🧶 Up for a challenge…

Now the days are getting longer (becoming lighter earlier/ getting dark later – daylight savings just begun) I’m more comfortable driving after hours…I’m now back at my local evening craft group where the Spring Challenge is assisting another local charity to build up their stock.

Each of us were ‘given’ sight unseen (eyes closed put your hand in a box, take your pick a bit like lucky dip) -a ball of yarn – ply plus gm weight unknown then ‘told’ to make what we can of it – which means I’m ‘back in the bub’s wear dept.’ again- making their recommended top down large premature size baby jacket from here.

Recommended yes, in fact it’s the only one they will receive:- .
Do you accept donations other than the items listed on your website?
We have worked closely with hospitals to ensure our patterns meet hospital safety and infection control guidelines. For this reason, we can only accept items listed on our website. Source

Maybe not my favourite construction method, it’s a fairly easy straight forward knit, one I’ve made many times before in larger sizes, not always in soft baby tones though, in fact the last time was in much darker colours.
( I veer away a little from the published instructions but the result is the same)

I scored some soft 8ply in a strong baby pink so toned it down by adding 100gms of cream from my stock and managed to do a little mix/max thing ending up with two sets 😊

Guess who didn’t weigh and divide her gifted yarn? On the premise that if I could get one set out of half I could get another.
So I had to knit both bodices and sleeves first, then cross fingers I’d have enough for contrast on the hats/bootees – sneaked in with the tiniest amount left. Now just have to add the cream skirt on to the stripy bodice.

My latest library book arrived. After reading (well, finishing) a big fat zero (yes, nothing at all) during September I’m hoping this will get me going again.
Three women and a Boat – Anne Youngson aka The Narrowboat Summer. (2020)

I’m late to the party I know…Goodreads has over 3.5K * ratings..some good some bad mostly in the middle. Wonder what I’ll think of it ??

* * * *

And months after they were begun these little beauties are finally finished and now residing in my charity box where they’ll be joined by lots more various items over the coming months waiting for when the charities shelves are restocked early in the new year.

And a little laugh with the hope that this month is better than the last

Sharing with Denyse’s weekly link up Wednesday’s Words and Pics. .
#WWandPics
Also joining in with Kat and others at Unraveled Wednesday 

A horse and cart. .

A few years ago now (2019) Melbourne was lucky enough to have (some of) The Terracotta Warriors come to town for several months. .. .to the NGV in fact. We were away for a lot of that time and because of the strong interest had to wait until the last week to get our exhibition tickets.

It was definitely worth the wait (and the ticket price) however there was just one problem (for me) – much of it was behind glass and the lighting was ‘strange’ plus there were so many people around so I found it difficult to get good photos.

There was another exhibition running side by side with this one which covered modern Chinese art – featuring installations using gunpowder and 10,000 porcelain starlings depicted as a murmuration……but in my mind this is what stole the show.

The Emperor’s Chariots – or as I said to The Golfer.
‘Come and have a look at these rather nice looking horse and carts’

At first glance these might all look the same but different angles mean there’s something different to see in all of them .
To see them best……Click/ tap or finger slide to enlarge

*****


Tiggers Mum aka F mentioned ‘bucket lists’ the other day and I’ll admit to having had China on my list. It’s been so much easier to go there (under supervision) yes you really only get to see all the touristy things… for me that would be The Great Wall for one plus to possibly see more of thousands of warriors who made up The Army plus the real chariots because the ones that came to Melbourne (and anywhere else in the world) are replicas.

