Since finishing crochet classes at U3A for the year, I have been making toys. Am ambulance centre far north have requested toys similar to trauma teddys. As we are travelling close by in April, I have offered to take what ever a crochet group that I belong to, can make between now and then.
I stopped making blankets and now on to
This is what I have made so far. Warren said he only wanted ham and salad for Christmas lunch, suited me fine.
This was actually left overs on Boxing day but it was the same except the mince pie which we didnt have in Christmas day. It was a coleslaw which didnt look very appealing. I had made it in the thermo and added mushrooms, blitzed it a bit too much. Luckily it tasted okay. The other salad was a Jamie Oliver one consisting ot sweet corn, cucumber, tomato and crispy bacon. I forgot to buy tomatoes when I went shopping so no tomatoes.
We did have a hot meal at night, a small stuffed turkey roll and roast vegetables.
No cooking for me on Boxing day as we ate left overs.
We did do presents at our early Christmas day lunch but Warren and I saved our gifts to each other until the actual Christmas Day.
He wanted a new phone as his phone had been playing up a bit and we had bought it a couple of months ago when it was available as it was the last one that they had and didnt know if or when they would get more.
Even though we bought it back in October, he choose not to use it until Christmas.
This was my gift, a box of 25 books in the mystery/thriller genre, one is an Agatha Christie that I have read but the rest I havent read. The wool is a pack of a CAL, which means crochet along but I just liked the colours of them. Its called a harbour pack, colours apparently from what colours one would see at a harbour.
I had a return to make at the library yesterday. Warren was driving and he parked in a different area to where I park when I go.
Which meant that I saw this on the one of the walls of the library building. Although I drive past it, I am concentrating on the road and not noticed it before.
Very nice and cool looking.
We often have Christmas early to fit in with other family members and their commitments.
We were invited and asked to bring some drinks and salads, too easy.
Lunch was all seafood with some ham, very fitting for summer.
A nibbles tray with drinks was served first.
Unfortunately I didnt take a photo of the main course or dessert which was a cheesecake, made by the kidults.
These are becoming very popular around the state, possibly around the country. There are already lots of painted silos and we have seen a few and there are even tours that people can take to visit the silos, not sure about thr water towers.
On an adventure lab that we are doing, there are five water towers to visit and answer a question about, earlier in the year, we visited the one thats closest to home and on Friday when we visited the beach, we discovered two more so only two to go.
I could only fit about half in the photo.
We were out on Friday and in a couple of places we saw these tiny pretty flowers.
No idea what they are but they were pretty much the same size, not growing any bigger. Maybe it was because of recent rains but I hadnt seen them before.
These were outside a miniature train line but not working that day.
Yippee! We found a place to take our knitted and crocheted items. I had offered to ring around and some places didnt want them due to current weather or having enough at the moment.
One local community said yes, they use blankets tea towels and kids jumpers.
I have joined a group that meet on Saturdays once a month I have been to three meetings and as I seem to be the one who lives closest I offered to count and deliver the items.
When we donated through the charity that has now closed, everything had to be counted because they were a registered charity. I suggested continuing on with the counting of items as the library where we meet may end up charging us rent. I figure that if we can prove we are doing something for the community and have the figures to back it up then we may avoid paying rent.
There were 14 blankets, 1 adult jumper, 8 kids jumpers, 6 scarves and 6 beanies. Not a bad haul from a group going three months, Saturday there were twelve of us.
I saw a cute picture of penguins somewhere as a dish for Christmas. Using olives cream cheese and carrots.
I added cream cheese and large olives to the shopping list.
I have two morning teas to take a small plate just the ticket I thought,
I practised at home.
Fail, the big olives are green with the stones in, the other black ones are not big enough.
My dismal penguins. Supposed to cut one in half and fill with cream cheese, a thin round of carrot with a wedge cut out, thats the feet. One olive on top with the wedge of carrot for the nose, then a toothpick through gead and body.
