shelves.  I can feel it doing some good (if i tell myself often enough I might believe it), I use 5 kgs weights in each hand and sit on my exercise ball and bounce around while watching tele at night, its too hot to go walking anytime after 7.00 am so I exercise whenever I can in the house, under the fans and when the clouds cover the sun I rush out and rake leaves and rip out weeds.  Who needs Curves.

Jan 

Spring cleaning

Well, we had a scorcher of a day yesterday, into the 90's and not a day for doing anything other than stripping off and getting into the old sarong and chilling out under the fans.

Today is cooler and I decided to tackle the electrical appliance cupboard, out went the juicer, the coffee perculator and the frying pan.  The juicer was around fourth hand and probably only used a dozen times in all - it was passed around friends who never used it, oh well poor thing it can go to the op-shop, the perci was given to me by a neighbour 15 years ago (he later told me he found it at the dump), despire its provenance it works well still but I never use it so its been polished up and it too will go to the op-shop, the electric fry pan, well, that cannot be trusted, the thermostat is not reliable and the bottom has bowed, I've used it once this year so out it went into the garbage, farewell old friend. It must have been about 20 yrs old so its time it was retired off.  I can now fit everything into the cupboard and not have to move things to get at what I want, the toaster can even go in there. Worktops all polished, new runner put down, plant moved to where the toaster used to be. Knives put in cupboard.
Woe betide anyone who comes into my kitchen and dumps their crap on the benches, and I'm the worst offender so I'm going to discipline myself to put things away.
I tidied up the plants on verandah, cutting off dead leaves, swept out, watered and weeded. I then went in anc vacummed the entire house.  The winter bedding got washed and put away and I sorted out the top cupboard in the wardrobe - all the boxes from appliances long gone,  I even found a couple of money boxes up there, the grand total of 25c in them. Better make the most of this energy, ironing next and then I can sit down and feel really pleased with myself over jobs well done.
I wonder if it was the bump on the head I got in the early hours of the morning............

It was soooooo hot last night, i tossed and turned and couldn't sleep, I had the box fan on and I finally fell asleep on the opposite side of the bed than I normally sleep (nearly five yrs alone and I'm still keeping to my side of the bed), next thing I know I'm on the floor, hitting my back and shoulder on the beds wooden edge and the table and then my head on the table. Ouch, obviously I had rolled over and had forgotten i was on the wrong side of the bed.  Either that or unseen forces pushed me off.  I lay there dazed, half asleep and trying to figure out where I was, the dog was sitting next to me and wondering what was going on, then I had a fit of the giggles, thinking how funny it would have looked and aren't i glad i live on my own,  then i dragged myself off the floor, checked for any damage and crawled back into bed on my own side. no bruises but lots of sore spots.

There is the threat of thunderstorms for the next few afternoon, clouds are gathering already but I think we are just being teased. 

J

.........

I can never think of what to put for a post title. I waffle so, nothing seems relevant.

After reading a few blogs yesterday and a new one this morning it seems that you all get into the swing of decorating your homes for the various seasons.  My home always wears the same things year in year out.......and a lot of things are wearing out.  I am so over naked wood. My LH (late hubby) loved his wood, loved to work with it and loved to see it, so my house is full of it, luckily he loved queensland maple which isn't a dark wood and ages to a nice honey colour. I have a dark wood dado rail and dark wood cornices which seem to make the walls look smaller though and two of the walls in the kitchen have boards of various dark woods on which I always wanted to paint either a very pale grey or blue to match the shaker blue and cottage blue on the other two walls.  Being a timber lover and it being an original feature my LH refused to let me.  I am so itching to get the paint brushes out.  But..........I have no money or very little money to waste on paint and my car has just died so I can't get out to the paint shop anyway.  Something to do with the fuses, one went which I had a fiddle with and then POP everything went. It might be something simple, it might not, we will see what the son says. Well, I know what he will say initially but I'm not putting it down here. 
So, what do I do to celebrate spring or the summer that has come early.  It was 33 degrees here yesterday and dry as anything, no humidity, I wilted after midday.  I need bright and airy.  I love so many different styles though - but I am hankering after whites and minimalist (I am the queen of clutter so maybe minimalist is a tad too optimistic)
I need to find a tutorial on painting furniture, what colours are 'in', quick, cheap and easy fixes for a lacklustre home.
Then once my home is springified I can make a start on me  and that definately will be a much bigger job to take on than my home. 
Okay, I am going to go pootle off down the shops to get a few supplies - loo rolls, bread, milk and a newspaper and maybe I might spring to a home magazine and spend the day drooling over other peoples places.  It will be too hot in an hour to walk outside so I've been up early and done all my outside chores in the cool of the day.  It seems ages ago that I was complaining about the rain, we need it so badly, wild fires have been burning, luckily not our immediate area, I've been using the water from the rainwater tank to keep the veggie garden alive and my pots on the verandah but the lawn can suffer, it will soon start growing again when the rains finally do come in.  My two Ivory Curl trees got a good drink this morning, they look so sad, I have three other trees to put in but I'm waiting till the ground is wet - its like concrete at the moment.
Well better get a wiggle on.......Uhru.
Okay, back from the shops, already the sun has bite to it, its now 74F (on the outside one) and 24C on the inside one). The cool breeze that brushed past me on my way down the hill seemed to disappear 15 mins later on my trip back up the hill.  Why did the 'system' go down half way through my transaction at the shop, don't you just hate it when your card is declined, not one card but two and then you mumble something about 'well there was sufficient funds in my accounts yesterday' in embarassment and then do a quick mental sum in your head over your spending, but after checking on the metal mickey outside it said my banks couldn't be contacted.  Of course, it had to be the one day my purse was empty of cash.  Luckily he said I could pay later, which is good cos I really really really needed those loo rolls!  I also bought a Home Beautiful mag - woohoo, with an 86 page decorating and revamp special in it, how serendipitous was that. 
I've decided to do the pine sofa first, (less wood than everything else) and less curvy bits and pieces and if I stuff up I can chuck a big throw over it and stick it on the verandah.
Unfortunately I will have to sand by hand since someone blew the palm sander up, it was a de-walt and had a lot of mileage on it but you could use ordinary sandpaper cut to size in it rather than having to buy the pre-cut shaped stuff, it fitted my hand perfectly and I haven't seen one like it for years.  I need to go cruising round the boys toys, I wonder if they do one in pink.
Jan

