Keeping positive

I had promised myself that I wouldn't cry, but inevitably I did shed a few tears as I stood in the cool early morning sunshine in the airport car park, hugging my son and his wife goodbye as they left for their home in Canada.
It has been a wonderful summer, full of good times with family; a trip for me to Toronto to stay with them, returning home to help my youngest move into his first home, and culminating with the Toronto crew coming here and a whole family trip to a wonderful gite in Brittany.
A summer full of laughter, fun and reunions. But yesterday's early morning sunshine felt quite autumnal. It reminded me of the first days of a new school year, of settling into new timetables and routines, of all the good intentions that come with a new term.
It is the start of a new phase in my life too. I no longer need to squeeze  my crafty creations into a hectic family lifestyle. I have three whole rooms I can use for storage and as studios or workspace. So I too will have new routines and good intentions. My fabrics and yarns will be stored neatly and well organised (who am I kidding??) and I will have the time to experiment with new ideas and  techniques, and maybe work my way through some of the ever growing pile of unfinished projects.
But first I have a treat in store for myself - tomorrow I am going to The Festival of Quilts at the NEC, Birmingham, and I can hardly wait. There are so many quilts to see, in so many styles, and so many shops with fabrics and goodies to drool over - I'm not sure one day will be enough !
It has