Sunny Ouyen!!!!

Hey it's raining in the Mallee, yippee!!!!!!
Spent yesterday in Kerang, and now in Ouyen at Mum and Dad's place.
It has been raining steadily all day, and Kerang got a good soaking yesterday.
I hope it keeps up until Tuesday, then i won't feel like rugging up.

I have been taking things a little slower lately. I have glandular fever, and it's knocked me round a bit.
Staying home is really not my favourite activity, so i've been a little stir crazy. Hopefully it will have cleared up in a few weeks, but then the silly season will be upon us, so i must be a 'good' girl.

I feel a bit ripped off actually, it's supposed to be a kissing disease, and haven't been smooching anyone. Now it wouldn't be so bad if i'd had a night of passion recently, it may have been worth it :)

I'm off to Mildura tmr, what a great town, i miss it still. And you can get good coffee :)

I've had to leave a free space in the red bookshelf in the kitchen, because red is so her colour!

back in blogger land!

Well it's good to be back.
I last posted on 10th March, Wow, heaps has happened since then.
Tim moved out finally 1st week april.
I had a whirlwind romance about then, lasted 3 weeks, but when we actually had a few
conversations i realised he wasn't very smart!!!!

I've enjoyed the peace of living by myself, just me and the cat. Mind you, haven't
been home a lot, the social life has been very busy. Lots of dancing, eating out, couple
of dates that went nowhere, heaps of time with friends.

Now it's time to resurface, I am getting back into sewing, quilting, and want to
blog again, i missed it!!!!!
I have a few social things planned for my place, time for some new memories.

Have travelled around the state a bit lately too, will post some photos soon.

Dramas in my life

Go grap a cuppa, and then I've got my gossip for you.............................................................................


It's been five weeks now, seems longer.


I was at a Patchwork meeting, first weekend in Feb when I got an sms from Tim saying he had had a low blood sugar, fallen over and hurt his ankle, he'd called an ambulance and was in Box Hill hospital.
It was a full on day for me, had mumsie visting and then a quilters dinner straight after the P&Q's meeting.

So he continued to sms me, letting me know they were going to operate and put pins in, then the surgery got delayed until the sunday.

Sunday i had a VQ committee meeting all day, but planned to go in the morning, present my reports, then go the the hospital to see the patient.
But i got a phone call from the hospital about 10am, saying something had gone wrong in the operating room.
Tim had vomited while under general anaesthetic, which apparently is very very bad.
These days doctors tell you the worst possibilites first, they said that he could die! or that he may only be a bit groggy!
I freaked out, excused myself from the meeting and went to the Freemasons, where they had to send him as Box Hill ICU was full.

Got to the Freemasons, and Tim was lying in an induced coma with a tube in every possible orifice, machines beeping and wheezing.
Now I hate hospitals, can't use domestos at home b/c the smell reminds me of hospitals. And when you date a diabetic, you get to see every emergency ward in Melbourne!

Wasn't much I could do, told the doctors about his general health etc. rang his mum to tell her what was going on. He was going to be in an induced coma for a few days so his lungs could heal.

AND THEN THEY GAVE ME HIS STUFF INC HIS MOBILE PHONE! to take back home.

Here beginth the lesson
-Always empty your deleted folder when you are cheating on your girlfriend!
Here endth the lesson.
Simple really.

I got home, mum was still there, cooking dinner for my 2 hungry sisters, who were there also.

Charged Tim's phone, needed to ring his boss in the morning to tell him what was happening.
I noticed all these missed calls from a Maria, hmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Looked a bit further, as you do.Lots of sms's in the deleted folder.
Tim has a fancy phone/palm pilot in one.
Lot's of sms's from Maria, some of a very intimate nature, mentioning Nurses uniforms and the empty bed next to his!
The sms's to me were much more sedate and perfunctory!

I was shaking, and felt like I was going to throw-up.
But i decided to send an sms to this Maria...............
"Hi this is Megan, Tim's girlfriend here, Tim is in Freemasons Hosp CCU, complications with surgery."
Seconds later his phone rang..........it was Maria...........
Do I answer it?
Oh yes I do!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My hands were shaking so much, it was actually a struggle to answer it.
She was shocked, and angry.

