Reposting another piece written by me and published elsewhere a few years ago . ******
Here comes the delivery man, she said to herself. She could see him getting out of the truck, steadying himself before he jumped down onto the driveway.
Such a polite young man, always willing to bring large boxes right inside the front door. Not like the previous one who would hardly give you the time of the day apart from saying, ‘sign here’ – not even a please or thank you from him. And with that he’d drop whatever it was on the ground at her feet.
She was suddenly conscious of someone standing beside her in the hall.
And what have you ordered now Mum?
Oh, just something for a project I have in mind
But Mum you promised!
It’s not all for me silly one, it’s to share with others in the craft group
You know that Gloria next door is having some work done at the back of her house, well, she’s got this really nice labourer doing the jobs on an ad hoc basis. Nothing definite arranged, just when and if she needs him
Such a lovely young lad, very outgoing and chatty, so polite and courteous, just like the delivery man. Has a beautiful voice and is always singing. Lovely melodies and love songs, not bawdy ones like some of his mates come out with when they’re round there waiting for him to finish up.
I’ll introduce you to him sometime.
Mum, we’re supposed to be discussing this yarn problem you have. Always buying more when there’s still loads in the boxes up in the bedroom
Oh, I really do have plans for it. You see Gloria’s worker and his friends are always complaining about their cold hands and ears, so I’m going to share some with my crafty friends and we are going to knit them beanies and fingerless gloves to wear while they’re working outside!
Oh, there’s the door bell. I need to go and answer it
Hello Mrs B, how are you today? I bet this is another delivery from the online wool shop…..
Don’t you just love the display of colours on these stands. All laid out in numerical order so a list in your hand would be a good idea. I’d gone looking for an ‘easy to see colour’ so wasn’t bothered by the numbers. But let’s just say it was good job that what I was looking for wasn’t on the bottom ground floor section. I’d have been looking for someone to pick it out/pick it up for me. It was a long way down with shade numbers not exactly visible! Spotlight must think embroiderers are all young and nimble
Does anyone remember when the threads were hooked onto a prong – and if you took the wrong one off having a devil of a job getting it back on the prong all nice and neatly. Plus often some would be put back in the wrong spot and as sure as fate you’d want the correct one behind them and get left with all the others in your hand as well. No wonder there’d be so many lying on the shelf below – or even on the floor.
*****
I’m plodding on with the baby sampler – have reached the ‘big bass drum’ (which is worked in white)
That’s when my ‘what if’ fear rose its head…..what if I run out…. so I decided maybe I should get some new skeins instead of using what I had on hand…. and new will definitely look cleaner and fresher
Hence me being in Spotlight- now I know it’s been several (many would be a better word) years since I’ve bought any floss but I don’t remember there being more than one white.
I couldn’t tell the difference between these two, both looked the same but I played safe and brought a couple of (known) Blanc home with me. Then went down several rabbit holes trying to discover if there was a difference and what it was.
A bit like white yarn and white paint…..not all whites are the same……interesting read.
******
Kat has a weekly featured post – Unraveled Wednesday……where the talk is all about craft, books and life in general. You can find out what others are up to HERE.
There’s been no knitting (again) this week but the November b/club book arrived….can’t remember if I’ve ever read anything by this author. This one sounds interesting- we shall see
Oh, and did you know that if you rearrange LOFTPRAM you will get PLATFORM? Neither did I until the other day. Afternoon quiz shows are so enlightening 😊
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A very long time ago we learned about Kinetic Energy at school Do not ask me to explain it – all I remember are the words car, a hill and motion Drive to the top and you have the potential to keep on going up and down for quite a while
~ ~ Kinetic Energy ~ ~
Naturally there was a formula involved – definitely forgotten now!
The teacher then went on to say we all have potential so if we put our minds to work we could achieve lots more than if we sat around doing nothing with all that energy pent up inside us.
Well at least I think that’s what he said lol
I’ll just keep on keeping on and hope I can produce the energy to do it Kinetic or otherwise 🙂
(Yes, a strange post from me. I’m not sure how or why but the word Kinetic came up over the weekend and brought back memories of a physics class from years ago. Honestly the things you remember )
The Burke and Wills expedition was organised by the Royal Society of Victoria (RSV) in Australia in 1860–61. It initially consisted of nineteen men led by Robert O’Hara Burke, with William John Wills being a deputy commander. Its objective was the crossing of Australia from Melbourne in the south to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north, a distance of around 3,250 kilometres (approximately 2,000 miles).[1]Source
The other week I mentioned my book club book for last month was 👇
In 1860, an eccentric Irish police officer named Robert O’Hara Burke led a cavalcade of camels, wagons and men out of Melbourne. Accompanied by William Wills, a shy English scientist, he was prepared to risk everything to become the first European to cross the Australian continent.
