[meleliza]

It’s not my idea! 🙂 It’s a highly traditional drink. They’re quite popular in classy brunch places. That and a Bloody Mary, but I personally hate Bloody Marys. Hubby loves them. I don’t think there’s enough alcohol out there to make tomato juice and horseradish taste good. But it’s awfully hard to go wrong with OJ and bubbly.

And now I’m starting to imagine all of you sounding like crocodile Dundee. If he talked about sewing that is.

[needlewoman]

Dear Mel,

I have suggestion for the problem of insufficient grog; during a visit to New Zealand about 30 yrs ago, my parents were dining out. My mother asked for a Virgin Mary – all the doings of a Bloody Mary without the alcohol (terrible name but there you are). Anyway, the young waiter looked at Mum rather strangely, but took the order, and subsequently returned with a tumbler full of clear liquid – ie a glass the size you use for a BM, full to the brim with vodka (or is it gin?). Not a celery stalk in sight or any tomato juice. Needless to say, it was returned, and she and Dad found it hard not to laugh too hard in public. So maybe that’s the trick for you. Never heard of horseradish in a BM, but whatever. If you order a VM, and a BM, and combine the two, you’ll be so ‘overwrought’, the taste won’t matter. I’m a G and T girl – especially in the summer, and champagne whenever I can get it!!

Great poem by the way; can just hear John Clarke reciting it. Forgive my ignorance but I’ll have to check up on the nieces’ degrees – the titles are rather long and complicated. #1 niece has done Social Work, #2 Law and (I think), Economics, #3 Property, #4 Accountancy/international business. #1 been working at hospitals for a couple of years now, the other 3 have just commenced graduate years (fully paid) at a variety of appropriate private firms. The parents are thrilled (obviously) but also because the girls are now available on weekends instead of studying/working student type jobs.

What’s FMQ ing? For any aches/pains, I use my wheat bag; it’s in and out the microwave oven like a jack in the box. Sorry to hear the lurgies are still around.

[Tamara]

FMQ = free motion quilting. I was just having sore neck syndrome probably because of too much in one go due to my absolute insistence to put myself under unnecessary pressure! I have cured it by NOT FMQ-ing for a while and am piecing a quilt for the show.

[Robin]

We need yoga for sewists. Man my neck and upper back get tight when I sew for too long. And I think quilting is the worst for this. It just takes so long to do and too much concentration required.

[needlewoman]

Of course that what FMQ means, silly me. Yes, I do get very sore shoulders and arms. It’s the main reason apart from the time factor that I send my stuff to a wonderful quilter. She and her husband have become quite good friends over the years, and they are very generous and kind to me, particularly as I don’t drive so delivering/collecting quilts is impossible. Robin, there are books out there for dealing specifically with the aches/pains that quilters/sewers get. Very useful exercises for relieving repetitive strain pain. Years ago, my physio told me not to do any one activity (particularly when sewing) for longer than 40 mins without changing position/activity. So I try to combine the repetitive jobs like seam sewing, ironing etc with doing the laundry, wiping down the sink, taking out stuff to the bin etc etc, and it really helps. I have to actually set the kitchen timer when I’m laying out a quilt, however. I get so obsessed with the concentration required I do forget to stretch or do something else completely.

Jumped in, and bought the Chickadee, and the Starling patterns c/o Clever Charlotte’s Spring Sale. They offered the Eider pattern free if you bought two patts, and I thought I’d better hop in before the Aussie dollar falls any further. Well, that’s my excuse, and I’m sticking to it. Really looking fwd to seeing your Show quilt, Justsewit. As it’s obviously not O + S, if you post it to Flickr, do you have a group you put quilts in?

[Tamara]

I dont really have a group to put the quilts into. I might put it in regarding the pattern or the quilting etc as there are groups that can relate to that. I will point you in the right direction when it is completed.

It isnt a complicated quilt as far as piecing – a hashtag quilt. I had to do 30 blocks and most of them are wonky so I am correcting them before going and cutting them to size and mucking the whole thing up.

We, in our time, have been visiting a Bowen therapist after Murray has had an injury at work etc and they recommend getting out of the car and walking around it every 20 minutes! Well with a five hour trip sitting in the car all the way to Perth, we dont bother! It would make it too long. It helps to align everything up and does work but it is so time consuming! I do what you do Fiona and vary the jobs. It makes cleaning faster in a way because they are fill in activities and you have to get them out of the way to get back to the fun stuff.