.......

I snuggled down for a lie-in, it was no good - the birds had the amplifiers full bore and the sun was shining right onto the bed, by the sounds of the road traffic I thought it must be around 8 so I just had to get up. I pottered around, put the washing on, opened the windows, had breakfast, made the bed and did a quick tidy up, made a list of things to do.  On the way to the laundry to get the wet washing I noticed the kitchen clock had stopped ( a great 50c garage sale find 7 yrs ago) and needed winding.  I went back into the living room to see what the time was and bugger me, it was still only 7 a.m.  So now its 7.50 a.m. and  apart from going to the pharmacy to collect my scripts I've done everything I set out to do today.  What to do, what to do.....I am sure I'll find something to fill my day in.

Yesterday a friend and I went over to Mareeba, first op-shop I found a pretty pink flowery shirt and.........two gorgeous little wall shelves, since we were both looking for something like that it was like christmas, so we got one each.  The second op-shop had decided to close early but the third was open. My friend has dropped huge gigantic humungous hints that she wants a footseat just like mine with the crocheted cover, we split up in the shop and then there she was shouting at me jumping up and down, there was a footseat for $3, it needed a bit of a fill but was perfect for recovering. 

So for the top she wants the purple colour and the rest the same.  We then went to Target and despite there being a sale on we couldn't find anything. The weight is dropping off me now so I'm trying to make do with the clothes I have till after the op and then have a splurge in the run up to christmas sales.  I'm hardly eating anything now - a small bowl of low fat yoghurt and a few blueberries and one small slice of raisin toast for brekkie, lunch is usually two low fat crispbreads with no-fat cottage cheese on and dinner is a small veggie burger with steamed veggies or salad or a miniscule piece of fish or chicken and veggies. Strawberries are cheap at the mo so they are my snack food. Blueberries are also cheap, I'm not really a fan of them but cover them in yoghurt and I'll eat them.  I had a normal cup of coffee yesterday and it was awful, I've got so used to Shape no-fat milk that full fat milk just  makes me sick now. 

Well its a long way off bedtime, better go and find something to fill in those hours........crocheting, reading, gardening, blogg-hopping and quick drive out to the second chance shop out on the highway.

Confusion......

.......hers, theirs, his or mine and maybe yours after reading this.

A close family member has been diagnosed with Alzeimers recently.  Paranoia has been one of the main symptoms which has been causing grief also embroidering the truth, forgetting the details,  imagined conversations causing ripples across the other side of the world from them.  This latest episode involving me. My poor brother got a phone call in which he was told I was dying of a brain tumour and was being operated on today, since he hadn't heard from me for a couple of weeks he was in a panic, emailing and contacting everyone he knew that knew me to try and find out if it was true.  His logical side told him that since the informant had alzeimers that the story could be made up. But she had informed him that another close family member had told her this so he was slightly worried,. This other family member (not blood) has recently been imagining all sorts of things, things she imagines the family are not telling her. Did one of them imagine they had had a convo with the other, or did they both have a convo over imagined happenings or did they have a convo and one of them told the other something she thought was really happening.  So who is the confused one.  For once, it is not ME.  I know I DO NOT HAVE A BRAIN TUMOUR and the only operation I am having will be in November to remove my gall-bladder.   She is not aware she has this horrible disease and can function perfectly normal in her everyday living, shopping, cooking and cleaning and looking after herself.  Do I upsticks here, leave my own family and life and go back to that life I left behind many years ago.  For one, I cannot afford it and I cannot get a loan and I have my own health to look after for my families sake. But they are family also and I owe them such a lot.  If I had still been in the UK it would have fallen on my shoulders  to carry this burden. So why should I feel guilty about the family member who has to now do this. 
On a lighter note, its my day for the grandgirls. Not sure what we are going to do today - definately not the glitter this time.  Maybe nature craft, looking for pretty leaves and rocks we can paint.......too messy maybe.  I've got an hour before I go pick them up so I'll have a quick look through the craft box and see what I have.