A few months later, an ancient coolibah tree at Cooper Creek bore a strange carving: ‘Dig Under 3ft NW’. Burke, Wills and five other men were dead. The expedition had become an astonishing tragedy.source
The first chapter begins with descriptions of all the preparations going on in Royal Park. What had me interested- and amused – were the paragraphs concerning the camels….needed to cover long distances of bush and desert……but never seen before by most of the people there
.Many spectators made straight for the specially constructed stables on one side of the park. They were intrigued by the strange bellowing noises and peculiar odour emanating from the building. Those who manage to thrust their way inside were rewarded with the glimpse of four ‘ Indian’ sepoys, attired in white robes and red turbans trying to calm small herd of camels….(they) had been imported to conquer the deserts of central Australia.
The animals were the pride of the expedition and enjoyed a level of care normally reserved for visiting English opera singers. In preparation for the journey they had each been fitted with a waterproof rug, complete with a hole for the hump, along with two sets of camel shoes ‘each made of several folds of leather and shod with iron’ designed for travelling over stony grounds
Even river crossings had been catered for. ‘If becomes necessary to swim the camels, boasted The Argus , airbags are to be lashed under their jowls, so as to keep their heads clear when crossing deep streams’
Every eventuality was catered for using the latest inventions. One ‘hospital camel’ was fitted with an enclosed stretcher which would ‘afford capital accommodation for invalids should sickness unfortunately visit the party’. ******
And as you know I tend to get sidetracked – so after reading all that I was really interested in what happened to them in the end (the camels that is) 👇
One that started with a trip to deliver the finally finished sampler to the new home owners along with a lot of unused household paraphernalia being given a new lease of life in a new household with much younger owners who will use it.
There was much more than these few items, I went through many cupboards/drawers thinking “do I need several xxxx , do I need three sets of xxxx, is there a need for all those sets of glasses – all those xxxxx,…..you get the idea. Then photos flew across…wherever they fly….and it was ‘Yes please’ or ‘No thank you’ time So big smiles from me seeing empty spaces and big smiles from them receiving gifts of things with lots of life left in them
Spring seems to have finally got the message so having some bright sunny (not too cool) mornings early last week meant I could breakfast outside (a very simple one this particular day). A quiet time that sets me up for the day- no tv or radio – just me, myself and I plus a book or maybe some birdsong if I’m lucky…..one that definitely brings a smile to my face.
********
Now you’re probably wondering why I’m smiling over a spindly looking Australian native red bottle brush (Callistemon) – something which seemingly is ‘ long lived, requires minimal maintenance and almost impossible to kill’ source
A few years ago the council planted several around the car park of the ‘local’ shops. This is the only one to survive. They didn’t die from ‘natural causes’ ….no some young hooligans vandals horrible little so and sos thought it funny one night to try and destroy them. Pulling them up or breaking the stems on the ones they couldn’t get out. As I said this is the only one to survive – and doesn’t it look grand with those crimson coloured ‘bottlebrush’ shaped flowers.
*****
Another trip (half hour from home) out into the Valley on a cloudy day, noticing the amount of growth the vines are putting out, seeing the area waking up and coming alive again, had us smiling at the thought of happy winegrowers rubbing their hands in glee. St Hubert’s ( or Hubert’s Estate as they like to be called now) are looking for hospitality staff, there’s a confident feeling about a good season ahead.
But……there’s also a few months between now and the middle of February when picking starts and you never know what the ‘weather gods’ have in store for anyone farming there….so…you just never know how things will pan out. There could or there could not be big smiles at the end of it.
*******
You know, even though they are put there to ‘advertise’ how to get help in a ‘sad situation’ – the sight of another Australian native, this time a marsupial, a wombat, often seems to always bring a smile to people’s faces.
Sadly they are often involved in the ‘sad situations’….being nocturnal, slow moving with dark fur they often end up injured or even as road kill. Seemingly a group of them is called a wisdom – you often wonder why they don’t use some of it and stay off the road
Most of my time and smiles this week have been directed towards ‘our big girl’ who flew in from the west for a few days. She enjoyed time with family and old friends as well as reacquainting herself with local suburbs – it’s quite flat (easy walking terrain) where she lives on the coast north of Perth so she was full of smiles at having the chance of a daily walk in a different environment…… round our tree lined undulating ‘hilly’ streets……until her leg muscles reminded her they’d been working in a different manner.
