Still catching up on blog posts.................April 2026

April newsfromjude included a lunch out with a friend, a visit to town by DD1 and partner, and a visit to our old farm to view the house renovations by the current owner.......I will talk more about this in another post sometime.......a drive to Lucindale with Barry one day and home via Naracoorte...........the increase in fuel prices due to the Middle east crisis........and another short trip away....

On checking in the caravan one day I discovered some unwelcome visitors.........they seemed to have made themselves very much at home!! The van was parked in our front driveway, and we suspect the ants came from the tree branches overhead. They have been dispatched, and so far have not come back. 

A few days later, we packed up and headed off again for a 4 day break over Easter. 

                                           

Once again we headed up the Ngarkat Highway...............and into Pinnaroo............

                                            

                                                                      ........where we turned East................

                                              

                  ...............and went through Murrayville, Cowangie, and Walpeup.................

                                                     

                                    

   

.........................until we arrived at Ouyen, where we would camp for the next few days................

                              

We had checked out the Lake a few months ago, and filed it away as somewhere to go.........it is a very peaceful spot to camp, on the lawns surrounding the lake, and the whole place is run by local volunteers. There is no power or water on site, and Barry had the generator. 

                              

Ouyen is only 100km from Mildura, so we contacted Jo and Tony and they planned to visit us on Sunday and we all enjoyed lunch at the Ouyen Hotel............

.........which was followed by icecreams back at the van.

We didn't need much to eat that evening, but I had to cook up the remaining  fruit and vegies before we went back through the quarantine station on the way home Monday. 

It was a very restful few days, with a few nanna and papa naps, and lots of reading, and of course a yummy lunch and conversation with good friends. Monday we headed home and the joy ?? of unpacking again.

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In the process of decluttering and sorting out of 'stuff' in the house, I discovered a long forgotten bag with some interesting papers in it. Amongst these I found these old bank passbooks.........something that the younger generations would probably have never seen..........

One of these books go back to 1957.....when I was 3 years old!!! They almost belong in a museum!!

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More custom quilting.........................

That's it for April, and I feel like I am catching up.

Back soon with the May newsfromjude,

Blessings, From Jude and Bazza

Still catching up on blog posts.................March 2026

 

Family pics..............

Barry's granddaughter turned 18!!!

Miss Brianna graduated in Midwifery!!

Miss Billie turned 8!!!

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Another trip away.................

It was Riley's 16th birthday and we were invited to celebrate...........so decided we would take the van to Murray Bridge for a few nights and go to the party from there...................

We had a good night with the family and arrived back to the van about 11pm...............

.............was up late the next morning and it was almost lunch time before we ate brekkie!!! But that's what holidays are for, aren't they?? We stayed at MB for 4 nights, and had very quiet days, a little bit of shopping, a visit to Mum and a quiet drive around the town............

On Sunday morning we attended church with my sister and husband. After that we all enjoyed lunch at Mums. It was a very relaxing few days, and I might have finished more than one book!!

Monday morning it was time to head home, and we called into Tailem Bend to catch up with Neville's brother and his wife and talk a bit of family history. It was raining when we arrived home about mid afternoon. And time to unpack and put the washing on, until the next time.

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Pauline's 80th celebration.........

We enjoyed a lovely lunch at the local hotel to wish Pauline a happy 80th birthday.....here she is with her youngest son and granddaughter.

                                     

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Another custom quilt...................

That's about all for March, be back soon with April update.

Blessings, From Jude, and Bazza

Still catching up on blog posts.................February 2026

Siblings....................

I had known Barry for about 35 years, but I was curious to see what he looked like in his younger days. I asked if he had photos and he said no. So at Christmas time I asked his siblings if they had any photos from those day, and bingo! 2 of them said yes.......and forwarded me some of those pics.

I could show you lots of others, but will post this one and the 4 siblings, all ready for school one morning. And in order, left to right, oldest to youngest. 

And this is the photo I took at their Christmas gathering.......and again in order, oldest to youngest, taken 58 years later...... and older and wiser!!! Would you have recognised them now??

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A day trip....

 Sometime in February, I had an appointment at Mount Barker with the eye specialist. I have been diagnosed with Glaucoma in left eye, so keep a check on it each year, and daily eye drops. So far, no further deterioration, thankfully. On the way home we called into the waffle shop at Coonalpyn, and enjoyed the weather, while watching the traffic go by. (We enjoyed sharing the waffle too!)

                                               

We got talking to the owner of the shop who gave us the interesting history on how she came to be making waffles in Coonalpyn. This shop is on the highway, and the main road between Melbourne and Adelaide. Lots of traffic and there are usually lots of people stopping. We were amazed at the number of vehicles going by, lots of trucks, cars and caravans.

                                   

                                     

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A custom quilt

Just so you can see that I have spent time with Max!!

                            

                            

                                                      

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A few days away..................

We took the opportunity for a 4 day trip.........heading to Lake Cullulleraine..........

The is Harding Springs, a reserve on the Ngarkat Highway which was burnt only a week or so before we headed up the road............

We crossed the river at Loxton.............

.........and soon came to the quarantine station, but as we were going into Victoria, we did not need to stop...............and we were soon in Victoria..........

                         ..........and Lake Cullulleraine.............the Tranquil Waters Caravan park..........

We had arranged to meet Jo and Tony, who live at Mildura, and they had already arrived before us...........

.......it really was a tranquil spot............

.........and we had soon set up and were ready to relax...........my notes say "we sat yarning until about 7pm.... lovely weather, pretty spot.....ahhh, the serenity!!"

We had arranged to have lunch, at the Werrimul Hotel.....(have you worked out we love going there??)

It so happens that we found out the Faye and Kym were camped not far from Mildura and so they decided to join us for lunch too. 

After lunch we all went back to the caravan park........and enjoyed dessert!!.....

.............and a bit more yarning as well...........

Next day was a lazy day, and the weather was warming up.................I think there was a lot of reading, maybe a snooze, and more yarning with friends. The bird life was abundant and vocal......and the clouds came over dark as though a storm was brewing, but moved on.

Next morning it was time to pack up and head home..............via the Quarantine station and this time we had to stop and was thoroughly searched.......

We arrived home by 3pm after a lovely peaceful, restful weekend with good friends.

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Vale - Kath

In February, 2026, we farewelled one of the members of our quilt group, the Gum Tree Quilters. She was 95 years old and still stitching quilts together. Up until recently, she regularly entered at least 12 quilts in our exhibitions every 2 years. She has been one of my more prolific customers. Well done Kath, you were a special lady and will be missed.

I went back into the archives to find photos of Kath, and it was good to remember lots of fun times with our group, but also sad to see many faces of members who had already passed.

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Another project???

I have had a lot of readers tell me that I need to have a hand stitching project to take in the caravan with me. Now if you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you will know that hand stitching is not my forte. (Give me a machine and I am comfortable, but the needle and thread and I have not bonded at all.)

But it did get me thinking and perhaps I should give it a go??

When I saw this advertised online, I was a bit interested.....a fabric map of Australia that I could hand stitch all our trip on???? Sounds like a good plan???

It even came in it's own carry bag.......so I was tempted and ordered it..........

I collected a few coloured threads and a needle and put them all in the bag for our next trip...........

...........and this is as far as I've got!!! I've marked one trip, out to Cameron's Corner, and it sits in the bag, still in the van..............I didn't find it easy, or enjoyable!!!! Threading the needle was difficult......maybe I shall have another try one day?? Or perhaps I'll draw in the lines instead!!

That about covers February for you....be back soon with March update. I feel like I am making progress.

Blessings, From Jude