Why you should listen to your mother.

Remember she said to always make sure you have clean knickers on when you go out?

This is why...

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.

Tribute to my mother

Last year we went off on TGTH. The major reason for squandering any inheritance our kids may have expected on airline tickets was Sylv was having a major birthday just a few days before Christmas.


Lots and lots of people coming to sing happy birthday and eat yummy food.
Lots and lots of people standing there waiting to hear speeches.
Lots and lots of people I had to face.

I finally got a copy of my notes today. Giovanna is at Sylv's and is able to work the computer. Something which Sylv is unable (unwilling) to do.

I missed Mothers' Day in Australia last week, mostly because it was two months ago here in the UK. So, even though she won't read it (see above note about tech capability), I am posting my notes of that speech to share why I think my mother is so fabulous.


'Delighted to be asked to speak, to be given the responsibility because being the youngest I NEVER normally get to do anything!!


Horror when I realized I would have to write the speech and stand before you all as well! Prevent brain freeze turned thoughts to what I could say. What I should say!!


Lists seemed perfect format and if I were any kind of daughter I would have come up with a birthday-ful list of adjectives but I can see the sparkly sitting there and so I shall limit the list to just groups of five.



Five adjectives

Elegant, glamorous, strict, naughty and compassionate.

Elegant – Not many looked as good as that in those fashions from the 1970s.

Glamorous – watching Mum dress in fabulous gowns to go to dinner dances and being smothered with lippy kisses.

Strict – few were so silly to actually take liberties but Mark Morris got out of a telling off by playing the piano on the premise that ‘music soothes the savage beast’.

Naughty – I sat through my confirmation mortified that Mum actually would flick the rolled up lifesaver foil at ‘RonaldOurBishop’ as she was threatening.

Compassionate – childhood memories of sitting in the car while Mum helped at the scene of some accident. One particular instance I sat and read my book as she assisted some older gentleman (somewhat the worse for drink) off the road and back to his home.


From my mother I learned what it is to be a strong woman.

To have the courage of my convictions.
That laughter is essential.
To be true to my moral compass
That it is okay to cry (and sometimes unstoppable – cheers Auntie Lil)
Survival alone is impossible and the help, guidance and assistance of family and friends are invaluable. (sadly many of whom cannot be present today)



Were I asked to choose one animal to represent her – it would be an eagle.

Fierce when necessary, provider and protector but able to soar the warm currents as they come.

For what is life without a sense of joy and passion? And those things are so often to be found in the creative. All of us here have benefited in some form – a hand knit jumper (CK being the wrong shape not withstanding), quilts, marmalades, some of her fabulous roses, her handiness with a pair of garden clippers or her wisdom and energy.



Almost certainly Mum did not realize that each time she shared those stories of family history, jokingly repeated the nuns’ words or issued parental commands that she was building the framework of my life. So to finish let me tell you


Five things my mother said
(subtitled – Five things I heard.)


She said 'Don’t wear patent leather shoes and a dress.'

I heard 'Have a sense of decency and self-esteem.'


She told me about 'the day she took on the Australian Army – and won!'

I heard 'If right is on your side don’t be afraid if the other guy is bigger.'


She said 'Just wait in the car; I’ll be back in a minute.'
I heard 'It is essential to make time for people in need.'


She said 'PUSH!'

I heard 'Sometimes you have to work through the pain to achieve your goal.'


She said 'If Jodie Williamson jumped off a cliff, would you do it?'

I heard 'Think for yourself and don’t be afraid to say no.'



So for all of that and so much more – Mum, I thank you and I love you.



Ladies and gentlemen please raise your glasses to the birthday girl – Sylv. '

The cup is always full, some days you just have to squint a bit.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes life happens when you are least anticipating it?

Horrible things happen to nice people. Age creeps up and alters irreparably those around us.

However the presence of the bad should be tempered by the presence of the good. Those who are injured regain control and capability. Plastic cones of humiliation are removed so that freedom becomes unrestricted.

People pick themselves up and declare 'I shall make it on my own'.

Life continues to move forward and every day starting bright and fresh is a blessing from the gods for all to enjoy.

More stash accumulation - these ones I need help with. published 25.01.09

Not that I am offering to share you understand but tech help.



I went and played at the fabulous 'HobbySew' in Echuca (can't get a link to fire up but I have a photie somewhere I shall post when I find) and I bought a pack of squares.

Two packs actually. One was a Moda pack and possibly the other one was too. I can't remember and have thrown the wrapper out but they are very beautiful, non?

