Holdups, Scares and No Baby

No Baby - husband Pete now has to head back to Townsville on Wednesday for a week. Katie's talking about going with him. A little bit worried with this. I can see her going into labour on the stretch between Rockhampton and Mackay and Pete having to deliver his daughter on the side of the road and then Katie will be left at the hospital in Mackay with new baby and Dylan by herself while Pete has to continue on to Townsville. I can't leave here until Friday, but who will look after my babies.
My brother Ken and his wife Lyn arrived safely just on 10pm last night. The trip took 7½ hours instead of the usual 4.


They had a few holdups . . .


First one - at 9am a truck rollover on the Bald Hills end of the Gateway Motorway - the load shifted, we saw the accident on the 6pm news and the truck was on its side and across the 3 lanes of the overpass. Witnesses said he wasn't speeding, just unlucky and so was the witness, 1½ minutes earlier and he would have been home watching it on the news instead of being in the news. The holdup was that the road had to be repaired before traffic was allowed to travel again.


Finally, they decide to take the Redcliffe off ramp and get past that little carpark when . . .


Number 2 - they get stopped by a 2 car accident on the Beerwah turnoff, the Steve Irwin Way. 1½hours later on their way again . . .


Number 3 - to be stopped by roadworks further up the highway.


Number 4 - was't a holdup just a serious scare. Passing the Sexy Coffee north of Maryborough a semi pulls out in front of them - he didn't even look, hesitate or stop. After standing on the brakes Ken had to do some rally driving to miss him.


Meanwhile my DSIL is calmly sitting in the passenger seat having a nervous breakdown.


Luckily she brought some terrific S&T. I saw the first one last night - a mystery quilt in red and black, only one word for it - Stunning. Will take photos today so you can all share.


And then there is our scare - Our baby went missing - Miss Molly Jones.


We were outside - me at the clothes line bringing in the washing and Ian watching the black clouds gather. The little scallywag took off - she hates thunder. We got the neighbours looking, checking all their sheds where she usually goes to hide but not there. Meanwhile the thunder is banging and clanging and lightning is heading straight to ground. I knew that she would take some finding.


I'm walking back down the hill when I see a strange ute at the house, it leaves and I'm just praying that this lovely person has found Molly and that when Ian comes around the side of the house he will have her in his arms. My prayers were answered. She was found roughly 1kilometre away heading straight for town down the middle of the street. Nearly got flattened before this lovely lady (who I still don't know) picked her up. She told Ian that she knew she was fairly close to home and well loved because she could smell the shampoo I had used to give her a bath yesterday morning, so she door knocked until she found us. Thank you, thank you.

My baby Miss Molly Jones.

Cobblestone Blocks

I have finished my first cobblestone block. Theme - party. I have emailed Stephanie and will post them first thing in the morning. I thought the blocks had to go to Victoria but they have to go to WA. Now the darn things will be late and it's my very first swap. Not a good way to start.


I don't know why we're panicking about the baby no-show she isn't due until the 12th February. It's just that Katie's first born Dylan arrived 3 weeks early, so if you take that into the equation Katie is overdue with this one. Each day is different, one day bubby is way down and quiet the next she's high and having a party.

My brother Ken and his wife Lyn (also a quilter, but not a scquilter) will arrive late tomorrow. Lyn and I are putting together a quilt for my youngest brother Trevor's 50th birthday in November, we will both make the blocks, Lyn will put them together and then I will quilt and bind it. I think it's going to be 9patch on point between sashings, unless the plan has changed. All out of scraps, not sure on the block size yet, that's something we will work out over the next few days.

My craft group's projects for 2007 are a rag rug - made any way that turns us on. One of the ladies is knitting hers, another is using a small loom. I think I will plait mine, I have always wanted to make one like this so here's my chance. The other project that I'm trying to convince them doing is our own block swap. I have made two blocks today Churn Dash and Shoo Fly, both very simple blocks and easy to make and I will take them along on Tuesday to show the group. My personal preference is Churn Dash, I've seen some beautiful quilts made from this simple block.

Hopefully with the ladies seeing the blocks we will start swapping the last Tues in February with the Valentine's theme, red roses or hearts plus cream tone on tone.

