A Tote Bag and a Pig Cake

My first stitchy finish for 2010, a tote bag. I have another 3 to do with different designs, now the trick will be remembering to take one with me when I head out shopping.


And for my birthday - my Pig Cake :) Made by me.

A 2 headed sunflower and a tattoo

Out of 15 sunflowers that we grew this year only this one had 2 flowers on it, quite unusual. I plan to save the seeds and see if any more grow more than 1 flower.

And Simon, now 19, got his first and probably only tattoo.

2010 has arrived

...and a friend challenged me to
"think back and name 5 things that come to mind of things that you remember" from 2009.
So let me think, maybe I can even come up with a few more Kathy.

We -
continued renovations on the house adding new blinds to the front windows.
started on the road to fighting John's skin cancer, ongoing and another appointment at the end of the month.
survived the trauma of Shane's movement disorder, Shane stopped twitching in August.
celebrated the third anniversary of the kidney transplant
bought a new (to us) car.
watched our youngest son graduate high school - yay! no more school run.
renovated and landscaped our back yard, and planted the new lawn on January 1st, 2010.
and personally I finished a lot of stitchy stuff and actually got my stuff all organised for a fresh approach in 2010.

Happy New Year everyone

Christmas and the garden

Another wonderful Walter family Christmas had by all of us. Despite work schedules and a house full of now almost adult males it was still fun, exciting and a lot of laughs. Too much food, too many presents - scratch that presents are fun!

In all I had 12 sunflowers in full bloom for Christmas, along with plenty of roses. So pretty I enjoy my time in the garden so much now. One of John's gifts to me was 13 packets of assorted seeds and a new pair of garden gloves. I am already planning the additions to the garden.

My garden is almost finished

Remember the disaster we started with?                                

 Look at it now. Final stage is new lawn.

And here is the latest installment of the sunflower.

Soon to be joined by friends.

It is a tall sunflower

...it is just taking a long time to open LOL. Can't blame it with the heat we are having at the moment. Here it is with Shane 181.3cm tall standing as close as possible to it.

and a close up of the bloom, so close to opening. I'll measure the diameter once it opens.

Impatient for sunflowers :)

Come on already sunflower!!