As you can see I managed one. I blame the olives!
New ones put in today, they are deafening!
Six of them whereas we only had two battery ones before.
One in the passageway alongside of the sunlight.
The one in the study, these are naybe two metres away from each other. Same with our bedroom and hallway.Pretty common vegetable I would have thought, its one that features fairly regularly on our menu.
Today, I had to pick up a couple of grocery items, mainly dry dog food for Lucy and so I grabbed a few other things as well.
One being a humble half a cauli. A young girl was on the check out, she looked about sixteen and she put the groceries through and packed them in the trolley quite neatly, one of the last was the cauliflower, she picked it up, looked at it then grabbed her cheat sheet for the price of vegetables then asked me what it was.
When I told her, she said that she thought that was what it was but I dont think she did. Well they say you learn something new every day, now she knows what a cauliflower looks like.
I dropped two handbags off last week at Bunnings. They are the collection point for the bags. The point of STD bags is for women who have left home because of domestic violence.
Thinking about what a woman may have in their bags. Every thing needs to ve new and unopened.
I put in deo, tooth brush and tooth paste, hand cream, lipstick, hand sanitiser, soap, tissues pen and small book, hair brush and small towel.
I used to do Operation Shoeboxes for kids to be sent overseas but as well as what was in the boxes and a lit can fit into a shoebox, $10 for postage was expected to go with them.
The bags are used locally which I liked, help for our own.
I have started next years collection might do five. I bought two bags from op shops tk use but one wasnt big enough so I repurposed a backpack bag that I bought myself but hadnt used. Nice idea but not me.
When I took the bags to Bunnings, they had a big crate about 2 metres square and it was half full.
Not much crocheting got done during November but I did make this.
Nanowrimo was a slog this year. I wrote or at least sat at the computer for about three hours each day for the month of November. I did take some time off and only wrote two or three hundred words on those days.
I finished on 30 November with 50, 299 words written.
Its two weeks since I posted something. It is November and that means Nanowrimo or national November writing month. My twelfth year this year and after two years of writing short stories, I am writing a novel again.
I did spend a bit of time thinking about writing but only settled on a story line two days before. I have cheated a little, took an idea from a book that I read and twisted it to suit. Of course like always it has taken off in a direction I didnt expect which had me researching wills being contested. I haven't solved that one yet, its an ingoing storyline but I do know how that bit will end up jyst got to tweak it a bit more.
Its day fifteen and by the end od todaý, I should have written 25000 words, currently I am at 24568. Yes, I should go and do a bit more, main character gas been at a vintage clothes market, again, I know little about that but it sounded interesting. Goggle comes in handy.
I did come on here to talk about last nights dinner, quick and easy us the way when I am writing so steak and mushrooms with greens. The steak was Waygu beef,bit expensive but the tray gave us three meals and it was very tender.
Chain V stitch was what we learnt last week. It can be done as a solid colour or a two colour way.
I learnt it as one colour but most of us were having trouble keeping the line of chain out of the way so when I got home, I did a sample using two colours. Looks good but cant let the colour trail as its every row it needs to be changed.
Anyway, I mastered it, not sure what I would use it in. The example that Robyn brought in, looked like a place mat.
I often buy a hot cooked chicken when I do the shopping. This gives us three meals, one hot dinner, one cold with salad and what to do with the bits?
Sometimes it goes into sandwichs but I had a brainwave and made an impossible pie.
Now I think the impossible pie is just a pie without a crust.
I had also bought a bunch of silverbeet. So silverbeet, grated carrot and zucchini, three eggs and a handful of grated cheese along with the last of the chicken. Twenty minutes in the airfryer and it was done. Again it was three meals, one of the freezer.
Traffic was horrible, not that we knew as we stayed put at home. I decided to have a pj day and as such got back into the pjs after my morning shower.
