Forwards and backwards

The computer has been back in hospital....doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it, they said.....I'm not convinced.  Anyway, it's back home for now.

How has everyone been?  It's been a busy couple of weeks; we're in the hottest part of the year and as usual the heat is quite unpleasant but it, too, will eventually pass.  The country music festival has come and gone, we had a new musical friend staying (I don't know where he gets his stamina from; his time was spent running from one gig to another and he had some very late nights, although he never disturbed us no matter how late he came home) and we enjoyed going to a few concerts.

No trees were made last week but the binding has been machined down on Autumn Rhapsody, and it's now being hand-sewn down on the back.  My bad hand doesn't enjoy long marathon sewing sessions, but so far it's behaving.  The panic over the too-short binding turned out to be misplaced in the end, as that extra strip wasn't needed after all.

Never waste a good panic.  You don't know when it may be needed for something really important.

If we were to hop in the trusty chariot and drive an hour or so south, we would be in sunflower territory.

A sunflower tree for the farmers who grow the sunflowers, and for tourists who love taking selfies in a field of big golden blooms.  Some farmers are now planting a field of flowers just for that purpose as it keeps the aforementioned tourists from trampling their precious crop, and the 'selfie fee' still raises some welcome money for their coffers or for charity.

Not sure what sort of tree this one is, but it's very colourful!

Don't they look good together?  

A reminder that one day this enervating heat will come to an end, and autumn will be with us once more.

To answer the comment from 'Anonymous' on my last post about a purple tree:  my least favourite colour in the whole spectrum is pink.  My second least favourite is purple, therefore a purple tree may continue to be missing.  There will, however, be more green and yellow trees to come.

Yesterday was Australia Day.  We spent the morning at home and the afternoon at a concert enjoying our musical guest's talents, before saying 'farewell' to the performers until next year.  As usual many words have been read and spoken on the subject of "should we celebrate Australia Day when it commemorates the arrival of European settlers to the detriment of the First Peoples" but I don't think the answer is simple, as any alternative date put forward is also problematic for some reason or another.  The date also marks the date of 26th January, 1949, when the Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 was enacted.  That meant that we all became Australian citizens; prior to that date we were considered British subjects and even had to travel on British passports....and that, to me, is something worth celebrating.

My Posh Melbourne Grandmother, Florence, was one of five girls and two boys born in Sydney to Phoebe and Arthur Nelson.  (She and her new hubby moved to Melbourne after their marriage and spent the rest of their lives there.)  For several years from the mid-1890s Arthur, an engineer with his own business, was a member of the N.S.W. Legislative Assembly, and according to information found on Trove he attended Federation conferences in both Melbourne and Adelaide, prior to Federation in 1901.  In those days the prospect of Federation - all Australian states and territories combining to form one country - was obviously on Arthur and Phoebe's mind, so much so that a daughter born in 1887 was named 'Australia'.

She seems to have gone by her middle name of Mae.  Can't say I blame her, really.

Words have been read.  Notes have been plinked.  Stitches have been sewn, by hand and by machine.  We managed to avoid the festival crowds (not always an easy exercise when there are over 50,000 of them to avoid) in order to hunt and gather because the food supply was getting a bit low, but we are stocked up again now.  We keep out of the heat as much as possible, although it's a struggle to stay cool sometimes.

Further to our last point of etiquette:

"It shows a great lack of proper manners to see two ladies, or a lady and gentleman, occupy a seat in front of them and fill it with their wraps and bundles, retaining it in spite of the entreating or remonstrating looks of fellow-passengers.  In such case any person who desires a seat is justified in removing the baggage and taking possession of the unused seat."

It's even worse when people put their feet on the opposite seat.  Who would want to pick up someone else's feetsies and place them on the floor?  Not me.  Not even I.

Enjoy your days!

Jennifer

That's one twelfth of the year done and dusted

Here we are, charging into February......I could have sworn we were celebrating New Year just a few minutes ago!  Many cultures are cultures are, however, celebrating Lunar New Year, this year is the year of the rabbit or the cat, depending on the country.

