No matter where you are, and no matter what you celebrate.......

......best wishes for a season of peace, love, and good health.

And chocolate.  Lots and lots of good quality dark chocolate.

From the wombats and me......

Before today's storm hits.......

Of late it has been quite stormy, with more forecast for this afternoon and the next couple of days.  Every time there is a decent clap of thunder our internet goes off, thanks to the wonderful (not) system that the Ozzie government gave us some years ago.  Perhaps that's all they deem us worthy of.

Oh well.  Moving right along.

This week has been quite busy, so busy that I have barely set foot in the sewing room!  However two houses were made, taking the number of completed houses to 37......another 24 to go, as 61 are needed for the pattern.  No more are cut ready to be sewn, but that will be remedied in coming days.

A rainbow house, and a quiet house.  Not every house is a loud screamer, we need quiet neighbours too.

On the original quilt the outer setting triangles were made from lots and lots of red squares, but instructions are given in the book for cutting them from yardage.  I like the one-colour scrappy idea, so have decided to make mine from - of course! - green, so my houses will be surrounded by parkland.  The maths has been done; it will mean cutting lots and lots of 2-1/2 in green strips, then piecing and cross cutting and re-assembling, but it will be easy peasy sewing......and be worth the effort when done.  

Despite the busy week some stitches were made on the tumbler quilt, the centre panel of which is now two-thirds done.

Another end-of-year lunch on Wednesday, this time for my sewing group.  Two volunteer days, one at a gallery and one at a historical museum, an appointment or two......and the week sped by on wings.  The coming week looks to be a little calmer with a nice lunch to look forward to on Christmas Day, and another lunch with visiting friends next weekend.

Hard to believe that we are so close to the end of what has been a less-than-fabulous year, isn't it?  I don't think there will be many people who are sorry to bid farewell to 2020.

Kevin has been keeping himself amused of late by some family history research.  On his father's side there is a connection to a circus which toured Australia for over 100 years, Perry's Circus; his father's mother was Emily Perry, described as an "equestrienne" (she was a bare back rider), and his father's dad played in the circus band.  We took our boys to see the circus a couple of times when they were young, they were most impressed - imagine finding out, at about 6-8 years of age, that you were actually related to a lion trainer and being able to watch him in action!

Back in those days the house we lived in was not far from a park where the circus would set up, and the vet who treated our cat was nearby too.  One time when we mentioned our connection to the circus he told us that he had been contacted to ask about a 'home visit', to which he replied that he didn't do that, the animal would have to be brought to him.  "Ah - no, I think you had better come to us" was the reply.  One of the circus lions had an ingrown eyelash which needed treatment - he said he managed to get it sedated and treated, but also that it was a bit scary trying to sedate a lion while it glared at him balefully from the other side of the cage bars.

"Wines at dinner.

The menu of a dinner party is by some not regarded as complete, unless it includes one or more varieties of wine.  When used it is first served after soup, but any guest may, with propriety, decline being served.  This, however, must not be done ostentatiously.  Simply say to the waiter, or whoever pours it, "not any; thank you."  Wine, offered at a dinner party, should never be criticized, however poor it may be.  A person who has partaken of wine, may also decline to have the glass filled again."

Wise words to keep in mind during the party season, although I suspect that this year's party season will be tamer than in past years.
 

Enjoy your days!

It's beginning to look a bit like.......

.......hmmmmm..........

Because the ukulele group (the faithful remnants of it) are gathering here tomorrow for the last time this year I thought it would be timely to strew a bit of Chrissy cheer around to enhance the festive feeling.

First we have the Christmas wombats, a tree, and Flossy.  (and sundry other assorted Stuff on the table which has nothing to do with Christmas)

She is called 'Christmas Tree Angel', but I named her Flossy.

The Canadian tree, with ornaments bought or gifted in Canada......a bear, a loon, beavers, and maple leaves.

That's it so far.  More Stuff may or may not be put out, depending on how inspired I feel.  Everything put out has to be packed away eventually, and you know who gets that job, don't you?

This week's houses.  A party house with a fish on the roof - because, why not - and a flowery garden house.

Work has resumed on making these autumn blocks.  The pattern, with my changes, calls for over 300 of the little blighters.  Sewing is easy - lots of mindless feeding of fabrics through machine - trimming is tedious, but necessary.

These are 4-1/2 in, so 4 in finished.  I am hoping it will be gorgeous when done.

How has everyone's week been?  I hope you are all keeping well, and healthy.  I know poor Sally is recovering from surgery for a broken arm, we hope you are out and about soon, Sally - I think your doggo might have to walk himself in future!

