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

What tickles your fancy

This is the quilt I designed for the Quilters' Guild of N.S.W. annual challenge.

The theme was "What Tickles Your Fancy"

Initially I really struggled with the theme, I really felt that the entries should be humourous and bring a smile to face of the viewers. I do have a vivid imagination and must say that plenty of things tickle my fancy but sometimes I think I'm probably the only one who is tickled and perhaps the images from my imagination would leave many viewers wondering what the quilt was trying to say.

When a friend returned from Singapore with tales of having visited a fish pedicure boutique, the thought of it really tickled my fancy. I instantly knew that I would depict the fish pedicure as my entry.

Apparently this kind of beauty treatment is becoming quite popular in many overseas countries. Sherry explained through so much laughter it just about reduced me to tears, that she had summoned the necessary courage to immerse her feet in a large pool of water containing dozens of tiny fish. The fish had nibbled away at her dead skin and apparently had a real feast. Sherry says she is sure she saw several fish floating belly up in the water, too full to move! In my mind I also imagined glamourous fish painting toe nails down in the depths of the pool.

I know I could never ever subject myself to this kind of pedicure but the thought of it really tickles my fancy.

View all of the entries in the challenge by visiting the guild's blog. See the link at the bottom of this page.

I love the the upturned ducks and friend Julie's, John West's Rejection Island Resort.

New photo

It really is time for me to have a new photo taken. The one on the blog is years old.
I really hate having my photo taken but I really can't explain why.

I'm always the one behind the camera, not in front of it. If I suddenly became a missing person, my family would be hard pressed to come up with a photo to show the police. They would probably find one of me in the back row of a group, slightly blurry and probably with my eyes closed.

John's workmates mentioned that I'm never in any of the holiday photos. We generally go camping and I spend the whole time having a bad hair day due to lack of hair washing and styling facilities. I wear hats and beanies and I even wear a miners light on my head at night so that I can sew and trust me this is a REALLY GOOD look. No wonder I duck for cover whenever there is a camera about.

On the inside I'm still around 39 years old, I'm at least 6 inches taller and a few kilos lighter. I like living in this fantasy world, so perhaps I just haven't found a photographer who can adequately portray my interal image of myself yet.

I don't think I'm particularly shy, perhaps I'm just a control freak. I'm an oldest child and ... (I think I'd better leave my thoughts on birth place in family for another day).

It's a strange thing, whenever photos are shared around with family or friends most people seem to be able to find fault with their own appearance or facial expressions in the photos being viewed, too many chins, a dorky look or tummy not held in properly... the list goes on, yet no one else can see what the problem is. Do we all have unrealistic expectations of the camera.

Must give in and let someone take a photo of me soon, though I might need a sedative first.

Time to buy a 2010 calendar

It's that time of the year.
November 1st and Christmas is just a few short sleeps away.

More importantly, the end of the year is approaching and you'll soon need a 2010 calendar.

The calendar in our house is really the family management centre. If it's not on the calendar it's just not going to happen.

I'd like to suggest a couple of very good Australian quilt calendars. See photos of the detail in the quilts I've contributed to these calendars above.

The Quilters' Guild of N.S.W. has again produced a very attractive calendar. My quilt titled "Flannel Flowers" is Miss September and there are many other fabulous quilts to inspire you throughout the year.

The Down Under Quilts calendar features my quilt titled "The Rhythm of Lifes Many Phases" on the front cover. How good is that? There are 12 other unique quilts to view as the months go by. It's not overly large, I find the compact size just right for hanging on the wall and transporting around the house.

I've already filled in many of next years engagements on our copy and I'll be giving copies of the calendar out like lollies to friends and relies for Christmas.

Click on the web site link (see the bottom of this blog page) to The Quilters' guild of N.S.W. for their calendar or Creative Living Media to order a copy of the Down Under Quilts calendar.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

I recently spent a couple of days teaching at a quilting retreat in Wisemans Ferry. It was a very relaxing couple of days with a with a really nice group of ladies completing my "Don't Worry, Be Happy quilt". It's a quilt as you go, no worries sort of quilt and this beautiful Water Dragon lives in the grounds of the retreat near the waterfall. He/she looks and behaves as if he also has no worries. Isn't he magnificent.

Start them young

I completely failed in my attempts to interst my own daughters (now in their 30's) in quilting but I decided that my grandaughter Tegan who is now 7 is just the right age and with a bit of dedicated help from me (Amar, short for Grandma) I'm sure she will become an accomplished and creative quilter.
We started with a couple of fairy panels, one for Tegan and one for her little sister Olivia and we are now moving on to a bag.
Tegan and I visited Country Pickins today, partly so that Tegan could choose her own fabric and partly so that she could see where Amar teaches. She was impressed by the sheer size of the place but completely overwhelmed by the amount of fabric to choose from. We eventually settled on pink (no great surprise there). Thanks to the school holidays we have a date to start the bag.