Making: elephant cushions that, hopefully, will be given the thumb’s up by the Kalk Bay shop:
Gearing up for: sorting out and packing all my crafty things. Since the Big Tidy in January, which was sufficient to get the house looking decent enough to put on show, my natural love of chaos has taken over again.
Enjoying: compliments from customers – this from Enid, who stopped and bought a kitty cushion on Sunday while her family was on its way to breakfast at Woolies. She’s put the cushion on top of the throw I made for her last month.
Not enjoying: planning my finances for the next couple of months. Moving house is bloody expensive…legal fees, transfer duty, movers, aarrgghhh
Getting very cross with: Edward. His youthful naughtiness is rubbing off on my two old girls and they have started up with new bad habits, like sleeping where they shouldn’t and knocking phones and glasses off bedside tables. Here is helpful Edward:
Choco’s thoughts are clear: If he can do it, why can’t I? Now leave me alone while I’m trying to nap.
Looking forward to: having a girls’ night at my house tomorrow – Gwen, Kim, Michelle, wine, pizza, ice-cream. All the good stuff.
Grateful for: meeting lovely people through blogging. On Friday at Made in the Cape, I was visited by Lynn, who introduced herself as someone who reads my blog. I thought you’d be older, she said, at which point I knew she would be my friend for life. I haven’t had time to arrange a follow-up, but we had a long chat about all kinds of things from crochet to self-confidence, and I feel like I’ve known her for years. Lynn, if you’re reading this, please give me til next week to sort myself out, I’m a bit behind with work stuff right now :)
Sad about: my wonderful Doreen, who had a stroke last month and is recovering at Booth Memorial in Gardens. She has made a very good physical recovery but isn’t quite ready to go home just yet. She has a loving and attentive family but, with the exception of her grandson, they all live overseas. She is so frustrated that her hands aren’t up to crocheting, I can share her impatience! Last night I took her biscuits and flowers, kindly donated by Karen, and with 15 minutes to go before the end of visiting time, her daughter Linda arrived straight from the airport from the US via London. Hugs and tears.
I have so much love and admiration for this incredibly generous and hard-working and positive woman. xxx Doreen.
Nice piece of work 
Nice to read some of your life snippets. Wish I was in CT to join you for girl’s night, will be with you in spirit.
Yes! What would you like on your pizza? :)
Entertaining: your bloggy followers, who find your doings endlessly interesting. Your lovely Doreen has the face of a woman lit from within by her experiences and personality. I want to have a face like that when I am old(er).
She is just the best. She will be 88 this year and calls me her adopted daughter, which makes me only too happy. She has had an indefatigable spirit and some extraordinary stories about growing up in Rhodesia and bringing up three little girls on her own, but this stroke has really knocked her emotionally and mentally sideways. I see aspects of both my grandmothers in her, so it’s hard to see her failing like this. xxx
Love that new cat cushion the different fabrics harmonise so well! And choco has such an expression! Daring you disturb her.
She’s always been like that. A most unaffectionate and ungrateful creature!!!
Oh Jill. I love hearing about all your lovely creations and how you got to meet one of your followers in person. That’s so much fun. I’m sorry to hear about your friend Doreen. Hopefully she will make a full recovery and start back crocheting again. Love and Hugs, Tamara
Thanks, Tamara. Her daughter has arranged for her to be moved to an assisted living facility, relatively close to me, so I will be able to continue seeing her very regularly. I’m not sure if she will ever crochet again.
It’s so sad. :( But I’m glad she will be close to you so that you can see her.
What a lovely post! I do hope Doreen is home soon – but what a wonderful surprise for her to have her daughter appear from the States!
I love your elephants! More happy customers on the way I think!
Oh, and please don’t tell me about how expensive moving is – I think I will be on a diet of bread and milk for a year!
Milk? You can afford milk?
Well, maybe the powdered variety!
There is a lot of good news here to balance out the not so good. I agree with Kate. I love Doreen’s face. So much warmth. I do hope she recovers. I understand that something like a stroke can knock the stuffings out of you. I’m glad her daughter came to see her. I’m wishing you a very successful sale. A girls night is just too much. :)
Yes, I love my girls’ nights. We all live close to each other but our lives are such that we don’t often get the time to meet up properly. I don’t know exactly how my life got so hectically busy, I was definitely hoping for a more relaxing lifestyle in my late 50s….seems I screwed that one up as well ;)
I’m just a few months from 70 and I still run full tilt. I thought I’d be relaxing with my books about now. ;) Could be worse so I’m grateful to have a lot to do. Life has it’s own plan and I’m just going with the flow. At least you find ways to spend time with friends.
I hope Doreen is doing well, she looks lovely and I won’t lie – your words and the tale of the daughter arriving straight off the plane made me well up.
I’ve sat for 10 minutes looking at the blank space of the reply box, not actually knowing what to say. I was with her last night. She is warm and clean and looked-after and comfortable, that is all I will say here. I did manage to make her laugh about something silly. I’ll email you.