tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53563549086964492592024-02-25T18:17:08.270+10:00Tag Along Teddies BlogKris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.comBlogger1119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-70872055501002174092023-02-11T16:50:00.001+10:002023-02-11T16:50:19.346+10:00Progress!Hello everyone! I hope you’re having a fabulous day. It’s a hot, humid & sunny day here on our ‘hill’, so I’m happily settled in under the ceiling fan, playing with ideas about how to make stitcheries into a finished “something” …<div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_9c4a_d91f_c1fe_b578" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/N2qVrzpXb9f-zao7_hZ5Bf6Z0KaJpEeZHsASMhTJgse8hG3NoyMpK6lD2H7jV-pMRp8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">… and remembering why I usually just work with simple squares for my patchwork. 🤣😂 I’m not really a patchworker or a quilter … I’m a stitcher. 😜 I needed to play with coloured pencils & grid paper to get a better idea of what fabric to put where. I think I’ve got it worked out. 😜 </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Remember the gum leaves I teased you with last time? Well … someone has been munching on them …</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_ce82_ca39_7d90_370d" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Rhur3mMzzISYF6VbLEv7QzA7WnH95tEP6rAGz5gpnAgnhLnnk_VBj5R_IKeVdbuEYpI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>And since we heard one of our local grumpy male koalas grunting & roaring last night, I’m taking it as his unique approval of my design. 🤣 We’re so fortunate here on the edge of our forrest to have at least four or five koalas that visit our big eucalypt trees periodically … they seem to have a bit of a rotation around the area to allow the fresh leaves to regrow between their visits. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">And now it’s that time, when I boil the kettle & enjoy a cup of tea whilst watching the test cricket … the Aussies need all the help they can get cos the Indian team is trouncing them. 😜 Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Take care, stay safe, keep stitching & keep smiling. Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS </font><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><br></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-52466407095321877912023-01-29T17:04:00.001+10:002023-01-29T17:04:28.550+10:00Exciting Plans & Sunday Stitching!Hello, hello! How are you all doing today? I hope you’re enjoying a restful weekend. It’s a hot & humid day here on top of our ‘hill’ today … & while I like the heat, I’m not at all fond of the humidity. My Grandma used to call it ‘knickers-sticking’ weather. 🤣<div><br></div><div>So after some grown up chores, I’ve happily settled into our living room to do some planning, some design editing, some sketching & once I make myself a cuppa, I’ll pick up my needle to do some stitching. The year may only be a month old (<font size="5">YIKES! </font>The year is already flying by! 😳) but there are some exciting things happening in 2023 for Tag Along Teddies that have got my stitching & designing motor humming. While I can’t tell you too much at the moment, I can share a sneaky-peeky of what I’m currently stitching …</div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_b102_a6f8_8081_2e87" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/8Z2y44QCGl5UL0fNbxlcoEyaHxA66TmlHPjMaXEEGwRY2l5HFItqcO1uV8cLSz-5OEw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br>… celebrating the forest/bush setting we call home. Stitching is almost done & then it’ll be time to play with fabrics … <font size="5">YUMMY! 😁🥰</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Right now though, it’s time to boil the kettle, make myself a cup of lychee flavoured tea & stitch in front of a fave movie. My creative heart is happy! 🥰🥰 Wishing you all a fabulous week … hope it includes time doing whatever it is that makes <font size="5">YOUR</font> creative heart do a Happy Dance. 😉 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS </font></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-27950802415981453132023-01-15T11:32:00.001+10:002023-01-15T11:32:19.239+10:00Baby Steps!Do you sometimes find that when you’ve lost your sewing mojo for some reason, it’s really tough to get going again? I confess I’ve really struggled over the last year to get into a creative habit. Between crazy Covid, topsy-turvy grown up job conditions & extra grown up job workload, my brain has been a bit full. So I was excited over the Christmas/New Year break when I heard the whisper of my designing muse & got sketching with some new stitchery designs. Then came the many hours of editing my sketches in photoshop to smooth out the bumps & get the sketches to publishing standard. <u><font size="5">Fun Fact:</font></u> I fully edit my stitchery designs <font size="5">BEFORE</font> I start making the pattern sample so that I’m working with exactly what you will be working with when you purchase one of my patterns.<div><br></div><div>I printed out the designs … And then … the edited stitchery outlines sat on my dining table for a week or two. 😜 I would stop & look at them when passing by, but somehow couldn’t take that step to trace & get stitching. Then on Friday I spent the day with three of my creative tribe members, got a sneaky-peeky at the soon-to-be-released Tilda Range “Pie In The Sky”, received some encouragement … & a giant nudge! 🤣 … & yesterday …</div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_85b4_b564_358e_2c1a" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/0EogGAAcgi0stoMZdqbLE1YgOlu5mANWuFPQYxYFVixiAas0QS_g1Wcu-J6nqBnEerY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">… I traced off the stitcheries, chose some threads & after I finish a few house chores, I’m planning to stitch in front of a fave movie for a couple of hours. 😊 And <font size="5">THAT’S</font> why we need our creative tribe around us! 😉 I know it’s probably still going to take a bit to fully rediscover my mojo, but I’ve taken the first step. What do you do to help kickstart your mojo when it goes AWOL? I’d love to hear some ideas. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">If you think some fabric admiring might help get <font size="5">YOUR</font> mojo motor humming, pop across to </span><a href="https://www.quiltersangel.com.au/products/pie-in-the-sky-by-tilda-pre-order?_pos=1&_sid=e56f7f4cd&_ss=r" id="id_8f89_110e_5c55_1062"><font size="5">The Quilter’s Angel </font></a><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">website to get a sneaky-peeky at Pie In The Sky … <font size="5">OOOOHH! </font>& there’s a fabulous pre-order offer on this yummy range, too. But if your hubby asks, it wasn’t me who told you! Tee! Hee! Hee! Enjoy your week! Take care, stay safe, keep stitching & keep smiling! ☺️ Til next time …</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><font size="5">KRIS </font><br></span></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-68708903452167692542023-01-08T15:35:00.001+10:002023-01-08T15:35:45.325+10:00Another Year Of Possibilities!Happy New Year, everyone! 🥳 I know we’re over a week into 2023, but I’m already running behind … story of my life! 🤣 How did you celebrate turning the calendar to a new year? Things at the Meares’ Madhouse were very low key, just the way we like it. 😜 <div><br></div><div>We don’t really do the resolutions thing, but we did finally start a home decor project we’d been planning for a while … we started tackling the Sleepout. You know how most people have a room in their house that’s a bit like a black hole? It’s the room that seems to magnetically attract all items that don’t really have a proper place, are awkward to store or are only used every five years or so & it’s usually complete chaos? Or is that just us?!? 🤣 Well, our black hole has been our sleepout … a portion of the wraparound verandah enclosed to create a narrow room. When we moved into this house eight & a half years ago, we said we’d make the sleepout into GB’s office … one day. 😜 Well, GB decided this Christmas/New Year break was the time. He disappeared in there for some time & after hearing thumping & bumping I decided to see what he was up to …</div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_6dd5_feb0_82a4_7a92" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/dU5zwwlbkREX1NWqVvPBJofDssBNTEVk8Rxa_u_9tYmbUODMWddUUn2ipPzJIMphzIs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">This is what the sitting room usually looks like … that door in the middle of the pic goes into the sleepout. What I discovered GB had been up to …</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_db5d_b16a_1f54_d72f" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/rtr4jPDdN3JU8ENYafZJFYrrpMNtu1PlBjIHNkimGYZ-KPwL9aUmG-NSGMWtWRZ3O6E" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><font size="5">EEP! </font>The sleepout threw up! 🤣😂 This mess enabled GB to paint the sleepout walls the same warm sage colour as the sitting room & we’re now slowly sorting through the flotsam & jetsam to either get rid of what’s no longer being used or finding proper storage for things we’re keeping. Having made the switch to reading on my iPad through kindle …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_5f8a_6bde_d28d_f51f" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/UG4nTY-zX7oJI_tWP2Pumx-Lh3OlOZzHlrB6ZyY-NWbg4pz8MVYmqc5mi3SmG3G8brA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… I’m sorting through my book-books … I’m channeling my decluttering Mum & being quite ruthless … these boxes are all going to Lifeline. Good progress has been made, but there’s still a lot to sort. We really do have too much ‘stuff’. 