Three Good Things

Posted on July 30, 2020 by The Little Room of Rachell

I’ve seen Three Good Things lists around quite a bit lately. Stopping to think about the good things means you’re focusing on positives.

They can be big things or small things, even really tiny things. I think that’s probably the point – noting even ordinary things for which you are appreciative and grateful; such as a perfect cup of tea, the smell of clean laundry or a funny shaped cloud that drifted by. It’s valuable practice, particularly during these strange and worrying times as it anchors you to what’s good.

Actually, I have a FB friend who has posted her ‘Happies for today’ for literally years and years. They’re nice to read as well as well as helping her.

I’m going to post mine here whenever I fancy. So here’s today’s:

1: Greengages

I look out for these plums every summer. They aren’t around in the supermarkets for long and when I see them I snap them up. These are the first I’ve seen this year.

These were grown in Kent (England.) So sweet and tasty.

2: Flowers

Just a few from my garden, it’s absolutely full of colour and buzzing. It’s bee paradise out there!

Hydrangea – this was taken in late June. It’s now changing colour but just as lovely

Lace hydrangea – perfection!

Finally the agapanthus flowers have begun opening – I always loved seeing these along a part of the Thames Path in London. This is the first time I’ve had any in my garden. There are more too.

First Japanese anemone to open

Osteospermum. I bought this in June. You see how it’s trebled since I repotted it? It’s now absolutely covered in buds again too. A close up of the flowers – all different shades of purple.

So kind – I was offered this bunch of dahlia straight out of someone’s vase. She has grown herself a flower garden and said she could always pick herself some more. Aren’t they beauties?

3: Being able to do a bit of crochet again!

Not too often and very carefully, but you can imagine how much I’m enjoying it. This was yesterday, sitting on my garden bench while listening to some music.

