Love Is In The Air

I have been a wreck all day, ever since I woke up at 6-30am. The ABS man took a full three minutes to announce the result of the Same Sex Postal Survey: it was a YES!! I have cried happy tears all day, every time it was on the news that almost two-thirds of Australians voted YES. Every time I saw Penny Wong cover her face and cry. Every time I saw the man ask his partner to marry him. Every time. Every time. Every time.

I was so afraid we might end up with a Brexit or a Trump result, but my faith in Australians is restored and bolstered.  Overall, it was 61.6% saying YES, and our state, with a terrible record for many years, had the equal third highest YES vote. 133 out of 150 electorates said YES to civil marriage for a woman and a man, a woman and a woman, and a man and a man.

Now we wait for the Parliament to do the right thing, to pass the bill and not allow discrimination by wedding bakers and florists. I was pleased to see James Paterson's bill has been taken down. I have my fingers crossed again. I didn't think I would ever see the day.

I have been recovering from my eye operation, it has only been three weeks, and I have been extra tired. I have hay fever, and I can only take my 'pretend cold tablets' which also make me drowsy. There has been a lot of sleeping. I had a battery of weird and expensive tests and an ultrasound (I didn't have to pay, yay again for Australia). The good news is that nothing has changed, which could also be the bad news, but I choose to think happy thoughts: if my condition ever changes, it won't be for the better!!

Lorelai Gilmore and Hedy Lamarr have a new paddle pool. It is sooo much smaller then the green one which is 28 years old, but it means Hedy can't monopolise the cool water. Gilly would never push her out and so there's always a spare pool now.

Sandy's dad and mum don't have a new dog, after Sandy died, but they are Respite care for trainee Guide Dogs. They hosted Paris over the Recreation Day long weekend. Paris is two years old, and she wasn't allowed off her lead as the dam area is not secure. We don't want her running down an almost vertical hill into a gorge of trees like Gilly and Hedy......

They are good girls and come back when they are called!! Hedy like to roll about, and she especially likes to show you her belly when she has done something wicked, let's say stealing the wraps from the grocery bag, opening the packet and eating them. She loves the grass at the dam.

Gilly watches and waits for Sandy or Rafa's dads to arrive.

Rafa is always very popular.

I had planned to sew today as the forecast said it would be cool. It was not. It was 29*C and we always add 5-8 degrees, so if you do the maths it was quite hot. In the end I did cutting out. It will be cooler tomorrow and I plan to sew. I am making the Seamwork Almada Robe in some lovely rayon from Spotlight. This is the photo from the Almada PDF.

I've also cut out ten Christmas shopping bags, ready to sew up the bodies.

Although I have The Instagram, and it is so easy to post a photograph, I love my blog. I have found lots of people whose blogs I used to follow, and so I am very pleased to see them again!!

I still haven't knitted with my plastic surgery-ed finger. The weather is warmer now, so I have given up on this year's cardigan. I can sew, so I am making the best of it. I have read four books in the last three days, and found all bar one of my Library books, so I am doing well. I have a week to find it..... One job I want to do is add the 77 books I have read since June to my side bar. I love having a record of the books I read and I am way behind.

I haven't kept up with answering my comments. I want catch up in the next few days. Sometimes they are too far back to appear on my iPad and I am too lazy to turn the computer on!!!!

It is not long until Christmas and I am not panicking or worrying. I even found edible rose petals for my Turkish coconut ice at the deli at the corner. I have been slowly shopping for presents and making baking lists. I love Christmas!!

 

Ding, Dong, Bell, Hedy's In The Well

Who put her in?
Little Johnny Thin.

Who Pulled her out?
Lorelai Gilmore and me!!!

 

A new toilet block, and BBQ area, is being built at the dam. They have excavated a giant hole, which has filled with water, and put a high portable fence around it: which is no barrier to limbo-ing or commando crawling Labradors apparently. We were walking, and I looked around and saw Gilly inside the fence and Hedy was in the water. Hedy was frozen with fear and/or trepidation and would not come for a biscuit or her Billyball. I managed to find a way into the "pool" area and I had to lie flat in the mud and try to pull Hedy out. To no avail. And as I was contemplating my next move, Lorelai Gilmore came back in, leaped into the water and swam around to Hedy's left side and then climbed out. Hedy watched and then, encouraged by Gilly, tried to climb out and I was able to grab the scruff of her neck and haul her out.

Gilly doesn't really swim and so she is a hero for showing Hedy how to climb out and rescuing her.

