A long time missing

celebration dinner

One of my aims this year was to blog at least once a month but I find that a third of the year has gone and nothing written. It's been a busy start to the year with my brother and his wife visiting for my dad's birthday and a celebration weekend in Wellington. It was really fun and we had a wonderful time with them here and they had a great trip down the south island for his 60th birthday.



Stitching has been continuing and a new project has come along but more on that later. Night class is still going and we are doing a tiny tin of treasures project this term hopefully. Some photos of that are here:

             

 Next project on the go is the piece for Taranaki Creative Stitchers: I was given Kenya as my county but quite a difficult one. There is no definite style of embroidery or stitching (only ndebele beading stitch could be called african) so I am exploring the african aesthetic and hopefully will produce a piece for the october exhibition.  As part of this process I have been doing some machine embroidery and made this couple of birthday cards which I will sell or use. I have also been making some christmas decorations using a similar technique so once they are finished they will get photographed. If successful I will make a few for the end of year Percys Place shop.

Card making has also been featuring and a neighbour is hosting the occasional afternoon of card making so I am taking advantage and going. I then come home and use a bit more of the card/Stampin Up stash so here are some that I have created (tiny gift cards) for Mackays Pharmacy to sell. Its been a great way to use up some of the stash and I am trying to do more.

This is the start of the next project. Our guild is having a Casalguidi workshop in June and the preparation foundation needs to be stitched first. The colour is looking grey but it is very similar to DMC 504 colour so that will be fun.

Well that's the catch up and here's to a term two with a principal who is on sabbatical and an open evening that is not too far away and no organising started. Oh dear just another year at school.

A busy day

It's nearly a month since I last posted and I think this will be a long on written over several days.

Only ten days left to work and then tidy up for the Christmas and wedding anniversary party. 

Today, Saturday had a visit from Marilyn with some need for scrap booking experience is that was a first. The dad came in to use the facilities, no time for a cuppa and then we had mum to visit and chat. Discussion about Christmas and what to eat ensued so now sorted I think. (But I will need to write it all down for my reminder list.) have shopping list for New Plymouth so that will be in a fortnight I think.

 This is what I have spent most of the day doing some thank you gifts for my Stampin up ladies and bits and pieces for a Xmas present. Hope they all enjoy.

There will be more to write about embroidery, night class, and exhibition so keep coming back.

Pantry sort out

Recently I went to make a cake (don't die of shock all you readers, I can bake albeit not well) and could not find the icing sugar in the pantry. Decided that holiday job one would be the pantry clean out so today is the day. Started with the top two shelves and found the espresso cleaner so did that job too. Here are the photos to prove the start. Hopefully the break to go to school won't be all afternoon so I get it finished.

WOW What a weekend

Just home from the PA's conference which was held in Nelson. This is a well renown artistic, creative, winery and orchard area of the country and home to the World of Wearable art show and museum. It was a great conference and time to catch up with friends from the past and make some new ones. I loved the session on Office products and have found a couple of things that I can use so will be trying them out over the next couple of weeks. Our thursday night dinner was a blast from the past with an 80's theme and I have seen Daisy's pictures so fortunately I am only in a couple. Nice one of the SWAT group with protestors. Discovered a new artist Brian Strong but after a big walk uphill to his studio we discovered it was closed.
Dining out was fun as Stephanie (who travelled down down for the weekend) and I tried the thinnest pizza with great toppings and wonderful eye candy tossing the dough in the kitchen, to the Thai with her friend and the Saturday market where lots of taste testing, as well as purchasing (aside from the chilli oil and great pancakes) it was a fun foodie weekend. Tried to go to one of the many cafes for brunch on Sunday but it was closed.
Had a wait at the airport but that was fine as we used the Koru lounge which was nice and relaxing - both of us on the Ipads and sending messages to each other as well. My flight home was the quickest layover ever - in one door and back in the queue to go out the next door. Definitely think this could be a place I could visit again so thanks to Ros and Alicia for organising a great long weekend.

