Tag: WWandP

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New furniture was delivered

And it didn’t cost me a cent!

Over the years I’ve mentioned a certain bench in the local park
It’s about half way up a slight rise in the land – about the time you start to think ‘this path is definitely not flat’

The first photo I took of it was way back in 2009. Victoria was still in drought and everything had a dry crisp look to it. The council were just beginning to develop the reserve but because of the lack of rain it took a while. It was also about that time my back condition worsened and I stayed closer to home – so even though I might have wandered round the duck pond I didn’t venture ‘up the hill’ and snap what I jokingly called my bench for quite a while.

2009

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The drought broke, plantings were made, everything greened up – and flourished.

It’s taken aawhile for the changes to be realised (a great deal of the work is done by volunteers) there have been additions and removals, Australian native plants grown, left to their own devices, most have survived, growing strong and sturdy (sometimes a little too rampantly so have been cut back, some died
And for some reason it has become almost a tradition that I take a photo when I walk up that way…..which means you are able to see how much the little bare area next to a couple of established gums has changed.
Some photos are better than others – (time of day, various cameras, iPads & phones, where I was standing, zooming in or not, plus some cropping) but if you click or use the finger slide method to enlarge you’ll get a fair idea of how it has ‘grown’

2011

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2012

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2013

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2015

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2016

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2017

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2018

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2019

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2020

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Rain and more rain (thanks to La Niña) Covid restrictions as well as a temperamental back that had me doing other exercises rather than walking stopped me going up there for another couple of years and look what I discovered the other day – a very swish looking new bench. Much more upmarket than the simple wooden ones.

2023
2023

It’s Monday morning again….I’ve been sitting here for a little while with my usual early cuppa in hand thinking about the many changes that are going to be made to the area…..

….catering for changing population wants/needs/attitudes/expectations rather than those happy with more natural surroundings…..…..

Hopefully as long as the green space is still here in our suburb (and it doesn’t get swallowed up by ‘new improvements’) all will be well.

Anyway I must get on – can’t sit here for much longer – changes at my usual pool (urgent repairs/closure) meant the users have had to go elsewhere – I’ll talk about the ‘new’ one some other time. Let’s just say it is different 🙁

And talking of Mondays, it’s the start of the 2nd week of the month, how did that happen? Is anyone else concerned about the speed with which the weeks and months are passing by this year?

Have there been any changes (big, little, horrendous) to your way of life recently?


Sharing with Denyse’s weekly link up Wednesday’s Words & Pics .

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I call them..‘me do its’

It’s Wednesday again – that middle of the week day.
Some days have been and gone – some have yet to arrive
I don’t know why but this year seems to be galloping along at quite a pace, this is the last Wednesday in March…..one month of autumn gone already – and to make matters worse the clocks go back this weekend 🙁🙁😕…..

A while ago in amongst their requests the charity was asking for children’s woolies.
Jumpers/Sweaters were included – unlike 2019 when they were frowned on
When a friend sent me the message she had reworded it this way
2/3yr olds need functional – added colour optional.

Functional to me means serves its purpose
works well with no stress
So I dug around in ‘the pile’ and came up with an old Totem booklet

And what could be less stressful (and oh so quick & easy to knit) than these little *left hand blue* ones that I call ‘ me do its’
Easy to put on, no recognised front or back, no problem with getting it right.
No stress on child trying to be independent…..or supervising adult😊

Usual run of the mill

These four are now sitting in the charity box ready for delivery soon. I had fun doing the little cars, one row on the chest and the other near the hem added a bit of interest…..not as much as the frequent tangled threads situation. Three different colours plus the main in use on every row was interesting. I really enjoy intarsia….but prefer fair isle where I have no problem whatsoever.

A little bit different
Lots of fun

(I was working on the royal blue/yellow one during that ‘interesting’ craft morning)

My reading has come to a standstill
As much as I wanted I just couldn’t get into A Sand Archive……the March selection at what I call my ‘real book club’.
It’s all well and good the library encouraging readers to open their minds to different authors and supplying the books but sometimes those choices sound ‘good/interesting’, start off great then turn out to be strange – and very disappointing
So we’ll say no more about this month’s offering!

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Today I’m sharing my post at Denyse’s weekly link up called Wednesday’s Words & Pics
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Wednesday is also the day Kat hosts ‘Unraveled Wednesday ‘.so I’m sharing my post – and if you’d like to see what others are knitting, reading and talking about just click on the link


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Autumn Day14…..Time for Tea

And lunch too😎

Tuesday last week was one of those ‘you beaut’ gentle warm sunny Autumn days
we do so well in Melbourne. I got to enjoy it by being taken on a drive

It was time to Top up The Golfer’s Tea Tin.
which means a drive up the hills to the little shop In Sassafras

He bought double quantity this time

And while we were there I got treated to lunch down at our special place in Olinda

During the winter we sit near the fire down at the front end
Summer time means the outside deck is the place to be
Unless it’s too hot – then it’s inside to eat and outside for drinks and chat

There’s free off street parking right there at the back door
and if there’s ever a time I can’t manage the steps….well,
The Golfer can drive round the corner and drop me at the main front door

I had a ‘lovely light lunch’ of quiche plus salad and a small serve of some perfectly cooked hot chips …….but Bad Blogger that I am…..I forgot to take a photo. I did take one of my coffee though😊.
Someone had been practicing their latte art – an autumn leaf.

