Helping Out A Friend....

 

Julie from over  at http://jewells58.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/quilts-please.html has put the call out for donations of quilts for residents in Dungog who have lost everything in the recent floods. Julie was fortunate throughout the flood and bad weather and didn't lose anything - but many people she knows and several of her good friends did. 

 

 

Most of my readers will have seen the reports of this house floating away during the worst of the flood - this belonged to friends of Julie!!

The elderly peoples settlement also got flooded ad nothing inside their units was saved.

So please pop over to Julie's blog and read her latest post, even if you don't quilt you may be able to help out in some other way!!

 

 

If you can see your way clear to help out Julie in her quest please pop over to her blog and comment or send her an email. I am contacting a few quilty friends down here and am hoping to get a quilting bee organised to make some over the next couple of weeks. The sizes needed are single bed or larger, in designs suitable for adults.

Back from Holidays....

 

Yes I am back, Karah and I had a great time down on the Great Ocean Road - more on that in a later post. Back at Easter time I participated in an Easter Swap run by Julie - well here is the fabulous box of goodies I received from Pat

 

 

Playing cards with Crab recipes - yummo; a little bucket with 'Oak Harbour Washington' on it, pretty decorator easter eggs, choccies, and some reading matter - Mother Earth News which I love and hadn't yet got this edition, and some novels - handy to fill in the hours I cannot sleep at night!!

 

But wait there is more.... 4 FQs in my favourite colours and a packet of 5" squares from Timeless Treasures called Tonga Treats (so bright and happy). A fridge magnet, some ribbon, a packet of sweet pea seeds and.... 5 handmade brooches.

 

Just look at these gorgeous brooches made by Pat from Sharks teeth - love them!!! I couldn't have been spoilt anymore by Pat!! Unfortunately I don't know the name of Pat's blog (or if she even has one) - I will have to check that out with Julie!! And a big thank you to Julie for doing such a great job in organising this swap!!

 

A few photos of Karah from our holiday - she loves 'BIG' things!!!

 

 

Top: The Big Murray Cod at Tocumwal

Bottom: The Big Whale at Cape Otway Lighthouse near Port Campbell

 

The big fibreglass wacky cows at Shepparton (have to admit I am a bit partial to these also!!)

 

 

The blue one is my favourite....

 

These were beautiful - they are in a playground at Anglesea I think - carved Octopus and Shark

But my favourite photo of all 500 I took is this one.

 

We stayed at the Kennet River Holiday Park (recommend - it was large, spread out and beautiful cabins - but no fuel in the village!!) late afternoon the parrots all come down to the park and they climb all over everyone - of course if you have a bag of feed they stay on you - luckily she didn't get pooped on - the smile would have disappeared very quickly if that happened - I think this was one of the highlights of the trip for her!!!)

 

And back at home we are busy with the everyday things....

 

 

Hmmm....... he goes past on that noisy, rattly things and leaves us dirt!

 

 

and he keeps on going up and down....

 

 

don't know what he is doing but we will check it all out....hmmm...... we have meals on wheels - fresh oats for lunch served up at eating height!!! Greg decided to sow the horse paddock down to oats as there are showers predicted (plus lots of moisture from the 30ml we had a week ago) - Shadow, Bidgee and Bobby weren't too sure what was going on though. They decided he was a keeper though as they wouldn't let him out the gate when he finished - he had to leave the tractor and combine there until they lost interest!!

 

 

 

arah from our holiday...

 

 



FAMILY REUNION

The highlight of my Easter was our family reunion on my fathers side. It was the first time I had actually met some of my cousins. Unfortunately not all families were represented but there are plans for another one next year so hopefully more can get to that one.

 

 

All of us who attended (including partners)

 

 

Josie (mum, SIL) Uncle Neville (dad's brother), Aunty Pat (SIL), Aunty Val (Dad's sister), Uncle Harold (Dad's brother). One sister was in hospital and the other brother was unable to get up from Victoria. there were 13 in the family originally, 3 died when they were very young and the others have passed on in later years.

 

 

The second generation present (my lot) - quite a few are missing.

 

3rd generation - back row, second from left is Adam and back row far right is Isaac.

