FIBRE FRIDAY - 2 BASIC COLOURS AND ??????? and SPIN IN PUBLIC DAY

WORLDWIDE SPIN IN PUBLIC DAY

This day is always held on the 3rd Saturday of September.  WILL YOU BE PARTICIPATING ???????

I did last year ...... yeah spinning on my nature strip ......

....... not too sure where I will be tomorrow - perhaps in front of my most favourite local shop ....... Allan's Bakery !!

These 4 skeins were made from a base of 2 colours - orange and green. Then for each skein I added one or two other colours. By doing this, I ended up with 4 distinct coloured skeins.


I ran the colours through my drumcarder in no order, but tried to keep the colours togetheR.

The four skeins were plied with the same black yarn.

ONE WEEK SINCE HURRICAN BEN

Yes, it has been one week since our our heater installation debarcle.  This photo shows some of the dust left AFTER the tradesman left.

This is part of  an email sent to AGL - and to be fair to AGL I have omitted surnames.

One week has gone by since Ben **** came to install the gas heater. Apart from ourselves, our family and friends have been appalled by:

• Ben's incompetence - especially cutting the live wire without turning off the mains power

• his inability to communicate with us regarding the amount of dust involved and the need to cover furniture, electrical items and other items

• no apology from him regarding the dust covering expensive Nikon camera, computer equipment, TV, video equipment and others

• his failure to leave our home in the same state as he found it when he arrived to do the installation

• for sternly telling me "THAT WE WANTED IT FITTED!" when I said that I was cross about him not covering the furniture

• his apparent lack of respect to us as customers of AGL Assist

• his apparent lack of respect to the company he works for

Ben Lombard is NEVER to come to our house in the future to service any of our gas units.

I am disappointed that AGL Assist Bayswater did not endeavour to send Ben back immediately to clean up his mess which was left, nor to check if the gas heater was working correctly. In fact Jack and Pat only came on Monday afternoon to check on the heater, after my telephone conversations with Nicole and Christine from AGL.

And I am disappointed with AGL Bayswater for not contacting me since last Friday (not even acknowledging my email/photos sent to you). A courtesy call would have been appreciated.

LIFE'S UPS AND DOWNS

CAMILLIA CORNER

I feel so much better having vented my anger and frustration in my last posting ....

.... so here is a lovely photo of one of our camillias.

.... they have been really beautiful this year.

No wonder our house is named "Camillia Corner". 

WHAT A MORONIC TRADESMAN !!

Last Wednesday we had a new gas heater installed as the old one had 2 large cracks in the Heat Exchange thus leaking carbon monoxide (the same thing that killed the children at Mooroopna earlier this year).  We were extremely lucky.

Pictured is my new Nikon D90 camera with macro lens attached covered in red brick dust. Why????? Well the new heater was 5cm too small to fit in the fireplace. Our moronic/stupid AGL Assist (Bayswater) tradesman had to chip and grind at the red bricks inside the chimmney.

I was on the phone at the time when he started and when I went into the lounge room the whole room was absolutely thick with chocking red dust. I cried when I saw that NOTHING had been covered.  By this time it was really too late to cover anything.  However, sheets were thrown over the computer table, TV and the dining room table.  My camera was taken outside and dusted down.

I could see that the tradesman had a difficult job to install the new heater, but that does not excuse him for not covering furniture/computer/TV.  I was so furious with him ..... if he was so DUMB and perhaps couldn't be bothered, why didn't he ask ME to cover things.

When he finished grinding, I told him that I was furious that nothing had been covered.  He tersely told me THAT I WANTED THE HEATER INSTALLED and that he had warned me what he was going to do!

YES, of course I wanted the heater installed asap, but HONESTLY I DID NOT realise the amount of dust that would have been generated.  Perhaps he thought that I was just a stupid housewife and that I would not "mind" a little dust covering everything.

