Gee, Gerald...

I just found this blog when the lovely (well, I'm assuming he's lovely) [and I'm assuming he's a "he" - are there any girls called Gerald?] Gerald left a comment on my blog, reassuring me that there is an audience, although somewhat lurkbound, out there... yes, yes, I just made that word up.


Do English people say Gee?  I know Aussies do, "gee, mate, your ute's had the bomb", or "geez, I rekkon the chooks turned into Emus & kicked shit out of your fowlhouse, mate" (translations required?...)  


I love the way Blogger underlines everything I put that extra 'u' in, the 'u' which differentiates us Anglos from our American cousins - but only for some words - colour and honour are two that spring to mind immediately, (also neighbour, rumour & labour), but it doesn't do it for 'dangerous', 'tedious', 'humungus' (is that really a word?) - note to self, look it up online (it's actually 'humongous')...) oh yes, where was I?  That extra 'u'.  I believe Ben Franklin is to blame, but I'll be looking that up too.  Wikipedia suggests that it's to do with the root of the word, French words retaining the 'our' and Latin words retaining the 'or'.  Well.  Now you know.


Anyway, back to Gerald.  Gee, I like his blog (see, I knew I could sneak it into a normal sentence!).  He has lots of those lovely cartoons I used to see in Punch (I miss Punch.  It was so English.)  and obviously he has a great sense of humour (ha!) - check this out - 


And then I wasted spent valuable sewing time yesterday rummaging round in the innards of an old computer, cannabalising it to make a newer one (see, all that paying attention in class paid off!), but only after I'd been up to that evil, evil shop again and bought another set of blues & whites for Deb.. and Kaz's comment set me to thinking about the blues & whites in my house - of course, I was referring to homewares, and she was thinking of shoes & bags, so there is room for a little confusion - but anyway.. the proof of the pudding is in the bowl its served in, I always say:

and then:

and then:

and on the walls:

and their partners:

which I bought at Artscrawl, the annual HV Art Festival, with her right by my side.  The plates were my grandmothers, possibly even my great-grandmothers - not Isabella, but the other one - and there was once a cup to go with each of them, but they have disappeared into the mists of time.  The plates are not particularly valuable, but they are precious.


And the fabric?  Well, I will confess to a little more blue-and-whitery, just so I can add a little variety to the placemat set - and I love these:

I think the one on the left would make a stunning tablecloth, or even pillowcases.. then I went a little mad with some linens:

And some more of that fantastic blue & orange floral for the lining, and then I bought a bunch of 'little girl' fabrics - the sort of thing you used to see kids in before everything went pink lycra & sequins:

and finally, here they are drying on my rack outside in the lovely dappled sunshine - spring is here!

And now, gentle reader, off, to the ironing board!