tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59511926683545199532024-03-12T16:58:13.334-07:00Junez ScrapzJunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.comBlogger189125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-3877573217282488532022-12-14T17:46:00.000-08:002022-12-14T17:46:27.307-08:00Magic shoe sale<p> By the time she had finished having coffee with Shirley, Pat felt she needed a drink!</p><p><br /></p><p>"Oh dear, how that woman does go on. She keeps saying she won't say another word then takes a deep breath, asks a token question about how I'm enjoying the new house and then is off again. On and on she goes about her mother-in-law and how the woman is ruining her marriage by interfering. I find it hard to be sympathetic when the solution seems so simple to me. I know what I would do in her place, just tell the harridan where she gets off, but Shirley always has some excuse for not speaking out".</p><p><br /></p><p><span> </span>"Heavens above, where am I? That's what comes from not concentrating Funny though, all the times I've been into the Plaza I can't recall ever seeing an exit behind the greeting card stand. Just assumed it was a shortcut and it is, but to where? This street is quite unfamiliar, narrow and quiet - there are no cars nor are there any yellow lines, so it would be a good parking spot, providing I can find my way back, Well, while I'm here I might as well have a look round the buildings definitely remind me of somewhere." </p><p>Pat found a shop window and looked inside.</p><p><span> </span>"Oh my, I haven't seen that kind of glass for years, not since I left the village, several of the panes look</p><p> like they are made from bottles, or anyway the bottom of the bottle. Quite Dickensian".<span> <br /></span></p><p>She peered through a plain glass panel and there, in pride of place she saw a pair of shoes - but not just any shoes, these are "Dorothy's" shoes; red and sparkly, sort of clunky court shoe, just asking to be worn with bobby socks.</p><p><br /></p><p><span> </span>"What a hoot - and what a good idea, I wonder what else is inside the shop".</p><p><br /></p><p>Pat had to look hard to find the door, it seemed almost to be part of the wall but as she grasped the brass doorknob she just knew there would be a bell to announce her entrance. And there was, a lovely tinkling bell- no buzzer to rasp one's nerves. The shop was dimly lit but she could make out a counter with a large cash register and around the walls were shelves, all of them empty. She gazed at the bare shelves in disbelief, was the shop on the point of closing down?</p><p><br /></p><p><span> </span>She could just make out a curtain along the wall in the far corner, hiding what, she wondered? And as if in answer to her thought, the curtain moved aside and a man appeared. Not at all the sort of man she would have expected to be running a shoe shop, he looked more as though he worked outdoors; average height with a sun roughened face, large nose, heavy white eyebrows and a hair style that made her smile; no usual short back and sides - it was short top and sides and a pony tail at the back.</p><p><br /></p><p><span> </span>"You like my shoes?, he said.</p><p><span> </span>"They are just wonderful", she said, "Are they for sale? and do you have only one pair?"</p><p><span> </span>"Yes to both questions,"</p><p><span> </span>"So it looks as it it's my lucky day, " she said, "Providing they fit me - and the price is right?"</p><p><span> </span>"Sure you don't want to think about if? It might be difficult to change your mind once you have them on".</p><p><span> </span>"And the price is?" Pat asked, wondering whether this would stop her in her tracks; but no, the price quoted was reasonable, at the high end of her budget but nothing to stop her now but the fitting.</p><p><span> </span>"I feel a bit like Cinderella,"she said as she sat on the stool and put out her foot for him to slide on the sparkly, red, shoe.</p><p><span> </span>He smiled down at her as the shoe fitted perfectly She hastily put on the second one - and could resist the temptation to click her heels together and chant, "There's no place like home".</p><p><span> </span>"Would you care to check in the mirror?", he asked.</p><p> As Pat stood up, she felt the need to take a deep breath and somehow felt smaller and weighed down; she </p><p>could feel herself frowning and her shoulders drooped, she knew she had big problems to solve and as she </p><p>looked into the mirror: Shirley looked back.</p><p><br /></p><p>The salesman smiled over her shoulder at her reflection, then placed a pair of sparkly red shoes into the window and murmured to Pat that she should come back when she had walked a mile in Shirley's shoes.......<br /></p><p><span> </span> <br /></p><p><span> </span><br /></p><p><span> </span><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-50232920687905606922022-12-12T15:19:00.000-08:002022-12-12T15:19:15.431-08:00Thorn in the Flesh<p> I am making a stand against inappropriate bare flesh- so will start with the tourist who flaunted her droopy boobs at the roulette table. Boobs are after all mammary glands, the purpose of which is to suckle ones offspring and enough people find the sight of a breastfeeding mother to be offensive; she didn't even have that reason What was she thinking?</p><p><span> </span>Perhaps she was a high fashion follower and became enthused by watching anorexic models sashaying along the catwalk, their necklines to their navels and thought she would look good in such an outfit. She misjudged the effect. The bony chested models hip sway their deadpan way above te heads of their audience and one has to be quick to catch a glimpse of a shy nipple.</p><p><br /></p><p><span> </span>No doubt the nubile tourist presented more of a challenge to the concentration of other gamblers. Sadly we cannot judge - our photography has not reached the innovative heights of Hogwarts so we had to be content with a simple static pose.</p><p><br /></p><p><span> </span>Second on my list are trousers that are worn at half-mast. Not the return of the pedal pushers but the should-be-long-but-do-not-quite-make-it variety. Are their wearers in mourning? Perhaps for that lost youth personified by the middle age spread that leaves their trousers hoveding around their anklebones.</p><p><br /></p><p><span> </span>Once upon a time a glimpse of ankle was considered shocking, in public that is. Of course the dominant males who made this decree did so wisely. They were, after all, well aware of the effect of bare flesh on their testosterone charged psyches. Perhaps the appearance of so much flesh in today's fashion stems from the well documented lowering of the male's agility to reproduce. Modern living has lowered the sperm count to dangerous levels it is said. Dangerous, that is, for the future of the human race.</p><p><br /></p><p><span> </span>However many young women are doing their bit to up the ante in the fight to save the popul`ation from extinction. It is said that belly dancing has much subtlety in its execution, how sad that the same cannot be said the sight of bejewelled belly buttons thrusting ft one over the top of precariously attached trousers.</p><p><br /></p><p><span> </span>`So much flesh could be a tool to avert the obesity boom, seeing rolls of flesh when I am handed my cafe lunch puts me in danger of becoming reacquainted with my breakfast meusli.</p><p><br /></p><p><span> <span> </span>And the ultimate arena in the fight against flesh and cleavage must be of the buttock variety. Acceptable on the beach, cute on a baby, de rigueur in the girlie magazines but never, oh please never again in my favourite coffee shop.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span><span> </span>I am sure that the Health Department would have an implied, if not written, ruling against such a practice. After all they require a doot between the loo and the lunchers; surely there should be a layer of cloth between the crack and the clients. </span><br /></p>Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-81849133684397834742020-03-25T17:30:00.000-07:002020-03-25T17:30:06.888-07:00I'm a VIP!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1553253594">And right now, this is what my life feels like!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1553253594">Translation of the title, I'm a Vision Impaired Person !!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1553253594">Thank goodness I learned to touch type, I just hope that I'm hitting the keys that I think I am because once they're typed the picture I see on the screen is a bit out of sync!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1553253594">The latest injection is being slow to correct the weirdness that developed over the past two months - it's a bit like looking at a very badly sewn piece of patchwork where none of the seams meet!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1553253594">It's now the second day of Lockdown and I'm happily in my own little bungalow with Dvorak playing. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1553253594">Here's the view from my bathroom window, a favourite place to contemplate as I can lean on the windowsill which is above the heated towel rail, and I am such a chilly person!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1553253594">I've moved the old wooden piece of "furniture" , it's a sort of trolley, to sit in the dip in the garden where there used to be a very big avocado tree. Sadly the tree died and had to be removed. I've also concocted my own gadget for the birds to have access to water and they're loving it. Very high tech, I used an empty plastic container for one of my favourite frozen meals, shepherd's pie, put in</span><span id="goog_1553253594"> some washed stones and filled with water. I noticed some birds bathing in it so put another one out yesterday. At the same time I pass on any left over food and a spoonful of bird seed.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1553253594">Also my garden is now flooded with sunlight which the plants are loving; my neighbour on the north side suddenly decided to trim some plants, when asked I gave her the name of the company that removed my tree and the next thing I knew, the noise of saws was flooding the neighbourhood and lo and behold, not a tree or bush was left standing.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1553253594">Including the old pohutakawa that over the years had been a joy and a bane; it attracted the tuis, shed blossoms and shaded the whole area. There's now a five foot treetrunk left beside the fence - which has one small shoot - time will tell if it manages to regenerate!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1553253594">I'll leave you now with a photograph from Phil who has just heard he has a booking on the ferry returning tomorrow from a holiday touring the South Island - no doubt I'll be sharing more of his work with you.</span></span><br />
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Here's Phil's capture of Cape Farewell and my quotation for today is <i>" Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get." Proverb</i><br />
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I'm tempted to ask if there's anyone out there! but no matter what, I'm enjoying talking to you again. Take care, and be safe.<br />
June<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_1553253594"> </span></span>Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-49877630793519379212019-10-25T18:40:00.000-07:002019-10-25T18:40:36.471-07:00 A joy shared is a joy doubled!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I just love that curved line of foam left by the waves - somewhere along the Wairarapa coast - taken of course by Philip, who is loving his happy place after nearly one and a half years.<br />
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I looked at the web site of Capital Quilters this morning, and found they are still giving a link to this blog - oh dear - so I am inspired to post something to say thank you.<br />
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A friend on Facebook has put up a post, you know the sort of thing "so and so has challenged me to put up a book I recommend" - there's no way I can resist joining in - books have always been such a big part of my life, I can't remember when I couldn't read - how about you? I used to read in bed to my sister, a couple of years older, and my brother, four years younger; sometimes with a torch under the covers in the mistaken belief that Mum wouldn't know!<br />
