A Day In The A Blue Mountains.

Thanks for visiting my blog. I welcome you to take your time and browse , visiting my bush garden and discovering the wonders of my city within a national park; Blue Mountains National Park. Via my blog you will travel with me through the successes, trials and tribulations of gardening on a bush block. I share with you my patchwork & quilting, knitting, paper crafts, cooking and life in general.

Sunday 30 September 2012

Day 274/366




There is usually one area of a photograph that is better focused than the rest (most likely to be the centre).

The unusual structure of some of our native  flowers fascinates me.
This is a banksia brush in a floral arrangement that our Eldest Son and his FiancĂ©e gave us as a 'thank you' during their recent stay with  us.
   Perhaps it's been coloured by the florist because it's a colour I haven't seen before in a banksia.
But then again, some banksias brushes are more favoured by florists than others because of their offbeat colour.
The wirey bits in the photograph remind me of the hairpins by Mum used in her hair during the sixties and seventies when she'd pin her long locks into a "bun".
I also had the odd occasion to have hairpins stuck into my hair, usually when I was bridesmaid to one of my cousins or aunts.
My sister, my cousins and I would spend hours at the hairdressers getting our hairdos done.
So much hair spray or lacquer was used to hold up our hair that I doubt the hair pins did much at all!



And here is the original photograph before it was cropped.









Saturday 29 September 2012

Day 274/366

The weather today has been appalling. The temperature has dropped to what only could be winter levels and the wind has been blowing all day.
No photographs today.
I have, instead updated by blog page header.
I'm still practising but I hope you like it.
I've got Leanne at 
for pointing me in the right direction.
The template still needs a bit of tweaking I think.


Wednesday 26 September 2012

Day 270/366







I haven't been feeling too well, so instead of a photograph take today, I've created a collage from shots I took on Sunday.

It's funny how you can live in a place all your life and suddenly discover there is so much you don't know about the place.  So much you haven't seen.
  I've travelled around Australia, over 30,000 kilometres, yet there's still so much of Sydney I haven't' seen.
I discovered these little quirky sculptures in Art Barton Park, (opened 2007) just metres away from the back entrance of Luna Park, Lavender Bay.

Art Barton redesigned and reconstructed Luna Park's 'happy face' (based on Ole King Cole?) entrance.  He died in 1974.

I'm not sure who actually created the sculptures. They are characters created by different Australian artist.

I thought they were very cute and we were very surprised to find them hidden amongst the shrubbery. 







Tuesday 25 September 2012

Day 269/366


Tea Cup Tuesday
What better time to showcase this Paragon teacup trio than in spring?


This is the fifth set in my trio collection.
I am determined not to make impulse buys but to make sure I have a trio I really like and one that is in good condition or better.


I think I may have let myself down a little bit on this set.  Perhaps it is a second.


The gold trim is in excellent condition.
There is a slight bubbling on the glaze, just over the lilacs and two light brown spots inside the cup.
There is also the slightest chip on the unglazed under-cup edge.
On the edge of the cake plate there is the smallest smudge that looks like pen ink.
I think it is a splodge of blue under-glaze.
On the same plate there is a scratch in the glaze.
Despite these imperfections, this trio is quickly becoming one of my favourite because lilacs are not often used on dinnerware. Unlike roses.
Terri, at Artful Affirmations is a wealth of information when it comes to tea cups.
At present she is filling in her readers on back stamping on tea cups.
Why don't you drop over and visit her on 


I have linked to Tea Cup Tuesday at Artful Affirmations and Martha's Favourites.  

Sunday 23 September 2012

Day 267/366



Sydney Harbour Bridge from Lavender Bay
At Sunset.

Being here today made me realise how much of Sydney I have not seen, even though I have lived in and around Sydney all my life.
I have never seen Sydney Harbour Bridge in daylight hours from this side before.
It certainly looks more crowded and busy from the north side!

24 September 2012:  Well I'm not great with directions.
Mr Honey Pie tells me that yes, I was standing on the north-side of Sydney (i.e. North Sydney), but this photograph is of the west face of Sydney Harbour Bridge. (The sun was setting behind me).
So - please accept my apologies for any confusion I may have caused by the above description.
Normally, I view the bridge from Circular Quay and then I'm looking at the east face of the bridge.
It is all a little confusing for me...yes I have seen the bridge from this side, before, and it was at night.
Anyway, enjoy the view!


Saturday 22 September 2012

Day 266/366





Is is a coincidence that my orchid should bloom on Spring Equinox?
Usually, they bloom early September but the last two it's been later.
I know this because I usually cut a spike to give to my mother for her birthday on the 15th September, but she's missed out for two years in a row now.

