History

Once upon a time in 1959 a 'good luck' handkerchief was purchased in a far far away land - a small landlocked country in southern Africa. It was given to a girl by her mother as a good luck charm for forthcoming 'Cambridge O Levels'.

That department store that supplied the handkerchief all those years ago is still there in that far far away land.

That little hanky worked its magic for the girl's matric exams and then stored quietly away. The girl grew up and had a daughter of her own. They still lived in that far far away much loved landlocked country. The girl, now a woman would tuck that little good luck hanky in to the young girl's pocket every time she wrote exams. Sometimes gently wrapped in that little hanky would be a small sprig of the most delicate pink tiny tiny rose bloom.

Later, that hanky was brought out for the now teenager daughter's matric exams and amazingly worked it's wonderful magic once again. The hanky was tucked away until it was needed again.  The daughter grew up, left home, changed countries, changed hemispheres, fell in love and married a northern man. 

When they unpacked their suitcases on their honeymoon not only did they find copious amounts of confetti hidden inside they also found a small red hanky.

A few years later that little square of red fabric was working its charm and its magic for the daughter's favourite sister in law while she successfully wrestled exams. 

Now, later still,  the eldest son, the great grandson of the original lady who purchased the handkerchief, carries it tucked in his pocket when writes his GCSEs His mother....me...... carefully wraps a rose quartz gem in it each morning and tucks it in his pocket. For good luck and with love.

Who knows - he might lend it to his children one day when they have exams.

* C3R, C3L, k8 repeat *

Thank you for your lovely comments and thoughts on my last couple of posts - they are much appreciated and certainly made me feel a whole lot better :) 

Our much anticipated walk has been thwarted by the weather so now we are home. The radio on and lunch eaten, I have picked up my knitting. 

I made a conscious decision to ignore my books this weekend - my brain feels thick as cold porridge. Listening to the click of the needles and counting the stitches seems soothing and comforting. 

This is my second  'Sea to Sky' hat, the last one I a made I gifted to a friend but was determined to make another for myself. The colours in the first two pictures are closer to my actual knitting, but in dull light with rain thundering down on the roof, the option of natural light vs flash light - neither are accurate.

Just checked - yes it is still raining..... The boys (all three) have resorted to a dated cowboy movie on the television,drinking tea and munching on buns.  

Hope your weekend has been good and you managed to get come crafting done :) 

I am I the only working tomorrow on Bank Holiday Monday? It certainly feels so!!!

Saturday somber

Not sure why.

 

Think it is because I am weary from a pernicious cold I have accommodated for the last two weeks. It is still lingering around, time to evict it methinks. Hey ho.
Last night I watched Chelsea Flower Show and the actor Emeila Fox said that 'no matter where she was, she would have a vase of fresh flowers on her table - to remind her of home'.  I thought about that.......last year, as soon as the garden started to produce flowers, I was picking them.  Today I picked my first bunch for the house, for me.

And it made me feel a  whole lot better.

Now it needs to stop raining.

Oh I do like to be by the seaside

Popped out at lunch time to do a few chores, rushing back so I could have my lunch before I started work again when.....dashing by the charity shop - saw a little cross stitch picture and just-had-to-buy-it! and for the grand total of £2 - I did.

 Now need to sort out a nicer frame - 

H*aP*p*Y! H*aP*p*Y!

Sunday

My garden. Sunshine. Birdsong and blue sky - long may it last xxx

Walking on Oxenber Hill

There is a tradition - walking on a warm May Friday evening after work with family, friends and collegues up on to Oxenber Hill to imbibe in the most gorgeous scent and wallow in the most glorious view - Bluebells as far as the eye can see.

This year was no different - wonderful. 

Wonderful.

Birthday

Lilac from the garden, white chocolate, strawberries and cream Victoria sponge, sunshine and family.

Happy birthday Mum (jak)

xxxx

Woolly happenings and kitch singing - what a weekend!

Saturday was an early start, I stood shivering on the road side with 3 huge containers of yarns and wools waiting for my lift. Himself had manfully carried the tubs out for me and was standing keeping me company while I kept dabbing my eyes. No I wasn't crying, the cold air was making them very watery and a horrible little cold wasn't helping either. I must have looking like a babbling mess as I sneezed and blew my nose, wiped my rheumy red eyes and shivered!
Eventually my lift arrived and my delightfully quirky friend just abandoned her car in the road as she cheerfully plugged her car-tyre pump into a soft wheel. Chatting away loudly over the sound of the car pump we must have made a sizable road block for the early morning bus as it tried to negotiate around us while we loaded my yarns and goodies on the back seat.

We set off - a jolly wave to Himself who retreated back to the house. He was on teenager entertainment duty while I was off to the Wharfe Wool Fair to both sell yarns and to hold a crochet workshop.
Friend and I talked all the way - we don't see each other regularly but when we do we just pick up where we had left off. In fact there was so much chatting to catch up on, we missed the turning off and only realised several miles down the road when we arrived at the wrong town...... never mind, we turned round and chatted all the way back to the correct roundabout!

After a while we arrived at the venue - the Otley Court House, a 19th century Magistrate's court now run as an art centre with a cafe, resource centre and artists studios. As we arrived we decided to go find the organiser - another dear friend of mine, we soon found her looking harassed as she galloped past us. A quick hug and some directions and she was off in a flurry of red hair and turquoise top - apparently an outdoor marquee had tried to take off in the brisk breeze and despite having four adults hanging on to it, there was a moment when they were briefly airborne......so the marquee had been packed away in disgrace and the stall holders who'd been positioned underneath  were being re-positioned in the hall - what 'fun'!

