Christmas 2025

Not much to share from this Christmas.

The Kimbadale carnival if looking stunning. 

A Big Top and a hot air balloon are new additions.

Here is our Christmas Buffet for 2.

Prawns, oysters and crab.

Stuffed turkey breast,

and pear and walnut salad. 

With fresh plum steamed puddings and custard. 

For Christmas 2026 we will plan in advance and I think the plan will be to go cruising. 

 

Miss Lizzy welcomes Ziggy

Hello my Mum's Dear Readers.

Its ME, Miss Lizzy here to let you know that very exciting things have been happening at our place.

A nice lady came to the door with a little puppy that was wrapped up in a huge white fur coat.

I hoped that she would leave it behind.

AND she did!

Apparently the white fur coat is attached to the tiny puppy inside , who would have thought! 

 https://www.katashillviewkennels.com/

 

 

 

Now Me, Miss Lizzy, is going to become an investigative reporter, (Eat your heart out Leigh Sales, and Laura Tingle, Miss Liz is on the case!).

--- 

 

Miss Lizzy:- Hello Mum, Its Miss Lizzy here to interview you about our new puppy. Firstly can you tell me a bit about the background of getting this fluffy puppy?

 

Kim:- Thank you Miss Lizzy for the question.  Do you remember how sad you were when Teddy died?

 

Miss Lizzy:- Oh Mum, I was so.so sad. Teddy had such a stinky cancer  on his head and then you took him away and he never came back.  I loved him so much. I suppose in my grief I ripped things apart and got distraught.

 

Kim:-  You certainly went feral... 

 

Miss Lizzy:- but you and my lovely Graham had decided not that long ago not to get another dog while I was alive, tell the readers what changed?

 

Kim:- Good question Miss Lizzy. On the day Teddy died I browsed on Gumtree and saw a fluffy puppy who was $1500.00, As soon as I saw him online I thought he looked like a Ziggy. (The Psychic child makes itself known again).   I wasn't a serious buyer, just window shopping, its true  that we had decided that we didn't want another dog just yet. 

 

(Below photo from Kata's Hillview ad).

 

  

Miss Lizzy- then we cried a lot Mum, I was sad. you are sad too. 

 

Kim:-  That's right Lizzy, everyone was very sad. Then I realised I had totally stuffed up the 2025 Christmas arrangements. (Hey my excuse is that  I'd just has a major surgery and then Teddy died, so I'm  not thinking properly). We ended up on our own and it was too late to travel south where we would have been welcome. All those lovely Christmases at Richardson ave where I cooked lots of nice things and now I see no-one (except Graham, but it must be sad for him too)  So, when people asked , at least I could use the excuse that we had a new puppy.

I thought,  I know what will make things better..

A PUPPY!

And he was still available. 

So I bought him ..  he was 4 months old When he he arrived on my 63rd birthday. 17th December.

 

Best Birthday present! 

 

 

He's a Bichon Frieze, with some Moodle and Cavalier King Charles. (like Georgie Girl)

 

I did wonder if this was a good thing to do, to buy a puppy, but he is so  lovely! He is friendly and loving, a cute little bit naughty and he loves his toys. 

 

 

Not like you Miss Liz who tried to dig under all the fences, jumped over the the handrails of the deck and jumped into the tub while I was bathing Georgie. Everyone and everything was awash.

 

Miss Lizzy:- This puppy might be my comeuppance for loving Georgie Girl so much when you adopted me. She was an old lady and I was a feral 7 month old pup.

 

Above Lizzy and Ziggy.

 

Above Georgie Girl and Puppy Miss Lizzy.
 

 

Miss Lizzy:-You gave him a silly name tell me about that Mum... 

 

Kim:- We named him Ziggy, inspired by the David Bowie rock opera character from the 1970's. Ziggy Stardust.

 

 

Miss Lizzy:- Now lets hear from the pup of the moment...Hello Ziggy, share your thoughts about living here with us?

 

Ziggy:- I soo love it in my new home, there are lots of toys and I looove Mum and Graham. Miss Lizzy, you are so special, so gentle with me and you look after me. I look after you too...  Mum jokes that I am your emotional support dog! And thats okay.

 

 

Miss Lizzy:- Well it looks like my Mum has a candidate for a new doggie blogger when I retire . 

 

Ziggy:- I love the backyard and the birdies are fun to chase. 

 

Miss Lizzy:- Ha ha, they haven't yet told you about going to the vets for a little snip? I hope you come back okay, I will be beside myself with worry that day!

 

 

Thanks Liz, I will take the post back from here. Apart from house training, which has good days and bad days, things are going much better than I imagined. 

Welcoming Ziggy into our lives was a Good Thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quilt, 'Summer Love'

My latest finished quilt with one more to finish before the end of 2025.

 

This was based on a design I saw in a magazine, but I redesigned it on EQ8 and changed the colour scheme  to make it more summery. 

 

 Originally it was called Summer Breeze until I listen to the lyrics of the song by Seals and Croft and decided that the little woman waiting at home for her man cooking the dinner was not the culture I wanted to encourage in future generations of women.

 

So instead its called Summer Love, think of a 1970's Daryl Braithwaite in blue satin and hairy chest! 

 

It has a blue backing that is very pretty ombre, light at the top and grows darker towards the bottom.

 

I've gifted it to my Daughter-in-law Hailey.

 

Here is Teddy, before he died, doing his last stint as quality control dog while I hand stitched the binding.

 

We miss you Teddy!

 

Christmas Craft Extravaganza 2025

While I was recovering from my hip replacement I learnt to knit Izzy Dolls.

These are small comfort dolls that are to hold in the hand.

 

Izzy dolls are named after a Canadian soldier who's mother knitted them for him to distribute to children in war zones. 

https://izzydoll.org/en/mark-isfeld-legacy/ 

 

 So I've done puppies, angels, fairies, owls and the mermaid, witch and unicorn.

 

 

I've still got some to finish.

They are knitted in the round, like socks.

 They have gone to the grandchildren, my podiatrist, hairdresser and dog groomer.

Now to get back on track and finish some quilts.

 

Goonoo Goonoo Station

On our way home from Sydney we stopped for two nights at the beautiful Goonoo Goonoo station.

This was my retirement present from work. 

We stayed in the shearers quarters.

 

And we had two very nice meals in the Glasshouse restaurant.

The stay and meals only cost a tiny bit more than the $650 gift certificate.

So thank you to everyone we had a lovely time.

On our spare day we took a drive and then went to Tamworth and I finished the Christmas shopping. 

 

 

Last concert for 2025, Beethoven's 9th

Back to the Opera House with Michael and Gail.

We drove down this time and it took hours longer than normal due to lots of roadworks and the mess at Singleton while they are building the by-pass. 

 Great concert with the big choir.

 The palm trees at Circular Quay had been yarn bombed by Zonta clubs. They were beautiful and so much work, I hope it doesn't rain during the installation.

 To raise awareness of the 16 Days of Activism in a public and busy location, Zonta District 24 clubs have permission to yarn bomb 15 palm trees at Circular Quay. Clubs from across the District are creating unique tree wraps which will be a highly visual and bright display. Signage in multiple languages will explain the different types of domestic and family violence and encourage passersby to take action to “Change the Story”.