A Day Doing what you like best

Yesterday I spent the day at a course doing what I enjoy best, sewing and quilting.

It was a good day lots of good company and laughing, but a lot was also learnt.

A very lovely Dutch lady Linda showed a quilt hanging in last years Dubai Quilters Show, which I fell in love with instantly, she promised me the pattern which she explained was loads of years old, which she took from a magazine.So many ladies showed interest in the hanging she decided to do it as a class.
It is done in "watercolour style" this is when the colours are arranged for their value not the fabric pattern, took a couple of hours to learn this technique but it finally came home in my brain and from then it was fairly simple.

I have finished the centre blocks so bulk of the quilt is done, hopefully rest will not take long.

New language for blogger

What a shock, I opened my blog site and there it was all in Arabic.
The headers were all changed from a left to right scrip to a right to left one, Help how do I use this? was my first thought and why the heck has it changed.

I managed to sort out which heading was which and managed to sign in, this helped I looked for ways to change the script back to English but no English was listed ...another Oh Help?

Today I was determined to get it sorted and when I opened the site there on the "opening information" was the explanation, Blogger has added Hebrew and Arabic and Persian to their repertoire. I would guess because I access the site from Dubai they just assumed I would want Arabic.
Now many years ago my Mother taught me never to assume anything.
May be Blogger needs to learn this small adage.

Update on the floods in Dubai

Again pictures which need no explanation ... This is the main Emirate Road between Sharjah and Dubai

Thankfully the sun is shining again.

This is the worse rain in the history of Dubai since records have been kept.

Now the floods have subsided in some places the clean up begins.

The really shocking realisation to thousands of people here in Dubai who have flood damage to their houses and buildings also their vehicles is that very few insurance policies cover for flood damage, as no such element has existed here in Dubai.
So all this has to be born on their own shoulders, most insurance companies are saying it is an act of God.
Some home owners are now taking legal advice...

Some car insurance companies have relented and said they will cover vehicles that were damaged while parked......but not the ones that have driven into the water.

All this is becoming very interesting..watch this space as they say !!!

 

Rain, rain and more rain

Over the last week we have had torrential rain, very abnormal for Dubai I think these pictures will tell all, with no explanation needed.

George Bush National Day

As many will know ( if you care or not)

George W Bush is floating around the Middle East.

He was in Abu Dabi on Sunday, which is just one and half hours drive from here, he will not come by road he has airforce 1 and 2 for security, so will fly......
 His next move is to come to Dubai today( Monday)

So yesterday in their infinite wisdom the powers that be decided to start the security on the roads in preparation for today, so they closed off many of the service roads which lead off the main highways enabling you to get to the buildings albeit offices or shops that are parallel with the highway

...thus causing grid lock in the whole of Dubai for the whole day......

SOLUTION

( now only in this part of the world would this happen)

Today has been declared a public holiday, it is the only way they can control the traffic. They have also closed off all main highways in the city.

So we are the only country in the world that has a ........

George W Bush National Day

So it has given me time to update my blog....

Here is a picture of the Burg Al Arab hotel, few views of Dubai and also the tallest building in the world, taken on the move while driving my car so not such great picture

We did the "Dune Driving" in my Ford Escape 4x4 on Friday last with a group of 5 cars can you belive my little Ford was the only one not to get stuck, or have any trouble at all. There is also a view of a hotel and souk complex call Madinat, a must see in Dubai.

Friday night girls

On Friday evenings in Rotorua a group of "Us Girls" who are all stitching and quilting addicts get together and stitch, some times we do our own thing and at other times all work on a group project.
At Christmas we always have a "bit of a do" where we have a Pin cushion swap and exchange gifts.

we seem to be able to manage copious amounts of tea and chatter.  Of course as I was home for the holidays I managed to go along.


This years pin cushion swap

Another Grandson asleep

Tell me is there something in the blood of the Breadmore Grandkids.
A few weeks ago we had Harvey sleeping under a table now we have Alex asleep on the hall floor

A nice photo

Iain and Family took us to the airport for our return to Dubai and I managed these photo's

They all look like real "Kiwi's" shorts and no shoes on the kids.

Back to Dubai after Christmas in NZ

I realise that not a lot of "blogging" has been done over the Christmas period but with all the happenings and family stuff , life has been hectic to say the least.

We arrived back in Dubai this morning rather jet lagged so thought I would sit and update rather than empty suitcases.

We had a great Christmas period with the family, near and extended in NZ,

I think Iain and Claire found it "different" to have not only sunshine and warm weather but family all around them, they have had only themselves to think about for a few years over Christmas in UK.

All the kids in the family had time to get to know one another, now Ellis and Harvey have met all their cousins that they knew little or anything about. There are Aunts and Uncles coming from all sides, they must be a little confused but kids are very resilient at sorting out who's who. See Kathryns blog for photo's http://www.benalex.blogspot.com/

I got to go and see Ellis's school Christmas show put on by the younger section of the school...wonderful, they tried so hard and remembered at least 95% of what they were doing, and it is all so innocently done. If you ever have chance to go along to one of these performances you should take it, along with the smiles it can bring on a tear as well. Ellis is the blonde in the middle of front row ....
 

We had a great time house sitting our friend Prue's house, her house is, as ours was, before someone extended ours twice. She does not have a wood burner stove in her lounge and it therefore gave her a lot more scope on arranging furniture and the TV etc. We were very taken with this and it has made us decide to remove our woodburner and have Heat Pumps fitted next year.