Living down under

quilting weekend

2010-11-07T02:14:00.000-08:00

This weekend i went to a quilting retreat. Went to a new venue in Thornton, it is an adventure camp. Schools make use of it during the week. The accommodation is basic. It is just what you need for a weekend, a bed and meals provided for and we can just sit down and keep sewing. It was a nice country drive. Took a different way back and found it much easier to drive.

The outlook from the pergola was magnificent. We were quit high up. At nighttime it became quit cool. All our meals we had alfresco.

Had a lot of ufo's with me and hoped to finish them. Friday night I had the 1st one ready, a stable bag.

After the stable bag, went to work on the puzzle blocks quilt. The templates of each star was send by email to me and with that had to make the stars. The only thing left was the binding. Got that done.

The last quilt i got finished is Hilde's mystery quilt. You get every time a new pattern to make, the colours and fabrics are you own choice. The last part is how you have to put it together. Well Rudy you wanted to see my upside down sun. Here it is. When you have daylight it is here night. So here is my upside down sun.

2010-10-18T21:31:00.000-07:00

Have a couple of tops to the stage of quilting. They are sand witched and i have started already on them. Have been working on them for a couple of years and they have to be finished.

A lot of quilting is done already and now will I put the leaves on or leave them of?

This gollywog quilt is a work in progress

Not so long ago when I moved from house, I had been cleaning out an awful lot and have started again.
Here is how to get rid of a kitchen chair. You need only a spanner, sledge hammer and the wheelie bin.

Last month I got a new lounge suit and the old one had to go. Have no pictures of those but they went also in the wheelie bin. It could not all go once , it took 2 weeks. The foam out of the back of the chairs is in use by the dogs, mine and DD.

2010-09-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

It is more then a year ago that I posted something to this blog. Have had a very big blogging dip and still not sure if I will keep doing this.
However have to update a couple of things, which I showed and not the end results.

Have finished the retainer wall and there is again grass growing. On the top level I am trying to get some ground cover but am not yet very successful.

My doggie Jaynne is digging holes if she gets a chance to get in that area.

Before I started painting had the plasterer in and he fixed the ceilings, it started to sag. It looks new again. Have been painting the house, last year august I finished the corner where the air conditioner was to go. Got that installed and used it at night time.

Corner with airconditioner.

My bedroom.

Corner in the lounge.

In November I had to stop with painting because it was getting too hot.
There were only 2 bedrooms and my bathroom to be done. Not so long ago I finished the two bedrooms, one is my quilting room. Now I have to put my stuff in place and I can start patching again.

Quilt in between.

Made a birthday quilt for DD’s friend and one for an auction.

Bithdayquilt

Had a lot of blocks with stars on it and put it together. When I am watching TV I do the hand quilting.

Back again after 6 months

2009-08-25T22:02:00.000-07:00

It’s now about 6 months that I have not written a thing.
Have done quit a bit in this time.
Went on holiday on Good Friday. We (DD and I) went to the Netherlands.
Arrived on the Saturday and went to Lelystad, stayed there for a couple of days.

Any way we visited a lot of places. Also the places where I was born and have lived.

The street in Amsterdam where I lived till I was 8 years.

Our ancestors were living here in Appingedam where you will find the hanging kitchens

Did couchsurfing, saw the flower procession,

Flower Procession

Visited the flower auctions in Aalsmeer.

This system is so complete different to what is here. They start with the highest price and you press a button when it comes to the price which you want to pay.

The auction board.

They know who is pressing the button and when the car with the flowers comes out of the room straight away there is a strip stuck to it for who the flowers are.

The cars coming out.

On the floor where the flowers are there is a complete chaos. The cars are coming and going everywhere and crisscross over the floor. You would expect a smash but there isn’t.

At the end there are trucks waiting and then they go to the customers in the country itself or outside. They also go by plane overseas.
Have done a lot genealogy research and found a lost member of the family.
This man was born in the 1760’s, lived in Sexbierum, NL and was suddenly gone. Know he was still living when in the Netherlands they had to take on a surname in the early 1800’s, but could not find him. Well to make the story short, I found a trace of him in the Central Bureau of Genealogy in The Hague. Did also find the marriage of my DH’s grandfather' sister. She married a Major and she had 2 children with him in Indonesia and they went then back to NL and he became a councillor in Alkmaar, NL.
Found 4 sons of the grandfather of which my father in law was one.
Was very happy with my findings.

Spend some time in Italy, where we mad a tour around the Amalfi coast. It was a walking tour. Went up and down the mountains had my muscles screaming the first couple of days. After that it became easier.

We went one day to the isle of Capri and made photo's of the coast.
On the last the day of the tour I managed to fall twice. The first was not so bad only a scrape. The second time I fell was more serious, had a big lump and the skin was broken and squashed. Francesco disinfected it and put a cold pack on it,
was still able to walk. We stayed an extra day at the hotel. On the Monday we went back to Naples via Salerno by bus and flied out in the afternoon.
DD had soon to go back home again.

I did see some more people and went to Scotland for a bus trip through the Highlands.

Looks very much like the Sidney Opera House but is in Glasgow, Scotland.

Learned a lot of the Highlands’ history. We went to Culloden and walked around.

Found this hilarious "locally caught" Haggis.

Afterwards the tour guide told us about the author Diane Gabaldon. She is writing a whole series, which start 3 years before the battle with “Cross Stitch”.
You can’t stop reading. Have 6 books, nr 7 will come out very soon.

Was early June back in the country. Needed a rest from my holiday.
There were a couple of messages for me on the telephone and took care of that.
Got some electricity panels on the roof and I am now generating my own electricity. On east side of the house the soil was getting away from the foundations. Made some repair there. First the fence went out, then concrete against the house and a retainer wall so that the soil is now staying.

Working on the retainer wall.

The fence went in again and I put some ready made grass in. This was over a 6 weeks period. Most of it I did. The concreting and putting up the fence was done by someone else.
Rang the council about a tree on the footpath, they had a look and tree is going. It is rotting away and is dangerous. Got an air conditioner put in and will have by the end of this week also insulation.
The insulation is paid for by the government and you are a fool if you are not getting it. Have started painting the house. The lounge is already finished because the air conditioner had to be fitted. Had already earlier this year put in for a subsidy for a solarhotwater system and electricitypanels. The hotwatersystem was in place before I went on holyday and the panels went in after I came.

Both systems on my roof.

There is not much quilting at the present, do quite a bit of knitting. Have been knitting with the blanket of the Wolhemel. Their blocks are finished but I got patterns from internet and are knitting more blocks.

Relocated

2009-02-17T01:14:00.000-08:00

Glad the move is over. Live now for about a month in my new home. The first two weeks I went back and forwards. After moving out of the old place there was still a lot left which had to go. Had another moving sale, what was left and still good I packed into boxes and that went to Lifeline.

Got a container and the rest went into this.

There was guttering long 7 metre, which I cut with the electric saw into smaller pieces.

Chairs underwent the same treatment. If it was not cut then it got smashed. It fitted all in a 4cubic metre container.

Have now started on a lot of repairs to the new place. First thing the locks were changed and the sliding doors checked.
Have bought some paint which matches with the colour on the inside doors. There is quite a bit to patch up.
Today the plumber changed the downpipes, which came nearly down. It is raining now, good that it is down. The roof has to be checked and get then a solar hotwater system and panels for electricity. There are so many subsidies for these. It is now affordable.

House sold

2008-11-26T01:54:00.000-08:00

Yes my house is now sold. Have bought a new home in Forest Lake. What a process is this..
First you get a sales contract made up, without signing you go to the solicitor and let him have a look at it. He can now change the wording when it is not done properly. You do not want to end up with a house when the sale of your own house is falling through. Then you have a building and termite inspection. If it has termites you can terminate the contract, it has to be on the contract. If the building inspection is not favourable then you start negotiating through the solicitor till you are satisfied with the price.
Then you wait till settlement date and the sellers are out of the house and you can move in.
In the meantime I am cleaning out the house, garage and have a garage sale coming weekend. What is left over after I move out of the house will be thrown out and in a container.

Moving

2008-11-03T01:31:00.000-08:00

Have some time ago signed a sales contract and will be moving. To where I do not know yet. Have to buy another home yet. I am not very impressed with what I have seen up to now . Will be looking in a bigger area. Might be seeing something which I will fancy. Hope to have a house by the end of this month.
Past weekend have been on a quilting retreat and had quite a lot of senior moments, forget the lead for the sewing machine. Had enough work to do without machine and will try now to finish a quilt on the quilting meetings.
Dear daughter is planning a trip for the 2 of us going next year to Europe. We leave in April the winter is supposed to be finished then. We will also going to Italy, the Almafi coast doing a trip then.

Gold Coast

2008-09-24T03:59:00.000-07:00

On Saturday the 13th went to the Gold Coast for a week with the Babes without boobs.
Got there around 12.30pm after dropping off Jayne at the kennel, picking up books at the library and a cup of coffee at the computer group at the library.
When I got there we went for lunch at the local pub. In the afternoon we had a walk on the beach.
On Sunday we did a boat trip around the canals and went also out.
We had a beautiful morning tea on the boat.

After our boat trip we had a look around and I bought a t-shirt for Robbie. Had an invite for Robby and Linda's birthday party on Saturday.

Started to knit a Carolus and finished it at the end of the week. .

We went to an sculpture exhibition. There were some good sculptures.

This one is made from bird wire.

There are times I feel exactly like this man with everybody pulling at you.

Had a look in Coolangatta and went also to the quiltstore in Tweeds Heads. There is so much, you can spend a long time there. Bought some wool.

We had a restday but in the afternoon I went for a walk and had a look at the kites, the others were flying.

The next day bought also a kite and flew it but after half an hour could not get the kite in the air anymore and had a look at. It was broken down.
Have now a year the time to make myself another one. Have the pattern now and will make one from fabric.

On Friday we left again after cleaning the unit.

On Saterday went to Linda's party and had a good time. Picked up Jayne in the late afternoon. She gets now to know the people, who look after her and is more settled.

When I woke up on saturday in my own bed I heard a bang on the roof and knew straightaway that was the possum, who had been for a long time a boarder at my place.
Before I went to the Coast the overhangings in the carport were covered up by my handyman with animal wire.

When Jayne came home she had a very difficult time hanging on the rafters.

It has not been back yet.

Lord Howe Island

2008-09-08T01:53:00.000-07:00

Lord Howe Island is a small island in the Indian Ocean between New Zealand and Australia. The climate is very favourable even in winter. It is not freezing there.

There are a few cars and the speed allowed is 25km. The petrol is even more expensive then on the mainland and people are mixing the used oil from the fast foods outlets with fuel and use it in the cars. There are not many open spaces and what there is, is for the people who live there. The whole island is covered with Kentia palms.

When the seeds from the palms are ready for harvest they are picked and seedlings are raised in the nurseries. Most of these are exported to the Netherlands.