BOY WAS HE WRONG ....... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

He was here for just under 4 hours and explained to me in two minutes how to turn the heater on and off.  Later that evening when I turned the heater off I could still hear the fan going..... He didn't tell me that the fan switched off once the unit cooled down.  Thank goodness for the instuction manual !!! (By the way, our old heater was approx 25 years old and very basic).

The next day, right on 9am, I was in contact with AGL Assist (Bayswater) expressing my disgust at the tradesman's lack of good sense.   ....... and again on Friday .....  I was aked to send photos via email to them.

I have the whole unfortunate installation documented and on Monday morning will be ringing AGL Assist H.O. with my complaint and emailing the photos and documentation.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATE

The dining room table was also covered with dust ...... yep ....... and everything on top of it. The morning of the heater installation I had set the table for a formal birthday luncheon for the next day ... lace table cloth, cutlery, crockery and serviettes. Well, the lace cloth had to be soaked to get the red dust out, cutlery and plates washed and the flowers thrown out.

Curtains had to be washed, but the drapes have to be drycleaned. My hand felted large floor mat will have to be washed (I made this at the Handweavers and Spinners Guild of Vic a couple of years ago). A few years ago I won one of Isobelle's handwoven floor mat at a Guild function. It has always looked so lovely in front of our heater. Now it is in the laundry waiting for a dry, sunny and windy day to get the dust out of it.

ONE DROWNED MOUSE .........

NO NO NO not the four legged variety ..... After the tradesman went, I was left to clean up HIS MESS. I was wiping the dust off my computer equipment - I was wiping the "mouse" when my hand shook and it fell into my hot cuppa ....... I drowned it !!!!! Lucky I had a spare one in the drawer.

MACRO MONDAY - ANTS

This photo was taken the first day I got my new macro lens.

Ern and I are both well, although Ern had another fall - the left side this time. He sure has good bones - no rib or hip fractures ......

MONDAY'S COLLAGE

These skeins were all made from the same fibre source - a mini-fibre-sandwich!!! I spun three bobbins and then plyed each with a different coloured commercial plying thread. I used black, pink and blue. I seem to use black alot when plying.

Pink isn't really my favourite colour to spin, however, as I continually tell others .... "spin outside your comfort zone (OCZ)". When I spin pink, I always think of Joan D from the Guild - a lovely lady who doesn't like spinning pink.

A couple of years ago, I gave a workshop on colour blending at the Guild. In the morning session I asked each participant which was their favourite and least favourite colours. These were then written on a white board ...... BUT that wasn't the last of it !! Oh no ....... just before the lunch break I handed each participant a length of roving in their least favourite colour and told them that after lunch they had to spin it !!! hehehehe

So then, after lunch just as they were about to spin their piece of roving, I told them I had changed my mind and that they weren't required to spin it at all ..... they could keep it and use it anyway. (what a mean thing to do to your students!!!!)

My exercise was to get the participants to "think outside their comfort zone" .... and for them to think how they could spin something they didn't like. hehehehehehe

To conclude ..... they all used their "hateful" roving during the afternoon's session and created some lovely skeins. (BTW: Joan D was a participant and I had anticipated her "pink"answer)

Monday's Collage

Although it is now winter, the autumn leaves are still looking beautiful in our garden.

AM I COMING OR GOING ????????

My head's in a turmoil ..... am I coming or going ??? I sit in front of the my computer screen thinking of what am I going to write on my blog .... there are so many things that I could be writing about ..... what am I currently spinning, dyeing or knitting. So what do I write about ? NOTHING ....... I leave my blog with an empty screen.

A CLAYTON'S HARRIETVILLE .....
Yes that was my Harrietville for this year. My dear friend Ellen arranged with Ern's daughter to stay in the house with Ern, whilst I went to Harrietville for a couple of days. This was unbeknown to me. Was I surprised when I found out ..... I cried and cried ...... BUT .... when
Ern found out there was no way Kate was going to "babysit" him !!!! Ern said that I was to go to Harrietville and that he could look after himself. Words were firmly spoken but to no avail .....

