One Step At A Time

This month's calendar picture seems good advice in this very hot weather.  It reminded me of the reworking of Psalm 23, published back in the 1960s and written by the Japanese poet Toki Miyashina...

The Lord is my pacesetter, I shall not rush.
he makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals.
He provides me with images of stillness
which restore my serenity.
He leads me in ways of efficiency,
through calmness of mind, and his guidance is peace.
Even though I have a great many things to
accomplish this day,
I will not fret, for his presence is here.
His timelessness, His all-importance,
Will keep me in balance.
He prepares refreshment and renewal
in the midst of my activity
by anointing my head with the oil of tranquility.
My cup of joyous energy overflows.
Surely harmony and effectiveness
shall be the fruits of my hours,
for I shall walk in the pace of my Lord,
and dwell in His house forever.

Slipping Into A Pattern

Kirsten and I are constantly amazed at the synchronicity between us when we are crafting. She too decided that she wanted to do a slip stitch pattern for her latest square. One of these days we are going to both settle on the same pattern, and exchange identical squares! Her choice involved a 2 row stripe [mine was 4] and slipping alternate pairs of stitches. This resulted in a much denser pattern, and a beautifully thick square. She did one with A= cream B=blue, and then reversed that for the second square. Here is the back view

Ignoring the start/finish rows, these look very similar.  But when you turn them over...
It is amazing how different they look

I think this would make a beautiful pattern for a winter jumper for my beloved, as it would trap pockets of air and be remarkably warm. It is also a very easy stitch pattern to remember so relatively fast to knit up. One of these days I will knit Bob a new winter jumper. In 47 years of marriage, I have only knitted him one jumper  and that was eleven years ago! 

This is #24, Ridged Blocks, from our book of squares. Mine is the cream one on the left. K's package came with a postcard showing a picture of Baobob Trees in Madagascar [looking very hot] and a lovely pen pouch for my handbag, made from recycled leather.

HAPPY 4TH JULY 
TO ALL MY FRIENDS
IN THE USA
GOD BLESS AMERICA

There's Many A Slip

Slip is a word with many uses, some with quite negative connotations. 

You slipped up there, didn't you?

The pavement is icy, be careful not to slip and fall!

The burglar was able to slip in unnoticed through an open door

If you slip me a tenner, I'll sort out the problem

It has slipped my mind for the minute
    And then there are other definitions of the word

A slip is an undergarment aka petticoat 

A small piece of paper is a slip [eg payslip]
A young woman [slip of a girl]

Clay and water slip mixture is used by potters

"The slips" are the collars worn by greyhounds as they wait to run
"The slips" is a specific fielding position in cricket

Slips are men's briefs

And in knitting there is a technique known as 'slip stitch' where you slip a stitch from left to right needle without actually knitting it. [often you wind wool round needle twice in previous row, to give a looser loop]

I can’t remember when I last did a slip-stitch pattern. Here is my latest pair of squares for our collaboration. In the book it is pattern 201, "V-stripes"

This is simply a regular 4-row stripe in stocking stitch, with slip stitches used to create contrasting V-patterns I used maroon and pink. First square I began with the pink, second I began with the maroon.

Whilst this is OK for a decorative item, I would never use this on a child’s jumper, too many loops for them to catch on things! The colour not in use for each stripe is carried up the right hand side. I don’t think I did this very neatly. I must work on that!

 

I'm A Poster Girl!

We went into a coffee shop, and I went to the counter to order while Bob found a table. He sat near the window where there was a display of leaflets. The 'what's on in Norfolk' type of thing.

I ordered, paid, and went to sit down. And thought "Hang on, that's ME on that leaflet"

June last year, I went and helped at the annual Voluntary Norfolk event in The Forum in Norwich, trying to interest other people in volunteering. VN people all have bright pink teeshirts and red lanyards- unless they work with VN for the Community Health Trust, in which case they have plum coloured polo shirts and blue lanyards. And there I am, right in the middle - looking like I am in the wrong uniform. Well fancy that! 

Restored!

 Bob spent £2 on a pair of chisels at the fête on Sunday. They were in dire need of restoration [my word for this year] The blades were blunt and rusty and the handles were grubby. One side read "Marples", the other "Wm. Marples & Sons, Sheffield, Eng,." with a shamrock logo.

Bob had recognised the brand when he first saw them, and did further research when he got home. Marples were reckoned the foremost tool manufacturing company in England for 200 years. 

These ones are from the mid 1950s and feature the distinctive " split proof" red and yellow plastic handles introduced then. If you really want to know more about the company, this site will tell you every minute detail! The Hibernia Works were amazing. 

Bob cleaned and sharpened the chisels, now they are useful again

A before/after shot. The guy selling the stuff [cleared out of his late uncle's garage, he told us] clearly just wanted to get rid of things. He asked if I minded my husband picking up old rusty chisels and things? Did Bob have to conceal such purchases, and hope to smuggle them home unnoticed? 

