Hobart Show Week

Sunday is Market day..and I score another cuppa in bed this morning...lucky me!!
John is already making a start on a Melbourne order...
We have breakie...have a reading /sewing session (the boys have begun their Hornblower series...great stuff)...then its time for John's RV coffee. I go up for the walk enjoying watching everyone set up.
We open the shop and get on with quite a number of orders that have come in...keeps us pretty busy all morning.
I take a break and do a round of the market..
Michelle and Rachel have a stall of lovely Steiner inspired toys they have made...I enjoy a lovely chat with them and Sadie, Matthew and Hedley as we look at the selection..
Kate and Lenny are doing a good trade up on the stage in the Hall...I buy some delicious pistachios from them... Kate enjoyed her filming session for ABC Gardening Australia on Tuesday. She was telling Tino about Seed saving she does...
Caught up with Jason and Melanie...friends from school and we talked about the coming Folk Festival...exciting to describe to them our first experience...
Quick chat with Alex while I buy some of his delicious fresh harvested salad greens..
A lovely morning...
We have numerous customers through the shop...even sell a few books and medicines..very busy.
The weather deteriorates during the morning...with some heavy downpours...

Thomas decides to bake a cake ...so I go and supervise/assist him...
Eventually John closes up shop...
The boys have some more Hornblower...and I do some more sewing...
Then we go up on the hill. We had intended to do some more work up there...but with the rain coming across every half our or so...we decide to just go up for a quick look around. (I missed out last week as I was busy dressmaking)
We just arrive to the shed site when the heavens open and it rains and hails!! Fantastic..

 

 

 

 

Once the shower passes we have a quick look about , then head back home.. (its chilly up there)
More Hornblower and yummy afternoon tea cake...thanks Tom.

We potter about then have early showers and enjoy (well I do at least) watching "High Society"..our family movie this week.
A nice quiet read before bed...

Monday and its a sparkling morning..glad I got up a bit earlier to have a longer walk down to the boardwalk.

 

 

 

 

 

Tom goes off to school and we are off and away with orders which fill our morning.
Its a stunning day..so John and I take turns to have a walk up the street with post...just to be out in it.

John is very excited to see a Pulsatilla plant is in flower (something that didn't happen in Sydney climate). He will harvest the plant to process this ..fortunately we have other plants growing as he is sad to remove such a beautiful plant from the garden.

 

Thomas arrives in from school..another good day..

He and John harvest the Pulsatilla and process it..

 

 

Then its not long before we walk Tom down to Scouts...its such a beautiful afternoon, John and I continue down to Martin's Point and sit and enjoy the wonderful view ..

Then we head back home and get on with a few tasks before dinner..

John goes to get Tom and signs up to take a shift during Folk Festival as security at Burton's Reserve (which becomes a camp ground). The scouts co-ordinate the sight and offer breakie etc over the weekend...

We enjoy some more Hornblower before bed...

 

Tuesday and its a grey start...but pleasant out..

We do the usual then I go down to Community Garden for the morning.

Lots of weeding today and delightful conversation.

Amazing cloud formations...

 

 

We enjoy a fresh picked salad with our cuppa...then indulge in tasting the various cakes that people have brought along...Yummy.

Back at work there are orders to do...while John gets on with research and medicine making.

Later in the afternoon, our lovely friends Elke and daughter Rose bring us a magnificent bunch of flowers from their garden, Calendula seeds, special fairy magic treasures and the most wonderful handmade card..

 

 

Rose is a regular visitor to the shop as she loves to tend to Snowy (our Rocking Horse)...plaiting his tail and twisting his mane... She is an enchantingly gentle child and we delight in her visits..along with her beautiful mother...

John has quite taken to Rose and loves to find 'special' books as little gifts for her.

The boys have a Hornblower session after school...but decide that the book is becoming too bloodthirsty and aggressive to continue...so it will be back to a favourite book about ..The Boggart.

We wander up to Soup and Bread night at RV...another delightful evening with friends...Claire, Bruce, Lyn and Vicki.  Thomas enjoys hanging out with the other kids outside...it is such a balmy evening..

Home to showers and ...The Boggart.. then off to bed.

 

Wednesday and its a cool start..

I head off about 8am to go into Hobart to attend to some tasks and do a bit of shopping..

By the time I'm heading home at 11am the clouds have rolled in so low Mount Wellington has disappeared..and it sprinkles rain on and off. Not looking good for Show Day tomorrow. We probably will not go this year...but looking forward to the Huon Show on the 17th Nov..

 

We have a busy afternoon of orders...

It gets colder and colder... By the time Tom arrives in from school we decide to light the fire out in the flat. John minds the shop while I do some jobs out the back...then its dinnertime...stories and bed.

 

Thursday and we have a nice slow start listening to the pelting rain...

 

Its Hobart  Show Day.. a public holiday. We decide to open up for the day as our mainland customers will still order....and they do...Its a busy day.

 

I enjoy the morning doing some sewing while John minds the shop...then we swap for a bit...then we both work the afternoon . Finn comes over to play with Thomas..

We have loads of tourists through the shop and sell a number of books.

The day is a shocker...grey and wet. We are very happy to be working away in the cosy shop.

At the end of the day we decide on Devour for dinner...delicious Thai chicken burgers this week..

Some sewing....Boggart...then bed..

 

Friday and its cold and grey..but the flowers in Community garden look lovely..

 

 

 

I have to set the fires again as we had them all blazing yesterday...

I plant out some lettuce that I bought from Kate on Tuesday...to go with the Tomatoes I planted on Wednesday.(bought these from Bec at Garden Larder...they are seedlings from St James Kitchen Garden).

