I love this Christmas Tree Skirt, I might make one for myself maybe!

Labels: 1/17, Quilts

Love this photo of my niece Casey... who is now almost 19!    ☺

Labels: 1/17, Casey

The shadow under my horse Jindy looks like a flying Eagle doesn't it  :-)    This photo was taken in 1956, I'm 11.

Labels: 1/17, Pennie

Labels: 1/17, Signs

I cannot live without beautiful fresh Seafood... 

Labels: 1/17, Food

  It's Australia Day, the day David and Gwilym drive and conduct David's Big Red Bus or his Big Green Bus through the streets of Sydney giving those celebrating our day, free rides... but today they had to give up Volunteering and roll up to Enmore Park, Newtown for David to be presented with an Award!

Lots of Pollies were there.
Jamie Parker MP, Member for Balmain,    Ron Hoenig MP, Member for Heffron,     Jenny Leong MP  Member for Newtown and    Jo Haylen MP Member for Summer Hill.

But wait there were more...  Peter Gainsford, Deputy General Manager, Assets and Enviroment. Rik Hart, Interim General Manager,    Anthony Albanese MP,  Federal Member for Barton.
 There were more Pollies but I didn't catch all their names,  I cheated with the names by taking photos their empty seats before they sat down   :-)

David and this lady were given Highly Commended Awards for their Volunteering work in the Inner City West Council, although we don't live in this Council Area David does spend more than two days a week volunteering at and for the Sydney Bus Museum.  


Congratulations David, well done!!!   We're all proud of you.

Labels: Bus Museum, David

Love these Mussels, why don't I cook these more often!

Labels: 1/17, Food

 Pretty and smelling beautiful  :-)

 A little bit scary growing in with my Morton Bay Fig ...  I've just looked this Mushroom up on Wiki and I think it's called  a -  
Leucocoprinus birnbaumii (Australian poisonous mushroom - yellow flower pot mushrooms)

Won't be eating it any time soon!!! 

Labels: Garden

We can see you Marcus!

Labels: 1/17, Griffiths Family

I love writing little books about our lives for our family.

Labels: 1/17, Books

 The 2016 Challenge for our small group was set by Penny Smith.  Actually I just realized, this is our 10th Challenge!

 Penny said we could make anything so long as it was a Garden Theme and had in it... Green, Applique, Four Patch and Embroidery.   Of course Penny had a quilt she wanted to finish that had all these elements in it so it was a brilliant idea and we all loved it.

A lot of gentle teasing goes on during the year with questions and comments and raised eyebrows and so on which had me up early one morning making this quilt below.   It gave me a good laugh it did but what does one do with it now I have to ask!

It wasn't until I'd almost finished that I noticed a mistake!   it glares at me now!   This isn't my real 2016 Challenge though.

I'll show you our beautiful work in Alphabetical order... 

 Irene bought some beautiful fabrics for her challenge, they have a real Aussie theme running through them, Irene has covered all requirements and she has 4 four patches!   I think this quilt will be going to a child of a friend who lives in New York, perfect!

 Look at Lyn's really funky flowers, can you see that little lady bug?   I love Lyn's one four patch.

 Now this is another funky quilt made by Lynne from old jeans and other old scraps of fabrics which had the husbands loud in their praise with comments such as...  'This is what Patchwork should be, using old fabrics!'  We chose to ignore :-)   Lynne has also made just one four patch. 

 This is Robyn's Family Tree, she has written names on each leaf, what a clever idea!   Now I want to make one just like Robyn's.   I can't see a four patch here Robyn... maybe it's on the back :-)

 This is my real 2016 Challenge and I, like Penny, took the opportunity to finish off a quilt I started about 18 or maybe 20 years ago.    The reason I didn't finish this quilt was because I didn't like the Poinsettia, all the other flowers in the old quilt pattern below are Australian but Poinsettia come from Mexico.  (I am a stickler for correctness aren't I?)   I found a better pattern for Waratah's and a few other natives as well with 'Creative Cubby' so my quilt is no longer an Ami and Michelle - Oz Dye Art Pattern.  Can you see my Four Patches??  I made lots and lots :-)


 Now here is Penny's stunning quilt that she Challenged us with, look at all the detail!  Just beautiful.  Penny has lots of four patches as well.

 Here we all are...  Pennie, Lynne, Irene, Penny, Robyn and Lyn.

 And here are our men!  These four men only get together once each year, none of them quilt you see and none of them share the same hobbies  but they really enjoy the day and look forward to it each year.

Labels: Ku-ring-gai's

Maybe I should see if I can find some old film and try taking photos with my much loved old Box Brownie Camera!  I was given this camera when I was about 11 or 12 and still have many many of the photos I took.

Here's some info I found on Wiki.   My Box Brownie doesn't look as good as the one below, mine was well used!

