Ebay Sale

Addi turbo and bamboo, Clover and Inox Bamboo,(all circular) Simply Knitting and Interweave and Knitters. Click on link below and on the left hand side of Ebay page, you will see a link to click which says 'view sellers other items'.


ADDI NEEDLES

York Photographs

These are views of York Minster. The stained glass is form the 1300's. The building itself has been redone several times over almost 2000 yrs, originally built on top of a Roman building, around 100 a.d. I love to see these buildings. The art work is astounding and one is awestruck by how they managed to build them without any modern machinery or measuring devices.

I do not however feel any sense of spirituality in these places-they are cold and I can almost hear the screams of those burned and tortured and butchered in the name of the religions these buildings stand for and the suffering these belief systems still cause today.

This building has been both Protestant and Catholic, but Protestant now.

Back Home

We got back from York yesterday, a day earlier than planned. I awoke Friday morning to find I was not able to move very well and in much pain. Taking my pills didn't help much so after giving them 2 hours to work, the full dose, we came home. I am rather p'd off. I hate being a wimp, I hate that this damned thing stops me doing as I wish. It was hardly as if we did a great deal either. Yes we were out all day both days but did nothing in the way of walking around in the evening. And besides I spent much time in my wheelchair. Thursday night from 5.30pm we went to see Quantum of Solace and then ate in a restaurant and then back to the hotel. Now how is that going to add to my troubles? Yet I awake the following morning barely able to move. Grrr. And all this despite the help John gives me. As usual, he is just there for me, and fits it all around me and my needs. It makes me feel bad at times like this when I have to change our plans after all he has done.

I am no better today. I was hurting even before I got up. Yes, I am feeling really p'd off with this right now. I am fed up of hurting everywhere. I even had another bloody ulcer cos I keep biting at myself inside my mouth. I am not conscious of it, but I chew the inside of my cheeks or lower lip.

Anyway, I am happy to be back with the dogs. They were of course very happy to see us.

Humpty Dumpty

Well we are off to to see if we can put Humpty Dumpty back together again. Won't be back from York till Saturday. I may have net access whilst away or may not. No idea. Maybe I don't want to though it is easier to deal with mail daily!

The dogs went to my friend yesterday and the house feels very strange without them.

YES! We Have Snow

The dogs love to play in the snow. So do I. I adore snow. I can't play in it, of course, and it is too dangerous for me to go out in it, but I love it just the same.
Garden view - rear.
View from front door.
My car.

Drat

I got up too late to go to the pool today. I thought i had got up in plenty of time but Sunday swim is at 8am not 9am and I forgot that. I could have been up but I decided to lie in as there was no need ot be up so early. If I had remembered right, the time I originally awoke was the right time to get up.

I went to look at the pool in Wisbech yesterday as the pool I currently attend is closing for a month for December 2nd. I will not go back to the March pool where I had all that bullying. The Wisbech pool is not pleasant, small, and they only have a hoist for getting me out of the pool. I can get in with no trouble-I just fall in, but getting out I cannot do on my own. At the pool I use now, they have special steps and a lifeguard waits for me to get up them and hands me my sticks.

I shall probably not go everyday but will have to go enough to stop me seizing up.

It is -1c at present and blowing snow and ice. The snow won't stay but the cold will.

MacKenzie - Cashmere Sweater

I knit this on the Silver Reed 830. I used 2 x 2/28's (=700m per 100g = lace weight) of 100% Mongolian Cashmere. I just use a calculator to get the shape. This has set in sleeves, fully fashioned shaping.

Windy Day

I am 11 years old . My name is Nechung.
I am Luque and I am 3.5 and the father of Whitney.
I am Micah, just 3 and the son of Nechung and the father of Shameless.
I am Whitney, 1 yr old, and the daughter of Luque.
I am Shameless and I am two and feeling very delicate cos I am pregnant.