My Baby

My baby with her baby.

Katie's DMIL Lorraine has arrived and says that Katie will have her baby tomorrow, probably in the afternoon, but have an early night because tomorrow is the day.

Katie's at the stage in her pregnancy where labour would be wonderful.

No Baby Yet!

I thought Katie would have had her baby by now. Dylan was three weeks early. This little ones official due date is 12th Feb, but the excitment is building.

At 10.47 last Sunday night the phone rings with Katie saying "I think labour is starting". The contractions were all over the place for the next 5 hours and then disappeared around 4 the next morning.

Monday was spent in anticipation because the pains were still niggling. It was in the lower back and Katie spent the day cleaning.

I spent the day sewing little t.shirt nighties. During the washing of all the baby clothes Katie realised that while she had oodles of clothes for the baby - courtesy of her older sisters, she had very little for a new born.

Well here we are - Thursday and still no baby, but Katie feels it will be tonight - or at least she hopes so, so do I. Lorraine ( her DMIL) arrived this afternoon and now Katie doesn't have to worry about Dylan. Ian will be helping Lorraine. I have still been relegated to the delivery room.

Nighties are finished. The white with blue ribbing in the background actually has purple ribbing. Colours never seem to be accurate.

The phone just rang and it was Katie. No, she wasn't in labour just phoning to see if we want to come out for tea. Told her we would be there around 6.30.

I am now working on my cobblestone blocks for scquilters January swap. Shall take photo and post next time.

Postcards From The Past

This is block number 1 in my Block of the month by Robyn Pandolph called Postcards from the Past.

This is No3 block. As yet I haven't received No2 block

Home again

My man is home, I can relax again.

I found our bed big and empty sleeping in it by myself. It didn't matter when the first grandies were here, cause they had my bed (king size) and I took the double bed, but when Matthew was here he had the double and I had my bed back and I found it huge.

When the men decided they were coming home they drove non stop from Townsville arriving home in the early hours of this morning. Ian crept into our bedroom at 2.30am trying not to disturb me . . . it didn't work.

This morning he has been talking non stop telling me everything that has happened and what he had to do. It's been wonderful!

Ian enjoyed his time up north but is awfully glad to be home again, even though in about 2 weeks he and Pete have to go back to finish the job. The holdup is a bend that has to come from Brisbane and it mightn't arrive for another 10-14days and also the fellas drilling the tunnel under the river bed have hit something so solid the drill won't go through, so they have had to start again from the southern side of the river and hopefully the drill will be able to go through. With Kate so close to delivery they would both rather be home . . . and I would rather have them here too.

Katie has started scaring me. Thurs and Fri she had dropped even further and she had pain across her pelvic region. There isn't a problem with her having the baby, the problem is who is going to look after Dylan while she is in labour. Katie and Pete haven't been around here long enough to make any close friends and even though Ian and I have been here longer we only know a few people and you don't ask people who the child doesn't know to look after him - or I don't.

I'm hoping that Katie will ask her MIL to look after Dylan. Lorraine is like me and just loves that little boy to pieces and he loves her just as much and is quite comfortable with her. I'd look after Dylan myself but Katie won't let me out of the delivery room. With Lorraine and Ian looking after Dylan I think Katie's mind will be eased.

So if you get to read this Lorraine, phone Katie and enquire if she would like you to look after Dylan while she is in labour, cause then you have an excuse to get here earlier, cause she could start labour at any time, but don't tell her I told you.

This afternoon I made a pumpkin fruit cake for the very first time, it's now in the oven cooking, so fingers crossed. Pauline's recipe has been handed down through the generations and she kindly gave me a copy. Her hubbie also grew the pumpkins.

All Alone

Don't you just love this photo. Grandad and grandson tearing around on the motorbike. I can't get over Dylan's balance on the bike, it's like he was born to it. If he's cranky or overtired just take him for a ride on the motorbike or bobcat and he'll be asleep in minutes.

Matthew and I drove down to Maryborough to meet my parents at the Sexy Coffee where we had a cuppa and then they took Matthew home with them until Tuesday when they drive down to Brisbane for a get together with my Dad's brother and sisters. They'll drop Matthew off at my DD#1 before going to the GTG.