🙄</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">And in between sorting books etc., I actually found my design mojo that has been AWOL for most of last year & began working on some new stitchery designs. Stay tuned! 😜 No actual stitching was done, though. However … I enjoyed blog hopping to collect the OPAM tallies for the last three months. There sure are some clever crafters out there! The monthly totals were:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>OCTOBER - 103 FINISHES </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>NOVEMBER - 37 FINISHES </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>DECEMBER - 101 FINISHES </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>2022 TOTAL - 979 FINISHES </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">WOW! </font>Well done to everyone who contributed to that impressive total. And well done, too, to those who made some good progress on some longer term projects. OPAM has always been about encouraging busy gals to take some time out of their crazy schedules to spend some time relaxing & creating, some <font size="5">ME</font> time. Over the last 14 years of hosting OPAM, I have been blown away by the skills & creativity of the hundreds of crafters around the world who have joined the challenge to try to finish at least one project each month. I’ve also felt privileged to be allowed into your craft rooms & your lives as we’ve ‘chatted’ through blogs & emails. It’s been especially wonderful to meet some of you in real life … & I look forward to continuing our cyber friendships even though this is the end of OPAM. Big thanks to my original co-host May-Britt & my longer-term co-host Sweet Peg. But without further ado, here are the last three random prize draw winners …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="macdonaldspatch.blogspot.com" id="id_ce39_96ac_d460_bb7"><font size="7"><b>CHRISTINE</b></font> <font size="7"><b>MAC</b></font></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://stitchalongwithme.blogspot.com/" id="id_bd68_83bb_f9b0_b0da"><font size="7"><b>JUDY S</b></font></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://jannimary.blogspot.com" id="id_bb77_73d0_badb_4a47"><font size="7"><b>JANICE</b></font></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Congrats, gals! Send me an email & I’ll send you a PDF pattern prize to get your creative juices flowing for 2023. 😉 Again, thank you to everyone who has joined One Project A Month over the years … especially those of you who have been with me from the start. And even though I won’t be hosting OPAM anymore, I will still be popping in semi-regularly to share my stitching, designing & general craziness that is my life, so I hope you’ll keep ‘tagging along’ to visit me. 😉</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">But right now I think I hear the kettle calling my name, so I’m off to have a cup of tea & help the Aussies bowl out South Africa in the test cricket. I hope the first week of 2023 has treated you kindly & sets the pattern for your year. Stay safe, keep stitching & keep smiling. 😊 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS</font> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br><br><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><br><br><br></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-32210587833175945142022-12-31T22:44:00.001+10:002022-12-31T22:44:30.613+10:00Ring Out The Old!Well … it has been quite a long time between posts! Life sure has a way of getting in the way of the best intentions, doesn’t it?! 😜 There has been so much going on here with grown up work, family commitments, end of year gatherings & Christmas stuff that I’m not even going to try to catch up. I’ll just say that GB & I are very much enjoying this week between Christmas & New Year at home … apart from a few family gatherings & emergency-work-call-outs. 🙄 GB has been brave & decided it’s time to tackle tidying our sleepout … it’s where everything without a proper place languishes before being sent to the tip. 😜 And I’ve picked up my designing pencil & paper for the first time in months. 😁 Not a bad way to see out what has been a challenging year. Here’s hoping it’s a sign of what will happen in 2023. 😉<div><br></div><div>For now, though, it’s time to give OPAMers their last ever reminder to update your sidebar lists & email me your December tallies. I’ll be doing three random prize draws for October, November & December to catch up. For now, it’s time for me to sign off for the last time in 2022 & make myself a cup of tea … you shouldn’t really be surprised that that’s my ptrferred New Year’s Eve tipple! Tee! Hee! Hee! Thanks for hanging in with my erratic posting … I’ll try to get back into a more regular routine next year. Wishing you all a safe & peaceful start to 2023. Til next time …</div><div><br></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS </font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_b57b_7661_e943_8148" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3VLCL5nvVhxfaPBB0IHMYk0CQ46LqK6W_mPdPojuba2fZSqmkxxkkBBcK2N3fZkYYcs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><br></div><div><br></div></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-72384898703441494902022-11-11T13:13:00.001+10:002022-11-11T13:13:26.023+10:00(Temporary Backup) Tea Anyone?Hello! Hello! How are all of my bloggy buddies doing this week? I hope you’re keeping well & achieving more in your sewing room than I have been. 😜 It seems we’ve reached the social craziness part of our year with lots of outings, catch-ups & events happening or about to happen. This makes for lots of fun, but boy is it exhausting! 🤣<div><br></div><div>One of the recent social outings was a Girls Night In (though it was held during the day) as part of the October fundraising campaign for the Cancer Council . This lovely girly gathering was hosted by Miss Wendy, who is one of our Friday night stitching gals. There were lots of yummy things to eat & pretty china from which to eat them …</div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_1191_181a_baac_2ca3" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/4w8JW0birSxjRbShOAtnIvgJsMPsHKLnPYzqj-zJoWY3Ua_FXzI8cyUPqenpYNPxB90" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>And lovely ladies to share it with …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_b73c_de96_485d_5d8" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/KZx74lz-ZlhNMvaufhbAXtf8xUBjZ83BSIk6I8h6SielKbvXHEmmEsf2E_yJWBW-sp8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… Including the <font size="5">GAWJUS Gail</font>. Gail is another of our Friday night stitchers, who moved towns last year, but came back for the weekend.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_862d_8e2b_b87f_da1f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0cYV5f5RYQi5ST2K8JyUoOQS5d7rA4zK9VSiQXicaCgsd3knv6b95A38YLQfqI4N1XQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>It might surprise you to hear that we often end up on the Naughty Table together … we’re partners in mischief! Tee! Hee! Hee! Thanks to Wendy for being the hostess with the mostest! Donations for the fundraiser totalled<font size="5"> $913</font> - <font size="5">WOW!</font> About half the amount was raised through donations at the high tea, with the remainder being proceeds from a raffle. The raffle prize was an ex-sample quilt donated by Marion & Steph of the Quilters Angel. 🥰</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Two of the upcoming events on my calendar are also high teas, that I will be hosting, so I’ve been …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_ddf1_3a10_1397_195d" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/FrEcGabQqZFjGHOmqxnMHBp6dh6EIc2_USEr5C1KAQUugZhkZ2EDPe7ngVGxomZrPHI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… spring cleaning & washing my pretty china, as well as …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_f07b_8c95_fff8_746c" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FGyuudXSLFIs1Hcml2erAUL8bCLEPAkJBcGOAtc2MU3wcJczGoahuDvdiDVRSdkv6WQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… using it as an excuse to gather <font size="5">MORE</font> pretties from Marketplace! 🤣<br><br><img id="id_949c_1375_85f9_eb4d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Xe1FLNk4E9a5oA_n364lyGepy6bzT6QNoN75nBt7oAQpJiyVmHL_GL3pkFC0d_vltzs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>I’ve also done some procrasti-baking. 😜 You know … when you have things you should be doing but bake instead! 😂 These coconut raspberry slices & a few other sweetie-treaties are now tucked away in the freezer so I’m not in a complete state of chaos when the high teas roll round … just a moderate state of chaos! Tee! Hee! Hee!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now … even though my sewing has been gathering dust, I’m sure many of you have been creating up a storm, so don’t forget to update your sidebar lists & email your OPAM tallies to me … I’ll be updating the spreadsheet in the next few days.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">And that’s it from me for today. I’m off to find a lunch-snack … we’re out to dinner with friends tonight so don’t want to have too much for lunch. 😜 Take care, stay safe & keep smiling! 😊 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS </font><br><br><br><br><br><br></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-6824061853737516202022-10-18T15:43:00.001+10:002022-10-18T15:43:11.576+10:00Putting Things Off!Hello lovely blogging buddies! I hope you’re all keeping well. You’ve probably forgotten who I am, I’ve been absent for so long. 😜 Do you find that when you put a task off for a day because you don’t have the energy to tackle it, that somehow, you seem to have less & less energy to tackle it the longer you put it off?? I confess to feeling like this about blogging at the moment. 