It was a relaxing day, did minimal housework and crocheted while watching TV and then I read a book for a couple of hours.
I didnt quite finish the project that I started, probably if I didnt read as much, I would have but it was finished yesterday. As it is for a Christmas, I figure I am in front.
It was a free pattern but I did have to join a facebook group and then download the pattern which was 23 pages! I didnt like the look of the feet so I changed it and I added the scarf. The only stuffing needed is the head, hands and feet.
I love this time of the year but glad we dont have one of these trees in our yard.
I took these photos a couple of weeks ago. Today many of them have a carpet of purple under the trees with blooms falling to the ground.
And then there are the red ones. The next time I walked Lucy here, she picked up some dry seeds in her foot. She just stands with the affected foot in the air, waiting for her people minion to fix it.
I know of people who make meatless Mondays a regular thing we like our meat too much to do that but dont mind the odd vegie meal with no meat.
I was watching a weekly program that has a cooking segment and he made this meal which I decided to make. For a change it wasnt a Jamie Oliver meal.
First he cut up some celery and a leek and soften them then added a tin of tomatoes. Meanwhile he mixed ricotta cheese with parsley and spring onion.
Using a mandarin he sliced zucchini lengthwise.
To each sluce of zucchini, he put a spoonful of the cheese mixture and rolled.
The tomato base went into a baking dish and the zucchini rolls on top.
My rolls had to go downwards, he had stood his up. Twenty minutes in the oven and theres the meal.
I felt there was too much celery, I had used three stalks and a couple of spring onions, I had some cooked pumpkin that I had added as well. Okay for a change but was quite happy tonight to have a pork chop with the vege.
Great weather for kayaking, even after the heavy rain we experienced the night before.
I was warned to bring extra clothes as I would get wet and would also need to get out and carry the kayak for a bit.
We had paddled about a kilometre to a waterfall before turning back, had quite a while there, taking a break. There had been logs under the water so had to get out and push the kayak. I decided to keep pushing to the end, about 150 metre even though it was deep enough to paddle, the water was up to my thighs.
Having my phone in the sun, it overheated and it was only on the way back that it was able to operate again, hence the photo.
Here we were coming up to the first fording which was only about ten metres. I was priding myself that I had not fallen in. Youknow the saying "Pride comes before a fall" well just the other side, I was preparing to get in when my foot slipped on a rock and down I went, the water was a comfortable temp so no drama.
This was one of the prizes, I had to get between the bank and the overhanging branches and then back out before continuing.
I expected my arms would be sore today but not too bad at all. Left shoulder is a little sore if I raise my arm and my sides around my waist is a little achely. Also I didnt put any sunscreen on so bit pink around my neck.
Never rains but it pours. Two or three years ago, I planted six tomato plants in our garden bed just off the patio. Some of them died leaving one sole plant. This has grown and grown and then some.
It has overtaken some herb plants that I also had in there and has grown up another flower bush which means it reached about a metre high.
With that comes tomatoes, thank goodness they are cherry tomatoes so the small ones.
This is one day's crop, needless to say I am looking at ways to use them. About to freeze some for when they finish producing.
Today was Earth cache day and we travelled to the beach (mud flats!).
We were looking for a shape like a turtle shell.
At high tide, these do get covered and there was a bit of water around but very easy to access. Earth cache make me feel a bit dumb although there is usually a fair amount of info contained on the site, just need to make sense of it and answer some questions to show that you have understanding of it.
Not often this would describe me but this was the name of a program that we watched the other night.
It followed eight students ranging in ages eight to sixty who could not read and write.
What a sad first espiode. It was over three weeks but we binged watched.
They stated that 43% of Australian adults could not read above level two which is a seven to eight year old!
After nine weeks all of them improved and were even able to give a speech to fellow students and their families.
The sixty year old didnt understand a bus time table and for seventeen years he walked for ninety minutes to catch a train to work. He wanted to be able to take his driving test.
