Bottoms Up!

Posted on August 30, 2016 by thecontentedcrafter

So! I began to get a series of emails from Twitter advising me I had new followers. This may not be big news to some of you avid tweeters – but to me, whose Twitter account at three years old sported twelve followers and whose only tweets consisted of the automatic notifications made when I posted something on WordPress – it was a bit unexpected. Especially as they addressed me as Tericia and the new followers were mostly all young Latino looking dudes sporting an arm muscle or a Superman/ Batman, or interrelated Marvel Comics costume.

I assumed, in my all my worldly wisdom, that Twitter had somehow cocked up and mistaken my elderly profile for some pouting Latino looking dudess named Tericia and they’d soon enough sort out their mistake.

Time passed and the emails kept coming, accompanied now and again by a private message containing single words like ‘hey’ or ‘hot’.

I thought I must go check my Twitter account soon as I’ve done ……

So, this morning, with the weather turning wet and cooler again and my plan to plant up the spring garden put on hold, I hunted around, found and opened my Twitter account and was truly amazed to discover a lovely profile picture of a slim, dark haired me pouting provocatively up at my hand held cellphone and my name clearly scribed across the top Tericia McGowan.

Well, I’ve heard of the Mandela Effect and all that, but I didn’t expect to slip through universes and dimensions as a totally different ethnic and generationally nubile and re-named me. I had a quick peek in the hall mirror just in case – but nope, still Contented, still -er – generationally mature and definitely not nubile!

Tericia had definitely been handed my account – Oh, hang on – I’m slow, but I’m not that slow! Had Tericia in fact hacked her way into my account? Oh ho! Off I went looking for evidence. Where my nice little bio had once been telling you all about my contented retired, artful life now rested a nice blue link address.

Of course I hit it – don’t be silly, what would you have done?

You could have knocked me sideways with a feather duster! Or, as my favourite aunt would once have said ‘Well, bugger me!’

It took me a moment to realise that the two beautifully curved and rounded gleaming moons shining out at me was in fact a bottom, an ass as you Americans say; an arse for my English friends; a derriere, a behind, a bum!

Bare.

Naked.

Arched. Taut. Erotic.

Well, that explained all the muscles and Superman and Batman and so forth costumes!

There were many photos of Tericia’s bare and tightly bunned bum. She must, quite rightly be very proud of it. However she picked the wrong dudess to hack! This hacking victim is well versed in the sublime art of the ‘Interesting Times Curse’* and planned on putting it to good use.

I battled my way through all the incongruities and inconsistencies of my Twitter page and eventually removed all traces of Tericia McGowan [may you live in VERY interesting times Tericia McGowan and long enough for stretch marks to pit your twin moons!] and reclaimed my Twitter account for me.

Lastly I looked into my ‘Followers’ list. Almost TWO THOUSAND! Last time I looked it was twelve ………….. And no way – no way Twitter people – to mass eradicate them. There they were all those lovely young men looking like they might just have emerged from pre-pubescence into puberty; strutting their stuff according to their life view – but all – ALL! – very attracted to the bum of Tericia McGowan. Not a one of them there to enjoy my journey back into the world of artiness. [May you all live in interesting times young men! – oh, that’s right you do!!]

So, Tericia McGowan [may you live long enough to see your taut little ass dissolve into a lumpy puddle!] I had to spend three hours of my life – three hours I can’t really afford to waste at this end of the life spectrum – blocking one by painful one each of your avid rear-end admirers.

I now have twelve followers again.

To any of you who read my blog and who may have come across one of my tweets and who may have inadvertently – or out of mere curiosity hit that harmless looking blue link in my bio field – I hope you enjoyed looking at Tericia’s bare bum – I suppose you realised quite quickly it wasn’t mine, but were too bemused to enquire any further….. ??

I’m not at all connected to my Twitter account. But I have two very kind blog readers who loyally tweet out my posts as they hit the airwaves and who may have helped grow my sudden large following if they have any young dudes on their twitter lists ……… [Just joking Norah and David!] I hope none of your friends investigated the little blue link under the name of Tericia McGowan. If they did I apologise! If Tericia McGowan [may you live long and grow some self respect Tericia!] comes back again, I may just have to let her have it!