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Birthday presents were always books, and when I got a bit older my big brother - 11 years older, would take me on the bus into Chichester to<br />
W.H.Smiths so I could exchange my book tokens - a task that took me hours!!<br />
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My first contribution on Facebook was "The five people you meet in heaven" by Mitch Albom - sad in a way but full of hope. I scored it ten out of ten in my book diary. I've kept one since 1970, least ways that's the earliest I can find now.<br />
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Remember the kumera in the mug? here's what it looks like now -<br />
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Looks great, doesn't it?<br />
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I've had a big tidy up in the sewing room and now of course, can't find anything! well, just the little case with a see through top I thought I'd fill with fat quarters and take along to the next meeting, see if anyone will pay a modest price, and I can give the proceeds to the Foundation for Blind and Low Vision - what do you think?<br />
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I join a couple of friends most weeks for a chat and coffee, lately we've been going to Mitre10 in Petone which is on the flat and has lots of parking - they also have very tempting things to buy!<br />
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I thought I was buying a coleus plant, my late husband grew them in the glasshouse so there were always several round the house. <br />
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I don't think this is one, but it just keeps growing! I've taken cuttings for my friends which have produced roots so quickly. <br />
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You know me, can't resist a spelling error - well, this was in the local supermarket and I'm sure the reference to the mis-print is about the price !<br />
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Or is it a new flower?<br />
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So it's time to go now for a late lunch, but leave you with another of Phil's amazing photographs, to mirror the lovely lines of the first one, and the question, "<i>Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of." Benjamin Franklin</i><br />
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Thanks for reading my blog.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>June</b></span>Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-89174561388162125132019-08-06T20:06:00.001-07:002019-08-06T20:06:20.323-07:00I Think I've been here before...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="goog_2014368738">What amazing colours! Photograph courtesy of my son Phil, now a resident in the Wairarapa for over a year - and while I'm mentioning time and dates, I was astonished to realise that it's been eight months since I last posted. Time for the re-birth, perhaps?</span><br />
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<span id="goog_2014368738">It's been mainly various health issues that have been my reason for not posting more often, but hey, I'm fortunate, still above ground and managing to keep warm - I find layers work well.</span><br />
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<span id="goog_2014368738">Last week I attended my first Craft morning under the auspices of the Blind Foundation; my specialist eye doctor registered me with the association and they are just fantastic - not that I'm blind, maybe won't be, but definitely of lower vision than I was. </span><br />
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<span id="goog_2014368738">My front garden looked just beautiful, check out all these plants - </span><br />
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<span id="goog_2014368738">I've enjoyed going to Capital Quilters Meetings, held on a Saturday afternoon in a local school hall means easy access and good parking - not to mention the coffee shop nearby where I can buy fruit cake, actual dried fruit in the cake - delicious! </span><br />
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<span id="goog_2014368738">Recently a couple of quilts caught my eye, </span><br />
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<span id="goog_2014368738">so much there to catch the eye of a child, and</span><br />
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<span id="goog_2014368738">I wish I had made notes because this fascinates me - I'll see if I can find out more and let you know. Have you ever seen a design like this?</span><br />
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<span id="goog_2014368738">So much that is just awful seems to be happening all round the world, was it my generation that let things get to this state? I'm not a millennial, was born just before the second world war; maybe we just left everything to the government without realising they were people like us and not the fount of all wisdom. I find it quite odd that I'm once more doing fashionable things like mending, and re-using and taking my own shopping bags to the supermarket - heavens when my sons were small, there were no supermarkets locally. I know, it's a different world...</span><br />
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<span id="goog_2014368738">Time for afternoon tea, the last piece of nutty bread baked by my granddaughters and a cup of herb tea. I'll leave you with another of Phil's photographs, [not quite fifty shades of grey],</span><br />
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and the thought, "<i>The artist finds a greater pleasure in painting than in having completed the picture." Seneca.</i></div>
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Here's to the next time,</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>June </b></span></div>
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<span id="goog_2014368738"> </span>Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-72722184597700007372018-10-16T21:19:00.000-07:002018-10-16T21:19:38.968-07:00Patience carries a lot of wait...<br />
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Glorious colours from the south Wairarapa coast; I love this area with the row of trees, such interesting shapes in silhouette, aren't they?<br />
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How do you like my pun in the title? I'm living it right now; last Monday week, I moved awkwardly and pinged a muscle in my lower back. Rest and time are the only cures, so I believe, and I'm finding it difficult. The good side is that I'm sleeping very soundly, maybe helped by the painkillers, so it's a matter of gentle movements and patience<br />
which has never been my strong suit,<br />
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It's a good opportunity to catch up on sedentary occupations, so knitting and watching TVNZ on demand is filling the bill.<br />
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I couldn't resist picking a few of these, some sort of wallflower, I think, with a variegated leaf, but so good to have all that colour on the one plant and with the oh so variable weather, we can do with cheering up.<br />
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Wellington Quilt Guild has just had an exhibition, right in the city on the wharf at the Academy of Fine Arts - which I think is a beautiful venue, but then as a Wellingtonian and Life Member, I would!<br />
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Also as a Life Member I have the honour of awarding a prize, and it's completely up to me, I don't have to mark it or justify my choice. To me, scrap quilts are the ultimate joy and hand quilting - though I do realise less and less quilters are doing so. <br />
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This quilt just ticked all the boxes for me :-<br />
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Scrap definitely, it had such appeal and warmth that I wanted to wrap myself in it! And such a surprise as the quilts were all anonymous, it was made by my fellow Life Member, Jane Dagger.<br />
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Another quilt I want to share is one that contains quite a bit of my fabric! Made by a friend with whom I enjoy coffee and chat once a week, most weeks, in the colour wash style -<br />
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Bother, I can't remember what she called it, made by Jann Pearce that I do know! <br />
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This is "Waste and Renewal III" by Fyvie Murray, our talented President - I just love those colours; somehow it reminds me of Art Deco...<br />
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After we'd picked our winners, a friend and I went for a short walk along the wharf to One Red Dog for coffee and a snack; we chose potato skins, very tasty - though next time I'll ask them to put the dressings on the side; one was too spicy for me.<br />
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Time to watch "The Chase" and enjoy being able to answer a few questions, it also reminds me that its been a long while since I watched British TV, the celebrities are unknown to me!<br />
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So I'll say cheerio, and leave you with another of Phil's photographs,<br />
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great sillhouette - and I believe she was caught by a wave soon after!<br />
And the thought that <i>"The world is round so that friendship may encircle it."</i> Chardin.<br />
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Thanks for reading my blog,<br />
JuneJunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-17259381280490206722018-10-01T21:39:00.001-07:002018-10-01T21:39:51.979-07:00Just Do it!! Advice to myself...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How's this for a view from your window? No wonder Phil loves being in South Wairarapa.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Had a few hiccups recently with my internet access and computer, do hope it's been sorted; it was a long frustrating story and I've ended up with not just one, but two desktop computers. The old one "died" and then came back to life with the techie was installing the new one and I've now decided to change my supplier which should save me quite a lot of money. Fingers crossed...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There's lots going on in the local quilting world, great meeting of Capital Quilters on Saturday when we held a competition; several teams had been given a bag of fabric from which they had to make a quilt top. They could pre-cut but no sewing until the meeting started and at least one piece of each fabric had to be used. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">http://capitalquilters.blogspot.com/ is the website, I'm sure they'll be posting photos of the amazing tops that were made - I was too busy rushing around gossiping with friends I hadn't seen for months.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This caught my eye from the crazy mom blog, bright cheerful colours and strings - I love that the strings are actually itsy pieces - and who doesn't have a lot of those.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm enjoying TVNZ on demand - re-discovering old programmes and seeing if I do still like them or have my tastes changed. ER is standing the test of time; it was made in the mid-nineties when HIV was very much to the fore of hospital issues. Did you use to watch it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wellington Guild's exhibition opens later this week, as a Life Member I get to chose a quilt for my award which is always a thrill, and funnily enough not difficult; usually one jumps out at me when I walk around. </span><br />
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A glorious sunset at the 'ponds' near Ngawi and the thought, <i>"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." Mahatma Gandhi</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thanks for reading my blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">June </span><br />
