I am Home

[Squirrel]

as some of you may have noticed. However there were so many highlights during this last trip to Perth that it is hard to know quite which ones to highlight.
I guess some of you may be wondering "why the last trip". Well firstly I ain't getting any younger and 5+ hr flights take their toll. The other 2 reasons are my son is looking to move north where work is plentiful and it is steamy hot up there (all year) and now Miss 18 yr old finishes school next week and moves out into the wide wide world. So no more family within easy reach over there.

Now before I forget. Barb (Barbara Davenport) sends greetings to those who remember her. She was very interested to learn of our ins and outs of this year. The Dear Girl came and collected me and we had a fabulous day out at Areluen which is a wonderful natural area set aside for miles of trees and at its entrance some truly fabulous gardens full of roses (over 2,000 of them) lawns, seats, and heaps of other flowering plants. There was a gift shop (of course) and we sort of got loose there and wandered around a bit but the hills are extremely steep there and both of us gave up on the walking bit and had a lovely 20 min ride in a little train around the main bigger flower beds. More wandering enjoying the lily pond etc and the stream however we were both finding it hard climbing up hill / and down a bit the other side to another uphill. Barb asked at the kiosk if we could drive around as we had noticed several cars doing that nad it turned out that as I had a disability card it was ok to drive me around!!! Hurray.
First stop the restaurant up a very steep hill that we had both been unable to climb; once past that delightful time up to the main rose garden etc and eventually home for me and Barb found her way to her own home. If any of you are on FB look for Barbara Davenport and she has posted a very unflattering picture of me (bless her) and another grouping of some of the flowers.

The other highlight sightseeing wise was the day my son Barry aka Baz, drove me down to the south coast. We stopped at a town called Hillarys (I thought I had misheard the name but "no" Hilarys it is) and I enjoyed a ramble through a jetty full of small shops and endless coffeebars etc whilst enjoying the sea view on 1 side and the children playing in the sea over in a sheltered bay. From there we continued around the coast to Freemantle (Freo) and enjoyed to the full a beautiful lunch of fresh caught fish with lovely chips and a cold drink. I was very good and didn't ask Baz to stop in the central shopping precinct which has my lovely wool shop - as if I need any more wool. What struck me was I was in a car driving beside the deep azure blue sea and later looking at the map on the wall of the room I use when there, I realized we were on the edge of Australia with nothing except ocean (and the occasional small island) between us and the Antarctic. I am still trying to get a handle on that one. How vast our oceans are downunder.
Of course my first full day in Perth ws the annual trip to Kings Park in the central city of Perth. It houses the War Memorial overlooking the river and across the lovely grass was the start of the native flower gardens, highlighting all the plants and trees which belong to various parts of Western Australia. Sadly my phone was acting up and I was unable to get any clear photos - drat it.
As for the birthday that didn't happen I know my grand daughter enjoyed seeing the finished cross stitch and it was waiting for Baz to find the necessary hooks to hang it on.

[Mabel Figworthy]

A packed and no doubt tiring but wonderful trip! Good to have you back after all your adventures, Sally.

[Serinde]

A packed and no doubt tiring but wonderful trip! Good to have you back after all your adventures, Sally.

Indeed! And how lovely to run into Barb and have such adventures. Isn't it amazing where a "Blue Badge" (as they are in the UK) will allow you to go? As for the ocean, I've sat by both the Atlantic (on the US coast) and Pacific (in Sri Lanka) and had much the same feeling. It's vast... but not infinite (something we are now just starting to understand). But having nowt between you and Antarctica... that's something special. Burrrr.

[Squirrel]

But having nowt between you and Antarctica... that's something special. Burrrr.
[/quote]

Serinde, New Zealand is the same but a bit further nearer the Antarctic and we know that when the southerly wind blows get out the heavy coat hat and gloves before stepping out the door. It also applies to the top of the North Island too as there are huge spaces. The Southern Ocean is a mighty ocean indeed.

I am trying to decide what to do next craft wise. I am halfway through a crochet cot blanket (courtesy of my time away) I have about 6 items of various sizes of embroidery all with some sort of start on them by my Grandmother and Mother (more later about that) and Christmas is starting to loom large too.
I did my weekly shop this morning and Christmas items are everywhere now.

