...... until May 30th

Well, once again time has slipped away from me and I am now trying to remember what we have done over the last few weeks. Let me try and recapture....I really should update this more often.

30th May: Melbourne Town
This weekend was a really quiet one as 'Husband Dear' and I wandered around the city and took in the atmosphere and charm of the Victoria Market. As usual, the food court kept us happy and we had bags full of goodies within a short space of time. While we were enjoying our time, Babe attended some tutorials at Melbourne University. The stoic charm of the 'Old' Uni buildings always fascinates me. Although the sun was shining, it was cool and clear which added to the enjoyment of wandering through the streets.

23rd May: Bonfire
Last weekend we spent at 'The Kids' participating in another Bonfire Party. Great fun and again, the weather was clear and cool. A great night for star gazing. We caught up with people we'd not seen for some time and enjoyed another great night of good food, great company and the crackle and smell of the bonfire. Thanks Kiddo.

9th May: Babe's 18th

Our Babe turned 18 and we celebrated! We had a dinner at her favourite vegetarian restaurant and she ordered her first cocktail....but hey, they did not ask for ID, so we had to try again on the Saturday night when her friends joined her to celebrate. Nope! No-one has asked for her ID and she decided it just isn't funny any more. The food, company and surroundings were wonderful and 'Husband Dear' and I patted each other on the back to celebrate making it through 18 years of parent-hood. We had her two special Gotti's (God Mothers) join us which was very special, especially for Babe. Her Godfather sent his best wishes from across the seas. The following weekend she and Benjamin went up to Sydney to celebrate in their own way. They climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge and enjoyed each others company.
Not a bad way to celebrate an 18th.

Denise and Mallicks Wedding

Denise has been part of our lives since she was knee high and we are very excited to see her marry Mallick on the beach at Brighton. They then flew over to India to be married again in a traditional wedding ceremony with family and friends. The photos we have seen of the Indian trip are beautiful. It is great to see them so happy and we wish them a wonderful life together.

I made this quilt as a wedding present for Denise and Mallick. It includes the bright 'Blog' fabrics from Amity which are synonimous with India and in the bottom corner, a special piece of Swiss fabric, a combining of the two cultures. The label, which I was stitching on five minutes before the reception, was a stroke of sheer genious from my girlfriend who printed a photo of Denise and Mallick at the wedding along with the poem that was read by the celebrant. How about that for technology! This photo is showing it unquilted and I had Cheryl quilt it and then bound it with the same turquise boarder fabric. It is one of those quilts that I loved making and enjoyed giving it away. I hope it gets them through all the ups and downs that life throws them.

Jean's Visit and Easter
You see here a dear friend that has been in my life since high school. Jean arrived in Melbourne for Easter and here we are catching up on the 'gos over lunch and a glass. The time we spent together was precious and hopefully the time between lunches will be shorter next time.

The Amazing Butterfly - Tess Blackburn

Last night Chloe and I had the privilege of attending a fund raiser at Doyle's - Mordialloc for community-based organisation The Butterfly Foundation. This was organised to support Chloe's friend Tess Blackburn and other sufferers in the fight against Anorexia. Tess as guest speaker, shared a small part of her long story to an enraptured audience. She spoke competently while walking us through the hell that these sufferers and their supporters go through each day.

Following this we were entertained by a 'Wil-E' fashion parade featuring this seasons fabulous new ranges, ate nibbles supplied by Doyle's, battled for a silent auction win, stood in line for Henna hand painting and generally had a great night. We hope that Tess and her mother Larraine raised heaps for a worthy cause and thank them both for sharing the word. This night was especially important for Chloe and I. Jump into the links here and also research The Butterfly Foundations great work.

http://mordialloc-chelsea-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/real-women-strut-stuff-on-catwalk/

http://mordialloc-chelsea-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/the-butterfly-emerges/

MARCH UPDATE

SUMMARY OF THE LAST FEW MONTHS:
Well, it has been simply ages since I have updated this and I have so much to tell you that I really do not know where to start. It may be best to start today and work backwards. Strange? True. But then you all know me.

Remember, this is all in summary.


2009 FORMAL:
Last night was 'Babes' School Formal and it was a wonderful success. It was a whirl of dress, shoe and bag shopping, hair and beauty appointments, ending up with our girls looking beautiful. The guys did themselves proud as well. Ben flew in from Canberra and although his flight was late and he was the last to arrive, he received an award for the privilege and enjoyed the celebrations. The Brighton International was again a great venue having been renovated since last year. A number of Year 12's wore long dresses, looking elegant and way beyond their years. There were some stunning short dresses with Mel P' taking out the 'Best Dressed' award.



This is it! Year 12 and no more Formals. It has been fun and these photos will remind the girls of their school years.

LATEST QUILT:
Last year our Tuesday night Patchwork Group were lucky enough to meet Amy Butler, an American fabric designer and author. She held a promotional evening at the Sofital which showcased her fabrics, books and patterns.

I was not sure what to expect but was impressed with her outlook on life and thoroughly enjoyed listening to her and her experiences. Her love of the garden and of life seems to flow through her fabric designs. Babe loved the fabrics I arrived home with and I agreed to make her this quilt. I had seen a quilt hanging at Amittee some time ago which suited this fabric and so raced in to collect a few more peices of Amy's fabrics and the pattern. Cheryl (C.A Quilter) quilted it and although the two week project blew out to a four month project I am happy with the result. What do you think?


OUR HOLIDAY TO NEW ZEALAND:
On January 10th we flew into Wellington to start two weeks well earned holiday. The last six months of 2008 were so bad that any holiday would have been great, but this was fantastic.

