A new month, a new season and a cyclone

We are now halfway through March already and the new season of Autumn means that there is plenty to be done in the garden now that the heat has gone. We did have Cyclone Alfred to contend with though as it made its way down to SE Queensland and we were buffeted by winds in the early hours of Sunday morning on the 9th March after it crossed the coast. I thought our almost 100 year old house would blow away but somehow it survived and the only damage on our property was a large broken branch on the macadamia nut tree which fortunately landed on the pathway instead of the laundry. The cyclone certainly did cause a lot of damage to the beaches in SE Queensland and Northern NSW and several properties were flooded.  So now that the weather has returned to normal gardening duties can go ahead once more. 

Red Spider Lily

Damage to the macadamia nut tree

Of course, there was panic buying here in town just like during COVID so the shelves in the supermarket were almost empty plus the roads became flooded so the trucks which supply the supermarkets couldn't get through for a few days. 

I wondered why the misting machine was still turned on when veggie shelves were almost empty. 

In an attempt to get back into the swing of gardening I ordered some new seeds from The Seed Collection. I will be a bit late getting my sweet peas in but I wanted to wait until we got our new fence out front as I wanted to grow them along the fence. 

I have mentioned before that I have a lot of very clever friends and that includes Suzie Peace Pybus who has had two of her books published recently and they just get better and better. I could hardly put The Truth about Irene down it was so captivating. Our local library bought both books after I requested them so yours might too if you would like to read them. 

A couple of friends and I like to visit different coffee shops to support local businesses and recently we found one that was new to us at The Salvos and right next to it is an Op Shop. 

The Lighthouse Cafe makes really good cafe and you can also pay for a coffee for someone in need that the Salvos help. 

I have joined up all the pieces of the rag quilt I am making and now the tedious task of snipping all the seams can begin. Thankfully I bought some special scissors years ago which make this job easier. 

I thought the hydrangeas had stopped flowering for this year but noticed that the new one I bought which is growing in a pot had flowered once again. This one goes from white to green to pink but I am not sure in which order. It hasn't flowered very often but, I daresay, it enjoyed the 170mm or so of rain we had recently as these plants like a lot of water. 

I hope everyone is doing well and that the weather is being kind to you wherever you live.

Finished at last!

A couple of months ago I finished sewing a rag quilt for my almost five month old grandson but I procrastinated about doing the washing and drying part to completely finish off it so made sure I got that done today as I am sending up a box of goodies up on the bus to my grandchildren in the Outback this week. They won't be visiting for Christmas so it will be a quiet one here.

Bits and Pieces

As my 'upgrading' to Windows 10 and subsequent 'downgrading' to Windows 7...that really should be the other way around and it was no 'upgrade' that's for sure...our network settings have been out of plumb and currently we have times of the day when the internet cuts out on the computer after five minutes or so. I have been waiting until the NBN arrives which was supposed to happen last September but is now going to happen in April so that I can pay for the IT guy to come around and fix everything up. My sister had terrible trouble with the NBN so I am hoping it won't be so bad here. She doesn't even have the internet! So perhaps the problem will be fixed next month. It does make it difficult to write a blog post though.

Do you like sewing rag quilts but hate cutting all the seams?

If anyone has ever made a Rag Quilt you would be aware that it is a huge and tiring job to cut all the seams after you have finished sewing the squares together and it can be especially difficult if you happen to be older and have arthritis. Well, you might find that using rag quilt snips will solve your problem.

Happy little vegemites!

Well, the Greyhound coach safely delivered the box of goodies to my granddaughters a couple of days ago and I would say, judging by the photo below, that they both like their rag quilts.

 

Another rag quilt finished!

Earlier in the year I made a rag quilt for my granddaughter's third birthday and promised Miss Four that I would make her one too. The plan was to make it so that she could use it this winter but, seeing as the temperature where she lives has been in the high twenties for weeks now, I think I may have left it too late for this year. Regardless, it is heading up to the Outback today in a Greyhound coach and hopefully there will be a few chilly mornings left this winter when she can use it.