Life Update

Well things have changed around here lately, since the Bathurst SCQ retreat my computer died totally and I had changed ISP's so I now have a new home phone number and a new email address;I think in a way it's a good thing I am moving onwards and upwards with my life.
in about 3 weeks I am going to the USA to stay with my cousin and her husband so I will miss all the rest (and the worst)of Bathurst's winter!!
Tomorrow my daughter Trish is ## years old it only seems like yesterday she was a bouncing and very healthy baby,as always I wish her health,wealth and happiness for the rest of her life.

An article about my childhood area

I spent the first 2 years of my life at Chinaman's Beach then we moved to Kurraba Road Neutral Bay until my parents went their separate ways in January 1963.Louise,Andrew (RIP) and all out friends regarded Kurraba Point as our neighbourhood and many a special time was had there.
So that is 13 happy years living in what is now a new suburb!


http://mosman-daily.whereilive.com.au:80/news/story/kurraba-point-declared-new-suburb/

Promises, promises part 2

The best laid plans of mice and men!!!
My PC has gone to God so I am managing with my old laptop as best as I can.The new computer should arrive next week,thanks to the Tim Tams who paid for it for my birthday and Mother's Day.
Jayne and Tom want me to go over to Dallas ealier than the (booked)11th August date so we are just waiting for Flight Centre in Gawler to ring back with the price difference(been waiting 24 hours now).
It's turning cold today so running away from winter a bit sooner will not worry me at all.

Promises,promises

I have decided today I am going to use this blog more frequently, now that the SCQuilters retreat is over and I have more time on my hands there is no excuse.
I have spent most of today organising photos for the retreat blog ,please go and have a look at some of the photos and see what fun we had in Bathurst in early May
http://2010retreat.blogspot.com/

Tomorrow I will organise some photos for this blog and then I will update regularly so that when I go to the USA in August I can keep everyone up to date with my travels with Tom and Jayne.

Anzac Day 2010

Anzac Day was always special in my life, as a young child we always attended all the services in Sydney and watched the March without realising the significance of ANZAC!
My maternal Grandfather fought on the Western Front and as a result of a GSW (gun shot wound) to the (L) shoulder was a TPI.



This is a photo of a very young James Oswald Doyle in uniform





Here is a photo of the Leeton boys in Cootamundra Military Camp before they left for the Fighting in Europe
My Grandfather James Oswald Doyle is on the right side standing.

Both my parents served in the Australian Army, my father was wounded in Tobruk within 12 months of landing and was a a TPI.Mum was in the army for 3 years from 30/031943 until 4/04/1946 just 4 weeks before their wedding.





My mother
Sheila Maura Doyle 22/04/1923 - 16/03/2001

Life Update

I really can't believe so much has happened since my last posting almost 23 months ago; first my beloved Uncle Ernie died in November 2009 and I had a very sad trip over to Wagga Wagga for his funeral.Aunty Kath is managing very well without him and I am very proud of her.

Tomorrow is my 62nd birthday and I have Aunty Kath and Uncle George (both my Mother's siblings) still going strong to support me in life.How lucky is that!!Aunty Kath is my mother's younger sister and Uncle George is the oldest and most beloved sibling of the family.I still remember singing Georgey Porgy pudding and pie and then running for my life (which I could do in those days )years back in the mid 50's I suppose.

I am on the committee for the Scquilters retreat for 2010 which is being held in Bathurst on May 7,8,9th 2010 at the Goldfields Function Centre.
I have many reservations about many things but I am biting my tongue quite severely today.

I am very proud to belong to Scquilters and I must tell you that the friendships I have made in this online/but in person group have made so much difference to my life,some people I have met and some I haven't but they are my family believe you me.

Wedded Bliss

Next Thursday my Aunt and Uncle in Wagga Wagga celebrate 60 years of marriage,now is that an achievement or what? They were married on June 4th 1949 at St Joseph's Church Yenda New South Wales and have lived in Wagga Wagga since then most of those years at Macleay Street opposite the Botanical Gardens.When Uncle Ernie built the house it was almost out of town but now it's almost the centre of Wagga.

Memories

Today I had a big trip down memory lane or perhaps a wake up to reality I was reading the SMH and in Domain was a house for sale.Now just because it was listed at 6 million shouldn't have given me palpitations but it did for many,many reasons.I loved this house as a child for many reasons and today it bought it all home to me,not all the reasons were good but many were so I am going to share these with my friends.


I have a very deep and long love affair with Frangipani's and their fragrance and this is one memory this house can claim, in my childhood years (the 1950's) this tree was outside the kitchen window as I stood on a stool helping Auntie Dolly and Auntie Jess wash their dinner service.With hindsight and knowledge I shudder at this memory because it was a Clarice Cliff dinner service they were allowing a 4/5 year old wash up in a Belfast sink(deep and porcelain).


The very large bathroom almost to the left of the front door off the large hallway and both had black and white tiles ( I think marble) and was perfect for practicing my ballet on,the bedroom I used to sleep in was next door to that.


I know they were the safest and friendliest people in my life and no one on earth knows how often I escaped there away from from my parents disintegrating marriage and their frequent abuse(physical and verbal)of me, thank God they spared my younger sister and brother a fair bit probably because of their age.