Hedy Lamarr has been wicked, no surprise there. I put the brownie I had baked on the dining room table ready to take to MrsDrWho's house and as I wandered about getting ready she seemed to be acting suspiciously. I couldn't work out why until it was time to go and I saw this:

I knew how much dark chocolate was in the recipe and I calculated she had eaten about one third and it was less than 100g. She was fine, but kept us up all night wanting to go in and out and being generally hyperactive. I put the other baked goods up high in the hall.

I showed Hedy the brownie and then squirted her with the diluted apple cider vinegar. She wouldn't talk to us for about half an hour and sulked as far away as she could go.

Thank goodness for Gilly, who is such a good girl and paddles happily in the paddle pool, eats grass and plays with her plastic cups!!! I think her only flaw right now is her love for the muddy puddles at the dam.

I finished the batik jelly roll quilt. Somewhere in the house there are some jelly roll strips and I know not where, so I added some plains to make up the length. I am so pleased with the way it turned out and I may quilt-as-you-go again.

This is the first thing I have sewed since August 11th when Hedy chewed my finger accidentally. My finger is almost as good as new. I have normal feeling in the top, but at the sides I feel as if I am touching the freezer in the supermarket whilst having pins and needles. That is where my finger split and they plastic-surgeried it back together. I can see and feel the hard scars. But look, my finger looks like a real one again: it's my middle finger.

I am sewing two shopping bags for my sister and Bella'sMum. My sister has a Shar Pei so I bought a fat quarter from The Spoonflower and Bella'sMum has a black Labrador and so I found some dog drill.

The Spotlight has Doctor Who fabric and I have it ALL. The comic strip version will be for the skirt of a dress and then the other is to make gifts for friends.

We have the second medium produce box and I am about to be cooking outside my comfort zone: there is kale, a big bunch of kale. I have never eaten or cooked kale, but there are leeks, pumpkin and fresh thyme, so I shall be searching the internet for a recipe.

I used the cucumber and spring garlic to make some tzatziki, along with the tomatoes in some wraps for dinner. There was not quite enough to save so we ate the tail end for "dessert".

Speaking of dessert, which I can usually never eat when I am dining out, I ate dessert for my lunch on Saturday. I caught up with MrsDrWho and three of TheHouseOfs and I had French toast with nut brittle, ice-cream and salted caramel sauce. It was delicious: the toast was crisp on the outside and pillowy and luscious on the inside. And was there a custardy sauce???

Wow, this is a very busy week: unexpected Patient Partner with the Year 4 doctors yesterday, curtain making for a couple of hours on Monday, medical appointments today, lunch tomorrow and then the vet on Friday. And add to that our extremely high temperatures, it was up to 15*C above average: 32 in Hobart and 28 here. Thankfully it is cooler now, but I have a slight heat headache. We are not looking forward to a hotter than normal Summer. Bah Humbug. We shall make hay while the Sun doesn't shine!!!

Cold, Always Believe In Your Cold. You’ve Got The Power To Know You’re Indestructible.

I have a cold. Pretty much everyone I know has has a cold, a bad cold, or the full blown ‘flu and I have been lucky. Until Saturday night, and I have had a cold since then. We still go for our walks, because come hell or high water The Walk is sancrosanct. It means Hedy does a lot of running after the ball and catching it, and Gilly can roll in something smelly and then play in a muddy puddle.

Today is the first time I have been out. I went to the shop to buy vegetables for The Labradors and salty crisps for me. And the ingredients for the Feel Better Chicken Soup: garlic, ginger, chilli, chicken, noodles etc. 

I also changed the bed. I needed a big rest after that. Since the paddle pool was filled there have been many wet and/or muddy feet on the bed.

Hedy Lamarr loves to play with WinnieWinston. He is a black Labrador toy that is meant to suction to a window with his suction feet. Hedy likes to dip him in the paddle pool, and then just duck him under a little more to get him really wet.

Lorelai Gilmore is losing her Winter undercoat. Big time. It comes out like clumps of merino wool. Luckily she likes to have her legs and fluffy bits ruffled and patted and so we can make a furry mess outside. The weather has been warm, 20*C today, but we had a huge electrical storm with teeming rain at the weekend. Gilly likes to cool off in a puddle, thankfully we have the paddle pool at home.

And just when Gilly is having a lovely time, along comes Hedy to stick her nose in. She’s putting on the brakes, and I think her ears are air brakes!

