5 ON FRIDAY - GRATITUDE.

Joining with Kate from I live, I love, I craft I am me, for this post on "gratitude".
Before I even start, I want to THANK everyone for saying they'd like me to continue posting, after I mentioned to a few other bloggers, I didn't think I'd keep on blogging and for all my lovely comments on my Wordless Week.
Grateful for..............

1.  Having a clever hubby.

                               See the little table he fashioned for my chair in the family room.
2.  A garden.

                                         Finding buds on at least 5 of my different hellebores.

     And being able to pick a lemon from our little lemon tree to make this slice earlier in the week.

3.  Having a stash.

The cupboard where my stash belongs after a good tidy up.  Doesn't quite look like this now.

Because I've been rummaging to make quilts, like this Quiltalong I've been  doing and not having to go anywhere to purchase fabric.

4  Anticipation!  Is that something to be grateful for?

Our new wood heater awaiting the plumber to come, so it can be installed.  Ooh I can't wait.  Next week, as long as it doesn't rain.

5.  And for an odd one.......
After creating a big blister on my right thumb from helping cut up small branches to go in the green waste bin after we'd removed a couple of very overgrown shrubs, I'm so glad to be ambidextrous.  Just changed hands to finish it.😌  So "grateful" for that.  I was actually left-handed as a child, but it was very frowned on in those days, so it best to learn to use your right, but some things come naturally to my left at times.

This is probably somewhat disjointed, but then that is just me.  Thanks if you take the time to read & I will be replying again, as it isn't a wordless week.😊
Take care all, stay safe & huggles.
Susan.

5 ON FRIDAY - GRATITUDE .

Linking with the lovely Kate from I live, I love, I craft, I am me.  I know I have so much to be grateful for and am sure it will be much the same as many, but here goes.  Seems like living in our little cocoons at the moment is trying and I smile about moments like this............
1.  Nature....

When I find this little fella in the green waste bin & rescue him.  He quite willingly hopped onto my arm, scratched his tummy with his backleg, looked me in the face a few times and walked up & down my arm & onto my back.  DH went and got the camera & took this photo.  He's not a keen on insects, but I love them.

2.  Using my scraps for something useful.........

 2 little quilts all done & waiting till we can deliver them somewhere .

3.  Having a veg garden, even if not the best this season..............

Still have plenty of silver beet and the last of the tomatoes.  I'll give a couple of neighbours some more of the silver beet over the weekend.  We are reconsidering where to put the veg beds as this seems to get a lot more shade with the 2 trees in the corner so much larger now.

4.  Watching the seasons changing...............

Freesias appearing by the dozen in the rather neglected front garden & the birches above them turning golden, shedding their leaves, giving me plenty of raking with time to chill.  Plans afoot to make it a little prettier. soon.

5.  Having a husband who is thoughtful, handy & caring and children who are making sure we are doing the right thing, by keeping in touch regularly.

My lot for now and I'm off to ring my younger brother to make sure he is OK & abiding by the rules of the moment.  Hard when he doesn't understand as we do, but all seems to right for the moment.
Take care all, stay safe &  big hugs from down under.
Susan.

5 on FRIDAY - GRATITUDE late as ever!

Yes, this was supposed to be done over the weekend, but time slipped away.
Seeing the world has gone crazy, it's been hard to think about our "gratitude's", but here are some small things that have made me smile just lately.

Enjoying some house plants & finding I've missed not having them around the house for quite some time.

Watching the bees & insects gathering pollen/nectar & knowing they are helping pollinate ornamental & vegetable gardens along with our orchards.

Having a very clever husband who has built me this chest of drawers, which I am in the process of decorating.  In this we have some scraps from other projects, pallett timber for the top, part of an old wardrobe that belonged to our youngest granddaughter, and a second-hand TV cabinet (costing all of $12).  I've bought some old handles as well as a few new ones.  I'll show it again once finished.

Tomatoes in our small veg plot.  This year I didn't plant out as much as might normally, due to our very strange weather, but the two tomato plants I put in are doing well now, as is our rather abundant silver beet.  As I said to a friend who is worried about running out of food, at least I'll be able to eat tomatoes, spinach & blueberries from the freezer.😊

And onto my fifth gratitude.  I've plenty of scraps hoarded to make into some little quilts to give away closer to winter (not the best time to be travelling too far at the moment), to help  out in our fire ravaged areas.  Just a little something more personal, than money, which is not necessarily reaching everyone.  These two still need quilting.