Out the back of the house they had a huge bed of nastursiums where now the terrace stands but the view was the same and I have many happy memories of that.I was allowed as a big girl (probably only 6/7/8 years old) to ring and ask could I stay the night and then I would be allowed to walk to their house,not that far from our home.Oh boy I am drowning in memories tonight and the scary thing is those 2 women had more influence over my life than either of my parents. The last time I stayed there was in 1965 just before one of them died and I have racking my brain trying to remmber more about them.


Many nights in my dreams I go back to my happy days at this house and when I spotted it in the Domain today it has rekindled so many emotions I am almost swimming in them.
I hope this will get you the link to the house please look at all the details bu the front of the house has remained the same and that is all but memories are memories and you can't take that away from me just like I can't afford to buy this house or even dream about buying it.


http://www.domain.com.au/Public/PropertyDetails.aspx?adid=2007632129

It's already February

The year is just running away already but I have been busy,I did start the Bonnie K Hunter mystery quilt and in fact I am half way there.I had to put it aside because I was making the centre of a quilt that is to be raffled soon,it goes off to Belinda Betts in Orange to be quilted next week.Then I decided to do my Siggy squares for the Adelaide retreat,the weather has been so hot here I just sat in the sewing room between 2 fans and worked on them whilst watching DVDs of Midsomer Murders.I have 87 which I hope is enough they are different from any others I have done.The housework has been slack for a week or two so I thought I might get up about 6 AM tomorrow and have it all done before the temperature hits the roof again.

Here is the quilt I gave the Tim Tam's for a wedding present

Well so much has happened in the 6 months since I last visited this blog and where do I start?I have had an addition to my family with another dog a rescued maltese cross dog called Murphy,he wants cuddles more than anything in the world but he regards himself as a quilt sitter rather like a cat.My friend Judy calls him the Quilt Police because whenever a quilt gets near him he has to investigate and then sit on it.
To summarise my life since June 2008 my holiday to the states was cancelled when my cousin's son died and they came home so I went to Adelaide for 4 weeks to stay with them.Then I was made redundant at work which has made me poorer but for the first time in my life I have time to sew and use my rather extensive stash.
My son Tim married his beautiful bride Tamara in November at St Brigid's Church in Marrickville and the reception was held at at the Royal Cruising Yacht Club,they delayed their honeymoon until Christmas Eve and they had Christmas in Paris and New Year in the Champagne region of France.They are now in the UK, a bit cooler than we are here in Bathurst.
In the meantime I have made them a quilt,worked on lots of other projects got all my UFO's out of storage and then decided to take on the Doubledelights mystery quilt from Bonnie which I am enjoying.
Trish is coming home this weekend and I looking forward to spending some quality time with her,all my visits to Sydney have been rather rushed but I am learning how to slow down and enjoy not working full time ,for the first time since I left school this is the longest time I have ever had without working,but no work no income and my money is about to run out.

Murphy

Mr and Mrs Timothy and Tamara Colley

I have been trying to upload some photos using flicka without success and the only thing I have done is waste good sewing time.I spent yesterday in the garden trying to tidy it up a bit.I am going to Wagga Wagga next weekend to visit my elderly Aunt and Uncle before I go on holidays next month.
This week I will be working in Orange at least one day I hope ; so I will be able to take my quilt up to Belinda Betts to have it quilted,she really is the best!I will be pleased to have it out of the house for a while.I have uploaded a 'bad' photo of it . it has been difficult to photograph because it is too big for my small house and yard I then took it to work and got some help in holding it up and they stood on tables which is very unsafe and anti OH&S.
The back is also peiced using photos of the bride and groom as children and then together and I will applique some wedding photos onto the back obviously next year after the wedding,any that's the plan.
Jayne has arrived safe and sound in Dallas for a reunion with her husband I can't wait until I get there in 6 weeks,I've started to look at sites for all the places we'll be visiting.

I just love a long weekend ,so nice to have time away from work.I played yesterday did a small split nine patch quilt,it's so simple and quick,will probably make one next time I have to make a present in a hurry.
Today I am trying to finish 3 assignments in Mental Health ,I do not like the subject and I do more procrastinating than normal.One is done, another is half done and the third one has to be completely redone and it's bogging me down but I have told myself no more sewing until these are done!
I'm a task master on myself but I have to be,then I can get back to the landscape I started at Pam Holland's workshop.
Only 7 weeks until my big holiday in the USA so I want to have all current projects finished the week before because when I get home it will only be 7 weeks until the Car race invasion and then another 6 weeks until my son Tim's wedding to Tamara in Sydney .I think I need to win the lottery so I can retire and give myself some decent sewing time.

Well I have bitten the bullet and started a blog,I was never going to but the best laid plans of mice and men!!!!!
I would like to thank Lissa Morrow who has encouraged me to attempt this and for her friendship over the years since we met at the SCQuilters retreat in Melbourne in 2003.
I have just finished piecing a large queen size quilt for my cousin's son who is getting married in Adelaide next February just 6 weeks before the SCQuilters retreat,shame I can't combine 2 visits but neither committeee would change dates!!!
I am going on the trip of a lifetime at the end of July to the USA and I will be visiting Paducah and Lancaster County which I am telling everyone is quilters heaven.Also a few other places of note such as Niagara Falls,Memphis,Nashville,St Louis and Chicago.I am starting to get excited already.
My next patchwork project will be to finish my applique from a Pam Holland workshop I attended in Canberra in March,I can recommend her workshops to everyone I just learned so much.