Grow Your Own Blog Party...

I signed up recently  for this feature over on Vicki's blog '2 Bags Full' and January 25 is already here!

The idea is that the participants write a post in which each introduces his/herself. Vicki has a linky on her blog to enable people to visit these blog posts. Over 500 people signed up this year so perhaps most people will only visit a few blogs! lol

So here goes...

My name is Maria and I live in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. I am a retired teacher and have adapted to the retirement lifestyle very well! I have a DH , 2 daughters and 3 stepdaughters; the girls range in age from 33 down to 28.

A family Christmas get together with our extended family...

My favourite colour is purple...

I love old embroidered linens, pretty china and hydrangeas...

I started blogging in November 2010 mainly because I found inspiration in Rhonda Hetzell's Down to Earth blog after I read an article she wrote in one of the lifestyle magazines, and thought, 'I could try this'. From Rhonda's blog I started to visit the blogs of people who left comments on her blog...I would comment on their blogs and many visited my blog and even became followers. And I still do that...visit...comment and so often find really interesting people. I've learned so much from reading other people's blogs, free craft pattern sites especially! And I've made friends...some of whom I have gone on to meet in person!

Meeting up with fellow bloggers from SE Queensland...

My banner proclaims that the blog would chronicle my adventures as I moved into retirement, but I really had no clear goals about the direction of my blog.

So over the years I've written about the crafts that I enjoy and I 'show off' photos of things that I've made.

Knitting, patchwork piecing and stitching...

Knitting dishcloths/washers

I love working with mohair yarns...

I love hexagons and have been stitching projects with them since the 1970s...

A little bit of crocheting there too!

I've blogged about the groups that I belong to, especially the charity group, 'Knitting for Brisbane's Needy' and Sisters of Stitch, (not a charity but a group which 'feeds' my love of crafts).

With my friend Cheryl at Sisters of Stitch...

I still meet regularly with my former work colleagues...

I've talked about my family and friends in blog posts; I've also talked about the downright mundane ordinary things that are part of my life...such as putting IKEA furniture together! lol

And I even wrote posts about a stay in hospital!

Other posts have focussed on my gardening exploits and my 'battles' with the wildlife for the privilege of eating what I grow! lol

A number of people have commented or emailed me to say they really enjoy my 'looking back' posts when I talk about my life growing up and moving through the various decades to my lofty spot now in my early 60s.

Aged 10

Aged 19

Occasionally, I write posts  about my teaching career...especially my predilection for 'dressing up! Some funny ones there!

The main photo is in my Year 7 classroom...the school principal has taken over from me at the blackboard so a newspaper photographer can get a photo. We are dressed up for the school's 75th Anniversary. I did not teach when those were the everyday fashions! lol

Being retired, DH and I travel a bit more than we used to and I like to blog about these holiday adventures...

I also like to write posts about my own city...

The Brisbane River near Kingsford Smith Drive...

The Performing Arts Centre

Since retirement I have more time for reading, and occasionally I review a book I've recently read...

So there you have it; the very eclectic 'The Next Stage' Blog...