New camera

today I went out and replaced my crappy RICOH R10 camera, that I have never been happy with, with a new OLYMPUS VR350
I used to love my old Olympus and I'm hoping I'll love this new one too.
Haven't fully charged the battery yet, or read the manual, hee hee but here is my first photo

taken out our front door, this is the Bougainvillea bush that was planted about 10 years ago to hide the ugly garage next door.  The garage has since been pulled down and a new extension to the house next door is being built right now.  This is an amazing plant, changing from bright lolly-pink to deepest orange in a matter of weeks.
Here is what Mr.Wilipedia has to say about the bougainvillea
Bougainvillea is a genus of flowering plants native to South America from Brazil west to Peru and south to southern Argentina.
They are thorny, woody vines growing anywhere from 1 to 12 metres (3 ft 3 in to 39 ft 4 in) tall, scrambling over other plants with their spiky thorns. The thorns are tipped with a black, waxy substance. They are evergreen where rainfall occurs all year, or deciduous if there is a dry season.  The leaves are alternate, simple ovate-acuminate, 4–13 cm long and 2–6 cm broad. The actual flower of the plant is small and generally white, but each cluster of three flowers is surrounded by three or six bracts with the bright colours associated with the plant, including pink, magenta, purple, red, orange, white, or yellow.

Now, back to learning about this new camera..... ..... .....

3 weeks later.... and then there were Two !

After I started on Chair Number One, and remembering I was going to cover the arms, stretcher bars etc. I was given another, very similar chair, covered in cream vinyl. So I decided that this one, old, torn, Granny Square Rug from an Op shop find ages ago could cover TWO chairs.

 and indeed it has ! I have polished the armrests and stretchers and decided each one has just enough colour.

My husband Vic has recently returned home from a long hospital stay, and has a few mobility problems. Both the OT and PT staff at Rehab. suggested he should always sit in a high back chair, with arms.  Such chairs provide the necessary support, and feeling the the arm of a chair before sitting, and when standing,  often avoids a fall.  These are just perfect for  Vic to use.

I just love the colours and could look at them all day!

Chair.... day 2

coming along nicely......

arm rests next...

Work in Progress

I have owned this lovely little chair for ages, a Camberwell Market find about 20 years ago.
It is very much in need of a make-over if it is to live in our new Unit.

 I have quite a collection of Granny Rugs, seems I cannot pass one in an Op Shop without buying it.
One in particular was a favourite, quite old, crocheted in multi colour and black, in 4ply wool.  Unfortunately, there were many holes in it, some I could mend, some were too big, so I couldn't use it as a rug / blanket.
Today, I decided to cut it up and cover the chair, so far so good . . .

I will post more photos over the weekend or early next week, as I get it finished.

New Home, New Computer, fresh start

Well here I am on my new laptop, in my new study, in my new home.
What a year it has been, in June  we sold our home of 19 years --- this one 

and Vic and I moved into a unit not far away.  It took me several months to pack and move as we had over 30 years of accumulated 'stuff' to find space for or sell or store.  I have managed to do a bit of each, and now have our new unit looking like 'home'

Unfortunately Vic's health has deteriorated and he is presently in Rehab after a short stay in hospital.  We are hoping that after some physio he' ll be able to come home, with the use of some mobility aids. Fingers crossed on that one.

I think I am ready to get back into blogging, but my camera has decided it doesn't want to work now, so that will be the next thing on my shopping list.

Not doing so much Op Shopping these days, as I don't have room for all the things I own now, let alone buying more, but I do pop into some of my regulars for a 'look' occasionally.
I have a nice small garden now, and I do enjoy looking after that, no veggies yet, but a thriving herb garden and some lovely flowers.

I am still knitting, Yarn Bombing, and am an active member of the Yarn Corner on facebook,  enjoying joining in on many of their projects, including yarn bombing a complete Tractor for the Royal Melbourne Show this year.  That was a lot of fun, and my piece, with sheep attached, was on the top of the motor section, so I even got a good look at it on TV when one of the morning shows did a report from the Arts and Crafts Pavilion.

Missing in Action .. . . . .

To those who have missed my blogs, and those who have sent me messages.. Thank You.
My Computer (which is very old), had decided it does not like Blogging, and just hangs or seizes up completely after I read one or two blogs.

So, In a few weeks time I'll be looking for a new computer (aaaarrrrrr I hate change).

Meanwhile, Miss Soon-to-be-12 is here (Moloko to those who follow her blogs), and we are having a very nice holiday, but not getting any blogging done.

Transmission will resume again soon I hope.

a lovely surprise ...

A lovely parcel arrived in the mail for me this week and I can only say not only was I surprised at its arrival,(as I had completely forgotten about it), but the contents were so sweet and the accompanying letter and card absolutely lovely.

Some time ago I entered a give away, run by Sarah at thimbles and crumbles
at that time Sarah was making the sweetest brooches from vintage completed embroideries and making sweet lavender sachets from Unworked embroideries, with their simple, clear lines.  she also wraps things in pretty cotton, see the embroidery frame? it is now holding a ribbon with a picture frame attached, on my bedroom wall, and I feel sure my young grand daughter will lay claim to the 2 pretty hand made hair clips next week.

All the above were wrapped in some pretty white cotton, hand stamped with pink flowers.

I did feel rather special, and it came at just the right time, as I've had a couple of 'down' weeks lately, and not done much blogging.

Sarah has not been blogging either, she's had computer and Internet problems and changes in her life that take up lots of her time.  I hope we' ll see her back here again soon.

so, thank you Sarah.♥