Unfortunately after the exhibition closed the whole world was turned upside down by the pandemic. I dislike disappointments but somehow I think I’ll have to enjoy the memories of what we saw that day because I’m not getting any younger I don’t think I’m/we are going to make it after all.
We haven’t been back to the NGV either – that is going to be a lot easier to rectify.
****

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

https://concreteplayground.com/melbourne/arts-entertainment/ngv-terracotta-warriors

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/how-ngv-staged-its-terracotta-warriors-and-cai-guoqiang-exhibition/news-story/f894bfcef07876b736a3ec73f3aec853

https://www.shine.cn/feature/art-culture/2111128068/

That came around quickly…

August is the 8th month of the year – one which has 31 days
June & July came and went (quickly), today is the 2nd of August, the 63rd day of Winter here in Australia, which means that..…wait for it
Spring will arrive in 29 days😊.
* * * *

** **.** **

Finally after four weeks life has slowly settled into some sort of a routine – a quiet non hectic routine nothing like at home. . .
Here I’m perfectly happy to look at gardens around town and know I don’t have to tend to them
Over the years I’ve been to local service clubs as a visitor but have decided to give them a miss this year.
With no choir or book club to join, any singing I do is confined to the shower and of course I can read anywhere and maybe tell you about the books I read.
There’s a ‘weekly ‘gathering of ladies’ for craft* in the camp kitchen – which I avoid….if I want to whinge about life I’ll do it at home with people I know….and where some handiwork gets done at the same time (*here people make a show of leaving it on the table but not doing anything*).

Something different though – is that we eat out far far more often (it’s a first world problem for me but cooking with electric in a very confined space is not on my list of ‘things to do’ – I’m a cooking with gas, give me room to move gal😊) . . and (another first world problem) the internet signal/reception for all carriers is lousy in the area we are staying!
* * * *

It’s been a sort of hit and miss week- I finished a couple of ‘small’ books and a few more of the little blanket squares but the ‘big things I wanted to get done never really got a look in. I began to read Fled but was sidetracked by those smaller books – the same thing happened when it came to making up the brown fair isle jumper, front, back and sleeves were sewn together but when it came to picking up for the neckline – well those easy to knit squares were suddenly far more interesting! It’s a good job there’s no deadline on any of these activities.

Made it to ch.11
Still have the neck to finish

I have to say it’s been a while since I’ve been reduced to tears when reading a book – in fact I’d be hard pushed to remember the last time – yet it’s happened twice over this past week and all because of those two little books
Who says books written for children are only of interest to children and war memoirs are only of interest to men??.

The Odd Angry Shot – William Nagle. . .1975. 137pages.
Recollections of time spent in Vietnam, written as only an Australian could. Thoughts about happenings – then “Remember?” .
Seemingly larrikin behaviour mixed with dark humour mixed with emotion followed by ‘didn’t see it coming’ violence.
Do try to get a copy if you can – not a novel, not a full blown record of events – just one person remembering.

Seven Little Australians – Ethel Turner ….1894. 177pages.
Reminding me at times of The Railway Children and Little Women – this is a story about children, their father and their stepmother in late 1800s Australia.
Very ‘normal’ individual high spirited (described by the author as naughty) children aged 16 down to 4 – a young stepmother (with her own young child from the marriage) who took on the raising of (and lovingly caring for) those six children when their own mother died . . . she is the go between them and – a father in the army who tends to be strict yet caring.
Life just happens along full of daily ‘adventures’ – some that might seem strange in these days but were as possibly would have been then. Growing up is never easy – unexpected things turn up – some of them funny, some of them very dramatic, some of them very sad.
Yes, it’s described as a children’s book….but so so readable by an adult

#enjoyeverymoment

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

Also joining in with Kat and others at Unraveled Wednesday 

🧶 Seeing Red..

Even though we’ve experienced life in these cabins over countless winters since 2008 I am still finding it a struggle to keep our ‘tiny house’ tidy. I’m continually picking up and putting away. It’s not that we brought our whole life with us – I think we’ve just got out of the habit of containing all our stuff like we’ve done in the past.. I had some thoughts (HERE) on this size of living space in a blog post a few years ago and still can’t make up my mind on it

Consequently (as I’ve often mentioned) we ‘live’ outside – (which is how it should be considering we’re up here in The Dry Tropics to enjoy the warmer winter days) – we’re just not living quite as outside as those around us though. The camping in all guises lifestyle would be great in sunny weather although I’m not so sure about it when the skies are dark and grey and heavy.

