February 23rd and 24th

Knitting little things for a friend. I must admit, I'd rather knit things of a decent size as I find the little cuties a bit too fiddly for my taste.

The 23rd is of course the birthday of Rotary. 110 years today since Paul Harris founded Rotary by inviting 3 like minded individuals. As they say: From little things, big things grow.

It is a rainy day and I have to find a slot between showers to take the dogs for their walk. The washing is not drying on the line outside before nightfall so it gets left hanging there.

Today, I'm learning a valuable lesson: Do not leave the washing on the line overnight as the possums can use that to walk across to one of the hanging baskets of fuchsias.

Shame on them! It's not as if I never feed them.

A join in the irrigation - from the Fuji Clean septic tank - has burst and the water is pouring out there instead of going to all the sprinklers, flooding one of the garden beds and leaving the others high and dry.
Luckily, this former farmer is not helpless when it comes to such repair jobs. A few minutes of my precious time - and some boiling water to soften the poly pipe - fixes the problem.

While I'm outside, I make the most of the mild, dry weather to do some weeding and planting some seeds, before taking the dogs for some beach walks.

February 13th to 21st

It's good to be home again, to go to the beaches with the dogs and to wander around the garden to see how things are progressing.

The gladioli are coming up with some new colour just about every day and the first lilies are out. Then there is a little quiet native achiever too. It is just so enjoyable.
I have even enough gladioli to take some inside for a vase.

Some space was made by taking various things to a garage sale this week, including the old queen size bed.

The biggest relief came the day I took my divorce papers to be shredded! That chapter is now irrevocably finished with.

It is all systems go to move forward now.

I have been talking to a draftsman and a builder about a couple of small extensions to this house.

Already some time ago, I booked a trip to Western Canada and Alaska. This will be happening in May and June. My friends Bobby and Kaye Hunter will come to house and pet sit during that time.

February 11th and 12th

Having had continually blocked sinus cavities for the best part of my life, I have at last found a specialist who really wants to do something about it.

Hence my quick two day stint in hospital.

When I first arrived in my private room, I felt I wanted to stay longer than just the one night. But then they fed me, and I found the choice so narrow and unhealthy - compared with my usual fare - that I decided going home the next day was still the best option.

February 1st to 10th

As exciting as all this unpacking, discovering and reminiscing is, normal life still continues. Rain, hail or shine, the dogs still like to go for their daily walks. Housework and shopping 
(amazing how much shopping there is to do when you have a few animals) are always on and, of course, Rotary every week.

For those who don't know, I became a Rotarian in December 2006 in Coonabarabran and then joined the Rotary Club of Hobart in 2012, after moving here.
I was bulletin editor for about four years in Coonabarabran and was also a little bit active at District level.

I found this clever pocket of brochures I created for District 9830.
Coming across this made me feel quite proud of myself.
Especially remembering the fact that I did it during a rather harrowing time in my life.

Around the same time I also printed 56 posters on canvas - one for each club - featuring literacy, water and polio, on my very large printer. 

I'll never forget the help and moral support I received from Ken Hall with this task.



I am now doing the bulletin again, but sharing the task with two or three other people, so it only comes around once a month.


After a few rather dismal days, the sun has finally come out again to lift one's spirit.
Mother Nature has not stood still, of course, and I now have the thrill of discovering all sorts of beautiful things.

It seems that the regular application of worm tea is doing wonders.

The daily dog walks are so much more pleasant when the weather is this perfect - and the blackberries are ripe.

January 27th to 31st

I'm busy unpacking, finding more treasures and making a tiny little bit of space in the container.
Several empty boxes and wads of packaging paper are taken to recycling and five boxes go to charity, full of things I have been doing without for so long now that I really can continue to do without.

Among the treasures I'm finding are more photos. I find 'selfies' from back in the days when taking a selfie involved running to and fro between the spot and the camera. I think it was somehow more rewarding.

Back then, I actually used to have plenty of occasion to wear such dresses.

I used to do a lot of tailoring too.

And knitting, of course. If I'm not mistaken, that red dress - knitted without pattern - is still around somewhere. I'll just have to try and fit into it again.

 

When I was not sewing or knitting, I busied myself with other crafts, dried flower arrangements being a winter favourite.

The most exciting day in all this unpacking was of course the one when I found some of my art gear!

Just look at the beautiful pastels. The trick now, is to make room somewhere to work. No small feat, but it will be done.

Finding the asparagus pot prompted me to go out and buy some expensive, skinny bunches of asparagus. I had bought the pot in Switzerland, on one of my trips home, at a time when we had asparagus coming out of our ears. 

I took up pottery around the same time as I started drawing classes, in the early 90s.
I'm very happy that the old boot survived the big move undamaged.
Now, I'd better find another 'sock plant' to put in it.
Please note the little mouse coming out of the toe. That was my idea of creating a drainage hole.

A little later I took a few book binding classes. This here was a visual diary, made with water colour paper.
It has remained virgin because I never wanted to mess it up.

With the help of my first computer, scanner and printer, I also created a pocket size diary for my mum, sporting my earliest drawings and paintings - one for each week, if I remember correctly.
I know my mum never threw it out. It'll turn up one of these days.

All of these things, I did besides all the fruit and vegetable picking and packing and delivering, besides eggs and ducks marketing, besides caring for animals and doing housework...........
it wears me out just thinking about it all now.

January 21st to 26th

Among one of the first things I unpack is my trusty Nespresso machine.

This is followed by lots of glassware and crockery which, for the time being, I just stand around on the surfaces.

I find the set of six wine glasses I engraved for Mum many years ago.

When I decide to watch some television, I find that the TV is hiding behind all the boxes and I can't get a glimpse of it from the sofa. I have to heave the TV onto the tall desk. Unfortunately, some of the many cables are a bit short and watching the news is turning into a major exercise. But in the end it's all doable.

I continue to discover various treasures and family heirlooms.

And there is the little coffee set I got many decades ago in Italy. From Italy to Switzerland, then to Sydney and Coonabarabran, the set finally made it unharmed to Tasmania.

Finally, I get the first lovely piece of furniture all loaded up.

Then I find all my cookbooks. Goodness me, I have to rearrange things considerably in the kitchen to accommodate them. They come in four languages in my house. No wonder, there are so many.

Once upon a time, I tried my hand at a little bit of wood carving. Here are two pieces I made for Dad's desk. A pair of matching bookends is still hiding somewhere.

January 26th is not only Australia Day, but 30 years ago today I was a blushing bride.