So here I am all alone. Spoke to Hubby tonight and it doesn't look like he'll make it home this weekend - could be Tues/Wed of next week. I have my fingers crossed it's not that long.

This afternoon I worked on my BOM and got the borders sewn on and the vines marked ready for sewing, but before I start the applique on that I want to get the horses embroidered, they have to be made into cushions for Kate's birthday next month. I'll take photos tomorrow and put them up here.

Flushed Away

Today Matthew and I went to see the movie Flushed Away, I wasn't enamoured of it though it is good for kids. Halfway through I had to leave for my chiropractic appointment and I left Matthew watching the movie with instructions that if I wasn't back before the movie finished to wait for me in the foyer. I haven't been on tenterhooks so much since my girls were little, I knew he was perfectly safe in the movie theatre but I couldn't relax until I was back there, which as luck would have it I was away for only ½ an hour and most of that was walking the 300metres too and from the theatre and waiting for traffic lights. Mind you while I was gone he had changed to the aisle seat and had his feet - shoes and all - up on the back of the seat in front. Give them an inch . . .

We had lunch at McDonalds before going into Sugarland. I paid some more off my 2 laybys. Haven't I told you about them, silly me - I'm amazed I haven't. I have lay-by'd a bangle for me. When I finally get it I will get it engraved with Ann-Maree's name on the inside. When I die/don't want to wear it anymore she will have it. I paid around the $800 for it and the good thing is that I have to buy 3/maybe 4 when Kate's baby is born. One for each of my grandaughters, so that they each have something special from me, but something that I get the joy of before giving them away. I would like to give something special to each of my grandsons but haven't yet worked out what would be suitable. I am leaning towards a bracelet, a chunky gold fob sort of thing or maybe something that the boys can give to the special woman in their life. But that in itself worries me. I buy this item of jewellery, not cheap, for them to give to their future partner, what if the relationship doesn't last and the girl/woman won't give it back. Then the boys have lost that special something from me. What do you think? How should I work this?

Each Christmas I try to make something for the house. This year I made a centre for my table. It is usually made with pellon but I wanted to be able to put the Xmas tree on the table as well so I used vliesofix between the two layers and it worked well.

I have been on the Internet looking at caravan manufacturers and what they have available. They are all the same and the layouts are all the same and the only one that gives prices is Sunland - which I've never heard of, but apparently are made in Mt. Isa/Longreach - can't remember which one now.

Tomorrow I meet Mum and Dad at the sexy coffee at Maryborough and they take Matthew until Tuesday. My job is done for another summer . . . though Sharyn is coming up next Wednesday with Anne-Maree, Jasmine and Tamina. Now that's going to be fun and games and I would say a lot of arguing. Tamina is the step, so therefore the other girls think she isn't one of us. I saw a little of it when I dropped Anne-Maree and Shaylene back to Mum and Dads. Tamina came up with Sharyn and Matthew and she was the one on the outer.

I spoke to Kym tonight. The roof is on and the roller doors are on and we didn't get to help them at all.

Hopefully Ian will be home some time on the weekend, though I'm not sure about that either. Some parts or machine was supposed to go from Brisbane to Townsville 2 days ago and was only leaving Brisbane this afternoon. I have no idea what that has to do with Pete and Ian though I do know it has held them up.

Tuesday's happenings

Matthew has spent his first full day here. He is very quiet and plays by himself on the xbox or running around the yard with Beccy. When we arrived home on Monday I was very surprised that Beccy accepted Matthew straight away, in fact she wouldn't leave him alone and today wherever Matthew was - so was Beccy.

This is a photo - not a good one - of the calendar holder I painted for the kitchen. I'm very happy with the way it turned out and it looks great on the kitchen wall. When the kitchen is painted it will look terrific.

Couldn't go to craft today. I don't think the ladies would have taken too kindly to a bored 11yr old sitting still - in whose dreams that happens. So the happiest solution was to stay home. Rhonda dropped in after craft and dropped my rag rugs book back to me. That is going to be one of the club's projects this year. We're not all making the same rug, we're all making some kind of rag rug. I think mine will be a plaited oval rug in muddy blues and greens.

