Been A while....!

Remember that I said I was a technophobe?  I have definitely proved it - it has taken me all this time to get into my own blog!!!

Buster-cat is hanging in, getting thinner, but seems to be no worse over all.  Kofee-dog is getting more solicitous of her every day though - and dogs have such sense about what is going down.  Husband said this afternoon "it seems like those Biblical representations of The Lion and The Lamb when you see them together" - well we are still pretty sure that Buster would be the Lion in such a representation, she can still make poor Kofee recoil in horror.  One swipe of those brutal little claws and Kofee wonders what she did to deserve it.  

Kofee so much wants to be loved by Buster - she does her very best, but Buster is the quintessential CAT - she is aloof and arrogant and demanding - she has NO sympathy for lesser beings - and all beings are lesser....  she being CAT after all....

I had the most wonderful weekend - a couple of weeks ago.  Travelled to Melbourne to attend the Judy Wilkenfeld Book of Memories weekend workshop.

Fabulous organization from Kathy and Marg - a great weekend of sharing and laughing and trial and error - and laughing - and the wonderful inspiration from Judy (RedVelvetCreations).  

I had been kind of seeking a vehicle for doing a piece of work for my parents.  My dad was born in 1909 and died in 1993 - my mother born in 1921 and died in 2005.  They were born 12 years apart in age  and died 12 years apart.  

I had very little memorabilia from their lives, but wanted to make a piece of work that reflected what I had and what I knew. 

For the few days before I left for the workshop, I was in a frenzy of delving through those boxes of photographs that we all have - ("who is this, when was this?)  you know the stuff.  "I will get it sorted out one day if I can find a living relative who might be able to help me to sort it out....?")

So - since I don't want to look like an over-achiever which I am definitely NOT - I need to point out that I had spent quite a lot of time -  before I packed for the workshop, thinking of what I might use and what I hoped to produce.

I was delighted with the work that I did through the weekend - I have not finished by a long mark, but it is well on the way to being a testament to the work and lives of my parents - people who struggled and lived through such hard times with 6 children and nothing but hope in their pockets.

As soon as I can remember how to load photographs on to my little baby blog, I will do that - and put up another slideshow of the gorgeous weekend that we all had, and my wonderful book (I do think it is wonderful!) that I worked on.  

I stayed with my beautiful eldest daughter (I have two beautiful daughters) and she too attended the workshop, it is so nice to be able to spend time like that with my daughter!

Since that workshop weekend, I have been busily engaged in making little gifties for the "12 Days of Christmas" swap with one of my Aussie groups.  There are thirteen participants, we each make 12 little gifties of our choosing - we send them to our hostess, she packs them up into baggies - one of each for each of us - sends them back to us - we get to open a little parcel each, on each of the 12 Days of Christmas!!

I sigh a little over the sheer amount of work I am forcing myself to do (I KNOW that I could have done it more simply but did not have any of those thoughts....) but it is going to be a such-fun swap!

Tomorrow I will ascertain - I hope!! - or at least remember - (and if I can't then I will seek aid) how to put up those photos - you will love the book from the workshop I am sure - unless you are AGAINST things that look so old and decrepit that they might have been dug out of a cellar.........  sigh.....

cheers!!