We have just returned from a ten day visit home.

What Joy!

To very dear, Family and Friends who loved, cherished and cared for us during our stay, thank you. I am so very grateful for your warm embraces, the commerarderie and the ties that bind. Something I will always miss living so far from you all, back at home.

As we approached for landing from the North, I eagerly searched for familiar images of of my hometown. How lovely it was to see sights of Sydney, emerge from the clouds.
A very familiar landmark, the Gladesville bridge, appeared below.

We connected with a flight to Port Macquarie a couple of hours after arriving in Sydney. We went to visit our son, his wife and 'our Famous Five,' the children.
Naturally they have grown ever so, are delightful, loving and were very happy to see us. It has been three years since we saw them all, so it was a very special time for us, after so long away. I am eternally grateful for the telephone and internet however, nothing compares to a welcoming smile, enfolding embrace, & eyeballing a loved one, large or small.

Their home looked so pretty and picture perfect, within the beautiful foliage surrounding the property. It is approximately 40klms from town and is very quiet and peaceful. Amazingly, I coped with the heat of 32C for the latter part of the trip. Thankfully, being gently eased to those figues after the first couple of days.

The countryside of New South Wales was looking so vibrant, dressed in luscious green, compared to the drought coloured hues of the time we left, to live across the sea.

We then travelled on the XPT to Newcastle, for a short stay of a couple of days. We stayed with one of my many wonderful cousins, & her husband, enjoying their warm, generous, hospitality & lovely home near the sea amongst the beautiful bushland. All treasured sights for me. A dinner was arranged so we could see many other family members. To my delight, two of my favourite Aunts and Uncles arrived, along with some of their children, & grandchildren. It was a very special family evening. After another great day with them, checking some of the suburb of my teenage years, we left for Sydney to stay with a dear friend for three nights. During that time we were able to catch up with yet another favourite Aunt and cousin, driving to Gosford to meet up for lunch. We met with several other friends for lunches or dinners, before moving on to stay with more friends, at Wahroongah. We spent a great evening and part of the next day, with them before heading to stay with DD#2 at Mosman. Sadly, our last evening at home. Our son was back in Sydney so the four of us celebrated dinner at Balmoral Beach. The idea being, to enjoy the views of golden sand on a tree lined beach, a beautiful harbour setting & the sweet taste of Australian prawns. Some of which, are not readily available here in Wellington.

It was all over far too soon.

I would return to Sydney in a heartbeat if I could cope with the high temperatures of summer. Unfortunately, we would not be close to any of our GC. Travel from Sydney would be approximately the same time away from both families, about five hours. Here, I am near two of the seven, and can enjoy the benefits of a cooler climate.

On our return to New Zealand, we visited DD#1 & her two small sons. The youngest managed a visit to hospital for surgery, while we were away. Last week, Joshua managed to drop the lid of the window seat onto his foot, chipping the bone & almost slicing off the second toe of his left foot. Now he is sporting a cast over his foot, to mid calf, protecting the toe, which luckily a surgeon was prepared to attempt to save. So far so good. We delivered him to school this morning, so he seems to be on the mend. Friday this week will reveal more, when he returns for a check up, with the surgeon.

Wellington has welcomed us back with a 120-130 klm gale force, Northerly with an overcast & rainy day of only 16C. A rude awakening after the beautiful, almost still, New South Wales sunny, autumn weather. At least it makes one feel inclined to pick up a needle and stitch once more.

A needle roll completion from earlier this year.

I am currently working on another needle roll from Shepherd's Bush, 'Pansy' stitched on mid lavender coloured, 32ct linen, along with the Quaker Seasons' tribute to my late, very dear and beautiful Mother. Progress to now, seems very slow.