Home Again... with a Suitcase Full of Memories.

 Of course, no holiday is complete without a little shopping!

I told you all about the must-have teapot and how the search for it led me to rediscover a very dear friend from my childhood. 

You could read the story here if you missed it. 

In the image you'll see not only the teapot, but also a beautiful matching mug and a snood. The snood has already proved its worth. Since arriving back in New Zealand and straight into winter, I've been wearing it to keep my neck warm on my walks to work.

From the same collection I was also able to find a tea towel and an apron. 

 Sadly, the apron is rather small for my matronly figure, so it won't be seeing kitchen duty, 

but it looks lovely hanging on the back of the kitchen door.

Of course, there were a few other treasures that simply had to come home with me. I found a beautiful book of Manx fairy tales.

A piece of Manx Hunter's tartan,

The same tartan that Jiffy wore for his wedding day. 

 A large piece of fabric printed all over with the Triskellion – the famous Three Legs of Man. 

While I was browsing in that same shop, I spotted some delightful fairy scissors sitting on the counter. Well... they simply had to come home with me! 

Along with them came an equally cute thimble and some not so cute bobbin holders. 

Not all of my shopping happened in actual shops. I also did a little online shopping and had a few parcels delivered to my brother's house. One delivery contained a lovely bundle... or rather four bundles... of batik fabrics. 

After all, I'd used up quite a bit making the two large quilts that I gifted while visiting the island. 

Then I spotted the papers for Wensleydale and the templates for Diamond Exchange, two beautiful Jen Kingwell quilt patterns that have been on my wish list for a while. 

I already owned the Quilt Recipes book, so now I have everything I need to get started.

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One of the nicest surprises came while catching up with friends. Ray asked how my collection of poppy pins was coming along. I showed him an old photograph of the collection displayed in our dining room, and to my delight he presented me with around a dozen more pins to add to it. 

When I arrived home, I had to rearrange the display and remove some of the paper poppies to make room for the new additions. Once it was finished, I sent Ray an updated photograph. He was delighted to see how much the collection had grown.

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Each item has a memory attached to it – a place visited, a conversation shared, or a person who made the trip even more special. Every time I make a pot of tea, wrap my snood around my neck, use my fairy scissors, or glance at my poppy collection, I'll be reminded of a wonderful journey back to the Isle of Man.

Now we're home again, back in New Zealand, surrounded by mountains painted white with snow and looking absolutely stunning. We've settled back into our familiar routine of eat, sleep, work, repeat. But that's alright. There's something comforting about everyday life and familiar routines.

Although I will always think of the Isle of Man as home, New Zealand is home too. It's where my sewing machines live, where my garden waits for me, where my projects are scattered across the house, and where everyday life quietly carries on. As wonderful as it was to return to the Isle of Man and spend time with family and friends, it is equally good to be home again.

Thank you for following along on our journey. I hope you've enjoyed travelling with us.

One last look at my beautiful island. Peel castle on a calm and sunny day.

Artworks that caught me eye....

 One thing I really enjoyed seeing on the island was some of the wonderful artwork. Beautiful murals have appeared all over my home town of Ramsey over the past few years.

I'm sure I missed a few, but here are the ones I managed to capture.

They may not be quite as grand as the painted silos in Australia, but they are beautiful in their own right and certainly brighten up the town.

This first collection was dotted around Ramsey, appearing in unexpected places and adding a splash of colour to everyday life. 

The Dragon was on the wall by Mas's restaurant. 

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The next collection can be found along North Promenade, where I enjoyed many walks during our visit. Along the promenade are small shelters with benches where you can sit looking either out to sea or back inland. 

The walls inside each shelter have been transformed by local artists into beautiful works of art.

I only managed to photograph two of the four shelters this time. Perhaps I'll ask Jiffy to take the children for a walk one day and photograph the other two for me! 

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This next mural had only just been completed during our visit. It was lovely to see what had once been a huge, rather plain wall transformed into a striking Manx interpretation of Hokusai's famous Great Wave. 

Even one of the local hair salons had embraced the idea, with its own colourful piece of artwork decorating the outside of the building. 

Finally, I couldn't leave out the basking shark. He was there to greet me as I arrived on the Isle of Man, proudly displayed on the wall at the airport. 

I didn't manage to photograph him then, but I remembered to take a quick snap while we were checking in for our flight home.