That’s the second side of my pot holder. Then when that’s done I’ll be pulling out my next Lucky Dip from my craft box of mystery long-ago started items!

~~~***~~~

Would you like to post your Three Good Things somewhere? With or without photos, anywhere you fancy. Even in a notebook or on a scrap of paper no one else will ever see. It’s for you. But if you do fancy sharing – tag me! I’d love to see yours.

Taking stock: June

Posted on June 4, 2020 by The Little Room of Rachell

Making: overnight oats to eat with a drizzle of honey, strawberries or raspberries. Raspberries are a fantastic with an apple topping too

Cooking: white ish sourdough (I use dark rye flour to feed my starter, so it’s usually a bit more beige than white) sourdough pizza and oat & raisin cookies last week. Fewer flour based foodstuffs this week!

Sipping: jasmine tea. Think I always say that, don’t I?

Reading: Out of Bounds by Val McDermid. So good and I’ve only read a chapter and a bit. I fell asleep after reading 2% of the book last night. So that was roughly 5 minutes reading and 30 asleep. Sigh. I’ll have to sit up in bed to read, but even then I start nodding. This never happened until last year or so #older

Waiting: for many places and groups to open again, as we all are. I miss lots of things and people

Looking: at a fragrant bunch of pink pinks I’ve just cut in the garden

Listening: to Michael Crawford on Desert Island Discs with Sue Lawley, must be an old episode. The radio was tuned to BBC 4 extra when I turned it on (later: it is a vintage ep, she’s just said he’s 57 and I’ve just googled and now he’s 78!)

Wishing: for a pair of socks. Cold feet but listening, eating and looking at the moment so obviously too busy to go upstairs!

Enjoying: Michael Crawford’s story about meeting Gene Kelly

Appreciating: my lovely garden

Eating: overnight oats, honey and strawberries as I type/dictate/listen

Liking: the slightly cooler weather. Variety is good. We know that as soon as we’re able to rent holiday cottages and stay in hotels again that the weather will be atrocious anyway, don’t we?

Loving: Vera on BritBox. I’m new to it, so am watching in order from series one. Isn’t she gloriously grumpy?

Buying: avocados, we can’t seem to get enough of them at the moment

Managing: my wild lockdown hair

Watching: my sandalled toes when the bees are visiting the campanula flowers – they get very near!

Hoping: to be able to sing with my group again before the end of the year

Wearing: t-shirt and cropped jeans, probably need long trousers and socks and a cardie today. It’s been 25° for days and days, now it’s 15°

Following: James Corden on his USA tv show. Watch this clip

Noticing: how sore my hand still feels after a little bit of crochet on the new star blanket last week #Boo

Sorting: receipts. Next

Getting: those longer trousers and socks before

Bookmarking: local walks info, there are so many, so so many different paths and bridleways

Coveting: really comfortable loungers for the conservatory. Dozing, reading, sipping drinks while using type. Any recommendations?

Mr Scrappy went to his first non-essential items shop this week. He was the only customer. He felt like dancing and treated himself to some glitter gel pens for £2

Feeling: full

Hearing: the kitchen clock ticking and Michael Crawford singing

List copied from Pip’s marvellous Meet me at Mikes blog. It’s the one blog that I always return to. I read it in batches. I much prefer reading some blogs in batches, rather than one post here and there; I feel you hear their voices more clearly and get a grip on what they’re doing and where they are in life. Hers never fails to cheer me up if needed and makes me feel inspired. Thanks Pip.

Why don’t you have a go at writing a Taking Stock post? Then throw up some accompanying pics, if you like, it’s fun to write (and hopefully read) them.

16 for 2016

Posted on January 1, 2016 by The Little Room of Rachell

*~*~*Happy New Year!*~*~*

It’s 2nd January, 2016 is all brand new and shiny! I love the sense of possibility and brand-new-notebook-and-pen feeling the first few days always bring.

As I wrote my 2015 gallery post on New Year’s Eve, I realised that there were lots of planned crafty things I hadn’t done during the year. I’m going to write down a list of 16 goals for 2016. This is mainly to make sure the ideas and plans I have don’t get left aside. I’ll maybe revisit the list as the year goes on, or just sum up how it went at the end.

1: Re-edge my Rhubarb Ripple blanket properly

2: Learn how to tat lace.

I bought a tatting shutting in the end of summer sale in John Lewis (£1!) the packet hasn’t even been opened.

3: Do something with my blocks from my 200 Blocks CAL

There are roughly 125 as we quickly realised the book’s title is slightly misleading. But 125 are plenty and I’m quite embarrassed that as the organiser of the CAL I never did get around to joining any, or all.

4: Knit socks, or have a go

5: Dye some yarn

For Christmas I received a dyeing kit and some extra undyed merino sock and DK yarns.

6: Use my sewing machine again.

7: Attend a workshop or class (any)

8: Join a Knit & Natter group for a session

9: Knit something with one or more of my new skeins of yarn

10: Finish the ‘My Designs’ link page I started a while ago

11: Turn the failed hexagon a day blanket project into something else

12: Make another small cotton pot-holder

New saucepans with metal handles mean pot holders are necessary, not purely decorative.

13: Embroider something again