Kick Me

SWIMMING

I went every day last week, but had a day off yesterday. Am going this morning. Wednesday I went to the lunchtime 50+ session. A big mistake. Myself and a few others are swimming laps, as people usually do, when a group of well over 60's got in and just trod water, talking, getting in our way. One couple got in the pool directly in front of me, so I swam into them. I can't see ahead when is swim. Despite the filthy look I was given, I politely informed them they were in the way. On the way back, them woman swam into me and got a kick in her breast. Well, all hell broke loose. She ranted and raved and I quietly pointed out that if she swims into people, what can she expect. I also pointed out that my kick was not deliberate as I had not even seen her. Why would I expect she would do what she did anyway? So then she turns on the tears. Her bottom lip quivered and pouted and the tears rolled and she sound just like a 10 year old as she moaned ' you hurt me'. I resisted telling her it may teach her not to do as she did. Instead, I pointed out that others could hardly be held responsible for what happened to her when she blithely ignored others in the pool. She then called out tot he lifeguard who dutifully went to her as I continued my swim. As I was near the end of my swim, she came to help me get out the pool and we had a giggle about this silly woman, who by that time, had moved to the centre of the pool where no one was swimming lanes and she a group of others all trod water and talked. Interestingly, when I related this to the people I am used to swimming with in the early morning, all of whom are 70-80 yrs old, they all gave knowing looks and smiles and said that is why they never go to that class!

It just amazes me that someone can get to that age and still behave like that.

KNITTING

I finished my cashmere sweater at last. It is washed and dried and I shall photograph it later and put it on here.

I have knitted one of John's socks to just past the ankle. I did that early in the week, Monday, but left it until he got home last night so he could try it on. It is a good fit so I shall continue.

NIGHT PAIN

I have found it helpful to take pain killers before I retire. It has not helped me stay asleep but I have had less pain. I find I awaken and have to stack the horseshoe pillow and others so that I am lying on my back at an incline. This stops the spasm. I do not however stay like that. I have never slept on my back and if I lay flat on my back, I always awake with a jolt. My natural tendency is curl up in the foetal position on my right side, or sometimes my left. Even if I have stacked the pillows high, so I am almost sitting, I awake to find myself on my side and most of the way down the bed!

I ma getting better at managing the pain and knowing when to stop pushing myself. Yesterday was a day I had planned to have off. A day for doing nothing, just knitting and watching dvd's. That is all I did too. No dog bathing, no swimming, no nothing. I felt quite pleased with myself. Not only did I stick to it, but I enjoyed it and did not feel I ought to be doing something nor did I berate myself for being lazy.

I though the other day, that I had not turned out like my dad-an abusive bully. I had not done this to others. It is true I had not done this to others. However, it isn't true that I am not like him because I abused and bullied myself for years. I treated myself in the same manner that he did.
I have learned not to and am largely successful. It is one reason I was so surprised at my teaching the knitting and enjoying it. If I had been my father, I would have been shouting and hitting within minutes of my pupil not doing it right.

York It Is

Okay, it's done. Just booked a room at the York Novotel. We always stay Accor Hotels if we can. Always good (bar the one we stayed at in Reims, France). They own Novotel, Ibis, Etap, SuiteHotel, Mecure, and one or two others.

Most of the hotels are booked as it is St Nicholas week or something. I believe there is a market, Victorian and Medieval . Should be fun.

We only got the two nights, not three, but it doesn't matter cos we can get home as late as we wish on the Friday night.

It is only a 280 mile round trip too.

Not Sure

I still do not know what we are going to do next week. The original plan was to visit York. We don't want to make up our minds and book a hotel till Tuesday or Wednesday so we can see what the weather is likely to be. No point going if it is going to be raining.

Flying: I really am not sure about this. I want to get over the fear but the more I think about it, the less inclined I feel to do it now! I want to for all sorts of reasons, mainly because I don't like being limited. I also want to visit the USA again. This time I shall loads of people to visit.

Perhaps Edinburgh? Only a 50 min flight. I think I could cope with that. What has really put me off is not being able to knit on board. How stupid. I can't imagine being able to calm myself and not knit.

I am having a day off today. No swimming. I went to bed late last night, got up late. I am going to have a a lazy day.


DEMONSTRATION

Last night I did demonstration of mediumship.

The first 20 mins was given over to a young woman of 28 who is just starting out. She was excellent, gave very good evidence.