So that has been our little world these last four or five days: bed, a walk and sleep. I have had to cancel outings, and a visit to the vet for Gilly’s blood test. I can’t go to our 100th Knitting Dining Out tomorrow, that’s one hundred months over ten years, and I am sulking about it. I am very cross, but that is just the way it is.

We had some sad news that one of The Labradors dog friends, Jet, died yesterday. He had been sick for over a year. He was a lovely boy. Here he is playing with Gilly and our lovely Peri Naughty. Jetty is in Dog Heaven with Peri Naughty and Sandy.

We had some marvellous news as well, with one of my friends  becoming a grandmother for the first time. I had a few happy tears tonight when she told me. I must get better and sew the baby’s quilt.

I have my usual appointment at the GP on Friday, so she will be be able to check if I am on the road to recovery. I am so annoyed, my friends are on school holidays and I could be gallivanting about. Well, gallivanting slowly, in a cafe, with a cup of tea!

 

Don't Chew Want Me Baby. Don't Chew Want Me Ooh?*

It has been five weeks and three days since Hedy Lamarr accidentally chewed my finger, and I am doing very well: in fact the dead part of the fingernail fell of this morning when I was checking my injury. The skin covering my finger has died and is ready to slough off, like a snake skin. I realised this is why I had weird pins and needles feelings. When I touch the tip of my finger I touch the dead skin, then there's a layer of air and then the brand new pink skin. You can see some of the brand new pink skin below the fingernail. It is very strange. The dissolving stitches have dissolved and the remaining growing part of the fingernail should soon be growing. I hope. Because I have a suppressed immune system, it is a longer healing time than normal, but keeping the wound dry and clean has really helped.

I have still not knitted or sewed. I have two almost finished knitted hats from Before The Chewing. The first is just a plain and simple beanie I am making up as I go along, in Felici Worsted in Time Traveller (Doctor Who stripes, but they can't say that) for Uncle Dutch's birthday. The second is the Fisher Cable Hat for MrReno's birthday. Both are covered in dog hair because Lorelai Gilmore has started moulting. She helpfully had a big cuddly pat right next to the hats and I am just not up to removing all the dog hair yet. I plan to make MrsDrWho a Pussy Hat, and MrsReno is making one too, both from some Caron cakes.

The Labradors went for their Dental check in August. Last year we found out that Gilly had her very own auto-immune disease and so it is marvelous that a year later she is almost better than good. Hedy scored a 10/10 and Gilly a 9/10 and she must have another check in six months. Her auto-immune illness is managed by one tablet every second day and she can't be immunised. This is a worry, but she is well and happy. She leaps over trees in a single bound!!!

And such a look of concentration.

Hedy Lamarr has a different look. She has a muddy look!!! The weather is warming up and so when we get back to the gate at the dam she insists on running through and cooling down in the puddle.

Hedy is also helping around the house, and by that I mean by making a mess all around the house. She has never been interested in toilet rolls, but last week this one just took her fancy. And she just doesn't care. At all.

MrsDrWho, MrsReno and I went to The Quilt Expo. Outside there was a patchwork Mini!!!

Inside there were some wonderful quilts. I bought 16 mixed green batik fat quarters for $20. Such a bargain. One of the prize winning quilts was hand pieced (3000) hours and hand quilted (2000 hours).

And here is the owner of Esme's Patchwork's Splendid Sampler. I started this when Hedy came to live with us and because she came to live with us I stopped!!

I have plans to make a quilt-as-you go baby quilt soon for my friend's first grandson. It will be a race between my finger healing and the baby arriving.

In Australia we are participating in a, what I consider to be ridiculously expensive and unnecessary, postal survey about same-sex marriage. We elect politicians to write and enact laws. And it is going to cost $122 million. I am voting yes. I believe that marriage is a civil contract. I am not religious, and feel very cross that some religious people want to tell non-religious people what to do. I think it is right and proper that churches decide which couples they will marry, that right is a binding law. But the world will not end, the sky will not fall if there is fairness and equality. Yes, there is activism on both sides, but without the brave and forward thinking Suffragettes, women would not now have the vote. I know that other people will not agree with me, and that is fine. Australia is a country where I can disagree with you, and you with me, and I can live with that. I will be very sad if the law is not passed in the affirmative. It's Time feels as appropriate now as it did back in 1972, albeit for a different cause. Here's a link to the video. I hope that if anyone disagrees they will do so in a polite and respectful manner. We don't have rudeness or swearing or cruelty on this blog.

