7 sleeps and counting .......my blessings!

I love blogging ....and I love my blogging buddies and I think I must have some of the nicest and I count them as some of my blessings!   First my friend Celia and her friend Jennifer sent a whole bundle of blocks to me for my quilt group to turn into quilts for the five female soldiers we have names for in Afghanistan.  Then another lovely bloggie friend, Tarnyia, said she would like to do some too.  I just received an email from her today saying she has 15 purple nine patches, 20 girly nine patches and one quilt top for us.   Woo Hoo Tarnyia!  That was a lovely surprise too.

This morning I had another lovely surprise - our friend Warrant Officer passed on six thank you messages from guys who have received quilts and laundry bags.  We are not doing it for the thanks but it sure is lovely when we hear from them.  One commented on the importance of warm beds and clean, dry laundry.  Another said he had been using his pillowcase for laundry and that meant his bed contained an inordinate amount of feathers from a worse for wear pillow!  I think I will be making a pillow case - planning to search out a good tutorial - I know I have seen a few!

I love Christmas - the decorations, the food, the baking, buying and giving gifts, wrapping, the carols - all those sorts of things.   As I have mentioned before I live with three Grinches.  My husband tries for my sake but the boys don't seem to care one way or another - except for their wish list.  I often wonder if any of them would notice if I didn't decorate.  I just can't bring myself to find out as I can only decorate once a year so if I went on strike that would be once every two years  - too long.   I also love Christmas movies - I am an absolute sucker for a Christmas movie - the more heart warming the better and yes, I have been known to shed a tear. That explains why I took myself off this morning at 930am to see "Arthur Christmas".  My husband pointed out last night that it was down to one session a day so I figured I better get along if I wanted to see it.  I am so glad I did - lovely movie!!!!!  I love the little details - One of the characters wore a military style uniform.  I wish I could get some of the Christmas camouflage material- red and green blotches with black Christmas Trees with stars stamped over the top.  It would make great Christmas stockings for little boys and not so little boys!  Each uniform had snow flakes instead of military pips!  Yep, it was a lovely movie.

It put me well and truly in the mood to come home and make two double batches of my Nanna's shortbread recipe.  I can share photos but my Mother said this had to remain a family recipe and although she is not here anymore I still respect her wishes.

 I have been making lots of different cookies over recent days and weeks and freezing them for gifts.  Today I packed up all these.  The three on the left are for various people like the music shop guys and my lovely gardener.  The other SIX tins are for my husband to take to Melbourne tomorrow for his workmates and staff.  The large green tin is full of shortbread for the staff morning and afternoon teas this week and the other five red tins are full of a variety of cookies - about six diffferent cookies in each if I remember correctly.

 My girlfriend gave me this tin for Christmas last year  - it is on loan to my husband only.

Life got in the way of sewing today - exciting stuff like folding laundry, tidying up, and not so boring -  lots of baking  and Christmas Newletter writing and printing etc.  Lots of errands to run tomorrow - wish me luck - I want to do some sewing!!!

Till next time.............happy stitching!