To machine quilt or to hand quilt that is the question.

I got up bright eyed and bushy tailed on Sunday morning to start machine quilting my quilt. The result was sewing machine 1, Aunt Bee 0. I gave up in frustration at 10 am to watch the Black Ferns beat the Welsh girls, then I went back to the machine, if I continued I would be crazy in 10 minutes, so I start to tidy up my sewing stuff namely my pins and needles. I threw out the broken pins and needles and found I had 26 needles in my pin container, yes that's right 26 and I didn't have a spare needle case so I made one. I had some lovely tartan, and felt so I threw it together and I'm pleased with the result.Tom said " I don't know what it is, but it's cool looking".  I've decided to take the quilt to my friend Mrs A, a brilliant quilter she is going to help me try to set the machine up properly, which we think is the problem as I have machine quilted a small quilt before. If all fails I'll hand quilt it, but as I have so many quilt tops to quilt I was hoping to machine some of them, I have looked up a professional quilter who lives nearby just in case I need him. So a unproductive morning in some ways but it was great to get the machine out and actually sew something...Aunt Bee.

Dave always finds quilts to sit on especially ones that are unfinished and this is awaiting me to machine quilt tomorrow. I'm not so great at machine quilting but I've bought some lovely threads and I'm planning a day off sewing Sunday. This strange creature was on the beach this morning, it has had a lot of work put into it as it is nailed and screwed together, it's very good if a little strange, reminds me of the movie " Last of the Mochians", when Mel, gorgeous Mochain, his father and the two girls had to hide out from baddies in the Indian graveyard . I still remember that movie and would put it in my 10 best movies or perhaps 10 movies that I can't forget. Here's a closer shot does it look like anyone you know ?.........I'm not saying, but there is something about the eyes that remind me of someone.
Market finds, great bag, liz claibourne, but a fake at $10.00 I shouldn't wonder, but it's just the ticket for work. 2 books, one a Maud Silver by Patricia Wentworth I plead ignorance I have never heard of Miss Silver and I'm now on the hunt for more. A John Creasy, one in the Toff series and for Tom a Stephen King , in the Dark Tower series. And last but not least a large pot without a lid, perfect for the summers jam making, on that note of warmer weather, put 4 loads of washing out on the line and nearly all of it was dry this evening............so happy, and so weird to love washing. Evening to be spent with Aj and Basil watching our beloved Poriot we think it's one we haven't seen or own..........and I thought we had seen or owned all of them..............Aunt Bee. Oh your wondering why the seagulls, well the poor seagull down on the outfall thingy was continually hit by waves as the one on the post suveyed the world, must be the pecking order they talk about.

Small hole big mess, even bigger mess of car.

The mess was worse, but OCD Basil got cleaning up straight away. All the insurance is go, so tomorrow my car goes in and as its next door to work it will be at least convenient, I thought it would take a day to do the repairs, sadly not. Just remember using both your feet on the pedals in automatic is confusing, and potentially dangerous, just ask me. Sad old me, I'm doing all my washing now,  it's 5.30pm. because its supposed to be 18c tomorrow and I'll know it crazy but a line of washing flapping in the sun always makes me happy.  Aunt Bee.

Spring, spring hey ho for spring what a truely wonderful thing is spring.

Might be a little premature since yesterday I was wearing rugby socks, but a lovely day and we had lunch on the deck. Wonderful, although couldn't help noticing the amount of work to be done. Next week will be starting on the garden spring clean, can't wait. Aunt Bee.

My horrorscope was right.

I have cut mad drumming woman out of the photo.No not the mad drumming woman ........it's me. Wearing new wind, and rain proof jacket and but it was  not insulated so I was cold with only a short sleeve top on underneath.Then this little piggy went to market, it was freezing but I got 4 books and a "Judy" mag, wooden salad servers(these were free), dozen free range eggs, and 2 lovely square pillow cases still in there packet. And I left a few things that I now regret leaving but that's a truth of thrifting you always kick yourself later for not getting something. Marshmallow slice for the boys, and possibly me.

My afternoon at work yesterday was difficult, not to go into to many details but it involved 3 pairs of rubber gloves, a bucket of boiling water, cleaning supplies and a cast iron stomach. When we got a chance to sit down I perused the paper and my horrorscope said I would have a stressful day and it was and when I got home the day continued as before.I shan't go into details but this time it involves a car, a garage, a hole and an insurance company. I took myself down to te beach this morning were accompanied by a woman playing a American Indian drum and chanting I did my constitutional. I realise this post is not in any real order but it so fits my mind at the moment.  So I shall await the insurance company's call Monday and pray my horrorscope is more positive in the future.  I'm an Aries, so I get over things quickly................ Love Aunt Bee.

