Kerry and Matt May 4

Matt took Kerry down to Perth to meet my Dad and step mum Pat on Sunday and then took her down to Fremantle to have a look around. This picture was taken at the Round House in Fremantle (which was the first prison in WA) over looking Fremantle Yacht Club.

Kerry is settling in well and loving WA despite not being particularly fond of Northam! :) Northam is a bit too quiet for the city girl from Portsmouth England!
On thursday they both had the day off so Matt took Kerry for another drive to a local picnic spot called Lake Leschnaultia which is only about a half hour drive from here and very pretty. She is glad to be getting out and seeing a bit more.

Row by Row update - Quilt Number 5

While I was in Meckering at the retreat, I tossed around ideas for the next row by row I had to do and have finished by Tuesday May 16. I found the most fabulous printed flowers in one of the bargin bins at the Cottage and decided to use those. With Rossy's help, we arranged them around the saying and then Rossy drew all the tendrils for me to embroider. I finished the row last night and am really happy with the results! I hope Shirley will like it!

I only have two more rows to complete! Shirley's quilt is a couple of rows behind as she came into the project a bit later but another lady has pulled out so we will all still get our finished tops back when we go to Fairbridge in September.

Collingully Retreat May 5 - 7, 2006

What a wonderful weekend! On Friday 2 May I headed up to Meckering for a patchwork retreat with my quilting friends from Northam. Eleven of us moved into Collingully Patchwork barn for the weekend and had a wonderful time. We had all weekend to just sew and chat and eat! And we did all three with gusto! We laughed a lot! Some achieved a lot, and some just enjoyed the atmosphere but by Sunday afternoon when it was time to pack up and go home, none of us wanted to!

One lady (that is Bev at the ironing board in the pictures) was so relaxed and felt so at home that she was still in her pajamas at 3pm! She then made the decision that as she only lived 10 minutes down the road, she would go home in them! It was just priceless.

Lynne the quiltshop owner runs these weekend retreats all the time and you have the option to have a class or two as well but we all just take along our UFOs and work on those. It doesn't matter if you forget anything either as you are in the middle of the shop and everything is at your finger tips. All meals are provided along with morning and afternoon teas and all are to die for!

The other surprise was one of our friends who left town a few years ago came along for the weekend. It was fantastic to catch up with Ruth, who was the first person I met when I moved to Northam 15 years ago!

Ruth brought along a little baby quilt and a christmas quilt (on the hoop in the background) to finish quilting and she ended up getting both quilts finished right down to the binding!

Over the weekend there were three quilts in total completed and a doll made named Annie which was stitched by Wendy. The picture is of our Anne holding the doll Annie who also has a cat and and a cow to look after.

While I didn't finish anything, I made some progress on a bears paw quilt and my diamond table runner and got led astray by Rossy who insisted I needed to make a stitchery quilt! This was helped by the fact that Jeff gave me a $250 gift voucher for the shop for Christmas and Rossy decided I needed to buy a complete project. So now I have some beautiful fabrics, a pattern and some pellum ready to make this very pretty stitchery quilt!

In all it was a fabulous weekend and as I drove home, I was planning what to make for dinner. I still hadn't decided when I got home and as I walked in the door Jeff was grating cheese over a huge dish of lasgne! The Perfect Ending to the Perfect Weekend!!

I can't wait to go back at the end of June with another group of friends!

It's been a while!!

I didn't realise that it was almost a month since I last posted but I guess between work and family commitments and fighting Matt for computer time, it has been a while!

Since last posting, I have finished another row by row quilt and rec'd another one, helped Kerry settle in on her arrival to Australia from England and had a rushed trip to Melbourne to catch up with family visiting from Rhode Island USA, so I guess I have an excuse!

