I'm good at keeping secrets that people tell me.
I think that it was almost two years ago that I was contacted by an Australian tatter and asked if I would fill in a form for the Australian Government as there was a recommendation going in for a certain lady to be put forward for the Order of Australia Medal to reward her for 'her service to the creative arts, particularly as a tatter and lace maker’. It was an honour and a pleasure to be allowed onto the Australian Government web site to do this. This is the wikipedia link about the Order of Australia Medal.
I'm going to keep you in suspense for a while before naming the person but I bet a lot of you have already guessed who it is.
I had the pleasure of meeting her in Canada a few years ago and was quite nervous as she's such an expert on tatting. We're about the same age (another clue for you) and have been tatting for about the same length of time too. We stayed with a lovely lady (yes you, Terry) and were fed copious cups of tea while chatting.
To say that this person deserves the medal is to say the least for what she's done and researched on our craft. Not only that but all her research has been written down and shared freely with everybody.
Have you guessed yet?
When she found out that I knew and had been involved (and she had to keep it a secret too for a while) her comment was that she considered it to be even more of an honour as Norma Benporath had also received the medal in the past.
Now for the big reveal - the person concerned is our one and only Judith Connors.
Hi, Jane. I have heard that you have been keeping from me the same secret that I have been keeping from you. :-) It would appear that my OAM may be considered for the Queen’s Birthday Honours Awards in June. There has been no official confirmation yet, but the wheels are turning….slowly. I heard from the Order of Australia Committee in mid-April, but have had to stay quiet for the moment. At QTs today I was told surreptitiously that this recommendation has been in the pipeline for over a year, and you have been party to it. How could you stay so quiet for so long? I consider this a great honour, especially to be coupled with Norma Benporath, whom I admire.
