OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES
On Monday, when William (2)was at our place, he put his head around my sewing room door, and surveyed the scene.
"It is very messy!" he said. "Who did it?"
Well I had to own up.
"Granny did."
He looked at me with a serious face for a few seconds, then asked
"Is it naughty?"

Now I do have shelves which are reasonably tidy and organised, and where I know where to find things.

On the other hand, there are areas on the floor where things get dumped and stepped over (or sat on)......

And there is a table (not my worktable) which is all too convenient for leaving supplies and projects until I can deal with them.

It is not as if my sewing room is just a forgotten and neglected space. It is a place of work and activity.
Look at some of the things I have been working on in the past couple of weeks...

This is my first page for our 2010 RR....partly finished. My theme is going to be "Time", and I will call this page "Time and Place."

Here are some needlefelted needlebooks that I have been making to go with my felted apple pincushions.

I have completed the fronts and backs and handles of at least a dozen bags. They only need to be sewn around the sides and lined.

And I have made - from start to finish - this quilt for a new baby in the family in the past fortnight.

Like William, I like to play.

But William has been taught to put away his toys when he has finished playing. He cannot understand why Granny does not do the same thing.

Perhaps I will have a "tidy up" and surprise him!

NORFOLK ISLAND HOLIDAY

The holiday season is a truly wonderful one on Norfolk Island. During those lazy hazy days of summer, we all have a relaxing and refreshing time, enjoying the break from the normal routine. There are lots of get-togethers with friends and family, including those visiting from Australia and New Zealand. The Christian-Bailey household is no exception.

Sarah and Emily, and their Mum Miriam (our daughter) just cannot stay away. Miriam was only able to manage one week, Sarah stayed for two, and then went home to get ready for a trip to Sydney (to have a reunion with another set of cousins over there.) Emily was lucky enough to have three whole weeks on Norfolk Island, and she really made the most of it!

On their very first night, the girls joined with friends riding the horses out to Simon's Water, having a sausage sizzle, and camping for the night.

There were lots of picnics

And other family outings.....

Catching up with cousins....

Enjoying the beautiful sights of NorfolkIsland...

And getting out in the boat..

Even managing a bit of diving....

One of the best parts for the girls was being with their uncles. One time when they were small, they were overheard saying they had "millions" of uncles on Norfolk Island!

It is hard to get an uncle to smile for a photo!

But sometimes you can catch them unawares!
Even in fancy dress!

There are always lots of greetings and farewells at the airport at this time of year

The girls think Christmas on Norfolk Island is pretty cool, and we absolutely love having them.  They plan their own activities and make their own entertainment, and generally enjoy the freedom and friendliness and the laid-back atmosphere.

The "family star" says it all!

ABOUT ANGELS

I went for a stroll around our Norfolk Island cemetery the other day in search of angels. I was looking for stone and marble angels to photograph for Diana, who is "collecting" them! Now I am not sure of the significance of the coffee jar in this first picture, but then again, graves can be very personal!

Now, angels have been hi-jacked by popular culture in recent times. My Bible Dictionary tells me they are messengers of God, with a special ministry to mankind. Sadly, God, whom the angels worship and serve, is often by-passed or ignored in the modern feel-good, and sometimes tacky portrayal of angels. They are often confused with the more make-believe order of fairies. I hope I have not offended anyone here - I think fairies are wonderful mythological creatures and in that role, a great force for good! I grew up on fairies, but I am glad to say I did not grow out of my faith in God - and His Angels - when I came to the stage of being a little sceptical about the fairies at the bottom of the garden!

Cherubim are especially popular in the portrayal of angels, although once again, in popular culture, there is often a bit of confusion with Cupid. My fellow needleworkers are especially guilty of this.

There has always been a strong awareness of the role of angels when a loved one dies. It is often when it is the death of a loved one who dies young, or unexpectedly or undeservedly.

Perhaps it is because of a feeling of helplessness that we mentally hand over the protection and care of that person to God's angels, and in Luke 16, it is suggested that angels carry the "righteous dead" into the bosom of Abraham. Sometimes it is the rather mistaken notion that because that person or child was "good" that they will become angels themselves. Indeed God promises that we will be like the Angels in that we will dwell in His Glory and freely praise and worship him as they do!

Anyway, as you can see from the pictures, we depict angels in many forms. Some look very human, and that is how they often appeared to mankind in the Bible.

I could only find two actual headsones that incorporated angels.

 The rest were ornaments sitting under the headstone or at the foot of the grave. Distance and freight costs have undoubtedly had an effect on the variety and elaborateness of memorials and headsones here on Norfolk Island.

As you can see, our cemetery on Norfolk Island is beautiful and well-cared for, and its location is extremely desirable - right beside a picturesque beach, with blue-green waters, wonderful rockpools, and foamy breakers.

I have not shown anything of the fascinating convict era section of our cemetery. That will be the subject of a future posting!