Chinese dinner tonight.

 Last visit to Cosco I bought a pack of frozen Chinese sausages.  They looked just lje we used to have in restaurant's in China. Funny thing was they were made in Canada.

But I digress,  our last trip to Cosco was six months ago so it was definitely time to use them.

Instructions suggested steaming them for at least twenty minutes. I put them in the steamer and went tidying in my sewing room, remembering the steamer an hour later. They were fine and the steamer hadn't run out of water so all good.

It was an easy meal, I like them. Some frozen chopped veggies and a cup of rice in the microwave,  sausages sliced on the slant and dinner was ready.

Not a meal that I would usually have these days, due to my diabetes but the sausage was only 16gms of carbs and 1.8 gms of sat fats. Brown rice was 17gms of carbs and 1 gm if sat fats. My upper limit is 45 grams of carbs per meal and no more than 15 grams of sat fats per day so well within my quota.  

Crochet bag

 Warren got on a roll and unravelled several balls off the massive ball.

I started crocheting and made a bagI lined it with fabric and added a purchased strap.

 This is two strands from the massive ball plus a multi coloured pink ball.  Putting the straps on was a little tricky and it may not be as secure as it could be but I took it to class and ended up with sone free wool or yarn to bring home. One of the girls has bought along fout large balls of pink to give away. I said I would like one as I am making some toys and pink is not a colour that I have in my stash. She insisted in giving me all of it so I have made a small lap blanket and have half a ball of the pink left over which is all that I needed.

This bag will be used for next year's Share the Dignity bags, I usually donate three, one in each category,  so women's, mum and bub and teenage girl. Actually did four this year as I had enough stuff to fill four bags.

When I need  toothpaste for home, I buy four tubes, one for home and then others got into the bags. I buy stuff during the year so it's ready for packing in early December without too much drama or hassle.

A massive ball of wool

 Last week at crochet, one of our older ladies who had been without power fir a couple of days, used the time to sort out her craft room. Which meant she brought wool and fabric that she realised she was never going to use, to give away to anyone who wanted it.

One was a 4 kilo ball of wool.

She had bought it at an op shop a few years ago as she thought it was too good to leave there. 

She said it was not going home with her so I thanked her and thought that maybe I could do something with it. No one else wanted it. I saw it as a challenge. 

This is the mass of wool and an ordinary ball in front which is 100 grams.

Warren thinks it may have been the end of a carpet manufacture. It's quite thin as a single strand. We have cut off a sizable chuck and trying to unravel it so I can crochet it.

I have started a shopping bag using two strands mixed with another ball. After using it, it feels a bit dirty, it may be dust.

Main beach parkrun.

 This was the first parkrun in Australia and today was the 709th run for that area.

The mayor cane along and the sponsors Medicare had tshirts to give away. It was also a celebration for our family,  Warren's 200th parkrun and Sheridan's 100 locations.  Elder son joined as well. 

The alarms were set for 4am with a view to leave at 4.40am. Gps said ninety minutes to get there but we knew we needed to drive through Brisbane and out the other side so was giving ourselves a good fudge factor. We were parked up in 95 minutes so did make good time and got a decent park.

A fellow park runner does screen printing so they got special tshirts made.  Jason is wearing the sponsors shirt that were on offer. The parkrun shirts come in red for 50, black for 100, green for 250 and blue for 500, don't know if there is any more after that.

 

Postcrossing

 When we were on our tour of USA and Canada, I heard about Postcrossing from another traveller. She was quite involved in it and it sounded interesting so I looked it up and when we came home I joined.

Basically one sends post cards to other members. When ready to send some, a request is put in to the Web site and then they send an address with a profile to send to.

Once you receive a post card, take a photo and enter it on your account and senders know that you have received it.

I havent had that many yet about eight I think and sent about the same, I did four this week and all to Germany.

One of the first post cards I received its a quilt that her niece made for her and she had the photo made into postcards and sent it to me as I am into crafts.

I have been able to buy stamped postcards with Aussie scenes and animals on the, the stamps can go anywhere in the world so I don't have to get certain stamps for particular countries. 

My buy

 I went to Office works a couple of weeks ago to buy a calendar. I got side tracked looking at office chairs.  I had to go there and buy one about eight years ago as my then current one had snapped in two when I bent over backwards and found myself continuing on to the floor. It was my sewing chair and I had been sewing.

