Farm visit

It was a great Fall day again.  We went out to a farm which had a bouncy castle and play area for little children, options for “pick your own” pumpkins and apples (honestly, I don’t get the appeal of paying to do farm work!) and a winery and cider brewery.  The kids had fun in the play area and looking at the animals (it’s a working farm) while Auntie stayed warm tasting wine and cider (she also bought some.)  It was good, but I was so tired when we got back that I couldn’t climb the stairs to get changed.  I’m resting up to regain some energy before dinner.  The fruits in the photo are from a dear friend’s garden… I think I’ll have to make more frequent visits this way in fruit season!  Jerry is out with a friend today, getting some exercise (she claims that she was going through puppy withdrawal and was in danger of carrying out a dog napping!) and Don is getting a rest and cooking.  He had a late night, watching a sport game of some kind, so it cut into his sleep time.

OK, I know.  I can’t let myself get over tired or wear myself down.  I’d be untruthful if I said it wouldn’t happen again, because I know that there will be some days when I’ll just push myself to do things and I’ll pay for it later.  I’ve worked with at least 3 therapists now who have made me work through scenarios of conserving my energy, remaining sensible and all those things, and I know what I’m supposed to do but sometimes I don’t listen to myself.  If I’m having fun, or am busy, I often will just continue doing whatever I was until I can’t function, which is not at all smart.  But I can’t spend all my days lying in bed or otherwise feeling sorry for myself.  I hope that I don’t pay too badly for today’s exertions!  Although, if I do I’m not likely to share too much info on it!

I’m going to start teaching my niece how to  crochet.  We went and got her some wool — she picked out a pretty soft pink — and her own crochet hook.  She’s very excited about it, and eager to start, but I’ve postponed until after  supper, and possibly until tomorrow when I have a little more energy.  I remember my grandmother teaching me so many years ago!  She gifted me with one of her own hooks, which I treasure and still use!  She also gave me some of her books of patterns — they were magazines from the 1940s — and I spent countless hours reading and rereading them to decide what patterns to try.  Over the years I’ve added to and sometimes replaced my collection of patterns and added other hooks so now I have a full set of various sizes in steel, aluminium and bamboo, and I’ve eyed others in plastic, crystal and other materials (I don’t need them, and they’re challenging to work with!)  I also have sets for Tunisian crochet (with an extension so I can work on those kinds of patterns) and for hairpin lace.  I need more practice in those latter two types of handcraft.  My late aunt (the middle one of my grandmother’s daughters) started me on knitting, which I can do with a level of adequacy, but I prefer crochet.

Handcrafts seem to cycle in and out of fashion over time, have you noticed?  When we started in high school we were expected to develop a skill in a craft.  Macramé was offered as an option for us to learn, but I said that I would stay with crochet because of my grandmother.  We all did some tie-dying, and mine was used to make 2 dresses for me.  After that first year, we weren’t really expected to do anything, and I (like many others) dropped it for some years.  Then I picked it up again, made some small items, then dropped it… I noticed that there were phases when crochet was in vogue, then it wasn’t.  Remember all those doilies that were draped over furniture?  And covers for toilet paper rolls (I made a few) that were sometimes shaped like dolls’ dresses.  I’ve noticed that crochet clothing is back again, which is fine, as I’m working on a cardigan for a while now.  Knitting is another one that’s become popular again, and I saw some patterns for macramé— other than plant hangers!

Whether or not I’m in vogue doesn’t matter to me.  I just enjoy crocheting, and occasionally knitting.  I’ve gifted several of my friends with items that I’ve made and I hope they will enjoy them for many years.  I’m happy that the internet has so many options so I can find many patterns to play with — heck, I’ve got so many projects in mind that I’ll never complete them even if I worked on them until I’m 400.  Between the crochet and knit projects, my writing, cooking and reading, I can be fully occupied for many years to come!  Do you have any pet projects or crafts that you have been working on or putting off?  Do you think you’ll ever manage to complete them?

OK, you know what time it is now. I’ve got a Dr. Seuss on offer, so we’ll see how it goes.  Do have a good night!