My problem is - what do I do with them?





Do I join them all together randomly? Sash them with plain coloured strips? Cut them up along the lines of a traditional pattern?





Are they ready to use straight away or must I wash them first? I just don't understand!





Although DestructoBoy and I had a pleasant evening laying them out in different patterns :-)





Sylv was quite impressed, she returned home the next day with a present for me! These clever small people living a sweet little retro life

and a pack of squares to match!

If only I knew what to do!

Have been a little bit crafty recently

Did you know Ric-Rac is the blog repository of loads of very smashing blog links? Seriously, after I check my mail and blog I head on over there and read through all the blogs she shows off in her pretty little sidebar.

This one has, in among all it its other loveliness, a pattern for the Ruby doll. Now, you may be like me and assume that once this doll was made you were to be showered with rubies. Or you may actually have logically considered reality. However, this is the doll I made from this very straightforward pattern.

She is quite sweet really, isn't she? Except she seems to be in a position of surrender. I keep telling her to put her arms down but to date she continues to give up (plus she seems to be somewhat of a sulky moo, not sure we want her to be in our gang anyway!).

I liked doing this pattern so much I cut out another straight away. However this time? 'We're gonna get funky!!' I played with the layout of the face shapes and got a little carried away with the embroidery (using that term loosley!). Still need to figure out the hair on the sleeping one but as I have cut out today's work twice it can go and live in the 'one day'pile for a few days.

I will do something about 'sleepy one' having a needle through her nose. I shall take it out and save the idea for another doll; perhaps Papua New Guinean or maybe punk. Hmmmmm.....

A few weeks ago Giovanna and I went mooching around the top end of the S.W and discovered this fabulous little shop selling Amy Butler patterns and a selection of rather fabulous material. I gave into temptation and bought an A.B. bag pattern. Locket said it would be very tricky and complicated but I think she was just being mean b/c I wouldn't let her have my pattern. So bleaurgh to Missus Locket and I shall now show off my rather whizzy bag.

I can't won't show a picture of the lining b/c the photo I took turned out quite Ob/Gyn! Not that it looks that way on real life I hasten to add!!

Again I liked it so much I cut the pattern again straight away. The tartan (Hunting Stewart I think. Anyone?) is an old Land's End flannelette shirt I loved very much in its day. Apart from anything else this was my travel shirt, I cannot begin to count how many plane trips to Aus this has made! So I love that it is getting a new lease of ife as a handbag. Plus Giovanna and Sylv will be thrilled that I am reusing some of the crubbish that lies around my house.

So far the exterior is just pinned. I was trying the gingham out for a lining - what do y'all think???


There is more but I have either pulled it out or ripped it back or can't find it in the depths of my small boy's room!

New Broom.

In 12 days the UK will be host to my mother for the first time in two years. Consequently we are indulging in a frenzy of cleaning, tidying and sorting. Well, I am.

The kids are too excited about presents to think of much else and CK is wondering where he should stash her Nimbus 2000 so it is safe from local marauders! So having just waved off the last of our Round One visitors (my sister and her husband were here for the best part of a month and my b-i-l was here concurrently for a week)this morning I started with the most important tidy-up and re-organisation - welcome to the refurbished, polished and tarted-up version of TrashCan.


What do you think?


Bless her, my mother is getting a bit worried about travelling. You would think she hasn't done it before instead of flying to and fro for the last 20 years to the assorted countries her children have dotted themselves in around the world. But this is the first time in 12 years she has stopped off in Bangkok. Here we have the issue.


You see, 'Adventure' has a habit of finding my mother. The less charitable may call it 'Trouble'.


Last time she landed at Bangkok Airport she was feeling a little nervous about where to go and so she followed the nice Anglo looking couple who were probably also headed for Heathrow. They went down ramps, round bends and along corridors. After speaking with some nice airport officials Mum was the proud possessor of a stamp in her passport and the freedom of Bangkok. Her true situation only became clear to her when the airport doors slid open and the nice Anglo looking couple disappeared into the humid air of the Bangkok morning.

Aaaah Sylv! Bless her! She only got a little bit hysterical and started ranting at the nice customs officials who(understandably)began to feel a little nervous of the wild eyed Australian weeping and waving her passport at them. A lot of weeping. So in true man fashion when confronted with emotion and tears they called in for outside reinforcements. A lovely official-type woman came out, took Mum's passport, crossed out the immigration stamps with a pencil then lead her through the back tunnels and corridors into the airside of the building. I guess she has reason for not looking forward to it.

I think it will be fun.