Yes, I’m mellowing…

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There’s a block in the secret project that has 16 points that meet in the center. I drew this block and knew it would be bulky. I also know that it is possible to make the points (mostly) match (there is that one that is way off)…

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The problem is that even when the points match, the seam allowances on the back are still there…

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It’s like a little mountain in the middle of the block. I could hammer the seams flat, but that’s not a great fix. You know what is a good fix? A circle appliqued over the center which allows me to cut away the bulk AND which is really cute on the block! Done!

In my younger, more hard-core days, I would have worked and worked to on these points. I feel much calmer now that I am willing to let go of some of my perfectionist tendencies :-).

Learning something new and interesting…

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I’m sewing and catching up on Radiolab podcasts. Their byline is “Investigating a strange world” and they do just that. There are two hosts, Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich and, together, they explore a wide range of topics that include (but are not limited to) science, medicine, art, music, and much more. I learn something in every post.

This one, on poison control, is really interesting. Click the link below the photo to open the player or click here to go to the podcast page.

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https://www.wnyc.org/widgets/ondemand_player/wnycstudios/#file=/audio/json/859448/&share=1

There are several podcasts on Color. Google ‘Radiolab Color podcasts’ and you will find links. And the podcasts with, or about, Oliver Sachs are wonderful!

If you are not averse to listening to stories that relate to current hot-button issues, I would recommend the Border Trilogy podcasts. I was personally interested to hear a side of the story that I had not heard before, one that challenged me to think differently. The same was true, for me at least, in the Gunshow podcast.

So there you go. I’m going back to sewing, and listening!

Last stop: Sydney!

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Catherine and I spent 2 days in Sydney. We had had a great view from our room:

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We walked and shopped (of course)…

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I was tempted to buy Han Solo in carbonite for my son, Chris, but thankfully he was not for sale. (Lorna, aren’t you glad this isn’t coming home to your house?!)

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We walked in the gardens… that’s a fig tree!

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We went to the Art Gallery of New South Wales where we got to view the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries. There are 6 of them, each similar to each other, but different.

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The 2018 Archibald paintings were also on exhibit but we chose not to pay to go, mostly because I had a sinus headache that was trying to kill me. Not really ‘kill’ me, but it definitely slowed me down. Darn, right?!

Vivid Sydney is happening now. Once it gets dark, the city around the harbor is filled with light and music. It was lovely! We saw it from the water one night. Last night we walked the streets. So, this is the Opera House by day:

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And the same Opera House, lit during Vivid. The projected images changed, morphing from one thing to another…

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There were random displays…

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Catherine loved this one, that was all about microbes…

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And now it’s time to go home. I’m going to miss Catherine! We had such a good time together. It’s going to feel lonely for a while. I’m glad that we can FaceTime until the next time we can get together in the real world.

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Wednesday Giveaway

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The random number generator has chosen — Our winner this week is Patty S. Congratulations! Enjoy your Protector Connector.

Most of us have a pair of Small Perfect Scissors. The scissor comes with a sheath, but if you are like me, you’ve lost the sheath. Karen Kay Buckley came up with a solution: the Protector Connector! It is a scissor charm with a sheath that fits this scissor on the end.

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Scissor not included.

 

Newcastle sites…

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Catherine lives across the street from the Newcastle Museum — how cool is that! There is a famous/photogenic camel outside and I had to take a photo. (Honestly, the camel is best when seen from afar. He’s kind of scary up close.)

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The children’s area was way more fun than I expected. There were several good interactive exhibits involving magnets, and one where you could lift a real (small) car with a lever and ropes. Physics in action.

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The coal industry is huge in Newcastle and it was a big steel producer. The steel industry shut down but there is a big part of the museum dedicated to it. This is 1 ton of coal. It makes you wonder who looked at that rock and had the idea to burn it. That would not be my first thought.

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We hiked up the 136 stairs to the Newcastle Memorial Walk. It was built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli in 1915 and the commencement of steel making in Newcastle.

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The names of soldiers are inscribed on the metal figures.

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The views are amazing. Catherine says they are more amazing when it’s sunny but I appreciated them nonetheless.

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Beach from Anzac Walk

A small memorial just outside the fence was peaceful, even with the chain link.

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The rain moved in and we went shopping. I really, really hope everything fits in my suitcase :-).