Matching Pegs

This beautiful Helleborus, or Winter Rose (also known as Christmas Rose in the other hemisphere ;-)) has been growing in the garden for quite some time.  Today I decided that it was OK to cut some blooms to bring inside, as with the warmth of spring, I am not sure how much longer it will be in bloom.

I have also finished my scarf, just in time for the warmer days, isn’t it always the way.

It is a much larger version of Michaela’s scarf, it took 4 balls of Bamboozle yarn (70% Bamboo 30% Cotton) to make it up.  This is the 5th scarf I have made, using a 2×2 rib, following my beginners book.  This is the first time I have “cast off in rib”, my beginners book only showed me one way to cast off.  I had no idea there were others, and this way works so much better (as you cast off you just follow the pattern of knit two, purl two).

Rory took the photo above, (under direction). I think he did a fantastic job.  He is home today with an upset tummy following a very big weekend.  We packed in Swimming Lessons, a Spring Fair (I was a face painter extraordinaire), Fathers’ Day and the purchase of a new(er) car (4 years rather than 13).  It looks a little like this………

On Wednesday, I have to trek back to the complete other side of town to pick it up, and bring it home, probably by driving on the notorious Punt Rd/Hoddle Street - one of the busiest roads in all of Melbourne.  While it will definitely be worth it, I am a little nervous.  Anyway, this little beauty (A Toyota, Avensis Verso) has 2 extra seats tucked away in the back section of the hatch.  They fold completely flat, leaving a boot capacity similar to the one we have in the old Liberty.  This will enable us to transport other additional people occasionally when we go out (when the kids want to bring a friend) which I am sure will come in handy.  We will still be a one car family, but have a little more flexibility.

In the next few days, I will have to post some pictures of some painted faces, but it has taken me ages to write this short post, so I will save it for another day.  Why is it that having two kids at home today makes me feel like I am moving through quicksand.  I don’t seem to get anything done.  As much as I love my kids, I am craving a little alone time, and that little glow of satisfaction that comes with finishing a project of two.

Happy Birthday our little ray of sunshine.

You surprise us every day with your confidence, and the joy you get out of life. You smile more than any other member of the family, and have done so since you were a tiny baby. Here you are when you were 3 days old.

Your arrival completed our family, and never has a baby been more cuddled than you.

At three months old when you had an uncomfortable hip brace fitted, the lady fitting it was amazed at your good humor…”This is usually when they start howling”. Every couple of months when they adjusted it, you were so good for the orthotist, and she was always impressed with you sunny disposition.  in fact, most people are usually impressed with your sunny disposition.

This is you when you were 11 months old. You love to join in with any game that the big kids are playing - you often get to be the sick patient, or the student, not to mention Darth Vader.  What ever you are, you always join in, and imagine along with the action.

This is when you were 17months old, and it is one of my favourite photo’s of you, with your big blue eyes and your smile.

In fact, with your smile you can get away with almost anything.

Micky Moo, no matter what, remember that we love you, always. We are so lucky to be your Mum and Dad.

*Michaela’s birthday was yesterday, but we were too busy celebrating it for me to write this post.

We had a beautiful sunset tonight and I could not resist sharing it with you.  This is the view across the top of the neighbouring houses.  As a family we all went to see Kung Fu Panda this afternoon, which was actually not bad as far as school holiday movies go.  It was Michaela’s first movie and apart from moving between Luke at one end of our 5 seats, and myself at the other, she made it through the whole movie without making lots of noise.

Here is an update on the fort/lookout/cubby in the backyard.

This was Luke working out how high the step needed to be, so that Michaela could climb up.

She was a real little Tradey, helping out Daddy.

As the kids had a curriculum day today (no school, teachers plan the curriculum) we stayed in the country for a long weekend. We enjoyed the slower pace, the space, as well as catching up with family, and catching the local footy (Aussie Rules of course - this is Victoria).

Of course I took along the camera and took more photos of the area where my husband grew up.

on the left are some Peppercorns and on the right is a magnificent eucalyptus.

Here is a view of his home town, which is in the north of Victoria.

And, because I can’t help myself, here is another sunset.

Hopefully my next post will be some sewing/creating.

They shall grow not old,
As we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning
We will remember them. Lest we Forget

This is the verse of the ode that is said during the minutes of silence on Anzac Day.

For the sacrifices that have been made, and those that continue to be made, by the men and women that serve their country, and the families that they leave behind, we are grateful.

I have been writing and rewriting this post all week…

Andrew Denton’s interview show “Enough Rope” has a slogan, “Everyone has a story”.

Last week he touched on my story, my family’s story.

Among the stories of celebrities, Andrew shows us stories that do not get much coverage. Last Monday his show was called “Angels and Demons” and was about living with mental illness. I have a close family member who has schizophrenia, and other members of the extended family who have this nasty illness as well.

