and life gives me just what it decides I need.

My posts won't have photos for awhile as I'm using Mum's laptop which doesn't have my camera program - it's in storage in brisbane with just about everything else I own in the world.

The day I flew out of mt Isa, mum was taken to hospital with pneumonia. She has never been hospitalised before - except to have five kids- and doesn't take well to being ill. It is good that I have the time to care for her while the need is there.

It was hard to leave Mt Isa after five great years. I decided to become a landlord and rented my house to a young colleague. Centacare care me a lovely lunch that so many attended - I was surprised. The packers were so efficient that all the paperwork etc I'd left out to bring with me is currently in storage. I have 186 boxes and yes- mostly books and fabric!

I had a surprise farewell at mt Isa airport - an indigenous family I've worked with drove 140km so the kids could see me get on the plane and then they'd know i had left and weren't just not coming anymore. They'd had a cake made for me - it looks like a wedding cake! heart shaped, pink, covered with roses and says "Farewell Jill". Such thoughtfulness and kindness.

but somethings don't change! Telstra! Over two weeks ago I went into the Telstra shop to get a mobile - I had to hand in the work one, and the car! I chose the mobile and plan I wanted, and because Telstra was upgrading their program, I couldn't get activated as I was a "migrating" customer. So I got a $10 pre-paid to see me through the next 5 days - and I still don't have a phone service despite being put on hold for many hours, hung up on and transfered back and forth. I've spoken to 27 telstra employees!

with the current economic climate semi-retirement isn't looking good, though i have enough books and fabric to outlast me. There seems to be plenty of work available and I've put in an expression of interest with four positions on the Gold Coast. I'm holding on to the belief that the right one will present it'self at the right time.

Living in the "city" is very different, the traffic hazzards are different, no-one sleeps on the roads here, and they whizz by so fast. Even buying a car is a daunting task that i will have to tackle sooner or later. Then again they do have a public transport system. I'm currently driving Mum's car - this too was scarey as she has always not allowed me to do this. Having shopping available at just about all days and endless variety is still unique.

I'm continuing to knit beanies for the homeless and searched Mum's garage for left over wool. I had an interesting find - a jumper in size 8 she had been knitting for Dan - size 8 would have been when he was around 6-7 years old and he's now 24. So I unravelled it and it makes good beanies.

Adels Grove and Lawn Hill July 2008

Mum came to visit - to see where I lived and to see some of the country that I covered. She flew from Townsville to Richmond. We stayed at Mary MacKillop House with lovely views of the lake. They have put in a native food garden interspersed with "moon rocks"- these can be collected on the side of the roads and often contain fossils.









We spent a morning at Kronasaurous Korner - an amazing, informative exhibition of world unique fossils.
We then travelled the 600km back to Mt Isa through Neilia, Julia Creek and Cloncurry. I work in each of these communities. Mt isa was impressive from the lookout.

Mum's visit co-insided with a team meeting we had organised at Adels Grove, as a team we cover over 1,000km and this is a central point for us to meet. Adels grove is unique and about 400km n-w of Mt Isa towards the Northern Territory border.

the journey getting there was interesting - and i got a speeding fine - my 3rd, all since i've been working out here, the first going out of Cloncurry on my 55th birthday, the second, about 3 months agao coming out of Julia Creek on the Dirt and Dust weekend and the third going into Cloncurry to pick up Milton, a co-worker in Cloncurry to go to Adels Grove. The policeman asked me if I'd been booked recently, yes! and said that was him, so what are the odds? 3 tickets and 2 by the same policeman! He said we'd have to stop meeting like this because I'll run out of points. I was VERY careful to stay within the speed limits on my last visit to the Curry.

Adels grove is so lovely and the facilities are fantastic - even the long drop toilets - they have great views! and the showers are wood heated, it's certainly an outback experiance in the most beautiful setting. Adels grove has a facinating, and sad, history.

Adels Grove and Lawn Hill July 2008

and change happens.

and change happens!

again it seems forever since I did this, but now I'm in semi-retirement I hope to catch up - along with major packing. My house went on the market on Tuesday, the removalists are booked for the 4th September, I resign on the 5th September and I'm on the 6pm flight out that evening.

change is scarey - I don't know what comes next, initially I'll stay with Mum at Ashmore ( on the Gold Coast) sort out some medical stuff, find somewhere to live and get a job.