Home a week

Well I have been home a whole week and it feels as if it was a lifetime ago. School is back in earnest with full days and lunch at school (I have a new lunch bag courtesy of Macy's) so that was fun.
This weekend Dad and I went to the beach to see mum who has been there for the week. It was nice weather and I took some stitching but ended up making a ball for my sister in law Cathy and trying out a new pattern today. Not certain if I will make another one or even teach it but it was fun using some different colours. have to think about how the bottom will be finished.

Purl Soho - nice shop lower manhattan

Just thought I would put a couple of pictures from new york on here for all to see. We went to the 9/11 memorial site - very security conscious and long way to walk but it will be incredible when all the new buildings are finished.



Stephanie with new World Trade Centre Tower 1 being built.

From the Empire state down to WTC Plaza

Empire State, WTC from Rockefeller Centre.

Sacre Coeur and Eiffel tower

A most wonderful day as we travelled on Eurostar to Paris for three days. The train no sooner left Ashford than we seemed to be in the tunnel and on our way. France seemed much drier than England but our arrival in Paris was just after our quick lunch. A taxi to our hotel, check in, txt to Melissa and a cuppa while we waited for her. At 2pm we met in the foyer and went off exploring.
A decision to walk to the Montmartre and Sacre Coeur found us looking at all the artists and their works in the square. We both purchased a watercolour to take home. The basilica was fabulous and our first sight of the Eiffel tower was the realization that we were here!!!!
We caught the Metro to Trocadero and it was dusk so the tower was well lit. Many photo angles later we had crossed the Seine and were standing underneath. Wandering around it was time for Melissa to leave us and we parted. Such a pleasure to see her. Stephanie and I then wandered our way along the Seine, crossed and found a metro station to return us to the hotel. Dinner was at a local Lebanese which was nice. Back to the hotel and the sound of trains to send us to sleep. A great day in gay Paree!!!!

3 sleeps but who's counting

3 sleeps but who is counting. have got everything into the bag and sorted out the purchasing for friends and family so things are tracking well. done all the christmas shopping and have only one present left to finish plus make a couple of extra things if I have time.
another busy day at school tomorrow with all the jobs to be done but I managed to get my 2012 diary done tonight so I feel prepared for the first week back.
decided at the last minute to buy a new handbag but can't find one I like so taking my current bag and will keep an eye out for a new one. This could be my christmas present. I am very picky with a handbag.
new phone is going okay and downloading songs onto ipod so have about 1500 so far done 50% of library.

Last week and getting excited

Only five sleeps to go. Getting excited about the travels, but still busy at work and hoping to get all the jobs finished before thursday.
Lunch out today with the senior management team and they were all very impressed with our presents. Weigh in Fridays club has been a success in that we managed to pay ourselves lots of money to buy presents and go out for lunch and movies but not so much in the weight loss field. Still it saved us all putting in money for the presents and we managed to buy really nice things this year. Red / Yellow card cufflinks for Phil, a mini cake stand for Barbara and a mouse magnetic noughts and crosses for Wayne.
Opened a couple of Christmas presents tonight, since I will be in England I am not taking them with me.
Suzie gave me a trendy passport cover and luggage labels and Toni and Jack gave me a mini casserole dish and spoon. Most awesome as I love the microstoven ware by Maxwell and Williams. I now have four pieces.

Busy Finishing

The election day went really well and I drove into the garage at 8.59pm so I was really thrilled. a low turnout which was a shame but we had a reasonably busy day so that was okay.

I have been busy finishing gifts for the trip overseas and also deciding on whether I will pariticipate in the BJP 2012. I am debating this and think that if I do it will be a series of small icons, gods and goddesses.
I have done four coathangers, coffee cup holders and half done a runner for a friend. I was going to go to Marilyns tonight to get the binding put on but i have done some christmas bookings instead. the train to my cousin's is booked and that is another thing off the list. I have also made ten christmas decorations, sat at the Percy Thompson gallery for the art society and started two more decorations for the class on monday night.

