It was cold, wet and a bit emotional.

Of all the days I could have chosen for the scattering of my mothers remains it had to be Saturday. It had rained all night and there were showers all day and it was cold but not as windy as I thought.
A good gathering of the clan, who celebrated and told tales some of us had never heard before.
Lots of food eaten and drunk, the small ones had a lovely time and really didnt make too much of a mess.
Not much food left over and I think we gave her a good send off, grand sons coming from interstate, a few missing due to other commitments but on the whole a good turn out.
I just hope the same may happen for me!
I took the photo of the clematis by the bedroom door in the rain, I have never had much luck with them but they are doing so well at the moment, infact the garden with all this rain is still blooming magnificently and I really cannot say I had a lot to do with it. Poor John is out there cutting back.

For Virginia

This is a photo I took a few minutes ago of John and Diana, Diana is a friend of my friend Virginia who lives in Germany. Diana is at present in South Australia and she and her sister and brother in law came down for afternoon tea, lots of chat and it was huge fun. I am so glad Diana managed to get here, at one stage it looked as if it wasnt going to happen but we both thought Virginia would kill us if she didnt manage it.
So all is well and we wont get killed!!
the other photo is one I took a couple of days ago of the lone poplar who lives in the house paddock. I think we planted it the year we were married.
It has been very hot and sticky today, I managed another 2 wheelbarrows of weeds early this morning before the lawns were mown, it all looks so much better, now for the promised rain tomorrow, I need the rain but not on Saturday!
I shopped early too and managed to make a chocolate slice, so I have that, tomorrow I am going to cook, I think an egg and bacon pie and maybe a frittata, that with some roasted chicken and some salad should feed those who forget to bring any food for Saturday. the hens have been laying well so I have eggs.
Another rather unexpected foal born last night, I have been too busy (and aching too much!!) to see it.
Once the cooking is done I will be able to relax and enjoy(? not sure if that is the right thing to say) the week end.
Animals fed, one white wine under my belt, I am off to organise dinner.

I cant have enough of my garden

Summer will be here before I know it but we have been having one of the best Springs for years, low comfortable temperatures, drizzle and rain and not too much wind, and the garden has responded as never before.
So have the weeds and they are getting a bit ahead of me but two more wheelbarrow loads this morning has helped a bit.
The peacocks are calling and displaying (and making an awful racket!)
I have been flat out trying to get some sewing done but am so tired at night I fall asleep in front of the tv!
The only draw back to all this outdoor activity is that I get hay fever and have to retreat indoors every so often to stop sneezing.
Well back to work, visitors tomorrow.

Arrived in the mail and a party

this absolutely stunning pin cushion arrived in the mail from Jacquie of Hazelnutgirl blogspot from New Zealand. I absolutely love it and the material it was made from is stunning.
I have been away from home for a few days as we had a 70th birthday to go to, he was our best man many many years ago and his favorite colour according to his wife is orange so orange balloons abounded.
He is also very involved with the museums Waterhouse Club so wandering around on the guests were the odd reptile, this is a leaf tailed gecko, who as dusk came on thought he wanted to explore more than a shoulder.
Our host has owned this Bugatti for a few years but was bemoaning the fact that he would never be as old as it was, it was made in 1938. It has always taken center stage at all their parties.
A wonderful night meeting old and and new friends.
John raced home to go fishing and I stayed up and a few of the Grumpy Goddesses had lunch with one of us who has terminal cancer, she is being very brave about it but I think it may be the last time I see her.
I spent the night with P.. and we got a bit full on a bottle and a half of bubbly. I was up at 6.30 and drove home before the streets got full of the morning traffic.
I have cleaned up a bit and dusted and vacuumed, a lot more to be done but I have run out of puff at the moment.

Clematis and children

My first clematis blooms are out for the year, seems only a few months ago that they were out for the last season. Shown here in the flowering plum which is being weighed down with that and the Japanese wisteria.
We went over to Tab and Johns for a bbq last night, a lovely evening and we sat outside until it got cold with the night getting darker.
My grand and great grand children were there, Millie who Mason calls Mimi! and Mason who is all boy and drives his mother mad but is so cute, and then big sister (to Millie) and aunt to Mason, Celina who Millie calls Cici. Millie was mimicking Celina, hands on hips.
Celina was fooling around with Spot the dog, at 13 she is really rather gorgeous, well they all are but Celina is suddenly growing up, well one minute she is and the next an absolute dag.
Dont you love the rubber boots.
Horrid day today, hot and very windy and my hay fever has erupted although we have had a bit of rain now which has settled things a bit.

Garden photos and more Notebook pages

The garden looks glorious today, now that the sun has finally decided to shine and the skies are blue.
New leaves on a flowering plum, a hanging basket of native orchids, and a cyclamen still flowering.
I managed to clear 2 wheelbarrows of weeds today but there are many more yet to be done.
I have had the results of the MRI, not good news and have an appointment with the specialist in early November. Not sure what he will suggest but at least I know I have had a reason for the pain.
I played around a bit more with my bird stamp and so two pages from my Notebook, one I did on fabric and did some sewing around and the other page was just the birds on the page, not brilliant but I am trying to show what I have done and how it could be used in fabric.
Yesterday I received Gwen Heldley's new book 'Drawn to Stitch' in the post and I have had a lovely time going through it. Lots of ideas.
We will be in Adelaide tomorrow so I probably wont post.
Oh and Julie asked what the cockle train was. Originally it was a steam train that ran along the coast from Victor Harbor to Goolwa and back it was known as the cockle train as people used it to go to Goolwa and go to the beach and collect the cockles. Some times the steam train still runs or it is an old diesel (I think!). A great tourist train and the view from it of the surf beaches is superb.

TAST, New stitchery, new painting and photos!

Here is my TAST for this week, it is called lock stitch and was a bit tricky to do until I worked it out, this is from Sharon b's Pintangle blog weekly stitch to do, see my side bar for her blog.
Next is a small piece I did last night, stitching into a gelatin print, they are so much fun to do and very soothing just using the running stitch. This one is to go into my Notebook project that Glenys Mann is running. I am using as my theme the stamps and lino cuts I have done and various other printing methods, first the print and then the stitch.
The next photo is of the painting I bought at the silent auction on Friday night, called South Coast Scene by Anna Haig. I really liked it as it is the sort of scene I see so often around here.
I even think I know where she painted it from.
Next a couple of photos I took while we were walking yesterday, the groyne which is really falling apart these days and then the scene towards Pt Elliot, grey skies with a bit of break.
I have washed today and it is still cold and grey, I had hoped for some sun.
A house work sort of day, that cat Oscar and his hair shedding!
I hope to get some weeding done, one barrow full will do me, so I am off before it gets too late and I give up for the day.