The estate agents valued my little house at $329,000. That's a good profit in 18 months, and so far there's been lots of interest. Yesterday I went into the office to get the wireless broadband sorted on my new laptop - my old one crashed, and everything was lost, and when I got home the agents had been, as arranged, and they locked up so securely that I was locked out, a locksmith was called and I hunted for more keys - seems I was only ever given a key to one lock - and there's four!

Packing gets no better, I'm trying to take just what I'm sentimentally attached to, it seems I'm sentimentally attached to a great deal, how can I part with all the memories attached to so much that I own? I keep muttering " do I want to pay someone to move this?" usually the answer is yes! But I am creating a pile that will go to the homeless program- a fridge, my twin-tub, it was always intended for tank water, but I now have a front loader that does all the work. There's the bed ensemble from my guest room that was bought when Dan came to stay, and I'm managing to add other "stuff"- that I'm sure will be valued by families who have very little.

Then there's books and fabric - I'm looking at that as my retirement fun though the local secondhand book shop is doing well, and a couple of quilt making clients out on remote stations will get a box or two of fabric.

This is an example of Dan's work - his trip to Darwin was a great succes and they have been invited back to repeat the workshop and extend it into other communities. I'm not sure he should give up his day job just yet but it is a great oppertunity for him and for Dan who did the HipHop music side of it. Dan is currently acting in a team leader position and says he's coping with the challanges that involves.

Jess is also doing well and has just been given permancy in the Public Service. So they do eventually get their acts together, and I'm proud of them both.

and Happy Birthday my Jess for the 4th August, I was glad to hear that this year the guys got their act together and you managed to party for a week.

Where did June go?

and I can't think of what I've achieved this month.

Work wise, the client work continues, I've had a quiet week this week - after getting new tyres on the car, they were needed, the shuddering in the back wheel continued. It turned out to be a problem in the differential, but it took days, and a replacement vehicle seemed "too hard" to organise so I made a decision to just stay home this week. It's been an excellent time to catch up with case notes, following up, and generally catching up on paper work. I've also been trying to finish work sometime in the afternoon and taking time to relax, to read, to bake and to do some stitching.

I've been knitting scarves and beanies for the kids in Canberra - such cold it hard to imagine.
Dan, and a friend, also Dan, tells me they are planning on doing a workshop with disadvantaged kids in Darwin round street art (graffitti) and hip-hop music. I'm sure this will be a unique experiance for them all.

I guess the biggest thing for me is I've decided it's time for change! Scarey stuff - and though I'd ideally like round 12 acres on the Atherton Tablelands with rainforest, an orchard, and a magical garden, realism tells me that at my age and with my finances, this isn't going to happen! So I looked at what was most important to me - and it's family. The northern NSW coast is appealing and fits better with being closer to the kids and to Mum too. Looking at what I can realistically afford, I'm even exploring the idea of a retirement village. When did I get that old!

So I guess lots of change - time to see what the next part of my life holds?

Did I get this right?

when I was driving home on friday night, about 40km out of Isa, it was just dusk, not quite dull enough to be needing to put my lights on and I noticed an animal in the road ahead, it's smaller than a cow? not the right shape for a roo? I slowed ( I was doing about 110kph) and it just stayed in the road, I kept slowing, not a dog, not a fox..... it moved to the side of the road but kept turned towards me, I was just rolling as I passed it. And it sure looked like a dingo ( this is not my photo )

I've seen dingos in sanctuaries and on Fraser Island but never out here before. Discussing this with a friend he suggested it may be a dingo - there's lots of open land between here and Alice Springs and the lack of a wet season this year may have them extending their territory - or maybe I'd just never seen one here before.

I love the continual new experiances this area gives.

My daily stuff, work, travel, quilting and I'm creating family history albums with scrapbooking.



I took this photo as I was coming back into Mt Isa early Friday evening. I'm about 30km out and about to cross the Leichart River. It had been 30 deg for most of the day - I'd run out of t-shirts as I'd only packed 3, I'd packed more long sleeved t-shirts and jumpers, even a hot water bottle and I'd not really needed them at all. This is winter?