It's Time

It’s time for freedom,
It’s time for moving, It’s time to begin,
Yes It’s time

It’s time Australia,
It’s time for moving, It’s time for proving,
Yes It’s time

It’s time for all folk,
It’s time for moving, It’s time to give,
Yes It’s time

It’s time for children,
It’s time to show them, Time to look ahead,
Yes It’s time

Time for freedom,
Time for moving, Time to be clear,
Yes It’s time

Time Australia,
Time for moving, It’s time for proving,
Yes It’s time

Time for better,
Come together, It’s time to move,
Yes It’s time

Time to stand up,
Time to shout it, Time, Time, Time,
Yes It’s time

Time to move on,
Time to stand up, time to say ‘yes’,
Yes It’s time

 

 

The ABC showed the first of thirteen Countdown specials, one for each year it was broadcast, last Sunday. I grew up watching Countdown and on Sunday I turned the sound on the TV up to 60 and did sad, old people dancing in the lounge room. Gilly and Hedy thought I was having a conniption. I knew all the words and all the tunes and all the people, and I am very much looking forward to the next twelve shows.

*Human League

Don't Chew Worry 'Bout A Thing

Well that was an unexpected turn of events. I had a ride in an ambulance, a couple of days in hospital and some plastic surgery: no new nose or perky breasts though.

I have left handedly sewn some kitchen cloth over my bandage in an attempt to keep it somewhat clean.

Late Friday afternoon Hedy Lamarr stole a pig's ear from the shopping and was eating it in her little box. I put my hand in her mouth to extract said pig's ear and she chewed down at the same time and accidentally chewed my finger. There was no malice on her part, no pulling or tugging, it was just an accident. I have put my hand in dogs' mouths for twenty-eight years and never been chewed before.

Her tooth went through the centre of my middle fingernail on my right, and dominant, hand. It was like taking a well roasted carrot and pressing your finger into it. There is a hole, and the edges of the carrot split: I did worry I would lose the end of my finger.

Our wonderful health system kicked in. Neighbours rang the ambulance and applied pressure and held my arm up. Dion the paramedic put on a dressing and then took me to the Fast Track Emergency. They cleaned me up and I saw a doctor and a plastic surgeon. I was bumped by a young man who had punched a window and broken a hundred bones in his hand, and by 9pm I was in a bed on a ward.

The worst part of the whole thing was not eating from 2pm Friday until 9-30pm Saturday. I had the best sandwiches in the world, saved from dinner by the nurse. I had talked about sandwiches all day. No liquids either, but I had three bottles of antibiotics and a litre of fluids through my cannula. The nurses, doctors and ward staff were wonderfully caring and made sure I was as comfortable as possible.

The next door neighbours looked after The Labradors. My friends came to visit and I dozed on and off. When they finally took me to the operating theatre, the plastic surgeon decided she could operate using a local, rather than a general, anaesthetic. Apparently I am brave. No one realised I had only have two paracetamol until Saturday morning, I just put up with the throbbing, I thought it was normal. When they gave me some Endone the pain went straight away.

The surgeon didn't need to remove my nail, she just stitched the top half on to protect the nail bed, stitched the nailbed and finger closed and Bob's your uncle, it was over.

MrsDrWho brought me home and The Labradors were more excited to see her than me. My friends brought me so much food the fridge is too full and I had to freeze a quiche and some homemade soup. Hedy was afraid of my hospital smell, but Lorelai Gilmore took it all in her stride.

I am allowed to drive if I forgo the drugs, so we went for a walk this morning and now we are back in bed, full of drugs, and ready for a day of sleep. Oh and a month or so of no knitting or sewing or legible writing. And showers with numerous plastic bags and sticky tape.

An awful thing happened, but in the end it was all sorted out and not so bad. Accidents happen and you can't change that. I am grateful to have wonderful family and friends and live in a country where there is free health care. I don't have to pay a cent for my stay or operation as far as I can tell.

Gilly and Hedy outside the back door. Hedy has "opened" one of their beds, collected some sticks and chewed her red placemat. Gilly is just a good girl.

 

Once More Unto The Beach, Dear Friends, Once More.

It is very annoying when all your friends are on holiday and/or have relatives visiting. There is so much socialising to do: it wears me out!! It is the best kind of tired. The tired I feel when I am tired from too much laughing, talking, eating, and walking on the beach.

