A Chalet Girl in Spirit

Since the snowy weather descended a month or more ago, I’ve taken to wearing a shawl on top of my coat - after the fashion of the Chalet School girls.

Did you ever read those books? I adored them. The Chalet girls went to school in the Austrian Tyrol in the days before central heating, so they knew a thing or two about keeping warm. They would wear enormous shawls, wrapped across their fronts and tied behind.

Mine isn’t quite that big, so I just fasten it at the front. It was woven on a tri-loom by the lady from whom I bought it at War Eagle Fair in north-west Arkansas. It keeps me snug when I’m huddled over my laptop; then serves duty again when Joss and I go rambling about the moors.

The corsage pinning it together in the photo above is the one my chum, Claire, made me as a Christmas gift. It’s a badge of friendship.

So, whilst I may look like an anachronism from Miss Marple’s era, my peculiar outfit makes me feel toasty and loved and like the heroine of a favourite book.

Which will do for me.

A Tiny Tale: The Raindrop

Once upon a time there was a large, dry hollow in the earth. Until, one day, a raindrop fell from the sky. Moments later, it was followed by another. And after that, one more. A tiny trickle of water meandered its way across the ground.

More raindrops fell. One by one by one. And soon there was a small puddle.

Another raindrop fell to earth. And, look! Another! Another! Soon the puddle turned into a rivulet, winding its way over the parched land.

Raindrops continued to stream down. Single drop by single drop. And, in time, the rivulet grew to be a pond.

Yet more drops appeared to join the rising water. And so the pond widened and deepened and became a lake.

Still another drop fell. And another. And another. The lake became a sea.

On came the raindrops! Drop upon drop upon drop falling from the heavens. So now the sea swelled to a mighty ocean.

And that mighty ocean was made up of millions upon millions of single drops of water. All collected together.

And the roar of the ocean was tremendous. And the power of the ocean was awesome. And the sight of the ocean was balm for the soul. And the scent of the ocean refreshed all who drew breath.

Every tiny drop counts. Together we can make a difference. To make a donation to the aid appeal for Haiti go to the DEC website.

Corsage

I’ve been meaning to show you this scrap of ethereal gorgeousness. Isn’t it beautiful? It was my Christmas gift from my lovely and talented business partner, Claire. Made with her own fair hands.

For those who like to know about such things, it was machine knit from a Habu yarn - wool with a stainless steel core. The sparkling centre of the flower is made from nylon monofilament and embroidery thread.

You can see more of Claire’s work at her blog, Textile Alchemy. Look out for the headdresses!

The Same View: January

I’m planning to take a photograph of this particular view once a month throughout the coming year - just to see how the landscape changes with the seasons.

Each Remarkable Day

January 10th: This was the day that Susie the pig gave birth to nine piglets

Determined to let no day of my precious life go by unnoticed, I’ve decided this year to end each day by completing one simple sentence: This was the day.....

It takes only seconds to scribble down an answer - far less time-consuming than keeping a diary - but, at the end of the year, I should have a series of prompts that spark memories to keep the year alive.

The second half of the sentence doesn’t have to contain anything momentous. It can be something quite small, trivial even. The point is that the day counts. No more days, weeks, months, years merging into one another. Each remarkable day has its own story. This was the day…..