This is an almost complete family photo of the Usher clan. The only ones missing are Matt and Mick and Calum who had an important soccer match that day plus John's wife Dianne who took the photo! The back row from L to R is Val's husband Gordon, Jeff, Me, Jeff's brother David,Jeff's Dad John, Brother in Law Tom (married to Jen). Middle row is Jeff's Mum Val, Jeff's sister Jen and Sister in Law Donna (David's wife). In the front are Sam (10) and Molly (7). They are the cutest kids on earth I think!
This is Jeff and David!















And Jen and Donna!










We had a great weekend in Melbourne. I got to spend all day Saturday with my sister Debbie and her husband Roy and their other friends from Perth who were also visiting. Deb, Bev and I shopped til we dropped and had a wonderful time. I left them in the city at 5pm as Bev had to get back to Albert Park because they were going to see the Lion King. I went and collected Jeff from the hotel. He had spent the day perusing bike shops! We then caught the tram to Deb and Roy's in Albert Park where they took us to a great little restuarant for dinner called Asiana.

Sunday was spent with Jeff's family at Glen Waverley to celebrate his mum's 73rd birthday. We discovered later that it was Val's very first birthday party. It was a great day! We finally met David's family for the first time though still didn't get to meet Jenni's son Calum. It will happen oneday! He had an important soccer game to play and we did find out later in the day that his team won!

This is the last row I completed in the row by row challenge. I added the bottom row to this one for Robynne. I really hope she likes it! Now I have a row to do for Shirley and then I only have two more to do!

Row by Row update

The row by row challenge is coming along with the third swap happening on Tuesday night. I has been working on Pam's quilt which I hand appliqued orange and blue butterflies from Linda Poole's book Bended Bias. They were a huge success. All the girls who saw them loved them - no - Pam won't see them until September!

This is my project for the next month in the Row by Row. This one is Robynne's. I am to do the fouth row. Her instructions are "cream background and have fun!". I think I will do hearts and some sort of piecing. The last two have been lots of applique. I am looking forward to doing some piecing!

What a day!

Thursday was the day from hell. It started with a friend's funeral. Ronnie was a work colleague from when I used to drive the Share and Care community bus. Ronnie passed away due to complications from pnuemonia after a long illness. She was 72 but ran around like a 20 year old right up until she got sick. She will be very much missed by the Northam community.

I went back to work after the service and got on with what I had to do.

About 3.30pm I got a phone call from a man named Emilio to inform me that Jeff had had a car accident! He is okay - not a scratch on him apart from a bit of stiffness but the car is a write-off!
He had been in Gingin for a bull sale (we do transit and stud stock insurance cover) and was on his way home. He has been putting in some very long days lately and unfortunately he dozed off! He was doing about 100kms per hour and went off the road at a bend, over a fallen log, moved sideways and the car landed nose down in the dirt. It is very much a wake up call for him to slow down and smell the roses. Needless to say the boys and I are very thankful that he is okay. The car can be replaced (and has been already!!) but Jeff can not be.

I am sorry to the members of my family who will read this here - Jeff wouldn't let me ring anyone about it! I think he is pretty embarrassed about the whole thing. It was impressive to see Matt and Mick lecturing their dad on the dangers of driver fatigue! I really don't think it will happen again. Like I said - we are just thankful he is okay!!

Because we need Jeff's car for the business, the priority was to replace the car. I can do nothing but praise the local car dealer. He sourced and delivered a used 2005 Holden Statesman for us and had it delivered in 4 hours from the request! The car had to come down from Moora about an hour and a half drive from Northam. Probably the easiest deal the salesman has ever done!

Tomorrow we are off to the city to see Billy Connolly live in concert. I booked the tickets for Jeff back in November and then presented them to him after it was all organised. Jeff is a huge fan of Billy and has always wanted to see him live. We are going with Bill and Gillian and we can't wait! I will tell all next week.

A lovely Surprise....

Friday was Jeff's amd my 22nd Wedding Anniversary. As a rule we don't do anything for them. Just a kiss and "Happy Anniversary" in the morning.

