New Zealand and countdown to Christmas.

Four days after arriving home from India and Western Australia, I travelled to New Zealand with my son and daughter Inlaw. My daughter Inlaw has taken up a position as a senior lecturer at Canterbury University in Christchurch. This was a perfect opportunity for me to have a few days visiting Marg and Mark whom we had met in 2015, whilst travelling through Soain, Portugal and Morrocco.

I also made a couple of cushions for Marg to enjoy with an Aussie and kiwi symbol.

I had a wonderful three days chatting, sightseeing, drinking and reminiscing about our travels.

Marg has a lovely garden with the best peonies growing.

I also got to meet a lot of their friends, who were all delightful. We also went on a road trip to Geraldine and Ashburton with a visit to Annie's Quilt store and a few shops on the way. On the way home we stopped at a book barn, what an amazing store, books galore, I managed to get some of my Outlander series books.

On the Sunday we travelled to Ashburton to go to a Christmas craft fair, a nice collection of crafts.

After lunch with my son and daughter Inlaw, it was time to go back to Christchurch to travel home late afternoon Thank you Marg and Marc for an awesome few days, see you in Oz next year.

On the return home it was time to start finishing up the year with completion of quilts and Kris Kringle gifts. As this is the first year I will be home for Christmas after retiring in July. We will have a house full of visitors. My youngest sister will travel from Toowoomba with her husband and their daughters will travel from Melbourne and Brisbane, also  my daughter Inlaw will travel from Christchurch.

My Kris Kringle was my brother Inlaw Steven who is amilitary buff,so why not make a quilt, depicting war times. The war of I denounce, WW1, WW2, civil war and modern day, this quilt was a challenge to do as fabrics with a war theme was difficult to obtain.

The result below.

My oldest son commissioned me to make his Kris Kringle gift for his cousin, Rhiannon, she is a "Frida"

Admirer like her aunt, so happy to oblige.

End of year wrap up with our quilting group was a luncheon at my place, everyone contributed to the meal and a great lunch was had by all.

My little grandson is such a delight and he commence daycare one day a week, first visit was not a success due to him getting quite sick which required a visit to the hospital, thankfully he is recovered and no illness since.

Where does the time go, already 15months old.