An award? For me?

 

The lovely Squirrel at http://squirrelsknittingconquests.blogspot.co.uk/ has nominated me for a Versatile Blogger Award.  Thank you so much Squirrel, I feel honoured.  The rules of the game oblige me to nominate some other blogs I visit or have recently discovered, so a list will be appearing soon and the awards will wing their way in the fullness of time.  Another requirement is that I share 7 things about me.  Well now, let’s see.  No point in mentioning knitting, sewing or allotmenting because we know all that already.  OK here we go.

1.  I think … the internet is fabulous.  I love google, I love snooping around in other people’s business reading other people’s blogs, I love the mindblowing amount of information that can be accessed at the touch of a button.  If my great-great-grandfather knew I’d find a copy of his death certificate from 1865 when he took a knife to his throat, he may well have thrown in the towel.  (I am seriously into family history).

2. I am … addicted to stupid games generally to be found on facebook – I’m talking serious stuff like the current stupidity which is Bubble Witch Saga.  I swear to anything this is the last level, but on it goes.  I am currently on level 116, and if I could just crack it …

3. I prefer … to be outside than in

4. I dream … of going back to live in Scotland where I was born and brought up.  Not all the time, just occasionally.

5. I would probably … never eat a square meal again if my husband didn’t cook for me.  Not that I don’t like food, just too idle busy to spend time feeding myself.

6. As a consequence of (5) above … I eat quite a lot of Chocolate Digestive Biscuits.

7. Despite (6) above … I weigh in at under 7 stones.  Just in case you wondered.

Thank you again Squirrel, but just look what you made me confess!

To a mouse …

Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie,
O, what a panic’s in thy breastie!

And not without justification.  You’ve shared my space, taken my warmth and eaten my food.  Now it’s over.  Though I admire your determination, scrambling under the propagator lid and gnawing through the net curtain to savage my baby sweet peas.  So I’ve left you a parting gift – look to the right as you head for dinner but go straight to pudding  … the Mars Bar on the little prong is just for you.  As a good friend once said to me – when it’s your time, it’s your time.

Yours reluctantly and with apologies to Rabbie Burns who was distraught upon disturbing a mouse’s-house.  Bet he never tried to grow sweetpeas.

Just in time

If this goes according to plan, I’ll achieve a January post before it’s too late.  Notoriously a dreary month, nevertheless it’s been a busy one with a big birthday (DH), a visit from a very dear family member (BiL) who we don’t see nearly often enough, some excellent meals out and precious Wednesday evenings with great pals (M&M).

The allotment is resting, apart from the relentless tulips which made their debut appearance in December – I can’t believe it.  They may be in for a shock if the “Siberian Beast” strikes as predicted and temperatures plummet.  I can hardly wait – not.   I sowed sweetpeas on 4 January and almost all in the first two trays have germinated.  The others will appear next week as they were started later.  And today the rhubarb forcer was positioned.  I can’t wait for those lovely sweet juicy sticks and looking back to this makes my mouth water.  We went out last night and had a beautiful meal, rounded off with “New Season Rhubarb Crumble”.  I swear I could have eaten a bucketful.  Served with the most delicious custard.  The man can cook!

On Phoenix Knitting I’ve joined in the “project a month” which forced me to finish and photograph these.

The mittens are Cloisonee by the Yarn Harlot.  Such an easy knit, but I think very effective.  My hands are really small and the Aran weight called for in the pattern wasn’t going to work.  I used DK and 4.5mm needles and just knit exactly to pattern.  Perfect fit for me.

The scarf should be a cowl, and will become such if I can find a yard or so of that yarn.  This will be the proverbial needle in haystack.  It’s still a pretty good scarf though, but I’ll be really pleased if I can stitch it up.  I’ve started doing this with scarves, knitted or bought, and delight in the lack of flying tails.  Very neat and tidy, they lie beautifully under a jacket and no worries about where to stuff the excess.  Warmer too.