She’s away back home now and I really must get back to visiting blogs and commenting again. I’ve been very lax and it hasn’t been high on my list of things to do recently……(bad blogger) …..that’s about to change
And how about your week……have things gone the way you wanted……. have you had much to smile about
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All the talk recently has been about Grandmas, so here’s a little joke called Grandma’s Revenge. All us Grannies will understand Those that don’t will find out why when they get to the end 😊
Grandma’s Revenge
It was Timmy’s 5th birthday and he had great fun opening all the presents he received.
He was saving the biggest parcels for last so it was quite a while before he opened Grandma’s present.
“Wow” Timmy shouted in delight when he saw the drum set his Grandmother had got for him.
“Thanks Grandma this is just what I wanted.”
After Timmy went to bed that night Timmy’s mother approached her mother.
“Ma, I’m surprised at you….. Don’t you remember how it used to drive you crazy when we used to play the drums in the house growing up?”
Grandma smiled and then said “I remember, of course I remember.”
Now none of us would do that to our children would we!
There’s been lots of head scratching and thinking as to what I can make (not buy) as a welcome gift……which would usually be a knitted newborn ‘matinee’ set ‘cept this will be a ‘summer babe’ with both parents over 6’ tall who were big (9lb+) babies. The needles will be better used making winter woolies – size and sex will be known by then (parents are still adamant about not knowing the gender until baby is born.
’Our little girl’ suggested – “what about those hanging things” Hanging things? – “The ones you made for Miss S”
Oh yes, I vaguely remembered x stitching some little wall hangings for the first baby – yes, the very same one above…..
Both need a wash and brush up – and a crease removed!
Anyway I’ve made a start on one but by golly to get to this point has definitely been a lesson in patience.
Remember my recent admission of hanging onto stuff …..well that came in handy because I remembered I’d very carefully stored those charts away. But where…. Teddy chart found, a little worse for wear so The Golfer scanned and printed a couple for me….. Bother bother bother – nothing is ever straightforward….
……there were no thread numbers on the key.
So out came the ‘supplies’…… OK, I’ll admit to having an awful lot of threads/floss/silks to choose from😉
As you can see the bears are going to be darker than the original…..the instruments will be different as well. It wasn’t supposed to be that way, I found similar colours but decided otherwise in the end.
Corny as it sounds I’m definitely enjoying this refound feeling of contentment that hand stitching gives. Knitting is great but it’s constant movement whereas this is quieter, more precise. You’re attached to what you’re working on…..more involved. I like it!
Just one drawback…..even on cool days …….I have to work outside the eyes – the light And not being a fan of audiobooks, I can’t read🙁
*******. Oh, and what has become of Miss S….my first little one…..well…… I can assure you……‘she ain’t little anymore’
*******
It’s Wednesday so I’m linking to Wednesday Words & Whimsy….. click HERE to find out who dropped by
I’ll also be linking this to Kat’s featured post – Unraveled Wednesday……where the talk is all about craft, books and life in general. You can find out what others are up to HERE.
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Carrying on with my nearly finished A-Z challenge of finding work by unread authors, I’ve come up with some very short, some very old – as well as some very different ones A mixture from the library as well as online sources..
A child haunted by the past . . . A village troubled by secrets ….. …..unsuccessful investigation into the murder of little Jimmy Rudyard in the village of Mabley Ridge. Now a woman has been murdered there and another child is missing, the sole witness being a traumatised boy who lives in a cemetery lodge. Albert’s first investigation was a failure but this time he is determined to find the truth . . . and the missing child.
A very readable story – a 2 day page turner with lots of twists and turns that have you wondering ‘who dun it and why’. The boy in the title lives next to the cemetery, sees things from his window but isn’t believed. #2 in a series about Inspector Albert Lincoln- I was attracted by the title but definitely try to read more of them. *****
* Don Birnam is a sensitive, charming and well-read man. Yet when left alone for a few days by his brother, he struggles with his overwhelming desire for alcohol, succumbs to it and, in the resulting prolonged agony, goes over much of his life up to and including the lost weekend..
The Goodreads blurb above says it all. An interesting but confronting read
Also if you have an interest in ‘old movies’ a free(full length) film version (Ray Milland/Jane Wyman) directed by Billy Wilder has recently been added to this site :- https://archive.org/details/the-lost-weekend-1945. *****
The Rector – Mrs (Margaret) Oliphant 1861. Chronicles of Carlingford #1. Downloaded from Project Gutenberg HERE. The Rector opens as Carlingford awaits the arrival of their new rector. Will he be high church or low? And – for there are numerous unmarried ladies in Carlingford – will he be a bachelor? .