At one stage the island was overrun with rats. There is now a control program in place. You see in places tubes and there is ratsack in it. The rat goes in, eats from it and goes out and dies somewhere.

Everything is imported from the mainland and all the garbage is exported. However what can be recycled, is recycled.

On my walks I went to Little Island. You have to look very good to see it so small is it.

Around the island are a lot of islands. One looks like a whale.

On Friday there was a big walk with a guide to Mount Gower, an eight hour walk. That was too much for me and did not go. Heard later they even had to climb ropes to get to the top. The people who went, were very sore the next morning.

The unit I was living in was very nice.

On the top of one of the smaller mountains

There are also trees with lots of airroots.

Back again

2008-09-07T03:04:00.000-07:00

Have not been blogging for 2 months, time is flying by.

On the 20th of July I went on holidays to Lord Howe Island. My friend Jenny brought me to the airport. We had breakfast there.

At five minutes past 9 boarding started, we went with a small van to the plane. It was a very small on, there was only place for about 30 people. We landed from the seaside on Lord Howe.

The weather was beautiful. Were picked up and went by van to Somerset Resort. I got a nice studio unit. Went out and hired a bike for the week. That went not so good the first couple of days, had not been biking for 38 years, even fell a couple of times.

The weather was very windy and raining the whole week but that did not stop me from going out and exploring the island. Have been climbing some mountains and did a lot of walking.

Had a look at the weather balloon going up. The weather man turned out to be Doug. I had been working with him in Melbourne at Philips. He was in goods inwards and I in stock control. He recognised me.

They had also a museum and looked at it. There was also a café and had most of the time coffee and afterwards some lunch there.

Watched one day the plane going out. It was very, very windy that day. It was scaring to look it at but up it went. The wind was across of the runway.

One morning I went to see the feeding of the fishes.

Have been knitting another Lodewijk on Lord Howe Island, have now three.

On the Sunday I flew out again. Lucky there was not that much wind as during the week. Had a good flight back. Jenny picked me up.

Have been working hard on the bathroom it is nearly finished.

The small quilts which are going over the armrests are going fine. The top is finished and am doing the quilting now. Then the small ones have to be stitched together with the big top. Will have to work that out.

Yesterday there was Holland Festival at the Dutch club in Richlands. Went there and had a good time.
Have been eating coffee and cake, salted herring, oliebollen (they are a bit like donuts but then round with dried fruit in it), poffertjes. Watched Maori people singing and dancing, this was very entertaining. Bought a lot of Dutch foodstuff, which you hardly see in a supermarket.

2008-07-07T03:35:00.000-07:00

Have finished my second Lodewijk. Have this time also knitted the arms and legs on 4 needles, which I had not done the first time. It looks better.

Have received siggies from the Netherlands Antilles. Have swapped with 11 ladies and got already 8 back.

Have been working in the yard a lot, so that I am ready for summer.
Have done pruning, mowing in the front, now the back has to be done. Will need a fire permit there is a lot to be burned. Had a quote for a front fence. Need a new one.
This Sunday I am going on holiday to Lord Howe Island. It is a small island in the Pacific Ocean, only 400 tourists can there be any time. Which is not much but good for the environment.

2008-06-15T03:23:00.000-07:00

Have been busy this week. Went to quilting club and started cutting fabric for two small quilts. A friend wants a quilt for her settee and it has also to go over the armrests. The smaller ones I will stitch together with the binding of the quilt. The top of the settee one is finished.

Kit 9 of the gollyville quilt is ready and have started on kit 10. Very slowly this quilt is getting done.

So now and then I do a bit of knitting and this morning I started with a new Lodewijk, I got it from, it is in Dutch and English.

Last week when I went to the Bookfest, my dog thrashed the house again and this week, I put her outside on the chain. This was only temporary. On friday I went to the mechanic with my car. It needed a service. Got a new battery, the other was nearly on the blink. After a check I needed also new disks and pads for the front brakes. Came there at 8 am and was finished at 10.45am, could wait, got even a cup of coffee. Had a book to read from Wilbur Smith, "Warlock". It's a good read.
Went after that to Bunnings and bought a dog kennel and wire for an enclosure for the dog.
Fixed that in the afternoon and the next day in she went.

When I came home she was out, know now how she got out and will close it better next time, which is tomorrow.

2008-06-09T03:57:00.000-07:00

It’s been a while that I have been blogging. A lot has happened.
On Thursday 22 of May went to Yati in Morayfield and showed her the design which I had in mind to make for her. The quilt goes over the lounge suit and she wants also quilts going over the armrests. Will stitch those to the side of the quilt. She liked the design and I calculated how much fabric I would need.

In between all this I painted the timber for the pergola for the second time.
On the Monday Graeme called, he was coming on Wednesday to put up the pergola.

He finished on Thursday in the afternoon. Now I have to paint it another time and then I get sheeting fixed on top of the pergola, so I can sit underneath it in summer.

Started cutting the fabric for Yati’s quilt and finished it before Friday, when I was going to a quilting retreat where I could stitch it together.

For the retreat I had still to get a mug so bought one in Browns Plains and went then to Linda. We went from her place in the afternoon when Lennert her husband was home. It took us 2 hours to get to Highfields.
Settled in our bedroom, each person had a bedroom. Beautiful accommodation.

The space in the sewing room was not so good. We had to share one table and with 2 sewing machines on it, you have not much space, but we managed.

It was good I had everything pre-cut. The top is nearly finished the blocks were all stitched together and have now to do the rows.

Last Sunday there was in the city a Book fest from Liveline and bought several books.

These are some of the books I have bought.

Knitting

2008-05-18T02:48:00.000-07:00

At the moment quilting is at a standstill. However I have a commission to make a quilt and will very soon start on that one. Coming Thursday I will visit Jati and show her the design and see if she likes it. Can then buy material and start cutting so I can sew it together when I go on the quilting retreat, the end of this month. Am going with Linda.

Had this morning the brickie, who had done the brickwork on the carport poles.
He could not understand how I got the cracks in the bricks. He had not seen this before.

This is the biggest crack.

This pole has 3 sides cracked.

Have been knitting the last couple of days and finished some of the patterns of the Knitalong "Sampler M".

Pattern 16 Cubics

Pattern 17 Wybert

Pattern 18 Twisted Oak.

2008-05-13T02:36:00.000-07:00

Have been working hard at the timber for the pergola. It is all painted at least once. Had the acrylic very diluted, so the paint could soak in the timber. Has to do it now for the second time.

Have started to paint the facia, so that it is ready for the pergola. Will have it very soon erected.

On Mother's Day, I went at about 12.45 to Garden City where DD and I where to meet. We bought first tickets for a movie, we saw "Miss Pettygrew". Before the picture started we had something to eat. It was an early dinner for me and a late brunch for DD. At about 5 pm I was home again, we enjoyed it very much.

The shower screen got installed today and it looks very good. Cannot use it today, it needs 24 hours before the glue is hardened.

Had the frame around the mirror also changed from bronze into silver.

2008-05-04T02:19:00.000-07:00

Have been to the Stitches and Craft Show today with Linda. We met at the Show and had first a coffee.
The very first thing we saw were the quilts. On this show there are not many quilts. We were not allowed to make pictures.

Bought a couple of things.

The ATC Linda gave me today. I love it very much. It is beautiful. There is now a chance that I might make them too. However have still a lot other things to do.
Have seen the book cover which Linda shows on her blog. It looks even better in reality then on the picture.
Next time I see Linda, we will be going to a quilting retreat in Highfields at the end of this month. It will be there very cold and have already bought a new pj and dressing gown for it.

2008-04-28T02:41:00.000-07:00

Have been busy with the laundry and bathroom. On a Friday I got the handyman and he replaced the wall in the bathroom. After that I waterproofed the wall. Have done it twice. The waterproofing stuff is very thick. You paint it on. After 2 hours it is ready for the second layer.

Had to put on the tabs and spout of the bath myself. All other tabs the tiler did but he did not have those.
The tiling is done and now the shower screen has to go in. Rang up and they will come and measure for the screen.

Afterwards I will paint the laundry and bathroom. Want to change the colour on the skirting and architraves. Have now estapol. It is difficult to paint because it is so smooth. You have to sand it back, which is a big job. Made some enquiries and got the solution from Wattyl, I believe they are also the manufacturers of Estapol. There is ESP (easy surface prep), you paint it on after 5 minutes you wipe it off and then you can paint it after 90 minutes. Have done the painting on and wiping off.

Found in the carport loads of paint, we got that a couple of years ago, of a friend.
Have opened one tin and there is acrylic in it which is good for the outside and the pergola. The colour is cream.

Bought some timber from Bunnings for my pergola. Asked it to be delivered on Thursday afternoon after 1 pm. Got it just before I was to leave home for selling tickets in Jimboomba. The driver rang from the end of the road, could not find the house. Checked the delivery, signed and left. The driver unloaded the truck and left the timber at the back of the house.
Now I am painting the timber for the first time. It soaks up the paint. It is acrylic paint and I dilute the paint so it is easier to paint and it covers better. After that is done the pergola can be build.

Discovered today that the bricks around the carport poles are cracking. Know the answer. There was moisture in the soil when the concrete and brickwork was done. Has not been raining lately and the soil is drying out, the concrete and brickwork are adjusting to the conditions. Should have done it when the soil was dried out. Less chance for cracking.

2008-03-28T03:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Annelies published a part of her hear, see and speak no evil figurines. After reading this it suddenly dawned on me that I had a figurine like that too.
Here is mine.

Under the figurine is the part of the gollyquilt I am now doing.

Haven been busy this week with getting quotes for tiling of the bathroom and laundry.
What a difference in pricing.

Lots of tiles are already gone from the walls but one side is very difficult.
The tiles are breaking up and have to use the chisel and the board is getting damaged.

You can see the damage.

The left side will also be difficult to remove. The rightside is very easy to do.

Will see that I can get some one who can replace the whole wall.

2008-03-26T02:21:00.000-07:00

It's awhile that I have been writing here. Have been quite busy. Have been selling raffle tickets again for breast cancer research and we sold for $84 in the morning.
There was an interview on the dutch radio about my time here in Australia.
Have been working on my gollywog and finished kit 8.

Had a meeting again with the BWB ladies. We went to Moogerah dam. The lake had a lot more water then the last time(November 2007) I was there.

We had a lot of rain and also at Moogerah it has been raining.

There was a lot of food with our morning tea. We bring a plate with us, when we go somewhere, unless we go to a coffee shop.

Have been mowing however when I wanted to use a big ride-on, I had first to charge it up before I could start it. Got fed up with that, the battery came out, took it with me and bought a new one. Put it on the ride-on. Can mow again.
Have been using the brush cutter on the dam, the grass was very high, it came to my knees. after that mowing with the hand mower and it looks great.

Did a bit of knitting. Finished a couple of patterns.

This is pattern 13.

