Summer in the Country blocks

I've been working on my Summer in the Country quilt blocks over the last week. I'm really happy with how the blocks are looking, its a lovely pattern to work on.  Here's the new three completed blocks and I have four more cut out to sew up over the coming few days.

Picnic Star - a definite favourite - this would be a great block to do a whole quilt top with.

Lemonade

and Firefly

I had to call into work briefly this morning to drop something off and I really noticed how rushed everyone was and so busy. I felt a bit out of place really. Made me realise how much I've slowed down and moved on from it.

DH and I have been enjoying sitting out on the verandah having coffee at morning tea time, just relaxing and talking. I've decided that we'll make sprucing up the verandah our first project now that we have time to sit out there during the day. It needs a good clean up, some new chairs and pot plants and some pressure cleaning to get rid of the spiderwebs and clean the old concrete. We have a lot of work to do on our house and garden but we're just going to take our time, not try and get it all done fast and wear ourselves out. 

Well, time for me to enjoy a bit more sewing before dinner - I have so many projects I want to work on and the list keeps growing. 

Linking up with Put Your Foot Down at For the Love of Geese.

Home again & RSC - Purple scraps

 We arrived back home yesterday morning from our trip. It was great to get away but its always nice to get back home again. 

 This month is purple for RSC and I had a lot of purple scraps. I had made some of my RSC Carolina Chain blocks for the month before I went away so yesterday I finished them up.

Then I made some two inch strips with the remaining purple scraps which I can make into 4 patches later.

Heres a few more pics from our holiday. We spent a lovely day in the Warrumbungles National Park. Stunning views, very peaceful and quiet. Lots of birds and lots of kangaroos about enjoying the sunshine.

We also visited Milroy Observatory in Coonabarbran and had a great night looking at the stars under the full moon after a stunning sunset.

I love the purple skies at sunset

Then the moon rose as the purple sky went to black.

... and this was a close up of the moon through the telescope

 I love being in the bush in Australia. Can't wait to go up here again next year. Now its time to get on with more decluttering and making a start on some of the jobs around the house 

Linking up to SoScrappy,  Oh Scrap & Monday Making

Goondiwindi

Goondiwindi is just over an hours drive from Moree and just over the border in Queensland. Yesterday we decided to drive there for lunch and a look around & again we were treated to some beautiful views along the way.

The cotton fields are in various stages of growing through to harvested. Some were brown and bare, some were white and others green but all looked impressive with the cloudy blue sky overhead.

We had a nice lunch at a little cafe and a walk around town. Then we went down to the river for walk. Its a beautiful place, with huge trees on the riverbanks, and lots of birds - very peaceful.

Along the walk we came across this beautifully decorated public toilet with all different kinds of Australian birds painted on all four sides of the building...

and some great sculptures of fish and birds...

Even though we only spent a few hours here, it was enough to know we'd like to come back this way next year and see more of the area.

It was another nice relaxing day and in the afternoon we headed back to Moree for another swim in the hot springs, followed by a  relaxed dinner with some more family we haven't seen for quite a while. 

It was so nice to just sit around and catch up on everyones news, nice to see everyone has come through the last few years OK, and talk about retirement plans as we are all similar age. Not being able to see family (apart from via zoom) due to covid, sure makes you appreciate seeing family again in the flesh!

Our first trip.

 Goodness how time flies! We're currently off on our first trip, a week away catching up with family and seeing parts of Australia that we have not visited before. 

On our first day we left early and we were able to get our 4th Covid vaccination at a town along the way as we couldn't get one at home due to low stock. 

Then we had a nice drive to Coonabarabran and stopped there for lunch by the river. 

There was plenty of water in the river and after lunch we went for a short walk before leaving. 

This little group  of geese was out enjoying the sunshine.

It's so nice to have no timetable and I reminded DH a few times that there is no rush anymore to do anything, we can just take our time & stop wherever we like for as long as we like. I think it takes a while to slow down and I'm a few months ahead of him with that.

The drive from Coonabarabran to Moree had some amazing views! Out to our left was miles of long, flat cotton fields with a beautiful blue sky that seemed to stretch out forever to the horizon. And on the right side was a big mountain sitting at the end of the flat cotton fields - with a bank of cloud hanging over it.

 Unfortunately my phone battery died, so I have no photos, I'll try and get some better pictures on the way back. 

We got to Moree about 4pm, booked in to our motel and then went and spent some time with DH's mum & Dad. It was lovely to catch up with them as we have not seen them for about a year due to Covid.  After a meal in the motel restaurant we turned in early feeling nice and relaxed after a day of driving.

Moree weather is just beautiful. We've left cold, frosty, sleeting days behind and we're out of our winter woolies into t-shirts & sunshiny blue skies. Each morning we've started the day with an hour or so in the outdoor `artesian hot springs baths at our motel. It's just so relaxing to float around in the hot water under the sky and there are lots of birds around. I just lay on my back in the water and watch the clouds go by - sure beats working lol~!

 We had the most beautiful sunset last night with an almost maroon sky.

Overall its just very relaxing, people are friendly and we're unwinding a bit more each day.

Well we're off into town again today after a nice hour long soak in the hot springs this morning so will post some more pics & updates tomorrow.