HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Yep, a snowy picture

Boy, did we have some snow yesterday! It started about 7.30 am, just when I was due to go out the door, and didn't stop until late afternoon, about 6 inches in all. Unfortunately, it fell upon ice so a tad dangerous.

However, it has started a slow melt today, which is a relief.

The day previously, some of us from our craft group and the rural attended the funeral of one of our members, Anne. It was a very sad occasion, despite her family wanting the service to be a celebration, and we all had some tears. I didn't know Anne all that well, we were not close, but we did like each other - she did have some funny views though, and I will remember some of the shockers she would come out with, none of which I could repeat here. But, she was a quiet and gentle lady-like, warm and giving person. She will be missed very much. And, the weather was absolutely beautiful for her send off.

Although we are trying the services of home delivery grocery shopping from A*d* today, I needed to go to town for some errands. As we were travelling at a good pace, I was third in line of the traffic, and the sliver car in the front was losing the covering of snow from its roof. It was so comical, the way the snow was being thrown off, willy nilly, into the path of the middle car. Made I laugh out loud!

A lovely Award!

I just got this lovely Award from Dusty Spider isn't it Lovely! Thanks, Flick!

Now then, I have the great pleasure of passing this on to eight deserving others, along with the following text:

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbon of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."
I pass on the praise to:

Primrose Hill who is currently curled up by the fire, in hibernation X

Spiral Skies who needs no excuse for procrastination

Ducking for Apples who couldn't use a cuddle?

Jane's Probably Knitting already itching for Spring

Sound of One Handed Knitting who sports a sparkly straight-jacket for us all!

Random Thoughts from Another Dilettante who's now 50 + (followers) yay

Random Blethers another one hitting the books

Shabby Chick who is just 'hip'

Plus one extra, for Silly Gilly who is part of the 'Hand Made Help' appeal, for assisting those survivors of the Victorian Bushfires - go check it out, please.

What fun this was, to remember such lovely, and friendly people in blogland - thanks for this, Flick x

Edit Update: Please take one, too Alfazema You lovely, lovely lady x

middle, muddle, puddle

I don't have anything to show this week, though I have finished a pair of fingerless gloves, which I started probably about a year ago. The yarn is Rowan cashmarino aran, and is not hardwearing at all, and the pattern is knitted in the round on 4 dpns.

My workroom is more or less finished, just needing 'my touches' you know the things that go to make it personal.

We went to see 'Valkyri' yesterday and, while I was perching on the edge of my seat, as it was a cracking good yarn well told, that Tom Cruise (euyuck,grr) did spoil it a bit for me. There were close-ups of him that showed his 'internal angst' but, I felt he was just being Tom Cruise for the most part, whereas the others in the cast were marvellous. Go and see it. To my shame though, I didn't know if the plan to kill off hitler had come off, as I didn't know the date of his death! Crap, I am at history.

Which is quite pertinent, actually. Mr T was telling me, yesterday, that I am crabbit, as they say, here, for mardy or moody. And, apparently, I was blaming him for stuff that just wasn't his fault. You know the way we do.

Well, I had a think about it and realised that yes, I was being crabby, and it was because the start of my OU course was on Saturday, and I need to get down to it and just get on with it. I always get nervous at the start of a course, thinking 'EEk, I just don't know about this!' Whether I can do it etc So, I guess I'll just start at the beginning, and see where I get to.

And, let Mr T know that I forgive him!

Sheltering by the fire

Well, at last we're feeling a lot better, thank goodness. But, I don't seem to have been very busy.

Just a couple of things, though.

Hats for Sailors! These are a couple I did this week, from donated wool, for our charity knitting group. They'll be given to somebody who will distribute them (along with all the others which have been done) to sailors and fishermen. It is a lovely group, and one person had not really knitted before, yet she knitted a whole hat in one week! An impressive lot, too.

Also, along with my wanting to make as much as I can this year, I have made this,

It's a little bit of needle felting for my neice's birthday card. I've never done this before, but luckily have a book on it here which I got when I went to Twist Fibre Studio recently. I think it looks like a birthday cake from here, don't you?

The reason I've not been doing a lot of crafty stuff this week is because - ta da! - I have my new workroom nearly done!

Pictures will follow shortly.

Very Letter - 'V'

Warning - Long, long post

I read this post, by the lovely Roo Knits about writing a list, and I thought I would have a go, as it were.