2008-03-04T02:17:00.000-08:00

Have not done a lot, needed a break from mowing and gardening.
Last Thursday had to go to the skin cancer clinic for a checkup, the doctor found nothing. Put the last scene from kit 8 on the golliwog quilt. It took me 3 months to do this one. Will work more on this quilt, had planned to have it finished within a year when I started, but how can plans work out differently.

Queensland is in election mode not for the State government or federal but local councils. We will be going to Logan City Council and the division were I live, needs a new councillor. One of my neighbours is running for council. Only thing I cannot vote, still not naturalised, maybe in future.

Here in Australia we have more politicians then anywhere else. Too much government. There is Federal, State and local government.
The system they use, is so complicated, have problems to understand it. It is district representation. You have first, second, third etc etc choice. You have to number every person on the ballotpaper.
The votes are sorted first on the first choice. Then they start looking at the second choice. So someone, people are voting for and is in second place can still win because he get then second choice. So it goes with all the votes till they have a winner.

This is doing the rounds at the moment with those forward emails. Don't you love them!!!!!!!!!

This is factual !!!!

36
have been accused of spousal abuse

7
have been arrested for fraud

19
have been accused of writing bad cheques

117
have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses

3
have done time for assault

71,
repeat
71
cannot get a credit card due to bad credit

14
have been arrested on drug-related charges

8
have been arrested for shoplifting

21
currently
are defendants in lawsuits and

84
have been arrested for drunk driving
in
the last year

Can you guess which organization this is? AFL? NRL?

Give up yet? . . .

Scroll down

Neither,
it's the 535 members of the AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENT IN CANBERRA

The same group of Idiots that crank out hundreds of new laws each year, designed to keep the rest of us in line.

Gardening

2008-02-25T02:43:00.000-08:00

It is already a week ago that I have been writing something. Not a lot has happened during the week. It was not so hot and cloudy weather, which is perfect for doing a bit of work outside. Did quite a bit of mowing. There was still a lot of grass which came to my ankles. Afterwards you have to scrape the grass together.

Did some weed spraying and you can see now that it is dying. Will wait a bitlonger and do then what i have missed. The weather for the coming week is forecast with rain will have to wait till it is dry.

Friday evening(6pm) I picked up DD from the bus station and took the long way home. There are now roadworks at the short way and it takes 4 a 5 traffic changes to get through the traffic lights at Park Ridge in the afternoon because of peak hour.

Saturday was very, very hot and luckily I was in the morning in the library and in the afternoon I was home with the aircon on, had a look at the thermometer and it was here at my place 38 C.

Have been knitting a bit this week and finished from the Knitalong up to pattern 10.

The weather today was perfect for burning, no wind and a bit of rain, to start the fire I have used kerosene.
The dutch readers will think: What!!!!!!!!! Is she now crazy!!!!!!!
Well take it easy, it is here fuel for lamps. I know in the Netherlands the fuel you use in plains is called kerosene.
The big fire was finished about an hour and half later a couple of big boulders were
still smouldering. Checked regular during the day and before I go to bed check another time to see that everything is OK.

Received last week a new magazine called holland-focus. Had a look at the website and found out that there are yearly 60000 Dutch people are coming to Australia with holiday and 3000 on a working holiday.
Also found there an article from Frans Hertogh called Kiwikorrels. It is very amusing. By the way most articles are in english.

Holes in the floor

2008-02-17T01:35:00.000-08:00

Think I have the solution to my problem of the 2 holes in the floor of the bathroom. When the concrete cutter was here, there was a lot of rubble left. Can make a bit of a paste with a bit of putty and then fill the hole with that. Let it dry, chisel the tile out and glue another in. Will try this tomorrow.

Last Thursday we started with the quilting group again. We have a pin number to get the key. Tryed it but did not work. The number was changed during the holiday.
Got the right number and opened the room. What a blessing can be a mobile!
Had not much quilting done over the holidays. Hope to do a little bit more over time. However have not finished with the house. There is still a lot more tiles to be removed in the shower. Then the kitchen has to be done. Afterwards a bit of painting.

The mowing is going the right way. Get a lot more done. It is also not raining that much however there are places here in Queensland where they are having floods for instance in Mackay. Coming week there is predicted we are to get more rain, most of this will be very local.

Bathroom

2008-02-13T01:11:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday I got a message from James that he would be coming on sunday and install my vanity base. So started to take the tiles off in the bathroom. They had to come off because washbasin is completely tiled in. They will be broken anyway with taking the base out. The builder had first installed the basin and then the tiler poured cement on the slab and put on that the floortiles and then the walltiles.

It left me a hole in the floor which I have now to fill. Any idea with what I can close that hole?

Because it is now standing on the floor, the basin is now a lot higher. I think about 7cm.

James had trouble with taking the old basin out and told me that it he could only get it out in pieces. That was fine by me, it was not worth keeping it.
Put straight some of it in the wheelie bin and on thursday it will go out. Every time a little bit and in time it is all gone.

Have been to Bunnings to get some prizes on wood for a new pergola. Will have to do this before we join Logan City. I am going to move from shire to city without moving house.
Last year the Queensland government in all its wishdom has been passing a law to amalgamate councils. Well the Beaudesert shire council will be split in two. The northren part is going to Logan city(where I am living), the rest is going to join with Boonah shire and gets a new name.
My opinion, there were too many councils and something had to be done about this but not the way it is done. Not much consultations with the councils and the government puts its way through.

Yesterday I let Jaynne, my dog out, had to go hospital for checkup and she got a snake in her mouth. Called her back the snake was crawling around her legs and could not see if she was bitten. Anyway called the vet and went to see him. They have done a test on her. When I was in the carpark near the PA Hospital called the vet and he said, she was oke they did not find venim in her blood. It is not 100% sure but sure enough. Rang then my friend(neighbour) and she picked Jaynne up from the vet.
Was about 6pm back from the PA and got Jaynne.

Brickwork 2

2008-02-05T02:37:00.000-08:00

The Bricklayer came back on Saterday morning 6am. Was this time already awake and he started with work. At 8 am the concrete cutter and his son as offsider came and started cutting the concrete.

Had already with help from the bricklayer pulled down one of the downpourpipes, ran to a neighbour Bob. He is a retired plumber (his son is my plumber). He came and we pulled the other pipe also down. He gave me a list of what to buy and when the concrete cutter was finished and the bricklayer also gone, I went to Browns Plains, to Reece a plumbing supply shop and bought what I needed.

Bob came and he put the pipes back up but now more outside the house so it is not interfering with the brickwork.

On Sunday, Brian came. Had during the week send an email to the president of a fotografic club and asked, if there was someone interested in some black and white development equipment and Brian had answered my email. He came to pick up the equipment. It has now a home where it will be used. It was still too good to be thrown out.
Mondaymorning the bricklayer came again and this time he finished the job.

It was about 9.30am when he left and it started to rain. He was in time finished and it looks good.

At about 11am I went to the Transport Department to transfer the registration from the trailer, which I had sold to the new owner and our car in my name. What a hassle.
Had to fill in a form and then wait for half an hour. When I was called it took about half an hour and they wanted me to pay for the transfer while I did not have to pay because it was from two names in one name.
The trailer could not be done because they wanted to see the drivers licence from the new owner. They made all the paperwork in order and I gave it to my neighbours because her brother had bought it.

Tuesday I had a bit of a rest. Worked in the garden, did some weeding and put mulch on it. Hope that I will have no weed coming up there anymore.

Have done some knitting. A couple of weeks ago I joined a knitting yahoogroup and downloaded the pattern. Here are some of them.

Have also knitted a lovely mouse Lodewijk, which I found on another blog.

There is another mouse Carolus. This one is in two languages, Dutch and English. Lodewijk will come later on in English.

Brickwork

2008-02-01T02:18:00.000-08:00

Thursdaymorning at 6.30am the bricky came. Was already up at 5am and had started digging for the footing of the carportpoles. One pole had only correct footing in the middle and the other 3 were on the side. Not enough for the footing. So we had to do the footing first. Had to dig quite deep. The brickie went out for concrete and was back within 20 minutes. There is a nursery close by just up the road and they sell concrete. He got the stuff made up and when the holes were deep enough it was poured.

After that he did some cutting of bricks, one of the poles has a pipe with the telephone line in it.

Had a hole in the back where the toilet is and asked if he could fill that. He made everything ready for the next day and left then.

This morning he drove up the drive and it woke me up at 6 am. He started and did quite a bit. Tomorrow or Monday he will be back and finish the job.

There is a chance that the brickwork will interfere with the pipes from the gutters to the watertank and they can break. Have to replace the pipes then, they are a bit brittle after 23 year.

The rubbish bins are gone. They were collected about 8 am.

My vanity base is delivered today.

2008-01-30T02:27:00.000-08:00

All the walls in the carport are now down. It is also cleared out. Have to get used to the clean site of the carport.

There was a lot of dust in the carport, a lot came from the wasps. They had blocked the blocks, we cleared that too. We swept first the worst up and then used the blower as you can see I am very elegantly dressed.

There is still a big cupboard which I have to check because there is a lot of stuff in it which I can use.

Most of the demolishing is now done. However have still to take the tiles in the bathroom of the wall. Found today a message on the messenger bank that my vanity base had come and can be delivered. Will ring them tomorrow. Will be very busy tomorrow, the bricklayer will come to do the carport poles. The rubbish bins will be picked up. Kylie will pick up an old singer treadle machine, which is in pieces and in need of restoration. An other friend will pick up the old engine of the hand mower.

Last Monday we took a day off work and went to the movies. We watched the "Water Horse".

Today I have been to a friend's place and helped her with weeding in her garden. Around lunchtime it started to rain. The first 15 minutes we kept going but when we got too wet we stopped for lunch. At around 1.30pm the rain was over and we started again. We finished with what we wanted to do. Has a drink and went home.

2008-01-26T03:06:00.000-08:00

Had wanted to mow a bit more but on late Thursday got a phone call from my brickie that he will come next week. So had a rethink of what had to be done before he comes.
On Friday started to pull down some walls in the carport but now in the front.

Cannot do this when the brickwork is done, have a chance that it will start cracking. When I had done a couple of sheets discovered that I needed a bin to put the rubbish in. Rang for a rubbish bin of 8 cubic metre. Got 2 of 4. He delivered before lunch. A friend came over we had lunch and started to clear out the carport. First we did all the electronics, TVs, VCRs, radio's, washing machines and then practically everything out of the carport.

We had spring washers every size there was from very small to very big. Out they all went. Have not been used since we live here and that is now 23 years. Cleared a lot out and it start looking much better.

Today is the 26th of January "Australia Day"

Australia Day, celebrated annually on 26 January, is the official national day of Australia, commemorating the establishment of the first European settlement on the continent of Australia. The date is that of the foundation of a British penal colony at Sydney Cove on Port Jackson, New South Wales, by Captain Arthur Phillip, who was to become the first Governor.[1] Australia Day is an official public holiday in all states and territories of Australia, and has also been known as Anniversary Day or Foundation Day.

