Tradition...of sorts

It's that day again, the big bake day. Making Hot Cross buns for the neighbours.

This year the gluten free ones became 'not cross buns'...

This year I used a new recipe, not deliberately, just kind of...vaguely. Oh, okay, I will spell it out, I couldn't find my recipe when it was required. It will be around. In a pile somewhere (or at the bottom of a pile somewhere!). 
I had it out a few weeks ago because a friend and I took it upon ourselves to go and spend a few hours (which turned into a fair part of the day) making hot cross buns with the Grade 3's (both our girls are in Grade 3). Our school has a great kitchen and every time I have offered to come and do some cooking in small groups with the children, my offer has been gratefully accepted. 
It's interesting- hearing how the different children talk and approach the task- some are obviously pretty comfortable in the kitchen, some not, some used to trying new things and tasting new foods, some not. I was pleased that this time around, by the end of the day everyone had had at least a taste of a bun (there was one strong resister!). I wonder if any of them made Hot Cross buns today.

These are some of them waiting to be divi-ed up and delivered.
And all the gf 'not cross buns' stayed at our place.

And their number was rapidly depleted!

We're off on an excellent adventure.

Earlier in the year, I wrote a list. I have been meaning to print it out but well, haven't yet. I look at it every now and then. I still like my list, and am still making progress on it.
Upcoming list action- riding from Beechworth to Bright. I hear it's lovely at this time of year. I am abit nervous- our family are more your, ahh, wanna be campers rather than the real deal... never really done it much (you?). And the cycling? It's a long way- I will report back next week!
Lucky we are going with lovely friends who are helping to get us organised, have arranged a tent for us to borrow and have been encouraging and practical. Great.

photo by lauricebryant- I looked up bicycle images in photobucket and liked this one. didn't say copyright so I assume I can share? (Advice welcome here, I don't know the rules)

I would love to be riding this fun looking bike- mine is someone rustier and without the basket. 

I have been packing today, it's taking a while. I am not really interested in packing. I am interested in just hanging out, though, riding, chatting, laughing and being, with my family, with my friends. 

And the night before we actually start camping we get to stay at Bec's house near Beechworth- it's awesome! (I reckon she'll let me put photos of it on my blog- so I had better remember to take some). 

Back to it, pity that packing doesn't just do itself!

Winners

I promised I would draw my 'giveaway' (well, donation inspired giveaway) today. Thank you to those who entered, I appreciate you getting behind the effort.

I took the least labour intensive (and probably least fun method!) to choose the winner and headed over to http://www.random.org/ .

I deleted comments that weren't entries and plugged the numbers in and Celeste's number came up as the winner.

Celeste is a 'real life' friend of mine, who I don't see half as often as I would like to. We went out for dinner a couple of weeks ago and mentioned something about my blog and she said 'I don't get blogs' or something like that. So I showed her my blog- and the most recent post was the giveaway- so I bullied encouraged her to enter. Celeste has lived in Japan at different times in her life so I am sure she has a greater understanding of  this tragedy than I do.

Anyway, Celeste has a girl who would like a new dress but she is much smaller than the dress I am offering (I changed the rules during the week and said I would make a dress in the size that the winner chooses)- that means that the original give-away dress was still available. 

What to do? A re-draw, how fun, two winners. Using the same (boring but efficient) method the next winner is Mary. 

So Mary, this is off to live at your house

and Celeste, something else will be made for your girl to wear and twirl in this Autumn.


And if you are looking for another reason to inspire your donating head over to Nikki's place

Gratitude and thanks to my elders.

The thing about the vermin issue, is that is has me slightly hysterically sorting through my crafty cupboards. 
I probably needed an incentive to sort, discard and organise (would rather a positive incentive but anyway...). The fun thing (the only fun thing) about doing this is the rediscovering... I had forgotten that when my grandmother died a few years ago, I saved this from being chucked out...