😯 There are a few reasons for this … one reason is that I’m finding less people popping in for blog visits, which makes it less enjoyable to blog. But the main reason is … I just haven’t been sewing very much! I know that’s a bit shocking, but there it is. There’s been some design work & instruction writing, but no sewing or stitching. I’m out of my groove & haven’t found a way to get back into it … yet. I’ll get there, I’m sure! … in the meantime I don’t have anything to share with you all, so nothing to blog about. 🙃<div><br></div><div>One of the other blogging motivations in the last few years has been keeping up with OPAM … & with fewer people joining in each year & only three or four people regularly remembering to email me their monthly finishes, this too has drained my blogging motivation. And it’s also led me to the tough decision to not run OPAM next year. I hope my sewing mojo will come home & when it does I’ll continue to share pics & updates here … & I hope you’ll all continue to share your creative endeavours with me, but I think OPAM has run it’s course.</div><div><br></div><div>And speaking of OPAM … zombie flu, grown up job busy-ness, our road trip, lack of sewing mojo & my slackness means I’m a few random draws behind. So … the random draw winners for July, August & September are:</div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bubzrugz.blogspot.com/" id="id_cbd1_311e_a5f7_9e27"><font size="7"><b>FIONA</b></font></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b><a href="https://jeanettespatch.blogspot.com/" id="id_65f1_a04c_2fdb_9be0">JEANETTE</a> </b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://maria-lifeontheblock.blogspot.com/" id="id_22fc_4408_9054_cdc8"><font size="7"><b>MARIA</b></font></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Congrats, gals! 😁 If you’d like to drop me an email I’ll send you a PDF pattern prize to play with. And that’s it from me for today … I don’t even have a photo to show. 🙄 I hope you’re feeling more motivated & productive than I am & hope the rest of your week is fabulous. 😘 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS</font> </div><br>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-26405136453086282642022-09-22T17:08:00.001+10:002022-09-22T17:08:19.510+10:00Western Adventures Day 11 & 12!Day 11 & 12 of The Western Adventures Of The Meandering Meares’. Day 11 was pretty quiet, consisting of a few hours’ drive to Charters Towers, followed by an afternoon kindy-kip for the designated driver, GB, while I curled up with my kindle for a quiet read. When we holiday we try to balance up seeing as much as we can with having a break/rest, hence a few quiet arvos in the schedule. 😉<div><br></div><div>Day 12 was a fun one. Imagine my delight when we called into the local tourist info centre (usually one of our first stops when we hit town) to see brochures telling me that there were three historic homes open to the public that day! <font size="5">WOO! HOO! </font>We spent the morning admiring high ceilings, original timber floorboards, <font size="5">GORGEOUS</font> aqua window glass & fabulous vintage treasures & decorating. Alrighty, then … brace yourself for some heritage building spam. 🤣</div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_4701_5d1f_b053_c2fa" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/0mOu-OVt2WQQfqPkdIpg32Q8DQ-eA1iH6xcjy-i9mxi-K-PGytfN5hJNVODDGdFtbjo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Our first stop was once a church manse & this gorgeous chapel was next door. It’s not often these days you find bell towers with their bell intact. No pics of the manse as the rooms were a bit too dark & crowded with other visitors to get good pics.<br></span><br><img id="id_a3f0_fbc_f6d0_af74" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/H4oJC9Gpp2LjfPPC9DwiATs19HKkNK9e0_ZQcYV3kGf1LSbTe2Dsoey4qw-j808pZuE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>House two was lighter & airier, so got a couple of snaps. I fell in love with the aqua windows! 🥰😍<br><img id="id_9a85_b4aa_82cc_49b8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YTgliQFnARnTfL2ERVtsgVQmj_V1chWjMG4qQHLK4qcKaKjg3qf8zsnu7TR0XZv11G8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">This is the first time I’ve seen aqua windows, I have to confess. I now have window-envy! <font size="5">TEE! HEE! HEE!</font><br></span><br><img id="id_9bc3_1343_8fe9_78ac" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CgRKJlFkNTZXAdcxntz6FiD1WLMPWocT0b9nK0-eTKu_ROEbjms-R4OEnlNzTVJqMFY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">House number three was a showstopper! I could definitely see myself moving in here. In fact … some of the rooms were decorated very similarly to our home … clearly it’s been decorated by someone with exquisite taste! 🤣 Actually, I had a nice chat with the lady responsible for the decorating choices & she said when she & her hubby bought the house, it was the first time it had been sold since the 1920’s … & she reckoned nothing had been updated or renovated in between sales! 🤣 Eight years of hard work, finance-juggling, wrangling tradies, sourcing vintage goodies & cleaning, cleaning, cleaning led to the state we were able to enjoy.<br></span><br><img id="id_f154_3836_2254_379b" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/559Sb9JmnnHWDpo0awJIJ35t8kbLmuLQ49kwEMhhED8w-ab3R2f5FzivSZs1hSdLWyg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">I was going to run off with the half-tester valance, as I’ve been hunting for one for about five years now for the brass bed in my sewing room. GB refused to cause a diversion for me! Selfish! Tee! Hee! Hee!<br></span><br><img id="id_2c65_bace_5400_b3eb" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/jHv0XbUBReCY0Sn9-03AVRpUYCNtDMBWt7O1L_z2LzHFf1qOZNxfZIcUrPxiQVIUCQY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Each of the vintage brass beds was adorned in a beautiful quilt, as well as several luscious crazy-patch/embroidered quilts being displayed. <br></span><br><img id="id_7e8a_82f1_e7f6_de59" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/aD9N7nFNRBvVv00rN0PbLzFJjB5FWIcM-QrY3tYA9nCgp56nh1N_C6EM3XfvwPNVyZE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">The dining/lounge room was divided by the fabulous archway. If you click on the pic & enlarge it, you’ll see the ’crackle’ finish to the paint that looks like a special paint effect. In fact, it’s caused by paint layers & time. Apparently the timber tongue-&-groove walls were given a clear varnish finish when the house was built, then at a later time, this was painted over. Through decades of the timber expanding & contracting with different temperatures & air moisture levels, the outer paint developed its crackle look & the owners decided to leave it.<br></span><br><img id="id_465a_f5c8_e8a_6f9d" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/GUousTPNppSWDNm89puQi8hoiVQNNxX1Q94xhj_oQpj2Bbj2MvACqHPOvUfUoYb7gKs" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Bit harder to get a good pic of the main bedroom due to the door blocking the view into the room as it opened inwards. Still pretty special … & a similar colour to our guest room. 😜<br><br></div><div>After wiping the envious drool off our chins, it was time to explore the town … next instalment pending. 😜 Til next time …</div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS</font> </div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-66447916666118335822022-09-22T16:27:00.001+10:002022-09-22T16:27:36.631+10:00Western Adventures Day 10 - Part 2!Day 10 of The Western Adventures Of The Meandering Meares’ … part 2. After a tasty lunch at the local bakery, <div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_2894_1aee_401c_22e6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QQhIf74tDuPjgmFShDuWDxLO3_4IUJqYQ7Nlr0W3tQNom01B06hYf-4Ay2SBnBzkTkU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… where our little feathered friend & his mate hopped around our feet, we popped into the tourist info centre to check out the dinosaur display & say g‘day to Mutt, the Muttaburrasauris … pictured with GB …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_5e3c_abab_5439_c9aa" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/9tVCD9mdzvsYbr5BNBC4TM9IEIx19aKW1JIuqqEGoOxhMd7vPPSqZiXPBREX9OE5H_g" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>This is a replica of the fossil critter found at nearby Muttaburra … hence its name. 😜<br><img id="id_a689_9c2e_b711_b157" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/c8NQNHHpVdXVSt_5qZEjzf0ipiUoDqoSCQmUbmdBZ3jn5qH8uqwZLrxpQdDsCKzPxV0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_becb_1d32_8101_688d" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/vj0dr0j6ZO5p_zbycO4udXM6g6LF3WZrRPVR6XY8A0Gv8oJKvXlqhrofKx9XWKBjGQo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>We mosied amongst the fossil collection, greeted Mutt, chatted to the friendly & helpful tourist officer & then decided we were all tourist-ed out for the day. 😜 I tell ya, if anyone is putting together a pub quiz team & needs people who know about the shearer’s strike of ‘91 or dinosaurs … we’re your bunnies! 🤣😂 Moving day tomorrow … stay tuned for more adventures. 😉 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS </font></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-69382728488095096272022-09-22T16:19:00.001+10:002022-09-22T16:19:53.371+10:00Western Adventures Day 10!I hope you’re all enjoying catching up with our road trip adventures. I have to say, after being back to our regularly scheduled irregularity for two weeks already, I’m enjoying revisiting our holiday … & already planning the next one! 