On Australia Day each year, the Prime Minister announces the winner of the Australian of the Year award, presented to an Australian citizen who has shown a "significant contribution to the Australian community and nation", and is an "inspirational role model for the Australian community".[2] Subcategories of the award include "Young" and "Senior Australian of the Year", and an award for the "Australian Local Hero".

Have taken only the first 2 paragraphs.

At last I could start mowing today, was already for about an hour going , when i noticed my neighbour in the yard. Had not seen them coming in the front, they slipped through the fence. They have a little girl Lucy. They got the trampoline, bicycle and more things they can use. We had a look in the shed, garage and I have not finished yet with cleaning out. It looks to me that 8 cubic metre is not enough, need at least another 4 cubic metre bin.

2008-01-24T01:55:00.000-08:00

Bought 4 blades for the ride-on mower. Rang Henk, a friend if he could give me a bit of help with putting the blades on. OK, he was coming the next day. Instead of mowing, pulled down the rest of the pergola. It is now completely gone. It looks so bare. Have now to get very soon a mini skip for the rubbish which is now laying around the place. Took all the tiles off from around the laundry tub and the grouting. Now new tiles can be put on. Had already a look around and found a nice tile.

Will measure all the areas which have to be tiled. The bathroom has to be done too. and can then buy what I need.

In the toilet have closed the holes in the wall. To close a big hole, you cut a piece of carton, bigger in length but about the same width, put a cord through the carton. Push this all through the hole and pull on it. Now you can fill in the hole, because you have a background.

When it is dry, you cut the cord and sandpaper it.

Yesterday, Henk came and put the blades on. At around lunchtime he left. Had lunch and wanted to mow, tryed to get the mower going but could not get it going. The battery was empty. Looked for the battery charger for one and half hour and could not find it. Knew I had one. Gave up. Later in the afternoon I was again in the big shed and found it. Henk came over again and showed how to put it on the charger.

In the morning I took the charger off and could get it going. Have been mowing all morning. In the front of the house the grass was knee deep, it is still fairly long because you cannot mow straight to the length you want it. The grass is still a bit wet on the bottom and not cutting properly.

Got my hand mower also back today and can now do the areas which you cannot do with a ride-on.

Have received this week again some siggies. I like them very much, they are lovely.

This one is from Grazia Moro, Italy.

Jansje Pieters from the Netherlands.

Marlies Bauer from Germany.

2008-01-21T02:21:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I have not done much only to the library and some shopping. Have to eat from time to time. Have been reading during the day. Once a month the library is disposing of books they do not need anymore or which are replaced. Bought 2 books for $1.00.
Sunday morning I baked a banana cake, made some kroepoek( prawn crackers), you fry them in hot oil, they expand. When it is ready get it quick out of the oil otherwise they will burn. Leave them on some paper so the excess of oil can drip off. In the late morning, loaded the car with the swing, we are not using anymore.
In the afternoon went to Linda had everything with me. Had also some salted dutch licorice. It was a very nice party.
Was about 7.30 pm back home again. Was so tired have not even been on the internet at nighttime.

Today I went to the Princess Alexandra Hospital. Needed a mammogram. They clam your boobs between two plates, it hurts. Off course this is an invention of men. They should slam their balls between those plates. We will get then something else.

In the late afternoon I wanted to start mowing. Had done a bit but found out that the mower was not properly cutting the grass. Went back in the shed and switched the mower off. Had a look underneath and the blades are very bland. Got one off. Will buy tomorrow new blades, need 4 of them and will see if I can get them on.

Busy week.

2008-01-18T02:24:00.000-08:00

Had a rest on Tuesday, wanted to save my energy for the Wednesday.
Handyman from Hubby came late about 10am while he had said 9am. At least he did not leave me in the lurch. The job was done within the hour.

This is all left of the pergola

When all the rafters were down, I could fill in the holes with putty. It was quick dry and painted it once.

Have to do it a couple of times. In the front I had sunshade hanging, got that down too. Have decided not to put up the sunshade again.

On wednesdaynight Alice came home and on thursdayafternoon I brought her to her home, helped her to move to another room. They get a new housemate and she gets a bigger room. Dusted and vacuumed the old room. Afterwards I had to bring her to TESSIE. This will be her last year.

On Thursday James came and put in the new laundry tub what a difference. The tiles came off when he got the old tub out.

Had thought to get away with the old tiles but see have to get new ones. Will wait with this till the handbasin in the bathroom is also changed. There is a delivery time of 3 weeks. Have time to look around for tiles and a tiler.

In the meantime have to get a skip(bin) to clean up all the rubbish around the house now. Have a lot of old electronics, which are not working, TVs, VCRs, radio, washing machines, old car parts, the timber of the pergola, the laundry tub, old toilet etc,etc.

Received this week 2 new siggies.

Carina Norberg of Finland.

Margun Vatshelle from Norway.

Have not done a lot of quilting, have joined the knittingyahoogroup and started to knit a bit. Can now learn to read the english pattern as they are given in two languages, english and netherlands.

Have now done two rows on my 365challenge quilt. The first row is stitched have now to do the second one.

2008-01-14T02:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I finished all the battens and started on the rafters. Got a slash hammer and started knocking on the end of a batten. It took me a long time to get one loose. It was definitely not working. Stopped, it was in the meantime also about 5.30pm. Had to find another solution. Thought up to saw all the battens off with an electric saw but suddenly I thought, why not bring in the experts. Rang a handyman, who had already done some work for me, it was about 8.15 am Mondaymorning. By 12 noon he had still not rang me. Conclusion he is busy. Rang some else (got from a big hardware store here in Browns Plains several cards from tradesmen they recommend) he was home and can do the job for me. He will come on Wednesday. He is from "Hire a Hubby". Lucky me.

At about 10am I got visitors, after the coffee they interviewed me and recorded it. Someday it will be broadcasted here in Brisbane on 4EB, the dutch radio on FM 98.1. There are 4 days they are broadcasting in the dutch language.

We also have been talking afterwards about genealogy. It is one of my hobbies.
Am researching my married name. My maiden name is already done and several people have it published on the internet and written a book about it.
It is very interesting to do this. My husband was born in Indonesia and there are very few records. I was lucky that I found the birth records of his grandfather, which gave me the name of his great grandfather and I could make the link to the Netherlands, where great grandfather was born. His great grandmother was born in Indonesia out of dutch parents, who were living in Indonesia.

Start of renovating

2008-01-12T01:38:00.002-08:00

Yesterday I went out and did some shopping for the house. Went to Reece and bought a new dual flush toilet 6 ltr/3 ltr, a new stainless steel laundry tub and a new vanity basin for in the bathroom plus some traps for the laundry and vanity basin. Next Thursday James will come and install it.

I am in the process of demolishing my pergola. Yesterday I started and got the shade cloth and 5 fibro sheets off.

They are fastened with wood screws, use the cordless drill to get them out.

Today I finished with another 4 sheets. Hooray that is done. Today I was wearing long sleeves, which I didn't yesterday and got very fine fibres on my arms which is irritating. Because the sheets were there for years the sun has deteriorated them and the surface is not smooth anymore. The other side is still smooth. Will see if I can use it somewhere else. Might make a chookhouse or a shade house for plants.

Have also bought bricks for the carport and will have first all this work done, before I decide what will be next.

Christmas card and siggies

2008-01-09T01:20:00.000-08:00

This week I received a Christmas card from Beatriz Gouzalez(Spain). Thank you Beatriz, I was flabbergasted by it. Had received last year a siggie from Beatriz during the year. Have been swapping now since 2003 siggies and this is for the first time I got a Christmas card. I appreciate this very much.

Have received a lot of siggies since the New Year.
These I have received on 8th January.

Rita Kastner, Germany.

Lida Kunkeler, the Netherlands.

These I have received today 9th January.

Christine Chevalier, France.

Els Hoppers, the Netherlands.

Lise Cupak, France.

Mona Norhave, Denmark.

Sandra Fredriksson, Iceland, this is my first from Iceland.

Sylvette Lenoir, France.

Ladies thank you very much. They are beautiful.

Today we had luckily no rain. Had a little bit too much , but still the drought is not over. The dams are only about 25% full. The water restrictions level 6 are still in place. Been to the city and had a good cup of coffee there with a nice group of Dutch people. Have been asked if I wanted to do an interview for the dutch radio here. They will be coming to my place and then tape and edit it. Hope to get to hear the interview before the broadcast.

Cherries jam

2008-01-08T01:28:00.000-08:00

On Friday had done my shopping and also been to the greengrocer. He had boxes of cherries for sale and I bought a box. When I was home, I thought what I am going to do with all these cherries. Can make jam out of it. Well on Saturday I started. What a lot of work, specially if you want to have jam without stones. It took nearly all day. Next time I will buy a jar or tin of cherriejam much easier. However I must say the one I made taste far better and is not that sweet as the factory made one.

On Sunday we had a lot of rain and I had a swimming pool in the back, carport and driveway. Everything is overflowing, the gutters, the water tanks.

As soon as the rain stopped within a couple of hours the water was gone. That was on my place. It was different in Nth Maclean, where I live. The road to the highway was blocked with water.

Monday I went out to buy some bricks so I can get the carport poles bricked in.
Had a run around and was send everywhere. The first two places they could not help me. The third place I was luckier and bought bricks. Today they were delivered. Went on my slippers to the front and they were soaked. The drive was 4 inches under water. Told the driver not to come inside with the truck. He had a forklift with him and brought the bricks with that in. Yesterday I had been mowing but could forget about it for today . The property was covered with water. Looked outside just before it became dark and the water was already gone.

A couple of days ago I saw my lodger again.

It is sitting in the corner of the carport. There is a chance when the poles are bricked in that they cannot get anymore in the ceiling.

Happy New Year

2008-01-03T03:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know, I am a bit late with this but it is still well meant. Some time ago I was saying that I was going to get a new mower, well I changed my mind and I am going to get a new engine in the mower. Had seen the new ones, the chassis is not as strong as mine. It cost less too.
Had a quote for bricking in the poles of the carport and have now a brickie. Have been out to buy new bricks but the factory was closed. Next week they are open again
and will have a look then.
Have been selling a lot of books to a second hand shop and got quit a bit of credit for it. Been there twice, the second time I bought some books.
Just before Christmas, I send a lot of siggies out with 2007 on it and can start the new year with the 2008.
Have received a couple new ones.

This one is from Anne-Sophie Vermeeren from France.

Inge Brinkman, the Netherlands.

Luciana Momesso, Italy

Am in a siggie swap and you can join if you want send then an email to Annelies and she will give you all the information.

Had Alice home with the Christmas days. Christmas day we went to Morayfield to Jati. Bob had a cousin here and Jati was his wife. We had a very good day.

My Lodewijk is nearly finished, have to sew it together and fill it.

