White...

White....

Guess who aged 18; white shawl, white gloves, white carnations and white lace curtains!

Once again I'm joining in with Evi over at Sister Sun and today I've chosen some photos with 'White' as the focus. I was never a debutante so did not have the long white evening dress. The year that I graduated from teachers' college ( at 19) was the first year that a long white dress was not mandatory; we were free to wear colours. So I did; I wore a peach coloured crepe dress with gold braid trims! 

At my first wedding I wore white, I have often owned and worn white shoes; when I was younger I wore white gloves with ballgowns. I remember Maggie Tabberer (an Australian model from the 50s and 60s) saying that all women should have a white shirt/blouse in their wardrobes and when I wore more formal work clothes, I did indeed have a number of white shirts. 

In Australia it's often said that if you are going to eat beetroot...don't wear white as you will invariably spill the beetroot on those white garments. Tennis players and lawn bowls players once only wore white...but not any more! Anyway...here are my photos for this week...

 The photo above is of my nephew Edward who is wrapped up in a baby blanket that I had made for him. I used lots of colours but 'framed' them with white
The photo below is the first quilt that I ever made. It was made of rosettes/suffolk puffs and colours are sewn into blocks and then edged by a row of white rosettes.

This is on the deck of the Queen Mary which is now a hotel in Long Beach CA

One of our cousin's golden retrievers

Holding my great niece Lucy who is wearing a little 'peasant style' blouse that I gave her and I'm wearing one of my favourite blouses.

Snow field near Saltlake City

Coming from sub tropical Brisbane, I found Saltlake City a bit cold...

A model of the Mormon temple in Temple Square information centre

A model of an astronaut in Evergreen Aeronautical and  Space Museum just outside Portland

A model of the moon buggy

Workers cottages in Cannery Row

The lovely crisp white sheets on the bed in our hotel in Monterey

What was originally the dining room in Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay

An unknown jogger on the path beside a lake in central Park, NY

The magnificent Guggenheim Gallery, NY

I rode this ferris wheel at Niagara while DH preferred to stay on the ground and take photos!

Ice and white spray in a section of Niagara Falls

The closest we could get to the White House was the 'back gate'; note the 2  black shapes on the roof?  Men with big guns!!!

Still on the subject of the White House...this is the gown that Michelle Obama wore to the Inaugural Ball (on display with other first lady gowns in the Smithsonian)  

The statue of Abe in the Lincoln Memorial

I was so entranced by the beauty of the Basilica and bell tower (leaning tower) in Pisa. It is built of the most exquisite white marble...photos just don't do it justice

The photo above shows my DDs playing 'dress ups'. DD1 is wearing my wedding dress and veil (but not the original headdress) and DD2 is dressed as the groom!! (Those 2 always loved to dress up when they were girls!) Now below is yours truly wearing the same dress...

This is DD1 and I

Here is DD2 and husband
Sadly both those marriages ended in divorce so these photos rarely see the light of day any more.

Our day at the 'Ekka'; Part 1....

Each year the Royal National Association hosts the Exhibition here in Brisbane for 10 days in August. (It used to be 9 days but quite a few years ago, it started opening on the Sunday) When I was a child we usually referred to it as the 'Show' but over the years it's become more likely to be know as the "Ekka'. The basis of the show is that it is an Agricultural Show/Fair.
As a child, I loved the exhibition! My mother was not really well enough to take me (she had MS), and as well, she loathed crowds. We had a lovely neighbour who would take me as well as her grandchildren. Dad would give her 10 shillings which was to pay for what ever I did or ate during the day. We would take a packed lunch (mum always made egg and lettuce sandwiches for me) but we would also buy some hot chips (made with Tasmanian potatoes), a meat pie and an icecream. I was allowed to buy 2 sample bags; the Eta showbag with little jars of peanut pastes and mayonnaise etc and the Minties bag that obviously had heaps of lollies and little puzzles etc. I also went on just 2 rides, the little steam train and the merry-go-round.  Quite modest spending compared to what some people buy these days, but I loved it!!!

