Blog #79 - Happy Events & Some Progress
Thursday, 17 January 2019
Now over half of my favourite month in a year has passed! The days and weeks are flying by far too quickly.
To continue on from my last blog, this one relates more happenings in the months of November and December of last year. During these months enjoyed some lovely family moments.
The first of these was the Hospice Holly Trail in the middle of November - three days when folk can wander through selected Hawkes Bay homes that have been decorated with majestic floral and Christmas displays and wander through their magnificent gardens.
My lovely cousin’s wife, Merrill, one of her daughters, Anita and her daughter, Daisy from Upper Hutt joined Melissa (daughter), Madison (granddaughter) and myself on this trail.
We had the most wonderful time together! Lots of happy chatter whilst enjoying all the awesome venues.
Group pic shows Madison, Melissa, Merrill, Anita, myself and Daisy
In fact, we had SO much fun and such a great time, that we’ve planned another weekend together with another of Merrill’s daughters and granddaughters (who hadn’t been able to join us as they were busy becoming a grandmother and mothers). We’re all going to stay together at a house in Martinborough and thus attend the Martinborough Fair over the first weekend in March. We are all looking forward to that time!
Towards the end of November I travelled to Upper Hutt for a few days to stay with Merrill and Kevin as I had to visit a Wellington wholesale supplier and purchase products for my planned Christmas exhibition in July 2019.
Whilst there also met up one day with primary school friends - Jocelyn, Marie & Yvonne. Yvonne was visiting from Australia.
Once again lots of chatter and, of course, lots of happy and hilarious memories shared. We truly did have great childhood days.
December was a busy month with all the end-of-year functions. The first Sunday of the month was the ‘shared’ lunch at our home for all the NATTER day girls, another day Melissa and I went out for lunch together to celebrate her birthday and for two days Melissa and I were at Iona College on three separate occasions as it was Madison’s last year - Leavers Chapel Service : Carol Service (Madison taking a part) & Prize Giving Service.
As per last year, Madison again won the cup for Business Excellence.
WHOOPS! I forgot to take a photo!! The pic to the right is last years photo.
She won the leadership cup that year as well as the business one.
Madison is now working to save funds for her two next ventures - April she goes to Fiji as one of the leaders of a group of 50 students who are attending a leadership training course and in September she has been accepted to study business/economics at the Christian “Youth With A Mission” organisation situated in Colorado, USA. She studies for three months and then she, the other students and the tutors travel to a third world country for three months to set up a business for those in that county for them to continue to operate and therefore earn income for themselves. Not sure of Madison’s plans on her return to NZ.
Christmas was at our home this year. Keith and I enjoyed listening to the happy laughter of the family as they watched old videos of when they were babies and growing up.
Over the last few months Keith has been working towards finishing the interior of the new Needlework Gallery.
As a reminder, here are a few pics of when it began being built and it’s progress -
Rooms are now all painted and wallpapered and in a few days time the electrician is coming to connect up all the special lighting and on the 30th of this month the carpet layers arrive to lay the carpet in the gallery display rooms, the storeroom, the design, charts & threads storage room and my office.
I’m not looking forward to moving all the stock from the storage rooms and disconnecting all the computers, printers, etc., dismantling my office and moving all the office furniture to other parts of the house.
As for stitching, I have been working on my ‘challenge’ piece that I wrote about in my last blog. It’s progressing well.
I’m ‘on track’ for getting it finished by the end of January. Pictured below is how it is looking to date
As for the alphabet series - I haven’t forgotten that many of you are patiently waiting for the chart and instructions for your requested letter or letters.
I have finished stitching the front and back of the letter ‘K’ and I’ve made the letter ‘P’ into an ornamental.
So too, made the letters, ‘G’ : ‘H’ : ‘L’ and ‘M’ into ornamentals.
I now have to photograph them for the covers of the designs and write all the instructions for each of them.
In the meantime, below are pics of how the letters ‘K’ and ‘P’ look at the moment -
Note: One can choose to work the letters in other colour combinations
Alternative colour choices are listed in the instructions
Antique Mauve Brethren Blue
Antique Pink Clear Pink
Blue Dusky Pink
Purple Pink
Blue Violet
That’s all for this note.
I sincerely hope you too have had some precious family times
over Christmas and the New Year.
Till next time, enjoy your family and your quiet stitching times.