And even though, more often than not when the skies darken here at this time of the year nothing ‘comes of it’, I definitely feel better retiring under the solid roof of my ‘tiny house’

This year there’s been an awful lot of afternoons spent in the little sitting area outside the cabin. True to form books and craft are always at the ready with plastic tubs and esky coming in handy as makeshift ‘tables’ – or footstools. Blanket squares are the go at the moment- there was a huge amount of red left from the large bag my friend provided for the notorious stranded jumper so I’m using it to help out another acquaintance with something I know won’t be returned. No nonsense simple easy 40sts 20cm 8ply garter st squares
means I can read or watch tv at the same time – or even just close my eyes

Sunday we took a drive up the hill to look down on the harbour. Mainly to see how much traffic there was in the marina but also to watch the sky. It definitely looked like Storm clouds were a comin’ ….yet we were foiled again! They moved on inland.

Not so on Monday – am & pm – wasn’t exactly tropical, was it😕

13c/55f…..16c/60f. Plus ‘feels like’ much lower!

And like most everyone else in the park who ‘stayed home’ waiting for the weather to break and the temps to rise, this is how I (and The Golfer I might add) ended up spending most of the day. Lounging around on the bed with a previously unread children’s classic (and those easy knit squares) to keep me company.

No complaints from me though
dry sunny is forecast here for the rest of the week
cold and showery with possible frost back home!!.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sharing with Denyse’s weekly link up Wednesday’s Words & Pics.
Why don’t you pop over and see who’s visiting her today

Also joining in with Kat and others at Unraveled Wednesday .
Where there’s lots of knitting and reading and general chit chat going on

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

Not today Josephine!

Poor Josephine has been itching for an hour or two in my hands – she didn’t get the hoped for reading on the drive up and took a back seat while I’ve been knitting and nursing The Golfer over the past week.
Honestly you wouldn’t read about it…. since our run in with Covid last December we’ve tried to stay out of harms way but I’m beginning to think someone’s got it in for us.

Before we left home there was my setback that put us a week behind and then very late afternoon the day we arrived The Golfer had a sudden tickly throat cough episode…one that wouldn’t go away. Just before ‘lights out’ I jokingly asked if he’d anything else going on…..well I’m a bit hot!.

Oh bu****, we’ve been on the road four days, what’s he picked up?.
Incubation time?
I sat in the car as well as the table and didn’t mix with anyone while he dealt with ordering & paying for anything (fuel/food).
Please don’t let it be the dreaded ‘you know what’.

(As an aside, gone are those days of driving off with a toothbrush comb and a couple of changes of clothes and underwear….these days – we all know what happens these days…..along with this that and the other there’s also the ‘you never know/ might needs’ in the form of a small chemist shop that comes along in a box. Honestly It’s a real pain such a nuisance to have to go buy something you’ve got sitting in the cupboard at home.

Anyway this year for the first time I set it all out and talked it through with the man – bring or leave and buy if needed. So as well as a few other bits, no thermometer no cough mixture no Vicks made the cut (famous last words …..we’ve never been sick here- we’ll nip down the road if we need it)

At the last moment for some reason I did put in a couple of boxes of RAT tests…
…this ‘illness’ seemed very Covid like but didn’t pass the test (3 over several days) more than a cold but not as bad as flu – or how we imagine flu to be ( it could have been a mild case – yet enough to ‘knock him out enough to need bed rest’ as he’d had his booster a month previously).

All this to say here we are 7 days after arriving, the pharmaceutical dept has been enlarged, and we now appear ready to enjoy our stay. Last week’s rainy days passed, the (very lukewarm) sun made an appearance, the golf clubs had their first (very slow) airing this morning and (now I’m able to concentrate) I’ve been to the library sussing out new reading material.

Josephine -well, her nearly finished Insp. Grant novel – (along with me and my man) finally made it down the road to Rose Bay on Saturday morning – the first day it was warm enough to sit out without being bundled up.
Seems like I’m getting to be more like a local than a visiting tourist 😎

Well that’s been my week- how’s yours been?
I wonder what’s in store- known or unknown- for any of us this week coming?

Sharing with Denyse’s weekly link up Wednesday’s Words & Pic
Why don’t you pop over – you never know who’s visiting her today

And we’re off again..

