2948.7 km!!!

Last Wednesday at 5.30am Granny Loz, Tracey - Oz Country Quilting Mum and The Chocolate Cat headed off on a road trip to Nundle for GDITC! For the last few years we had all wanted to go and in a moment of craziness this year we said 'why not' and booked in!!! It was worth every single km but boy oh boy I am hoping next year to do it slower, yes I am planning to go again!!! How could I not go to meet up with this incredible group of likeminded women.

Here we are setting off.....

On the first day we drove from Victoria to Wellington in NSW to stay with my Aunty Judy for the night. We were very happy to arrive there and have a comfy bed for the night. We wondered what we would come across on the trip given the recent flooding but we only had one detoured road. We were amazed though at the water from Jerilderie to Narrandera and then to West Wylong, it looked like inland lakes. How devestating it must be for the farming communities along here.

This road was closed due to flooding and just past these trees just disappeared into the water. 

On day 2 we drove from Aunty Judys to Chookyblues home stopping along the way. I think she had almost given up on us arriving as we took so long. We found so many little townships though that were fun to explore and yes a little retail therapy may of been done!!!! Had a great cream bun with coffee at a bakery along the way, glad I don't live up there all the time, they would be far too tempting!!!

Along the way we found these trees with 'weird' things in them, they turned out to be 'sacs' of bugs hanging from the trees. This photo was taken when I stopped to let Tracey and Lorraine out to take photos on the side of the road!

I was VERY brave and stepped outside my comfort zone and drove on a dirt road for some distance to the farm even going through water!!!! I am such a 'townie' that I found this terrifying and although I felt sick in the stomach and quite teary doing it, afterwards I was so proud of my achievement!!! I think it also provided some entertainment to my travelling companions!!!

Our stay with Chookyblue was so good, we chatted and laughed like long lost friends. There may of been a glass or two of bubbly and we did manage to fit in some stitching!!!

Day 3 we headed off from Chookyblues to Nundle via a mountain range, a stop for supplies of cheese, dips and bubbly and a stop at a dress shop which once again provided some retail therapy!!!!

This photo was taken of small sunflowers along the side of the road.

Nundle is a gorgeous town. We had lunch at the pub where we met a lot of other bloggers, sure the locals wondered what was happening, the noise was amazing , lots of meeting and greeting and 'you are just like I imagined'!!!

We visited a quilting shop in the afternoon as well as the other shops in town before all gathering on the lawn at the cabins we were staying for drinks and nibbles and even some show and tell!!! The weather was perfect and the company even more so!

After dinner at Mt Misery we attended a trunk show at the hall to give us an idea of what was to come in the morning!!!

The excitement on the morning of Day 4 was twofold! Firstly there was to be no travelling today for us on the road trip and secondly it was finally here - GDITC!!!! What a day! We learnt a lot from our tutor for the day 'Sue Daly' but more on that in another post. More importantly we shared the day with friends from all over. We were lucky enough to have Suzie and Dawnie on our table. They are SO lovely and it was so nice to spend the day with them. There were many giggles and a lot of chat.

Here is Dawnie, Chookyblue and Suzie.

That evening after a meal at the pub we gathered to stitch together with coffee and chocolate!!! There may of been some raucous laughter but what happens at Nundle stays at Nundle!!!!!

Here are Cardygirl and Anita working hard!

Tracey drew the top bunk, here she is all snuggled up managing a page or two of her book before sleep!

In the morning we packed the car - AGAIN!! Somehow our amount of luggage had grown, it may or may not have had something to do with the retail therapy we had enjoyed. Cardy decided to stow away in the boot, oops, no room there!! although we would of loved to have brought her home with us!!!

Day 5 and we left Nundle and travelled back to Aunty Judy for lunch, stopping along the way for more photos!! After lunch we hit the road and made it a fair way down the highway to spend the night.

Day 6 saw us cross the border and the driver finally stopped for breakfast in Echuca on the river. The weather was once again perfect and it was a lovely spot to refuel.

We arrived home late in the afternoon exhausted but so happy we had made the effort to go. Deb R you were a great roomie to share our cabin with, Chookyblue you are a treasure and I just wish we lived closer, Cardy I feel like I have known you forever, can't wait for the next time we get together, Dawn and Suzie it was so nice getting to know you on our table, glad you were able to source the knitting needles Dawn so I can stop feeling guilty!!! and to all the other wonderful women and bloggers I met at Nundle - it was a pleasure to meet you. It is certainly a special community that we belong to!

As great as the trip had been when we arrived home after 2948.7km it was lovely to see my family and sleep in my own bed!!!

A new favorite!

Delicious!!!!

Back to work!

