Let the Celebrations begin.........

Georgie helped to do the very important job of Signage! The balloons were put up at the front gate so everyone knew we were having a party, and there could be loud music into the night. Well, they are really there so guests know which driveway to turn into, but hey, a secondary message can be a good thing between neighbours.

The cake was made by a friend and was waiting and ready. It has been a tradition with our little family that the 21st birthday cake reminds them of their lineage (well on one side anyhow). And the decorations are handed down to the next in line. Decoration here is with both ancient and modern Davidson tartan ribbon, and inherited icing thistles. If only I had remembered the 21 candles!

Boys however don't worry about small details, so we pushed on with the celebration, and the food.

Peggy and Rick bbq'd. I should introduce our theme here--guests were asked to come dressed as something starting with 'T' in honour of the birthday boy. So with an actual bib that had been Tim's and a lifesize baby photo mask, Rick came as baby Tim accompanied by Peggy who was also sporting a Tim mask and dressed as 'Tim'perbell.

All aboard please!

James needs nothing more than someone to play trains with him. I think he remembered Uncle Rick from his visit last Christmas when they got on well, so they were old buddies playing together again.

Tiger found the safest place was on Granny's wheelie walker on the back verandah, and it made quite a comfy bed!

The Visit

With Tim's 21st approaching, Rick and his fiance, Peggy had arrived from Canada, Tim came home from Uni (luckily it was holidays although not study-free) and we went to Bright for a day trip.
Here we are having lunch at my favourite place, the Cosy Kangaroo, which does the best pancakes ever! Many of you know Tim, only some know Rick (always the clown) and here is Peggy, our future daughter-in-law.

I eventually got a sensible and really nice photo!

Then out to play..............

in the park.

Where have you gone to Rocktober???

Rocktober where have you gone?

Always one of my favourite months. The temperature is warm enough to know spring is here at Silver Creek, the bulbs, blossoms, roses and iris are bursting into flower, the bird choir is loud again, the grass is green from winter rain and the weather is my favourite--interesting with storms, rain, sun, cool, breeze, rainbows, lovely sunsets but best of all not too darn hot yet. And the music always, always seems to be better during Rocktober............

Wow, I've been busy!

Since the last post in September a lot has happened and here it is at the very end of October, Halloween for those who are devotees. It's not my 'cup of tea', I think there are US traditions which should remain theirs and theirs alone, despite the push in the retail trade to flog Halloween products here to the kids. I don't agree with parents letting their children go round houses 'trick or treating'. It isn't a tradition in our country so who knows what sort of situation awaits the kids. In the US, where people who want to join in make their houses lit and welcoming, and specially buy sweets to give children who've dressed up in costumes, I think it would be wonderful for the littlies, and I'd probably be first in to hack up a pumpkin with a scary face and hand out sweets! But I think it's different traditions for different places that makes the world such an interesting place to travel around. Anyway, I digress again..............

The best part of this spring has been family! So the posts that follow will give you a brief glimpse of all the enjoyment I've had during my absence from the blog.

Liz is showing the scarf and the frame it is crocheted on.

Counting the rows

Off the frame and being edged

Hairpin Crochet

Liz had a very successful stall at the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show with hairpin crochet scarves and kits to make them. She kindly agreed to come to our Spinning Group and teach us.

Lots of scarves underway.

World Wide Spin in Public Day

Here we are on 19th September 2009 in the front yard of the Beechworth Quilters Cottage, to celebrate World Wide Spin in Public Day with a meeting of our North East Yarn Lovers Group from Ravelry.com, our internet forum for fibre crafts.

Jill and Fran are hard at work at their wheels.

They were joined by Joy and Julia and her grandmother.

We had a wonderful day, almost 30 people turned up, and we did our share of PR over the front fence with the public.

International Crochet Day

I love this first photo. It's taken from outside the Beechworth Bakery where Elke, Maree and I crocheted in public to celebrate International Crochet Day, attracting some odd stares. Stare away I say, or come and join us! Well the windows are so reflective you get a wonderful image of the opposite side of the street, mingled with some legs and crochet (hehehe).

A Visitor

Maree had a visitor from Scotland, Marion, who she chats to on Ravelry. We met her at The Pantry for lunch and chatting (and some knit/crochet). It is lovely when friends from far away can come for an overnight visit.

A bit of this and that

In between spinning I am crocheting throw rugs for a charity stall, and knitting headbands for my granddaughter,

Nell is 91 and finding it difficult to see the knitting, but after a life of having busy hands, we have managed to get her doing some crochet,

Pam is finishing of some WIP needle cases,

and Maree is knitting very curly mohair (a grey beard for Santa???)

and the wheels go round...........

I know there is a focus on bobbins full of spun fibre on this blog, but that is what we do best. And spinning just 300gm of fibre into a fine yarn can take a couple of weeks if you are only able to sit at it of an evening.
This gorgeous green is Pear Tree merino fibre and I'm spinning it for a special birthday gift.

Elke, Joy and Cathy were filling their bobbins also.

Patchwork Friday Sept 4, 09

Isn't this just so sweet? It's Bev's work in progress and one we haven't got to catch up with before. Hopefully I'll soon be showing it finished.

And here is our beginning patchworker, Joy, starting on her post and rail quilt.

We had a storm not long after our patchwork group and here are the pics of the magnificent rainbow -- yes, a double, and the pot of gold is near our pond! You could actually see the end of the rainbow on the grass. Well, this WAS a goldfield.

What I find so interesting are the shades of the sky.