A busy weekend,I'm going to work for a rest.

Came home on Friday night, nearly broke a leg tripping over a bucket of plums that had been sitting on the kitchen floor for 3 days, so got busy and made plum jam, used an ancient recipe book that used to belong to my MIL. It looked great, although I after making the jam, retired to bed feeling grotty, woke up 2 1/2 hrs later feeling much brighter. That last photo in the jam trilogy is my breakfast Saturday morning, woke to a beautiful day but I had a plan I would use Saturday to tidy up my much spread out around the house and garage sewing stuff. So at 7.30am I started you can follow the drama by looking at the photos.Yes did it take me all of Saturday morning NO, all of Saturday and Sunday, Basil wisely seeing which way the wind was blowing took himself off for the afternoon and the lads weren't too be seen either. A job well done, so to sum up all fabric in wooden chest, 2 sewing machines and overlocker in laundry cupboard, plastic boxes in photo contain Christmas stuff and crafts, and other contains wrapping and packing stuff. Found 7 pairs of scissors, obviously I buy a new pair when I think I have lost a pair somewhere, 10 rolls of sellotape and one lovely sheet I didn't even know I owned. Also found a in their envelopes, stamped and addressed, 2007 Christmas cards to friends and family, so useful now. Recycled heaps of stuff including at least 150 recipes printed on A4, printed off the computer which I know I'll never make, how can I make a recipe which calls for a boxed cake mix for starters. Of course I did have to redo the laundry cupboard where all linen is, the bookcase to fit in all the craft, cooking and house mags I had stashed like an alcoholic all over the house and garage. The garage is now a mother free zone and reverts to a "men only" place of worship with gym equipment and the such like, which suits me fine. I went to work to day exhausted.

Obessions

Obsessions

Some people have obsessions and some don't and it's o.k. either way, some people have obsessions with, tea towels, or hankies, or fabric in general or even cook books. It's part of what makes us human and interesting, I myself have a few obsessions and this is one, scarves, I love them. I'm in good company, my own darling mum is a scarf wearer, indeed the Queen herself is often seen with a square of silk tied under her chin. Of course they can be worn many ways and I think they say classy, stylish, ever so slightly retro and   fashion leader not follower, not ever one agrees with this I know. In fact one of my colleagues says frequently that I'm so lucky that I can get away with wearing a scarf.(Yeah ! it really is all in the way she says it). I found three lovely scarves in a CS last week, the lady serving said "That's a good find, I haven't seen those."Obviously I wouldn't have seen them either if she had. Some I have bought, some like the Indian shawl, Basil bought me, it smelt of incense and was so lovely but I did have to gently wash it and the scent is almost gone. I wear them all year round and in winter I've worn 3 at one time, it's bloody cold watching rugby or sitting in a cold hall watching wrestling. A fair bit of tartan going on there, as you can see, it must be that thimble full of scottish blood I have.

Busy, busy Aunt Bee

I can't believe I have lost a complete post, I am so cross I'm not asking the men for help because the lecture is not worth it. So I'll do it again.

O.K. did it again you know what to do assume the position, head on side to see the 4 containers of blackcurrants that Mary (neighbour) bought over yesterday. The beautiful blackcurrants, forgot that they needed cleaning and sorting, bribed AJ to help, what a moaner, but he did help so I'm grateful. I'm a messy worker but it got done.  One last photo of AJ's meringues which he made at 10pm last night, they were good, I grabbed a photo before they disappeared. He is a good cook, but he isn't consistent I have offered him his own dinner cooking time slot once a week. He hasn't taken up the offer yet. On a totally different note just caught up with the last episode of  Kingdom, does anyone out there watch this programme because I'm the only one I know who does, and I absolutely love it. It was quite moving and I need someone to talk to me about it...............God I'm a sad woman.

Respectable gown if seen putting out the bins.

This is the master bed with the remade throw on the end, the colour is terrible but  you can get the idea.

Top is the sheet, then the gown close up and then the continental blanket/throw, you can see why I had to have it, $4.00 in a CS shop.

