24th April 2020 Mailer

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ANZAC Day 2020 by Vicki Avcin

ANZAC Day this year will be very different around Australia this year. All services and marches have been cancelled. Traditionally there are dawn services, followed by Gunfire breakfasts and then big parades later in the morning. The last post is played at all services and wreaths are laid to remember members of the Defence Forces who gave their lives in many different wars. It is not only those who died in World Wars but more recent conflicts including those of current times. It honours all our Defence Force personnel. For me I attend our local service at River Heads, wearing my Fire Service uniform at 5.55am. I then change from Fire Service to Emergency Service Cadet uniform and march in the parade in town at 10am. I have been the wreath layer for the Fire Service for the past 10 years. Two cadets lay the wreath at the main service. So this year the RSL (Returned Services League) have asked that everyone go to their front gate at 6am and stand and have a minutes silence. People are encouraged to put a wreath on their gate or fence, light a candle and many radio stations, local musicians or downloaded app with the last post, to be played in streets and suburbs. I made a wreath which will be placed on the front fence as we live on acreage, but at the lower end of our suburb on the smaller blocks, people will be playing the last post where the whole street can hear. Hopefully next year the lockdown will be lifted we will be able to once again attend services as normal.
Today I am promoting two of my designs suitable for sympathy cards.

cup606610_543 by Vicki Avcin

cup600599_543 by Vicki Avcin

The Germinator by Janice McFarlane

As you know my latest hobby is Needle Felting, I try to get some done on a weekend if I can. It is my relaxation from designing. I belong to a FB group called Living Felt and each Wednesday they have live tutorials for different projects. A couple of week ago they did a tutorial on creating a fun germ (in light of the virus) to encourage people to wash their hands. Whilst the tutorial was basic, but really fun, I got carried away with me germs face and gave it a bit more character, made him a cyclops, with a snotty nose and a zit, spittle on his tongue and gave him a couple of teeth. I wanted him to be colourful and for extra nodules I glued small pompoms on top of the larger ones. This is the most colours I have used in a project to date, and wasnt sure how he would turn out. I am pretty pleased with him and it brought a smile and encouragement to wash your hands. I gave him a name - The Germinator.

cup1039731_905 by Janice McFarlane

cup1039324_905 by Janice McFarlane

cup1039793_425 by Sandie Burchell

cup1039368_425 by Sandie Burchell

Its ... by Carol Clarke

... Follow my Leader time again! lol The cows have been let out into the field at last and once again these lovely soft friendly bovines have taken to following me across the field when Im taking my daily exercise! They seemed to recognise me from last Below are 2 of my pretty shaped Clutch bag cards ... watch out for more ... Coming Soon! lol

cup1037179_359 by Carol Clarke

cup1036486_359 by Carol Clarke

Stay safe by Judith Henry

Many of you have heard me tell this story of how I found a new meaning in life. How a mission trip to Africa, meeting people I could not communicate with changed how I look for purpose in my life. Everyone needs a purpose otherwise they give up on life.During a drought an African tribe needed to survive. To feed their children they sacrificed their cows for nourishment. Tending to the cows was their mens livelihood, their purpose. Without the cows they could no longer milk them. Without the milk there was nothing to trade for other goods. Before long the family, the tribe, was struggling once again to survive. There were missionaries that helped the tribe by satisfying their hunger. They brought food to nourish them but it did not sustain their need for a purpose. The tribe was given a cow. The next visit they were given chickens. With each visit a purpose to sustain life was given and the men came out of their solitude to provide for their families. They were restored by regaining a purpose. During my time of isolation I am being selfish but that gives me a purpose. Things happen for a reason. We did not book a winter/spring get away. We also pulled our geraniums last fall to winter over in the basement. We are getting ready for spring. Someone is looking over us. My purpose is to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. I do not want to be responsible for your death. I do not have the talent to find a cure. Im responsible to help nourish your soul with the talents I can do from home. I can give my love through keeping in touch. I can support those who use their talent to keep us safe. I can continue to create cards to send and sell.So help me spread my purpose by Staying safe and healthy. Just stay home.

cup996517_2228 by Judith Henry

cup824814_2228 by Judith Henry

Who Could Have Guessed... by Clare Walker

See the stunning tulips in this photo? It absolutely made my day to come across them on another of those permitted local walks. As it happened, I was able to thank the lady who planted them (from a safe distance of course :-) ). Unsurprisingly, she`s apparently had lots of compliments for her beautiful flowers. And as she said, Who could have guessed, when I planted those bulbs last autumn, that they would be so important to people now?It made me realise just how much even our seemingly smallest actions can affect others. On the other hand, it`s good to know that everything counts, and that small but positive actions really *can* make a huge difference. Stay safe and happy as you can. x

cup1039680_79993 by Clare Walker

cup1019922_79993 by Clare Walker