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Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-82911838441952652732018-07-29T20:20:00.000-07:002018-07-29T20:20:08.825-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Trees and clouds in the south Wairarapa, photographed recently by <a href="https://500px.com/pixey">Phil,</a> not far from where he now lives.<br />
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I'm sure many clever words have been written about putting off doing things, I just love this one - courtesy Bonnie Hunter, quilter extraordinaire -<br />
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After I posted the last blog, I was so enthusiastic to get back into communicating with everyone that I started sorting out photographs - then I thought, no, don't rush into it, leave it a few days, people don't want to get too many - that was four weeks ago... We'll see...<br />
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It's been a busy time; I've been invaded - by ants! I'll spare you the photographs, sufficient to say I've never seen any ants in this house and I moved in late 2000. I saw a few - haha - on the kitchen bench, my granddaughter googled ants and raided the kitchen cupboard for cloves which we put along the window ledge...<br />
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Next morning there were thousands marching in lines from the front window, up to the top of the wall and along to the kitchen, crossing over the end wall, under the window etc. etc. I grabbed a lemon from the dish, cut off one end and drew lines - the ants simply walked around the juice.<br />
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An sos brought the rest of the family, complete with a tube of ant repellant, we used my masking tape - usually for holding down the quilt sandwich - and dotted the sticky stuff around the rooms. Next day there were no ants to be seen, but I'm keeping a watchful eye...<br />
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As I mentioned last time, the kumera is doing very well -<br />
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with a little help from the wooden horse.<br />
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I missed the quilt meeting last weekend, but do have some photograph to share from the previous meeting - and my sincere blanket apology, if you'll excuse the pun, no names were recorded -<br />
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I wish I'd spoken to whoever made this, fascinating - see that almost nine patch at the top?<br />
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Very modern, big pieces - I'm a fan of straight line quilting.<br />
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What do you think? for a much loved family member?<br />
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Great how the touch of red and subtle green add so much to a black and white quilt, imho!<br />
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This I do remember as it was made by one of the Shut-in Stitchers, DTU. Good to see, I really miss going in to teach at the prison; they could use more volunteers - hint, hint!<br />
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Did you see the list published by the Washington Post of the latest alternative meanings, my favourites are: balderdash (n), a rapidly receding hairline and lymph (n), to walk with a lisp.<br />
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I'll leave you now with the quotation, <i>"Don't mistake activity for achievement," John Wooden </i>and a photograph of the Wairarapa, east of Masterton<i>.</i><br />
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Thanks for reading my blog<br />
June <br />
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<br />Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-38547831103511204442018-06-24T21:50:00.001-07:002018-06-24T21:50:59.989-07:00Some Daily Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="goog_691398343">"The sky is the daily bread of the eyes" Ralph Waldo Emerson</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">So, with these reflections in the rainwater ponds near Ngawi, we get a double helping. I've been fascinated by clouds for a long time; I remember lying on the front lawn of the house I was born in, back in the UK, probably enjoying the scents of the grape hyacinths, watching the clouds, 'seeing' all sorts of pictures and making up stories about them.</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">Phil took this photograph recently.</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">The weather is milder today, very chilly yesterday with a heavy frost on the lawns though not enough to rescue the man-made ice rink in town. It was supposed to be the venue for an ice hockey match but the final straw was the wind blowing over the fences.</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343"> </span><span id="goog_691398343">A Canadian friend, Gill, has posted photographs of the wild life in her garden, recently a chipmunk - not something we see in NZ unless it's the kind I saw on Facebook recently -</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">It's so cute- beautifully done [sorry I don't know the name of the quilter]</span><br />
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I had a birthday last month and this is the cake my family brought round -<br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">Isn't it a beauty?</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">I will have to empty out the vegetable basket more often; I found a sprouting kumera the other day, not sure if it is advisable to eat it when it's sprouting, so I popped it into a container -</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">a mug I gave to my late husband - I think it's a perfect container. Since I took this photograph it's grown considerably!</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">I went to a meeting of Capital Quilters recently and was again impressed by the number of quilts shown, these took my eye -</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">Half square triangles are a big favourite; I've made several quilts setting them in different ways though it's difficult to beat Barn Raising. </span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">The simple looking squares are actually pieces of needlepoint tapestry, or maybe commercial tapestries, either way, it's very effective.</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">Something about the cute little foxes is hard to resist - though my sister who lives in the UK and keeps chickens wouldn't agree.</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">The last quilt I know as Inner City - really beautiful.</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">I came across this little book when looking for something else in the bookcase recently, as one often does, and wonder who else remembers them?</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343"> Funny though, I was sure the School Journals were around when we came to NZ back in 1958, if so how could this be No. 1? Maybe I'm confusing it with another publication.</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">There's a delightful story called "Yuck" by Marilyn Duckworth and the traditional poem about The House that Jack built...this is the cat, that killed the rat, that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack built...etc. I think my ggd will love that one!</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">I'll leave you with the thought, "Let us go singing as far as we go; the road will be less tedious." Virgil and one of my favourite - heck, they all are - photographs Phil took on our recent road trip around the south 'Rapa.</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">From a distance, I thought they were buttercups, not sure what they are, just beautiful!</span><br />
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<span id="goog_691398343">Thanks for reading my blog,</span><br />
<span id="goog_691398343">June </span><br />
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Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-3769627612228147302018-05-27T19:32:00.002-07:002018-05-27T19:32:39.684-07:00It's a whole new world.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A different view of one of Phil's favourite spots, Castlepoint, the lighthouse is waaay in the distance and that's where most of the photographs are taken. This gives a good view of the spine of land along the outer rim; if you've got Google Earth you can see exactly what I mean...<br />
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Did you see the TV programme yesterday evening about the group of Birders, as opposed to bird watchers or twitchers, who went to North Korea to see the birds that fly from Alaska to Foxton beach, then on the way back, they stop off on an island between China and North Korea? - ooops, that sentence is way too long!<br />
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I found it a fascinating documentary, as much for what wasn't shown or talked about as for what was. I do hope that, now the ice is broken, we will get to see more of what appears to be a very interesting country. From the glimpse of colourful clothes, their art appeals to me.<br />
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So does this, by Edrica Huirs [do hope I copied that correctly] -<br />
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It's called "The Palm House".<br />
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Have I mentioned that I used to collect rocking horses? It started when I was in Canada and I saw a folk art piece, a small blackboard, or slate that was used in schools - many years before my time I hasten to add - something about it appealed to me which I believe is the start of the slippery slope.<br />
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Then I began to wonder whether this was how I saw myself, as someone unable to run freely....hmm so I bought this Pegasus from a junky type shop, can't get much more free than this -<br />
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Not exactly a pretty face, but a happy one I think.<br />
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It feels good to be talking to you again, thanks for being here, time for my lunch, so I'll leave you with another of Phil's photographs and the thought, <i>"Gratitude is the heart's memory," </i>French proverb.<br />
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Closer to the lighthouse at Castlepoint.<br />
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Bye for now,<br />
June<br />
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<br />Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-36700064008946399852018-03-25T01:59:00.000-07:002018-03-25T01:59:32.488-07:00The times they are a-changing!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What a glorious sunset - photo taken by, Phil and I think that's the South Island in the distance, maybe the Kaikoura Range...<br />
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Yesterday I went to the monthly meeting of Capital Quilters; what with one thing and another, I haven't been for months so when I noticed I was down for library duty I knew I had to make a big effort and it was well worth it to see so many quilting friends, including the speaker, Pauline Cave, a fellow scrap quilter.<br />
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Part of the big effort was caused by the fact that I am not allowed to drive my car for a month! no, I haven't been a naughty girl... just had some weird sensations early one morning and I wondered about telling my doctor, you know just in case she thought it was important. So, easy peasey, I put a question on the Health 365 site then jumped into my car and drove to the library, did a bit of window shopping in Jackson Street, had a coffee then drove home. The phone rang as I walked in the door, it was my doctor to tell me she had ordered an ambulance to take me to the hospital for more tests! <br />
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Bless them they came quietly and I sat by the phone ready to tell them if anything changed - feeling an absolute fraud, but I do understand they must follow best practice.<br />