With the change from 2007 to 2008 we had hardly any fireworks where I live. In the city was fireworks and they are very good. With Australia day(26 January) there will be again fireworks and can go then. Hope that the weather is then better as it is now. It is very cool and raining and this is already going on for about 10 days. The drought is still not broken because the rain did not fall in the right places so the dams can fill up. Have been working hard in the yard, a big branch was fallen against the fench and a pine tree. The branch is now in smaller pieces and I started already on the pine tree, but have this one to saw in smaller pieces.

2007-12-19T02:57:00.000-08:00

On Sundays I do my laundry. It was very quick dry and got it inside. Listened at 11 am to the Dutch radio, which is send out here in Brisbane. Get to hear what had happened in my birth country. Cannot call it any more my country. It is now Australia, although I am not naturalised. Maybe I will do it one day but not at the moment.

In the afternoon I got a visitor without me noticing. My neighbour has a slasher and he did some slashing, which I appreciated very much. There is on my side of the fence a couple of holes. Will fill them up with soil and then his horses can graze here on the property and the pressure of mowing all the time will be a bit relieved.
It makes me very depressed.

On Monday in the afternoon James the plumber came. In the new year he will install a new laundry tub and a toilet suite. It will be a dual flush. He had a look at my gutters and I do not have to replace them yet but they could have a realignment, which he will do also. That saves me a bit of money.
Had that day finished the train on my gollyville quilt.

Yesterday I went out and had a look at a mower. Have seen some beauties they are expensive too. Between the $500 and $700. Have been today again looking for a mower and was in a shop where I was told, I could have the engine changed, a whole new engine in the chassis for $320. A lot cheaper. Will have to think about it.

Have started with knitting, have not done that for ages and straight with 4 needles. Yes I am knitting a little bear. Am using only one color. Will make more than one it is very relaxing.

On top of this have started on my cross stitch ufo, a cockatoo.

Mower had it, will buy a new one.

2007-12-15T03:54:00.001-08:00

Wednesday I went to the Instuif. This is a group of dutch people, who get together every second Wednesday in the city in the Meyer's Centre for a cup of coffee and a talk. Last month I went for the first time and I liked it. So will continue to go there for some time. We were to get a Christmas cake but the owner of the cafe had forgotten about the cake. We could buy a piece of cake for $5 each with about 15 people there, the cake was $35.
Thursday I went to the quilting group, the last time for this year, we will meet again in February. January this often too hot and too humid. The schoolchildren are also home because it is school holiday.

My quilting buddies

Yesterday I have been mowing again the front lawn this time, was half way and ran out of petrol. Filled up again and had problems with the mower. Have been playing a bit with it and it started, but when I started mowing after a while it said Puff and out was the mower. It is the last time that I have been mowing with this mower. Go Monday out and buy myself a nice Christmas present a new mower. Have spend already a fortune on it. This one is 5 year old and it has done a lot of heavy mowing and is not good anymore. Had bought some time ago a BBQ at Aldi. Had it already assembled with a friend but the big wheels were not done yet because the washers Aldi had supplied were just too small. Had bought a file at Bunnings(hardware store) and filed the hole a bit bigger and put the wheels on. Now i can push it out of the garage and have a BBQ.
Went today to Alice's place and picked the TV up. It will replace mine which went on the blink. It is at the moment still in the car. Tomorrow Koos a friend will come and help to get the tv out of the car.
Between all of this I do a little bit a applique on the gollyville quilt. Do also a bit of cross stitch. Have done a christmas chicken. Will try if I can use it for my
365 challenge.

How stupid can you get.

2007-12-11T01:59:00.000-08:00

Have not done a lot today, cleaning bathroom, toilet and a bit of mowing that's all.
Had some problems to get the mower going. Was already inside again and could suddenly hit myself. So stupid was I, well when you switch the petrol switch off and the machine does not get petrol of course the mower goes out. Run outside again and started it again but now the switch switched on. Got my clothes changed again. When I work outside, I change of clothing, wear then a blouse with long sleeves and put loads of sunscreen on my face and wear boots.
At about 3pm I ran out of petrol and had done quite a bit.

Christmas luncheons

2007-12-10T02:09:00.000-08:00

In the month of December there are a lot of parties. With me no exception. Have them too. There were 3 and I have finished with them. The first one was last Thursday with the quilting group, we went to the Logan Village Pub and had a very nice meal.
The second was last Saturday at the end of the street with all my neighbours. Had a bottle with cordial with me and there was comment on that I had a big bottle of wine. They would not believe me that it was cordial till I let one taste a bit and he said: "It is cordial, when I still have to drive a car then I do not drink."
Today's luncheon was with the Babes without Boobs club. It was in Boonah about an hours drive. At 3.45pm I was home again.
It was clouded all day and I got myself on the iron horse and ran it for about 2 hours. Was very stiff when I came off the ride-on. Checked on the mailbox at the front gate. That mail lady comes at all sorts of times. Never sure when, last week she delivered my mail very late, had checked already. Next morning I saw that there was mail delivered and it had rained during the night. She had it put in the box which is for parcels and it was wet. There were 2 letters with siggies in it.
While i am writing this I am listening to krontjong(indonesian music)

Never a dull moment

2007-12-05T02:34:00.000-08:00

It's nearly a fortnight that I have been writing here. In general I am busy with mowing the yard. The council strip is looking good again. The front of the property also. Have that done the last two evenings. Cannot work outside during daytime. It is too hot and too much sunshine then. Even with using suncreen I will burn. The big pieces of lawn is done with the ride-on, a big machine with 12hp engine in it and go with a speed of 20km over it. The corners you have to do a bit slower.

On Monday brought my car to the mecanic. The car needed a new headgasket, this would take a couple of days. Got it back this morning. Bought a pruning saw and did a bit of pruning. Had to stop because it started to rain.

When it was time to feed Jaynne, I neede some hot water.Turn the tap and tap gave way and was in my hand. Could not turn the water off. Ran outside to the waterpump and closed the water off there. Now I had to fix the tap. Got a screwdriver but saw I needed a spanner. Could not find any but something else which I could use. Ran inside looked at the hotwatertap how to fix the coldwatertap. It's working oke now. Looks like that everyday something is breaking down and I have to fix it.
Once a fortnight I clean the gutters so there are no leaves so the water runs easely in the tank.

History

2007-11-25T02:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had elections and Australia got a new government. Liberal (Prime Minister John Howard)lost the elections with 22 seats and several still in doubt.
John Howard not only lost the elections but it looks as he is also losing his own seat. He will be the second prime minister losing his own seat. He is losing it to a former ABC journalist Maxine McKew. Maxine has claimed victory. Good luck to her. She will need it, she has never been in politics, however she was a very good journalist.

Have done this week a bit of quilting. Put blocks from a landscape block swap done in 2006 together. Have still to do the binding.

Landscape swap.

The blocks are from several countries. Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, USA and Australia. The theme was a landscape of your neighbourhood or township.

Quilting retreat

2007-11-04T02:19:00.000-08:00

Just home from quilting retreat. What a weekend. It started on Friday. Had first to pack all my stuff which had to come with me. Bedding, cloths, toiletries and of course my quilting equipment and projects.
Picked up Alice from Browns Plains, she came babysitting Jaynne, the dog. Had bought on Thursday her food, had asked for a list.
At about 2 pm Linda was here, we packed my car and away we were. We went via Beaudesert and Boonah to Lake Moogerah. On our way we got very heavy rain there was a van driving before us and I stayed behind it so I could see the road so heavy it was.

Arrived a bit after 4 pm and Julie greeted us, we found our places in the lounge room. The tables were already set up and also in the dormitories were we were sleeping.

Unloaded the car, our quilting material and equipment went in the lounge room and our bedding in the dormitories. After that I had first a cup of coffee. Set myself up and away I was with quilting. Marvelous to be able to stay quilting and only stop with it when it is time to eat. At 6.30 pm we had dinner.
At about 10.30 pm I stopped and had a shower and went to bed, but first relaxed a bit by reading the book, which I had brought with me.
At midnight I switched the light off and went to sleep. At 6am I had dressed myself and went back to the lounge room had a cup of tea and started sewing again. Worked quite nicely away and finished that day two quilts. One needed only a sleeve, the other the top had still to be finished. Had no wadding with me. Margaret had brought with her some of her fabrics plus also wadding and bought this. Sandwiched the quilt and got it also finished.

Had also Alice her 21st birthday quilt finished. It is a big one. The size is good for a queenbed.

Did after this my homework for quiltvirus a mystery.
Had to do 6 blocks with a tree and then make 2 rows of it.

Then I went to work on my little houses. Done quilt a bit and it was nearly time to go to bed. This night I went early to the dormitory. Read still a bit and switched the light early off. On the Sunday I was not that early. Linda and I with 2 others had cleaning duties in the kitchen

Did this morning not so much. After lunch we packed our bags and equipment in the car and went home. First we had a look at Lake Moogerah. It is very low the water.
After a good drive we arrived safely at my place and Linda packed her car. She got her worms and went home with Alice, who she gave a lift. We had a marvelous weekend.

Last week

2007-10-29T03:26:00.000-07:00

Last week Wednesday I went to the Craft and Qld. Quilting Show. Went to the city with the bus and enjoyed the trip. There were the challenge quilts. The first was the Alaska challenge and the second was an ordinary challenge. The quilters got a fat quarter and this fabric they had to use in the quilt.

Challenge fabric.

Alaskan challenge.

Ordinary challenge.

Last Saturday was a busy day. Had to go to computer club first and did a little bit of shopping. In the afternoon changed first my smoke alarm. This is now compulsory here. For every level at least one.

Took the old one out and had a couple holes in the ceiling.

Could not put the alarm straight in there, had to use some plugs for the screws.

The smoke alarm is installed and tested. It is working fine. Now have to test it every week.

Started late in the afternoon with baking of speculaas for the birthday party for Ernst. Of course I forgot a present for Ernst so went on Sunday first to the shops and got a present and made mum very happy by giving him felt pens and a colouring book. Ernst became 3 years old.

In the afternoon I checked the gutters and cleaned them. We were expecting a thunderstorm. As soon as the storm hit as the electricity went off. Rang Energex to know the reason. It went off because of the high wattage use in the street.
Heard then outside a noise as if I had a waterfall. It was a waterfall, the gutters were overflowing, it could not cope with the amount of water which was coming down out of the sky. During the night we had 18 cm of rain.
The electricity was not earlier on then about 2 am during the night. Woke up and set the clock, woke again about 3 am and the clock had to be reset again.

At 7 am I was again cleaning gutters but this time in the rain. Have water damage in the face boards.

My dam got some water too, a 10 cm for sure.

The joys of country living

2007-10-23T04:51:00.000-07:00

This morning my dog started to bark suddenly and made a racket. I looked up and saw to my surprise a snake as thick as 2 fingers and about one and half metre long. Could see that Jaynne had bitten the snake. Called the dog off and the snake got away. It was a green tree snake. It is spring now and with the warmer weather the snakes are more active. This was the second one I saw.
Here where I live there is no water or sewerage. Have a big tank for my drinking water and are dependent on the rain to fill it up. My sewerage is a septic tank. Everything of the toilet goes into it and now that I am on my own, have to pump it empty over about 8 years. The water which is used in the house is collected in another tank and when full is then pumped empty with a sullagepump.

