31st of May...........wheeeeeee I did it.

I am not going to be a pumpkin tonight,

Cinderella is starting early on the last day in May

and will come back later and with some pictures

for this last day of May and last day of my favorite

season, Autumn. Of course when Spring comes

it shall be my favorite, but I do enjoy Autumn.

It was an interesting discipline to post

each day in the month. My friends caught up with

what I had done and more likely

what I had not done.

The rest of the readers probably

wished I would stop waffling on,

but we made it.

And Moggie dear did not sneak

into too many of my posts and take over.

She did score a few.

Saturday and a rest day.

Ate something wrong yesterday

and had an uncomfortable night,

but that is almost past

...it is grey with fog and damp and dank but no rain.

I wonder what happens in the next 11 hrs of the day.

Darkness has fallen

and I did not get the last of the Autumn photos

..........here they are

taken at dusk and leading into winter.

Friday 30th of May and I am a pumpkin again

Why does midnight occur when I begin to wake?
We have had a number of power failures and my
clocks are all operating on their own time, while the
one in here has decided to go on batteries then get
stuck. I am considering using the frame for something
else but I feel the clock....one of many inherited from
my Mum who seemed to collect them, has had its day.

My friend and I went to the Optician today then to

http://www.bluewillowcottage.com.au/

where we saw some new super yummy BOM's.

I was oh so tempted but had to remind myself of

my track record with BOM's and not allow myself

to be tempted.

It is so long since I have been into a quilt shop and

it is a lovely shop to have your creative juices

re invigorated. We won't think about mixed

metaphors or their likelihood here.

I did however allow myself one scrap bag. I

have this great fascination with scraps and I

try to keep myself in check these days, being

aware that I have at least two large crates of them

but somehow they are so much more exciting

than yardage.

The white roll is some adhesive "stuff" like

Vleisofix but heavier and they like it better and

the white behind it which appears to be fabric is

like a very fine fusible lawn. I saw something in

the last few days, either in embroidery, and as I

type that I believe it was to put behind silk dupion

when you are going to machine embroider it, so I

am looking forward to trying that.

One label as I am always forgetting to put labels

on my quilts. Then I gave in and bought bent

safety pins. Criminal things they are,

no wonder they are bent.

I hate, loath and abhor them but with the

strippy wedding quilt, where I have totally

missed the boat as the couple are off touring

the world indefinitely, I fear this is one

quilt where I may have to rescue it by using

pins. Oh that I had stretched it as well as I

thought I had before I quilted the red strips down

the quilt

They look beautiful on the reverse and the smaller

panel will be OK, but the large panel will have to

be quilted down as the bit of weaving around the

flowers that I did undertake only resulted in some

nasty reverse sewing.

For most of my quilts I can manage using a lot of

the big flower head pins and spray, but I should

have not tried to push myself to do this when I

was not really fit enough....that is a good time

to make mistakes.

And finally, Madam Moggie in MY chair.

I refuse to explain why there are three

tatty cushions on what was a mega expensive

chair. But the white one has magnets and so

I think does one of the others........but I agree

they win no good housekeeping prize.

This is called adaption and mutual sharing of

a chair. She is prepared to curl up as far as she

can into the back of the chair and the warmth of

my back and I get a slightly sore rear by having

only half the chair to sit on!!

You have to love this cat. Even though we had

a little rough play last night and she grabbed

a split second opportunity and bit my cheek.

Just as well we heal quickly but one very naughty

cat went slinking off to consider her sins before

slinking back onto my lap. They say cats need

20 Min's play per day. I think I often fail mine.

Who says I cannot go backwards?

I found the Thankful Thursday button, and while I would like to think that every day has a thankful element/moment at least, in it, the idea of at least being focused on thanksgiving for one special day is to me a delightful task.

And I do not want to wait for a week. So I step backwards.

Thankful that at last I got my hair cut.

Thankful for a good and friendly hairdresser

• Thankful for the sweetest baby cuddle
  
• Thankful for great sit and sew group
  
• Thankful for more glimpses of green
  
• Thankful for help with cleaning in the morning
  
• Thankful for my Moggie
• Thankful for all the grace given by my heavenly Father
  
• Thankful that He is not finished with me yet.

Thursday 29th May

A redletter day with a

hair cut at last, and then to make life right

A baby cuddle. Bubs and I had met when she

was in her car cradle but we had our chance

to bond a little today.

She is so beautiful and I had only seen

her curled up before so today

was the first chance to have a cuddle.

She is just a cuddle poppet, snuggles

into my cheek and is a happy camper.

We had a window behind us and it

should have been dark enough not

to matter but my camera manual

and I need to get better acquainted.

