Home again

Hi I have been really slack about posting a new blog these last few weeks. It's not like I have been rushed off my feet!
I flew back to WA from Melbourne in mid April. Leaving from my friends farm in Woodleigh, I was driven to the bus at Loch and went into Southern Cross Station , then transferred to a shuttle to get out to the airport. Spent a couple of hours in the Qantas Club, that place is a godsend!, and then nhad a good flight back to WA. picked up a hire car, although prebooked, I didn't get what I asked for! Sometimes I wonder whether it is all worth it?
I spent the night at Carol and Robs' and then hotfooted it down to South Yunderup to pick up my sewing things and then into Pinjarra for patchwork! Read on and you will find how I spent the next 2 weeks glued to the seat of the car! I did almost 3000kms and drove up and down to Perth , to Bunbury and Busselton, to Jurien and geraldton, then back to perth and Bunbury and busselton. get the picture?
 I visited mum, who of course is one of the main reasons I travel back to WA, also to attend my patchwork groups retreat. (thank god that restores my sanity!) I managed to finish my friend Yvonne's quilt, with some help from Jean, my sister, thank you (XX). I also caught up with Kath in Busselton, and visited with my daughter in Bunbury. Least said about that the better! She is having a few problems at the moment, and don't start me on that or my blood pressure will go through the roof! (I also send this to her, sooo!!)  One morning we woke up to the most beautiful sunrise, Lawrie took the picture, as I managed to take my camera over to WA but not the charger
Had a wonderful retreat with my patchworking friends at Jurien, then went on up to Geraldton for the night so I could see my son and his wife, and the grandchildren. They are all growing up so much now, I really see a difference in their maturity each time I visit, Genevieve's children too. Jye, genevieve's only boy, now towers over me, and had to bend right over to give me a kiss!
Got a clean bill of health from the specialist, which was good, also he did my medical for the Next years trip.
So finally the trip was over, I was only home for 2 weeks this time, flew back to Melbourne and stayed the night in a hotel opposite the station.!! Ha!! I chose this hotel as it said on wotif site, it was opposite the Southern Cross Railway station. Now, I am not a Victorian, and how was I to know the station is about a mile long on Spencer/Flinders st? (whichever?) So I come out of the station and can't see any hotel, I ask someone where is Little Collins St? "oh just up there, next corner" I drag my 25.8kg suitcase and carryon bag and enormous handbag, along the st for about a mile!! dislocating my shoulder in the process!! Then find it is a hotel with steps up to the foyer!! Who the hell designs these places anyway?? Well I had a good nights' sleep! and then back by bus to Loch and pick up by my friends' daughter and back to the farm at woodleigh. Where the weather had changed for the worst and I slept inside the house for the next week. Complete with a wonderful wood heater, which kept me cosy.
 I had the loan of a vehicle again, not the convertible this time, but the farm ute! and was able to go into Korumburra to patchwork stitch and sew. Did I tell you in the last blog that I had started a new quilt, a reproduction one from 1920's, called the Farmers Wife, all 111 blocks, 6 inches, sewn by hand! Got hooked into that before I went home, managed to knock off a few blocks , and have been happily stitching eversince! have finished 8 blocks now.
I booked the motorhome in for a tooilet service back at Hastings, and went off there on Thursday, a week after I got back from WA. and apparently got the toilet fixed. Guess what? it isn't!!! I only found that out yesterday, as I have been cheating and staying with friends, since it was serviced, in their houses! Monday morning I will be on the phone again.
My Woodleigh friend, who dates back to when I lived in Donnybrook in 1980's, and I were continually playing catchup, as we crossed paths for only a day at a time, hence the reason why I stayed there so long! She came back from working away (in WA), so I stayed another couple of days and then pushed on east to Sale again, to catch up with another old friend. (from Exmouth days 1970's) She is a teacher so I arrived on the weekend and we had a good catchup, We actually visited her in 1977 when we went around Australia in our Kopmbi van, at that time she lived in Heyfield, a pretty little town just outside Sale, and she also recalled visiting us in Donnybrook in the 80's, as she went sailing with us on our yacht. But it has been a long time. Margaret had Monday off, so we did a little sightseeing tour around, and lunched at a wonderful place with a great range of local wines!! I was at Salwe over Mothers Day and she visited her children up in Melbourne for the day, so I had a quiet time catching up on washing and watching dvd's of Downton Abbey, (bliss).
Next destination was Raymond Island to visit Bet, Carol's mother, who I went to Usa and a Carribbean cruise with in 2009. I met her at Paynesville, which is a wonderful haven for yachties and other boats on the Victorian lakes, and you take the ferry over to Raymond Island, only about 10 minutes, and a great service for the residents. Raymond Island is home to a large colony of Koalas, every house has koalas in their trees etc, (not this week!) Bet took me for a drive around the island, it is apparently 9 miles by 7 miles large and we only managed to see 1!! Oh well them's the breaks! I went over to Bairnsdale with Bet as she had a meeting at the RSL Club, so I amused myself "playing" the pokies! Losing !! Then we had a lovely afternoon tea with some of her friends and dinner with her sister in law and niece, lots of champagne being drunk, Bet is a woman after my own heart! She arranged for me to go down the road to a neighbours for a stitch and bitch session, lovely!! I finished off my stay with a quick trip to the local dentist! where I found I need some majpor work to be done, so I have already booked into Geraldton for August! and here I am noe in Lakes Entrance for 10 days, planning my route to Qld . God bless to all  especially Adele ( keep strong!) and I will send again soon
Love Vicki