Framed Posy

 This little embroidery is almost finished.  

The total size including the frame is approx 9cm x 7cm.

I took this pic at Mills Beach a couple of weeks ago after the storms.

I have been sorting through my photos on the computer and it is great to recall the fun times.

During the recent school holidays my daughter Bec called in to pick me up and we set off to Sorrento for a picnic with  Ally, Michael and Matty.   Check out a bit more about Sorrento here.

The weather was a bit cool so the young ones decided to picnic in the back of their car.  We were near the ferry terminal and could see people setting off to Queenscliffe some on foot and others taking their car.  Matty enjoyed a run along the sand and in the shallows too.

It was a lovely relaxing day: we are lucky in having great roads which means the trip from my home was about 1 hour.   Bec had to drive for about 45 minutes to pick me up so I did the driving to Sorrento and back.

It is such a treat to spend some time with family.

Don't forget to check  Ally's blog She has some great photos on there.  

 

summer daze

the sun, the beach and the twins - happy days

Perfect beach weather

Today the weather was reminiscent of summer: in fact the last few days have been perfect.

This morning I had some time with the twinnies so we went to the beach.  Canadian Bay is just 5 minutes away by car and is a very shallow and quiet beach.  Perfect for small children.  When we arrived there was one person and a dog on the whole beach.  

 Taking the twins to be beach is a bit of an effort but once we are there it is just so much fun. 

 With the temperature about 30 degrees at 6 pm we went back to the beach when the twin's daddy returned from work.  Mummy was out with big sister at swimming lessons so we took the little girls for another swim before the rain arrived.

The rain has started and I think today might have been the last good beach day for a while.

 Meantime, while we were having fun the weather proved ideal for bush fires and so there are various areas under threat at present.  I do hope the cool change means some relief for those facing these fires.  It has been a long summer and there is so much fuel on the ground that grass and bush fires take hold quickly and with strong winds they are impossible to control.

Queen Mary 2 drops in

Today the Queen Mary 2 visited Melbourne on her way around our coastline.

When I was out this evening I just caught a glimpse of her as she set off again.  I know it is not much of a picture but it was the best I could do in a hurry.

beach box

We are enjoying some beautiful spring weather so a visit to the beach for fish'n'chips seemed like a good way to spend Sunday.  

The little box is progressing well too but I am easily distracted when the sun is out. 

holiday shopping

We are back in cold and gloomy Melbourne now: after our quick visit to the lovely warm northern New South Wales coast.  

It was good to see my father-in-law and spend some time with him.  We always enjoy our time together and the warm weather is a real bonus at this time of the year.

I managed to visit 4 op shops in the area and bought some lovely vintage doileys and a bag full of buckles and buttons.  I left most of the buckles at Maurice's (father-in-law) home as they were heavy and I can bring some  more home next time.  I  bought a pretty little cane case which I fitted out with scissors, tape measure, needles, beads etc and that also stayed for my next visit.  I think it is wise to leave some necessary items there in case of a quick and unexpected visit sometime.  Toothbrush and moisturiser etc are already there as are some bathers and beach towel.

The doileys will need a good wash and iron and maybe some starch; the buckles are a mixture of metal and plastic and will be ideal for future projects.

 I am looking forward to putting some of my recent purchases to good, creative use.

extremes

Last Wednesday we left behind a cold, windy and wet Melbourne to travel north to a kinder clime.  When we arrived at Gold Coast Airport it was 21 degrees and the locals had their woollies on against the winter chill!
We have come to stay a few days with my father-in-law to make sure all is well with him and to have a little break from the pressure I was feeling at home.
Here there is no stress, just decisions about whether to swim in the surf or take a nap in the afternoon.
I have spent time with my sister-in-law who I first met in High School and with Elizabeth from http://elizabethanneembroideries.blogspot.com/ 
Both of these lovely ladies accompanied me to the local op shops in search of treasures.  We were not disappointed.  Pics later.  It is such a treat to be able to catch up with friends who live so far away and to be able to take up where we left off last time.

I will post some photos when I am home again in chilly Melbourne: I only have prepaid broadband here and it disappears pretty quickly when uploading.

FROM THE BEACH TO THE COMPUTER

 I took this photo on one of our visits to the beach:  I never tire of exploring the rock pools.

I tried a couple of techniques 
with adobe photo shop to 
see what I could do.
I like the look of this first one.

This one reminds me of aboriginal art works and I might print it on some fabric to see how it turns out.

ANOTHER EVENING AT THE BEACH

Last evening we had another 
picnic by the sea: the grandchildren are staying with us for a couple of days so we thought they would enjoy it as much as we do.  After the fish'n'chips were finished the sea gulls were lined up on the power lines and my grand daughter took a photo of them.