The pump to be connected

Some time ago I had lots of trouble with my pump, it was still under warranty. The shop people did not wanted to give me a new one. They said that the pump was working excellent. However every time I wanted to use it the electricity was cut off. My safety switch went off, when I switched the pump on. Could not pump the tank empty.
Went to another shop and said that I wanted to buy a new pump and was going to claim on my insurance but I needed another test. Got the pump in the second shop and they tested it and it was not good. I was right, the pump was OK but the electrical lead was burned out.
The end of the story I got a new pump on warranty and they made a copy of my invoice.

Sullagepump installed by myself.

The mowers and the pump are now working. Tomorrow I am going to the Brisbane Craft and Quilt Fair.

Spring weather

2007-10-11T02:55:00.000-07:00

This week we had every day a severe storm. The storms started on Sunday night and the every following day we saw on tv the damage it had caused. Specially the northern suburbs were on the receiving end. We had also a bit but not that bad as they had.
What we got was a bit of thunder and rain, good, nice, steady, soaking rain. Tonight we still expect a storm. This will go on till the end of this week. There is for thousands and thousands of dollars of damage.
Today went to the quilting bee and have been cutting some trees for of a misery(mystery)quilt from www.quiltvirus.nl.
Had this week also some more new siggies and started with kit 8 of the gollyville quilt.

Homework

2007-10-04T03:27:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of yard work to do here. My mowers are working properly now. The hand mower is fixed and works good. Have done the council strip (There is a strip of grass between the property and the road) which we have to maintain. If council has to do it then our rates will be going up. The rates are already very high and we do not get much services from them. Now the sullagepump start playing up.
Have no sewerage and the water used in the house is collected in a tank, which has to be pumped empty regularly. My neighbour came to help me to get it out of the tank and brought it to the people where I bought it. They had it working all day and did not play up. Will get it back and in the tank again. Got today kit 9 from gollyville quilt. Just doing kit 7, cannot work that much any more on quilting, however it gets hotter and then by 9 am it gets too hot to work outside. So will get more time.
Mowing can be done in the late afternoon, have dinner at lunchtime and lunch at dinner time. Had finished lunch at the computer at about 7 pm.
Tomorrow have to do shopping will be the first time this week that I am going out. Am getting a hermit this way. Saturday will be also going out then to the flea market in Beaudesert with a Jenny.

When you want to become an Australian citizen you will have to do a test.
This one is from the Australian government.

Here the link to it

Have done the test myself and had 20/20.
On the very first day one person failed the test.
Have seen on an Australian quilting mailing list another test. Would have failed this one.

Cultural diversity is fine, as long as there is a base-line of cultural
understanding and respect thereof…

2007 Australian Citizenship test

1. Do you understand the meaning, but are unable to explain the origin of, the
term "died in the arse"?
2. What is a bloody little beauty?
3. Are these terms related: chuck a sickie; chuck a spaz; chuck a U-ey?
4. Explain the following passage: "In the arvo last Chrissy the relos rocked up for a barbie, some bevvies and a few snags. After a bit of a Bex and a lie down we opened the pressies, scoffed all the chockies, bickies and lollies. Then we drained a few tinnies and Mum did her block after Dad and Steve had a barney and a bit of biffo."
5. Macca, Chooka and Wanger are driving to Surfers in their Torana. If they are travelling at 100 km/h while listening to Barnsey, Farnsey and Acca Dacca, how many slabs will each person on average consume between flashing a brown eye and having a slash?
6. Complete the following sentences:
a) "If the van's rockin' don't bother ?
b) You're going home in the back of a ?
c) Fair crack of the ?
7. I've had a gutful and I can't be fagged. Discuss
8. Have you ever been on the giving or receiving end of a wedgie?
9. Do you have a friend or relative who has a car in their front yard "up on blocks"? Is his name Bruce and does he have a wife called Cheryl?
10. Does your family regularly eat a dish involving mincemeat, cabbage, curry powder and a packet of chicken noodle soup called either chow mein, chop suey or kai see ming?
11. What are the ingredients in a rissole?
12. Demonstrate the correct procedure for eating a Tim Tam.
13. Do you have an Aunty Irene who smokes 30 cigarettes a day and sounds like a bloke?
14. In any two-hour period have you ever eaten three-bean salad, a chop and two serves of pav washed down with someone else's beer that has been flogged from a bath full of ice?
15. When you go to a bring- your-own-meat barbie can you eat other people's meat or are you only allowed to eat your own?
16. What purple root vegetable beginning with the letter "b" is required by law to be included in a hamburger with the lot?
17. Do you own or have you ever owned a lawn mower, a pair of thongs, an Esky or Ugg boots?
18. Is it possible to "prang a car" while doing "circle work"?
19. Who would you like to crack on to?
20. Who is the most Australian: Kevin "Bloody" Wilson, John "True Blue" Williamson, Kylie Minogue or Warnie?
21. Is there someone you are only mates with because they own a trailer or have a pool?
22. What does sinkin piss at a mates joint and getten para mean?

And should we add some general knowledge of an international level?
Something like "Why did they build the Great Wall of China"?

Quilting

2007-09-29T03:02:00.000-07:00

On Thursday I started again with a fire at 7.45 am. It took about an hour and half before the fire was finished. Got myself then ready for quilting was there an hour too late. Afterwards did some shopping.
The next morning went to a friend with the jinxed mower to get it fixed. It is going but it goes out. Had some morning tea with him. His wive was at work over 2 weeks she will retire and then they go to Hervey Bay. This is on the Sunshine Coast.
Yesterday and today I was working on my gollyville quilt. Gave Jaynne early her food and at 5 o'clock I was on the ride-on and mowing the left front lawn. It looks very nice now. Do not have to scrape the grass together. At 6 it was nearly dark and stopped. Got straight under the shower. Watch at the moment the movie Robots and after that we get Judge John Deed. See ya some time.

Alice has a job

2007-09-26T02:45:00.000-07:00

This afternoon at about a quarter past 4, Alice rang me and she was screaming through the phone: "I have a job". They had just rang her and offered Alice a full time job. She can probably start at the end of October. They have still to do some checks.

Last Sunday I went to Linda's party, to celebrate Lennart's promotion and Linda and Koen's birthday. Had made gado-gado(indonesian salad) with satay(peanutpastesauce) and kroepoek(prawn crackers). Those were a success with the young ones. They were gone in no time.
Alice came later, at about 7 we went home and had a good time.
Dropped Alice off in the city and myself went home.

Monday I had an appointment with someone from Taxhelp. You get help, to fill in your tax form. This has to be done before the 30th of October. The tax year is here from the first of July to the 30th of June.

Tuesday had to go the the doctor and got a new appointment on the 8th of November.
Today I went with Frances to Adams, a delicatessen shop and bought dutch licorice(double salted), pumpernickel and some bratwurst. Had some of the bratwurst for lunch and dinner.

The mower is still not going. It looks like it is jinxed the machine. I brought it in on Tuesday. The mechanic had a look at it and the machine started and was going. Got it home and it started but does not keep going.
Even today I was trying to get it started.

This week

2007-09-22T02:30:00.000-07:00

In a week lots of things can happen. This is also true for me. Monday had BWB club but before I could go there Alice rang me early in the morning at about 6.30am. She was the day before home to pick up her degrees, because she had an interview for a job and she still had forgotten to take them with her. Had to bring them where she had the interview before I could go my way. As usually it was in the opposite sides so had to go first into Brisbane before I could go out of Brisbane and towards Beaudesert.
On then Tuesday did clean my home, has to be done once in a while. Do it only once a week, think this is enough. However do the floor every day.
Have been doing a little bit of quilting this week. Worked out one of the puzzle blocks and cut it. It was made for paper piecing, made an applique pattern out of it. Have now to make it up and iron it on the quilt. Have the quilt extended ran out of space for more houses. Thursday went out, had to pay a bill. Whatever I did, haircutting, shopping, post office but paying a bill. When I was home noticed that the bill was still standing on the coffee table and not paid. so got the car out again and went to the post office to pay for Internet, otherwise they will cut me off.
Friday I wanted to do some lawn mowing and ohhhhhhhhh, I hate to say it the blooming thing was not working. Could get it started but after half a minute it stopped. Same problem as before I brought it away for repair. Now I have to do it again. I will complain as they fix it and tell me it is all right, it should be going then.
Today was computer club and was talking with the fellas about the mower(instead computers) and one will becoming and have a look at it. Showed also two ladies how they could save attachments(by copy and paste) in outlook express and then delete the email.

This is an update on my arm. It is nearly healed only a couple of scabs left.

We had a thunderstorm this afternoon the second already this summer. There will be a lot more before summer is finished. Jaynne my dog is terrified of thunderstorms, as soon as I notice there is a storm coming, I bring her in the house, so she can not run of.

Second thursday of the month

2007-09-13T02:30:00.000-07:00

Today is quilting day at 10am start. Had quit a bit of work to do. Cleaning and tidying up the house. Make some lunch and a flask with coffee and a bottle of water.
Looked if there was also some shopping to do, had to go to the post office.
At 10.15 am I was there, as usual the first one.
Started with my puzzle block (house), this has to be send out on Saturday. Had to check if I made a mistake and the house can be made. The others had a look and they liked it. Could make some for them. After this I got back to my gollyville quilt.
Have done already 6 kits. Working on kit 7. Here are some pictures of the quilt.

Top of the quilt.

Bottom of the quilt.

Up date of my arm. It start looking good. The blisters are down and it starts healing.

Alice rang me, she has an interview for a job on Monday. Sunday she comes home for a couple of hours to pick up her qualifications.

First female premier of Queensland.

2007-09-12T02:26:00.000-07:00

Today we got the first female premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh. Peter Beattie will officially retire tomorrow and there will be also a new cabinet. Good luck to her. She will be the 3rd female premier in Australian history. The first one was Dr Carmen Lawrence from West Australia. She became premier in February 1990. Joan Kirner from Victoria was the second on the 7th of August 1990. Now it is Queensland's turn.
The Federal government could do with a female Prime Minister.

Have worked very hard at my pattern for a quilting house block. This month it is my turn to produce a block, cannot show it because it is to be a puzzle. Send the pattern and the other side has to put it together but they do not know how it looks like.It is my second australian house, the first one I can show you.

Here is the original picture, so you can see how I interpreted the picture.

Had today my eyes tested. There were minimal changes and not worth to get new glasses, have to come back over 6 months. The pressure on my eyes is high but still good and they want to keep an eye on it.