Can you imagine my surprise when this beautiful flower arrangement arrived at the office at morning tea time! No card - that told me exactly who they were from. Jeff is very much a 'no frills' kind of guy! I was moved to tears!

This really made my day.

The rest of the day went on as normal. Finished at work, went to the gym, came home and did chores and watched TV with Jeff. We really do not make a fuss!

It has taken a bit of time to get here to update my blog. One - because we are still very busy at work and two - I have to fight for MY computer because Matt is always playing shoot 'em up games on here!! He is pretty good if I want it and gets off for me but in truth, I haven't had any energy to post! And because work has been so busy, not much else has been happening!

I go to the gym every Saturday with my friend Hetty who is a gym instructor. The last few Saturdays I have been helping Hetty train some older ladies who have decided they want to get fit. It is so much fun. The four of them roll up at the gym with full makeup and it has taken a few weeks for them to realise that they don't need to wear 'good' clothes to the gym. They are all in their late 60's and early 70's. We spend a lot of time laughing. They are so good at laughing at themselves but they are also very good at pushing themselves through the workout. H & I have noticed the difference in their movements already. They are starting to loosen up quite a bit, so it shows "You are never too old!" I am really enjoying helping them through their workouts as they are so enthusiastic! They go home and practice their stretches and tummy exercises. I love them!!

Who needs an alarm clock!!

At around 5.30 this morning we woke up to the most phenomonal noise. There were about 1000 white cockatoos feeding on our block next door. It was an amazing sight. These pictures just don't do it justice. My camera is just not good enough. The paddock is 5 1/2 acres and it and the block over the back were covered in cockatoos. They are really noisy but the treat of nature we are given makes up for that. I stood and just looked for quite some time. The kids hate it - you just can't sleep with that sort of noise.

The cockies have just taken off to go and drink from the river which is about 500m away. I can still hear them! On Sunday morning some of them thought our roof was a good resting place and it sounded like an army was walking on the roof. they had also landed in our palm trees. Unfortunately I couldn't get a picture of the roof because as soon as they saw me they all took off.

Row By Row Challenge

The top row is my finished on my friend Vicky's row by row quilt. I am really happy with the result. I added the little blue bird because Vicky had put one in her 'Welcome' row. I am hoping that the others working on the quilt will follow suit and each row will have a little blue bird. Vicky's theme is "Country Life".

The funny part is Vicky has used the exact same row I did on the first row quilt she worked on, so I know she will like it! I now have that quilt! Pam's quilt is "Gardening"

I think I might do butterflies using the bended bias method by Linda M Poole. I don't want to do flowers on all the quilts!

Looking out my front door...

I was asked on one of the lists I belong to what I saw when I walked out the door. I thought it was easier to post a picture! This is what I see. The front garden, roses, the paddocks in front of the house and the hills off into the distance! The view changes with the season. At the moment the hills are dry and brown as it is summer. In winter they are green and in spring are yellow and purple with crops of canola and lupins. Very Pretty!

Michael

Since I have posted a picture of Matt, albeit at 3.30am on the day he spent 21 hours on an aeroplane, I thought I should post a picture of Michael! My boys are just gorgeous but then I am really biased! :)

Weed - just for Ali!

On one of my lists, we were discussing how we fixed "bloopers" and I told about my friendship quilt which our pet budgie made a meal of and how after the budgie named Weed, died I commerated him by appliquing a budgie over the damage to the quilt.

Ali then asked me to post pictures to my blog so here they are just for Ali (and anyone else who cares to peek!)

Just for Debbie...

then Ihave to stop. All tonights blogging is being done with my left hand as I have had a cortisone injection in my right wrist due to the dreaded repetitive strain injury! I can't use my right hand at all for 24 hours.

My sister Debbie has requested a picture of me, so here it is...

HI DEB!!!!!

