Alive and Not Quite Kicking

Everyone needs some time to re-group, reassess priorities and, as my favorite Yoga teacher used to say - "get back in my bucket". Now is my time. This week is all about Yoga, meditation and hopefully bucket dwelling. I'm not feeling quite myself at the moment, so I've withdrawn from society a little and normal service will be resumed shortly, I'm sure.

I'm a bit annoyed, I've had a disaster with my home made soups etc. I've discovered that the large kilners I've been using are no good for storing long term. I don't know why exactly, whether I didn't sterilize them well enough, or the post filling sterilization wasn't good enough but I've had to throw loads away. Still, we live and learn and luckily, I've got quite a good lot of ordinary size jars building up now. Lucky really, I'm going to have to do a new batch of tomato.

Tonight is my W.I. clothes swap or "swishing" I believe it's known as. I know what you're all thinking, I'm not going to go away with any gems due to the, er, "seniority" of all my lovely ladies, but let me assure you, that is NOT the case! Everyone knows I'm happy to accept donations of no longer wanted clothing and I'm never happier than when one of my W.I. ladies goes through her predominantly Monsoon wardrobe and passes her delicious hand me downs to me! So, titter ye not!

Other than that, the chenille shrug is ongoing, my God daughter's Christmas present is on going and I haven't told you about my pet teenager's dress yet. But I must get on, I need to adorn myself with gorgeous cast-off attire befitting of my status as President. (!?)

No Need!

Well this week has just flown by. I must be honest, I was absolutely dreading yesterday as I detest training courses, and, as usual, fate stepped in and booted me up the bum and I had an absolutely awesome day that has finally showed me what I want to do with my life. I want to specialize in looking after people with Dementia. Such an incredible disease, and I can't thank the awesome course tutor we had yesterday enough. Utterly brilliant.

I was very kindly donated a big bag of gorgeously luxurious chenille wool by my good friend Lesley and I've started to do something with it. I was a bit stuck for something to do with it as the yarn is just so fat it's not suitable for most things, so I decided to make a loose stitch shrug. I'm in the process of crocheting it up into a long wide oblong, a few carefully placed stitches, et voila.

I must be honest, I'm rather excited as my lovely co-President/former Home Ec. Teacher/good friend Liz has offered to teach me to knit. Liz informs me that she was able to do fair isle at the age of 7 so I can't think of ANYONE better qualified to teach me, and it's a bloomin' good excuse to hang out with her for a couple of hours!

I purchased some yarn last week as I needed to start on my god daughter's Christmas pressie. When I got home, I totally changed my mind about the colour and tried to take it back to Shaws, where I had purchased it from. Sadly, the staff were INCREDIBLY rude, and informed me that the particular brand I had purchased was not returnable. I was not told that when I purchased it 2 days before. Given that I quite liked the colour etc I wasn't really that bothered about the fact that I had spent only a few quid on it because I'll use it for something else, but the fact that they were SO rude, I've now got a major bee in my bonnet about it. Given that Shaws are a good solid Welsh company I've always tried to support them with my purchases, but instead, cutting my nose off to spite my face, I went to Wilkinsons to purchase the yarn I really wanted. I don't think it's any less good quality but I'm not sure. Tsk, tsk, tsk!

Wasting Valuable Crochet Time

I have loads I could be doing. It's not as if I have much free time at the best of times, but sat in the lane half a mile from the house is not the best way of spending a Tuesday morning, although I have done some exercise. I broke down at half eight this morning and am still sat sitting. I have just had a call off the uber-friendly AA man which is going to go some way to brightening your day. Why is it though that I always break down the morning after I've put bio-oil on my hair, the morning I was late getting up and threw on a scabby old t-shirt and dirty jeans? While I was walking from the car to the house (for the first time in years I didn't take my purse out) then to the petrol station, then back to the car, I was wishing that I paid more attention in guides and their "be prepared" motto. But it was less than a week ago I was thinking the same as I "welcomed" in to my chaotic, messy, scruffy looking house a surprise visitor that I knew nothing about. That was the morning after the fire too, so I looked and smelled lovely that day too. I think this morning might have been the superior being's way of telling me to clean my bloomin' car though. But there's always far more interesting, creative things to do than clean cars!

Vim, and, Indeed, Vigour

I've had a few little things on my mind this last few weeks, but I'm back, invigorated and hungry for messing about with stuff and creating something new and exciting from things I already have.

I was given a beautiful gypsy skirt a few months ago, gorgeous Indian printed fabric and I was amazed at just how much fabric could be in one skirt. Sadly, after overdosing one night on Gok Wan's fashion fix, I decided that I was correct and that that shape skirt just didn't suit me. Of course, there's no way I was going to part with it as it's just too lovely, so I cut the waist band off, hemmed the edge, and have now got another beautiful, hand printed sarong dress. In actual fact, it's so long that I could easily wear it as a Sari (once I find out how to tie them!) or I can fold it in half and wear it as a sarong dress. it's SOOOO beautiful, I'm thrilled with it.

I also managed to finish my cardigan/wrap thing. My Nana is always picking up wool in charity shops for me and she picked up two different fawn colour sets. One is a pretty bobbly acrylic mix and the other is mohair. Neither really enough to do anything with, so I randomly combined the two and made a wrap/cardi, complete with a horn shaped button my Nana has had in her button tin since I was a child. I'm also really pleased with that. Once I had finished that, I wasn't ready to put the crochet down so out of an odd ball of pretty yarn, I made me a little hat that Hubby likes to call my "sea anemone" hat. I do see what he means actually, it does look like one. I'm now at the start of a denim coloured sock hat, I'm not sure if this one is going to work out. Next time I have a couple of hours spare I might get my Nana to teach me to knit - I think the sock hat would be better knitted. I can always undo it.

So, there have been some birthdays, some home made cakes delivered, and I can honestly say that everyone has been equally as happy to receive a handmade cake than any other gift I could have come up with. Like I said to my "god" daughter's Gran - "gifts are supposed to be just that. A token of how you feel about that person and how much you love them. It's not supposed to be life changing". The subject came up because I had bought my "god" daughter flowers for her 6th birthday. She thought it was wonderful and terribly grown up, and her Mum didn't have some other five minute wonder to worry about what to do with once she grew out of it.

And the time has cometh that one must really start thinking about Christmas. I have started on my "god"daughter's present as it's probably going to take the longest. I still have many many more to do. The cooking needs to start, the sewing should have already started and oh my goodness - how many hours did you say I could cram into one day??!?!

oh and before I forget - a very lovely lady has had an unwanted visitor and is now in the process of kicking it into touch.

GET WELL SOON PUG FACE - I'VE ENTERED YOU IN THE LONDON MARATHON FOR NEXT YEAR :) :) :)