When it came time to sort out the unit my Gram had lived in we found 2 or 3 pieces of unfinished embroidery items ranging from a Large supper cloth to a doily. There are also a couple of tray cloth sized items partly stitched that my Mum was obviously doing. Recently my sister was visiting her daughter and grandson here in Brisbane and as usual we met up for lunch. Whilst there I had this bundle of fabric and miles of threads (mostly old Anchor) literally thrown in my lap and told I might as well do them and she was too busy!!!!!! She is 10 yrs younger than me - I am pre war she is post war.
I am not sure if I can finish the supper cloth as there is quite a bit of bullion stitch which has always eluded me. I tried many times with Gram guiding my hand one day but no they would not lie right at all. I can of course unstitch the leaf with it in and redo them with just single knots en-mass I guess. We will see. In the meantime I need to unpack them and lay them flat for a few days and find some old tea towels or something to wrap them in. They are currently 'stuffed into small or large plastic bags!!!!1
I guess I won't lack anything to do for some years to come

[Mabel Figworthy]

Those sound like lovely mementoes of your Mum and Gram - but do work our for youself whether you want to do them, or whether it's just that your sister wants you to do them. We have probably all been given this sort of thing at some time or another, but there is so much to stitch and often so little time that I do feel we mustn't see them as a sacred task, but rather as something that we can stitch if we want to. Keeping them as they are, with their work on them, may be all the memento they need to be.
But of course if you are actually looking forward to stitching them, so much the nicer

[richardandtracy]

With your gram's stuff. Just had a thought.
Your Gram has worked it, your Mum has worked it, presumably your sister has too. That is turning into one heck of a piece. Maybe you could do some, and get your sons, daughers/dil's , nephews and nieces all to contribute. That then could be passed down to further descendants to complete. Do mark who does what somewhere (the chart/cartoon maybe) so the contributors won't be lost... A real family piece. And you wouldn't have to be stuck with doing a stitch you don't like!

As for the Southern Ocean. It's a name that conjures up all sorts of feelings for me.
Once I had hopes of making a Bruce Roberts Spray type boat and bought plans to build one ( https://www.bruceroberts.com/public/HTML/S370.htm ). I was going to fit a damage tolerant Junk Rig and warm pilot house like this one:

I was planning to visit Deception Island on the Antarctic Peninsular, but it seemed sensible to approach from upwind, which meant sailing down the Atlantic, turning left at South Africa, stopping at Freemantle and then edging my way south as I spun round the globe until I got to the correct latitude south of Cape Horn. Then I'd claw my way north at the end of summer, probably being blown as far east as South Georgia before getting to more comfortable climes and then being able to sail North back to the UK.
Well, the plans were going really well until we had a nightmare neighbour and we had to move to our current house. That killed the finances and my plans to sail the southern ocean had to be 'Put On Ice' so to speak. I'm saddened to say that I think I'm a bit creaky to start building a 15 tonne steel boat now. Still want to go, but probably won't, it's hard to entirely give up some dreams, and even harder to admit that some things are beyond you.

Regards,

Richard.

[Squirrel]

Richard I totally agree with your comment that "it is hard to entirely give up some dreams" however as I have and still am finding out as one ages there are things you did so easily a few years back which are now on the "too hard" shelf there to remain. Now well into my 80's it has become a case of' "oh well I guess that is something else to go on the shelf".
Sadly your idea of a multi family piece is a great idea but totally out the door as far as any of my family are concerned. My only daughter can do embroidery of various styles but is very busy knitting for step grand children now arriving into this crazy world.
The more I think about it the more it becomes clear that I need to do massive resort of what is important to me to do and what will have to be shelved indefinitely/forever.

Have you ever thought of doing a miniature of the yacht?

[richardandtracy]

I hope to do a 1/12 or 1/24 scale model of the yacht I'd hoped to build, but at the moment it's almost too sad to do. The design was complete with a set of plate profiles, so I could simply cut them out and follow the design.

Sorry your family are not up to the job. Maybe, one day? You can't ever be sure.
My Great Aunt did an incredible amount of fine embroidery, but died before I discovered an interest, I hope to get to a standard one day that doesn't compare too unfavourably with her work. It's just a shame I never had any interest while she was alive. [ She was really difficult to get on with, though. Would have tried the patience of a saint, and I make no claims to be one.]

Regards,

Richard.