2paw

I Don't Care If You Are Called The Rare Miss Frigidaire.

'Cause you're sensational. Yesterday I defrosted the freezer. I don't like this job, and I put it off. The freezer was mainly filled with a bag of ice and things in ziplock bags. I don't know what some of them were or how long they had been there. I saved the raspberries for a cake I made today. Other than that everything else went.

Peri and Gilly thought the bag of ice ice-cubes was the best thing since sliced bread. It kept them amused for ages. PicMonkey has added a collage tool. I haven't quite mastered it yet, but I am feeling very happy to have a selection of collage options again.

On Friday MrsValley and I went to the Greek Restaurant further up the river. The day was reasonably OK when we started out. We had Arni Yarni Lamb pot pie, Pumpkin and Feta tart and then semolina custard tart with lemon syrup. We spent almost three hours catching up and having a good chat. The pictures are poor, I think the lens was fogged up. Everything was absolutely delicious.

The weather was not. It started raining as we left and there was a huge downpour that lasted for more than a day. There were roadworks and gravel and it was all a little scary. I drove at 60kph but there were people who wanted to do the 100kph speed limit. The council hasn't cleared the drains of Autumn leaves around our suburb, so there were deep puddles across the roads. There were minor floods: a hospital, roads near MrsDrWho's school and in the south of the city. It stopped raining last night and we have some sunshine today.

MrsValley bought The Labradors a lovely treat. Blackmores have a pet division now and she chose some special kangaroo treats. They are perfect for Peri and Gilly: low in fat, easy to break into small pieces and according to them, the Best Treats Ever!! Picture from the Blackmores' site, and we have the Labrador packet of course!!!

I sewed a goanna bag and I am working on my next felt project. Semi-secretly.

I've also been wearing my beret, trying it out to see if I like it around the house before it debuts in public!!

All my Library book Christmases came at once and I sat on the couch reading while the rain poured down endlessly. I couldn't read all of I am David because of the sad part at the almost end. I read either side of the sad part. Rose Levy's book has some wonderful and unusual cakes and I want to bake quite a few. It's hard to find a new series of books to read. I listened to Radio National when they had their broadcast from the Sydney Writers Festival and jotted down a few names. I always scan the book section of Saturday's paper. I use the 'recently added' button (well, you organise by most recent date) on The Library site and keep an eye on authors I already follow. I long to find authors I haven't read who have a long book list for me to enjoy!!

I have new dog walking shoes. The shop says they were $60, but they were on super sale for $10. I think the khaki and pink colour scheme may have put some people off. I'm deciding which shoe laces work best.

My aqua shoes with a velcro closure stopped staying closed. They weren't cheap shoes and I was a bit cross. The lady at the shop where I bought them told me that the shoe repair man could replace the velcro. He did, it's black not white, but you can't see it and it only cost $18. An excellent price and I have a 'new' pair of Winter shoes now!!

Zoe and her family are on The Mainland now and Zoe will be having her bone marrow transplant tomorrow. There's a long hard road ahead for them all. Lucy has not been well, her health is deteriorating. I keep them in my thoughts.  One of Uncle and Auntie Dutch's dog died last week. Tommy was a lovely boy, a boy's boy, and he could be a bit of a grump too. He was fourteen which is a good age.  Poppy, the other dog, seems to be coping by herself.

Later on this week I am going to The Hospital to participate in a session with the doctors in training. I'm going to talk to them about my illness, let them do some observations and then answer any questions they have. I'm not sure how it will go, but they are sending me taxi vouchers so I don't have to worry about looking for a parking space. I'm very happy about that!!

Run, Peri, Run.

The Hydro is laying pipes across the park at the dam where we walk. Peri and Gilly have had to have their leads on so they don't run into the path of the digger. On Saturday it was all quiet and so they could have a lovely run.

Gilly ran:

And Peri ran. Away. For ten minutes we couldn't find her. I knew where she was. She was up the hill near the smelly things. Gilly and I drove to the gate and back and parped the horn. Peri was waiting at the spot where the car was parked and came running to us.

She ran so fast I didn't have time to get out of the car before she arrived!! I didn't worry that she wouldn't come back, but I thought she might have been caught on a branch or some wire by her collar, or have hurt herself. She just had awfully smelly, muddy feet.

