Well the last couple of months have been busy and enjoyable.

The boys completed another successful school year and both made the observation that the year went too quickly.  The youngest Sweetie has decided that when he was younger, time went slowly and the fridge was always full of food.  Now that he is older, time gallops and there is never any food in the fridge.

This is a bag that I made out of scraps for Blogless Kathy and filled it with goodies and sent her for Christmas.

After Christmas we headed down to Albany for some much needed R&R for all the family.  Three of us took part in courses at the Albany Summer School and the Hostel Boy started a diving course.  The Hairiest Sweetie was enrolled in Metal Sculpture and the Youngest Sweetie and I had a crash course in ukelele.  It was utterly fantastic and exciting and FUN

We were also able to catch up with some great friends who live down there - always wonderful.

I have also started a new job at the local Hospital after much badgering by friends and I am thoroughly enjoying it although we are understaffed.

Oh Bugger Blogger you really are trying my patience today.  Here is one of the seven photos that I uploaded this morning to show the wonderful houseboat weekend that we had on the Murray River, West Australia, in early October.  I must be doing something wrong - like holding my mouth in a smile or something.  Pretty wretched stuff.

P.S.  Jeana if you are reading this, the wheelbarrow is FANTASTIC.  I used it last night for the first time to help me plant a fig tree and I was delighted with it's lightness and sturdiness.  As I am older now, the wheelbarrow that Tim bought me for Christmas, the first year that we were here, is heavy although well made, and has has some hard use transporting small boys, canoes, picnics, manure, water, cement and really the list is endless. So thank you so much Jeana.  It even has a hole in the handle were I can keep my divining rod to work out the best place to plant trees.  Nyx

It's a amazing what 40 years difference in age will do.  The youngest Sweetie had been off at a birthday party/sleepover/motor bike fest overnight, unfortunately the Hostel Boy came down with a lurgy and was in no fit state to ride hither and yonder so had to stay home and vomit and sleep, meanwhile the youngest is full of stories and covered in dust and so t....i.....r.....e.....d.  I picked him up and got him home where I said 'right - shower, clean pajamas and bed for a nap'.   Which he has done under extreme duress.  Whereupon the Hairiest Sweetie said 'could you say that to me?' 

Niki and the Strippers met on Saturday - although it must hve been cold as there weren't too many of us there.  This is what we did.  It was meant to be Scrappy Trip, although there was some leftovers from the Scrappy Bargello there as well.  Well whatever works.

I'm working on a spiderweb block, using the rule and Kaye England DVD that I bought ages ago.  The first block has been sitting up on my orphan block wall for over a year.  The DVD is such great value and a real laugh as well.  It's another way to use up that stash and make a fun quilt without too much angst.  The blocks are made using 21/2" strips sewn into stratas and then cut using the Kaleidescope rule.

Love is..... is coming along - sometimes all the problems in the world are sorted out when I have done bit of redwork.  I forget the peace that settles.