Happy New Year 2007 - Ali B is Back!!

Hi Everyone,

I would firstly like to thank everyone who has e-mailed me and blogged me with comments to say that they miss me and have been concerned. I really really really appreciate everyone's love, thoughts, kindness and friendship. I am so sorry you had to worry about me, I never forgot my blog or you and just knew you would be there for me for as long as it took for me to get back to you. Let me explain my absence because I need to tell you about it .....

As you can imagine, after losing my DH in May, Christmas and the Holiday Season was bound to be difficult and sad for me and also not forgetting the family and our friends. It was far harder than I could ever have imagined it would be, if I am honest with you. I started to feel very down about the impending holiday season around November (hence the rather large gap in the Blog) and lost all motivation to stitch or blog, as I felt I would not be able to be honest on-line about how difficult it was becoming for me, and it was not easy for me to admit that at the time. Also, when everyone around me was feeling happy, it sort of made me more blue because I wanted to be happy too, but my heart has been aching without my DH. I know you will understand that .....

Dearest San I would like to thank you through the lines of this blog for the amazing friendship we have - you were there for me when I needed you most, and we had a wonderful time together just before you left for Lille for the Christmas holidays. I have been thinking of you all the time and have been hoping you were enjoying time with DBF and the family. I loved your gifties, you spoiled me and I hope you liked the small treasures I made.

I am now feeling very positive in the New Year with all the wonderful challenges ahead, Margaret I will be e-mailing you today and we need to organise our first 'virtual' SAL for the Margaret Sherry Project - thank you for keeping in touch so wonderfully over the holidays with your supportive e-mails - it meant so much to me.

Isabelle, you are just a treasure, a warm hearted girl and loving friend and thank you for caring so much for me - I care back!

Nela, no se como puedo agradecerte los mensajes tan lindos y tiernos en mi grabador de telefono para la Navidad y el ano nuevo, te envio un abrazo muy muy fuerte - I cannot thank you enough for the wonderful sweet messages you left me on my answerphone for Christmas and the New Year - please accept a (((big hug))) that I am sending you now.

Thank you, RosieKiwi, for sending me the lovely Christmas Ornies magazine, its wonderful and I will definitely be fully motivated in the coming year to make loads of great danglies for the Christmas Tree for 2007! Don't forget my offer of any little gifties through 2007 and beyond, I will be delighted to oblige :-)

To everyone, you are just the BEST, the finest gang of friends I could wish for, and I am so happy to be back on-line again. My DH, Michael, knew I ran this blog and loved the fact that I am so keen on my Crafting. He will be smiling up on his cloud at the way you have stood by me over the past 6 difficult months and is wishing you all well. I will be posting a few photos for you in the coming days, so bear with me as I get back into the swing. I will be dropping on by to your blogs little by little and will leave you some messages of love of my own, so Watch Your Blog :-))))

With warm and fondest wishes
All the very best for 2007 - let's make it the best XS/Crafting year ever!!!

Your friend always,
Alison ("Ali-B") xxxxx