Andrew treated the people that he spoke to with dignity, and let them tell their stories in their own words. Together with the people he spoke to, he shone some light on to what living with “Angels and Demons” can be like. The more people that talk about this, the better. We need to break down some of the stigma that gets heaped upon people that already have enough to deal with.

I am profoundly grateful that Andrew and the Enough Rope team have made this show.

I don’t really want to say more here on this blog, as this blog is really a place for me to show my creations, but wanted to publicly acknowledge Andrews contribution, and my gratitude.

The Matching Pegs family spent the Easter Break with the extended family, up in Luke’s small hometown in the vicinity of Bendigo. For Easter Lunch there were 12 adults and 9 kids, and lots of good food and chocolate (Many thanks to Luke’s Mum and Dad for hosting us all). It was a lovely way to spend Easter; watching all of our children run around together, playing backyard cricket and playing in the dirt/dust. It is a very dry part of the world at the moment, but oh the serenity! These photos were taken on the front lawn one evening while the sun was setting.

We spent Easter Monday watching the Bendigo Easter Festival Gala Parade which is now in it’s 138th year. Bendigo is a gold mining town, with a rich cultural heritage, particularly from the Chinese immigrants during it’s gold rush. The Parade first featured a Chinese section in 1893, and has ever since.

It features the worlds longest imperial dragon, Sun Loong, (clearly I could not fit him into even two photos) who was made in to replace the old dragon, Loong. Loong, (the oldest imperial dragon in the world) got too old and frail to be used, but remains in the collection of the Golden Dragon Museum in Bendigo.

During the 1880’s as a result of the Gold Rush, Bendigo was considered the wealthiest city in the world, and the evidence of this is still there to see, in the grand nature of the historical buildings. It is a magnificent city to visit, and I have links there through my Grandmother (whose father was the Mayor) as well as my husband.

Anyway, enough history, here are some more parade photos….

These ladies were Amelia’s favorite part of the parade, while Rory loved Sun Loong and Michaela loved “The Daddy Dragon”. This is one final sunset photo, because I couldn’t resist.

What did you do for Easter?

This is the lovely bouquet that I carried on Saturday. I am amazed that it is still alive after the temperatures that we have been experiencing (considering it is officially Autumn). This morning it is already 33 degrees C ( 91.4 degrees F) with a forecast of 39 C (102.2 F), much like yesterday and quite a bit of last week. Adelaide has experienced a record number of days above 35 degrees C (95 F), and Melbourne, while not quite as bad, is feeling it as well (for readers elsewhere, it is dry heat, not humid).

On Saturday, it was 35 degrees C during the wedding, but the church was surely hotter, (no air-con) and we spent a few hours out in the heat having photos. The bouquet doesn’t even have any brown petals and it was out of water all day.

Anyway, enough boring facts…

This is Alison returning from the hairdressers on Saturday morning with her flowers and veil in place. I did her make-up, and all she was missing at this point was the lipstick and matching dress! I think she looks amazing in both her before and after (yesterday’s post).

Michaela was adorable, and this shot is in the church just after the ceremony, can you tell that she is hot?

Just indulge me a little now, this last photo is of my Hollywood hair (big) after I took out the very large handfull of hairpins (my hair was up in a low curly sort of bun, each curl individually pinned in place). It is as close as I ever get to curly hair (apart from a perm back at the start of the 90’s which we won’t go into).

Alison and Scott have had their big day. This is Alison with Hailey (Scott’s niece), Michaela and Amelia before the ceremony.

Here I am with the girls who had just been given a teddy bear each as a thank-you from the bride and groom.

This is my only shot of Rory, who was busy being a photographer on the day. The following shots were taken by him (with his unique perspective and composition).

The Happy couple after the service, joined by the brides attendants, Eng Seng, Manelle, the girls and I, (sorry Eng Seng, a tree got in the way).

Colin, Father of the Bride (and of course my father).

Unfortunately, as I was not in charge of the camera, and Luke had his hands full with the kids, I do not have any photos of the rest of the family or the rest of the bridal party (sorry Mum, you looked amazing). However, thanks to Rory, I do have this lovely shot of my wonderful husband, who posed for the same photos, in the same spot with me, almost 10 years ago. I love you Luke.

…In Our Front Garden Bed*.

These are just beginning to come out, in the garden bed against the house. I think that they are Salvias, but I am not sure, they were grown from a cutting I was given.

I just love the colour of them up against our Terracotta bricks.

They are coming in to bloom to replace the Hydrangeas which occupy the same bed, that have browned off in the heat of summer and been pruned back.

The last time they looked any good was New Years Eve, when I cut most of the blooms off before the mercury hit 42 degrees C (107.6 degrees F). The hydrangeas get the first lot of water from the shower, (that cold stuff that comes out while you wait for the water to warm up) almost every morning, except when it rains.

* Purple patch seems to mean different things in different countries. I have always understood it to mean a period of excellent performance, where nearly everything seems to go right, work properly, and contrasting with a more general lower level of performance, but to some it means period of ostentatiously erratic or bad behaviour.