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I know it's been ages since I posted but this is ridiculous! the photos have a mind of their own - but since it's here, this is a photo from one of my favourite tv programmes, Cash Cowboys, two Canadian pickers - I have a soft spot for Canada - and in one episode they were picking this very crowded house and in the attic were several dusty boxes, this we one. You can imagine I was surprised to see the family name on a product in Canada. Those were the days, cleaning the grate with black lead!<br />
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This quilt caught my eye, using a block I used quite a bit in my Five Inch squares class.<br />
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On the quilting front I have finally finished the backing for the Venetian Dream and decided on the binding - photo to follow. <br />
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Time for bed I think, lovely to be back, I'll sort out the photo problem, hasn't been the same since I had to change to gmail...I think they've all been saved to My Drive - no idea where that is...<br />
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Ok, here's another photo from Phil,<br />
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I love that old tree - and the thought, <i>"It's a funny thing about life, if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it."</i> W. Somerset Maugham.<br />
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Thanks for reading my blog.<br />
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June<br />
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<br />Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-26183755657384112022017-12-29T01:24:00.001-08:002017-12-29T01:24:14.837-08:00Season' s Greetings!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thanks to my son, Phil, for this great photograph of the full moon - like our quilts, so much planning goes on before you get the result you want.<br />
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Christmas Day was spent with my family and I thoroughly enjoyed myself - once I got over the fact that I'd forgotten the cheese which was my contribution to the 'nibbles' - I remembered the wooden plate, turned by my late husband, and the fancy knives and the crackers but the cheese was left behind!<br />
Not to worry, my dil had plenty in the fridge...<br />
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Good choice though to have turkey this year; all that glorious, warm weather disappeared so it wasn't the right conditions for a barbecue, luckily I had my beautiful "30% alpaca shawl" on hand so I was happy.<br />
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Please bear with me as I'm having problems with accessing photos from my phone, I am working on it and then I got side tracked after Phil sent instructions on how to send photos from mail to Photos, providing I use Safari which I haven't done for ages - fascinating to see all the sites I used to visit.<br />
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You know how I love to find spelling mistakes, well this was off a film I was watching -<br />
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And this photo is off an episode of White Collar, a crime series I enjoyed on Netflix - no spelling mistakes, I just love the shape of the building.<br />
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Isn't that fantastic ? somewhere in New York, I seem to remember it was a museum...a modern quilt pattern, perhaps?<br />
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Medical update - I am not having any further treatment for the cancer, the surgeon is confident he removed 99.9%, so no chemo or radiation! How fortunate is that? Bad timing though, I am a big, big fan of Christmas food especially mince pies and Christmas cake and they're still off the menu, which is good for my waistline. I did, however, bake a cake the day before yesterday. Just decided I could manage something very plain, I could remember the recipe off by heart it's one I used regularly as a pudding when the boys were young, from my Good Housekeeping's Cookery book - called Canary Pudding - 3oz butter, 3oz sugar, 5oz flour, 1 egg & milk to mix to which was added whatever flavourings you wanted. The favourite was mixed spice and sultanas.<br />
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Should I decide to make another, I'll have to lash out on new scales - it's been quite a while since I did any baking, or anything that needs weighing ingredients, and it showed. I can probably use the remains in a trifle...or two...<br />
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It feels good to be back talking with you, I'll leave you with another photograph - truly the land of the long white cloud -<br />
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<br />and the thought that<i> <i>"Well begun is half done. " Aristotle</i></i><br />
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Thanks for reading my blog,<br />
June<br />
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<br />Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-34803001239766886542017-11-03T02:31:00.001-07:002017-11-03T02:31:39.546-07:00Good to see you!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I just love this photograph, taken by Phil recently in the Wairarapa; he said he was about to drive home when he caught sight of this amazing scene in his rearview mirror - so just had to stop.<br />
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I think that's called seizing the moment...<br />
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- there's been a few interesting moments lately, I believe I mentioned earlier that I had no wish to turn this blog into a medical report, however in order that you understand what's been going on, here are a few highlights -<br />
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I turned up to the Lower Hutt Hospital for a gastroscopy, new doctor trying to get to the bottom of the persistent acid reflux, utterly exhausted after walking what seemed miles through the corridors, some amazing nurses took me in hand, arranged for a blood test, and I was admitted, given three blood transfusions and an iron transfusion.<br />
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All fine but next the colonoscopy ... not fine and a ct scan confirmed the problem, bowel cancer, but caught early; so keyhole surgery. there was also a clot in my lung so a series of aggressive blood thinners - which I learned to inject into my belly, no problem, lots of padding there.<br />
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A month ago today I had the surgery - and again, I'm full of praise for the staff at Hutt Hospital, great people.<br />
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Time for a little eye candy I think, not sure where I saw this, but I love it - bright and cheerful -<br />
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There's also a closeup of one of the blocks -<br />
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I also like the unusual setting - could be adapted for other blocks, methinks...<br />
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A few more details so you know where I'm at; I'd been having procedures on my eyes when the specialist found macular degeneration behind the cataracts, which had been removed, I'd had to cancel an appointment when I went into hospital, luckily managed to get one this week and have once more had an injection, so I shan't be driving until after the weekend to give the eye time to settle down.<br />
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That'll do for now - oops, fireworks going off - luckily I have no pets to worry about.<br />
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My granddaughter, Amy, moved in, together with her 23-month-old daughter, and they have looked after me so well; she is such a capable young woman, it was a joy to have them here and I miss them a lot. Not only did Amy do the cooking, washing and cleaning but she introduced me to "The Good Place" on Netflicks - a fascinating programme; there's supposed to be a new episode each week but I haven't seen one yet.<br />
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I'm still knitting the blankets, and this week went back into my sewing room - Amy helped me to tidy some of the fabric left lying around and I sewed a few more pieces onto the backing I started before all this stopped me in my tracks. <br />
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Before I take myself off to bed, I want to share another of Phil's photographs which looks like a silver ornament.<br />
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Thanks for reading my blog,<br />
June<br />
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<br />Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-57970985539914970282017-04-16T18:14:00.001-07:002017-04-16T18:14:06.150-07:00Thanks for the memory..........<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What a fantastic view! Castlepoint Lighthouse in the distance and a local walking her dog, or rather having a rest after the climb maybe - <a href="http://500px.com/pixey#">Phil</a> took this on a recent visit. [If you like his photographs, he also has an Instagram account]<br />
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It's now lunchtime on Easter Monday and I've had my visit to a favourite cafe, the Seashore Cabaret in Petone, where I enjoyed a coffee and had some exercise - walking up the fifteen steps! I even have an App on my iPhone to record that I climbed one flight at 9.03 am, and then I sat to catch my breath and regret all those years of smoking cigarettes. <br />
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I heard from relatives in the UK recently that the iconic Lifeboat house and slipway in my hometown of Selsey, were to be demolished. If you look at a map of England, Selsey is on the south coast, about half way along, just to the right of the Isle of Wight. Coastal erosion has meant the slipway has had to be lengthened several times,<br />
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This is the original Lifeboat house and you can see the dip in the slipway where it's been extended - and yes, that's me proudly wearing my brand new coat, bought with the money I earned working all the summer holidays doing housework and babysitting for the 'Londoners' who rented the big houses during the summer months.<br />
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I just loved that coat - light green tweed - just look at those fancy pockets! High fashion in 1949ish!<br />
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I notice several groups are making shopping bags- boomerang bags I believe, so they can be used to get groceries home and then returned for someone else to use...........I have a supply of bags in the boot of my car, all shapes, and sizes, and they are most useful.<br />
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So here's another blast from the past -<br />
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A bag making class in "Patchwork Annie" - great pattern this for carrying quilting supplies, including the quilt. How trusting of me, bare feet on carpet with pins around!?<br />
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The garden is looking pretty good despite our recent wild weather, though Wellington suffered far less than other parts of the country. <br />
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I saw this on my way to work recently, gives new meaning to "moving house" -<br />
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This is on the corner section of the street, we watched the preparations and I did wonder when I saw that the roof tiles were being removed, then along came the big truck......we now wonder what will be done to the empty section.....<br />
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I've not done a great deal in the sewing line lately, though I did take another seven tops, plus backings this time, along to donate to the team who are turning them into quilts for one of the wards at Wellington Hospital.<br />
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Time for my lunch, so I'll leave you with another of Phil's photographs<br />
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a different view of the Lighthouse - I'm sure it's not only me who thinks that rock formation looks like a rabbit - or Easter bunny?? and the thought that "Those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it."<br />