Anyhow I was interested to see the styles and cost that they currently had in stock.

Of course, we did buy one. My old chair had arms and were constantly getting caught when I changed positions from sewing table to sewing machine. Also the "leather" had been peeling off it. Very disconcerting at first to discover black pieces of something on the carpet. An investigation showed that the leather or leather was dropping from under the chair. It vacumned up quite easily but any excuse was good enough reason to buy a new chair.

This one has no arms to catch, a breathable back and a wide seat. It has had a good workout since buying it.

The week after purchase, while doing the groceries, Aldi had car seats for sale, I bought one for the old chair which solved the problem and it has been installed in the computer room.

A Christmas tree

 Out walking Lucy this morning at a neighbouring suburb when she stopped in her tracks and wanted to go into the shopping centre that we were passing.

I do have some interesting conversations, mostly I win as I have the lead.

I looked up at one of the trees to see that if has been decorated for Christmas, it was the only one that was in amongst others.

Further along was a flame tree in full blossom 

Three little pots

 I have been doing a lot of sewing over the last year and some of my sewing pins are being worn̈ and blunt.

Decided to replace them. They also get dropped and end up in the vacuum cleaner.

These are my pots of pins with a cotton reel for comparison. 

When we were first married, first or second Christmas, Warren's company gave their staff a Christmas hamper. I remember there was some cheeses and Christmas puddings, four individual one plus a larger one.  They did have lids. 

I can't remember when I started using these as pin holders but they have been with us for over 50 years. Now one serves on the sewing table ready to pin, the second one is on the side of the sewing machine for when the pins are removed and the third lives where I cut out patterns.

I have tipped them over on occasions but not too often. Wide packing tape goes over the top for moving purposes as they have moved house approx twenty two times. They must be the oldest household item that I have and will continue to use.  

More hats

 These photos are this fortnight's work, another 24 plus I took a couple of days off hats and made some shorts and skirts. 

 Getting known as the hat lady at U4Ks.

I try to m7x the fabric up so that no hat is the same as another.

I had some aboriginal final that I had bought in April Springs on our last visit. Most fabric were already cut and sold in metre square. I bought two, one blue and the other brown. I made a shopping bag with the blue piece and still had the brown. 

It became about four hats with other pieces.

Family park run

 Our son Rob was visiting from Melbourne. He needed a N to be working on his alphabet.  North Lakes park run is not too far so it was decided to go there. Older son rings, he has not been able to do parkrun for some weeks due to having skin cancers off his face. He would join us.

Grandson has just started parkruns and had some friends to join in.

Ended up a party of twelve, ten participants. 

Sheridan, me, Warren, Rob and Jason

At breakfast after, Rob, Sheri, me, Caitlin, DJ, Warren, Berlin, Hermas, Jordan, Chris, Aidan and Jason in the foreground.

A lonely Swan on the lake, the runners did see another Swan with two young.

 

WIPs or UFOs

 Holiday time from crochet group and I decided that I should finish some wips or ufos. "Work in progress or unfinished objects".

I did have three blankets on the go. The pink tartan, I bought the wool while we were on holidays two balls each of white, mauve, pink and bright pink. I stopped too early on it, should have done another couple of colour bands. By doing the fringe, it used all the colours but I only used one ball of white.

The one to the left is quite heavy, I did double strand of cotton so it should wash well but it is much heavier than the wool one over the back.

No more wips except the new blanket that I started, which is just now a V stitch, I did start a pattern but it was taking too long. It is probably the widest blanket I have done, not sure how wide as my tape measure runs out before the end, I thinks it's probably about 80 inches wide. Each row takes around 30 minutes, that's while watching TV, so far its ten inches long. It will be a blanket of many colours as I am using up any odd balls that I have.

Toorbul

 We often go out for lunch on a Friday at a Cafe. Last night we decided that if it was a nice day, fish and chips at the beach would be nice and a change.

We went in Brian, the Ute, and threw in a couple of chairs, that way we could chose where we sat and were not reliant on picnic beaches that maybe in the sun.

Thats a small houseboat out in the water with Bribie Island behind.

