Waiting for Christmas

The girls and I have had a wonderful time last week over the two days they came to mine. We decorated my little tree, wrapped presents and made cards. It was so hot we could not go outside. It got to nearly 40C at my place.

Underhill is crispy dry and we can't get down to pick the apricots and "blackberries" so at least the birds won't starve this Christmas. The roads keep getting closed with fires all around Sydney so no moving anywhere at the moment. But no fires at Bungonia yet. Even if we go down we can't boil a kettle so we'd have to call into Cal's on the corner to beg a coffee and he does not get up early.

Our Christmas Holiday Calendar

Since about 1980 our family has had Our Christmas Holiday Calendar to guide us through the various aspects of the Advent and the Twelve Days of Christmas ending in The Feast of Fools or Epiphany. It started as an exercise book in which we made notes and pasted ideas until eventually there was something for each day - a picture I drew, space for notes, an explanation of the theme of the day, some things to do, an appropriate song, a story or recipe for the theme of the day.

I first self-published 100 copies of this book in 1990 with an ISBN and all. This year I am at least starting the digitising project. You can find it in the tab at the top "Our Christmas Holiday Calendar" or you can ask me for a hard copy.

By making this book digital I might even be able to add some photos or links that I find. Something that was not available to me when it was first published.

A very busy time but lots of fun

I enjoyed what turned out to be a very long night at the School Spectacular a few Saturdays ago. Luke was performing and I took Alex out to meet Ellen there and see the evening performance. It will be televised this coming Saturday 7th December, Channel 7 in the evening.

The next Monday I headed to Blackheath to join friends from church for the weekend. I caught the train up and had a surprise as we loaded at Central to find Joan (a travel buddy) get into the same carriage I was in. We had a great catch-up until her stop at Blaxland.

Sue, Vivien, Kathryn and I joined Christine in her family holiday home in Blackheath for a few days. I met the ladies at Blackheath Station then we browsed Blackheath shops and had lunch before a quick visit to the Rhododendron Garden, Govetts Leap and Echo Point before the looming storm hit.

Home to the house to settle in. A decision was made to have substantial nibbles and wine rather than dinner either out or in while we played a variety of games and chatting together. It is the first time I've had a chance to have any real conversation with any of the ladies except Kathryn who comes to the Rainbow Connection Quilters.

The evening was filled with side splitting laughter and went long into the night watching the storm light the sky and wet the dry bushland.

We played Hanabi, Take Two, Concept and The Mind - all challenging in different ways.

I was the party pooper and called it quits at 11:30pm. The others played on becoming pumpkins I'm sure.

On Tuesday of course I was up at 6:30am on the 10th anniversary of Surrey's death. As I sat quietly watching the freshly washed bush awakening I had time to contemplate some of the changes of the last 10 years while writing and sharing emails with Geoff and Ellen. Somehow I think I still think surrey is just away on one of his many collecting trips or conferences but I've stopped wondering if and when he'll return.

When eventually all the others were up we had breakfast and headed out for our day by 11ish. Our first stop was the Community Op Shop. Most of us found something but Sue fell in love with the shop and its owners. We were delayed there for a while with a heavy storm but eventually left Sue to browse some more while we drove down into the Megalong Valley to a winery for lunch. It was a beautiful drive but unfortunately the winery was closed. After a quick turn-around and toilet stop where we all admired the view we headed back to the Tea Room we'd passed on the way.

The lunch at the Tea Room (at about 2pm) was delicious.

On the way back we stopped for a walk to Mermaid Falls ("an easy walk" but not for those with dodgy knees and hips and poor balance as the stone steps had no railings or hand holds).

Back to Blackheath through an impressive dust storm. We found Sue and browsed the shops for a short time. I bought a hemp shoulder bag which will go well with my "jeans outfits'.

Back home for a quiet evening chatting and solving the problems of the world.

More games and laughter around a table loaded with nibbles and finger foods until I collapsed into bed at about 11ish. The others stayed up until well into the wee small hours.

I've never been a night owl so felt a bit of a party pooper again but was pleased that the others just ignored my retiring.

Wednesday morning I was up again at about 6:30 enjoying a coffee on my own looking out through the trees on a calm and sunny morning. The storms and winds of yesterday had all cleared and the sky was blue again.

After greeting the others as they woke I caught the train back home just after 10am and was home by about 3:30 ready to collapse.

Special Friends at Underhill

Last weekend Rauri and Janice came down to Underhill for the first time in about 15 years. They arrived in their new converted ambulance.

Elaine came down with me and we three ladies went into Bungonia for Happy Hour at the Hall. This is now on every Friday night while the weather is warm.

After dinner we had some great games of Take Two using two sets of tiles.

Elaine and I took the opportunity before Geoff, Jen and the girls arrived to clean up a bit and sort the scullery. Stella (black dog) just supervised.

Rauri spent lots of time basking in the sun.

and Janice brought various bits of sewing along for the ambulance.

Ivy and Heather just loved playing in the ambulance and finding Hugh and Cameron's special cupboard full of things they are allowed to play with.

Of course there was lots of chat time...

and we picked one nearly ripe loquat to try it. I hope we get more as the years go on because I would like to do a bit of experimenting with them. It tasted sort of lemony.

