Christmas Stitching ....

So lots of time to stitch over the Christmas actually almost  5 days well with a bit of eating between times of course.
I arrived at the camp ground on Friday a day before the family so I had a whole glorious day on the Saturday ...I just sat watching the world go by and stitched ...

Now I have loads of UFO's in lovely plastic zip folders would be embrassed to say how many but here are a very very  small sample ..

So what did I do in my infinate wisdom ...yeah you guess I started something new ...

I had picked up an old NZ stitching magazine at Guild someone was passing them out before they went to the local Op shop and there was a pattern by Sharon Cohen in it for a Elizabethan Sweet Bag
Sharon Cohen of The Nostalgic Needle specialises in reviving historical hand embroidery techniques
- especially those used in Elizabethan times. So here it is her sample not mine.....

So I decided yes ! that was what I would do it is ony 4 x 4 inches so small enough to cart about with you ... I have a nice bright pink box that I use for my stitching while in the campervan it fits nicely between the seats and stores well when travelling ...

Luckily I had all the threads required with a bit of help from a friends thread collection and the fabric was in my stash just waiting for this particular project to come along ... most of this  is worked in 1 thread over 32 count linen. ... thus the need for magnify specs over my glasses. So a long way to go yet,    here is progress so far....

Happy New Year

2012  is just about here, where has this last year gone ... was only a week ago I was rushing around to go away for Christmas and now it is almost gone and forgotten already. I had a great time with the daughter and her husband and grandkids .. weather was just glorious ... and I guess we ate to much it always seemed to be meal time, but that is what you get with children ... seems they have to eat regularly, amazing how you get out of the habit when there is only you and you can please yourself.

We had the Traditional Christmas Dinner for Ben as requested we had to have it in the evening as the kitchen at the campgrounds was full up by 9am with people organising their Christmas lunch. So we decided evening would be good and not so much hassle as it would have quietened down by then.
But we did the whole 9 yards, candles, crackers, and all the trimmings, both boys seemed to enjoy it, I know we adults did.

On the way to the Caravan around 6pm  I stopped off at Bethlehem, ( no not the Israel one ) this one is outside of Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty, they have built a lovely shopping mall there all outside so you do not feel as though you are trapped with the shops,  an advert caught my eye for a " Night before Christmas Concert and celebration" so I stayed around and at 7.30pm it started it was put on by  combined Churches it told the original story of Christmas and had music Christmas songs and Carols telling the original Christmas story, there must have been 1000 people there, it was all finished off by a firework display ... it was a great start to my Christmas, as the real meaning sometimes get lost in the celebrations.

So now it is New Year 2012 I am sort of pleased to see it, this year has had a few ups and downs but things will be different starting tomorrow a clean slate as they say.

So I wish you all a prosperous and Happy New Year

I know still here...

I know not supposed to be here again ... but thought I would just catch up  as I sit and disconnect the computer to pack it in it's bag ready to go.

When I read my daughters blog posting for today ...

So all you folks who have fond memories of a Northern Hemisphere Christmas visit  HERE  and be prepared to have your heart strings pulled ......

These snowmen are for Kathryn ..... with love from Mum xxx

Merry Christmas Everyone

Here he is again beavering away just as I imagine you all doing to get those last minute things done.

I think I am already ... well to an extent. I have organised the Neighbours to feed Chivers him being the VIP  in this household, 

 I have cleaned the campervan and almost packed it, just a few pressies to deliver tomorrow and then food shopping .. I am then off to the beach with Kathryn and family.
I may even go a day early .. can't see any reason to just sit here waiting for the next day to arrive ... there that is the child in me talking ... I think as old as you get year by year Christmas always holds an element of magic.

Ben 8, has requested a traditional "Christmas Dinner" We guess he has been watching to much TV and DVD's  etc.

So we are going to cook him one in the kitchen  at the campsite ... wish us luck. I think we have remembered every thing the Crackers, candles, napkins and oh! the turkey ... but sorry Ben it is a very large chicken we just did not think we could manage to cook turkey at a campsite.

I will be back in about 5 days ....    so I wish you all

Just in case you have time ... Cookies.

How cute are these .. while "surfing blogs" I found these here    COOKIES
So if you have time or need something for "little's" to keep them amused over the holidays why not give it ago.

Christmas decorations …they are up

Okay Christmas has arrived at my house
Sorry that the pictures are not great …seems to be a flash problem in different areas of the house

The tree that hangs on the wall

 The window lights from Denmark in  1970 ..... One  in every window of the house.

 

A  china Santa and snowmen from
“ THE 1 ”   an American Store in Dubai, I just love these guys...

Suffolk Puff Christmas Trees


A Bough that hangs on the wall again from America …. the same decorations every year are put on to it … do you think I am stuck in a groove ?
Shame it did not photograph well ....

 So I made it got them up today Phew !!!  ... it is almost 10pm Hugs Laurie

Christmas Decorations

Some how one way or another Christmas has crept up on me and I have not even gotten around to putting up any decorations.

So this post is to make me feel guilty and move my A into G tomorrow and do them ... then post again with pictures ... so if you do not see a post from me with decorations tomorrow please drop me a line to give me a shove in the right direction.

Oh! what a day....

Oh! what a day yesterday was  ...  hope to never have to repeat it ..... will be one of those days that will live on in the memory for ever.