They had met at a singles ball, and had been dating for a few weeks.
We had a good talk, I assured her she could have him if she could forgive him.

So then I took a deep breath and proceeded to have dinner with my mum and sisters as if nothing had happened. I wasn't ready to talk about it, and hadn't decided on a stratedgy to deal with it. And I was probably in shock!

I played the dutiful girlfriend until he came out of the coma, had a good talk to his sister Linda, who doesn't see him with rose-coloured glasses like the rest of his family.

I confronted him in hospital on the Thursday, he was surprised when I said I knew about Maria, and even more surprised when I said I had spoken to her!
All I got was a lousy "I'm sorry I've been a real shit". Pathetic response.

He came back to the house for a day or so after getting out of hospital, but soon realised that it's very hard to be on crutches and share a house with someone who has no intentions of nursing you.
So he sooked to his parents and went up to Beechworth for a few weeks.
He's actually back in the house this weekend, but has been mostly out looking at places to rent.
I'm being exceedingly civil, but it's very awkward and inside i feel like a screaming banshee on acid!!!!!!!
Oh and Maria is still on the scene, silly cow.

So since then I have:
Got my hair cut shorter.
Didn't eat for a week, then started the CSIRO diet and serious exercise regime. Clothes already feel looser.
Have been on a few dates with a cute electrician. (I'm hoping he'll test and tag me!!!!!)
Got back on an internet dating site.
Bought a magnificent fridge, and a new microwave.
Gone out for dinner with girlfriends, and spent a lot more time preening myself.
Went feral at a mates 40th birthday

So I am determined to have a great 2007, i'll be broke, have less fabric, finish less quilts, go to less committee meetings, but i'll be doing things that a single and available 35 year old should be!

So there WOSY (waste of six years)!
My best revenge is to look freaking fabulous.
And to drink some of his uber-expensive red before he moves all his stuff out.

And if you've got to the end of this post, i thank you, for it's been my friends, esp. my quilting ones that have really got me through this, and will continue to get me through this!
Megan.xxxx

Australia Day

Well 26th Jan is quite an important day for me.

It's the day my ancestors arrived in Australia, 219 years ago.

They were Nathaniel Lucas and Olivia Gascoigne and both were convicts.

Nathaniel, a carpenter, was 20 when he was convicted at the Old Bailey of stealing some clothes from his neighbour ( six muslin aprons, some towels and handkerchiefs, and muslin shawls and caps).
Olivia, a servant, was said to be 24 when she was convicted of stealing money "by force of arms" . Such a conviction would normally have meant the death sentence, but the sentencing Judge was retiring that day, and he commuted many sentences. So Olivia, like Nathaniel was given transportation for 7 years to Botany Bay.

We have transcripts of the trials, fascinating reading. And there is a letter in the Mitchell Library in Sydney that Nathaniel wrote home to his father in 1796 whilst living on Norfolk Island. It's a beautiful letter, from a proud husband and father. Its tells of his grief when his twin girls were killed by a falling pine tree. Of his amazement in the fertile island and all the crops and livestock it supports. And of his good relationship with Gov. King.

I wonder if I will leave such a well written history behind?

Nathaniel was appointed a superintendent of carpenters in Sydney in 1804. He built the first Mill in Sydney, and many other buildings in Sydney, Parramatta and Liverpool, none of them are still standing unfortunately.
I have read that Lucas Heights, where Australia's only Nuclear Reactor is housed, has a Nathaniel Lucas connection.

Nathaniel died in 1818, his body found in the Georges River near Liverpool, he was said to be "mentally de-ranged" at the time.
Soon after, Olivia moved to Port Dalrymple in Van Diemens Land. She farmed there with some of her children, until her death in 1830, and is buried in the Cypress Cemetery, Launceston.

There are 4 other convicts in my family, all on Mum's Lucas side!
Having convict ancestors was frowned upon until probably the 1980's, and interest was spurred on by the Bicentennial in 1988.
Luckily for us, the Lucas' were quite good at getting their names in the local papers, wherever they lived. The exploits of Richard Lucas fill pages, mostly petty criminal stuff, but I guess it takes a few generations before you can chuckle about it!

I should read more about my history, Mum has some more books, huge ones filled with lists of names, transcripts, obituaries and inquests, births, deaths, and marriages. Rather stark documents, but a framework to imagine what they were really like, and wonder if i'm anything like them?

naughty cindercat!