Work has been crazy and I have had two hours out today with Ultranet training and all day tomorrow with the practical session so I will be at school early to get things done before the class starts. I have to get the newsletter printed and the office staff will have to fold the senior reports into the envelopes ready for handing out. We have the last day on friday with the junior students prizegiving so that is it and then next week it is activities week and posting out of reports and other things.

One Present finished

A Runner for Heather

Marilyn and I spent an evening sewing during Labour Weekend. She showed me how to do the French Braid pattern for quilting. I made this runner using Kiwi fabrics for Heather so it was quite fun. Taken me a while to hand stitch the hem but finished half an hour ago so I am posting it quick.

I have made the quilt top for another one to take to England and I need to quilt it then she can help me do the binding again. I have also made the outside for her bag and have now the inside with pockets and zips to close make then I need to put it all together. My night class ladies have asked for a class in this bag so I will continue this next year after a saturday class.

Organised my polling place for the national election on 26 November so it will be exciting. It looks to be a busy day as they have allocated me more staff than normal so I hope we are busy to make it worthwhile. The training will be fun.
I also have three visits to the theatre this month plus senior prizegiving so life is quite busy.
Keep up the stitching as I have started yet another project.
Diane

busy holidays

Well another holiday break has nearly finished and I have had a busy time, catching up with friends, rugby world cup is nearly over and some of the planned projects are done. The holidays started with a trip to Wanganui to take a canvas class in making a needle book or book cover which was loads of fun and inspiring as well.

Members enjoying a break at wonderful Payne's Palace Beach Retreat.

Last weekend was the annual Central Taranaki Embroidery Guild retreat to Opunake where we had ten people undertake a project from Stitch magazine - a winter sky. It was loads of fun and I have mostly completed mine as well as completed most of the bargello section from canvas two on Walk on the Wild Side. Nothing further has been done on this canvas this week but I expect to get some done when watching the rugby final tomorrow night.

Ten of the stitched projects from the weekend. My piece is the bottom right sunset piece.

The reason no stitching this week is a new toy - I am the proud owner of an IPOD Touch and it has been loads of fun loading stuff onto it (took me four hours last night to get my music from one ipod to the other) and I have nearly got all the music ready to go plus some new stuff to listen to tomorrow.

Erin's roll

One project I have finished this holidays is the needleroll or lavender roll for my neice Erin. hopefully my brother will get it and be able to take it home with him on monday. I started this as my plane piece on our trip to USA last year and finished it this year with Erin's name on it.

Projects started (and hopefully finished) is the porject bag using my sudoku piece. I went to Maree's today and she stitched (I was gofer) and it was halfway there. Then late afternoon I went to marilyns and we started on a table runner for a christmas gift for our cousin. I have quilted half of it so can complete it tomorrow night when I go to feed the cat and then start one for my friend for christmas. Tomorrow morning I am going to start Marilyn's knitting bag and if it is fine weed some more of the garden.
I have finally got the stones ordered for the pebble garden and I was hoping that they would arrive before the weekend it is fine that they will be here next week and I can get to it each night.
I will report on more of my holiday break in the next post (possilby with more pictures of completed works)
Diane

Holiday catch ups

Adding the beaded face.

It is time for the end of the school term and holiday time. I have six days off this time and busy completing my entry into the national exhibition. I am busy getting all the elements stitched and added onto the base goddess. Hopefully I will be completed by next thursday when I go back to work. Soduku has been getting a couple of squares stitched each day so I have finished 5 sets and onto the 6th set of nine stitches.

Also I have been completing a few other jobs over the past weeks. I made 4 baby bibs (with one to complete) so that is a job of the list. I have my notebook to make for our trip away - we have tickets to the ice hockey in New York but no trip up to the crown of the Statue of Liberty.
I have my cake mixer fixed (not doing to badly for something that is 30 years old) and purchased a pizza stone so that is the next cooking element. This afternoon I am going to try out the Tarte Tartin recipe from Masterchef as I have a suitable dish now.

