Catching up, Looking back and reminiscing..............

Time for more newsfromjude, so better get busy as I feel an early night is in order tonight.
Once again it has been a busy week. I got busy after last weekend's "F" retreat, and Max and I worked our way through a few quilts.

Most were allover's but there is a custom loaded now, that should have been finished by Friday afternoon, but wasn't. They say the best laid plans are meant to go astray, (or words something like that!?), and I was cruising along Friday morning, and had some customers call in to pick up quilts, and chat, after which I stopped for a late lunch. The weather looked glorious outside my window, so I decided to sit in the pergola, and eat my lunch while reading the paper. (Note to self, do this more often). It was not long before I heard my almost 90 year old neighbour walking down the street with his dog. I said hello to him, and he stopped and sat in the pergola with me for a chat. He keeps asking me if I have picked any tomatoes yet, in my new garden, and he has put in an order for some. I think it might be awhile yet before I will be picking any of the produce. See photo below.....although this was taken a couple of weeks ago now, and things are moving along with this warmer weather.

While we chatting, I heard the side gate being opened, and who should it be, but Miss Bridie and her mum. That was a nice surprise. I forgot to take any photos, but her mum kindly sent me this one taken recently. My lunch "hour" was turning into a very relaxing afternoon, as the toys and books came out. The quilt could wait, although I did work that evening until after 9pm and hope to finish it Monday morning.

My visits to Mum and Dad have been occasional and quick this year, usually as I am driving through their town on my way up or down the highway. As Saturday was the first "free" time in a long while, without a retreat, or being somewhere else, or busy cutting cases of fabrics, I decided to go for a visit and take them for a drive somewhere. To actually take the time to spend some time.

It was a lovely surprise when I arrived to find DD2 and her boys were visiting too, so that was a bonus to my visit. And it was not long before 2 of my nieces arrived for a visit too.

I had talked to mum about my trip and wondered if they would show me the house that Dad's mother grew up in, that I had read about in the recent family history book they had given me. I had grown up in this area, but never actually travelled to that side of the highway. So after lunch we drive about 15 minutes out of town, to find the house. We think this is the one, although it's a bit hard to see much with all the trees. My grandparents moved away from this house in 1946. The house is still lived in.

I wonder if my great grandmother planted this cacti, it looks like it's been there for many years??

This is the cemetery that 4 of grandma's siblings are buried in......

.....but I do find it sad, that they are buried in unmarked graves. I guess it was a tough life with 12 children to bring up.

After we had looked around in Monarto, I thought it would be nice to go back and visit where I grew up, as it was only about 10 minutes away. On the road to the farm, I stopped at this house, which is where I lived for the first 6 years of my life. I remember climbing through the fence where the geraniums are and catching the school bus. Mum says they are the same geraniums.

The house is still in reasonable state, and is used for farm storage by the owners of the farm. The wooden door you can see on the left is the laundry door, which also was the "bathroom". I can still remember the Saturday night ritual of bath night, with the whole family using the tub, and Dad being the last in!! Can't imagine going a whole week these days. How things have changed. Of course hot water was not "on tap" either and had to be heated. And behind that tank is a window, of a bedroom, where 3 of us slept. I remember one night we had visitors, and I was made to go to bed, so was leaning up to the window, trying to listen to the conversation, and the screen came off, and I fell outside, right into the wood box outside!! 

After stopping to these photos, I got back into the car, which had been over taken with flies!! I had forgotten about the flies in the country, and can't say I miss them now that I live in the town.

A bit further up the road and we came to this gate. This is the entrance gate to the family farm, which was settled by our family in 1910. My brother still lives and works on the farm. We used to wait at this gate for the school bus each morning.

The view from the gate towards the houses and sheds over the hill. We used to ride our bikes to the bus stop, and it was 3/4 of a mile each way.

This picture was taken from the farm houses, and looking back, and shows the hill we rode up, and as we came to the top, we would hope that we could not see the bus waiting for us, as that meant a bit more fast, hard pedalling!

This is the house that I lived in from the age of 6 until I left to be married. The window on the left at the front was my bedroom. The house has been reclad in recent years, and was once corrugated iron.

This stone wall at the right, has been there for longer than my lifetime, and still standing.

The outside loo is still standing, although there was an outside laundry building to the front of this once upon a time.

This is the original farm house from when the farm was first settled, and is now the shearing shed.

While at the farm we caught up with another niece and her husband and 2 children, who also live on the property. There 2 little girls are growing up fast, and I don't see them very often.

Another reason to visit the farm was to present my brother and his wife with a quilt. Awhile back Leanne said she would love one of my quilts, and I have been gradually giving them to someone who I know will love and appreciate them. Her choice was my Garden Delight, and it has finished being shown and is now in her care. I should have taken a photo of her with it, but forgot.

Leanne's special skill is mosaics, and I photographed a few of the items in her garden. Now that she is retired, there is bit more time for her hobby.

 If you are looking for a lovely gift I would love to pass on your details to Leanne, as she is working on getting enough products to sell at markets.

She loves to collect old plates, for her work, and if you break something precious, she would love to hear from you. I asked her how she could bear to smash up a perfectly good cup or plate, and she laughed. I guess it is no different to a quilter cutting up a perfectly good piece of fabric and sewing it back together again. Some of the op shop workers spend time to specially wrap her purchases, and are dismayed when she says, don't worry about that, she will be breaking it into little pieces!!

This is the bird house that I received last Christmas, and is hanging in my garden.

When we arrived back from the farm, it was time for a cuppa, and the next visitors were my sister and her son. Another good catch up time. Sorry a bit remiss with the photos, too busy chatting.
I left for home about 6.30pm and it was a 2 hour drive back home, which was followed by a good night's sleep.

It was a lovely day out, very relaxing, lots of reminiscing, and storytelling, and it felt good to sit and not worry about the time and rush in and out.

This morning I went to church, after having missed a few weeks. Another lovely service and chatting to friends afterwards. I have some special friends who were neighbours when we lived on the farm here at Bordertown, and our catch ups have been few and far between lately. Since August we have been talking about getting together for a meal, and today was the day! I cooked a roast which we enjoyed for lunch after church. Again, there was lots of reminiscing and looking back, and much  discussion about the world today and where it's going, or perhaps I should say Not going!? While we were still sitting and chatting I received another visitor and Chris called in to deliver a parcel. We put the kettle on and continued chatting, finding out that it's a small world, and someone always knows someone that you do!! Not long after there was another knock on the door, and Pauline arrived. Luckily the kettle was still hot, and probably another hour of chatting continued.

After their departure, it was time to water the garden, as Nic is waiting for his tomatoes!! And there endeth another day, and almost 3 days of catching up, looking back and reminiscing! And spending time with friends, which has been very neglected in a busy year.

And it's not all over yet, as tomorrow I am getting another visitor. This time it will be GD2 who has finished exams and taking some time off.

Blessings, From Jude