My new old machine

This is my early Christmas present to myself. A 1930s Jones Family CS hand crank sewing machine. She is almost in perfect condition. Only a little damage to the wood casing that she is bedded in. Used her last night after I found out how to load/ unload bobbin and shuttle. I think she is beautiful and look forward to playing more with her.

Old New Baby, Introducing Mrs Jones

I got an early Christmas gift on Tuesday night. May I introduce Mrs Jones. A hand crank vintage sewing machine circa 1930 in almost perfect contition. Used her last night for the first time once I figured out how to load/unload the bobbing shuttle and set her up. Ran like a dream, the only real damage that I have noted is to be to the wood in which she is bedded, but even that is minimal.

The accessory box, made of carboard is totally intact and is stored in a recess just below the crank.

USA - Departure and Hawaii day 1

19-Jun-09
Departing Perth

Collect kids from school. I am tired before I even start! Get to the airport @1430. We cannot check the bags in until 1630. No problem, we go to have coffee and drinks in the cafe (at highly inflated prices! We realize that we have left Zach head gear at home. He needs it, not spending all this money on his teeth for the fun of it. Dad to the rescue. He goes back home to collect it for us.

By the time he arrives back, after telling us he was waiting on the plumber??? To disconnect the kitchen sink so that we have everything. Trust Dad to give us a stress attack!! We also had a mild panic attack, I had not printed out the visa waivers we needed to have to get into the US. Fortunately after some checking online we were in the system and cleared to land in America. No one told me that we needed hard copies of those. I need a Valium!!

Our flight is late coming in and we are not due to depart now until 8pm. Mind you with this stormy I am not really surprised. The kids are so nervous, worried about flying. Me personally, I have had ½ a Valium for the nerves.

We say good bye to Dad and go through the gate into the departure lounge. It is about now that Sarah starts crying for Rosie. So we find Sarah a new friend, her name is Matilda. (The name tag says Howard!!) The time for boarding gets pushed back even further, I have given up watching the clock, Zach has not, and he is getting more worried.

When we eventually board the plan we receive an announcement from the pilot that our flight will be further delayed due to formation of ice on the wings of the plane due to the cold weather, An unusual occurrence indeed, especially in Perth. Should we scrape off the ice? Under advisement of our NZ technicians no we may damage the wings. Ice is melted with the use of fuel increasing the temperature to 1°C. Yep I will have the other half now.

2130, over 2 hrs after we were supposed to depart we start to taxi. I will eventually get circulation back into my fingers from Zach holding my hand. Dave is enjoying the same with Sarah. As a result of our delayed departure from Perth we land in NZ closer to 830 on the 20/6 instead of the 6 am. This works out good for us as it means less time waiting for our connecting flight onto Hawaii at 11 am. We stop and have a shower, well Sarah and I do, we then have breakfast, well the others do, I could not face food. Just give me a cup of tea.

We board @ 1030 and then we are on our way to Hawaii. 8 1/2 hrs later we land. It is @1030pm on the 19th of June and the temperature is 25°C!! The humidity hits us.

Immigration and the kids are so tired now, we are not much better. The floor keeps threatening to hit me in the face. I hate it when I am so tired that I feel dizzy. We clear immigration, collect our luggage and, YES we are officially in Hawaii and on holiday. We are greeted with a lei and a hug.

We get to the hotel about 1130 and it is so busy in the streets, people everywhere just walking about and looking at the shops, which are open!! 1 Am the kids are hungry so we head out and get an ice cream at a mini mart near our hotel.

Saturday 20th June

I woke at 730 still tired but...............open the curtains to our room, what a view, a panorama all the way to the mountains, palm trees every where and birds singing.


A beautiful small bird perches on the railing with the most vivid red crest and 2 smaller plain birds actually come into the room. I just want my family to wake up now, I want to shop and sight see!!

End up bouncing on the bed to wake up Dave and Sarah, she ended up sleeping with us, nothing unusual in that. Go down for breakfast around 930, have a coffee and a cinnamon bagel. My first attempt at US coffee does not leave me impressed. Finally get the whole family motivated, sort of. I have confirmed both of our tours for Sunday and Monday plus our transfer back to the airport on Tuesday. Pick up for the tours is at the Hyatt hotel. We go for a walk to find out the location for the pick up. Ends up being less than 5 mins. From our hotel across the road to the right past KFC and Burger King which we can see diagonally across the road from our room (3rd floor corner room)

We walk down and about and end up at the beach. The water is so blue. A larger than life statue stands on the beach arms open out and palms facing up in open offering to the Gods. Leis are placed at his feet and on his arms as offerings. The kids and I paddle and swim in the water it is so beautiful and warm.