On the book front I have been listening to the new audio books from the public library. They come on a little MP3 player and really great to use. Have another which is on CD's so that will take a couple of days to listen to but makes the beading and hand stitching go faster.

The bike riding has started and I am off this afternoon for a 20 minute ride around town while I get my confidence back. Hopefully I will be able to keep it up. Certainly I am more confident in changing gears and using the hand brakes. The weather is not very conducive to riding bikes but it will improve as we move nearer to spring and summer.

A Busy day

I have had a really busy day today with starting to make icicles for my winter goddess, complete the background for an ATC and a beaded journal page. also I have spent 15 minutes at a time cleaning up my ipod and deleted over 500 duplicate songs and spent all day listening to the Kings of Leon. Think they will be my band of choice at the moment.
Also spent 15 minutes at a time cleaning up my desk area and have nearly taken every thing off it to dust off the dust bunnies (the power of 15 minutes at a time - http://www.flylady.net/)
Also I have spent time tidying up all my photos from seven years so they are all stored onto a remote hard disk and then hopefully I will be able to get my computer fixed or sorted as I am not able to do anything with adobe files, quicktime or flashplayer so I cannot download any e-books onto my e-reader.
two more days and work starts again so going to spend several hours beading and stitching now and then to bed. Shopping tomorrow for new clothes (since I have a stylist I have discovered a love of nice clothes) and then gardening and house cleaning weather permitting.
Enjoy the weekend.

Merry Christmas to all

Just a few days before Christmas and the weather has really deteriorated. It has been wet for several days so the farmers are celebrating as the drought season has been delayed for at least a while. It has been colder as well so time to catch up with all the watching on the tv and am nearly up to date with a number of programmes.

School has basically finished for me with just a few more things to do and then I am off until at least ten days before school starts. Hoping to get some time at the beach with mum and a few days away with Stephanie to Wellington. We are going to the European Masters exhibition at Te Papa so that will be neat. Not certain what else we shall do.

Christmas wishes to all friends that read this blog. I have had a wonderful 2010 although not all things have been completed. Heart of the cabin has stalled due to our travel to san Francisco and attendance at seminar. I have completed one piece from seminar and have most of my pages ready for my notebook but nothing to put it into yet. Linda’s piece walk on the wild side is still just sitting and am hoping to do some over the holidays to get at least the first canvas finished.

Beaded journal project was not a big success this year as I only completed three months with another three designed and not stitched. On the beading plus side I did complete three of Laura McCabe’s kits that I bought. I also designed three new decorations (Neptune’s series) and taught them. This last three months I have done another Christmas ball which my group of ladies did one night. This last weekend I have borrowed a couple from a friend of mum’s and am hoping to make them and then also make the patterns for them. I have made 12 of these decorations for gifts so that was a busy time. See them in previous posts.
This year I made my first ATC and did a swap. It was fun. As well I swapped a biscornu on the swap-bot network as well as a couple of other swaps.
A challenge has been presented to me for next year with the invitation to enter an ANZEG exhibition in October. I have a number of thoughts and this holidays will find me starting on at least one of them.
So to all friends I hope that you all have a wonderful season and that the weather good and bad does not deter your festive times.
Diane

More balls made this week.

This is the collection of balls that I have made for christmas gifts this year. It is a netted pattern with a loop fringe using some glass chips on the loops. Really fun to make.

These two I have completed this week. the silver and blue ball uses a variation of my neptunes wave ball that I taught and designed earlier this year. It was fun adapting it to a smaller ball and using the loop fringe.