 We walked down to the water's edge and the children & grandad tried skimming rocks on the water.  The water is really quite cold here at this time of year, but shoes were quickly discarded.

I just liked the look of their shoes on the beach.

The end of the beach is quite rocky and uneven in places but the children insisted on scrambling around the rockpools.

  


I am always fascinated by the colours of the rocks.

Before we knew it we had to make our way back to the car and home again.

I am so lucky to live in such a good place and so close to the bay.

Wednesday evening

Last evening we missed the lunar eclipse.  It was too cloudy.  

At has been a beautiful day today so we decided to take a drive to Canadian Bay beach.
 

We picked up some fish'n'chips on the way and had a picnic, which was so lovely.

The sea was so peaceful and the sun was shining.

I took all of these photos into the sun and of course couldn't see a thing so it is such a surprise that they turned out so well.

We have had lots of rain lately: I was surprised to see
the obvious erosion on the cliffs by the walkway to the beach. 

The local council has been doing a lot of remedial planting to try to preserve the cliffs but mother nature always seems to win.



I hope to post some pics of needlework tomorrow.  In the meantime I hope you like these pics.

THANKSGIVING

Although we don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in Australia I do think it is a wonderful opportunity to count our blessings and meditate upon the good things in our lives.  So much of life consists of bad news and challenges.

 In this wonderful age of the world wide web we are able to share and keep in touch with like minded people throughout the world.  Through the internet I have made some wonderful friends.
For that I am thankful.

We live in a country that is relatively peaceful, prosperous and beautiful.
For that I am thankful.

 I have great friends, neighbours,  daughters, grandchildren and of course my husband.
For that I am thankful.

There is so much to be thankful for and while we are on holiday I am taking time to think on these things.


I have added some pics I have taken during the past couple of  days.  The plants here are big and bright and beautiful.


This morning I swam in the surf at Greenmount beach. It is so beautiful to feel the power of the sea and to taste the salt.  I could have stayed there all day: there is something about the sea that always makes me feel joyful.


Tomorrow we set off for Noosaville: bringing father-in-law with us.  We will stop on the way to see some friends for morning tea and to catch up with chatter and take a look at their beautiful garden.  It is a about 3 hours driving altogether and we have a lovely new ford hire car to travel in.

I had better stop writing and organize myself for the trip.

THE EQUINOX - HAPPY DAYS AND SAD NEWS

I never grow tired of the sunsets over the sea.  Last night we went to pick up some fish'n'chips for tea and on the way we stopped on the cliff top to watch the sun go down.  It seemed like a special sunset as we had heard earlier in the morning that Mike's (my hubby) dear uncle had passed away in hospital in the UK.

These are the times that we feel so far away.

 The tyrrany of distance is more than just a saying when you have relatives so far away and no way of being there at important times.

So we watched the sun go down and thought of this man who was so important to Mike as he grew up and so lovely to me when I visited the UK some years ago.  We were lucky to have him visit us here in Austtralia some twenty years ago and Mike made several business trips to the UK which allowed him the opportunity to see loved ones.

 In the garden we have lots of baby birds and their parents seem to be endlessly seeking out food for them.  We have magpies and crimson rosellas with little ones in the nest.

And speaking of little ones - the neighbours next door have welcomed two new daughters into their family.

These much wanted little girls, Chelsea and Caitlin, will be home in a couple of weeks.  They have a big sister at home who is anxious to help with them.

I haven't done much stitching this week but am hoping to do some in the next few days.  School holidays continue and of course the garden requires lots of attention at this time of year.  The roses are producing new leaves so I am looking forward to flowers later.  The camellias have bloomed prolifically this year but the rain has been so constant that they have not lasted well.  

WINTER SOLSTICE IN SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA 2010

MID WINTER SUNSET AT CANADIAN BAY, MOUNT ELIZA

Today is the day we consider to be the winter solstice here in Victoria, Australia.  It is the shortest day of the year and it has been quite bleak here most of the day.  We had a foggy morning and it was about 6 degrees when I struggled out of bed.  As the day progressed the sun peaked out for a little while but the temperature didn't rise much.

The sun was setting when I drove down to the supermarket at about 5 pm.  It is only another couple of minutes drive to the beach so I couldn't resist taking a few photos while I was out.

Gunnamatta & a Gift

T

This week I received this gorgeous black silk needlebook as part of a swap on the Country Bumpkin Forum.  It features beautiful wisteria climbing over a gate.  The inside includes a green felt leaf for needles and pockets to hold other stitching necessities.

This is the first swap the new country bumpkin forum has conducted and has been a great success.
http://www.countrybumpkin.com.au/forum/index.php?topic=65.msg2500#new

 

 

 

Today I took a drive to Gunamatta Beach, an ocean surf beach not too far from home.  It was cold but there were plenty of people enjoying the water.