The basking shark is the second-largest fish in the world. Despite its enormous size, it is a gentle giant, feeding only on plankton. Every summer they visit Manx waters, and over the years I've been lucky enough to see several. It seemed rather fitting that this magnificent creature should be there to welcome visitors arriving on the island.

I hope you've enjoyed this little wander around Ramsey with me. Sometimes it's the unexpected pieces of art, tucked away in everyday places, that leave the biggest impression.

The Big Day, Through My Eyes.

Well, you all know I went back to the Isle of Man to see my son get married.

My boy Jonathan, affectionately known as Jiffy since he was about nine months old (because that's roughly how long it takes him to wreck something!), finally married the love of his life, Josephine.

He introduced me to Josie not long before Tony and I moved to New Zealand, and I remember thinking straight away that she would be good for him. 

She is a lovely lady who has given us two beautiful grandchildren, Floki and Una.

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So, it's time to tell you about their wedding day.

The weather on the island had been a real mixed bag. One day would be warm and sunny, the next cold and wet, followed by a few days of thick fog... you know how it goes.

The day before the wedding was dreadful. Not a nice gentle rain, not the occasional shower. Oh no! This was proper torrential rain. It was raining when we woke up, it rained all day, and it was still pouring when we went to bed. I fell asleep with my fingers firmly crossed, hoping the weather would somehow turn itself around overnight.

Thankfully, it did.

We woke to the most beautiful day. Blue skies, sunshine and hardly a breath of wind. We couldn't have asked for anything better.

We were familiar with the venue, so there were no surprises there. Our only concern was whether the previous day's torrential rain would leave the grounds too wet for an outdoor ceremony. Thankfully, the sunshine had worked its magic. The ground had dried remarkably well, and everything was ready just as planned. The children were soon making the most of the playground, and, best of all, the ceremony could go ahead outside as everyone had hoped.

Jonathan and Josie had actually slipped away back in April to make things official with a quiet ceremony at the Registrar's Office. This celebration, however, was their traditional handfasting ceremony, surrounded by the people they love. (You can read more about the ancient tradition of handfasting here.)

Jiffy later told me that, although the legal ceremony took place in April, this is the day they will always celebrate as their wedding anniversary. Midsummer's Day 2026 is the day they chose to remember—the day they made their vows before family and friends.

Jiffy made the most beautiful handfasting cord for the ceremony himself.

 It was incredibly special knowing he had created something that would become such an important part of the day. Their celebrant, a close friend, put an enormous amount of effort into making the ceremony meaningful, even completing an online course and researching the traditions so she could do everything just right.

Josie and her girls also made their own bouquets, gathering flowers from friends' and family's gardens— in the pouring rain—as well as collecting permissioned blooms from local parks and nature reserves. They did an amazing job. The bouquets looked absolutely beautiful. 

Kaiy spent the morning helping her brother prepare the venue before turning her attention to his very long, naturally dreadlocked hair. I think she did a wonderful job of taming it. 

Then the bride arrived with her entourage—three bridesmaids, little Una and her proud dad. 

The handfasting ceremony was beautiful to watch. There was something very moving about seeing Jonathan and Josie literally bind their lives together as they exchanged their promises. It was simple, personal and full of love.

Once the ceremony was over, it was time for photographs, plenty of hugs and congratulations, and then, of course... the party! 

It was a truly lovely day, made even more special because we were able to be there to share it with them. After travelling halfway around the world, watching our son marry the woman he loves was worth every mile. 

The groom's men were all dressed in kilts, as you can see. Even little Floki had his own kilt, although he's rather camera shy, so I never did manage to get a special photo of him. In fact, he got changed out of his kilt as soon as he was allowed.

Una, on the other hand, was convinced the whole day was all about her! 

Dressed as a little fairy princess, she spent the day dancing, twirling and thoroughly enjoying herself in her beautiful dress and of course, posing for the cameras.

She certainly added to the magic of the occasion.

I also tried to get some photographs with my sisters. You know what it's like—there's always one sibling who pulls a face or looks the wrong way just as the shutter clicks! 

After a couple of attempts, I decided that if you can't beat her, join her. I think the resulting photo says far more about us than a perfectly posed one ever could!

I did eventually get a picture of Floki.

 

Some days are simply too special to capture in words alone.

The smiles, the laughter, the hugs, the confetti and all the little moments in between are far better remembered in photographs. We were so grateful to be there to celebrate with Jonathan and Josie, and to share such a beautiful Midsummer's Day with our family.

Congratulations once again, Mr and Mrs... may your next adventure together be every bit as happy as the day it began.

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