A very short story written (in the language of the day that some may not enjoy) by Mrs (Margaret) Oliphant- who I had heard about but never come across- dealing with Mr Proctor the new vicar. Never actually having had a parish of his own before he finds it difficult to communicate with the villagers: especially the females. Made even worse by the fact that his mother, whom he has relocated to the village, continually suggests he needs to be married…..plus he has reservations about whether he has ‘done the right thing’ by moving from his academic post in Oxford. An interesting little read that has you thinking about what you really want in life *****
My Dog Daisy- Jean Ure 2015. A little chapter book for readers maybe aged about 9, old enough to read by themselves and understand a story plus the ‘hidden emotions’. Picked for the letter U but turned out to be quite an interesting read…….Lily wants a dog….not feasible in a flat with no garden. She meets Charlotte and Fred (the dog) and a different sort of friendship begins.
This small book (67pgs largish print) covers a lot – teenage anger and moods, friends plus family relationships, ‘boys’ , confronting aging then euthanasia in animals, grief, compromise then finding happiness again.
*****. I will confess I was hoping to have Simon Van Boy’s Sipsworth as my V author but with just 2 library copies and readers hanging on to their’s for what seems like the allocated lending time my name hasn’t come up (in fact I’m still 3rd on the list!) so when I saw this the other day it came home with me
The Polar Express – Chris Van Allsburg 1985 A story of how a young boy takes a ride to the North Pole on a steam train where he meets Santa Claus and the Elves. A story about believing..
Each of the pages comprises of an almost two page spread picture with words running down one side…..the story itself seemed imaginable and I’m sure children would be able to relate to it but looking at the pictures through adult eyes, apart from a couple, I found them rather dark and overwhelming with a very European look and feel about them. But then again, I’m not familiar with the author and any of his other works.
When he gets on the train this is what he finds…..
The train was filled with other children all in their pyjamas and nightgowns. We sang Christmas carols and ate candies with nougat centres as white as snow. We drank hot cocoa as thick and rich as melted chocolate bars. ******
Sky Burial – Xinran 2004 nf . …( Xue) Xinran, a journalist….received a telephone call asking her…. to meet an oddly dressed woman who had just crossed the border from Tibet into China. Xinran….met the woman, called Shu Wen, who recounted the story of her thirty-year odyssey in the vast landscape of Tibet.
And that’s just what this short (as in 156pgs)book is all about. The retelling of Shu Wen’s search for her missing husband , for all to read. A simple (true) tale (interestingly eye opening at times) too detailed and involved for me to describe- the reviews on GR (link above) do it far better than I could. Thoroughly enjoyed it – one I would never have come across except for this challenge – try to find it if you can ******
Looking for a Z author wasn’t easy – I didn’t fancy any of the library books/authors (shouldn’t be picky I know- a challenge is a challenge) then saw the name Zagat on a list – ooh, sci fi, that’s different.
“At noon the newspapers came out with scare headlines. Every bridge out of the city is closed off by the veil of—what can I call it?. A cover has shut down over us as if Manhattan were a platter on which a planked steak was being brought from the kitchen of the Ritz-Plaza. ”. Excerpt from The Lanson Screen Arthur Leo Zagat
About 10yrs ago there was a tv series called Under the Dome…..which told the story of the residents of the fictional small town…..,and how a massive, transparent and indestructible dome suddenly cuts them off from the rest of the world.
Sounds familiar – I didn’t watch the tv series (based on a Stephen King novel) but did read this short story by Arthur Zagat. ******
And there you have it…… Similar to the ‘alphabet soup’ challenges linking letters to book titles here’s my attempt at A-Z of previously unread authors (plus some extras)
The opening ‘remarks’ of a phone call from someone I haven’t seen for a while. “You remember xxxxx (a mutual friend now a family counselor)…well she has a little problem”
The result of the conversation is me, after meeting xxxx and hearing it from herself, has agreed to make up (from the knitted parts I was given) a couple of little cardigans for a client who lives out in the bush. The gist of it is…….XXXX has a contact who knits for her but has injured her hand so everything is on hold, this particular client has a wee baby, the weather is still cold, yes they are odd colours but suitable for this client…..and could I do them as soon as I can please?
Which is why I’m sitting here outside on a cool wet Monday (because the light’s better) wondering how to resurrect someone else’s work
Enjoying the last Camelia and the first Rose of the season
Mind you, before I begin I’m going to enjoy my coffee and ‘half covered’ biscuits as well as try to sneak in some more pages of this month’s book club book. The Dig Tree – Sarah Murgatroyd 2002
The harrowing true story of the Burke and Willis expedition team who took on the Australian wilds 150 years ago–and lost.
***** This week Ginny (small things) entertained us with her thoughts on life, a little bit of craft – and books
Pip’s post (meet me at mikes) was also about life and craft – and books with a few other bits thrown in as well
I’ll be sharing this post on Kat’s Wednesday feature – Unraveled Wednesday……where the talk is all about craft, books and life in general. You can find out what others are up to HERE.
