Purple Haze

Tides out at Bradley's

Welcome to 2008!  What's been happening since my last post?  Lots, so where to start...  The jacaranda trees were in flower in November covering the island in a glorious purple haze; even the roads were littered with little purple trumpet flowers. I love this time of year as we head into summer, everything's flourishing, especially since we've had good rain recently. 

The romance of purple soon gave way to bright pink crepe myrtles ("Pride of India" my mum calls them and I can see why!) and I am so inspired to quilt....something, anything in these wonderful colours!  Too bad however, as there's still too much to do in the house with the ongoing renovations.  Also my garden has gone to weeds in the space of a week or two of neglect and the lawn needs mowing. Again! 

Jacaranda Blue

I've finally set up and moved into our (my) study, a converted sunroom overlooking the garden. Now I can really watch the weeds grow (through my new timber venetians, yes!).  The family room is also close to finished as is one of the downstairs bedrooms.  I've done all my painting tasks for our second bedroom (yellow walls - what possessed me?) and so begins the laborious task of  stripping, sanding and staining the old bed.  This will be the room where I store and display my quilts and other textile goodies gathered on my travels.  Reason enough to keep motivated wouldn't you say!

Of course nothing's simple and sometimes I feel that I am living in a life-sized rubik's cube as we move boxes and still more boxes of belongings about the house.  I'm starting work on my garden shed too, soon to be painted & fitted with blinds and the odd sewing machine or two (or three) to be my work space, shared with the old salt who is also handy with a machine - for canvas work for the boat mind, none of this girly, quilting stuff!!  

River Pirates?

The highlight of summer on the island was the children's Christmas Parade. Those clever mums & kids filled the shed on our public jetty with all manner of things using a theme of  "Twelve days of Christmas" over, your guessed it, twelve days. 

On Christmas eve we all gathered at the jetty and followed a happy, noisy procession of children carrying their artworks down to the beach for a "street party" for all islanders. I had thought the parade was going to be invaded by pint-sized pirates who arrived in a very small dingy but it later turned out to be a Chinese goddess and her "minders".  She was there to bring us prosperity and good fortune (not to hold us for ransom)! 

So, in the words of the Island children, I hope you all have a.....

jelly fish-mas!