Christmas Has Come and Gone.....

Well here it is Boxing Day - Christmas is a memory - always a busy build up and gone in a wink.

I didin't make any Christmas gifts this year. I have been working and along with keeping up with the watering and the everyday chores I didn't have time to be making and for once I didn't push myself into doing it!!!

The end of the year is always so busy with CWA - Annual Group Conference, Branch Conference, Christmas Party and putting together our Annual donation to our local hospital Children's ward.

Each year we make pillowslips for the children to take home - christmas prints and everyday prints. We also make bags and put together activity items (pencils, colouring books etc) and emergency personal care bags (deoderants, soap, toothbruch, toothpaste & tissues). 

The children love them, the parents are grateful when their children receive them and the nurses are always happy to see us come through the door laden with our bags of goodies. Our problem is that we always leave it to the end of the year to do the making and collecting. So next year a couple of us are going to start the sewing in January!!!

I did manage to do a little bit of felting - Felted Soaps that a few friends ordered to give as christmas gifts. I really enjoyed doing these - I haven't done any felting for years - the bug has bitten and I plan to get back into it during 2019. 

We have been fortunate to have our sweet mum with us for another Christmas. This photo was taken at lunch time at the nursing home. She had a great time at the Christmas Lunch but by late afternoon when I picked her up to have Christmas tea with us she had forgotten about it..... and slept on a lounge chair for most of the time. She is slowly fading away from us - dementia is a horrid end to a beautiful gentle life.

I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas shared with your loved ones and friends.

A Little Bit More

And just like that Christmas is only 6 days away!! And it is hot - predicted 40 degreea here today so a hot christmas coming up. I freely admit I don't like summer - autimn and spring preferably and winter over summer.

QUESTION: I am not receiving any of my comments in my email account which means I cannot reply to the lovelies that comment on my posts - anyone have any suggestions of how to fix this!!

I went shopping a couple of weeks ago - not fabric or yarn or anything crafty!!

Anyone would think I like Pelargoniums.... well I do..... so hardy and always green and a splash of colour.

These have been flowering too - I gave up on my garden early this year when it didn't get watered while I was working all day through last summer and 2 labradors dug out plant after plant after plant. I am back into it now but taking a while for things to get going. Pottering about outside is relaxing and my thinking or zoning out time. I have also recently started relocating my vegie garden - all pots or raiused beds now and right out the back door.

Some of the roses are continuing to bloom.

always something on the cutrus trees.

I have spent a lot of time potting up cuttings - many from friends I have been dropping in on.

Have also made each of the youngest grandies a cactus garden and a succulent garden so they have something to enter in the show next year - hopefully they all grow and look fabulous!!

Thank goodness I have a pot house situated next to a shady tree - all of the overflow pots are under the tree. It is a 'farm job' - rustic and sturdy!!! An old cattle crate from an old truck - youngest son put shelves in for me and I covered it in shade cloth. I am eyeing off another old cattle crate also - it would be put to good use in my care!!!lol

That will just about do for this post. I have done other things with my time - crafting, cooking and working - more on some of those next post.

And a Little Bit More of my Year

Sweet Mother it is hot today!!!! 37deg yesterday and 38 today - windy, dusty and hot!! There are supposed to be thunderstorms, rain, and hail this afternoon but the Riverina is so big that could be anywhere from here to the Sth Australia border, here to Wagga or here to the Victorian border!!! Oh well, had better get used to it - summer is coming and this is just a sample!!

Preserving has been happening on and off throughout the year.

Apricots for Apricot Butter

Mangos for Mango Chutney

Tomato Relish

Jam Melon Pickles

Jam Melon

Jam Melon as it came. 

I was given 3 of these and made melon & Pineapple Jam, Melon lemon & Ginger Jam and Melon Pickles - Jam Melon is like Choco - it takes on whatever flavour is put with it - an old time fruit not often seen today.

The melon creartions all ready to go on the CWA Trading Table.

March seen me busy with a new event for Griffith CWA - an 'Old Time Picnic'.

A lot of the activities only cost the kids/parents $2 and they could do as many of the activities that they wanted to.

Above the kids are potting up a succulent to take home.

Decorating Arrowroot Biscuits - I don't think many of these made it home.

As I said not many made it home!!!

The Griffith Shed For men provided a stand with free hammer, nail and paint activities. There was also Old fashined kids games - tunnel ball, tug'o'war etc and market stalls.It was so successful and emjoyed by so many that we have started planning next years - and peoplwe are already asking when we will be having it!!

 

Another finished piece of craft - a teapot cosy that only took 3 years to make!!!lol!1

Father, 3 sons and 1 grandson - I think this was a 13yr old Abbey's birthday!!

 

Can you guess it is Mulberry time!!! And some just loves them!!!

Abbey, Hope and Ollie at a kids Craft Day

Proud Dad with Abbey after she received an awrd at school for Rugby League - yes Rugby League or Rugby Union are her forte and most loved games to play - mixes it with the boys equally! And hits harder than most of them!!

Hard having to wait for everyone to sit and start eating. A little bit on a finger isn't eating is it??!!