Wednesday, September 5, 2012

WOYWW 170 - Sewing!

 I am sewing! I HATE sewing! Remember those concert costumes my wonderful grandie1 volunteered me for? Well, I could no longer ignore the huge pile of fabric, they have dress rehearsal next week and my school starts next Tuesday (where did that months holiday go?), so yesterday I spent most of the day cutting and todat is the day those jumpsuits are going to be made. I will finish them, even if it kills me, but today is the day.
Some random family ramblings to follow, so if you are from WOYWW, this is where you can stop reading if you wish.
 I rarely post about my personal life or my family, but this weekend I was reminded of just how very lucky I am. My dear dad's side of the family started to have a family reunion 27 years ago. Every first weekend in September the whole family gets together for a weekend. He was one of 9 children, so every 9th year we (my brother, my sister and I) have to arrange the weekend. When my parents passed, I missed a few, not because I didn't want to go, but because I was just too sad to be there without them. This weekend was arranged by the two middle cousins on the photo. Susan and Hennie. Then there's me on the right and my all time favourite cousin, Susan. There were over a 100 people there! All related to us.

 On this photo are my dads surviving sisters, The oldest is the little old lady in the front, Tannie Bella, she is 86. They are fondly known as the 'oermense' (the ancients) We always have some sort of competition on the weekend and this weekend we had to do a Spring table. The whole family helped. DD1, Karin, could not be there because she had 8 cakes to deliver, so she sent the centre piece, a flowerpot cake and enough cupcakes for the whole family. DD3, Ankie, and grandie2, Hannah, helped set ihe tyable. We won 3rd prize.

 Why third, you ask? well the judges, the ancients (who are ruthlessLOL) felt that we were trying to bribe them with the cupcakes, they said that it was wastefull to mess paint on a tablecloth (I handpainted the tablecloth years ago) and that it was just plain wrong to stab perfectly healthy fruit (we made mini fruit sosaties!) So you see, its all rigged and we each get a turn to win, but it is great fun.
At one stage during the weekend I was sitting there, watching my two youngest play volley ball with the children, My grandies were off with some of the other cousins' grandies playing all over and the new babies were all laughing and shrieking with joy and suddenly my eyes were leaking (like my grandie would say) I felt so grateful, so humbled to be able to be part of this wonderful group of people that love me unconditionally, that know all my shortcomings and still love me. I am so grateful that my grandies get to experience this and be aware that they are part of so much more than just us and their parents and their immediate cousins.
Have a great week and I will try my level best to visit all of you for the 4th week in a row!

52 comments:

  1. How wonderful that you have such a large family gathering every year. That's so funny about the rigging of the competition by the 'ancients'! Happy memories being made.
    Good luck with that sewing. I'm sure it will come together in the end. It always does x
    Fiona #76

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  2. lol that they rig it so you all get to win.. The cupcake centre piece looks cool and very yummy. I have not got a big family so I think this would be loads of fun to get together like this. Sandy :) #50

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  3. Sounds like you've been making lots of very happy memories with your family. :-) Life should be full of times like those.
    Good luck with those jump suits....if only I was closer eh?
    Hugs,
    A x #85

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  4. Tertia what a lovely big family you've got, how lucky. Great cupcake display too.
    Have fun with your sewing!
    Hugs Erika. #107

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  5. Sounds like you had great fun at your family get together and good luck with that sewing...my mum says I sew with a hot needle and burnt thread!

    EllieWee #106 xx

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  6. Oooh, loving that cupcake display and how lovely to have family gatherings like that. Good luck with all the sewing! Happy WOYWW, Anne x #47

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  7. I bet you had to bite your tongue when you got volunteered for that 'little' job.

    Centre piece on the table looks spectacular!!

    ** Kate **

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  8. I'm glad you got to see your family, the table setting is gorgeous! Happy WOYWW: Lindsay #10

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  9. Don't think anyone likes doing what they HAVE to do rather than what they want to do! Good luck with the sewing. My OH is one of seven and his family have a twice yearly get together. It is always so great to have a good catchup as the time just slips away otherwise. Glad to see you had such a fab time. Hugs, Buttons #114

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  10. Hi there Tertia, I am popping over to you first this week... and had to smile at the term ancients for the oldest generation, great family get together and laughed at the cake rigging :D
    .. and yes am with you on the sewing, I do it under sufferance, think machines and I just dont get on! Thanks so much for sharing ~ happy WOYWW! Shaz in Oz. x #48

