Back in the Blogosphere

If any of you are still checking in on my blog, I'm sorry to have been absent all this time. It's been a very busy few weeks over Christmas and New Year, plus the new version of Blogger has been challenging me (well, eating up my few attempts at posting and making them disappear - very frustrating!). Let's hope that I've got it figured out now.

Other than keeping me away from your computer screens, it has been a lovely Christmas season. Not following my usual form, I was quite organised this year - gifts purchased (or made) and wrapped well in advance of the day; menu planned; pantry & fridge stocked; even much of the cooking was done by Christmas Eve.

After a gorgeous Christmas morning at my sister's home, where the kids had their present frenzy and we shared a delicious breakfast, we made a quick visit to DH's Grandma (93yo and just out of hospital the day before Christmas Eve) then hotfooted it home to cook the last-minute goodies. We had 13 here for a late lunch on our back deck (at our new outdoor dining setting - an indulgent gift to ourselves) - I think the last ones left about 9pm. As I had handled most of the cooking, my wonderful DH did all of the dishes while I played with my new green ipod nano (which he gave me after I had been hankering after one for months - I was thoroughly spoiled).

I have had a very cruisey few days since then, with Rob and the kids home and not much motivation to do any real work. We had a houseful again on New Year's Eve, which was lots of fun and much less work in the kitchen than Christmas. And now I'm back to the grindstone.

I did finish piecing a new magazine project quilt on New Year's Day, and hopefully will get that quilted in the next few days so I can show it to you. I have also been contemplating my goals for 2007, but will wait till they are a little more refined before I share them here.

The picture above is a small piece I made for the ArtDiva's Book Challenge. It is called Pluto & Charon, and belongs now to my friend Rhonda (hope she likes it).