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I’ll admit to not knowing that Maggie Smith had a ‘voice’ and in her younger days ‘used it’. There are lots of clips online of her and Carol Burnett (because comedy was her thing as well) – these two are favourites
Do you ever wonder what age you are at to be considered – Old
I’m a little confused…..because in the quote below I’d be classed as Very Old……..Middle-Old……and…….Old
…..some gerontologists have recognized the diversity of old age by defining sub-groups. . One study distinguishes the young-old (60 to 69), the middle-old (70 to 79), and the very old (80+).[16] . Another study’s sub-grouping is young-old (65 to 74), middle-old (75 to 84), and oldest-old (85+).[17]. A third sub-grouping is young-old (65 to 74), old (74 to 84), and old-old (85+) source
Or should I consider myself Old because like in this second quote – I can’t do things as easily as I used to.
As people get older in years they don’t tend to think of themselves as old until they can’t do something they really want to that they used to be able to do,” says Professor Ibrahim.source
****
I’ve been very contemplative since we returned home…..lots of thinking and wondering going on in my head. Wondering if I really am old, thinking about another birthday coming up. How on earth did I get to be 82?
Another week to go and I’ll be there – my birth certificate says that’s true but my mind says otherwise.
October 1960, just turned 18 , madly in love with The Golfer and wondering what lies ahead
******
September 2024 still wondering what lies ahead – and wishing I’d used the tweezers on my chin the day before
(and yes, the little photo-top right hand corner-was taken a while ago🙂)
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Well, the week got off to a good start with another of our children becoming eligible for a seniors card…..yes ‘our little girl’ turned 60. That would make me……old enough to be her mother😊. Although I do wonder where all those years went from the time she was just a little one in Singapore.
A little gathering that evening gave me a chance to chat with the new ‘householder’ – ‘oh it’s terraced I said… (party walls – very close neighbours)……. “no grandma it’s an ‘open plan townhouse’ and out the back, at the end of our ‘little enclosed garden’ we have a 2car garage “ (very important for 2 car families, means no street parking – and all the associated problems)
“it might be small grandma but it’s all ours. We could have gone for a larger ‘fixer upper’ but we don’t have the time so this’ll do us for a while”
So we’re off to visit her some time soon – about 40 mins away – and unload……pass on – several sets of wine glasses, a set of kitchen scales as well as various other items that haven’t been used by us for quite a while. Much better than the op shop!. She does know and has approved ‘the donation’
Out to the warm water pool very early on a very cool Tuesday morning. Bliss!. Same others there as before walking to and fro. Natter, natter, natter This week’s cryptic overhead comment – “she’ll be sorry she ever met him”. .
Had a few chats with residents on Wednesday because due to a ‘mix up’ …their’s not mine….the scheduled ‘new’ activity didn’t take place. Learnt of several losses as well as several new arrivals, so I’ve some ‘getting to know you’ chats coming up. I did have a little smile when someone mentioned that XXX was now ‘safe in the arms of Jesus’…..it was an expression my granny (Dad’s mum) in Belfast used, was placed in death notices and inscribed at the bottom of the headstone.
Old online photo – more recent ones (after cleanup) have family in them
Then on Thursday we were off out for a quick drive up the road to Healesville. Seeing people’s dams so full was a sign of the wet Winter (and continuing Spring) weather in these parts, here’s hoping they won’t dry up too quickly once Summer’s heat arrives
And seeing the vineyard gangs out at work was a reminder that farming in whatever form is an all year round all weather occupation. They look to be working on a block of fairly new plantings (still have protective covers/sleeves on so maybe put in last Autumn) you can just make out the new growth on the older vines in the background and on the hillside if the photo’s enlarged.
Even though it was a chilly wet day we wanted to continue our ‘occasional lunch dates’ so it was lunch at the RSL…..definitely not as large abranch as elsewhere but has reasonably cheap cheerful and not too bad lunch deals……after seeing someone else’s (yes, I’m that person who looks at the plates going past my table) I had a chicken snitzel. Good choice, proper chicken – not those pressed forms some places serve plus cooked just right. Why do some places think it’s ok to serve very crispy, very dark brown, almost burnt offerings – because the fat was much too hot?!
