Flowers For Mum, just because…..she said
It’s difficult for cut flowers to cope indoors during the winter. Heating certainly takes it out of them. After arriving quietly on the doorstep these settled in quite nicely – opening quickly, swaying and drooping (as tulips do) yet brightening up the room for a week or more.
A loving touch during those stressful days
More and more restrictions are in the process of being eased so over the next month or two we are going to be able to go wherever we want (within reason)………but it was a different story last week.
Once we knew things had loosened up a ‘little’ bit and we weren’t going to be accosted and bombarded with questions by ‘friendly constables’ in fast cars about where were we going and was it an essential journey we took a little drive to Coldstream. Just 20 minutes up the road into the Valley to pick up some sprouts and other veg from Adams Farms .
Apart from going to the supermarket 5 minutes away I hadn’t been away from home for over nine weeks and was looking forward to being out on the open road – watching the land pass by – seeing other traffic (there’s a first!) seeing cattle and maybe some sheep – seeing other people – I was quite excited about it all. So what if it was raining…..so what if the farm yard would be muddy…..so what if only one of us could go into the little part of the packing shed where the ‘farm shop’ was. It was almost (well never having experienced it I assume it was) almost (in a very minor way) like being released from prison. Exhilarating yet a bit frightening.
Is there anything better (unless you’re growing your own) than vegetables straight out of the paddock. I grinned at the prices…..half those I’d noticed in the supermarket. Too bad I forgot my phone, was going to take some photos; and a bag to decant the sprouts from the plastic bags they pack them in. It was a straight there and back journey that had the feel of a day trip. Big smiles all round. The Golfer passes the farm on his way to the club and now he’s allowed to play, normal service will be resumed with him picking up from the farm shop just like before…..
For weeks on end I would walk to the end of the street and see this.
A main road lined with old trees making its way up to Montrose and then on up those hills (aka The Dandenongs) in the near distance. 
Looking the other way the main road makes it way to Croydon- a nearby suburb where you can pick up the train to the city (aka Melbourne)
What’s strange about these photos is the lack of traffic.
There is a distinct change happening tho’ – the traffic is returning. I can hear the noise first thing in the morning and then late afternoon. People are on the move again and I’m feeling quite ‘sad’ about that. Yes life must go on, we have to ‘open up’ but……….
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Wordless Wednesday occurs all over the internet each Wednesday, when bloggers let photos speak for themselves.
See what others have to say ‘Wordlessly’ (or almost) Wednesday the day
And it certainly wasn’t me 😊
Tuesday – always a non day, the busyness of Monday has gone and the quietness of Wednesday has yet to come.
So what did I do yesterday – Tuesday our time. Well not a lot actually. A restless night with broken sleep didn’t help. It was cold overnight yet beautifully sunny first thing, not tempting enough to go outside that early though, not until I’d had half an hour in a nice warm bath with Echoes, an old 1997 Maeve Binchy
A quick wander down the bottom of the garden midmorning showed that some things are stirring…..we might want the world to stand still so we can get off this awful merry go round we’re on at the moment…..the one called living with a pandemic……but nature has other ideas. Life doesn’t stand still for her.
The small snippets of information gleaned from the Premier’s easing of restrictions bulletin had me wondering if my charity would be reopening it’s doors soon so early afternoon I made a slow start on packing all the hand knits ready to drop the box off at the local pick up point. ‘Not yet’ was the word from them later, it’ll be ready to go when they are.
Do you like the latest finish?
Facts and figure fascinate me. With all the daily briefings we’ve had recently there’s been oodles of them floating around . On another level Here’s a website I found a couple of weeks ago when I was trying to find worldwide information on the current crisis. Wait for it to load then scroll down to see the (quite daunting) individual country totals…..there are other tabs at the top worth looking at.
When I turned the heating off and went to bed last night the world totals were 4,256,539 cases – 287,353 deaths.
I wonder what it is now?
Yesterday was Mother’s Day here in Australia – all the talk is about how it was a different occasion for mothers in different states. Some states are relaxing restrictions and allowing gatherings of various sizes. The ‘state of emergency’ here in Victoria ends today which is when all these rules and regs. will be reassessed and we’ll learn what we can and can’t do as we slowly bring our lives back to normal…..whatever that will be.