Still, it’s all done now – I’ve reclaimed my Twitter account and found a couple of other interesting/nice folks to follow too and I’ve got my lovely twelve followers. One day I might even see the point of having Twitter and go read some tweets.

So, if you’re still with me [well done!] here’s a fun little art journal page to finish off. Staying with the subject of birds, twitty ones, it features an owl, a bird who is equated with wisdom. Perhaps he’ll fly over Tericia McGowan and drop a bit on her. 🙂

Painted over black gesso across two pages, with stencils and modelling paste leaves and stars. The little verse bottom left made itself known as I finished – it’s a bit Roald Dahl-esque don’t you think? I’m dedicating it to Tericia McGowan – enjoy!

If you click once on the photo you will see the painting pretty much life size; click twice and you’ll see every brush stroke – or be in Kansas!

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!

*Commonly attributed to the Chinese, it may in fact be an American invention. I just found this out via Mr Google – I love Mr Google! ‘May you live in interesting times!’ usurps any hopes for peace and quiet and ease in the victim’s daily life. The up-side of this of course is that it is through troubling events that we deepen as human beings through personal growth and through the opportunity to reach out and help each other.

Muckin’ Abart In My Sketchbook

Posted on August 23, 2016 by thecontentedcrafter

Here are some sketches I make with different lead and coloured pencils in the evenings, when I just sit and play with ideas and see where they lead – if anywhere. Just ‘muckin’abart’ really!

At first, when I started painting again, I was just re-familiarising myself with some media

and faces

Later, I tried timing myself to see what happened if I didn’t get stuck in detail

This ten minute sketch stretched to twenty minutes……

For some reason I spent an hour playing around with perky birds…

I’m not particularly good at birds and animals – but these were good enough to make me have a shot at Siddy last night – he doesn’t stay still long enough for me to get it really right – but I’ll keep going………

Someone else inspired me to play with modern day flower fairies….. the circled bits indicate I like that idea and want to take it further…….

I really like this one, the one that I’ve coloured – but she hasn’t gone any further yet:

The first one made it onto an art journal page

While the page was a bit of a wash out – hence the lake and swans appearing – the fairy herself is great fun. I like a fairy with attitude!

It’s coming along. I’ve got several art journal pages to show you next time – I feel like I’m getting near ready to start work on canvas again…….

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!

If the Earth Were Only

Posted on August 17, 2016 by thecontentedcrafter

Here is a recent entry in my art journal – this one took about four days of work to get to ‘finished!’ status. The main problem was that in my enthusiasm to get started I forgot to gesso the pages so was working on raw water colour paper. It was inspired by a double whammy, picking up a verse I know well and seeing an artist at her work on You Tube.

If the Earth Were Only …..
Art Journal August 2016

Do you agree with me that the big-eyed girl is a bit of a worry? I had seen videos on You Tube from an artist named Megan Saurez and am quite fascinated with her style – I have always tended to big eyes in my work, partly because I think the eyes are the window to the soul and are the most important part of the face – Megan takes it a step further and paints delightfully impish faces and I wondered what would happen if I made my eyes even bigger ……… I don’t have her talent or technique to make it work though – suffice to say I won’t go quite that big again…………

I’ve had the verse in my possession since sometime in the mid 80’s. An older student gave it to me, thinking I would like it. She was right!. I’ve since used it several times when working with middle teens and even some adults. I just found out the author’s name via Mr Google – don’t you love the internet!! I couldn’t find out anything else however, just his name, Joe Miller, and the fact that he wrote this piece in a little book which got slated for being neither scientific or spiritual, just a woolly mix of both. Which says more about the reviewer than the work in my opinion.

It speaks strongly to young teens who are beginning to stand firmly in their ‘scientific facts’ and yet still have their hearts touched by something a little more intangible, resting in the realm of feeling.

Personally I think everyone should come in contact with this verse at some time in their lives. And think about it.

Thanks to the kindly input of Derrick Knight after my last post, the issue with the biggifying feature has been resolved. You can click twice to get a really good look at my appalling penmanship!

Here’s the text only:

And here’s a close-up of the face. I like the hair – on the actual double page spread it looks like fields and hedgerows and forests…….

What do you think?

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!