It's been reasonably quiet here, although there was a bit of a stir in the neighbourhood when the new people over the road lit a fire in their garden. The smoke was very bad, I couldn't even see over the road. My washing, and the knitting that was blocking, smelled smoky and there was ash all over the car and yard. Luckily it was a bonfire of wet vegetation rather than a dangerous fire.

He did come over later on and apologise, but I think we've all checked the Fire regulations and next time we'll ring the Fire Brigade instead of dithering for half an hour.

That's the roof of our house and the smoke wafting high up into the sky.

Whilst doing nothing very energetic I have managed to finish my Short Scene cardigan, which fits, and find some very good buttons. I think finding buttons is the hardest part of knitting a cardigan.

There's a new hot water bottle cover, and a repaired cuff on my mittens and the Dexter Haven Hat.

The beret is finished, I just need to sew in two ends. I am hoping it looks OK. Hats don't suit me, I don't know why. I finished the Secret Knitting for MrsDrWho as well.

The weather has been both very cold and quite warm: the other morning it was 1*C when we went for a walk, but today it was 18*C and I went out in a Summer skirt and top. Peri and Gilly are enjoying the not too hot Autumn sun. Gilly has been feeling quite well, though I watch her like a hawk and try to discourage mad beserker-bonkers running in the backyard.

I've made about five batches of Lemon Meringue Cupcakes recently. These were for the doctors and nurses at The Animal Medical Centre. They look after Peri and Miss Lorelai Gilmore so well!!

So basically, we're having a lazy time here: resting, lying on the couch with a hot water bottle and a quilt, taking a book and a cup of tea outside in the afternoon to enjoy the sun.  I'm saving up my energy for an outing to Afternoon Tea on Sunday. There may, or may not, be a new dress. Only time will tell!!!

1 2 3 4: my5

Flybuys is a card with a points system that used to be for saving up your frequent flyer points. Now it has been relaunched by Coles, with Dawn French, and they implore people to choose their 5 favourite items and get 10% off.  But in some ads, and only on half their promotional material, you find that you must spend $50. It does say you save 10% on the products of your choice, but then the tiny, tiny print says you choose from their special 800 product list. The things I would like buy are not on their list. What a surprise.

I think I shall not really be 1 2 3 4 my5-ing thank you very much.

The new Knitty Surprises have been released and lots of lovely people pointed me to something very appropriate.  I am knitting it for MrsDrWho's birthday and although she doesn't read my blog all the time, I am making a clicky link so you can see what I am knitting and look at my project. I am almost at the border. It is something I could knit again, I am really enjoying it.

The Short Scene sleeve Mark III has been very successful and I think I might just knit another. Two sleeves in a cardigan are better than one. Just one last sleeve to go, sewing the sleeves into the body and grafting the back of the neck and it is done. Hurray.

Lorelai Gilmore has been well. She has appreciated all the lovely comments and well wishes. The drugs are excellent and she has been as good as new. We finished the drugs today and so now it is a waiting game to see how she goes. My poor baby. She has loved being able to go for a walk again. She's most obedient and hops in the car when she is called. Peri doesn't always come straight away though:

But when she does, she zooms!!! (Courtesy of PicMonkey, a good Picnik replacement and they will soon have collages. Thank goodness)

And then they both stand there, good as gold, ready for a treat.

Mohairmama  set up the Fingers and Toes display at The Craft and Quilt Fair. I went along to give some moral, and a little bit of actual, support. We had to leave A4 size spaces fr a piece of paper with a torso, arms and legs, but when MrsDrWho and I went along on Saturday, the paper wasn't there.  That's why the spacing is a little weird. People were voting for their favourite items.

We loved looking at all the quilts. I have decided I like the actual patchwork part and not so much the painted on fabric or just quilting on a plain-ish background. I bought a silicone thimble, some Labrador fabric and some 2ply Fern coloured mohair for a scarf (Dairing) Mr 'Dairing' was glad to talk to someone who knew about 'fibre'!! I was quite amused, I think a lot of scrapbooking people were asking him a lot of unanswerable questions. The Labrador fabric had a happy panting Peri, a little Gilly and I think a lovely Harki as well. MrsDrWho and I bought a Christmas embroidery pattern and she also acquired a rainbow jelly roll!! We had a cup of tea half way through our two hours, but I had to sleep for three hours when I came home and I had a tired-and-I-can't-sleep headache later on.I think I still need a little more recovery time.....

