ChrIstmas, family and end of year wrap up.

Christmas came around far to quickly this year and soon it will be the end of 2016. I am looking forward to 2017 as this will be a big year for travel. 

This Is the year that I will indulge my every whim and travel when ever my little heart desires. Retirement will be well and truly underway.

On the lead up to Christmas we have a few annual Celebrations, and this year was no different as we continued on with our traditions.

My eclectic decorations around the house, I went all out, as we have a house full of guests this year

We love to have a Christmas dinner with our great friends and neighbours, we exchange gifts, wine, dine and chew the fat..

Always a great evening.

On the Sunday before Christmas we attended an event in Concord West, another excellent evening with friends and even Santa paid a visit.

Donna's Christmas decorations were amazing as always,

Our Christmas was spent celebrating with family, who travelled from Melbourne, Queensland and New Zealand. This time last of year is very special and a great time for families to come together to reminisce and reflect on how the years have flown by and our children who are now adults and are having families of their own.

On the menu was chilli crab, a favourite dish of ours, and as I have had to work the last few years, it has been missed so this year it is back on the menu.

Friday, DH, my sister, son, Nigel and Steven, travelled over to Cabramatta to do yumcha and seafood and fruit shopping, quite a successful shop with 3 mud crabs purchased as well as prawns.

Esme, my sister who is a wonderful help and a chef in her past life, helped me do the prep on Christmas Eve and everything came together nicely on Christmas Day.

Christmas lunch

Dessert.

On the menu, glazed ham, turducken, (fondly called swine turducken by my son, because it was wrapped in bacon) pork, chilli crab, salads, roasted vegetables, fruit platter and four desserts, so much food and enjoyed by all.

Our breakfast

Table set nicely by Nicholle.

Unwrapping the presents is always met with excitement, our little grandson "Logan" was only interested in standing on the box, so much fun to watch.

The rest of the day was spent eating, drinking, swimming and game playing with cards and Tri-ominos.

My youngest son Alex handcrafted a table for his brother, Nigel, a great undertaking and very well made, well done son !.

Another successful family gathering, now for the new year.

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.

Christmas and Family

 What a frantic year 2014 has been, Xmas has appeared to creep up on me without me knowing, I have hardly had time to think, prepare or make any gifts for Xmas. My quick recap of my Year from

2013 to the end of 2014. Xmas   2013, I worked at NETS and in the evening celebrated with my family and 2 days later jetted off to Chaing Mai and Hong Kong with the family to celebrate NEW Years eve. 

At the time I thought bring on 2014 and now we are nearly at the end.

Hong Kong Disneyland.

On reflection 2014 has been a very productive year with lots of completed quilts, travel and events.

Febuary saw me complete Lucy Boston, "Patchwork of the Crosses" after 19 months and enter for the first time into a quilt show at Springwood. Quickly followed by completion of Polka Dot girls.

Competed Polka Dot Girls!

"Birds in a basket"

My version of the Anne Levens quilt

1,640 hexagons later, now for the borders.

Our trip to Egypt, Greece, Turkey and Dubai, to celebrate DH 60th, in April and May and June.

June and July was busy with organising our inaugural quilt show.

August, my DH turned 60, we celebrated in style at "Osso's".

September, "Quilts on the Downs had a successful weekend, we raised $1,500 for staffy rescue.

October and November,  DH and I travelled to Texas to have 2 great weeks and again visit the Houston quilt show.

November 29th, my eldest son Nigel got engaged.

December, getting ready for Xmas, and our time away in Toowoomba with family.

What Have I been working on with the lead up to Xmas, a few journal covers for friends and family.

This one was made for DH, his choice of photos.

I also made an appliqued sampler, hand quilted and framed for a dear friend for Xmas.

Have a very Merry Xmas and a safe and happy New Year.

Why not leave a comment for the end  of 2014.

Christmas, New Year and Travel.

After a hectic four days at work celebrating  Christmas with my NETS family, it is now time for holidays and quality time with my family. Retrievals were constant over Christmas, but at least we had time to have our baked dinner and enjoy the festive season with our colleagues in between doing retrievals. Christmas is always busy with babies or children requiring some medical attention. In the evening after working I spent time with my family, enjoying Christmas dinner and some of the festivities. I worked until Saturday after Christmas then on Sunday myself, DH, sons and daughter- inlaw flew to Bangkok then onto Chaing Mai to spend 7 days including New Years Eve. 

We arrived in Bangkok after 9 hrs flying, 3 movies later and a heap of hexagons covered, we had a 3 hour wait to board Thai Smiles and fly to Chaing Mai, this flight was only 1 1/2 hrs, we were picked up by our arranged transport and taken to our Hotel. On Sunday's in Chaing Mai, the famous walking markets are held from 4 pm to MN, our hotel is in one of the streets that these markets are held. We arrived in Chaing Mai at 8.30 pm local time ( Sydney time 1230 am, 4 hrs difference). DH sick with flu, opted for bed, Myself, youngest son and daughter- Inlaw went to brave the crowds in the market. I must say I was impressed with the handicrafts! a lot of appliqué and hand sewn goods. We spent  3 hrs at the markets and as it got later the crowds grew and we were all shuffling, to move through the streets, so at this time, as we were exhausted, it was  03.30 am in Sydney we headed back to the hotel to retire for the night.

The hotel itself is called U hotel, so whatever your heart desires, you can get, very happy with the de'core and our own private swimming pool, just outside our room.

Our private swimming pool !

Note the bedside lights, love this de'core, which appeals to my rustic nature.

Monday saw us exploring the streets of Chaing Mai, we walked for hours down to the local markets and viewed some temples on the way and stopped at the Taipei gates to see where we will celebrate New Years Eve.

One of the many temples in Chaing Mai.

In the local markets, lots of pork crackling being cooked and sold.

Local delicacy, Chiang Mai sausage.

Bamboo worms anyone!

Later in the evening we visited a tailor for suits to be made and the kids enjoyed a ride in the local taxi's.

After the tailor off to the Anusam Markets and a seafood dinner.

Where we will celebrate New Year's Eve at the Taipei gates.

Tuesday New Years Eve, booked in for a Thai cooking class, got picked up at 9 am to go to Siam Rice cooking school where we will be taught to cook 3 meals of our choice and and then eat them. A very enjoyable day with some new talents learnt by all. DH did a great job of his meals and our son who is also a chef, took to the task with great relish and perfected each dish.

Shopping at the local markets for our ingredients.

Nam our cooking instructor was very informative.

All geared up and ready to cook, enjoyed the day with some new made friends, Cara was quite the expert with her choice of Penang curry with eggplant.

After the cooking class we went back to the hotel to off load our shopping and the quest was on, to search for the quilt shop that I had seen on our way from the airport to the hotel on Sunday night, this was to be the only free time that we would have to search for the shop on Moonmang Rd, after a lengthy distance of walking the wrong way, decision made, we caught the local transport to get to the shop which turned out to be a lot further than we thought and finally found it, was it worth the search, no but still good to see what the Thai quilters are up to, mainly into small projects, knitting and cross stitch.

The sign that I spotted on the way to our hotel.

Lots of clover products for sale, although prices are dearer here than in Sydney.

Cute pussy cat model with a ball of yarn out the front.

Let New Years Eve celebrations begin, Alex and Cara releasing their lantern and wish for the New year! the sky looked amazing with all the lanterns that had been released.

Our wish and lantern released, let the festivities begin, very blessed to be together with my family, on this great occasion.

A very happy new year to all, from heathton Creations.