He achieved that in the last week.
These were a few tears in this household at the end.
The yellow one grows taller but the red is more striking I think. Probably hard to see in this photo but they really do resemble kangaroo paws hence the name.
I said that I would attend an event at out local library. I havent been to the library in over two years. I used to go about once a fortnight to get a bag of books but since turning my tablet into a kindle (I didnt, Warren did) I havent had any need to visit.
I still read a hell of a lot but I also took out a monthly subscription for $14 for as many books as I like.
But I digress, at the library, I saw my first Christmas tree already up and decorated.
I swear Christmas gets earlier and earlier each year. It did put me into gear though as I have been collecting a few things to make into Christmas decorations and I made three tonight while watching TV.
Yep, its started and Lucy is scared of storms. So hard to know what to do for her. Over time we have bought her a storm jacket, anxiety pills etc, nothing seemed to work.
She gets a bit fidgeting so she must hear or sense them before we do.
Last night a storm came over just after dinner, she had been settled in her chair in the family room then she got up and moved to near our chairs. We heard the rumble and realised why she moved. Another rumble and she moved closer, her ears were up, she was panting and looking towards the door, which we had shut trying to keep out as much noise as possible.
Ten minutes later, she got up and walked back to her chair, storm was over but we knew there was another one expected. Second one was about 9.30pm and Lucy came into the bedroom. We invited her up onto the bed, she doesnt get on our bed normally but jump up she did and again she was panting a bit. My thought was that I had just had the doona cleaned, usually she dribbles as well in a storm but she didnt so I think she is getting better. Same thing once the storm was over, off she hops and goes back to her bed.
Tonight the storm was louder and Lucy had been by our chairs, then she stood up and looked at me and then in the direction of the garage. I asked her if she wanted to go in the car. She bolted to the garage door. Last year we had put her in the garage in the car for the duration. Yep, that what she wanted. I opened the car door and put the shed towel down on the seats, she didnt need a second invitation.
I left the door to the car and the garage open so she could get out when she wanted. She came back in twenty minutes later. Damn dog, didn't shut the doors after herself though. Hope we dont have too many storms at least with a kid, they can understand an explanation.
Theres been protests about construction workers being told to vaccinate.
Then there was the earthquake, it was a 5.9 and east of Melbourne but there were some buildings damaged in the CBD.
Weekend was topped off by a seige. This so far hasnt been on the news but was two houses away from Rob's house in East Melbourne. The street was blocked off with several police, a couple of ambulances, riot police. Gas masks were used at one point and guns were drawn.
Melbourne did win the AFL grand final on Saturday night after a drought of 57 years.
Yep, witnessed an ongoing miracle.
I have coffee in the park with three friends each week. We used to go to a cafe each month and then boom! Covid!
Zoom catchups which evolved into weekly coffee mornings, where we can social distance and stay as long as we like.
Our venues have changed a little over the last fifteen months dependant on the weather. Discovered a part of the park that gets very little use, shady trees a car prk and even a covered patio type building if needed. Contractors were completing a toilet block as well. What more could one ask for?
The toilet block was finished about eight weeks ago, very nice looking build, three cubicles, one is wheelchair friendly now to the miracle.
Well, its done, took me twelve days.
To get the look I wanted, I had to do it in four panels and turn every second one over. It was a breeze to sew up.
As I was doing it by blocks, I didn't know how big it would end up. It measures 120 by 135 cms.
I used mill ends from spotlight and although they are supposed to be 8 ply, each colour had a different weight to it. The white was quite thick and I only did two stitches instead if three for each block, took all five balls of white three of the purple and one and a half of the teal. I was going to put a teal border around it but the deadline was Sept 15 so I ran out of time to do that.
After several weeks of checking in using the covid app, it has become rather common place.
With our last lock down which I think was in July, more restrictions came into play which included checking in at many more places.