I don't know whether it was intended to be a vest or a jumper. My grandma was an amazing knitter (and crafter in general). She made funny knitted toys, jumpers- I got to choose one- pattern and wool (she would hand us the Bendigo woollen mills colour chart- they must have been around for years)- every few years. She had at least 13 grandchildren so I reckon she must have been knitting fairly constantly.
She was absolutely of sound mind until her death but the preceding years had seen her eyesight fail severely and that meant the she couldn't read (she was a librarian who loved books) or craft. It must have been extremely frustrating, but I didn't appreciate that at the time. Her work was fine and detailed. I don't know what ply this wool is but it seems pretty thin to me!

The other funny thing is I reckon this would have been an unfinished object for years. Before 'bright colours for babies' was 'okay'...maybe it's been hanging around since the 70's- it's a very 70's kind of green, which the photos don't replicate. So, when I rediscovered it this morning it was in the same place as this;

MY unfinished vest! Started in a burst of enthusiasm last year, or the year before, for the young girl- who is now 8 and won't fit into this even if I did finish it. I have the pattern but have no idea what size I was making. I really need to document my projects better (I have thought that on more than one occasion!).
I wonder what I would find in my mothers unfinished project pile. I suspect I am a third generation project un-finisher...in our defence the 3 of us would have a very serious pile of finished projects if they were all in the same place and time. 

Vermin...

If they can do this to my lino...

what might they do to this...

I hate to think. But I am onto it...in the way of big plastic tubs with tight lids.


By the way, I have changed the rules. A few people emailed me and said nice idea but they don't want a size 7-8 dress. Fair enough. I will make you a smaller one if you would like that and you win.

Giveaway- your money for a good cause and I might giveaway this dress to you!

EDITED TO ADD- I have changed the rules, I can do that you know. If you win and you want a different size I will make the same pattern up in a different size (1/2 is the smallest size and 9/10 is the biggest)




A little while ago I was lucky enough to win this gorgeous dress (thanks Karen) while at the same time contributing to raising funds for flood effecting people in Queensland.


Now it's my turn to offer something up for the Japan Quake appeal. 
My contribution is this wrap dress, it's made using the  Farbenmix 'Anna' pattern and is size 7/8- but that is give or take a lot because of the nature of the pattern- it ties at the front (you don't see the front tie) and at the back- so will be longer on a smaller child and tunic top style on a larger/ taller child. My daughter is a reasonably tall 8 year old, and it's slightly above her knees in this photo (the dress is new- she's only wearing it for modelling purposes)

The detail across the bottom- would have been nice if I ironed it...

The instructions  below are basically swiped off Karen's blog, but I am pretty sure she'll be cool with that (and I will tell her).

This giveaway is open to everyone, around the corner or around the world.

I will cover all postage costs regardless of who wins.

To enter this giveaway you must click this link and donate $5 to the Red Cross Japan and Pacific Disaster (this link goes to Australian Red Cross but I don't mind really who you donate to as long as you have proof of donation eg. receipt number, you could also donate to Save the Children for example, they do paypal)

You may enter as many times as you like but each entry / donation must have a separate receipt number. (eg: donate $5 ten times if you want to donate $50- then comment ten times with your receipt number, I know this is cumbersome - but that's how it works!)

After you have done this, return here and leave your comment with your receipt number.

If you don't have an account to leave a comment you can click on my profile and email me your name and receipt number and I will comment for you.

Please feel free to circulate the link to this page to anyone you think might be interested.
I will use a random number generator to draw a winner on Sunday 3rd April (my time in Victoria, Australia)

Together all our small donations can make a huge difference.
Also- you need to leave me an email address where I can contact you if you win.

I know we have been called on to donate alot already this year, and I am not going to go on a rant about what you can or can't, should or shouldn't do with your money, but the Red Cross 'by line' is 'The Power of Humanity' and I find that encouraging in hard times like these, so go on, do what you can!

More giving required

My blog header promises "Crafty fun and the goodness of Home Economics"...well, there has been a bit of that lately, but if you look at my right sidebar you'll see that  I am also interested in  "being human and caring for others, being part of a generous community, doing what you can in a difficult situation" and the like.


