Adieu to 2012!

{Grab a cuppa and sit down comfortably - this is a long one, a bit like those 'Bring in the New Year' TV programmes! But I'm doing it for myself really, but you're welcome to come along too if you wish!}

All through my childhood, a familiar sight each week was that of my Mum seated at the typewriter, tapping out the family news to send to her mother, almost half a world away in Argentina.  It's probably why I have a thing about typewriters, as can be seen by the presence of no less than two in my dining room currently...

...my great-uncle Pat's typewriter on the desk - there's a story to be told about that man and his travels - and the one I lugged across fields earlier this year from a Car Boot Sale, which is currently residing on the hearth...

Granny, on that far flung continent, would be similarly tapping away, and each week would see the arrival of a normally three page letter, typed on thin, air mail paper, full of her news and with snippets about my cousins, aunt and uncle and sometimes also about my Dad's side of the family, for they lived out there too.  

The wonderful thing is that all those letters (both my Mum's, and Granny's) from late 1961, I think, when my Mum arrived in England as a young bride, until the late 1980s, when Granny came to live with us in England, are neatly filed now and there at my parents' home as a wonderful record of family life in all its ups and downs.  I could probably find details of when I cut my first tooth, what was served up at my fourth birthday party and what games we played,  who came to celebrate Christmas with us in 1979 and when I had chickenpox.

I suppose if the internet and the Land of Blog had been invented, they might have blogged instead... 

And that thought made me realise that, although when I started my blog I wanted it partly as a record of daily life, I never really cast a backwards glance at it.

So today, I thought I would do so with a quick round up of the year, because though I don't really 'do' resolutions, I thought a look back would put me in a very positive frame of mind for 2013!

In January we made an enormous list of jobs that needed doing around the house, many of which we still need to attend to, but I did create a wall of family photos and turn a pretty buckle into a tiny photo frame... 

I also discovered the singer Birdie, and made lots of felt birds!

 February saw a disappointing trip to 'Make It', though I did buy these bits of MDF that I am making a mental note to transform when I get home...

...lots of cross-stitch and some lentil-tin transforming...

In March some really tatty Ladybirds came into my possession which led me to consider how much these images moulded my tastes in life...

...my lovely parents gave me a beautiful teaset on Mothering Sunday...

...I (briefly) became a lumberjack and we had what turned out to be the only barbecue of the year on a swelteringly hot Sunday.

I also faffed around with a pattern from Mollie Makes, creating the world's only cross between a piglet, a rabbit and a giraffe...

...who then, dressed in her Sunday best, went off to live with Fading Grace in Dorset!

In April we attended a fabulous wedding (there's a baby on the way now!)...

...built a deck and replaced some patio doors for Miss U-t-B and her boyfriend...

...and went skiing to recover.

May saw the revamp of a chest of drawers...

Still need to sort out the knobs, which wobble!

...whilst June saw birthday celebration for Sophia...

...and the arrival of her cousin, Dylan, on her actual birthday (simplifying matters so much for Mr U-t-B who is not known for remembering birthdays - two grandchildren, one birthday date to recall!)

June was also the month of Jubilee celebrations...

Miss U-t-B, our French work experience student and I had such fun making this cake.

July saw my thoughts turning to sailing, with the revamp of my boat...

Just need to miniaturise myself now!

Sophia getting cuter every day...

...and the coming into being of my 'Voucher Purse', which has so far saved us LOADS of money...

In August we holidayed in France and found lots of pretties at the vide-greniers...

...watched the beginning of a donkey romance...

...and generally chilled...

I rashly began stripping wallpaper in our bedroom in September (actually, it may have been earlier in the year - did we really put up with the half-stripped walls for months?) then we toiled together to create a calm and restful place to lay our heads...

Aside from that I only had time to revamp a suitcase from the dump ( I haven't forgotten I said I would do a 'How-to')...

In October I tried to do 'Blogtober' but failed!

I fell in love with making fairy houses and found the scrummiest cheesecake recipe ever...

...then challenged myself to make as many things as possible from one felted jumper...

These baby slippers were the cutest!  I think I raised about £60 for our local hospice selling the things I made from that one jumper!

I was feeling festive by November and had fun creating elves and a 

gingerbread-houses...

December was the month of polar bears in various forms, Rudolph, 'Fake Christmas' and skiing...

Looking back, I know I am very blessed.  We have had a really lovely 2012, with so many things to enjoy and be grateful for.  I hope that you are able to look back on similar joys, but if not, then I hope that 2013 will bring them in abundance to you. 

Wishing you all, all the very best for 2013!