Choir is back, both ukulele groups are back.  Life has settled down into its usual busy-ness, and it can get quite busy at times.

Stitches have been stitched, diamonds have been joined, but nothing is yet photograph-worthy.  Words have been read.  Notes have been sung and plinked.

Another example of Kevin's grandmother Laura's beautiful crochet.

A pretty carnation and dragonfly pattern, in an octagonal shape....fairly sure I remember this being displayed on a small table in Kevin's parents' home.  It, too, was possibly designed by Mary Card.

My maternal grandmother had a sister Laura, born in 1883 just a few years after Kevin's grandmother Laura, who was born in 1880.  Laura was obviously a popular name in the 1880s - isn't it interesting how names are cyclical, how their popularity comes and goes?  The name Laura, it seems, has Latin origins; Daphne is the same name in Greek, my mother had a friend named Daphne.

I went through school with several other girls named Jennifer, it was a favourite in the late 1940s-early 1950s; most of them were Jennifer Ann/e or Jennifer Margaret, so my name Jennifer Grace was a bit different.  Perhaps we can thank (or blame!) actress Jennifer Jones, who was popular at the time.....but whose real name wasn't Jennifer at all, it was Phyllis.  Phyllis Grace......ah, no.  Phyllis was my mother's generation, not mine.

My grandmothers were Edith (maternal) and Florence Gordon (paternal), my mother was Mavis Eileen.  My maternal grandmother had no middle name, while my paternal grandmother's middle name of Gordon may have come from her father's Scottish family.  One of my paternal grandmother Florence's sisters was called......wait for it......Australia!  Not an uncommon name in the later years of the nineteenth century when the Australian colonies were heading toward federation, it was given to both girls and boys.

This morning we had a foretaste of autumn, a cooler start to the day.  We know warmer weather will be with us for a while yet, but now it's February we can say 'next month will be cooler'.  Meanwhile, I know some of you on the far side of the known universe from here are suffering through snow and ice storms which make for beautiful pictures, but oh - it does look cold!

Continuing on with Etiquette of the Street:

"Offering the arm to a lady.

A gentleman should, in the evening, or whenever her safety, comfort or convenience seems to require it, offer a lady companion his arm.  At other times it is not customary to do so unless the parties be husband and wife or engaged.  In the latter cases, it is not always advisable to do so, as they may be made the subject of unjust remarks."

Why would a couple be subject of unjust remarks if they are married or engaged?  Seems a bit odd to me, but obviously times were different then.

Enjoy your days!

Brrr.......

Winter hasn't yet gone......this morning was frosty chilly, minus 2 deg C, and the past few days a nasty chilly wind has stopped us from frolicking among the dandelions in our bare feet.  We have even had a fire again, much to Bianca's delight.  Next weekend is supposed to be a different story.

Black and white fabrics have been getting cut out.  The last of this was used.  I'm not into collecting and re-using selvedges, but I will keep this one because......

......my middle name is Grace!

'Jennifer' was a very popular name for girls of my age, there were several other Jennifers in my year at school.  Most were Jennifer Ann/Anne, one was Jennifer Margaret, but I am Jennifer Grace.

My mother had a cousin, Dorothy Grace, who died in 1926 when she was only 15.  While I wasn't the first girl born in the family after her death I was, as far as I know, the first one to be named after Dorothy Grace, whose middle name seems to have been used in preference to her first name.  Thank goodness for that, I say; 'Jennifer Dorothy' would have been a bit of a mouthful.

We will be lying a little low for the next couple of weeks as school holidays may bring visitors (and their germs) to our town, now that the world is opening up a little.  The only outings will be for some hunting and gathering, although the thought of a road trip is taking shape in my mind.  One of the possible routes we take when going to Canberra has an alternative road which we were warned was not suitable for caravans, but it has apparently now been upgraded and sealed......so we might, one day soon, go for a Nice Sunday Drive on a weekday to a smaller town and try out said road sans caravan.  If we think it's a bit hairy for the return trip we can come home via the slightly longer way that we have previously used.

