Finishing an UFO

UFOs in the world of quilting and patchwork are all unfinished projects which are stuck in cupboards waiting to be finished one day but generally forgotten. I have to confess that I have many UFOs therefore I was glad when my fortnightly patchwork group decided for everyone to nominate one UFO to be finished in 2009. The above photo is of my nominated UFO - a king size red and beige quilt with embroidered squares which I started making in 2001 and quite didn't have the oomph to put all the little squares together even though they nearly all of them are already embroidered.

Lucky stop over in Singapore and back home now

I left Poland on 7 January and even though it was hard to say good-bye to my family, I wasn't too sorry to be leaving behind temperatures of -22C which, believe me, was a bit too much- even for the locals it was too much. What a change it was to arrive in Singapore for 1 night stop over to temperature around +30C which was nice - after the extreme cold I promised myself never to whinge about the hot weather.

After the night in Singapore I arrived in the airport around 8 am to find out that the flight was overbooked and they were looking for volunteers to go on later flights and I was also approached. Initially I said "no" but became more interested when the woman said I would be paid $500 in compensation and be put in a hotel with all meals provided so of course I said "yes". And what a treat it was - the hotel I stayed in was Crowne Plaza at the airport which is a very posh hotel, had 3 meals provided in an equally posh restaurant and had a 5 min. call paid back home. But wait, there is more, when I flew 14 hours later, I was travelling in business class which was an absolute treat - I wish I could afford to travel like this each time.

View of the swimming pool

View from my hotel room

Inside the room

I liked these flowers on the glass, looking into the bathroom

Snowing again

Today we got lots and lots of fresh snow and at this stage it is still nice and clean.

White trees

My shoes

Kuba in front of his flat

Kuba with his father in the car

The snow was very cold

In such weather it is the best to stay at home near a fire place

Catching up

With Nicolas Copernicus

Meeting with my primary school teacher and two friends from the primary school, we haven't seen each other for nearly 30 years

With my sister

With my aunt, cousin, second cousin and my parents

My cousin with her husband

Kuba with his father

With Kuba

Nature

Young swans in a lake

Ducks in the lake

BIRCH-TREE - very typical for Poland

Another mistique looking tree

My parents are feeding birds with some fat on their balcony during winter months. A small yellow bird is eating the fat.

MISTLETOE in nature on the tree

Despite the cold, flowers and mistletoe can be bought on the street

MISTLETOE brings good luck and prosperity

Christmas

Christmas is over but it was so good to be able to spend it with my family in the traditional Polish way. I tried not to eat too much but it was difficult not to. In Poland celebrations begin on Christmas Eve with a traditional supper which mainly consists of fish dishes and on after the supper Christmas presents are opened.

Christmas lunch at my sister's place

My sister's Christmas tree, her Norwigian cat loves lying under the tree

Christmas table

Christmas Eve at my parents place

Table at Christmas Eve