Southern Cross Creations
An Australian Woman's Journal
about life in remote, rural
Far North Queensland
Roof Repairs Underway!
22 June 2003 - Happy Solstice!
Termites decimated the east roof and other wood in that part of the house. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by the changes taking place even though it is great to get rid of the termite damage.
Jerry faces the morning sun and
the day ahead.
Life in the Shed
Jerry likes the computer corner while the dog snoozes contentedly on her bed
tucked under a desk. Fitting everything into the Shed's small space is like
solving a puzzle.
During the hectic pace of the past few weeks, Jerry gashed his leg when a small ladder collapsed. Bundling Jerry into the car and heading for the doctor in town, I drove swiftly toward the front gate only to slam on the brakes to avoid running over Fred the Frilled Neck Lizard. We hadn't seen Fred for several weeks. He stood his ground in the middle of the driveway. I got out and waved to shoo him away. Unmoving, he stared at me. I walked closer, waving my hand briskly. Less than three feet away, Fred glared. I paused at this unusual behaviour. I like Fred and I realised how close I came to running over him. He reminded me of the potential consequences of speeding. I stepped nearer. His message delivered, he turned and ran away. We drove on... at a sane speed. Six stitches later, Jerry grumpily allowed me to nurse him for a few days. His leg is healing.
My daughter and I collaborated
on a pillow. Above is a detail from our handpainted and stenciled cotton pillow
cover embellished with freeform quilting (fish stencil by Tile Styles). Click
on the picture to see the complete pillow in a new window.
I also borrowed an Ashford electric spinner from the Cairns & FNQ Spinners, Weavers and Fibrecrafters Inc. My leg doesn't always feel like treadling my Ashford Traditional wheel. I appreciate getting to test drive an electric before buying one someday. Jerry took an interest, too, and found the electric spinner much easier for learning to spin. Last year he gave up in frustration after trying to learn on my Traditional wheel. On the electric he spun and plied his first skein with no difficulty! Maybe all that time he spent running fleece through the drumcarder helped develop his drafting skills?
"Yet
the Memory Lingers On"
Jerry and I attended Betty Jessop's book launch of her latest book: "Yet the Memory Lingers On".
Rosa Lee Long, Atherton Tableland's Member for Parliament, introduced Betty to a welcoming crowd at the Herberton Information Centre and Museum.
The book is a tribute to her father, Jim Syme, who was Herberton's chemist for more than 50 years. He and his wife Alice, whom he met when they both worked at the same chemist shop, arrived in Herberton in 1931. A mining town at the time, Herberton had no electricity and no bitumen on the roads. It did have at least ten pubs.
Book signing activities
engage Betty and Bill Jessop.