Lunch was followed by coffee at you know who’s club a short drive away…….sorry no palm trees. Just miles and miles of National Park….that’s …a very shaky looking range of hills with Mount Riddell further to the ‘right’ ….through a dirty windscreen. (Someone went over the speed hump just as I tapped the phone 🙁)
***** To round the week off Friday afternoon was Book Club #2. The one where we all read the same book (chosen by the library). These ladies are all so very different to my ‘other group’ – far more serious- sometimes I wonder if it’s my thing but then they do help me understand that what one reader may take from a book is not always the same as another. And the ‘new leader’ puts on such a fabulous afternoon tea I’d miss going just for that😊. ****.
With just two events on the calendar for this week coming I’m hoping it doesn’t change and turn out to be as busy as the one just gone We need time for sitting and pondering and I didn’t get to do much of that so wish me luck!.
How was your week…..busier than you liked…..or slower than you enjoy
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Linking with Min’s weekly feature – Wednesday Words and Whimsy – you’ll find the link HERE at the end of Min’s posts
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I’m not sure what makes me smile more……
Coming across fields of cane stretching along the road at Proserpine and knowing there’s less than an hour to go….
June 2024
Or catching our first glimpse of The Dandenongs in the valley at Yarra Glen and knowing we’ll be home in much less than an hour…..
September 2024
Yes, we’re home, home to changes….and being grown up enough having to accept them. Wishing it was the end of a journey and I could smile about it.
Another CT scan after getting home (thank you sympathetic GP ….and Medicare) showed all my aches and pains in Bowen weren’t totally due to ‘the bed’. This report noted far more changes than the most recent one – moving to severe in more levels than before plus pinched nerves (remember the numb foot). Spinal Stenosis is a pain….. one I certainly didn’t sign up for – diagnosed well over 10yrs ago so you’d think I’d have accepted it by now!
I’ve become increasingly unsteady on my feet lately which had me thinking about my responsibility to those I volunteer for. Assisting them to and from the hair salon plus on and off the mini bus as well as out and about on outings days, making sure they don’t come into harms way so (sadly) I decided to discuss other less active roles I could take on. Wednesday sees the start of a new one ….overseeing a quiz activity……possibly including a stylised form of Bingo……..there are some very knowledgeable residents in this particular ‘household’ (same concept but with a different organisation) so I’m hoping they all know the answers 😊. *******
And on to something else. . . . .well a couple of things…… things that definitely haven’t finished their journey
At last, the Guernsey has a finished front, back & two sleeves – now to rustle up the energy to pick up the neck stitches and work those rows…..remembering I used 2×2 not single rib for the waist and sleeve bands – a mistake made on a previous knit🙁. Nothing worse than seeing that after everything’s been made up – there’d definitely be no smile then
As for the book I’m trying to finish – even the author said it wasn’t her best work. …….in her online diary, she told her younger self “Focus on what you’re good at. A BIRD IN THE HAND is a flawed first novel, ….source. the problem (for me) is the amount of words she uses plus the amount of characters that keep on appearing so I’m thinking of flicking through from p1 and noting names and relationships as a reminder of who’s who – case of the ol’ grey cells are slowing down in many ways.
*****. The weather has been decidedly Melbourne since we got home – not sure where Spring has got to – we’re past the equinox now (temps and daylight will be going up🙂) and even though spring flowers have appeared Winter is still hanging around… much rain, many cool days and cold nights with the odd sunny day here and there
Definitely C&A time still! …….My mothers play on ‘coats and ‘ats’ – (C&A were a High Street clothing chain back in the day)
However there were many smiles when I saw that once again my two little clumps of Bluebells had made it to the end of their yearly journey 😊
Past their best but pleased I got to see them. Sept. 2024
Hows your life been recently- would you like to share some of your smiles?
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I’ll be sharing this post on Kat’s Wednesday feature – Unraveled Wednesday……where the talk is all about craft, books and life in general. There might be more ‘life in general’ than books and craft in this post but you can find out what others are up to HERE
Linking also to Min’s weekly feature – Wednesday Words and Whimsy – there’s an interesting world of wonder and joy out there, you’ll find the link HERE at the end of all Min’s posts
At the end of last month’s post I left you enjoying the sights and sounds of the Wild West,….I then moved across the country a bit to try and discover ‘lost treasure’ before crossing the Atlantic to visit three very different places ……..after which I felt it was time to go home to Australia 🇦🇺
If you ever want to know where there might be a hoard of buried treasure in the state of Oklahoma then this is the book for you! One to dip in and out of and maybe generate interest in that ‘treasure hunt’ you had in mind Full of snippets of information/legends/tall tales about gold/cash/jewellery that for one reason or another was hidden in various ‘counties’ and mostly never recovered. One section on social history of the state was interesting reading but lost on me with no prior knowledge of all the ‘international owners’ of the land (Native Indians – French – Spanish). Chapters on Shipwrecks, Outlaws and their Loot as well as The Indian Nations made good reading. If you like following along with a map this might be of interest to you – I found it on Hoopla ******
The Galway Girls – Susan Colleen Browne 2018 Two best friends search for their heart’s desire in this small-town romantic story set in Ireland……The Galway Girls is a warmhearted tale of women’s friendship and of love lost and love found among the misty green Irish countryside!