My quilting continues between knitting beanies for Ben, Jess and Dan. I'm up to hand-quilting Mum's quilt - for her birthday. She got a WIP - work in progress. and this is my last contribution to my internet swaps - tea cup and saucer. Today I've pieced more of Jess's Japanese quilt - but my machine is not well. I think old age is settling in- I think it's about 34 years old now. It sews well, with it's two stitches but it is clunking and grinding and making some very strange noises.

I've finally found someone to replace my front steps, so financially this isn't the best time for it to want to retire to a quieter life.



Spending even a short time with Annie is so inspirational, she is very involved with stamping and scrapbooking. I'll look up her website and add it later. I've added three examples of what I've been doing - there's a page for my maternal grandparents before they got married. When I was with Mum we went through the older photos and I had them copied. The second page is Christmas 1953 - I was about 4 years old, then one for Jess - her first dress up party she was about 10 weeks old. I have a variety of albums on the go - Family History, my history, and one for each of my kids based on their childhood. So many photos and so many memories. I try to complete about 3 pages each weekend, but I doubt I'll catch up.

It's been awhile.

I've been on leave - I took about 3 weeks to go down to Canberra, to catch up with the kids but also to join the family celebration for my Mum's 80th Birthday. The party just kept on going.

The actual celebration was attended by almost all the family and we've grown into quite a mob, as we go into the next generation.

We had a great "grazing" lunch at Pods in Pelligo. The food was great, the company was excellent, and everyone mixed and talked and tried to catch up.

This is the five of us with Mum, my brothers

John ( on the left) and Peter, my sisters - Linda (the baby of the family on the left) and Annie (on the right). It's not very often we manage to get together these days.

John and his family live in Melbourne, Pete and his partner live in Newcastle, Annie and Lin live in Canberra, Mum lives on the Gold Coast and I'm in Mt Isa. We cover almost the whole east coast of Australia.

The next photos cover the in-laws and Mum's sister Judy, and then there's the mob, which includes most of the 17 grandchildren, their partners and four great-grandchildren.

Mum had a second party last weekend for her

friends and family that couldn't come to Canberra.

Still no wet season this year.

These are "tumbleweeds" because I don't know what else to call them, you can see they are about a metre in diameter and they roll across the paddocks and pile up against the fences. This is usual for the end of the wet season, but there's been no rain. Evening brings heavy cloud, but no rain.

Cloncurry relies on the annual flowing of the Cloncurry River to fill the dam and supply the town with water - this year it rained a bit in December, and created a few waterholes, but nothing since.


The landscape would normally be starting
to dry off, not being this dry already. These tumbleweeds are amazing to watch when they are picked up by red dust devils and thrown into the air. But they can move fast and are awful if you hit one with the car, they are quite solid.

ANZAC Day 25th April, 2008.

I went to my first ANZAC dawn service today, and I think I'll make it part of the things I do. War is so stupid, and so many young lives are lost - what for? some meglomaniac need for power, revenge or control?

4:30 was a bit daunting, but even though I was in Richmond and there were maybe 35 people there, the airforce had sent in 4 young blokes to do the corner guard stuff, one had been in Iraq. They had an officer with them, and someone to blow the trumpet for the last post.

My photos arn't good but I'll try to upload them.

the local RSL then put on breakfast - sausages, bacon, scrambled eggs, sandwiches and LAMINGTONS! much too early for me but I had a coffee, though I declined the tot of rum as I still had to drive home - 500km - and being up so early was going to make it tough enough.

Over a million young lives were lost world wide in WW1, even if only 10 people grieved for each of them that is so much sadness and such loss.

Quilts progress and speeding journeys

It seems I shouldn't upload photos then wait a week to add the text, two of the photos are visiable and two have reverted to the little "X" thingy! I'll try again!

There were to be the next two stages of Jess's Japanese Quilt. I now suspect it is going to be very "busy" I found I didn't have enough material to make 25 x 7" blocks for the 50 half triangles, so I used two fabrics, I don't have high hopes for this quilt, it's kept me guessing right from the start.

