NEW YEAR and AMBERSAIL ODYSSEY

1 January 2009

NEW YEAR and AMBERSAIL ODYSSEY
Sydney then Canberra

What a wonderful start to 2009 – time spent with friends, then family and the weather was just beautiful.

We had a wonderful evening seeing the new year in with friends at the Lithuanian New Years Ball at Luna Lounge in Sydney. About 400 people danced the night away to the music of a Lithuanian folk group Sutaras and the DJ’s eclectic mix of music. It was a lovely culmination of a week of the Lithuanian Festival in Sydney. In the early hours of the morning our group made our way back to our friend’s place where everyone fully relaxed. Our hostess was the organiser of the ball so it was time to let our hair down. The men immediately shed their ‘formal wear’ for swimmers and cooled down in the pool whilst us females sipped champagne and enjoyed black bread with herring. Finally we retired for what remained of the night. In the morning we gradually joined the world of the living and enjoyed a leisurely late barbequed breakfast. Then it was time to say good by as we headed to hubby’s sisters place. We arrived just in time to head for the train into the city as we were heading for the Maritime Museum for the reception of a yacht from Lithuania.

The Ambersail is sailing to all continents on a millennium odyssey with a letter from the Lithuanian President calling on lithuanian communities scattered around the world to celebrate 1,000 years since the nation of Lithuania is first mentioned in historical chronicles
(http://www.1000odiseja.lt/index.php/pageid/632). Twelve crew man the yacht. Hard to imagine how they fit in the small confined space. It looked tiny moored in front of Circular Quay. It is hard to imagine sailing it around the world.

There was a wonderful celebration at the harbour – lots of live music provided by a great group “Sutaras”from Lithuania

singing and dancing by locals and a folk group from England.

As the day came to an end we drove back to Canberra with a beautiful sunset accompanying us part of the way.

QUILT FINISHED

November 2008

QUILT FINISHED

Finally … the quilt that I called the jinxed quilt is finished.

Since moving to the coast I have worked hard at finishing this queen size bed quilt for my friend’s son. She chose the pattern and her son chose the fabrics. Finally it is complete and I feel free. Now I can start on something else.

We are currently living at lovely Tura Beach. We have exchanged houses with our youngest son until they decide what they want to do. So they are living in our house in Canberra and we are here at beautiful Tura Beach within 10 minute walk of Dolphin Cove. Each morning the lovely birds visit us and request their bit of bread.

In town there is a resident pelican outside a café always on the lookout for some nice morsel.


We love our walks along the beach discovering something new each day. My visual diary is filling up with ideas.

ADELAIDE and BEETALOO via MELBOURNE

November 2008

ADELAIDE and BEETALOO via MELBOURNE

Well we are on the road again for a short trip via Melbourne to Adelaide and Beetaloo Valley. There are several significant celebrations that we are going to attend in South Australia.

We took off from the coast via Jindabyne and the alps – the back way to Melbourne. At least this way we travel along a different route to Adelaide.

In Melbourne we dropped in to make arrangements for de-rusting or Oka in May next year. Then we continued onto Adelaide. I had the opportunity to spend some time with my other whilst hubby went off to a mates at Beetaloo Valley to replace the steering block in the Oka.

It was great to catch up with family and friends. Hubby came back to Adelaide join the whole family in celebrating a dear aunts 90th birthday. Dressed in a Lithuanian national costume with a celebratory sash across her shoulder our aunt looked elegant and regal. She has played a very special place in all our lives. The next day we celebrated my nephews 21st birthday.

Then, a few days later, onto Beetaloo valley to celebrate our friends 60th birthday. Friends from far and near gathered over the day and evening to celebrate. A place was prepared on the property for those from afar to camp for the night

Soon it is time to return ‘home’ to our temporary abode at the coast. The drought is still evident as we travel down the highway.


There were lots of flocks of sheep being moved around on the roads as we drove home.

On the way back we stop at Adelong at the historical ruins of a gold mine. We’ve often driven past this place but never had time to stop and see it. The ruins were in a beautiful location and very well looked after. I am sure we will camp here in the future as it is such a lovely place.

SPRING IN JINDABYNE and CANBERRA

September 2008

SPRING IN JINDABYNE and CANBERRA


You can smell spring in the air. Come early September and you see the trees bud, the smells are different and more birds seem to fill the air with noises. We experienced lots of family time in early spring. Oldest grandson celebrated with 7th birthday. Youngest granddaughter celebrated her 3rd birthday. Then a full family day in the snow organised by our son-in-law. It truly was a very, very special family time.

We went to Canberra to several times and visited one of our favourite events – Floriade. We had the pleasure of the company of our 3 year old granddaughter and friend at Floriade.


The snow started to melt and recede. It was finally time to say goodbye to Jindabyne and start on our new adventure at the coast but more about that next time.

Winter in Jindabyne

18 June to August 2008

WINTER IN JINDABYNE AND SOME QUILTING DONE



We settled into our daughter’s house in Jindabyne for the winter. The start of the season was slow. Mid June and hardly any snow.



The water in the dam was very low.

Then in July the snow started to come.

My daughter had warned me about the winds in Jindabyne. Well we finally experienced them. They are very strong and at times it felt like a train roaring past. And with the winds we finally got the big dump. The snow guns were also busy making snow.


We even got quite a bit of snow in Jindy. Hubby was working as a ticket scanner at the resort so early morning starts was the norm for the season.

I enjoyed being močiute (grandma) – spending time with my grandkids. We saw a lot of all the grandkids in the snow as all ecept the two youngest boys were keen skiers, even the 3 year old.

I tried to get back into quilting and enjoyed the Thursday quilting group meetings of the local quilters. I really looked forward to these sessions. I made a wall quilt “Magarac’ (Donkey) for my daughter’s friend. I don’t usually make quilts from other people’s patterns but this was a special request so I made the wall quilt based on Hot Possum’s ‘Wonkey Donkey’ Pattern.

As she was also into Scooby doos I quilted some into the piece.


I kept working on a quilt for my friend’s son. It just seemed to be a jinxed quilt. I had to lay out the blocks to arrange them in a pleasing way but there was no space in the house big enough to do so. So I had to wait till Thursdays to work on it at the space used by the Jindabyne quilters. I also did some experimentation on my pieces for the experimentalists. Every second Wednesday I drove to Canberra to attend by friendship group meetings. It was strange coming to Canberra and not staying at our house as we had house sitters still in it. I caught up with all the blocks I had to make for each member of the group.
Friends came to visit so we explored Cooma and surrounding area.

We had a great time seeing the environment through the eyes of those who had not seen the area before. As the season proved to be great I spent more and more time driving up to the resort. Sponors is a real landmark on the way.

Several times I was babysitting at Willow watching the icicles melt along the roof line.

I really enjoyed observing the ever changing snow environment whilst the older grandchildren skied and I stayed with the younger ones.





Drives to Guthega were always very special. The Guthega Dam covered in snow is always an awesome sight.

Finally the end of winter started to sneak up on us. How quickly the months flew past.