Chester is a real darling and brings us so much joy.
Last week we were shocked by the news that Chester’s breeder, Matthew Venables, had passed away. 
Matt and his wife Danielle were so kind to us, even welcoming us into their home for an overnight stay, when we travelled to collect Chester (Alpyne Air Secret Agent).
Our hearts go out to Danielle at this very sad time.
Di
Not even Sydney’s torrential spring showers could dampen the enthusiasm of our Stitchin’ Mission quiltmakers who came along on Sunday afternoon to the first of 5 classes Linda Hungerford is giving at St Mark’s.
After months of Skyping, promoting, advertising, shopping for fabric, liaising with our chosen mission, KU Children’s Services, printing notes, sewing sample quilts, and gathering together an enthusiastic band of supporters, Di B and I could hardly believe the big day had finally arrived!
The stage was set, with a folder of notes and patterns and a handmade pincushion laid out ready for each of our arrivals.
We had a display of artist impressions of the new KU Marcia Burgess Autism Specific Early Learning & Care Centre, where our quilts are destined to become treasured ‘security blankets’ for the little ones enrolled there when it opens in June 2010. 
There were tables groaning with donations of child-friendly focus fabrics and bright supporting fabrics, ready for our newbies to ‘shop’ from at the end of the lesson.
Of course the famous Stitchin’ Mission banner, which Linda had brought all the way from Des Moines, had pride of place with the 4 sample quilts at the front of the room.
Then they arrived – 33 eager newbies and Rebekahs – and after listening with rapt concentration to Linda’s clear and entertaining presentation the rush was on to choose fabrics. I heard afterwards that several had been eyeing them off and mentally choosing their favourites even as Linda was still talking – such was their enthusiasm!
This week’s homework is simple: washing and pressing the fabric ready for rotary cutting the quilt block pieces on Sunday.
That’s when the real fun begins!
Would you trust these two to organise a Stitchin’ Mission?
Linda has! Just 8 days to go!
(If you have permission to view my private blog www.disdarlings.blogspot.com pop across shortly for photos of my wonderful family)
Much cheering and whooping here – and that’s just from me. Not only is it my birthday -
and all the family came for dinner last night, including our littlest member, The Princess -
and I’ve received the loveliest cards, flowers and gifts - 
and enjoyed an al fresco birthday morning tea today… 
but this arrived in the mail this morning…. my Senior’s Card!
It took me almost a year to get around to applying, but now I’m set to enjoy the perks of maturity (and there have to be some), as I flash my card that officially declares me “a valued member of our community”. So there.
A little known sub-clause of Murphy’s law says that if you plan to throw your home and garden open to an entire church congregation for afternoon tea the chances are pretty high that the Lord will decide to bless your garden with rain. Lots of it.
Yep, you guessed it. The heavens opened the following Sunday when we farewelled our Assistant Minister Ben, his wife Michelle and children Chas and Coco as they prepared to fly out to a new parish in Perth on the other side of our vast country. Undeterred we simply moved the proceedings inside.
These poppies on the table were the closest we came to sunshine, but everyone crowded in and we had a great time, sad though it was to see our Undies family leaving after almost 5 years here.
The last time you heard from me I was leaning from my upstairs bedroom window photographing a dust storm that had turned Sydney a demonic shade of red, and choking on airborn particles of grit. 
From the ensuing silence you could be forgiven for thinking that I’d been blown away in the storm, Dorothy-like, with Toto (aka Chester) tucked under my arm.
The truth is I’ve been rather busy cooking and serving up teas – lots of them. 
First there was our Stitchin’ Mission information afternoon when Chris Legg and Pam Macrossan from KU Children’s Services showed us graphics of the new KU Marcia Burgess Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centre in a Powerpoint presentation and answered lots of questions about this cutting-edge new Centre.
They confirmed for us the wonderful therapeutic value of quilts for autistic children - and yes, we had plenty of Stitchin’ Mission quilts on display for inspiration!