It was a milestone birthday for MissSingapore and we celebrated with a vegetarian picnic at the beach. That was her heart's desire: a picnic at the beach and then a long walk to the other end of the bay.

For a Winter's day, it was pretty perfect. The sun shone and there was a light breeze. It was too cold to go in the water, even to paddle, but it was a perfect walking along the beach day.

Thousands of little crabs must have erupted all at once sometime that morning. The waves were small, but very noisy. It is true that the sea air is very invigorating. I collected lots of cuttlefish for some birds I know.

I finished a cotton doily for MissSingapore. The body is knitted on 2.5mm needles and then the edging crocheted with a 2.5mm hook. I blocked it by drawing a circle around a large saucer, dampening and then pinning each crocheted loop, making sure the first double crochet was exactly on the line. It turned out very well, thought in the picture the edging is wonky.

I also sewed her a bag version of MrsDrWho's Star Wars wall-hanging(#112)

Here is my specially adapted Celery shopping bag (#111) It will hold three bunches of celery comfortably, four sparse bunches at a pinch.

I sewed the final Cat bed, #3, for MrsDrWho's birthday. At our house you have quite a difficult time trying to take photos sometimes.

The Cat bed has some super soft polar fleece on top, and then some Star Wars furnishing fabric on the bottom, or vice versa. There are five layers. I have photos of the first two beds as well.

When I look at Gilly in the last picture she looks very worried and sad. It was not long after Peri died, and I think it is when she started to become ill. She missed Peri Pumpkin terribly.

Here are two very happy Labradors on their rainy walk. The camera angle makes Hedy look Giant. Lorelai Gilmore is exceedingly well. She plays rough and rowdy rebel games with Hedy all the time. In fact most of the time I was editing photos, they were playing Tug-of-War with a piece of cloth. Hedy Lamarr has been wicked. She chewed a clock. We shall speak of this no more.......

This Winter the mornings have been very icy and especially cold. So cold, that there was ice on the inside of the windscreen and tiny drops of ice frozen on the tips of the conifers at the dam.

A few years ago I bought some Supernatural fabric from The Spoonflower for MrsDrWho's sister. I planned to make a dress for her. And today I did. I am not confident at all sewing stretch fabric, so I used a beginner McCalls pattern, 7348. I only had one yard of the Supernatural fabric, so I bought some cotton jersey from The BlackSpot of Doomlight (tm) It sewed beautifully and has a lovely drape. The Spoonflower fabric wasn't as easy to sew. I made View A, and had to add an annoying 10cm to finish each shoulder as the yard was not quite long enough. I did some excellent pattern matching. I still have to finish the hem tomorrow. I stopped sewing before I made a mistake.

I have been very busy dining out and there will be more dining out tomorrow. I have made chocolate, and boozy gin, fudge and Nutella truffles. It is no wonder I have been tired!! The Labradors and I rested all day on Tuesday after the beach excursion. I think we will rest again tomorrow.

Wondering Woman

Judy-May has a new house!! How exciting!! She organised a House-warming Afternoon Tea and so I said I couldn't possibly have a catch up with my Sewing friends on Tuesday afternoon because: House-warming Afternoon Tea. In the back of my mind I had a niggling memory of something happening Thursday afternoon. I expect you can see where this is going.....

There I was, sitting at home with a present and a TimTam Brownie and I realised I didn't know where to go to find the new house. I plaintively posted on The Ravelry about said situation and feeling out of the loop. I don't have The Facebook, I am not Modern and the others are Modern. Turns out, the House-warming was today: Thursday afternoon. I took myself off to bed with a cup of tea and had a nice lie down on Tuesday!!! I am surprised we let me out of the house sometimes. My kind Knitting friends had a laugh with me this afternoon. I am wondering what I will forget next.

Here is the Wonder Woman table runner. I used one pink and two red fat quarters and just 20cm of the Wonder Woman fabric. I did a little hand quilting and fussy cut Diana for the centre of the squares.

MissSingapore is a celebratory age this year and MrsDrWho suggested a cup, saucer and plate. That could be my "thing" and I could buy it for her from now on to make a collection. MissSingapore is vegetarian and I just went to Cocoon by chance and there I found a gorgeous cup and saucer by LyndalT, which is animal bone free. It is Fine New China and perfect, as Miss Singapore can drink from it knowing it is free from animal products. Lyndal is an Australian and I rang to say how pleased I was. She was lovely to chat to. I am borrowing the photo from her website, I will put the clicky link here. The cup and saucer are secure in their box and I am too afraid to remove them.