School is over and all the students have left. Only the tidying up to do and cleaning out my office ready to start next year again. Training tomorrow on the new absence programme and then some work to do on documentation for next year so that the week before school starts won't be so pressured. Then off to the beach, christmas at mums and trip to wellington with best friend Stephanie.

latest work

Decided that I needed to complete another square for Heart of the Cabin. Here it is nearly finished so that is a great event. 5/16 ths of this piece done. I really struggled with the shading as I found that six strands were too many so had to use four so the shading is a bit shorter.

This weekend has been busy with fighting off a cold and having too much to do at school to have the time off. After Tuesday I can relax a little bit when things will settle down.

Friday night Marilyn asked me to bake for a cake stall to assist Nathan – pharmacist at her work who will be attending the paraplegic world cycling champs in September. I made my best cakes and they were a failure so Saturday morning I made two others. The new recipe this month is butterfly cakes from Healthy Food Guide and also remade the mocha nut butterball cookies. I found this on the internet and they are great. Both worked well so that is two more recipes for my challenge. A recipe a month this year.

Here are the two pieces that I did finish over the holidays. They are from conference 2008 - Allie Snow class of textile art. Really enjoyed this and think this is what encouraged me to start with the BJP. These are my first two flower princesses. I have one more started and would like to perhaps make more for display in the next Art Society Exhibition.

Holidays are busy!

We are in the midst of our winter holiday so the weather started off not great but for the last week it has been fine days and minus temperatures overnight. Still a good excuse to sit in the conservatory and stitch.

Last weekend mum and I travelled to Hamilton to see the exhibitions for the ANZEG biannual conference. I was slightly disappointed in the number of entries particularly in the miniatures and members and hoped that many entries were not judged out of the competition. The variety of work in the junior members exhibition was phenomenal and I was really excited by our junior tutors news that next year our group may be moving into town and that will give me an opportunity once a month to share with them.

I purchased a couple of books – one on inchies and making backgrounds so I am inspired to rejoin swap-bot and see what’s going on. The other was the new one from Effie Mitrofanis, an Australian embroiderer, who I think has a wonderful way of combining colour, techniques and textiles to produce some exciting work.

I have also finished another cell phone dangle for my sister for Christmas and this made me finish the cube that I had nearly done. This was another kit by Laura McCabe and I have to say that they are the most delightful kits with plenty of seed beads so you can be a bit picky with them if you want.

the laura mccabe cube that i have finished. as usual I had to change something - the crystals in the corner - i did not like the colour of the ones provided so I used some of my own and will use the others in another piece.

March month is coming along for beaded journal project so this year has not been so successful with completing pieces but I have April’s mapped out in my book so that is good and I have mounted one piece already although I have to put a few more beads on the January piece to make it fit into the page opening.

School has been busy with things going on and I think there will be job changes for all in the offices at the moment so that will be an exciting time ahead. I have also been doing the advert so hopefully tomorrow I will have the last advertiser on board and that will be a great thing. This will be the first year that the cost to the school is less than half so that is good news. Jessica from our local paper is lovely to work with and she has lots of great ideas for layouts, etc which are exciting.

activities this week.

This week has been a bit difficult as I got to school on Monday to be told that a member of my night class had died. She had just over 12 months with cancer but finally went to peace on Sunday 17 Jan. her funeral on Thursday was very emotional affair with her family and a huge turnout.

Our embroidery this month is bargello and the workshop at my place was attended by a small but dedicated group. I completed the decoration below which uses the pine tree pattern. I have used a rainbow gallery rayon thread and carefully chosen the variation to give the illusion of the trees. Was most impresses and Mary showed me a new method of finishing which makes a nice decoration.

Heart of a cabin is coming along and I have found that some of the threads are too thick on the 22 count canvas so altering the threads to use #8 perle and less strands. Also because getting the anchor threads is sometimes difficult I have been substituting them slightly. Mum is further ahead with being on the 3rd block. I am hoping to finish block two this week and even get onto block three.

My embellished canvas piece is coming along but I have not really stitched any since I returned from Auckland. Having an internal debate about the colours so will see what happens to this. May remove some of the plain thread and use the variegated that I have self dyed some years ago.