I then did my bit. I gave all my messages with my back to the people. I did not hear their responses either. Instead, they silently indicated yes or no or maybe to the person standing next to me and they told me what the answer was. It worked well and the evidence was good. The reason for doing it thus was to show that

1. I am not cold reading(a beloved bit of nonsense from sceptics),
2 . Am not picking up anything from the voice(there are none to listen too)
3. That a medium (nor the spirit communicator ) does not need to hear a voice in order for the communication to happen.

I found it good from my point of view too. I worked more quickly, my confidence wa snot affected by a sea of faces looking at me, and it was very good to not have a clue who I had given the messages to. They were accurate and to the point. I htink that is why I liked it, when I think of it, I was more bold and gave just what i had to give cos I couldn't see the recipient!

FEAR of FLYING

We want a short break, Wednesday to Saturday. Budapest or Barcelona are only 2.5 hrs away. If I will fly.

I used to love flying. Then I took a flight in 97 to Boston, USA and I was petrified. As soon a sit started to take off, I felt dreadful and it took all my strength not to yell for them to stop and let me off. How embarrassing!Even more so on the way back because on the flight out, I was unaware that I would be scared. I hated the close din feeling and the feeling of the flight itself. Very weird feelings physically.

I think I need to face this fear head on and the only way to do it is to fly. As I am typing this I am getting worked up about it.

Driving is out of the question. Also, if I could fly, I'd open up the places we can go.

I have also ascertained that I will not be able to knit on board.

Same Sex Marriage

John and I can legally marry if we choose to. We will choose to.

However, in the land of the free, this is still outlawed and here is a blog which gives good reasons why this bigoted law must be repealed:

SAME SEX MARRIAGE

I Was Run Over By A Bus

I wasn't but that is just how I feel today. I don't recall the last time I felt so bad. Everything hurts. I had a really good day yesterday. Up at 5.30am, went for my swim, bathed a dog, knitted, watched DVD (Miss Austen Regrets), was asleep by 11am. I awoke first at 1 am for a pee, felt fine, awoke again at 5 and knew I would not be going to early swimming. I then slept fitfully, trying to get comfortable. I got the horseshoe shaped pillow stacked up, laid back on that, which helps. However, it wasn't just that weird ribcage pain, but my hips, my feet, my hands, my everything. (Do I hear a song coming on?)

So I shall probably go to a later session swim or not at all. We'll see. Grrrr. I really don't mind the physical stuff, I just hate it when it stops me doing as I please. I have dogs to bath so I sent some Tramadol and paracetamol down the hatch and once they kick in, I'll bath Micah.

You now, recently I have felt so much better that I had begun to think it was over. That I was cured. Fool.

I am still wearing my Odd Ball socks, the second day. How decadent of me. I like them so much I think I am about to cast on another pair. Or maybe I'll dive str8 into the new Regia Kaffe Fassett ones.

I am almost 100% certain that Shameless is up the duff. She has gone off her food, has that really gormless look on her face, is being lovey dovey to me, and I can feel chick pea sized lumps where as yesterday they were pea sized. They will be marble sized by Friday and then I will know for certain. Oh, I can be certain now but I don't like to be until I feel marble sized balls.

I am looking forward to this litter. I have really gone out on a limb with my choice of sire. He is the best dog I have ever had my hand son, everything in the right place. Yet he is from a line of close breeding that I would not aim for. I just feel this will work. Time will tell. (Of course I look forward to every litter!)

Alive and Well

I had an email and telephone call to see if I was alright because I have not blogged since last Wednesday. I hadn't realised it was so long.

On Saturday I went the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham(95 miles away) to volunteer on the UK Handknitters Association stand.

Fred, who asked me, was very helpful to me in that he helped me to and from my car. Had I jot gone in my wheelchair, I'd have been in trouble. It was very crowded and in minutes I'd have fallen over if I had just used my sticks.

During the day, especially at lunchtime, Amanda guided me around. She walked behind my chair, not pushing me, and went 'beep beep' in a loud voice whenever we got stuck.

I really had a very good day. I taught three people to knit and one to crochet. One of the people was a big burly man who I at first thought was going to be trouble when I saw him approach. I was wrong. he wanted to learn to knit. He has huge hands! He wanted to have something to help him relax. So I taught him.