A sleep over and a garden hunt

Last week Jen and the girls came for a sleepover. It is always such fun with 4 in my bed. Ivy is allowed to sleep with me. Of course that means Heather also wants to sleep with me but she won't go to sleep without Mummy. So Jen sleeps with me until Heather falls asleep then takes her out to her cot and stays out there. But 4 in the bed is a bit of a squash.

I had the girls the next day anyway so we went on a photographic garden hunt. Lots of aphids on the roses.

The mushrooms on the orchid stump are interesting too.

But the tongue orchids are just about finished.

There are so many colours in my nasturtiums. As well as the ordinary orange ones there are...

Here is a bee on the Tradescantia. Click on the photo and it will be enlarged.

And finally the grape flowers as we went back inside when the wind came up and made me sneeze a lot.

Happy Birthday Rauri and Bob

Last weekend family and a few friends gathered at mine to wish Rauri (Roger) a happy 90th birthday. It was fun to see all my grandchildren playing so well together.

Rauri enjoyed time with everyone as we played chair hopping in the dining room and Janice assures me that he really loved it.

Of course Heather helped blow out the candles.

Alex taught Ivy how to play chess then had a few real games with Rauri.

All kids escaped outdoors to burn off a bit of energy leaving the adults to chat quietly inside.

What a great day. Thanks for coming everyone.

A short trip to Underhill

Last Saturday Geoff, Ivy, Heather and Ponyo took me down to Underhill for the day. There we met Nathan, Karita and their 9 week old Acacia. Karita's mum Connie was also out from the USA so was down with them.

We had a few chores to complete, the first of which was planting two clumping bamboos that should grow tall and strong enough to use as construction material.

It is a worry planting bamboo but as we are having trouble getting anything to grow Geoff has decided to give it a try. If it gets eaten out then so be it. If it becomes a weed then we will remove it.

A simple lunch of instant sandwiches from our fuel stop was enjoyed by all.

Another chore was to scatter some green manure seeds and cover them with mushroom compost and/or chicken manure. We can buy the chook poo from a local who obviously must have a lot of chooks. He also sells beautiful veges when he has them on his honesty stand.

Geoff is also covering some of the seeds with some fibrous underfelt that we have scrounged in the hopes that it will keep the soil moist enough for the seeds to germinate but is also open enough for the seedlings to grow through.

We are due for rain this week so it will be interesting to see if there is any growth next time we go down.

At last I also got the photos I had meant to take previously of the quilts I had made for Geoff's family from Surrey's shirts. For photos of these take a look at the tab My Quilts 2019.

A great weight was lifted from Geoff's shoulders when he and Nathan were able to fell the last of the Callitris that Surrey and I had planted as Christmas trees for home. The last one had grown enormous and had become quite a fire hazard close to the sheds.

Another quilt finish

I recently finished this quilt as a special gift incorporating some of Surrey's shirts and some Star Wars and Batman fabrics.

I hope the recipient likes it.

An August day trip to Underhill

Last Saturday Geoff, Ivy, Heather, Ponyo and I drove down to Underhill for the day.

It was fine and dry and we spent some time watering all the fruit trees in the centre orchard.

Of course Ponyo decided it was a good day for a swim and got absolutely filthy rolling in the dirt.

The highlight of the day was that Geoff saw a Wombat in the Sanctuary. The girls and I walked in to try to see it but it had disappeared down one of the many wombat holes. At least they now know what a wombat hole is.

Geoff dug a hole near the bottom dam ready to plant a giant clumping bamboo when he finally gets one.

One issue we are having at the moment is that our dams are quite devoid of edge vege and we would love to source some plants to try to grow.

Limiting my online exposure

Although my blog has never been searchable it has always been public to anyone who has the link. Because of quite a few online difficulties lately I have now made it completely private. I can give people access if they email me so just let me know if you know of anyone.

Since about 2007 the blog has been the way I keep my own diary and let friends near and far know about things that are happening. I really don't want to go back to paper scrapbooks so am giving this a try.

New Trees for Underhill

Last Saturday Evelyn, Greg and I drove down to Underhill to meet up with Geoff and family to plant lots of fruit trees that had been on agistment at mine for a number of years and were well beyond their pot sizes.

When Geoff arrived his car thermometer said it was 5C at around 10am and it did not get much warmer.

Our first job was to boil the kettle for a cuppa and have our morning tea.

Geoff had arranged a delivery of straw bales to add to the fence line in the centre orchard both to deter rabbits and wombats and to catch water and hold it from disappearing down the hill.

Once the straw bales were in place we got to and planted 6 trees.

Each tree had to be surrounded by a mesh guard. It was a two person job to create these with weldmesh.

The girls had a lovely time painting their tea set and also some leaves they had found.

Of course Ponyo knew she had missed out on the scraps from the table.

In the afternoon Ivy and Heather were guided through the damper making activity by Geoff. I don't know how it turned out because Ev, Greg and I had to leave in the early afternoon to get home before dark.

Geoff and family stayed the night and from all reports were snug and warm in the shed which had been heated with the pot-belly. Ivy slept on the top bunk which had been Geoff's bed from about the same age.

In all a very cold weekend with a gusty wind. The girls learned that when you heard the wind coming through the trees you held onto your hats or hoods and closed your eyes to keep the dust out.