School starts in earnest this week with two days of power cuts so that will be fun with all the reenrolments happening. Alice and David did okay but Alice was not pleased with her results overall. Used my slow cooker for the first time and it was okay. Was concerned all day about it being on but will get used to it I am sure.

christmas letter

Dear all
The christmas letter follows. I will try to add the photos into an album so you will be able to see them. They will be on my facebook page for all to look at.
diane

Well the Christmas season is coming up fast and it seems not long ago that I was preparing to travel to Ewan’s for Christmas in 2008. We had a wonderful family holiday and it was unfortunate that Neil and family could not join us for the excitement of Ice Hockey games, winter lights and decorated houses, Marilyn learning to ski and watching the others go off every day. After the new year mum and dad shouted all four grandchildren, Marilyn, Terry and myself to four nights in Los Angeles to visit Disneyland, Universal Studios and California Adventure. It was a great time and the four kids all get on so well it was neat to see. Marilyn, Terry, Dad, Alice and David travelled home and mum and I stayed an extra week. We went off to San Antonio in Texas for four days and had a wonderful time. The weather was quite warm when we arrived (80 deg F) and then the next morning it was about 42 Deg F. most extremes but no rain so that was great. We had a day trip to the Lyndon B Johnson ranch (mum’s family name is Lyndon) so that was good and we found the most wonderful bead shop in the middle of a small town where we stopped for lunch. On our trip back to the airport we stopped at another bead shop (cost $2 more for the two taxis) but about $150 in beads. We then had a couple of days at Ewan’s and then home. I arrived home on 17 January at 10 in the morning and Raewyn, Kim and girls arrived about 4pm to stay for several days. Good timing all.
Raewyn and Kim’s visit meant that we had a house warming party so that was fun with quite a few in attendance and I could show people the new house. Unfortunately the garden was not done and it became a bit of a mission. The concrete pavers were down but that was about it. The saga continued and finally in April I had someone else lay lawn and tidy up all the edges etc. it looks reasonable now and not too bad. I did have a lawnmower but the old push mower is not the best so dad is still doing them. Shellie’s son Keith did the edges of the garden with the left over pavers from the old house so it looks quite nice now. Still have to complete the lawn and planting of the gardens but they are happening slowly. I have a few rhododendron’s in and they are mostly flowering so that is good.
March saw me travel to northland with the netball team once again as no parents could go. I had a great time but not very successful at driving the van so have to have more practise. Alice was also on the trip so interesting to see her with her friends. We had two great games of netball but one was close and the other a whitewash really so it was a shame. The kids did really well with the heat though and performed on the Marae wonderfully when we were welcomed on. We had lots of fun, especially making them go op shopping and then out to dinner in their outfits.
April – Stephanie and I went to Sydney for the weekend and had four fun filled days. We climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge which was amazing. I am so proud of myself and would like to attempt it again but will have to see what happens. We ate at nice restaurants, visited lots of attractions, mostly for free as we had a Sydney pass and even went to the movies “The Reader” one of the great movies of the year I think. Term two at school was fairly much the same as usual but we did have the building start on the renovation of the Tech Block so that was neat. Finally it has happened; after 13 years the school board have been trying to get it done. Now in November it is nearly completed and all classes have moved into the new areas.
June - mum and I went to my cousin Karen’s wedding in Auckland (mum was staying in Tauranga, so I did a lot of driving that weekend), while the rest of the family went to the all blacks game in Wellington. Also had two embroidery birthday parties so a very social month as well.
July was busy with a trip to Wellington with Shellie to see “Starlight Express”. Quite different to the London version but I really enjoyed it. I then went up to Tauranga to stay with mum for the last five days of her break up there and then came home. July saw the sale of the old house and then the tenants that I had moved out. The new ones are friends from school so that has been good and they are a nice couple so that is good. I miss the house sometimes but still love the new one more. Also in July I had the new teacher, Gemma stay with me for a couple of weeks. She arrived from the Bolton area of England and is a really lovely young lady. Most enjoyable time with her and she is a big Harry Potter / Twilight fan so managing to go to a number of movies and things with her.