[with love Heidi]

I have three main work surfaces when I sew and I move between them as I do different parts. I have the sewing machine on the table (rasised up to a more ergonomic height). I tend to use the kitchen bench for pinning, getting the next bit ready, reading instruction, tracing and cutting, although it it not as high as I would like it is the highest surface in the house and so better on my back when standing. I also have a full sized itoning board set up as well. So this means I change my position quite a lot when I sew!

WOW, stoping every 20mins on the way to Perth would be a little insane! We used to do it with one or two stops but I konw lots of people who would drive straight through! I’ve found Emmett technique recently and it has been amazing!

[meleliza]

I find it hard to wrap my head around being 5 hours away from anything. I like to be about 5 minutes away from things. How often do you go to the city?

[with love Heidi]

You need to live in Outback Australia for a while, espically Western Australia 5 hours is not that far!! When I lived that far away I would travel every 6 weeks for the wekend to visit my fiancee! Flat S needs to come and visist Tamara or Nicole if only to see how long their driveway’s are (I am presuming they are the length of most farm driveways I’ve seen)!

[Nicole]

We have a good length drive way, far enough away not to get too dusty from the milk trucks and short enough for the children to walk to the bus.

We live in the country but Tamara would be in the Outback.

[needlewoman]

Thanks, J; I’ll look fwd to the directions. Mel, even city based Aussies become a little gobsmacked at the distances driven by our rural/Outback patriots especially with the casual way a two hour drive – there and back-is taken in their stride. Contrarily, as a non driver, I’m always amused by the way Americans will list something as close to public transport when it’s 10 miles to the nearest train station. Here it means walking distance of less than 10-20mins.

[Tamara]

Our driveway is actually a certified road – only 1km long! The tourists with caravans think the bus stop at the end of it is a great place to camp! We have to grade the road as it is unsealed and I think the Shire have forgotten it exists.

My hubby used to do a trip to Perth and back in one hit! He leaves at sparrows (before dawn) and heads down does his thing and then turns around and is home by 8pm. But…. He is absolutely dog tired after it. I wouldnt recommend it, not even those who think they are “used to it!”. By used to it I mean he spends countless hours at least twelve at a time driving a tractor sowing our crop (he is currently doing this). But driving around a paddock all day is very different to a return trip to the city and back!

Since the children have been in primary school, we generally do a trip about every three or four months during the school holidays so it equates to about three of four times a year. It gives us the chance to catch up with family and run errands be they business or pleasure. On occasion, depending on the time of the year Murray will go down on his own, generally if he has a meeting or something else to do with the farm. We mostly go as a family though as it is our only opportunity to get off farm and take a break.

We do at least one stop when the kids are in the car – or else we would not be happy campers! It isnt a long stop just long enough to go to the loo and stretch the legs. It makes the trip more manageable and faster if the stop are kept short. We have adapted as they have grown older. The stops were once many and long.

[meleliza]

Ok, so totally off topic. Today is our 12th wedding anniversary. In the newest Martha Stewart Living was an article about a 12.5 wedding anniversary party in the Netherlands, which the article describes as a really huge deal in Dutch tradition because it’s halfway to 25. Do we have any Dutch friends on here who could share more information on this tradition? I think it’s a lovely idea!

[Tamara]

Congratulations Meleliza! With divorce rates really high it certainly is an achievement – actually proof that the “institution” of marriage does so work! We are a little behind you – September 8th will be our 12th this year.

I think it is wonderful how some countries go to such lengths to celebrate what would otherwise be a minor milestone. To me though every year of marriage is a milestone to be celebrated!

I second the request from anyone who knows about this celebration

[meleliza]

Thanks, Tamara! It really is nice. When you realize it’s halfway to 25, it does in fact feel significant. From what I’ve found already, this 12.5 years idea is partly because of fewer marriages lasting all the way to 25. Like the couple in that Martha Stewart article, we also got married quickly overseas and always meant to throw some kind of celebration later on. But at 1 year we were still young and broke and at both 5 and 10 years we had a new baby. Now we find ourselves a little more settled and we are seriously considering this 12.5 year party. My family does actually have a little Dutch on my grandfathers side, so it’s not too strange. And of course this means I have been off shopping for copper colored silk. 🙂