I was very surprised to learn that I was a patient teacher. No trying to be either. I just was. I didn't get riled at all and didn't think 'idiot' once! I really am surprised I could do it without feeling frustrated.

I did, of course, buy some sock yarn but only 6 balls. All were of the new Regia Kaffe Fasset range. I also bought some darning needles which had bent ends. They are excellent for sewing.

I came very close to sticking my foot in it. One of the women I helped mentioned that she home schooled. I was surprised and said I know it is very popular in the USA but not so here. I almost said it was popular with religious nutters. I didn't. Guess what? She was a religious nutter! And I said not a word about it. I did not have a go at her and tell her she was abusing her children. I just let it go. Maybe I am coming down with something?

Aran Sweater Front

This is my own design and is going to be for me. I knitted it using 3.75mm KnitPicks Options. the yarn is a pure wool yarn, 2/8's used twofold, which works out at about 200m per 100gr. This is taking me a while as it is rather hard on my hands. I am happy with it though. It is raglan in shape with a round neck. I will decide on the collar once I am ready to knit it. The knitting you see will flatten out once it has been washed but it will retain it's relief well. I really like this AirForce Blue colour.

Nan's Blog - Very Interesting

Self Betrayal

You may find nan's blog as interesting as I do. I have not finished reading her yet. Nan has much to say and it resonates with me.

Homesickness

On and off, for most of my life, I have felt terribly homesick. It has been very painful and very confusing. Confusing because i have not known where I was homesick for.

Was it Germany? Australia? Singapore? Gibraltar? England? Where? I even wondered if I were sickening for some place long forgotten in a previous life.

Eventually I realised I was sickening for a place that I belonged. A place I felt loved and accepted and cherished and above all felt safe. A family. It was this, a family, I was homesick for. A family that loved me and accepted me and cherished me. I didn't have that. No, if you are a regular reader you know this, I am not an orphan. I night as well have been and certainly it would have been far less painful than the truth. I have just recalled how about 31 years ago, I was on a bus, riding to nowhere as I was wont to do. I was depressed. A kind elderly woman got talking to me as she sensed my sadness. I felt ashamed of my unhappy state and certainly could not tell her the truth for she would just think I must be very wicked to have a family who did not care for me. Instead I told her that my whole family had been wiped out in an accident. That I was an orphan. I had to tell her something that would explain my misery. Yet it was only a lie in part. My family had not died. I was indeed though an orphan. I had been provided for materially and that is where any care for me ended. Emotionally I was abandoned.

The first person to say they loved me was John. I was 22. I did not believe him. Whilst over the last twenty seven and one half years he has not abandoned me, I do sometimes doubt that he does. Or wonder why he does. He was the first person to see ME and love ME and who found me acceptable. (Oh I had been very fortunate in that throughout my childhood there was always a neighbour or a teacher who saw ME and gave of themselves to me. I am certain that without their giving, I should have withered completely.)

Today my home is John. It is he for whom I feel homesick. Back in June of 04 when I found myself in much physical pain and stranded in Sweden, it took all my strength to not fall apart for longing for him to be with me. I called him and though I tried to hide how I felt, he knew and he flew out to meet me so we could drive home together. I knew, then, there alone and in pain, just how alone and in pain I would be were he no longer with me. Were he dead. I knew I would not be able to call him. I felt so much longing for him then it frightened me for I knew this would one day come. If not to me, then to him.

The thought of a life alone, back how it was growing up, holds a very special dread for me. I feel I would rather not have life at all were it to be like that. No one in my life can love me the way he does. Warts and all. I wonder how he does. I am difficult. I am demanding. I am 'high maintenance'. I am not trusting. There has never been anyone in my life like him and never will be. I do not mean to diminish my friends, but they do not truly know me the way he does.

I sometimes wonder if I even know what love is. Do I love him? How could I not when he was the first to love me? Is that it? My one anchor? My one rope that pulled me to safety? I used to think so. Until the day I imagined him suffering and it caused such a feeling of anguish in me, I knew I loved him in return, for who he is, and not just because he loved me.

