Hello from the Hill household!

 Once again it has been way too long since I posted so I thought it might be an opportunity to say hello and send good thoughts and wishes. As the end of another year approaches it becomes a time of reflection and also a chance to update my settings in case blogger decided to delete it all! Sadly it has been another year of world turmoil as war devastates many lives and it is hard to comprehend when we are safely tucked away in our comfortable surroundings. We have had some very unusual weather and today it was only meant to reach 17C and tomorrow it will be up near 30C! On the east coast of Australia they have had a heat wave while here we are experiencing Winter in the second week of what should be Summer. We have had a months' worth of rain in one day and the winds have been horrendous, but the little garden seems to have survived........mind you the kangaroos have taken a liking to nibbling the petunias.....

We have been in our little cottage for 8 months already and things are flourishing in our low maintenance planters in the back area.......

We are loving living in a small country community and especially that we can walk to the shops, doctor, hairdresser and library! We have been thrilled to have so many come and visit so scones are baked at the drop of a hat and there always seems to be flowers inside either from the garden or from visitors.......

My spring ranunculi were stunning and I look forward to seeing them pop up again next year.......

We enjoyed the local Agricultural Show a couple of months ago and the local quilt group encouraged me to enter my latest work and I was thrilled to receive a "Grand Champion" ribbon in the needlework section.......

A few months back I also spent some time making the local Lions Club a new banner. It had to be in the colours of purple and yellow and badges reapplied from their previous banner that had seen better days. I appliquéd it all so it was right up my alley but it was very different working in felt. I did this at no cost to the club and as my way of giving back to an organisation that does so much for the local community. So you can imagine my surprise when the President turned up unannounced one Sunday morning to deliver a framed certificate of thanks and a basket full of goodies.......glad I wasn't still in my nightie!......

I have also recently been busy making Christmas table runners and hanging hand towels for prizes at our village Christmas dinner that is on this coming week......

I've also made more hand towels and zippered purses for a Christmas market that I have been invited to that is on next weekend........

I decided to make some necklaces as well with hand stitched teeny tiny pinwheels. They are quite time consuming and take about 5-6 hours for each one but I never like idle hands if I am watching the telly at night anyway......

Of course this time of year comes with lots of catching up with friends and admiring and indulging in some of their culinary skills and this was delicious.......

We had a very special wedding a few weeks ago in a gorgeous historic venue.......

and we finally got to see a newly installed large mosaic in our local area all done on the artist's front verge so people can enjoy it...quilt and all!.....

Health wise we are ticking along with all that ageing brings! I see my cancer specialist tomorrow and my cardiac loop recorder is showing what we expected but at this stage the pacemaker is on hold while I consume many medications! Family are growing way too fast but we love it when we see them. As I decorated the Christmas tree I was reminded of places we have been and decorations we have been given......all wonderful memories. So as the lights twinkle at night we are thankful for all that we have. May 2024 be a kind one to you all near and far. Lots of love from us.......