#enjoyeverymoment

Linking to  Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse. 

Don’t Forget – if you want to see it best……Click/ tap or finger slide to enlarge

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On my mind…

Whats on my mind this week is exercise
or rather the need for some new exercise equipment

These very comfortable but rather well worn
runners/trainers/sneakers recently took a one way trip to the tip

They’d walked many miles here and overseas and had been lurking in the back of the wardrobe for a few years while others (I.e. newer ones) were having fun in the sun
Now I feel it really is time replace ‘the others’ – to trade them in (figuratively not literally)

So I am looking at new ones
BUT
Have you seen the price of them recently?!

One of my daughters is a runner/walker – for several years she took part in the Melbourne Oxfam Trailwalker event  – a fundraiser where teams have to cover 100km in 48 hrs, yes, she did it five times (yes, she became a legend who achieved her goal) and I have to say I admired her for doing it each year – anyway she had goodness knows how many pairs of runners.  I’m sure she told me each pair played a certain role – some were for use on bush and forest trails as well as those for general running – paid – and still does – what to me seems like the earth for them and actually keeps a check on the mileage that they do – seems there is a recommended lifetime for all of them so when they get close to that time out comes another pair.

That’s alright if you can afford it I suppose
but what options are there for the general public

Do you take the time and trouble of visiting a specialist shoe store where they will measure your foot and talk about what you doing  – bit  like going to a hairdresser for the first time or do you visit a large department store where you can try and buy much more cheaply and hope they are comfortable?

Every health practitioner I’ve seen about my spine has told me to ‘help my back’ and tone my body I need to eat a balanced diet and do more exercise.  This new fitness whatever that I’m on means I’m going to have to attempt a lot more walking,  locally in the park or by going to the gym

So I need to go shopping somewhere soon for new shoes to keep my feet moving in the style they deserve.

Wont be today though…..it’s Monday- pool day.
I can walk (run even) in there without the need for shoes.
Just have to finish my tea first – then let my brekky go down- then I’ll be off.

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Forget the ‘yarn snobs’…it’s a Long Weekend!

I should have known better….it’s not as if I don’t have enough to keep me busy during the week….anyway I said maybe when a friend asked …..and then allowed myself to be persuaded……to go along with her to a newly formed ‘drop in’ craft group…..held at one of our larger local libraries
That’s where I came across it again. It being almost a ‘wool/yarn one-upmanship’
A certain type of snobbery that lingers amongst some members of the craft community

Settling in for the morning I spent a lot of time fielding various questions

  • What are you knitting?
  • What are you using?
  • Why on earth are you using that?
  • Oh I wouldn’t use that in a million years!
  • My dear, you should be buying this, that and the other
  • I spin (and dye) my own…always have….always will!

It’s difficult explaining to some the needs and wants of charity knitting. Charities need knitters to provide something warm for someone/something to wear – some will accept items knit with wool (natural fibre) others prefer acrylic (man made). Pros and cons for each yarn. Some refugee charities want flame resistant wool only; because donations are sent to ‘camps’ where open fires are used. Some homeless/ disadvantaged charities ask for acrylic; because laundering and drying (when possible) is a great deal easier.

I’ve often spoken about my choice of yarn to knit with (for charities) and this was the first time ever I had to defend it (plus my choice of using straight needles rather than circular or even DPNs). It was all rather strange and a bit disappointing. I then discovered this was actually an established group (who mentioned they preferred to be called fibre artists). who’d moved to the library – a cheaper meeting place option for them but advertising the group was part of ‘the deal’. 
I said goodbye ‘nicely’ and left wondering if I’d return.
My friend had no issues and was all for it….
Somehow I think my answer is no.

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All that is now at the back of my mind as I slowly wake up this early Monday morning here in Melbourne- the 2nd Monday in March is an annual public holiday to ‘celebrate’ Labour Day – giving us a long weekend…..which Australians never say no to😊
It’s been almost like BC – before Covid – so much to see and do, things going on in the city – statewide as well. Moomba’s been the main one, with the parade and the Birdman Rally back again this year, and there’s been festivals associated with (to name a few) Potato, Food and Wine, Light, Music (folk, jazz, bush, Celtic) plus cultural ones as well

https://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/moomba-festival
https://secretmelbourne.com/things-to-do-melbourne-weekend/. 
https://www.onlymelbourne.com.au/labour-day-melbourne

Labour Day celebrates the achievements of workers advocating eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest.source

So why the photo of an umbrella – stapler – desiccated coconut and a pillow

Well these will be handy in some places in the world

Because it seems 13 March 2023 is

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/open-an-umbrella-indoors-day/

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/fill-our-staplers-day/

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/coconut-torte-day/

and the pillow is especially for those who turned their clocks forward last night

National Napping Day

Oh and here’s a little gem about a March 13th happening
(from the days before professional soccer players ruled the game)

In 1875 March 13th was on a Saturday. The Royal Engineers played against the Old Etonians in the fourth Football Association Challenge Cup Final.