Boy, been a while, you can tell i'm back at work!

I like indoor plants a lot, i like the way the make a room cheerful, trouble is i'm not real good at keeping them alive, too much water i suspect.

But someone is not helping with the lifespan of one of my newer plants.

As you may be able to tell, it has been pruned back rather harshly, and the brazen gardener went to work while i was taking this photo!!!!!!

What a bad girl, poor poor pot plant!!!!!!!!!!!

So it has now been swapped with a less delicious one, hopefully that will stop her.

Cat Desk Calender

Susaninstitches asked about the cat desk calender:

It uses a Creative Memories pic folio album, and was time consuming but easy.

I now have a cindercat pic for each month. And the great thing is that a can just print new months for 2008 and slip them in, and change the pics if i want, afterall, i have plenty of cat pics to add!!!!!

The Kiwis are here

I'm enjoying the cricket on the radio, but think I'll put the TV on, with the sound turned down as I can't stand chanel 9's commentators.

The reason for wanting to see as well as listen is New Zealand all-rounder, Daniel Vettori!

Not only is he good-looking, he can read! Even if it is the Da Vinci Code.

What bird is that?

Just come back from my Sunday morning walk.

We walk along a local creek. Feels very unlike surburbia!

As I was waiting for D to turn up, I thought I'd prune the Cecile Brunner Rose, and look what I found.......................

A pidgeon flew out giving me a big fright, then I looked a little closer and saw the nest with 2 small eggs.

If only the little wrens would come back next door. There used to be a lot of them, before the fench was mended and the creepers pulled out.

So after showing D the nest we set off on our walk.

The creek is quite high and there seems to be more birdlife around.

We saw, and heard a pair of Kookaburras. Laughing merrily they were! I love them, and in 2 years of walking the creek we had never seen them before today.

There are also some ibis or cormarents(sp?) around lately, very magestic birds. The creek must be healthy to attract them.

Feeling very happy to live in a great part of Melbourne.

And another quilt photo

This was the only other large quilt I finished in 2006.

It is a signature quilt, with blocks collected at the Canberra Scquilters Retreat, held in Canberra, April 2006. A great weekend, and this quilt will be a lovely memory of the friendships from Scquilters.

It was machine quilted by Desley Regan, from Addicted to Quilts. She is an amazing machine quilter and a good friend!

The quilt now lives on the couch in the loungeroom, and warmed me last winter when i wanted a nanna-nap.

I'll find Desley's web page to put on the links.

Time for another cat photo

Good Old Cinder, such a helpful cat.
Helping me out with some plans for work.

Had to explain the torn bits to the contractor when I gave them back.

Idiot Proof

This is a cooler brick.

It says you must "Freeze before use"

Doh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is the world so full of idiots?

Are we really so dumb?

Do we really lack the basic intelligence to realise that a cooler brick would do bugger all unless we wacked it in the freezer overnight?

I guess there are lots of other examples of this, and don't get me started on how bad television is in Australia!

Summer Days

Boy it's been a hot day, 35deg C at least.
Nothing seems to wilted out in the garden though, will get out and water when it's dark in a few hours.
Summer used to be my fave season, not so much now, but it still has the strongest memories for me. I grew up in a very small town, in a very warm part of Victoria, Australia. Summers seems to last for most of the year!
We were always at the local pool, no sunscreen or hats. I wonder if I'll start looking like a raisan in my 40's :) Hanging out for the hour to pass by after lunch, so our food had "gone down" and we wouldn't drown.
Nowdays I still like summer, but it now means spending time in the sewing room, listening to the cricket on ABC radio, gardening and having a break from work.
I'm off soon to walk with a friend, need to try and do this more often, we yak all the way, and it's great for letting off steam, as we have a rule:
What is spoken on the walk, stays on the walk!!!!!

M.

