Flooding in our area

These are images of  the street at the bottom of our street.  These boys obviously decided to watch flood waters rise & they took the front row.  They'll be on TV.

This is almost at the peak - so you can see we've escaped a whole lot of damage.  The houses behind had all their stuff moved upstairs before the water arrived.

We do have the SES (State Emergency Services) around - just in case. Spare a thought for those in Bundaberg & other areas who have not fared as well as we have.

Rain rain go away

I am so tired of all the rain (flashbacks to 2011) - however, it does mean that I can do some playing - guilt free - this one is a paper & fabric collage & then I machine stitched around the edges. I've also sent some time doing paper collage mailart.

It's on white card, circles came from Mim mim4art.blogspot.com/ in USA & I have loads left. My mail art can be viewed on the Mail Art 365  -when you get there go to the bar on RHS & find BrisChris & click on that & my art will pop into view,  I'm up to No: 244 of 365 - nearly 2 years on from when I started - am still determined to get to 365.  Truly admire those who accomplished it in 12 months & some of the participants are on their 3rd go round. Think they're a bit obsessive - Mim!!!!!!

Sherwood Stitchers meeting

Sherwood Stitchers met for the first time this year & we were shown the completed raffle quilt.

It was commercially quilted.

Kathryn made these postcards in a workshop on Norfolk Island

This is not a quilt but a painting using words for the shading - all the words relate to coal mining which was his grandfather's occupation - it was a gift.

These are a talented bunch of ladies.

Secret Life Revealed

Yes, Jan - a musical instrument - a pipe organ - I play at my church occasionally & everyone is very kind & appreciates my efforts. Fortunately, if you pull out the right stops, you can make it sound really great.  This organ was built by Simon Pierce www.piercepipeorgans.com.au/ a Brisbane builder, after our church burned down in 2001 - it's his baby.

Secret Life................

Some of you may know about this part of my life.................can you guess what this is? Was trying to think of clues - but any I could give - would give it away - will show you in a day or two.

Is this going too far???

I know HofM loves his garden - but I do think he's taking it a little too seriously!!!!

Broms in the Backyard

Having a few issues with uploading photos - but have found a way around it - thanks to Blogger info.  This is my test run & it worked!!! We are in awe of these bromeliads & the flowers they have produced - huge spikes in bloom.  These broms are huge plants

Another day in Sydney

Photos are in no particular order - Chinatown

Queen Victoria Building - so beautiful

HofM reading a plaque.

The Rocks

Lunch at 'Jamie's Italian' - yes, the Jamie - food was great, so busy.

Just to prove we were there - so many people - home now for a rest.

Australian Maritime Museum

A couple of days in Sydney & we visited this museum - so much to see that we didn't have enough time to get inside the museum itself but managed to visit 3 ships.

And you thought they had it tough on sailing ships - a fireplace, patchwork quilts - we won't mention the very cramped sleeping quarters for the sailors or having to bend in half to get to the officer's quarters or the fact, that I think most sailors were 4 feet nothing to be able to sleep in the beds!  It was all an eye opener.

Old & new - views of the city through the ropes.

We were privileged to witness the Pyrmont bridge swinging open to let someone's very big boat go through.  Doesn't happen very often, apparently.

Checked out the replica of the 'Endeavour' - (for my OS readers, Captain Cook's ship when he discovered the Australian coast) - this piece of lead is an actual piece of ballast from the original 'Endeavour'

The crows nest on the 'Endeavour'.

Then we went in to a submarine 'HMAS Ounslow' - it went out of service in 1999 after 30 years - boy, of boy, talk about cramped quarters - those guys did not paid enough at all! Some slept with controls at their heads - again I think they were all only allowed to be 4' or maybe 5' at a stretch.

Patchwork is never far from my thoughts - tiles in the loos under the Pyrmont Bridge.