* ……The first match was notable chiefly because it was played in a “howling gale”. The conditions considerably favoured the Etonians team, which had the wind at its backs for all but 10 minutes of the 90, and all 30 minutes of extra time (teams in this period changed ends after every goal- this game was the last to feature this rule)

This game was a draw…..the replay(which The Engineers won) was 3 days later

Cuthbert Ottaway (Old Etonians) received an ankle injury and did not recover in time for the replay…

*…..Etonians also lost the services of three other players who had prior commitments. Unable to obtain adequate replacements, the Old Boys arrived at the ground an hour late and lost the delayed replay 0–2

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1875_FA_Cup_final

#enjoyeverymoment

Linking to  Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse. 

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U is for….

U is for Unload

A couple of definitions of unload are:
To dispose of, to dump
To relieve of something burdensome, unburden

Once or twice a year -depending on where you actually live
most shires and councils
have what we call hard rubbish collections

It is a service for every household
whereby you can leave all those things
enormous or small – broken or otherwise – that you want to get rid of
on the nature strip out the front of your house
and a big truck comes along and does the deed for you

It lets you get rid of it – to unload – to unburden – For Free

It frees you from the thought of having to organise all that moving
lifting and paying!!

This is what happens here at this time of the year
Starting this week in my local area

Thats it in theory
In practice its slightly different!

It’s when that old saying
‘One Man’s Junk is Another Man’s Treasure’
comes into play
and the Hunters and Gathers come out.

Little cars and big utes will glide by, suddenly stop and drivers pick through the piles.  Even when times are not hard like they are now it seems as though everyone is out for a bargain – turning into scavengers – in many cases utilising their skills
by upcycling their gains
Unloading others of their useable cast offs before the council truck arrives!

The going rate on scrap metal must have gone up lol
Anything that looks ‘metal’ goes in a flash – washing machines, dryers, bicycles, as well as various other metal bits and pieces are swooped on and removed almost as soon as it hits the nature strip.

Anyway, judging by my ‘nosiness’ while out walking
(yes, I’ve had a little squizzy at some piles here and there)
I think sales in TVs must have rocketed.  From what I’ve seen
just about every house I’ve passed has at least one sitting on the grass.
It surely can’t be the result of the switch to digital that so many older people with older sets were upset over – that happened over 20 yrs ago.
Obviously bigger and better is the way to go – or are those new ‘you beaut’ ones not lasting as long
I wonder if they will have a truck just for them (tvs) on their own.

The trouble with all this ‘trawling aka car window shopping’ and then unburdening is that it starts to get messy.  Instead of the nice neat (as per council guidlines) separated piles of junk we end up with something like this

A new version of urban sprawl 😊


I’m still wondering if (after breakfast) there’s time (before the garbos arrive) for me
to do a bit more cruising the streets with a view to window shopping
through my car’s window

Linking to  Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse. 

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What you see….

Isn’t always what is there 😊

July 7, 2013

What’s a little crop crop here and a crop crop there between friends?
*****

Is that deception or not letting the world in on my life?

This is just a little ‘fun event’ but I wonder how much of it goes on in the real world.
~ ~ ~

Linking to  Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse. 
Where you’ll find lots of life to read about

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How it was….

You know how it is, you’re having a conversation with someone, the topic changes and you’re left behind.  That’s when you need a back up memory aka someone to remind you of the things you’ve forgotten 

One minute I’m chatting to my next sister about what life in India must have been like during the late 1800s for our Gt Grandparents – John Joseph Patrick Doyle and Jane Muir.

John and Jane Doyle abt 1876

Even with the ‘perks’ a soldier of his rank (colour sgt) would have had,  the climate and environment would have been something neither would have encountered before.  Likewise for many of the ordinary rank soldiers who would have been going on patrol up country.

Then a short while later we are talking about hop picking.  For a few years during the late 1940s/ early 1950s we lived in Cosham Hampshire – Dad had been posted away and Mum was always looking for ways to earn some extra pennies.  I could remember during the summer school holidays travelling on an old bus along with what seemed like every local woman and crying baby up Wymering Lane and over the nearby Portsdown Hill to huge fields full of enormous poles with vines hanging down. Then having to carry bags full of ‘stuff’ my mother deemed we needed for the day.  Next sister sent me this old photo to remind me of the look and feel of the hop fields.

