A send off for a special friend...

Because my operation has been rescheduled to later this month, (Oct 22) I was able to attend a function that I had originally sent my apologies and was so disappointed to be missing it. It was last Sunday and it was a get together to farewell a friend who has decided to return to her home in the UK.
Alison joined our congregation over 10 years ago and was a tireless worker for the parish. She was also an excellent Treasurer and such people are worth their weight in gold as anyone involved in community groups would know. So after the 9.30 service a number of us made our way to Mc Cook Park and set up for our picnic...

 I grew up in this area and Mc Cook Park was used a lot for interschool sports' games...but it was 'very basic' in those days...it's a lot more attractive these days...

People started putting out food on the tables...

 Father Bruce, our Rector, went and got a container of water for the 2 pet dogs who had come along...

DH and our friend Greg, solving the problems of the world there...

Alison, our guest of honour, on the left with my friend Carmen (I was Carmen's pract teacher in her last year of training; been friends ever since)

For an occasion like this, you have to have a cake! It was in the shape of a suitcase :-)

The guest of honour cuts into the cake and we all sing, 'For She's a Jolly Good Fellow...'

What's this? Suzanne walks up with a large parcel. It's the gift from the parish...

 It's mentioned that the parcel contains a painting that Alison had admired at the annual parish art Show in July...Alison squeals as she realises what is in the parcel...

She's taken aback...'it costs so much', she gasped

Here it is...apparently when Alison had seen this painting originally, it reminded her of all the beach walks she had done with her dogs, on Queensland beaches. Except the painting is of a northern NSW beach, but that's a minor matter...

Closer look of the painting by Mitchell Warner

She was rapt and had no idea what 'we' had got up to in buying it for her...

 But that's not all...Carmen had made an album for Alison with photos of all the parishioners taken at various events over the years...what a great memento!

And that's still not all...our parish makes prayer quilts for parishioners who are enduring trauma but quilts are also made for farewells...
And this is Alison's...the photo was taken back at St James where people were able to tie  the threads that represent prayers for the recipient. The quilt also went to the park to have more knots tied before the hand over...

 The label...

On October 22, Alison and her dog Bear will fly back to the UK and eventually to Bristol where she will be home again with her elderly parents and family all close by. We will miss her, that's for sure!