Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Where have all the Autumn leaves gone, gone to our garden everyone.

Some scenes from the garden and drive, yes we do appear to have everyone's fallen leaves.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

A quilt on the way to being finished.....how many years ago did you start it Aunt Bee.



A little shaming goes along way. I have sandwiched the quilt, batting found in the garage, and  a sheet bought scheap on sale years ago, I always buy sheets when I see them cheap as they are the only things I use for quilt backings. Hours on me knees in lounge with some help from Aj, but resolve to do this on a Saturday morning when the men are at work. I'm pleased with the progress and am thinking about the actual quilting a mixture of hand and machine I think. After a trying week we have found out  Basil's not got anything" nasty in the woodpile" so to speak, but tests are on going to find out why his kidneys aren't working as they should, he's doing some tests this week and I have some unusal containers in my fridge, say no more. 

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Anzac 2010

Lest We Forget.

Autumn Saturday morning, at the beach, and the market.

basket bought at a market this morningladybird, ladybird fly to my home2 older copies of Country LivingAt last Autumn weather , rain, lovely, it started while I was at the market and everyone hurriedly packed up to go and I was going to go myself but went back for the cane basket as I knew if I didn't get it I be kicking myself later.  The books and mags picked up for $4.00 including a" Abbey girls" book and Alison Holst muffin recipe book not shown.  I got them at my favourite second hand book shop.They had heaps of "Abbey" books in and I just bought one, I'm always looking for Noel Streatfield, but they rarely have  them . Not a bad day considering the beach was freezing this morning but walked further than ever before. I think I have my beach Autumn shot so I'm a happy camper. Love Aunt Bee.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Bee Arty Farty

Angus's birthday present for me.I just found this what do you think, a) is the top one b) is this one, it has potential, all these photos taken on same beach between 8am and 8.30am.
I am trying, very, some people would say, trying to take 4 photos of the beach through the year which represents the 4 seasons. Summer was easy, but this is the best so far of Autumn this is becos it has been so hot during the day, 27 yesterday and 24 today, this is Autumn not Summer so I haven't got the Autumn fell to the beach yet. Never thought I would get so obsessed with photos but I blame blogging. Will continue to June then will go to Winter mode just hope the weather goes with me.  Spent the afternoon at the hospital waithing for Basil's CT scan, we will hear hopefully on Monday, which is great because it's not knowing that is the stressful part.  I am planning to take myself to a market tomorrow hopefully for some goodies, I live in hope..........Aunt Bee  Sorry about the lollies turning up there, but sometimes I get it right and more often I don't, Tom gave me 2 Cherry Ripes no evidence remains of their existence, I don't share mainly becos I seem to be the only person who likes them, (another thing from OZ that is great, hope the makers of Cherry Ripes reads this and sends me a years supply, I can dream can't I.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Time passes fast, but not Tom's driving speed.

Aj dressed up for him, going out Saturday night to be a barman at a wedding, he did very well, and behaved himself as I had spies everywhere that night. He met up with lots of people he knew including his old babysitter who is now in the Air Force. Aj was amazed how grown-up he was and mature, C is now 24 and Aj nearly 18, so it was funny to hear his shock at how quickly time moves us all on.  It has been a bit stressful this week as we wait for Basil to have a CT scan, the appt, came through last night, so I'll have Friday afternoon off to take him to the hospital, it's all a bit nerve racking, but we need to know what's going on.  MM a friend, left for Israel on Saturday, and returned to work yesterday, what was intended to be a 4 week holiday ended in 3 night stay in Changi airport, there was no alternative but to come back home and then she thought it's such a waste of holiday to stay at home so I'll come back to work.We all felt so bad for her, but she said they'll try to go next year. The weather is weird, I can't live with 24c in Autumn it isn't natural, I'm giving the weather a week to get it's self sorted or I'll to sort it.(how) I haven't a clue but I'm not happy.  Giving Tom driving lessons the very thing I said I wouldn't, not a good thing after work in rush hour, no fast speeding for this teenager, if he gets faster than 20 I haven't seen it. I will continue as long as my nerves can stand it, then pass him over to a professional.  Aj went to the dentist, not happy lad but there is always a price to pay for years of pretending to brush your teeth instead of actually doing it. He gets a full pay today, I shall await with interest what he does with it, he might go for his learners, I hope not trying to teach the two of them to drive would be the undoing of me. Yikes it's nearly 7am. off to work I go. Aunty Bee.

Friday, April 16, 2010

More birthday stuff and knitted thingy.

Tray discounted down to $5.00 at Stevens and 3 blue willow coffee cups for $5.00 at Op shop, Tom was still with me but flagging, I told I'm shopping training for his future partner.These 3 books and 1 craft mag, plus 2 books for Tom cost me $17.00, I was so happy I wanted to go back and buy more, but got the cups and tray, so felt I'd done well.Christmas labels 60c at Stevens, beginning to love that shop.And last and also least, this, I'm not telling you what it is and I'm confident you'll not guess. It has taken so much blood, sweat and unravelling to get to this stage and I'm determind to finish, but it is so frustrating, the pattern is supposed to be easy. Ha I say to that, looking at it I think it looks like a snakes head, imagine eyes and a red felt tongue and I think it would look good, but that's not what it's meant to be. So lucky you, 2 posts in one day, I see it says it's the 16th, here in the Land of Strange knitted things it is actually Saturday the 17th. Love Aunt Bee.
Many of the books are Australian, one of the things the Aussies do well is baking and cookbooks in general, some are English and one is a fundraiser for a local charity for a young man with Motor Nuerone disease who actually went to the same school as the "men".Lovely Miss Marple book, tights, perfume and tea calender from Chris.Lovely big mug with huge polka dots from work came with some Chai Vanilla Latta sachets.This wonderful clock from Basil previously seen in a previous blog entry hanging on the wall at La Boutique. There is more but I have to go .Love Aunt Bee. Will continue next post becos I have to tell how much the books cost .........amazing.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Why I left work in a hurry and left my soup in the staff fridge.

