Tuesday Treasure

Over the last week I have been reflecting over something Toni had said, as well as cyber experienced Thanksgiving .... and reading what people are thankful for so I have chosen a different kind of treasure to share today....

Firstly - a bit of historical background - Hubz and I lived, participated, and were married during a civil war, then independence and the upsets that go with that change,  and finally watched years of racial and tribal hatred, cruelty and genocide by a mad dictator. 

An offer to move to Australia was sudden and unexpected but we were ready for a new adventure!  There is no doubt I appreciate my roots, am thankful for my beginnings, and I miss people in my place of birth - it was my home for 45 years.....

This bit of history needs to be shared as those previous experiences have moulded why today's Treasure is so important to me .............

My Australian Citizenship

~ being adopted by a country and accepted as a cititizen, with the relevant rights and responsibilities ~

~ security of a homeland ~

~ protection by virtue of being a citizen ~

In spite of being born in the country I have lost my rights in Zimbabwe. I could not get a Zimbabwean passport and if I chose to visit there I would go as a tourist with no citizen rights .... simply because I am white, my parents did not renounce their birthplace heritages (I am not aware of any other country demands that!), and I have not returned every two years to claim my residency.

Next is my Bible - it holds a Treasure of words itself - but today I am treasuring the fact that I have freedom to have my own faith, beliefs and worship...... people in many countries do not...... 

Also I treaure my passport..... having family in different countries to me I highly treasure my passport and the ability to travel..... with the protection and security that comes with it.

These three items are separate treasures but are all linked ......

and to me they are highly valuable ......

I'm off to Melody's to see what other Treasures have been dug up today.......

Book Club

When our bookclub formed we wanted a name for it..... we are all 'mature' women - (me being more mature than some, and less mature than some!).  One lady (who shall remain nameless - and is maybe not a lady!) said with a giggle ....

"We can make Allan (the librarian) blush - lets be "The Morning Glories"

 .,....... well (me being more mature than some, and less mature than some) smiled and agreed........... and went home to chat to Mr Google to see what the joke was.....

~ Don't ask...... if you want to know ........... google it! ~

Today is our last bookclub for the year

(we will do a Christmas break up party in January - that makes sense doesn't it???) 

A friend of mine recently made a quilt and on the fabric was .......... yes, some Morning Glory flowers....

Everyone will have their own personalised "Morning Glory" book-mark.....

Happy weekend.....

(PS This month we read Four Fires by Bryce Courtenay)

 

It will be a pleasure.....

to sew up these hearts......

and post them to Shirley....

Shirley is asking for heart blocks to make up quilts for the families of miners who were lost in the recent New Zealand mining disaster....  Please go HERE to read more about it and the details of the blocks...... 

Hope you have a happy heart making weekend......

Grief

My heart goes out to all the families, friends and the local community as a whole.... of all those lost in the New Zealand coal mine disaster - so very sad.

Stitching Around the Block
My third round is on it's way to Carol.... some sneaky peaks.....

~ another crazy lady has found her way into the package!! ~

~ I am a bit concerned this spider may have fallen into my wine bottle glass ~

 ~ snails are fine - in someone else's garden ~

Birthday Party

When I am going to try and new technique I make a small fun item first using that technique - for practice but mostly to see if I actually enjoy doing it.....

I wanted to make a naive applique for a grandie - the animal one here - since I was about to turn 50 I made myself a banner...... so sad!!! 

This last week a special friend of mine celebrated a landmark birthday - a small adaption and she was appropriately humiliated!!

Pet Birds?

We people like to think we keep pets

This handsome chap comes along to my house most afternoons (when the morning seed is finished)

- yells loudly and looks for me...... when I go out he flies to a nearby tree and sits watching me put seed out 

- as soon as I have stepped away he is back for a feed..

.... now who is the pet here???

Go fetch nana.... go fetch..... 

Work in Progress

Several projects on the go -

~ happy flannel ~

` soft cuddly minky cloth ~

~ yummy granny squares from peruvian wool ~

deco weight fabric

~ Sneak peaks only ~

~ there are spies in cyberspace! ~

(sounds like an episode of Star Trek)

Yay - a finish!

I did managed to finish this little tote

special request DD2

Now I'm off to make a coffee (no Marina - it's too early for wine!) and have a read of what others are making.....

"HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL MY FRIENDS IN DISTANT PLACES WHO ARE CELEBRATING"

Tuesday Treasure and StitcharoundtheBlock

This is Melody's first week of hosting Tuesday Treasure - thanks Melody - I know there are lots of us who expected last week to be the last week.....

Last week, whilst Hubz and I were quietly enjoying our sundowners and an end of the day chat.... we heard an almighty horrible noise...... my bookshelf in the kitchen had collapsed, tearing out the wood but of course leaving the screws in the wall.... bent brackets...... books everywhere.......

~ So this weekend, my treasure made me up a new treasure ~

~ which looks after lots of treasures ~  

(I love things to do with food!!)

This recipe book was the one my Mum felt was essential to all women... and I was given it when I left home

(I actually hardly ever used it....!!)

This is one out of my Gran's cupboard... good old fashioned recipes and I do use it occasionally .....

~ but not for the menu example ~

Being in Australia now I had to get this one.... $4 at an op-shop.....

