Success

My Man has been home from hospital for over a week now, and while still having to attend Outpatients at the local medical centre, is making progress. Hopefully the massive doses of antibiotics, via the PICC line and Baxter pump will send the infection away ... for good! The diagnosis was osteomyelitis, something a diabetic does not want.

They say good things come in three's. Perhaps the rain that has fallen making the place clean and green to view is number two.

Certainly the third is the parcel that arrived in the post earlier in the week. Just before Christmas Handmade featured some lovely designs, ones that I determined were 'up my alley'. I stictched felt hearts, on a festive theme, and made a hexagon table centre, which turned out good enough to take a photo and send it to the magazine. Imagine my delight when that letter, with photo, gained the status of 'Star Letter"! That a gift was the prize made the win even better.

I waited, heady with anticipation, for my parcel to arrive. Days went by; weeks went by; and slowly my excitment changed to anxiety. Maybe gifts were only a carrot? Surely not. Handmade is a reputable magazine, and I had read letters from others who had received their gift.

Months later I sent an email, received a gracious reply apologising for the delay. There was a reason ... there had been a change of editors. The gift would be mailed forthwith.

On Thursday there was a small card in the postbox ... inside the Post Office was a parcel! It was my gift! Showing great restraint I waited until we arrived home before opening the parcel. What a delightful array of goodies were inside!

There were scrapbooking papers and embellishments, there was a wonderful wooden set of bag handles, a book on embellished applique printed in the USA and using a dime as one of the measurements [will have to find out the size of a dime!], there was a wonderful Puff Quilting Clip set, and a small embroidery of a rooster including embroidery cottons to complete.

I admired the articles many times, took a photo, and admired again, finally putting them away for future use. Though I must have a try with that puff quilting clip! And in the meantime my brain is ticking over as to the best way of using the bag handles ... maybe something rustic with some flowers [to match the flower decoration on the handles] to bring the bag to life?

Surely this is proof things do come in threes?