Silly Season Ramblings....

Happy Monday, Lovelies ( before I forget...THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your comments on the previous post. I love reading them all and only wish I had four more hands to reply to everyone! ).

I hope you are all keeping calm and sane while we wearily continue navigating our little boats of Life through the swells and troughs of 2020?  It feels very much like we're battling through something, doesn't it? Last night I was lying in bed and that movie with Robert Redford popped into my mind. The one where he's solo in a sinking yacht? I was thinking about how we're all, in some way or another, finding ways to survive these unsettling times. Podcasts and Vlogs have been a lifeline for me and really stepped up to provide much-needed daily entertainment and inspiration. Here's my shortlist of favourites. Do you have much-loved Podcasts or Vlogs that you could recommend?

💙 Arne and Carlos.

Oh my hat, these two, besides talented, generous, and full of incredibly informative snippets, are unintentionally incredibly funny too!

💙 The Last Homely House.

Hosted by Kate who lives on a farm in Northumberland with her four Cats, Hens, and a Goose.

💙 Paul Cooper's, the Fall of Civilisations.

Fascinating, informative, and brilliantly detailed narrative. Highly recommended if you're into History.

💙 Eight Miles From Home.

I never miss a Vlog detailing the nomadic life of this amazing couple Jay and Sascha and their adorable little "Moana" in the flesh called Story Ember. They restore my faith in Humanity.

Routines and rituals have also helped keep me grounded. When my boys were much younger their Dad was shot and paralyzed in a botched car-jacking. As you can imagine, it was a deeply distressing time for us all. What helped most were our daily routines which, even though internally I was buckling, kept us going! Simple disciplines of waking up and immediately heading to the kitchen to boil the kettle for our morning beverages, laying the breakfast table, stirring a pot of oatmeal, feeding the Dogs and Cats, filling the washing machine with laundry, and preparing the morning lessons for my homeschooled brood. These rituals forced me to stay in the moment rather than crumble into a soggy ball of despair and fear. Over time these routines became deeply ingrained survival tools, which I'm thankful for now. I'm reminded too that there are no mistakes, only lessons.

These days, without the distraction of small children, I'm still up at 4am! I make a lovely cup of coffee and get back into bed to read the daily online newspapers on my tablet. At 5am it's snack time for the furry-brood. By 6am I am at my desk answering emails and checking for messages on social media. At 7am it's breakfast then a walk about the garden to check on "everyone". This morning I noticed that an ailing banana plant I moved a year ago into a sunnier position, has finally flowered! 

My day continues in this more or less orderly fashion. In a way, repeating the same routines each day is like living and breathing a Mantra. There is calm to be found. And if you are easily amused as am I, humour in spades too.😆

Our weekend visits to Kalk Bay still satisfies in so many ways. It's a ritual that rewards the effort of getting up early on a Sunday! The bakery had just opened, the bread was still warm, the coffee excellent ( oh, the joys of consistency! ), the staff predictably jovial and welcoming. Their routines raise my routines and make me want to do better! We've been frequenting this bakery for 18 years! They have yet to disappoint. A pleasant, slow amble along the harbour wall jutting into a sparkling seascape would have been enough but then this... three large seals dropped in for a visit. They are so like Dogs!

As usual, I'm off on a tangent! Let's chat crochet. If you've purchased Part 1 of the Chrysalis Mystery Make-Along then, as we speak, you'll find Part 2 in your Ravelry Library! I am having so much fun designing this Mystery-Along so I hope you'll have fun too and that it will keep your mind away from more troubling thoughts? I'm completely second-guessing my colourway of course. I'm not feeling so blue these days, more golden orange and salmon pink! Luckily many of you are amazing colourists and I've added a few images to the Ravelry pics album. So, if anyone is stuck for a colourway do head on over HERE. 

Noelene and I are running a Festive 12 Day Advent Quiz Competition over at the Workshop. There are prizes for answering simple and fun questions so if you're keen for a laugh and maybe winning a little prize, do head on over HERE.

I hope those of you Lovelies who commented on the last Blog Post and were picked by the random picks generator have received your free copy of the Chrysalis Throw Mystery-Makealong? Today, there are another 5 copies up for grabs, so don't forget to leave your Ravelry name if you comment. Good Luck! 💗

It's 9am now and that means shower and make myself presentable ( to the grocery delivery person and the fur-kids). Who else? I have barely left the house since April! 😆

Wishing you all a lovely calm week ahead! Avoid drama and demagogues, which will only make you feel worse. Stay safe, wear your mask and shine on!

HUGS,

Jen 💗