Well here we all are. Yesterday I took a trip to Geelong to catch up with my Kindred Spirit, Rachel and her family. Rachel is on the left, her daughter Elise is the one in the coat with the pink flowers (made by me - coat and flowers that is) and Kiara is next to Elise, then me. Lucky Elise had pink flowers on her coat, then my pink cardi didn't stand out quite so much. We are sitting outside a yummy cafe called "63 Degrees" in Pakington Street in Geelong in this photo, and Rachel's hubby Adam took the photo. My son Toby also came along and joined us for lunch. Before lunch, I took Rachel to Jiddi's Patch in Geelong. I am not sure who had the most fun, Rachel or her daughter Elise!!!!
Now, the story on how Rachel and I met. Some of you may remember Wendy Brigg whose business was "Country Friends" in Canberra. (Wendy designed lovely sticheries and cloth dolls).
Well some years ago, (infact Rachel was pregnant with Elise and Elise is now 12) Wendy asked, through here newsletter, if people would like to send in a profile of themselves and she would match them up with a Kindred Spirit. Wendy did a great job, she matched Rachel and I up. The idea was to make a Christmas stocking and fill it with goodies and post it off, it was going to be a one year thing. Well, this year will be the 13th "stocking" (lol will explain that later) that Rachel and I have sent to one another.
Rachel and her family decided to come down to Victoria for a holiday a few years after we started exchanging "stockings". There was a mighty spring clean done of the house and garden before they came to visit, and my kids made the comment that you would think that the "Prime Minister" was coming to visit. Then a couple of years after that they went to Tassie for a holiday, and after getting back on the boat early in the morning, they diverted their trip back to Sydney and made a quick trip to the farm at Beeac for lunch. I promised Rachel that I would visit them in Sydney sometime soon.
Now, before I go any further, I will explain the "stocking". Rachel and I have never, right from the very first year, just sent a stocking filled with goodies. It has always been a box of goodies, infact, sometimes two boxes, and not small boxes I might add. We spend all year collecting and making, and sometimes we just get carried away. Great excuse to visit sales and shop for bargains. One year I had to visit the florist to get a long narrow box to send my goodies off in.
Back in 2009 I rang Rachel and said, there were cheap flights going to Sydney, I am coming to visit. Well, it was round the time of posting the "stockings" off to one another, which I forgot to say, would always happen on the 1st December every year, although the last couple of years, we have extended the time a little. So, we decided that we would open our boxes of goodies in person, hence I posted my box of goodies to Rachel (so that I didn't have too much excess luggage), and she was not under any circumstances peek, it was to remain all sealed up until I arrived.
On the Saturday evening we had a lovely time opening our boxes and lots of laughter and fun was had. When we sat down and worked it out, that year had been the 10th "stocking". When I was packing my bags to come home, I fitted what contents of the "stocking" into my suitcase that I could, and then Rachel posted the rest onto me. I must say, that there is always something in the box for each memeber of both families, and Rachel's daughters are now making goodies for me too.
And, her Mum and Dad have also got in on the act. Rachel's Dad does beautiful wood turning, and each year there is something made by him. He is passing his talents on to Kiara now, and she does beautiful wood turning and last year I received a lovely piece made by her.
Today is the day, I am going to cut out my daughter's ball dress, and this is the fabric that she has chosen. Don't you think it is gorgeous. I wont tell you the style until the dress is all made and then I will post a photo of it, but I will tell you that I could not find a pattern for what she wanted, so I have had to make up a pattern and I have made the mock dress and it looks lovely. 
