Excitement Mounts

Its getting closer!! Sunday Ian heads off to Brisbane to pick up Phil - a good friend who has taken 2 weeks holiday to help us erect the shed. YEA!!!

So much has happened since I last wrote.
My 'puter has been in the fixit shop, picking it up today. Have borrowed DD3 (Katie) hard drive and set it up so I could at least check on a couple of ebay bids that were closing. Missed out on both of them. I'm after a Elna Lotus, now I just thought there was one model I have since found out there are at least 2 the SP and the ZZ. I maxed my bids just under $200 and they both went for nearly $300, which in hindsight was good, cause now I have to do some research into which model I really want. I know I'll need a walking foot.

Went over to Gayndah last Sunday and on the way home lost the car on a y corner on dirt road, luckily I wasn't travelling fast, just had my foot on the brake pedal and looked left to check if there was anyone coming when we got into the loose dirt. I think the Lord took special care of us that day because there wasn't any traffic in any direction and there were no trees of any size in the way, we just did a complete 360 coming to rest in the grass. No damage to us or the car in any way.

This Saturday is the Dedication (naming/christening) for Kate and Pete's two little ones. Am going shopping after art for a few groceries to help Katie feed everyone. Sadly the only ones who can make it from our family is DD1 Sharyn and Shane and her 3 - Anne-Maree 13, Matthew 11 and Jasmine 5. DD2 Robyn and Scott and their 2 - photo in last posting can't make it. Neither can any great aunts and uncles. One of Katie's cousins Belinda and her hubbie Chris are coming. Belinda and Chris are in 7th heaven. After 3-4 years trying Belinda is finally pregnant due in November (I think).

Molly (our silky) went in to depression mode again. Thought we would have to take her to the vets over Easter. The vet puts her on a drip for a couple of days and then she's as good as new. She cost us $2000 just before Christmas, most of that was the lead poisoning from Ian scraping the weatherboards. We were really close to losing her.

Ian has been scraping the other side of the house and we thought that somehow she might have picked up some more lead, but she has come good. I had ordered a pheromone(sp) from the vets but wasn't able to pick it up until yesterday, we turned it on and she has been so relaxed that she slept the day and night away. No scratching either, she had just about scratched herself to pieces and kept us both awake with all the scratching, apparently this is all a symptom of nerves. I don't know how Ian and I two of the most relaxed people you could ever meet could end up with a nervous wreck of a dog.

I'm off to art this morning so I have to get a move-on to get everything done before I leave.

All Sorts

We swept off the sand and took the plastic off the slab this afternoon. This was supposed to stop it drying out so quickly and hopefully prevent it cracking. So far so good. The lime can now rise to the top. Next week we will seal the cement. I have decided not to have any floor coverings in the 'sewing shed', just the sealed cement with a few rugs I can trip over.

Have started Taneesha's quilt, it has to be ready for the christening on the 14/04. No problem. Actually I'll have it finished this weekend. Have made it in the shaggy style where you have 3 layers of cotton/flannelette and sew it with the seams to the front, then you snip the seam allowance back to the seams and when you wash the quilt all the seams go shaggy. Simple but effective. Will post photos when it is done.

Have finally bought Sims2, installed it and the darn thing won't work, says I need something or other. After a phone call or two I checked and I have whatever it wants but the program just won't work. Talk about frustrated.


This is Skyelah and Jai — Robyn and Scott's children. I think they are fantastic, but I could be a little bit biased. Skyelah turned 7 last Saturday and Jai will be 5 in June.

We Forge Ahead

It's getting closer, my sanctuary— the sewing room.

The formwork being done ready for the slab and the fellas hard at work levelling the slab. The shed and house in the background belongs to Pat and Toby. We cut our original block in half, we now have 2½ acres, and P&T bought the other half. We have known them for around 7-8 years, lovely people, caravanners, can rely on them, just exactly what you want in neighbours.

Ian watering the edges so they don't dry too fast.

a photo of my home (not a good one) taken from the slab, but that is how far I'll have to walk to get to the sewing room.

Can you tell I'm excited!!!

This Week's Rush

What a week!

I'm typing while the next door neighbours dog is busy yapping at something. It's really not like him to do that, so I'm assuming that Jill and Selwyn are away. Having only arrived back home this afternoon myself I'm a little behind in the gossip stakes.

I had to make a quick trip to Brisbane last Thursday to sit with my mum Rosalyn, sister Jen and brothers Ken and Trevor while our dad had shoulder replacement surgery. Mum and Dad only saw the surgeon last Tuesday but had decided that because Dad was in so much pain that if Dr. Duke could operate straight away he would have it done. The Dr could fit Dad in on Thursday afternoon, so it was all a mad rush to be there. The operation went well and after talking to Mum tonight he's now getting out of bed, doing his exercises and going for slow walks around the ward.