In his love for me, he has never lived my life for me, never controlled me or mopped up my mess. I have been angry at him for that! No, he left me to grow up whilst the supported me. I am an independent person and I hated feeling weak. Now, my body has made me dependent again and it angers me that still he needs to takes of me. Yet, I am fully aware of my good fortune also and again I wonder at it. Why?

I do not know. I just don't take it for granted. Everything could change in the blink of an eye.

Oops

I got about 8 hours sleep though not without the trip to the loo and i also had that cramp in my ribcage again. definitely positional. I got my horse show shaped pillow and laid back on that and was able to sleep longer till pain forced me to get up.

By the time I had my coffee and drugs I felt I could go for a swim but determined before hand that i wa sonly going to do half my usual swim. I stuck to my word too though to be frank it wasn't hard tostick to as the swim took some effort.

Now I am freezing cold even though the house is warm and i am dress warmyly. I am going to bed. It seems I ought not to have swum today after all.

I find it really hard to not do stuff when I feel fine after a strenuous day, in order to avoid worse. A bit liek taking painkillers when not in pain but to avid coming pain. Well, I guess I am going to have to learn cos now I feel really cold which is a sign for me that all is not well.

Good news-Crestor, one of the drugs I have been taking this last 5 years, has excelled in studies showing that it dramatically reducing heart attacks and strokes.

Peeing Down

The weather is atrocious. I just got home thru heavy wind and rain. Micah was 2nd and so was Whitney. My boots were 1st! ;-)

For The Club Show (LACS&SW)

This is my 'German' clobber for the show tomorrow. The boots are Dr Martens.

More Dyeing

I have been sleeping very well this last few nights. Still have woken for a pee, but otherwise am sleeping well. Pain wakes me up eventually, in my pelvis and lower back and hips and I get up but am in bed about 8 hours which is a long for me. The only day I got up my usual 5.30am was Tuesday. Wednesday I didn't swim at all and in fact only knit and watched dvds (Jane Eyre). I am getting better at giving myself a break. Thursday I overslept and so went swimming in the afternoon and Friday, I again slept late and went swimming later.

I prefer to be up early and am not sure how I feel about this sleep pattern change but I am very aware that I feel better for having the longer time in bed. I am trying to just go with the flow. The shorter time in bed and not so good sleep will come back so i will take advantage of this good period right now. Strangely enough, I have more pain and weakness and fatigue this week despite the better sleeping but I mentally feel stronger.

I am up early today because I need to sleep early tonight. I have a dog show to go to. This is Whitney's final puppy class as she is a year old on the 16th. It is Micah's last show too until his coat matures. He is 3 and Lhasa Apso do not fully mature until they are 4-5 yrs old. The show is in Stroud, about 160 miles away.

I bought 5 white roll necks and am dyeing them. I have dyed in olive, purple, and yellow so far. The orange one is being done as I write this. Then I have one left to do in deep pink-more Fuchsia I think.

I buy roll necks in size small and they fit well. Too close to wear on their own but I only wear them under a sweater. I buy the small because I must have the neck fit close to my neck not bagging downwards. That defeats the object. I like my neck to be warm.

I did persuade John to have some more time off and he is taking the last 3 dyas of the last week of November off. We probably won't go anywhere, not abroad. We were thinking of going to Paris on the Eurostar but decided that it was too risky for us both. Too cold or wet would cause problems for us. Wet would be no fun at all and cold would physically make it hard on John for his chest and on me for moving. So we will stay here and maybe go on a day trip somewhere. I have never seen York and might give that a shot on a good weather day, if there is one.

Innocent Slips Of The Tongue (warning rude bits)

We have a new central heating control. I knew how to work it but it was the first time John had seen it.

I yelled upstairs, 'would you put the heating on please?'

He yelled back, 'how?'

My reply was, 'just put in on cont.'

He yelled back, 'there's no need to be rude!'.

Having been taken aback I then said, 'no, click the button until CONT shows on the screen.'


I had my hair cut today.

