Brain Craft

J came over yesterday evening to work on decorations for the reception. It seems that bird pictures will be a feature. I don't want to let out any secrets, but the estimate was that we would need about 100 bird cut outs. Step one: a template. I suggested quilters' template plastic. There's none in the house, but what about old x-rays? They work well. It did feel rather strange though, hunting out and cutting up an old CT brain-scan! The patterning on the templates is interesting as a result. A couple of hours sitting around the table tracing and cutting had us well ahead with that job. It's amazing how much can be achieved with half a dozen people working together, chatting and joking.

Earlier in the day I'd done some sewing--one skirt finished, two to go. More on the skirt project today, plus I need to get started on a dozen or so tablecloths for the reception. I'd better get on with it.

Bling Thing

Here I am at the Bride's family home. The place is littered with pink and glittering finery in various stages of completion. Oddly enough, with so much to do, it was a rather insignificant basket which caught our attention yesterday afternoon. It needed prettying up and the name of the game is "bling".In the morning I'd gone with R to pick up her bridesmaid dress. There was a bargain box on the counter. The diamante star caught my eye and I decided that for only a few dollars it needed to come home with me. I have images of it adorning a simple black t-shirt. When it came to dressing up the basket, I ran to my room and brought out my bling contribution. Decorating the basket was fun, though way out of proportion to its priority status. Today on the other hand I've made myself a list of tasks. Tablecloths for the reception are high on the list, as are some skirts for my friend to wear. I'll have the challenge of getting to know a new sewing machine and overlocker to keep my mind focussed.

Flight Mode

I had a two hour flight yesterday evening. As the flight attendant went through the usual speil about turning off electronic devices etc, etc, etc, I smiled to myself. Then I pulled out my personal in-flight entertainment:This is my second version of a flight-mode drop spindle and it was a great success. The makings are simple: a bamboo chopstick and a small plastic wheel. My friend R put it together for me. Not only did it keep me happily occupied for most of the flight, it gave me the opportunity for some friendly conversation with my neighbour--an embroiderer and knitter--and the various staff members who stopped to ask questions. Now I'm staying with friends, in the thick of wedding preparations. It appears that there will be no shortage of textile tasks to keep me occupied here. I'll keep you posted.

Lists

I'm heading out of town later today. I have a friend's wedding to prepare for as well as the usual holiday bits and pieces. In these situations I just love to have a list of things to do. I wrote one out before going to bed last night. That minimised the urgent mental reminders which would otherwise have interfered with my sleep.

The extra twist on holiday preparations for me is keeping my dogs happy. I have a friend coming to look after them, so it's all good from that point of view, but they have an uncanny ability to detect any form of packing activity--even if I don't pull out my suitcase until the last moment!

As for the clever reminder gizmo, I picked it up from an office supply store a while back. It hangs on the front door knob to hold my keys and any other bits and pieces which I want to have to hand just as I head out. It's not nearly big enough to handle today's lists, though.

Too Much of a Good Thing

I've just picked a huge bunch of this rosemary and hung it to dry. There's at least twice that much again--and that's just the branch that was damaged when my little cedar shed was being loaded on a trailer last week.
I've been told it's will make a lovely flavouring for oils and vinegars, but of course that would mean storing all those bottles, which is not going to happen. And besides, with a huge bush in the front garden, why would I need to do anything other than go out and pick a sprig when I want it? Despite the abundance, it just seems wrong to let any go to waste, so if you're interested in some lovely rosemary, let me know. There's plenty here for the taking. Now if I could use it somehow with my wool . . .

Sleep-over 101

S and I managed to squeeze a fair bit of fun out of just one day. I couldn't believe how much energy she had, considering that New Year's Eve perhaps wasn't the best choice for a first time sleep-over. Our neighbours seem to have collected an unusually large stash of unofficial fireworks, which they let off throughout the evening. Every new barage startled my two dogs. Their desperate barking was loud and long. Then we'd try to get to sleep and it would start all over again.

Regardless, S woke early and ready for a good day. We were out the door with the dogs on their leads by 9.00am. The night's adventures hadn't slowed them down any. Then off to the park, as promised. A nearby Scout Hall provided some extra interest. There was a succession of tired adults coming through to clean up after the night before. We watched a jumping castle being blown up, wiped down and packed away. The swings and monkey bars were a perfect vantage point. One of the cleaners collected all the surviving balloons and handed them over the fence. That provided some extra entertainment. Back home I didn't bother taking off my running shoes--practically or figuratively speaking. I hadn't quite realised how many different amusements I have sitting around waiting for a child's eye to catch upon! I surprised myself by keeping up with little chores like the washing up, a load of laundry and even a bath for my smallest dog. Apparently the fun and energy is somehow contagious--at least in part.

This morning I've started much more slowly. It's time to smile at the little memories, tidy up the little messes and recharge my batteries. I hope we can plan to do it all again, perhaps minus the fireworks! I know I've learnt a lot and have much more to learn. And the thank you hug from S's dad when he picked her up at the station told me that the night out had given him a chance of fun which he doesn't usually get to enjoy.

Pretty

I have a young friend staying over at my house today. She came for a sleepover at New Years. I told her that I usually write a story on the computer in the morning. She offered to help me. I told her that I usually write about something pretty. We had to decide if we would write about the prettiest girl or the prettiest flower. S said, "actually we think that the prettiest flower." Here it is. S and I are going to play at the park now.
written by s&c