Banjo and Family -October 2007

A few shots of Banjo and family.
Went to Maroochydore for lunch with John and Amira (G's brother) and then went for a paddle at the river with G. Nic and Bud the dog, one block away from John's.
Also went to Baby-Swim. I was his helper for the swim, a very relaxed baby in the water, more pre-occupied with the floating toys than whether he was actually floating!

Scatterday J

Scatterday J, originally uploaded by FranW.

I'm late...I'm late, but l had an important date!!!!
Last week it was J, I am not even looking at anybody else's blog until I have posted mine.

Pointy thing - my juicer, squeezes better than any old plastic one and cleans easier too!

Restaurant - I read the phone book- we just don't have a restaurant starting with a J in town!

Swimming - ditto phone book, I planned to gate crash a Judo club but the 2 in town were listed as out of town.

NOW I will show you why I was late posting Scatterdays!

We're off to Brisbane!!!!

We're all waiting to be packed to go to Brisbane to meet Banjo again!

We met last Christmas when most of us were given as gifts to him but we couldn't fit into the suitcase to go to Stockholm so we stayed with Nana and Grandad.

I think we're all going to be very pleased to see each other. The parrot and the kookaburra belong to Nic, who now has a small space in his heart because somewhere along on the trip back to Australia, Angus the Boxer got lost! He has travelled all over the world with Nic since 1989 when he arrived from Texas.

Scatterday P

Scatterday P, originally uploaded by FranW.

A bit late again today, never mind!
P it is and once again I became confused because there's a colour as a topic!
My pin holder is not only red but also metal and we easily identify with the postman's red van and Australia posts logo.
Sweets - I am becoming braver with my photo gathering so I went across the road into the CWA shop and asked what cakes they had beginning with P so Marj opened the Peppermint slice container and the other helper couldn't help herself so she shot around from the craft side and suggested Plum Puddings!
Metal - postbox, Public toilet and no Parking sign and another (red) sign for a Pasta shop!

PSBB- I am just checking this and once again my right hand side pictures are cropped! grrrr.

Thanks to Michelle, who asked where I was orientating the picture, I didn't change that bit but I did discover where I could make is smaller :-)

Girl's Night In

Launceston Patchworkers & Quilters had a Girl's Night In last night to raise money for Breast Cancer. Two years ago when we had it we asked for squares of pink fabric and over time we made 2 butterfly quilts. We handed one over to team members from the local Dragons Abreast group to use for future fund raising efforts. Their Dragon boat arrives in November and they will then be able to graduate from sitting on chairs in the boat shed to paddling in the genuine thing on water!

I'm looking forward to it too as I will get a wonderful view of them from home, especially if they get marooned on the mud bank at Home Point, they have been warned!

We were also treated to a Tap dance and song routine by the Patchworking Pitter Patterers. Kaye from LPQ's, her sister Christine and cousin Glenice-their family Christmases must be hilarious!

Also pictured are the winners in the decorated slipper contest. Kaye's 2 sisters, is this family extroverted or what?

Scatterday F

Scatterday F, originally uploaded by FranW.

The Freezer in Graeme's bar frig. It needs taking outside and defrosting. The big freezer in the laundry which I am trying to empty and clean, it's not happening!
Signs- Free Parking, Michael Ferguson and Foxes .
The Elements - Fire and Graeme combined equals a totally new one!

Launceston Show Day

It was people's day at the Royal Launceston Show today and this is what I just love, sights like this young man and the huge beast!

We hadn't been for many years and I was pleasantly surprised except I began the day with the "funny tummy" that Graeme had earlier in the week, so we didn't queue for giant Dagwood dogs or chips, in fact I came home and had 2 dry bikkies, a glass of water and a nap!

Sewing Room

The furniture's been shuffled around and the table Graeme found under the house is in position. The machine is no longer dropped into a flat bed but on top of the table with a perspex surround. My chair is up so high now my feet don't hit the floor, so that's the next problem! :-) I think there should be a small shelf somewhere that the TV used to sit on, I wonder where that is?

The old Horn table is there too, I would like to "audition" one of the Horn Craft Tables - slightly higher and the ends flip out when needed, it's a bit bigger than the Sewing cabinet and I won't rush out and order one until I am sure, but how does one know unless it is put in place???? Such a dilemma!

The top over the back of the chair is one I did at our retreat - "Magic 9 Patch" with autumn leaves and 48 hand dyes from Ami (ex-Oz Dye Arts).
The quilt on the end of the table is waiting binding and is a woven design with frog fabrics and a frog quilting design.

Frank

I had lunch today with dad and his girlfriend, Marie.He reckons he's a cradle snatcher as she's only 84 - he's 86!

He doesn't come into town often, but he had an appointment with his Urologist -say no more!

This is a shot of him in one of his sheds - he has a habit of when one gets too messy, to just take over another building, build a new one or buy old wardrobes.

This one is a lean-to built along the side of next door's fence, with a roof and a few old cupboards as a wall. The wall at the other end is another shed!