A package is on its way to The One And Only Grandkid, who turns six next weekend.  There will be another package sent in a day or two so he has something under the tree from us to open on Christmas Day, because when you have just turned six it's all about the presents, isn't it?

Yesterday the quilt group met for our last lunch of the year, and fabulously festive it was too.  We always have a 'lucky dip gift exchange'; each person brings two 30cm cuts of fabric (beautifully wrapped, of course) and this year the fabrics I ended up with were a bright bubble print on black, and an orange tone on tone - both just my style!  

This is the time of year I start to look forward to my Annual Treat.  I really like fruit mince pies but Kevin doesn't care for them at all, so a little closer to The Day I buy myself two.....just two......and have one for afternoon tea on Christmas Eve, the other on Christmas Day.  With really really good thick cream.  Then I am happy until the next year.  It would be so easy to buy a whole box of six (or even more) but then I would scoff the lot and I would end up fatter than the fat bloke in the red suit, and that would never do.

"Expensive dinners not the most enjoyable.

It is a mistake to think that in giving a dinner, it is indispensable to have certain dishes and a variety of wines, because others serve them.  Those who entertain frequently often use their own discretion, and never feel obliged to do as others do, if they wish to do differently.  Some of the most enjoyable dinners given are those which are least expensive.  It is this mistaken feeling that people cannot entertain without committing all sorts of extravagances, which causes many persons, in every way well qualified to do incalculable good socially, to exclude themselves from all general society."

So......you do realise that if you are entertained here, it may not be an extravagant affair?  Just so you know before committing yourself......

Enjoy your days!

We survived the heatwave

It was a particularly nasty one, too.  However we have lived to tell the tale, even though I'm sure a few of my brain cells have fried in the process.

It is very difficult to settle to doing anything in such extreme heat in which records were broken, including the hottest December night recorded here since 1965.  Sewing seems too much effort because concentration is difficult, but some books were read......that's about all, really.  A certain amount of time that I will never get back was wasted online.  The forecast for the coming week is much more pleasant.

This week's houses were made today, because it is cool enough to sew..

Several houses are light/bright colours, so I thought a few darker ones should be made to balance it.  The sky print on the darker house with butterflies/moths it has been in my stash for goodness knows how long, and the yellow print on the other house is also from many years ago.  It's not the most fabulous photo ever, is it; perhaps having such extremes of dark and light side-by-side has confused the camera.

Or it could just be that the person pressing the button should have taken more care.  She will endeavour to do better next time.

Everywhere we go is now screaming 'Christmas', isn't it?  Very loudly, in some places.  Flashing displays have started to appear outside houses, some of which go on until quite late at night.  I wouldn't like to have any too close to us - I need my sleep!

There has, however been a certain amount of flashing lights and loud music this week because, after the hot start, it turned stormy with much thunder and lightning.  The hill behind us was looking dry and crackly brown, but is already starting to green up again.

How will you all be spending Christmas this year?  We have booked ourselves into a restaurant for lunch.  We started doing that in......oh, about 2005, when our Canaussian son was spending his first Christmas in Canada and our older son was playing music aboard a cruise ship somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.  Rather than just sit around and grin at each other I suggested going out for lunch; we did, and enjoyed it so much that we have done it every year since when it's been just the two of us.  The day seems more festive than just staying home as we have all done so much of that, this year......and besides, someone else gets to prepare and serve the meal and clear away afterward, which makes the occasion more special.

I have been looking through my sumptuous wardrobe, and what is contained therein will see me through the festive season.  There are a couple of end-of-year lunches happening but nothing new will be needed; this year has been so quiet that there are clothes from last summer which haven't yet been worn this season.  A few basic tee shirts could be handy as some of mine have been relegated to 'home' rather than 'out' clothes, so we might see what turns up in the sales in a few weeks.

Continuing on from last week's quote on returning hospitality:

"Some are deterred from accepting invitations by the feeling that they cannot return the hospitality in so magnificent a form.  It is not the costly preparations, nor the expensive repast offered which are the most agreeable features of any entertainment, but it is the kind and friendly feeling shown.  Those who are not deterred from accepting such invitations for this reason, and who enjoy the fruits of friendliness thus shown them, must possess narrow views of their duty, and very little self-respect, if, when an opportunity presents itself in any way to reciprocate the kind feeling manifested, they fail to avail themselves of it.  True hospitality, however, neither expects nor desires any return."

The last sentence particularly rings with me - "neither expects nor desires any return".  Just enjoy the company of friends without having to feel 'it was their turn last week, so it must be mine this week'.  

Enjoy your days!