Goodbye My Sweet Shibella

My beautiful Shibella was helped over the Rainbow Bridge today after suffering a stroke and kidney disease. The stroke came on suddenly and she lost the use of her legs and other problems.
Shibella was 14 years and 6 months old and we were together for 3 years.
Love and miss you forever Shibella. My life will not be the same without you.

Harry and Meghan's Wedding and I am Ready

 I think I have everything ready for my marathon TV viewing of The Wedding and the lead up to the big day. Note the Prince Harry tea bag I have been saving for just this occasion.

 I will be wearing my Harry and Meghan scarf. Look closely at the pattern, very clever.

 Had hoped to have this pretty sampler finished and on the wall by now but sometimes I have to put my sewing down and feed Shibella. The chart is from Cross Stitch Crazy mag.#241.

 And if I had a few more knitting skills I could knit the happy couple.

 The pattern is in English Woman's Weekly 8th May edition. Tom Jones is also on the cover, that is his ear.

 A replica of Meghan's engagement ring. I bought one on eBay from the U.K but sadly it hasn't arrived in time for me to wear while watching the wedding.

But I do have this ring to wear, it is a replica of the Spencer tiara that Princess Diana wore at her wedding and is very sparkly and shiny. My camera does not do it justice.

Golden Jubilee 2002 Latch Hook Rug Finished and More

 My Golden Jubilee hooked rug is finished. I bought the kit from eBay about 3 years ago with no idea how to hook a rug. 31st January this year a new member came to my craft group and showed me how to hook. I started my rug that day, became 'hooked' and obsessed and finished my rug in only 5 weeks.

 The back.

 Showing some of the left over wool. It was a complete kit with hook and short lengths of wool to be pulled through the canvas. The pattern was printed on the canvas but a chart was included for total accuracy.

 I bought an artist board and nailed the rug onto it with carpet tacks. It would look nice on the floor but I'd hate to see Shibella using the rug as a bed or sharpening her claws on it.

 I try to keep the kitchen a bit clear of my collection but look at that empty wall space.

 A perfect place for my rug. I don't cook so it is safe from cooking smells and grease.

I love hand embroidery perhaps because I am not much good at it. These two beautiful pictures came at a reasonable price from eBay and the embroidery is beautiful. The first shows my dream house-or it could be a nightmare. Who would look after the horse? and I always imagine there must be some nasty insect living in the thatched roof.
The second picture makes me wonder what the story is. Is it a biblical scene? A young man off to the Crusades being farewelled by his mother? The way the sides of the panel are cut so close makes me think this is part of a much larger panel which might tell the complete story

Shibella's 14th Birthday

 Happy Birthday to me. You can see I am almost a new cat! I have been to the Vet. (again) and had most of my fur shaved off because I refuse to be groomed. I had my teeth cleaned as well. While I was there I scratched the Vet's hand and made it bleed so that was a bit of good news..

 Every night after dinner SHE insists we have a walk around the Estate together. That should take about 5 seconds max. but she makes it last about half an hour. The only good bit is rubbing my head on this spiky plant.

 So first I go this way.

 Then I go this way.

 Now I am ant watching.

Now looking longingly up the stairs and wondering if SHE will notice if I escape and hide. It is my birthday so I might get away with it. No, I didn't get any gifts. I don't like gifts or surprises.

Australia Day and A Great Australian

 This is a book written by a very brave Australian. Carl is pictured with his younger brother on the cover of his book. Carl grew up in the slums of Sydney with an unstable mother unable to cope after a divorce when Carl was 5. From then on he was badly neglected and in and out of boys homes where he was badly abused. Carl should be mentioned in the Australia day awards for his bravery in speaking out and giving evidence at the Royal Commission into child abuse.

 A keen genealogist Carl has also written about his family history which includes convicts and bushrangers. For a man with such little education he is a very clever man. I hope he will write a book now about the convicts we share on my side of the family

 This is Carl's Great Grandparents. Eliza Jane French and Fred Beauchamp.

 My Great Grandparents Amelia Louise French and Joseph Mason. Amelia and Eliza are sisters and Carl and I are distant cousins. Our Grt Gandparents  were themselves Grt Grandchildren of convicts. While I had a safe, happy and protected childhood Carl's was unsafe and monstrous. But Carl did get lucky as a young man, Married young to a very supportive wife and is now the patriarch of a large family.

 An old photo of one of the Boys' Homes.

Carl's book was launched by the opposition leader Tanya Plibersek

Stingray Excitement

 I love Stingrays, the bigger the better. They glide about so quietly and do no harm unless frightened then they do have a sting in their tail. There were 5 altogether on Saturday, one of them was very large.

 Now there are 2.

 Then 3. I didn't manage to get all 5 in one pic.

 Google tells me Stingrays are friendly and inquisitive and this man wants to be friends. The Pelicans aren't worried by them. They are hanging around the boat ramp hoping a fish might be tossed their way. Not sure what Stingrays eat. They have eyes on the top of the head and a mouth underneath the head.

 Yes, that big dark shadow is a Stingray.

 And the man managed a pat on the head.

Going under the jetty.

 Except for 3 men at the fish cleaning tables the crowd! are watching the Stingrays. Grandson A  is at the end of the jetty in a white T shirt with his father next to him in an orange shirt. I am standing in the shade with daughter S.

This is the famous Kiama Blow Hole, very popular with tourists when it is blowing. Not today though, the sky is blue and the sea calm. To the right of the pic you can just see a dark patch where water spurts high in the air through a large hole in the rock. Kiama is only 20klms down the coast from where I live so I hope to visit and check on my five new friends soon.

Elizabeth and Philip Platinum Anniversary

 Congratulations to Elizabeth and Philip on their 70th Wedding Anniversary. I admit I am a bit late with my good wishes but I was waiting till I had this rare piece of fabric in my hands.

 This is a piece of cotton fabric and would have been on sale in the shops at the time of the royal wedding in 1947. You might want to make curtains or a skirt to wear as you watched the wedding parade in 1947. My piece has a few small holes so is a bit delicate, I have hemmed it and displayed as a cloth on my table.

 This small length of coronation cloth came in the same parcel. It had been made into a bag but I opened it up, washed the fabric and haven't yet decided how best to display it.

 Another Charles and Diana wedding tapestry I finished in the 20th year since Diana's death.

 Very interesting embroidered sampler which is now on my wall. Stitched in the Coronation year 1953 it has almost every Australian flora and fauna stitched, including a red back spider above the house and a platypus top left. Under the map of Australia there is a crown with 'long live our Queen' stitched. The year 1953 is stitched under the boomerang. In the middle there is a Welsh dragon and an Irish harp with initials above. Was this stitched by British migrants settling into their new home but just a little bit homesick???? I will never know.

 I have now finished this cross stitch Diana. Another of Sheena Rogers great designs which I have framed.

Yes I'm still here, look under that green seat, I am hiding. Every evening SHE says come on Shibella and we will have a walk around the Estate together. The so called estate is the size of a postage stamp and I can see it all from my hiding spot. Boooring!!!