I am knitting a doily to accompany the tea cup and saucer. It is Flacon, not a Ravelry pattern, using 4ply cotton and 2.5mm needles. I have four more rounds and then the crocheted edging to finish.

I am knitting MrsDrWho a cowl using Time Traveller in worsted Felici from The KnitPicks. Which is of course on sale now. I took it to MrsDrWho's house on Sunday to try for size and now I can't find it. More wondering.....

Vandals regularly break into The Dam area, after the gate is shut, and drive all over the grass areas.

Sandy's Dad thinks the Parks & Wildlife need to use a motion activated camera to catch them. The P&W put some rather large rocks to block the side, but the vandals just pushed them out of the way. Now they have cemented in two upright logs. Up the hill the vandals pushed the logs over and now there is a huge felled tree and more rocks. Their efforts seem to be in vain.

The construction in the dam area has not started, but I managed to kick Hedy's Billy Ball under the fence.

She was very upset. She cleverly ran around to the opposite side because it should have rolled out there. It didn't. I had to find a stick and hook the ball and pull it slowly towards us. Thank goodness I succeeded!! Hedy Lamarr has faith in me.

Lorelai Gilmore is just smelling things. That's what she wants to do. That, and roll in something smelly herself.

And now some Labradors running. Gilly sees Sandy and his Dad walking down the hill from our car and she keeps and eagle eye out for them. Now Hedy copies and does the same, but she takes her Billy Ball with her. When Sandy appears they run to greet him, and then they all run back through the gate.

 Gilly might stop and smell something and come last, but fast!!

This week I made a mash-up dessert: Lemon Meringue Cheesecake Pie. I didn't take any pictures, but Onyi has requested it for Friday Food tomorrow, and her wish shall be granted!!

I'd Like To Buy A Towel Please.

Labradors eat anything. Literally anything. And The Labradors at our house have eaten pretty much everything they shouldn't. Last week Hedy ate most of a tea-towel. I absent-mindedly hung the tea-towel over the baby gate to the kitchen, instead of on the oven handle. There must have been biscuit on it, because I had used it to take the giant biscuits' tray out of the oven.

When I came home, I wondered what on earth was lying in the mud near the fence. Yes, it's the end of the tea-towel as we know it. I kept an eye on Hedy for the next day or so, but it didn't seem to have any ill effects. Thank goodness.

We had such very good news today at The Vet. Dr Gary gave Lorelai Gilmore her blood test and she has a platelet score of 50. Which is excellent. I think it has been 35, then 38 the last twice. She still has to take her Imuran, but we don't have to go back for three months. We are ever so grateful to all the doctors and nurses for taking such wonderful care of Gilly. She has a blue bandage because her leg bled a little, it stayed on for just an hour when we came home. She is very happy.

I am extra absent-minded because my mum came to stay and we did so much over the three days that I have spent a week in bed recovering. It was so lovely to see her and we spent time shopping, chatting about knitting, doing crosswords and practising her Ipad skills and dining in and out!! Mum came for a walk one frosty morning and Hedy was so excited she almost turned inside out. Gilly was sure Mum had a treat in her hand (she didn't) and spent the first half of the walk trying to inveigle the treat away.

One of our neighbours has chickens and we benefit from the eggs every now and then. Last week I looked over the road and at Not-The-Chicken-House, there was a chicken on the front patio!!!

There has been very little crafting. Poor MrsDrWho is once again waiting for birthday presents because my life has ups and downs. I am making a Star Wars Character wall hanging. It is meant to be paper pieced and quilted. Instead, I used Heat & Bond Lite to stick the pieces in place and then puffy paint to seal the edges. Also, it has some muddy paw appliqué from guess who? Hedy.

Today I sewed finally sewed the pieces together and basted the wadding to the back.  Not much farther to go now.

I bought MrsDrWho some Star Wars earrings from BooKittyBootique on The Etsy. All the earrings are lovely, I bought some aqua ones for me and an excellent R2D2 pair for MrsDrWho. As I was wrapping them up I somehow hit the end of the cutting board and one pinged its way across the room into oblivion. I sent a message to BooKitty and not only did she offer to replace the earring, but she sent another pair and they were hand delivered!! I can recommend her Etsy shop.It was so kind of her and I very much appreciate the extra effort and thoughtfulness. MrsDrWho loves her earrings and earring story.

