Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Home again

It's great to have all the bits and pieces home again from the show. Lots of little ribbons and a rosette for Best in Show. I'll try to take some photos of the collection on the weekend. I was really interested to read the comments and judging scores which came back with the entries. I was also particularly amazed at how you can send a man to collect scrapbooking and he manages to come home with food. Must be that hunter gatherer thing.... Yep - he brought home a prize winning Plum Pudding that was destined to be thrown out but was given to him by the lady who cooked it.... I'm sitting here shaking my head with a large smile on my face. Funny kid!

I really enjoyed today - an RDO and the weather was very kind. I managed to get so much done and even took Hogan for a walk which although he was pretty tired by the time we turned back up the driveway - he loved every moment of it. It's amazing how a little bit of sunshine can inspire you. I'd have to say I'm really looking forward to better weather.

I was thrilled to get all my Christmas Invitations finished. Also made a start on my Christmas Cards. I can scarcely believe it's only 12 weeks until Christmas. This year I would really like to be more organised - and in fact I know that I'm going to have to be with the plans we've set in place for the big Family Christmas get together the week before Christmas. Looking forward to it a great deal - but also somewhat terrified about it being all I hope it will be...... time will tell on that one I guess.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

A royal view!

Just for fun - here are the photos I took last weekend at the Royal Melbourne Show!
















And a few funnies from the back seat.












..... and that was the Royal Melbourne Show for 2009!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

She's back

In light of the fact that it has been pointed out to me many times how neglected this poor thing is... I thought tonight I would take pity on it and give it a bit of TLC as well as share the news of recent events. Though I'll work backwards - at least that way I'll remember it as I go.

Today's excitement was reading the Royal Melbourne Show Craft results page to find out that I had won several awards for the items I had entered there. To say I was excited was probably a bit of an understatement. I had thought about entering the Royal last year but completely forgot about it until we actually went to the show. So this year I set myself a reminder. Going back over the selection process of what to exhibit was an interesting evening with Shane and I and a myriad of layouts sprawled across the couch and a process of elimination that can only be described as pot luck. Obviously we selected the right ones.

0173SCRAPBOOKING - PETS.
1Maree Redmond:
2Jodi Smith:
3Heather Gray:
HCAngela Carruthers:
HCHCMichelle Jordison:
0175SCRAPBOOKING - FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
1Maree Redmond:
2Sonya King:
3Maree Redmond:
CHeather Gray:
CMoira Vosper:
HCEmma Blake:
VHCClaire Chadwick:
VHCJodi Smith:
VHCMaree Redmond:
VHCEmma Blake:
0176SCRAPBOOKING - OFF THE PAGE.
1Maree Redmond:
2Emma Blake:
3Sonya King:
CRobyn Johnson:
HCSonya King:
HCEmma Blake:
VHCMaree Redmond:
S116BEST EXHIBIT: SCRAPBOOKING.
Maree Redmond:

Although I had also entered two double layouts in a class called Scrapbooking Holidays. Those results are nowhere that I can find on the site, and how strange they don't give the exhibit numbers of the winning items. So I guess I'll have to wait until we go to the show this weekend to find out which item actually won!

But how exciting - Best Scrapbooking Exhibit!!! Not a dog in sight - but another Best in Show LOL. Of course I couldn't have done it without my beloved Shane who took the time to deliver said items to the showgrounds and of course who is very often the inspiration, the subject, and/or the photographer for the things I create and without who's support and encouragement I know I would not have the courage or the confidence to put my creations out for such scrutiny. Just as soon as I figure out what won - I'll post some pictures.

Unfortunately I've been a bit under the weather (thank you Doug) with a cold that just seems to keep on keeping on. I'm not usually susceptible to colds, but this one took hold and won't let go. Even as I write this, my best friend is a box of tissues and my nose would probably rival Rudolph! Shane was unwell this week as well and so yesterday and today we found ourselves both feeling miserable and not working. Having run out of pills to try to stop the aches & pains, we went into town to pick up some supplies and on the way home, snapped this photo of a rather strange sight. A duck waddling around a paddock near a fox that had been killed and strung up on the fence. Not sure if the duck was checking it out or laughing at it - but he was keeping a close eye on our car as we stopped to take the picture.....


Last weekend we headed off to Bendigo and I had the pleasure of meeting more of Shane's family - sister Linda and sister-in-law Pam & neice Denise. It's been a year now, and although I had spoken with them on the phone and/or via Facebook, this was the first opportunity I had had to meet with them face to face. I really enjoyed their company and could identify so much with a number of things they have been through both in terms of loss and of disabilities. And it brought home to me just how cruel the past years have been to Shane in keeping him from his family. Not only has he missed a great deal from being segregated from them, but they too have missed out on knowing the incredible man he is. Thankfully that is all part of a past life that exists no more. Something both of us are eternally grateful for. One of the highlights from the weekend though was the weather being about 30 degrees - as late as midnight - and Shane and I made the most of it taking a walk into the city and then sitting out on the balcony of the accommodation watching the nightlife wind down and just enjoying the moment.

I'm really pleased to have the facilities to have my doggies back with me. We now have Hogan, Ashley & Dee Dee living with us. My thanks to Graham for once again coming up with the perfect doggie living arrangement. Given we have a huge garage, this pen Graham built for me is just perfect for the dogs and they are very obviously happy in their new environment (despite the fact that Dee Dee can't help herself and bark during the photo session - thank heaven she's debarked!!!). I'm looking forward to some better weather so we can start going for a few walks, as well as having a pair of clippers to shave off those greys so they don't look QUITE so old - even though Hogan & Ashley are approaching their 10th birthdays. Where the heck does the time go?????


Things have been bubbling along for Lakeisha & Justin. I'm so pleased to see her so happy. It's something both of us have deserved for a long time. I have yet to work on doing something with these photos from Justin's first year Uni Ball and wishing there were a few more photos to work with that actually showed the dress - but here were a couple that took my fancy for one reason or another.









I'm sure the last photo had no bearing on the quality of the night at all......

More updates to follow.....