We'd walk around for what seemed like hours (when you are a child!) looking at the animals and displays of produce. Then we would sit on open-air seats to watch the ring events. There would be show jumping, sheepdog trials, trotting races, clowns, judging of animals etc. The children would be rummaging through their showbags as well as watching the ring events. The fireworks were on later in the evening and I always thought they were wonderful. Nowadays Fireworks' displays are 'a dime a dozen'; even a large retail shop near us puts on a fireworks' display in their carpark once a year! But not then. So the show's fireworks were special. I first went to the show on my own when I was in my final year of high school. I continued to go occasionally and of course took my daughters to the show. Then I guess I just stopped going. In 2001-2004 I taught at a 2 teacher school which was just across the road from the Exhibition grounds. That school had a tradition of taking the whole school ( 39 children) to the show so for 3 years I went with those children...but it doesn't really count as 'going to the show' does it ?
For a number of years DH has asked me if I wanted to go to the show...every year I said no...but this year when he again asked, I said yes! And so we did...
This is how our day went...

Waiting at the station; as Seniors DH and I got a return ticket for $3 each!

The next photos show some of the scenes in the Beef Cattle Pavilion...

We saw exhibitors 'vacuuming' their cattle with these!

Grooming animals ready for judging

These buildings were the horse stalls

This was actually a 'Auctioneering Competition'; Boy could those entrants 'gabble'! lol

Some of the sheep and lambs in the Animal Nursery

Ducks in the Animal Nursery having a rest

3 sweet little kids

Alpacas

Llamas

Walking through the Animal nursery

little chicks just near the tripod

More to come in Part 2...

When life is simpler, some things mean so much more...

Last Saturday I spent a small amount of money and didn't I get a lot of pleasure from my purchases?

First of all I went to the craft markets near my home. It was just a quick trip as DH and I would be travelling to the city just after 9 o'clock. 

I paid for and collected my earrings that my friend Erica had made ...

This photo shows the earrings more clearly...

I bought this cover throw from another stallholder. It just shouted 'Spring' to me and it will be part of a parcel I'm making up for a Seasons' Swap I signed up for. (As well as making items, the conditions of the swap also allow you to buy items)

Lovely 'spring like' fabric border around the net

Then later in town, DH and I wandered around the 'Myer Centre' in the Queen St Mall. I thought that I would pop into Lincraft there.(Lincraft is like a Michael's  or JoAnnes in the US) I was so pleased that I went in to the store. I found a plentiful supply of a 'prints' style yarn that I've been trying to buy without success! It's in the 3 indigenous colours, red, black and golden yellow. Already I've used one ball making the indigenous squares; an ongoing project at K4BN.

But that's not all...there were 2 remnant bins and I rummaged through both and found...some polar fleece and ribbing to make more dog coats....

polar fleece and ribbing for more dog coats

And I also found a large piece of cotton T-shirt fabric that I could pass on to a group of ladies who sew children's clothes for K4BN.

This fabric will be used to make some outfits for children of needy families

And best of all, all fabrics were 50% off the marked price and that included remnants! 

All in all, a great day's shopping :-)

What a day this has been...

Yes it's been a busy day with an interesting adventure in the morning. Now this adventure started a few weeks ago, when a fellow member of K4BN wrote on the forum that she was coming to Brisbane (from Coraki in northern NSW)) for a few days in August.  Now I knew that this member had made a rather interesting New Year's resolution this year. She resolved to visit as many Spotlight stores as she could in the year. I also knew that she had visited a number in her home state, a number in Victoria and a few in the Brisbane area. But she hadn't visited the store near my place, so I wrote a message on the forum saying I'd be happy to pick her up and take her...so we organised it for today.

When the 9.48 train arrived on Platform 2, I scanned those getting off the train...then I saw R! She knew who I was as I was the only person waiting!

So at about 9.45 I was on the platform at Alderley station waiting for R's train from the city. Then off we went on the 5minute drive to Spotlight where we were to meet another member, E. E lives in Brisbane and particularly wanted to meet R. Why? Well R collects items from K4BN members in northern NSW; these items, usually a number of boxes are collected by another lady, D, and she brings the boxes etc to Brisbane, specifically to E's place. E then passes all those items on to Karen who is the organiser of the group who lives just north of Brisbane...quite a network eh?

When E arrived I introduced the ladies to each other and then we headed into the store.

R sets a target of buying 3 balls of yarn per store. So we checked out the yarns, all the time chatting as though we'd known each other for years!