Jan

ugh......

Don't worry I'm not going to post the pictures.  I'm a bit of a doubting thomas when it comes to claims like these so I took the photo purely for my own benefit.  When I opened the packet the smell nearly knocked me out, it reminded me of something mum used to use way back in my childhood, it was very strong.  After a few minutes of them being on my feet started tingling and burning slightly, not unpleasant but a bit strange. I put socks on over them because if they were going to be disgusting I didn't want to have to wash my sheets.  I had a really good nights sleep and totally forgot I had them on till I woke this morning at 5.30 a.m.  Ugh, what a sight and the smell was stronger.  The website says use every night till the toxins are all gone from your body, probably three or four nights, thats $24  but I suppose thats cheap if it does its job.  I must say my feet are still tingling, especially where the patches were and the right foot more than the left, which is strange since I had put it over where the reflexology point for the gallbladder and pancreas is.

One more little grub got made last night, this one developed legs. today I really must make that damm elephant or at least work out a pattern for her. 

I found the that tree in a library book, the photo they used was exactly like the one I took and they had a reference to it saying it looked stunning against a blue sky as well.  It is a
Tabebuia Argentea - Chrysantha or Crysotricha, one is more gold than the other.  Since it doesn't grow very tall and isn't a dense tree it might be fine for me to plant them on the bedroom side of the house. They all seemed to have fared well in the cyclone.  Cheryl - the jacarandas are just starting to show their colours, they will be glorious soon. I saw one that appeared to have pink blossoms just coming on.

Jan

PS: Just googled the tree and its part of the Jacaranda family and there is a pink one as well.  No wonder I love it so.

I'm being overrun with llittle grubs......

I think I have finally found out what is making a mess in my craftroom.  These little grubs just seem to be multiplying.  There is two more ready to hatch but they are sooo cute how can I resist them.  If anyone would like the pattern let me know and I'll try and get it down this weekend.  I really must make a start on the elephants and pigs, but these grubs are so addixtive and quick to do. I might make them a little flower basket each with their own little blankies or would that be spoiling them. 

I had to go into town to sort out my Rates, visit the library to find out what that tree was, have coffee with a friend and go for my walk. I went in the op-shop and found this cute little thing, its a bit battered and seen better days but it fulfils my needs and makes me happy.  Its just perfect for putting a mini jamjar of spiderlings in and she sits on the laundry window sill, I must just remember not to knock her flying when I pull down the blinds at night. 

I also bought a pack of Happy Feet from Natural Therapies, has anyone used them, you stick them on your feet at bedtime and its supposed to draw out all the toxins and impurities from your body and in the morning they are covered in a horrible gunky mess.

It will be interesting to see what happens.  I'll be posting before and after piccies tomorrow so if you are of a squemish disposition I would suggest not looking. 

Two in one day.....

I didn't notice your previous post Norma. Well Q'land health is terrible.  The surgeons only come up here once a fortnight, Cairns base has huge waiting lists, their A & E is overloaded and there just isn't the doctors to go around. So we up here either have to go private, go to Townsville or grit our teeth and double up on the painkillers till I get seen up here. I don't get it removed till the end of November and thats not a too bad wait time considering, if I lived in Cairns it would be even longer.
I've lost 6kg so far, I've not had any bad pain for a couple of weeks now, in fact I feel so good I feel like fraud.  I'm tempted to go and splurge on a fat laden meal just to see if I get sick again, but the memory of crawling round the floor in pain stops me before I open the fridge.
I hope I'm one of the lucky ones who can go back to eating everything after the op.  Christmas is going to be so hard if not.  The good side being all this weight I am losing.

Blue skies......

Yes the sky really was that blue and those yellow flowers that bright. I wish I knew what they are, there is a stand of these trees growing in front of BigW in Atherton, I've not seen them anywhere else , not very tall and they appear to get their leaves after the flowers fall. They are so bright and cheerful. I'm going to scour the garden centres and the native plant nursery to see if I can get them.

There I was deadheading the petunias and I found this little grub just begging to be picked up for a cuddle, isn't she cute, good to see she had her sunhat on. I've got a couple of orders for pigs and elephants and I fully intended to make a start on them but somehow
this little girl appeared, she doesn't look much like a pig or an elephant, she's a bit lonely so she might have a little sister or brother by tea-time.

Happy Exhaustion.....

I love my grandgirls to bits, we have great fun together, but, boy, when they have gone and I have collasped into my chair at the end of a very busy day do I know what exhaustion is.
We walked round and round the curtain fig tree, talked to foreign tourists - one who complimented me on my beautiful daughters and wouldn't believe I was their granma. We then visited with my niece at her new business, had icy-poles and a play on the park. The girls are now big enough that they don't need lifting onto climbing frames or helped down from the flying fox so granma gets to sit and rest.
A game of bed tennis developed into a very rowdy game of 'lets see who can whack the ball around the room the hardest'.  Bed tennis involves a very tired granny lying on the bed with one or two grandgirls, they at one end and me at the other, we bat a very soft ball to each other, they run around after the ball while granny lies there resting, occassionally batting the ball out of the room, but then it got serious and competitive. When I bought the ball I bought it because it was bigger than a tennis ball and a lot softer, it makes me cringe just thinking of the damage we could have done with a tennis ball.  But we had fun, granma worked up a sweat and the girls got tired.