Last week there was much talk and news reporting about VE Day – lots of archival sentimental singing and British street parties as well as those taking place there and then in real time. The celebration was for the ending of a war in Europe – of course we know it certainly wasn’t ‘all over’……it was business as usual in other parts of the world. My mum, her extended family and me as a 2 yr old were in Portsmouth……my dad was way way away with an RAF runway construction unit in Burma, then later in Hong Kong so for him VJ Day (Victory in Japan) later to be known so VP Day (Victory in the Pacific) was more relevant.
We’d all seen the infamous photo taken of dad in khaki along with the ‘bar room hostess’ – I’m sure he was stressed by what was happening and this was a way to let off steam. Those times had a deeper effect on mum, courtesy of bombing raids thunderstorms would see her in the cupboard under the stairs, there’s no way she would have climbed up onto a gun for a photo shoot with her daughters.
Somehow/Somewhere my brother found an old photo of Dad to put on a VE Day post on Facebook – one I’d never seen before. Taken during those war years in the Far East – I see a man I never knew, a young Irishman aged 25. He looks fun, an attribute he never lost, gosh I wish I’d known him then, before he became ‘just our dad!’
It’s not very often I wish I hadn’t ‘donated’ something to the op shop. Once I’ve given it away in the hope someone else can use it that’s it. Early on in this ‘horrible season’ one of my daughters asked about the big pile of jigsaw puzzles we have had in the cupboard for more years than I can remember. “Oh sorry, I gave them away a while ago.”
Jigsaws are something we’ve always had – from the big clunky wooden ones the children received on early birthdays through to the biggish 1000 piece ones they were given as adults Good family fun, keeping the eyes and the brains working, with none of the squabbling board games produced……except when one certain young lady got up early to finish a puzzle another child had worked on all the previous day😊
Everyone had left home, The Golfer wasn’t interested and I hadn’t ‘played’ with them for a long time- the cats seemed to think they had the right to sit on them or see how many pieces they could knock onto the floor – so occasionally I’d get some fun doing them online but sort of lost interest after a while…..then In one of my what’s in this cupboard that hasn’t been used for a long time tidying up frenzies gave them to the op shop.
Seeing Kay’s post the other day about Art and the big jigsaw and seeing the fun he wa having had me again wishing I hadn’t given them away. THEN reading the comments I noticed someone mention an online site Jigsaw Explorer https://www.jigsawexplorer.com Oh joy, will you look at that – oodles of them – just ready to be played with – I’ve been ‘at home’ for 8 weeks now and definitely need something new to keep me occupied…….. I think I’ve found it………everything else will be given the heave ho for a while. Forget Solitaire and FreeCell…I’m off to have fun!
Oh and if you’ve ever wondered about creating a jigsaw from your own photos I found this tutorial online – by coincidence using the same site
Fun Friday – the day you forget the worries of the week and have fun
I saw this little ‘poster’ online somewhere and felt it summed up the past few weeks.
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As well as spending a good bit of my time recently with needles in my hand and chasing up long lost ancestors …..I ‘discovered’ another sister of one of my GT Grandmothers…..there has always a book close at hand for quiet moments when I wanted to retreat from all the ongoing madness.
Two that I read were written by new to me authors – well not new in that I had never heard of them – just new in that I’d never read any of their works before. And just by chance both books were the authors’ first novels and also the first in a series.
Jo Nesbø -The Bat
Book Blurb:- Detective Harry Hole Is meant to keep out of trouble. A young Norwegian girl on a gap year in Sydney has been murdered and Harry has been sent to Australia to assist in any way he can…..when the team unearths a string of unsolved murders nothing will stop Harry from finding out the truth.
Such an easy read, Harry Hole sent to observe but becomes involved. It starts slowly but moves along dramatically/ violently/ humourously even at times- twisting and turning to a very surprising end. Introduces the reader to Harry’s past which influences his present. The other characters (the police he is working with) were very Australian, their language full of local expressions, not quite what he was used to and the more he learns about the first death the more he unearths about previous killings giving him reasons to become more involved in finding the killer.