This week I finished making the Dresden plates for Mum's quilt and I now have about 3 weeks to get it all together and hand quilt it - I doubt that will happen but I will have something for her.

there should also be two photos of the anthills! Darn - I just deleted the one that was visable, while trying to delete the others - oh well back to my other computer - which is dialup - ok new thought maybe I should do the transfer to memory stick and up load using my laptops broadband. I'm slowly getting the hang of switching information from one computer to another when they hold different programs.

These anthills are taken 20km east of Mt Isa - I know the exact location because after getting a speeding ticket, I sat on the speed limit and the journey was sooooo long I was loosing concentration so I pulled up and decided that taking a few photos would re-centre me.

I love the colours.

April already!

April Already.

My weeks continue to race by, although I seem to have slowed down, my days are fully booked and there's always work for tomorrow. This last week I travelled to Julia Creek and Richmond.

and I thought I'd add a map but technology has me defeated today. I made a great map using Google Maps but it won't let me copy it!

So here is someone else's map that shows the shire boundaries. Mt isa to Richmond is about 600km and around the halfway to Townsville point. The blue bit at the top is the gulf and the line on the left is the Northern territory border.

This weekend is the Julia Creek "Dirt and Dust" Festival, they expected around 3,000 visitors and with the usual population around 600 people on a day when the station people are in town this is a huge difference.

http://www.dirtndust.com/index.htm

Even at the beginning of the week, there were cars parked in the mainstreet and no bread or milk available, I think the locals were stocking up. On Friday as I came back from Richmond I stopped in at the hospital at Julia Creek to see a client and as I headed out of town about 20 kms out I saw a police car coming towards me, I wasn't at all worried I was sitting on around 110, then darn - he flashed his lights and pulled me over. I always sit on 110 ok, maybe 115km, between Cloncurry and Richmond the roads are straight and the view is endless. it's a 6hr drive and I'm heading home. I admitted to 110, which is the speed limit for most of the way - but darn I was in a 100km zone and doing 112. So annoyed - it feels such a waste of $100. I'm sure they were revenue raising with the crowds expected in Julia Creek, as they were from the Cloncurry traffic section and a long way from home. Usually I hardly see another vehicle let alone a police car.

But I did see some beautiful eagles, a whole mob of emus with the little ones trying hard to keep up and the grasses have red seed heads so as far as the eye can see is this mass of deep oche grasslands.

The size of these eagles is amazing - I used this photo to show the size they are. I had an encounter with two on a dirt road going out to a station. the road is one lane width, and there was a road kill the eagles thought belonged to them and they weren't going to give it up despite my need to pass. I revved the engine, having had to come to a stop, tooted and all they deigned was to regally look along the bonnet at me and continue with their dinner. It was me who gave up and took to the scrub to get round them.

What's in a name?

One of my tasks for Easter was to do some scrapbooking, as I want to record the stories that go with the photos of my kids growing up. I began to think of how we came up with their names and the following was the result.

What’s in a Name?
Carmen Jessica Olver
Jess was called Carmen Jessica because Jessica Carmen didn’t sound right.

Jessie because I really liked it
and then we found that her paternal Grandmother was Kathleen Marguerite Jessie Olver (6/8/1921 – 17/12/1974) and great-grandmother was Jessie Clegg.
Also her maternal great-grandmother was Euthemia Jessica Wilson. ( 7/5/1898-30/8/1982).

I chose Carmen in memory of my friend Carmen Veldsman who died in a car accident (1981) when returning from Victoria Falls to renew my visa.

What’s in a name?

Daniel Lanyon Olver.

Andrew and I chose Daniel while working in a polling booth at the Zimbabwe elections in 1982. Andrew claimed his son had to have a strong name and we agreed on Daniel, but he could have been a Mathew or a Charles.

Dan was always going to be a “Lanyon Olver”
His dad is Andrew Lanyon Olver (7/5/1952)
His grandfather was Sydney Obed Lanyon Olver (13/04/1920-17/05/1978)
His great-grandfather was Obed Lanyon Olver
(9/5/1897-27/12/1973)
His great-great-grandfather was Henry Lanyon Olver (b.1859)
His great-great-great-grandfather was Henry Olver (b. 1829) and he married Maud Lanyon (b. 1831) in 1853.
They emigrated to South Africa from Cornwall UK, around 1868 with six children.

