Insects standing?

In the old Japanese lunar calendar there are some lovely dates. One is called Standing Insects. Early in the year, as the soil warms, insects begin to move about. As we just had Setsubun.... the beginning of the Spring...we threw peanuts out into the garden along with all the bad luck and chucked a few back in with some good luck, for a good year...there is bound to be the odd insect stirring!
Me too, my gardening bug is stirring as well. Despite the flurry of snow we had last night, it is clear that things are happening out there.
Daffodils and crocii shoots, buds on the hydrangea and other plants. It makes me want to start digging. I have my eye on some seed potatoes and need to cut back the Autumn Bliss raspberries. These are amazing things, we had so much fruit from 4 skinny canes last year. There are still berries in the freezer.
Longer days and more digging time, What will happen to the amigurumi and quilting?

Great News

John set up his own limited company last week and yesterday landed his first consultancy job. This is very exciting news for all of us. Making the decision to leave a life time job to go it alone is a big one. Both of us felt it was right, but one does have to have nerves of steel and a lot of determination to get out there and market oneself. Well done dear!

Smelling the roses

Feeling a little flat today. Like a balloon that has lost some air. It was a common feeling before the diagnosis and even though I think the medication is really helping, some days just take more energy to get through! I am not wearing the hoodie of gloom though. My mood is fine, I just want to be at home resting.
All my life I have been told that I need to slow down. Parents, friends, colleagues, John even, think I race around and would benefit from dropping a gear or two. In some ironic way, my body has put its foot down and just will not let me get as crazy as I used to! (Well, I am still fired up all the time, just not as quick!!)
In some way I quite like that I feel slower. I notice more and fret less. I love my life more and get so much pleasure from the girls and Adam, not to mention John.
It can't be a bad thing to learn to slow down and take more care and to live a more in tuned life.

The Hoodie of Gloom

The Hoodie of Gloom is worn a lot at our place at present, mostly by our youngest. She is often tired, down, apathetic and overwhelmed by tasks like tidying her room, (the mess has to be seen to be believed), practising the clarinet, or even calling up a friend to hang out with.
My take is that she is a teen, a girl and moody and I do all I can to reveal the child of joy that lurks under the hoodie.
John has been getting worried though and today we called the school to see if they could give some advice, and maybe even get the counsellor to talk to her. The head of year says that it sounds like a teen thing, but she will put feelers out and do what she can to find out if all is well so that we can take it from there.
I still like to think she is a teen and that her life is full of angst that is big and scary and relevant to her and hope that she will find the inner strength and confidence to put it into perspective and realise how lovely she is and that life too is not that bad.

craft bee

Celia came last night for our Wednesday night session and everyone got into it.
She is knitting clothes for a doll, little red leggings, which are very sweet. Em decided to make a mouse with blue and brown felt and Hannah revealed that she is working on a cushion cover at school with a complex design based on the frog in the film Spirited Away. She drew a picture of what it looks like and between her and Celia, they worked out how she could embellish it. This meant raiding my box of Japanese fabrics that I love so much and never use. She has found two pieces to add to the cushion. Can't wait to see it.
I started work on crocheting PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS, lovely orange ones from Sainsbury's! I am making a shopping bag...anyway, it is interesting doing something with a thick hook and with a texture that is new. I am convinced it will work but at this early stage it looks like a tacky place mat!
On a more humble note, while researching how to do this I found a video on the 'Net about a group of women in Africa who make bags the same way. They were poking through their local rubbish for filthy old bags and even scraps of plastic. They took them back to the village, washed and dried them on a line and then made some wonderful totes, bags and purses with beautiful designs. Since seeing that one I have seen a lot more about communities who recycle waste to make the most beautiful, practical items.
Humbling indeed and a lesson to be learnt.

Awe and admiration

Amigurumi are fine for what they are, and are fun to make, but I only want to make them to sell, give away or as a teaching aid if ever someone wants me to teach them how! I would not want my house full of the things. Crochet too still has the tendancy to make me think of doilies. In my research (pouring over images on Flickr and reading craft blogs...i.e. hours on the 'Net) I sometimes come across blogs that blow me away.
My favourite one is Dragonfly, see the list of blogs I follow. It is beautiful to look at and the author comes across as someone I would like to know. It is odd reading a stranger's blog, but then again, they are out there to be read. Yesterday I found another one called Gooseflesh http://hellejorgensen.typepad.com/. The range of her work is astounding, and the colours give me thrills! Have a look and see. One thing about her photos, before I discovered that she is based in Sydney, is the light in them. I kept looking at them, thinking she was an American artist, but the flora and even the fauna (a brahmin bull?) were so AUSTRALIA. And on her profile it says she is from Sydney. I was pleased. I love the light in Australia, and maintain it is like nowhere else. My sister is a landscape artist, based there and she agrees.
Enjoy these two blogs. I do. Just wish mine was as inspiring. That sets me a challenge.

Less TV although not none!

Last night after dinner I sat in the kitchen and assembled some of the amigurumi. A rabbit (ugly thing), a bee...(very nice) and a penguin which was a disaster and which I unpicked. Oh, and a cup cake too.
I was determined to do something with my time and not waste it in front of the box. Good call as Em stayed with me the entire time and we played with Bosley and had a good evening.
I am still bursting with ideas and must just get on and do them, so less TV if not none. (I sat and watched The Wire with Adam and John afterwards...love that show, but felt as if I deserved it).
The images are on Flickr and I was pleased to see that there were 2 views on two of the animals. No comments, but it is a start.
Tonight is trampoline...I am loving this.