I really hope I can find that wee scrap of yarn …

Solstice sunset

The view from my craftroom at about 3.50pm today.  A few minutes later it was gone.  We’re hurtling towards summer now! Well, maybe not hurtling exactly.

It’s the Little Things

Little Things that have caused me disproportionate happiness recently :

1. Finding a place for a spare single bed – it’s now in the wardrobe. Hooray!

There really is a bed in here but I can’t actually prove it without moving a ton of other stuff that’s in front of the door.

2. Visiting Ikea and buying some more storage stuff to put in the vacant bed-space. Hooray!

Still some empty spaces but that won’t last.

3. The thread store carefully made for me by my lovely husband. Thank you so much!

I will play with this for hours.  Rearranging, sorting, arranging again.  And I squeal every time I see it.  I’m a very sad person who worries about the order of things on the washing line, and colour co-ordinating the pegs.  Someone suggested I buy wooden pegs, but where’s the satisfaction in that?

4. Taking books to the charity shop and finding one of the books on my reading list for a quid – yes, One Pound. That’s happened three times recently.

Today’s lucky find was One Day by David Nichols who is new to me.  The person who recommended it is usually spot-on, so I’m hopeful.

Bigger Things that have also created happiness :
1. Listening to the Military Wives Choir and realising they could make Christmas No 1 with this. I don’t really give a fiddler’s about Christmas No. 1 but they so deserve something good.

Very Big Things which have created a lasting euphoria :
1. The Bernina 380 sewing machine my lovely husband bought me for my birthday. This was way back in September, but I haven’t introduced her yet.
There really is only one Very Big Thing in this category.

I hope Bernina will feature large in the coming weeks and months.  I have some things to show, but that thing called Christmas is looming and I’m busy knitting presents that should have been done ages ago.  Hands up, I only started two nights ago.  It’s only 8 December for goodness sake, what’s the panic?

HUGE Things that make me very, very happy and very, very grateful :
1. My Lovely Husband
2. My Lovely Daughter

That last one’s a bit soppy, but nonetheless true.  And no photos because they’d be very mad at me, I think.

How can I discard you …

when you still look so pretty! I was hoping the allotment would be well and truly abed by now, after my not-so-great season. But then there’s this

They had an unhappy childhood, left too long in their seed trays, yet they’ve bloomed all summer and continue to look cheerful even now. I’m a bit bemused by the ratty, uneven petals but perhaps that’s how they’re meant to be.

I pulled up the main sweetpeas last week but these linger on behind the greenhouse, a mere hop away from the compost heap – yet I don’t have the heart.

The recent spell of warm weather encouraged these – there are many strawberries on the plants lots of which have ripened, but I’m sure the mice are welcome to them. Generosity is my only option really because the mice/slugs always get there first.

Rosalie – if you read this I know you’ll shake your head and tut at me! I know I’ll regret my woosieness when the rain is beating my brains out and my wellies are stuck in the mud and still work to be done, but hey, they’re pretty. A girl can never have too much pretty!

Which came first …

I’m not even going to try to explain where I’ve been. A word about my chum who had a mastectomy recently though – after waiting months for her surgery wounds to heal, she now has four of her six chemo sessions behind her and doing just grand. Chemo should be done by end November, a month off then 3 weeks radiotherapy. After that, all going well, it will be behind her. Good.

Meantime, the allotment has given all it’s going to give this year apart from a few red cabbages and some leeks to look forward to. I’ll be glad to put it to bed this year and start afresh in spring. Likewise the crafting – a few projects to clean up on, and I’ll be ready to start over.

Which came first – indeed! Here’s who I’ve been talking to these last couple of days while friends go galavanting. I may have found my next venture.

I think the chubby guy looks worth talking to.

Just one thing before I go collect a wee egg or two – if you’re reading this, and I know some folks do pop by, how about saying hi? Just “hi” will do if you’re shy – just so I know I’m not totally alone in the world.