"Dear Mr Postman"

Long, long ago one could send a letter or parcel in the post and it would arrive on a pushbike and a dear postman would blow his whistle to tell you that it had! That was long, long ago and now we have huge computerised systems that scan and track and heaven forbid we might even get delivery from the air via a drone....but why is it with all these new fangled systems that nothing actually works Mr Postman??!! 

On the weekend Larry drove to find a bright yellow express post box.....we only have two in the southern suburbs (for overseas friends our "Express Post" service is one that we pay a little more for with guaranteed next day delivery). My little package was Maisie's quilt top being sent to Jude for quilting and late yesterday I got the dreaded call to say it had not arrived! My heart sunk so I was on the phone immediately to 'Mr Postman' to ask why. There was no evidence of it being in the system so I immediately started sobbing and the girl on the end off the phone must have wondered what this mad woman was going on about....well it was about all of this that still hasn't turned up in the mail......

 just the centre of this one that I had been embroidering and beading over many years......

After I hung up I felt so stupid and then sobbed some more while Larry phoned Jude to tell her of our call to Aust Post. Larry wisely said later that this clearly still affects me with the unexplained loss of so much of my work. Early this morning without me knowing Larry got on the phone and somehow managed to get a secret phone number (And he was questioned about how he got it but I would say with his gentle persuasion and past experience as a special investigator he knew how!). Well the outcome is a lot more positive and the quilt top is now in the hands that it should be! But why oh why was it never scanned and why do these systems let us down? Stresses in our lives seem ever more prevalent and I blame a lot of it on technology and things out of our control, then I think how could that be with all that my late Dad went through in Bomber Command? I know personally I have had stresses that I have had no control over and I have tried to make a positive change by trying to slow down and remove some of these stresses. One of the latest we are told is to remove clutter from our lives! Wardrobe decluttering and house declutter seems to be the "in thing" but how on earth can one remove the things that one loves to be surrounded by.....in every corner of every room I am surrounded by clutter.....is that part of my problem??!!....

 anywhere I can find a corner to clutter I will........

 in the family room.........

 Even the grand-kiddies room is chock a block!!.......

 in the bedroom........

 But I think it will stay that way while I ponder my latest dilemma.....yes another quilt is in the post! So "Dear Mr Postman"..please, please deliver this special Beatrix Potter quilt that was lovingly stitched over many months for our very special friend Helen in grateful thanks for our many years of touring together. I have paid extra "Dear Mr Postman" and you assured me it would only take 4-6 days......my tracking tells me it is currently in Melbourne and has been dispatched so please, please don't let me down.....thankyou!

Stitching soothes the Soul

We've only been home for six days but it sure feels like much longer! Larry worked out that we drove almost 7,000kms (4,350 miles) in just over a month including our trip to Victoria a week before we headed for Queensland. So we are now glad to be home reflecting on the wonderful journey that we had and everyone we met. It is actually quite hard to comprehend that we traveled so far and Helen said to me in an email that if she traveled that far she would fall off the end of the UK.......and this map kind of says it all - we must have driven the length of the UK twice and then back!!......

And for friends in the US I guess it was like driving from Fort Worth to Washington and back.....

 But we did come home to some devastating news on Monday night where we learnt that Larry's younger cousin was in intensive care following a brain haemorrhage or so they suspected. Helen has a very responsible job as the Managing Director of the freight train services between Adelaide and Darwin so she is consequently on call 24/7. But she does take breaks and travels often - at least one big trip a year and they think that it may have been following a recent trip that an embolus travelled to the brain sustaining this injury. We have been pleased to see positive signs and in the short time that we have been to visit she is now trying to talk and move the side that has been affected.......so we all pray that she continues to improve with each day. So I threw myself straight into stitching as I find that is one of the best forms of therapy....and as they say 'Stitching soothes the soul"......well for some of us I guess! I did lots of cutting on the road and now thirteen blocks are all ironed and ready to be appliquéd.......

 And dare I say it??!! Yes I think there will be a third William Morris quilt book so lots more sewing over the next 12 months!.........

 I am even trying to do more pieced quilts this time - not my favourite thing to do!!........

 So while I was busy cutting I started Miss Maisie's quilt for her third birthday that is soon. I've been searching for Shopkins fabrics as Maisie is quite obsessed with it all! The fabrics finally arrived in a local store so some quick cutting and piecing and the quilt is already on its way to dear Jude to work her edge to edge quilting magic..........

 So while the machine was still warm I whipped up a bag ready for the quilt and a wee quilt for the doll I made Maisie as well...............

 Of course one of the best things about coming home is catching up with family so the first evening we were home some of the family joined us for a belated birthday dinner for Larry (Brett was studying for Uni exams and Sophie teaching dance so just Emily and the little ones). Bath time is always a special time with naked mischief running around the house but a story soon stopped that.......(unfortunately Emily's phone camera lens was dirty....or so she says....I was sure it was Larry drooling in this shot!!).......

 It is so nice to see photos when we are away and these are some that Emily shared while we were gone.....and how nice that they can still blow a dandelion to see what time it is in fairyland...love it!........

 Yesterday we had another catch up with them and Sophie and Tim as well........

 We have finally had a little rain today despite being very chilly but it looks like we are in for a very dry winter. But chilly nights means baking Larry's favourite mince and sweetcorn pie....with some healthy veggies on the side (!!)......so time to indulge in that right now......

So once again thanks for dropping by......I will leave you with this exciting link to investigate........(And No it is not really teaching because that ceases for me this October....this is just a great time to relax and share in a lot of stitching to soothe all our souls!........Quilt Norfolk and also HERE!