I know that I say this every December but where on earth did the last 12 months go! It seems to have passed us by quicker than ever which I am not quite sure that I like that much.....especially when you have less years ahead of you that behind you. Blogging tradition dictates that I do a recap of what I did during the year. I actually like scrolling through my posts and reading about what filled in my days, weeks and months.......so here is a snap shot of my journey through 2016.
The year started off as usual.....I don't do New Year's Eve parties or the like. There seemed to be a lot of blogging about our vegetable growing exploits, and with Russell's new found love of 'growing what you eat' we had a great variety to show everyone. We started our Farmers Wife Stitch-a-long Group, meeting on the fourth Friday of the month.....I managed to finish the year with 31 completed blocks so I was pretty pleased with myself.
February is pretty much preparation month for the Heytesbury Show, but I managed to give weekly updates on the Watermelons and how fast they were growing. We have more planted this year but not sure how they will go as the weather hasn't been as hot for them.
March started off with Heytesbury Show, in the middle saw 48 ladies enjoy a weekend of stitching at my Stitching by the Sea Retreat in Port Campbell, and finished off with our 3 month old VW Golf getting rear ended on the Monash Freeway in Melbourne and getting written off.
April......well what can I say. Georgia turned 1 and we had a family BBQ and get together to celebrate. Of course AQC was on, it is such a big lead up and lots of work getting ready for this event. Although it is very busy and very tiring, it is always lovely to catch up with customers that I only see at these events. We were only home for a week and Hannah and I had our bags packed and we were off again on our second big USA trip. First to Mexico and then to the US, ending up in Salt Lake City in May for Spring Quilt Market. I am glad that I fly Qantas with the 43kg baggage allowance on the way home.......42.5kg.....phew just made it! May was also the month that Mum ended up in hospital and came to the realisation that she wasn't able to stay in her own home and look after herself.
June saw the return of Throw Back Thursdays........due to the discovery of lots more new and embarrassing photos of myself while cleaning out Mum's house. Lenora and I held our second Friendship Frolic, much to the delight of the ladies who attended. And yes it's on again in 2017!
After 8 weeks in hospital, Mum moved into Lovely Banks in Cobden in July. She settled in well which was great to see, and we continued to clean up the house and find lots of lost and forgotten treasures. I took the shop on the road to Adelaide for the second year to the Sewing, Stitching and Handcraft Show. It was a nice break for us, taking a couple of extra days after the show to see a little bit more of SA. I have booked to return again in 2017 and it will be bigger and better with the SA Quilt Guild holding their annual Quilt Show at the same time/venue. The highlight of 2016 happened in July when I got to see Prudence Jeffery's hexagon quilt at the NGV in Melbourne. I honestly could have stood there all day and just looked at it. I was so happy that I could take some photos of it and also have my photo taken in front of the quilt. My biggest disappointment is that I didn't have these photos in 2012 when I wrote my pattern book.
August is always a write off with making a gazillion bags for the ladies attending the Stitch in Spring. Every year I promise myself that I will start making them in March and every year I start in August.....this year??? The launch of my new online website happened in August. Although there have been a few little hiccups, in the most it has been very good. I am navigating my way around the 'behind the scenes' stuff quite well now, and try hard not to press the wrong buttons too often! Let's just say their Help Desk is very good!
Whenever September is mentioned I only think of one thing.......Stitch in Spring. 2016 was the sixth year I have run this event and I am just finalising the plans for the seventh in 2017. September was also the month when Mum's health took a turn and she ended up back in hospital, and it was also the month when we said goodbye to our family home in Timboon. I sold it privately for Mum and the settlement was short which made it a very busy month clearing our everything. The new couple have done a wonderful job sprucing it up and it is nice to drive past and seeing it continuing to be loved.
I am wishing that we could have skipped October altogether this year.....it started off with lots of stitching and fabric. Mum came home from hospital but really wasn't well. Her health declined quickly. We spent the last few days sitting with her, trying to comfort her and not being able to do anything when she told me that she just wanted to die. She was transferred to Warrnambool on the Monday night to Palliative Care and at 4.05am on the Wednesday morning she slipped away. I am crying as I sit here typing this but I think it is important to include it....maybe not for you but for me. You see I have decided to get my Blog printed into a book.....something that can be kept forever. It is after all a story of my life and although I don't include everything in my blog it is a huge part of my life.....good and bad. I sent away and got the 2015 year printed, just to see what it was like and now I would like to get the rest done.
Next is November......as a way for me to cope with missing my Mum, and as she was a great gardener, I thought that it was time for me to get back into my own garden and pull it back into shape......so the work started......and is continuing.....and will do for a long time. I have a big garden! Jodie and I had a special day out in Melbourne as we attended the stage show Kinky Boots. Jodie is a Christmas tragic so really enjoyed the visit to the Ambiance gift shop, which is filled to the brim with Christmas stuff. It was lovely day with a lovely friend.
And I guess that that brings us to December.....which of course we are still in.....but not for very much longer. There was my Christmas Sale, and mulch. Stitching, and mulch. My birthday, and mulch. Christmas, and you guessed it mulch!
Well I hope that you have enjoyed my snap shot of 2016. I wish everyone a safe and happy New Year, and hope that 2017 is much better than 2016 for us all.
Linda :)