MrsDrWho lent me her second best iPad when she went away and I was not very good at anything apart for the Find the Hidden Object game and the Rise of Atlantis, which is like a big game of Connect 4 really. It eats up time. I would play a whole level and an hour or more would just disappear. The iPad has gone back home and I am sure it will have a much more varied and happy life!!

MrsDrWho and her sister chose some tea for me and she brought it back from her holiday. I have tea from Raffles and tea from the special tea company TWG. I have tried the peppermint, ginger and chamomile and tomorrow at morning tea we will try a new one. I also have the whole tea menu, with an authentic tea smudge, but it it too dark to take another photo now. There are at least twelve kinds of Earl Grey teas!!!

Everything is so beautifully presented. I have some more presents to show next time. I am so lucky!!!

Today Me-Made-May begins. I have really enjoyed all the Me-Made Marches and Self-Stitched Septembers, but May is just long sleeved t-shirt tops, a cardigan and jean month. Not very exciting really and nothing I can sew or knit in time. So, I recall a comment suggesting I should sew something this month instead. Maybe I will even finish my cardigan? So I shall try to under promise and over deliver!!!

Heston's roast potatoes?? Absolutely delicious: crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy in the centre. I made these again the next night. The new Family Circle Winter magazine is out and I am swooning over the recipes. I can't wait to make something for Friday Food this week!!

Trek or Treat??

It is MrsDrWho's Nephew's birthday anon: WeeZombie. He will be five and he likes Star Trek and so I am making him a Star Trek Book. The pressure of a birthday made me open the PDF I bought in October last year and make a start yesterday. I have completed Pages 2 and 3. Page 1 was left in its ziplock bag at Sewing last night. Page 2 has the iconic Star Trek TNG line: To boldly go where no one has gone before... though my photography is at its usual low standard and you can't really see it at all.

Page 3 is not what you think. It's a lift and inside are finger puppets: there will be Jean-Luc, Riker, Geordi, Worf, Data and I'll make a Deanna Troi as well.

I have to have all ten pages completed by Friday 16th, next Friday, so MrsDrWho can pack it in her suitcase and take it will her on her LSL.

I have been making some things for the Auction for Toddler Lucy and Baby Zoe. I don't participate in The Facebook, but Miss Delish has uploaded photos for me!!!

I obviously didn't make the souvenirs, MrsDrWho very kindly donated them!!

I would link to The Ravelry for the hat, but I can't access it this afternoon. My connection times out. I cleared my Cookies and now The FireFox says Ravelry is an Untrusted Connection. Not sure what is going on there. Right, through circuitous means I found myself on The Ravelry's Twitter page, that was a bit scary, and Ravelry is down for everyone, I didn't break it myself!! Thank goodness.

And it's back in the room.

This morning the new Water Meter was installed. It is high tech and the meter readers just drive past now and read it electronically. Peri and Gilly, especially Gilly, were very helpful. The Water Meter Reader and The Water Meter Photographer (yes, before and after photos!!) have a Chocolate Labrador so they were happy to be inundated with Labradors!!

The mornings have had an Autumn chill and Peri is especially enjoying the crisp start to the day. She's been running like the wind and jumping over fallen trees!! Peri runs full pelt and then leaps majestically over the jump, ears flying in the wind.

I have no Library books. I took back four books last Saturday and now I am without a book to read. I just checked and I have four books about to arrive: a biography of Catherine of Aragon, growing vegetables in small spaces, River Cottage Everyday cooking and 50/60/70 iconic Australian house architecture.  Catherine's biography is actually at The Library now, but I went out at lunch time and I am too tired to go out again. I haven't been to the letter box at the front since Monday either. I must walk down and up all the stairs tomorrow. That could be my goal for the day!!

I am off to visit The GardyGardeners tomorrow. We have afternoon tea about every two months at their house. Last week their lovely Corgi Ben died. He was fifteen. We have been sad for them and when it is the right time we'll take them a lovely rose for their garden. I am going to bake an apricot version of the Plum Tray Bake, I think that the apricots will work very well.