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Thanks for reading my blog, feel free to leave a comment, I love hearing from you.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">June</span><br />
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<br />Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-87824792344560142372017-03-04T01:11:00.000-08:002017-03-04T01:11:50.044-08:00"My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky", Wordsworth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This photo was taken last week off the Wainui coast by <a href="https://500px.com/pixey#">Phil</a> when we had some unusual weather with rainbows reported each of three nights.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Last time I mentioned the damage done by the high winds, not so many of those lately so as I'm fascinated by cloud formations I had this bright idea of photographing the sky and garden from the same spot every day, out of my bathroom window!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Not bad, I thought - interesting clouds, there's the lavender, the edge of the bay tree, the orange monsters - I think that's bird dirt on the window.........</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This one you can make out details in the end garden bed - but after five or six days when the sky was gloomy and overcast each day - I decided to abandon my 'artwork' !!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is more artwork that I abandoned - not mine, but designed by Judy Dales at a symposium more years ago than I care to recall. You see the Griffins biscuit tin on the shelf? that's the one I used to carry around my hexagons as I was working on them - each to their own, I suppose.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I went into Wellington city last week, it's been ages since I did shopping there, managed to get a car park almost outside <a href="http://www.minerva.co.nz/">Minerva</a> where I bought a fascinating little book, "Rules for my Son" by Walker Lamond - no doubt I'll share some of the wisdom with you. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I also spent quite a time in <a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1310233889"><span id="goog_1310233890"></span>Unearthed - vintage & retro store</a> and have even put my name down for an old typewriter, here's why</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Yup, that's me! back in the UK when I worked at the head office of the West Sussex Fire Brigade, in Chichester - probably about seventeen; I just loved office work, typing and shorthand: how lucky is that, as I'm still doing it. Though to be honest, judging by the number of mistakes I'm making this evening, an old fashioned typewriter could be a huge mistake!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Time for bed, I think, so I'll leave you with another of Phil's photos and the advice to "Do your washing often. You won't need as many clothes."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Another rainbow, this time taken on the bank of the Hutt River.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thanks for reading my blog,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Take care,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">June</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1310233889"><br /></a></span> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1310233889"><br /></a> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1310233889"><br /></a> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><br /></a> <span id="goog_1310233891"></span>Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-61312699222923665662017-01-15T01:33:00.000-08:002017-01-15T01:33:11.036-08:00Don't mention the weather!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://500px.com/pixey#">Phil </a>took this photograph on Christmas Eve which prompted me to comment that Santa Claus should have a clear run!<br />
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Since then it's been so changeable! the poor orange monsters have taken a beating -<br />
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this is what they looked like before the latest storm, but not only did the strong winds toss the plastic recycling container around the porch, it almost flattened these plants - no photo, so you can remember them the way they were!<br />
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I have a friend in England who is horrified at the way my lawn looks -<br />
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You can see there is actual grass between the buttercups, right? I have been conditioned from an early age by the books I used to read -<br />
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Almost an antique I suppose -<br />
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And perhaps you can guess what was my favourite flower?<br />
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To be honest, my lawns are mown every two weeks - they just grow so fast at this time of year. <br />
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At a recent stitch-in, a friend had been given some partially made blocks, so she joined them to make a small quilt and I just happened to have some fabric of a similar vintage and colours -<br />
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and the view from the other side -<br />
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Unusual fabrics, aren't they?<br />
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There was one flower I rescued before the winds did too much damage,<br />
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Beautiful, isn't it? I love the shape of the petals and can accept the pink, it suits the shape and size I think.<br />
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I've been reading quilt magazines and enjoyed the Challenge of creative limitations written by Martha Waterman - she suggests ways we can do things differently as we are so lucky to have it made! as she puts it; computerised sewing machines, precision cutting tools etc. We could change the time taken, number, size and cost of our quilts; also the colour and method; maybe cut back on the use of piecing to half that on the previous quilt and so provide for more quilting in the 'open spaces' now available.<br />
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Does this sound familiar? This particular article was published in Ladies Circle in 1990, and I'm sure the same things were being said when I started back in the seventies - just as long as we keep on quilting and pass on the baton......... whatever it takes to encourage young quilters!<br />
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I'll leave you with another of Phil's photographs, a church in the Wairarapa - but what glorious clouds!<br />
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<i>and the thought that Art is meant to disturb, science reassures, Georges Braque</i><br />
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Thanks for reading my blog,<br />
Take care<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>June</b></span><br />
<br />Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-59412950102678513522016-12-31T15:50:00.001-08:002016-12-31T15:50:47.893-08:00I am what I think, so<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">nothing like some light and beauty to start the new year! Another beautiful photo taken by <a href="https://500px.com/pixey#">Phi</a>l - some sort of grass I suspect, photograph taken on the Wainui coast.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I mentioned in an earlier post that I'd bought a new plant, well it exceeded my expectations and here it is -</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and the view from the other side, a few weeks later -</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've mislaid the label and my h-a-h doesn't recognise it, so if anyone can help, I'd be grateful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I haven't done much actual quilting but haven't forgotten the Venetian Dream quilt top needing a backing. I've reluctantly decided not to take on another pet cat at the moment, so this will probably be the backing -</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I have continued to knit, mainly baby blankets of various sizes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I enjoy doing them knitting from the corner; I was asked for the pattern at a recent meeting - cast on three stitches, first row: knit into the back of the first stitch, increase in the second stitch by knitting into the front and back, then knit into the back of the third stitch. Just keep on doing this, there will be one more stitch to knit on every row. When you decide it's large enough, repeat the row but decrease by knitting two together through the back of the second and third stitches until you end with only one!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CIQX9IWviYI/WGg2OQHzdfI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/c44--9jApWIUui9c0049yvTybm-_ukMRQCK4B/s1600/IMG_4352.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1aEZWxtIh8g/WGg2SCwBqiI/AAAAAAAAD4g/jyv-8GeNtJkM2vOwA74ci2JcjAZcM6uzwCK4B/s1600/IMG_4351.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1aEZWxtIh8g/WGg2SCwBqiI/AAAAAAAAD4g/jyv-8GeNtJkM2vOwA74ci2JcjAZcM6uzwCK4B/s320/IMG_4351.jpg" width="320" /></a><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CIQX9IWviYI/WGg2OQHzdfI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/c44--9jApWIUui9c0049yvTybm-_ukMRQCK4B/s320/IMG_4352.jpg" width="320" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">'Wrong' side on the left; I used a plain colour and a variegated, doing two rows of each.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've mentioned the bear before - he makes a handsome model!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The internet makes so many things easier for lazy people like me; I was able to order a treadmill, talk to the technician who wanted to know how tall I am and how much I weigh ?? he then arranged delivery so no excuses from me, took me some while to get accustomed to using it. I actually have friends who say they enjoy doing so but what I do enjoy is having it set up in the living room so I can watch my large TV - Netflicks your way to health, as my son put it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've enjoyed "Longmire" and "Shetland" and am now onto "White Collar" but while I'm on the treadmill I watch the last fifteen minutes of The Chase - a quiz programme I find quite entertaining, then it's the News - which I would happily ignore if I could..........</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Saw something interesting on Longmire - true country-</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think it's about time I sorted through the music on my computer, I have it playing in the background and it makes me realise that's the music from way back, just listening to the words and realising they shaped my growth as a teenager, hmmm</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TyNCzrnEDyA/WGhCtaONHGI/AAAAAAAAD5M/is_bZ2rpZmcMqSQpT8TIBtKmKyta1hS6ACK4B/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TyNCzrnEDyA/WGhCtaONHGI/AAAAAAAAD5M/is_bZ2rpZmcMqSQpT8TIBtKmKyta1hS6ACK4B/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A calm night on Wainui coast, at the beginning of December the same night that Phil took the first photograph. The mountains are in the South Island, probably Kaikoura - which name now resonates with us all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'll leave you with the thought that <i>"I hope for the willingness to live this year in a way that will be gentle to myself....."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading my blog,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">June</span>Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-14328410885465577822016-05-14T19:54:00.002-07:002016-05-14T19:54:14.314-07:00Good to see you!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What a glorious burst of colour! Photograph taken by Phil at Cape Palliser recently.<br />
