Little Miss Update

Apologies once again for the silence in the Yellow Wood. On top of the computer woes and the book editing conundrums, we are preparing for our big trip North (way North) and it has proved to be very, very time consuming indeed. Not that I can complain about being absorbed by the details of holiday-making! We are both looking forward to it and really in need of a break.

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It's Roger Hargreaves birthday today - yes, he of the Mr Men. Did you read them as a child? Messers Messy, Bump, Small and Tickle were my favourites. Who were yours?

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I have really been enjoying knitting of late, especially now that the winter is very firmly setting in (even though it is only mid-May). I think we are struggling up to about 13 degrees today. Our house in double-brick too, which makes things extra chilly. But it does make working with wool extra fun. I have AT LAST taught myself an easy way to cast-on as well as how to purl stitch, basket stitch and moss stitch (well, sort of, on that last one). Now I think I am even ready for a...project. Distel Fliege kindly suggested a shawl which looks lovely and which I will absolutely try but does any one else have any thoughts on a beginner's knitting project? My main problem at the moment is that I am not allowed to take knitting needles on the plane :(

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For on-the-plane-easily-distracting books, I am taking Ian Rankin (yay Rebus!) and Charlaine Harris (yay Sookie!). I am not a good flyer so anything that requires a lot of concentration is a waste of time. Any other suggestions?

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As you may know, I have a couple of shops over at Etsy but I am not exactly about to retire on my earnings from them. What do you think is a good way to sell vintage goods (clothes, knick-knacks etc.)? This has been consuming a fair bit of thought for me lately...

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And finally, I am tired of negativity! On Facebook recently (I know, I know, I've been sucked into it too), someone opined that they hated the royal family. I really try to avoid using the word 'hate'. It is such a strong expression of negative emotion, and often pointlessly so. I was amused to see someone replied that they "hated haters". I come from a long line of judgemental people, so I try to leave this sort of negativity out of the equation if I can. Ok, off soap-box now. What do you think?

On Being Human

Sorry for having been a little silent here in the Woods of late. I have been trying to get my thesis off to the publishers (still) by the requested deadline and we have also been in the throes of planning a fairly big holiday so there's been all manner of little detaily things to do! Added to all that, my computer died.

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Did you watch the Royal Wedding? There are of course plenty of naysayers out there but I for one enjoyed it, being a bit of lover of pomp and circumstance, but also simply being glad to see people happy! Goodness knows we see enough in the news about human misery - why not a bit of human joy now and then? Every time a royal event comes up, we argue about the republican issue here in Australia, but taking the wedding on face value, I saw it as a pretty warm and heartfelt affair really, and Kate and William do appear to be a bit more compatible than WIlliam's parents did at their wedding all those years ago. But who knows? We can't of course have any real idea of this - and, indeed, why should we, it's none of our business - and I do seem to recall everyone talking about "the stuff of fairytales" back in 1981. All we can say at this point is, I guess, best of luck!

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I have been so enjoying the third season of Being Human - I've loved it from the start - and so I was pleased to find this little snippet of the show's sweetly melancholy theme tune.

In Stitches (Sorry)

I have so enjoyed stitching these two little embroideries the last couple of days. I've been inspired by http://tinyhappy.typepad.com/tiny_happy/ and the Japanese embroidery book I picked up in Sydney (sorry - title is in Japanese! I have no idea what it says).

I have also been knitting. I have finally managed to teach myself the purl stitch thanks to the wonderful Harmony Guide to Knitting Stitches but Moss Stitch, which I have also attempted, continues to elude me. Does anyone know how to moss stitch?

As my husband said, "It's lovely to make something yourself, isn't it?"

Raindrops

We are having a lot of rain at the moment - on Monday night, all of April's average rain fall fell in one night. But I am enjoying it. It coats everything in a lovely moist freshness.

And I am getting quite a kick watching the daily antics of a band of magpies who have populated our yard of late. There was thirty of them late yesterday afternoon! I'm learning lots about them too from a beautiful old copy of the bird bible in Australia, What Bird Is That?, which I picked up for...dare I say it...a song at the local op-shop. Along with the Gould League's Birds of Victoria: Urban Areas and Frances Pitt's lovely Meet us in the Garden, I am heartened after having read awful stories like this one in the newspaper -

http://www.theage.com.au/environment/animals/zoo-to-help-grieving-swan-care-for-egg-20110408-1d7gp.html

When are we going to get over this idea that animals are somehow lesser than us? That they are more acceptable as a target for pointless violence?

Quiet Times

Quiet times here in the Woods, as I try to stop and listen to the birdsong as often as I can.

Just the two (or three, or four) of us

Why is this woman following me with a camera?

When your mail is here, lady, I'll let you know. Until then...

Have you ever thought about how closely we live with insects? Sometimes I can handle this thought - like today - and other times, when I see 2 gazillion ants marching purposefully towards the house at the height of summer, it kind of gives me the wiggins.

Today, though, when there's just one of something (that I can see, at any rate), it's kind of nice. Like we're all trotting along on this journey called life together. Some of us big, some of us small. Me and the little spider that lives near the soap dish in the bathroom. Me and the fairly sizable Huntsman spider in our mailbox. It heartens me that (as I like to think) they regard our house and its environs as a safe haven where they can set up camp with some confidence. My rule of thumb with insects is that if they don't invade my space (such as a dangling by their web over my bed when I'm in it), I won't invade theirs. Yes, I know there are some fairly significant holes in that argument.

But for me, today, enjoying the Autumn sunshine while I watch bees struggling to fly their legs so laden with pollen, magpies stalking happily around the front yard in search of a worm and spiders waiting for the mail delivery, that line of (il)logic works just fine for me.

It's all a matter of perspective

I received a wonderful package from Beanie Mouse and Andrea last week. While travelling around together, Beanie and Andrea collect all sorts of bits and pieces - things that other people might discard - and then Beanie looks at them anew and turns them into really interesting and striking works of art - 'found art'. Check them out at - http://beaniemouse.blogspot.com/ and http://found-art.blogspot.com/ And thank you Beanie and Andrea!

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Helena's post over at http://sketchandcolour.blogspot.com/ has got me thinking. Do I look old? But more to the point, do I feel old? Having recently had a birthday, it is something that has been on my mind a bit. Especially when I see more and more grey hair every time I look in the mirror! In my mind, I still think of myself as being in my 20s - at the most. Especially since I feel I am still 'finding my way' with a lot of things in life. I always thought of people at the age I am now (ahem...note: actual age not disclosed) as being adults, people who have their lives together. But lately it has also occurred to me that life really is a process. You keep learning stuff. Re-adjusting your priorities. Looking at things differently. There is no one age where you stop and say 'Well, I'm done. I'm all sorted. I am complete.' For me at least I think that that process will go on and on until I am a little old lady still with some new enthusiasm or idea about something. And that, I suspect, is how you might be able to side-step 'growing old'. My mother has often said, 'You're only old if you feel old.' And I think she might be right. Providing I keep looking at life as freshly as I can muster, I might just stay young forever!