End of a Era or last day of rugby.

This is the boy, note as he says the "Pattison" effect hair style, no not really, Twilight is the butt of many jokes in our family. But Ajs thick hair, that I would love to have myself, lends itself to much teasing from the rest of us. 

Saturday was the last day Aj would play rugby for his school, in fact it was the last rugby day for most of the team as they are Yr. 13 with only 3 Yr. 12's. I was the only mother who bought a camera with a working battery so I took photos for everyone. The boys did their "oh no," thing but happily posed in the end. For the most part they have played together for the last 5 years. The end of an era, mock exams start on Monday, Leavers Ball at the end of September, and the end to the school year is early November. We will have finished with schooling for out two then and it has come around so quick. A sadly reflective Aunt Bee over and out.

Ribbons and flowers.

The flowers were in the supermarket smelling so sweet, I noticed they were in the 99c bucket, so I got 2 bunches, a reasonable bargain but when I got to the checkout they priced at $2.99, now did I a) point out that they were in a bucket marked 99c, b) quietly pay for them becos  I was grocery shopping after work and I was tired. Yes it was b, so my $6.00 posy is on my bed side bookcase/drawer smelling of warm weather to come and worth every cent. I have a cold which means a early night is planned with a brandy/lemon toddy and a good book.  

The Christmas shop has opened in the mall, oh be still my beating heart, how wonderful. I had to go in you understand, they were setting everything up and unpacking so I confined myself to some ribbon. A metre of each, I'm thinking a little something every pay week and I shall be ready for December.  Love Aunt Bee.

No snow but we do have this.

I think spring is just around the corner. I mustn't get to excited as we all know that it snows in August. I took Aj to a friends place yesterday afternoon, and I yelled"  wow look at that, isn't it beautiful.". It was a beautiful rhoddo in bloom with large red flowers, then 2 camellias, of course Aj gave me a pitying smile and said,  "Your nuts".  Nuts I maybe, sitting here at the computer with my laundry to do piling up to the ceiling, the hot water cupboard, the clothes horse and the dryer trying desperately to catch up to the washing machine, the wind whistling around the house but it beginning to look a lot like winter is coming to an end. Love Aunt Bee.

Photos of the last post's goodies.

Yellow tupperware container, which has a still visible mark of "Plain Flour" which someone tried to rub out, never a good thing on plastic. I know it's so retro and retro in my lifetime, yikes. I remember the endless Tuppperware parties you were invited to by your friends and feeling you had to buy something, although it was so expensive, I got some satisfaction in paying $4.oo for this and ironically it is for :plain flour".Lovely Italian bowl, which instantly made me think of salads in the summer, I could see a pasta, chicken and walnut salad in here, which is why I bought it on a particularly cold Saturday morning.Here's the plate for "June", it's so pretty. I will probably never see the rest of the year in plates and in truth she should be wearing a warm coat and have a stout umbrella for a NZ June but it's lovely.My new car, I love Alto's I have had one before and they are economical and great for around town, not so good for the "Beastie Brothers", althought they have been driving in it and find it easy to drive although their legs meet the steering wheel. A colleague, Shiraz started calling it "Rachel",  she stopped when she saw my look of horror on my face, I don't tend to name cars, we did when the boys were young but not now.  Although I have started calling her Robin in my head ,I'm not advertising the fact, "Rachel " !, I had an instant picture of Rachel Hunter in my head enough said don't you think. Love Aunt Bee, snow down to low levels tomorrow, that snow day is looking good.

lost camera, bowl and plate oh and a new car, not much happening really.

A very quick blog, did one the other day, it's lost in cyber space so maddening. Can't find the camera..........yikes it's going form bad to worse.............bought a new car and a italian bowl and a plate....and a new car did I mention that not new new but nice and economical, and it will all have to wait till I find the camera or indeed the lost post...........Above photo from party, after party actually, I did put up the Christmas lights and they looked lovely, note roll of paper towel clean-up in action. Think I need to find camera and get myself organised, went to the market after beach walk and bought said large bowl I am imagining summer salads in it already, 19c today but snow and bad weather on the horizon, and a nice place which I presume is June of a year set of 12 if you know what I mean, old and made by J&G Meakin I think. To lazy to go check in cupboard. Angus played rugby on the weekend very sore today not as bad as one of the opposition who broke a leg, ouch, but in true NZ style we left in the field and moved to another field to finish the game he stayed on the other field to an ambulance came and picked him up, there were people with him throughout, but we bred them tough in Christchurch.