She remembers so many different things to me, mothers singing in the bus, primus stoves and enamel tea pots, green coloured flasks with corks in the top, door stop sandwiches (no sliced bread).  Being allowed to get dirty, running amok amongst the tall hop poles barefooted or in the previous years gutties with the toes cut out…..because our feet had grown and there was no spare cash to buy new ones.
You can tell from those memories who was the younger one with less responsibilities!

Lots of laughter because when she mentioned gutties – I thought she said putties and had returned to soldiers in India😊

No, she said, those canvas shoes we wore during the summer.
They made your feet sweat and we had to clean them outside with some pastey white stuff.
Blanco I told her, made the laces go stiff and the white stuff used to come off, floating in the air like a fine dust

But weren’t they called Sand Shoes? Gym Shoes? Plimsolls?.
No, Dad called them Gutties, something else I’d forgotten.
That’s what they’re called in Northern Ireland

I showed her the photo of me in my white shoes and seeing the dress she had on she remarked (once again) how she’d never forgotten how she had to wear my old clothes. So I had to remind her about no extra cash and everything being passed on.  There don’t seem to be any photos to prove otherwise but we think our little sister also wore the same dress one summer a few years later. Sadly she is no longer with us to say yay or nay🙁

Not the shoes tho’ – they’d had the toes cut out so we could get another summer’s ’round the house or playing in the street’ wear out of them

You know, all these years later I still wear some form of those white canvas shoes during the summer.
Perfect for round the house or down the beach.

No need for all that messy white stuff these days – I just chuck them in the washing machine and hang them on the line to dry  and if the toes wear through, no worries, they’ll be right for gardening the next year

What memories have you relived recently.
~ ~ ~ ~
I see no wrong in admitting you’ve forgotten something – to me being reminded in some circumstances makes the memory fresh again

Linking to  Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse. 
Where you’ll find lots of life to read about

#keeplifesimple

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Wishes

Wish ~ desire or hope for something to happen.
If wishes were fishes we’d all swim in riches!

A winter wish from a few years ago!

Two photos taken in the very early 1950s came to light the other day and a whole lot of emotions bubbled up to surface – some good some not so good

Plus the word Wish….

I would have been about 9 in the first one – it was a happy day.  My grandad from Belfast had come over on the boat to visit us in England and an uncle plus his family were there also.  I had on a new dress and remember wishing I could wear it every day and that Grandad didn’t have to go back home.

As we were growing up there were times when my sister would wish she didn’t have to wear ‘cast offs’ with turned up hems. She would never accept the fact that as much as she wished otherwise, it wasn’t my fault I was growing out of clothes, she was growing as well, money didn’t grow on trees and she was next in line – as you can see.

You never get anything by wishing, my mother was fond of saying.  Hard work and determination is what’s needed!,

That was my mother, wearied from the war years, the one I wished would love me more than the sister she gave my clothes to.  If she loved me, she wouldn’t have got angry and cut (chopped) my hair off with her big scissors.  I remember squealing and shouting as she brushed it one morning, trying to untangle the knots before it was plaited for school, all the time saying to me ‘I wish you would be quiet and stand still’  Oh how I wished I’d done as I was told that day – my mother was no hairdresser and I went to school that morning looking a bit – odd 

It’s strange that all these years later I’m reflecting on this and wishing things had turned out differently – my mother and I never got on, my sister continued to get my ‘cast offs, I never grew my hair long, Grandad went away back across the Irish Sea and I only got to see him 3 more times.

Oh, but listen to this, my sister still wears ‘cast offs’ – chosen very carefully with a good eye for what will suit her – from ‘Green Boutiques’ (aka charity shops)😊

And….. the beach with a hammock turned up on Green Island Qld back in 2009……..still looking for the winning lotto ticket though 😊

Are you a dreamer hoping your wishes come true?
~ ~
or more like my mother
~ ~
who thought wishes were pointless?

Linking to  Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse.
Where you’ll find lots of life to read about

#loveispatient

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Done it again…

It would appear I’m still as daft as ever.
Remember that old saying – measure twice cut once. Meaning double check before you do anything.
Spotlight had wool on special.
The brand I use for charity knits has a standard range of colours so I just pick up the colours I know I can work with and am happy to knit.
Many balls of Royal Blue went into my basket

After finishing the back of the cable jumper I had the plain sleeves done in no time at all……then took a break, working on something else instead.

On to the front with a new ball…..initially thinking the yarn didn’t feel the same but it had come out of the same bag and was the same colour so carried on knitting.
After several pattern repeats (4 x 8 rows x 94 stitches!) I looked at the ball band…….oops, it was a different dye lot number.
When there are sales, supplies are topped up continuously and a few from a different dye lot must have still been in the bin
In my haste I obviously hadn’t checked each one properly before going to the cash register.

So……. I have looked and looked in various lights and can’t see any visible difference, but just in case, have decided that as the back and front are the same up up to the armholes, what I’m knitting now will be the back, where it’ll be less obvious.
The already finished ‘back’ has been unraveled down to armholes and I’ll knit it up as the front.

And ‘why don’t you leave it as it is’ remarked a friend, ‘who’s going to know’
Me, I replied!