The start of renovating

2007-09-08T04:02:00.000-07:00

This week got a new backdoor, new locks and both doors and a weatherstrip on the front door. The creepy crawlers can not come inside anymore. The push mower is fixed and can be used again. The brush cutter will also be fixed, that takes a bit longer, they had to order some parts for it. The second tradesman could not come because it was raining was his excuses. I told him, he could at least ring me that he was not coming and told him, he did not have to come anymore. So the first one got the job and he did a good job. He can do more work for me, there is still plenty to do. Thinking of the pergola, so I can sit outside in summer.

Have been burning again this afternoon. The fire got a bit out of hand and started to run away a bit. Got it in hand again but had my arm burned quite a bit. There are a lot of blisters on it. The best is to keep it open and dry.

Arm with blisters.

Riverfestival 2007

2007-09-03T03:42:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday went to the fireworks with a friend Jenny. We left home 5pm and had the bus from 6.35 but it did not come till 6.45. We went on the bus without paying. It was almost full. We stopped only at two other stops or when people went off the bus. It was packed where the fireworks were. It started with F111's coming over with dump and burn because it was already dark, the tail burned like a comet.

It was on the river but also from some buildings came the fireworks. It was as if the buildings were exploding and later on fire. There was a little girl next to me and she was terrible upset by the nose of the exploding crackers.
At about 7.30 it was finished and then the crush came of going home. Thousands of people went over the bridge to the city. We had first a cup of coffee and a sandwich before we went home. At 8.30 we were ready to go home and we had to wait almost an hour before we got a bus. One after the other passed us full. In the end I went to one of the bus people who arranged everything at the platforms and made enquiries of when there was a bus coming for us. It was not long after that a bus came. Again free transport. Very often with events like this the transport is for free. At last we were at 10pm at home.

During the week there was here a lunar eclipse.
Have a look at the pictures, you see the moon in all sort of shapes, colours and stages of eclipse.

Have not much luck at the moment with my push mower. Changed the sparkplug cover myself and could get the mower going but it does not keep going. Got the mower in the car today. Put a cover over the back of the boot then two planks, which I used as a ramp and got it in the boot. After that a brush cutter went on the front seat.

Had a tradesman for a quote for a new backdoor and new locks on both outside doors and a weatherstrip on the front door. He will ring me tomorrow and an other tradesman will come, so I have a choice. Know approximately how much it will cost.

Have been hanging a new curtain and washed the windows. Hope this will stay a bit longer then the last one(see 7 August).

Quilting and sampler

2007-08-27T03:43:00.000-07:00

Today I have done a bit of quilting. Last year I bought on the Brisbane Quilt Show a quilt, it contains 12 kits. Have done already several kits.

Here you can see the whole quilt.

Last week I received from Annelies a pattern from Amsterdam's coat of arms. As I am born in Amsterdam, I will embroider it and use it with my genealogy. Found a picture of the coat of arms.

Love embroidery, have done a bit of it myself. Got also a sampler from my mother which has been in my family since the war years. During these my father had a second hand furniture shop and had bought it from a deceased estate. The lady was a "diaconess". My mum had it framed. It is nearly 200 hunderd years old.

Am a member of the dutch yahoogroup puzzleblocks, this year each has a turn and makes a pattern of a house. Next month it is my turn to make the pattern for a house. Tomorrow will have to start with it, have a look aroud my area and see if I can find a nice queensland home.

BWB's fundraising

2007-08-26T02:22:00.000-07:00

Have not been writing for some time. Have been too busy with a lot of other things, like gardening(never ending story), selling raffle tickets(this is now finished). Have been to the hairdresser, had my hair cut a different way as normal. Had an electrician change the plugs on the walls, these had to be replaced as I could not get the leads out the plugs and they were cracked.

Made enquiries about a parcel, which Alice send on the 31-3-2007 in England and the post office said to ring back over a couple of days. Well the next day the parcel got delivered. Customs had opened it and taken a sort of game out, because it was made of plant material. We can get it back but have to pay for the treatment. According to Alice it is not worth to pay for the treatment, to get the game, so it will be destroyed.

Yesterday I had a fundraising function van the BWB club. It was a day in the woods with jazz. Lots of people came although the rain was threatening to come down.
We had a nice band and the music they made was very good.

The band

At 10am there was damper with syrup and a cup of coffee. The damper was baked the old fashion-way. It tasted beautiful.
There were also raffle tickets for sale and I bought a couple. Let me win a bottle of wine.

The raffle prices are at the back.

At 12 there was lunch. Was helping out in the kitchen and had to put carrots on the plate and then it went to the people.
After everyone had their food, the workers got theirs and then the dish washing had to be done. Luckily there was only the cutlery and the containers. We had used throwaway plates, which are marvelous. It was time to go, the rain was going to come down. It took me an hour to get home.

The BWB-Club

2007-08-07T03:02:00.000-07:00

After I had collected for the leukemia foundation had the money banked. Collected $52.70, which is for about 17 a 18 houses very good. On the Tuesday Alice came back from Sydney. The plane arrived at 4.30pm. Had told her to go by airtrain back to the city and then with the bus to Browns Plains, where I picked her up. Traffic at the Airport Drive is too busy, it is really bumper to bumper, 3 lanes thick. Rest of the week busy with getting ready for my week at the Gold Coast. Had arranged for Jaynne, our dog, a house sitter, who was coming twice a day, to check and feed her. Was very upset when I got a phone call that Jaynne went mad in the house. She had pulled down one curtain

and ripped to pieces.

In the laundry there was the skirting board and some tiles gone.

The damage is not too bad, the curtains were very old and had to be replaced, now I have to do it. Have to get a new skirting board, can get that cut to length and nail it then down. The tiles were coming loose and had to be glued back again. Have to do a bit renovating anyway, a bit more or less makes no difference.

On the Gold Coast we had a very nice unit, we lived downstairs.

Did a lot of beach walking

and before the coast was a platform and was told is was the desalination platform for our drinking water.

Every morning and afternoon you can see the helicopter going to the platform and bring or pick up people. Probably it is cheaper to do it this way instead of people living there.

Every lunch we went to a pub close by. We had a good feed for only $4.95 with any drink and it was daily a different meal. At nighttime we did some games and had a lot of fun and laughter. The fridaymorning came to quick and we had to go again. Hope next year to go again.
Oh, by the way BWB stands for Babes without Boopes.

Collecting

2007-07-22T02:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the doorknock for the leukemia foundation started. Today I went up the road and went to all the houses in the street and got quit a bit of donations.

Here when you donate $2 and over you get a docket for it and you can claim it as a tax deduction. The tax year is from July 1 till June 30. So you have to keep it in a safe place for next year when you fill in your tax form. Most people can do it themselves. If it gets a bit complicated you let someone else do it.
Collected over $50 in about 3 hours, had everywhere a nice talk and got even a cup of tea.
Yesterday I got Alice's copy of Harry Potter's book. It is laying in her room and waiting for her. Had a look at the end and was only interested in that. How it finished. Know that now. You have to read for yourself, will not tell you.

My eye looks good now that the stitches are out. It is as if I had a face lift. It is still a little bit blue but that will be going.

Here still a nice picture of me with the plaster on.

Sydney

2007-07-13T04:06:00.000-07:00

This morning at 6 o'clock the phone went. Got out of bed and was near the phone when it stopped. Do not we all hate this. Decided to wait and see if it was to go again. Good I stayed there. It went for the second time. It was Alice. She was in a panic, she did not have her passport with here for going to Sydney well you will say, she does not need it. The plane was going from the international terminal and she did not have it with her. Found it in her bag in the bedroom. Got myself quickly dressed and drove first to my neighbour and gave her the key from the backdoor, so she could get the dog Jaynne. On the M1 motorway there was quit a bit of traffic. Had to stop several times. Was about half past 7 at the airport. Went to the departing hall and with her passport she checked in. Told her she owned me breakfast. Then the crush came, she could have travelled on her 18+ id card.
Oh, don't you love them on occasions like this.
Went back home and went to the chemist because I needed some more bandages for my eye. My neighbour gave me a cuppa and it tasted very good. Got myself some breakfast at home.

Life goes on

2007-07-12T03:57:00.002-07:00

On Sunday 31st of July Alice went off to Biofutures and I got stuck in the "garden". You can better say yard, it is 1.3ha big, a bit big for garden. Will have to see that I get my ride-on mower going.
That week I made an appointment with a molesafe clinic. Got checked over and the doctor burned straightaway a couple of sunspots off and did a biopsy of another spot under my left eye. Got 2 days later a phone call to come back it was a skincancer and had to be taken out.
A friend drove me to the doctor and had it cut out, I am now walking with a big plaster under my eye and the eye is black. Look like a pirate.
The piece which was taken out went to pathology for a check that everything is out, otherwise I have to go back and she(doctor) will have to cut deeper to find the roots. Cannot make a picture because Alice has my digi with her to Sydney. Hers was broken at the Biofutures. Hope mine will survive Sydney.
Start slowly taken up my life again, went back to selling raffle tickets for breastcancer research. We sold for $88 tickets. Afterwards went to quilting. Got tickets(for taxdeductions) in the mail for leukemia fundraising. When people give donations over $2 then they can claim it as a taxdeduction. Hope to collect around $50 in the street. There are not that many homes and $50 is very good.

Celebration of Bob's life.

2007-07-12T03:57:00.000-07:00

Since my last post and this one a lot had happened. On the Saterday 30th of June a we had Bob's wake in the frontgarden. It was a small occasion. Now that I look back at it, do not know what Bob would think about it because he lived almost like a hermit. We are glad we did it and had the support of our close friends and neighbours.
This is what Alice had to say about her father.

My dad lived a very long life. Born 9th of October 1928, he passed away in his home of the past 23 years on the 6th of June 2007 at the age of 78. Hobart Broos was born in Petjangaan on the island of Java in Indonesia to dutch-indonesian parents. Older brother to Rob and younger brother to Wynand (or Nandi), they lived a peaceful life running amuck at a rice plantation until the Japanese invasion during World War 2.

After the war my father suffered hard times as a teenager being put into concentration camps by the Indonesians where he was beaten tortured and starved almost to death. After this time, he studied hard to finish high school while working as a police man. Just before his final exams, he found out where the police superintendent was going to place him in the community. Immediately after this knowledge, my father decided to go to the doctor where he was medically disqualified due to a bad lung infection. He would not have survived in the place where the superintendent wanted to place him because policemen were specifically targeted by the freedom fighters of Indonesia.

Because of all the troubles in Indonesia and the discrimination against the dutch by the Indonesians, he went with the last boat out of Indonesia before the independence to Dutch New Guinea (now Irian Jaya) where he worked hard and became a hydro-engineer. After several years, he started a trucking business with Rob with left-over trucks left behind by the Americans after the war. He was the first to import a truck from Australia to Dutch New Guinea.

At this time, Indonesian soldiers were infiltrating Dutch New Guinea and my father decided to move on towards the United States of America with a visa in his pocket. This was in 1958.
He travelled via Australia but did not have an entry visa, luckily customs let him into the country and he came into contact with Peter Rusch of the dutch consulate, who convinced him to get a visa and stay in Australia.

