Sunday in the gardens

On Sunday. the day after the baby shower, F V and I went to the Melbourne flower and garden show in Carlton gardens.  It was a lovely day of about 27 degrees.  I enjoyed the show but found that it was a bit spaced out and I thought it would have been better to have had all the show gardens together etc,

 you can see us in the mirror in this garden......

and the garden below featured the iconic Skipping Girl from the vinegar factory in Richmond - it looks as though her rope my have caught fire - or in the rain!!

 I don't know why this stall had an F and a V hanging up - they must have known we were coming......

 I loved these espaliered lemons - and on the other wall, which I didn't photograph, they had espaliered pomegranates!

 Here is the baby saying "hello" to it's auntie

The perfume and colour of the hyacinths was beautiful

I would have loved to have brought home some of the bromeliads but I don't think border control would let that happen!!!

This dinosaur was roaring away in the bromeliad garden - I think he was meant to make you want to buy!!

When surrounded by nature - who buys fake flowers.................

The showering of the baby

I went to Melbourne for the weekend - partly just to see my children but especially to attend the baby shower for my grandchild who will be making his or her way into the world in about 4 weeks.  It was a lovely day on Saturday - not too hot and the promised afternoon showers were just light sprinkles.

 Here is the gorgeous mother to be - looking wonderful (although feeling a bit tired)  We don't know if it is a boy or a girl, although most bets seem to be on a girl.

and here (below is part of the decorations and the magnificent spread!!!

All put together by R and F.  My contribution was the bunting!

Eve and Nick's beautiful baby Harry came to his first party and was much loved by all

Angus was the only big boy brave enough to come

Fortunately, there was a helper to open all the presents

and these three all look gorgeous

as do these two!!

Goodnight baby tossntom xxxxxxx

What do you think?

Until I get a new hip, I don't seem to be able to get into a pair of panty hose.  On the advice of someone much younger than me, I bought a pair of capri length footless stockings.  In my view, it's not a good look but would appreciate advice...

The only thing that looks good in that photo is the Moroccan rug!!  I can't see me heading off to the office in this - even if I embellish it with some pearls!!!!!!

I have been sorting out things to take to Melbourne for the baby shower - all wrapped up now and ready to go.  I have also made a very bright quilt for the baby as Tosca says that she is going for a colourful room.
So here it is Tossie - at least it matches the Fisher Price record player!!!  If you don't like it, it can stay in Brisbane and be used as a floor lying on mat but if you like it, I will bring it when I come down for the shower.....

controlling nature

I planted a mulberry tree in the middle of my very small garden.  It grows about 3 metres a year and last year, Bill helped me to cut all the long branches off.  with all the rain we've had, it has grown very long legs and arms which have been reaching up to the sky and not really doing what I want it to.

So -  used all my strength to climb up a ladder and pull the branches down and plait them together so that I now have a pretend weeping mulberry!!!
I wish I had taken a before shot.....

but here is the after....

The funny stick thing in the front of the mulberry is a pawpaw which has finished fruiting and is now shooting all the way up it's trunk.  I think I'm supposed to cut it off and let it start again.
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 Shame I had to include a little bit of the veryrichhouse in the picture but it's hard to get away from!!

weekend was better than the week

This week has involved fairly hard stressful work, culminating in a High Court appearance (by video link) on Friday.  It all felt a bit stormy and overwhelming....

To make matters worse, I went to get in the car on Friday morning and found that TWO of my tyres were flat.  RACQ man thinks it was someone being mischievous!!!!

The walls of both tyres had been hit - nothing that a trip to Bob Jayne and $265 couldn't fix!!!

I have been making bunting - and hanging it all around the house so it is looking very festive.  However, it's not for here  -  it's heading south for the baby shower.......

This morning I had a lovely visit to the Allen family - dear little Blake is very tiny but sooooo cute!  It was good to have a chance to practice for my Granny's certificate - I managed to hold him and put him in his cot without anything nasty happening.  I didn't take photos of the dogs - a mastiff puppy and mia the staffy - both of whom are behaving well with the little babe.

I even got him to go to sleep!!!!  He's now 3.3kg and 7 weeks old,wearing size 0000!!!!

Cleaning up

Last weeks humid weather played a nasty game with my Moroccan rug - the smell was so bad, I had to put it out on the patio and shut the door.

Having googled "smelly Moroccan rug" I took the advice of all who had suffered the same way as I was and scrubbed it with wool mix and extra eucalyptus

Then I hung it up and hosed it and lots of evil smelling YELLOW stuff came out - I hope it was dye and not camel or sheep wee!!??

It's been baking out in the sun for a while now but the smell still seems to be there - even if a bit weaker - this might become a weekly occupation?

Next step in the cleanup will be to hose down all the concrete - however Brisbane is SHORT of drinking water so I have to wait until they have cleaned the mud out of the filters in the reservoirs before I can do that.......