I am so fortunate...

It's a lovely part of the year now...things have slowed right down and we're very relaxed and enjoying each day as it comes.
It has been raining here for just over a week now. Perfect weather for tidying up, sorting out, reading, crafts and just general daydreaming about up and coming craft projects and activities. I tend to buy gifts throughout the year and these gifts are kept in 2 big plastic storage tubs- one for general gifts and one for baby gifts. I've spent time over the past 2 days, sorting out items in these tubs and despite wrapping many up for gift giving in 2010, there were still many left. I have written a more up to date inventory for each box so the next time I need a present I'll know straight away if I already have something suitable. There were items in both boxes (they are about 94 litre size boxes) that I had forgotten I had. Realistically I don't really need to spend money buying much for quite a while. I have already made a vow that I would make more gifts from now on too!


A knitted 'washer' I made to go with Meg's set of towels her father and I bought her for christmas.




The big ball of Bernat knitting cotton

To me, Christmas is more about the 'giving' rather than gloating over a big booty of gifts. I feel very privileged when I think about the gifts that my family gave me. Each person obviously thought about my interests and organised gifts that reflect this thoughtfulness. I now have a wool winder and a swift which I am very grateful for as many of the yarns I buy these days are in skeins rather than balls. I also have a new book of knitting patterns with a wide range of projects. I plan to do some of the smaller projects as 'hot weather' knitting activities. I love the old 'Noah's Ark ' story and one of my daughters bought me a fabric panel of this old story. (She also bought me the sweetest set of N.A. cookie cutters and some seeds of old fashioned plants of my childhood) I love watching or reading 'Who done its' and one of our girls gave me two novels of that genre which also include knitting in the setting and plot.


My swift, wool winder, knitting book and 2 novels



The Noah's Ark fabric panel



We have had a lot of rain this year and I'm a keen gardener who's had a lot of weeding and pruning to do as a result. A few years ago my 2 daughters gave me a pair of purple 'crocs' which I had to promise them I would never wear in public (because they would be so embarassed! lol) places so I have always worn them as my 'yard shoes'. With the extra rain this year, the ground became extremely soggy and mud and water would get inside the crocs. So one of my step-daughters gave me a pair of gumboots. They are magnificent, as the photo below shows and they are my new 'yard shoes' when we've had lots of rain.

My new gumboots

So as you can see, I'm well and truly blessed with these thoughtful gifts and all will be so helpful in all my creative pursuits in the future, both craft wise and garden wise.