Masquerade

We were are at a friends 60th birthday party last night and I thought the time was just right to update my photo. That's me without the beard!

Hubby also looks pretty dashing.

Amanda I don't make bags Daly

I've had a couple of weeks to settle into learning to say no, so now it's time to start a new challenge or two.
I love challenges and enter many of them each year. One of next challenges off the starting block for me will be a real challenge. Those who know me will know that "I don't make bags" is my middle name.
I now own a set of bag handles for the Down Under Quilts, Embellish a Bag challenge and as it's not due until mid May there is still plenty of time. Having plenty of time fits in nicely with my new lifestyle which is all about not trying to stuff 26 hours of living into every 24 hour day.
I'll be embellishing the bag by hand while I'm in Canberra enjoying the National Folk Festival and eagerly awaiting my visit from the Easter Bunny.

Learning to say no

I've given myself another little pep talk. It's long overdue really.

As usual I've taken on too much and I'm wondering why I feel so overwhelmed and perhaps why I feel a bit used and unappreciated.

As usual I leave most things until the last possible minute and pass this off by saying that I work better under pressure. I volunteer to help even when I know I really don't have nearly enough to time. I try to do it all and every now and then I have to stop, give myself a stern talking to and do a stock take of my life and my pressures and responsibilities and what's really important in life. If I'm not careful I'll forget what roses look like, let alone having time to smell them.

O.K. so enough is enough. I've wiped a couple of major items off my "To Do" list and I'm feeling better already. Yes I do have "To Do" list(s) and I even have a list to keep track of my lists. I definately fall into the Enneargram type one personaility box.

Someone told me recently that we can't do everything at once, but we can do something thing at once. At the moment I'm writing this blog entry, then I'll choose something else to do and stop trying to do it all at once. That something will probably be to sit down with pencil and paper (and diary) and make a new "To Do" list, a realistic one this time and promise myself that I'll try to stop acting like a kid in a lolly shop.

Australasian Quilt Convention

I've booked my flight to Melbourne for Saturday 1st May to visit the Australian Quilt Convention. A small group of energetic and enthusiastic souls will be joining me for this one day wonder. I've always really enjoyed this annual event and I always eventually recover from getting up at 4am and arriving back home completely exhausted around 10pm with a large bag full of purchases and a digital camera full of inspiring quilt images that I'll be able to enjoy again one quiet day in the future. I suppose I should arrange to go for a couple of days and take more time to enjoy the experience but somehow it seems more adventurous to make it a day trip.

I've entered a quilt in the challenge with the theme "Remember" and I've just received confirmation that my quilt has been accepted as a finalist, so fingers crossed that it will be displayed with many others this year.

I'm also making plans to visit the Textile Art Festival in Brisbane again this year. Another day trip sure to leave me inspired.

Slow Death by Rubber Duck

My determination to increase my health and fitness continues.

I've always been an all or nothing kind of gal, so amongst other things I have decided to investigate organic fruit and vegetables suppliers, free range meat / chicken suppliers and stop buying processed foods.

I've been reading Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie's book "Slow Death by Rubber Duck" It makes interesting if rather scary reading. My kitchen is now also a non-stick cookware free zone. I've always been worried about plastics in the microwave and have used glass for cooking / reheating / defrosting etc., but now I've also decided to store all food in glass instead of plastic.

I haven't decided how I'll make the change to less toxic hair and skin care products but I'm working on it.

I've always washed my patchwork fabrics before using, mostly to get rid of the chemicals used in the manufacturing process and secondly of course to take care of shrinkage and colour runs. I'm a bit asthmatic and have a sensitive skin, so I don't want to inhale any chemicals when I'm pressing fabric or absorb them through my skin while sewing. Reading the rubber duck book has only served to strengthened my resolve to wash before use.

Is all of this over the top? My attitude is that any changes I make to my lifestyle won't do any harm and might do a lot of good. I'll try to not become obsessed and just make a few easy to manage changes. I feel better already.

My advice - Read the book.

That certain age

I had what my mother would call "a funny turn" on New Years Eve, I thought I was having a heart attack. I didn't get much sympathy from hubby or friends. I just got a glass of cold water and a chair out on the balcony, while I was convinced I was breathing my last and needed an ambulance. When I recovered the general gist of the comments from those present amounted to "well that was a good way to get attention!"

To cut a long story short, Robyn, my doctor was more concerned and supportive and I saw a Cardiologist today and had a stress test. The good news is that my heart is in pretty good shape, so the "Funny Turn" remains a mystery.

All of this has had an effect on me. I had started to feel old and worried that I wouldn't live long enough to use up my stash, or to explore all of the creative ideas in my head, so in the past month I've really cleaned up my act. I now go to the gym for an aquafit class every day and walk every evening. I've cleaned up my diet and have started to lose the extra weight I've been in denial about.

I've had every ultrasound and blood test know to man in the last few weeks and have even brought myself up to date with visits to the Dentist, Skin Cancer Clinic, Breast Screen, and Optometrist. I've felt a bit like a car going over the pits for a thorough mechanical check up. The result is that I'm now reassured I haven't been too absorbed in my creative pursuits at the expense of my health and that my goal of living a healthy, active and creative life to 100 years plus, is back on track and I'll be able to use up my fabric/thread stash after all.

