Nature's Little Luxuries

This display greeted me when I went for my monthly massage. My masseuse is making these delicious soaps - they look like cakes with icing - I am so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderfully talented friends. She doesn't have a website yet but watch this space, I don't think it's too far away. Had a wonderful massage - first since Christmas & I think I needed it!

"Received" Mail Art

This card arrived in yesterday's mail - my first piece of 'received' mail art http://mailart365/blogspot/com/ from an artist in USA.  It's an ink line drawing - exqusite & I was just thrilled to receive it.

New beginnings

The backyard is starting to recover.  This rose bush was right under water & is surviving - we had four bushes & 2 are OK. 

My office is as messy as ever but looks nice with the new shelving. No carpet on the floor yet - think that will be the last job.

This will be my new laundry.  The nephew arrives from Sydney today to help HofM with the rebuild.  This was once going to be another bathroom - it never got finished - so now it will be reborne.

The outside & inside of what will be my new sewing room (or, at least, that's the plan).  This was the orginal bathroom for our house.  The shower rose & fittings for the bath are still in place.  I think it will make a really cute sewing room.  Maybe we will have more energy (if only the humidity would go away) once all this starts happening.  There is not a lot of enthusiasm in this household at the moment.

Trying something new!

Have been a member of Postcrossing http://www.postcrossing.com/ for a few months now & just love sending & receiving postcards. I also enjoy the hunt for cards - found some really nice old ones in a little shop in Holbrook, NSW (see previous post).  The one above is one of my artist friend's - mixedmediabymelforrest.blogspot.com/ - she is very inspiring.

This is the latest card received from Bournemouth in England - my first from the UK.

I have started something new today - perhaps not a really wise move considering all I have on my plate at the moment but really felt a need to create.  My sewing room is not ready yet & even if it was I wouldn't know where half my stuff is or even if I have everything.  Found Mailart365 mailart365.blogspot.com/ and have started!  It should be achieveable, will keep it to ATCs & maybe some of my friends will be receivers!  Watch the post box!

I'm Baaaack!

My last post was before Christmas & what a trip it has been since then.  We visited friends & relatives in Sydney and southern New South Wales and went sight seeing in Victoria.

This was the sight that greeted us most of the way to Warwick (just an hour's drive south of home!)  We should have taken this as a sign!

This is usually a little creek that winds its way through Bestbrook Mountain Resort http://www.bestbrook.com.au/ where we were forced to stay when we couldn't get through to Warwick because the road was cut by flood waters.  Another sign not heeded!

The bitumen across the bridge which crosses the Condamine River, was lifted in huge chunks by the flood waters. Needless to say the bridge was closed to all traffic.  We did, however, find our way past on another bridge & headed further south to Sydney.  The rest of the trip south was uneventful & no more rain.

A day on the boat on one of the rivers around Sydney was just as pleasant as it looks.  This must be how the poor people live.

After four days in Sydney, we went to Sussex Inlet on the south coast and took in the local flora & fauna.

Found a quilt shop!

Visited my cousin in their new home just north of Albury on the Hume Highway not far from Holbrook.

Spent four hours in Holbrook - a little town on the Hume Highway that will soon be bypassed.  The locals couldn't believe we could spend 4 hours looking at what????  We thoroughly enjoyed our visit.  HofM went back the next day for a game of golf - sand greens -apparently not so good but an interesting little course.

Another sign went unheeded at Echuca!

We had lunch on a paddle steamer - a great way to spend an hour or two, walked the streets of the Port of Echuca & found the quilt shop - http://www.heathersquiltingemporium.com.au/ -a lovely shop to visit.

From Echuca, we visited Daylesford & found the Convent Gallery - well worth a visit & a cup of coffee & of course, a piece of cake.

Stopped at Ballarat for the night - the Eureka Centre was closed for refurbishment but we had a look around & went to the Light & Sound Show at Sovereign Hill that night.  It was really well done! Next morning we woke to the news of the horrific flash flooding in Toowoomba, Grantham, etc & the huge possibility of Brisbane being flooded.  Time to head for home - in a hurry.

We got as far as Goondiwindi (that took us 2 days of driving) but couldn't go any further - the road was cut by water.  Stayed the night & heard next morning that the road to Brisbane was open so we & 3 other cars took off again.

Water across the road - but not deep enough to stop us - we were going to get home - come hell or...............

The water was still all around us & under the house but we were home! You can see where the water went to by the mud left on the bushes.

The beautiful back yard not so beautiful anymore - but the pergola is still standing!

Fifteen years of quilting magazines - just the start of what was to be lost.

This was only a part of our pile & we only had water under our house.  Can you imagine the height of the piles where people lost everything?

The rubbish removal was done by bobcat & truck after truck after truck.

Then it was cleaned & now we wait for everything to well & truly dry out before we start with carpeting & putting our lives back in order.  All I need is the magic wand!  We are starting again with normal things, golf for HofM, Quilt group meetings (how generous are my friends), church stuff & around all that every day stuff, we still have to clean, work, try to put our garden back together but we will manage - we have a home to do it in!  My heart goes out to those who have nothing & don't know when they will be able to start rebuilding.