Another ‘done it again’ moment a few weeks ago saw me agreeing to ‘make up the numbers’ and join another book club. It wasn’t until later and some info arrived I realised this wasn’t going to be as casual as my other one. No ‘tell us what you read’ chat over a cup of coffee…..this one is ‘we all read the same book the library provides then discuss it’ coffee comes afterwards. Too late to back out – this month’s book is Tourmaline by Australian author Randolph Stow published 1963.

Tourmaline is an isolated Western Australian mining town – a place of heat and dust, as allegorical as it is real. Out of the desert staggers a young diviner, Michael Random, offering salvation to this parched town. The once comatose community is indeed stirred to life, by hate as much as by love, and its people find salvation neither in water nor gold.

It’s turning out not to be a read and devour hour after hour book. It’s a bit of a slog more like. After noting all the characters and working out how they relate to each other I’m having to take it a few pages at a time to actually get the gist of the storyline…breaks/changes of scene written into the quite shortish chapters make it a bit easier …. You know, they say nothing ventured nothing gained, try something new and different- this book is certainly something new and different – surprisingly I’m actually enjoying it. Hopefully when the time comes I’ll remember what it was all about😊

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it’s Wednesday – the day Kat  hosts ‘Unraveled Wednesday ‘ …….that’s where you’ll find lots of knitting (and reading) to admire and think about.

And Wednesday is also the day to look out for Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse …..  you’ll find much to interest you there

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What a week…

Someone else had a birthday a couple of weeks ago so we took the train ‘up to town’ on a Sunday and enjoyed our first time at the theatre in goodness knows how long. A second time of seeing ‘Come from Away’, (catching it before it closes this Melbourne season and moves on up to Sydney) and we enjoyed it as much as the first time in 2019. Reminders of a couple of visits to Newfoundland a few years ago now but still fresh in our memories.

Smiles at seeing the tv masts from the station at Mooroolbark, smiles at being back in the lovely little heritage listed Comedy Theatre with its chandelier type lighting and a bar down there on the lower level right next to the stalls.
There was a brolly and a mask in my bag, plus a small book to read on the train – after all the rain we’ve had I was glad I didn’t need the brolly after all but I did use the mask. Too many people all close together with about 2/3rds of them maskless.
Everyone seemed to have a phone though!

Smiles at seeing travellers on suburban lines in masks, I can’t remember seeing any on the country V/Line trains (or dedicated platforms) when I took the lower photo at (don’t make me say it) Southern Cross Station back in April. It will always be Spencer Street Station to me.
There are times I wished we lived ‘out of town’ – compared to the comfort of the country trains the comfort (??) of suburban stock is nil.

Tuesday (25th) the heavens opened and we had floods out here in the eastern suburbs. Our back garden was like a swimming pool and (once again) the kitchen skylight decided to leak. I keep telling The Golfer there’s a reason I don’t get rid of all those old towels – although if this keeps up we’re going to have to invest in a new skylight.

Thursday under cloudy grey skies and a wet windscreen we drove out past the vineyards (old and new) and into the Valley again – this time The Golfer wanted to enjoy a light lunch at his second home because……

……as a member he gets a free one plus a tiddly little cake to celebrate 🎂🍷…..

Drove home from Healesville in pouring rain, hoping there wouldn’t be water on the floor Needed the bucket later in the evening so looks like we definitely need a new one.

Anyway Friday, dodging the showers I went to the gym leaving him looking a little lost – with all the rain the course is just a bit too waterlogged and once again nobody else wanted to play – I’ll be fine, he said, I’ve got this new book to read. Ink Black Heart – Robert Galbraith 1400 pages – that’ll keep me going for a while.

Big smiles when I walked past the court area – all set up for our next crop of Olympic gymnasts. Mats and beams, and bars and springboards – reminders of sessions at school all those years ago with a vaulting box and pommel horse.

(There’s a floor to ceiling net along the walkway to the gym door – saves any injuries from wayward basket/netballs. I took one snap from a corner then had to wriggle the camera around the holes to get the full on ones)

Well that was last week – this past week has been quieter with a few surprises….
Which I’ll leave for another time

#enjoyeverymoment

Don’t Forget – if you want to see it best……Click/ tap or finger slide to enlarge

Linking to  Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse …..  Denyse Whelan Blogs. 

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Out of his comfort zone

Towards the end of last year, because of ‘you know what’, there were still difficulties obtaining interstate border passes which meant we stayed longer in Queensland, enjoying some other towns along the way. In this post last November I mentioned an exhibition we went to in Mackay…..(well The Golfer was persuaded to come along – or choose the option of sitting in the car while I sauntered round for an unknown length of time). I’ll be the first to admit it wasn’t his cup of tea but he did come in and have a look around.

Aircraft museums – Art galleries = give and take. Happy wife – Happy life 😊

This is a little bit more of what we saw – just a few things that took my fancy.
The wall plates explain the displayed works – I’ve added some bio info about the indigenous artists that you might be interested in – to see more detail don’t forget to Click/ tap or finger slide to enlarge.
(Please note there are photos of deceased artists on some of these links.)