Easter Saturday

I hope you're all having a relaxed, safe and enjoyable Easter. So far I've managed to achieve - or at least progress most of my goals.

My bookcase arrived on Thursday, and the books are being sorted. I've had fun decorating the top, I decided that the basics would be glass, with the odd piece of crystal, and have collected from through the house. My only complaint is that it only takes "standard" small books and a lot of my books seem too tall. I'll have to mix the themes but it's lovely to have the space to sort.

I gave in this morning and decided Easter = chocolate, I only have one piece of the orange and dark choc Jess gave me for Christmas left, so I went to Kmart. Then decided I'd rather have a Madagasca palm - like a pineapple on steroids, and is supposed to grow to 3m and have long spikes of white flowers. and I did get a mars bar!

Mum's quilt is progressing, and I've cut out the first stage of Jess' Japanese quilt, This is the first bit, I was suppossed to make 49 and somehow I made 100 - duh - two fabrics = half the number of squares! I'll show each stage so it's like a mystery quilt - except for cathy, who knows what it will look like. We made this quilt in a class with Trudi way back in the early 90's

I've even done a page or two of scrapbooking from 1983 and weeded half the Canna bed that runs along the ramp to my back door. So I'm feeling productive and relaxed. I even managed to work out how to use Facebook, and got a reply from MD. I think she thought I'd fallen off the face of the earth.

Happy Easter wishes

As you can see I've finally finished Ben's quilt. the colour isn't true, the brown is coppery with gold and the Chinese dragons are a strong bright red, purple, yellow and blue. My camera is usually good with colour so it must be the photographer!

This quilt was made for Ben for Christmas so he could learn about quilts, how they hold value on so many levels and how each stitch is made with the person in mind.

I'm looking forward to a quiet and hopefully, work free, easter break of 5 days. I actually hope to be extremely reclusive and not see a soul.

I plan to fill my days with reading, sewing, favourite DVD's, hot cross buns, maybe some gardening, and filling my new bookcase, due to be delivered tomorrow.
You'd think buying a bookcase would be easy? Ah -I forgot this is the Isa. But I did locate one, out of a choice of four, over 3 locations, that will fit the bill - I hope. I think the wood is darker than my others but it's a bookvcase and the right shape and could be delivered tomorrow. I plan to sort all my work related books so I have some hope of finding that reference I'm looking for. Most of these books are currently in a small book case and piled on the dining room floor.

My co-tennant (the mouse- I'm not naming him because he already thinks he belongs here!) is not very co-operative. I got an environmentally, and mouse, friendly trap, so I could drive him out 60km and let him fend for himself, and do you think he'll go near it? Not likely!

This is me at the Cloncurry Community Day last Sunday. I've discovered temporary tattoos don't come off in a hurry! My guardian angel was working when I got distracted by another kid wanting a tattoo, just when a kid was going to put one on my face. The one on my arm has started many conversations, in shops and at work - hhhmmm maybe I've found a good way to start conversations!

catching up

Driving home on friday I noticed the clouds were low and very grey bottomed, what ever that means we didn't get rain. For a wet season it is still so very dry here. The trees are green but the spinefix and grasses are all drying. I hope we get some rain soon my lawn is looking very patchy. I bought a gardenia to put in the pot by my front door- the so called hardy plant in it died while I was away - I doubt much lasts for long with no water for weeks and 40 deg temps! I realise a gardenia is ambitious but it smelled so lovely and I have visions of toparying it - so far it's co-operative but not flowering on water once a week.

I also have a new co-tennant. A small grey mouse has moved in and made himself quite at home - he seems put out that I'm around, and doesn't seem at all intimidated when I bang things and yell shooo! Tomorrow I'll go to the hardware store and by a mouse trap - I think I'm more afraid of a dead mouse than a live one!

I think my house is in general revolt, today I heard a loud bang in my bedroom and when I went in one of the wardrobe doors was on the floor- no warning, just fell out! Two front steps have collapsed and I'm struggleing to find someone to replace them - the joys of home ownership.

I'm catching up with my quilting swaps - I've finished the Elegant Elves swap and I'm waiting for mine to come home. I completed the Row X Row doing a row of Sunbonnet Sues in 1930's fabrics - I didn't think I liked these fabrics but.... more ideas and plans for future quilts. Mine should be on the way home too.