Now enough of all of this, it's time to go back to messing around with fabric and if I work hard I'll make the deadline for the Australian Quilt Convention annual challenge. It's still very much a work in progress as you can plainly see and I've only got 9 days, but I always did work better under pressure.

Something occured to me today - I've reached that certain age. Yes, I'm on the down hill run to 60 and it's certainly time to get serious about my health, but it's more than that. It's the age when Doctors start to look like kids, I'll swear the cardio man I saw today hasn't yet had his 21st birthday! I guess he must have been late 20's or early 30's to be practising as a cardiologist, but he did look so young. It's definately a sign of my reaching "that certain age". Bless him for being so nice and reassuring to such an old lady.

Norfolk Island

After a quick visit to the gym this morning for my aquafit class, I'm now busy ignoring a suitcase that needs to be unpacked and eagerly sorting through the 400 or more photos I've taken over the past week and going over the wonderful memories in my mind. Norfolk Island was sunny, breezy, relaxing and a real change from the hot Sydney weather and hectic life I live.

There were trees with brilliant orange flowers (orange has always been my favourite colour), water birds, rich history with plenty of ruins of the old penal settlement, beautiful scenery, giant Norfolk Island Pine trees and not a single Gum Tree anywhere.

The food was great, though I think my bathroom scales are malfunctioning, I simply can't have gained that much weight in a week, not with all the walking we did. In many ways it is like stepping back in time to a simpler slower way of life.

The most fascinating experience was watching the fortnightly supply ship being unloaded, there is no harbour so the ship anchors quite a way out and small boats are towed out to collect the supplies, this whole process takes a couple of days and much skill from the workers. The islanders rely on the supply ship for just about everything and supplies can be quite low just before each shipment. The supplies we witnessed were all quite nondescript, however there are photos all over the island of cars, trucks and buses being unloaded in the same way onto two small boats lashed together!!! The close up photo of the boat near the penal settlement is very similar to the ones used today.
The only vegetables allowed to be brought in are Potatoes, Garlic and Ginger, everything else is grown on the island and I've been spoilt, the taste was just fantastic, (mental note - learn how to grow organic fruit and vegies).

Animals have right of way on the Island, the cows, ducks, chooks etc all seem to know this and wander everywhere. The Islanders have their own language and all this adds to the amazing charm of this wonderful friendly place. We got so used to waving to every car we passed (a Norfolk custom) that we found ourselves doing it over here. No one has waved back yet!

I even managed to purchase some fabric from a textile artist. Photos to follow in the next few days.

Aquarium

John and I went to the Aquarium in Darling Harbour a couple of days ago. It was probably an insane thing to do during the holiday period. It was very, very crowded but we had a great day. I took heaps of photos with mixed success and hopefully there is something useful in there for my intended ocean quilt. We showed great interest in all of the fish, but the one in the top photo is the only one who showed the least bit of interest in us.

I love the Water Dragon, those of you who know me well will know that I have a bit of a fascination for reptiles, that is as long as they stay outside.
My daughter phoned just before Christmas to say that she had arrived home from work to the news that there had been a Green Tree snake in the kitchen, it was last seen darting under the dishwasher !!! Apparently the children's nanny was extremely spooked and the kids wouldn't sleep in their beds for a day or two, but there have been no more sightings, so presumably it went out the way it came in. I'm led to believe her husband has been detailed to search out the entry point and destroy it.
John and I have a Diamond Python who lives in our roof, but that's on the outside of the house - a completely different kettle of fish.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I love the idea of a new year, a new beginning, a chance to make a list of my priorities for the new year which I see as an empty page waiting to be filled. I have many items on my list, too many to mention, however the top 3 are -

Walk EVERY day not just when I get around to it.

Do something creative everyday. If time is short, then just planning something creative or making sketches in one of my many journals and sketch pads will suffice.

Do lunch - regularly.

When I'm not messing around with fabric, I manage to make time for my other hobby. I play keyboard in our traditional Aussie dance band.
My husband John along with Don, Sam and Bob share this passion with me, together we make up the CURRAWONG BUSH BAND.
For New Year's eve this year we again played for the Monaro Folk Society at the Yarralumla Woolshed in Canberra. The woolshed has an interesting and distinguished history and is just magnificent, the photos could never do it justice, it's huge and yes, it still smells of sheep. There is a resident possum in the ladies loo, though it was a bit camera shy this year and by the time I'd found my camera he had disappeared.

New Sewing Machine for Sale

A while ago, I won a Singer Quantam 9940 sewing machine and as I already own two great machines I have no need or space for this one.

Although it's brand new and still in the box, I'm selling it for the second hand price of $800, this is around half the RRP.

This clever machine is ready willing and able to do the following -
12 professional buttonholes
3 styles of alphabet in upper and lower case
Quilt applique and heirloom stitches

It's a computerised machine with 393 stitch programmes, a large easy to read screen and a walking foot.

It really needs a good home with someone to love and care for it. If you are interested, phone me on 02 9654 9463 or e.mail patchwork@tpg.com.au