Due to an unfortunate medical history

I have not had children and I went

through all the grief you would expect

at having major surgery at 31. However

I think the Granny envy is almost

worse than the Mother envy. I am

blest to have friends who share

their grandchildren with me.

The is my friend Jenny's eldest

daughters second child. The first

was dying to be in the photo but

was not prepared to part with the

dummy so dancing eyes were just

out of photo reach.

But here is one of here when she was little and

came to collect her Jemima Puddleduck quilt.

Have not yet made the quilt for this baby yet.

The relief at having short hair again.

We had left it longer at the back than

normal last time, which was a long

long time ago.

I have not been feeling well enough

to make an appointment but you

forget how awful daggie hair makes

you feel.

I went on route to sit and sew. Two

lovely quilts finished, one top finished

and one almost finished.

None of them mine.

This was one of two finished by Pat

and unfortunately my lighting was

not good at all today. Think that

somehow one of the settings has

been changed and as stated previously

the camera manual and I have to become

much more closely acquainted. This is

much richer in real life and I have wanted

to make one of these for ages.

Wednesday 28th of May

Getting close to the end of post a day in May.

Choking and spluttering with the rain that
has wonderfully been around, but today was
a day in bed. However two nice visitors, one in
the afternoon and one in the evening.

Showing off purchases tonight.


This lot is to add to my
Japanese collection and add
to some of the pictorial scenes.

I am collecting tea pots...
Some less kindly people may
ask what am I not collecting.

Is there a rule I missed about
all this.

Can you collect antiques, stamps,
but not fabric???

Having worked out the I would
spend less a week than some of
my friends would spend on
smoking I refuse to justify my
collecting any longer.

If it is not all used it can be sold
used for charity quilts, given to
friends. I have no problem and
do not intend to line my casket
with my favorite fabrics.

Not of course that I mind being
teased about my addictions.

However I would like to speed
up the rate at which I am going
through them right now, so am
thinking of a stash and slash or
the nice stashbusters quilt for
some of my theme fabrics.

Things like teapots and cups
and saucers, music, sewing,
butterflies etc.
Have chook type things,
heaps of cats, more dogs
than I meant to have so I
do have a few interesting
quilts to make.

I also had a lovely parcel
from the cat's mum

http://susaninstitches.blogspot.com/

to add to my chook collection but
I suspect its main purpose
was to securely wrap a
lovely thimble with Jane
on it. So know when in
nickname mode I have a
thimble to match.



I must learn to use the macro
function on my camera.


Planted my collection of 4
herbs in a container and also
managed to plant the pansies
out of this collection below, in
amongst the hyacinths.

Another few planting bursts
are needed.

Tuesday 27th May

The Postie came:

Starting early again so I do not get trapped by the midnight curfew.
Today seems to be a blessings and bad's day. Blessing is that it is raining.
Really raining and not just one little shower.
Another blessing is my order from Garden Express came and I am going
to have a burgundy corner of the garden. I have a lovely Postie who
is so used to seeing me in my dressing gown. He brings all my parcels in
and waits till I come to the door. Had trouble thinking what that was at
first. My black and white, 6 yds each of Kona fabric arrived Monday.
So good to have basics.

The daffodil bulbs look very big and healthy.
Must be sold as I cannot find a photo...Ptolemy.
Name of my bear. Of whom I must take a photo.

See above, I did just that.


Burgundy collection and the easy care collection which
gathered together a few things I wanted to try.

Alliums to go with the burgundies and

Black Pearl Lily (Pack of 25) I liked the

60% discount. That will please any frugal

readers.

Also for the green and frugal reader let me show you

the multi tasking Moggie making full use of whatever

is to hand.

I would love to be out their planting but the

other side of the wet day coin is the slight

battering my body is getting via rheumatism.

So off to bed again with pain killers.

Hope to get up and do more with the Christmas

Stocking for the Crazy Quilting Round Robin

Fabric base cut out, and sort of marked!!

Fabrics to sew on, more or less collected,

so that will be a quick one when the head is

a little more clear.

And funny that but a pleasant phone call from

Sunbeam re my iron which I had to take into

North Melbourne yesterday...I tried to make

the point that I do not often drive that far due

to chronic fatigue and I presumed they would

prefer that I did not drive returning their

products. The lady I had on the phone yesterday

said it would not matter to them at all. It was

my problem. I was so upset I wrote to the

company, well emailed, and some of you are

aware of my "iniquitous letters" as they became

known. Today a lovely lady called Poppy rang

and I have a Free post address to post it in.

I would have been happy to pay postage

but yesterdays lady was not even interested.