🤣 OK … on with the adventures …<div><br></div><div>Day 10 of The Western Adventures Of The Meandering Meares’ part 1 … Porcupine Gorge. </div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_4173_3c9d_1223_caca" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/3oLcFFWUuMp-4_y5mLQ9wc8PHY02jDxqKqhShEixMdylCbRspa2e2ka9Df1Suog__Zc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_618f_bf4a_1519_b906" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/IAva5ioXFW1gdA6VelawJ5czPLFr3bZ92KOAOXxsQ-8HObCQT8BUJywui4lOL-D9sKc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;">About an hour from Hughenden the “Grand Canyon of Australia” was a pretty speccie way to start the day.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br><img id="id_6faa_f6e9_d97d_832f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/wF2DzY_TpMdyYFzuoJXzpKDwllcH0Os7P3_DghjUuIs5gcDzMMsGKBsLapUcwbuCYsI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br></div><div>Here’s GB channeling his inner tourist. 🤣 I think we were seeing the gorge at its best with flowing water & lots of greenery around. The second stop in this impressive national park was Pyramid Rock …</div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_3c83_ddc5_8493_f98c" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/YS5FHkKyUhPLviDRz5t7wpWe1G0-MzCoEDpX0D8xMj7PLYFCrSDZYYUdc-l8wXZ4sdI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_57f5_563d_dc2d_da37" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ukniKbzfRlKX-1NzKzolbZXudWQacYk03YM7CjqlNOYX5ZrNvbwwZqjh0wAx0zTKU2I" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Can you see the pyramid? We also enjoyed wildflower spotting, thanks to good rain falling in the region in the months leading up to our visit … some of which fell again during our visit to the gorge … the rain-bringing legend grows! 🤣 </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_8bfb_3d21_93e8_48ca" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/CknzcOv5mskTh4aPJ4YYZCGQf4NNSWpgbcbhzN2M-fDMECfhruEHq2S01dMXrjTAr5U" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>I don’t know what this flower is … it could be a noxious weed for all I know, but it sure was pretty. 😁<br><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_658_1c8b_74de_af28" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/KNaFtRMABwoKJOLVF-2X9i_htkETEpYFf9FzsDYNowGBs3zp4BwC9iAZBK1EGoQfshg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>And a few bovine beasties decided they didn’t want to get their hooves muddy, so were congregating on the bitumen. A nice way to spend the morning before heading back into town … part 2 coming soon. (My blogging ap objects if I include too many pics in a post, hence my’episodic’ reporting. 😜) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS</font> </div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-82714964042698438312022-09-20T00:00:00.001+10:002022-09-20T00:00:28.903+10:00Western Adventures Day 9!Day 9 of The Western Adventures Of The Meandering Meares’ was a travel day, moving north from Longreach to Hughenden. Due to the rain & road closures, we thought we might have to take the long way (8 hours) but thankfully, the shorter route (4 hours) dried out enough to be open to 4WD. So we arrived in Hughenden in time to make the climb up Mt Walker to take in the afternoon views. Oh … the climb was up a steep road by vehicle, <font size="5">NOT</font> on foot … we left that to the crazy locals who tackle the Mt Walker Fun Run each year… which is an oxymoron if you ask me! 🤣😂<div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_23fe_1bf6_d52e_5a7" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Kq7bq4xCHA3LeTupKP3wzgnB0yQOezgddMuc8rjwu8fpeZYMGkdfu44q3mDtYRKYK_s" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>GB spent a couple of years in Hughenden about 30 years ago & he says it’s currently <font size="5">MUCH</font> greener & wetter than he ever saw it.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_48d1_dd58_2bfd_d2f4" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/DMHMH82PGDt5Z1xkDvUrIsE3vHaTJZBcKFfCGBzfTPKZUBA33DscM1G_Eu1tZw_rorE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Somewhere out there is the township of Hughenden … hence the name of the lookout! 😂🤣</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_c98d_afca_4978_461a" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/JOtriTuAgw8gY_mJR4NmjxRuJVuZ0C9-Brh4gRCRZc1_drU8oH90DywuJeGYCZgapJA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… a different point of view, but still pretty.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">And that was Day 9 of our road trip done & dusted. More Hughenden adventures coming next. 😉 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS <br></font><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><br></span><br><br></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-83520968033162454342022-09-18T15:07:00.001+10:002022-09-18T15:07:46.972+10:00Western Adventures Day 8 - Part Two!Day 8 - part 2. Hopefully this will help my blogging ap cope with photo uploading.<div><br></div><div>After two rain-related cancellations, we finally managed to go for our paddleboat cruise on the Thomson River .</div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_c554_d2b_b7d9_4da0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/C_6mkHAMqoZwYWnb-ZvK6kOm8d33ed6WvPT03bweSyHogFNmo04PbXqNB86tIMlkRwo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br> Lots of water in the river at the moment & lush riverbanks. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_9660_b1a1_cba7_45aa" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/nF5MMKkGYB9LQ7zrZz-zH2PhB4PBnspuAdKIZiiztRDlERojPYqF1eoCXpE5qYEpGrk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>We chatted to other travelers from all over Australia & watched the sun sink below the tree line …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_2fa8_558b_b29_c833" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/ldLZvtK0o4xcDGTDmBtbvJaIZ1AcNU93cfU1IfrMXBZawdfv0XLi3bHlX6GhT_inrpI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… before returning to base camp for a camp oven dinner, some bush poetry recitations & a light & sound presentation on the riverbank of the story of Captain Starlight the bush ranger. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_a759_ff72_c133_f2fd" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/D92Af084gPnJB51R9i4lkJ7pRfiqGBATvA66MVWiS1G6qKlUYSrOTLME18XO2BJ-_wY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Enjoyable night, the highlight of which was Steven our bus driver’s running commentary … especially his opinions of the ‘logic’ of the local council … we could relate!! 🤣😂</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">And that was our jam-packed Day 8 over. Next stop … Hughenden. Stay tuned. 😁 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS </font></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-29445078358654041842022-09-18T14:23:00.001+10:002022-09-18T14:23:05.847+10:00Western Adventures Day 8!Sorry for the posting intermission … I didn’t fall off the edge of the world, just ran into some tech issues & then got caught up in the post-holiday catch-ups at my grown up job. So even though our road trip is over, I’ll post the daily travelogues here in the next few days for you to enjoy. So … where were we?? 🤔<div><br></div><div>Day 8 - Wet weather stopped us getting to the Lark Quarry dinosaur stampede site, but we got a great dinosaur fix at the Age Of Dinosaurs experience. (Near Winton). </div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_adfb_fb55_d135_1c10" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/phKkIAJPm_yhpxFdwS__HyY_kHrDi4XhwmLwyNxctdvHjJmvIyH7AaPD4HamiUijKpo" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><font size="5">SOOOO</font> much to see! There was a relocated focalised dino trackway …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_68bb_8b03_1791_2ff1" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/53n_2pFiN8OH4EyKJW654GK65XOgM2DmBlSo-8jlt721bg5NWVYFzJdQAV4qg8RR2bA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… a reproduction of a boneyard, </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_c95_c420_9bd8_9f58" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/O6H772mDfzoA6oHPW7qy1nbWdXArIy1eqVgWp9BvFT1v4lpjf62Q8An95A7HK8jXor4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… life size statues of fossil critters found in the Winton area …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_99ce_1ffd_4074_89a6" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LviUA3r0ntcYM-NTzcyOy0gRFqrYmuvL1tZiGRBXw8QBX8DKUcAWCvpYW_U-Tab4Nu0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_fa01_8915_8b9_7346" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/IAetK28hS5JgDbOKJpgoJJnQaHvIZTSgc1rh42MFxxdZ1TAYXRi8k-uNjMbe7-s8368" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_a01a_d823_e47a_7532" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Ae6FdPpjLGzMLfOztRAtnI1D682LiViR7FjkQAu-buOd4eby4rpdozXtlOzKSJsZ_YA" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_717e_17b7_6f56_d49a" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/XWmiR_YYvznVHF267Al1ghuvxfwVui6SJJQNVqg9zkiN9Nr7HUspBh0LgKvG1GdQolY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_24b_ee81_1f24_6cfa" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/rVE_9siN2AURyct5-BSe-RTOzqmDIAN-4hrR4aHnndN1V4Af_kglnNWR2eCeEsmgUf0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… including the first meat-o-saurus discovered in the area … Banjo … pictured with GB. 😜</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_5d1_668c_77ef_c2f2" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/33_8NpgHhlEmNaOWVKNr72nhFWRY9ZmRPlVummvSOr7KbaBvidMyrLkNNpOMrEAG8b4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>There was also a tour of the fossil processing areas … very interesting.