bits and bobs

I always enjoy it when Jo publishes an "...ing" post and decided to have a go myself.

:: Admiring the cute yellow metal tin that I found in a bag of crafty things I was given by friends. The tin is full of sturdy metal sewing pins. I am giving the pins away but the tin is just too sweet to part with.

:: Packing .... for my trip to Copenhagen. I am travelling with four friends later today for a long weekend. Should I pack some knitting? I checked with the airport and airline, knitting needles are acceptable at least at this end of the journey.

:: Looking forward to .... a few days in good company.

:: Beginning .... a new quilt. I have found a pile of paper hexagons in one of my craft boxes and tinkered with a few fabric scraps. Before I knew it, I found myself with a new project. I imagine this to be a slow burner. I rather enjoy the process of thread basting the hexagons. I have quite a few scraps to use but surprisingly, most of them too small or to oddly shaped for a hexagon.

:: Pondering .... if I should unpick the sleeves of my new Sarah blouse (yet to be shown here) and draft new floaty ones from scratch. I am not sure if I have the skills needed but I am sure there will be a YouTube video somewhere.

:: Listening to .... The Circle by Dave Eggers.

:: Reading ... the Guardian on my phone. I am glad that newspapers are available as apps, never liked the feel of newspaper paper.

:: Mending ... my sleep face mask. The elastic was all worn out and the mask no longer stayed on my face.

:: Loving ... my two new bird feeders. Our garden is not currently very bird friendly but we are trying to improve it. We just planted two new trees and a couple of climbing roses, the latter for cover I hope. I have earmarked two spots for bird friendly shrubs. Any suggestions are appreciated. The bird feeders are visited regularly, which is great.

:: Enjoying .... a cup of coffee in complete silence, with the exception of the clock ticking gently in the background.

:: Feeling .... sentimental. I came across an six year old photo of all four kids hugging on the sofa. Not something witnessed in our house these days. It is difficult enough to keep them at the dinner table for the duration of a meal and I imagine trying to talk them in to a group photo is impossible.

:: Appreciating .... the opportunity to work at home mostly. It makes working around school hours so much easier and it means less evening/weekend work because I can fit more work into the day.

:: Waiting .... for the Minstrel chocolate cookies to bake. Baking helps calm to nervous traveller and the cookies will be liked by those remaining at home and travellers alike.

:: Reflecting .... on my recent participation in the universities strike action. I stood on the picket line, marched into town with large numbers of colleagues and students, listened to union speeches and had a late pub lunch where discussions went on. It was cold and wet but I am glad I participated in at least one full day of strike.

:: Writing .... to Etsy to question their acceptance of sellers offering weapon accessories in their marketplace. I think it violates their policy but they disagree. Thanks Gina for highlighting this in your recent blog post. I know of course that other online retailers also trade in items that I disapprove of but Etsy was my safe place for buying fun and funky things, and I thought of it as the nice shop around the corner.

:: Wondering ... if the well dead bunch of tulips will still be in its vase when I return on Sunday. I am guessing yes but I might find myself surprised with a fresh bunch.

:: Hoping .... for some dry and not terribly cold weather. I have packed a thermal long sleeved top because there is nothing worse than being miserable and cold when sightseeing. I have not decided if I should take my pack-away rain cape. It is not attractive and I am not sure I am prepared to compromise my usual glamorous looks.

Better go, nearly time to leave for the airport. Have a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by. Christina xx