Beautiful You - Wishing You Brighter Days To Come

 Beautiful You - Wishing us all brighter days to come.

It's been a while since I posted, mainly because I have not felt much like crafting due to the tragic death of a life long friend. It is ironic to me that I made this card for a class the very day that Max's plane crashed shortly after take-off, killing all 5 on board. I tend not to make sympathy or "feel better" cards. To finish this card in class and feel quite happy about the way it looked, to seeing the news of a plane crash and very shortly after having confirmation that my worst fears were correct is just strange. It will take a long time to come to terms with all that has happened. 

I will share the card and then some photos of our trip to Melbourne to farewell our childhood friend of over 57 years.

I used the paper piecing method for the dress and umbrella . The background is stamped in Blushing Bride and I've matted the image onto some of the Free Sale-A-Bration Glimmer Paper.

As you can see I'm finding it a little hard to concentrate on card making and hope you will forgive the sketchy descriptions.

So  now I'll tell you a little about our "Christmas Family".

I think it was about 1959 that my family started camping down at Tyrone foreshore near Rye, on Port Phillip Bay. 6 - 8 weeks of summer bliss for our family of 5 children and we very soon made friends with the other kids on the beach. Some of them camped like us and others had a holiday house and boat shed. Wonderful days of sun, swimming, making cubbies in the bush behind the cliff and under upturned dinghies, sand castles, skiffle boarding in the shallows, and as we got older, sailing and water skiing added to the fun. Discos on the beach in boat shed 47 - yes we did the Stomp, and other crazy dances in the sand, saw (heard) the Beatles rise in popularity, got the best sun tans (paying for that now!) and never got bored. At the end of the holiday we'd say goodbye to our friends until the following Christmas and then take up where we left off.

Teenage years were just as much fun with the dances down at Sorrento, trips to the back beaches for a bit of surf or rock pool fun, more sun bathing, Dromana Drive In for movie nights and skiing, sailing and boat trips out to the Fort and Mud Island. Exploring the tunnels on the Fort, trying to avoid the mutton birds. So many adventures! By this time we started seeing each other during the year. The odd school dance, trips to the pool and visits to each others homes.

Max was always a part of this "Christmas Family" - the boat driver, the water ski instructor and sailor even tho' he was just one year older - age differences didn't matter much, we were just a big group of kids having fun.

Tertiary education, jobs, marriages, children - they all happened but even then we still enjoyed those wonderful Christmas holidays down at the beach in our younger adult hood. We wanted our children to have the same healthy happy holidays we had, and many of our children have become friends too. We moved interstate in 1973, but still the visits for a "party" weekend continued - either at our place in Canberra or back at the beach. Dinner parties in the caravan, New Years Eve set up amongst the camps - and Max would fly to King Island to get the crayfish so they were nice and fresh for the celebration. What wonderful memories - we were so lucky!

My husband and I took time for a bit of a nostalgic trip this weekend. We have both known and loved Max for many years. Driving along the peninsula and visiting places we used to frequent when we were teenagers in the 60's, was nice. Where has the time gone?

So on March 6 we said a final goodbye to our friend. The service at the Frankston Arts Centre was lovely - huge numbers of people attending from all walks of life - Max had his finger in lots of pies! and it was lovely to catch up with so many of them.

But the very best part was going back to the beach with a smaller group, after the service. Having sunset "drinkies" listening to music and reliving memories with so many old friends and Max's family, made this special as this was the place that our friendship began so many years ago.
The balloons flying over the ocean were a lovely final tribute from his wife and family.

Sunset over Port Phillip Bay near Mornington March 6, 2017

Sorrento Back Beach Pock Pool

 

Final farewell from 4 very old friends - in front of Boat shed 47 - Tyrone Foreshore. March 6, 2017.