Tuesday, April 24, 2012

JaM-What's the Weather like at your place?

JaM this week is an exercise in noticing the seasons and the weather is making itself very noticeable today. Rather than a cool whisper of Autumn  it is a windy roar.

You don't even have to go outside to know that it is probably at least chilly today. I lit the fire this morning and the cats have found their spot.

If you look out the back of the house it is dark clouds


And walk around the front of the house and there is blue sky.
There has been rain and wind on and off all morning.


We have beautiful Autumn foliage everywhere


And with all the wind today most of it will be on the ground by nightfall.
Jody did say take five photos but as we will soon have no flowers in the garden I had to include these two photos

















Probably the last of the Dahlias for the season and the Chrysanthemums  lightening up a dark day.
Visit Jody for more weather or to join in Jam this week.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Sometimes I just need to tell you what I think about.....

My Blog posts usually consist of what I am doing, where I have been, where I live, my family, friends, pets, craft and collecting. It is a nice little life that I live but the world is happening all around me and I do take notice. So I have decided that if I feel strongly enough about something I will put it out there. You may not agree with me and I may even offend some people but I do believe we are all entitled to an opinion.
Before I start  I need to tell you a couple things-I am a heterosexual  and although I have no religious beliefs I do live by the alleged 10 Commandments and respect other peoples right to have a belief in God, Buddha or any other Deity.

Watch the news every day and soak in the Death, Hunger, Greed, Murder, Natural disasters, Man made disasters and every other horrible thing that has happened to one person or a thousand just on one day. Yes, there are the  good news stories but they can't possibly balance out  all the bad news that we see.
Now look at just one thing our Australian Politicians are arguing over and have been for quite a while now. Same Sex Marriages. Meanwhile there are bad things happening out there to good and innocent people that need to be addressed.
Using their Religious beliefs as an excuse for not allowing Same Sex marriages is just no excuse at all when they make decisions all the time that must go against all the bible teaches them. They participate in sending men and women to war, we are allowed to divorce, abortions are legal.........need I go on? When a politician has to make a decision the questions that said politician should ask are: Will it make peoples lives better? Will the world really end as we know it if I say yes?  The question they shouldn't ask is: How will this affect my popularity with the voters?
Yes it is also a tradition that only heterosexual  couples marry but Traditions aren't necessarily the right way of doing things or even a good thing and can be changed.  All that is being asked is that prejudice to same sex couples be removed and everyone have the same rights to the way they live their lives including marriage.

If we allow two people who love one another to stand before friends and family and make a loving and socially recognized commitment to each other and their relationship........Will the world really end????????.


Award Time


The lovely Lisa from Sweet Little Pretties has very nicely given me my very first Blog award. It is called the Leibster Award which is given to Blogs with under 200 Followers who inspire others.
There are a few Rules that come with this Blog:
-Copy and Paste the Award on your Blog
-Link back to the Blogger who gave you the Award
-Pick your 5 favourite Bloggers with under 200 followers who you think deserve to be recognized and leave a comment on their Blog letting them know they have won the Award
-And hope the 5 chosen Bloggers will continue to share the Blog Award love.

I am sharing my Award with 5 Blogs that I visit all the time:

Hilary @ Quilary
Jody@ ReInventing Fashion
Ava @  Picket Fence Fancy
Paula Alic e@ Paula Alice's Blog
Lisa @ The Moonlit Stitch

These Blogs are all very different from each other but always wonderful places and people to visit. I hope you can take a minute to go and see what they are up to.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Nanna's

Sitting in the sun this morning trying to finish a few things for the Website I got to thinking about Mum's and Grannies. Yes!...........I am sewing for Mother's Day and I always seem to pull out the old doilies and pretty threads when I make for that special day.  But the thing is I don't know why cause really when we really look around it is nearly impossible to find a stereotypical Nanna.
Those little old ladies who wear knitted cardies, skirts or dresses and proper slippers, not moccasins.They have  pretty rooms with comfy chairs. The chairs with crocheted doileys on the arms and a lovely quilt on the back for those chilly nights. There is a basket of knitting next to her favourite chair and a magazine rack with The English Women's Weekly and maybe a Gardening Magazine.
In the kitchen there is not a dirty dish to be seen, there is a Tablecloth on the table and a cake, batch of scones or biscuits fresh from the oven. A cup of tea in a proper cup and saucer and poured from a tea pot with one of the above fresh baked goods is always a highlight of a visit.

