I've thought a lot about "traditions" today.

It's interesting, I live two lives, but when I'm home, I slip silently back into the rhythm of home, one could call it the traditions of home….

Traditions can be important and continue through life, but they can also be personal and mean very little to anyone else but yourself.

We, as quilters are governed by tradition. Patterns, names of blocks and quilts, styles and techniques.

My tradition on a Sunday morning was to get up very early and indulge myself with a steaming cup of coffee and a hot breakfast.

I then went out to the shed to do the ironing… each boy had 5 school shirts, and we had 8 boys. 40 shirts to be pressed and folded. 24 pairs of trousers and don't even ask me how many pairs of socks…and undies, all color coded to each boy. hallelujah.!!!

All hell let loose if you were found nicking someone elses undies or socks. Of course if you ran out you generally went and pinched your Dad's….!!!

15 school uniforms for the 5 girls and just as many undies and socks.

Now all this was done to the accompaniment of the radio show….. Australia all over. I sang along with Macca, listened to the poems written in pensive moments by  steel handed jackaroos. Smiled when they played a record of bird noises.  It all sounds so twee really.

I still have the same traditions… only the school shirts have gone and are replaced by more interesting attire. But I still iron to Macca.

It was always tradition to have a Sunday Roast, and it was inevitably lamb with mint sauce, roast vegies and home made gravy.

Yes, that tradition still exists and we did the lamb thing today too.

We had very little money in those days and lots of kids to feed, clothe and educate, so visits out were like army manoeuvrings. Strategically planned with a limited budget. So we entertained at home a lot and it was always large families like ours… Big families don't associate with small families… I leave you to figure out why.

We could have 4 adults and 20 kids…!!!

NO we didn't follow that tradition today.

But  our same friends came minus the kids and we shared photos of them on our phones and computers… and then we did a VERY tradition thing. We played canasta.

Sadly, because we have nothing interesting in our lives we have scores recorded that go back 30 years.!!!!

And yes, we still play the same tactics, say the same things and yell and cheer at the appropriate moment..

Tradition,  is with us in most things we do.

Our Children love it… and so do I.