The highlite of the day was decorating masks. I'd been to the Reject Shop and picked up a load of cheap craft items and a friend had cleared out a lot of her sparkly bits and pieces so we spent the time; when we were not racing around; in decorating the masks, lots of glitter and fairy dust was used - its amazing just how far two little girls can spread that stuff.  We left them drying on the verandah while we went for our walk and visits and when we'd had our rest the girls added more and more glitter and sparklies.  The little one decided to throw her tanty and I could see she was getting tired and it was time to take them home.

We always have to drive past the horse fields to see the horses and count how many there are, how many black ones there are and discuss the merits of horse poo for the roses (their mums dad has horses and they collect the poo for the garden), its one of our little rituals.  I suppose because I only had one set of grandparents that I didn't see very often and my grandmother had  gone by the time i was 8 that I want to create special memories for my g.girls.  I know I remember every single thing we did and the fun we had and I hope they will remember those times as well,  one day all too soon it will be a chore going to grandma's and they will want to be off doing other things so I don't mind the hours of clean up afterwards, the teenage mutant ninja turtles in my bed (Stacey found her uncles old toys in the cupboard) or the aches and pains these aging bones feel for days afterwards.

Its about time I made a start on the day, it looked like it was going to be miserable today, the grey clouds have parted revealing beautiful blue skies, so the garden needs a good watering and I might put some new veggies in the kitchen garden.  I need to finish off some crochet flower garlands and maybe start a new pig.  I got an order for a set of snowdolls, so I need to work out a price for them and the postage and have some me time and coffee with a friend and I'm not going to get all that done by hanging around in blogland. Better dash........

Its hot, and only a few days into spring

Phew, I had my usual walk by the lake, got my daily dose of vitamin D. Its gonna be a hot dry summer I think.  The garden is as dry as a bone, the grass have given up trying to grow and its not been green for a few weeks.  It only seemed minutes ago we were complaining of the constant drizzle and grey skies.  But its cup of tea time now I think, maybe a chai or a Liptons raspberry, cranberry and strawberry herbal infusion. Sounds good, anyone care to join me.........

Aren't the three little pastel coloured cannisters soooo pretty. I picked them up for $5 yesterday at the markets. I love this little corner of the kitchen, unfortunately though the biscuit and cake tins are empty, no cake or biscuits for me till I've parted company with my gall-bladder.

Woohooo......I got on the front cover

Did they get my best side? 

Now behave you two, no throwing snowballs when my back is turned.

I still get excited when I see my designs in print.  A friend phoned me up from town when I was in our local post office, she texted me that my design had made the front cover, I hope the guy who was stood behind didn't get to much of a shock at my happy dance.   I wonder if the snowbear will be in next months edition.  The snowdolls arrived home the day before the magazine came out in the shops, I'd forgotten how cute they were.  They were very excited to see themselves in print as well, luckily the snowbear and the big basket of snowballs didn't come home with them else I'd be in the middle of a snowball fight. .............. and I won the giveaway at Delena's blog.  What a wonderful week I've had, lets hope this new week is just as good.

Thanks Pat

It was you not me that solved the problem, everything is so much easier now.

I think an easy day is called for today,, I'm going to sit on the sofa with a couple of the boxes from yesterday and go through them properly, I'm sure I don't need half the stuff that is in them.  I might make up some crafty baggies for the op-shop - the sort you love to find. Fill of bits of lace and beads and hidden goodies.  I usually donate all my stuff to the animal welfare op-shop, its a small private one and I usually always find a good bargain there and its the one I'm going to volunteer in when I'm back on my feet after my op.

I sat and made more crochet flowers for the garlands last night, I played around a bit with different flowers but have gone back to the first one I did.  I can't get the darker colors in the cotton anymore, theres a magenta and a purple and a darker pink that people want in their garlands, I've just got enough to do two more garlands and then its probably time to change colour schemes. Its only a cheapy cotton but its works up really nice for the flowers, I priced the DMC and another brand and they were 3x's the price of this one.  I love the african flowers doiley above, my friend saw mine and she has been dropping hints she wants something for her birthday with them in.  So I might get the ordered garland finished and then save the rest of the darker yarn for her birthday pressie in October.
I need to go get dressed, make the bed, do a quick vacumm and dust and then settle down for a day of crafting.