The 2nd or 3rd of their new what were top of

the range irons had all gone dead in this case, in

under a year, in the first case it was a one year

warranty and it was just over that so could not

return it at the point of purchase but had to

travel 45 Min's to leave it, then after a week or

so travel back to collect it.

They then moved a little closer to North Melbourne

but I was still told that there was no way out of

the double journey. As it is now, it will be posted

and very thankfully now journey except to post office.

I did suggest the lady needed some counseling for her

agro and even counseling to cope with my total

frustration.

Hope they do give her some help. She is a very

poor ambassador for the company and may

well be having personal problems. She certainly

did not care about mine.

So maybe, one day, a new iron. I bought a new one

last time and silly me gave it to a charity home and

now I bought a second Mistral one and it would do

for all you ladies who do not like the peeps when it

shuts down but I prefer to know it is still on.

The day just got a little brighter.

Monday 26th Day of May

Am starting early and will add to this as the day goes on.

This way I get the correct date on the top.

I just took a couple of pictures to show someone who

sent me a lovely mug in a swap and it broke, that she

does not need to replace it.

I used to have staff end of term breakfasts

here and it was a staff of over 50, so had good reason to have them

once.

These drawers are just the best way to store them.

I have just watched the clip below, with tears in my eyes

and a renewed sense that here in Australia we do not

pray and support our military as much as they need our

support. I love the song. But the pictures and message

are very special.

http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh289/Impish_Dragon/?action=view&current=Untitled.flv

It has not been the best day as I rang Sunbeam about

replacing my dead iron. A new one they gave me 12

months ago which replaced a new one maybe a fraction

older. Sure they will eventually give me another one, but

the warranty is meant to start from when I purchased the

first one. In other words a new iron comes with no warranty.

You cannot take it back to where you purchased it because

it is out of warranty and if you are unable to drive the

distance to where it has to be dropped then lady

that is your problem. I very very seldom hang up on

someone but after being told she did not want to waste

her time repeating something, I muttered something about

not wasting your time at all and hung up.

No service such as a courier service which you as the customer

would have to pay for, but you pay a much reduced rate as

a company that uses the courier company constantly so

that would be a very easy way to assist a customer

with problems ....the major problem being that a new

top of the range Sunbeam Iron does not last for 12 months

without just stopping.

I strongly suspect she wins the prize for the rudest

so called service person I have spoken to in many years.

And that was after waiting 20 Min's to speak with her.

It is a sick world where banks, supermarkets and other

companies are more proud of their dividends/profits

than they are of their products and service.

Sunday 25th May

Have plant, have self watering pot, must now plant it.

Getting close to the end of May and I must make a Crazy Quilting Christmas Stocking for a Round Robin. Was intending to make it when I got home from Church today but am seriously weary after a 7 AM start, then 8 AM music rehearsal, singing for 9.00AM and 10.45 AM services.

Then drove down to Bunnings and showed some love for my garden. Two big bales of sugar cane mulch, one big bag of cow manure, 25kg bag of Dynamic Lifter (chook pellets), 2 bags of potting mix another a little different (do not ask how at the moment...still recovering from lifting them from the car into the back yard.) 2 bags of potting mix for bulbs, must plant out those tulips in egg cartons in the fridge, 2 sorts of food for bulbs, a maiden hair fern and a self watering pot. Have found they do best in these and have finally had to concede one has died after about 12 yrs or so. Found lots of interesting things in $3.95 pots. 2 lavenders, some lemon verbena which I used to have, silver foliage which I thought was something I had which smells and now I am not too sure. Obviously I need to go and take photos. I also had a succulent which I do not think I have at the moment. Took two trolleys to load up the car, then went to the chemist, supermarket and had coffee with a friend.

Some of the collection.....got them to the top of

the rubbish bins.

Wormwood which I have not had for about 3 years and

some lavenders. Also missing after I pulled out some

that were too big for where they were planted. Only

have one in a tub right now.

Liked this little herb pot with thyme, chives, parsley and oregano

as I try to recall from the look of them. Then the golden diosma

Coleonema Pulchrum Aurea (which again I have not had for ages.

lavender and what appears to be a sage. Did get another

slightly bigger one of these which was more blue.

and a succulent which I do not think I have any more.

Now very much ready to crawl into bed and snooze.

But here are the ones for about 4 weeks ago.

The poor pansy is even flowering as is meant

to be in the container with the blue and white

hyacinths.

Some sage and parsley for the herb garden

which now I have manure and mulch I can

begin to revive it.

Sat 24th May

Well at least I am here before midnight for once.
This is Japanese Quilt from a class taken at
Patchworks Unlimited, a lovely shop in Pascoe
Vale where I used to really enjoy taking lessons.
Fibro has made a few changes to my ability to get
out and drive longer distances and carry machines etc.