~ ~ ~ ~

Mr R Peter – https://www.jgmgallery.com/artists/103-mr-r-peters/

~ ~ ~ ~

Mick Namarari Tjapaltjarri – https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/collection/artists/tjapaltjarri-mick-namarari/

~ ~ ~ ~

Jennifer Wurrkidj – https://maningrida.com/artist/jennifer-wurrkidj/
Josephine Wurrkdj – https://maningrida.com/artist/josephine-wurrkidj/

Fiona Omeenyo – https://www.kateowengallery.com/artists/Fio957/Fiona-Omeenyo.htm

Artspace Mackay have a fabulous page on their website where you can do 3D virtual tours of past exhibitions – the one we saw ran from 30 July – 17 October 2021.
https://www.artspacemackay.com.au/learning/online_resources/3d_virtual_tours

I forgot to snap the info on this work below but through the marvel of the 3D feature I was able to find it 😊

~ ~ ~ ~

But wait there’s more…..actually there is more….one room had the most unusual but marvellous handiwork on show which will have a post of its own

Linking to Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse …..  Denyse Whelan Blogs. 

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Style…..

Style – a form of appearance, design or production. source


Most of my knitting these days is for the baby & toddler programme of a local charity but recently they’ve been asking for larger sizes – so I’m looking through this pattern book and this caught my eye.

It’s one I’ve made a couple of times previously in a 2yr size – described as ‘a child’s jumper with yoke patterning front and back’

I found it a ‘relatively easy knit’, the shape reminded me of a fisherman’s Gansey. Patterned yoke, drop sleeves, straight up and down.

And the instructions are available in sizes up to 8yrs 😊


(Use of the word jumper (or other options such as “pullover” and “jersey“) is largely determined by the regional version of English used.[1] In the case of Ireland, Britain and Australia, “jumper” is the standard word, “jersey” is used in South Africa whereas “sweater” is mainly found in tourist shops and in North America. The word used in Irish is geansaí (“guernsey”). Source)

There’s just one problem – one that probably only I see – my plain stocking stitch knitting is becoming very uneven. And there’d be an awful lot of it to be seen on a four/six year old sized jumper 🙁

Sometimes I’ve used other stitches or cables to ‘cover part of the ground’ but that doesn’t always work. Remember how uneven the fronts of those little shirts were…..

I’m not sure why, it was the same brand yarn I’ve used before. Of course it’s possible my hands are losing their grip/strength and I’m getting sloppy in the way I hold the needles so that’s something I’ll have to work on.

However…..

I think I might have found the answer to my dilemma

Do what I’ve done before

Knit Aran style or similar

No (or very little) stocking stitch to worry about

Here’s a couple from my collection – vintage now, fashionable when I bought them!

Last week’s book was set aside when a friend loaned me this
The Night Tiger – Yangsze Choo

“A captivating and magical story set in 1930s Malaysia about a dancehall girl and an orphan boy who are brought together by a series of unexplained deaths and an old Chinese superstition about men who turn into tigers.”

Much writing about customs superstition expats life in Malaya  Brought back memories of life as expats during the 1960s when we lived in that part of the world.

Oh and I have a rather nice Royal Blue waiting in the wings
That’d be the big boxes in the garage 😊
I’ll keep you posted
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse ….. Denyse Whelan Blogs.
is on again

…..  Unraveled Wednesday  hosted by Kat…….As Kat Knits……
is also on again!

Click/ tap or finger slide to enlarge

http://www.ganseys.com/ganseys/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aran_jumper

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aran_knitting_patterns
~ ~ ~

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_knitting

https://blog.tincanknits.com/2022/07/28/cable-knitting-without-a-cable-needle/

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Four days on the road…..

(Sometimes through a dirty windscreen – sometimes at about 100km an hour 😎)

We left Bowen driving south and said goodbye to cane fields at Proserpine with the little ‘cane train’ railway that runs across the road and where the mill (like others in the area) was working non stop processing the harvest.

Smiled again at the fun signs on the road to Rockhampton (aka locally as Rocky 😊)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockhampton

Had what (at first glance) looked like a very ordinary curry for dinner
Never doubt the talent of pub staff of Indian origin – local beef plus spices
Delicious!

Drove off early the next morning, waving to the ‘bull’ on the roundabout.
See ya next year!

We crossed rivers and creeks – some with water because of recent heavy rains…..some still dry….but waiting until the wet arrives further north later in the year and the water runs south when they and the nearby floodplains will fill.

And it’s that annual flooding rain (plus the flooding caused by recent La Niña events) as well as the constant heavy road transport vehicles (Road Trains) that has cause ‘pothole hazards’. Reasonably easy to see and hopefully manoeuvre safely around in daylight (not good for your car if you don’t) almost invisible at night or worse still downright dangerous when covered in water.

