Offline but not Lazing Around!

Last week we had internet link up problems for almost the entire week and then a wonderful surprise visit fro our son and his lovely family and their puppy Clyde who just happens to be the brother of our Molly so it was full on,

Even though I could not blog much I kept my little fingers busy and here are the finished products so far,I have kept to the one a day thing except when the children were here,just one to go now!

This little one is a cutie,the pics are not very clear this time around.

This is more like a pouch type bag, the clasp at the back is actually a shuttle shape and you attach your scissors to it,great to take that litle project with you when you are travelling.

This one is crazy aptch style and is an envelope,nice for someone to put hankies in or that something special.

This one is a cup bag, small and sweet,the handles are done with packing tape ,it is so easy yet effective,I am not thrilled with my finishing of this one,I think I would fiddle with it more next time as the edges are bound like a quilt and as it is only coffee cup size it is difficult to handle,however it is nice.

This one is really nice ,quite a good size,mind you these are all quite dainty projects and great for those scraps we have.

These are my favourite things that I did this week,the tiny bag at the back even had the squared bottom and it holds your thimble and is fully linned! the scissor holder is quick and easy and was supposed to have an embroidery on the front of it of sissors but I wanted to use my cottage on the needle holder so chose just to use fabric, and the needle holder,the fabric on the front is the same as the back of the scissor holder next time I would reverse it and have the same on all the fronts but in my usual style went like a bull at a gate and changed my mind after I had finished too late!!!it is the sweetest set.

This one I did not like the fabric when the kit arrived and the lady forgot to put the pattern in!!! so I made it up,it ended up a nice bag and the embroidery was nice to do,I even tried put a fancy stitch on my machine which after 2 years I had not done and added a few suffolk puffs.

At Christmas I made all the grandchildren a pillow bag but just could not get enough time to do the adult kids one,my daughter in law in a guide leader and takes the girls to many camps and asked while she was here if I had time could I do her one,I already had them cut out,she has a camp this weekend and lives 2 hours away, and I said I would try for her next camp.To surprise her I got it done last night and I will post it today, she should get it tomorrow or Thursday,I hope she likes it.

Well just one little bag to make now and I still have a month before the Quilt fair where my job was to do a small items display so that ladies would be encouraged to start small and work up to the quilting,I hope they get inspired.I am less stressed now these are almost done and my UFO pile is now very small,not sure for how lolng lol.Remember if you want a pattern let me know and it is yours I have one to send but wanted to wait till Sandy sees the little set to see if she would like that one too.I can copy them if any 2 people want the same one.

Have a lovely day if you are cold and huddled with a nice warm coffee,we would love some of that cool,still getting 39c and we had huge storms last night, thinking they would bring the cool...no!!! it is hot and humid and was 5am when I started theis blog.

Have a beautiful day, be grateful for something in your life no matter how small,I am going to be grateful for my old grumblebum today,he is tired and hot and grumpy but I love him anyway,simply because he puts up with me.

                                                 Refreshed,Revatilised and Recycled.

Our anniversary weekend was lovely and the break away although short was really good for us,we feel refreshed, revitalised and our old love yes, recycled,it just needed a nudge lol.Where we stayed was very luxurious,we had an ocean view room and it was lovely to drift off with the balcony door open to the sound of the sea, one of my fav sounds,our dinner table was also the one closest to the sea and the food devine.
We visited the places we had been wanting to see and just had a really good time.We did go to the movies at the Golden theatre room, cost an arm and a leg to sit in recliners and be waited upon throughout the movie,you could have a beer, coffee, cake or whatever.We saw True Grit,I thought Bob would enjoy that better,getting him to the movies was stretch enough I did not want to push my luck.
An update on Lilli is that she is not 100% but not sick either, the doctor said it would be 12 months before she is really good although she is having a lot og heartburn again so Kirsty is taking her back this week,we are afraid of something not quite right.
Ruth, my daughters MIL has finished radiation, we called and had some time with her yesterday, I am so proud of kate as she showers Ruth and does everything for her and Ruth is so grateful, they never really liked one another but Ruths children have walked away from the work and Kate is it.Our girl works at aCancer  hospital here and gives Ruth such loving care,I hope that her journey for the end of her time is not too tough,she is loosing her hair now and it is a struggle everyday to get up,but it is worth it even for a couple of hours,the children make her smile and thats lovely.
Thank you to all who wished us well,for our anniversary.
I have to leave you with a funny little tale.Bob is all his wisdom gave me a "love bite",hickey whatever you may call it.. I always thought they were disgusting ,I almost fainted when I looked in the mirror, he honestly did not notice he said! how emabarassing 62 and going for breakfast with that!!!! so in my wisdom I put a band aid on my mark..so that draws attention doesn't it!...when we got to my daughters,she asked whats on your neck Mum..noooo don't tell me ...I could have crawled in a hole ..his majesty just grinning in the background...little William askes"Grammy whats wrong with your neck"O'h I said Pa Pa bit me.."O'h was it a contest,the one that bit the hardest won" no sweetie  I said it was really like a hard kiss not actually a bite "God help me please"...well Williams face told the story he was going to have a biting,wrestle competition with his sister and brother...thank goodnesss Ruth then came out and asked whats that on your neck.."o'h dont tell me" she says  I'm too old to think those things"..I have never been so embarassed in all my life...and Bob still just grinning..I always though he did not smile much obviously he has a very sick sense of humour...I never ever had one in all my married life and had to wait 41 years! I hope its anther 41 before that happens again.