Some how we got talking to a young member of staff after we'd asked her to check out availability of certain colours. We ended up telling her about Rosanne's quest/resolution! This young staffer mentioned all of this to 'those out the back'.

Young Sarah was very helpful and was happy to pose for a photo :-)

Before long the Regional Manager (who happened to be spending time in this store) came out to talk to R. R told her of her meeting in Melbourne, with Zac Fried who is the big boss/owner of Spotlight. Apparently Zac had told R that she reminded him of his mother who also knitted.

here we are posing for a photo with the Regional Manager of Spotlight stores

More photos followed, including some with my friend Karen K, who works at that Spotlight store.

We've just come through the checkout here; R and E are with my friend Karen K

Now you're probably wondering whether this yarnaholic blogger bought some yarn? well yes as a matter of fact I did. I was wildly extravagant in fact!! I bought 2 skeins of yarn that cost...cough cough... erm... $14.99 each. yep you read right...but I had a gift card with $30 on it so it was ok! lol as you can see, it's beautiful yarn made up of a number of different fibres.

Eventually we went to the checkout, chatted some more outside the store, then it was time for me to take R back to the city to meet up with her husband and head off for an appointment.

After that, there was time for me to have a quick lunch at home and then head off for Sisters of stitch where I had a lovely couple of hours chatting and today I took along some crocheting. (just some squares)

Show and tell time at Sisters of Stitch; this member in her 80's shows us her completed quilt; it was beautiful!

After dinner I headed off to parish sewing bee at a friend's house, but when I got there I found that it wasn't on. I handed in some sewing and gleefully headed for home. Now I had time to work on my blog and read others' blogs too :-) Bliss after a busy day!

King George Square...

Last Saturday I wrote a post that mentioned King George Square which is a feature of the central business district of Brisbane. I took some photos of the square as it is now, after refurbishment a few years ago. On Sunday I went looking through the Brisbane City Council Image collection  online and found a number of photos that show the Square as I remember it as a child, then more images as it went through another metamorphosis when I was a young adult. All the photos are from the Brisbane City Council's eLib catalogue. This square has been part of my life; whether as a young child being brought into the city to see the huge Christmas tree, or going to concerts at the nearby hall, meeting friends as an adult or being part of protest meetings as a student. Sadly I very rarely go to the city much these days. Medical and dental services are catered for in the suburbs these days as are entertainment and shopping. here is a little bit of the square's history...

BCC Brisbane Images: The square in 1930

BCC Brisbane Images: the square in 1940

The photo below is taken at about the time my father came to live and work in Brisbane. He would go to Symphony Concerts in City Hall. Dad also told me stories of how the city hall's site was on an area of swampy ground which included a number of waterholes.

BCC Brisbane Images: Looking in the other direction from the previous photo, 1948

BCC Brisbane Images: Opposite city hall, Albert Street was bordered by a number of buildings. The most famous was the Tivoli Movie theatre that was actually 2 cinemas. One was the famous  Roof Garden Theatre which actually was open air. This photo taken in 1953. In the lower righthand corner is a policeman directing traffic; no traffic lights here in those days.

BCC Brisbane Images: Facing in the opposite direction from the previous photo. Looking down Albert St which continues down to the Botanical Gardens. Where the red hoardings are, is the site of the new Commonwealth Bank Building on Adelaide St. 

BCC Brisbane Images: the square in 1958

BCC Brisbane images: 1963 Note the sign showing the tram stop where you could wait in a zone on the street

BCC Brisbane Images; The square in 1966. Albert St still on the other side of the square. When we went to functions in the hall, at intermission we would go to a milkbar across the square to Albert St

BCC Brisbane Images: 1968 The square is being dug up to make an underground parking station  and the new square will then be built on top. The part of Albert St that was adjacent to the square is now part of King George Sq, the closure of that part of the street allows the square to be increased in size

BCC Brisbane Images; 1971. The 'new' enlarged square was opened officially by Queen Elizabeth the previous year

It's 1974 in the above photo (BCC Brisbane Images) and the trees have grown and provide shade to the hundreds who use the square

The above photo ( BCC Brisbane Images) was taken in 1979. The fountains are a delightful part of the square. During the drought of the early 2000s BCC decided to no longer run the fountains :-( In the new, new square there are no fountains.
Finally, another one of my photos from Saturday...This is looking towards Ann St...