A Day...[ or more] .. in The Country

 Christmas Day, and after a lovely lunch with Vic at his new home, I left the City behind to travel 200km to visit my friends.  A few years ago they decided on a Tree Change and I do miss them!

 Arrived to find 'my room' all ready and so the Tea Drinking began.  Lorraine and I sure do love a good chat and a cup of tea, lots and lots of cups of tea.   Of course we also did some serious eating, and drank a few bottles of good wine too.  Here we are outside her back door having a quick cuppa before preparing the Boxing Day Lunch. 
Why wasn't I smiling? I think I was trying to tell our photographer which button to press !!

My stay ended with a Birthday Cake for our hostess on the 27th, yes, after all the Christmas and Boxing Day food, we had a Birthday BBQ, complete with an ice cream cake.

Late in the afternoon I once again took to the highway, and home. . perfect weather, great food, and absolutely wonderful company.  A very good way to unwind after the stresses of the last few months.
Wishing you all a Safe and Happy New Year.

Does TWO make a Collection?

Last year I had just one tiny Cross Stitched Christmas Tree in a frame, and thought it was quite cute (guess I picked it up in an Op Shop somewhere, I just don't remember).  This week I found another in a gold frame, even smaller than the first, in a local Op Shop.  So now I have TWO, does that mean I now collect miniature stitched Christmas Trees?  I guess it does!

I have a small table set out with Cards, a few Ornaments, all on a lovely gifted Christmas Quilt. These little frames fit in perfectly.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.  I'll be having lunch with Vic and then traveling up country for 2 days rest and spoiling, from my dear friends Lorraine and Ron.  Can't wait!

Sad week ..

 In August, 1980 I met a lovely man at a Cocktail Party in Auckland (this photo was taken just an hour or so after we met).
In October 1980 we were engaged, and married in March, 1981 in Melbourne.

Seven years ago my darling Vic was diagnosed with a Brain Tumor, and although it has been a long hard battle with 2 major surgeries and radio- and chemotherapy, we have had some good times during these years.  Unfortunately, this month we, together with his doctors, have come to the conclusion that I can no longer care for him at home, and he has moved into a Nursing Home.  It is very close to home, so I will be able to visit often.  He does still know me, and functions quite well, except for the fact that he cannot walk unaided, and sometimes forgets this and gets out of his chair or bed and falls over.
Although he has been in and out of hospital and rehab since October, leaving him there alone yesterday was very difficult.
We both know we have done all we could to stay together, but I am still very, very sad.

Christmas must be just around the corner ...

I always know when it is Christmas by the Lilliums I had growing in the garden, the move to our new Unit meant bringing a few with us in a pot, and Yes!!! this weekend the first one bloomed.  The other 4 are not too far behind.

It was very windy in the garden this morning, so I had to hold this one steady to photograph it.

And yes, I did put my Christmas Tree up this weekend, and decorated it.

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.