Friday 21 September 2012

Day 265/366


Across the road from where I work, there is a little courtyard-like garden.
These beautiful flower heads grow there and are at their peak at the moment.
While the weather today was gloomy with sprinkles of rain, these just seemed to glow.
I have no idea what they are called, so if you can tell, I'd be very happy to know.


Thursday 20 September 2012

Day 264/366


This yarn-bombed bicycle made me smile today - something I needed, especially since I returned to a huge back-log of work, after having sick leave last week.
I took this photo with my mobile phone as it was all I had with me.


Wednesday 19 September 2012

Day 263/366


Our Grand Daughter loves her new little blackboard table.
We picked it up from a council clean-up some months ago.
I gave it a couple of coats of paint to brighten it up and then Mr Honey Pie finished off one side of the table top with blackboard paint and presto, hours of fun for the little one.
It has castors on its base which makes for easy re-location as needed.

Tuesday 18 September 2012

Day 262/366


I know spring has arrived when I see these little beauties in my garden.
I'd say at least seventy five percent of our garden is bush.
So when these Patersonia make an appearance they are like neon lights on a dark night.

I think this one is Patersonia occidentalis.  It flowers in spring through to summer and is one of my favourite naturally occurring native flowering herbaceous plants.
Unfortunately, I have found them impossible to transplant so as a result, they grow wherever they like,including amongst my Italian parsley. 
They are sometimes called native iris or flag iris.


The species Patersonia is named in honour of Col. W. Paterson (1755-1810) 
Paterson (a Scotsman) was trained in horticulture and spent time in South Africa as a botanical collector.
For a while he was also based at Norfolk Island and compiled information about flora and also collected seed for nurseries.



  



Sunday 16 September 2012

Day 260/366


The Shoes

Post Party Review

We had a few celebrities turn up at our party last night...


Cindy Lauper on the left, accompanied by young Tommy Lee...


Dolly Parton...




And Robert Smith (The Cure)came too



as did Kermit the Frog and


The Pointy Sister (let your imagine run free...)

Black Lace agadoo-ed with a pineapple, La La danced with her Mum and Bob Marley and The Brady Bunch made a cameo appearance.

Bed time was a late affair, some not hitting the pillow until two AM-ish.
Two pre-schoolers acted as alarm clock this morning ensuring we were all up and about by seven thirty.

So what else do you do on a beautiful spring morning in the Blue Mountains but spend it with  your sisters in the garden?









Saturday 15 September 2012

Day 259/366


Arriving



Chocolate Overload - A Family Celebrates.






In the last four weeks, our Daughter celebrated her 37th Birthday, First Son turned 40, my Baby Sister turned 50 and my Mum, 79.
Not to forget, Niece 'M' turned six years of age and Step-Niece 'A' 21.
In amongst shingles and 'flu we have managed to carry on with celebrations, although poor Mr Honey Pie missed a family get-to-gether to celebrate First Son's engagement last weekend.  (One more thing to celebrate!)
Fiftieth Birthdays are celebrated with gusto in my family of origin so we have a great night of celebration about to begin.
Have you ever tried to organise accommodation for sixteen people?
Five sister, their partners and children and our Mum are about to have the time of our lives.

Here is a peak at our accommodation in lovely Leura in the Blue Mountains.

The house is called Darjeeling House.

















The number of bathrooms is too many to count, as are the bedrooms.
Little nooks with armchairs are everywhere, along with a TV room, a lounge room with fire, little alcoves with extra beds, lots of warm floor rugs, interesting vintage items and warm timber everywhere you look.
I've had a little walk through the garden with its flowering cherry trees and bulbs. 
But it is cold and it's time to get a fire going to keep us warm.





How do you celebrate your family
'Big' Birthdays?







Thursday 13 September 2012

Day 257/366


A Slice of Lemon


Mr Honey Pie and I have been unwell.
He with shingles, me with the 'flu.
No photography today but I have been playing around with Picasa.  That's about all the energy I've got.
The monochromatic picture above appeals to me as a very large fabric print repeat.


Here is the original of the photograph before it was cropped and edited.
Hope you are all okay today.
Which reminds me... in Australia September 13 is R U OK? DAY

R U OK?’s mission is to help end suicide by empowering people to make a difference through open and honest conversation and to drive real connection.

Today we are encouraged to ask people in our lives if they are okay.
Let's not make this a once a year occurrence...

I was recently asked, while watching a documentary about teenage suicide, if all this publicity about suicide only encouraged copy cats.
I truly believe that talking about suicide is for the better.
To prevent a human being from committing suicide, it is with the hope that they will see the day when they believe life is worth living.

Comments Welcome

I welcome your comments; they are little personal notes to me. I enjoy reading what each of you have to say. Thanks for dropping by.