Flying on a jet plane

I won't be posting on my blog for awhile, I'm flying interstate to visit my son and his family for my youngest grandson Noahs first birthday.  Wow, a year already, I know I have to say "Where has this year gone", we live such busy lives these days that it seems time goes by to quickly.  I had coffee with one of my girlfriends yesterday, something which is unusual mid week because she works full-time.  She has decided to leave a job that she was finding stressful, where she didn't feel like she was part of a team, she is going to take a couple of weeks to unwind and relax before she goes job hunting again. I wish her luck.  It was a nice morning, the conversation mostly about our kids, we have known each other since we were neighbours and our kids were small.  While interstate this week I have arranged to meet with the woman who is head co-ordinator of "Aussie Hero Quilts". This woman is a hero, she has put aside her home and most of her life lol, for this cause, one she feels very strongly about.  In her words "We care about the people not the politics" her mission is to provide quilts and laundry bags to as many service men and women in the Middle East  as possible. When I contacted her to arrange the meeting she thought we should meet at her house, with a note to mind how much the house has been taken over by AHQ, I laughed to myself when I read this, having memories of my own house when I was part of a group that did charity work.  I am looking forward to this meeting, and of course catching up with my family. Ok, back to packing, I'll be in touch when I arrive back home.

So much to do.....no time

"Peak Hour" designed by Riley Blake for Moda

I really believed that as I became older I would have more time to do the things I love to do, not just the usual mundane things like housework etc.,  but at the end of the day I look back and wonder what I have done and where did the day go.   I seem to be running out of spare time, is it because I am not as organised as I was when the kids were at home or is it that my life is now busier than I expected.   I love catching up with friends, my kids and grandchildren and babysitting when needed but this doesn't take all my time. I have so many quilting projects  I want to sew but I find myself procrastinating over these, I really need some motivation.  My machine is all set up and I have been doing a few things, mostly blocks for "Aussie Hero Quilts" these don't take much time and sewing these lessens my guilt.   I was part of a local quilting group, one that I was a founding member of and also a past president.   I was very active within this group until I became unwell and found I could no longer participate in the many activities I was part of, and so,  I resigned from this group almost five years ago.   Recently I have been thinking of rejoining this group to give me the motivation that I need.   Last week my daughters drove me to a fabric shop, a shop I haven't been to in a long time.   I was surprised to find that the cheap fabrics that they used to supply are no longer available, that wasn't the surprise as much as the price on the fabrics they do stock, these range from $22 to almost $30 a metre.   Needless to say the list I of fabrics I wanted to buy, was scrapped as I searched through the racks.  I did buy a few pieces of  "Peak Hour" by Riley Blake, these would be just right for one of my grandsons,  Isaac. I will add this to the list of quilts to sew, when I find the motivation. lol

Clipped and bathed

Tyler has been to the doggy beauty salon today, he has been clipped and bathed,  my shaggy dirty dog is now looking very up town and clean.   I'm sure he knows this because he has been prancing around with head held high.  The best part of this has been that it hasn't cost me anything to have him groomed.  My son, the one who does everything, did some art work for a close friend who happens to be a dog groomer,  she was competing in a competition and needed a display, my son volunteered to paint this for her in return for a couple of grooming sessions for Tyler.  She was very pleased with the result, as a matter of fact she placed third in the competition.  My son, of course, thinks this was all due to the display, Haa Haa.  I am very lucky and grateful to take advantage of his thoughtful gesture, and so is Tyler.

Testing the soil



Blue Rosemary

When buying something for the garden never listen to a man who isn't a gardner, never.  When I purchased the soil and mulch for the raised vegetable beds the man at the garden supplies told me their blend of mushroom compost was very good for growing vegetables.  I have just learnt a valuable lesson,  a couple of the plants that Tyler dug up were'nt looking so good and I was concerned that it was the soil,  so today I bought a Soil ph testing kit  and was shocked to find that the ph level of the beds were  8- 81/2, an alkaline level to high to grow vegetables.  I have just treated the soil with Sulphar and now have to wait a few days for this to settle.  While in Bunnings I found they have heirloom seedlings from Diggers, what a bonus, I've purchased capsicum, beetroot, silverbeet, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions.   I also picked up some packets of carrot and bean seeds, in the mean time the little punnets of seedlings will be cared for under cover till I can plant them out into their new beds.  While in the mood for gardening I have planted a few companion plants, lavender, marigolds, rosemary, basil, thyme.   I can't wait to see everything growing.   I'm also watching Tyler, if he ventures over to that side of the yard he looks up to see if I'm watching and if he spies me he slinks off, oh, yes he knows.  Tomorrow is forcaste rain, might be a good day to do some quilting.

Spring blooms

white azalier with rain drops

I ventured outside this afternoon, to look at what damage the dog had wreaked on the garden over this past week while I have been unwell.   He hasn't been walked,  so I could only imagine what he had been up to.  Back to him later,  I had the most wonderful surprise, one of the potted azaliers was in full bloom and covered in flowers, so beautiful,  I had to get my camera to take a photo of this.  This azalier is one of the potted plants that died back after the move here,  I had no shelter for them when the temperature hit the mid forties and everything wilted.   I purchased a piece of shadecloth and covered all of them but unfortunately I lost a big percentage of my plants.   In Autumn I cut everything back and then hoped for the best,  I was rewarded with new growth on a few of them, but surprising me most of all  two of the azaliers had survived.   Getting back to the dog, I will have to erect a fence around the new garden beds, he has had a wonderful time,  I know he has been bored having missed his walks but, I can't keep planting just for for him to dig them out.  Part of the yard will have to be out of bounds for him.