A Long Long Tea Break

I'm taking a long break from my blog while a close family member undergoes treatment for an aggressive facial cancer. An extensive operation performed 5 weeks ago now being followed by six weeks of every weekday hospital visits for radiotherapy leaves little time for blogging or commenting. I might pop up now and then but I don't expect to be back before Christmas. I will still be following my favourite blogs as some give me a much needed laugh even if I don't have the heart to comment.
Charlotte and Emily are being very supportive at this time and I will try to keep up with my Royal stitching.

THE QUEEN Has Arrived in Australia

The Queen arriving in Australia just 2 hours ago and looking as ever very Queenly in a pretty blue colour. I took these photos off my TV as the news was broadcast live.

Meeting our tall elegant Govenor General who curtsied to the Queen. In the background on the right is our not very popular and hanging onto govt. by a thread Prime Minister wearing unfortunate blue/black stripes, no hat and clumpy shoes and did not curtsy but only nodded so please diregard this last long sentence as I am only being mean and don't want to discuss politics on such a great day or on my blog.

See, already I'm over excited and should put myself to bed..

Accepting flowers from schoolchildren.

H.R.H landed at Fairbairn RAAF Base in Canberra where she will stay the night then onto Melbourne, Brisbane and then Perth for the C.H.O.G.M meeting. Sydney is not included in this visit and family commitments prevent me going to Canberra so I'm a bit sad about that.

The Queen's last visit here was in 2006 and I was sitting on the steps of Sydney Opera house when I took this pic. I think I sat there for 3 hours and it was January and so hot I stuffed the newspaper I had with me up the back of my shirt to keep the sun from cooking me. I don't know how the Queen managed to inspect yet more troops in the heat and I think she was treated badly on that day.

The Queen steps ashore in a very different Sydney in 1954, the first visit ever of a reigning monarch. On the 1954 trip she came by ship and was away from home and a very young Charles and Anne for 6 months. This latest trip is her 16th visit to Australia and many people say her last trip here, I hope not.

I still have my ticket from the Surf Carnival arranged for the Queen in 1954. I was still at school then and went with my sister. The tickets must have been bought by my mother as I think 20shillings was a lot of money back then.

Tomorrow I will be watching TV for mor Royal Visit news.

Thank You to Racquel

A few weeks ago I sent Racquel who lives in Manitoba Canada some of my old royal cross stitch patterns and look at the surprise I received in the post today. Racquel knows what I like and has stitched my initial, a daffodil and The Gold Coach in a sparkly thread all with a cute cat fabric background. Even the pretty thank you card has a crown. I will hang these pretty stichings on door knobs.
Racquel emailed me to ask if I knew where she could buy charts for some of the samplers I had stitched and I jumped at the chance to help a Canadian as Shirley in Alberta had sent me some beautiful samplers. Aren't Canadians wonderful!!!
Thank you so much Racquel...you shouldn't have, but I'm so happy you did, I love my gift.

In the same post I received the 1/12 scale doll house plate of the Queen Mother I bought on ebay. I think I'll put the plate on the wall of the doll house. I already had a small collection of the 100th birthday china and now my doll house is going royal.

Now for something completely different, a jelly fish stranded in the lake when the tide went out on Sunday. There was just enough water left to keep him in good condition till the tide came back in and he was able to swim away.

Detective Inspector Charlotte

Some unscrupullous villians came by last night, saw my little boat at the side of the house and put it in the lake for a joy ride. This morning I saw my little boat waiting for me on the other side of the creek and brought it home again.

No need to call the police as I have D. I. Charlotte working on the case and here she comes now.

Look up and to the left Charlotte the Paparazzo are here. This reporter is most likely from one of the big Sydney papers, not the small local rag. T.V cameras are on the way I think.

No the oars were locked in the shed last night so the rascals must have used their hands to paddle.

Check for fingerprints and D.N.A too. Lucky that little piece of rope wasn't stolen.

Yes go and get Emily and see if she heard any bumps in the night or strange noises. If you have finished looking for clues I will have the boat pushed under the house where it safely lives. I only had the boat out so a workman could get under the house.

Are these your witnesses Charlotte? I think they are ready to make a statement now. I'm sure you will soon solve this terrible crime.

Charlotte and Emily doin' it tough.

Charlotte and Emily have begged me to get back to blogger and do another post. They are fed up with my domestic dramas and family health issues. They want the rest of the world to take some of the burden of ME off their shoulders. Because I have not posted for 3 weeks they have had to admire every new stitch in a royal sampler, all my so called ebay bargains and exciting op shop buys. Because of the stress this is causing them they have had to fit in even more sleeps, hard to do when each day is only 24 hours long. This post is dedicated to easing the hard life of my 2 girls.

Another coronation embroidery from ebay. This is a cushion cover, a bit worn as it has been used and washed often in it's life. I will frame it as this will help to preserve it. Shows Commonwealth/Empire countries with emblems.

I think this embroidery would have been done for the 1953 coronation too. It is on a small piece of worn fabric, I will stitch it onto a stonger piece of fabric and frame.

I have had to set aside my Kate and William cross stitch after seeing this design on Ruth's blog

http://britsamplers.blogspot.com/ This is the official logo for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and Ruth has turned it into a free download cross stitch chart. Ruth has lots of great links on her blog and on one link I saw the Jubilee design with red background and as I already had some red aida cloth in my stash (an op shop bargain) I decided to use that.

I haven't forgotten about my apron collection and this pretty hand crocheted apron is my latest addition. I have seen similar patterns in 1940's magazines so think it safe to say it is a vintage apron from that era. My collection is really about embroidered aprons but I now have 2 very special crocheted aprons.

Charlotte is threatening to swipe this object to the floor with her paw if I don't show this to the rest of the world, then shut up about it. But look-an EdwardVIII coronation teapot in 1/12 scale to go in my doll house, how exciting is that?? I already have a coronation biscuit tin and a Queen Mother 1/12 scale plate on it's way from ebay U.K.

Is that enough for now Charlotte and Emily? can I go to bed soon and read my library book???