The Celebration - and results

 I can’t let the end of May slip by without showing some photos from my 60th birthday celebrations given its
so rare for me to have a birthday party as such! We had a lovely lunch with Pete doing a roast on the Weber which we had with salads followed by birthday cake. 

 I was sooooo spoilt .  I’ll put the photos below for anyone wishing to look at them. 

 And for those who have asked about my arm- on the 26th May I got an ultrasound on my left arm which showed the ligament at the elbow was torn with just a couple of small threads still holding it attached and explaining why I can’t rotate my forearm and explaining the ongoing burning pain…….. about another 5 weeks should hopefully see it healed.

Yes 2 cakes as DD thought I should have both flavours and having both gave plenty for everybody to enjoy

Eldest Son PJ, SIL- John, Carly -DD Friend and Cil - Johns mum

With all the COVID business - blowing out the candles was done with my hand waving (right one only lol - left was kept tucked away like a broken chicken wing lol)

Me with my Dad of 93

Good friend Karen

Grandfather and Grandaughter

Graham (was best man at their wedding) made it whilst on a short visit with work from Brisbane

Stace & I with good friend Rhonda

And here are the most amazing array of gifts that were given to me from friends and family at the party - talk about spoilt!!

Daughter and SIL added charms for my bracelet - the pink caterpillar was a belated Mothers Day as they were waiting till they got down here - usually Stace gives me Chrysanthemums,  so the caterpillar is in keeping with the garden theme 

A big thankyou to all as I know there were many wishes sent and I received lots of lovely cards and gifts in the mail (which I hope I posted photos but if I've missed one please don't take offense) .   

Love to you all, Hugs Sharm xo

Birthday Fun

Yesterday was a significant birthday for me and I have been spoilt all week receiving birthday wishes, phone calls, cards and some lovely gifts!  Our Son, DIL and grandchildren sent this beautiful necklace down for me as they can't get down from Townsville this year.

Hubby surprised me with an Ipad!!!  Once I get blogger loaded onto it that should be great as I'll be able to put my photos straight on to posts (at least, I'm hoping it will be that simple lol)

I've decided we must be good neighbours as our old neighbour from Bundalong surprised me with the awesome Coffee Mug to last this next decade - it has all the 60's on it!  And then when we arrived home from lunch yesterday there was a lovely gift box waiting for me from our neighbours up in Maryborough!!!   The other little gift in the corner was sent through the mail from an old work pal - we have a theme of birds that just happened somehow and we've tried to keep to it lol

We decided to go for a drive to Beechworth for lunch - such a lovely drive over with the changing season and it was quite a nice day although a few clouds were around from rain the past few days

We went for a walk around visiting Beechworth Gold and most importantly the lolly shop which is quite big and the moment you open the door it brings back childhood memories of the really nice lollies that used to be around!  We came out with old fashioned jelly babies, rocky road and some turkish delight .......  they have lasted till today but I expect the remainder will be eaten up before the day is out lol!

We enjoyed a lovely lunch at one of the pubs there and a bit more browsing before heading back home.  Sunday whilst at the market Pete stumbled on this lovely lantern for a very good bargain so it came home with us - its quite a pretty one.  For those wondering about my arm - I'm still on pain killers to sleep at night and manage the swelling as I begin to use it a little each day.  It's not broken as far as we know, but there is obviously some inner damage been done which the ultra sound may show when I can finally get it done on 24th May!  Knitting and craftwork is still out - I can manage a small amount of typing and some small weights  like a coffee mug holding in my hand so getting better!  Anyhow, many thanks for all the lovely wishes!

And a special thankyou for the lovely snail mail from a couple of friends earlier in the week.......... I love snail mail  although the number of those still doing this old fashioned art has decreased by about 70% in the past 4-5 yrs.  Postal charges have had much to do with that I think!  Anyhow, I'm hoping it will slowly creep up again.  Until the next post take care!

 Hugs, Sharm xo

 

Oooooops

 

Went walking Saturday and a km from home looked behind me and my foot stumbled on the edge of the road which had a couple inches drop from the bitumen to the gravel - just enough for a massive tumble.  Many hours spent between the doctors and Gp run hospital they dont think the arm is broken but too much internal swelling to rule out a break.   still limited movement - hence 1 handed typing and bruises to lots of other parts ..............anyhow - some photos of walking prior to the fall.  all knitting and sewing and many things are out for the moment .......... stay tuned.  hugs sharm

they are draining the lake at mulwala/yarrawonga so the river has dropped significantly

The Change in Seasons

 You can feel the change in the Seasons now .... Cooler mornings and evenings. I love how the leaves change colours and I really missed seeing the change of seasons whilst we were living up north.  These leaves are from the trees at work - such a range of colours that I couldn't resist taking a photo.

