Christmas & January....

Well here we are at the end of January already! Where has the month gone? 
We close at work for 3 weeks over the Christmas / New Year holidays so a small holiday was on the agenda as I headed off to Sydney to spend Christmas with the family....mum, dad, 2 sisters and 1 brother-in-law.....(Megan & partner in England and Hayley & partner in Queensland were missed!) 

Christmas lunch preparations under way and I made a trifle large enough to feed an army! 

Over the following few days...... we spent a whole afternoon at Ikea..... tried taking a selfie.....I don't think my arms are long enough!!

Sister Vivien and brother-in-law found a great place for breakfast one morning......a waterfront cafe at Neutral Bay (in Sydney) called Thelma & Louise....

 It was a fairly hot day so a cooler spot was found inside as we enjoyed a relaxing breakfast and the view.....

It was time for retail therapy a few days later so, with both sisters in tow, we spent a day at Myers and finished off with a well deserved ice-cream on the way home......only a "selfie" of ice-creams this time!

During the week in Sydney the Estonian Arts Festival took place with various events spread over a few days  (art show, theatre performances, etc)...we opted to watch the folk dancing and choir performances as my sisters and I, when we were younger and all lived in Sydney and being of Estonian heritage, had taken part in folk dancing events.....

"Happy New Year"! 

New year's day had arrived and my sister, Linda, and I departed Sydney - I was now spending a week at her place on the mid-north coast.... weather even hotter than Sydney!! We filled in the week with some (very) early morning walks near her home.....

 .....catching up with "old" friends over lunch in Gladstone (near Kempsey)....

 .....enjoying lunch at a Miss Nellies Cafe in Kendall .......

.....another lunch out at an "old-world" cafe in Wauchope......

....and a good "old fashioned" hamburger down by the river!

When indoors (away from the heat!) books were read, board games came out and I learnt to make paper flowers! 

So another relaxing week came to an end and just past midnight (!!) I boarded the train to Sydney (where my car was still at mum & dad's place)......

Another few days in Sydney and a day out with mum & dad for lunch.....

Before I knew it 3 weeks had passed and it was time to come home and back to work! 

Mid-January our Botanical Gardens hosted "Shakespeare in the Park" and together with a friend we thoroughly enjoyed a performance of Midsummer Nights Dream performed by a Victorian Theatre company...

This time there is no creativity to show...... a bit of knitting when the evenings are cooler - which has been on the very rare occasion...am knitting a scarf for Megan in England where they have recently had a light dusting of snow.....

And that, my readers, once more brings me up to date...... I leave you with a photo of a small jug bought from a second-hand shop in England way back in September when I visited Megan...now a vase to hold flowers from the garden....

Happy Stitching 

Asta

The Last Couple of Months

Now an update - filling in the last couple of months since returning from my English holiday in September....
In October the family gathered together in Sydney to celebrate Dad's 96th birthday..... 

An annual visit to the Gerringong Quilt Exhibition in November....there were some lovely inspirational quilts on display.....pictures of just a few....

Early December & my sisters & I combined our "creations" and had a stall at.....

I spent a couple of very busy months after my holiday"creating".......X-stitch hand towels, patchwork block mug mats, glasses cases & chickens!!

.....setting up in the hall.....and our colourful stall.....

A few books have been read - between travelling & creating! And.... a few more have been added to my reading  list!!

Before the sewing machine was packed away (for a while) I finally made 2 Christmas pillows from 2 fabric panels bought in Chamonix, France 2 years ago!! Very appropriately, the pillows are backed in French General fabric....it was then time to set up the Christmas tree, decorate the house and display my Santas - now around 60 in number!

The embroidery group I belong to gathered at my place to finish off the year with  Christmas drinks & nibbles......

.....and, while I am now finally up to date with my blog, another festive season approaches - time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas & a Happy, Healthy & Creative 2019!

Asta

England - Final Chapter

Another day, another train trip to London...with weather deteriorating and it wasn't long before the umbrella came out!
Piccaddilly Circus & Regent St.......

 Liberty Shop & the floor with beautiful fabrics & quilts.......

Fascinating Hamleys Toy Store and life-size "Lego" Hagrid in the Harry Potter section!....

Carnaby St and a great sign found outside a bookstore......

On the agenda for the next day was another day in London but with a further deterioration in the weather - really raining and 11 deg a cosy morning at "home" was more appealing and later, between showers, a quick stroll to a local cafe for lunch and a couple of hours spent "lost" in a local bookstore. 

I now only had 2 days left of my holiday and luckily Megan had another couple of days off so with an appearance of blue sky again we decided a trip to Greenwich was the plan for the day...... a train trip to London and a 20 min boat trip up the Thames - spotting some familiar landmarks on the way - and we had reached our destination.....

 In Greenwich Park looking back at the Maritime Museum and London....

 We walked 5-6 kms around Greenwich Park and still did not cover it all........

....the rose garden had 113 varieties of roses! 

My last day had arrived and Ashdown Forest was on my "bucket list"! Known as "An area of Outstanding Natural Beauty", a part of it is also the "real" place where Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh and friends "grew up". AA Milne lived in the nearby village of Hartfield from where he wrote his Winnie the Pooh stories. We did the "long walk" taking us to some of the sites of Pooh's adventures. 

.....Heading down to the "100 acre wood" and route Pooh used to find "North Pole".....

 ....... the "Enchanted Place" and plaque for AA Milne where he and Pooh were said to sit.....

......and beautiful scenery along the way.......

....it was a "grand adventure!".......

Time for a refreshment stop before heading back "home" to pack......

A last farewell to Tunbridge Wells - "home" for 3 (and a bit) weeks of September and as the sun set over South East England we headed for the airport for last goodbyes!

So, readers, that concludes my stories of a wonderful English holiday..... now to plan for the next one! 

Asta