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Last Sunday was the meeting of Quilting on the Bay as well as being Mother's Day, and the view from our meeting place is beautiful - this is to the north,<br />
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and this to the south<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-chZJODpHqqA/VzfVasfw88I/AAAAAAAADzk/501n0_e4argru3NrHcWbRsQg5hfVBtraQCK4B/s1600/south.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-chZJODpHqqA/VzfVasfw88I/AAAAAAAADzk/501n0_e4argru3NrHcWbRsQg5hfVBtraQCK4B/s400/south.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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and the quilt is the one with drawings on calico that my granddaughters did quite a long time ago and which I am now concentrating on finishing the quilting so it can be used this winter!<br />
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I've tidied my little office and have found some treasures, including old diaries - and I've <strike>wasted</strike> enjoyed many an hour reading through them. Do you keep a diary? It' s a good habit for someone with a bad memory, like me, as I learn better when I write things down; I suppose we all have different ways of learning/remembering.<br />
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There were some beautiful quilts being worked on last Sunday -<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--HbbLzGojRM/VzfaygLHFqI/AAAAAAAADz0/KK6H_lmXAB0xTiVxX0CYumv6HNm-QAA0QCK4B/s1600/Fyvie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--HbbLzGojRM/VzfaygLHFqI/AAAAAAAADz0/KK6H_lmXAB0xTiVxX0CYumv6HNm-QAA0QCK4B/s400/Fyvie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Fyvie with her very scrappy, eye challenging top - she later put on another round of squares.<br />
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You can see there's plenty of good light and room for us to spread out.<br />
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I've been moaning lately about the dearth of good programmes on television; ages ago I was quite emphatic that I would not watch this awful "reality tv" - I meant the so - called competitions where people were abandoned in the wild to fend for themselves etc. anything less real would be hard to imagine - however, I now enjoy Dog Squad, Customs, Coast, Territory Cops etc. and I do wish they would make The Great British Sewing Bee, series 3, available - I so enjoyed the first two.<br />
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Something I have done is get more dvds, I have one series of Who do you think you are and a friend lent me more - Robert Lindsay's father was at Gallipoli - so much of the stories resonated with me, so I'm moved to continue research into my mother's family, one of her brothers died in WWI when he was just a teenager in the army.<br />
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I think this quilt was made by Janet, quite different from Fyvie's and a marvellous use of highly patterned fabric.<br />
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I came across this pattern recently on the internet and decided it looked familiar,<br />
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Some years ago I sat having a coffee in Wellington and across the road I saw a billboard advertising, I think it was an accountant.......anyway, I liked the look of the board, made a sketch in my diary, the paper kind, and interpreted it like this -<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_ZhOMTxgKNw/Vzfhl9cHyDI/AAAAAAAAD0Y/mVktdY61NL8lnq6H3vugQOwEpsR6QPWzACK4B/s1600/DSCN0229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_ZhOMTxgKNw/Vzfhl9cHyDI/AAAAAAAAD0Y/mVktdY61NL8lnq6H3vugQOwEpsR6QPWzACK4B/s400/DSCN0229.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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because I had a tin full of two and a half inch squares!<br />
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Talking of Mother's Day, here is a link that I found of great interest. <br />
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<span class="s1">/<a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/05/140508-mothers-day-nation-gifts-facts-culture-moms/">http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/05/140508-mothers-day-nation-gifts-facts-culture-moms/</a></span></div>
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I've been calling Mother's Day an invention of the Americans purely for big business to make more profits - how wrong can I be?</div>
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So, I'll leave you with another glorious photograph taken in the Wairarapa by Phil - nature in the raw, </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kxRK7q1QPkA/VzfkF87I7wI/AAAAAAAAD0o/kdwPnDZ0qXM01lVG8uPrzEvU1U2HxGz3QCK4B/s1600/IMG_1304.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kxRK7q1QPkA/VzfkF87I7wI/AAAAAAAAD0o/kdwPnDZ0qXM01lVG8uPrzEvU1U2HxGz3QCK4B/s640/IMG_1304.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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and the thought that 'Success is getting what you want - happiness is wanting what you get'.</div>
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Nice talking with you,</div>
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Thanks for visiting,</div>
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June</div>
Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-70615571010272913322016-04-02T22:51:00.000-07:002016-04-02T22:51:03.913-07:00And the rains came.....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NEHfTmp5Xvk/VwCWS7QUF9I/AAAAAAAADwQ/rmUvt9HhxVMFb-L4jYOxzVOXnNNTTuwow/s1600/Lighthouse%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NEHfTmp5Xvk/VwCWS7QUF9I/AAAAAAAADwQ/rmUvt9HhxVMFb-L4jYOxzVOXnNNTTuwow/s640/Lighthouse%2521.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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and they went, leaving my garden looking much refreshed. It goes without saying, but of course I'll say it anyway, I just love this photograph - taken by <a href="https://500px.com/pixey#">Phil</a> recently - such an interesting cloud and the sun shining through..........well, you can see for yourself!<br />
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Earlier last month, a part of the garden was looking particularly stressed -<br />
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This was a fuchsia - I thought it had some awful disease but was told it simply needed water, so I took the advice of one of my friends, filled a small bucket and dumped it on : did that every evening and then, lo and behold<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-athGbZ4daGc/VwCdVN1TuxI/AAAAAAAADws/eBBIPfNFA_QAdqurVtr2yyH659UTk1IlQ/s1600/rehydrated%2Bfuchsia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-athGbZ4daGc/VwCdVN1TuxI/AAAAAAAADws/eBBIPfNFA_QAdqurVtr2yyH659UTk1IlQ/s400/rehydrated%2Bfuchsia.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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this was how it looked this morning!<br />
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A while ago I mentioned going to the Garden Centre where I bought several plants, they have survived the dry spell, and this morning I can show you how they look -<br />
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The variegated spiky one is new, as are the two little plants being hidden by the variegated geranium in front. I bought them because they're yellow to complement the blue salvia.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cS5-xgL8xn4/VwCfs_CuLLI/AAAAAAAADxQ/8_SV236wnIQsT0bjo4OoaJW8MMURu5d-g/s1600/bulbs%253F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cS5-xgL8xn4/VwCfs_CuLLI/AAAAAAAADxQ/8_SV236wnIQsT0bjo4OoaJW8MMURu5d-g/s400/bulbs%253F.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Also this morning, I noticed these bulbs. The pot has been outside for months, do you think they know it's autumn.......bulbs do flower in spring, don't they? and no, this isn't a late April fool thing!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b9jy7_GTIC4/VwCgvUesomI/AAAAAAAADxc/FF7G3OmUqqglt_osFFrqMURsRL4DuvHtw/s1600/free%2Bfruit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b9jy7_GTIC4/VwCgvUesomI/AAAAAAAADxc/FF7G3OmUqqglt_osFFrqMURsRL4DuvHtw/s400/free%2Bfruit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Nor is this - what a great idea!<br />
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I do hope you can see the door, and the number on it - 109½ ! There must be a story behind this...!<br />
You'll notice I haven't wasted water on car cleaning.<br />
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One of the women in the Arohata quilting class is very keen on hand sewing so when someone donated a bag of English paper piecing using very, very small diamonds I knew she'd love to take them on. To encourage her I took in three of my own ufos - from the eighties I think.....<br />
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The first one using fussy cutting - not my favourite technique.<br />
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Spinning tumbling blocks? , and<br />
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Red pointers? I well remember that fabric, bought to make me a shirt and skirt for summer; it's been used in many of my scrap quilts and I got a lot of use from the clothes.<br />
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If you have any bright ideas for how to make use of the blocks, I'd be happy to hear..<br />
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The English branch of the family has been doing a lot of research into the family name which reminded me of the notebook I was sent -<br />
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Can you imagine doing housework dressed like that and using those tools?<br />
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I'm enjoying reading more by Joe Bennett, he's a journalist - rather a columnist who used to be an English teacher; he has an amazing way with words so I sit over my coffee, either at home or in the cafe, and laugh out loud - just what's needed these days!<br />
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Today I'll leave you with a photograph of the Lighthouse - featured so often, but I enjoy seeing it in its many moods,<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uUq4CQi_RT8/VwCukOV2UpI/AAAAAAAADys/XDcKPTqpLLswdXTLCy6584Pj-dTs24Wlg/s1600/road.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uUq4CQi_RT8/VwCukOV2UpI/AAAAAAAADys/XDcKPTqpLLswdXTLCy6584Pj-dTs24Wlg/s640/road.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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and the thought that <i>"A friend is someone who makes me feel totally acceptable", </i>Ene Riisna<br />
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Thank you for reading my blog.<br />
June<br />
<br />Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-15110900482456906102016-03-27T21:37:00.005-07:002016-03-27T21:37:56.434-07:00What a marvellous summer!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fru7-xjTlJ4/VvimOCEQGdI/AAAAAAAADus/GwhOLkXOX8s5FlSA0SEirJ0PlbYJSziQQ/s1600/IMG_5258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fru7-xjTlJ4/VvimOCEQGdI/AAAAAAAADus/GwhOLkXOX8s5FlSA0SEirJ0PlbYJSziQQ/s640/IMG_5258.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I just love the shape of the clouds, and the colours of this sunset - inspiration for a quilt here I think?? Photo taken by <a href="https://500px.com/pixey#">Phil</a> recently.<br />
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Last week Facebook posted a link to a Memory for a friend who made a comment about how the years have flown - where have they gone??? My thoughts are that someone has hit the "Fast Forward" button! How else can one explain it! - well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it!<br />
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I've enjoyed several quilt meetings in Wellington city, Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt - each club has its own unique character; I've been on the committee of all three, at separate times, and really enjoyed each experience. <br />
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Capital Quilters, the Lower Hutt group, held a meeting when the members had a sort of jelly roll race; I was unable to attend but saw some of the the results later.<br />