Jardee

One of the highlights of the weekend was to be able to visit Jardee, the little timber mill town, 5kms from Manjimup, where my dad was born. The mill is closed now and the townsite is now privately owned. Can you imagine what it would be like to own a town?! The owner is now doing up all the mill cottages and renting them out. It is such a pretty place and I was quite overcome to be able to visit.

This is Churches Road. At the time of taking the Photo, I didn't realise that if I turned around and followed the dirt road for a few hundred metres I would have come to my great grandfather's farm.


This is the original mill office and post office.











The store shed and bus stop.














The town water supply (there are actually two tanks in the village) Stop work meetings for the workers were always held under this tank!
My fascination with my father's heritage is because my sisters and I never had the opportunity to know my Dad's family as his parent's both died in their early 20's. My Dad was just two and a bit years old.

It has been a couple of weeks since I last posted as all I have been doing is going to work.

This weekend just gone, I went to a little south west town called Manjimup and spent time with my best friend, Gillian and friends Lynley and Fay. We stayed at Fay's place. Fay is a very talented lady who dye's the most wonderful fabrics. We had a fun weekend watching the dyeing process which in the end produces the most amazing colous and movement in the fabric. I took pictures of the fabrics hanging on the line on Sunday morning after they spent the night soaking in the washing machine! Aren't they fabulous!! That is Fay in the foreground.

I have had so many compliments about my dragon design, I thought I would show you all where I got it from! The original picture is on theteapot from the Chinese tea set we brought back from China in October last year. The applique dragon is about 8 inches long. As you can see from the mobile phone, the original design isn't that big!!

Australia Day

It is Janurary 26, which is Australia Day here in Australia and a public holiday. It feels very strange being at home in the middle of the working week. We have no plans for the day but most people celebrate with a bbq. Perth has a big fireworks display. If you want to know about the celebrations you can go to: http://www.australiaday.gov.au/area.asp?aID=2 Jeff is at work catching up with paper work because it is our busy time of year and he won't be in the office until this time next week - poor man. He is off to bull sale in Bindoon tomorrow and then is in Adelaide from Monday to Wednesday.

Right now I have our pampered puss meowing at the door to be let in. He has been very naughty in the last week and taking off at dusk and staying out all night. I have been waking up to murdered wildlife on the mat. Today he can stay out all day and see if that makes him stay in all night! His name is Chi and I love him to bits!

Right now I am listening to him crying to come in - poor darling! NOT!

I am off for a walk to check on a colleague's pet rabbit this morning while it is cool. So I will sign off for now.

Now I have done one post I think I am getting the hang of this! I am also involved with a row by row this year with my local patchwork group. You can see the first row I have to work on on my design wall which hangs on two skirt hangers in front of the built in wardrobe! I have also posted my row. The theme I chose was the orient and my inspiration for my row was a mosaic wall in the Forbidden City in Beijing in China. There are 8 people participating and we are planning on handing over the completed quilts in September of this year.

Another exciting event that happened this week is the prodigal son returned! Matt has spent the last two years in England working hard and falling in love. We heard today that Kerry , his girlfriend will be arriving in Western Australia on April 3 at 12.20 am - what is with the flights from the UK arriving at such ungodly hours when you have an hour or so drive afterwards :). We are all very excited about her coming! This Picture is of Matt at 3.30 in the morning on the day he came home. He is on the phone to Kerry to let her know he has arrived.

I am on a huge learning curve tonight. Not only have I set up my blog but I am learning all about MSN messenger! Matt's room is in the shed which is about 50metres from the house and to save us traipsing back and forward, Mick has set me up on Messenger! Yes - this is a geeks house. We all have our own computers and they are all on the internet! What fun!

I have finally fallen...

...into the realm of blogging thanks to a great group of ladies I talk with on Yahoo! Like the others, I can see this as a great way of letting those I am close to see what I have been up to and a place to post pictures of my quilts and other bits and pieces!



To start with I thought I would post pictures of the fantastic furniture my hubby bought me for Christmas. This has made my sewing room a much more productive and pleasant place to be!