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_42bc_28ee_ac93_755d" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0eQedQHFtH5Lez33cP1uCDq1m0K7EZ-wOTAWMVVPvaEpCGPpGAVHNS0AJcOSg7F4NKg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Highly recommend a visit if you pass through Winton, but allow a minimum of four hours to enjoy it. We were chasing the clock to return to Longreach for another adventure … separate post coming. 😁</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS </font></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-43117670702287406372022-08-30T21:13:00.001+10:002022-08-30T21:13:56.711+10:00Western Adventures Day 7!Today was Day 7 of The Western Adventures Of The Meandering Meares’ & after listening to the rain on the roof all night, we decided we needed an indoor option for our day’s exploring, so we hit the road to Winton to visit the Waltzing Matilda centre. <div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_4782_f53d_22db_5b80" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_sYfL6LaVtTjt1xWgah20BDhbUfihCHdSwZOXpfB1jBizZwHOke4WI53G3g-gFzmw8k" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Everyone knows Australia’s unofficial national anthem, “Waltzing Matilda”. The words were written by Australian bush poet A. B. “Banjo” Paterson … who happens to be my favourite poet. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_b9ec_b83d_4b4c_c242" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LsQjgEWDMKpGHa9IztxN8s2tvl9vVzHfoLvlhMqq_MWT5nwztxsEjP8XKhX7o0obhSk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Banjo was on hand to welcome us. 😜 But did you know, he wrote the famous poem whilst visiting a property near Winton …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_d2b2_3c9f_bcb6_5b77" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/DdrGxhCkCyZ6N5ouRfpvSO4_yN9KxL5c9JroKVrIVBQsiFucmi8RJ9Dzo-B5lQSHBGI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>A copy of the original handwritten lyrics … his handwriting was almost as bad as mine! 🤣 We discovered during our visit that more people/bands have recorded a version of Waltzing Matilda than “Knocking On Heaven’s Door”! 😜 (totally guessing that, but it wouldn’t surprise me! 🤣) And on our return drive to Longreach (no accom available in Winton so we’re ’commuting’ the two hours back & forth from Longreach to see the sights. 😜) the sun had finally come out from behind the clouds & showed up huge swathes of wildflowers. There were oceans of white flowers, scatterings of yellow, but my favourite was the clumps of purple brush-like flowers …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_3254_4b91_286b_e162" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/T0XhY_H1HjPimAvm_CEFuzR3sIvGJlt3TiO_7UqOXr9QG3Fn6dStrtxbmle0pFhE5kk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_fcd5_fb8d_a085_7f48" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/W5oGxtn578h8LxHj_Vrq2RcbX3zPCI32g23D6x2ISVF3DXy5Jl6SW6JzXgIOipKfSW0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>GB is responsible for the two shots here … he’s a much more creative photographer than me. 😜 More adventures tomorrow, which means it’s now time for a cup of tea before shower & bed. This tourist-ing gig is exhausting! 🤣😉 </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS </font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5"> (P.S. I couldn’t resist sharing this pic of a fine example of outback parking! 🤣😂)</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5"><br></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_7fa0_24fb_1691_e95a" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0NI3ngiMUBU9q8xJzajgM3StqM-y1rIooAQOxZVXfJCDIsLXgJAIP-0OXvSVT0og3io" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><font size="5"><br></font></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-60383364091083800042022-08-29T21:29:00.001+10:002022-08-29T21:29:40.076+10:00Western Adventures Day 5 & 6!Hello all! Hope you’re enjoying your week so far. GB & I are still on the road out west & I thought I’d catch up a bit with a two-in-one post. So, we had a couple of days at Barcaldine, or Barcy as it’s referred to by locals. It was a bit quiet because we were there over the weekend when most things are closed, but we managed to amuse ourselves. 😜<div><br></div><div>I finally got a daytime pic of the Tree Of Knowledge …</div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_99ae_6d5f_b974_cc19" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/MyrQRwZXUM2tpdpUynlWJP6V0vQA2u4RRaHgr0DcW29sfPhG47_dBTvREE94kxXO3Ww" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Each of those timber poles is suspended from cables & moves in the wind to replicate leaves … standing under it was like standing under a giant wind chime. 😜 We also spent a couple of hours at the Australian Workers Heritage Centre …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_dd67_eb9f_d018_157e" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Xpquzm8uxqD-qPTinb0TWfvOEi95dYdpDRsAbAMxJST2bAmv4DpWoiy9Lhj5MNZE0JU" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Lots of interesting displays …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_13eb_bf2f_9e03_35d" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/jdqFtf5CgmKQgjv-Vi8-bsLwxqZYzq08olfdgMW1h9_qkWt3lxuYtGow_EKKVtWkAIE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">A display that was established to celebrate the centenary of Australia’s Labor movement. It was a travelling display that found its forever home in Barcy, where the movement began.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br><img id="id_8ca4_bdef_b4d_bb52" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/o_npBoSDB6a-IT6Q6nkpg6sy11522cpGMnyI3lbV8-5ToHSKfTuYQ1JGum42Uzk6Q9M" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">Labor House displays highlighted more of the Labor party’s history including some vintage election campaign posters … they were much classier than modern political propaganda. 😜<br></span><br><img id="id_123e_9cf7_787f_28e0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/neq7s6Dev0f_esGgcDxTRThwz5N9O_f0goKgIjz2BVPLu4tQscAxvt5ZizEcJFH0dN8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>And the starting point for it all … the shearer’s union. There were lots more displays, I just didn’t take more pics. 😜</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Today we left Barcaldine to head for Longreach only to find that our reputation for attracting rain whenever we’re on holiday was intact …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_4637_57cd_1dc4_9868" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/cMn3kXezSXEpDBH9qxXip8WLkszlwVFgza7pwSVoPHq2h_5r6uBELcqv7G3Jgcvj2RY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Ah … the best laid plans of mice & men. 🤣 As a result of the weather, the river cruise we were booked on for tonight was canceled … we’ll try again tomorrow … weather dependent. 😜 So we had a wander along the main street before settling into our cabin where we’ll be based for the next couple of days. We’re now tucked up listening to the rain on the roof. Nice! Despite it messing with our plans. 😜</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">And that’s me up-to-date now … you’ve caught up with our travels. 😜 I’ll be back soon to share some more. Oh … OPAMers … it’s time to email me your tally for August & update your sidebar lists. I’ll be doing a double random draw in the next week for July & August. In the meantime, though, it’s time for a cuppa. 😉 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS <br></font><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br><br><br><br><br></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-88931086839733673972022-08-28T22:03:00.001+10:002022-08-28T22:03:41.288+10:00Western Adventures Day 4!Day 4 of our western road trip saw us wave goodbye to Charleville & head further north. I was a bit excited about this leg of our trip because it took us through the little town of Tambo. Now, most Queenslanders will know what the very special thing about Tambo is, but for inter-state & overseas friends … it’s the home of Tambo Teddies! 🥰😍 These special bears are made from sheep skin & are uniquely Australian. As you can guess, one special teddy flung himself off the shelf & into my arms, begging me to adopt him … so I did! 🤣😂<div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_f77c_ade6_25bc_506b" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/RXhKn0Wl02oVPCHHq8uGmkg__MxTW9Cu4tROaqHWkZ5-bMMkoyZwcsLLZf36G96qcd0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>This sign is across from the Tambo Teddies shopfront … a Tag Along Teddy & a Tambo Teddy out for a walk in the sun … look both ways … safely first! 😂🤣 </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">A couple more hours down the road & we made it to Barcaldine, whose claim to fame is being the birth place of the Australian Labor movement. Striking wool shearers gathered under the Tree Of Knowledge to form the unions that would evolve into the political party we know today …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_924b_ec5f_5fe3_bd9c" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/vNoxVL29JKI8-PKZ7BMAT_leGLTBEVzbU9S38F78Lz7TnDfpCLIfEz-JRgMqsJ6MJ94" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Sadly, the majestic ghost gum was poisoned in 2006 in an act of vandalism & couldn’t be saved. However, the trunk was preserved & a symbolic art installation keeps the legend alive …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_3731_68d4_c76_643b" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/bSVDAB-SOlIvtumDh3u7SVuAw_yGKxda-2lwHN3cSYIypPUOiu_ncqT6pRxRqh203oY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Night photo shows off the display.