A soft easy to read novel about two ‘young neighbours’ in a small village who share their feelings about the happenings in their lives as well as those of their families. Full of family relationships, farming on a small scale, fun goings on, old love – new love, hopes, expectations, disappointments #4 in a series (Village of Ballydara) so there were a few references to things that happened in earlier books that made me think it might have been better to have read them in order but I was after a G book and this fitted the bill. Anyway they’re all there on Hoopla so they might be just right for summer reading!
Tangier in the Rain – Fabien Grolleau 2022. In 1912, Matisse is feeling a little fed up. In Paris, Picasso is hogging the limelight, so Matisse decides it’s time for some fresh air, a little space, and a different kind of light. That’s it, he’ll cross the Mediterranean and start painting a new kind of nature. He’s going to Tangier. Problem is, when he finally gets there, it starts raining
Another new way of reading for me – a graphic novel. Seemingly there are readers who only read this style – let’s just say it served it’s purpose in providing me with a book that covered the letter T. A simple story with illustrations (more refined than a comic book) seemingly about the time Matisse visited Morocco and it rained!
You might like to read this article about that visit and how it influenced his style of painting at the time 👇
Fitted the letter K but oh dear what a slog. The second of (now) three books centring around the infamous coffee shop but unfortunately (for me) It didn’t seem to have the freshness the first book had – the whole storyline was so drawn out plus interest in the different lives of all the characters certainly wasn’t there the way it was with the first book. ******
The Eden referred to in the title is a small town on the coast of New South Wales – Lillian and her family move there to ‘look after’ Aunt Maggie. Aunt Maggie is on her husband’s side of the family…a rather dysfunctional family.
Aunt Maggie is Eric’s mothers sister, she is unconventional, the ‘odd one’ – as well as knowing all the family secrets she also has all the family money The story begins with a family visit to Aunt Maggie hoping for a loan but instead they get offered the house next door (owned by AM) on the proviso Lilian cleans, cooks and generally looks after her AM. “Butter her up and she’ll leave it all to us” is Eric’s way of thinking Lillian does that under suffrage because Aunt Maggie can be a bit of a tyrant but as the months go by she and Maggie become friends – each needing the other – almost dependent on each other. A ‘humorous’ at times yet reflective read about life within a 1950s family in rural Australia.
A is for Alice, my mother (and gt grandmother’s) given name as well as part of the title of one those novels that passed me by in my younger days. Alice Springs in the Northern Territory was a bit rough and ready when we visited in the early 1990s so goodness knows what it really was like at the time it became part of the focus of the novel
A town like Alice – Nevil Shute 1950. Jean Paget, a young Englishwoman living in Malaya, is captured by the invading Japanese and forced on a brutal seven-month death march with dozens of other women and children. A few years after the war, Jean is back in England, the nightmare behind her. However, an unexpected inheritance inspires her to return to Malaya to give something back to the villagers who saved her life.
We’re back home now (after ‘wintering’ in FNQ) but as things haven’t gone the way I hoped recently I’ve only just begun to read this book…..however I’m really enjoying the style of writing with the solicitor Noel Strachan narrating his efforts to find his client’s heir (Jean Paget) and guiding her through the process of realising her inheritance. I’m sure I’ll enjoy the rest of it……
And there you have it….. My attempt at matching letters of the alphabet to place names/countries Of the 26 choices I made, just 4 were a disappointment
For some reason I’ve been tired, weary and rather flat recently….
A bit like this year’s ‘winter shoes’ that have seen better days and will be retired when we return to Victoria in a short while….
I’m just biding my time here now really hoping ‘new shoes’ in the form of returning home and viewing it with fresh eyes will put a spring back in my step….
Kilsyth – A different environment altogether End of my street looking towards Montrose and The Dandenongs 2km/1.25mi away A sea of trees – not a wave of water in sight
It’s been such a strange winter up here – earlier on it was much colder than usual and now it’s become exceptionally warm – far too early in the season for day after day of very high 20s/80s. Unlike at home where we’re renowned for the ability to have 4 seasons in one day, here there are only 2….. this link describes it as wet/dry – hot/cool also windy all year round😊
But I really shouldn’t complain – because after my last feeling sorry for myself whingefest a certain someone aka The Golfer said “come on, we’ll go and have coffee at ‘the club’ ….it was so relaxing sitting on the high outside deck enjoying the view along with the cooling sea breeze (such a pleasure to be there) I forgot my aches and pains…..and also to record my delicious coffee and cake🙁
For various reasons we’ll both miss this town – it’s one place I enjoy returning to. A ‘working town’ that carries on living its own life after the seasonal visitors have all left but never complains while they’re here
So what’s the different bit all about??. Well since unraveling and righting the guernsey ready to finish the front I haven’t touched it again. Enthusiasm left the building right there and then….but I am about to use my fingers in a different way.
