it's the weekend before Christmas and I figure that a lot of people are out shopping for last minute gifts. I have to tell you it's one of the best things about being Jewish!! You don't have to get caught up in that frenzy. VBG
We celebrated the 8 nights of Chanukah, ending on Tuesday. We had our grandkids over the weekend and per our tradition, gave each one a small gift each night. It was very special to us to have them to share our holiday. They have a Christmas tree at their house so it's nice for them to experience the other alternative. Each one gets their own menorah with candles to light. They enjoyed it.
For those of you who sent me such sweet notes regarding my mother, I am eternally grateful to you for your thoughts and prayers. She's doing much better. It's pretty amazing, to me, that a woman of nearly 90 can survive a serious bout with pneumonia! She is getting stronger every day at the board and care home and I'm hoping in a month or so, she'll be able to return to her own home with care in home. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. It meant so much to me to read your own similar experiences.
Shall we tour a little touring??
I promised more pictures from New Zealand. Here were some pictures I took in the caves we visited, which are really quite old. They were also extremely deep!
Our next adventure was to go for a hike in Tongariro National Park. It was beautiful. We hiked to a falls that was pretty dramatic. Don't forget that the seasons there are reversed. We were there for the first day of summer!
Our next stop was to another set of water falls, but the drama was the horizontal variety!
We then visited a dam both before and after the water was released. Amazing difference! First one is before the water was released. Second one was after, same exact spot!
There are more pictures to follow.
On a quilting note, I have been working on the quarter square triangle quilt that Bonnie Hunter posted previously as a leader/ender project. I'm enjoying it a lot. Doesn't take a lot of brain power! And I can work on it in very small increments, which is all the time I've been having.
I read on a Facebook post today that small LQS owners are feeling a pinch this season so I felt compelled to visit the new shop that opened near me. I didn't need anything but I did spend a bit and bought a kit for a table runner which I thought I'd make next year for my daughter... it was 40% off. How can you pass that up?? A little different than the usual Christmas fabric!
My husband and I are heading up to Oregon tomorrow for the next week to enjoy the holiday in the winterscape up there!~
I hope everyone has an enjoyable, loving holiday filled with all good things. I want to echo my dear friend Wendy Reed's words and wish you all a very peaceful holiday. Hold your health, friends, loved ones and good fortune very dear to you. We are so blessed with whatever we have.
Much love to you all,
Thank you for your support and friendship!
I promised I'd send you hints of my whereabouts but we got so busy with our trip that I never had a chance. And then we had to return early (more about that later, but dealing with elderly mother's serious medical issues).
We had a great trip. If I have already sent you an email, please don't "guess" since you already know!
This was a building adjacent to a restaurant we found.
This building is a very tall (obviously) structure.
Another significant building. This one is a ferry building. Hint: we were near water!
This one is a give-away. I saw this on a building as we were driving...
I did see a bit of things that reminded me of quilt patterns. This was on a walkway alongside the harbor!
Here is some information about the walkway! Maori culture was everywhere!
Islands everywhere! This was taken on Waiheke Island, which was where we went on our first full day in New Zealand. We took a 45 minute ferry ride (imagine that as your commute to work!) to this beautiful island where we went touring around and tasted wine. We found some beautiful areas and were treated to our tour by someone who has lived there for many years. Nothing like a native to show you around! This was from the ferry leaving the island for our return trip back to Auckland.
My traveling will be scaled back quite a bit as my mom developed pneumonia just after we left. She was hospitalized for 10 days and I just moved her into a board and care home where she is receiving excellent, very attentive care. The shock is the transition: my mom was completely independent and healthy (just about 90 yrs old), swimming regularly, walking, driving, living on her own etc. Now she's being taken care of, her memory is gone, she's wearing a diaper and struggles to move around.
I know many of you have had to deal with elderly parents--I think it's a curse of the new generation. People are living so much longer but not necessarily with a quality of life that anyone would want.
I am taking it day by day--hopefully because she was so healthy, she'll recover but I'm not honestly optimistic. I'm going to start to look at care for her after her release in a month or two. But with a very limited budget, it'll be a challenge.
Best wishes to all of you during this holiday season. We really believe that we need to cherish every day, which is why we have been traveling so much. Who knows what awaits us? Sorry to be so philosophical... I promise this will be it. Cherish it all!
More travel pictures and even some sewing to share!
Love to you all,
xxxxs,
Randy