Anyhow, he wanted some new shelves to put "stuff" on, this is the result. He is not a handyman, we grew up with Uncle Barry, a plumber and Uncle Brian who was a builder always on call. We reckoned dad wouldn't even know where the hammer was. Now he doesn't worry, he either goes and buys another one or builds Lego-like constructions. (errrrkkkk - I am seeing similarities here!)

At his left is a rock saw- he took up "looking for gold" later in life, after he left mum and took up women and horses, but I could go on ---- and on!

This picture is of him with Lloyd (he's a few years older than dad) at the other end of the shed looking at cores from the drilling - this is no amateur mining we're talking about here! This is serious men's business! There's also Jo who goes out with him, will show picture later of "Dad's Army"

Life with dad has never been boring, just very frustrating a lot of the time, due to his bad hearing and his reluctance to wear his hearing aide, which he decided he needed when he became good friends with Marie (as opposed to just friends which the family has been for a long time).

We also have a collection of old water tanks - they make good sheds too!

I have many stories about him, but above is by way of introduction.

I am also grateful for Marie, for now when I ring up and ask him how he's going, he always answers "Never been better" , which is good! :-)

Scatterday C

Scatterday C, originally uploaded by FranW.

I'm getting in early this weekend as I'm off on retreat with Tas. SCQuilters.

My sewing area is still not done, it needs thinking about, but I have sorted my scraps!

Hobbies- now I was really in the pink here as Graeme and I have several each but starting with "C", Collecting would win hands down!
He collects Cards (postcards) - all neatly placed in albums in the Cupboard that used to grace an early 1900's Tasmanian classroom - a Library cupboard.
I collect many things, 2 shown here -Chintz China and Campbell's Pottery. The Winton Chintz designs are "Quilt" and "Tartan".
Campbell's Pottery was located in Launceston in the street where Graeme boarded when he first came into town to work.
I also collect Antique quilts, Doulton "April" china, and sewing boxes.I seem to have a big Collection of my quilts too :-)(This is more than anyone needs to know!)

For Furniture I am presenting the under-rated Card Table. It sits beside the computer when I have lots of paperwork that can't fit on the desk.
I also have a Cake Stand, from early golden days when afternoon teas were de-rigeur and this was carried around for our selection.
It folds up flat when hot in use. (If you look carefully you will see dust marks from the clutter I removed) (Just noticed that the handle is cropped and my jug spout is missing, I still can't work out how to get a whole picture on this blob!)

Lastly, Pizza Toppings. I am still not very brave so this was taken undercover in the supermarket. I was in fear of someone asking me if I was a Capsicum spy! I had also planned on getting Chillies and Cheese, but time ran out.

Global Warming or Abnormally High Tides????

"Abnormally High Tides" was the weather Bureau's warning yesterday afternoon, and as I went past the Tamar Rowing Club rooms and the Boat shop There was only 10 minutes to go until high tide. I raced back up the hill and got my camera and took my photos beside the local newspaper's photographer. :-)

Occasionally we get a flood around here because of excess water flowing down theriver through the Gorge, but not often does it happen the other way.

Is it global warming???

Sewing area re-arranging!

There's been a lot of chat on SCQuilters the last few days about sewing cabinets, sitting position and bad backs.

I have had my Horn sewing cabinet since 1974, so I guess it doesn't owe me anything now, but my Lovely Bernina 440 doesn't sit at all well in the flatbed - built for the 830's - I have several for spares :-)

The chat got me thinking about what I could do other than stop sewing (ha).

Anyhow, I realised that I couldn't continue in this sewing position for another 30 years so I got thinking. Luckily the local Bernina shop had one of the big perpex tables that fitted it but what could I put it on, as it was too big for the Horn cabinet and the pine table I use for cutting out on has a piece of wood underneath that makes sewing uncomfortable. I was ready to race off to the hardware store to buy a big piece of timber 80cm x 220cm but Graeme had a fossick under the house and found a table that he'd made for the shop. I know we replaced them for some reason and I think it's because we used to sit on them and with the weight of us and the timber the legs started to buckle! LOL. BUT, it gives me breathing space and an area to try to see if this is going to suit me, without spending any money (Oh, I just remembered I have just bought the clear table for the machine LOL).

It's all set up in one of the spare bedrooms and I'm supposed to be cleaning my sewing area so we can have the big swap around.

I already have plans for the pine table - have it restored, swap it with the dining room table and get rid of that pine table. My mind's in a whirl!

If this works, I think I will look for 2 sets of drawers to put at either end to support the heavy top. Oh, forgot to mention it's out of Tasmanian Sassafras timber - I am a sawmiller's daughter! He doesn't mill now, he's 86 and only looks for gold now. Remind me to talk about dad one day and his girlfriend of 84 :-)

Rob in his vegie garden

IMG_0867, originally uploaded by FranW.

My friends, Rob and Denise have been living in Kent for the last 8 months. His garden has been waiting for him and now he's into it. What a lovely view over Lake Louise at Grindelwald, just outside Launceston