~ no I haven't used it ~

I have quite a few of Jamie Oliver's recipe books - I do look through these for inspiration and have tried some of his recipes...... 

~ nice pictures ~ 

~ These are the one's I use most of the time ~ 

~ old favourites ~

~ mostly family favourites ~

~ stuffed into folders ~

One of them holds newsletters which were given with huge packs of organic vegetables I used to have delivered in Zimbabwe......

A blurry picture but you can see that the first delivery took place just after September 11 world changing event ....

~ The newsletter was inspirational with thoughts, recipes and information about vegetables provided in our lovely bags ~

~ I think that started off my love for flavours, different foods

 and the simple enjoyment of eating as a social activity ~

~ my body is evidence ~

~ SIGH ~

~ Mr Postman came by this week bearing parcels ~

This is the Stitching Around the Block section which arrived from Lorraine in England

It is Marina's original block and the colours are just lovely

The pretty tissue holder came with it - exactly what I need - I am so sick of scrunched up tissues at the bottom of my bag where I can't find them! - thanks Lorraine

Later this week I'll share some sneak peaks of the next round

~ but those bugs do get everywhere!!!! ~

~ Then I'm sending it off to Carol ~

~ All the others in the Stitcharound group have lovely things to see on their blogs ~

~ I am following Kerryanne's Simply Christmas ideas ~

~ and she was having this giveaway ~

~  a lovely book ~

~ and I won it ~ 

~ I just don't know which project to do first ~

This week Kerryanne is focussing on the lovely smells we can have around Christmas

~ you can have a look HERE ~

Cross-stitch

Last weekend I had fun on a blog-hop looking at lots and lots of amazing cross-stitch..... I was so blown away with the work that has been done.....  This was hosted by Chookyblue and you can go HERE if you missed them last week....

Looking at them reminded me that I had experimented with cross stich a couple of times in my (umm ....... rather long ......)  lifetime......

~ so off I went a'hunting down ~

When I was a young thing still at school we had to learn a certain amount of needlework.... I decided my mother needed a table-cloth for Christmas........

I must have been about 13 or 14 and I clearly remember my Mum saying to me that she thought I was having problems and angry with her because I sat in my room on my own every night prior to Christmas..... the tablecloth was why.....

It is a regular 1.5 by 2 metre cloth and has 24 of these roses and 24 of the fancy square things.  The stitches are quite large and the fancy work is shocking!!! (haha says my discriminating eye!) 

But Mum loved it.

Mum moved into a small cottage after my Dad had passed on and she never had a dining table.... and when she went to join dad - I was very touched to find she had kept this table cloth ......  I had forgotten all about it but I claimed it and of course it had to find it's way into a suitcase and stay with me.....

~ I often use it ~ 

My other piece is of some local Australian birds

~ Crimson Rosella's ~

In between international and interstate moves I needed some quiet reflection .... stitching seems to help that

I have to admit I struggled with completing this - I do find the small stitches difficult

~ must frame it ~

~ one day ~

Hope you all have a lovely weekend

I will be spending some time over HERE to see what other people are showing this week.....

Thanks for hosting this Chookyblue - great idea

Tuesday Treasure - the last but not the last.............

Clare is retiring from hosting Tuesday Treasure so today is her last... thanks so much Clare - this has been such great fun...... I love digging out some of my treasures and I really, really love reading about others...... (can you tell I'm a sticky-beak?)....

~ I do enjoy a good coffee ~ 

~ in pretty cups ~

~ These are a few from my mum ~

There's something about sitting down to coffee and toast on a Sunday morning using these pretty cups...... Hubz doesn't like them.... they are the little one's and only hold about half a cup full at a time

(he likes BIG MUGS of coffee)

~ I have repurposed the sugar bowl ~ 

Thank goodness for bloggie goodness..... Melody is going to carry on the great Tuesday Treasure..... so we can keep telling stories .......... and best of all ...... reading them....

I'm just going over HERE to Clare's to have my hit of TT addiction .....

 ~ with a coffee of course ~

Hoot, hoot, Christmas is coming.......

I got the pattern for these cute owls from Robyn at Daisy Quilts.  They are quite easy
(I am a very much learner softie maker - and if I can make them anyone can!!)
......and very cute.... don't you think??? 
There is no ways I could only make one.... now there's two and I still want more! 
The pattern is available HERE - incase you get the owlish fancy too.....

I have joined with Kerryanne's Simply Christmas where she has so many ideas of home made things for Christmas...... well, she talked about cake here which reminded me to start mine....
the sultanas and raisins, mixed peel and dates and cherries and pineapple soak in honey and brandy for 2 days.......

This is my favourite Christmas Cake recipe - lots and lots of fruit and nuts and just enough flour and eggs to hold it together and keep it moist.  Usually I make the cake for Christmas day when we all eat too much!!  This year I will have it for visitors from the beginning of December.

I have never had name tags at our Christmas table but Karen from Sew Many Ways gave a lovely, easy idea HERE so I played with my glue gun today (I've never had one of those before so it was a novelty!!)

I can use them for pictures of those faraway darlings who won't be here for Christmas.....

And I have done another advent calender - this one featuring Santa and lots of Christmassy pictures hanging on his tree......

If you need some Christmas inspiration have a read from Kerryanne and Karen.  I'm sure there will be something you will want to make.......

Hope you have had a lovely relaxing weekend.