We head back to the room, the salt water irritates Sarah’s eczema rubbing between her legs. The kids freshen up. We head back out and jump on the pink trolley line. End up at the Ala Moana Centre. A huge shopping complex with Macy’s, Sears, Tiffany & Co .... Mmmm Tiffany’s. Go into Tiffany’s, the cheapest thing a key ring at $250; I don’t think I will be getting a souvenir from there.

They have a “Bubba Gump” tourist shop and restaurant. Zach falls in love with a camo t-shirt, his first souvenir. We sit and have lunch with the distant view of the ocean. There are fish pond through the whole shopping centre, and large ones at that. The ponds are full of Koi, some easily ½ metre in length.

Lots of walking, we end up at the international market place, and get suckered into choosing an oyster. Zach first, he gets a silver grey pearl that is mounted onto a whale tail. Sarah next she gets a black pearl. Sarah being Sarah wins the heart of the sales lady and gets another go, twins, pink. By this stage the lady had already given Sarah a pink pearl that is already on a setting, so Sarah now has 4 pearls. Zach who is a little put out by the attention that Sarah is getting also gets to have another go, this time it is twin black pearls for our little man. The sales people try to keep doing their job, but we have already spent over $200...time to leave people.

We go back to the hotel to rest, David sleeps and the kids and I go up to the pool. While the kids swim I sit in the spa and end up talking to a lovely family from North Carolina, the James’. We spend ages comparing accents and the different inflictions on words and laughing at each other at how we sound saying them.

End up at Denny’s for dinner, Dave’s burger pattie is big enough to feed all of us I think. The kids and I share an Oreo Sunday, mmm chocolate fix. We walk down the main street, every thing is open, there are people every where. Head off to bed around 10pm, tomorrow is Pearl Harbour and USS Missouri.

November 2009

I realise that I have lost life, time and motivation. For any one actually interested in know what has been going on since my last post, here is a brief out line. We did have our holiday to to the States, and although it seem a bit of a blur now, we had a great time.

It was difficult at times, as Zach did not seem to cope with the change of routine, he withdrew into himself at times and became moody and sullen. We now know the reason for this, as he had a bit of a breakdown after our return and ended up in fetal position on our bed crying that he did not want to do something because it was boring. In my mind these thing do not quite marry up to make sense.

We ended up at our GP where we found out from Zach that he was not sleeping, hearing and seeing things. We then went onto PMH, our children's hospital where he was seen by the psych team and referred on the the Child and Adolescent Mental Health team.

Zach has been diagnosed with GAD, general anxiety disorder, with a minor component of depression, he no longer is seeing or hearing things. Thank the Good Lord. As a result we are having weekly counselling sessions for Zach and I am now seeing a Psychiatrist to help me cope and get my medications on an even keel.

I am going cold Turkey off my current antidepressants so that I can start new ones in 3 weeks. So as a result I am having time off work because withdrawal does not go well in being in a work place I feel!!

So I am enjoying days of nausea, stomach upsets, headaches and feeling generally achey and crap! To put it in a nut shell.

So I figure while I am off work I will up date my blog, and actually catch up with posting our holiday post card. So I appologise if the organisation and dates are out, but at least I am finally getting there.

Anzac sunrise. Quilt of Comfort

Is this not a beautiful picture. It was taken on April 25 th by a lady of the name Helen Cusworth. She posted the picture onto Face Book and I was lucky enough to see it. I emailed her and asked if I could use it in my blog.

I really think it is a stunning picture and it makes me realise how lucky we are to live in WA, and how I really miss out on alot by not getting up early enough to see sunrises like this.

Of course for us 25 th April is ANZAC day. It is where tribute is paid to the memory of all of our brave service men and women who fought for our country, our life as we live it now and our freedom that far to often is taken for granted.

Thank you Helen for sharing.

This past two week I have been busy sewing a quilt of comfort. My husbands Nanna, who is almost 90, was diagnosed with breast cancer a few weeks ago. A big blow to all the family. The lump was @10cm in size, to big for a lumpectomy. The poor lady underwent a mastectomy yesterday.

So I did what all quilters do, I quilted. I put this together in under a week in total time. The quilting was all done on Sunday afternoon with the binding put on. I had full intentions to get the binding finished before Nanna went into hospital but, I ran out of time and oomph!!

So last night I sat with my sewing girlfriends and with their help we finished sewing the binding in place. Thanks girls. I was going to visit Nan in hospital today with the kids after school but apparently she is in a lot of discomfort so I do not want to upset the kids and will wait until she gets home to visit and give her the quilt.

I did not use wadding in the quilt and only backed it with flannelette. This makes for a lighter quilt but still filled with the same degree of love and comfort.

Sewing and injuries

I actually have managed to get some sewing done. I have completed two blocks in Flowers fron My Garden and several blocks stitched from An Angels Story. The stitcheries are my take any where and sit and sew project. I pick up the project roll my Mum made me and the Bratz pencil tin that I borrowed from Sarah and off I go. We all need a project to carry. Sometimes I might get a section of a stichery done, other times I end up doing only one or two stitches at the most and it gets put away as a task to come back to. Well it is a WIP after all!