My HS is back at work this week, finally after his latest surgery. The recovery has been good and I am not sure who is happier that he is again earning $, me or him!!!! The biggest relief was that his position was held for him which had no guarantees.

Now to wrap him in cotton wool and hope things don't come in 3's!!!!!

Not long now!

Well the time is racing by and I never thought it would ever happen but it is now just over a week until Tracey and I start our road trip and head to Nundle for GDITC. We will catch up along the way with other special blogging friends and spend a night talking & laughing before heading onto Nundle for more of the same!!! I can't wait to meet in 'real' life some of the women I talk with regularly. Hope you are not disappointed with the 'real' me!!!! Taking Pegs advice and trying to fit in some maintenance for both myself and the car before I leave!!! Have started stockpiling the good stuff in life (chocolate) and have a list of the other nibblys needed!! For those that know me please be surprised the name tag is made and finished!!!! I even impressed myself especially as it is somewhat creative! Haven't started the pin cushion yet but have looked at it, wonder if Mum is available to whip one up at short notice??? possibly not as she is not invited and instead will be at my house helping with the annual pony club competition, oops I am not the most popular person on the committee for being absent!
Best get moving, lots to do and not enough time!!!

Crazy full moon!!!

I think this beautiful full moon may be the reason life, work and people  were  crazy last week!!! Let's hope it is just a slice this week!!!

Henry's road trip!

A fortnight ago we set off on a very important road trip! SH, the 'horsey one' , a friend and Henry the horse with the ute and float and Mum and I in the car. The 'horsey' one and Henry had qualified for the Pony Club State Championships in Dressage so we were on our way to Albury / Wodonga, a good 7&1/2 hour drive! Not sure quite how Henry would manage such a big trip we were all a little apprehensive setting off. Mum and I decided a quick stop in Ballarat for some retail therapy on the way would help steady the nerves!!! That was achieved and it also meant we stopped long enough to be behind the others on the road!

We all stopped in Seymour at the showgrounds for lunch. We were able to take Henry off the float and let him have a stretch of his legs and a huge drink. Doesn't look very stressful does it??

Once they arrived and settled Henry in his covered yard (worth every cent to protect him from the sun and rain) it was time to set up camp! By the time Mum and I had done their groceries it was almost done. This is the 'taj' !!! The girls slept in their swags under the stars while SH slept in the tent. It was very civilised, a lantern, kettle, ipod dock etc. All looked very comfortable. Not able to tell you for sure as Mum and I stayed in a motel!!! I needed hot running water and a flushing loo nearby!

The weather was beautiful on the Friday and Saturday and while the rest of Victoria was sweltering and suffering with the heat we enjoyed a lovely clear heat. According to the rhyme I remember 'red sky at night is shepherds delight' so when we enjoyed this sunset I was looking forward to another perfect day for competition on the Sunday (you can see where this is going can't you?).

This is Henry with his pjs on just before bed! Cute!

We woke Sunday morning to rain, very very steady rain!!!! It started at 6am and did not let up ALL day! The 'horsey' one and Henry didn't place in the competition and the 'horsey' one I think was disappointed with their performance but we are so proud that she qualified for such a big event. It was a huge trip for both of them and I am sure nerves played a part and the fact that the rain became torrential as they were entering the arena did not help at all. She spent the whole day wet and soggy as did the rest of us. I had a good few inches of water sloshing around my shoes!

In this photo (after it was all over) you can see the relief and just how wet it was!

This was the Grade 2 dressage team from our zone that competed.

Isn't Henry gorgeous?

Mum and I were always heading off on Sunday afternoon as I had to work Monday but instead of staying another night SH and the 'horsey' one packed up and headed home as well. They got home just before midnight. The weather forecast was meant to be worse up there the following day so they decided before absolutely everything got wet they would cut their losses. A good decision as the rain hasn't stopped there and it is one of the many flood zones in NSW / Victoria.

While we were up there Mum and I also spent Saturday visiting 2 different groups of cousins of Mums. One had gone into a nursing home last year and we hadn't seen her since so it was lovely to see just where she is. I think Mum really enjoyed catching up with the extended family.

I am really looking forward to my next road trip in a few weeks to Nundle!!!

An update!

After such a wonderful start to the year I had such high hopes for February, the month I usually love getting back into routine and rhythm. This year it was not to be and instead I have reached March chasing my tail  feeling as though I am more unorganised than ever! I hardly posted last month, haven't read anyones blogs for weeks, there is clutter all over the house, my paperwork is taking over the desk, craft is something that hasn't been touched or even thought about and as for everything else - nope hasn't happened!!! This weekend has been an 'at home' one and the extra hours at work finish this week so am hoping that March will be a better and a very rewarding month. There is a long weekend here in Victoria next weekend so I will have 4 and 1/2 glorious days at home.

Watch out!!!!