Sylv needs your help!!

This is my mother's latest quilt.

As always stunning and, despite what she would have you believe, beautifully crafted.

While my initial response was 'What an ace quilt for a little girl' and 'Ooo! I recognise that fabric!!This one is actually going to her god-daughter, a woman older even than I.

The problem is the binding.

She can't decide whether to go with the olive green or a slightly more lively (and seemingly patterned) orange. What so you think?

Hmmmm?

So, in the last couple of weeks ...

... my mother broke North Africa.

What has been happening at your house?

too weird for words

Have just spoken with Giovanna and Sylv on Skype. It is very strange. Very.

I don't think CK's lil baby computer is up to dealing with internet video calls. There was a lot of delay and pausing and jerking and volume issues.

That said it is a triffic idea and may just make it my new best friend ever.

I just flew in from London and boy are my arms tired!

Day One in the Big Brother House.

Slept until 7. Under close supervision made porridge in a microwave AND didn't even make the microwave smoke or break or anything.

Dropped Sylv at an appointment. Walked down shopping street and forced laughter to stay on inside, not nice to mock the afflicted inhabitants - everyone moaning about cold weather. Cold weather? Breezy? Yes very. Cold? Not so much. At least 18 degrees here and no sign of anything even vaguely frostlike but it did rain tonight, for a little minute.

Sifted through baskets of fabric stash in sewing room, acquired a few for Northern Hemisphere repatriation. Haven't even begun on baskets of yarn stash. Have made arrangement with Sylv that come the time to divide the spoils here I will get the entire contents of the sewing room and Giovanna, will have all the jewellery. Strangely Giovanna readily accepting of non-stash acquisition.

Off in about 8 hours to Australian Quilt Convention for a poke around and a nosey. Hoping to see familiar faces then off to Golden Brother's for dinner.

Locket is not alone in her familial set-up. I too have a bossy big sister and we are working to a timetable now.

Sunday - visit to the High Country for aged uncle's birthday party.

Tuesday The Farm (nr Great Ocean Road) for visit to Giovanna's m-i-l and then to race meeting. Possibly overnight, must check.

Thursday/Friday nights - stay with cousin on farm in Heathcote region.

So next week think of me travelling the UK equivalent of London to Glasgow several times but on roads haunted by suicidal marsupials and in bitter, icy temperatures (hahahahaha!)

We have a full tank of gas, a half a pack of cigarettes, it is dark and we're wearing sunglasses. Hit it! (Plus I have fully charged my camera) Cue Peter Gunn theme.

Silly bugger.

After checking my emails this morning I have spent hours trying to contact my mother. Blurry satellites, handset cradles with a mind of their own and slippery hands have prevented me doing more than leaving messages.

Giovanna rang mid-morning (late night her time) and we talked. At the corner of my sight I saw CK say something to both children and then they walked off. d/Boy want back to his new Dr. Who magazine, Pr C-W stood looking out the front window for several minutes. He didn't get up and go comfort her. With a 'what the hell were you thinking???' glare at him I motioned her over to sit on my lap.

And this is how my children found out Grandad had died.

His rationale apparently was he didn't want them gleaning half facts from my phonecall. And he thought they knew. And there was a full moon. And his suit didn't come back from the cleaners. There was an earthquake! It wasn't his fault!!!!!!!!!

So until I get home in late April there remains little I can do but feel incredibly ineffectual.

Slightly relieved.

Am breathing just a little bit easier about the whole Sylv/husband situation at the moment. The dastardly duo of my evil s-i-l and her oppo have been offset by the arrival (for a day or so) of my lovely killer-attack brother.

He will be there just long enough to be the steady hand on the rudder I think Sylv needs at the moment. Steer her toward more peaceful waters (Hmmm ... perhaps he chose the wrong arm of the services?) then not long after Giovanna will be back for good. Me? I'll go home 'later'.








*Thanks for all your input in the comments of the previous post. To be honest they don't have an enormously deep relationship with Grandad, he lives 12,000 miles away and they can only remember meeting him three times so I don't anticipate mahoosive devastation but my musings were about afterlife theories. They get a lot of the CofE 'God' at school and all topics are up for discussion at home so am fairly happy with how it will all pan out.*

the tyranny of distance

There are times when I realise just how far away 'home' is. Now is one of them. He has never even flirted on the edges of my top 500 favourite people but Sylv loves him. These are tough times people. Hold my mother and her husband in your thoughts please.

The real joy in presents.

I can now categorically state that now matter how much I love opening presents I actually love gifting the right something to the right someone even more.

December brings not just Christmas (Santa - Yay!!! Oh okay and some religious connotations but these need to be recognised as pre-Christian in origin. 'K Mama???) but also Sylv's birthday. It was hard enough coming up with a Christmas present for her (oh but we got a cracker!) as well as something to send her husband, Grandad (what happened to it is a whole other post) but then I had to think of a birthday present. As you may recall part of last year's Great Trip Home was to celebrate Sylv attaining the fine age of 'ahem-ty' and quite honestly she has no more need of anything. Please do not misunderstand me there is LOADS she wants (who doesn't??) but what?

Oh the delights of blog-hopping. I found just what I wanted at the delicious and divine Ink & Spindle . Last year Sylv got an uber-whizzy sewing machine, a quilter's delight by all accounts, and the fabulous collaboration between between Sooz and the I&S mob was just begging to be given a test drive. One click quick of the mouse, a brief diversion to Paypal and WHAM!! the gift was on its way.