Many years ago xx cross stitch xx was my craft of choice – then the eyes started to (we all know about the ageing of eyes don’t we😊) so as yarn is easier to see than embroidery floss it was back to knitting. Because I’m hoarder person who is loathe to throw/give anything away……I paid good money for that…I might use it again – there are still pattern/design books, silks/threads, tools etc etc sitting in a cupboard just waiting for that to happen- well you never know, it might…..
Before we came away I had a little rummage – had reason to look for something and tucked away in this publication I found a nearly finished slightly adapted ‘new house’ sampler.
Who I had it in mind for and the reason it’s unfinished is long forgotten – after adding a little saying under the houses…..‘Happiness is homemade’ – corny but cute….I’m hoping I can revive it.
I read an article once about creases in Aida cloth. (I know, it should have been rolled or stored flat) which involved the freezer and ironing ‘frozen’ or microwave. Must see if I can find it.
A granddaughter has just bought her first house, and unlike some of her cousins (everything must be brand new or definitely unused) she’s been gathering new or nearly new bits and pieces from friends and other family.
“I want a home grandma, not a showroom” which I’m hoping means my ‘new with maybe a little lived in look to it’ sampler will be well received. *****
And here’s my breakfast table early this morning (Tuesday)…..before it became a fraction on the warm side Cereal with dried fruit, fresh fruit, cuppa tea…..plus embroidery paraphernalia to sort, a handheld fan and a book. What else do I need to begin the day?
* * * Ann Cleeves first published novel A Bird in the Hand….a laundry room find……is a bit of a slow starter. Three chapters in I know a local ‘birdwatcher – twitcher’ has been murdered and retired civil servant George Palmer-Jones (who shares the same hobby) has agreed to ‘find the murderer’. Apart from that I have no idea where it’s going but am enjoying how new characters and little bits of the story line are being introduced as though they’ve been in full view all the time.
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I’ll be sharing this post with :- Wednesday Words and Whimsy hosted by Min and found HERE. Also Unraveled Wednesday hosted by Kat and found HERE
Well what I actually mean is – I’m not longing to go home. (It’s warm and sunny up here – cold wet and blowing a gale down south) Just longing for home so I can sleep in my own bed…..which is at home.
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Life in our little home from home cabin is trundling along nicely as it usually is at this stage of our stay. I don’t mention it but I still have reservations before we arrive about how I’ll cope in the small space ….same as when I wrote this post several years ago 👉- Just for a few weeks – 👈 It’s just that this year because of the ongoing ‘back issue’ the bed is bothering me. I know the mattresses were replaced not long ago and even though commercial standard they are only ‘medium firm’, unfortunately this year the mattress topper I bring from home each visit isn’t making a difference. So I’ve gone to the extreme of placing spare blankets underneath as well in the hope of making it firmer…..which isn’t giving me quite the support I hoped it would. Result……ouchy stiff back and legs plus cranky Catherine!
2024
And then there’s the blinds…..
2016
When we first started coming up (2008) the cabins were only a few years old – 4* luxury compared to others on the road – well maintained but starting to look a little tired the new owners (4 yrs now) had them ‘renovated’ over the past low season – not redesigned… brand new fixtures and fittings in the same layout as before….with just one difference- the window curtains were replaced with Holland/Roller blinds. Two sorts – one privacy (see out not in….unless the lights on) the other a heavier blackout one. Nice clean lines, just not my favourite window covering…..I find them a PITA nuisance Get a breeze and it’s clatter bang against the window frame…..try sleeping with that going on….nah not possible. Try lifting them up or getting your hand round the side in the middle of the night to close windows……bl*** awkward in the dark. Result…..some mornings (because there’s never a time in Bowen when there is no breeze) a tired annoyed cranky Catherine!
2016
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2024
Thankfully the door still has curtains so it’s left open at night (screen closed)
You know what’s evident in these photos……I’m able to survive with a lot less clothing than at home PLUS I pack my craft supplies in the same ‘bags’ which are left at the bottom of the bed each time ****
It’s been one of those weeks when things haven’t gone the way I wanted them to – I should back on Monday, hopefully not in such a Moaning Minnie mood
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Still Waters 
