Lazy days of Summer

Oops....it's been a month since I put fingers to keyboard and waffled on about my existence down here in summery Tassie. Did I say summery............well I told a li'l porky pie, a little untruth. Yes, the calendar lets on that we are midway summertide, but that is the only evidential proof. Indeed, whilst the rest of Australia is sweltering through heat wave conditions, we down here in this tiny isle are encountering much cooler weather.

 

Not that that's a problem to me (.....well it is a little) as the garden is looking a treat. The stage production of our Spring garden has danced merrily into the next act......Summer.

Gorgeous red poppies the size of saucers.

Glorious Water Lillies.

 

 More poppies of the yellow kind.....not my fave colour, but spectacular nevertheless!

 

 

 Beautiful spires of Lupins and Delphiniums.

 Pansies popping up everywhere like weeds.

Orchid-like Impatiens, Cornflowers and Phlox.

I love this photo...it rather reminds me of a Monetesque painting.

 

Orchid-like impatiens.

 Pretty Nigellas....'Love in the Mist'.

 

Gorgeous Buddleias.....a favourite meeting place for butterflies.

 

 

Dinner plate sized Dahlias.

 

 Hundreds of cheery Cosmos.

A secret little 'doorway'

 

And......the piece de resistance....beautiful Hydrangeas. These wonderful mop-head flowers truly do make my heart sing.

 

Each morning, I love to take a li'l wander around my garden and pick a basket of floral gorgeousness.....

and........fill vases of flowers to prettify many a room in our li'l ole abode!

 

Not only does our garden feed the soul, but it also feeds the inner man.....the tummy!! Berries of the raspberry and strawberry kind.

 

Mmmmmm.......berry, berry delish!!

 

This Summer the surrounding paddocks have paid host to  cows who have been moseying around all day long, mooing to their  bovine hearts' content, in a symphonic, discordant din!!

Not a lot of creativity of the stitching kind has been going on here at our li'l ole abode these last weeks, as there have been much more important matters at foot.

 

For the past two weeks we have been entertaining and just hanging out with friends from  mainland Australia, who escaped the stinking hot and humid conditions of Sydney and decided to come and enjoy a li'l holiday in this cooler retreat; this humble, flower-filled B&B!!

 

One tourist must see attraction that we dragged all and sundry to is Bridestowe Lavender Farm, when in January, as far as the eye can see,  is a profusion of gorgeous, purple hued, sweet-smelling lavender bushes in full flower, ready to be harvested. Row upon row of delectable, sensory delight.

 

 

  

January has been a time of relaxing, catching my breath and just 'being'!! It has been a time of lazing about on my swinging seat by the pond, reading oodles of books that I received both as presents and borrowed from the library, whilst the world passes by. One of my very favourite things in life is to read and lookity look through books. Books sweep me up into many worlds, many characters, many memories, many feelings, many inspirations. Indeed for a li'l while, they are an escape, forgetting everything around me.

 

These are just a few of my 'reads'.......these holidays; the local library has been a constant revolving door.

 

As you can see, oodles of inspiration to be soaked up for the year ahead!!

 

Also, lo and behold, Her Royal Majesty's postal representative delivered a wonderful surprise all the way from British Columbia, Canada. The lovely Carla of Grace and Favour sent me a delightful little stitchery book, a gorgeous mug rug, fashioned by her good self and a scrummo chocolate (oops no photo...sorry...but it was devoured instantly by moi......I quite simply LURVE chocolate)!! That is the glorious thing about this blogging caper......I get to 'meet' gorgeous people from all over the world who inspire me constantly! Carla, who works at a patchwork shop, (how lucky is she) said that this little book was delivered to her shop one day and immediately she thought of li'l ole me, all the way down here at the bottom of the world. You must, must, MUST visit Carla's 'Grace and Favour'.......it is a beautiful blog filled with Carla's graciousness and amazing, creative works!! Yes indeedy, this life is full of unexpected joys!!

 

 

January has meant a few visits to the cinema. Love, love, love movies!! I viewed The Book Thief and Saving Mrs Banks. Both movies for different reasons, completely entranced me. Next week it's off to see The Railway Man........can't wait!! Oh....and I must try to fit in '12 Years a Slave' and  'The Monuments Men'!!

 

Oh......and there was a birthday as well........mine. Alas, another year older.....oh dear....it seems to me that my life seems to be whizzing by much faster than I can finish all the wondrous things that I want to stitch!! Of course I was completely spoilt by my good husband. The only reason that I am mentioning this li'l event in human history is to show you something......have a goosey gander at the gorgeous 'wrapping' of my pressie!!

 

Imagine my delight when awakened by this beautiful box filled with oodles of goodies from my good husband!! Firstly, the beautiful hydrangea box (one of my fave flowers); secondly, the gorgeous ribbon tied ever so expertly by him and thirdly, a beautiful card depicting a dresden plate quilt!! I'm guessing he has learnt a thing or two, from Pip, Mary-Kate (our daughters) and his 'good' wife over the years; about how the wrapping is as important as the gift inside!! After all, presentation is everything!!

 

Aaaah yes indeedy........a wonderful, wonderful birthday!!

 

Now from my calculations, I have two more weeks of  complete "I can do whatever I want"! No kiddos bursting through my bright pink front door (oh I do miss them......really I do), no lessons to be planned, no routine, no.............

 

I might even slip in a li'l stitching. I have been reading other bloggers and their 'to do' lists for 2014. Alas, I haven't compiled one, though there are two or three quilts that I would dearly love to finish and a cathedral window quilt that I have wanted to make for yonks, as well as other imaginations swirling around my brain pan.....but as Scarlett O'Hara once articulated (another wonderful book that has carried me off to another world, another time) "fiddle-dee-dee, I won't think about it now, I'll think about it tomorrow.......after all tomorrow is another day"!!

 

 So.......toodlepips for now.......(I can hear many a sigh of relief escape from your lips that this overlong post has come to an end........you may  now be excused).........as for me, my swinging seat and a book or two....and perhaps a li'l stitching await me!!