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">And that’s it for Day 4 of our road trip. Next episode coming up. 😜 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS </font><br><br><br><br></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-20776911158669640102022-08-28T21:43:00.001+10:002022-08-28T21:43:01.826+10:00Western Adventures Day 3!I’m back again to update you on our travels … we had a couple of big days where I didn’t have the energy to post, so I’ll play catch up. But … I’ll keep to my pattern of one day per post, which means there will be a few posts go up tonight for you to enjoy. You may want to grab a cuppa & get comfy. And there will be pics for my “needy” friend … you know who you are! 🤣<div><br></div><div>OK … Day 3 of The Western Adventures Of The Meandering Meares’ & we explored some of the sights of Charleville, starting with the Bilby Experience. </div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_ce46_5b0b_2966_1d88" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/1ZStX6Cb9xnIXq6NFZ86UGyYrmCsWhNd4lXYQDdPZ2efN_dk1c-ks87-U1tf-3LUA7c" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>They were so darn <font size="5">CUTE!! </font>😍🥰 we spent quite a bit of time watching them furtling around. These little critters are under threat thanks to introduced pests like feral cats & foxes, though some headway has been made in restoring population numbers in protected areas. Next …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_9918_797a_bc45_216f" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/6pp96sb-N6Kj8iuqrqBHPe07s3pLQJvZScLQHlIiDrtHZ31apcBFSDNMbFmJxeZ6aho" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… we took a look through Historic House, which once housed the National Bank branch … some gorgeous vintage treasures on display …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_9afc_47b_cf21_c3fd" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FnDnPIhD_GcMTJLePxCBZM9euyi1GxQhJfjLEi7JvDdinoTIX02j4YKo1nmNUl9YR0k" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>We had a giggle when we realised that our guest room has as many antiques & vintage treasures as this museum display! 🤣 And sticking with historic buildings, we took a guided tour of Hotel Corones, which boasts the longest bar in Australia. Drinks were had … as a historic reenactment, of course! 🤣</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_ca2e_b98_9a2b_5ed1" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YA3j5GtYbmkFyVkRBEo73WD6a59EQTpsFkwuBeHGQ-_S11Bc38A2cMUU11lSny3WfO4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Here’s GB enjoying an adult ginger beer. 😜 This hotel was built by Greek immigrant Harry Corones to rival the fancy hotels in the city. Over the years it’s hosted many celebrities & boasts many of its original features as well as lovely historic displays.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_b1ee_c96d_5507_7d87" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/LyoGyJOIhHL8BsnK1q2_VXS-yJyDeY6_ZIHrNbPHbUiQagRagLgPLK5LIlEJFhUwdQ8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>This was originally the men’s smoking room … lots of lovely vintage clothing on display.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_e7a3_2e4b_5bd6_43dc" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/LP5-pYFmfo9Sz9Ga7fMDza7hxRYr62gigxRJcPy_q9htlfBJoNOwGhO1dvwVPGHt5lE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Gorgeous lead light windows are featured throughout …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_36cc_8762_cf2b_7d28" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/qdOkYQ6zBOThTCZL0SlrVQ7yKru27xwBLVGXUkg9Y_osxMhu1V_WK6dn1hj7UGRX1wc" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>…& Australia’s fanciest bottle-o. 🤣 Where else have you seen a bottle-o with decorative plaster ceilings, an Art Deco stage & a giant mirror ball?!! 😂🤣 It was originally the grand ballroom, with nightly dances held during the war years when there was a large posting of American troops at the secret American military base … which we also visited …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_ad21_4935_bc5_557c" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/tUj6nMxhWoNoPFqxLLunUhrb-U2APMQGwOPTsCGqr3ZDQ3YH0egp8fAi8atprpdLQXQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Just quietly, I don’t know how you can call it a “secret” base when it has walloping great signs all over the place … unless it’s run by Wile E Coyote! 😂🤣 Our last activity in Charleville was a visit to the Cosmos Centre for a night viewing of the skies through large telescopes … a must-do if you’re ever visiting Charleville, but no pics … cos it was <font size="5">DARK!! 🤣.</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">And that’s the end of Day 3 of our road trip. Stay tuned for the next adventure. 😜 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS </font><br><br><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br><br><br></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-29501392475261225012022-08-25T23:02:00.001+10:002022-08-25T23:02:57.940+10:00Western Adventures Day 2!Day 2 of The Western Adventures Of The Meandering Meares’. 😁 Before hitting the road, we had a bit of a meander around Roma … where it was apparently Dachshund Day …<div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_7eb7_9940_7d4_b749" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/hueEZMdjdMQL4xR94xv2A3O2IDpUMsd3MB5bY39zMZAHDGkCaKgNIow2nR0Au5QOunE" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… though this was the only Dachshund we saw … I think Clifford the Big Red Dog may have some explaining to do! 🤣 And the objective of our search …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_72fc_be9c_3fe_ad03" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/YH39VvnioU3caHLeEmNQspk5yydU8E0QHkwwe3urqzzC4DaU1bYQVGFwRwRRpumO85s" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… I was in fabricaholic’s heaven with a visit to Ace Drapery where not only was there a <font size="5">HUGE</font> array of all sorts of fabrics, I could also have bought wool, a bath mat, mixing bowls, school uniforms & a cocktail shaker. 🤣 I could have spent all day there exploring, but GB convinced me that it was time to hit the road to our next port of call … Charleville. A quick reccie once we arrived included making some bookings for tomorrow, as well as visiting the Rock Pool …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_c02e_94b5_6a6c_6fcd" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/iIMqI-ZuFtCHHFiA16y5hcgaCkw0V8y73AoSwK03rXciQDR2KfX0LjKYAwAITW3F_kQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… usually I’ll edit my pics a little to improve lighting or get the colours in pics to match what I saw in person, but this one needed no tweaking … just the rich orange soil, dusty green & eye-popping blue of the Australian outback. 🥰 A bit more exploring around Charleville & we found …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_26a6_87c4_7253_9c1f" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/XeNXYZ7UCqbbWuXmI_fcYhpgWDcxd14v1UfpIpHQO6dzx9U6J1IejAYGOd0qWNADoQM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br><br><img id="id_aa1f_78ef_ee3c_4d32" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/nKDCQ4R-jQKbN3nd0rDYUo23hWj90uddQ0knBuehPEaLD_vVznUb_gTOPhkZbF3s0r0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… some local silo art. (The colours in the first pic are true to life, the second has been lightened to show more of the lovely details in the artwork that were a bit hidden with the angle of the afternoon sun.) Who says there’s nothing to see out west?! 😉</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">We’re having a blast exploring more of our home state … are you enjoying travelling with us??! 😉 Stay tuned for the next instalment. 😁 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5"> KRIS</font></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-12477465856213071922022-08-24T20:46:00.001+10:002022-08-24T21:04:47.442+10:00Zombie Flu & A Road Trip!Hello, hello! Yes … I’m still in the land of the living, it’s just been a crazy few weeks. Despite doing all the right things, both GB & I were ambushed by zombie flu (AKA Covid) which took us out of circulation for a week or so. That was then followed by a crazy busy work week for us both as we prepared for a long-awaited & much-needed holiday. Nobody really does either of our jobs when we’re away, so it’s a scramble to work ahead to cover all bases.<div><br></div><div>But now … <font size="5">WE’RE ON HOLIDAY! WOO! HOO! 🥳😁😎</font> Yes … we’re just a bit excited about that! 🤣😂 So today was the day we were hitting the road … & we woke up to no electricity in an unplanned outage! <font size="5">AAAARRGGHHHH! </font>Now for townies (people who live in a town) this is only a minor inconvenience, but since we live out of town on acreage, if we don’t have power, we don’t have running water. Not to mention it was an overcast, blustery day with little natural light coming in to light our packing. However … amidst much improvising & muttering, we hit the road …</div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_721f_4503_fde1_ed19" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/eY7oPRaOFDAoSFPWezh03WgYFAFj7Mls8pXdN-3SYCiKwVagVXHlLHrCxJNTUHdF4u4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Like the wagon trains of the US Wild West, we headed … Westward Ho! 😜 First stop was an unplanned one … Dalby for coffee & brekkie that our power outage prevented. 😜</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_2e0b_3d2f_b0ee_8362" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/OpONR2lRbCdQABDMtjpkDxSffh90In6xJdW5rAV_Y21eXc9ADZeN7gHfNYdoMfLQRJQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>With the driver appropriately caffeinated, it was back on the road. Next stop … Chinchilla.