Sue and I mentioned how we don't go thru the night without peeing now. She complained that her partner took forever. I was trying to find a polite way of explaining why a night time pee for man is not easy.
'I know it takes time. We can't just pee when it is pointing upward. It makes it hard.'
Her response was, ' I see where you are coming from.'

At that we both burst out laughing.

Last night at my spiritual meeting I was discussing with two women a news item about Sphinx cats. They are hairless and delightful. I knew someone who bred them. I said stroking them was like stroking a suede hot water bottle. Carol was walking by and asked 'what's like a suede hot water bottle?' and I replied ' a hairless pussy' without thinking. Well, you should have heard these ladies roar. I went red but also saw the funny side.

Reminds me of how my dear friend Sarah, her of the very posh voice, said to me at Cruft's , in earshot of a few hundred people, that she looked at my thing every night! (She meant my blog.) It was very funny.

Corrupting The Young

From the title of this post one might assume I am talking about some seedy creep waiting to pounce on children to offer them drugs or take them away to some den of vice. That is not what I mean at all though of course they are a means of doing so.

The corruption I am writing of is that done by respectable people without so much as the bat of an eye lid.

Faith schools are one such method we use in order to corrupt our young. We do so by teaching them fantasy or ideas as TRUTH. We corrupt their ability to think for themselves. We instil in them the fear of questioning, fear of abandonment, fear of being oneself, fear of life. What is more, we know what we are doing and why we are doing it. To control. What is not so clear is that we do so in order to allay our own fears.

Involving children in religious practice or teaching is to corrupt them. In it abuse of the worst kind.(As is mutilation of boys and girls thru circumcision) Children view adults as strong and right and infallible and trustingly. We repay them by corrupting them. We know they will not question and by the time they have reached an age when they have the wherewithal to do so, the damage has been done and most do not and they go on to abuse and corrupt the next generation.

In the west we seem to have very serious problems when it comes to sexual behaviour. High teen pregnancy rates, Right rates of sexually transmitted diseases, a proliferation of pornography, of promiscuous behaviour. Why? Because we are taught that sex is wrong. Either directly or subliminally.

Since the sexual urge is natural to all human beings, we all experience it. To be taught that such urges are wrong is corruption. Certainly my religious teaching left me knowing that truly good people never had such feelings and certainly never acted upon them. Sex was a necessary evil in order to procreate but that was all. It was better not to indulge, even for that purpose. Young women only started to menstruate because they had impure thoughts. If they had not, they remained pure and did not menstruate.

To have sexual feeling toward one's own sex is a sure fire way to burn in hell for eternity. Since such feelings come about naturally and are not bidden nor are they able to be sent packing, one's only choice of thought is that one is evil. After all, one must be to have such feelings.

If one also has a family where the discussion of sex is taboo, then the teachings are compounded and it is highly likely that a lifetime is spent carrying shame and guilt over what is a naturally occurring human feeling.

I believe that one of the reasons that we victims of sexual abuse carry so much shame and guilt is precisely because of this early corruption. Not eh act of abuse on it's own but the teaching we receive from society and religion.

Such shame is likely to stick around for life due to the corruption having been so early in life. For many being able to experience a sexual life that is loving and pleasurable is beyond reach. Instead it is forever tainted by fear and shame.

This is corruption of the young and one reason why it such an evil.

Oddball Socks

I knitted these on a KnitPicks 2.25mm circular. I used the balls out of my odd ball bag. The bits left over from previous socks. I did not choose any, I just put my hand into my ball bag and used whatever came out. I rather like them. The foot is a little longer than I would normally have knit but this is due to the many different colours and yarns altering the row gauge. It took quite a bit of finishing too, with all the ends to sew in. Maybe I will knit them in on the next one but I am concerned it won't hold well and come loose in the wearing.

A New World?

I awoke this morning, put on the TV, knowing that I would hear that Mr Obama is President Obama.

I found myself crying. This man has had a very odd affect on me. Never before has a politician done anything for me. I have not been interested, felt cynical about them all. Certainly the leader of my own country has not bothered me at all, except I was glad that the Tories were ousted but sadly to be replaced by more of the same.

Anyway, when I first saw and heard Obama speak, I just knew that this man was the real deal and the man who had the opportunity to change the world and more importantly change the world's view of the USA.