We found the overtaking lane round the corner where we ‘dutifully’ didn’t speed up but let others pass……

Including this big brute further down the road – not that we’d have much option where he was concerned 😟

Lots of other ‘big things’ moving along the road…..as well as…..
well, we’re not sure where this one was trying to go – the shredded tyre tells the tale!
(Nobody hurt and luckily no stock on board)


My last fish ‘n chip pub meal for a while I think – you can only have so much of a good thing. My water was served in a very ‘posh’ crystal looking glass 😊

Another early morning start, a goodbye wave at the Gunsynd statue in the border town of Goondiwindi – then across into NSW.

Where for most of the day it was All Change 🙁☔️

Nothing to see but rain until late in the day when we found a rainbow!

And guess what greeted us the next morning ……yes, more of the same😊

A dreary drive made better by ☕️ & 🍰 at the Tocumwal Pavilion across from the river

Source

Then it was over the Murray and into Victoria.
(I was driving so no photos – the river was the highest I’ve ever seen it)
Things changed, became brighter so by lunchtime we had blue skies and fields of gold

No matter where we’ve been or how long we’ve been away I always have a little smile when this view at a roundabout near Yarra Glen appears. It means we’re nearly home!
Just another 20km to go!
The tv masts on the hills are those very same ones I can see from another angle – much closer to home – from my little library 2km from home 😊

For the next few days we thought Spring had arrived – the sun shone, it was pleasantly warm and a lot of the garden plants thought so too.
The clocks changed – happy summer days are on their way!

Unfortunately the weather had other ideas……it’s back to wind cheaters and tracky dacks round the house plus brollies at the ready if I venture out! This was the forecast yesterday when I was putting this together. Warm clothing still needed.
Come on Spring…it’s nearly November- come out come out wherever you are!

(Please don’t think my whinging about the weather here in Victoria doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about those in other states who are once again ‘living with heavy rain storms and possible flooding’. It must feel like living in a war zone with the prospect of more destruction coming their way….and – rightly or wrongly- we have been led to believe – not much help coming from governments.)

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Linked to Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse – you’ll find many interesting blogs there. Perhaps you’d like to join in as well.

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Where…..

“Why do you always go to the same beach?” I was asked not long ago.
There are other little bays close by – why don’t you go to any of the others?

See the red dot – that’s where we are staying.
Travel 2.5km east (right) and that’s where Rose Bay is.
Travel east, round the corner, then north a little and you’ll get to Horseshoe Bay (which is the place that person was alluding to)

https://www.tourismbowen.com.au/see-do/attractions/bowen-beaches

Yes it’s a lovely little bay – I can vouch for that – but to me it’s an ‘adults only’ bay.
I’ve only ever seen adults there – it has a certain appeal to older adults who congregate there en masse in winter – year after year after year.

2022

It was early morning when I took these and the ‘line up’ had already begun. By mid morning those chairs will have almost covered the sands, the car park and cafe will be chockablock. Claims have been staked – the chairs will remain there all day long!

I’ll tell you a little story:-
I went there one year – one of the early years (2009) when we first started coming up here (before I’d discovered Rose Bay) – picked a spot under the trees on the left hand side, got comfortable in my chair, reading a book, enjoying the fresh air, not really looking at what was going on – after a while I realised others had set up a line of chairs beside me.
A woman was walking up and down in front of me pointing to where I was sitting and I could hear the others saying (quite loudly) ‘she was here when we arrived’.
Yes, you’re right – I’d placed my chair where she usually put hers…..
and she was not happy at all.
I came away and left them to it.
(I’ve actually heard of people being asked to move – ‘you’re in my spot’ – that’s how possessive some of them are)

~ ~ ~ ~

So, I replied, why would I go there when I could to another place – a quiet place

WHERE….
Sometimes I have company — Sometimes not

WHERE….
Grandmas can paddle in a rockpool while keeping an eye on young charges
Fishermen in wet suits stride from the water clutching a harpoon and net
Young lovers have room to walk and talk.
Young men do what many young men do on beaches – try to impress the girls.
(the young men and the ‘girls’/women came down from the caravan park round the corner favoured by young backpackers)

WHERE….
Saturdays are family days – days for teaching children about the ocean.
Mums and Aunties come down…..with paddle boards, kayaks and canoes.
Dads and Uncles do their share of baby minding – taking pushers to the waterline so the youngest ones can enjoy a ‘paddle’ and appreciate the ocean in their own way

A special place indeed.
(where my photos are taken from a distance)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It’s really early Monday morning, (I’m about to press publish so fingers crossed it posts) after a warmish night a second cup of tea will be very welcome. This is our last week here but I’m not sure how much time I’ll be spending at my special place…….after all those weeks of cooler than usual weather, things have changed and this was last night’s forecast for the rest of the week!
I think I hear the sound of the air con at the library calling😊

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I’m linking to Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse – you’ll find many interesting blogs there. Perhaps you’d like to join in as well.

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I’m not just a pretty face….