I Am a Tree

Posted on August 10, 2016 by thecontentedcrafter

I just want to say thank you to all you lovely people who have popped by in the last three days. Thank you for your kind and supportive words and thank you for coming to visit in droves despite my long and unexplained absence. I so appreciate each and every one of you! You have quite made my last couple of days most enjoyable 🙂

As a result, here’s another post hot on the heels of the first – just because I’m really happy and you know I have months of missing posts to make up for ……….

After painting every day for almost three weeks I was still really struggling to find my way with colour and form and technique. And because I was receiving so many private emails and messages wondering if I was okay because of my absence from the blogging world I decided to bite the bullet and share what I was doing.

I was frankly amazed, though I shouldn’t have been, for the community around this blog is made up of the most fabulous people! All those messages of support, so kindly given, left me quite touched and I awoke yesterday morning to find something in me had moved and changed. I couldn’t wait to get the chores out of the way and get to the work station. I knew what to do and decided to just go for it. By last night a double page spread had emerged in my art journal, almost seamlessly, and was finished and, most importantly, I felt really happy with it.

It is by no means perfect, but it will be I think the basis for another work further down the track.

This idea was sparked by my friend Yvonne’s post that featured relief heads of women found around Venice. The final photo featured an unusual fresco and aroused a number of comments both helpful and unhelpful. Mine was one of the unhelpful ones! All was revealed in Yvonne’s following post. I thought she was a tree sprite of some kind and even though I was completely wrong – or perhaps because I was – I fell to musing about the spirit of trees and how they might appear, which then led to some further musing on what they might have to say.

I am a tree Aug 16

Detail

I am a tree detail

And the words, if your eyes like mine can’t stand the struggle ……… and because I have lost the ability to have you double click on my photographs to enlarge them – I don’t know why……

I am a tree Words

Thank you for your support and encouragement – it really does take a community doesn’t it!

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!

It’s August – Really?

Posted on August 7, 2016 by thecontentedcrafter

Well HELLLLOOOO!

It’s been quite a while since my last post – it’s not that I forgot about you or anything, it’s just that I got – well, side tracked really….. Lots of inner rumination and pondering and thinking about the state of the world, not to mention my own role in it, led to a need to just be quiet and contemplative for a little bit. I visited some of you, others I missed, but I’ve been picking up the slack for the last week or so and getting back into the swing.

I also made stuff, some successful, some not so much. The really exciting thing for me was I picked up my paintbrushes for the first time in over 15 months. I decided – wisely as it turns out – to work in a journal to begin with. I’d lost all my skill, not to mention my stuff and the first weeks were a combination of starting to paint, searching, finding, organising, painting a bit more. I use the term ‘painting’ loosely here – you’ll see why if you stick with me. As usual my photos need work – but you’ll get the idea…….

First up, I made myself a couple or three vests. I tend to use patterns as a suggestion if I use them at all and therefore my results are often a surprise to everybody, even me. From this latest foray at plying the hooks, two will be wearable when blocked and finished – the third is an ill-fitting nightmare and will be undone.

This is crocheted, adapted from an original pattern consisting of lots of little hexagons all stitched together in long panels. Made from Lion Brand ‘Shawl in a Ball’ I used three different colour ways all featuring my favourite colour. The back neck requires building up a bit – I might even do that this evening.

Next up here is a Tunisian Crochet attempt at a vest – otherwise known as ‘Railway Knitting’. This is my first time making such a big item – but I love plying the huge crochet hook and I love the texture you get from the two step process. This still requires blocking and a bit of finishing off with a fancy plait thing I’m stitching into the back:Here’s a closeup of the bottom edging:So, here’s some bits from the art journal – I’ve done something every day for a bout two weeks – some pages were complete in one sitting – others took days to come to anything. It’s all practise and remembering while playing about with colour.

This was the first pageAfter that first attempt I resorted to something I knew well – I’d made quirky houses for years, long before they became a staple of art journalers and I was figuring I may as well give myself some therapy while I tried to remember how to apply colour and use paint to come to form…….

This next nightmare became more a paper piecing exercise followd by a splendiferously gleeful wallowing in glitter and sparkles, none of which you can really see. It reminds me of paper dolls – do you remember paper dolls?

It’s going to take a while before I’ll feel competent with a brush in my hands again – but just having it there has made me very happy! Who cares if I can’t paint!!