This morning I have nothing but respect for the USA. I can't believe it! You did it!

You elected a black man to the highest office in the land!!!!

Not a rich born black man either. Now I believe that the USA is truly a land of opportunity.

I hope that he is safe and is kept safe. My poartner who was grown up enough to recall the hope of John F. Kennedy says this is pretty much the same.

I am just amazed that I care so much about this. I do feel that this is really a major turning point in history.

Something has shifted, there has been a change and we can perhaps begin to breath fresh air again.

Feeling Green

The hat is green and bought on Ebay. The shoes are Kickers, also bought on Ebay. The jumper is cashmere , knitted by me on my fine gauge SR830. The jeans are Cold Harbour and dyed green using Dylon. The jacket I bought in Trier, Germany.

DO look at my friend's blog post, it's very funny: post

US ELECTION

Just a quickie as I am about to retire for the night.

I was speaking with John about tomorrow's election and I was saying how I am really invested in the outcome of this in a way I have never been about who is PM here. He agreed and said that it was more important because the President of the USA affects us all and more so than our own leader.

Whilst I know that my joy would mean the disappointment of others, I do hope very much to be feeling good about the USA people's choice. I hope fear of difference, in this case colour, doesn't hold sway. I hope the vote can be done honestly and without fear.

Addi Needles On Ebay

Addi Needles

If you visit, look on left of page to find 'view seller's other items' and click on it. That way you will see all items I have for sale.

Blog Awards

I am touched that anyone would think to give this blog an award. I have not done this to anyone and I will explain why, lest anyone should feel hurt.

I do not have the time! You see, I'd have to give the award to EVERYONE that I read for fear of hurting feelings. I read too many blogs for that.

As far as I am concerned they are all awarded Colin's mark of approval!

Blogging is a quite remarkable thing and it does take some gumption to do it, especially when one is not anonymous. Or maybe only when one isn't. Whatever, I find it fascinating to get the glimpses into people that blogs offer. Mind you, I have to say, that I do now hold back on some things I would otherwise write as I am not anonymous. I couldn't write what I really think about events or people at dog shows for instance. Oh of course I could write it but I don't want the consequences so I don't.

I admit when I first started to blog, I had no idea why. Then it became a way of expressing my deepest feelings and also a way to help me heal. A way to see more clearly. As a by product I discovered much about others and also that my writing my personal stuff helped others too. I did panic a bit when I realised I was no longer anonymous. Then I realised it did not really matter. I have taken particular care to not identify any of those I have written about, especially family. They could not be identified from my writings, I have left those bits out, and not even by my own name as it is not the name I given at birth. I changed it when I was old enough. I know this name change is considered an act of spite or something by my family. It wasn't at all and never occurred to me that it might be seen that way,(cos I was stupid!), it wa snot a way to distance myself form them, or escape debts(which was asked of me!!!). No I changed it because it made me cringe every time I heard it. I could not bear it. It was far too appropriate a name too. Oddly, though I changed it age 19, it was my early 20's before I used the change. I suddenly got my social security number sent to me with the new name on it. I had not realised that what I did had sealed it. I only asked how I went about it. I didn't realise it had been done at the time of my asking. So I had it changed by deed poll just to seal it. Now I can hear my name called and not cringe.

As you can tell, I ramble. This was about why I don't give blog awards.

He That Done IT!!!!

This is the young man my girl has been away on honeymoon with for the last week. She is home now driving my two boys bonkers.

Handschuhe

These arrived in the post today. I am wearing them now. They were knitted for me by my friend Lia in Sandhausen Germany and posted to me from our mutual friend's (Jane) in Holland! The yarn is Lana Grossa MW Merino Print colour number 2101. (The post title is what the Germans call gloves, which I think is quite delightful.)

Socks For Heather

Socks for my friend Heather. The yarn is by ONLine. One of the India colour range. Sorry can't find the ball band to know which one. Anyway, knit toe -up, using my Andersson Heel Mach 2. Used 2mm 60cm KnitPick circular, knit simultaneously. They are short socks because Heather has foot problems and prefers them this way. The feet fit me and are right for her.