GOODBYE 2015- HALLO 2016

Now home again from my trip to Queensland, Australia, I am finding it hard to settle back into a routine again,  and as a result am rather late in writing a post for my blog. the trip was a gift from my sister Joan and her husband, Joan was determine that we three siblings would be together to celebrate Donald's 70th birthday, the last time we were all together would have been in 1978, although over the years that followed we had both seen Donald on several occasions.

 The three of us taken in about 1950 Lee Donald and Joan

and here again as we are now ( in reverse order this time 

Joan on the left, then Donald and myself.)

  Donald's home in now with friends in Queensland Australia, we flew from Wellington to the Gold Coast and then drove the long trip north, to Gin Gin. Joan had carefully planned the trip with stops at points of interest on the way, one of these was to visit Portside Maryborough and see Mary Poppin's statue unfortunately at this time it rained so it was just a quick photo taken sharing the umbrella with Mary Poppins, outside the building where Mary Poppins author P L  Travers was born, next door was a cafe called A spoonful of sugar but we did not have the chance of a coffee with a spoonful of sugar as they were closing up for the day..

 

 This was our only wet day, the weather was very warm but not quite as warm as I expected, in fact dreaded, so we're very lucky, we were able to spend five days up in the north, country was very different and I enjoyed seeing all the bird life, many were very colourful like these Lorikeets.

Following our time up North we had three days on the Gold Coast and there I saw pelicans for the first time much larger birds than I expected.

Returning home a few days before Christmas  the year has now  raced to its end,  in fact the whole of 2015 seems to have just flown by! Thank you to all my blogging friends who have shared the past year with me I look forward to visiting your blogs to read your news and to know what delights you are stitching, and to have your comments when you visit my blog in the year ahead.

 Its January 1st here and for the coming year  I am..........................