It’s been a long hard winter down here in the Riviera of Antarctica. This morning I woke to -6 C; a world whited-out in frost. The upside is it will be a blue-sky day and walking with Siddy, despite the obvious risk of me ending upside down in a tangled mess on some unseen slippy-slidey icy bit, will be a pleasure*.

Here’s the boys all lined up for treat time for those of you who missed them

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!

*I did and it was.

April – Slipping By …………

Posted on April 21, 2016 by thecontentedcrafter

The month is slipping past and while I am daily engrossed in blog land and catching up with the writing, photography and daily doings of you my friends – not much attention is paid to my own posts. So, more to keep a record than to add pleasure to your day, here’s a quick catch -up.

It’s Autumn here and the last rose in the tiny courtyard is making a break for it

Courtyard April 16 The crochet shawl got finished – it’s beautiful and oh so soft……….. worked in an alpaca/silk mix and edged with beads. Learning the art of blocking is finally paying off – I just wish my photos were better. Each edge scallop has ten tiny red beads hooked through. Jo's shawl April 16

There’s some new light catchers being worked on – some simple ones and some very ornate ones. Here’s a glimpse of two versions of the Simple Single Rainbow ‘Catcher. Can you spot the difference? Simple Rainbow x2 April 16

And just for Alys, in lieu of a ‘fairy garden’ here is a glimpse of the guardians at the front entrance……. Entry Garden April 16

Can you see them? No? Move closer to the door and look down. They make me smile!

There’s the green wobbly headed dog with the waggling tail and little Winnie the Pooh smiling hopefully up at visitors. Everyone smiles!

I’m not a collector of twee garden ornaments usually. These two turned up in my Christmas stocking and wandered out to the front potted garden and stayed…..

Entry Guardians April 16 Everything in the garden is dying back now, even though the weather remains unusually warm for this time of the year. Soon the tiny courtyard will be without any sun and will stay that way – barren and unloved until next August when both the sun and I will return to replant and enliven once more.

I’ve started work on an open vest for me for the cooler days – the knit pattern stolen from the jumper knitted for ED for her birthday last month Vest 1

I’m moving it along a pace because I want to start this – more alpaca and silk and maybe some beads too …. Isn’t it a stunning colour? Artesano Shawl April 16

April has been a time of concentrating on health and well-being. Walking and creating and reading and spending quiet times concentrating on gratitude for all aspects of my life and enjoying the quiet way everything unfolds around me. I live simply, I make time every day to hold others close in my thoughts and also to seek understanding of what is going on in the world. There’s more good going on than the news media would have us know, I look for that and do not give my attention to the other. This long Indian Summer lingers on and Siddy and I go walking every morning, me enjoying the subtle changes in nature and Siddy- well Siddy just enjoying being alive really…….. I say it often – and mean it – I love retirement!! March 16 3

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did.

Pretty Things

Posted on March 12, 2016 by thecontentedcrafter

I’m currently having a few days in Wellington with my eldest, it’s her birthday month and we are making the most of it. The Official Photographer went first and spent several days helping the celebrations get off to a good start…..

“Oh,” she said “this photo makes my glass look bigger than theirs ……”

Then she came back to baby-sit

Siddy Jan 16

He misses his mumma when she goes away.

Prior to deserting my boys, I was playing with beads.

I put some new light catchers in the shop, including this little beauty ‘Marine’

Which is just chock-a-block with crystals and shimmery goodness – I’m a little in love with this one!!

I made some bracelets

Single strand crystal rondelles & acrylic pearls

Single strand mixed acrylic beads and charms

Stretch Bracelet Double layer with acrylic flower

four layered, natural pearls & seed beads.

Bracelet 5 Bracelet 6 Bracelet 7 Bracelet 8

As I like bracelets, and they are the only jewellery I wear these days, I’m learning how to make simple ones that are robust, don’t fall apart and are fun to wear. I’ve been wearing this selection for over two weeks now, gardening, housework, playing with puppy – so far so good.

The knitting was blocked.

I discovered a rubbery – foamy kit-set type of mat at Mitre10 [local DIY store] used for kneeling on in the garage, lining the car boot [trunk] or the children’s playroom or suchlike and did my best Archimedes “Eureka!” impression [minus the bath tub]. And Lo ……

Blocking

You get a pack of four jigsaw sided pieces, each about 50 cm square so you can use what is needed to meet whatever shape you are making. It works brilliantly.