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_5e31_1f8e_9286_520f" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_5tBsOglwosAk4bHdTumZm3TU11cCxx7QNgyj9y6GWuyu6w4upFLvCokRCzh8cSNbP4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>…where we checked out the big watermelon & …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_ec71_a371_4f4e_64e3" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Xbp7pa1sSHW1DKkDuYq_gEgVf_AvZ_pVFs1PuWphqo9jEXSTPWPhyZRsSGFUmnXU5G4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… GB checked out a giant digital sign he helped design & install. Then we were back on the road. Next stop … Surat …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_144e_87b2_8a23_a79b" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/YyWuT-QTKhmuO98T-96N6GsHjsTQwazUwN6gbIwwcUQ3KV9rQ4IaLR5FbslEtkDkX1s" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… where we visited another of GB’s work projects … the Surat Cobb & Co Changing Station Museum where GB helped install & program some interactive displays.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_48d9_61b4_e7d4_2996" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/QOrGhdtBNIUY0tzfOLaKBzw-tXbWCHIXY_BkPYN1-ldE4VhGW5hcuaKsNxOPiv4zlT0" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>…& we decided we were glad we weren’t travelling in one of these. 😜 One more stretch of driving to land at our overnight stopping point … Roma. Where, after a tasty dinner of Thai at the motel restaurant, we took a moonlit stroll to check out another of GB’s work projects …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_b210_f442_32bf_7f01" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/UWkVeErEmWx5qH6je_pn-0Yxri9kTRrRhX9WpEoPPDj7W8wNY3PmF9JjGPcFpRMxyps" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… The Big Rig. He helped design, program & install the equipment for the pretty light displays. I think that’s the last of GB’s work projects this direction for us to visit. 😉</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">And we’re now tucked up for the night, ready to see where the next instalment of The Western Adventures Of The Meandering Meares’ takes us. Stay tuned! 🤣 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS </font><br><br><br><br><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br><br><br><br></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-83332672149937317962022-08-06T17:53:00.001+10:002022-08-06T17:53:23.623+10:00Another Month Gone!Well … it seems that another month has passed me by … we’re closer to the end of the year than the beginning … <font size="5">EEP!</font> On the plus side, we’re also closer to the end of winter. 😜 And the end of the month means it’s time for good OPAMers to update their sidebar finishes list & email their tally for July through to me. 😉<div><br></div><div>I didn’t have any finishes to add to my tally except for the quilt I showed that I finished off for GB’s workmate. But … I did <font size="5">START</font> something. 😜</div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_d112_a933_121_df1f" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/97wL_caVYEnzb8wZgaxyqs0dfBGSSj_Fs405AXg--4sMVpuMQY1YCHbX-IjO4e-0G3g" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>I’ve had this French General layer cake tucked away for a while waiting to make it into something special. I <font size="5">LOOOOVE</font> the soft French reds & blues & the range name, “La Vie Boheme” , “The Bohemian Life” seems pretty appropriate for someone whose brother says she’s a leftover hippie. Tee! Hee! Hee!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_c058_b452_7c62_d81e" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/v3Y_s7GGelrrGR1MYjmPcpdavIQxjE3F69woCulRlTk0JGgl2uJGmOx2CceHxpu--hk" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>And it’s going to be a new patchwork tiered skirt. 🥰 Stay tuned. 😉</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">I hope you’re all having a good weekend so far. I’m enjoying a quiet one at home after a busy, stressful week at my grown up job. One more day to catch our breath before getting back on the hamster wheel … I think I need a cup of tea! 🤣 Take care, stay safe, keep stitching & keep smiling. 😊 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS! </font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS </font><br><br><br></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-81826658074268077122022-07-22T11:49:00.001+10:002022-07-22T11:49:34.234+10:00Windy Weather!<div style="text-align: center;">It’s a bit windy here on our ‘hill’ at the moment (she says with Aussie tongue-in-cheek understatement! 😜) & GB found out <font size="5">HOW</font> windy when he tried to leave for work this morning …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_af6d_ef5d_556c_5676" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/nI4TH8O9cwOnHmCIbYo9qJDlqN6oBmXeQnjw7J69T61v_NfyEexyITIcVEJGYwZHcSI" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>He usually parks closer to the shed, but was avoiding our current driveway lake, courtesy of the wettest six months we’ve had since moving here eight years ago … </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_be7d_26e1_7b0b_c38a" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/WwyGrsFpqiB3W2qfPLfty-i8OPkzEWtilTg1WapS0ZYVB06FhVTUAix99qRKFRTZ9_M" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… good thing he wasn’t back another half a metre. 😝 The botanical victim of gale-force winds was a weedy wattle that we’d been talking about removing for some time. Problem solved. 😁🤣 Move to the country, they said. It will be peaceful & tranquil, they said. You can enjoy being closer to nature, they said! 🤣😂 Never a dull moment at the Meares’ Madhouse! 😂 </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Whether you’re shivering & holding on to furniture so you don’t get blown away by wintery storms, or sweltering in northern hemisphere heatwaves, I wish you all a wonderful weekend. Take care, stay safe, keep stitching & keep smiling. 😊 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BRRRRRR!! BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS </font></div> Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-43457372089246768392022-07-20T16:48:00.001+10:002022-07-20T16:48:08.947+10:00Groan Up Stuff!Hello everyone! Yep … I’m still here, just seem to keep getting tangled up in the hamster wheel of “groan” up life. 🙄 My ‘grown up’ job has been busier than ever this year … I’m an Admin Officer at a retirement village four half-days a week … after the site manager resigned in early January & I was mostly holding the fort. Seriously! They left me unsupervised for <font size="5">MONTHS!! </font>🤣😂 It was pretty full-on trying to keep everything ticking along. The new manager started a month ago & things are starting to smooth out, but I’ve also picked up some more hours two days a week doing admin work at our co-located aged care facility, which has cut into my “other things” time. 😜 Then throw in a birthday & life has been a wee bit hectic. 😜<div><br></div><div><img id="id_e043_77e6_77c_9212" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/cIOa6SE3brEMACwgDOI6MOyAn5Vs-i6b1lFjeptkE-078liUJEpCdPzUBoleCfWCbG4" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px auto; display: block;"><br><div style="text-align: center;">My Dad turned 75 years young in the first week of July & GB & I took him & Mum for a mini road trip to Esk for a celebratory lunch.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_8ad1_379d_58b3_f190" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/R2YI_wpb-vSfs7T6t4xxC8A5142aW9ErROac5GAZIk9bmRWZEpsn0lqfpPv-Mna6ctM" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Plus a stop off at the lookout at Ravensbourne to enjoy blue skies & sun after weeks of fog, rain & clouds. And even though there hasn’t been much sewing happening, I did finish putting that binding on that I showed you last post ,..</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_2aa5_947b_4c6f_7a47" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FnvcF5BV7nWB-ce-c8P6gWPemZ5dtXrrsjSRJmEaOeYpW4kxNV0AsSlUwmp58PJLulw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>I think it’s a stack-n-slash quilt. The colours remind me of Fruit Tingle lollies. 😜 It’s a very special quilt that I feel honoured to have helped complete. You see, it was made for one of GB’s workmates by his Aunt, who had it edge-to-edge quilted, but passed away before she could bind it. When GB asked on behalf of his workmate if I could bind it, I felt it was a pretty special thing to be asked. When receiving the quilt back, the recipient found it quite moving to now have a legacy from his Aunt able to be enjoyed, even as he misses her. And that’s one of the reasons we quilt/craft … to leave little pieces of our love scattered through the lives of our precious people. 🥰</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_1978_3d3a_213a_32ac" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/6p-UbK0zfn9gwL-mTQwb2gDnPhDZhaxmTEgBYk-dIzYTFBjowX9RDMgylT1dgTu7KXw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>A close up of one of the crochet butterflies that adorn the quilt. They’re about three inches high & so delicate. 🥰<br><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">It did bring up a dilemma, though … technically, I <font size="5">FINISHED</font> a quilt, but does it count on my tally if I didn’t <font size="5">START</font> it?! 🤣😂 However, lots of you were not plagued by such different questions & the OPAM tally for June was …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>60 FINISHES!