No Longer AWOL

wow.  It's been awhile!  My days have been so full, I've neglected you mightily.  Christmas has come and gone, and with it, our faraway kids and extended family.  But oh, what a Christmas it was!  Truly it was lovely to have everyone here.  Who is everyone?  This is everyone:

Back row:  Son # 3, Sister #1, Son #1, Fiancee&Son #2, Daughter&Husband
Front row: Husband, Self, PennyPie, LadyFriend&my Dad

I don't give you names, because some of them don't like to leave a trail on the internet.  But if you know us, you probably know them.  And if you don't, well, at least you know how the faces are related to me.  :)

I loved my tree.  I still love my tree.  It's still up, and I'm hoping it will last through the New Year.  So far, so good.  It's not overly dry or drooping yet.  I know the day is coming, but so far, so good.

I don't know where to begin, and a blog just doesn't have space for it all.  Let's just say that it was the best Christmas in years.  We were truly blessed.

And quilts were a part of it.  Some were gifted:

And some were slept under:

The last quilt-for-hire was delivered yesterday, and the quiltmaker was so pleased that she's going to be sending along another one.  whew!  I hope I never take so long again, to finish a quilt-for-hire! 

My piece "Ice," which traveled with SAQA's "This is a Quilt" exhibit for 2 years, sold on Christmas Eve.

And I remembered to ship my "Strelitzia" quilt to Road to CA.  whew!!

Today I will head into my Studio, where I can almost push open the door without interference.  I've toyed with the idea of taking before/after pictures, but really?  Who wants to see this type of clutter?  I've never seen Hoarders, but I suspect this particular room would be in the running for some serious air time.

And on that, I hope your Christmas was filled with blessings, and I wish you joy and peace in the coming year.