If we go to a shopping centre, then its check in at the entrance and then each and every store that is entered.
However I was rather surprised this morning when visiting a small township up from our place. We had been in the park and then walked further up the street still in parklands and I saw a toilet block. As we were going to go home for at least an hour, I thought that I might as well use it.
There were two cubicles and as I went to enter one, I noticed on the door a check in app.
Surely not! In a toilet! I read the sign and yep sure enough, it stated that it was the Smith Street rest area facilities so got my phone out and checked in. Reminded me of my Dad grumbling about filling in the census form, saying that soon government would want to know how many times one had a sh....
Outside of the block
I wanted to go out somewhere the other day but didnt want to go too far. A picnic was the answer. I had made pasties a couple of weeks ago, the pastry and mixture meant 20 pasties so there are a fair few in the freezer.
Pasties heated in microwave and wrapped in foil, a nut bar, some cheese and biscuits and a coffee in a travel mugs and we were away. Of course we couldnt forget Lucy so we took her travel water and a couple of biscuit bones for her. She got a piece of our pasties as well.
Strawberries at the moment are at their peak. They are also very cheap, I am assuming because there was no Ekka this year. Strawberry sundaes are the thing to have at the Ekka, little bit like strawberries and cream as Wimbledon.
Usually I hull the strawberries and cut them up but the football was about to start and of course I dont like to miss any of the football.
Strawberries were a dollar, I had bought some cream, whoops no vanilla but there was a shaker of cinnamon sugar in the cupboard. Interesting taste and the whipped cream was darker and I sat down just as the ball was bounced.
Its another c2c, this is where I tried to make it rectangle. At first it was a fail so I moved to make smaller squares of half and half.
Then I decided to sit in front of youtube and watch some tutorials. I like to watch Belka Coco,not her real name, she has several stitches that she shows on line for free.
She has a nice voice to listen to and seems to explain things very well. I watched twice then sat down and got on with it. Its easier if one end has a marker or even a piece of contrasting wool which indicates where to stop increasing.
I did both sides continuing c2c.
The weather is a little warmer and the days are getting longer. Trees are flowering, yep, spring!
Bottle tree, a little one.
Then a very old big bottle tree.
I had to go out to the road side to take the photo, would love to know how old it is.
We took Lucy for a walk at the local showgrounds and race track. They have a yearly race meeting in January and around the back were the barriers. I have only seen them on TV before so it was interesting to get up close and personal.
The front of them, two gates held in a V, a pin comes from the top and is released from one end.
The back of them again with two gates to hold the horses in.
Not a great deal of room to move in there, thats for sure.
I love seeing big murals in country towns.
One side of a toilet block.
Morning tea, we sat outside as Lucy was with us. I checked in and was told to take a table and someone would come out with menus, she also arrived with a bottle of cold water and two glasses. Lucy had her own water.
Warren went fir the chocolate cake, I love melting moments, have tried to make them so I order with I see them. I had the choice of passionfruit or coffee. I went for the coffee, it was yum. We were too early for lunch so that means a return trip.
I hadnt been opp shop shopping for awhile so I dropped the other day. To my disappointment there was no wool so I wandered over to where the books and crafts things are kept.
They had moved the wool and fabric to that area.
I do have plenty of wool but I dont like starting a new ball if I only want a little bit so opp shop wool comes in handy.
This was my haul, three bags of small balls plus the two in the front, the five bags cost me $11. I have collected some drink rings with the idea of making small Christmas wreaths. The right colour of green was in one of the bags so l have already crochet around them. I have a couple of small Christmas gifts to send away so these will be a good start.
Petrol was a bit cheaper the other day and as we had a trip coming up, we decided to go for coffee.
The menu got to us and rather than just coffee, we ordered a share plate plus coffee.
Yum, sweet potato chips, calamari, olives, rocket (blergh), haloumi, crisp breads, chutney and pesto. Just a nice amount.