14: Make up the finished X stitch things

15: Decide about the Yorkshire blanket….redo? Undo and recycle? Give away?

16: Use up a good chunk of my yarn stash

It’s mostly leftovers from all those blankets.

If you also fancy writing 16 for 2016 please add a link in the comments below, so we can read your list too.

Have a very happy New Year all.

Taking Stock in November

Posted on November 16, 2015 by The Little Room of Rachell

Making : it much harder for the Damned Squirrel (as he is called) to eat tube after tube of peanuts bought for the birds. Don’t feel too sorry for him; he’s had all the hazelnuts from the tree too.

Cooking : porridge for breakfast.

Drinking : loose Ceylon tea in my new blue teapot (blue left, third row down shown in last month’s Taking post.)

Reading: The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Denis Thériault.

Writing: my own haiku, inspired by the above book, then realised it should be 5-7-5 not 5-5-7 syllables:

Lonely Wind Rustles

Needle Clicks Against

Another, Perfectly Timed

Wishing: I could be back in Broadstairs. Such a lovely day, before the arrival of the tail-end of hurricane Abigail on Friday.

Enjoying: walking by the sea.

Waiting: to finish darning in the ends of my blanket, before starting the border. It’s slow due to three weekends away in a row.

Liking: visiting the C Wool yarn shop again, in Broadstairs, and making a little purchase.

Wondering: what to make with the yarn I’ve bought in the last few months?

Loving: my bargain Rowan Scottish Tweed DK buy, (another day, another yarn shop!) until I started to crochet some Fidra Mitts and hated the wire-wool feel.

Wanting: to buy some loose Earl Grey tea.

Looking: at the lovely parcel of goodies I ordered from Dotcomgiftshop, after they sent me a voucher, because my blog was included in their Ten Creative Needlecraft Blogs list last month.

Garden birds tea-towel, 2 sets of rose pins, sticky notes, 5 glass bowls and lids, a flour shaker.

Playing: with my new yarn, trying another very clever fingerless mitt pattern. Hating the shape just after I’d sewn it up…

Deciding: to spend my (small) Euro lottery win on tickets for Tuesday’s mega rollover.

Pondering: why it is I’ve now spent years saying I’ll darn-as-I-go, but never, ever do…

Considering: what to make next..

Buying: NO MORE YARN!

Watching: I’m a Celeb tonight, it’s the only Reality TV programme I watch.

Hoping: it makes me laugh, I dislike the episodes where they are unkind to each other.

Marvelling: at how dark, how early it is now.

Cringing: at the terrible events on Friday night in Paris.

Needing: nothing right now.

Questioning: why? When? How? Will? As is my way. I wonder if I carry a question mark in the air above my head most days?
Why is this postbox special?

Smelling: my Cath Kidson rose perfume.

Wearing: a big red zipped cardie I’ve had for years..

Following: many blogs and not making regular time to read them at the moment.

Noticing: sea salt on my car from the storm on Saturday night.

Knowing: I intend to go to the car wash, but really hoping it rains hard and washes it off.

Thinking: I’m going to continue writing Taking Stock posts around the 15th each month.

Admiring: people who stick to a blog routine, but knowing the above is as far as I will go.

Sorting: yarn into storage cubes.

Getting: ready to start thinking about Christmas present buying.

Bookmarking: fingerless mitt patterns.

Coveting: new fingerless mitts because they’re satisfying fast to make and good to wear.

Disliking: darning!

Opening: windows still, it’s so mild

Giggling: at Frasier (204 episodes recorded now.)

Feeling: extremely well.

Snacking: on a French Pink Lady apple earlier.

Helping: the birds, annoying the squirrel *evil laughter*.

Hearing: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant by Billy Joel.

If you’d like to write a Taking Stock post too, the list can be found on Pip’s marvellous Meet me at Mikes blog.

Taking Stock in October

Posted on October 14, 2015 by The Little Room of Rachell

Making : jam! Apple and blackberry, then apple and mixed berries (red currants, black currants, blackberries, raspberries)

Cooking : my version of my favourite Itsu dish: teriyaki salmon

Drinking : English breakfast tea, whatever the time of day

Reading: Diary of The Lady by Rachel Johnson

Wanting: to find back issues of The Lady magazine

Looking: at the bird feeeders a lot – it’s pure theatre

Playing: scare the squirrel away, watching him return as soon as the door is closed

Deciding: it’s a pointless game but I DO NOT want to see him hanging upside down, scooping bird seed into his mouth

Wishing: I’d stuck to plan A today

Enjoying: cooking with apples and tomatoes from the garden

Waiting: for a parcel from China

Liking: having 164 episodes of Frasier recorded, it’s comfort telly

Wondering: how many times I’m going to hear “Do you know how many episoodes of Frasier you’ve recorded????!

Loving: the humour of my new audio book although unsure at first (Madensky Square, Eva Ibbotson)

Pondering: serious topics

Considering: buying chocolate flavoured instant cofffee from Waitrose, though only ever occasionally drink filter coffee

Buying: toilet rolls without embossed puppies, much more for puppies – madness!

Watching: the weather change

Hoping: to see more starling murmurations

Marvelling: at the starlings who are coming mob-handed into the garden, even the squirrel is startled
Cringing: at the things people say (roaring with laughter at others)