                                                       Marriage its a funny old thing........

We are off for the weekend to a lovely place right on the beach for our 41st wedding anniversary.We went to Naoh's on the beach for our 40th and it is so lovely we decided we will go back every year. It is in Newcastle .There is beautiful beaches a port all that jazz.Last year we regretted not taking our swimmers as at 6 am all the people came for a swim in the ocean baths and it looked beautiful,so this year we are armed.We will have a bottle of wine waiting for us, dinner is booked and we are going to have a nice time.
This year we are doing things we both love, we had a choice of our day and we are going to see Fort Scratchley first, this is where the cannons that kept the Japanese at bay in the war are and it is very interesting,Bob wants to go there,I have chosen the movies.We have no movie theatre near us we have to travel 30 minutes one direction or 2 hours almost the other so we do not get to go very often,we will either see The Kings Speach...or True Grit I would not be cruel enough to choose a chick flick..poor Bob.

The road to get to this time in our lives has been varied as is everyones elses..anyone who says there has never been a day of narkiness must be dreaming lol or exceptionally well balanced. I think in the new generations where divorce is so fashionable,marriage has become a throw away item just as worn out toasters.Many a time we could have said "stop I want to get off",when we have had trials with Bobs breakdown,I wanted to run 1,000 miles away as I did not know how I would cope,but we stood with him and he got through it,he was an ambulance officer and sadly always seemed to ge the dead babies and young people in accidents, he could rationalise the elderly as they had a good life but the young,he never could understand and the things he saw must have been horrifying in the end his mind and body just crumbled, it took us 10  years to get through that.Then he emerged from that dark tunnel a different man.
However I loved him before and love him still he is different but then so must I be.When we went to councelling in the beginning of his horrible time,we went as a family, the very first they had ever had! most wives and children had left their relationships but I could not do that to him although it was tough.
So in this world of throw aways I do not think the young people realise that the tough times that you get through get you to "know" your partener,I do know there are relationships that can't be saved, my mums one of them she was in a violent and horrible horrible marriage so at age 36 she escaped to her parents...I do not speak of those marriages, it is he ones where a petty thing grows to a just plain hate you thing,when all along they could have talked it through battled on and better days come again.
At the end of our days a companion in life that knows what we like,has the same memories, shares the family you built together is a wonderful thing.You start just 2 and end up just 2 as your family grows,leaves home,starts their family, although you are included and it is wonderful,it is not the children that you sit with at night and sip a wine or a hot cuppa.The compainionship that you share is that way because of the bad times  as you got through them and the good are just the icing on the cake.
Sex ....well thats another story...romance that too.....it may not seem like it is in the movies and I think that is what  people think when they get married,I did,that it is always roses, "hello hunny I'm home",race you off to bed with one look lol ahhhh memories,at the September time of your life it takes all night to do what you used to do all night..or 6 seconds if you believe the stats lol

I guess I just want to say "happy anniversary" for Monday Bob.We have had lots of good times and they are the ones we remember ,the other hiccups etc well they are just a distant memory now seems like a million years ago.We need to enjoy today as there well could be no tomorrow as many of my friends have lost their husbands this year we are approaching the age where life is coming to a close..so off we go...dirty weekend the kids call it!!!!  one can only hope so lol...
God keep us safe as we travel not only on the road but in life.AMEN.

                                                     Two More finished Projects.


Well 2 more finished...the fairy bag is bigger than I thought it would be and the tape cover matches the needlecase I have done.