Warren got lunch, only fish and a drink. Mine was the smaller and it stretched along my leg to my knee. It was crumbled and I did remove some of coating.

Later we drove down to the other end of the beach, it has been closed off now and made into a bird ranchers.

Hats hats and more hats

 Last time I was at Uniforms for kids,  I picked up a giggle hat pattern and was told that they need hats made. Kids aren't allowed to play outside at school unless they have a hat and are wearing it.

Coming home from holidays, I decided to make some of the hats using scrap fabric that I have/had. As per usual I set myself a challenge of 20 to 24 hats before going back to U4Ks, that was in two weeks.

Each hat is made twice or two hat pieces make one complete hat. Each one consists of a top which is a circle then a head piece then a brim, second one is done and placed inside, sewn together and then turned out and sew the two brims to secure it. I do three rows of stitching around the brim.

They can be worn either way. If there is enough fabric, I prefer both the head piece and the brim to be of the same.

Here are my 24 hats. I have more pieces cut out ready to go

Wharf street

 We are staying at the marina, very small caravan park.

Taken from our site

Early morning rowers go by and fishing pelicans

And an Egret.

Not much shade but we move our chairs around. Today being Saturday, we have the steam train going on the tracks about 6 metres away from the van.

It is an easy walk into the cbd from here.

Went to parkrun this morning, new post and by about a minute.

Maryborough

 Mary Poppins town. P L Travers who wrote it came from Maryborough.

Not unusual to see Mary 9n the side of the street

Decided that I like murals and there are plenty here

Umbrellas

And another

More

Bundaberg

 We got there in time for lunch at the botanical Gardens. Very nice walk through.

Comfy chairs outside the Cafe in the grounds.

A very large lady bug about four times as big as usual.

Scenic train in the grounds

Part of the Chinese gardens

Entrance to the Chinese Gardens, the Japanese Gardens were just across the road

An eel in the lake.

Mt Larcom

 Nice quiet park even though it is on the side of the Bruce Highway. It is built in tiers around the amenities, we were on the third tier.

The only caravan park that I know that has chairs and a table for each side.

I did have a photo but its not showing up.

The next tier down just over the side, a truck and enclosed trailer pulled up. Inside they had a helicopter drove that they put together. It was about four feet long.

Pt Alma

 We have stayed at Mt Larcon park before and it was a short day only 180ks so we took a detour to Port Alma.

No idea what was there but apparently it is a salt mine. Which is ridiculous as salt is not mined but there you are.

Mountains of salt

We stopped at a salt flat because....

There was a cache called  Harold Holt in salt. It stated that the cache was not difficult to find but discovering how to sign the log could take some time.

It was a yellow container tied to a stumpy tree. There were bolts inside that needed to be pushed up hard so the inner container came out.

Clairview and Marlborough

 Leaving Mackay, we missed the servo that we wanted to stop at and continued on to Clairview. Strange little place lots of houses but nothing else except a community centre advertising tea and coffee plus scones jam and cream.

I think it's like an op shop just off the highway, a service road for about five or six kilometres. The community centre was at the end of the service road.

We had coffee and the last of their scones, we were sitting outside with Lucy when one of the workers who brought out our coffees suggested we sit and watch the water.

Sea was a long way out, beautiful colour though and tide was coming in.

Mural on their wall.

Community building.

We continued on to Marlborough, the caravan was right along side of the highway so very noisy until about 10.30pm and traffic got going again about 6am

They had goats and chicken on the edge of the park.

It was a pick your own spot. 

Mackay

 This has been our spot for five nights. I visited the Riverside markets on Thursday afternoon, it was advertised on our caravan park info. The markets run from 3pm to 7pm.

I picked up some dumplings, like in China and some goat meat, that was already frozen so it will go home for a goat curry.

We have been out caching, lots here.

Friday was grocery shopping, yesterday was parkrun through the botanical Gardens and washing day. Today we took Lucy to an off leash beach, she had a ball running through the waves and tearing up the sand. It was a cool day so very few people there.

Had to grab a jumper this afternoon, temps only got to 22 and there was a wind.

Breakwater

Painted water tower

Wall with the towns happenings

Parkrun

Sculpture in the botanical Gardens. Seven frogs and a platypus all made from recycled metal bits.