 

Tom is off to school and we prepare for the day...
Its a quiet morning so I go out the back and do a bit more sewing while John holds the fort...
Then its back to work with orders to be done and customers to serve.
The day remains bleak with rain showers coming and going...
After school Thomas and I go down to the Community Garden to harvest lettuce and snow peas for dinner..
We enjoy a quiet night at home..

Saturday is a clear morning...lovely. We head into town about 7ish..John and Tom are going to sort and buy books while I do a bit of shopping...yes... at Spotlight!!
We each have productive mornings and are glad to meet up and have lunch and a much needed cuppa. Then a bit more shopping and home..
I do some sewing and chores while John has a snooze and potters with his books..
Tom is happy with lego..
Tom and I do a short walk up the 'goat' track behind St James to Kings Hill Rd...after Tom climbs some trees...his latest passion..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have family movie night...watching Opal Dream and Australian Film based on the book Pobby and Dinghan by Ben Rice...very enjoyable.

 

Weather is warming in fits and starts...

Monday and it promises to be a warm 24 degrees..although it is grey out...Jess and I head to the airport leaving at about 8am..It's been a wonderful 3 days..
John took alot of lovely pictures of the sewing process...but they will remain top secret until 18 Jan 2013...but you can see this one of Tom enjoying lunch...

I do some chores in town then head home again.
We fill orders throughout the day...keeping us busy..
Before long Tom is home and preparing for scout night.
It is very warm out and I enjoy walking up to the post office in the warmth.
Talan is out enjoying the sun across the road.

John takes Tom down to scouts while I mind the shop as we have a couple of customers..
John and I both walk down to pick Tom up as its still mild out...very pleasant..
A nice quiet evening..

Tuesday and its a bit cooler ..only 18 degrees expected today.
I give the shop a good clean...wash the windows and begin some orders for the day.
Then its down to the community garden for a morning of delightful company and weeding!!
The morning goes by so quickly.. but we see the results ..

 

 

 

We enjoy a cuppa and share stories...really nice getting to know these people more each week..
Back at work and there are orders to get on with and emails to answer..
We have some customers through the shop..nice..
Tom gets in from school and after a snack does a bit of homework..his handwriting is looking wonderful..proud of our boy!!
We have a visit from Brian Keats and his partner Lyn. Brian is known for his work publishing Bio-Dynamic calenders and growing guides. He has recently moved to Castle Forbes Bay ..on the other side of the Huon River.. A lovely couple.
We invite them to join us at soup and bread night up at RV.. We have a really delightful meal with enjoyable conversation.
The weather has turned and the rain and cool wind comes across..nice to be tucked up in bed with a good book...

Wednesday and its a sunny but cool morning. Good to be out on my walk again..

 

I do the usual chores and even get a bit of hand sewing done before work..
There are orders to get on with and emails to respond to...
The morning becomes grey and overcast..
We work through the afternoon..I design labels for a new product John has made...

Before long Tom arrives in...then heads back out the door again to play with Brodie and Elly for a while.
I go up to RV for afternoon tea with the St James gang..I feel like a bit of an interloper today...Sharon is overseas and the others talk alot of "shop"...Leanne is kind and welcoming in her beautiful way..
I do a bit of sewing...enjoying the rainbows that come and go.

 

Home to yummy dinner then a bit more sewing before a quiet read before sleep..

Thursday and its a grey start..
We potter with our chores..I even get some ironing and hand sewing done this morning...
Then its off to school and work..
Quiet day for us ..but there is always something to get on with...and some orders do come through.
After lunch I go over to Tom's class. We go on an excursion today to Deep Bay...Rocky Beach. Tess from SETAC (South East Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation) met us there and gave a very informative tour of the "quarry". She showed the children how the rocks were chipped away to make tools for eating, cutting hair, scraping animal skins etc..
She was very impressed with the 'scraper' specimen Thomas found..

 

 

 

 

A really fantastic afternoon.

We have an early dinner as I have a School Board Meeting tonight...

 

Friday and its grey and cool out today.

More hand sewing before work..

The day is a busy one with orders and customers...nice.

By afternoon we are feeling rather tired..

Glad of a quiet night at home..

 

Saturday...and my day begins well... Thomas has mastered the art of making a cup of tea and brings one in to me before I get up...How lovely is that!!!

Then its up and on with the Saturday chores...

I take some photos of our lovely garden ,the amazing oaks and chestnuts that have germinated..and some curious liverwort plants growing in pots..

 

 

 

 

 

John takes Tom down to the scout hall at 10am...Tom is having a day out with the Cub group. They are driving into town to Glenorchy Fun and Fitness Centre for a play...having a BBQ locally and then they stop in at Snug on the way back to take part in JOTA (Jamboree of the air)...speaking to some scouts in NZ via radio.... a big day.

John and I go into Huonville to the hardware to buy timber and bricks for MORE bookshelves!!!...this time in the shop toilet area.. John is in his element!!

 

We also stop in to look at Chainsaws and brush cutters..

Then back to Lotus Eaters for delicious lunch.

I get on with some sewing while John has a snooze..

Our baby blackbird that nested in the garage has been out and about today...

 

Make sausage rolls for dinner then we both walk down to Burtons Reserve to await Tom's return at 5.30...

They get in closer to 6 and Tom says he is "ravenous".. almost unable to speak..(I think he is pretty tired too) Good thing dinner is waiting!!... after consuming quantities of food..he is feeling much better and can talk about the great day he had (apart from the skin burn he got going down the slides)

 

Our plans to go over to the Franklin Palais theatre centenary movie celebrations are not to be...but we

are not sorry to be having a night at home instead..