I know that I've missed the linkup for this but you can pop across to Kate's blog & see the other links.
I hope to catch up with a couple of other posts already planned during the week as we can't venture out very much/far until this crisis has passed. 
Take extra care everyone & lots of huggles from down under.
Susan.

Five on Friday - GRATITUDE - Feb'20

Joining in with Kate, although I'm a little late due to a wild thunderstorm & lashings of rain last night (Friday) & having to put my thinking cap on straight to realise, yes, I am grateful for so much, especially little things sometimes.  Still struggling somewhat, but we'll have a little look at what has made me smile over the last month.
Gratitude..............
1.  for having a garden.

Looking up under a tiger Lily.

As well as having a garden, which although the steepness is getting more difficult, it still produces plenty of amazing things after our weird weather patterns and I can take photos easily with my digital camera. 

2.  for nature.

The wonderful aspects we see all round us in nature, if we take the time to look & capture.  Isn't this spider web great.  It was huge and went from our pergola over to a shrub near the pond.

3.  for laughter.

We spotted this sign last month & I want to see if anyone can spot what made us laugh?

4.  for handy hubbies.

The start for my chest of drawers to go in my sewing room, instead of a stack of boxes that hold all sorts of bits and bobs.  Watch this space to see progress.......

5.  for lots of scraps & leftovers.

Not wanting to throw away odds & ends from some quilts I've made, I'm now able to make a quick start on some charity quilts for giving to uprooted people from both the recent fires & floods.  Hopefully I'll have them ready as winter arrives in the middle of the year.

I know I'm finding it hard to blog, but I've made some lovely friends through my little blog & if I didn't have them, life would be quite lonely, so here I am, hopefully easing back in.  Comments are wayward on my tablet & what with my old laptop not picking up WiFi anymore,  I'll try & get to the PC a little more & leave comments on your posts.  Thanks for sticking with me.  

Take care & huggles from Susan.

FIVE ON FRIDAY - GRATITUDE

Linking with Kate at I live, I love, I craft, I am me, for her 5 on Friday - gratitude - linkup.

First up.................
1. Still being asked by your children if you are able to make something for them.
DDs idea was for a small table beside her couch for her device, glass of water & maybe a book.

DH took this photo on his phone after he finished it, before it goes.  DD has a birthday 3 days after Xmas & this will be her present this year.
DstepD was saying she'd like some bright cushions for her conservatory whilst we were in the UK.  She showed me some on Pinterest & when we got home, I'd booked into a techniques class & thought a cushion would be a good use for the block I was to make.  Ah, then I remembered a block I'd made many years ago & turned that into a cushion too & now they have been posted for her birthday, which is on Sunday.

2.. Still having good hearing.
On Sunday whilst eating my breakfast, I heard a strange noise, and as I got up to investigate, I remembered what it might be.  Out to take a quick look, back in again to grab camera & voila..............

A hot air balloon floating across our suburb.  I tried to take a photo with the flame rising, but missed it each time.

3.  Some warmth, though not a lot hear in southern Victoria.
Unlike the northern parts of Australia, which are suffering from severe drought, heat & fires.  The little warmth has been enough to ripen....
wait for it.............

Three blueberries.  There are lots more ready to ripen, but lack of sunshine & warm weather has delayed them somewhat.

4.  Having a strong sense of smell.
My Port Wine Magnolia (Michelia figo) has insignificant flowers, but the most intoxicating heady perfume, which on a sunny day in the late afternoon can be quite overpowering.  I love it.

Such small flowers for a very strong perfume.

5.  Wildlife, however small.
Some moths are tiny & not too noteworthy, but when 3 children are gathered around "something" on a verandah floor, I took notice and went to find out what they had found.

And this what they were mesmerised by.  Such a beautiful moth.  This happened on the day of the Hill Climb at our Car Club Rally in November (yes, not quite this week), and as everyone was filing from door of the reception centre after lunch, the children were worried it might be crushed under some feet.  Not game enough to touch it, I offered to see what I could do.  I put my finger close to it's feet & luckily, it stepped onto said finger & I lifted it off the floor & put it on top of the back wall of the verandah, out of harm's way.  Hopefully it lived  to see another day.

OK, this might pop up a tad early, but we have a busy day tomorrow and as I missed last weeks, I'm getting in now.  Thanks Kate for reminding me to be grateful for all around us and taking the time to appreciate it.
Take care all & hopefully I can do some catching up on my own blog and others.
Huggles, Susan.