Oh and it is Friday Food tomorrow. Where does the time go?? I am going to cook something for MrsHouseOf as it has been her birthday too, and MrsRenos!! I have sewed MrsHouse of a new skirt. It is the same material as my Chartreuse dress!! I just need to thread the elastic through the waist and it is finished.

The BSODL(tm) had electric ball of wool winders on sale for $20. I am sure one you wind by hand is better, but I couldn't pass it up at such a bargain price. I have wound some wool. I have discovered I am not a good winder. I may yet be.

Peri and Gilly have just circled back for their second lot of Dinner reminder head butts and tail wags. I must fed them or they will grow weak from hunger!!

Tea For The Tillerwomen

There's no cooking today. It's too hot to use anything other than the toaster for some English Fruit muffins. I'm feeling a bit poorly and not quite up to par thinking-wise either. I went to lunch at MrsReno's house and lots of friends were there. MrsReno knitted me a scarf. Isn't it lovely?? It is soft and feels very nice against the skin. Lorelai Gilmore thinks it is the best thing since sliced bread and wants to play with it. I have had to put it way up out of reach.

At High Noon I shared a cup of tea, virtually, with Janette and Antoinette. We all had some of the new Australian Afternoon tea: a blend of Orange Pekoe, Russian Caravan and Irish Breakfast. I love meeting my friends and having a chat and a cup of tea (or bubbly!!) and so it was fun to email as we had our tea and cake or muffins internetally!! The tea is strong and rich, but not bitter. I drank my plain, and it was delicious. Peri and Gilly shared a biscuit from MrsValley.

I love my childhood desk. It must be at least Vintage by now!! We chatted for about half and hour on the email, shared some photos and talked about knitting and how some people might think we were strange!!

I knitted a hat for the new Baby Electric 2. She's just arrived and Aunty Dutch rang half an hour ago to let me know. I think it is just lovely. Doing garter stitch in the round is a bit of a horror and I made the ear stalks and bulbs flat and seamed them. It was much easier. It's the I Name This Day Fiona (In It's I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again Tim Brown-Windsor says to Fiona: "Oh Fiona, name the day." Fiona then says in her best QE2 ship launching voice:"I name this day Fiona.") I used a ball of Full o'Sheep left over from my Freshly Cut Grass Cardigan.

If my next door neighbours don't seem to be paying enough attention, or doling out enough seaweed rice crackers as treats, Peri and Gilly have found that this works for them:

I couldn't resist their plaintive gazes either.

Happy Birthday Sweet Miss Three!!!

Happy Birthday Lorelai Gilmore. Miss Gilly is three years old and here is a collage with one photo for every month. She has grown to be such a lovely girl, and what a wonderful sister she has in Peri.

Gilly received a new green collar and a squeaky football for her birthday. And there was some fresh chicken breast for their breakfast. Isn't Peri such a tidy eater??

MrsDrWho's niece and nephew gave them rawhide candy canes for Christmas. They both ate the twirly red and green stripe first so it must have tasted delicious. MrsDrWho read the back-of-the-packet information and raw hide is fine as a sometimes treat.

The weather has been very hot and humid and I have been poorly for almost a week: a few days in bed, lots of air cooled with ice, cool flannels on my forehead and a weirdly painful neck. Yesterday the weather cooled and this morning we had rain and the breeze blowing in the window now is positively cold. We all went back to bed after breakfast and slept till after noon.

The Labradors have had to walk on their leads and avoid the evil grass seeds. Gilly's eye is fine now and we want to keep it that way. There has even been some swimming. Peri is such a good swimmer: she launches into the water with a diving splash and retrieves like all get out. On the way back she has to keep coughing because she is low in the water and keeps swallowing some. Gilly just prances about next the edge. In case. You have to be nimble to avoid being soaked when Peri shakes herself. I can see how slim she really is when she is wet.

 

The horrid hot weather encouraged me to sew a cool dress. It is a very simple A-line with ties at the side and I am still undecided about the sleeve(s): to sleeve or not to sleeve? That is the question. This is some material I dyed a while ago. I am very happy with the colour. I shall make a small hem with biased binding. Maybe it will even peep out.