The fairy bag

Has 2 Fairy embroideries and the other 2 squares are fussy cut florals

his is the little tape cover Looks crooked there lol but its not honest.

It is a sweet little thing to give as a gift with the matching needle case.

Remember I will send the pattern to anyone who requests them for free, I am sending this one to Sandy but I can make some copies before I post. So just let me know please.

Well 2 more finished...the fairy bag is bigger than I thought it would be and the tape cover matches the needlecase I have done. I will not be sewing until next week nw as it is our anniversary weekend...41 years and we are going back to where we went for our 40th anniversay as it is on the ocean and very nice,our daughter lives quite near but Bob said we are NOT visiting until Sunday afternoon, so being a typical Granny I am looking forward to that bit most ( don't tell Bob though shhhhhhhhhhh).
May you be very blessed as you  travel the road of your life and may Gods arms keep you forever safe.

                                                             Coopers family

Janet and Flloyd, sorry not an attractive shot Janet but wanted the folks to see gorgeous Flloyd, I do not have a pic of Cooper but no one could tell them apart other than Mum(Janet)I used to have to wait for certain behaviours so I could tell them,such as this one was the cranky one lol.

 As you read in my last blog Cooper passed away while having surgery for an obstructed bowl,and died under the operation.His family is distraught as it was so unexpected, they have told the family that it is from cooked bones,they have never ever been given cooked bones so it is a mystery,we will never know how he got them.
He came to be Janets and George's pet because their son owned them and the lease ran out on his flat and he could not find anywhere to live that he could have them,so they came to live with his parents.
These were bred for show dogs but unfortunately had a few mental probs,mostly from inter breeding I think, but with medication they became wonderful pets.
Cooper was the nicest nature although they were both magnificent dogs.
We have little wire fences in our street so you can actually see each others gardens and it is like one huge long yard,which meant that we all see each others pets and love them as our own.
Cooper and Flloyd always talk to us through the fence and Molly just loves them.

Flloyd waiting at the gate for us to come over for a pat.

We will miss Cooper dreadfully, their night homes are very near our chicken pen and when I would put the chickens out of a morning it was really funny walking by and hearing them dreaming and snoring.Today it was so quiet so obviously it was Coop that snored.
Flloyd looks so mournful today but at the same time seems to be liking not having to vie for attention.George dug a grave today, Bob will take Janet to collect Coopers body tomorrow and bring him home to be laid at rest in the garden.
Rest in peace Cooper and peace to you ,only 3 years old not old for a dog.The sad thing is they had 4 dogs and the old one is a little scruffy bitsa and she has just been given a few months to live,Janet said that will be easier to deal with as they expect it, not so with Coop,but I think they will be just as devistated as Josie is 13 years old.

                                            I am up to date Really!!!!I am




I am up to date with my bag making, however the one I did yesterday requires a nice cord and I will buy that on the weekend and it looks awful without it,I also have almost finished the tape measure cover to go with the tiny needle bag,next bag well I hope it was easier than yesterdays it was painful and took hours of fiddling.
On a sad note my neighbour has been crying for hours and beautiful Cooper one of her Bassett hounds died while having an operation,Flloyd his brother is crying too how very sad.They are going to bury him at home and Bob will go help our neighbour dig the grave this afternoon as it will have to be almost human size as he was such a big dog.Bless you beautiful Cooper we will miss your big sad eyes and drooling at us over the fence and Miss Molly will miss her new best friend.We do not think about how attached we are going to become when we get a pet, he was not even ours and I am almost as bad as Janet.

                                                     Whew! Just made it.!!..todays little sewing item...

The front,the rose is wooden as are the handles.

In the centre there is a pouch for packets of needles and felt for the ones in use.

The back with a small button and an elastic loop for closing.

This is a small neddle holder with wooden handles....it has a tape measure to match which is half made but at least I got this far.I worked late and it was Cackle Club day today so I was late getting this started this evening.It is very cute...Once again if anyone wants the pattern I will post it to you..These would be lovely gifts and a great way to use your scraps and just have ribbon or fabric handles.

         



                                                          Bags number 2 and 3
On track and pleased with myself,today was showery so I could sew all day and not feel guilty about the garden that Bob just made me and waiting to have the Iris and Agapanthas and Pig face planted.

So Sundays bag,is a fabric I loved,when I saw it in the shop I thought it was very Parisian and so I bought the fabric and then did the embroidering to match..I do not know what you would use this bag for maybe it is a version of a pillow bag anyway girls like I said last blog anyone can have these patterns I am happy to post them off wherever you are,as I make items I am not keeping scraps or anything as I am decluttering lol..