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Michael Robotham – Suspect/The Suspect
Book Blurb:- Joseph O’Loughlin appears to have the perfect life- a beautiful wife, a loving daughter and a successful career as a clinical psychologist. But nothing can be taken for granted. Even the most flawless existence is only a loose thread away from unravelling. All it takes is a murdered girl, a troubled patient and the biggest lie of his life.
If I’d known I’d be reading the same story twice I might have thought twice about actually reading this book. The thing is it was what made the book what it was.
A really good read!
The first chapter certainly draws you in – meeting the main character on a window ledge trying to talk someone out of jumping! Later he becomes involved in what appeares to be the murder of a prostitute but is actually someone he knew a few years previously. Add that to the fact he’s recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and the book is off and running. It follows his daily life seeing patients- one in particular is marked in his mind as the killer but after a conversation with the investigating police officer it’s he who becomes the suspect. Cue part two!
After his arrest the ‘story’ is rewritten – same people places with different dialogue, thoughts, reasoning and explanations. Of course Joe O’Loughlin is innocent, he proves the one he suspected is guilty in a very surprising ending.
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Have any of you read either of these books? I’m hoping the library reopens soon as I’d like to order more of these authors works/series.
Until then I’m plodding through the large pile here at home. Next in line are two from my ‘give the girls a go‘ idea.
The Hunters Wife – Kathleen Scholes
Daughters of Australia – Harmony Verna
It’s a standing joke amongst some of my friends that I’m I known as ‘the little old lady who knits’. It’s something I’ve always done.
Most of you know that what I knit these days goes to a local charity rather than family – and instead of the scarves beanies and gloves that other volunteers make I prefer to give my time to the baby and toddler programme. I bet you’ve all been bored by seen lots of the little cardigans and jumpers I’ve worked on, the reason for me making those sizes is (not because I’m permanently clucky 😊) but because they grow quickly which means they are finished before I get bored with them’ which then means I can get on with something else!
Over the recent ‘stay at home’ weeks the needles have been clicking like crazy – it passed the time in what I’m calling the ‘horror season’ I don’t know about you but a fair bit of news …..national as well as international…….has been watched, each and every bulletin available devoured. Anyway that……like the confirmed cases……has slowed down considerably thank goodness, so now I’m recovering my composure by staying away from ‘news channels’, biding my time gathering all things together and tidying up loose ends. Sewing up and placing buttons so the finished garments are ready to go to their new homes (wherever that might be)
Hot off the needles this week is this little grandad neck shirt
Over the years I’ve knit oodles of them….these below are just a few…….using the stitch count on the pattern to get the sizing but altering colour and design. One feature of the original garment (picture below from pattern) – the collar- has been ‘deleted’……after a couple of times of trying and not being able to get it to sit right I decided a neckband worked better for me.
This time I decided to add the mock cable design from this pattern on the left – one that’s been in my pile for a long long time. 
Thankfully the stitch count worked out right……juggling stitches – adding/subtracting….is par for the course when you adapt patterns….so once I’d set the first four rows it knit up a charm. I think knitting plain stocking stitch on the back and sleeves gave it a more simple boyish look, as well as highlighting the front panel.
Agreed ?
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And here’s a funny story about a little boy whose Mum (she who many years later became the little old lady who knits) put that very same cable pattern on the front of one of his jumpers.
One day long ago in 1969 he went on a drive from Ipswich where he lived to see his Nanna and Grandad in Colchester, which is where they lived. He fell asleep in the car and woke in a very grumpy mood when they arrived. His Nanna asked his Mum and Dad if they would take him and his brothers and sisters to a local park and take some photographs with her old box brownie because she didn’t have any recent ones.
So back into the car they all get which didn’t please him at all. In his temper he took off his shoes and got even more ‘angry’ because his Mum wouldn’t put them back on, instead carrying him to the chosen bench, where he certainly made his feelings known 😊
He was feeling very sorry for himself so his Mum tried to cuddle him while his sister (the one his Mum refers to as ‘our litte girl’) undid the buckles on his very (expensive) nice red shoes.
