Generally Gemma

Happiness

It seems that a bit of a tradition is starting where the week before G disappears for Brat Camp I end up laid low in bed with the flu. One week of not really knowing what was going on followed by a week where I felt as week as a kitten. Where the only thing that I could manage to do was put in a few hours at work and then struggle home to hug G and fall into bed to sleep.

But today the sun came out and that always makes me feel so much happier in myself. As though the sun wakes me up and makes me realise that it's time to shrug off the mantle of darkness that I struggle with in the Winter months and realise that Spring really and truly is here and life can begin again.

I sat on my patio this evening with a glass of wine and felt at one and at peace with myself. Surrounded by my garden and my flowers and the peace and quiet with only the birds singing to bother me.

I have new things this year in the garden, these teeny tiny many headed daffodils and some tulips.

Jane's gorgeous tulip pictures made me need to have some this year. And although they are nowhere the magnificence of hers and are a bit raggedy round the edges I am still silly proud of them. I'm still at the stage where I am playing in the garden. I don't know nearly enough and when I speak to M and my Granny I am terribly aware of how far I have to go to catch up with them. Renting means I'm still quite limited in the scope of it all, but bulbs and tubs and pots are lovely for now and mean that I have my cheap and cheerful happiness all around.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day M!

To all of you who are lucky enough to be with your Mummys today give them huge hugs and spoil them rotten. To those of you who are I hope you receive spoiling and hugs aplenty.

It is hard enough being far away from those you love on a day to day basis but when special days like this come along it makes it that little bit worse.

Mummy if you were here I would have made you lunch and a cake with buttercream icing. There would have been hosts of daffodils for you and many a cup of tea would be made. Instead you will have to make do with a tiny shop bought cake and a homemade card.

Love you lots

your Little Girl

XxX

To regular blog readers, I will be back to my normal slightly less erratic posting soon. I've been laid in bed for a week with a horrific bug but I seem to be able to walk around now without feeling exhausted so will be back in a jiffy!

Starting again

                     

I am loving colour again! After weeks of the never ending grey knitting it is almost over. Just blocking to be done and hope that the recipient is the teensiest bit grateful, which I'm sure he will be. (He'd better be at any rate!)

This week though I've had to turn my hands to a couple of more colourful projects. Female recipients don't seem to like old school sock grey as much!

I have enjoyed playing with embroidery thread and felt. It's quite therapeutic in it's way. Sitting on the sofa in the evening and stitching at small little baby projects. I also like the fact that there is no real pattern to it. You are free to go your own way and see where the colours take you. My stitches are a bit limited, blanket stitch, satin stitch the basics, but I love how they take on a different sort of texture depending on the colour that you do them in. It's far more satisfying then the cross stitch pictures that I used to do when I was younger.

I went to buy the thread at the weekend in the little yarn shop staffed by the most elderly miseries in the world. I stood there spinning the carousel trying to pick colours and was asked if I didn't perhaps have a chart or a list to work from. Apparently if I deviated from the colours laid down in stone then I would run into trouble. She didn't seem to understand that I was wanting to just do some pretty freehand work.

The above is meant to be a little cake for a friend's birthday coming up. (I do so hope it is recognisable as such!) She does have a proper present that can't be wrapped up and the little cake is sort of symbolic of that.

It's meant to be chocolate cake with either a strawberry or raspberry filling. Or maybe it's just pink vanilla butter cream. I haven't quite decided yet!

And these little beauties. Well, they are going on a bit of a journey to somewhere a bit warmer!

Rain rain gone away

It's been rather dull here of late, both of weather and of spirit. I find it so hard to keep going when the sky is gray and the wind is moaning and the rain comes lashing down. Especially when the only knitting of any consequence is also grey in nature! (That's your fault Bro!)

So yesterday when I looked at the weather forecast and realised that today was to be sunny and warm I thought I needed a mental health day. A day for me with nothing to do but to regroup and remarshall my troops for the slog ahead. Which is getting easier day by day.

Cherry took her word of the year to be organised. Something which the last couple of weeks I have been trying to do myself and after this weekend I should be there. Last weekend the big decision was made to swap the bedroom and the cave of never ending junk around. The plan when we moved into the house was that the spare room would be G's study, a place where he could mark books, plan lessons and retire to when the football was on! Sadly it turned into more of a dumping ground for unknown items. This has been rectified and the larger of the two rooms is now a dressing/study/craft/spare room. Multi-purpose in these days is the way forward I feel! I did have grand plans of finishing it all off today but the sunshine and the village are calling me to take tea in the sunshine.

I did sit outside and eat my breakfast this morning though and now my mind is turning to all that needs doing in the garden. The grass is in desperate need of a mow and the whole thing needs sprucing and tidying up. Ready for the time of year where my garden is the house's extra room. G and I spend so much time out there when the weather is nice. Still making up for the horrific year in the nasty flat!

But today is for me. It is for lazing with tea and juice and reading magazines! Yes I finally managed to procure a copy of Romantic Homes with Alicia's house in it! It's beautiful and I am even more envious than I was to begin with if that is even possible!

My extra bit of cheer was brought by this.

Sarah, my new friend across the ocean made it. When I saw the three that she was sending out I sooo hoped that this one would be destined for me! It's perfect, so me. And I have had two people stop me on my commute to ask me about it! So Sarah you are becoming famous in this little corner of England as the maker of beautiful blooms! Thank-you so much it was the perfect medicine for grey little me this week. I've smiled every time I look at it on my coat lapel!

And for M because these don't seem to do too well in Spain these are for you.