Perhaps one day we may be able to take the caravan away again, but who knows what may happen next year?  Already many events which would have taken place in 2021 are being cancelled.

Thursday night choir is back, although numbers are down.  The ukulele group is in talks, as they say in the media, about returning in a couple of weeks and it's looking positive.  Playing in a group again would be wonderful.

"The table appointments.

A snow-white cloth of the finest damask, beautiful china, glistening or finely-engraved glass, and polished plate are considered essential to a grand dinner.  Choice flowers, ferns and mosses tastefully arranged, add much to the beauty of the table.  A salt-cellar should be placed within the reach of every guest.  Napkins should be folded square and placed with a roll of bread upon each plate.  The dessert is placed on the table amidst the flowers.  An epergne, or a low dish of flowers, graces the centre; stands of bon-bons and confectionery are ranged on both sides of the table, which complete the decorations of the table.  The name of each guest, written upon a card and placed one on each plate, marks the seat assigned."

Oh my.....I wonder what the author of these words would think about the current habit (one in which, I'm afraid, Kevin and I do sometimes indulge, and I would bet some of you do too) of eating from a tray on one's lap while watching television?

Enjoy your days!

Winter time

Yes, I know to some of you our winter is very mild compared to yours, but it can still be quite chilly.  Let's just say I'm glad I am not trotting around outside with bare feet and shorty shorts and leave it at that, shall we?  Cauliflower and bacon soup is simmering away in the slow cooker as we speak, and Bianca is sunning herself in front of the fire.

Elderly kitties do like their comfort.

This was taken several years ago, an hour from here.....hooo boy, that was cold.  Snow is forecast up there for the next day or two.

I think I shall take a leaf from Bianca's book and stay inside with the sun pouring through the large back windows, by the fire.

Not much of note has happened this week.  My foot is most unhappy if I ask it to do what it considers to be too much, as happened on Friday, so it is being rested.  And rested.  And rested some more......eventually it will be completely happy again.  At least the painful hip is slowly improving, so one out of two is better than none.

Meanwhile the sewing room is calling, two blocks are waiting to be made.  One is the BOM for the Tuesday group (a foundation pieced cat face), the other will be for when it's my turn for the Tuesday group in September.  I found instructions for a nice easy block with no triangles, which should make the triangle-challenged among us happy; my idea is to use autumn prints and colours.  The foot can have a couple more days of not being asked to do much, then it should be able to stand while a few fabric pieces are cut.  At least the foundation pieced cat face is several steps up from fiddly-diddly cutesy-poo applique, and embroidery for the facial features can be done by machine.

The discussion about names over the past couple of weeks has been interesting.  While volunteering at a local gallery this week I was chatting to a young teacher who works at a small out-of-town rural school, and the conversation turned to names - as it often does among those of us who spent some of our working life in schools.  We both agreed that there are certain children who leave such an impression that it puts one off that name for life.  'Troy', for instance......it was over 30 years ago, but I remember he was quite a piece of work.....for my young friend, it is 'Amelia'.  If she ever has to choose names for a child of her own I suspect 'Amelia' will be way off the bottom of her list.  Funny - this year two friends in different parts of the world have both become first-time grandparents to 'Amelia', so the name will be in classrooms for a while yet!

The last section from "Naming the child".

"The plan of reviving the old Saxon names has been adopted by some, and it has been claimed that the names of Edgar, Edwin, Arthur, Alfred, Ethel, Maud, Edith, Theresa, and many others of the Saxon names are pleasant sounding and strong, and a desirable contrast to the Fannies, Mamies, Minnies, Lizzies, Sadies and other petty diminutives which have taken the place of better sounding and stronger names."

This book was published in 1882, and my maternal grandmother Edith was born in 1887.  She had a sister Ethel and brother Alfred (both of whom died as children), as well as sisters Emily and Laura, and brother Percy......all of which would probably be approved by the writer of this chapter.  I thought the custom of giving a child a shortened form of a name was a modern trend - Kate instead of Catherine/Kathleen, Zac instead of Zachary -  but it seems not to be.