All the parts were blocked separately, then sewn together, washed again and laid out to dry – someone said ‘Oh, for me …..how kind………’ Sigh

b'day present 2016 w Tig 2

The project was finished on time despite attempts to sabotage – wrapped in pretty paper and delivered to ED who kindly modelled it for you despite having on her red sneakers and standing in the baking heat of Wellington

Model jumper

And now I’m working away at my crochet project a very fine alpaca and silk scarf, currently about one third assembled – destined for the birthday girl sometime after her birthday, but hopefully before Christmas. Please note the careful colour matching……… Shawl

If I’m missing from your posts, please forgive me – I’ll be back to normal in a few more days.

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!

February Creations

Posted on February 12, 2016 by thecontentedcrafter

Hello Y’all! It’s already almost half way through the month and I feel as if I’m playing catch up with my blog already. I’ve been busy – no, no, really I have – well sometimes I’ve been busy – other times ……… let’s just say I’ve watched a few movies, and read a few books and done a bit of knitting

Jos jumper 2

It’s a richer brown than is showing, flecked with gold and this is the pattern

Elation free Cable Aran Knit Sweater Pattern Elation or buy as knitting kit

It’s a free pattern from Artesano Yarns in the UK – isn’t it lovely!! My ED will love this for our coming winter.

And I’ve been receiving gifts!

I’ve been really touched by the kindness of people in this blogging world again. In a recent post on the blog Love Those Hands At Home I mentioned to Kerry that I loved the little white crocheted place mats she was readying to put into her shop. The next thing I knew they were delivered by my friendly postal lady and Kerry’s placemats now adorn my table and a couple of other places too – aren’t they pretty!

Kerrys mat 1 Kerry's mat 3

The post delivered a completely unexpected thank you gift just over a week ago. Robin was a recipient in the Christmas Light Catcher giveaway and she sent me a thank you note and a copy of her CD – a collection of lovely folk and contemporary music played on her flute. I was surprised and delighted by her kind gesture. Thank you Robin, I am enjoying it very much – I’m so in awe of people who can make music!

Flute CD

Then I received another gift – from my friend Norah in Australia who didn’t receive a Light Catcher in the giveaway, but who did nominate her friend Robin [above] and who simply decided to send me a beautiful thank you note and a lovely inspirational book which has made it to the bedside table for dipping into before sleep. Isn’t this the kindest thing? Aren’t all these actions so thoughtful and so generous – and so happily welcomed!

I am constantly really touched by the generosity of people in the blogging world – and just want to say thank you, thank you. I am really, truly blessed and absolutely require no more gifts!

Norah and I recently had a bit of a discussion about education. Those of you who know me well, know I was once a teacher and am rather opinionated about that and about childhood in general. Norah and I think alike and so she sent me some questions and ran a small Q&A type interview on her blog.

Part I is here and Part II is here if you should be interested.

*****************************************

My shop was cleared out of Light Catchers by Christmas and I have finally made several new ones, of which three have made it into the shop [found at the top right of this page, under the header picture if you are interested in having a look]. There’s a ‘Mellow Yellow’, one called ‘Purple Haze’ and another called ‘Aqua Lights’. Here’s a sneaky preview

Mixed pizap

There are three more still in production and I keep experimenting with curly-whirly, mobile types of danglers that will sparkle and jingle and tinkle too. I haven’t yet found something I really like that is actually affordable for anyone short of the Sheikh of Araby to purchase ……. but I’m working on it.

Here’s a peek at the six strander I made for my kitchen window recently – lots of fun with this one bouncing rainbows and sparkles all round the room. As always I apologise for my photos and the lack of colour – it is of course all shades of blue 🙂 6 Strand Blue pizap

And for all his fans here’s Siddy again, just going for a drive all windswept and tousled and loving it – and yes, I must clean the car mirrors sometime soon – but really, he doesn’t mind!

driving2 nov 15

I’m thinking about gifts and kindness and contentedness a lot these days. I feel blessed! I hope you do too.

Thanks for coming by today today, I love that you did!

A Whovian Lightcatcher

Posted on January 5, 2016 by thecontentedcrafter

Hi, Happy New Year every onel!

I’m starting off with a look back at a highly secret project that took a chunk of my creative time last November – December.