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Well done everyone! And during my blog hopping, I saw lots of projects-in-progress, too, so well done if you made some progress on your longer term projects. The winner of the random prize draw is …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2nes-quilt.blogspot.com/" id="id_1b68_d45b_5c8_cee7"><font size="7"><b>TONE! 😁</b></font></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Congrats, Tone! Drop me an email & I’ll send you your PDF prize pattern to have fun with. Thanks to the few who emailed your tallies … it saves me a bit of time when doing the round up each month. Even if you don’t think you’ll remember to email your finishes through each month, if you make sure you have a tally list in your sidebar that is updated each month, that’s helpful, too.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Well, that’s it from me for today. I hope to be back a little sooner with my next post … promise. 😉 In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy the tail end of your week. Take care, stay safe, keep stitching & keep smiling! 😊 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS</font> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br><br></div><br></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-48009862456525150322022-07-03T13:31:00.001+10:002022-07-03T13:31:21.227+10:00Winter Sunday!Greetings to you all from the top of our wintery ‘hill’ this cold & foggy Sunday. <font size="5">BRRRRRR! </font>The temperature hasn’t made it into double digits by 1:30pm & the ‘feels like” hasn’t made it past 3 degrees. Add in that it’s still foggy outside …<div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_2374_bd2d_1497_c41e" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/0CD3_B1YN1hlOrBfXrWybsXg4M9gElqA0WuA6fKPiRYVh0Nli8k0_jlya1glRkAIbhQ" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… & my Beloved Geek Boy & I have gone into hibernation mode with the fire lit, copious cups of hot tea, a movie marathon & …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_b177_e8e_a9b7_e5ea" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/HkfHGrQYVVruP3mUhd4_CLzBMgrlx-XAWW4cR9EznPRSSK2HjTtIhbx-7T7GZ0aLJZg" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… sewing down some binding. I haven’t made this quilt … I’m just putting the binding on. It was made for one of GB’s workmates by an aunt who passed away before finishing the quilt, so I’m finishing it for him. Aren’t quilts a wonderful legacy to leave? They add beauty & warmth to our lives & wrap us in love even when the quilt-maker is far away or gone. As much as I muttered a bit as the bigger-than-I-usually-make quilt kept escaping my grip while machine sewing the binding on, it is a special honour to complete another quilter’s legacy. It also reminds me why I mostly make lap quilts! 🤣</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now … I’m not sure if I can count this as one of my finishes … probably not. 😜 But it’s that time again when I remind all good OPAMers to update their sidebar tallies & email me with finishes for June. 😁 I actually <font size="5">DO</font> have a couple of finishes this time round, which is a nice change. 😜 </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">But right now I think it’s time for another cuppa & another movie to keep stitching down this binding & ward off the wintery weather. Enjoy the tail end of your weekend & have a fabulous week. 😊 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS <br></font><br><br></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-74754519836933337002022-06-17T22:32:00.001+10:002022-06-17T22:32:59.683+10:00Friday Music & Musings!<font size="5">AAAAAAHHHHHH! </font>Friday! The temperature is double last week’s iciness & I’ve scheduled a design/sewing day. I’m listening to my current favourite album …<div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_5dab_f6ba_f92d_c4b7" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/JrwzzFWp0lveAdil1bNPqC9CcyBHsci3Ubqw1kaI-ddhCHVA5AYY-pW-R2kfcbwraM8" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Laid back tunes from a couple of Queensland blokes who make up Busby Marou. And as I sing along I ask myself the question many stitchers (especially designers!) ask themselves on occasion … <font size="5">What was I thinking?!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_2fe5_20ac_8b02_a2e0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2AvSx6yaIXoogklBCG53eszpgYTKX_pa9Mrn8zkRH2sLBNn9-Mima35_vi7u15FmxcY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>A little triangle magic seemed like a good idea … before it led to reverse stitching, fiddly-diddly corner turnouts & matching checked fabric that was clearly printed crooked. 🙄😝 Still … I eventually untangled myself & am pleased with the finished project … which I can’t show you because it’s Secret Squirrel. 😜 Now for the instruction writing … <font size="5">GROAN!! 🙃</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Do you listen to music when you get your creative groove on? I’d love to hear your musical choices … there’re still two days of sewing for me, so some new music might inspire me. 😉 Whatever your plans for the weekend involve, I hope they include music & time spent creating & recharging your batteries. Take care, stay safe, keep stitching & keep smiling. 😊 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS </font><br><br><br></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5356354908696449259.post-5086415019535671692022-06-14T16:59:00.001+10:002022-06-14T16:59:38.100+10:00Retreating & Reporting!<font size="5">HELLOOOOOOO! </font>How are you all doing, my lovelies?! I hope you’ve been warmer than I have been this last week … <font size="5">BRRRRR! </font>Winter has definitely hit us on top of our ‘hill’! My least favourite day was Friday (which you don’t often hear me say! 🤣). The temperature when I woke up at 6:30am was <font size="5">ONE DEGREE</font> with a “feels like” temperature of <font size="5">MINUS EIGHT DEGREES! 😱🥶</font> So I rolled over & went back to sleep under my pile of doonas! 🤣 Add in a week of horrible south-westerly 50km/hr winds & this hot-weather chook was heading into hibernation mode. 😜 I never get much done in cold weather.<div><br></div><div>However … a couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to head off on a retreat with some stitching friends … we dubbed ourselves “The Ageless Angels”. 😇 And we headed south<font size="5"> (WHAT?!?!)</font> to Glennrose Patchwork at Warwick. My home-away-from-home for the weekend …</div><div><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_92f0_7453_d7ef_6c5e" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/Apd87nXkn0MR_ejx070LN19PUUw3T8jW2m701-h0vejvHEdUrTqJnigIAqNOKKTO_WY" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… A cute cottage I shared with …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_efec_face_bafc_877a" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Mwj8RePO2MrujbF16zSmv2maKYoRSOds1RaEU3LOtEo_U0DE1S4Og-A_ravF_l0mc3k" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… Crochet Queen Linda. She was working on a gorgeous wall hanging featuring musical notes … it’s now finished … she’s an overachiever! 🤣 We were all working on our own projects, including …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_71f7_576c_a498_96f2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q1lZni95LAO7BvIlEyWKX09xpI_2cIGUe-BZUBzGhT7I0Kziy6rhrSsh6nDeKlGNtw" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>… Rachel’s dragonfly quilt. Love those teals! There were other finishes that I can’t share cos they were surprises. And shock of shocks … I <font size="5">FINISHED</font> something! 🥳</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img id="id_6453_478_563_9aa9" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/usjhlmsdrg4lTOJnmtIx5Talwp2_aMZrzoXc_U_uZgcwGMVZB0c4LnAF8-YUcSiti9w" alt="" title="" tooltip="" style="width: 473px; height: auto; margin: 4px;"><br>Ta! Da! This is a giftie for a friend who’s walking a hard road … & a complete surprise, so … <font size="5">SSSHHHHH!! 😂</font> I will be writing a pattern for this quilt, too, so stay tuned. 😉</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">So … <font size="5">FINALLY</font> another finish to add to my tally for the year. 😁 And speaking of tallies … I’ve done the OPAM hopping for May & there were …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>77 FINISHES!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">YAY! </font>Well done everyone! And the winner of the random prize draw is …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://susans-sewing-space.blogspot.com/" id="id_ac8_8026_a2e_e7e1"><font size="7"><b>SUSAN W</b></font></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Congrats, Susan! Drop me an email to claim your PDF pattern prize. I love seeing the variety of projects you clever clogs crafters are working on each month & pleased to see people taking time aside to create & recharge their batteries. 🥰 Keep up the creativity, ladies! 😍</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;">Well … that’s me for today. It’s a bit warmer today so maybe I’ll get some sewing/designing done … <font size="5">AFTER</font> I have a cup of tea! You just knew I was going to say that, right?! 🤣😂 Aussie gals, stay warm & overseas northern gals, enjoy your summer weather - I’m jealous. 😉 Take care, stay safe, keep stitching & keep smiling. 😊 Til next time …</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="7"><b>BRRRRR BEAR HUGS!</b></font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">CHEERS!</font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><font size="5">KRIS </font></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br><br><br><br><br><br><br></div>Kris Meares - Tag Along Teddieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02167089656614832607noreply@blogger.com4