I wonder why so many parents name their child after a state in the U.S.A. when they don't live there. I also wonder why they feel the need to get creative with the spelling of the child's name, thereby condemning said child to a lifetime of having to spell out their name.

Enjoy your days!

A maple leaf weekend

Best wishes to my Canadian family and friends for Canada Day!

There are many species of maple trees.  This leaf is one of my favourite pictures ever; it was taken on a dull overcast day with drizzling rain.  It glowed as if there was a light shining through from underneath.

Front and back on a much sunnier day.

 Another drizzly day.

Many lovely Canadians we met apologised for the rain.....sorry it's raining, it will spoil your holiday.....to which we replied, as we had come from a dry climate we were quite enjoying the rain!

There will also be some Canadian cooking happening later, Butter Tart Bars......oh, I do like butter tarts......can't buy them here, so if we want them we have to make them.  Which is probably just as well, because if I could pop out to a cafe or shop and buy a butter tart any time I wished I could become a quite large person.

There is an excellent cafe not far from where we have always stayed in Toronto and over the years we have had many coffees there.  Last year's trip was no exception; one day shortly after arriving we went for a little walk and ended up at the cafe.  While we were ordering our coffees - beans are roasted on the premises - we noticed that the display of baked goods under the dome on the counter included butter tarts, so in the interest of scientific research I tried one.  Well......it was the best, bar none, that I have ever eaten.  It wasn't the last one I ate either......Kevin, being The Date Connoisseur of the Universe, tried the date squares and also agreed that his was the nicest date square he had eaten.  It wasn't his last one, either.

In other news, my foot is still attached.  The boot is still on day and night (yes, even in bed).

Nothing is happening in the sewing room.  Tumblers are still being joined by hand.  Using a sewing machine pedal with one's left foot isn't difficult, but much cutting needs to be done.....which means standing, which means pain with unevenly aligned hips at present......

Never mind.  This, too, shall pass. 

"Naming the child.

It becomes an all-important matter to the parents, what name they shall give to the newly-born child, and as this is a matter which may also concern the latter at some future day, it becomes an object of solicitude, until a suitable name is settled on.  The custom in Scotland is to name the first son after the father's father, and the first daughter after the mother's mother; the second son after the father, the second daughter after the mother, and succeeding children after other near relations.  This perpetuates family names, and if they are persons whose names are regarded as worthy of perpetuation, it may be considered a good custom to follow."

Had I been named after my mother's mother, my name would have been Edith.  No middle name, just Edith.  However, my middle name - Grace - came from a cousin of my mother's who died as a teenager; her name was Dorothy Grace.  At least my parents didn't call me Jennifer Dorothy, which is a bit of a mouthful.

Enjoy your days!

Off again soon!

On Wednesday we will be heading off in our trés flash new (to us - it's only four years old, we bought it a couple of weeks ago) car and our little 26 year old caravan to Canberra.  We've been attending the National Folk Festival for nearly 20 years now, and this will be the 13th year I have volunteered to work in the office - Kevin is working as a driver, shuttling performers hither and yon, and festival goers up and down hill, in a little bus.  We both enjoy the work, and  20 hours' work gets us each a free festival pass and free camping for ten days which is an added bonus.  While there we will be able to visit our son and his wife before they head off to Asia on their delayed honeymoon and after they return, before heading back home ourselves.

This was taken a few years ago, last time Easter was in late April.  Every year I look at the colours on this tree as it's an indication of how far into autumn we have come - some years Easter has fallen so early that the tree is still very green, as it was last year.  I don't put pictures of people on my blog without their permission but I don't think these folk are recognisable.