This is a summer dressing gown that I made during the holidays. I had only my winter weight gown which was just to warm for the weather. I decided while cleaning out my sewing stuff (again) that one of my many sheets would make a nice gown. It's made on a kimino style, 3  rectangles and a belt and binding. For contrast I used the valance of a continental blanket that I pulled to pieces to make a throw for the end of the bed. The body of the blanket  was a oriental pattern, vaguely willow pattern and the valance was pink with dots, which I used for the belt and trim. It has turned out o.k., it is a little to big, I tend to make things larger than I am, I think it's because I think I'm huge when in truth I'm just large. Lots of  people will know what I mean. The colours in the photos aren't brilliant but it is pale anyway, in case anyone wonders I use sheets for backing for my quilts.

Plummed out.

Inspired by Contessa's plum jam and paste making activities I raced outside to see if our next door neighbours plum trees were fruiting.The Contessa lives in warm climes than I and so she is usually a few weeks ahead in the garden (flowering and fruiting) than us. The long cold winter and the late spring , and the very inclement summer has delayed the growing season.The other weekend I managed to speak to our neighbour M who is a very private person and asked if I could harvest the plums, pears and quinces that border our property, she said that was fine and I was welcome to them and the apples that are in the  'forest'. 'One of the only plants flowering in the garden, along with the roses, I haven't had to water at all the last 2 weeks.I Had to laugh this morning in the Sunday paper someone wrote, it's too cold to play sport in England, too hot to play in sport in Aussie, why doesn't everyone come here it's always average. Had a call form Mrs A., a friend who is the most amazing quilter, I shall endeavour to photograph her quilts next time I go to her place and show them to you because she is so talented. She had even lit her log fire the other night, that must be a record.I leave you with a picture of our silk tree, Autumn 2008 it got a really very decent haircut( about a 2/3rds, short back and sides) and as you can see this must have been taken as a incentive to do better , not sure it current status in Basil shade tree eliminating standings.  On a less destructive note AJ passed his NCEA level 2 exams and will advance to Yr. 13, he has some idea what he would like to do when he finished, so we have told he must knuckle down and concentrate on some real work this year, sounds so fimiliar doesn't it, I do try to change the script with each year but even to me it's depressingly similiar, I wonder if girls  pay better attention to their parents in these matters, but I expect teenagers are the same, regardless of their sex. Naggers away, as I sign off for now. Aunt Bee.

I haven't blogged for awhile, at least a week, my sister the one with ideas (misplaced ) of grandeur, Contessa, pointed out this evening. I said well I haven't got any photos to post, she replied she hadn't thought it was compulsory, it's not I said but I feel should. So I think the root of  my bloggitis, is I went back to work on Tuesday and our clients came back on Wednesday. Our clients who have an ID, just all walked in the door, said hello or not and started work, no exchanges of gossip, stories of  christmas presents good or bad, no holiday photos just a o.k. we been off , lets get back to the normal rythmn of our lives at work. A bit deflating for the staff who like to prolong the holiday by any means possible and stave off the impending year of work till the last moment. The weather certainly has played it's part in my general malaise as the photos above will show, I'm up at 6am most mornings and it is lovely, warm and sunny, by the afternoon it's cool and raining and it's not like we live in tropical zone, where it rains every afternoon with hot steamy rain, no, here it's cold and miserable and it's meant to be summer. I am not built for huge high tempertures but even I know that we all would be happier with a few more sunshine hours. There mightn't be any photos attached to this entry, as I seem to have lost them in cyber space again, just goes to prove that things are a little out of sorts at the moment, I need to go thrifting or look for some more books. Aunty Bee

An early morning walk on the beach.

A giant squid perhaps?Kelp, how disappointing .Oh, bugger have walked further than I thought, time to go back.Sun breaking through the cloud.Very warm, very still and very beautiful.

Feeling hot, hot , hot, sing along if you like.

Thinking about a scarf for winter, not sure though will have to think about it.

It's been to hot to crochet but I've been playing around with these circles of colour. Inspired by Lucy at Attic24.

This has been my life saver the last few days, it's been so hot I have been living on this concoction to help be cool down and keep my fluid intake up. I'm constantly making ice cubes, and actively staying out of the sun. the holidays are officially over, but  I have another week, which makes it the longest holiday I have had for years and I'm loving it. It  was so hot on Saturday that I took the scissors and cut my trousers into shorts then got some nice floral fabric and made binding for the edges, they look quite good, and then I noticed my machine had a slight problem so I got my big shears and tried to fix it, AJ said not a good idea mum, but I know best. I haven't taken a photo of my finger with the double plaster and tape on it, as it's nothing really, really more bruised, the gouge will heal soon. So it looks like this year will be much like the past, me doing stupid things and paying the price.........pain.