Today I finished a couple of scquilter heart hugs and got Katie to post them for me and while Katie was in Bundaberg I got her to pick up a couple of things for me - I'm going to have a go at making a pumpkin fruit cake, never made one before. The other day Pauline - one of our neighbours - came in with a boot load of pumpkins, they grow them and she was doing the neighbourhood run. I could have as many as I wanted, so I helped myself to 8 of them, beautiful Queensland Blues they are too. I have already shared half of them around the family. Pauline was telling me about her family recipe for pumpkin fruit cake that has been handed down from generation to generation and has kindly copied it out for me. So tomorrow is the day. Wish me luck!

Talked to Kym tonight. Phil is putting her up on the roof tomorrow. Would you believe they have got the frame up and the walls on. I think they were hoping Ian was coming home so that they would have some help with the roller doors. Luckily Phil brought the block and tackle from home. Both Ian and I really feel that we have let them down, but Kym assures me that it couldn't be helped.

Katie is getting lower. She is due in 28 days. Dylan her first born was 3 weeks early. So I am expecting a call anytime. Her DH better get that job finished in Townsville and be home this weekend or he might miss this birth too. He was devastated when he missed Dylan's birth - all because the midwives told Katie that he wouldn't be born that day - wrong, 6 hours later. So like I said - anytime and we're taking the video recorder, just in case.

One lot down

Have survived the first lot - grandies that is!

My eldest grandaughter Anne-Maree and my brother Trevor's youngest daughter Shaylene spent five days here and I must admit I enjoyed myself immensely.

I took the girls with me into Bundaberg on Thursday for my wonderful chiropractic session, that woman is a marvel! The md's reckoned the only way to fix my neck was surgery. They go in through the throat and put little blocks between the vertebrae and that would fix my problem. I wasn't too keen on having that done and friends in my craft group persuaded me to try Dr. Debbie after telling me how successful she was in making their back and neck problems liveable. She can't cure my back - arthritis - but she has certainly made 100% difference. No pain, no numbness and no pins and needles and she doesn't crack, thank goodness for that, I had it done once to me, I was so tense they over cracked and I ended up with a migraine for 3 days.

Anyway as usual I have digressed. We went and saw the movie Night in the Museum. What a hoot! I'm definitely buying this movie when it comes out on video. Then we met another of their cousins for lunch and ended up arriving home around 2.30pm. We spent the afternoon baking biscuits and cakes, which the girls enjoyed cause their mothers don't do it anymore.

Have sent them both home with a new craft. French knitting. Spotlight had the kits so I bought the girls one each and started them making a scarf. I have told them if they finish the scarf I will make them a matching beanie.

This morning I took them down to my parents where they will stay until Thursday. Daughter #1 (Sharyn) drove up with Matthew and we all had lunch together at Mum and Dads. Matthew and I left there around 1.30 for the drive home, it usually takes just over the 2hours. Matthew will stay here until Friday when I drive to Maryborough where I will meet Mum and Dad and he will then stay with them until Tuesday morning.

Matthew is enjoying the time here - he has the xbox to himself.

Patchwork on Pallas in is Maryborough, I might have to detour that way before I head back home .

Ian is still in Townsville. Hopefully they (Ian and SIL Pete) will be back home next weekend. Though at the moment each time I talk to the fellas they have added another couple of welds to the job.

Kym and Phil are building their shed at Gayndah and Ian and I were supposed to be helping. In December the slab was being poured on the 21st of Jan and the shed arriving soon after. Well when they spoke to the supplier at the beginning of Jan the slab was already poured and the shed was arriving in the next few days. So with Ian away in T'ville and me here with grandies that put the kybosh on us helping them but I am thinking about driving over to spend the weekend with them, will probably sleep in the back of the ute.

60th birthday party +

Can't believe a week has slipped by, I have tried to post but the darn puter is playing up (am I surprised?), actually I'm not sure if it is the computer or the internet because it keeps telling me there is a mishap and closing the internet down.

On the 7th DH and I travelled to Brisbane for an old friend's 60th birthday celebrations. Ian has known Jim since they were in nappies together and then they went to school together along with Jim's wife Dianne. I didn't come into the friendship until I started going out with Ian some 38 years ago. They are a lovely couple and we have had some good times with them.