The day after the last blog post I sent away for a copy of Dorothy Grace's death certificate, to see if the mystery of her birth can be unravelled.  Another thought that I had forgotten also popped into my head - some years ago I met Nadine, my mother's cousin, who was born after Gracey died.  I remember that she was a little shocked that her Auntie Laura may have had an illegitimate son, Norman, as a teenager, and suggested that perhaps another sister - she named Ethel - may have given birth to the boy and for some reason wasn't able to bring him up, so Laura took him in.  I am now wondering if she had the children mixed up in her mind, and Gracey was actually the child born to Ethel but brought up by Laura?  My grandmother Edith left her first husband and was divorced by him (probably the cause of some scandal in the early 1920s) and moved here, taking a job as a cook at the local hospital.  Her two daughters, Lily May and Elsie, were taken in by two of her sisters, Laura and Emily (Auntie Em) as it would be difficult for her to work in a town distant from family support while bringing up two young girls.  There was no government help in those days.....if your family couldn't or wouldn't help, you were on your own.

Those old names are becoming popular again, aren't they?  Laura.....Edith......Ethel......Emily......even Lily May and Elsie, although I haven't heard of many baby girls in recent years being named Edith, Ethel or Elsie.  Grace is back on the top 100 baby name list, but I don't think Dorothy has made it for several years.  Neither has Mavis, which was my mother's name.

More milestones are gradually being passed for the shoulder.  Exercises are continuing, and we are now up to lifting.......slowly and not very high yet, but it is happening.......one kilogram, or nearly two pounds.  I can put my hair up and even braid it in a single braid at the back of my neck again.  After we come home from Canberra I will try playing guitar, it's more of a stretch than playing ukulele and so far hasn't been ~ quite ~ manageable.  Earlier this week I even had a go at driving the trés flash new car, but that is still an uncomfortable stretch - however, it shouldn't be long until that is possible, too.  Tomorrow the shoulder and I have an appointment with Anna The Nice Young Physiotherapist, and I hope she is pleased with its progress over the past four weeks while she was off gallivanting around Europe.  Even the pain which was making life so difficult for quite a while has abated, although sometimes there is still a dull ache.....but I can cope with that.

"All well-bred persons will conduct themselves at all times and in all places with perfect decorum.  Wherever they meet people they will be found polite, considerate of the comfort, convenience and wishes of others, and unobtrusive in their behaviour.  They seem to know, as if by instinct, how to conduct themselves, wherever they may go, or in whatever society they may be thrown.  They consider at all times the fitness of things, and their actions and speech are governed by feelings of gentleness and kindness towards everybody with whom they come into social relations, having a due consideration for the opinions and prejudices of others, and doing nothing to wound their feelings."

Remember those words, when next you venture out into society.

Enjoy your days!

Whirligigs and stars and pinwheels

How is everyone this fine day?

I have been sewing, as you can see! Lots of different bright colours to make whirligig star blocks for my challenge quilt. Here are some more ready to be joined.

And here is the first completed block. One block was assembled so I could work out the piecing order, because this is My Very Own Design and not from a book or magazine. Just me and EQ7.
Each 12in finished block will have a different coloured star in the centre, and the lavender corner triangles will make pinwheels when the blocks are joined together. Can't wait to see how it looks......seeing it on the computer screen, and seeing it in real life, can be two different things.

Still have one applique block to made for my group quilt, the next raffle quilt is to have both pieced (made mine already) and floral applique or embroidered blocks. Because I don't have an embroidery machine mine will be be machine appliqued because it's quicker than by hand. I will be glad to have it done. I have no idea which flower design I am going to do......

This week we had some rain, but as they say on the news more follow-up rain is needed. Still - I'm sure the gardens were thankful for what they received. We have a couple of things to be planted so hopefully they will go in the next day or so. This afternoon I noticed some pretty pink things in the front garden, I think they are Nerines. Nerine sounds like a woman's name from years gone by, doesn't it? Those old-fashioned flower names seem to be making a comeback, names like Rose, Lily, Daisy and Violet. My paternal grandmother was Florence, which is nearly a flowery name. She had a sister called Adelong (there is a town in New South Wales called Adelong), and one of her brothers was named Australia. Before Australia became one federated country in 1901 it was a collection of different states, although federation had been talked about for quite some time. As it drew closer some people became quite patriotic about many things including children's names, and Australia was not an uncommon name.