Life can be hectic!

I can't believe it's a month since I wrote - despite my New Year Resolution to slow down it's been a hectic and tough month work wise. There's been births, my 13 yo had her baby boy, deaths, sudden and tragicly a young Dad, with all sorts of legal complications - this is an indigenous family, he had a heart attack while taking a nap after lunch. The family called me (it was Sunday) and it meant dealing with police, forensics, child safety, finding family members to support his current partner and new baby and just the shock and grief involved. I was very honoured to be asked to speak at his funeral. And court cases that keep going pear shaped, kids running, back to court, more interviews, more afadavits, back to court and on it cycles. The only ones gaining from this seem to be the lawyers who make heaps of money. For the families involved its heartache and frustration.

I've been working long hours and trying to fit in some sleep and the occassional meal. My Team leader was in town last week and came to my house for dinner, we only manage to get together about 5 times a year as she is based in Normanton, we had planned for me to drive up there last week - the rivers were up so it wasn't safe to travel, and my work load just didn't allow any space. Barb bought me a bunch of beautiful Lillies - it did make such a difference, my whole house smelled wonderful and they were so beautiful - I have a photo and will add it when i'm home again. I was tempted to bring them out with me this week, it seemed a shame to just leave them, but a day in the car, even though our temperatures have dropped to the mid 30's, wouldn't have done them any good at all.

And I'm definately having quilting withdrawal, but I'm hopeing this week will give me some space.

I have Ben's quilt (his xmas present) with me and just need to stitch down the binding. I also have the last row x row for Trish L, and I've discovered 1930's/vintage fabrics - just what I needed - more inspiration! As I left town yesterday I picked up Terri's row for the new row X row swap - this has a Christmas theme, and i know I'm going to enjoy this.

Despite sketching, and playing with techniques I didn't get to finish the Choosedaychallange this month which was Acid, - it will now be added to the ever growing pile of UFO's! today we get the new theme for the month.

Last week really was awful and though I'm hoping for just some quiet suicidal and domestic violence stuff this week - it's already spilled over! But one of my little people had made me a bright red macaronni necklace yesterday, I wore it all afternoon and it lifted my day. I also called in to see my new Mum - she's 13 yo- and she's doing so well and baby Kobi is lovely - he managed to spew all down my skirt. So I spent the day smelling of baby puke and wearing macaronni necklaces - a good day!
There was also the 8am visit to the solicitor to sign my latest afadavit, and a visit till 7pm with the family involved in the court case - but a good day.

I'm hopeing for a less hectic and more peaceful week.

back in the bush and some stitching

I got back to the Isa - with all my luggage this time. Going to Canberra my luggage arrived several days later, and going from Canberra to Brisbane Qantas lost one piece and I collected it 6 days later as I left for home. So I bought lots of new clothes.



There has been lots of rain out here, but not the flooding experianced on the coast and to the south. I took this at Neila last week and normally this is a dry creek bed surrounded by red dust. The landscape is so very lush and green.





It's good to be home but I miss the company of my kids, my family and my friends. I had such a good time with them all.

In November I joined in with an Art Quilt challenge and really enjoyed taking steps into unfamiliar areas.

I have ideas for the December Challenge which was Opposites, but decided to go with the January Challenge of Mask. I did miss all my stuff and being able to just wander down the passage and create something.

Again I chose a book cover so this piece is 18X12".

I started with some ideas for masks but couldn't choose what might work, then I looked at through the eyes of a mask? OK but still not feeling quite right. Then I switched from the noun to the verb - to mask, to hide and came up with cameleon. I decided to applique lots of leaves onto a greeny hand dyed fabric and then somehow add the cameleon.
Again this piece had a mind of it's own and this piece of tribal fabric kept coming to hand. OK it had masks on it, so I decided to go with both and simplified my idea using just 5 leaves and finally just drawing on a cameleon with textas.

The new skills with this were raw edge applique for the leaves, given some form with quilting, and drawing on my quilt..... hmmmmm but I now like it.
February's challenge is Acid and I can't even start to imagine how to go with that - I think some Googleing to start.

New Year 2008