Decorated Bus Shelter & A Late Night Visitor.

Our Local bus shelter made the television news this week.
It is on the main route to the city, from our area & beyond. We are 1.5 klms  from the CBD, just 2 minutes on a bad traffic day.

Unknown folk decided to put a sofa in the bus shelter, which had been undergoing renovations, after the council removed the normal wooden slat seat, some weeks ago. From there it grew, a  light fitting, a bookcase, cushions, pictures on the wall, pot plant, rugs & because it was Christmas week, a decorated Christmas tree. Then a television set..

DH, photographed it on  Christmas Eve. No one had taken anything,  it seemed to be the pride of the suburb.

As of today, 29/12, it is still intact. Interestingly enough, the day after it was featured on the news programme , the council were there completing guttering & down pipes.

Two nights ago we could hear a soft thud outside the back door. I thought it was the wind. DH turned on the light & went to the door, only to see this wee creature nibbling on a lamb shank, we had earlier given to the cat.  I'm intrigued, as an Australian, we don't see hedgehogs in our country.  Echidnas are what we have in Australia & usually one does not see them in the city suburbs.  I'm used to reading about hedgehogs from childhood nursery rhymes, so you can see why I was so interested. 

The hedgehog seems to be rather shy & it moved into the shadows, when we moved into the light from behind the glass door. 

A Surprise Gift from a Talented, Special, Friend.

This morning, after a ring of the front door bell, I received an unexpected parcel. What a thrill to open the package to find a gift from a long time, dear friend, from home. It is a very special gift, which has given me great delight. My friend is a talented artist, whose water colour paintings are truly beautiful. Many of these exquisite paintings have been collated,  both by her Husband & Daughter, to be featured in this wee address book.

What do you think?


 I'm overwhelmed by both my friend's talent & her generosity.

Thank you so much, dear Rhonda. It is a very treasured gift.

A Few Treats.

Just before Christmas I received an ornament, from an exchange partner. It was immediately hung on my ornament tree. Also in the parcel, were a  variety of stitching treats. A kitted Christmas themed  pattern, a cross stitch magazine, a spool of  Christmas ribbon & a wonderful packet of DMC Collector's, Variegated threads.

Thank you Mary.I was thrilled.

I ordered a couple of ornament patterns early in December & they also arrived before Christmas, along with the required linen & threads. I plan to start the New Year with an ornament or two, a month.

Needless to say, I've been discussing with my very dear husband, the prospect of a larger ornament tree for next year. as you can see, the current one has reached the limit, unfortunately. He assures me he can construct one, a little larger.

Now a sweet treat, our Christmas Cake & Bon Bons.. 

I hope you enjoy the eye candy.

Boxing Day Already!

We had a very HOT, Christmas Day in this part of the world. 36C without a breeze. That kind of heat just  wrecks me, almost totally. I thought I had been transported, miraculously, back to my home town of Sydney.
Those kind of temperatures are normal in Sydney at this time of the year. Not so, I was right here still in NZ. I would never have believed such temperatures could be reached in this city.

Today,I'm having an R&R day & while doing so, I've been checking other blogs.
There is such a wealth of inspiration in blogging world. I would love to try so many wonderful creative, stitching pursuit, that are featured in this area of cyber world.
I am so very grateful to the folk who share their ideas, so generously  Thank you.
Their are also many folk who are willing to share their stash, in contests, such as  one I've discovered to day. Missy, look here, http://missyllanous.blogspot.co.nz/
who is having a Gingher scissors contest, Check it out at the blog address mentioned..

Where ever you are, I hope you have had a lovely Christmas time and can now relax with your stitching, as I plan to do right now.

Christmas Greetings

In this part of the world it is late afternoon, Christmas Eve. Our current temperature is 24C with a bright sunny afternoon.
To all those folk who have followed my blog and generously left comments I'd like to wish you & yours a Very Merry Christmas & A  Happy New Year.
I hope you have wonderful times with Family & friends, enjoy good times, along with plenty of creative pursuits.
Kay.

One More Ornament.

Today I completed an ornament I"d  offered to do, when  a fellow stitcher requested an ornament from Australia or New Zealand. As an Australian, resident in New Zealand, I guessed I could fulfill that request, either way.. I had planned to stitch an Australian icon, a flowering native known as a Christmas Bell, with perhaps some Christmas Bush flowers, also an iconic Australian, Christmas flowering, native. With such short time I was unable to find such a chart. I thought perhaps a New Zealand Pohutakawa, such a beautiful blossoming native tree would be ideal. Likewise, I was unable to find a ready made design. I'll have to design my own examples for next year. This is the ornament I stitched, which is happily for me, now on it's way to Italy..

 

The second photo shows a very special Australian treat included in the parcel.