Side-tracked yet again...........Vicki wanted embroidered doilies for her hexagon quilt she is making, I have some you can have them I said, Judi wanted spray adhesive - don't buy any I said I have some you can have,  I wanted to to find something, can't think what it was that I was meant to be looking for. But while I was looking for the doilies and the adhesive I'd be bound to come across whatever it was I wanted.  Couldn't find the spray adhesive anywhere, obviously I must have got rid of it.  Doilies all washed and hung out on the line and then I remembered I'd hidden some in a white wicker hamper, so out came the hamper, found some felt bits, decided there and then to make a felt flower brooch, didn't have enough felt, it needed more petals, went in the spare wardrobe, dug out a bag of felt bits (but not the colours I wanted), found some 8 ply apricot coloured crochet cotton - great, just what I needed for a project, found the victorian gold buttons that were on an ancestors wedding dress - great I thought I had lost them, while I was in the wardrobe I might as well get a few boxes out and go through them, found the felt I wanted plus some more so I went and made three flower brooches, then I went back to the wardrobe and found some crochet squares that I was making into a blanket, so I had to arrange them and decided I would finish it off this week, I found the adhesive and the doilies. I looked around the room, oh my, did I make that much mess.  Oops.  So now I am in the process of cleaning everything out.  I never did find or remember what it was I was looking for. 

back to winter again

Brrrrrr.......there was I thinking I could start to put the winter clothes away, how wrong was i. The wind howled through yesterday at the markets, one poor stallholder very nearly became airborne as the wind got under her gazebo. It was amazing watching the leaves flying everywhere everytime a gust came.  You could tell the holiday crowd - they were the ones in t-shirts and shorts. 
I took the dog out for her walk by the lake early this arvy, I'm glad I did because now the sun has disappeared its so cold I'm not venturing out.  Okay, so its around 20C, thats cold for up here and I'm getting old and  sooky.                                                                                                                               Pop on over to my friend Delenas blog and say g'day, she's having a giveaway for new followers - http://serenitynow-del.blogspot.com/.  I hope I get invited to her next years camp out, it looked so much fun.  Loved the comment you left Delena, you can tell what people are thinking when they see what you have made - now theres a woman with too much time on her hands (and thats the polite comment they make).
I'm heading off now to close up the house and get into my fleecys before it gets any cooler.

Hugs

J

message for Pat

Hi Pat, I wanted to leave a comment on your blog but it wouldn't let me, kept saying i couldn't with my account and had to change it. I don't have another blogger account so don't know whats going on. Please don't think I am ignoring your comments, I appreciate them very much.  Nice to know someone is interested in what I have to say.

Hugs

Jan

I blinked.......

........and there it was, well into the second week of September.  So I suppose an update is called for.

The pancreatitis settled down, my op is scheduled for the end of November.  Up until yesterday I had had no problems, just a dull ache occassionally when I ate a little too much and nausea every morning. I've missed cheese so much, i searched and searched around the shops for a low fat one and ended up buying a packet of kraft low fat cheese slices to stick on my toast.  One of my comfort foods is cheese on toast - thin slices of tomato, topped with a slice of cheese and a liberal dash of HP sauce after its melted.  Yum. Occassionally I'll use mashed avocado instead of spread, mixed with vegemite and then the cheese.  I've cut down on bread, one loaf lasts me longer than a week, I use Shape No Fat milk and a litre lasts me over a week, I haven't had red meat since the first attack, chicken maybe twice and it didn't agree with me despite being careful and fish I now have twice a week, I'm consuming my 5 and 2 with ease.   I've been mainly eating no fat cottage cheese on rice cakes for lunch and snacks and I've discovered SunRice apple and cinnamon rice cakes with less than 1g of fat and low sugar and low calorie so I can get my 'sweet' fix every now and again. I make a weeks supply of pumpkin, sweet potato and carrot soup with added pasta and Borlotti beans - no fat and low cal and delicious. I weigh everything out and I have been surprised just how much food is in a 'serve'. I reckon I put back a third of what the packet says is an average serve and still have enough.   I've lost a total of 5kgs so far and with this latest attack  and continued no/low fat diet I should lose a bit more, I thinks the docs will be happy with another 7kgs at least and I would be over the moon if I could do it by the end of November.

I have noticed with eating less bread and dairy and meat and more veggies and fruit I have had extra energy, I've even been jogging out by the lake and have started jogging on my treadmill.  Though I think I am going to have to invest in a sports bra before I do anymore.  I take the dog for a long walk by the lake in the mornings or the early evenings and can walk further and further each time, I have been sleeping better and deeper despite having to get up three or four times a night to go to the loo.  I can mow the lawns in one hit rather than three or four, when I get restless i go out and rake leaves or weed.  I'm taking advantage of all this extra energy very opportunity I can.

Craft wise I discovered an  artist (Margaret Oomen) who covers river rocks with crochet and as I was so bored I decided to do a few, I'm happy how they turned out, all made up as I went along.  They don't really do anything for me and yes they are pretty but now I've done them I think that will be it. 

