Time for a give-away!

It seems like each week that passes I start to run out of scintillating trivia for the blog so maybe it is simply time to spread some of my desk calendar 'happiness' and give away a pattern. This pattern is not available to purchase (and probably never will be as the centre page is very large), but I did make it available to students doing my design classes recently. The quilt I speak of is the "Thorngrove" quilt made for the stunning small luxury hotel Thorngrove Manor that we are lucky enough to have in our Adelaide Hills. I have two spare patterns to give-away so I will just randomly select (or Larry can do a lucky draw!) from those of you who visit and leave a message about what makes you happy over the coming week. Nydia and Ken have lovingly built this unique castle hotel and recently Nydia kindly provided me with a new and updated photo......thankyou Nydia....so this is the quilt if any of you would like the pattern.......

So my favourite 'happiness' page from the calendar this week is......

It is quite amusing really as on those two days we experienced temperatures around 44C!! (111F).....clearly this calendar is for the northern hemisphere but then maybe it is to help us feel cool! Despite the heat we did have some happy times starting last Friday when the kiddies arrived for a sleepover. It was too hot to play outside so instead we did some crafts (every time I pull out the boxes of bits and pieces I think of you Laraine! xx)......

 It was actually Australia Day that day so after tea we headed down to our local beach. It was a gorgeous evening and the kiddies had a ball (and only 5 minutes from home). We set up under the jetty to find some shade and watch the sunset........

 Thankfully the heat has abated for a few days with a massive drop of over 20C so we are feeling a tad weary. Some bulbs out the back erupted overnight in the heat (Larry calls them our triffids)......

 and the peaches are finally ripening.......

 We kept the bird baths full as the birds were clearly suffering in the heat but they still haven't found their new house which makes me smile through the front door each day and in the evening light while I am watering the garden.......

 Happiness is definitely the photos that Emily shares of Beau and Maisie...the first two are so precious. Maisie had fallen asleep still feeding her baby.......

 Beau fell asleep while reading with Maisie and another baby on another night.......

 and a recent visit to see her little cousin Wade who is now 3400gms (7 and a half pounds I think!). She was reading Wade a story (and there is Peter rabbit Helen!)...........

How the simple things make us happy.....hope you find many happy times in the coming week and tell us what it was that made you happy x

On the Eve of Australia Day

Tomorrow is Australia Day and I have just enjoyed watching the Australia Day awards on the TV (called the 'telly' in Oz!). I am amazed at the incredible talent this great country of ours has from a young and enthusiastic mathematics teacher Eddie Woo who set up Wootube to an inspiring physicist - Professor Michelle Yvonne Simmonds who is researching groundbreaking quantum physics....way above my head! So it seems appropriate that I am currently reading "The Gentleman's Garden" by Australian author Catherine Jinks. It is an interesting and easy to read journey of early Australian settlement in Sydney through the eyes of an officer's wife all set in the early 1800's..........

So while I chat to you/type I am enjoying a recent CD purchase.....the beautiful music of Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo. It carries me to a place of peace and tranquility and you can hear some of it by clicking below. ...

We are expecting more hot weather in the coming days so while we have a brief reprieve Larry finds his favourite spot in the shade and the roses sigh with relief in the early evening light.......

Beau and Maisie have had a short family break staying in a holiday park and we are glad the temperatures were only in the 30's for them. They are coming to us tomorrow for two days with a sleepover before Beau heads back to school on Monday. I fear we will be stuck indoors in air-conditioned comfort so it was lovely to see they had those few days outdoors having fun. I just love the image of Maisie welcoming the cool sprinkler with not a care in the world.........

 I've done some stitching this past week including some appliqué on a quilt that a lady started some years ago but sadly passed away last year. Barbara loved my designs and this is just one of them. I have another to appliqué and put together so with the help of another friend we will ensure the quilts are donated to a good cause and I know Barbara would have been pleased.......

 I've also completed some gifts that have been long overdue..........

 and Larry has had some time on these hot days to indulge one of his other past-times - colouring in, and William Morris designs of course (!!). So I set to and sharpened all his pencils.........

 I think Maisie helped colour in the corner at some stage!......

We have also had some precious cuddles this week. Wade is still so tiny and it is hard to believe he has been with us for 13 weeks this weekend. He was only due last week so is really just one week old.........

 We were glad of some quiet time with little Wade as a diversion to the ongoing saga of the bi-fold doors! When the installer came this week we discovered the glass was clear and not frosted as we had ordered, so I promptly got on the phone to the supplier to ask what they were going to do about it!! I refused to wait another 7 weeks for replacements so we negotiated a discount and we will get the doors frosted ourselves! They are still not finished as the installer had miscalculated the panel surrounds so goodness knows when he will be back to finish them but it is nice to see them in place.......

 So there is not a lot more to share from the Hill household......I hope your household is bringing you joy. I will leave you with these images that I took this week in the supermarket.....as we say in Australia - 'Crikey' - we have only just got over Christmas!! Take care.......