I have always known that New Zealand was a beautiful country but not having toured it for some years I had forgotten just how spectacular it is. Every corner we drove around held another picturesque scene. The amazing thing about New Zealand is that it has not been found by the rest of the world and is therefore unspoilt.

We drove from Wellington to Taupo, a place I could call home, where we stayed for a couple of days soaking up its sense of space and pure tranquility. We then travelled up to Rotorua which is over commercialised and smelly but a fascinating place where we spent time touring the thermal areas and tourist areas. From there we travelled over to Napier which was an inspiring bonus. I had not been there before but found a city well aware of itself which recognised the potential of self-promotion to attract visitors. They do it so well. We then met the family in Wellington for 'Big Blisters' 60th birthday celebrations. It was wonderful to spend time with everyone and seeing as we had come from Brisbane, HongKong, Auckland, Timaru, Christchurch and Melbourne had reason to relax and enjoy each others company. It is not every day we get together. I had the pleasure of meeting up with my girlfriend for a meal, chin wag and a flying fox ride or two. It has been years since we caught up but it felt as though it was just yesterday. Great fun.

When the celebrations were over we travelled across to Picton on the ferry which is one of my favourite places in the world. The day was sunny and the waters calm. Coming in through the Sounds is simply stunning with bush meeting the crystal clear waters. We travelled down the Kiakoura coast, through Christchurch, to Timaru where we spent a few days with Mum. We had stopped off in Christchurch for a few hours to catch up with a couple of school friends for dinner. I only wish we had had more time to spend with everyone but treasured every minute we did have.

My memory had faded over the years and I was not ready for the spectacular scenery on the next stage of our holiday. We left Timaru to travel down to Queenstown through the Cromwell district, Lewis Pass, and the many thriving little towns on the way. We passed spectacular lakes, drove over mountain roads, across rapid flowing rivers, while taking in the shades of green, purples and browns I had forgotten even existed. Without a lie, I was astounded at the sheer beauty we were seeing turn after turn as we drove. When we arrived into Queenstown some hours later I was sure that I had taken in as much as I could but this town, nestled on the shores of the lake is one of New Zealand's gems and it did not fail to impress. As this was our last night in New Zealand and also my birthday we wandered the town, eating Japanese for dinner and hot chocolate as a night cap. It was a clear night with stars shining and all of Queenstowns visitors were out and enjoying the towns many restaurants and lake cruises. Magic!

The next morning we went up in the cable car to get some photos and take in the scenery before dashing to the airport, and wait.....there is more!

There was a light breeze blowing and the Para-gliders were everywhere. Yep! I did it! With 30 seconds to decide on the birthday offer being made by Husband Dear and Babe I decided to give it a go. Wow! There is no other word for the experience of soaring like a bird and feeling the freedom of weightlessness. My only wish was that I had experienced this when I was in my twenties. Perhaps I would be a different person now if I had. If you ever get the chance then do not hesitate. We then flew back home to Melbourne and got back into the routine but I still get a buzz when I think of it.

Well guys, this update will have to do for the moment. I hope you are all well and happy. I am off to start my new quilt, hopefully getting it ready for one very special bride and groom.

Wish me luck. Cheers!

Bushfires - Thank you for your concern

Hi there all,

Thank you all for your phone calls and emails of concern and we, unlike many other, are safe and well. Unfortunately the newspaper headlines and the lead stories on the TV tell of a completely different situation for many hundreds of people. It has been heartbreaking to listen to the 24 hour reports that have been flooding our airways and one feels frustrated and useless when others are so desperate. We have been able to donate to the Fire Fund being run by the Red Cross and I guess every little bit helps.

It is wonderful to see Amitee, Blake Dawson, Mentone Girls Grammar and many other companies and individuals getting in and raising funds to support those who don't have their own beds to sleep in any more. I watch Babe sit down to her studies and feel a deep pain for the kids facing Year 12 exams at the end of the year without schools, homes, books, pens or calculators. Their parents hearts must be breaking. I think of the elderly in these areas who have lost their everything and are too old or frail to start again. We all feel for those who are disadvantaged and even more so with the sheer numbers involved with these bush fires.

Check out this link: http://handmadehelpsout.blogspot.com/
We all need to look at our loved ones and count our blessings.

Happy New Year !!!!

To see in the New Year 'Husband Dear' and I took in the sights, sounds and smells at Brighton Beach armed of course with a chilled bottle of French Champagne and two flutes. Very quiet and very pleasant.

It has been two months since I have had a moment to do an update and for those of you who visit, I apologise for the long silence. You must have thought I had dropped off the planet. I will be able to do better in 2009 as we will be a very well organised at Number 15 with nothing but routine in it. I can just hear some of you out there saying "Yeah, yeah!" Seriously, it is Babes VCE year and I can assure you that routine is the name of the game and it will happen.


The other good thing that is happening this year is that we have a new starter at work. Eliza starts on the 5th January and the relief is enormous. I feel as though I have been holding this place together with only the skin on my teeth. I will be working 4 days with Mondays off, Eliza will be working 5 days and Danielle 1 day. One thing I have realised over the past few months is that I do not want to work full time. Four days will hopefully be a good balance and I may as well do it while I can as once retired there is no going back.


Babe has been down at Philip Island enjoying time with her friends and Husband Dear has been hard at work around the house. We are having a new back yard fence put up at the beginning of February but the contractor wants the old fence and the ivy which has been holding it up for more years than it should have, removed. HD and neighbour Russell have been building up a sweat and taking trips to the tip. It is hard work but all should be ready before we leave on our well earned holidays. The only one who is not looking forward to the holiday is Cuddles who has a miserable time at the Cattery and puts herself on a diet through nothing else but worry.

OK. I will update this with the exciting photos of my Amy Butler 'almost finished' project and some extras.