There has been a tiny amount of knitting too. Tiny amount of tiny knitting.

I've caught up with friends for After-Christmas Christmases and there are still a few to go. Christmas can last till Australia Day. At The Gorge we were entertained by the peahens, chicks and a cheeky peacock. I hope they clean the tables well.

I have joined a Quilting Block of the Month course on Craftsy. It is free, which is why I joined. Now there is an ongoing email discussion with MrsDrWho while we each decide which fabric we will choose. There are twenty blocks, so two a month in spite of the course name, and then the last two months are for piecing together, quilting and binding. I have watched the first two lessons and I feel I could whip up two blocks in a week if I was feeling poorly for the other three weeks. So it looks a good bet that there could be a quilt, or two, by the end of the year.

We are celebrating the arrival of lemons on the lemon tree, and they have grown larger and look healthy. Now all I have to do is leave them alone. Maybe I will water them. I wonder if I should add some smelly seaweed liquid fertiliser?? I have no idea!! Gilly is providing a nice background even though the lemon is totally out of focus: starting the year off as I mean to go on with poor photography.

And now I am going back to my tiny knitting, a series about the history of Ancient Britain and the promise of three more cool days to come.

This Year Of Living Dangerously

I have been sitting on the verandah following our New Year's Eve tradition of Filling-In-The-New-Buffy-Diary. To ease the burden of writing in all the dates, holidays and birthdays I rewarded myself with some dip at the end of each month and a sip of cider whenever I liked. The cider is in a glass my dad used to drink his beer from.

Peri and Gilly met a new friend called Jet on their walks this week. They ran and played together very happily.

The veranda was the coolest place to be, after a walk and a swim for Peri and a paddle for Gilly this morning, we went back to bed until 3-45pm: avoiding the hottest part of the day. It's a good thing there is a liner in the car because Peri gave a big shake again after she hopped in.

Last night I went to late dinner with MrsDrWho and her family and friends. MrsDrWho and I had Wagyu beef. It was utterly delicious. It is grown in the North West of the state. Mine was medium well with a mushroom and bacon sauce. It truly was melt in your mouth meat.

2011 has been an interesting year. The most horrid part was when I had to go to hospital unexpectedly with the septic shower in my blood stream, and then I spent the rest of the year working hard, and I think successfully, not to be depressed and anxious.

Peri and Gilly have lost over 7kg each and, despite of The Widdler and The Winky Eye, they have had a very happy year.

My new car is still going nicely, the big oak tree is gone from the garden and I have my nice new computer with which to surf the Internet.

I am so lucky to have wonderful friends, real and imaginary, and a kind family who have all helped me in many ways.

This evening I made some collages of the craft I have completed this year and Self Stitched September too. I am quite amazed at all the things I have made, though there are some projects languishing and I have yet to produce another wearable dress: my bete noir. I will finish them off when the weather is cooler.

 

I am now officially agog, I must have buried myself in my craft. Oops, the christmas tea towel bags are there twice.

Next year I am looking forward to The Olympics, spending lots of time playing with Peri and Lorelai Gilmore, making a wearable dress, finishing my two cardigans and generally being more organised. It's a Leap Year so that makes it extra special. I think I shall be doing Friday Food and cooking from magazines this year: I always mean to but hardly ever do.

Lorelai Gilmore has been racing about searching for the source of the fire cracker noise and Peri is saving us from the party at the back. They are very good girls.

Happy New Year: welcome 2012*!!!

I say Twenty Twelve 2012, just like I say Ten SixtySix 1066.

Batman Characters: The Widdler

Poor Peri was very concerned and worried last Saturday as she had an accidental wee while she was napping inside on the slate tiles. After a Silent Movie style gathering of a sample, we went to the Vet and saw Dr Tim. He said it could be one of a few things and so we have been keeping an eye on her. It seems to happen when she is asleep and is quite common in 5% of desexed females. So Peri and Gilly went to the Vet this morning and now Peri has some tablets, extremely inexpensive tablets, and if they work she will only need two a week and that will only cost $1. Of course if these tablets don't work there are incredibly expensive drugs, which I am sure we will need to resort to. It is the way of the world at our house. Luckily Peri thinks the tablets are lollies and Gilly lines up too, so everyone has to have a fish oil capsule as well.

