Friday 26 August 2016

The Joy of Friendship




 It is really nice to have friends..I am sure everyone would agree about that! On my recent birthday so many friends contacted me to catch up and to wish me all the best in the coming year as I inch closer to the big 70! Not for a couple of years yet though :-) Seventy used to seem to be so old but these days a seventy year old is quite young. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!

One of my friends who I originally 'met' on the Down to Earth Forum was passing through town so we caught up and she gave me these gorgeous daisy coasters. She is extremely talented and does beautiful crochet, knitted and sewn work as well as other crafts too I am sure. If you would like to crochet up a few of these coasters you can find the free instructions on Whiskers and Wool.




As August is the month one of my old nursing friends tragically died from cancer, a couple of friends and I drive to Brisbane annually to celebrate her life with her daughter and granddaughter. It is always a lovely time reminiscing and seeing her girl and granddaughter progress through life without her. She would have been very proud of them both I am sure. We have a cuppa using some of her many cups that she used to collect and share a meal before heading back home.

Her daughter has an Instagram shop called 'Imeldita' and she has quite a collection of vintage sheets and lovely fabrics she uses to sew for her shop. She showed me how Instagram shops work and I think I picked up a little bit of info as she swiped across the screen quickly. I have no intention of opening a shop but I thought I would make my Instagram account public that I started a while back. I mentioned my big learning curve in the post From Telegrams to Instagram.  The followers and following issue is still a bit vague to me as I don't know which is which but I think I am getting the hang of taking photos and writing a short note on Instagram.  You can tell I am getting all techy.  Ha ha!





While we were visiting I spotted an old skirt made by her mum who was the queen of op-shopping way back in the early 1970s before it became a popular pastime. She would pick up the most beautiful fine china, doileys etc. and loved sewing her own unique clothes as does her daughter now.


 


The photos are a bit blurry but look at how she has added doileys to her skirt. She was one creative lady and such a character and I miss her so very much. 




We are 'enjoying' some really cold mornings and evenings as winter finishes for this year. The days are warm and sunny though so today I picked some calendulas to dry before putting them into olive oil to infuse out in the sun.








 I finally bought a pink lavender plant! We were walking out of Big W when I spied all the plants on display as everyone is gearing up for our Carnival of Flowers in a few weeks. It is called Pink Tuscany and I just love it so hope it grows well like its lavender cousins. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. It looks like the end of our cold weather is nigh although overall it hasn't been as cold a winter as it used to be years ago. As long as we have sunny days I can cope with the cold mornings :-)





19 comments:

  1. 70 hey?.....Scientists reckon that children are already born who can expect to live to 120. Astounding hey.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well at the rate I am going I really don't want to be around that long, MrHM! LOL!

      Delete
  2. ohhh HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY! glad you had a good day
    those daisy coaster are gorgeous!

    i remember you posted about your friend last year too & how she used to collect vintage porcelain, that her daughter shared with all her friends. it seems a nice way to remember your friend & to keep in touch with the family.

    i have no calendulas as yet, it wasn't very cold here, no broccoli either, it all put in in autumn the weather has been too warm for them. maybe i'll have better luck next winter.
    thanx for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The calendulas are growing everywhere at present, Selina. Perhaps they like the cooler weather, I am not sure.

      Delete
  3. Your friend sounds like she was a wonderful woman, and what a beautiful skirt! I love you are still visiting her family. The must love that.

    xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My friend was a real character and not afraid to be different, Emma. She was a nurse and rode a motorbike to work. How she loved her bike.

      Delete
  4. Hope you had a wonderful Birthday! Thank you for sharing Australia with us! I would so love to come visit you! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Monica. Australia is certainly worth visiting. I can vouch for that.

      Delete
  5. Gosh Chel, I must have missed that it was your birthday. Many happy returns to you. Are you air drying the calendulas? I was looking at mine and wondering how best to do it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am drying the petals in the sun then will out them in the olive oil and leave in the sun for a couple of weeks to infuse. I bring the bottle in at night. I thought I might do a blog post on the process this week, Barb.

      Delete
  6. It was lovely to stop by here today and read about your friendships and see beautiful flowers, craft work and that gorgeous skirt! It's a wonderful thing to still keep in touch with your dear friend's family, a way for you all to be together still. I do hope your lavender grows. I grow a few different types of lavender, even a white flowering version that my boy picked out at the nursery when he was small. They all look and smell delightful. Meg

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meg, I don't think I have seen a white flowering lavender. I will have to look out for a plant at the nursery.

      Delete
  7. ANOTHER birthday!!! Oh well, they say good thing get better with age, you old cheese. Hey, maybe thats why you make so much smelly soap.

    You know you have one crazy zany friend down here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I hope I don't smell like old cheese, Lynda. LOL!

      Delete
  8. I would bet that your friend's daughter is so appreciative of the remembering that you do! I imagine you have memories of her Mum that she does not and loves to hear...what an awesome thing to do! Love the little coasters too! Sounds like you had a lovely birthday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes I was thinking the other day that I have known some of my friends longer than their children have, Kathy.

      Delete
  9. Happy birthday Chel. I'm 40 now, and I bet that seems so young to you. Yet it feels old to me now, when I was 30 and just starting on our land, only yesterday, it seems. But doesn't the body feel it and look the part, lol. ;)

    At one point we all have to come full circle, like your belated friend. It's part of the cycle of living. Everything has an end. It's what we do with the interim, that makes all the difference and meaning in the world. I'm glad you can remember your friend, in good company. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chris, I was only 40 just the other day...or so it seems. Life just flies by so quickly.

      Delete
    2. So, so true. If life wasn't free, I'm sure it would need frequent flyer points, at the rate it travels. ;)

      Delete

Thanks so much for leaving your comments as I love to hear from my readers. As soon as I check them they will be published. If for some reason you have trouble leaving a comment feel free to email me directly by filling out the 'Contact Me' form on the sidebar at the right.

Printfriendly

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...