So I think it is about 4 years or more since I made this. I
finished it and then it languished until this year when I
basted it to show a friend how to baste. I then of course
needed to quilt it and just today have finished sewing on
the binding.

A very satisfying job in my opinion and one I enjoy.
No label. I always seem to forget that and I prefer
to quilt them in, so will have to make one next time
the embroidery arm is on the machine.

Had a lovely visitor whom I have known since 1967
when we were sat beside each other in lectures at
what was then called Melbourne Bible Institute and
was in Kooyong in Melbourne...is now named
BCV Bible College of Victoria and is further east
out at Lilydale. Catching up with long term friends
is so nice....no need for background stories.

My poor lasagna was left in the oven for a little two
long last night and was more browned than I
am pleased with. May have to use the rest of
the sheets to prove I can make it properly!

It was edible, but no pride in that dish.

Managed to lie and toss in bed until 6 AM today
so there was a fair bit of robot like behaviour
until I woke up properly.

Did the washing and got the grey water on the
lawn and washing is now drying. So the home
front is somewhat organized.

We have our Cancer Council cuppa & chat tonight
on line to raise money for Cancer research.

Should be out in the garden pulling weeds...it
is wet enough for them to come up easily...
Had to decide enough was enough and come in.

Friday 23rd Day of May

I'm Late, I'm Late

for a very important date,

No time to say hello, goodbye,

I'm late, I'm late, I'm late

and when I wave,

I lose the time I save.

and if you want the rest go here

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/imlate.htm

So here I am into the new day again. Missed the

midnight deadline. But I watched a film,

which is not something I do that often.

'Sweet November' was on TV and so I

managed to watch it and make Meat sauce

for Lasagna in the add breaks.

Now I am making the white sauce in

the microwave...my fail safe method for making

a white cheese sauce, but it is a long time since I

made lasagna and I have some fresh sheets of it.

Have not looked to see if they need pre-cooking.

Oh dear!

At least the sauce is beginning to behave.

And tastes yummy. I remembered to add the

Ricotta and it gives such a smooth flavour

addition.

What have I done with this day in May?

Opened the door to let my Carer/Cleaning lady

in at 9.30 AM, made the cat eat yesterday's tin

which she was not inclined to do.

Amazing what happens when you lift the back

legs, pop the nose in the food and stand there

watching her eat. Walk away and she does

too, but I did wander in about 8pm and lo and

behold, no food in sight. So lots of 'good girl'

stuff and a new tin of one of her favorites and

oh I wish I could teach her to use a scratching

post as well as I can force her to eat her food

up.

Phew, I had a look and the pasta sheets do

not need cooking. Nice when ones assumptions

are correct. Especially after 1 AM. Any one

else cook at this crazy time of day?

Ah it is done and in the oven to work a little

blending of flavors magic.

What am I reading?

I have been waiting for the new Debbie Macomber

knitting series book. Back on Blossom Street.

All you new knitters and reborn ones out there

should love this one.

Knitting and its resurrection to popularity is

making me feel very very old. Oh the days of

sitting on trains and knitting, knitting and more

knitting. I cannot remember the last thing

I knitted. I was, so guess I still am, a good

knitter, nice and even and firm but not too

tight. Often preferred plain to fancy patterns,

that was Mother's specialty, but I did do my share.

I can remember knitting a jumper for a boyfriend

of three years and seeing him after we had

broken up, I think he came to visit, and he was

wearing MY jumper. I was quite upset. LOL.

I think I expected the jumper to go when I did.

Oh to be young and foolish.

I think I had to learn that you give and it is

gone. No more dictating after the gift is given.

So if you have not tried the Blossom St series

got to Debbie's web site and you will find them

in order. I have enjoyed most of her books.

Then for the trip to the mail box where I found

two subscription magazines.

Like this one but not the layout.

This one is usually one of my favorites.

And lastly one that came earlier in the week

which I have not had time to read, nor look

at the DVD.

And last of all a lovely pack of goodies for the

secret sister mug swap which one of our groups

runs for the Cancer (in our case) evening chat

and cup of tea/coffee. We chat on line at 8pm

tomorrow night.

I have a lovely tea and cappuccino sachet in a

pretty bag, Some lollies to suck, and some thread

for my embroidery machine. A lovely Hoffman

fat quarter and a cute clock in a box like a match

box.

This lady lives up in the North East of Victoria in

the mountainous area and shops are not

plentiful so she did very very well.

My photo is not so well taken.

I think this room is overdue for a bank of lights

in a row, pointing in different directions.

It is never a good place for photos.

But now is getting to be a great time for bed.