Lots of cuddles later (with his shoes on) he sat with the others on the bench but no matter how many times his Mum and Dad tried to coax him there was no way he was going to ‘smile’. In fact he was starting to annoy the others with his sulking. His favourite brother kept giving him dirty looks, ‘our big girl’ kept telling him to shush, ‘our little girl’ was thoroughly fed up and his big brother just wanted it over and done with.
Let’s get Daddy (later to be known as The Golfer) to sit with you on his knee – after all it’s his Mummy who wants the photographs. The little boy had calmed down by then …..unfortunately by that time everybody else was more interested in what was going on around them to look at the camera…..so they gave it up as a bad job and went back to Nanna’s house for tea!
It’s strange the *fun* memories that surface when you’re not really looking 😊
Fun Friday – the day you forget the worries of the week.
Or rather on a cold wet and miserable day like yesterday
I definitely wish I was elsewhere – anywhere warm and sunny and dry
Somewhere like my favourite winter hideaway. Rose Bay Bowen Queensland
Same time – same place – most days
What could be better – peace and quiet for early morning sunbathing
Unfortunately I’m going to have to wait until next year
(I should add June July & August are the winter months here in Australia)
April 25 2020 – A very different Anzac Day in Australia.
No parades – no dawn services – no ceremonies – no gathering of ‘mates’
So here is a different way of remembering the young men /women who have served Australia.
A mural commemorating The Cooee March which started in Gilgandra NSW
Photographed Sept 2015
During World War I, a recruitment march to Sydney began in Gilgandra, known as the Coo-ee March. The men who enlisted on the way became known locally as "Coo-ees". The march was given this name because the marchers shouted the old bush call of "cooee" at each town along their journey in order to attract recruits. Twenty-six men left Gilgandra on 10 October 1915. At each town on the route, the marchers were feted and a recruitment meeting was held. By the time they reached Sydney just over one month later on Friday 12 November 1915, the number of recruits had swelled to 263. They were welcomed on arrival in Sydney with huge crowds lining George Street near the Town Hall to welcome them and an official address given to them by the Minister for Works representing the Premier of NSW. Source
Painted Silos in Devenish Victoria depicting army nurses/medics from WW1 and modern times ….as well the men and their horses of the Australian Light Horse
Photographed Nov 2019
The GrainCorp Silos at Devenish in North East Victoria were painted by Melbourne Street Artist Cam Scale and are officially the 19th Silos to be included in the Australian Silo Art Trail. Stage one which comprises of the two tall silos was officially unveiled on Anzac Day in 2018. Marked as a tribute to help celebrate the 100-year centenary of the end of the First World War. The stage one artwork depicts a stunning image of a WW1 nurse and a modern female military medic in the Australian Armed Forces. This mural also depicts the changing role of women in the military and society in general. Stage two on the short silos were officially unveiled one year later on Anzac Day 2019. This mural is a tribute to the Australian Light Horse. The Australian Light Horse were mounted troops with characteristics of both cavalry and mounted infantry, who served in the Second Boer War and WW 1. Source
Every generation of my direct (and extended) family from my 3xGt Grandfather down to a son and a nephew have served (several fell in battle) so it is second nature for me to say
Lest we forget
Please visit Sami at COLOURFUL WORLD to see Monday Murals
It’s probably the uncertainty and ‘what ifs’ of the past few weeks/months (or it could just be age related) that has had me tidying up – going through things – making decisions – wondering why we need it – occasionally wondering do we ‘really’ need it.
Like thinking about this memory of a long ago Mother’s Day from a son now in his 50s with children of his own who are old enough to have children of their own! Something precious I chose to keep because it makes me smile – it’ll be there for him when I’ve gone.
Or a reminder of a past career, working in a structured environment I was comfortable with. A ‘position’ in the company, knowing what I was doing and why it needed to be done. I desperately missed that contact with the public, knowledgeable colleagues plus patients when The Golfer accepted a position interstate and I had to leave. To begin with It was difficult to establish myself in a new city/state so at that time looking at this id tag reminded me I ‘was’ capable, I did know how to do things, even though it was proving difficult for me (at over 50) to reassure employers just that.