I have never used orange colours before as I am a shabby chic taste and it was a nice change.

As you can see by the back the fabric is lovely,if Karen from Tilly Rose reads this I did save the little off cuts of this fabric as I thought one day you might like it.

This is Mondays bag, my gorgeous friend margy had a birthday over the weekend so i am taking her to afternoon tea tomorrow, so therefor had to make Mondays bag today so that I do not slip behind.

It is a little long narrow bag made me think it would be a nice Bible bag or just a slip down the street and hold the phone,wallett and sunnies.

Well I have to get going we are being given 2 Guinea Fowls the catch is just that we have to catch them,lol alos have to get my Tuesday bag making items ready,can't slip behind now I am on a roll!! It certainly helps that I have all the embroidering done.

Have a beautiful day full of smiles and wonderous things.

Saturday Catch up and Creative Bock

I have had a creative block for some time now, I think it is tiredness and busy times in the latter part of last year and the beginning of this year,also the sickness of Steve and Lilli made life a little bit tardy.

It is now 5 years since Bob and I have had more than 3 days off in a row,as we work for ourselves it is not finacially possible to pay someone while we have a break..however we knew this when we took on the mail contract and we have 4 more years to go before we can have a holiday!Add to this having Mum full time, although she is no problem at all it is sometimes overwhelming and I would not have it any other way.Crafting has had to come last as the garden is always in demand and so this Saturday I promised me I was going to sew.

I have been collecting little bits and bobs from Ella and Skysi an Australian designer of all things crafy for over 12 months therefore I have 12 projects waiting to be done,they all have embroidery on them so I have done the embroidery each month not the actually putting together though.A darling friend of mine demanded she take 4 to do for me and although I am so grateful I will  feel they are not my work,they are my embroidery though.

So ta dahhhhhhhhhh here is the first one finished, I think if i try to do one each day and get them done after work I will feel very happy.

This is a little bag for sewing things,it has 6 little pockets on the inside,as you can see it has a gathered gussett,and is lined with a lilac gingham.The embroidery is of course a crinolin lady I love all things with them,I collect china with these lovely ladies on them. 

This is the inside with gingham lining but the pockets are from the main fabric.

This bag kit came with little wooden handles,I came to the part where the handles were to be attached and the instructions said,"folk art or varnish handles"! what!!! I am almost finished lol so buggar that(pardon me) I made fabric handkles with the scraps and a little tie as well as the bag flops open...I guess one should read the entire pattern before starting lol anyway I like the fabric handles.

So there we are first project done, I will do another tomorrow, I want to get them all done ready for our Quilt show in April, to show people that small items are enjoyable to make too. Last year I entered 5 quilts and exhausted myself stressing out getting them finished so this year I am in charge of the little things.

The transfer in this little kit is good enough for one more project and I will not be making these items again after I do them,I am only too happy to give them away.So as I do them the first person that requests the patterns may have them,with this one I will send the little handles as well.

Blogging is about sharing ,we share stories and our lives so why not share our goodies.

Bless you all and have a lovley weekend.

P.S. the creative juices are flowing,shame I have to stop and cook,life would be great if everyone was not hungry lol.

 


                                        

                                           Mobile phones and Text messages.


I am not a lover of the mobile phone,I am not old fashioned I don't think,I just miss the days when you could walk down the street and everyone smiled at one another,country or city alike.


Now absolutely everywhere you look people have the mobile in their hand or walking head down chatting away like there is no tomorrow.Beacause of my work I have to have mine with me all the time for safety reasons,breakdowns etc,and I am the contact number for the charity shop,but is in my bag,not attached to my hand and if I loose it I do not go into an anxiety attack.

So many times I have been almost run off the road and actually have been run off the road on my bush run as the drivers of the other cars are racing to work and talking on the phone at the same time and driving on my side of the road,very scary on very narrow winding roads!

The upside is the convience of the mobile, Bobs is hooked up to Mums Vital call machine so that if we are not in the house and she has a fall she presses the button,which in turn gets her help and that also call Bobs phone,as he is a postie in our small town he is only ever a few streets away.

However there are times I love the phone,when the little message sound goes off and my travelling family has arrived safe at their destination,a quick message from my daughter who works shifts saying she loves us all and was just thinking of us,times when the grandchildren are at an event and the family sends a pic of the "moment" of excitement,or just plain gorgeous things like bellow.Sorry you have to put your head on the side lol and the quality is not great, but when William went home from his last little holiday he called to say he missed me and then sent this little message for me.I do not know what I did but it saved twice and i could not remove it.
                                        I have to say at moments like this I love my phone!