The ride in the car was very exciting and Gilly was doing her best to be as close to the front seat as she could.

It has been Summery Hot here, 28* yesterday, but much hotter in the Sun and in our house. We had to break out the evaporative cooler, buy a bag of ice, wear a wet cloth on the back of the neck and lie about complaining. Thank goodness it is cooler today.

Once the weather warms up and Christmas looms it can all get just a bit too much so we have been taking things very easy and resting in between Christmas engagements. There has been some sewing:

A Christmas box bag for our Knitting Christmas and some Teatowel bags for Sewing friends.

 

A tree skirt for The GardyGardeners and some cute felt reindeer ornaments.

Warning: MrsDrWho and I signed up for the Premium Picnik and so pictures may have borders and shiny Christmas ornamentation.

Our Lovely Nurse's family at Leukaemia Support Group has a new baby Chocolate Labrador and I just happened to have some Labrador fabric and so I made her a bag as well. Lots of bags this year so far.

MrsDrWho and I had surprise lunch in town today. There was some texting about Parcel Pick Up warehouses being closed, and then a reminder about shoes and then we were both in town and managed to rendezvous. There was one pair of green shoes and now they are all MINE!!!

This year my Christmas outings are nicely spread out over the month. I have them written on the December Calendar and I try to write everything in so I don't have two things on one day.

I am looking forward to Christmas Cooking and I have been making a list and checking it twice.Anyone have any great Christmas recipes they can recommend???

I've also made a Christmas Card photo and almost finished the song to go inside.

There hasn't been very much knitting, but I have the new Knitscene with eight cardigans and I am squirrelling away the Knitted Advent Calendar for next year. Though I did find a use for the glittery green wool I have had for ages: I made a tree!!! It is such a cute pattern and so quick to knit.

The next Batman Character we are hoping for is Mr Freeze. A little rain wouldn't go amiss either.

Snap! Crackle! Pop! Rice Troubles!!

Brownie #2, Caramel Crunch Brownie, was a bit of a fizzer. I followed the instruction to the letter, but it just didn't set. The instructions stated quite vehemently NOT to refrigerate the brownie, but even on a Spring day of 22*C the ganache didn't set. It seems that the brownie, toffee rice bubbles and then ganache layers retained too much heat and never cooled down enough to 'set'.  After a night in the refrigerator it went to MrsDrWho's staff room where it was pronounced tasty, but rich, and then proceeded to slightly fall apart again as it warmed up to room temperature. I shan't make this again. On to Brownie #3.

I have not been doing very much at all, mostly lolling about watching Rubicon which is the most fabulous TV show. They only made thirteen episodes and it is almost painfully slow, but riveting. I had to concentrate closely all the time. It is set in a Government think tank full of intelligence analysts and centres on a conspiracy. It reminds me a little of Nowhere Man, another show that messed with your mind. I have been knitting a hat while I watched as it is easy to just go round and round for 12 cm. These are the adornments and I need to felt the white ones. Auntie Dutch, do not click through HERE to see what I am making you for your birthday!!!

In the last three days I have been knitting the front of my Short Scene cardigan. The chart on Knitty.com seemed to be wrong so I googled errata and couldn't find any. I emailed the pattern's creator and she said that some symbols were missing. That was very kind of her and she answered the same day too. I had already gone ahead, willy-nilly, and changed the chart. Thank goodness I was right!! I shall finish this tonight and start the band for the left front.

Peri and Gilly have been enjoying their walks at the dam. Peri has been rolling in imaginary smelly things, which is good.

The she took off into the bush and wouldn't come when I called her: bones, we think. Sandy the Labrador's dad said there were bones to be had. Lorelai Gilmore likes to walk just with me, but she worries if Peri is away for too long. This is Gilly looking for Peri when I ask where she is. It is absolutely the right direction!!

This afternoon Peri was making muddy paws. Later on her legs were clean so she must have paddled in the paddle pool. Gilly was shiny and clean and playing with her plastic cup. You can see that Peri had stolen it!!