We arrived back home on the Monday towing the tandem trailer with a huge clamping machine for SIL Pete. He towed the machine to Townsville for a contract and Ian decided to go with him for the ride. I spoke to them earlier today and so far they have done 5 welds, only another 17 to go. At this rate they won't be home by next weekend.

Last Wednesday I picked up Anne-Maree and Shaylene - the first visit of the Grandies, though Shaylene is my youngest neice, Anne-Maree is my eldest grandchild. The things I do for my family, nice aren't I? don't answer that! Monday I take the girls down to Gympie to stay with my parents for a few days and Sharyn (eldest daughter) brings Matthew up and I bring him home for a few days.

Sadly last Wednesday I received a phone call from Robyn, she has miscarried. Poor little tike. I'm not sure why but I can't help wonder if Robyn's guardia (sp?) didn't start the ball rolling. Her doctor had said that she could not have any medication for the bug until after the baby was born. It didn't gel with me and I was just about to advise her to get a second opinion. It doesn't matter now - she will be able to take it and hopefully this will clear up the darn thing. I don't know whether they will try again as this pregnancy was an 'oops'.

We have started looking at vans again. We have a Roadstar Trackvan but Ian hasn't been totally happy with it since we bought it. There were quite a few little things wrong it when we picked it up, but the dealership was quite happy to fix them all, but still he's not happy, so we are trading it either up or maybe down. We'll have to do a lot of looking this time.

First of the Chrissy photos

Xmas morning at Kate and Pete's and Ian is opening his present from them. Kate's sure she heard noises.

She did, ever seen one of these things?

The least movement sets them off. The whole bag shakes and it sounds like there's at least 2 cats in there and their going at it hammer and tong.

But that wasn't his present. Down the bottom of the box (of course) was a voucher from his favourite store - Bunnings and I wasn't allowed to keep the cat in the bag either. Would have loved to give it to my brother Trev who thinks there's only one good place for felines - in the crab pot.

Catch Up

I suppose you're all wondering where I went, well as Arnie would say "I'm back".
No matter how hard I tried I couldn't access the other blogspot, they said I had the wrong password - an I didn't, even trying to change it to the new google blogspot didn't work, so I now have to start from scratch. I have had a small success in this new blogspot though - I now have a photo of me where you can't miss it.
Now to catch you all up on what's been happening. We had a lovely Xmas day, we arrived at Kate and Pete's around 10am after a leisurely morning doing the daily chores (feed chooks, make bed - that sort of thing) and opened the pressies. Dylan had a lovely time, his second Christmas, his first actually opening presents. He went straight to the battery quadbike that Santa left and scared himself when he pressed the button and away it went. By the time he had finished we had wrapping paper everywhere and he had toys everywhere, big ones - like semi's and backhoes and trucks and he's not 2 yet, but loves machinery, any sort. The day went fast, the men complained because for the very first time we DIDN'T have chicken on Xmas day. We had ham, we had prawns, we had roast pork, we had oysters, did I say we had ham. We arrived back home around 10.30pm.
Our first lot of visitors arrived on boxing day, my sister Jen and her hubbie Steve, they work very hard, they have an organic butchershop at Paddington and another with an organic supermarket at McDowall - in Brisbane that is. I took my sister for her late birthday pressie, a Ka Huna massage with Kay Hoc at Menguan Massage, she fell in love with him as all the rest of us have. Jen reckons, that massage is heaven on a stick. On Thurs, my mum, dad, the eldest of my two brothers Ken and his wife Lyn arrived for lunch along with Kate, Pete, Pete's mum Lorraine - who I might add is one of Kay Hoc's admirer's . We did have a great time.
I slept the old year out and the new one in while all around me everyone else partied. I was tired!
Now all the adult visitors have gone (whew) and I am getting ready for the grandies. In the next 3 weeks I have a lot of running up and down the highway to do picking up and dropping grandies off and I'm only driving halfway their parents are meeting me at my parents just north of Gympie. Its a 4 hour round trip each time.
Will post some chrissy photos over the next few days.