Six-20 Brownie Model D

Type: Box rollfilm
Introduced: 1946
Discontinued: 1957
Film size: 620
Picture size: 2 1/4 X 3 1/4"
Manufactured: UK
Lens: Meniscus f/11, 100mm, with portrait lens
Shutter: Single blade
Numbers made: ?
Original price: $10.00

Description:
This well made Brownie featured a pearl-grained imitation leather covering and two brilliant view-finders. It also had an easy-to-use hinged back with a simple spring catch.

Variations:
The first production of this camera, from 1946 until 1953 was available with a plain matte enamel faceplate, a metal or plastic winding knob and a metal or plastic shutter release button.

Labels: 1/17, Camera

These Crepe Myrtle are looking fantastic up at our local shops right now!

Labels: 1/17, Turramurra

It is indeed very magical being able to watch these beautiful people grow...  Gosh this photo was taken 30 years ago!  THIRTY YEARS!

Labels: 1/17, Griffiths Family

Babushka Brides.

Labels: 1/17, Babushka

 My favourite shape is... Australia!   It's Remy's favourite shape when he fancies Bread and Butter :-)

Labels: 1/17, Food

 Bit late with this post...  Today (really yesterday)  my tennis friends came around for lunch and a catch up, we don't play tennis in this terrible heat.

Then I went to Irene's home for a few hours of catch up and knitting with my Ku-ring-gai Quilter friends, plus Robyn.

Labels: 1/17, Ku-ring-gai's, Tennis Friends

I have a new bag, kindly given to me by Emma S!   Thanks Emma  :-)

Labels: 1/17, Babushka

Just the six of us this time, it wasn't too hot, Cricket was the game of choice, the food was delicious as was the company... a perfect day!

Labels: Charlie, David and Pennie, Jackson, Nerys and Tim

Tomos singing You Raise Me Up at my 70th Birthday Party.

Labels: 1/17, Tomos

Have a lovely day with your beautiful family Tim!

Labels: Tim

Burleigh Heads, Queensland... on one of our many many Double Decker Bus Holidays!

This must be about 1984, we camped here for a couple wonderful weeks, just across the road from the beach.  

L to R - Pennie, Briony, David, Tomos, Gwilym sitting on Tony's lap, Nerys, Heather leaning on Nerys and Chris!    (Chris and Tony were young surfie boys from California, enjoying a tour of our Eastern Coast, they sleeping were in a tent beside our Bus.   When Chris and Tony came to Sydney they stayed with us and only last week I heard from Chris' old girlfriend Margie!!)

Oh... and below is where we slept upstairs... about 10 people could sleep up here.

I was going to say that Downstairs was a lot neater than upstairs but....  this photo doesn't say that does it!    Downstairs we had the kitchen and dining room  :-)   and another four beds if needed.

Labels: 1/17, Buses

...  I bet you haven't!   

A certain little boy who enjoyed being 3 1/4, also enjoyed being 3 1/2 and enjoyed being 3 3/4 even more because that meant that he was almost FOUR, has now turned 4 and we will be celebrating today.  

Remy asked if I could make some Peanut Butter Cookies as well as some chocolate brownie Monster  Cup Cakes just like I'd made for his 3rd Birthday... of course I can said I!

There are many many cookie cutters in my collection, every shape you can imagine as well as Australia, Australian Animals, Mickey Mouse, a Space Man and even one Wise Man... but could I find a bunny cutter!  No!   So I put the word out there and two lovely people came good but when I looked at their cutters and thought... Batman Bunny... these cutters weren't going to do what I had in my mind soooo....   I know this is a crime... but....   I squeezed Mickey Mouse's ears and made him look like a rabbit!!  Yay!

I learned a lot making these cookies!  How does one make a mask?   Thinly slice some licorice pieces and with a straw push a hole through!   A nose?    cut a red jelly snake into small pieces and you have a nose!   I do love a challenge and I certainly enjoyed this one.

Just hoping I don't get a request to make Mickey Mouse Cookies now  ☺☺☺

Labels: Food, Remy

Isn't this beautiful, this is the path around the headland north of Denham's Beach on the south coast of NSW.   I love the roots.

Labels: 1/17, Denhams Beach

Okay now this is totally scary!!    This photo was inside the Christmas Card I received from Margie in California... 

I had to look up who this buffoon was replacing, who the others are and what parties they play for... 

L to R - George Washington (Federalist Party),  Thomas Jefferson (Democratic-Republican Party,  and Theodore Roosevelt (Republican Party) should be here instead of that Trump person  ... Abraham Lincoln (National Union Party)

So Roosevelt and Trump represent the same Political Party... 

What does this represent?     I just checked the internet and there seems to be a Petition saying Trump should be up there!   What Poppycock!!!!!!! 

Labels: 1/17, USA

So pretty and so many different coloured leaves on the same bush.

Labels: 1/17, Garden

Garden is looking just a bit different than it did in a post I did three days ago, on the 7th January 2017.










A lot of bark all cleaned away and in the Green Waste bins and a tiny bit of colour in the garden... now we'd like some rain actually lots of rain to fill the water tanks would be good please.

Labels: Garden