 I was so bored with the tele on tuesday night that I decided to recover my footstool (hassock, pouffe, whatever!). I set to crocheting and it was gone midnight when I looked up from my work, I finished it the next day, bunged a flower on top and there you have it. I also made half a dozen ducks/chooks/mutant birds in bright colours, I sold four of them in purples, yellows and blue. I won't make anymore unless asked.  I want to get back to my embroidery, I have half a dozen designs sitting in the craft room just waiting to be stitched up, they were for submission to the mags but I just couldn't be arsed.  So many crafts to do and the time is running away from me.  I won't be working again or looking for work this side of christmas and I have all this time to fill in but before you know it it will be next year and the stitcherys and dolls will still need making up.  I've decided to just go with the flow, to stand still and just BE, I'm not going to fight it, if I want to just spend a day doing nothing but staring into space then that is what I shall do, I have no one to answer to except myself, no one to please except myself.  I have let go of the need to be doing something or going somewhere. I enjoy my own company, my solitude but I also realise that sometimes friends need to be with me, they need an outlet for their thoughts, or just someone to listen to them, so I make time for them and hope that they in return respect my need for solitude every now and again.

Isn't my footstool bright and cheerful, it was so good to actually make something for myself. Just a circle made bigger by increasing 8 sts each row till it fitted the top and then just stripes of closed shells with no further increasing.  Once it was the right length I just decreased for a few rows, slipped it over the footstool and then made a large flower in the stripe colours and stitched it in place.  Two evenings work. The footstool did need filling a bit more and since I didn't have anymore of the filling beads I just used the fill from an old clean pillow. It should have a cord around the middle but I might just leave it as it is.  It would only take me a few minutes to whip one up if I decided to put one on.

Okay, I think thats everything brought up to date now, oh yes, I had a email from my late fathers oldest brothers daughters.  I'm now back on track in my search for my dads ancestors, they remembered me as a little girl but I don't remember them as they were a lot older than me.  It was so good to get in touch with them and we have shared photos and memories of our family.  So I am back time-travelling when I am not day dreaming or hooking.  If you need me I'll be in Yorkshire around the mid 1800's.

Uhru

Jan

Oh dear, there was me full of energy at last and nothing to do. I decided to take the car in early this morning and get new tyres. Okay so maybe the universe had other plans for me today.  I had a flat battery. Where was the battery charger.  The inside of the shed looks like a cyclone has gone through it (well one did a few months ago but I'm sure it was tidier after that). They (the sons) will put things above my eye level and they know if they put things on the high shelves I just ain't gonna see them. Phone call to a friend to tell her I wasn't going to meet her in town, phone call to son to ask where the charger was.

He directs me through the pile of stuff in the shed to the corner where the snake is always seen and there under two doors and a few picture frames, in the toolbox under a pile of tools is the charger. Now as i am getting the charger out an ocky strap fell down across my arm - it wasn't just the car that needed charging at that moment.  So I have the charger but no extention lead, only the short ones. That was another phone call to son, they are hanging up in the shed, I can't see them anywhere, nother phone call, look up they're hanging from a ceiling hook, get the ladder out. Okay now I am all ready to go. Grab new neighbour ask him how to I do it, he knows less about the inside of cars than me. Phone call to friend, she phones her partner he relays message to tell me which lead to stick on which terminal. Okay got all that, which is the pos and which is the neg, more calls, look for the pos sign, can't see it, look at the wires, find out neg is the black one with the yellow stripe down the wire casing, okay, neighbour escapes while he can. Everything sorted, switch on - nothing, needle doesn't move, more calls. Unplug everything, clean the terminals and leads and reconnect. YAY, we have lift-off.  It is now 12.30, I'm covered in oil and grease and sawdust and other stuff, theres a few spiders webs in my hair and probably a few spiders as well, the shed is even messier but I did learn to do something new, wasn't quite what I was expecting but least I can do it now.

I am going to sit down now and craft, my energy has disappeared. The picture has nothing to do with messy sheds or flat batteries, its just a pretty piccy of my crocheted daffs, it cheers me up. I think I will just chill out in the garden, have a read of the Better Homes and Gardens, catch up with a few blogs and then sit and sew or hook. 

I forgot to mention my birthday, I'd forgotten all about that, quiet day, trip to the garden centre with a friend, coffee with another friend, grandkids came over, lots of hugs, risked a piece of cake, so far so good, no adverse effects, early night cuddled up with the dog, a hot water bottle and a good book.

Perhaps next birthday I will make up for this quiet one.

I see the surgeon on Tuesday, I'm feeling really good so hopefully we can put off surgery for a while.  Okay, theres a seat with a comfy cushion in a patch of sun calling my name. Toodles.

J

washing frenzy

Having what seems like endless days of drizzle and grey skies, yesterday we got blue skies that lasted from sun up to sun down. Since the weather has been so unpredictable of late I worked myself up into a washing frenzy - off came the sheets and doona covers and into the wash, I scoured the house for things to clean. Five loads of washing blowing in the breeze, what a sight.  Now I am sitting staring at a humungous pile of clean washing requiring folding, ironing and putting away.  Funny, I don't seem to be as enthusiatic over washing as I did yesterday.

The washing machine has just finished the stray things from yesterday, I'm off to peg out again - I'll take my camera down with me again. The King Parrots are in the bananas and if I sneak up on them I might be able to get a shot in. Typical, I did all my camera settings before I went out of the house and not one parrot was there, there are a few bananas that they have left but the friar birds are finishing them off and they are not a very photogenic bird.