I said no, I have no problem with it. I know he will fix things then find a good use for them himself, or give them to other people who will use them. And furthermore, as I have four sewing machines, and associated equipment, I cannot  complain!

My embroidery machine is being serviced at the minute, but my main one has been in use this week. Pictures will follow! 

A Fête On The Field

The Welsh have their Eisteddfods, the Scots their Highland Games, but the English have their Village Fêtes. Up and down the country, for a century or more these events have been a quintessential part of rural summer life. Drawing on the medieval trading fairs and Victorian community gatherings [especially around harvest time] The 'modern' fête really took off between the two world wars, in the 1920s and 30s. They began as parish 'sales of work' - to raise money for orphans, war veterans and church repairs. 
On Sunday we went to church in Wymondham - Bob is mentoring their minister,[and advising on PA] and we wanted to see how things were going now they have rearranged the inside of their chapel. They have new seats, and air-con too, so we were cool and comfortable, and it was a great service.

On the way we passed some signs to a nearby village. So, after church, we grabbed a snack at Wymondham Food Festival, and drove to a little village in the middle of nowhere [I don't recall going to Hardingham before] It was fabulous!

Helpful adults and cheerful children with collecting buckets, all in hi-viz vests, directed us to the parking area at one edge of the cricket field. 

These are just some of the gazebos! Everyone was raising money for the upkeep of the Village 'Memorial' Hall and the Parish Church. And they had all the 'proper' things you expect at a fête

Tombola, hoop-la, books, bric-a-brac, bottle stall, old tools [Bob loved them] cake stall, smashing crockery [with the option to buy any unbroken pieces from the baskets if you wanted!] obstacle course, children's games, facepainting, raffle, "village croquet"...

And inside the adjacent hall, tea, cakes, scones at one end, a bar at the other, and just outside two blokes cooking sausages and burgers. And all the while, the Norwich City Concert Band, under their huge blue gazebo, entertained us with fabulous tunes. 

I bought a Victoria Sponge from the cake stall for later, but also cups of tea and scones to enjoy outside in the sun.

Mercifully it was nothing like as hot as the previous three days.

I also had a good chat to the lady on stilts. She was so adept at balancing, walking, and standing still - and delighted the children with her handheld bubble machine. She makes new costumes each year - we talked about play costumes, and the complications of 'trousers' for the stilts.

Bob bought two chisels to refurbish and I got a calligraphy set. Before we left, I went to thank the guy at the organisers' table next to the First Aid Tent. He told me the event had run for 80 years, apart from Covid year. They begin planning in February! He said they had introduced 'tokens' this year to cope with the whole cash/cards problem. You could buy as many [or as few] as you liked from his table at £1 each, [he had a card reader] then use them at the stalls round the field. Bob and I did have cash with us - but he said many people don't carry much anymore, and this system seemed to work well. I thought back to the wonderful fundays and fêtes we had been heavily involved in, both in Kirby and Ferndown - and said we really did appreciate how much work went on behind the scenes to produce such a lovely event.
In my opinion, this is the sort of event I like to visit - you can keep your commercialised, over priced, politicised State Fairs and the like. This is just ordinary people in their community getting together to do good. I hope they do really well [and get enough money for the village defibrillator!]

Have you been to any good community events this summer?

Are you involved in anyway, baking, making, selling etc?

Every Life Saved Is Hope

 

These are the words of the interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, yesterday after 12 year old Moises was pulled alive from the rubble - four days after the devastating earthquakes.
Venezuela is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. It struggles with rampant inflation, unemployment, goods shortages and a high crime rate. International sanctions, primarily from the US, have weakened the country further. Its infrastructure is crumbling, almost non existent.
So when an earthquake like this hits, there are no efficient mechanisms in place to help. I wept as I listened to a man saying he watched his neighbours tearing at rubble with their bare hands, in an effort to reach trapped family members "They have no tools, no chisels or shovels...they have no proper torches, they are borrowing peoples phones to use the torches on them" 
The window for finding people alive is closing - soon it will be not rescue but retrieval. The nation will have to cope with injured people, with bereavements, the homeless and the hungry.
I may have been hot and uncomfortable last week, I may have missed my weekend in London with my beloved family - but I still have them - so I must try and get things into perspective. And the money for my unused train ticket has already pinged back into my account.
I feel so impotent in the face of their suffering. I pray for them, and for wisdom to know what I can do to help. At the time of writing, the DEC [Disasters Emergency Committee]  have yet to launch an appeal - but they have helpfully suggested some charities already responding in Venezuela, should people want to donate now. Oxfam is one of the organisations which I know and trust. 
Please help Moises and others to have hope...
UPDATE  Do read this amazing story from the BBC