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What a great idea.......did they measure where the red inserts would end up? was it random - no, too organised for that........Looks like fun though!<br />
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I saw a sale notice -wow, great reductions -<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mMfGU_0y_XI/Vviv0MXAA8I/AAAAAAAADvM/86RpQpK4wi4HlvLDAeo2aBbMHkHkmkhQg/s1600/caveat%2Bemptor%252Cjpg.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="552" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mMfGU_0y_XI/Vviv0MXAA8I/AAAAAAAADvM/86RpQpK4wi4HlvLDAeo2aBbMHkHkmkhQg/s640/caveat%2Bemptor%252Cjpg.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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until that is, that you saw the fine print at the bottom. Um, what part of "everything" allows exclusions?? <br />
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I also found two beautiful designs for quilting on a recent shopping trip after teaching at Arohata;<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0eaGuCaznRM/VviwlCpDFrI/AAAAAAAADvg/xbCSguUhrR8v6nNdUyyTxfNxZF2EQyjcA/s1600/IMG_4190.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0eaGuCaznRM/VviwlCpDFrI/AAAAAAAADvg/xbCSguUhrR8v6nNdUyyTxfNxZF2EQyjcA/s320/IMG_4190.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6bhomJOVJ4/Vviwsae0otI/AAAAAAAADvo/HrGPY_-BWRQ7wv8I524FDxyMvtWKQzueg/s1600/IMG_4191.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y6bhomJOVJ4/Vviwsae0otI/AAAAAAAADvo/HrGPY_-BWRQ7wv8I524FDxyMvtWKQzueg/s320/IMG_4191.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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they formed part of the wall design in the Glassons store in Porirua, where I bought the first of my cold weather jumpers - couldn't resist the style, but the colour doesn't go with much else in the wardrobe; I could have a go at dyeing it, use lots of scarves, buy more things that go with it, or just ignore the mismatch!<br />
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I'm doing some stitching, tiny squares -<br />
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and even smaller half square triangles - what was I thinking? Not sure how they'll go together but a cot quilt would use them all, ummm<br />
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To close today, I'll share another of Phil's photographs; a moody view of the lake -<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FOqSHB3g5Yg/Vviy6KqN63I/AAAAAAAADwE/yWAZ16yKSEIRVqTyDPWkaoRvgbwABQX7Q/s1600/DSC_1107_HDR_edit.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FOqSHB3g5Yg/Vviy6KqN63I/AAAAAAAADwE/yWAZ16yKSEIRVqTyDPWkaoRvgbwABQX7Q/s640/DSC_1107_HDR_edit.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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and the quotation by George Eliot; <b><i>"It is never too late to be what you might have been."</i></b><br />
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Thanks for reading my blog, I look forward to returning!!<br />
<br />
June<br />
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<br />Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-26493992916542715022016-02-20T20:32:00.002-08:002016-02-20T20:32:50.513-08:00Strangers on the shore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d50VgicukWQ/Vsku2sCSWRI/AAAAAAAADtQ/Tzme3ZM5on0/s1600/DSC_1419_HDR_edit.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d50VgicukWQ/Vsku2sCSWRI/AAAAAAAADtQ/Tzme3ZM5on0/s640/DSC_1419_HDR_edit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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One evening last week <a href="https://500px.com/pixey#">Phil</a> came across these three enjoying the sunset from Petone beach, they agreed to be photographed.</div>
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It's been a while since I posted anything, and I must be honest - it's either doing this or the vacuuming! I seem to have mislaid my energy; I went for a check up with the doctor last week and when he greeted me with, "What can I do for you?", I told him I wanted the body I had in 1987! </div>
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I'm trying to reorganise my sewing room which means that right now it's a great big mess! The trouble started when I wanted to see what was in the plastic containers in the corner between the cupboard and set of open shelves. I pulled everything out, found all sorts of treasures, and decided to move the cupboard right into the corner and put the containers in the gap between the two cupboards. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cJTyhsiRfIw/Vsk0UZ74GWI/AAAAAAAADtw/E3r2pQ1tDUc/s1600/2-2%2B-%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cJTyhsiRfIw/Vsk0UZ74GWI/AAAAAAAADtw/E3r2pQ1tDUc/s320/2-2%2B-%2B1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the left hand cupboard with the three top shelves nicely tidied, muddle on the next two and the remains of dressmaking fabric at the bottom.</div>
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This is the right hand cupboard, there are two empty shelves above the muddled one, then another with a plastic container on it - full of five inch squares, then more dressmaking fabric on the bottom. I've since emptied one more shelf and am out of space to put the neatly folded fabric but I think the cupboard is now light enough to be pushed along. When my friends come to stitch on Tuesday I'll find out!</div>
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On the design wall are two small pieces, the left overs from the last sort of jelly roll plus white top I made,</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-styHhtYeiDI/Vsk4W5dYDZI/AAAAAAAADuE/vd_CdF2WoCU/s1600/jn2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-styHhtYeiDI/Vsk4W5dYDZI/AAAAAAAADuE/vd_CdF2WoCU/s320/jn2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is from a portion of the top that has the two coloured strips with a thinner white between, and the other one</div>
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I think has possibilities because if you squint at it you can see the pattern of the seventies fence I once shared.......</div>
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"Pete's Dragon", the film Phil worked on down south last year, is due for release in August - that's one I'm definitely looking forward to. I recently had the opportunity to view a pre-release screening of "Hail Caesar" - if you're into films, this is a must. The Coen brothers certainly know their stuff. </div>
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I'll leave you with this Phil/selfie - sort of - </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t1vJ7IIqTg8/Vsk9LB76IbI/AAAAAAAADuc/RwxtrJHOHqM/s1600/Phil20.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t1vJ7IIqTg8/Vsk9LB76IbI/AAAAAAAADuc/RwxtrJHOHqM/s640/Phil20.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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which I find fascinating - what force was needed to produce those rocks? and with the thought from Confucius, <i>"Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses."</i></div>
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Thanks for reading my blog,</div>
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June</div>
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Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-58518460962317521462016-01-18T02:18:00.000-08:002016-01-18T02:18:14.303-08:00Quilting, quilling and a tui in a rata tree!But first, sunset at the lighthouse!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P6XQ0DP96jE/VpypLdz-OnI/AAAAAAAADqg/rbGzfvBAwDQ/s1600/DSC_0924_HDR_edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P6XQ0DP96jE/VpypLdz-OnI/AAAAAAAADqg/rbGzfvBAwDQ/s640/DSC_0924_HDR_edit.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k4tK4kSN8wU/VpyoypybdGI/AAAAAAAADqU/dTJ1fi5uGzI/s1600/Christmas%2Beve.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="352" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k4tK4kSN8wU/VpyoypybdGI/AAAAAAAADqU/dTJ1fi5uGzI/s640/Christmas%2Beve.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Christmas Eve at the lighthouse, photograph courtesy of <a href="https://500px.com/pixey#">Phil</a> who's back at work and non too happy with the boring weather....... it was anything but today when the storm front arrived, complete with window rattling thunder; I saw no lightening and the rain was heavy for a short while but enough since then to give the garden a gentle soaking.<br />
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I'm not quite sure where I picked up this superstition, but I have a red door and try to have red plants nearby - this is the view from my sewing room -<br />
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Two houses down the street, this rata has been superb this year - and today has had the added attraction of a very vocal tui swooping from this tree to the one on the other side of the section -<br />
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This is in my next door neighbour's garden, a glorious NZ Christmas tree or pohutukawa. <br />
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I told you I had donated several tops, well I was invited to join the rest of the quilters and visit the ward at Wellington Hospital when the quilts were handed over,<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_pP5lUhQNTs/VpyvkdDOqGI/AAAAAAAADrE/s-49x_ufexc/s1600/Mam%2Bdonated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_pP5lUhQNTs/VpyvkdDOqGI/AAAAAAAADrE/s-49x_ufexc/s400/Mam%2Bdonated.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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There were two piles like this, one of my mile-a-minute quilts is in the front on the left; you can see there was a wide variety of colour and style: it was so good to see people happy to receive them.<br />
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I had another idea about the variation of the block of the month at present on the design wall,<br />
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but decided against it - from a distance it looks like clunky spades or a crowd of stick men!<br />
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Same shot, sort of, but different day and a more dramatic sky.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2vq8fodhGdQ/VpyxWGjzY3I/AAAAAAAADrc/ePfRqTeyM4g/s1600/IMG_5097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2vq8fodhGdQ/VpyxWGjzY3I/AAAAAAAADrc/ePfRqTeyM4g/s640/IMG_5097.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I know I've shown you some of the pin cushions I've collected over the years, not sure if this was one of them -<br />
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I was tidying up recently in the sewing room and something about it prompted me to have a closer look, it's quite ingenious, - look<br />
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It's actually made from a tin that's been cut into strips from the base up, then these strips are quilled into the shape of the rockers and the back -<br />
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I wonder who made it; I'll have a go at cleaning it with a small brush.<br />
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I mentioned last time I was working on a sort of jelly roll with white in between, here's how it finished -<br />
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and I found a lovely backing in one of my cupboards -<br />
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I'll leave you tonight with this shot of the lighthouse with a very dramatic sky and the thought that "<i>It is your attitude at the beginning of a task that determines success or failure."</i><br />
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Thanks for visiting my blog,<br />
Be back soon<br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">June</span>Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-28977338682516942202016-01-02T22:08:00.000-08:002016-01-02T22:08:14.119-08:00Happy New Year!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PnlwX-SDomk/VoilHdnQG5I/AAAAAAAADog/n3qe9ASQKvs/s1600/DSC_0714_HDR_edit.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PnlwX-SDomk/VoilHdnQG5I/AAAAAAAADog/n3qe9ASQKvs/s640/DSC_0714_HDR_edit.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Castlepoint looking east - dramatic sky and howling winds - photograph taken by Phil -<br />
