It's good to be home again, after all the travelling I've done this year. I need to stay put for a little while and get myself organised. The whole year has just raced by in a flash, and I want things to slow down so I can catch up.

Mereth and I took the opportunity to do a little tourist drive on the way to dropping me off at the airport. We stayed the night in a town where we used to live, and went to all our old haunts. Everything has changed so much; I feel quite old. This photo is two seals chasing each other across Encounter Bay, at Victor Harbor. We were thrilled to be able to watch them playing. We lived at Encounter Bay 25 years ago, and it was a freezing place. There is nothing between it and Antartica except lots of ocean.

The picture of the wall is a building in the railway yards at Victor. I love that brown stone, and the design just cries out to be a wool quilt. Another picture to add to my Stone Wall collection.

The landscape is on the way to Murray Bridge, with the sun setting on a rain-drenched countryside. I love the clouds in South Australia; the skyscape is often more interesting than the landscape.

I will have to spend a lot of time catching up on business stuff, but I desperately want to do some sewing as well. I will put out my blocks that I was working on before and see what I think of those. On a subconcious level I think I was making a mourning quilt, with the black setting squares, so I will work on it through the next few months. I will think of happier times with Mum, and make it a quilt of love, not grief.

Mereth's house was full of flowers, and they were such a comfort after the funeral. Every room was full of their perfume, and it was such a positive thing. I can't wait till I can have a proper garden, instead of growing eveything in pots. The photos are of a succulent that is flowering on my deck at the moment. I can see applique possibilities in the shapes and the beautiful colours.