 

4th generation present - my 3 grandchildren Karah, Lachlan and Abbey; and Uncle Harold's great grandson Mica. The age span was from 2 years to 86 years. Hopefully the uncles and aunties will all be able to attend net year and with a few more of generations 2, 3, and 4 it will be bigger and better.

 

 

We held it in the little town of Weerhalle (an hour from Grifith and an hour from West Wyalong) - where our grandparents lived and farmed. Two uncles are still living there.

The picture above is the railway station that is now used as a craft shop (which wasn't open when we were there)

 

 

The mural painted on the platform on the other side of the railway. Weethalle is a dry area cropping and livestock town with a pub, country/bowling club, school, roadhouse and garage. Now it is time for me to get cracking with packing for our week away - so looking forward to 6 days of just travelling and taking in the sites!!

Have Great Week Everyone!!!

 

 

R.I.P.

Rest In Peace Stephanie

 

 

May your family, fiancé and friends find some closure and the strength to get through the coming days, months and years. So much lost for so many.

 

I have always felt so fortunate that my family and I knew and still know why our precious girl passed on, I prayed that Stephanie would be found and I pray now that there will be some answers for her family - no matter how horrendous - as a parent, sister, brother, fiancé, or friend - you need those answers to be able to start to heal - whether that process starts today, tomorrow, next week, next month or next year - your heart, your soul and your mind need those answers.

I don't know anything about the accused's family, but he has a family, and as a mother who has done the very best I could in bringing up my children, I can't help but feel so very sad for his mother - how is she reconciling the fact that it was her child who did this terrible thing, how does she go about each day now trying to live her life.

And how does a small community such as Leeton get over such a tragedy, how do the students who loved this beautiful girl go back to school next week and settle back into their routine, how do her fellow teachers prepare themselves to go to work and care and nurture their students through this. 

It has been a sad week in this region, and today I am so grateful that I have 4 healthy sons still with me, 12 beautiful grandchildren to share my days with and so very happy that I was able to wake up this morning and my lot in life is as it should be. It is a bright, sunny and warm day today - just as it should be for the very special gathering in Mountford Park, Leeton - where this bright sunny beautiful girl will be remembered and her loved ones will be embraced with the care and support of a small tight knit community. 



Catching Up

 

2015 is leaving me behind - well into April already - seem to be running around in circles and not achieving much at all - or at least cannot see where I have been!! Soooo.. some photos and a few words about what I have been doing!

 

 

Karah and her horse 'Bidgee' - lot of time being spent handling her as she is not broken in yet - Adam (our eldest and the horseman) gave Bidgee to Karah and shows her something new to do with her each time he comes down from Bredbo. This is the quiet and easy part of it all - once she is broken the riding lessons etc will start and where karah, horse and dog get to then will be anybody's guess - at least another 12 months off thankfully!!

 

 

Anzac project done and dusted.

 

 

Easter Saturday night bonfire - huge dry pile of all the cuttings and cleanup during summer that we couldn't burn. Had to give the Lachlan instructions on how to get a fire going - he was trying to light it from the top with a strong breeze blowing. He couldn't understand why I was trying to get him to light it from the bottom and in under the pile.

 

And it's away.... we had my cousin and her family visiting over Easter - so nice to have a bbq dinner and a few bottles of wine by the side of the fire - I don't do enough of relaxing and winding down!

 

 

Lots of time looking after this little munchkin.

 

Part 3 of the 2015 SAL 'Nature's Journey' is finished and I have started part 4.

 

This is my friends centre block for Natures Journey - she seen what I was doing and decided to get the pattern and do it to - mind you she is months ahead of the girls who are part of the online SAL - just thought I would share her colours - she was so undecided on what colours to do it in - I made a special visit and picked these out for her - she is happy with the colours now she has done the centre block - the photo doesn't do it justice - it is actually a bit brighter in real life.

Easter was very busy for us - we had a family reunion on my dad's side - first one ever - more on that on the net post. Karah and I are off on a weeks holiday - we are going to travel the Great Ocean Road - so the next 2 days will be busy with packing and getting organised. have a great weekend everyone!!!