A Good Start

Unlike last holidays where I spent the majority of the time sick and felt that I achieved nothing, these holidays (officially starting today) I plan to pack as much into as possible. Hopefully the weather will continue to improve so that I can do some of the things my little heart desires, but if not, I'll try to make the most of it anyway.

Today I have managed to:

1. Walk - which seems to have helped with some of the discomfort I've had recently so I'm hoping that means it was just my body tensing up from all the stress I've been under in the past few weeks and nothing more serious and that now things will start looking up.

2. Knit. A week ago I finished this cute shawl and since the weather was so bad yesterday, I actually got to wear it. It's the same as a previous one that I made for a friend except I started the pattern two rows early, thus avoiding the 'knit one' that was either side of a pattern repeat in the centre of each 'half'. Certainly made it a lot easier to keep track of the pattern as every repeat was identical. (Oh, and the first shawl is more pink than this latest one which is definitely red. I'm beginning to realise that red is one of those colours that doesn't photograph well.)



 
I also got past the rib of this lovely shrug and have started the pattern. I've not gone up to the larger size of needles that I normally would have chosen to use (because I knit so tight) but that was because I liked the fabric that the smaller needles produced. Hopefully it will still fit. (I can't see any reason why it shouldn't - I'll just keep knitting until it's the correct length and if it's a little short in the body - I don't think it will be - I'll add a rib around the neck and body to counter that.)



And, I managed to do four rows of DH's sock. This is definitely the most boring pattern I have ever knitted and every row I am tempted to rip it all out and start again with something fresh. The too-small needles do not help either. But since I finished one sock yesterday, and DH's birthday is in less than two weeks, I am determined to get these done. I've calculated that I need to do ten rounds a day to get them finished in time (oh the punishment!).


3. Garden. I'm not a gardener and cannot pretend to know much about gardening but I know a weed when I see it and so I got out in the garden today and started pulling weeds. Just enough to make me feel that I'd accomplished something without it getting too tedious. I also made a mini glasshouse (out  of a tray and plastic bag!) and planted tomato and chilli seeds since the ones I planted in the garden haven't done anything. Funny, but it was the opposite way around last year. And finally, the strawberries that I divided, are doing well, and I'm going to have to get something to stop the birds from eating them before The Most Adorable Granddaughters can pick them. (Note to The Most Adorable Granddaughters: please wait until they're ripe or at least red before you pick them.) Strawberries are one of those fruits that I can take or leave so there should be plenty for The Most Adorable Granddaughters this year.



(Not too sure about this plum tree. DH pruned it at the end of last season and now it's sprouting all over the place. If DH thought he was going to be opening the tree up to the light, the tree definitely has other ideas!Perhaps it wants to be a tree house for The Most Adorable Granddaughters after all.)

4. Bake. I made a super healthy nut and seed slice and even though I followed the recipe exactly, it's falling apart when I cut it. It actually held together better before I added the LSA. It's still yummy, and I can eat it all crumbly, which the guys probably won't want to do but I doubt they'll be thrilled with it anyway. I made them bread instead.


5. I've done sundry other things as well ... like playing the flute which I think might sound marginally better since it was serviced (the parts that don't sound better are obviously the fault of the one playing the instrument) ... and fertilising the citrus trees even though the packet said not to use on trees in pots (but since I already used it a month ago - before I read the instructions - and since the trees are looking better, I decided to use it anyway) ... and shopping ... and laundry ... and all the other things that must be done to keep a household running (or semi-running) ... so that now I'm feeling a great sense of accomplishment and am wondering what I'm going to do tomorrow to fill in my time.

I'm sure I'll find something.

(In case anyone is wondering - and you could be given the time that has lapsed since I updated my blog - I had an incredible time at camp and hope to do a series of camp-inspired posts soon.)

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