Oh my!

The last few days have been spent getting rid of those dastardy weeds. 

9 bins out of one garden, I should have taken a photo of the weed free patch! I just have see at the bottom of this post.

Now this might look like a bush but it is all ready to go to the tip, out of my front garden and always ends up across the (public) footpath, so it HAS TO GO!

Probably at least as much if not more to still come out. Hopefully I will finish this bit tomorrow.

Then what will I put in?? I would like to encourage the birds so I think some natives that I can keep control of.

Christmas Day

A bit late but you always need recovery time!!

Festivities started on Christmas Eve at a friend's place.

Lots of lovely presents, and of course the children were soooo excited.

This suit didn't come off all day!

Hmmmm what is this??

Then Christmas Day

my great-niece and great-nephew

my son and his partner and Clay - the grand-dog

The groaning table!

 Every one enjoying their meal

Relaxing in the spa!

Bring it on.......

The presents are wrapped and under the tree

 Even one or two for me - I wonder if anyone would know if I opened them now.....

The decorations are up (hmmm quilt looking a bit faded now, might be time to make another one....)

The train looks good though!

and the table ready for lunch!!! where is everyone????

I hope everyone has a lovely day tomorrow and can be with their families. Thanks to all who have dropped by and stayed to chat with me this year. It has been fun following along with your blogs.

Visitor

Fynn came to visit at work! He was brought in by his servant, a colleague of mine. He is a gorgeous curly-coated retriever. Loves wandering around the office and helping me type.

 Talking of dogs....this is a photo I took of a dog who followed me from the backseat to the front as I walked past his car, what a grin! Obviously happy to see me lol.

 And just because; a couple more shots of two of my grand-dogs, well maybe technically one is a great grand-dog. They really love fighting with each other. Little Ladybird's head can sometimes disappear into Gypsy's mouth!

 Butter wouldn't melt......but this is the little devil who stole one of my slippers, later found thankfully intact way out in the paddock!

Of course I have to be fair so here is a photo of my other grand-dog!

A dog's life is a hard one!

Water, water everywhere

We had a big storm in Hobart this afternoon. The first picture is one sent to me by my son of the Brooker Highway near Bunnings, glad I don't need to go through there to get home!

 This is the first time I have seen this happen, at home and the water must have poured down my side path and created a little channel in the pebbles.

 Then I hopped into the old pool where I now have my spa, never has there been any water in here (except when it was a pool) unbelievable. Now a real wetlands, the reeds keep coming up out of the sand that was put under the pool, hard to believe when the pool was over it for over 15 years. Those little seeds remained viable all that time. I have ferns coming up as well, you can just see them in the background. Must go and take a photo of them!

P.S. just taken the photos of the ferns. I find it really hard to believe that they remain dormant for so long then when they get the opportunity (not even the light of day as the liner was over them

until I split it) voila up they come!

It's starting to look like Christmas!

I really don't know what has happened to me this year but I am very slow in putting up my decorations. Usually there is a big flurry on the first of December and I enjoy them all month.

BUT

last week I finally got out the Christmas tree (now this wasn't a hard task as I leave it decorated and put it in a cupboard in the garage - what took me so long) then at the weekend I added the stars - last year for them I am afraid as one isn't working.

Then tonight I did a bit of cooking and made a gift tag for these to give to friends I am meeting tomorrow - nothing like being organised! P.S. Notice I added one of the little ornaments I made last week to each parcel, they are looking so good.

I have dressed up the dining table.

 Little bits are starting to appear on the mantelpiece.

 This lovely Christmas bear stays out all year, just can't bear (lol unintentional) to put him away!

I'll come back with some more as I get them up, still no lights outside!!

Mulch

After doing a LOT of weeding, I decided that a bit of mulch might be a good idea!

So sick of all those weeds, where do they come from!

Browsing

I was browsing a few quilting blogs the other day - as you do! I jumped from

Spain

 (one I often catch up on - usually find a cute free pattern) to

Canada

 (never been there before but interesting blog) back to

Australia

where I found this tutorial, oh no it was actually

here

Anyway you get the idea and I produced these little lovelies on Friday night. Nothing else done this weekend as I have been busy in the garden (very exhausting!! where do all these weeds come from) and also partying. Friends came around for dinner on Saturday night (big exciting discussion about OS trip next year) and tonight I am just back from a 30th birthday BBQ for a friend's daughter *sigh* was it really 30 years ago at 2am that I received the phone call!!!

 Eight quickly made - even used the zipper foot on my {new} machine for the first time - I have had the machine for at least 8 years now and always get out my {old} one for zips.

Hanging very nicely on my Christmas tree!

Back on track!

It has been a bit hard to get enthusiastic about anything lately.

BUT

I am back on

TRACK

Finally finished the stitchery I started when on hols and nearly finished the next one. They may not all get finished and assembled by this Christmas but

SURELY

by next!

My Place and Yours; The Christmas Party!

Join in the Christmas party Vic is having over at Punky and me. I have been a bit

lazy

and haven't put up my Christmas decorations yet.

I was

beguiled

 by these wall stickers though.

 I put a few on the doors of my pantry cupboard.

 I had to open the doors to get a good photo.

but here they are together

and of course the fridge needed some too!

Aren't they just the

cutest?