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  11. What a lovely way to spend a weekend, thanks for sharing x
    You may hate sewing, but i do love your ickle sewing desk, very cool.
    Happy Wednesday
    Hugz Minxy #9

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  12. I too think it must be great to be part of a larger family. If you're the hell-in with 1, at least there are 98 others (excluding yourself) that you can converse with...LOL!!! Thanks for sharing. hugs Sharon

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  13. What a lovely way for the family to keep in touch & get together yearly . Happy crafting jill '78

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  14. What wonderful pictures and memories. Our extended family is so spread out it seems we only get together for weddings and funerals. Thanks for sharing your family.
    Krisha #68

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  15. You are so fortunate to have such a large family that is happy to gather and be together. I only have my dear dad here in Melbourne with mum passing 5 years ago and the rest of the family is spread far and wide and that is not many. Get as many pictures and loads of information as you can they are wonderful memories to have and hold. I love your spring table too, lovely idea. Thanks for sharing your family, they are beautiful.

    Eliza #20

    Eliza #20

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  16. Hi Tertia thanks for popping by. You are right about children recovering quickly! In the hospital Cal was in a lot of pain and so I stocked up on two bottles of painkillers - what do you know two doses later and no more pain!!! ;-) I love reading your post Tertia. What a lovely occasion no wonder you shed a happy tear. I love your families nickname of the ancients - I might have to adopt that - Ill let my Mum look it up tee hee - I might need the pain killer then ;-D Happy WOYWW to you from Helen 22

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  17. What a lovely blog post - so nice to see your family gathering - what a very special occasion. x Jo

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  18. Woo hoo! Congratulations on winning one of my blog candy prizes, I will email you!
    You post was wonderful to share and it is so lovely to get together with your family like this and you are so lucky to be part of such a big family.
    Memories for all!
    Love Jo x

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  19. Writing about your family is fine! It is good to hear nice things about people!!!
    I'm certain your costumes will be amazing!!
    xxDaniella#19

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  20. What a wonderful love filled post, you are very blessed to have such a warm lovely family..I hope you finished your sewing tasks.. Have a happy week Hugs May x x x#5

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  21. What a brilliant family tradition ! Sounds like a lovely thing to be at the centre of !
    Hope the sewing goes well - it can be very daunting when you have a deadline & other people waiting for you - even if you like sewing ! Thanks for stopping by earlier ! Ali #57

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  22. Hi Tertia,

    How very special for your family! The younger generation really needs to meet the elders of the family. My mom was the youngest of nine and now there is only one left -- one of her older siblings, no less.

    Thanks for visiting me already. Work has taken the front seat today and I'm not happy about it!

    Happy WOYWW
    Hugs, Kay #15

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  23. wow, that is really something, 27 years of reunions, what a special family, love the rigged competition, the cake centerpiece looks amazing!
    Debxx

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  24. Oumie used to be the glue in our family, gathering us all together regularly. She passed on 6 years ago and 25 of us managed to get together to celebrate what would have been her 100th birthday last week-end. Well done on keeping up with this tradition and making sure you are all in touch with one another.

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  25. What a wonderful family gathering - you have every reason to be proud and emotional about it. More power to The Ancients, say I!!
    Hugs, LLJ #81 xx

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  26. The cake is beautiful!! She does such a fantastic job on them and the cupcakes. Good luck with the sewing, I also HATE to sew.

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  27. Oh Tertia, now you have my eyes leaking a little too! What a sweet story that was to read. And how lucky you are to have a family that will still take the time and make it a priority to be together every year.

    Wow, the judging MUST HAVE been rigged! I would love to see what the winning table looked like if your's was 3rd!!! It's nice that they give everyone a chance to win though ;)

    Amy E. #36
    scrapthissavethat.blogspot.com

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  28. OH, I know what you mean about sewing, I just last week had to come up with a quilt block for a family collage quilt. Painful hours of not knowing what I was doing surprisingly created a decent block. But it was the hardest thing I ever made. Blessings, Lisa

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  29. love seeing your sewing workspace!!!!I have to start sewing more!!!! Wonderful to get together with family!!!

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  30. Wow for someone who hates sewing (like me) you have a lovely setup. I've been thinking about getting a small sewing machine so I can sew on cards but probably won't go there- sounds good though eh?
    Cheers, Elaine #24

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  31. Totally enjoyed your post and especially about your family reunion! I went to one this year and my Dad's siblings were all there...89,86,84 and 82...a real special time was had by all so I can relate to your feelings!

