I have been thinking and wanting to blog for so so long, but as I have just started a second part- time job, 'free hours' are pretty few and very far between. I have began working a few shifts back at Hill Street in West Hobart
http://www.blogger.com/www.hillstreetgrocer.com I got to know the proprietors, Marco and Nick from when I basically 'lived' at their Augusta Road Store (now sold) in
Lenah Valley, they are two hard working brothers who have custom built and launched what I believe to be the best 'one stop shop'. After I sold my florist True Colors in 2003 I began supplying their two stores with fresh Bunches of flowers from home .When I
returned back to to Hobart from Perth, Western Australia almost 3 years ago, I was lucky enough to continue supplying them with flowers. As I was working from home I began to really miss the interaction and
conversations with the public - so I began doing a couple of shifts a week behind the counter. For people who know me personally I'm pretty well known for talking flat out, some people refer to me as 'have a chat', which says it all... I can actually get quite caught up in
conversations with customers at Hill
Street and forget that there is a line a mile long 'patiently' and 'not so patiently' waiting to be served. I'm often reminded to 'stop talking so much' ( sorry Marco) and serve faster.. It is a great place to work, lovely
colleagues and customers and of course being surrounded by gorgeous fresh produce, deliciously sweet homemade cakes,
biscuits etc, wines, moo beer
Ahhhhh the list is endless... Did I mention simply stunning flowers??? If you are lucky to live in Hobart and haven't been to Hill Street - please do so and I guarantee that you will soon become one of their many loyal customers. But, I'll give you a hint don't come with an 'empty tummy' - as you WILL go home with an 'empty wallet'.
I basically only have Saturdays and Tuesdays free as of last week, and between 2 jobs, housework and kids, I simply know something will have to 'give' and unfortunately my sewing is suffering. I have however managed to design some new pillowcase dresses for winter. I had some gorgeous fabrics delivered early last week and have plans to make bibs, dummy clips, nappy clutches, pinafores, dresses, hair clips, shorts, grow suits and finally boys trousers by the end of next week - ready for Mathilda's on the 27
th of this Month. Deep breath - total tally I have made from new fabric is 4 x dresses..... think I better stay up late tonight, but then again I'm so tired from staring work at 7am this morning. Matt's' cricket team are in to the Grand Final this Saturday, so our BIG plan for our monster garage sale has gone out the window... We had been planning this from the time the election was called (as our house is 4 doors up from the
Lindisfarne polling station) so I guess we will have to wait a few weeks. Let hope that the
SVC old boys become victors, instead of being the usual bridesmaids. I'm not expecting a sober and well behaved 'better half' next weekend regardless of the outcome...gotta love boys sports teams... just thought...Bugger!! I guess I won't have much support this weekend to look after the kids sew I can sew - what with cricket and the boozy day to follow -
ahh well, if there is one thing I know ( but not always, well..generally NEVER but in to practise is you 'can only do what you can do'..... why is it us girls are great 'preachers' and hopeless in 'practise'
My biggest decision is trying to decide what to
concentrate on making for
Mathilda's. I had planned on making lots of reversible pinafores which I have been 'creating' for almost 2 years, but have since found out a while ago that someone is 'designing' the exact same...( the pinafore design is not my own, nor have i ever claimed it to be. I bought it online from America) so I'm thinking I might diversify and use it as a great opportunity to do something new... so
that's great!!! I will include some pinafores due to their popularity but look out for some other beauties too...
With all that I'm going to put in an hour or two before bed tonight (its 10.35pm) then tomorrow will bring work, school drop off, and little gorgeous (but teething) Billy to his Grandmas (bit of Mother guilt there) but we all have to do what we have to do, and I have to look at the positive that I have been lucky enough to have lots of time up until now at home with him.
I should be seeing "the glass half full"...but generally ONLY see "glass half empty"
Take the time to have a read of this poem below, Matt gave it to me a few years ago now and still refers to me at times as
HANRAHANSAID
HANRAHAN by John O'Brien
"We'll all be
rooned," said
Hanrahan,
In accents most forlorn,
Outside the church, ere Mass began,
One frosty Sunday morn.
The congregation stood about,
Coat-collars to the ears,
And talked of stock, and crops, and drought,
As it had done for years.
"It's looking crook," said Daniel
Croke;
"
Bedad, it's
cruke, me lad,
For never since the banks went broke
Has seasons been so bad."
"It's dry, all right," said young O'Neil,
With which astute remark
He squatted down upon his heel
And chewed a piece of bark.
And so around the chorus ran
"It's
keepin' dry, no doubt."
"We'll all be
rooned," said
Hanrahan,
"Before the year is out."
"The crops are done;
ye'll have your work
To save one bag of grain;
From here way out to Back-o'-Bourke
They're
singin' out for rain.
"They're
singin' out for rain," he said,
"And all the tanks are dry."
The congregation scratched its head,
And gazed around the sky.
"There won't be grass, in any case,
Enough to feed an ass;
There's not a blade on Casey's place
As I came down to Mass."
"If rain don't come this month," said Dan,
And cleared his throat to speak -
"We'll all be
rooned," said
Hanrahan,
"If rain don't come this week."
A heavy silence seemed to steal
On all at this remark;
And each man squatted on his heel,
And chewed a piece of bark.
"We want an inch of rain, we do,"
O'Neil observed at last;
But
Croke "maintained" we wanted two
To put the danger past.
"If we don't get three inches, man,
Or four to break this drought,
We'll all be
rooned," said
Hanrahan,
"Before the year is out."
In God's good time down came the rain;
And all the afternoon
On iron roof and window-pane
It drummed a homely tune.
And through the night it pattered still,
And
lightsome, gladsome elves
On dripping spout and window-sill
Kept talking to themselves.
It pelted, pelted all day long,
A-singing at its work,
Till every heart took up the song
Way out to Back-o'-Bourke.
And every creek a banker ran,
And dams filled
overtop;
"We'll all be
rooned," said
Hanrahan,
"If this rain doesn't stop."
And stop it did, in God's good time;
And spring came in to fold
A mantle o'er the hills sublime
Of green and pink and gold.
And days went by on dancing feet,
With harvest-hopes immense,
And laughing eyes beheld the wheat
Nid-nodding o'er the fence.
And, oh, the smiles on every face,
As happy lad and lass
Through grass knee-deep on Casey's place
Went riding down to Mass.
While round the church in clothes genteel
Discoursed the men of mark,
And each man squatted on his heel,
And chewed his piece of bark.
"
There'll be bush-fires for sure, me man,
There will, without a doubt;
We'll all be
rooned," said
Hanrahan,
"Before the year is out."
Around the
Boree Log and Other Verses, 1921
Return to the John O'Brien page. Return to the Around the Boree Log and Other Verses page.