So, for that lovely Holiday Season just past, I designed and made a Christmas gift for a Whovian. It was kind of a mad idea, seeing as how I had never really seen the show and had no idea how I was going to make the vision I had in my head a real three dimensional experience. It sure was a chance to get really creative!

I wanted to somehow indicate the whole spinning through the galaxy thing that ~~apparently~~ goes on in the show and give a feeling of the whoosh of time travel……

What these photos don’t readily reveal is the three dimensional thing that is actually going on……….

There’s a wee glimpse in this shot

2whof

And a touch of it’s fabulousness in this shot

who4

Man these things are hard to photograph! I had already called in the Official Photographer who managed to get the full length eventually ……

2whob

who5

It is designed to be viewed in the round and hung away from the window for maximum rainbows. When it was being photographed it spun out a kaleidoscope of colour through my living room.

The Whovian Light Catcher is made with two straight strands and two curved strands that circle around the outside. Four AAA faceted crystal balls hang from the end of each strand. Faceted glass baubles, acrylic octohedrons, silver beads, tiny oil beads and six lapis-lazuli gemstones make up the strands. Lapis Lazuli is known as a sacred stone, said to be older than time itself – just like the Doctor! 🙂

Of course the charms include a weeping angel and a dalek, the Tardis, two red hearts and a sonic screwdriver – all things pertaining to to the story lines and the Doctor himself.

I had such fun making this light catcher and it really does give the feeling of spirals and vortexes and galaxies and such like which the Whovians of the family assure me is what it is all about!

What do you think?

I hope your year has gotten off to a good start and that it will unfold with fun, learning, new opportunities and much love given and received.

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!

Christmas Giveaway – THE WINNER

Posted on December 3, 2015 by thecontentedcrafter

Well, the voters have spoken and it was so very interesting to see where your hearts went.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and vote and to those of you who reflected back to me their thoughts and feelings both via the blog and in private emails. I was touched, not only by the stories themselves, but also by your thoughts about the stories and the thought you put into making your selections. I so loved Boomdee’s comment about hope – did you catch that in the comments section of the last post?

In the end voting was very close between two stories. And very close between the next five. So close that there was only one course of action left to me – and that was to make everyone winners.

Here’s what has happened:

The story you voted for the most was C. This is the story of Melanie, submitted by her father, Colin. I do not know Colin or Melanie and have no idea how Colin found out about the giveaway. But he did and he wrote a beautiful precis of his daughter’s life and we all thought it was worthy of a light catcher – so it will be sent to her as soon as her address is received.

Extraordinarily close behind was story A. Norah’s friend Robin touched our hearts and so nearly won it would be a shame not to send her something – so she will receive a light catcher also.

Then there followed the middle runners [it’s sounding a bit like a horse racing event isn’t it ….] These stories were all close together in terms of votes, you all liked them equally it seems causing a split vote situation. Nothing for it then but to say all the people featured in these stories are also receiving light catchers:

B, D, F, H, J and K.

I took some time out of life for several hours and with intense purpose made several versions of a simpler, single strand Christmas Light Catcher to be given to the runners up. Each catcher is made with one AAA crystal ball, either of 30 or 40 mm, a random amount of AAA crystal octagons, a random amount of crystal faceted beads, various glass, acrylic or semi precious beads and finished with several charms. They are all different. My plan is to wrap them up, package them and randomly write on the addresses as you send them to me. Which light catcher anyone gets will be the outcome of random choice, pure good fortune or the will of the Christmas Fairy – whichever way you choose to look at it.

This is a shot of several of the single strands, all mixed up together

Xmas lc extra4

And as another added extra, today I threw all the names of the commenters from the last post into my favourite coffee cup and drew one out.

Sharon, aka ‘Gentle Stitches’ will also receive a simple single strand Christmas Light Catcher.

Here’s a few more of them just lying around waiting to be parcelled up

Xmas lc extra3

Although these catchers made as extra giveaways are much simpler than the major giveaway, they will I hope, spread just a few more light rainbows around the world and remind the recipients that they are in the hearts of the people who submitted them and their stories touched the hearts of the people who heard them.

Please make sure to send me the address of your nominee if they are a prize winner – instructions are in the previous post. .

Thank you again for your participation and encouragement of this Advent activity.

To finish, especially for his fans, here’s a shot of Siddy admiring his new front door:

new door 13 11