As I said in the previous post I went to the funeral ... in torrential rain from start to finish this was  including graveside service ..... I came home to change and had to hang everything up to dry including shoes as I stepped out of the car the water was above my ankles at the  funeral parlour by the side of the drive .... I just did not see it.

So dry and dressed now for a celebration I left the house for the  drive to the wedding ... may be three quarters of an hours drive  on a normal day ...  but it was still torrential rain falling..
I drove for  30minutes to reach  the Mangorewa/Kaharoa Gorge on SH36 (Tauranga Direct and Pyes Pa roads) between Rotorua and Tauranga ... which would have normally taken  15 mins max.  the water had been getting deeper as I drove,  but of course as soon as I hit the hills leading up to the gorge at Kaharoa the water was coming towards me at a rate of knots ... cars were beginning to aquaplane and it was difficult to control the car in a straight line ...  by this time I was now approaching  the gorge and I finally decided this was not on  and I would have to abandon the drive to the wedding and find somewhere to turn around and head home .... I had to continue through the gorge as there was no place or likely hood of turning around ... finally found a gravel entrance and did a 30 point turn in the narrow space ( same as other drivers were doing) and headed back home.

I was devastated that I did not get to the wedding ... but I was really glad to be home and safe .... so after something to eat I finally  packed myself of to bed with the electric blanket on to watch The Australian series  " The Man from Snowy River "  I have the complete boxed set of the programme, I loved it when I first saw it  first time  around   ???    that many years ago, and when I saw it in the Warehouse I just had to treat myself to it.

I really will be glad when 2012 arrives I have a feeling that 2011 has been nothing but small disasters for me one way and another. Luckily none of  them have been to serious, just enough to make a nuisance of themselves.

Windows Live Writer …

I have just found this way of adding to your blog
From Jean visiting from  Marton who is
All points of the compass

It is just great no more fiddling with photo's in blogger and I think I am going to enjoy this ...
A few things to sort out so will sort it like signature etc.

Hugs Laurie

How do you cope with this .....

I have had an invite to a wedding of Jodie and Jamie for today 17th December ....They have only been in NZ for a couple of years and have made their home in Rotorua, Jodie is the Great niece of my sister in law Janet.  I was so pleased to be invited  a few months back....... have been looking forward to it.

BUT ... on Tuesday this week a dear friend lost her son Andrew after a very short illness he was just 32 yrs old the world was his oyster he was a great Graphics Teacher at Scots College in Wellington where they had great things lined up for him including head of dept.

 Andrew

I am sure you have guessed my predicament by now ...Yes! the funeral was at 1pm today and the wedding is also this afternoon.
It has been one of the worst  mind searching days I have spent .... with  many hours debating which I should go to ... or can I conceivably go to both with a bit of juggling.

So here I am back from the most saddest funeral I have ever been to ...  trying to get in the mood to go to the wedding in about an hour .. may be the wedding is what I need to lift me from my gloom... so although it is  the wettest day of the year for this district I am off to the wedding taking place in a garden setting ... hopefully I will have some pictures later this evening.

Today is 15th ...Santa Sack Day

Santa Sack swap ... today is the day to open our gifts.
But I would like to keep some for Christmas morning so I am going to open just a few...
Tra la la ...... drum roll ....   boom boom boom.....  and here they are

From Cheryll in Australia I received....

A Santa Sack



Today I opened......

Five little bags of lace and ribbons etc.

A Sweet note book

Some Christmas Fabric

A lovely wolly scarf / collar ready for next winter

A Leather thimble ( how did you know about my Arthritis lumps)

and that I need one of these.

A magnifier needle threader ( yeap! need one of those)

A neat draw string bag with the little pockets inside to keep these things in.

There are lots more gifts to open but will save them like a good girl till Christmas morning so the Grandsons can enjoy seeing Grandma open her presents as well.

Thank you so much Cheryll

What can a proud Mum Say .........

How great to have such thoughtful and caring off spring.

What can a proud Mum say about her Children ...

I will not repeat it all to you

so I will leave it to my daughter to tell you it all .... go and see her HERE

.

Quilts of Michele Hill .. missing !!!!

These type of posts make your heart stop with shock that there are such people around who would steal things going through the post .....
Michele Hill of South Australia has had some boxes go missing  with in the postal service .. it is a lot easier for her to discribe what has happened so please go over to Michele's blog and look at her pictures and read her story.

Horray !!! I can report

Yes !! I can report that today's morning tea was fairly healthy ... with cheese and biscuits, cucumber sandwiches and sausage rolls  plus of course the inevitable cakes but I was able to dodge them.

BUT there was a great fudge slice ...  the  lady who made it was there and I obtained the recipe, so I give it to you, not a good one for the waist or hips ...  sorry.

1 Can Condensed Milk
8 ozs Butter
6 ozs Brown sugar
1 pkt Rich tea or wine biscuits or any plain biscuit really
4 ozs chopped Apricots ( dried)
1 oz chopped Crystallised Ginger ( optional)

Melt the butter, sugar and milk in medium pan
Stir in crushed biscuits and Apricots and ginger if using.
Pour into a greesed shallow dish to cool
Place in fridge until set

You can ice the top or sprinkle with coconut before it sets you can also add chocolate to the milk if that is your choice ... you can also change the fruit to suit your taste.
Can be made ages before it is required .... will keep for a few weeks ... If the family will allow it.

I expect most of the Kiwi's who read this will say ... had it many times ... so we will ignore them and it is for all my friends overseas ... hope you enjoy it.