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and, looking in the other direction, over the lighthouse -<br />
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I do hope you have had a good time over the Christmas break, despite the weird weather all over the world! Wellington is not known for hot weather which suits me fine, and this year we've been pretty lucky. The rain, in moderate amounts, has saved me from watering the garden whereas in other parts they are having flooding.<br />
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I've been doing some stitching, I mentioned another sort of jelly roll; when I got out the pile of fabrics from the strips basket I realised they were kind of dull, so jazzed them up a little with a lovely orange patterned one -<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wLdKML44MlU/Voip_ZpV2iI/AAAAAAAADo4/jFFJS14uERU/s1600/jelly%2Broll%2Bplus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wLdKML44MlU/Voip_ZpV2iI/AAAAAAAADo4/jFFJS14uERU/s400/jelly%2Broll%2Bplus.jpg" width="350" /></a></div>
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I'm also working on a variation which has alternate strips of white, and a variation of a recent block of the month from Wellington Guild,</div>
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I decided I liked the little blocks in various scrappy colours but preferred a more ordered setting!</div>
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<br /> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QvJ9DeSzlAc/VoirIIWYwsI/AAAAAAAADpQ/beiU14081CI/s1600/bom%2Bvariation1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QvJ9DeSzlAc/VoirIIWYwsI/AAAAAAAADpQ/beiU14081CI/s400/bom%2Bvariation1.jpg" width="333" /></a></div>
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You know how I love to find humorous billboards, or supermarket notices - just before Christmas I spotted this - </div>
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At least we can be sure they won't run away!</div>
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I mentioned watering the garden, here's a corner -</div>
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The salvias have covered the bare earth and I have visited the garden centre a couple of times, next post I'll share with you what I purchased......</div>
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Here are another couple of <a href="https://500px.com/pixey#">Phil's</a> photos, the first showing Wild Life at White Rock -</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uTx1XwvMwU0/Voi5CHttHZI/AAAAAAAADp4/4dW3wq1-Dwk/s1600/wild%2Blife%2Bat%2Bwhite%2Brock.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uTx1XwvMwU0/Voi5CHttHZI/AAAAAAAADp4/4dW3wq1-Dwk/s640/wild%2Blife%2Bat%2Bwhite%2Brock.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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and the second a self portrait - and the thought that <i>"The game of life is not so much in holding a good hand as playing a poor hand well. " H.T. Leslie</i></div>
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Thanks for reading my blog - no promises or resolutions, just 'one day at a time'!!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">June</span></div>
Junehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-10801135344936521162015-11-14T23:21:00.003-08:002015-11-14T23:21:47.002-08:00I ticked all the boxes.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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An inquisitive lamb in the 'Rapa recently, Phil said there were so many on the hills, many eager for a look at an unexpected visitor - not so the seals on the rocks, who scattered frantically at his approach!<br />
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The boxes I ticked were in a quiz online recently, - do you ever do those? I've discovered what flower I am etc. etc. but this one was a beauty and I was top of the class - in my many reasons for, and methods of, procrastinating........ but I'm back and anxious to share with you more of what's been going on in beautiful Wellington.<br />
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Lots of quilt club meetings, first at Wellington with a special meeting to celebrate the birthday of the Guild -<br />
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the cake looked, and tasted so good. <br />
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The committee even found the old letters we used back in the day when instructions were photocopied for each member, and you could chose the letter or number to make.<br />
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We had such a great evening with several past Presidents attending, also Life Members, and Presidents of other guilds; we'd been asked to bring any quilts we had that were over twenty years old........no difficulty there for some of us. This is the quilt I took -<br />
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It was made in the late eighties at a class taken by Joanne Johnson, who a few years earlier had sat across from me at a table in the Embroidery group and insisted she had no desire to do this 'american patchwork and quilting'! She was later part owner of The Quilt Connection and sadly died far too young as a result of the dreaded big C.<br />
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This was an early class using a newly acquired plastic template - which we found didn't have consistent seam allowances; the quilt was used for years as a table cloth at our Whitby house where we had floor to ceiling windows so it's pretty faded, but still full of memories.<br />
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It was a full on meeting as we had a speaker too, Sarah Teesdale-Spittle told of her years of hard work studying for her City and Guilds certificate. It was fascinating to hear, and see so many samples too. In particular I loved the handbag she made, with a dragon fastener -<br />
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That's what you call embellished! - and this is definitely not!<br />
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Phil taking a rare 'selfie' to give scale to the photograph at Ocean Beach.<br />
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I've been to several other meetings, will update you on those later, but a recent Capital Quilters meeting had this great block of the month -<br />
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A block I've shied away from in the past but with a big circle in the centre, maybe even I could make a reasonable job of it. It's on my "To do" list........<br />
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The pattern for the Christmas block was there also,<br />
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It really has zing, don't you think?<br />
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I finished the three mile a minute tops, this is the last one -<br />
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For a change I sashed the blocks then found a busy border that echoed many of the colours. I've since been playing around with a pile of two and a half inch strips, a la jelly rolls, and put together one top which I'll share later after it's had a good pressing - I'm thinking the next one will be a sort of rail fence - there are lots of ways to put the strips together.<br />
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I have a beautiful, calm sunrise photograph to close with, taken by<a href="https://500px.com/pixey#"> Phil</a> recently at the duckpond down the valley in Avalon, I just love the angel wings look of the reflection,<br />
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and just a little later a view of a pretty bridge,<br />
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it almost makes me keen to get up in time to see if for myself!<br />
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I feel the need for calming thoughts and scenes after the gut wrenching news from France; ordinary people going about their lives, and the unthinkable happens. <br />
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Stay safe,<br />
Thanks for visiting my blog,<br />
JuneJunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5951192668354519953.post-53547748341406190612015-10-06T02:18:00.001-07:002015-10-06T02:18:02.805-07:00Spring is almost here!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The glorious colours of the rainbow never fail to amaze - photo by Phil taken of Wellington Harbour, and in the garden there were some delights too -<br />
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The little kowhai is now attracting the tuis, they sit in the large pohutakawa tree behind and serenade me - I just love the purple and yellow colour scheme here, but admit the photography is a bit unfocussed - my apologies.<br />
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It's an arty shot! I focussed on the pink one......very battered by all the winds but looking and smelling so good. Check out the umbrella - guess who left it out during the last storm? Big crash and it snapped right off - after that I even brought this pot of freesias inside for a short break.<br />
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Recently Phil took a trip over to the 'Rapa where the heavy rains had caused dramatic changes to the beach.<br />
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These terraces have been cut away by the rains, and the view seawards is quite different -<br />
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- such beautiful shapes and colours, aren't they.<br />
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I've recently been watching Robson Green exploring his home county of Northumberland -[TV One on Saturday afternoon] and I'm very much enjoying it. He's very passionate about the area, a part of England I've never visited but after this programme, should the opportunity arise, I'd certainly take a trip. <br />
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And talking of scenery, here's a quilt from the Information Centre in Alaska - a friend brought me this photograph knowing of my love for quilts - I should imagine it was a group project, I've googled it but found no more information. It's certainly a great idea - I love the flying geese. <br />
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At a recent meeting of Pinestream Quilters, the speaker was Alison Pullar a member who has been living in Italy for the last four years. She gave a most entertaining talk of life in Rome and showed this stunning quilt.<br />
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The design is based upon the floor mosaics found in many churches.<br />
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Also at the meeting was this beautiful embroidery, executed by our co-President, Petronella<br />
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Back to White Rock beach, further around the terraces were curved - it must have taken a lot of water to force these changes. <br />
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Also at the meeting was a scrap quilt that took my eye, so simple but really charming.<br />
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So delightful, a sashed four patch and a floral.......I'm mentally thinking about my stash.......<br />
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I've continued stitching my Mile a minute tops, two done and the third one almost, I'm putting sashing between the blocks, it's full of pins to keep the lines of sashing straight so has to be handled carefully! <br />
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I'm resisting starting anything new, though I did get out my Singer Featherweight today, brought it into the living room and put the light on to warm it up and it sews beautifully. <br />
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The early sunshine was swamped by clouds but did highlight one area for a while -<br />
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I'll leave you with this thought, <i>"Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out." Art Linkletter</i><br />
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Thanks for reading my blog,<br />
Be back soon<br />
JuneJunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09372131422861581454noreply@blogger.com2