1. To finish more unfinished projects (I managed 7 quilts, and several needleworks this year….Hooray)
2. To take most materials for those unfinished projects from my STASH (Heavens, I have enough stuff)
3. To be happy while working on all those unfinished projects…enjoy the journey (No grumbling allowed…well maybe just a little)
4. To share what I am accomplishing with reports on my BLOG (yes…I hope to post more than a couple times next year)
5. To make more gifts (I really appreciate handmade things…hope others do too)
These are just a few thoughts for the new year and my needlearts addiction! Last year I made a list of ten things and worked on them in rotation. To my surprise I really accomplished a LOT. Perhaps it was not as much as I would have liked, but nevertheless, the quilts I have here and there in my home speak volumes! Oh, to be even more prolific…don’t I wish. The rotation really worked for me because I get bored after several hours on one project. Then again, a couple of the projects consumed me and I worked on them until they were done.
Besides the quilts you have seen previously on my blog, I made two flannel junior size bed quilts…this blue/green/white monkey quilt and a pink/green/white one with a girl print. They were done with a “big stitch” quilting that everyone seems to like.
I also made a “music” quilt for a hostess gift. We went to Colorado for Christmas to spend the holiday with my son, Mike, Michelle and Maya. Because they were hosting my daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren already, we stayed with Michelle’s Mom, Carol. She is an expert piano teacher and so I chose to make her a music quilt as a thank you for having us there for the holiday. This one was also done quilted with big stitch quilting.
Alas, I broke my lovely little camera and am now taking photos with my cell phone. I actually received a beautiful Nikon SLR camera as a gift from my dear husband, but I don’t know how to work it yet and have been taking photos with my phone. They are not very good and I am REALLY going to try to get the knack of the good camera this year!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!! May you all be blessed with good health, prosperity, laughter, zillions of friends, and a plethora of needleart!
Amities, Averyclaire
It was a long week, but the news is good. They have removed all of the cancer present at this time. Perhaps there were angels watching over us. My DH will begin chemotherapy in September. It will last for seven weeks and then once a month for a year. It is a long road to complete recovery. And always looming over one’s head is the possibility of a reoccurence. But we are grateful for today and are hopeful for the future.
My husband is having a second surgery for his bladder cancer in a few weeks. Things are not the best they can be…but they are definitely not the worst either. Life somehow seems to have been put on hold and this cancer thing has consumed our lives. We are trying desparately to assimilate all the facts and options without becoming crazy with worry. It is difficult to say the least. I am still filled with hope for a good outcome in the end, but it is a long road we are facing. I ask all of you for as many prayers as possible. 
Averyclaire 