With a bit of help from the lovely Mark (a regular fibre fairs attendee with the equally lovely Freyalyn) we were set up. The hall, though small, gave us plenty of space and seemed to be full of stalls with brightly coloured wools and yarns, fleeces and fibre tops and the whole place gave an atmosphere of anticipation.
Two stiff mugs of coffee later we were ready.

The first part of the morning flew by, people coming in as soon as the doors opened. By mid morning I had to abandon our stall as I'd promised to give a crochet workshop so disappeared to set it up. I had toseveral of times gently but firmly remove people from my table and repeatedly and even more firmly rescue the chairs for my workshop attendees from another all-day demonstration.

When my ladies arrived we sat down and chatted about crochet, played with the samples I'd made and talked through the instructions. Then out came the hooks and there was a fair bit of discussion at what colours and what yarns were going to be used.
Then we began.
I am left handed.
They were all right handed.
 Guess what!?! By the end of the session I was crocheting RIGHT HANDEDLY (badly) so the ladies could copy what I was doing. I hope they got something from it (other that a lot of laughing). One of the ladies kept sticking her tongue out in concentration while another pair (a mother daughter combo) did nothing but mock bicker and tease each other. By the end....I was finished!

Soon after I vacated our workshop space the guides took it over to make pom poms - they had to stand - the all day demonstration group had swooped in and taken all the chairs!

I spent the rest of the afternoon back at our stall with my dear dotty friend chatting with a steady stream of visitors, drinking mugs of tea (why do you get so dehydrated at places like these?) We were so very ready to go by the end of the day - we were all talked out!

As we drove back the heavens opened and the rain just lashed it down. The conversation on the way home was more sporadic - think we must have caught up will our news. I did -Himself is delighted - come home with very very much less than I took with me!

My only regret? I chose not to take my camera. I didn't have much time, but I would have loved to get a few photos - never mind, I will have to just refer to the images in my head :)

Then, to cap off this hectic day - I sat down with my three boys and we just reveled in the kitch and delight that is the Eurovision - Go Conchita!

Wish me luck....

Tomorrow I am working here - Wharfe Wool Fair - selling wools and yarns and holding a work shop

...ooh er!

Walking is my therapy and Knitting is my release!

I worked yesterday – a silly busy Saturday morning, an intense crescendo of 3 hours which started and stoped equally suddenly. My three had arrived just as we were shutting down and I joined them for lunch and a walk. It was glorious to leave the confines of a building and swap it for lunch on a rocky outcrop beneath a hawthorn tree with a view that faded into a distant hazy horizon.

I managed to persuade Youngest to model my ‘Sea to Sky’ hat which I’d finished during my lunch break on Friday. I love it but on me it looks wrong, so I have gifted it to a friend who’d previously eyed it up and I will make it again with a heavier ply and larger needles. However, it was a dream to knit, and I loved watching first the rolling waves appear then the birds seeming to drop off my needles. I somehow lost the rhythm whilst casting off – not sure what happened however that is no fault of the pattern probably more to do with me being distracted by the view and the sheep bleating whilst I was knitting like a demon trying to complete the hat before having to go back to work.

Our walk was, like my post title, like having therapy. These last couple of weeks have been particularly stressful to say the least and to feel the miles disappear under my feet made me feel like I was leaving all that behind. 

Whilst out on the moors,  Eldest, who is always several paces ahead of us, whirled around and said ‘what was that?’ we all stopped and listed and heard a strange whurring sound. Vrrrrrrrrrrrr Vrrrrrrrrr. 

All we could see, apart from a huge landscape and lots of sky, were a couple of birds flying overhead. We stood and listened. Again - Vrrrrrrrrrr Vrrrrrrrr. It had to be the birds. We discussed the sounds as we carried on walking, still hearing the whurring sounds in the distance as we continued. 

Once home first Himself then I trawled the internet trying to trace the strange reedy noise. And then we found it – just listen HERE. Amazing. Known as Snipe drumming, in all the years we have been walking in this area, we have never been privileged enough to hear the courtship sounds of the Snipe. 

By the time we’d returned to the car, I was finished. My knee is still a ‘bone of contention’ with me, its fine until I ask it to do something then it does nothing but whinge! Still, I was a brilliant walk and if I ignore my knee’s persistent grumbling and complaining it was wonderful being out under that huge sky.

Right. Best stop waffling, my pile of work is looking at me very loudly and I am running out of both time and motivation. Best get on – speak soon, hope you had a lovely weekend and for those who will be getting the bank holiday, I hope the sun shines for you, I am – yes you guessed it – back at work tomorrow!

With love

hawthorn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I lubs yoo❤

Oh my dear bloggy family and friends - thank you so much for your comments recently - it is always a delight to hear from you, your side of things and your experiences as you go through life. It is strangely comforting to know that other folk out there in* interwebasphere* also go through the same day to day things that we do.

The good news is that all the blood, sweat and tears that Eldest and I inflicted on each other was worth it - the teacher was pleasantly surprised by his presentation and fluidity of speech. Eldest bounced into the house this evening after school with such a delighted look on his face. I still feel drained!

Then, quite a bit later, while I was writing and re-writing my 'discussion' covering endoparasites of sheep as part of my studies, Eldest muttered something over the top of his laptop.

'Check your facebook page, I've sent you something on the chat' he had said.

So I did.

I think I've(we've) done ok :)

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤Happy FRIDAY to you all❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

On a completely different note, I am participating in a snail mail swap over on 'A butterfly in my hair', a lovely gentle blog with a beautiful ethos and lovely photos. I am quietly excited! Oh dear, better get back to studying and writing - *sigh*

Speak soon xxx❤