Flowers in my Garden in a project that is not so easy to transport. After cutting out all the pieces then ironing it onto the chosen fabric all the edges are glue basted down. Each piece is then joined into smaller units, before sewing it to the background. There are 16 blocks. So slow and steady for this one too!

I have included a picture of my bruises. I am proud of these!!! My first "serious" bruising as a result of TKD!!! You should see the other guy!!! We were practicing board breaking and although I managed to break the board eventually the attempts leading up to the successful break resulted in my delicate little arm going chameleon on me.

Look who are growing up. Little Miss is 8 now and Master is 10. We are at a wedding here. The children decided while Mum and Dad were to congratulate the lucky couple that they would conquer the Evil Emperor The Bark Lord, as you can see by their smiles they were triumphant in the quest for justice!

I have been sewing heat packs and bags for Zach's class in the last few weeks. They are having a Mothers day stall at school, raising money for the end of year sleep over camp that they are having. The more money raised, the more money that I / we will save in our pockets.

Time slowly passes and we get closer to our holiday, 11 weeks roughly. All the tours are booked fort he West Coast and we will just see what happens when we arrive in Boston. I do have a list of things that I think would be good to doo while we are there...just need to get a list of quilt shops together for me!!!

March madness and lifes journey

Alright...I must be aging, I am sure I blinked just a moment ago and it was February and I was laughing about the cat pooping in DH shoes.

I had my High School reunion back in February, 20 years, where did that go? Out comes the hair colour..buggered if I am showing my roots!!! Open the wardrobe, shut the wardrobe, open the wardrobe, shut the wardrobe, open the wardrobe and figure well this is what I am so may as well use what I have. To say that I was apprehensive before the reunion is a bit light on but I was not anxious and unlike my 10th year reunion I did want to attend this time.

There were people at the reunion, I did not recognise, I guess I did not have anything to do with them in year 12, or they have changed a lot. There were people there that I did not want to recognise or talk to, but unlike 20 years ago, I did not give a damn about them, their opinions or views. There were others there that I did recognise and I greeted them with open arms and genuine interest in their lives over the years.

I don't think we look to bad for +20 years.

I have changed a lot in the last 10 years with the last 2 - 2 1/2 years being the biggest and greatest change for the better, my power of growth and healing, to me, is phenomenal. Life is a journey that opens and closes many doors. I have finally figured out that some times I just have to find the key to unlock a door that is important to me...and it usually is the door that leads me onto a journey about self discovery so that I can move forward.

I have not got a lot of sewing done in the past 3 weeks. I have managed 1 block for my flowers in my garden quilt. All the blocks for this are traced and ready to go. Now I just need to find time!

I have also got my material for my Colorado Wedding Quilt, a pattern from Pam Bono. I have had this pattern for at least 2 years and have only just recently found the materials I want to use.. I think I will start this quilt after our holiday as time is passing quick and I would like to at least finish one or two small projects in this half of the year instead of starting another one. Any way my flowers int he garden will be a long term project at the rate I am travelling.

And besides I really do need to do some house work occasionally, VERY occasionally.

Another Month Gone

Where does the time go?

Well this month has seen a high school reunion. 20 years ago I finished high school. It does not seem that long, sure sign that I am surely aging. It was good catching up with old friends and faces, but I can emphatically say, NEVER NEVER AGAIN would I want to do high school. I do not envy the kids.

Came home from hair cuts yesterday afternoon, walked in to the house, and OMG....the smell. Gag. The cat got shut into the house..the kids and I turned the kitchen area upside down, pulled out furniture, lifted, looked. searched, wandered the house, narrowed the aroma down......

Needless to say the bin will be getting a gift and DH will be getting new shoes.

A friend of mine is due to have a baby around the same time as we go away, so I have made her two quilts, one for the cot and one for the pram. Unfortunately I will not get to see the baby and Mum at the time of birth, so will have to wait until the September hols. Most rude of her to have

the baby due when we are going away.

Phantom, fires and caring strangers

My husband and I , yesterday, saw at the Burswood theatre, Phantom Of The Opera, with Anthony Warlow. The production, as can be expected was absolutley brilliant, I was covered in goose bumps from the outset. No other word than MAGNIFICENT.

At the end of the show the cast took their bows, much cheering and clapping and whistling....with one hand gesture Mr Warlow quietened a whole theatre. "As a company we are devestated at the horror that those in the Eastern States are suffering. We would like, with your help, to send some financial aid". This drew an even larger round of applause.

On leaving the theatre cast members were in among the crowd with bags for donations. I had no notes, only loose change, for which I am sorry. but in the one bag that I put my coins in, there was hundreds of dollars, easily, and there where several bags "walking" around.

