My Lemon Tree is Smiling

We've had Rain! Buckets and buckets of it. It began the other day and we knew we were in for a wet weekend!

Woke up this morning after a wet and windy night to find a swimming pool down the back of the yard. It will be fine - it will drain away and all will be good, but at least the wind has stopped.

Wayne rang last night and they were at Well 12 on the Canning. They had just finished having a water fight after a long dry day's driving. Sounds like they are having a great time!

It's such a large country when some of us are shivering in our boots, dodging puddles to make it home from work dry whilst others are revelling in the chance to splash a bit of water around in the name of fun.

Vic rang this morning - making sure we were all ok after the night's storm - It's nice to feel protected. He offered to come over and help in any way he can, if we need him. I wonder what he's like at cleaning out gutters? lol

Winter Solstice has left the building...

About three or four years ago I purchased some fabric online to add to my patchwork stash - it was a nice piece of green fabric with starbursts all over it. In managing the purchase, I started to chat to 'Vicki', the seller of the fabric and so began a very interesting friendship.

Although we have never met, Vicki and I have daily discussions about our lives, our families and our jobs. I truly believe she is the closest friend I have ever had! We know so much about each other!

It is amazing how similar we are. Both of us are in our 40's, both are married with a single child, she a boy and me a girl. Both LOVE collecting fabric and sewing it into amazing quilt creations. We love the same music, we adore the same fabric colours...the only thing we seem to disagree on is "The Bill. She loves it and I hate it... ha ha ha.

For a little over a year now, we have been challenging each other every month with a fabric swap. We take turns in chosing the theme for the month and build a fabric story based on things like Violet Crumble Bars, a variety of classic poems, Alice (whatever it means to you) and the latest theme, Winter Solstice - a tricky little number which left us both stumped!!!

A small package is popped in the post with a variety of fat quarters (and the occasioanl treat) and we both wait to see (read) each other's reaction! It's so much fun, even if there is pressure to get it just right! In so many months, we have picked something so similar you would think we both use the same brain.

So it's June now kiddo! What's the next theme huh???????????

A Day With The Posse

So what is this Posse I hear you ask?

It's a place I go to talk to people who are enjoying the same as me at the moment. A place where the word 'refrigerator' makes you laugh out loud. A place where it is not unusual to fling your bra across the room and don a frilly pink apron. A place where squeeeeing is an essential part of you vocabulary.

I am talking Rockbandlounge.com ....Lukas Rossi land!

Today was the day Lukas was to be interviewed on Indie radio, so my plans were to get some housework done, finish chopping up the rosebush, start on the quilting and sit down for a while and listen to an online radio broadcast. Well that was the plan anyway!

8:00am -I am up and making breakfast, ready for the day ahead. I logon to see what I have missed overnight. A couple of Posse online already. Get the washing started now.

9:00am - I sit down again to see who's there. Claire from the UK is already on, chatting to the US and Canadian Posse. The mood is gentle excitement as some join us and the link to the radio station is passed around.

10:00am - Washing on the line and I sit down again... Ahh, more Posse online. The mood is becoming more excited. GOS is discussing pink aprons and Daft has her Peanut Butter sandwhich happening. It's going to be a fun day.

11:00am Rosebush forgetten. Quilt can wait! I'm dialing up to listen to this Indie radio - the home of Canadian music. The accents are strong enough to melt the chocolate off a brownie but I'm loving the comraderie of US and Aussie Posse listening together. Just about everyone is online this day. Waiting and waiting for the promised live performances. Will Lukas share some of his new music with us today?

11:3am - Ltezza makes it aboard - my other Down Undie mate from across the pond - NZ to be exact. She's made it back in time to hear the great Lukas Live! Discussions happening around who is going to be brave enough to ring in. Fransi takes up the challenge! Brave lady!!!

12:00 noon - And it's all systems ready to go. There are promises to record for those unfortuate enough not to have listening power. We'll be posting snippents of convo to keep them in the loop.... He's suddenly on and the pages are moving faster than I can read. So much excitement as Posse Peeps post words and expressions from the Lukas file...

We take a quick break and a big breath before Lukas comes back to play his first song.

Live and accoustic, Lukas starts with Good Enough!! It is the first full performance we have ever heard of it! Tears well in my eyes as his beautiful voice fills the airways... all the Posse have tears in their eyes. We love this guy and his music so much.

Lukas does us proud and the two DJ's praise his performance. At last the world will see the talent that has been hidden beneath the black eye makeup and the "booyahs".

Now for Fransi's call. She finally manages to get through and Lukas greets her like an old friend. Questions are asked about his new car - A Terrority SUV - then the question that will go down in the history of Posse land - does it have a refrigerator in it! LOL!!!!!!!

The next song is Digital Star! Another gorgeous tear-jerking rendition! The Posse go wild and we fill the pages with oooohs and ahhhs as the broadcast winds down.

One last song and Lukas does a lovely version of Purple Rain!

More posting and reminiscing on the day and darkness falls over Penrith.

Where did the day go??????????

139 Days and counting

So the Troopy is packed to the gills, both tanks are full and my husband is on his way again for the winter.

Hi I'm Belinda. And I'm a 4WD Widow!

This will be the third year that my husband Wayne has taken to the west to give groups of customers the experience of a lifetime. Places like the Canning Stock Route and the Simpson Desert ring out with the sounds of tent pegs being hammered into the ground. Wisps of camp fire smoke mix with the misty morning air and you hear the growl of the diesel as they pull out of camp each day. It will be a wonderful adventure for all those lucky people who can take the time to explore our vast country and winter is the time to do the Outback.

I, however, have a REAL job and can't go traipsing off into the never never. How lucky he is to have this lifestyle. My daughter, Eliza and I get calls where he's lounging under a palm tree or strolling along the beach in Broome, but it is so hard when we are sitting on our own at night, dealing with the winter chills or getting on with the boring day to day life of a commuter!

So, we keep ourselves busy, in our nice tidy home, and wait for the phone to ring...139 days and counting.