Friends and neighbours had mixed thoughts ..... some thought he was being selfish and that I was being tooooooo soft with him. Alzheimers is a frustrating disease because although they may have a short memory loss, sufferers are still able to function as normal. It's the Carers who suffer the most. I must admit that since Harrietville I have not been as forgiving as I have been in the past. Then I feel guilty ..... no Counsellors for me ...... says me !!!!!

A couple of weeks after Harrietville, Ern had a nasty fall whilst putting the wheelie bin out. No broken bones thankgoodness BUT ultra sound results not good. Completely torn all ligaments in the shoulder and upper arm ...... the doctor and physiotherapist said that they were the worst ultra sound results that they had seen. Some of the damage was caused by the fall but most of the damage he has had for years. Ern being Ern ... STUBBORN ..... shouldn't be able to move his arm ...... but he can and he does !!! The Physio said that the neck muscles were compensating for the lack of arm muscles.

OK, so now that Ern is 85 years old, how many more years ??? ..... gotta make the most of life .......

SATURDAY SKY 27 Feb 2010

These photos were taken within 30 minutes whilst Ern and I were on a walk near home.

After it being so dry, rain had been predicted ..... and did we get any ??? NO NO NO NO It did rain in some suburbs ....... and we are still waiting for the rain !!!

HAPPY 85th BIRTHDAY ... ERN

I still say that my darling hubby doesn't look 85 !!!!!!! .... or maybe I am looking much older ....... ummmmm

For those who read my blog, Ern is keeping well despite the hot weather. He walks to the shops, usually with the dog, twice a day - 10am and 2pm regardless of the weather !!!!! (although the dog, Chloe, is not tooooo keen on the hot weather)

Ern's Alzheimers is progressing slowly (thankfully). However, it has come to the stage where I cannot leave him on his own. RESPITE is a 4 letter word ....... (OK 7 letters)

My dear friend, Ellen, organized with Kate (his daughter) to look after him, here in our home whilst I go to Harrietville. This was done unbeknown to me ...... I just cried when I found out. I am now counting the "sleeps" until Harrietville.

HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR

Did I make any new year resolutions? ..... of course not !!! .... I only break them.

Did I loose weight last year? .... of course not !!!

Did I keep up with blogging? .... of course not !!!

Did I do much spinning? ...... YES OF COURSE !!!

Did I take many photo? ..... YES OF COURSE !!!!

REFLECTIONS

Reflection of the Croydon Library ..... the lake was next to where the Remembrance Day Service was held .... where war veterans, family and civilians reflected on past wars and how fortunate they are living in a wonderful free country - AUSTRALIA ..... !!!!!

THE 11th OF THE 11th OF THE 11th

Today is Remembrance Day.

At 11 am on 11 November 1918, after more than four years of continuous fighting in Belgium and northern France, firing ceased along the Western Front.

So at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month we remember those who died or who had suffered during wars. After the end of the Second World War, the name ‘Armistice Day’ was changed to Remembrance Day so that day would commemorate all war dead.

As a mark of respect to those who have suffered and died, people in Australia are encouraged to stop what they are doing at 11 am to observe one minute’s silence and reflect on the loss and suffering caused by war.

Ern and I went to our local service - IT WAS SUCH A HOT DAY - I felt sooooo sorry for those veterans wearing suits and ties (Ern was one of them .....) ..... but noooooo way would they not dress up for the occasion regardless of the weather.

The Melbourne Shrine of Rememberance is 75 years old today.

The red poppies which bloomed on the battlefields at Ypres in 1915 inspired Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae to write the poem, In Flanders Fields. He was a Canadian surgeon attached to the 1st Field Artillery Brigade during the battle of Ypres.

2 NEW DRUMCARDERS

I bought a Louet Junior Drumcarder ..... it is a lovely machine and with fine teeth. This one will be used ONLY for my REALLY GOOD fibre.

I also bought the fantastic WILDCARDER from Ashford. This will be great for my art/novelty yarns.

