The Royal Hobart Show.

Well, I don't know what came over me but I had the urge to go to the Royal Hobart Show, the last time we went was about twenty years ago, the year after we arrived here. I must have forgotten what a let down this is, after coming from the UK where the Country Shows are considerably bigger (and a lot better) than anything they can put on here. The Show Ground itself is so antiquated, could be great if they gave it a face lift but I guess the population just does not merit spending the millions of dollars it would take, and for what? An Annual Show! So stop moaning and get on with it!

I mainly wanted to go as friend Joan had a picture in the Art Section, which was a real eye opener, it was a great landscape, the view of the Neck at Bruny from her shack at Simpsons Bay. Will have to treat her with more respect, she may be an artist to be reckoned with in the future!!!

The Craft and Cookery sections were disappointingly few, though all nicely displayed in glass cabinets. Some of what was there was very good, but quite a bit quite ordinary!

Then came the Old Utes and Old Cars, they were fantastic, their colours, contours and the fact that they are in such immaculate condition, they were worth seeing.

And then the stars of the show were the four ducks all dressed up for a fashion parade, complete with catwalk (or should it be duckwalk) followed by a race which the duck in yellow won. Poor ducks, hope they enjoyed all the cheering from the enthusiastic young audience.

Oh well, I have seen enough for the next twenty years.......

Well, I thought it was a good idea at the time!

I am a 'Lifeline Visitor' which means that as often as I can I visit a little old lady at the Hostel in Snug. My lady is over ninety, does beautiful embroidery and I had this bright idea that we would do a Project together for the Hostel, which could do with a little embellishment along the hall walls. I decided on applique native Australian plants, which I started off by fixing them to the background, and thought that Lorna could buttonholestitch around said flowers!!! To cut a long story short, it didn't work, and now I am left to finish the wallhangings myself!! Not that I mind, I am quite pleased with how they have turned out, and I have one more in the making, three in all, and they should look good on the walls.

Blood, sweat and tears!

They are finished!! We have been working on these two knee rugs for the past two years and they are finally ready to hand over to 'The Giving Tree' when they launch this year's Appeal. This is run by our local ABC Station every Christmas for needy families. Hope someone will love our blankets, must say I like the blue one best. We all knitted squares which were supposed to be 6" but by the time we had finished, and then crocheted round the edges with the black our 'sewer upper' (mostly Joan,) had the unenviable task of getting them all to fit together. Lets hope they are not so flushed with success that they want to do it again for next year.

My Anenomes

Aren't they just beautiful? But there is more to this post than a photo of flowers. They are not just 'any' flowers, no, they are MY flower! and I have a Mug (Dunoon - you name dropper) to prove it.

Ken bought me for one birthday a 'Virgo' Mug, telling me all the things about me that I already knew, but maybe he needed confirmation. This Mug states that I am a perfectionist, I am practical, diligent and reliable (wow) I am also critical (this he does acknowledge) analytical, modest and intelligent. My ruling Planet is Mercury, my gemstone is Sardonyx (still waiting for it to appear!) (Don't like the explanation for Sardonic in the Pocket Oxford Dictionary which states that it means grimly jocular, full of bitter mockery, cynical) My vegetables are carrots and potatoes (wish I looked more like a carrot and less like a potato) and last of all, my flower is the - you've guessed it - Anenome!

Wow, what a find!!

One of my friends (I do have more than one!)recently went to a Book Sale and bought this great copy of a 1922 Guide to Berlin and Potsdam. Knowing of my increasing interest in Berlin she showed it to me (I twisted her arm but she would not give it to me)so if I ever (and I will) go back to Berlin she will lend it to me maybe. It was so quaintly written, in English, it was a joy to read, and the maps, how would they compare today?