Perhaps I should toss it – there’s no need to remind myself of past achievements. I definitely know who I am and where I’ve been!
Then there’s this certificate originally kept to remember that it wasn’t all gloom and doom, that I did have some fun in Adelaide. Looking for something different to amuse myself I discovered Clogging – a mix of tap and line dancing which I was familiar with; also square dancing and Irish step. Such fun! Unfortunately when we returned to Melbourne there were no classes here in the east so it dropped out of my life.
There’s a whole box of these ‘memories’ in the middle bedroom, maybe another afternoon digging deep with a view to relinquishing is in order. Lol that sounds good doesn’t it. Better than going through looking for things to toss!
Whatever – It’ll keep my mind off the danger that lurks beyond the front door 😊
Last week Kay was wondering ‘what day is it‘ – JayCee was asking ‘what shall I do today‘
Linda was talking about ‘Good Orthodox Friday’
While Cat was curious about ‘the annual flu vaccinations’
And here at our house? Well there’s not a lot going on at the moment.
Life is quiet, restrictions will be in place for another month (at least), shopping has been fast and furious…….trolley sprayed and cleaned by a lad at the door, list in hand , up and down the aisles, only shortage last week was soap and cleaning products, oh and powdered milk. Friends have asked why I’ve not gone with home delivery – well I did consider it, our children and some grandchildren offered to do it for us but in the end decided it was easier (and quicker) to do my own.
Every country is different, our case load here in Australia is very low compared to many other countries. (6606 confirmed with ‘just’ 71 deaths nationally on 19th April) I personally do not know anyone with or who has had the virus, we are very aware of what needs to be done, people do not seem to be scared or panicking, we really do (with some exceptions) seem to be doing the right thing.
There haven’t been any recorded cases here in the eastern suburbs, and yes I realise one shouldn’t be complacent, there’s always a first and you never know what’s in the air….or on the shelves….. knowing the layout of the shop helps, meaning I’m not ‘pottering around searching for things’ and I’m of the opinion that getting it picked for home delivery (from there or elsewhere) means one more person (maybe more) handling the goods. Plus if what I want isn’t there I’d rather it was me choosing alternatives for myself – or not
Communication with The Golfer some days is getting to be a bit like that Peter Dehany recording from the early 2000s. Sort of Dunno Nothin.…..very much like talking to a teenager
Where are you going – nowhere
What are you doing – nothing
What would you like for lunch- don’t know
He’s not sulking – apart from being a bit lost and restless and having finished nearly all his books on hand (apart from those on his iPad) he’s just crook that Victoria put a restriction (ban) on golf. All the other states and territories decided there would be no harm playing as long as recommended precautions were taken. What’s the betting he’ll be up there the day after restrictions are lifted 😎
Hope nobody else is having to deal with a moody teenager 😊
Remembering my ‘word of the year’ was give, I willingly said yes when asked to take on another role at the aged care facility where I volunteer. Today is Friday and mid afternoon I’d be making my way down the very nicely decorated corridor pushing the tea trolly complete with china cups and cream cakes to ‘take afternoon tea’ with some of the residents.
Some of them like it in their rooms – big smiles when I knock and ask ‘would you like some tea’, and then tell them ‘cook’s made something special’ and ask if they’d like that as well. One chap has his spot in the separate tv area. ‘Half a cup of black coffee please and a piece of cake’ spoken before I’ve even put the trolley brake on.
But most are in the sitting room. Several ladies and one gentleman all chatting away (hostel environment not nursing home) – then I hear ‘here she comes’ There’s a break in activities for tea so it’s like they are sitting there with their tongues hanging out, dying for a cup of tea! After they’ve all been served I sit down and they fill me in on their week (or past lives at times)
The restrictions on volunteers (and visitors) was made early in March so it’s been 5 weeks since I’ve helped out. I miss it….and wonder how they are all coping. Some volunteer run activities have been cancelled- staff have stepped up to run others but it’s nothing like it was previously.
