Summer has arrived!

Blah, Blah, Blah…..I am not a great fan of Summer and today was one of the reasons why….it reached 44C  - which in the other language is 111F. It is currently 9.30pm and still 34C - 93F. Looks like a warm night for sleeping. The garden is showing damage in just one day……

The poor Gingko tree always suffers from heat stress………. 

But life has still brought pleasure. I celebrated my 57th birthday yesterday - always grateful to still be alive and kicking and enjoying so much (despite not selling our home!!). Last night we enjoyed a family dinner together and sadly the mobile phone didn't take very good photos with the little man. I would love to have had these taken on my proper camera……

One thing that often happens having a birthday this time of year is that you are actually buying gifts for others on your birthday - which I did do but I also bought something special just for me! Now I know Beau is a train buff but I was into steam trains long before he was born! It is all set up under the dining table and it makes genuine steam train sounds and also plays Christmas carols. Larry catches me every now and then just sitting on the floor enjoying it all….well why not!!

I also found this and it was dirt cheap at only $20. I couldn't decide which William Morris design to get so bought two - as you do. Of course Strawberry Thief is a favourite……(and for those interested it came from The General Trader - how I love that store!)

So the presents are all wrapped and Christmas dinner planned. I hope you enjoy your pre-Christmas time - meanwhile next post I have some show and tell from other quilters which is long overdue.

 (I love my bird decoration Kitty - thank you xx)

It can't be 10 days to Christmas!!

Most people I talk to cannot believe it is almost Christmas. A few family members have been sick - Beau and Brett have been unwell and I think Larry has the same cough…...must be a "boy thing"! Anyway I am never really ready for Christmas until after my birthday (which is in a few days), so mad last minute rush is normal for me! The weather has been most confusing with cold one day and hot the next, but there has been enough sun for the roses and this one has the most beautiful perfume. (Even vases of these inside haven't enticed a buyer for our home and with no more open for inspections for a month it is all a little stressful - we just have to wait.)

True summer is about to hit us with 40 degrees predicted in a few days! So despite Beau feeling 'under the weather' we thought we should get into this special season spirit and do a bit of 'Santa stuff'. We decided to go to the city to the Magic Cave but we were told there would be a quite a wait. We were asked to leave our mobile number and they would message us in about 40 minutes. Then they would give us 15 minutes to get there and then another line-up of at least 20 minutes….with a 22 month old - I don't think so! So we had a merry-go-round ride……

…and then we found one of our favourite toys…Thomas the Tank Engine….please Nanna…of course you can!!!…….

 He was filled with wonder at all the Christmas decorations and "Missmas trees" and his love of music and performance meant a quick stop too…….

 lets check out where Mummy's gone……….

 And a good rest on the way home….we forget he is not even two sometimes!…

So we rescheduled the Father Christmas visit a few days later at a local shopping centre. He was quite unfazed by the man with the white beard and in fact wanted to go back and visit him again. A little line-up with Poppa and Emily……..

He was absolutely thrilled to get a photo and stared at it constantly……….. 

The family are getting together on Christmas Eve this year as Emily is working Christmas Day (one of the inevitable duties of being a nurse)………..so as we plan that special time together I want to wish all of you a wonderful week leading up to Christmas Day (if that is your thing to do of course). I must mention I have been doing some quilting between the 'open for inspections' but can't really show a lot as it is the Mystery class for AQC! I will leave you with the latest White Christmas images from our friends in Canada…..looks magical but pretty darn cold! Penny was on her way for a day of sewing with friends……a bit of preparation beforehand to get out of the driveway I think! Glad you got there Penny!

 

Warm 'down south' and cold 'up north'!

Well we still haven't sold our townhouse so it is anxious times in the Hill household. I am a little over the de-clutter and the place has never been so squeaky clean! So two more weekends of open for inspection and then it is a break over Christmas and New Year…...so fingers crossed someone wants our place before then as settlement on our new house is January 10th!
Meanwhile, I thought I would share a little bit of some "warm down south" with you…mind you the weather is very spasmodic at the moment - 30 degrees one day and 19 the next! Anyway we took little Beau to see the Under the Sea Sandcastle event last weekend and the weather was glorious. I forgot to take my camera but my new mobile phone did the trick - except the first shot of the tall ship in the distance because I couldn't work out how to zoom! 

The rest are just fab and these are definitely some pretty special sandcastles!!

Not sure what Beau was pointing to but he was pretty happy with it all especially when we stopped at the playground on the way home………..

And it was there that he spied a crocodile….."snap, snap" he exclaimed and then bent down to say hello……..glad there aren't any real ones roaming about!!

 So as you can see by the blue skies, the sunshine and the shade hats…it is Summer 'down south'…but 'up north'??? Well these absolutely stunning photos from our dear friends Penny and Paul in Canada show what it is like for them……..(thanks Paul xx)….a Winter wonderland..but maybe it is sludge and mess?! Looks pretty beautiful to me!

Paul then sent me this delightful image below……

So I responded with……"there is always a down side to everything"...…he then replied……"don't even get me started on the socks"!!
So begins another weekend for us……..I hope yours is all it should be for you xx