In August I went to the secondary principal’s PA’s Conference in Hamilton which was loads of fun and caught up with a few friends. September was really busy with Marilyn, mum, Alice and I going to the World of Wearable Art in Wellington, then my friend Cathy came and stayed one night. October was the theatre month with Miss Saigon in New Plymouth, Mama Mia in Wellington (with Stephanie and Shellie), Hawera embroidery guild 25th birthday, guild weekend retreat and regional day for the opening of the regional embroidery exhibition. As well as all these events I went with Marilyn to Auckland to see El Divo. We stayed with one of Terry’s nieces and caught up with out cousins Maree and Karen so that was great.
The Lithgow clan have had a bit of success at the regional embroidery exhibition with Marilyn getting a second place for her mat, Alice winning the secondary school section, while I won the Home Décor original design section and also got a judge’s choice for my second piece. Mum was the only one who did not get any awards. Our friend Maree won the other judge’s choice for her apple needlework accessories set. It was really wonderful and I will try to put a photo of it on my blog www.didi-beadwork.blogspot.com
As most of you will be aware I have now been in the new house for a year and it certainly has been different. No chopping the wood and lighting the fire when I get home the house is already warm (too warm sometimes). I have bought new linen and thinking about a new television but I keep looking at the cost. I also fell in love with the Nintendo Wii when we were at Ewan’s last Christmas and thinking of buying one of those as my gift from Santa for myself. Not certain but going to talk to David about it and see if he will go shopping with me possibly. Some good deals on them at the moment and it looks as if it would be about $700.
We have just had the senior prizegiving here at school and Alice was the Proxime Accessit – runner-up to the Dux but she won the cup for best in Mathematics and Science which was great as Andrew (Dux) did not do well in either of these subjects. She is all signed up for Otago University for Health Sciences for 2010, on her way to going into medicine and becoming a doctor. The only thing she has wanted to do as far as I can see.
This month has also seen a big shock at the school with Warren, resigning from his position as principal and leaving in two weeks. Think that losing his father in September was the catalyst for this but I personally will be sad to see him leave. He has been great to work for, a real fun sense of humour and interesting in his approach to lots of things in the school. Still he may be back in the district one day.
December will be busy again with Neil coming from Melbourne to share in Christmas. Neil my brother was here in October for a few days and I think he was shocked to see how much his parents have aged after two years. It was interesting to see him at home as he has not been here for a long time and quite different to when Ewan and family come.
I have just put the entries into the art society show so hoping that they sell well. Then I can make some more although having to make a number of Christmas decorations for presents and currently trying to make a stocking for Neil for Christmas day. It should be a fun day as we are planning breakfast at mum’s, lunch at my place and then Marilyn and family will be off to the Walshes for their dinner. Boxing day will see us visit the Burnnand family as usual. I hope that the new year will bring lots of fun and prosperity to you and your family, and that your Christmas break was fun without too much added to the stress levels. May the blessings of the season be with you always.

It is here!

The final day is here and Warren has departed the shores for another land. Very sad to see him leave and hope that all his dreams are fulfilled.
School will be a quiet place on Monday without his John Lennon, Arsenal, Yoda and other esoteric references.

This weekend having the second christmas function of my year on. The A&P show is on adn Sunday will find me at the Gallery watching the Art exhibition. I intend to take some beads to make a couple of beaded balls as I need to make more for christmas presents.

If you manage to read this enjoy life, while it still shines and when the rainy season starts, don't live in the memories or regrets but go out and find more sunshine.

Been to see maree about finishing hte BJP pieces for 2009 and have an idea so hoping to find time in the next month to do it. I will then manage to post the pictures of the finished pieces.
Next years work has also been under consideration and extending the inspiration could be my theme.
Diane