Through a very crackly line last Sunday I told Sylv to watch out for a parcel from Melbourne, it contained her birthday present. I rang this a.m. to find if it had arrived yet.

"Oh! Was that from you? There was no label or anything but we have had a lovely time at sewing coming up with ideas for an outer fabric."

"Yes, it was from us - Happy Birthday!" (thinking 'I told you it was coming, you shouldn't have opened it yet!')

After explaining who Ink & Spindle were Sylv and I blog-shopped together, ooohing & aaaahing over the beautiful fabric patterns and colours. Choosing one as a favourite and then another. Suggesting, mulling and planning. With 12,000 miles between us (usually) over the last 20 years we haven't spent many hours shopping together so this morning was special. A lovely shared moment which left me feeling a little emotional. Not in a cry-y way but just with a lovely warm glow that I had introduced my mother to this lovely shop and she would get to choose something lovely to celebrate her 'ahem-ty-first' birthday.

Sunday tea with friends

My Kiwi friend and her CarMan husband came to Mum's for Christmas so they were delighted to hear about 'The State Visit'. This Sunday, taking afternoon tea with us, we went off the hill to visit them.

They are at the tail-end of extending their lovely old cottage. This is the view from the new bedroom.

Note my assistant in the bottom left? Both Pr.C-W and I took turns in running interference across those open doors.

After a run in the field, several games of backyard cricket (Kiwis vs Australia or England depending on how d/Boy was feeling) and some mini-beast trekking

we settled back and enjoyed the sun, good company and yummy home-baked cakes and scones

It was good to take the time to just sit and contemplate the world.

A visual record of why I am grinding my teeth. And some nice things too :-)

This week Princess C-W and Granma have been cutting the fabric we bought AGES ok for her to make a first quilt. The cutting was a bit boring so Granma finished it and then came the fun.

Sort of.

Let me start with the finished design (to date).

Pretty yes? It will measure 16"x36". One day. When it is all finished. Maybe more if I can talk her into a border ;-)

Wanna see why I am grinding my teeth?


My girl having a lovely time making pretty patterns.

Uhoh .... what is that I see sneaking into the background?

And bingo! Literally without a word this happened. He silently reached down and started putting them into place for her.

I had to grab my camera and document it b/c I knew y'all would commiserate.


Having debriefed now I can move on.


Is everyone aware this has been an Ashes Summer? It has not escaped the notice of all small boys in my house.

Who wins which match is largely irrelevant. The score is only of interest so he has something to strive for as he bowls at the wicket in the garden.

Note the crowd in Bay 13 roaring its approval?

In the last week his bowling technique improved enormously and tonight he even managed to spin a few of the balls he sent hurtling toward me.

All I can say is with a delivery like that The Ashes will be interesting whichever team he decides to play for.

As for the crowd at the MCG. Well she went and had a well-deserved rest.

I've figured it out!

Seemingly this man finds no pleasure in life.

If he wasn't so infuriating it would make me sad.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!

For nearly over 20 years I have been responsible for myself. I have got my own jobs, I have travelled around the world by myself. I have moved to new cities and countries where I don't know anyone and started all over again.

In this time I have built my own social networks, friendships, life. Across the other side of the world from my family I have cared for myself when sick and shivering with fever. I have made my own dashes to ER when required.

I am a grown woman with more than sufficient intelligence and physical capabilities to survive.

So why did he insist upon staring over my shoulder and moving into help UNASKED when I was putting together a simple piece of machinery? Why did I even have a second of guilt (swiftly quashed let me say) after telling him that I did not need help and that I was perfectly capable of doing it by myself?

Perhaps I should take comfort that I kept the voice in my head from screaming out loud 'PISS OFF!' ????

I am trying to be gracious but it is hard dammit!

Before I debrief let me show the sending part of the seaside swap in which I took part.

Actually it is only part of what I sent but it is my favourite part. Look. Look. Look! I made this.

While there are four pictures it really is just one bag but Oh! What a bag! There is a largish central space with four outer pockets. The outer of the bag and the lining of the pockets are heavy linen, the bag inner is red gingham and the outer of the pockets - oh! again I am in love -this is a gorgeous Cath Kidston teatowel I bought when out Lesley Moog and Wonderwoman (not!). It was with delight that I cut into it because I just knew this was going to be a perfect thing when it was done. Go on have a good look at it. When the drawstrings are pulled the top cinches together making the pockets pouch out. Oh how I love this pattern.

I included some other stuff too - chocolate turtles, seaside photo, seaside scene notecards, some lovely beeswax candles and two more things that I can't remember just now. This swap has been a lot of fun.

OK just a small rant now because I feel so happy and blissed out after looking at that bag again.

People he is making me crazy! All that passive-aggressive/can't make a decision/stupid blurry R2D2 noises nonsense. I want to say 'if you would like to help - offer your assistance directly, grow a spine, make a statement'. I had to phone CK at work today to offload this morning all over a stupid set of garden clippers!

I shall martyr myself for the sake of my children as they are enjoying doing things with Grandad. My reward awaits me in heaven ;-)


We also have achieved Stages One, Two, Three and Four in The Great Cricket Bat refurb.

This shows Stages 2&3. Stage 2 is at the bottom. This was the mid-coat colour (also shows the basecoat) for the top section of the back of the bat. Stage 3 is the white, you can also see the top coat from Stage 2. By close of play today we were also done with Stages 4&5 as well. Roll on tomorrow!