The End of the Year

Shades of green as the trees brave the wind, it ruffles their leaves and small branches.
The chestnut tree shades the lawn, perfect on a hot day.
The weeping silver pear tree has those delicate fronds that wave gently,
showing clearly the wind direction.
The Fern has bright lime green fronds, that shone in the dim light.




This little cottage near Cromwell was aptly named “SOD COTTAGE” and
 I wondered was it built with sods in the foundations  or was it named after the hard work.
No power, no running water, I didn’t see the smaller outhouse, maybe it has
fallen to the ground. How cold it must have been in those  Otago Winters.
If this was in an earlier post, sorry, but I feel there will be such a story behind those
stone walls, and could not resist showing it  again  today.

www.therasberryrabbits.com ,  has embroidery designs, with a series of hearts,  free to download. 12 different hearts, with squiggly lines all set to try the stitchers skills.
I started to do the stitching by hand, decided I didn’t like it, so finally did it by machine with  variegated thread.
Another website I saw ages ago gave instructions to make a firm box, inserting stiffening between the lining and the outer fabric. I thought it would be fun to do.Not much fun at all, so this will be a one-off!!!

I guess it will be OK for knitting,or something else!!!



My last sewing for 2011,  and I look at the calendar and wonder what will the New Year  bring?
This year has had happiness, sadness, earthquakes,floods, fires, and more.Here within our own family, and with  our Japanese host daughter, with  Hugh’s cousin in Perth,  and with  his brother in Queensland.  My wish list for 2012 would be impossible to be granted. World Peace..no Earthquakes, no Flooding, No bush fires. No war, or fighting,or child abuse.
So I will be very content  with my days at home, time to sew and quilt, time to travel, some photography, and keeping in touch with my blogger friends, some old, some very new, some I know or have  met, others I might never get to meet but already  feel a friendship that cannot be described.
We share, we care, we write, and we read,emails, blog posts and phone calls that make every day so worthwhile.
If this is what 2011 has to offer, what will there be in 2012???

Very Happy New Year Wishes to everyone.

Quotation of the day,  from Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron, Poet Laureate, 1809-1892

“ And the sun went down, and the stars came out far over the summer sea”

New Year Greetings from Jean