Some flowers are blooming in the front garden. Tori the Labrador's rose, Peace, is beautiful andd has a gorgeous sweet scent. The red camellias are looking lovely too. The white one always flowers when it is windy and rainy and goes brown and sad.

I have nothing to read. I am waiting for some Library boooks to arrive. I can see that the are in transit, but they have been transiting for a week. It's not that I don't have seventeen bookcases full of books, but I fancy reading :

• Joseph Lyons: The People's Prime Minister
• Revenge, the bridging book from Conspiracy 365 to the next series

and then almost on the way are :

• Chelsea Mansions by Barry Maitland
• Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves by Matthew Reilly
• You Are What You Speak by Robert Lane Greene

and MrsDrWho accidentally ordered two copies of Snuff by Terry Pratchett, so there's one for me!!

Graeme Base came to town a few weeks ago and I went along so he could sign his latest book for MrsDrWho who, annoyingly, had to be at school on a Tuesday at 10am.  How unreasonable!! Here's the website link to the Karnak interactive-ness.

I took a little sidey-waysie video while he was talking to the TV people. His illustrated/picture books are wonderful, I used Animalia, The Eleventh Hour and other when I was teaching. They are not just books for children, they are books for people of all ages to enjoy on many different levels.

 

Snap, Crackle, Pop, Rice Bubbles!

Dinky Boots

People cast aspersions* on my car and its smallness yesterday, but I am beastly careless, and they were only joking. The Boot Protector I ordered last week arrived this afternoon and so I went up immediately and put it into the boot of the new (old new) car. Well it is the Only Car now. I can not only fold down the back seats, but I can then lift the base of the seats up and the hook to the front seats for safety. The Boot Protector is meant for 4WD vehicles so it is a tad short, but the flap that is meant to pull out over the bumper fills the gap nicely and velcros securely. It isn't quite high enough at the sides but I am going to MacGyver some heavy duty plastic that will cover that section.

Peri and Gilly have never been in the new car. Peri hopped straight in, but Gilly was a bit worried. But once Peri was in, so was she. There is plenty of room. They can stand up or sit down. They can't put their heads out the windows. Gilly tried to jump up on the seat twice, but I said no in a cross voice and that was it. They are such clever Labradors, they learned so quickly, adapted so well and had a lovely ride in the car.

The dam was so full of smells, but we only had a short walk, and then it was back in the car and we were home by 6pm.

I stopped just at the reservoir and took this photo on the way home. I bought the boot protector from Running Dog and am very happy with the service and the product. We are very glad to be able to go for a ride in the car to the dam to walk again.

I've not been well the last five or six days, I've had a weird 'thing': a temperature and rapid pulse and wooziness, but all my tests were OK when I rang today. I have some lovely antibiotics which are two shades of green and they seem to have knocked whatever it was on the head. Because I have a compromised immune system I get to take antibiotics as a safety precaution, normally healthy people wouldn't have been prescribed them.

This morning I felt well enough to take Peri and Gilly for a short walk around the block and then I decided not to Spring Clean, even though it is Monday, and I finished the Citizen Kane Hat. I've had all the flowers and leaves and the actual hat sitting in a basket since Autumn. It wasn't a difficult job, but there were 130-ish ends to be threaded through the hat above the rolled brim, tied and then sewn in and snipped. I made ten more small roses to fill in the gaps. I am a bit worried that the sewn in ends might irritate Toddler Electric's delicate head, but since it will fit on my head, it probably won't be too tight. I shall find stretch ribbon or some-such to sew inside and cover the ends if needs be. I am amused that I took one photo on two packets of Four Roses Plain Flour!!

MrsDrWho gave Peri and Gilly some excellent rawhide teats for my birthday and I put them away for a rainy day. It was a 'rainy' day on Saturday when they missed their walk as I was poorly,

and so they had 36 fun filled minutes of rawhide frisbee fun!!! And then it was over......

I did bake a nice lemony lemon tart. Because I was resting, the pastry also rested in the fridge once in plastic wrap and then a second time in the flan tin, so it was nice and crisp.

And now I can take my tablet and we can all go to bed at last. I have some new Gunpowder Mint tea but I think I'll have some Sleep Tight instead!!!

* I always think in my mind 'casting nasturtiums!!!