Blessed are the little children as they give us a reason to live.They love us unconditionally just as does our Heavenly Father,so I feel very loved when sweet William serenades me.Just thank the Lord he did not sing his favourite from Meatlaof "A Bat out of Hell" you could take that title many ways lol.xx

                                  Honesty ,Truthfulness,......or is it just the right thing to do!


O'hhhhhhhhh life shoots all sorts of little quandries our way. I have spoken before of how I am the co ordinator of our little towns op shop.It is fully voluntary,me as well as all the staff,,we all just give our time freely as we see all the good the money does for our town.This is a big responsibility,I do rosters all that sort of thing,I am not blowing my trumpet,I love doing it and someone has to.
Because of my position and my job as the mail lady I see people all the time that give me things for the shop,I take them up and we sort them, price them and put them out for sale.If it is something I love I then buy it,I never price it myself and if someone else gets a vintage item first I am just as happy for them.
Then we have days like yesterday...a lady asked us to pick up an old wooden box that she had not opened for years and it was to contain odd cups and saucers,plates etc, you know rubbish is how she described it.
To be honest it nearly all was but for some lovely little English china bits and bobs,then when I got to the bottom of the box in newspaper was a bowl.I knew instantly it was something different,came on to the internet and looked it up.
taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!! it was this.

It is a 10" Carnival Glass bowl,Marigold in colour valuation was between $1,000 and $1,700 aussie dollars.

When Betty gave me the box she said don't care what you do with this stuff..."stuff!!!" stuff!! of course it was all rubbish to her...or was it.
I knew what my heart was saying and what was the right thing to do...I did know that....
I had a meeting in the afternoon with the Treasurer of our little group, showed her the plate,showed her the internet item,told her I felt very strongly I should go back to the lady and have a chat see if she did intend to throw it out..My friends opinion was that really it was given so we should be thankful.
I toyed all night with knowing what was the right thing to do, knowing we could buy some bus seats, knowing I had been bought up in such a way that I should not have even had doubts as to what to do.
This morning I awoke,did my jobs got a sun hat on and walked around the corner and up the road to Betty's home,I explained why I was there and unwrapped the dish,she was so excited as it had been her Mums and she had forgotten it was in the old wooden box.I instantly knew I had done the right thing.
These people have just sold their home to move,the man of the house is going into a nursing home and Betty has to downsize,I just feel so relieved that I took that walk,it made their day.
Today I am  very ,very ashamed of myself, I am a child of God, I live life in the most honest and generous way I know how,however for a short time I considered keeping that bowl for the shop,(never for myself it is not my thing),how can I profess to be a good Christian and yet did not instantly take that walk.. does it mean we all have that little bit of the old Devil lurking trying to get us to do wrong? I do not know the answer to that, I just know I am not proud of myself.My first instinct should have been to run around to their house yesterday but it took me almost 24 hours to make up my mind.
Well that is just something I have to live with, I am sure we have all been in that position from time to time,I know if it happens again there will be no hesitation for the feeling of "rightness" today is so much more comfy that the indecision of yesterday.

                                                                      For the Interest of Cro


I tried to email this story and pic to a follower that I thought would like it.Unfortunately the pic did not go through.I finally figured out how to save the pic to get it here...blonde I am!!!
A grand old man and a grand old automobile.


Can you imagine having the same car for 82 years?I guess it was no longer under warranty...
 
Mr. Allen Swift ( Springfield , MA.) received this 1928 Rolls-Royce Picadilly P1 Roadster from his father, brand new - as a graduation gift in 1928.( I wonder if he had to work at odd jobs to put himself through school.)He drove it up until his death last year.....at the age of 102 !!!He was the oldest living owner of a car from new.  Just thought you'd like to see it.He donated it to a Springfield museum after his death. It has 170,000 miles on it, still runs like a Swiss watch, dead silent at any speed and is in perfect cosmetic condition. (82 years)That's approximately 2000 miles per year...   
 
 

How absolutely amazing is that!

This is a story that would not exsist in our lifetime again, in our throw away world,cars would never last that long again.

Sometimes stories come along that are just wonderful, can you imagine how excited he must have been as a young man the day he got it,how many times in all those years he lovingly polished the car,and how carefully he would have looked after it.

Hope you have enjoyed the story as much as I did,short and sweet though it is.