In memory of Surrey

This weekend I have spent relaxing and doing just what I wanted to in an attempt to shake off what might be a cold or perhaps just some sinus focused allergy.

At last I have taken a photo of the artwork I had done of the grass Bryan named after Surrey.

It has been named Eragrostis jacobsiana. It will go beautifully with the painting of Agrostis bettyae named by Surrey after me.

I have also spent a bit of time finishing the patchwork top for a picnic rug made from some of Surrey's shirts.

This is just the top. My decision now is how to quilt it??? I thought I would probably do navy blue just in a few diagonals, not through every block though. Maybe diagonals both ways or perhaps just one way, but which way???

Underhill March visit

Joy and I visited Underhill last weekend after stopping at Marulan for chook food. Our job this time was to sort out the mess of furniture in the dining area. We now have a much more usable space.

I forgot to take my camera but luckily Joy had her phone camera with her. The bricks on the floor have successfully flattened out the permanent wrinkle in the carpet. This means we might be able to avoid tripping up so much.

Music, Music, Music

I've now started singing in a few choirs and have some concerts coming up that you might be interested in:

Sunday, May 23 at 2:30 pm - Sutherland Shire Choral Society The concert is a repertoire of Mozart's Requiem, Charpenter's Te Deum and Rutter's Gloria

Sunday, June 13 at about 6:00 pm at the Opera House - Chorus Oz (a Sydney Philharmonia Choir). We are doing Elgar's 'Dream of Gerontius' this year.

Let me know if you would like to come to either of these concerts and I'll find out how to get tickets if the websites do not give the details. These ones are quite heavy weight but should both be good.

I've also joined the UTS Blue Stockings Choir again. This is a women's a capella group but no dates for concerts yet.

Award for Betty

Yesterday I was presented with an award I won at the end of last year for my Engineering Links program at UTS.

Church Houseparty

Last weekend I went to Rathane in the Royal National Park south of Sydney for our Church Houseparty. An absolutely beautiful setting for an active social weekend. Lots of time to catch up with friends, reflect, sing and eat.

 

The view

  

The house

  

My bedroom was on the far right

  

The lounge

  

More view

  

A four-legged friend

  

Activities were varied

  

Space for lots of littlies

  

This ended in a mud slide

  

Great to have live music

  

And even songs to help us in our reflections and studies.

Boys, cars and dominos

Last week I had fun babysitting for two days.

 

Here's a trick for getting two very active boys to lie still. Note the speeding car on the yellow track. 

It puts a whole new meaning to 'getting run over'.

Underhill February Visit

Another day visit to Underhill after a month with 135mm of rain!

 

Geoff and Jen came down with me and we were met there by Terry and Ellie. It was nice to see the grass starting to grow a little and some of the fruit trees still alive. Unfortunately we have lost the Granny Smith (one of our earliest plantings) and one I have listed as a Court A. Plat apple (perhaps Court Pendu Plat) (planted in 1987).

  

In some places the grass was quite lush and green.

 

The big job of the day was to remove the metal pile for recycling. Terry and Ellie brought their trailer and Cal from nearby brought his front end loader. Between us we loaded the trailer and front bucket of Cal's tractor a few times and drove to a nearby block to add it to the stockpile ready for the recycling man to call. There was all the metal in this photo and an old fridge.

  

before 

  

after

Geoff and Jen went for a walk to the far dam which has at last come above the rectangular hole again. Perhaps something will now grow back around its edges?

  

Our total crop of fruit this year was one very small peach - it actually tasted beautiful but was tiny - and one quince which I forgot to pick before we left. Perhaps it will still be there next time. We don't usually pick them until March anyway.

 

My next visit is in March. Feel free to contact me and let me know if you'd like to come down any time.

Luke loves bubbles

 

A few weeks ago Luke and I had some time together at my house. One of the best activities was chasing bubbles in the backyard. The grass was Oh so Long but has now been mowed. Luke's hair has also had a cut and looks quite stunning in this photo.

 

Alex and Luke and I will be having some time together again soon, and even more time together after I retire.

Berry Show 2010

I have just returned home from a wonderful weekend with Rauri and Janice at Berry. It was the Berry Show weekend. Leonie and I went down Friday morning and between rain squalls were able to see the cattle judging, animal nursery, craft exhibits and promenade around the circuit. We spent a little time watching the ring events.

Rod entered the photography this year and received firsts and seconds as well as a 'Best in show' award for his portrait of Rauri asleep in his winter house. Unfortunately my photo of it only shows the certificates and ribbon, the flash reflected in Rod's beautiful photo.

  

  

The Friday night ring events and rodeo were cancelled due to rain so we returned to the farm to await the arrival of the Fussell family. Dinner was a wonderful meal of a chicken tagine and horissa made by Leonie. Iain arrived on the late train from Sydney. A game of trivial pursuit entertained us for the evening.

Saturday was very wet but we all ventured in to the show to see what we could. The boys were really interested in the woodchop event and animal nursery.

 

Lunch at home was Ellen's chicken and Greek salad accompanied by Moroccan leftovers. Most Saturday ring events were cancelled but we did see the last of the heavy horse trials and the bullock team sheltering in the grandstand.

  

 We then returned home to another wonderful dinner, this time Roger's moussaka and a game of Uno.

Leonie and I presented a hat to Janice so that she could feel as well dressed as Roger in his new hat.

Sunday morning it rained very heavily but by the time we had a great full English breakfast cooked by Roger it had eased enough to pack the car and Leonie, Iain and I headed for Sydney where the rain had obviously not been quite so bad.

Janice's Birthday Party

The Jacobs clan had a get together last weekend for a significant birthday party for Janice.

 

The grand-children were able to enjoy their annual play together, especially eyeing off the cake, flying kites and generally keeping busy.

The older ones had a little time between watching their offspring to chat and browse through the photo album I had made for Janice with pictures spanning each decade of her life.

Happy birthday Janice, Aunty Janice and Great Aunt Janice.