Happy Days are here again 😎

Taking a little drive ‘up the road’ – leaving very early this Friday morning
(A week later than planned due to an unexpected medical appointment).
Travelling via Parkes, Goondiwindi and Rockhampton
with (hopefully) no floods, fires or state border closures to hinder us…..
it might be a bit wet somewhere along the line though courtesy of an unseasonal front making it’s way cross country west to east. Bowen is expecting a ‘drop or two’ on Monday!
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-28/unusual-widespread-winter-rain-predicted-for-queensland/102525130

2,400 kms

We’ve done this 4day drive so many times we usually know what to expect – apart from the unusual aforesaid floods, fires and border closures….there could be roadworks, unexpected health issues like last year or the odd early morning close encounter with roadside grazing ‘roos to contend with but generally it’s smooth sailing all the way. Yes, it’s a fair way to drive but with regular stops and both of us taking the wheel for two hour stints the days seem to pass by quite quickly.

~ ~ ~ ~
A few years ago someone on another site once asked how we coped being together in a small space for that length of time….

“ …Day one starts excitedly, we’re a bit hyped up having spent the last few days making sure we have everything ready and packed in the car so it takes us till lunchtime to relax and get into the swing of things. By the end of the day all this catches up with us and we are glad to get to our first stop.

Day two we start to bicker – happens each time!

Even tho we have bits and pieces in the car (to read, craft and listen to) as well as drinks and snacks I think it’s the effects of sleeping in a strange bed and the prospect of another long day on the road that brings on this stupidity – as thats what it is.

‘Why are you changing the radio station – I was listening to that CD, why are you changing it – why have you changed the heating/cooling – what do you mean keep both hands on the wheel – this one when you can see for miles ahead and there’s not another thing in sight!’  Silly little things.  

By day three its back to normal again, it’s as if we’ve settled down into a better routine knowing and accepting there’s nothing we can do about the size of our great land and as we’ve chosen to drive and not fly thats all there is to it.

Day four is a ‘short day’ the excitement is back again, we know we are on the last leg of the journey to our final destination and relaxation….”

~ ~ ~ ~
We’ll be heading home after Father’s Day – mid September
but I’m sure I’ll be chatting to you before then 😘.
… … … …

Added here to say…..we’ve arrived!.
In spite of it being a bit of a damp journey it was made more pleasant by seeing a double rainbow at West Wyalong and discovering ( thanks to multicultural resettlement programs) the ‘chef’ at the local Namoi Hotel in Narrabri makes the most delicious Nepalese Chicken Curry

The ‘unseasonal front’ is still making itself known…..Bowen is putting on its cool cloudy dull side this week. Rain coming down in torrents, cover on the bed, warm clothing making an appearance and no sun to be seen – hopefully it’ll change by the weekend.

Sharing with Denyse’s weekly link up Wednesday’s Words & Pic
Why don’t you pop over and see who’s visiting her today

🧶 But wait, there’s more..

( Crook – sick, unwell. That’s been me for the past week
Stayed offline – hopefully better now)

The disappointment of having the child’s red woolly returned has gone now, it was a slightly different feeling to that from a couple of years ago but for a little while there left a sour taste in my mouth..

I did get a note from my friend saying how upset she was with her daughter and how sorry (and embarrassed) she was it happened.
Let’s just say (sadly) for her grandson, his loss was my gain – win win in fact – the charity receives and I happily use skills learnt and …as mentioned in that post…plan another venture.

Unfortunately nothing more has happened to the royal blue jumper since then, there’s still just the back waiting patiently….

So…as per usual when I get an idea running through my mind….I charge in wanting to see if it’ll work
Which means …that now there are two more ‘backs’ waiting patiently…

And I’m thinking the makings of 3 fronts and 6 sleeves are going to have to come along for a ride sometime in the near future and be knit elsewhere.