I seem to be in a bit of a slump with my crocheting - I sat down yesterday and tried to recreate a couple of small amigurumi's I had made off the top of my head a couple of years ago and as usual I hadn't written the pattern down, so using the photo as a guide I had 1 attempt that turned out quite cute but bigger than I wanted and two attempts that got frogged twice each.  Rather than push myself I'm going to put away the hooks for a few days, I think its just overload. I've lost track of how many flowers and hearts I have made recently, plus all the snowdolls and the curly top dolls for a shop in town.  I have enough stock now to be going on with, perhaps I will put all my yarn away and clear my work bench and work on making the little stitchery kits. 

I know her ears aren't right, looking at the photo of the others I think I did them in a circle for a couple of rows and then shaped them with decreases and increases.  But somebody will love her I'm sure and she can go in the basket of pigs.
While searching for the pattern I came across a basket full of body parts, heads, arms, legs but no bodies. They make up two of the long legs and curly top dolls. I might just get them finished cos I'm sure the bodies are somewhere and then they can go in the pig basket. 

Okay less talk and drivel, I'm off to get creative, the washing is out, the sun is shining, the painkillers have kicked in......oh yes, I forgot, doctors appointment - lots of gallstones, moderately acute pancreatitis and a fatty liver. Now waiting for an appointment coming through to see the surgeon. 

Jan

Rain...no, sunshine, no, Rain, no, sunshine........

I wish this weather would make its mind up. Blue skies one minute, grey and drizzly the next. I definately did not feel like sitting around a muddy car park where the markets are held.

Thanks for all your comments.  Thinking back over the years I think this problem has been going on for a while, even before the heart by-pass.  Certain foods have always creased me up and I have noticed the past couple of years I've had to tone down the curries and the spicy food. Pastry always makes me feel ill and I know when I get stressed my stomach goes haywire. Probably because I've been eating low fat food and always eat lots of veggies I've kept it at bay, but last weekends little pig-out obviously affected me. Now I have a problem which came first the heart problem, the diabetes or the gall bladder problem and of course don't forget the thyroid. Oh well, never mind, I'm still here and kicking, obviously I'm too hard to get rid of.  I saw a sign somewhere and it said somewhere along the lines of - too bad for heaven and the devil couldn't handle me, can't remember the first line of the last.  What sort of foods are best to eat apart from the obvious no.no's. I've have no appetite what so ever and I'm a bit wary to eat anything anyway, I'm managing a small bowl of porridge for brekky and I had a small bowl again for supper, nothing in between.

Sally, I was thinking of you the other day, I'm getting back into the family research and sorted out what I know, I've got all the families in a muddle so I'm sorting out my lot and the other lot into seperate files, I found the piccy of the couple with two little boys, I had sent it to my hubbys aunt but she never confirmed wether it was a reli or not, she's keeping all the information close to her chest and despite me helping her to remove a few bricks from the wall she's very reluctant to give me information that shes found that would help me.
 
The opening of the art exhibition was wonderful 4 young girls sang acappella (?sp), close your eyes are you were listening to angels. It was beautiful.  A wonderful spread of drinks and nibblies.......and a great big strawberry chocolate gateau. Life can be so unfair sometimes LOL.  I met up with people I hadn't seen for years, I'm all hugged out after catching up with everyone.  I've been invited to put something in next year, the theme will be migration, a few ideas floating around, knowing me, rather than actually try out a few of those ideas I will wait till the month before, get myself into a panic when nothing goes right and then chicken out.  Perhaps this will be the something new to try.
Now we have blue sky and rain. The verandah is full of wet washing and more needs doing, my dryer needs a new belt. I could fit it myself but when I took the back off there was no way to get to the belt, it seems that you have to take the drum out and thats above me, I could take it out but then it would be putting it all back together again.
I've got some paperwork to do (I've been putting it off all week), 2 hours should see it all cleared up and then I'm going to get settled into some serious crafting.  The crocheting seems to take up all of my time, I've found another outlet for the brooches so need to get a few made up and packaged nicely to show her.  I really, really want to get back to embroidery, I had all those stitcherys designed to submit to the mag and never got them done, so I am going to make up each one as a little wall hanging for display and then make kits. 
I'm gonna go read blogs for half an hour,  then get this damm paperwork done.

Jan

Bugger

Haven't I been saying I am enjoying my life, haven't I recently said I am happy with life, things are looking good............Okay, not so good news first thing this morning. Wednesday night and the early hours of thursday morning saw me practically on my hands and knees in pain,  just when I decided to ring the ambo's I threw up and what a relief that was, the pain went away. I managed to get a few hours sleep in. When I woke I could taste blood (something I have been doing for a few weeks) and I spat up a couple of little clots.I wasn't hungry so didn't have breakfast, I had a discomfort in my abdomen so I decided to phone the doctor and see if I could get in - I had to go in straight away, had a whole heap of tests and they booked me a ultra sound for this arvy.  Doc phoned me first thing this morning and said all the blood tests point to it being the gall bladder, the pain was probably coming from the pancreas which also showed up as something wrong.  The ultra sound will confirm what is going on.   If I get the pain that bad again over the weekend, its straight to hospital, do not pass go, do not collect $200.  I have had the pain in my shoulder blade for a while, my doc usually sticks me on the heart monitor and says every thing is fine  since I had no other symptoms, I've been on a good diet, no fatty foods, restricted my dairy for ages, I'm always careful what I eat because of the reflux. But sunday on our day out I had a steak sandwich loaded with fried onions and a passionfruit custard slice,, I felt a few niggles Monday but nothing out of the ordinary, I've been feeling sick after meals for a while but nothing that much that it would concern me. What really p's me off is that for the diabetes and this gallbladder thing weight loss is one of the symptoms - its the only symptom I haven't got. What concerns me is how everything is moving along quickly,  they don't seem to be wasting anytime, most people I talk to have waited ages to see doctors, have tests etc.
Oh well, as long as I've got my hooks and plenty of yarn it won't be too bad, I won't be feeling guilty about cro'ing all day then.