I have met some wonderful service and working dogs lately. I went for lunch with Auntie Dutch and we found ourselves next to a Guide Dogs In Training outing. The dogs were all so happy to see each other and they (mostly) waited patiently. The lovely golden Labrador next to me wriggled closer until she was secretly touching my foot. I resisted patting her as she was working. I went to the Council Chambers and met a newly trained Hearing Assistance dog. I've seen him out working as well. His humans were waiting for approval to come through so he would have the same rights as a Guide dog. His humans were happy to be in the photo!!

I met Alice the Army Reserve recruiting dog in the Mall. The recruiters hoped that if people stopped to pat her they might be interested in joining the Reserve. MrsDrWho and I assured them we would not be signing up!!

Rafa The Border Collie is away and so Hedy has decided she will play with Sandy. Sandy is almost thirteen, but he plays like a puppy. Lorelai Gilmore will only put up with so many shenanigans, and she makes sure everyone is playing sensible.

Hedy loves to play with her Billy Ball. On Monday we accidentally left the ball at home. It was a very traumatic walk for Hedy. I made a special effort to remember Billy Ball on Tuesday and much joy ensued. And when Hedy Lamarr wants to play, she wants to play now.

I have a new Winter coat. It is not new, it is from the posh St Vinnies' shop in town. My next door neighbour was walking past with me and insisted we go in. I protested I could never find anything in there. She proved me wrong. It is a Junior Look green coat, 80% wool, 20% nylon, fully lined, with pockets and it cost the grand total of $18. Of course it won't do up over my upper nether regions. I was experimenting with a kilt pin here, but I just wear it open and if it is deathly cold (as it has been, it was -5*C overnight twice) I wear a scarf.

When it is -5*C, the water on top of the buckets outside freezes and so do all the puddles at the dam and the grass. It is a Labrador Winter wonderland.

Well, not much happening, but we still have lots to tell!! There will be Friday Food, in fact I have two Friday Foods.  I am one ahead now, which is handy.

Weather You Like It, Or Not.

Life has been so busy this week. Monday was a holiday, and I can't actually remember what we did. On Tuesday I went to Leukaemia Support Group and found that one of our number had died. I don't have the local paper delivered any more so it was a bit of a shock. Two of our group have died in the last six months, but their other halves have continued to attend, and we are all pleased to see them. I baked a big batch of Coconut Rough Muffins and went and spent a little time with WeeJock & Bessie whose Mum and Dad had to elsewhere unexpectedly.

Yesterday I baked some TimTam Brownies and went to the wool shop for some knitting time with knitting friends. I went to pat WeeJock and Bessie and there may have been some slight miscommunication between their Mum and Dad because I set off the alarm. Oh, it was so loud and piercing and went straight through me. I had no idea what to do, but luckily their kind next-door neighbour knew what to do and we were able to disarm the alarm. I had to go home and have a cup of tea and a little lie down. Then I took some muffins to MrsDrWho, because I had promised to, and she is writing reports. We went to bed at 7pm last night.

Today has been just as hectic. We went for a walk, I baked more muffins, had lunch with friends. I am sitting here now and I can hear we have a mouse. It is rustling in the wall. I shall have to do something about it tomorrow. I made a scarf for one of my lunch friends, a simple Feather & Fan stitch in charcoal Jet 12ply. I knitted two halves so that the ends both had a nice curve and then grafted them together at the back of the neck. The socks are in Crunchy Salad, Fresh'n'Juicy from Opal. They are almost finished, for MrsDrWho's birthday.

I knitted the Cowl for MrsMichigan last year, but I hadn't posted it and now it is Summer, but she will have it for their Winter. It is a Craftsy free pattern in a knit-along by Kate Atherley: the Waverton Cowl.

Lorelai Gilmore's health continues to improve. She runs and plays with the other dogs and jumps up for a treat, even though she knows she shouldn't.

Hedy is just full of happiness and wickedness. She is sometimes so happy she quivers with joy.

For only the second time in maybe fifteen years, there are lemons on the lemon tree: there were three, now there are two. I am a terrible gardener and plants volunteer to come to our house and die. Still, I am hoping this is a sign of things to come.

The lemon tree is in The Forbidden Zone and The Labradors are only allowed in there under strict supervision. So, late in the evening when I came home from Sewing, they went mad. They went round and round the tree, one going one way to try and catch the other. It was a good game!! Hedy has laser eyes, and Gilly is so fast.

