Be careful what you wish for - and a Grand Day Out

I have this vision of an exasperated Mother Nature, or some flock of pissed off dryads, or something, finally losing patience with me. "Right. You are forever whingeing n about how cold it is - see how you like THIS. Harrumph." And much more in similar vein.

So from shivering, freezing cold, we went to high 70s and humidity off the scale in the twinkling of an eye. Someone melted down some jelly sandals and poured the goo over me, thus creating a body armour that never quite set and kept me feeling liquid-warm. Blergh. And the interior of the house being much cooler than the outside, the humidity hit the walls and tiled floor and promptly went into swamp mode, I've been paddling indoors all day. Totally disgusting. This afternoon, the storms arrived, and thunder muttered sullenly around the house for hours. In the middle of all this, the Computer Professional was doing something or other - a Tesco's order I think - when he said in a quaverery voice "Ooh, what's that?" and before I could tell him that it was an annoying AOL thing, and just to switch it off by hitting the little red cross in the top right corner, he hit instead the box marked "disable". Would you really think that this....person has been in computers since 1968?? You Just Don't Do That. And if you do, you should know enough to know that somewhere in the bowels of the computer, there would be a switch that corresponding says "enable".

Fortunately, AOL do have a very good help line.......and equally fortunately, it does even up the score with the dumbcluck who has put the door key down somewhere totally unfindable, necessitating a complete change of lock....such is a happy Sunday chez nous.

Yesterday was a different kettle of fish all together. It was the guild day, and we were al bringing in our textile or textile related treasures. It was great, definitely to be recommended to others. Too many to mention all, but I particularly liked the 1930s school velour hat that had withstood seven years of education and two generations worth of dressing up box. And the lilac paisley printed shawl designed to go over a crinoline, said crinoline ably impersonated by our Freyalynn.

I took two items. The first was a cloth - so I had been told - that lived on a side table in out Edwardian terrace in Cockermouth, after my sister found it at a jumble sale and gave it to me. It got thrown in to the washing machine a few times before someone, I forget who, pointed out to me that it probably was a Victorian shawl. It is wool, with a woven paisley pattern, someone yesterday thought maybe a Norwich, but whether it is a shawl to be worn or a piano shawl, we have no idea. I need to take it somewhere to find out. Here it is:



And:



The second thing that I took was this:



I was given this several years ago as a house gift by Ed Franquemont, who has to have been one of the best house guests anyone could ever hope for. Appreciative, helpful, a brilliant conversationalist and to give me this as well.......He did tell us at the time what it is called, but all Pete could remember was that it had a lot of "llls" in it. I did a google, and found it, most often called a manta, which is not surprising as the other name is practically unpronounceable for a lot of us. Someone yesterday who used to teach Spanish was being very doubtful about the versions I had found - something like "llijla" -but I have to confess my ignorance. But it is a great piece of work, and a good reminder of time spent with a lovely person.

Other than all that, as if that isn't enough, we have been packaging fibre and Writing Lists. Oh, and a little bit of gentle panicking...

gw