Happy new year! What a lovely bright day to wake up to.
a little walk behind our house
puting up a small flock of ringed plovers in front of the house
which flew under the rainbow
We went away for a family Christmas to our house in Ireland, a generous legacy from my uncle in law
a huge local tree (it only looked this tidy for the photo!)
but I do love the 'natural' tree in front of our home on new year's day - click & you can see the sunshine in all the droplets.
We've worked on the Irish house, a bungalow really, getting it ready to rent out this Spring as a weekly holiday home
It was a 'working holiday' but it was also a rest from arranging a local Christmas fair in that fabulous new building I was telling you about earlier this year, (above) An Crùbh - our shop (I've been selling a little work from the arty crafty corner of the shop!), cafe (delicious coffee & cake with a regular get together to knit (stitch) & natter) & huge hall (where I had an exhibition in June, below & organised 19 artists to get together for Made in Sleat in July)
So, did I mention I was a Grandmother?! The eldest, who called me 'Granny Em' & his lovely wife delighted us with the birth of Deacon James in April, & nothing can really prepare you for the emotions brought on by being given a grandchild.
I'm going backwards here (well, that's just me) as above, we had a lovely visit here on Skye in October (instead of Christmas) - Deacon's first flight!
The above 2 are June - I went South for a family wedding & managed a visit too, of course (you've got to grab the chance when they live 650 miles away!) & was so glad to be able to have a photo of 4 generations (my Dad is in his Home & can't really travel far)
Proud grandparents in April - he's so tiny here compared to his 6 months in October pic!
I flew back from the June trip up to my Youngest's graduation, a First in Cell and Molecular Biology from Herriot Watt in Edinburgh.......a son of mine!!!!
Just thought I'd slip this one in - my birthday flowers & a fire....in June!
I've not being doing much new work - I could blame recovery from the shoulder op a year ago (it's 99% good as new now) or that I did one year of a weekly square & just stopped or that as my Dad got better in the Home (but not enough to come home) & watched my Mom go steadily downhill, living alone at home & despite morning carers coming in to check she wasn't in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs (she did insist in going down in the middle of the night with just a small torch.....) a weekly visit from my brother & aunt & 3 pop ins from her most helpful cleaner. I have managed to visit almost every 2 months since my Dad got ill 2 years ago - I don't resent it al all but it does take time. My last visit was November & it became very clear that I couldn't possibly leave her at home on her own anymore, I wouldn't have been a responsible daughter, so we got her ready to 'move back in with Dad' not that she wanted to & she promptly went into heart failure. So now she is 'convalesing' in the residential bit of my Dad's home recovering & settling in slowly. back together, with care & safety (with only one night in hospital thanks to the fabulous NHS!) The relief is enormous. I'm down again next month to sort the house out.......
I did make these small strips above when there was a challenge on the Sketchbooks & Experiments for Textiles fb group - we swapped fabrics & paper & I got the exact colors I love working in!
I also made this piece above based both on the tiny 'meadow' I sewed in front of our lovely community building - below
where the community hanging now resides in it's rightful place, in the wood burning stove nook in the cafe, below
& on flowers from my garden. I don't think I'll ever get tired of the inspiration I find in my garden.
a little walk behind our house
puting up a small flock of ringed plovers in front of the house
which flew under the rainbow
We went away for a family Christmas to our house in Ireland, a generous legacy from my uncle in law
a huge local tree (it only looked this tidy for the photo!)
but I do love the 'natural' tree in front of our home on new year's day - click & you can see the sunshine in all the droplets.
We've worked on the Irish house, a bungalow really, getting it ready to rent out this Spring as a weekly holiday home
It was a 'working holiday' but it was also a rest from arranging a local Christmas fair in that fabulous new building I was telling you about earlier this year, (above) An Crùbh - our shop (I've been selling a little work from the arty crafty corner of the shop!), cafe (delicious coffee & cake with a regular get together to knit (stitch) & natter) & huge hall (where I had an exhibition in June, below & organised 19 artists to get together for Made in Sleat in July)
my exhibition
So, did I mention I was a Grandmother?! The eldest, who called me 'Granny Em' & his lovely wife delighted us with the birth of Deacon James in April, & nothing can really prepare you for the emotions brought on by being given a grandchild.
I'm going backwards here (well, that's just me) as above, we had a lovely visit here on Skye in October (instead of Christmas) - Deacon's first flight!
The above 2 are June - I went South for a family wedding & managed a visit too, of course (you've got to grab the chance when they live 650 miles away!) & was so glad to be able to have a photo of 4 generations (my Dad is in his Home & can't really travel far)
Proud grandparents in April - he's so tiny here compared to his 6 months in October pic!
I flew back from the June trip up to my Youngest's graduation, a First in Cell and Molecular Biology from Herriot Watt in Edinburgh.......a son of mine!!!!
Just thought I'd slip this one in - my birthday flowers & a fire....in June!
I've not being doing much new work - I could blame recovery from the shoulder op a year ago (it's 99% good as new now) or that I did one year of a weekly square & just stopped or that as my Dad got better in the Home (but not enough to come home) & watched my Mom go steadily downhill, living alone at home & despite morning carers coming in to check she wasn't in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs (she did insist in going down in the middle of the night with just a small torch.....) a weekly visit from my brother & aunt & 3 pop ins from her most helpful cleaner. I have managed to visit almost every 2 months since my Dad got ill 2 years ago - I don't resent it al all but it does take time. My last visit was November & it became very clear that I couldn't possibly leave her at home on her own anymore, I wouldn't have been a responsible daughter, so we got her ready to 'move back in with Dad' not that she wanted to & she promptly went into heart failure. So now she is 'convalesing' in the residential bit of my Dad's home recovering & settling in slowly. back together, with care & safety (with only one night in hospital thanks to the fabulous NHS!) The relief is enormous. I'm down again next month to sort the house out.......
I did make these small strips above when there was a challenge on the Sketchbooks & Experiments for Textiles fb group - we swapped fabrics & paper & I got the exact colors I love working in!
I also made this piece above based both on the tiny 'meadow' I sewed in front of our lovely community building - below
where the community hanging now resides in it's rightful place, in the wood burning stove nook in the cafe, below
& on flowers from my garden. I don't think I'll ever get tired of the inspiration I find in my garden.
.JPG)
