Lighter Mornings

I know that slowly, slowly, the days are getting longer, but it has seemed to me to be just as dark as ever. I suppose it has much to do with me working late and going out early, and our library being mostly in the ‘lower ground’ (read mostly underground) so I don’t see much light. But this morning, when I opened our curtains in the bedroom, pulled up the blind and flung open the window to air the bedroom, I was struck!

The sky was the most beautiful shade of blue. And it was light enough for me to see it! So somehow the days are becoming longer- I just hadn’t noticed. Let me try and describe for you what I see out of my bedroom window.

Ours is a ground floor flat, so we are low down. There is our little garden, and at the end of the garden a fence. Our side of the fence is a big green bush- the other side of the fence there are trees who have dropped all their leaves, so are just skeletons against the sky. We cannot see it from our window, but there is then the railway track, and the other side of that evergreen trees. So this morning, I could see all of the bare trees closest to us silhouetted against the sky, and then glinting in and out of a tangle of branches was the moon. Later, when I was pouring myself a lovely cup of tea, I was gazing out of the kitchen window (which shares the same view) and happened to see a little grey squirrel tight-rope walking along the fence!

We are finally finally all ship shape after Christmas. It is so lovely seeing acres (well it seems like acres, although our flat is really quite snug) of empty floor. I love the exhausted but exhilarated feeling that comes after a throwing out and tidying up session. I have my tea-set out on display once more, along with a tiny hand-operated toy sewing machine that belonged to my Mum when she was a little girl. The windowsill is filled with candles at the moment, to bring a little twinkly light into our evenings, but very soon I am going to cram it full with bulbs and tiny tete-a-tete instead.

I have been idly knitting tea-cozies in the evening, while watching The House Of Eliott on dvd. I have a vague idea of a craft fair later in the year, you see. How lovely it is to craft idly, for no particular purpose other than the craft itself. I do adore making gifts, but it is nice to lose the pressure! Having said that, I have decided that I want to crochet a blanket- so that I can say in many years time- this is the blanket I crocheted the year I was married. I have been looking on the internet for patterns- I want something a bit more challenging than just rows of double crochet, but more blankety than bedspready. I have seen some divine bedspreads, but I fear they are a bit more advanced than I am, and I would not get so much use out of it. Having said that, as well as being able to snuggle up under it, I want to be able to put it over the bed and it look….good. Initially I thought I would do something like the beautiful blanket that yarnstorm made (www.yarnstorm.blogs.com/knitblog/) but then I decided that I would rather make that later as just a lovely blanket. I think the blanket I make now needs to be in one colour- probably cream.

I am getting excited for our wedding, now that we can say that we are getting married this year! We went to church on Sunday to check we are still in the diary and meet the new vicar (the old one moved away last autumn) and we still are in the diary- but there is no new vicar as of yet. It is such a pretty little church, right in the countryside where Carl grew up. To give you an idea of how tiny, there are two blocks of six pews, and a block of nine pews! And opposite the church is open fields, with the tiny glimmer of the River Blackwater in the distance.

I have a lot of craft ideas swirling around in my mind. I want to make buttonholes for my guests- I am thinking of fabric for the men, and perhaps beaded for the ladies, or crocheted. Just thoughts though. And yes, I know it is pathetically, ridiculously early to be thinking of next years Christmas cards…but…I had a beautiful hand stitched felt decoration in my card from lovely, lovely Tash (www.vintagepretty.blogspot.com) and then I saw these adorable button wreaths at www.littlebirds.typepad.com and decided that my cards this year will have detachable decorations on the front.

Other things…I am reading ‘Seeing Stars’ by Christina Jones. It is delightful, just like the others- Hubble Bubble and Love Potions. Each is set in a tiny village, and you meet characters from the other books. Hubble bubble is about a lady who finds a cook book and finds that the recipes she makes have magical properties- similar to the effects that the aromatherapy oils have in Love Potions. They are delightfully light, but blissfully enjoyable. I recommend them!