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.
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| 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!
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| 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.
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| Knitting, patchwork piecing and stitching... |
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| Knitting dishcloths/washers |
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| I love working with mohair yarns... |
I love hexagons and have been stitching projects with them since the 1970s...
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| 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).
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| With my friend Cheryl at Sisters of Stitch... |
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| 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.
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| Aged 10 |
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| Aged 19 |
Occasionally, I write posts about my teaching career...especially my predilection for 'dressing up! Some funny ones there!
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| 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...
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| The Brisbane River near Kingsford Smith Drive... |
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| 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...