What you have to do is email for a letter and, when you've got it, then list 10 things you love, beginning with that letter. So, without further ado, and because I found it intriguing, here goeth mine:

1 I have always been proud of my Voluptuous figure. It is not as slim as it should be, but I do have a bust, waist and hips.

2 Velvet skin – I have unlikely skin, as I’m going to be 52 this year, and my facial skin should be ravaged by the constant mediation I take, and I am a sun-lover – my skin is surprisingly Velvety.

3 I love difference, Variety – in people, in music, books, interests, crafts. I have a Varied list of stuff I am interested in – not just knitting, but sewing, felting, embroidery, painting – I just wish I could draw

4 Holidays and Visiting different places. It’s not often we will go back to a place for a holiday, leading into another one, which is ......

5 Venturing – I am not scared of trying or travelling to something or somewhere on my own. I just don’t want to miss out on anything for anyone! I went on a walking holiday to Italy on my own, as Mr T didn’t want to go, and loved it; I would have gone on my own to China, if a pal hadn’t wanted to go along (I chose China, to teach English for three weeks, as I didn’t know anyone else who had been there!)

6 Not having had a brilliant up-bringing, I’ve had to learn my own Values, along with Mr T. Ones I hold most dear are honesty and trust, which I try my utmost to live up to, however, I am only human!

7 I have few things of monetary value – some pieces of jewellery, which I’ve built up over the years, and don’t stand to inherit anything from the olds. However, my really most Valuable assets are Mr T, my children and grand-daughters, who I love very much, as well as my extended family. And, of course my Very dear friends.

8 For some years I dreamt about being in an old building, walking through all the rooms, sometimes they held furniture, in others the rooms were bare. But, I would make my way up to the attics and there I would find chests of drawers. Opening the drawers I would find vintage linen - sheets and pillowcases, tablecloths and napkins, but rarely clothes. I would handle them reverently and just enjoy them. Now, I am lucky enough to work in such an old house and deal with the linens in the linen cupboard - spooky! Also, as I've got older I've developed more of an obession with Vintage things, and I use them, such as the Prestige cooking implements I own, crockery, cutlery etc. As I hold them, I just love the feeling that they have had a life before, and wonder at the stories they could tell!

9 Vim, Vigour and Vitality - are attributes I strive to have which, often, especially at this time of year can be elusive to me. I should take Vitamins and minerals to fortify me, but then sometimes I can be Very empty-headed!

10 Vacation - I know I've already had Visiting and Various, but I just lurve going on Vacation (holiday to us Brits) especially to somewhere different. I have been lucky enough to go to some far flung places in the world, and I have a long list of places still to visit. Rejuvik, Russia, New Zealand, some of America, Greenland, more of Europe and more of Africa - and next year's biggy will be India (for mine and Mr T's 35th wedding anniversary.)

I just love looking at people's lives in these very different places, and am just so surprised at just how different they are. F'instance in China it is not expected that women will smoke in public, and there are still women whose feet had been bound; the way they speak can sound aggressive, but they are the most polite of people. In Africa, some people still live in mud huts, and the average life expectancy is 32 years, due to the Aids epidemic; In America (Columbus, Ohio) I recognised hardly any of the food on offer, even at KFC, and, though generally helpful and friendly, I was shocked at the overt racism I heard from some hospital workers; In Germany people wanted to speak English, but in France (and Wales) they stuck to their own language; In Sri Lanka the people were so industrious, that they use every part of the palm trees, and their literacy rates are nearly 95%; they washed their clothes in the same river that the elephants use for their toilet, yet their whites were pristine! As you can see, this is one thing I am passionate about!

Sorry for the length of this, but do have a go at it. I thought it would be hard to find the ten things for the letter V, but have been surprised.

ADDED a bit later - just to say that the observations I have cited about other people and other countries (than Britain, where I live) I have visited, these are some of the things which have made an impression upon me, and not generalisations about all the people or practices in those countries.

At Last! Feeling better

At last I am feeling better today, still wobbly and still full of cattaarrrgh (which gives a lovely husky sounding voice!) but the appetite is back (pity, I was finding it easy to follow Paul Mickennarh's advie and 'stop eating as soon as you fell full' now ravenous would best describe my tummy) and I feel more like me again.

Mr T has been diagnosed as having a sinus infection and been duly given anti-biotics, and slept a little better last night.

So, I have to stop taking the piss out of his man 'flu and nurse him better.

A woman's work is never done, is it?!