All Fingers and Thumbs

First day back at the ranch and boy oh boy have we perfected the pace of what kind of chocolate shall we eat next. Appropriately layered up we just peeped out for a turn around the park and a breath of cold, fresh air but with piles of new pressies to enjoy and accommodate somewhere our attentions have been definitely homesteady.  Miss Nina has been making sure that we spend the requisite amount of time forming a seat for her. It's fair to say these furries missed us, though I have my suspicions that has more to do with the warmth of our laps and the extra turns we give the central heating. These quiet days both here with our Siamese twinset and about with family are my favourite of the festive season. Time to just sit and be, to watch a movie, to chat about nothing very much at all. Days without name or order in the week somehow. Is it Wednesday today? I think I asked that yesterday.

Today I began what I like to think of as a five day cosying in intensive. On holiday now until January 5th it's time to slow down and sink in to the festive season in my own home. I've been out and about a lot, delightful as all that has been I'm ready to pull back in to a quieter place. One Christmas shopping mission to complete tomorrow and beyond that I shall only be tempted from my nest if the weather demands a walk. The kind of walk that will put roses in my cheeks and let me return home in absolute need of a hot chocolate. That is all that could drag me out of here, the Christmas CDs are on, the frankincense incense sticks are smouldering, I am breathing deeper, feeling so grateful for this funny little corner of the world that is my sanctuary. I am branding the mess charming so there is a just a little housework to be done. Laundry mountain and a few fierce cobwebs need conquering so that when I head down to Cornwall to spend a few days with my parents I shall ...

To my own surprise I'm really rather enjoying this November and without too much conscious effort to embrace its awkward corners. Not a month that normally fills me with excitement, too many grey skies and dark evenings, too much autumn fatigue - a not quite winter but it might as well be sort of association. Happily it's got more of an October extension vibe going on this year, still very much autumn here which is suiting me down to the leaf carpeted ground. Every time I walk outside I come back in with yet another clutch of leaves which I strew artfully about the place - perhaps more aptly described as covering every available surface so it looks rather like a storm just blew right through the house!  At the weekend we had a little jaunt down to visit my parents in Cornwall and Mama and I started in on the Christmas craft-arama with a vengeance. Fabric leaves above were spares from a grea t wreath making day . The wreath itself is in hiding as it will be gifted...

It Felt Love - Hafiz How Did the rose Ever open its heart And give to this world All its Beauty? It felt the encouragement of light Against its Being Otherwise We all remain Too frightened

A few weekends ago I found this little wooden tray or shelf at a jumble sale. I am so head over heels in love with it. For twenty English pennies I bought myself a holder for the tiny pieces of my collection of pretties from nature. It sits to the right of the tv on our mantelpiece and I spend much of the time I am supposedly watching a programme gazing in adoration at these little treasures. I had to share as I feel I am in danger of turning in to a hoarding miser a la Mr Scrooge. sat at home gloating over my riches! It seems fitting to feature it in a post of its own as there is a metaphor here for where this blog has headed; a space to hold the little pieces of life that I want to honour. With that extra clarity about what this blog is about these days I'll try not to let it get dusty in here just as I'll try to take the time to clean and curate this treasury.

It's my special day to myself day, each Friday beckons all week with its promise of plenty of time to do exactly what I please and yet by the time it arrives there are so many things to do (both a little dull and a lot lovely) and honestly, no energy for anything much. I'm finetuning the balance, starting a few chores, doing a little bit of a job to chip away at it, focusing on fun things. Above all reminding myself that it's just one day and a big part of the plan is to rest and recuperate! All of that perspective is a lot easier as I've 'achieved' something and got all the prep done for tonight's dinner of Aubergine-Almond Enchiladas . It was lovely, slow kitchen time that suited my mood perfectly. There have to be special somethings from these days so that they don't just disappear but the magic seems to be in trying out and finding the right something for the day.

Autumnal flourishes everywhere I look and I want to really dig in and notice the order and the pace with which the season arrives this year. It seemed to hasten in during August with heavy clusters of berries and more falling seeds than I associate with that month, perhaps the chill in the air made them seem more significant. Not much chill so far this month except for the slight edge morning and evening, a pleasing stroke of coolness that reminds me that wool really is rather lovable. Stalled on another Aestlight , though past the lace and it's a simple garter border that is giving me pause. A question about which course of action to take, to rip back to fix a discrepancy in numbers or knitting a few stitches together and carrying on. This is one of those grey areas for me. I am not a knitter who has to know it is perfect to enjoy wearing a knit, nor yet one who bashes through all but the most terminal of 'adjustments'.  I can sometimes enjoy a knit all t...