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  32. That was a lovely and heartwarming post, Tertia. You are very blessed! Thank you so much for sharing it with us. Have a wonderful week! Darnell #93

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  33. I love to sew, lol! Unfortunately, the Army movers broke my machine several moves ago and it's never been replaced. I hope the costumes turned out OK!

    How wonderful to have such a large family - you're truly blessed!

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  34. I feel for you having to do all that sewing! I will be joining you soon cause I volunteered to make the grand daughters some fall dresses and pants. What was I thinking!! Love the story on the family do! I miss having family around. I am now the oldest living and the young ones are going ever which way! Have a great week! Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. I love to hear from folks. Vickie #66

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  35. That's fab - what a lovely idea to have such a great get-together. I hope one day to visit South Africa again, this time to meet up with the relatives out there that I didn't know I had the last time I visited! My great-great-uncle emmigrated after the Boer War with his Scottish bride, and then had a huge family who I found by accident. Well, when I do get back over there, I'll be sure to look you up!

    Thanks for stopping by - good luck with the costumes this week...

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  36. What a wonderful time to all get together. Best of luck with the sewing.
    Sandra @144

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  37. What a shame that you only came third in the Spring Table competition Tertia, but I bet the ‘ancients’ still enjoyed a cupcake with their cups of tea though, Lol! Still, it’s not the winning, it’s the being all together in this case that counts. It’s sounds like you had a wonderful weekend.

    Hope you managed to finish those costumes.

    Happy Crafting!
    Sue @# 117
    x

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  38. Wonderlik, dit laat my dink aan my kinderjare toe my Ouma altyd die familie bymekaar gehou het. Ek mis dit. Nou is dit moeilik om net my eie kinders en kleinkinders bymekaar te hou;-)

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  39. what a wonderful idea to meet up as a family. Hope the sewing isnt too painful.
    thanks for popping by earlier
    caroline #14

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  40. I love sewing and only do precious little of it these days. The trousers I was going to wear for the funeral were far too long (they featured on WOYWW#159) so in the morning I took them and the other 2 pairs up. And sewed down the false button closure as it didn't sit flat on my round tummy - LOL. And all before the funeral!! Thanks for stopping by BJ#63

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  41. I hope the sewing went well, deadline are a real pain but get you moving when you have to.
    you have a lovely family .. so many wonderful memories
    janet 65

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  42. I hope you got all your sewing done. I love the idea of a family reunion like yours. My family are spread far and wide so we rarely get together. Thanks for stopping by and your lovely comments. Please email me at stampinmermaid@gmail.com re Stampin Up.I cannot sell current sets to you but I can sell retired ones.

    Hugs
    Emily#72

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  43. That's great that you'll be getting back into the family reunions. I love the story behind it all. What makes crafting so important. Mika #146

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  44. Hope you managed to get your sewing finished.Enjoy the reunion. Thanks for visiting my blog.

    Carol

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  45. Well, for someone who hates sewing, you sure do have a nifty, handy desk to do it at!

    I had a good laugh at the Ancients and their ruthless judging. Good to know that they can't be bought with cupcakes! It is hard to find judges who aren't corrupt.

    Sounds like you had a great family reunion and I'm glad that you decided to go.

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  46. Thanks for the comment on my blog. I've had a weeks break from the crafting in hope that it will bring back the mojo!!!
    Your reunion souns fun. And it is ok to have a tear when you realise you have such a wonderful family around you. I have practically no family that we have any contact with and am an only child but I would have loved to have had a big family around me.
    Xjulie (paperpathway)

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  47. Hi, Tertia, returning the visit! Regarding distress inks, I feel that they have their purposes, but they don't do every job well. For distressing, for blending, for a soft vintage look, they're great and of course work well for any TH-related project. But I've never had luck embossing with them (perhaps my pads need reinking) and I don't always like how they work with clear stamps. But they're great with rubber. So I think if you don't expect them to do all things well, you'll be happy with them. (Does that make sense?) Good for you doing a sewing project when it's something you don't like. And your family stories were very touching.

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  48. How awful to get to spend time at your craft table and not enjoy it! Hope you're enjoying this week's crafting more.

    Have fun,
    rachel, #71

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  49. I have quite the time with sewing too! It's nice your family gets together like that every year!

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  50. Hope you managed to get all your sewing done without too many problems. I'm frightened of our sewing machine and avoid it if at all possible! Thank you for popping by my desk earlier this week :)

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  51. Thanks for visiting and for your kind words. I don't envy you all that sewing! Much rather be paper crafting or knitting! Happy very late WOYWW!

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