There’s more to me than a pair of knitting needles!

That was an expression used by a friend I had in England many years ago.
I met her at a ‘mum’s and babes’ group and marvelled at the knitting she produced.
However it seemed in a previous life before she married she had been a plain clothes policewoman, now dissatisfied with her present life (…..”reduced to nursing a baby and clicking knitting needles”….) she certainly let everyone know where she’d been and what she’d done.

So to prove that I can do more than knit I’ve managed to read several books in the last couple of weeks😊
My aim for these last few weeks we’re here has been at least a book a week, meaning I had to finish the ‘backlog of 3 by the bed’ before I could start the two new library ones

David Baldacci introduces a new character in Zero Day (the first in a now 10+yr old series of 5 books) John Puller, who could be called an army special agent investigator, sent to rural Virginia to look into ‘an unusual death’ he meets up with Samantha Cole a local police detective and the story unfolds from there.  This was an impulse ‘pick off the shelf’ from the library. I enjoyed it – a pick it up – put it down – and pick it up again – to get to the end as soon as possible sort of book.  A great way to pass a couple of wet windy days.


Linda Fairstein hadn’t been on my reading list before – this was a find on the ‘drop & swap’ shelf in the laundry.   Final Jeopardy is her first novel about Alexandra Cooper, a sex crimes prosecutor (there’s about 20 in the series now) so I got in on the ground floor as the saying goes.  Friend is killed, she becomes involved and then is a target as well.  I’m not a picky reader (will read anything and everything) but to me this seemed a bit humdrum.  I might see if I can find others and try again.
Other readers love her so maybe I should have another go.


David Mark’s Dark Winter was also another I plucked from the libary shelf.  Some days I go there with nothing in mind and just take something for the heck of it – not sure if I should be more organised or not.  Anyway this is his first novel about Aector McAvoy (10 in total now) – a policeman living in Hull, not the most glamorous city in Yorkshire but one that had a serial killer on the loose.  I became really engrossed in the story as it unfolded just before Christmas (Christmas in the book not real life Christmas lol) – 3 deaths that seemed unrelated till right at the very end.  And yes I did guess the killer but not the way he was involved.  He had vaguely crossed my mind sometime or another and it was only when it became apparent who it was I remembered my thought about that character lol

~ ~ ~ ~

Did I knit over the past couple of weeks – well, sort of 😊

I got fed up with the fawn shirt, then remembered I brought some half finished items with me – aiming to finish at least one. These rather crumpled looking pieces of green (which when finished will be a matinee coat looking like the pink top left corner) will be going home looking very much like they did on the way up. I reworked one of the sleeves then put the pieces back on the big stitch holder…..guess who forgot the very long needles to use for the yoke 😟

A very old pattern book from my very large collection

SO…..if you aren’t just pretty face and there’s more to you than meets the eye would you like to tell me what you’ve been up to ???? 

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I’m linking to Wednesday’s Words & Pics hosted by Denyse – you’ll find many interesting blogs there. Perhaps you’d like to join in as well.

Oh, and why don’t you pop over to see Kat…….She’s hosting Unraveled Wednesday
a great place where you’ll find lots of knitting (and reading)

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Winter Day90

How strange that the first day of our Winter (June 1) was a Wednesday and here we are at the last day (August 31) and it’s also a Wednesday!

Day1 at home in Victoria was the day we went for a drive in the rain (https://cranethie.com/2022/06/02/winter-day-1/) – I’m not sure how today will pan out but yesterday (Day90) here outside my little cabin in Queensland it was also wet!


Unlike Day1 when he didn’t play – on Day90 The Golfer decided maybe it wouldn’t be that bad…..it was the Veterans afternoon and ‘we can’t let the side down’ so just after lunch, waterproofs and brolly at the ready he headed out.

By early afternoon it was coming down in bucket loads

And had turned cool – well much cooler than it had been😌

But certainly nothing like it was at home!


Me – well I gathered up my blanket (to keep my toes warm) new library books
latest knitting project, parked myself on the bed and settled down
to enjoy an afternoon doing as I like on my own

He was home just after 4pm……a little wet and a bit subdued. Still doesn’t enjoy playing in the rain so didn’t stop for a drink in the club house…..something he usually enjoys
(reliving the game with all and sundry😊)

Me – well I was comfy so suggested he might like pop down and get pizza for dinner!.
Thanks for your suggestions
I’ll think about doing something with those egg plants another day !
~ ~ ~ ~

On the needles
The makings of another shirt similar to last week. I’ll do the ‘grandad neck’ on this one

Library books.
Violeta by Isabel Allende. ~ Her new release but my first read of any of hers
Cooktown by Andreas Heger. ~ A debut novel by a new to me Australian author

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As it is Wednesday why not visit…..  Unraveled Wednesday  hosted by Kat…….As Kat Knits.  where there’s lots more knitting (and reading) to admire and think about

Linking to Wednesdays Words & Pictures …….Hosted by Denyse

#enjoyeverymoment

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