I remember one story of dad’s first impression of Australia was his first trip to the bakery. He asked Peter, “What are they selling here? Hot piss?!” To Peter’s reply, “No sorry Hob, it’s hot pies…not piss”. Gotta love dutch translations.

After trying several jobs, he went to Mount Isa and worked in the mines. When first meeting the miners, he was asked what his name was. When he replied Hobart, this was too difficult for the miners to comprehend and pronounce so it was shortened to Bob.

In 1960, he went with holidays to Holland but unintentionally got married and had a daughter. Dad decided to come back to Australia because the weather was too cold in Holland but Cato did not wish to come. Unfortunately, they divorced several years later without Cato ever coming to Australia.

When my father returned from Holland, he went to Tasmania, which funnily enough is similar to the dutch weather. Peter, the guy from the dutch consulate, also helped him here with a job in the zinc works.

After some years in Tasmania, Dad went to Sydney where he worked as a truck driver. In 1970, he went to Brisbane where he met my mum and by the end of 1971 they married. Between ’72 and ’74, dad became an interstate truck driver. In 1974, my parents went to Melbourne where they lived for 10 years. In 1984, they came back to Brisbane, built this house and in 1985 I was born. Dad was always playing with me, when I was a baby and as a toddler.

Dad had his own remedies for curing everything and for staying healthy. Eucalyptus oil for the lungs, he breathed it in everyday and everyday I heard him coughing afterwards because he breathed it in too much. By the time I was in high school, Dad was getting quite bad arthritis in the joints of his hands and knees and was treating himself with a bunch of creams like dencorub and later emu oil to help relieve the pain. Isocol, dettol and mentholated spirits were regularly used for itchy bites. Tea tree oil was also used for fungal infections on the toes. Dad always loved the beach, especially the salty sea, he always said it was the perfect remedy for clearing up the skin and any acne.

He really loved Jaynne, our dog. Sometimes I got the feeling that he loved the dog more than he loved us. Anytime dad (and the family) left to go anywhere for several hours, such as going to visit an aunt of mine in Caboolture, or to Hennie and Robs place or when picking me up from swimming or dancing after school or even my high school graduation, the dog always came with us. They had a very close relationship that I feel Jaynne will never forget.

Even up to the day he passed away, he was exercising every day with chin-ups, windmills, pulling hard springs (spring chest pull) and walking around the property with Jaynne, feeding the birds everyday, watering the plants and general maintenance of the place.

Dad was as fit as a fiddle (besides the usual old age aches and pains) until about the beginning of last year. Then he started to feel a lot more pain and of course, was stubborn enough not to go to the doctor for several months. Dad had many problems with his body but we never thought that it would be his heart that would fail him in the end. He died at about 5.10pm on the 6th of June, 2007 at home. I got a phone call at 8.32am where I was still in bed in Glasgow and not expecting such an important phone call. I really loved my dad and I know that he loved me too. I’ll always treasure the good times with him… maybe not so much the bad times but you get that with every family.

I just want to say one last thing. Thank you, all of you for coming today. Mum and I really appreciate all the support that we’ve had the past few weeks during this difficult time for us. Thank you.

After this Alice mentioned that I had received so many cards and letters from quilters from all over the world. Like Holland, America, Turkey, Belgium. Hope I have all countries. Thank you ladies, you have been a marvelous help to me over this difficult time.

Movie

2007-06-24T03:54:00.001-07:00

After I had my walk on the road with the dogs, hang my washing on the line. Had put it in the washing machine before breakfast.
This morning my neighbour was back again. Yesterday he had done only two shrubs and there was still one left to be done. He will be back again over sometime because 2 pine trees have to be cut down, they are dead.
Tomorrow I can drag the tops of the branches to the bonfire.
About 11am my friend came, we had coffee and went then to Browns Plains where we had lunch. Had a chicken kebab with sweet chili sauce. Had already bought our tickets for Shrek 3. If you have the chance to see the movie, I recommend it. Had a good laugh. Were about 4 pm home. Had another coffee and my friend had to go home. Luckily I had brought the washing already inside before we went to the movies, it was already dry.
Had an email from Alice that she is in London and flying out on Monday to arrive here on Tuesday night.

Cutting down shrubs

2007-06-23T03:24:00.000-07:00

Early in the morning I went to the computerclub and one of them helped me with a photo to enhance it better. I am going to print it on fabric instead of a memory book. On saterday when we have the wake, the guests can put their name on a piece of fabric with crayons and I will make it in a quilt.
This picture of hubby is made some years ago.

After this did some shopping and was about 2pm at home.
At 3pm my neighbour knocked on the window and said he was going to saw down the shrubs which had fallen over with a storm.
His wife came with him and the ute. They took the big pieces for the potbelly and I was left with the smaller branches, can handle those.
During the week I will stack them and then they can be burned.
Tomorrow will go with a girlfriend to the movie Shrek 3. We will be having lunch somewhere.

Wildlife

2007-06-22T03:04:00.000-07:00

We have wildlife living in our house. A possum. She is living in the rafters from the carport during the daytime. From time to time we see her as she is moving around.
Here she is climbing on her bed.

Our boarder watching what I am doing

Sleeping between the rolls with her paws in the air.

Possums sleep during the day and feed themselves at nighttime. We have an orange tree and the possum helps itself to it. Found the empty peeling in the garden.

During day we see birds, am feeding them. Specially in wintertime they can use a helping hand. Here you can see a couple.

This week I have been burning some wood and start again collecting more branches.
Sawing fallen trees in short pieces so it can be burned. There are already all over the yard a lot of branches in piles and are now bringing to the place where they can be burned.

Here is my burning earlier this week. Nice fire.

And another picture of the burning. Have to watch that it cannot cause a bushfire.

Like make a fire. My neighbour saw me burning and said he should also start, but his pile is still there.

Cleaning the yard

2007-06-20T04:01:00.000-07:00

Next week the council will start collecting big rubbish in our area.
Have quit a bit of rubbish to throw out. There has not been a cleaning out since we live here(23 years). We have been hoarding all this time. Started early at 8.45 am this morning and worked till 10. Had a coffee, after this made the bed, did the dish washing and dusting the floor. Housework done.
At around 11am I had a visitor and have been talking with him for about half an hour, rang my friend and she came over. We had some lunch (pizza) and back to cleaning out the yard. We brought about 15 sheets of corrugated iron to the road and made 2 nice piles. Old rusty bins, used fence wires. With all this exercise we were quit warm. After finishing, another cuppa was welcome. Looked outside and the vultures were there already and looking over the piles of rubbish on the roadside.
Had a good look and saw it was my neighbour, if I had any idea that he wanted this, I would have asked him to come and collect it. This would have saved us a lot of energy. Ah well, we needed the exercise and had a good time. My muscles are getting less sore, get used to the physical work.
Got a phone call that Alice's quilt is finished and I can pick it up. Will get it tomorrow.

Library and mowing

2007-06-16T02:31:00.000-07:00

Saturdays I go to the library and this Saturday was no exception. There was a magazine "Margriet" and a book waiting for me. Have something to read again. Had run out of reading material. I never meet people in the shopping centre but this morning I met several friends. This week I found some junk mail in the mailbox which was of some use. Pizza's for $3.50 each pick up only. This is in the shopping precinct so no problem. Got 2 pizza's, junk food lovely. When I came home, had a coffee and pizza(lunch).

At about 11.30am started to mow the lawn and driveway (which is about 60mt).
It took a while. When I finished I filled the mower and the container with petrol and brought the mower back to my neighbour. Have a mower but that one I cannot start talking. The pull is too heavy.

When mowing was finished, so was I and took the rest of the day off.

Sad news

2007-06-15T03:22:00.000-07:00

It is now more then a week ago that my husband (Bob) suddenly passed away. Was going to bring him to the doctor. Opened the gate so we could drive straightaway. Come back in the house and find him on the floor in the bedroom. Rang 000 for an ambulance and was told to start with CPR. When the ambulance came, it was to late.

The coroner has done an autopsy, he had heart problems and did not know himself.
He had expressed the wish to be cremated. Today the lady from the funeral services brought me the ashes.

My daughter will come back on the 26th of June, she will be landing at Brisbane airport 7.25 pm.

Koos a friend will drive me to and from the airport, which is very much appreciated.
On Saturday the 30th we will be having a wake for him.
At the moment it seems that my life is at a stand still. Waiting for Alice to come back home and have that wake and I can then go on with my life or try to get on. Will have to learn to live on my own again and after 35 year marriage it will not be easy. It is very quiet in the house.
There will be a lot to do and do not know if I will manage. It is a big piece of land 1.3 ha. Have to mow the grass and do the gardening. Things I have not done before. Have to go through Bob's stuff and see what I can still use and what to clear out. New mowing machines have to come because the ones there are, I cannot manage and I do not want all the time to ask my neighbours. The house has also to be sorted out and new paint is needed. Enough to keep me busy for a while.

Busy for daughter's homecoming

2007-06-03T04:06:00.000-07:00

Have been busy the last couple of days. End this month DD is coming back home from travelling through Europe and her 21st birthday quilt had to be finished by then. Last Friday I got the top finished and went straight the top and back straight away to be professionally quilted. The lady will also do the binding so I get a finished quilt back. Have to do the label and a sleeve but that is not too much work anymore.
Last month i bought a new sewing machine and need some more lessons. Have still to learn to do it properly.

Now I can turn my attention to my rag quilt, have to stitch through and then it is also finished. Oh, I have so many UFOs laying around. Have blocks for 3 quilts to put together from swaps and then not to forget the siggies have about a 700 a 800 and still collecting.

When DD comes home she will not recognise her bedroom, I will be using it for my sewing. Have already packed her stuff. The bed has to be under the window so that I can get more space and put in more cupboards for my fabrics. They are now under her bed and everywhere. On long side of the room has already shelves and I have one more shelf, which can go up and then a table under neath it. DD will be busy within a couple of days and be gone. She will have to look for a job and will move out again.
So I can use the room then as a sewingroom.

Third Monday of the Month

2007-05-21T03:32:00.000-07:00

Every month on the 3rd monday I am going to the Beaudesert and Boonah Breastcancer Ladies meeting. Was today a bit late. Had first to go to Woolies in Jimboomba. Had a lovely morning tea, we all bring a plate, so there is plenty of food. There were 2 ladies, who showed us the newest breast prosthesis and bras. They are made from silicone (the prosthesis of course). Several were fitted with a new bra including me. We were told we could get a breast prosthesis from the government through the hospital. Got the form of and off I was. Next time I see these ladies I will have a nice breast and hopefull not any more so lopsided.

Have been busy with signing some siggies (signatureblocks), which i am going to swap with other quilters. This one is not finished yet, my name is still not on it.

Last week I got one from the Netherlands, and it is beautifull, love it.