Several years ago I remember a friend telling me that when an elderly member of her family died his name was also found out to have been Australia. He was always called Ozzie, so it was generally thought by family and friends that his name was Oswald. But not so.

Makes you wonder what people will think about the current choice of names in a hundred years or so, doesn't it? To say nothing of the somewhat creative spellings that some children have to carry all their lives, just because their parents felt like being different.

"With some it is customary to name children after some renowned person, either living or dead. There are objections to this plan, however, for if the person be still living, he may commit some act which will bring opprobrium to his name, and so cause both the parent and child to be ashamed of bearing such a disgraced name. If the person after whom the child is named be dead, it may be that the child's character may be so entirely different from the person who formerly bore it, that the name shall be made a reproach or satire."

My parents chose my first name (so I was told) because they liked it, and my middle name - Grace - is after a cousin of my mother's who died young. But I am still here, and I hope I am graceful. Not disgraced.

Enjoy your days!

I have met another one of me!

Just after moving here last year I took this picture of autumn gold in our small back yard - the unidentified tree shed its leaves and made a lovely carpet, until it went mushy and was cleared away. We have noticed the occasional leaf fluttering down lately to show us that seasons are changing. The back yard looks different now; the palm fronds drooping in the background are gone (the palm tree has been removed) and the shrubby thing at the foot of the tree is also gone. The wash line is still in the same place.

A couple of days ago I went for a Nice Sunday Drive to a town 110kms or so away (that's 70 or so miles) for a quilt show. When we moved away from the city I knew there wouldn't be so many things like quilt shows to see, but am determined to attend as many as I can. Seeing what other people make can be inspirational and I don't want to give up being inspired.

While there I met a local quilter who shares my name! Same first name - Jennifer, although she calls herself Jenny - same last name too. Different middle name. While I knew that I wasn't the only one with this name, it's the first time I have met someone who shares it. Have you ever googled your name to see how many more of you there are? There are lots of me. But if I google my maiden name I am the only one to appear, that is on a family history site so it's definitely me.

A question for the quilters among you: what is the smallest size piece of fabric you keep for future use? I decided on 2in square. Several years ago I used 2in squares to make this quilt. At present I am cutting larger 2-1/2in squares for the child's quilt I am being tardy about, and also cutting 2in squares if a small piece of fabric isn't big enough for 2-1/2in. Anything smaller is being thrown out. But there are some 1-1/2in strips of varying lengths, and I am wondering if they should be kept or if that is getting too narrow to be useful. Decisions, decisions........before anyone mentions 'crumb quilts' let me say I'm not interested. Have you ever felt the weight of one of those? With all those little seams they use a huge amount of fabric, much more than one would think, so even handling it to layer and quilt it would be difficult. I don't do much applique so there's not much point in keeping an applique stash of small pieces - if I wanted a small piece I could use what is in the 2in square box.

Last week I had occasion to be in a local medical centre while waiting to see a doctor and was forced to listen to the choice of music of the young women working in the office, very poppy stuff that I don't listen to voluntarily. It irritated me to the extent that when I was finally admitted to the doctor's inner sanctum (after waiting for 40 minutes or so....just as well I had taken my hand-piecing) I complained. He told them to turn it off, and said to me he had already asked several times. They didn't turn it off, so he yelled at them. I felt bad about that, and now I am probably on their Hit List for causing the yell. Studies have shown that selected gentle classical music - I'm not talking Wagner opera here - calms people down and even lowers blood pressure. Mine was much higher than it should have been when it was taken by the doctor, because I could feel myself seething more and more the longer I was forced to sit and listen. In future I shall take along my almost historic Walkman clone (remember them? mine still works so I haven't succumbed to an ipod) and listen to my own choice of music. Next visit is on Friday for a flu shot and believe me, I am not looking forward to that visit.

"If anyone should assume a disagreeable tone of voice or offensive manner toward you, never return it in company, and, above all, do not adopt the same style of conversation with him. Appear not to notice it, and generally it will be discontinued, as it will be seen that it has failed in its object."

Let's hope the medical centre office staff are not disagreeable on Friday.

Enjoy your days!