Rainy afternoon

Last Monday the sun was shining --- I got out the 3/4 pants and short sleeved t shirt for a day of gardening, these are some of the cuttings I potted up. They have sat out in the rain ever since and I am back to thermal underwear.
You can see the Osmocote on the table and all the pots that I was encouraging into Spring are out geting a good drink.

If you are in Barwon Heads on the weekend this Bakery has the best fruit loaves, and during the week they have good sourdough. We are having toasted sourdough and Pumpkin soup for tea seeing that it is winter again 10 c. outside.

And Today is "The last Saturday in September" that is the Australian Football League Grand Final Day . Geelong are playing St Kilda at the "G". The expected crowd will be in excess of 90,000. A blue or white balloon can not be found in the shops. The Geelong Advertiser gave out car flags last week so there is no getting away from the hype. I don't follow football so I am happy to see the day over.

The grandchildren barrack for Geelong , Footscray, Collingwood and DH Brisbane Lions. So someone might be happy.

150 Years since the rabbit was introduced

It is the 150th anniversary of the introduction of rabbits into Australia by Thomas and Elizabeth Austin who received a shipment of 150 rabbits on Christmas Day 1859.There property at Barwon Park, near Winchelsea is a 42- room bluestone mansion, today managed by the National Trust.
At the time, rabbits and other game bred at Barwon Park were much acclaimed, Royalty and other notables from all over the world came to Barwon Park to hunt, today the praise has turned to blame and a curse of the land especially to sheep breeders.

Elizabeth Austin donated land and so begun the Austin Hospital in Heidelberg. Established in 1882, the Austin has had many name changes, First known as the "Austin Hospital for Incurables" before becoming the Austin Hospital. Story is that one of Elizabeth’s servants contracted Tuberculosis, so Elizabeth started the hospital in Heidelberg.

My forbears were sheep breeders, my father was a keen rabbiter and loved to take the men who he worked with and their families rabbiting. Below is such a family. My father , Uncle mother and nephew are on the far right at the back. He always had to take experienced rabbiters with him. The outings were always enjoyed by all.

Now onto Summertime today it is 8c and we are having scattered showers falling as snow on the high ranges. I promised the WOOLEN BATHERS. No not yet _ Margaret Lakes Entrance 1956

Here they are Woolen Bathers 1942 style, bought with coupons during the war.My mother and Aunt Margaret St Kilda.

War time Summer Queenscliff 1941 Aunty Tot,her real name is Sophia Elizabeth, she was my mother's aunty, my sister Audrey, my mother Louise and the little rascal on the end me. This holiday was just after the anniversary of my brother Ronald's death from Leukaemia, he was 9 years old. My grandmother and her sisters were true matriarchs they took an interest in all their nieces and nephews. Please note the hats.

War time Summer 1942 St Kilda Audrey, Aunty Marg, and me again in our woolen bathers, I didn't like the beach as the sand got into the wool and made everything scratchy and itchy.

I must do some sewing .

Light the Night Steampacket Gardens Geelong

A Spring Wednesday evening by the Corio Bay, was the setting for the Leukaemia Foundations setting for the Light the Night event above are me, with the blue balloon giving hope for Blood Cancers, Deb Grinter with a white balloon as a survivor and Fiona Miles with a gold balloon in memory of her sister Simone who passed away this year with A.M.L. Nearly 1000, people braved the cold night . The night started with the Des Camm Jazz band and there lively music soon had the audience in a party atmosphere as people jigged and danced to the music on the lawn .Girls vs Ghost band from Ballarat played as the walkers made there way back to the Steampacket Gardens. Amber Morris singer and Tristan Waight who is also a survivor can be seen with us three ambassadors .

For Spring the evening was chilly , the temperature beside the bay was around dare I say 10 deg c, The bay was still with little wind, there were two bulk carriers out in the bay with lights on swinging around on their anchors, the lights from the bulk grain terminal and Shell refinery pier lit the water to make a beautiful setting as night fell. GDS 1 & 2 are seen above with DD1. Andrea and her family travelled up from Cobden . Andrea raised $606.00 well above her target of $200.00. I raised $659.00 82% of the target I set at $800.00 . Fundraising can be fun or a slog, as you try and get your friends and family to part with a donation. Today the charity dollar has to stretch a long way and at every turn there is someone asking for a donation, either on the phone or in the shopping center or face to face. I thank all who sponsored me for this event.

Former Miss Universe Australia Kimberley Busteed is the National Gold Ambassador. Kimberly carries a photo of her brother Corey everywhere she goes after he lost his life to leukaemia in 1996. Kimberly said it was a "dream" to help out the Leukaemia Foundation, an organisation that had helped her family so much."It's great for people to come together and look over and see someone they don’t know, but they see they have a gold, or silver, or blue balloon and realise, 'Hey, there are people out there who have been through what I've been through',There's a common connection and common thread. It's a beautiful event that is summed up without using words."

DH, Andrea, Dgs and Dsil.

Dgs, DD1.

Yours Truly being interviewed by Mark Hyland radio Bay FM announcer.

Thanks for your support Margaret

All stitched up

Summer is around the corner, so what better way could I start this post with other than a children's summer beach bag. The stitchery is a free red work stitchery from Barbara Parish . Have you snorkeled ? If not give it a go, the freedom is restful and exciting, as you explore what is under the water. You forget what you might look like to those watching on the beach. No one has come up and tapped me on the shoulder and thought that I was a whale

I finished the stitchery that I won from Cathryn Baynes at Willowvalley Store . After walking around the house with the camera in hand trying to find the best spot for a photo, I came upon the bedroom with items from my grandparents house. The Port Fairey house was probably built about 1865. My pieces are from the early 1900s, so I can imagine that washing was done in a large basin and the water heated on a wood fire stove downstairs in the kitchen then poured into the jug and carried upstairs by a servant for the family. The washstands all had a marble top and the cupboard underneath housed the chamber pot, a brass hand towel rail is at either end of the cupboard. My mother started her working days , as did most girls from the country as domestics in large houses in Melbourne or the country. Below is my mother's cousin Maggie , Maggie was the housekeeper at Sunnyside the Mornington home of My Francis Syme the founders of The Age Melbourne paper. Maggie used to tell stories of hanging on to my mother's legs as she leaned out of the upstairs windows to clean them. Sunnyside was built in the 1860s by Richard Gillett , I think the Syme family moved in to Sunnyside in the 1920s.

My mother and Maggie in the garden at Sunnyside during their time off on a Sunday afternoon. Don't you just love the 1920s hairstyle ???? Long cardigans are back in and notice the sheen on those nylons. After sending money home to their families what was left was spent on clothes. The family that they worked for were very rich for that time so they were able to see all the latest fashions worn by the many guests. Both Maggie and mum could turn a piece of material into a masterpiece.
Well that's the nostalgia over for the day ---- Now back into the real world---- Please give me some thought on Wednesday as I carry out my role as Blue Balloon Ambassador for Light the Night at the Seampacket Gardens in Geelong.