Time for a cat photo

This is Cindercat having the most lovely stretch!
She was asleep on the top of the showerscreen, a most unlikely place for a comfy snooze i would think, only about 6cm wide. It must have been the bathmat that made it so inviting.
Cinder likes to hang out in the Bathroom, she has an obsession with the towel cupboard, and tries to get in there whenever you open it.
She also likes to drink out of the bucket. I shower with a bucket to save some water and for some reason Cinder thinks that warm, slightly sudsy water is delicious.
If the bucket is empty, and Cindercat is thirsty, look out! She will madly paw at the glass shower door until you come and open it. Then she will lick the bottom of the shower, YUK!!!!!
Lucky I only use enjo products to clean with, and no chemicals.
I worry sometimes that she is diabetic, but she shows no other symptoms.

No Forklift drivers

Well, it happened!

A customer needed something that was up very high in the pallet racking. There was no way I could reach them standing on a ladder. So John from engineering climbed up the racking. Extremely unsafe! But I was offering moral support and hoping like hell he didn't fall on me.

Perhaps I could get my forklift licence, it can't be that difficult??????

There must be a huge auction on around the corner, cars are cruising our street looking desperate and hassled.

This happens most Tuesdays, drives us nuts!!!!!

They park on our nature strip and block the driveway.

I love it when you are walking back from the Milkbar and they think you are returning to your car, faces light up like they've hit the jack pot at first, but the further away you walk the more despondent they look!!!!

Our storeman usually acts as the parking-nazi, and enjoys his role a little too much!!!!!

But he is away this week, so i have taken a few cable drums and blocked our driveway, and parked my own car in the 2nd driveway.

This is my desk:

Obviously a hub of hard work!!!!

Back to Work

Well the 2 week break is over, it's back to reality.
Only a few people back so far, Vikki and I in the office, few guys in engineering. We are hoping that customers won't be after any stock that requires a forklift!!! Vikki has already had to climb a ladder to get at something.
Vikki got engaged on Christmas Day and has a big rock on her finger, quite nice actually, very tasteful. I'm not a big jewellery fan, but this ring looks stylish and not over the top.
I hope to get a few posts done this week while it's not too busy.

My Little Garden

We are on water restrictions, have been for a year or so, and they were made more severe on New Years Day. I am only allowed to water with a hose twice a week. It's been very hot this last week and I have been bucketing water from the washing machine when I did a load and have shallow bowls in the bathroom basin and the sink.

I think these measures will keep the tomatoes and a few precious pot plants alive.

I love Pelagoniums and Geraniums, not sure what the difference is, perhaps someone can enlighten me?????????

This is one of my favourites.

It started as a cutting from a quilting friend, and I have since given cuttings to a few quilting friends. It is a very dark purple, almost black. Love the hardiness of Pelagoniums, they love a prune, and are fairly low maintenence, a lot of the time I prune them to add to the compost bin.

Perhaps in a few months time they will be the only survivors in my little courtyard! I am always on the hunt for new specimens, and often leave a meeting, or a friends place with a few cuttings.

This courtyard was disgusting when we moved in. Cooch Grass and dog shit! I went about the work gradually, one area at a time, pulling out the grass and adding mulch to stop the weeds coming back. I had a few old realible plants from the old house, agapanthus and ivy leafed geranium, a few lavenders and rosemary, cacti for the edges.

It's taken me 2 years, but I'm quite happy with my little garden, it gives me pleasure and helps feed us too.

Mini Cat quilt

This is my latest finished quilt. As you can see from the pen, it's a small quilt. Another one from Sarah Williams (See Link). I started it at the Canberra Scquilters Retreat in April 2006.

It is the 2nd one of Sarah's quilts I've done, the first was a mini trip-around-the-world which looks good too, can't find a pic of it though.

I can't resist a cat quilt, have a few finished ones, and lots of fabric!

My real cat is fast asleep under the bed. It's a real hot day here in suburbia, and she usually finds a quiet dark place and sleeps there the whole day.

I may join her shortly, just need a good book to read.

I've been bucketing water from the washing machine this morning, need more buckets. Trying to keep a few loved pot plants and the tomatoes alive. We are an odd numbered house, so can only water with a hose on Wed and Sun.

It's suppose to rain sometime today, the clouds have drifted over, but they don't look very wet ones!

What have I done?

Oh dear,
I spend too much time on the net already, but a few friends have great blogs, and I wanted to post some comments, so had to have my very own blog.
I guess I'll just ramble on, post pictures of the cat and some UFO's..............................................................
So bear with me while I get used to this blogging business.