I made sure that I packed plenty of hand work to do, miles too much as usual, rather have a glutton than panicking because I have nothing to do. I took with me two projects, my rag rug and Postcards from the Past BOM by Robyn Pandolph. I didn't end up touching the BOM it was just too awkward in the hospital as I didn't really have myself organised, but the rag rug which I'm making in latch hook style was definitely worth taking. I had all the strips cut, it seems like there are thousands of them and I am now over half way. It has a hessian backing and I pulled out every sixth row to keep the each row straight. It's looking fantastic IMHO. I shall post photos when it gets closer to being finished.

On the way home I called into Patchwork Angel, what a lovely shop and of course had some quality squishy time, also had to purchase material for our club's Churn Dash swap and Scq Cobblestone swap, bought both April and May's material. Patchwork Angel doesn't have much in Japanese material but what they do have is beautiful, I think I chose the best.

Tomorrow its unpacking and putting the house in order though Ian DH hasn't made too much of a mess so it's just general tidying.

I admit it!

All right I admit it — I'm hopeless at keeping this thing up to date.

Have been busy working on my 'hearts in blue' getting the cream border embroidered and it is now ready for the final navy border, then I'll take a photo and post it here.

Last year I taught the stained glass stack and slash at my craft group. As usual I still have to finish mine, it's ready for quilting but I'm still tossing whether to add borders to each side and make it into a tablecloth for the back patio. I just love the colours in the top.

This is a close up of a block, it really is so easy to do.

I've also made a stable bag in the last week. The pattern was a bit expensive $22 and I found the instructions weren't crystal clear but I muddled through and I'm thrilled with the results.

I just love the way it opens up and everything is able to be seen at a glance. It would be fantastic to take to workshops with your stuff in, just open up the bag and everything is in front of you, no searching through the depths.

2 posts today - to make up for last week

Took some photos of the latest addition to our growing family, which I now hope has finished growing. With 3 daughters and all of them wanting mum to be a support person when they go into labour I am glad that (fingers crossed) they are finished with babies. When Katie was in labour with Taneesha the midwife, Jennifer, was a lovely lady whose own daughters didn't just want her to be there for support, they wanted mum to deliver the babies. Poor Jennifer was so terrified in case something went wrong with the births. I really felt for her, watching your daughters in so much pain and knowing that so many things can go wrong, you spend the whole time praying to God that he takes good care of everyone.

What a beauty, but then I am just a leetle bit biased.

... and she has a good set of lungs too.

Poor Katie has had to put Taneesha on the bottle, her nipples couldn't stand the pace. They ended up in a terrible mess, she was expressing over 100mls for each feed and as soon as the nipples healed Taneesha would suck them to death again. She definitely has a grip and a half. Just try and get the bottle away from her.

Lots happening/Camping - Christening Shed

As usual this place is a mad house.

Took 'Hearts in Blue' for S&T at craft last Tuesday, have a swelled head and had to come back to earth, which was very easy in this household.

Got back from Dr Debbie on Thursday to the news that we were going camping at Gayndah for the weekend leaving Friday am. spent the afternoon packing as we camp in the back of our ute which has been built to be self sufficient. Bit of a climb for the old bodies when we go to bed and the mattress is getting thinner I can feel the wooden board underneath me and before you say anything it doesn't have anything to do with the extra weight that I carry - according to me that is.

Left home at 10.30am Friday morning texting our friends that we were on our way when they phone us with the news that their one and only grandchild (boy - Lachlan) 5 months old has been rushed to Mater Childrens Hospital with a rash covering his body. With thoughts of meningicoccl (sp?) racing through their heads they tell us they might be driving straight through to Brisbane. An hour later and better news, they have been able to talk to Lachlan's father (DSIL) and not menin... but a severe reaction to School Sores. Lachlan came out in little blisters that busted and took skin and all with it. It was like he had second degree burns and that is how the hospital treated him. Put him into isolation and wrapped him up like a burns victim. At the moment he is only allowed one visitor at a time and the parents dissuaded Kym & Phil from travelling straight through and to enjoy their weekend with us. Who would believe school sores would be so savage ... and we did enjoy our weekend - we christened the new shed.

Sunday morning we head for home the back way, we haven't travelled this way before usually travelling to Ban Ban Springs, Biggenden, Booyal and home, usually takes 1½ - 2 hours depending on traffic. The back way takes an hour and a bit, narrow bitumen road with dirt sections, through private properties, over grids, winding up hill and down dale, in other words a lovely trip. The difference in the countryside is amazing, dry dead grass giving way to lush green pasture.