A winter exchange from summery Auckland

Do you remember this - the riddle?

No one guessed what it was to be but today Simone let me know she had received the Winter Exchange I did for her - I was worried that it might get squashed in the mail but the postman was gentle. So here's the big reveal - a box stitched on blue linen in three shades of silk threads adapted from a chart in The Gift of Stitching. To be fair the snow that falls in New Zealand is very considerate and generally falls in the unpopulated areas of the mountains providing playgrounds for skiers and snowboarders. I have only ever built one snowman in my life and that was when I lived in Hokkaido in Japan!!!

We were asked to include a souvenir of our country and this box was just the right size for our flightless New Zealand Kiwi to travel by Air to The Netherlands.

Last night my friend Kathy took me out for dinner - a very belated birthday gift. We went to La Cigale for their Tuesday Tagine - a first time for me but Kathy is a regular there so Griffith the Tibetan Terrier/Poodle (does that equal a Tiboodle???) met her with ecstatic welcomes at the door. I fell for Griffith and he for me but the meal was far to delicious for me to offer him crumbs from the table! Despite taking my camera I only remembered to take a photo of the entree and now I can't remember the name of the dish. The lamb tagine was spicy and delectable. Panacotta and spiced figs for dessert was bad for the hips but oh so tasty to the lips. I looove Moroccan food!

Have a good evening everyone. I am off to wash my dinner dishes and do some stitching - hopefully to finish my house for the Bridestree SAL and I may have something to show tomorrow night.

Be good.