SATURDAY 3.09PM

Hello my lovelies!

Do you like these quilts?  Aren't they just GORGEOUS!  I would love to say I made them, but I didn't.  I think I saw them on a blog somewhere - or perhaps it was Pinterest.  

It's been a busy week here in Kenneth Street.  Neighbours coming and going which is always lovely, plus outings to quilting and church.

Yesterday was the church outing.  Peggy asked me if I could help with the catering for a funeral for an elderly man who had been the minister at St David's a long, long time ago.  I can't remember his name, but he was 94 years old when he died so had lived a long life. So, work began at 8.00am when the army of helpers arrived to begin the preparations.  The army consisted for Peggy, Gay, Fay, Jan, moi and others who popped in with cakes and slices and offered help too.  We began by setting out the tables in the hall - two long trestles which we then covered with our sparkling white, Presbyterian ironed tablecloths.  Then, we placed side plates on each corner and off centre on the table.  Next, serviettes and flowers.  Then it was back into the kitchen.

Peggy had brought the supplies for the sandwiches - lots of soft, fresh bread, ham, cheese, eggs, lettuce, pickles...   I wish I had taken my camera to show you the hive of activity that took place.  Next, the two urns were filled, the one for tea and the other for coffee.  Mugs were put on the trolley which was wheeled to the hatch where we would serve the tea and coffee.  Little tables were put out with chairs around for the oldies to sit down with their sandwiches, cake, slice, biscuit and cuppa and lovely gingham tablecloths were place on these tables.  Peggy had also brought some flowers - white camellias from her garden.  She had made a gorgeous display and these were placed on a stand in the hall.  Fay disappeared into the garden with secateurs in her hand and came back with a few little red roses and some leafed stems.  She procured a lovely vase from the storeroom together with some florist foam and proceeded to make a lovely vase for the centre of the tables where the food was to be put.  We had everything organised by about 10.45am.  The service was underway in the church and the multitudes were to arrive at the hall around 11.30am when the service finished.  We surveyed the results of all our efforts and decided it was perhaps time to have a sit down and eat some of the sandwiches and cakes, tea and coffee before everyone arrived.

When everyone started trooping it, I think they were really surprised by how wonderful everything looked.  By the time it was all over there was still some cake left for Sunday's morning tea!  I was fair exhausted by the end and walked back down the hill around 2.30pm.

Today, we were going to go down to Auntie Emma's but things got a bit mixed up, so, instead, we took the dogs to Queens Park for a walk.  Papa met Ray, his guitar teacher and we chatted with him for quite a while.  He hasn't been at all well.  He is still recovering from a big operation on his throat.

When we arrived home, it was time for lunch and Papa made some toast with this gorgeous bread he bought this morning.  It's from a new shop called The Baker's Duck.

When Papa came back with the loaf he said that the queue was down the street when he got there!  We will take you there when you are next in Toowoomba :)  The place has a coffee shop too.

Tomorrow we're going out to Jenny and Don's for lunch.  Jenny has started a new business (with her daughter Katie) as a function organiser.  I think this includes weddings, birthdays etc.

Here's Jenny with her daughter Katie and here's the logo for their company - Forget Me Not Functions.

Well my dears I shall away, make myself a cuppa and sit down and do some sewing.  

Love Nanxxx

MONDAY MORNING 9.26AM

Hello my lovelies

Just had my porridge with full cream milk!

It's a cloudless day today and Papa and I have decided to spend some time in the garden today.  Papa is going to have a look at the bed below our bedroom window.  The Camellia is still flowering but coming to the end of its season and the Salvias which were starting to encompass the house have already been cut back.  I think Papa wants to check the soil, see if it needs topping up and perhaps check the mulch too.

I've decided to do a bit of quilting on my Christmas quilt, go for a walk and then do some gardening.  Spending time doing the quilting first means that I'll have some good exercise after sitting for a while.

On Saturday I was talking to Neville, an elderly neighbour who lives in Allan Street opposite the old church.   He was giving his driveway a wash with a gurney which is a high-pressured hose thing that cleans any oil or stains off the driveway.  When I passed with Molly and Spot, he turned the machine off, leaned against a post and stopped for a chat.  

He is quite friendly with Mary-Kate who lives on the corner of Allan and Hampshire Streets.  She lives in the house with the Jacaranda outside.  The tree that she and the children decorate with things such as beach-balls, flip-flops, sunglasses - anything to do with the beach and Christmas in Australia at Christmas.  Anyway, as you may remember, Mary-Kate has started a street library and Neville was telling me that there was a two page, yes, two page article in The Sydney Morning Herald about street libraries and Mary-Kate's was mentioned in the article.  Mary-Kate's street library is a first for Toowoomba.  Apparently she contacted The Chronicle a while back to see if they would do an article on it, but no, they didn't take up the offer.

Did you know that Street Libraries are now springing up all over the world? 

Here's a link to the article.

Yesterday I went up the road to church.  Papa didn't come as he was feeling a bit under-the-weather.  It was fairly quiet as the State schools are now on holiday and as most of the folk at church are Grannys and Grandpas, I think they must have been off visiting their families and especially their grandchildren.

Here's a link to one of the songs we sang - a beautiful song of worship.

Well my lovelies, I shall away and get this day going.

Love Nanxxxx

A WALK, MORNING TEA AT HIGHFIELDS AND SOME SEWING

It's been a fairly quiet day today with a slow start and a few chores done before heading out for a walk.  Half way up Jellicoe Street, I was puffing so turned right along Hume Street to recover and continued the rest of my walk in a similar vein.

House in Jellicoe Street.

Papa and I popped out to see Bob and Bev for morning tea up at their place in Highfields.  They were both in 'painting' gear as they have been working very hard in their cottage which is in front of the big house they used to own.  They are nearing the end of an extension out the back which will be a large living room when it's finished.  Bev took me around the older part of the house and showed me a couple of furniture pieces that she will be putting in the room.  One was a large antique bookcase and the other a grandfather clock.

On Monday, the floor polisher arrives to polish to floor.  I think before then, they will finish the painting in the room.  Bev is so excited about getting the house back into order.  Everything is a bit higgilty piggilty, the way mine was when we were in the midst of painting.  She is very clever with hanging pictures, placing furniture in rooms and generally making her home look very welcoming so I'm looking forward to seeing it when it's all finished.

The four of us sat on their front verandah while we had our tea with some of Bev's delicious home-made biscuits and had a great chat about their plans for the house and garden.

Then it was off down the hill again for lunch.

Papa is now doing some guitar practice and I'm off to do some sewing.

We have closed the house up, put on the fans and air-conditioning and shall open up again after 4.00pm.  Colette is popping in around 4.30pm which will be lovely not only for Papa and me but for Molly too.  Talking of which, she doesn't seem herself at the moment.  I think one of her ears is bothering her so put in some drops this morning.  I think too, the heat is bothering her as well.  She didn't seem interested in her pig's ear this morning which is very unlike her.  I'll carry on with the drops and see how she is in a few days.

Shall away.

xxxxNan