📘 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 📘

You might be interested to know that after I don’t know how long I’ve actually found a book that’s holding my interest – A Shilling for Candles.
A novel given to me by someone who knew I was struggling.
“An old fashioned crime mystery will get you going again”

I’m three chapters in and it appears
“…no hearts were breaking because Christine Clay was no more….the world was dusting off its blacks and hoping for an invitation to her funeral….”.
I’m all ears (well eyes actually) tell me more 😊

It’ll also be coming along for the ride and I’ve been given the ok to pass it on to someone else when I’ve finished.
… … … …

#keeplifesimple

Sharing with Denyse’s weekly link up Wednesday’s Words & Pic
Why don’t you pop over and see who’s visiting her today

Do you ever wonder

Do you ever wonder who has walked down a path before you
Yes I know that sounds ‘very deep’ .
but in this case that is what I actually mean

In the very early years of going up to
Bowen, Queensland

we would always take a daily walk on the nearby beach.
(not so much these days because you know…aches pains etc)

Each time we stepped onto the sands
I’d look up and down Queens Beach

2009
2009

And if I saw footprints in the sand
I often wondered who they belonged to

Were they enjoying life – having a good time
a very easy thing to do in the winter sunshine
of Far North Queensland.

Look at this great impression of a foot I saw in the sand

And this big shoe print – looks like a man’s to me
Walking on his own by the look of it
‘cose
I couldn’t find any dog paw prints close by

And these might be the group of women
who would run/jog along here each morning 
just after breakfast

Anyway, over the years we’ve spent quite a few months of walking up there
while it was cold and wintery in Melbourne
2400 kms away.
And I was wondering how many of the feet who made those footprints in the sand are still doing so? I wonder if their owners are still making as clear an impression as they did then?.

Won’t be long before I’ll be checking it out again.
And with a forecast like this for next week- it can’t come soon enough 😎

Monday Musings – a time to think and ponder

Sharing with Denyse’s weekly link up Wednesday’s Words & Pic
Why don’t you pop over and see who’s visiting her today

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

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

2012

~ ~ ~ ~

2013

~ ~ ~ ~

2015

~ ~ ~ ~

2016

~ ~ ~ ~

2017

~ ~ ~ ~

2018

~ ~ ~ ~

2019

~ ~ ~ ~

2020

~ ~ ~ ~

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 .

🧶 Gosh, what am I going to do with that…

My initial reaction to a gift I was given late last year

…..”Mum ordered this online – it’s described as Pale Marigold but isn’t exactly what she thought it would be, she thinks it’s too bright . She knows you knit for charity and you’ll welcome it..

(‘Mum’ is a longtime friend who moved to another suburb
daughter lives locally)
~ ~ ~ ~

By the time I took this photo back in early March (for a post I had in mind but never got round to) I’d had a rethink – yes, it’s a bit bright – not quite orange..not quite yellow…youngsters like bright, I’d rephrased my thoughts to something like – Never look a gift horse In the mouth – because I knew it would be welcome wherever it went and by whoever wore it.

So another tried and true pattern had come out of the pile. Styled for a little girl, with a lace panel on the front and sleeves but easily adapted for a boy by leaving them off.
Then I got sidetracked and this was put to one side – it’s only just recently I’ve been able to say that from the 300gms I’d been gifted I managed to produce both a jumper/sweater and cardigan (similar sizing) adding the same lacy design to both of them

With a mind going round in circles recently, I’ve begun to take slow walks again.
The piles of recently fallen leaves at the local park reminded me that nothing (or very little) lasts forever and to enjoy life in whatever way you can.
Those thoughts plus the addition of some beautiful sunny days helped chase the blues away

So what if I had to drive to a place that was within walking distance – those extra 500m downhill one way (then uphill coming back – with no conveniently placed roadside benches,) would have had me exhausted.
It’s what happens there that makes the difference 😊

Feeding the inner child

And the book I began – In a Strange Room – well unlike the knitting, I didn’t return and finish it…..it’s sitting on the shelf waiting for me to pick it up – sometime.

It’s Wednesday again
the first Wednesday in a (another) new month
This time it’s the first Wednesday in May 2023.

So I’m sharing today’s post at Denyse’s weekly link up called Wednesday’s Words & Pics . Why don’t you pop over and see who’s there this week

( Does anyone know where April went?)

#staypositive