  Our vegie garden is almost spent with a few late Rockmelons left to pick this week or next. I pulled the tomatoes and plums (both bought cheaply a couple of months ago - our tomatoes were full fruit fly this year) out of the freezer to get the jam and relish made up.  We should have enough now for the year although I still have more tomatoes in the freezer if I need to make up more (otherwise tomato soup).

On the crafting front  and April's OPAM  as well as finishing the summer t-shirt I showed you at the start of April, I've managed to get a nice pile of dishcloths made up.  Daughter Stacey and her husband John have put an order in for more as they have only used the dishcloths I make for a good number of years now as well as the kitchen towels (an order is in for a couple of those as well). I have 7 dishcloths ready for them to cover the week, and a couple of new ones for me as well.  I've almost got the kitchen towels finished but not quite so can't count them in my April finishes lol.  I had hoped to have the jumper finished knitting but I'm quite slowed down on the sleeves and keep getting distracted by other things so it's been put to the side many times during the month.

I went to Benalla to the Spinners group there last week and decided it was time to pick up that 2nd pair of socks again that I had started.  I'd wanted to do the heel in the yellow as well, but after getting advise from Jill, who initially helped me get my first pair of socks made - I found it couldn't be easily done with the particular pattern I'm currently using - so now I'll get on and get them finished!

I've just started reading the book that you can see on the table with the socks "Daughters of the Resistance" which seems good so far ....... Just finished the one below which was also set in the War - It was a little sad, but quite an intriguing read and a bit more insight that I hadn't realised occured.

The other exciting thing that happened right at the end of April was that we bought a small wood heater for the house!  Yes, we do have a gas heater in the lounge and the house does have ducted gas heating ......... but after using the gas heater in the lounge the first few weeks we moved down and getting the bill for that, we know that a winter worth of gas is going to be expensive!!  Particularly when you are wanting to keep the house maintained without the chill factor each morning when you get up!  Besides which  we've had a wood heater at a good number of our "southern" homes and I just love them!!!  So we went shopping for one and I checked them to ensure they would fit a kettle and a cooking pot on top (most essential!).  

I already had an idea for where I wanted it to sit as being a smaller one we figured it would only heat up so much of the house - I wanted it in the dining/ living area so that the kitchen also gets warmed and my craft room which is off the living room might also get some of the heat!   Pete got the job of checking to see if the reality of where I wanted it to go would actually work!

And Voila!  A few days of installation processing and several trips to Bunnings for items not included in the heater pack or the flue kit and it was running!  To our surprise it actually heats up more of the house than we imagined it would - right up the hallway and taking the chill off our bedroom up the far end of the house from it!   And yes, I've already had the clothes airer out to dry clothes by it!  

And yes, it does mean gathering wood, but we have a friend an hour from here that has huge amounts of wood that he has given us access to ...... in his words " we have a wood supply for the rest of our lives" - how lovely is that!  I don't mind the gathering and lifting of wood into the utter and trailer as its one of the things - those "chores" that as well as enjoying doing with hubby, also helps to keep me fitter!

Almost to our turn off to home and we passed a couple in a bit of trouble - they had pulled off the road thinking to stop and have a cuppa and a bit of a break and found themselves bogged!  Being Anzac Day it was not going to be easy to get help ...........  

Pete turned us around  and we went to the rescue as he attached a pulling strap and was able to get them pulled out and back on dry ground!  Such a lovely couple who hail from Tamworth and are on a trip over to the West.  So after a bit of a chat we exchanged numbers and we may see them pull into our place on their way back, or we may see them in Tamworth on one of our travels!

Meantime, I've been keeping up the momentum of walking and trying to get into more of a habit with it again!  It's a lovely time of year to be out walking

And with that, I'm off to go and get some chores done and also to head into Wangaratta today to run some errands and I'm also planning on dropping into the Spinners Group at  Milawa that I went  to last month so I best get moving!!  Have a great day everyone xo