You can make it if you try

Last night, I was severely taken to task because I had not blogged for such a long time. Well, yes. Many, many reasons.


I was busy - "little" stuff to finish.

I wanted to put in photographs and wasn't getting a roundtuit.

Life-as-she-is-lived was getting a bit fraught.


As we seem to be back on an up-swing, lets play catch-up, photoless. Again.


Went to an OurTown Arts Festival event, a telling of "Beowulf" by Hugh Lupton Magic. I definitely need to find myself some more storytelling events to go to - but I say that every year! Maybe this time, I will. I love the way you can get lost in the sounds and see a picture of what is happening in your mind. Well, I can, anyway. Beats television hands down every time.

Friday was an AH day. It was good, if busy. Three essentially complete beginners. One was fighting with her wheel, and I could not suss out what was wrong. It was a very old Ashford Traveller - not the classic "my neighbour makes wheels" sort, than goodness, and maybe it just needed completely stripping down, cleaning, oiling, tightening up, and etc. She had looked at books and had more than a clue. The other two were very pleasant women, but just on a good day out. One was getting it, the other not. Until finally I overrode her objections and gave her a spindle and showed her "park and draft" (note to self - please stop tendency to call that park and ride....)

Friday was also the DSM's 60th birthday. Yes, I know, I shouldn't have been working. I was caught to give dates at an inopportune moment and didn't realise until it was too late to change. We had gone through all sorts of possibilities for what he might do; in the end, he wasn't up to doing anything very much. I persuaded him to take me to AH and pick me up again at tea time, joining us (the us including M&F, which was nice) for tea. I took in some candles, and asked the staff if one could possibly be put on a piece of cake for him without contravening Health and Safety regs. They did him proud - a large piece, practically equivalent to a proper one, chocolate butter cream and coffee "beans" on the top, and all six candles. Plus a round of "Happy Birthday to you" and a kiss or two. Very sweet, and he appreciated it.

Then the two of us went for a Thai meal and did have a quiet and lovely time. So in all, it wasn't too bad. But he needs - deserves - a proper bash in the fullness of time.

Pennie came over the next day, which was a good thing for me at least, as the DSM was in a bit of a state, and retired to his room eventually. Actually, it did him a lot of good, and he did a lot of positive thinking. As a result he devised some new strategies, and saw the gp again and things are definitely beginning to look up. Quite a relief, for both of us.

Which meant he felt ok about going to see the new Harry Potter film. Excellent, it was. Very pared down, but well done, special effects much improved, young Dan'l developing as an actor, and the eye-candy of the Weasley twins. And - tomorrow is the Big Day. It's Guild - dare I take the book in with me and sit in a corner reading it? Probably not, on balance. Strange to think that after all these years, We Shall Know All.

Amusing thing about going to see HP at the cinema. Not only were we the oldest pair there by a long chalk, but we had joy of getting in at Seniors rates. Ha!

I seem to have been doing a lot of running about on the spot, standing almost still, not accomplishing much. Not true, I suppose. I have been rounding things up, spinning yet more samples (flax is hell on a spindle!), trying to get the new double layer bag finished, casting on a pair of socks for travel knitting. I have such plans for life after Cornwall - I've been stash-diving, and have come up with some goodies, I have the Sheep Thrills exchange hat to make. All sorts of stuff.

And I have a cunning plan. When the dust is well and truly settled, I am going to run away to sea - at least, to a cottage by the sea. All alone, just me and my iPod and my knitting and spinning and music and books and camera and the sea to sit by and walk by and look at.

A little bit of ozone and peace.