Happy New Year

Happy New Year to Everyone!  If you read my blog on occasion, thank you!  

Please indulge me & my need to play with the "fireworks" setting on my camera for the first time!  (next time will be next New Year's Eve I imagine! lol)

Zoo-Riding

 We had a birthday party to go to today.  Was quite fun!  Lots of animals to ride on.

Tricky to get decent pictures of moving targets even at the speeds they were going!  

& yes, I had a turn too!  

Attempt To Finish 2016 Project List

• Complete Christmas Table Runner
• Finish off pieced FG Table topper
• Finish Hats that are cut out
• DJ's Cross Stitch Stocking
• Fairy Cross Stitch
• Knitting my new Yarn for ME
• DONE - Mon Ami Quilt
• DONE - Max New Quilt
• DONE - Reunion Quilt
• DONE - Birdie Quilt
• DONE - DJ's Quilt
• DONE - DJ's Birth Sampler
• DONE - 6 Mill Hill Beaded Ornament

Well that's the list I had up all year.   I did quite a job of completing the quilts at least.  I really have to try to get some cross stitching done in 2017.  

Book List 2016

• The Christmas Surprise - Jenny Colgan : quite nice, not as enjoyable as the first 2.  
• 1st To Die - James Patterson :  audio book.  Had read it before & enjoyed it.  Didn't remember it much so thought I would start over the series again.  
• Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop - Jenny Colgan : enjoyable read.  
• The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion : got into it eventually, & enjoyed it.  Got my 33 cents worth anyway!  lol
• One Good Turn - Kate Atkinson : audio book.  Good again, but complicated to follow.  
• The Dandelion Years - Erica James : Nice book.  Enjoyed this one a lot.  
• Case Histories - Kate Atkinson : audio book.  Enjoyed this.  Had to keep up with listening else I would have had to start over again I think.  
• The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris - Jenny Colgan : loved this & now need to go to Paris & eat chocolate.
• The Tenderness of Wolves - Stef Penney : Something really different & bought on a whim.  Quite enjoyed it.
• A Deadly Dealer - Ellery Adams :  audio book, again sewing.  A good series of simple mysteries.  
• A Fatal Appraisal - Ellery Adams :   audio book, again while sewing.  
• A Killer Collection - Ellery Adams : audio book.  Another enjoyable mystery while sewing.  
• Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams - Jenny Colgan:  enjoyable chick book that was nice to read after busy hectic days.
• Mercy Street - Tess Evans : enjoyed this one.  Lovely story.
• The Reader on The 6.27 0 Jean-Paul Didierlaurent:  This was a really strange book.  Thank goodness it was short.  
• A Spool Of Blue Thread - Anne Tyler :  disappointed in this one,  I struggled to read it & have never had this with one of her books.  
• The Husband's Secret - Liane Moriarty :  quite enjoyed this.  
• Before You Know Kindness - Chris Bohjalian :  audio book.  Not a bad story.
• A Pinch Of Poison - Claudia Bishop : audio book.  Sewing again.  
• Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell :  an interesting cheap read I picked up.  
• The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window & Disappeared - Jonas Jonasson : audio book but thoroughly enjoyed this one.  Really laughed a lot.  Will read it properly one day.  
• A Dash Of Death - Claudia Bishop :  audio book another simple one to sew too.
• A Taste For Murder - Claudia Bishop : audio book - mindless fun story to listen too again while sewing.  
• The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe - Mary Simses:  Enjoyed this one.
• Rainy Day Kisses - Debbie Macomber :  First one in a while as an audio book.  Enjoyable mindless while sewing.
• The Light Between Oceans - M.L Stedman  :  Gift from Stuart last Christmas.  Struggled at first but quite enjoyed it in the end.  

Quite an interesting list this year.  Much longer than usual as I have been able to manage quite a lot more with the inclusion of the books I have listened to at home while sewing or knitting.  The library is a great resource for these to borrow directly online.  What a great service.  

Do you have any favourites that you would recommend?  Or what is on your reading list for 2017?

Resting

With the excitement of Christmas over we all came crashing down in a heap.  Lots of nothing as it was also so hot on Boxing Day...  

Also a play at the beach with the metal detector.  No treasure to be found though.  Just an awful lot of drift wood still on the beach as far as one could see.  It's been there since the floods in June.  A few tepees in a row that DJ made use of.  Lots of fun & of course getting wet through.  

52/52

A portrait of my boys once a week for a year.

Christmas Day happy!

Quilt Top Is DONE!!!

Almost Done!!!

Second last round is on!!!

Week 52!

Wow!  I got them done tonight.  It was too hot to go to bed!  So I sewed.

The last 8 squares are done!!!

Bye Douglas and Maggie

Gee, where did the time go? It's time for our little friends to leave already!  It's been quite a joy this time seeing them here.  The boys have loved them visiting again, They haven't been too much trouble & made too much mess for us.

Day 21
Hmmm...  wrapping up the TV.  Well that didn't impress anyone much but they'll survive!  lol

Day 22

I was so excited.  We got out new kitchen stools.  I got to pick them up & assemble them the day before.  I guess it is kind of fitting that Doug & Maggie wrapped them as they are our Christmas present to each other.  :-)   

Day 23

A game of chess!  Fancy that.  It's been personalised.  Oh it is very cute.  Definitely a favourite.  BJ thought it was cool.  It's his game.  

Day 24

Wow, the month has past.  Douglas & Maggie will leave tonight.  They left a couple of cute things.  They put a photo in some Christmas snowglobes for the boys.  They will love those all year.  & a Santa music box which is pretty.  A nice addition to our Christmas ornament collection too.  Lovely. 

It's been lovely having them to stay again.  Can't believe it is time for them to go already!  

Mountain Ranges

The borders are on the way...  just have to finish off some of the sewing.

Another Crossed Off

I had been procrastinating over this one.  Working on it in dribs & drabs.  Crazy me got it done inbetween all the running around at last so it could be gifted.  Done so suddenly I had gifted it without getting a photo first!  lol  I wasn't entirely happy with it & the fabrics in it but couldn't find anything else I liked better so went with it & well, it's not so bad after all.

Week 51!!!

Oh this is getting a wee bit exciting now.  Totally up to date.  Excuse the crazy looking chook!  lol

Elf Fun Continues

Day 16

Seems Douglas & Maggie have been taking pictures around the house with the boys camera.  Pictures on each of our beds & with their toys.  He stuck one set on the wall & the other was sitting on the table.  

Day 17

Far out, now he's getting rough.  Bringing a chainsaw inside is really pushing it.  Fancy chopping down our tree!!!  

Day 18
Ok Douglas, we get the hint.  You want us to make gingerbread biscuits.  Thanks for that.  Like I don't have enough to do!!!

So we did of course!!!  I also made a batch of lemon cordial, lemon slice & marshmallows.  But that can all wait until the next day before I do anything further...  

Day 19

Awww...  Douglas & Maggie gave me a hand this time.  They got the tray of marshmallow out of the fridge & cut them into Christmas tree shapes & coated them with green!  That's a big help as that was one less job for Monday...  Christmas party food is ready to go.  

Day 20
Douglas & Maggie made the boys lunches.  Sounds like it was really exciting.  I heard later that they had put some treats in the lunch box, made wraps, decorated a gingerbread cooker from the other day, put in new things, wrapped the box in Christmas paper, wrapped the apples in each, they even made jelly & wrapped the jelly up.  All that is hiding inside their bag here.  How fun are Doug & Maggie!!!