Lake Rotorua

I am lucky to live with in  a few yards / meters of Lake Rotorua
So to the people who have asked for pictures here goes....
most taken from the landing point at the end of the street. Also a little way around the lake where you can walk..... unfortunately a lot of the land is privately owned and no access.

We have black swans and Canada geese...ducks by the million....pukekos and birds of every shape and size. and lovely sunsets... and wonderful sparkles across the lake when the moon is full.

Installment 2 mainly photo's

The theme of the weekend was Mid Winter Christmas, here is

 Jill ( Cottage Flair) done up like and angel.

There was decorations all around the room one that appealed to me was this wrought iron tree covered in had made decorations

This is the project for the weekend from Rosalie as I said mine will be done at home so this is a picture of her sample. Also a picture of the doll that could have been made on the day.

The great thing is we have all these patterns to do at a later date, including this bag

Finally a picture of the crew taken when they said good bye over the balcony that was inside the main building very Romeo and Juliette....

So here is my small stitchery that I finished in the middle of the night last night when I couldn't sleep.

Finally a view across Lake Taupo at dawn

Where do you start

Where do you start to tell you about a fabulous weekend ... may be if I tell you I was so tired when I got home yesterday evening that I actually went to bed at 8.30pm... that will give you an idea how full on the weekend was.
Food, tea and coffee was high on the agenda and it kept coming... the top of the tree was chocolate bars for afternoon tea... what and how could a room full of girls want for more. Just to let you know that there was fresh fruit available  also which was nice and refreshing.
The venue and the resort  (which is a timeshare resort) was lovely  each  one was a complete house two bedrooms and bathrooms, kitchen and living area...not that we saw a lot of the accommodation. The first night  quite a few groups stitched late into the night, it was round 10pm when my group disappeared to bed.
It was a very cold weekend but we were warm and toastie.

A view of the lake from the balcony.

Some lovely ladies on our table Jenny and Jane from Fielding and Wellington

Mhairi, Pam from Cambridge, Jenny and Rosalie giving tips on stitches.

Leanne and her quilt lay out. This part of the weekend really appealed to me and I managed a block so I have the concept in my head.

Leanne does all of her quilt designs on this basic 15 inch block system, just tweeking bits in each block and turning  each complete block a 1/4 turn to change the look and adding stitching and applique. Also by making the smaller  blocks into traditional blocks. Once you have the basic block any thing is possable as you can see from her quilts....

Rosalie  is the stiching and design queen, the main stitchery she designed for the New Zealand retreats

I decided to leave until I can start it here at home so I decided to do a couple of her small designs that I will add to my quilt..... I hope you re read that part ...MY QUILT yes!  this weekend has started my jucies running again for my patchwork.

So here is a view of my stitching ready to go, this is a small stitchery from Rosalie...   

I think that is enough for today so tune in tomorrow for episode two.

I am home

I am home and whee!! wow!! what a weekend.
Leanne and Rosalie were such great fun, with 65 people at the retreat they had their work cut out.
Now it is time to reflect as my brain is buzzing with ideas, so watch this space tomorrow.

Jill from Cottage Flair and Katherine from Cloth Shop made these great bags for us all.
Sorry that the photo is not the best they are difficult to capture on camera, so have done my best.
Thanks a million Jill and Katherine.

Ok I am all packed

Okay, I am all packed and it is now time to go to bed as have a very early start in morning,   we have to drive at least 2 hours and the  forcast is for a bad frost  also the road to Taupo can be foggy as well  as ice in places..
News of the weekend on Monday.

A Friday funny

Funny if you don't happen to live in UK

I am not old - just mature

I received this today in an email and thought you would like it those of you who are of my era

"author unknown"

I'm Not Old. Just Mature

Today at the Drugstore, the clerk was a gent.
From my purchase this chap took off ten percent.
I asked for the cause of a lesser amount;
and he answered, because of the Seniors Discount.

I went to McDonald's for a burger and fries;
And there, once again, got quite a surprise.
The clerk poured some coffee which he handed to me.
He said, For you, Seniors, the coffee is free.

Understand---I'm not old---I'm merely mature;
But some things are changing, temporarily, I'm sure.
The newspaper print gets smaller each day,
and people speak softer---can't hear what they say.

My teeth are my own (I have the receipt.),
and my glasses identify people I meet.
Oh, I've slowed down a bit...not a lot, I am sure.
You see, I'm not old...I'm only mature.

The gold in my hair has been bleached by the sun.
You should see all the damage that chlorine has done.
Washing my hair has turned it all white,
But don't call it  gray...saying blond is just right.

My friends all get older...much faster than me.
They seem much more wrinkled, from what I can see.
I've got character lines, not wrinkles...for sure,
But don't call me old...just call me mature.

The steps in the houses they're building today
Are so high that they take...your breath all away;
And the streets are much steeper than ten years ago.
That should explain why my walking is slow.

But I'm keeping up on what's hip and what's new,
And I think I can still dance a mean boogaloo.
I'm still in the running...in this I'm secure,
I'm not really old...I'm only mature

Youth is a Gift of nature. Age is a work of art.

--Unknown

2 More Sleeps

Just 2 more sleeps...
The fabric is packed and any sewing notions needed..

Clothes who needs them...but for the sake of modesty I had better pack a few along with a tooth brush.