Jan

How does your garden grow.....

 

......mine is finally coming to life. Flowers on my zucchini and my eggplants - vegetables that I am not particularly fond of but I seem to grow very well, at least I can swap them for veggies I like later.

Bits of colour finally showing in an otherwise colourless garden.  My fault really, I haven't been too interested in getting the garden going, just half hearted attempts to fill pots up with bedders, but once that sunshine comes out its a mad rush to get everything in.  I had some seeds where the packets had got damp and had all stuck together, it was impossible to see what was in the packets so I have scattered them willy nilly all over the garden, it will be interesting to see what comes up. 

It might be hard to see these guys - red-browed finches. I was going to scrap this photo as I thought there was nothing on it, the king parrots I was originally intending to photo flew off, as I approached the bottom of the garden a cloud of finches rose up off the ground and took off after the parrots. These ones must have been brave and stayed behind to see what was going on.

Birthday parties and choo choo's

What a busy weekend I have had and two very contrasting days they were too.

Saturday, my beautiful grandgirls joint birthday party, was grey, windy and miserable - not that the kids noticed, they were too busy having fun, I wish I could bottle their energy. My son ended up lighting the big fire pit and all us sooky adults huddled around it while the kids ran themselves ragged.

Sunday was the Tumoulin stations 100th birthday.The day was warm bright and sunny from sun up to sun down. A friend and I played at tourists, ate steak sandwiches with heaps of fried onions, walked along the railway track, bought plants from a market stall and throroughly enjoyed ourselves. I noticed a pyrex dish (the oval ones with the seperator in the middle) - it was turquoise with a star design, two japanese girls grabbed it, turning it over and getting excited over it - the price was two dollars, I hung around in the hope they were going to put it down but no, they bought it. I think that was the only downspot of the day.

 

 Indiginous dancers preparing for a dance display.

 We watched how to boil a billy at the fettlers camp.

The track towards Ravenshoe,  now only used for the restored steam train as a tourist attraction. We've promised ourselves a ride one day.  Doesn't look bad for the middle of winter.  Wanting to make the most of this glorious day we headed off towards Ravenshoe for coffee and cake, despite being about 50 miles away from where we live the area is so different, dryer, more open. Ravenshoe is the highest town in Queensland and boasts the highest pub in queenland, I suppose since the towns second pub is only a couple of hundred metres down the hill from the first pub its the second highest pub in Q'land.  

                                                                                 The highest railway station in Queensland, nearly 3000 ft above sea level.  This is at the end of the railway track at Tumoulin. I love Ravenshoe, it has a reputation though of being a bit of a ferally town, it has a wide main street and lots of clues to its history of being an old timber town, it just has this wonderful  atmosphere, its like stepping back in time.  Its set right at the top of the Great Dividing Range.

I love this picture, a lot of americans were stationed here during WWII, I can just imagine them gathering here, waiting to catch the train, the young girls of the town in their pretty dresses all waiting to go to a dance in the next town, blushing and giggling. The old railway station is a museum now, the outside area littered with relics of the old days, its so pretty and we found a little second hand shop nestled away in one of the old carriage sheds, Barb bought a cute sundae dish from the 30's or 40's, it would be nice to think that one of the G.I.s and his 'girl' shared a sundae or a banana split before being shipped out 'up north'.

We weren't ready to go home just yet and still had plenty of energy left so we drove out of town and head towards the Millstream Falls - the widest (when in full flood) in Q'land, if not australia). A few years ago it was possible to walk down a track and walk across the top of it a short way (in the dry season) but now you walk down a winding bitumened path and have to view it from a special platform, despite being a fair way from the falls we could still feel the spray on our faces.  This used to be a popular swimming place as well. I seem to be obsessing about those american soldiers, can you see them diving off the rocks in the middle, giggling girls spying on them  from the bushes.  I was obviously born in the wrong era and the wrong place. This place seems to hold onto its past and occassionaly glimpses are caught of a bygone age.  Can you imagine living in this house overlooking the falls, on top of the world.

Well the scenic tour of my weekend is over. It will probably be a while before I get to have another day like this.  Its back to a normal week now, job hunting and cleaning and sorting out my life.  I feel rejuvanated though, ready to tackle anything that is thrown at me - wet kippers and bricks aside though LOL.