To this end, I would like to direct you over to the master list for the Japan Quake Appeal coordinated by Jojoebi at A Bit of This and A Bit of That. Recently we crafty bloggers and our friends raised nearly $100,000 for the Queensland floods (cooperatively through putting up auction/ raffle items and donating money to Red Cross for our chance to win said items) . Legends!


I reckon we can pull it together again. Head over and donate some money if you can, or put up an item to raffle. Jodie is leading by example there. 

Japan

I don't have much to say, in the face of more devastation. It's hard to hear about, hard to watch, and for me, hard to imagine or comprehend.
But I just read this and thought it was good stuff to be reminded of.
Take care of you and yours.

Sincerely grateful

This is my first 'grateful' entry, although I have read lots over the times and other peoples gratitude is very grounding and lovely.


I am grateful for my son, his health and his initiative
(and my daughter of course, but this isn't her story) 


This week he went on school camp, to Canberra, the bus took about 8 hours apparently.
I was anxious, he was away Monday to Friday- the longest he has been away from home (he's 10, in grade 5).
I was anxious because he has food allergies- he has coeliac disease (allergy to gluten which is found in wheat, oats, barley and rye)- not immediately life threatening, but eating those foods can make him sick. 
He also has a severe, life threatening nut allergy and requires an epipen (adrenalin injection). So I was entrusting him into the care of other people (get the nervousness?).
I rang the camp, I spoke to the camp manager. He assured me that nut and gluten free dietary requirements were 'easy'- I felt like he had his head around the issues and felt loads more confident about sending him off.


My son got home yesterday. Exhausted, he'd had a good time. Within 10 minutes of him being home, though, he's told me that 'they gave me a fruit and nut bar today'. 
WHAT?- that's me on the inside, on the outside I keep my voice normal (well try) and try to gently get more information...apparently the other kids in his grade got a little pack of Arnott's bickies but because he had special dietary requirements he got a "fruit and NUT bar". I wonder what genius didn't realise that a fruit and nut bar might not be the best snack for a 10 year old with a life threatening nut allergy. I am horrified.


But, the GRATEFUL bit- my son thought it was odd, read the label (BLESS HIM) and told the teacher that the camp site had given him food that he couldn't have. I am so thankful he showed initiative and was smart and well equipped to deal with a very dodgy situation.


I am so so thankful  he read that label.


I will be contacting the camp site on Tuesday...wonder how that conversation will go.

Softies for the children of Christchurch

This woman is busy coordinating a softie drive for the children of Christchurch. I appreciate her efforts, thanks Leonie.
If these little guys can help comfort a small person in the middle of turmoil then me making them is more than worth it.

and from a different angle

This elephant is made using an Audrey and Maude pattern "Edward/ Elouise" I think. I gave him bigger eyes. I constantly have softie's eye issues. Oh well, practice, I spose.
He will be accompanied by a few angels, these are a Rosalie Quinlin design, and the perfect size for small hands.

"We'll have lots to eat this winter, won't we Mother?"

Last December, Nat took me around the sights of Washington and, amidst the pinch myself  'is that really the United States Capitol' kind of moments,  I took this photo at the National Museum of American History. 
It  made me smile and think of home. I love this poster!


Mr. Apple solved the tomato bottling malaise of a few days ago ...bottled in two litre bottles! So now we have 11 litres of sauce (surely that will do us for the year?) in massive bottles that make me laugh.

Our 'larder' is looking pretty healthy

Thanks to those who commented on my other post, written when I was 'over it'.

Yes, I do (most of the time) think it's worth it.

Grow your own

Can your own!

Autumns well done, so well done

Again I say, to quote Echo and the Bunnymen "Everybody's got their own good reason why their favourite season is their favourite season"
Happy happy Autumn everyone.
Heck, in celebration, why don't I try something that I haven't done before.
Here's one for the eighties chicks!