Somehow….. even though a couple of the ‘cheeky ladies’ who have ‘butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths ‘ looks about them – but have ‘been there done that’ tales to tell…..would be in on the ‘fun’- I don’t think management would approve of this as a fill in activity 😊
Fun Friday – the day you forget the worries of the week.
Will be back on Monday – see you then!
Social Distancing in the Park!
The two-person gathering rules also apply inside and outside the home. This rule exempts people who live in the same household, whether this be a family unit or roommates. Source
These two Magpies were having a lovely natter as they made their way down the pathway. Mr Magpie (with the white back) was keeping his eye on one of his girls.
Then there were three!
All allowable in the new rules and regulations because the third was another grey backed female – part of Mr Magpies harem 😊
And here’s where those dropped leaves were coming from
Looks like the seasons have definitely changed!
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A fun Wordless Wednesday post – with lots of words
See more at the Wordless Wednesday hub
As well as being a serious reflective time it’s also a time that I associate with new clothes and laughter.
As children we always got some sort of new clothing for Easter, dyed chook eggs (no chocolate ones for us) and a day out somewhere.
When I think back to when our children were young it must have seemed like I was a terrible mother because it was one chocolate egg per person not the bucket loads today’s little ones get – and that wasn’t until the thrill of hand dying the chook eggs had worn off and they noticed what was on sale in the shops. They would drop hints about ‘eggs with smarties’ inside – that way they’d get more than just a hollow egg. And to be fair I did surprise them some years with a bag of those little tiny eggs or a dozen small eggs in a carton to share amongst each other.
It’s been a different Easter for all of us this year. No church services or rather no public gathering together services just those streaming. No trips to the beach, no camping in the national parks, no BBQs with the extended family. The traditional Easter surfing championship at Bells Beach postponed. Locally on warm sunny days over this weekend (same as any other weekend) the open green space at the park would be filled with families using the playground. Because of ‘the virus’ it didn’t happen this weekend and we also heard today the state of emergency here in Victoria has been extended for another month so it will quite a while until it’s allowed again 😥
The murals on the toilet blocks have been repainted recently – in a very simple child friendly but eyecatching design. They looked quite lonely when I was there the other day 😒
Unlike those sunny warmish Easters we’ve had over the years Saturday and Sunday were cold and miserable, today is forecast to be a bit warmer and dryer. We won’t be going far though, I’d love to take a drive up the hills to look at the changing colours on the trees. Not allowed – stay in your suburb – remember the four reasons
Looks like it’ll be a(nother) day at home…..with The Golfer…..eating and drinking and doing other stuff.
No chocolate eggs this year however we had some of these egg shaped decorated shortbreads gifted to us…..turned up on our doorstep last Thursday. Wondered if the Easter Bunny was having trouble with regular deliveries and had changed stockists but no just a friend trying her hand at something new.
Linking to Monday Mural. Pop over to Colourful World and say Hello to Sami.
I hadn’t been up to the nearby park for a couple of months so took a wander round there last Wednesday instead of walking the streets. With many winding paths to choose from you could move around without bumping into too many people. Had to keep social distancing in mind so if I did come across anyone it was a quick smile or a wave and we were both on our way in different directions.
There were lots of walkers out with big dogs
Lots of them out with little dogs.
Some with children (and dollies) as well as dogs.
And some with children but no dogs 😊
Dogs on their own with their owners nearby. I do believe this is the same Border Collie I saw last time, taking a dip in the very same spot.
And there was one lonely dad having a break from his exercise – looked like he was making the most out of being the one left ‘holding the baby’ for the day.
Sadly there was nobody in the playground😥
I read that outdoor exercise has been banned in France between 10am – 7pm due to growing concerns over the current coronavirus pandemic. Jogging and cycling allowed people to stray far from home and had to be stopped – we (in Australia) are lucky it’s still possible for walkers of all shapes and sizes and ages (and breeds) to be out and about during those times.
Linking to Sunday Selections – a place to show photos old and new, ones never seen on your blog before. Pop over to Elephant’s Child where Sue will tell you all about it.
Thoughts on Shopping during these Stressful Times
Don’t buy more than you need – leave some for others!