The reality is that Grandma is probably at Bowls 5 days a week, on a bus trip somewhere, at the pokies, playing Tennis, doing aerobics or even Bungee Jumping  and if you do manage to catch her at home you might get a Tea bag thrown at a cup and a bought biscuit cause she is too busy to bake. She wears  Black Pepper windcheaters cause they dry much faster than hand knitted and you will hardly ever see her in a dress. At night they channel flick  and there isn't a knitting needle in sight! When they come to visit they don't bring home made goodies either, more likely a cask of red and a bottle of home made Baileys. ( Well at least she brought something handmade I suppose!)

It isn't the old Ladies that do the baking, knitting and sewing or throw doileys willy nilly about the house....it is us! The next one or two generations after.  We sigh over Vintage and the Grannies roll their eyes and wonder what we want that old junk for. We bake and create amazing vegie gardens and they slip into Coles and buy the things they want. We are creating the welcoming homemade nests while all the old girls are out there doing their thing.

I will still make my pretty Vintage gifts and long for the sweet stereotypical Mum and Nanna but I know for sure that when I get old I will be out there doing what they are doing (not bowls though!) and loving every minute of it.


Warning
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go. and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickles for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beer mats and things in boxes.
But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practice now?
So people who know me aren't too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old and start to wear purple.
Jenny Joseph

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Vote Now


   

Lisa at Sweet Little Pretties asks if we could take a minute and vote for her in the Peoples choice Award. For more information and to have a look at Lisa's very sweet Blog go here  or Vote here for Sweet Little Pretties

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Jam-Favourite Bling


This week JaM is all about......'What Bling makes ya Heart sing?'

 As you can see there is quite a bit of Bling hanging around at my place. There are Vintage bracelets, rings and brooches tucked away in little glass dishes on the dressing table as well. Most of my Bling gets worn occasionally but there are a few pieces that are kept for sentimental reasons and a others that get worn all the time.
 I have a lot of Vintage brooches that get worn every now and then and these three are probably my favourites. The gorgeous Diamante bow was given to me by my eldest son for a Birthday and the delicate bird was a gift from my daughter. My Dad gave the 'Mother' brooch to my Grandmother over 60 years ago and is a treasured piece of Jewellery.
These two necklaces are probably the ones that get worn most of the time. My girlfriend gave me the heart locket for my 50th and the silver bracelet is another 50th present that my Mum gave me. There is nothing really special about the other necklace apart from the fact that I like it with all the sweet pieces attached to it.
Visit Jody here to see what other Bling makes peoples hearts sing

Monday, April 9, 2012

Easter Weekend


 A few random things from my Easter Weekend so far.


Homemade hot Cross Buns or what's left of the two dozen I made on Thursday.

6a.m. Saturday morning and the moon was huge and beautiful in a very clear sky. 

I think the cows were wondering what on earth I was doing out there in my PJ's but I really couldn't resist trying to get at least one decent photo.

One of the many vases of Dahlias I have in the house. They fill my garden with colour all Summer until the first frost.


Monday, April 2, 2012

Frixion Pen Giveaway at Sweet Little Pretties

Lisa at Sweet Little Pretties is having a Giveaway. For the chance to win a  Frixion Pen and find out what it is if you don't know go here

Sunday, April 1, 2012

My Place and Yours-Outside

This week Leonie is our Theme Queen and she has chosen "something we see everyday outside" I planned on doing this post yesterday and went out reasonably early to take the photos and get them sorted so I could post after lunch. As is often the way things go my plans for the afternoon got waylaid by an invitation to go into town and look at the stalls and the Art and Photography exhibition that are a part of The Man from Snowy River Festival here this weekend.
So now it is after lunch today and I am finally getting the post done.

For two lovely relaxing weeks I saw this everyday while I was over the coast visiting my Mum.

Home again and I am waking up to misty mornings that slowly evolve into beautiful Autumn days here in the mountains. The trees are slowly putting on their colourful  coats and the nights are getting cooler.







What do you see everyday when you go outside?  To join in or see more 'outsides' visit Leonie at strandkorbtraum