We walked (and walked) along the shore…

I don’t wear a Fitbit or Apple watch anymore, and data is turned off on my phone, so I have no idea how far we walked this morning, but I suspect it was 5-6 miles. Maybe it’s the sea air, but at 4 in the afternoon, I am tired!

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My photo challenge this week is sky/clouds, so I pointed my camera up a lot.

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There were a couple of these huge3 ‘pencils’ tossed about on the rocks. It is concrete and many feet long, and it is tall enough that it could serve as a bench. Catherine had no idea what they were for or where they had come from.

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We stopped for a leisurely coffee on the way home. I’m not sure when I have relaxed so much on a vacation!

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We shopped this afternoon and I bought a skirt. Simple design, made locally. Yes, I could sew it but, no, I don’t want to. It was so much nicer to know that I am supporting an Australian sewer and that I look forward to wearing that skirt for a very long time!

 

The Cathedral in Newcastle…

We visited Christ Church Cathedral this morning.

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It’s a beautiful, old Anglican Cathedral that occupies a high point of the city of Newcastle and it was open this morning.

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I was surprised to find a church filled with needlework! The banners are collage quilts!

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As was the altar piece.

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These quilts fit the space so very well. It’s impressive! But wait… there’s more!

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There are needle pointed kneeling cushions in every pew! There may be repeating designs, but I didn’t see any.

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These lovely fiber quilts and cushions, made by hand, make this space feel warmer, more comforting. I am impressed.

Seen in Newcastle, NSW…

Catherine and I were out and about today…

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There is so much to see in Newcastle! I don’t know who added the scarf to the statue, but it was a very nice touch.

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It’s fun to see fall leaves again…

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…and the shadows of bare branches against the walls.

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We saw some wonderful street art…

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I have never thought of a bullet hole in glass as being anything other than scary, but this one, patched with clear tape, caught my eye. I like the look of it, even though no one wants to see more of these, anywhere.

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Reflections in the water… ever changing, always engaging. It’s hard to stop watching!

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Traveling to the other side of the globe…

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Yes, it takes a while to fly from Texas to Australia, but that’s OK. I did pay more to have extra seat room and footrest on the 15-hour flight and Tylenol PM helped me sleep. I landed at 7AM, dazed but in pretty good shape.

The train trip from the airport in Sydney to Newcastle, where Catherine and Andrew live, was quite nice. I sat across from a dad and his daughter who were quietly entertaining for most of the 3 hour ride. Mostly I was reminded of how hard it can be to keep a youngster occupied for this sort of trip. He did a fantastic job, mostly talking to her and rarely looking at his phone. I was impressed!

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Catherine and I went walking yesterday… she and Andrew live in Newcastle near shops and restaurants, and very close to the water.

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It is so very different from my land-locked home in Sherman, TX. It’s going to be loads of fun seeing more of this part of Australia with my friend!

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Show and tell…

Linda Kuhlman was in my class at the Needlearts Seminar at the Grand Hotel 2 weeks ago. She wrote to say…
I sat in your class trying to concentrate. Extraordinary view from the sun room, but I really did enjoy learning your applique technique. Its not perfect but it is ready for quilting.
I don’t know… it looks pretty perfect to me! Way to go Linda and thank you for sharing your quilt with us!
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Wednesday Giveaway

Diane Rose is this week’s lucky winner. She’s receiving a set of 3 Clutch notebooks from Blackwing. I always have one of these with me (along with my pencil and sharpener). I really like these small notebooks because the paper is perfect AND the cover is sturdy. If you are not Diane and you still want the notebooks, click here to find them on my site.

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