Sunday 23 January 2022

A weekend

Prince Charming and I had breakfast together this morning (it was still Saturday when I started typing this!) to the sound of Radio 4 while our mostly adult children slept on. It was the start of a good day. When boys emerged, one studied and t'other helped me clear childhood clutter toys. In my head there will be one room completely cleared and completely cleaned each 2022 month. Forward, I suppose, but methinks this first room is going to be greedy for some February!

Not all 'in my head' things come to pass. In a new Meadowplace order, we are realising that these mostly adult children of ours have minds of their own which must be respected. So the blast to the coast after lunch was just the two of us. This is recently new, and we are adjusting! We did nonetheless love breathing in the last of the daylight all the way from Ballintoy to White Park Bay and back. It's not so far, but being in week 4 of a six week ankle recovery time, it's far enough! It transpired over Christmas that we have four front steps and not three. Who knew?

And here is some progress thus far. The sock was doing well until it became clear that I couldn't really go on knitting joyful rounds indefinitely. So now it's stalling. Fortitude needed for the next bit, or just some concentration. Both of which sound like a lot of effort! The second panel of Mum's tree blanket is nearly finished, though. Size 4 clogs for scale. The book is a proof copy of Francis Hagan's latest novel. FH is novelist and poet, psychotherapist and local English teacher... in the school where I work! Leaving for America is a poignant and increasingly teasing tale, written with Shakespearean scope and beauty. I have to read it very slowly. And this chromebook is my chromebook, to paraphrase the Bard himself.

 Can I tell you about the bags? The red one is A4 size which is perfect for the pattern for Trees. It was bought for its size at a craft fair that I must have gone to with my mother in 2002. I only know this because I got it to keep my first antenatal notes in. It hadn't been used since 2004 when it became redundant after the second now mostly adult boy was born.

The little white one, book-sized but also perfect for sock-things, was bought in July 2019 in a gorgeous bookshop in Germany, as you might have guessed. That was our last time out of a UK country (except for the quick drive across The Border that I had to do last Saturday - which was another quite nice day). We were on holiday with three friends and stayed in a centuries old watermill. One of the friends is a German teacher, and she did translate the Nietsche for me. I can't quite remember it now, but maybe you'll work it out!

I do hope that you might be having  a lovely forward-looking weekend, full of breath and joy in whatever makes you smile. I hope she won't mind me quoting it but the hardest working woman I know, who has an enormous heart full of big pain-won faith, said this, crowning my good day, forward...right out the door, to the barn with prayers God will overwhelm you with His blessings this year. This entire year. XO

4 comments:

GretchenJoanna said...

I think it's lovely that you are starting to enjoy outings as "just a couple" again. It's so nice, that blanket, you could post of picture of it every week and I'd be very happy.

Pom Pom said...

Look at you go! I love the blanket panel and the socks are sweet! You can turn that heel. It's fun. I know what you mean about stalling though. I do not know how I manage to have three sweaters (jumpers) stalled at the sleeves. Bad planning. I am reading two books that I think would appeal to you. One is titled The Other Half of Church and the other is The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self. Both VERY thought provoking!
I love the sound of your trip to the sea. Take care of that wobbly ankle. Ouch! Love you!

M.K. said...

I agree with Gretchen. It's such a shift to be just the two of you again, after year of life with children. But the goal is for them to leave, and leave happily, and for you to find all the joy of your marriage again :) It sounds like you're well on your way.

Sandra at Thistle Cove Farm said...

But you're only close to empty nest, right? Isn't this Matt's gap year and Jo still has one or two left before his gap year? Or have I got them confused again? If so, please don't tell them. I don't mind them thinking I'm an eejit but wouldn't want to hurt their feelings.
Is your ankle sprained or worse? Arnica will help, if you can find it and so will CBD ointment. Trust me, I know these things. LOL at myself.
The first September on our farm, I broke my right ankle when I stepped off the porch (one step, mind you), onto the ground and heart it snap. Then I got in the truck and drove 50 miles, one way, to get my cat from the vet. She'd been there a week, touch and go, but pulled through. The vet asked if he could x-ray my ankle for me and I said, "No need. I heard it snap." The woman who rode with me insisted on driving us home. I was grateful. XO

Time stands still

 Hello! Sending you all lots of love from Northern Ireland, where nothing much changes just as everything changes, as usual. Time has stood ...