My heart goes out to all of our Eastern State counterparts and I pray that they and their families are safe. There are not a lot of words that I can say to even help you, but please know that here in Perth strangers are thinking of you and we are trying to help.

Happy Birthday to me

I am 38 today. No bells and whistles, no magic wishes. Just a birthday. But in saying that I am happy, I am relaxed and comfortable within myself and very content.

I am looking after my God twins at the moment, they get picked up by their Mum this afternoon and go back to Katanning. I do not get to see them very often so when I went down to Katanning to visit Lea and the kids, I brought them back with me on Thursday morning. 4 days of multiple kids. I baby sat a friends boys on Friday, so there is 6 kids, last night we had dinner at a friends home whom have 3 children....and I can still say I am happy and content!!! The delusions are worse than thought!

I have managed to get a little sewing done. I finished my Capricorn 2008 BOM. I did not realise that it was a 16 block BOM, and down loaded 15 blocks, then put the top together, sandwiched and quilted it. Then I check www.capricorn.blogspot.com and found the last block...mmmm bugger. So that last block is now the label!! Always a way around these things!

3 in 1

Yes yet another post. I had my 2nd iron injection today. Ow, what a pain in the but!! I do not mind. I had more energy after the first one so as they go on I will reap the benefits.

I have been making the most of being on holidays, that and the fact that the kids are content to stay at home for the most part and go in and out of the house to the paddling pool that we have set up for them under the patio.

I finished a table runner called Spring Posies, I made it out of the left over material from Pinwheels and Posies. So it is really nice and bright and clean looking.

I have also finished stitching my blocks from Capricorn Quilts, titled Quilters Blessings. I have also cut out all the sashing strips and corner stones for it, so I hope to get it together in the next week or so.

This other picture is of a small wall hanging my good friend Natalie made me. I have yet to find a home for it but have an idea where I want it to go.

Til next time

It's Saturday

My goodness two posts in two days. I was playing with my sewing machine last night, can I just tell, I LOVE MY MACHINE!!!! Any way I was playing with my machine last night. I have a picture of my late sister and it is one I love. I took a line drawing of it, copied it onto Press and Seal then followed the lines to "draw and paint" in thread. Now this is a first attempt and by no means is it perfect but, then I am my own worst critic, tell me what you think....

I just realised the date today. It is a bit of an anniversary for me, two years since I stopped drinking. No black outs, no hangovers, feeling better. Life is good.

Heavy Stuff !!!!

I had blood tests Christmas eve. I was donating blood every 3 months and at my last donation my haemoglobin had dropped.. Nothing to alarming just down from my previous level. After a further finger prick test I noted it to be lower still.

Thought I would take my self off to the Drs and mention this. "MMMM, that not good", she says. "Off you go, blood tests my dear and then we will follow it up, probably nothing."

Back to the Drs Tuesday, results back in. Nothing sinister, but my Iron level is 9 should be at least a min of 15. So now I have started a course of iron injections. Twice weekly, for 5 weeks. I am hoping this will do the trick. I have been so tired since before Christmas, I would lay down with the kids to talk to them and 3 hrs later I would wake up. I'm having broken nights, not sleeping well. I would wake in the morning, be back in bed 2 hrs later to have another sleep. Such a good Mum I am.

I had my first injection yesterday, slept fairly well last night, still broken but when I woke this morning I felt more refreshed than I have for a long time. I even managed to stay awake all day, even went up to Joondalup with the kids to visit my Mum and Dad.

I will take it easy for a little while, but hopefully things will start on the up. I have even managed to start a new project...I started to quilt it last night...will get on with the reat of it tonight.

Happy New Year...bring it on 09

Happy New Year my friends.

I managed to finished my Applewood 2008 BOM, Pinwheels and Posies. I finished sewing the binding on Tuesday night. I am proud to have actually finished at least one UFO after the fall in mood I endured over the last few months.

Well I must have blinked. Christmas is gone. Today is January 1. Zach is now 10 and we are on the down hill slide towards our holiday, 5 mths, 2 weeks. NO I'm not counting at all!!! We need to get ourselves organised to get a loan for our spending money. Will concentrate on it after I get back to work, I am having January off work to be with the kids during the school hols.

We are in the middle of decorating and swapping the children's rooms over. But my Lord, the mess in the rooms. We need a dingo to dig it all out, and the patching that is required, well as you can see we have our work cut out.

When the patching is finished in the "blue" room Dave will paint it for Sarah and she can finally have a bedroom back. At the moment she is sleeping on the floor in our room or Zach's room and all her furniture and belongings are in our sitting area.

I set out today to paint the little bookshelf so it could go back into his bedroom. The kids wanted to help, yes well........They soon got bored of painting the wood:

I love kids!!! We are now sitting down watching a movie. Nice quiet family time.