Easter Greetings

It's Easter Monday afternoon, the sun is shining and the rain seems to have gone......at least for awhile! 

Here are a few Easter snippets from yesterday to share with you.

Of course, Easter is never complete without Hot Cross Buns (and lots of butter!).....

After that, a good stroll along the boardwalk to the beach.....

The sun had a lot of competition yesterday.....I love those little floating wispy white clouds, backed by that stormy sky.

Well, the Easter bunny didn't forget us either....

And, as is tradition.....the Easter egg hunt. Slight variation this year.....the rather unusual cryptic clues were written by one person and three did the hunting! 

I must say, these clues took a bit of thinking about and working out. Certainly made for a fun egg hunt! 

Here's a few of the clues and the places we found our Easter egg treasures.....

And this one was for the "sporty person" in the hunt because he would know that the acronym was RICE. Hence he guessed to look inside the rice cooker!

And to finish, a peek at my friend's Easter decoration. 

So many bunnies.....

School Daze

Long ago, in another time zone........well that is what it seems like when you happen upon an old school photo such as this! 

Some very astute family members and friends quickly picked me out. So if you know AmelieAnne, it probably won't take you very long either to spot me!

Our uniforms were maroon serge box pleat tunics (woollen of course), long sleeved beige coloured blouses, ties, stockings and lace up brown shoes. 

Now this was ok in winter, but a touch warm on a hot summer's day!

AmelieAnne Returns!

Well, after a bit of a lapse in posting, I am back "on air" so to speak! 

So many exciting events have taken place since my last post.

An engagement.....

and a wedding.....

a Springtime visit to Bowral.....

a week in Japan.....

and a Summer trip to Hobart.....

And, of course, a bit of spoiling, as February is my birthday month!

Anyway, more on all these wonderful goings-on and jaunts around the countryside in future posts.

Monday Morning Craft

A lovely group of ladies I know have a little get together each Monday morning and work on craft projects, while chatting and enjoying a cuppa. Sometimes the projects are new ones. Sometimes they are from awhile back and just never got finished. There is a mixture of sewing, patchworking, quilting, knitting and crocheting. 

So, this morning, after a quick bit of housework, I grabbed my crocheting bag and headed off to join their company.

Annette was continuing with her patchwork on her 'Trip Around the World' quilt. It was amazing to see how much it had grown (or should I say, how far she had travelled!) since our last morning get together! 

And, it was fun to hear about her recent visit to a craft show in Sydney and view the little stash of goodies she had purchased!

Now, Miss Fee was busy knitting herself a pair of fingerless mitts.....with all the frosty mornings and chilly evenings we have had lately, they are going to be very well worn!

Miss Fee has also been very busy crocheting squares for a rug she is making.....just look at these beautiful colours! Can't wait to see the finished product!


No craft get together is complete without tea and coffee in pretty cups and mugs.....

and freshly baked cake served on beautiful china.

These beautiful plates come with a lovely story.....they once belonged to Annette's mother and she also used them when her friends came to visit for craft get togethers.

Well, it was really relaxing to join their company this morning and work on my project.....crocheted blocks which are destined to be joined together to make a 'patchwork' rug/throw. Well, that is the plan anyway and maybe now under their watchful eyes I will complete this project.
(Yes, I do have a number of unfinished 'things' in various cupboards, boxes, etc in my house!!!!) 

Many of my crocheted blocks have come from or been inspired by this wonderful little book.....

And the author, Kath, owns this lovely blog.....
http://www.inverleith.blogspot.co.uk/

Frosts and Fireworks

Our mornings have been very chilly lately.....very hard to leave a toasty warm bed! Well, it is winter and one must expect to experience cold weather for awhile. This was the frosty view from the back verandah this morning. 

(Of course, if you are from an area where temperatures are really freezing cold, this will look a bit mild to you!)

Now, this evening, we were treated to a pretty impressive fireworks display that took place at the local showground. From our back verandah, we had a very good view, although I only managed a couple of photos that look ok.....a little bit more practice with the time lapse function on the camera is in order! 

This back verandah of ours is a pretty good place for a good view of lots of interesting things.

Winter is here!

Our beautiful part of the country has been enjoying very mild weather and so we really have had an extended Autumn. But, recently, there has been a hint of cooler days and nights on their way and finally there has been the chance to don a bit of warmer clothing, like the new woollen coat. 

Winter always has its own highlights that I look forward to and a particular favourite is lighting the fire. And, of course, then one must pull across a comfy chair, put their feet up and enjoy the warmth. Let’s complete the scene with a small glass of wine and a copy of Spaces by Frankie magazine. 

  

Driving home on a dull, showery Saturday afternoon, we caught sight of a rainbow, which put a touch of brightness in the day.

Yesterday, the chance to capture the most magnificent sunset was a real treat. It was an amazing sight from our lounge room and verandah.

And, winter is the absolute right time for the slow cooker or large cooking pot to be pulled out of the cupboard and put into action to cook a variety of yummy warming soups.

Even the furry members of the family get in on the act, looking very cosy curled up in a favourite basket or own little doggy house!

Always the right time, too, for admiring a crocheted rug, which perhaps might look at home on my lounge.....so as to keep one warm and toasty, of course, while watching TV!

On the Boardwalk, Down by the Sea

Take a beautiful sunny day, combine that with a stroll along a boardwalk to the sea and it looks like this....

This boardwalk eventually leads to a long stretch of beach. Usually this beach is home to a number of amazing driftwood beach huts.....where have they gone?

A beautiful view of the river as we walk back.....

A nice place for a romantic stroll on such a glorious day .....

I was thinking that maybe this was a 'Hansel and Gretel' trail as someone kept leaving these flowers along the way.....

And then, there are some amazing, unusual trees to marvel at when you finish your walk.....

I think one would partake of good old fashioned ice creams after such a lovely walk! 

Well, we did and they were yummy! Sorry no photos..... too busy eating! 

Snaky

Imagine walking into your bathroom early one morning and, as you are washing your hands, you happen to glance out the window and spy this fellow heading up your outside wall.....

After a couple of seconds, you realise that it is your resident python, known as ‘Snaky’, who has been happily curled around a pipe under your house. He has heard that the accommodation upstairs is very comfortable and that the view is well worth waking up to. So, being in need of a hibernation spot, he is on the move to check it out. 

Now, you suddenly remember that the door onto the upstairs verandah is open, so it becomes a mad rush up the stairs, broom in hand. Thank goodness you take that broom, as it is needed to nudge Snaky back out the door. A few more minutes and he would have been nicely ensconced under the bed for a long winters nap! 

Snaky's cousin, the town dwelling green tree snake, didn't make his way into his nearby house. But, decided instead to sun bake in the hedge adjacent the back steps. Clever fellow! It took awhile before he was spied curled up in here.....

May well explain why we never saw this little chap again!!! Little froggy liked to live on our back verandah. Apparently, Mr Snake liked it there too. I am glad I never had the pleasure of sitting on the outdoor chairs with Mr Snake. Apparently it was a favourite spot for him, as he did once leave us his old 'coat' that he had outgrown, wrapped around the chair leg!