This for Basil because he loves cats and because he is sick, I hesitate to say sick again, but he did have the flu injection two weeks ago and of course he got sick. My sister thinks I'm crazy but I maintain that Basil always gets sick after he has his flu vaccine. He came home from work last friday night feeling very poorly and took to his bed or our bed, unfortunately he took a turn for the worse and I had to rush home from work Wednesday, ( this was particularly distressing for me as I had just heated up my soup for lunch), cut a long story short he's off work till sometime next week and he needs more tests as they think there is something wrong with his kidneys.  I'm sure he'll be fine, he's a tough old codger, old as in older than me by 5 years. Aj has worked for a week and half these holidays, at a real job and real hours, 7.30 to 5.00pm, I get to drop him off and then go on to work which makes me 1 hour early, so I grab the newspaper till someone comes and unlocks the door, the boss has had 3 free hours out of me this week. I'm having tomorrow off as it's my birthday not something I do often but there is a great big book sale on tomorrow so Tom and I are going hoping to get some good books, craft, sewing, and crime for me and history and classics as in the Greek and Romans for him, if I'm good he's taking me out for lunch. Aj is moaning that he isn't off too, not that he would have gone with us, he said going to a book sale is like inviting Superman to a Krytonite party. This working experience has been good for him, he now knows alot about customer service, he works at a large building supply company, he has learnt not everyone is honest, he learnt that not all your workmates pull their weight and that the new boy gets all the rubbish jobs, on the plus side he has learnt that customers can be funny and friendly, that some of the people you work with can have great senses of humour and don't mind helping out the young guy and he found out he never wants to do this job full-time when he leaves school. And he's learnt having money is great. For Autumn the weather has been nuts 27C and 26C today, enough already!  bring on the wind, the cold and the rain.......the leaves are falling but it is warm at night we have had the windows open to try and get some fresh air. Thats it for now hoping to go Op shopping if I have some money over from the book fair, haven't told Tom that yet........Love to all Aunt Bee.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

I'm in love with two men. Yikes I bet you want to read on now.

What lovely lads.
I'm in love with the "Hairy Bikers", Si and Dave and I'm not sure which is which but it doesn't matter because I love them both. I love the tour around Britain and  I especially love the Mother knows best shows which are showing now on Sky. They make me laugh, they make me want to try dishes I didn't know I wanted even to try, I shall be making Somerset Chicken tomorrow night for dinner. I love cooking shows, but their are some I don't watch and to save hurt feelings I'll not mention them, but there is nothing like putting your feet up with a cuppa to watch someone else cook. Basil cooked dinner twice this week, I don't know what it means either but it was unusual and both meals were delicious so I'm hoping it continues.
This quilt top which I show in its UFO state,it is to be my "I must finish my UFOs before the end of the year, first quilt". It stretches my weak brain to far to remember when I actually started it, but it was while I attended my quilt group so therefore before full-time work, therefore at least 5 years ago, so" I've started therefore I'll finish",  ten points if you recognize that quote. Now my thinking is, if I show the quilt to you I'll be honour bound to finish it as soon as possible or be humilated by my own laziness or sloth like behaviour that you will know about. Yes I'm dubious too, but this is only one of a pile of quilt tops to be batted so to speak and quilted. Some thing must be done and with the weather turning, it is time to be productive. Watch this space.........not to closely I hope but I will make a start tomorrow, which as Annie said is only a day away..........Love to all Aunt Bee.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Ding, dong the tree is gone and a new arrival.

The tree is gone and there is light, we can't believe the difference it has made even the "men" noticed and said how big the back yard looks now. The contractor a former workmate of Basils, arrived Thursday just as I arrived back from work, it was all done in 1 hour, and although Basil had said cut to the fence I thought no it needs to go all the way down. The real difference will be in the winter time when before we got no morning sun and next spring when we plant more veges in the space behind the trellis. Let me introduce you to Pookie Maximus, I won him in a raffle and collected him on Thursday, he came with a white chocolate Easter egg which has gone of course. It is a tradition that all teddy bears in this house are called Pookie so that is why he is called Pookie Maximus as Pookie the 12th didn't really suit him, he really is a large bear.He lives on our bed for now, Basil isn't too fond of him so he has been found in the wardrobe and the linen hamper, was kidnapped for awhile but ransomed with chocolate so he stay's with me till he is given due respect by the "men" of the family, of course Aj loves him, that boy is a big softie. Have a lovely Easter, and enjoy spending time with family, eating good food and chocolate.Aunt Bee.