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Monday 20 April 2020

Where, Why and How.


Where have I been? Everywhere and nowhere baby.

I went through a long dark tunnel, I only emerged because the wonderful Jess plucked me out.
The joy from our friendship, her gorgeous girls ivy and Hazel and not forgetting Will is a shining light in my life. We speak most days and Ivy is a master of the telephone conversation.

Why did I stay away so long? No real reason.

It is not so easy to pick things up after a prolonged absence, and the longer I procrastinated the more difficult it became.

How did I manage to get back? Quite simply I was looking for a post from a few years ago (the early years seem to have evaporated) and couldn't understand why I struggled.

So here I am, warts and all. Older, greyer but still wrapped in colour.

My eyesight has deteriorated significantly, the cataracts are growing. I was due for an eye test in February but with the craziness erupting around the world I cancelled it. Once we come out of the other side I will join the queue and get tested eventually.

It means that fine sewing, cross stitch, embroidery and knitting with dark shades are out of the question for a while. I do have daylight lamps but am happy to knit through my stash of lighter yarn. The WIP count has gone through the roof as I am knitting socks and putting them on hold before adding the heels. I plan on spending a few evenings (many probably) adding contrasting heels using all my scraps at some point. 
It also means that I can decide who gets which pair for That Time of the Year nearer the time.

Luckily the weather has been pretty sublime and my garden is showing the benefit of my time spent on hands and knees. 
The greenhouse is stuffed to the rafters with plants, trays of seedlings and modules of freshly sown seeds.

I have a lovely neighbour who collected, and delivered, several bags of well rotted manure from his parents farm.
There are potatoes in pots, mangetout in the garden, spring onions and carrots making a green haze over the soil. Strawberries waving their flowers at all the busy buzzing bees and hoverflies. The plum and dsmson trees have been frothing with white blossom and the apples were in competition with their shades of rose, pink and white flowers. Jostaberries, gooseberries and various coloured currants are all looking fecund and of course that stalwart of the garden, Rhubarb is keeping us healthy and well supplied in the crumble department.

When the sun drives me in search of cooler surroundings and gallons of tea, coffee, squash, water I have been sewing masks. I had plenty of quilting weight cotton, ordered some iron on interfacing and elastic and got cracking. Some of my neighbours have them but most are going to Michaels son who works in the care sector.

I I had the fabric I would sew scrubs but I am doing what I can.

What about Captain Tom then? How amazing is his achievement?
With the backing of the public many of the NHS heroes will get a reward in their lifetime as well as after. reward is the wrong word here, recognition, heartfelt thanks, gifts of love, I struggle to find words to express my feelings. 

Closer to home a little gift to my postie, refuse and recycling collectors for a coffee/tea/pastie/whatever, goes a little way to thank them for their daily forays.

Look what's happened. A search for something has opened the floodgates and my sewing machine is waiting. So is the ironing but that can wait on.

I hope that you are all safe and well. Managiing to keep mind and body occupied and happy. This, like most things, will pass and all too soon it will be "do you remember..." and "what on earth did we do all that time"

                TTFN                                           Pam

29 comments:

  1. Pam, what a lovely post, I just refreshed my feed before starting in our real world and here you are. Glad to see you are well, hope your eyes get sorted as soon as can be, I do love the items you make, you are such a clever crafter. I am loving reading everyone's comments through these times, and often have a chuckle. Stay safe xxxxxx

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  2. Great to see you back! My ironing pile is waiting too and it can wait. Yur garden sounds great and so do you

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  3. Hello and I am so glad to hear from you. Busy as always and your garden sounds a joy. Now you are back, I hioe you will keep on blogging. Catriona in very sunny Scotland. X

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  4. Hello Pam, I'm so pleased to see you back and (relatively) well and healthy again. Sorry to read about the cataracts, I hope you can get them sorted quickly once the C madness is over. Sending a hug xx

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  5. Hi Pam lovely to see you back. Hope you are in a better place. You have been busy, but I expect nothing less from you. I am sorry about your eyesight deteriorating and let us hope that you will be able to get this sorted sooner rather than later. Although I do not comment on a regular basis have always read your blog as I love to see all the lovely things you have been making and what you have been up to. The sun is out here in Peterborough this morning and it is a lovely Spring morning. Take care and keep safe. Pattypan xx

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  6. oh wow! fabulous to have you back. I have missed your posts, blog hopping is one of my pastimes (in between crochet, knitting, cooking and gardening). look forward to reading more from you soon. take care and stay safe.x

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  7. Hello Pam. It's lovely to see a new post from you. That garden sounds very productive. And it tastes so much better fresh picked and still warm from the sun doesn't it

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  8. I am so glad to see a new post from you. I worried about you. We are having a lovely autumn in South Africa, cooler than usual, with more rain. Our garden is a bit wild at the moment because I am alone during our lock down, and I can't do any heavy work but I rather like it this way. Take care of yourself, and stay safe.

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  9. So good to see you back here, you were missed.

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  10. Lovely to see you back here - take care xx

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  11. Hi Pam how nice it is to see you posting again. This virus has a lot to answer for. I am sorry to hear that you are having problems with your cataracts, I too was supposed to go in March but now it is wait and see time. Take care of yourself and lovely to see you posting again.

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  12. Pleased you're back. You sound really upbeat and enjoying life as well as keeping busy. The food supplies from the garden are amazing.

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  13. So lovely to have you back.

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  14. It's so good to see a post from you again. You sound to be keeping busy, despite the wretched cataracts. I think that this year we will all have the most amazing gardens- we're doubling our veg and soft fruit areas!

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  15. So lovely to see you back. I have quite the stack of ironing too. I have big plans to attack it this evening. Take care.

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  16. Hooraaayyyy my favourite Pam is back xxx

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  17. So wonderful to see a post from you. I can just imagine all the socks you have knit over the past while. I hope you will post some pictures when you finish the heels.

    God bless.

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  18. Lovely to read your blog again.Missed reading it. Best wishes, Marilyn

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  19. Hi Pam, you have definitely been missed. Great to see you back and you are well. I hope you will be able to get your catarcts taken care of when all of this is over. Take care.

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  20. Sorry to hear about the cataracts. My sister just managed to have both operated on before the world went crazy. I'm sure you'll get through it. I agree about the scrubs. I saw a news item about them and thought I'd like to get involved. But the logistics are just impossible at the moment. I'll just carry on with my usual charity knitting.

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  21. So lovely to hear from you again! Thank you for having the courage to start posting again - and thank you to the lovely family who have helped you through the dark times.
    Love and prayers x

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  22. Lovely to hear your cheerful voice again Pam. I often think about you and am glad to hear that all is well. Look forward to reading more of your crafting and gardening and also your minimising. Jenny L

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  23. Lovely to hear your cheerful voice again Pam. I often think about you and am glad to hear that all is well. Look forward to reading more of your crafting and gardening and also your minimising. Jenny L

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  24. Happy to see you back. Thank Jess for your readers.

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  25. Waving a hello to you Pam... seeing this is a positive in this current situation, what a treat to read your news and know you are feeling a little brighter and able to chat with us again (I know that feeling myself).
    Take care, enjoy the garden and craft whatever and whenever you can.
    with love x

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  26. Glad to see you back Pam. I have missed your postings and that is why I kept 'looking' for signs that you were back. Keep safe and stay positive.

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  27. Pam, so happy you have returned to all of us in blogland. It is hard when you feel so much darkness, to pull yourself out and move forward is a huge accomplishment. Stay well and safe.

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