But there may not be any there next time I shop
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If your preferred brand is not available try another instead
No thanks, been there – done that! Will do without until it is available.
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I mentioned to The Golfer that there were no boxes of my ‘preferred’ brand of bran flakes with fruit on the supermarket shelves.
A couple of days later he came back from Costco with a big smile on his face. “I bought you a present – don’t worry they were part of this weeks specials.”
I only put half a cup of cereal in my bowl
That is a very large 1.7kg (3.75lb) box of a non preferred brand of the cereal.
And do you know his answer to my question…….Eat it of course!
I really shouldn’t let him loose on his own 😊
A couple of weeks ago COVID 19 trading restrictionists were changing so fast it was difficult to know what was open….what was closed…..and how they were actually conducting business. There was a ‘rumour’ – nasty things we shouldn’t take any notice of – a rumour circulating that three of our very large companies were going to have to shut their doors temporarily.
Bunnings ( hardware) – Spotlight (home decor and craft) – Dan Murphy’s (beer wine spirits)…….they all provide what some would call ‘essentials’ but would the government think otherwise?
,Bars hotels and restaurants had closed and obviously for some (read that as many) to sit around without a drink of two to lighten their load was something they couldn’t contemplate – there was a rush to to the bottle shops to buy up big. Really big!
SO we now have a limit on alcohol purchases which include a maximum of two slabs of beer or cider, 12 bottles of wine, two cases of pre-mix spirits, two casks of wine and two bottles of spirits (two bottles not more than 2 litres. The limits apply per customer, per day 😎🍷😳 Source
Also it appeared many felt the need to while away their time at home by starting home and garden improvements plus buying up all the ‘masks and protective gear’ they could find so as well as giving tradies, health and emergency service workers a dedicated early morning time to shop……Bunnings will be enforcing strict shopping limits to ensure panic buyers don’t strip stores of essential household goods. There’s a limit of four items per person for cleaning and storage products, batteries and garden sprayers. Also Items such as generators, respirators, face masks, gas bottles, methylated spirits, fuel cans and turpentine will also be limited to one item per customer Source
Meanwhile down at Spotlight things appeared to carry on as usual; ‘safe distance’ floor markings along with measuring counters and check out areas being cleaned were good to see. How do I know that?
Because like a lot of other crafters I made my way down for a little look see – not intending to buy mind, just to see what was on offer. And guess what……their very nice Stallion was on special…..not that I needed any…..but priced at less than $2/100gm when regular price is close to $3 made it very hard to walk away from 😊
This very very sharp looking Royal Blue is knitting up a treat.
Something to keep me occupied during the day because being dark it’s difficult to keep track of the pattern repeats in artificial light. But I’m not too bothered by that because some ‘easier to knit at night’ lighter colours came home with me as well 😊
Lots of different jokes/cartoons/memes are turning up and doing the rounds on social media all designed to make you smile and take your mind off this ghastly pandemic we’re trying to cope with
“
But it was a text from a friend the other day that really did have me laughing. A friend who like me will defer ignore just not do housework in order to read or craft instead.
Oh Cathy, she said. I’m turning into one of those people!
It’s 10am…. The beds are made, dishes done, washing is on the line….I’ve even sorted out the cutlery drawer. This virus is doing me in. I think about housework before knitting. I even cooked ! Tell me you haven’t changed 😊
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(Those people refers to a couple of very houseproud mutual friends)
So I gently reassured her the panicky ‘what if I take sick and there’s a load of dishes in the sink’ worry would disappear and all would return to normal. No way was I going to admit I’d put my books and knitting away last week so I could to clean the windows and tidy up the linen cupboard 😎
Another dismal start to the day!
Looking at the weights and bands on the table this morning I had a little smile when I remembered trying to persuade The Golfer a couple of weeks ago that even though his DVA gym session had been ‘closed’ he could still do it at home.
I already had some of the equipment and a daughter passed on some heavier stuff her husband ‘had gone off’ but he wasn’t interested.
Oh well, your loss I said forgetting my ‘bite your tongue’ resolution 😋
The sessions were on a Monday, today is Monday, and what do I see?
Mr Universe in the making! 
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