SPINNING IN PUBLIC DAY

Today is Spin In Public Day (SIP) ..... so here I am spinning on our nature stip outside my home. Admittedly I wasn't spinning there very long, but at least I participated !!!!!

Before I went onto the nature strip, I had been spinning on the front lawn where passers-by always wave and say hello. They must be used to seeing strange things at our house - eg, strange fleeces drying on the front lawn, dyed skeins waving in the breeze from the front porch and dyed fleeces and rovings swinging from the clothes line !

Tuesday Card Day

When I can, I like to go to Ferngully Stamps for a card making class on Tuesday mornings. I went this week where we made 3 cards using the roller stamps ... my first attempt. Our tutor, Marlene is so patient with us .... is it because we talk so much?
For the top right card, we used black mulberry paper. To fray the edges, drag a wet cotton bud along the sides of a ruler and then tear apart. It's such a lovely textured paper to work with.

I'M HERE ..... AGAIN .....

Motivation and commitment are especially needed for keeping a blog up-to-date .... and these I have not managed to have over the last few months.

Stress eating has me stacking on the weight since I last wrote. Of course, when you feel FAT you loose self esteem, confidence and certainly motivation.

A week ago, I had a dear friend measure me .... cause I wanted to loose some of the blubber! Again, lacking motivation I thought "well this is going to be hard" ..... until Ellen measured my hips ..... OMG the tape measure didn't meet !!! Hells' bells !!!!! about three inches ...... and that was the clincher !! One week later the tape measure nearly meets .... yaaahhhhh (mind you I didn't loose much anywhere else)

Now I have joined Curves gym AGAIN, signed in yesterday and went for my first session this morning. Ern met me and we went to Allan's Bakery. I even took Chloe to doggie school but will be changing class to time to 9am next week.

My mum rang to ask how to post a picture to a blog. Whilst helping her, I decided to write something in my own blog ...... so here I am once again !!

WHERE HAVE I BEEN ??

2008 was a non-year .... and here we are in March 2009 and what have I been doing with my life??

Last April my husband, Ern (who has alzheimers) went missing for a couple of days just before ANZAC day. I had been taken to hospital with a possible heart complaint and Ern came with me in the ambulance. When we were told that I had to wait 12 hours for another blood test Ern went home. He was to book a taxi at the hospital reception desk, however, surveillance camera shows him leaving through the front door to ........... ??

26 hours later he was found 22kms from the hospital and no where near home. Apparently he walked all the way. It was a frantic 26 hours - I discharged myself from hospital - there was TV and radio coverage, helicopter surveillance and family, friends and neighbours looking for him.

He spent a week in hospital (badly cut from blackberry bushes, dehydration and kidney probs). His memory has deteriorated and I feel that I can't leave him for long periods of time. Yes I could get respite, but I just don't want to yet.

I have had to change my lifestyle greatly. I no longer go into my favourite place, The Handweavers and Spinners Guild of Vic. I miss my voluntry work there and especially my friends/members. I haven't done very much spinning either ..... until this year. I have knitted umpteen beanies for the Guild's charity "St Mary's House of Welcome" for the homless. So I still feel useful.

Early February 2009 Victoria experienced their worst bushfires in history. Over 200 people perished, whole towns burnt down and 2,000 homes destroyed which left thousands homeless. These fires changed many peoples' lives.

I personally didn't know anyone who perished. However, I look at things differently now. Amongst other things, just how much wool and fibre do I REALLY need?

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

I thought of the usual New Year's Resolutions, like losing weight ....... being a good girl ...... don't buy wool, spinning fibres etc etc etc ......

So what did I decide on ...... ???????

Firstly, that I am going to be more committed to my blog ...... someone recently asked me if I had fallen off the planet ..... perhaps for a while .....

Secondly, that I will knit and forward one item each month to one nominated charity for my yahoo group - Knit4Charity. Of course I will still keep on knitting my beanies and scarves for St Mary's House of Welcome here in Melbourne.

The photo shows Chloe lying on a cat blanket ..... saying, "why can't it be mine ??????????