There are 163 blue fabrics in my stash. How did this happen? What could ever make me think I would use that many fabrics in my lifetime? If I possess this many blue fabrics, how many do I own of other colours? I have been buying fabric for patchwork for more than 30 years. I […]
Quality time with technology
I’ve spent many hours since Friday fine tuning the programs and functionality of my new laptop computer to get it just the way I want it. I’m keen on new technology but I believe it should work for me rather than simply accept everything that a new pre configured system offers. I loved using my […]
The importance of people-free days
Last week was a busy one for me as I had three consecutive days as a member of various groups. Monday was the garden club, where two of us organise and run the plant sale table. Tuesday was a full day hands-on quilt workshop and Wednesday was my writers’ group. All involved plenty of face-to-face […]
Newsletter: February 2024
This is a short note from me this month. I will be sending newsletters less frequently this year. I have several projects in progress and I’ve decided to spend more time on them. Since there are still only 24 hours in each day (how annoying!), I need to reallocate my time. What are these projects? […]
Accidents with colour
I was trying to pull a piece of fabric from the bottom of a precariously arranged pile of objects on the top shelf of my bookcase. The fabric came out easily but so did my set of coloured pencils. The tin crashed to the ground and all the colours of the rainbow landed on the […]
Once upon a greenhouse
I spend a lot of time lusting over photos of gardens in full bloom. Who doesn’t? I particularly love gardens frothing with flowers that punctuate the green backdrops, with patches of colour inviting closer inspection. I’m drawn to photos of cottage-style gardens showing healthy plants, clean edges around garden beds, and not a single weed […]
Newsletter: January 2024
Hello! Whew, I’m glad January is over because it was the month that Covid caught up with us. We’d managed to avoid it for four years, so I guess that was an achievement. Symptoms still linger but we are on the mend, thankfully. Gardens It has long frustrated me that all my hand-written plant labels […]
Book review: What Happened to Nina?
Nina and Simon are a young couple who spend a weekend at his family’s cabin but only Simon comes home. Soon after, Nina’s parents report her missing and continue to push the police for answers. Meanwhile, Simon’s parents hire expensive lawyers and a PR firm to protect him as it becomes increasingly clear that his […]
Book review: Uncle Paul
A new discovery for me! This mystery by Celia Fremlin is a total delight. It’s gripping and twisty with an ending I did not see coming. It is meticulously plotted. Celia Fremlin used language beautifully and the book also contains lines that made me laugh out loud. First published in 1959 and republished as an […]
Newsletter: December 2023
Hello! I hope you enjoyed your December and are ready to welcome a new month and a new year. The summer solstice has passed but I know the hottest months of our Australian summer are yet to come, though we have already had a couple of scorching days. My hydrangeas did not enjoy those days! […]