I sewed a new dress sometime in the last few months. It is the Cashmerette Upton Dress in some lovely Christmas tablecloth poinsettia material. MrsHouseOf paid the grand sum of $4 for four metres and gave it to me, so it was free!! I love that I didn't have to do a Full Bust Adjustment. I followed the instructions and cut out a toile and it fitted almost perfectly. I always have to raise the armholes and lower the waist a tad, but I am so pleased. I love the swooshiness of the skirt. I sewed the pleated skirt, v-neck version. It is a little loose and needs some tweaking, but I couldn't be happier. I like a loose dress when the weather is warm. I obviously have ONE pose, because each of my neighbours took these photos at different times during the day!!

The ABC TV News decided to update their weather map. That is a good thing, but when they updated it, they put the numbers for the forecast first and then the name of the town or city. I couldn't work out why I was having difficulty reading the chart when the sound was down. My eyes were searching wildly for the place name in the few seconds the map was up, and then it was gone before I could find the numbers.

I know we read from left to right, not middle to end, then back to the start and then to the middle again. I taught many children to read when I was teaching, so I know I have some expertise in this area. I rang The ABC and explained why I thought they needed to revise their chart almost three weeks ago. They said the graphic designer would ring me, but no-one did. Tonight I watched the News and something seemed different with The Weather: yes!!! They have changed the order and the place name is first and then the forecast numbers. The map is so much easier to read. I feel it is a victory for common sense and teachers of reading everywhere. Thank you ABC!!

We all had a nap this afternoon, and it is very late. The Labradors are in bed already. Tomorrow I am thinking of making some Nutella-like truffles for Friday Food. It will be an experiment, so I may need a back up plan.

Dip-That-Toe

For the last two months I have either had a cold, or been recovering from a cold. And not even a bad cold. I went to the doctor for my usual appointment and she decided I didn't need antibiotics, and I didn't. But it took me so long to recover. Every day we would go for a walk, then we would go to bed until four or five o'clock in the afternoon, and we would sleep all night too. It was only last week that I started having proper days awake. Consequently I am dipping my toe back into The Internet and my blog.

There has been very little crafting: I knitted a Milo (It's Marvellous What A Difference), some socks for MrsDrWho ( Magical Happy Socks) and I made Wee Master Singapore some Shiny Gold Disco Trousers to match the Shiny Gold T-Shirt I sewed for him. Oh and I made a whole other set of pouches with Labradors on the front. I sewed one set and promptly put them somewhere safe, aka Lost. I sewed another set and of course then I found the first.

Lorelai Gilmore's health has continued to improve. She is feeling very well and loves to run and play all the time. Winter is here today, but we have had a few fogs and frosty cold mornings already. Gilly and Hedy love the colder mornings, they are invigorated.

We went to the vet for Gilly's blood test a fortnight ago. This is how Hedy waits for Gilly.

And it is impossible to take a photo of her joy when Gilly comes back. Poor Gilly, Hedy's waggy tail is a bother.

Hedy loves to play with Rafa and the ball. The ball is the thing. They both want it, they both can't have it at the same time. Rafa has the same toy, but if there are two, it is too confusing for them.

I've had to return a whole stack of books to The Library, unread. I couldn't concentrate at all. Thank goodness I feel better, as I have lots of new books on Hold as well as the old one, back on Hold again.

I used my candy thermometer for the first time and made some Italian meringue. I made a syrup with sugar and water and brought it to the boil until it reached 120*C. Meanwhile I whisked some egg-whites. When the syrup reached the correct temperature I slowly poured it into the bowl as I whisked the egg-whites until they were cool. I don't have a blowtorch to brown the meringue. I am afraid of them, uncalled for I know, but gas and matches or an ignition spark scare me. I made some lemon curd and marscapone filled doughnuts topped with the Italian meringue and also some apple pie doughnuts, tipped with whipped cream, pecans and maple syrup. I took them for supper at Sewing. I feel more confident with the candy thermometer now, there may be more temperature related recipes in my future.

Last week I went to Sewing, this week to Knitting Dining Out and I was also an unexpected Patient/Partner for the Fourth Year Doctors. I was the lucky ninth phone call to find someone to fill a gap.

And now it is time for all good Labradors (and naughty ones) to go to bed. Tomorrow I am going to ask my next door neighbour to take a photo of the new dress I sewed ages ago, and I shall endeavour to post for Friday Food and even, shock/horror, read and comment on blogs!!!

Here is Lorelai Gilmore running. She hasn't run like this since Peri Naughty died. Oh and here's Hedy Lamarr and her BillyBall and Sandy too.