Healing

Hello all you lovelies

Thank you so much for your heartfelt get well wishes, you are all so kind and caring. Andy is healing slowly but surely and his beautiful mind is being restored each and every hour.

I don't want to use my blog as a space for the "heaviness" of life, instead, for me it must be a lighter, more joyful place where I can concentrate on the little things. The smallness of events and makings and sightings and collecting in my life.


So, to cheer me up this post is just about the things that I have seen, done, eaten(food is my comfort) and found joy in amongst the heaviness.

Old suitcases, ah...I love you. Way back in my early 20's I bought a lovely old leather suitcase from a junk shop in Pietermartizburg, South Africa. When I immigrated to the UK in 1996, I packed some of my precious belongings in it and each time I went back to visit would sift through it and reduce the contents as I grew older. Some of the things I felt so important in my my early adult years seemed so funny and silly to me as I grew older. One of my biggest regrets about sifting out bits and bobs was getting rid of my cats eye glasses collection! Bah, they would sell well now on etsy or e-bay. Anway, when we went back to SA this Easter unfortunately a moth (or 2) had eaten away at it causing it to crumble and I had to throw it away. That was a sad day and now I am on the look out for a replacement but don't want to pay the earth for it! My original one cost R10.00 equivalent of less than a pound with today's exchange rate.

{I will tell you a little secret though, I have a little suitcase up in the attic which I bought years ago at a car boot sale for Alice to put her dolly's clothes in and after we gave a lot of them away to a charity shop, the case was no longer needed. I promised to get rid of it at our next carboot sale but I just couldn't help myself and have kept it! Ssshhh, I plan to hopefully transform it into something as gorgeous and of course functional as this}

These are some of the images that have kept me distracted this week in amongst hospital visits, keeping things as normal as possible for Alice, multiple phone calls and texting and finding some time to keep creative for my relaxation.


When the elusive sun came out once this week I was like a lemming down to the sea and needed to dip my toes in the cold water.It made me feel real again after the traumatic events of last weekend. It was good.

Playing with my plastic deer I bought in Sweden last September (childish non?)

Admiring my potted plants in our courtyard garden
gimme that colour

Eating delicious French yoghurt and Green & Blacks mini choc bars from Judges bakery  in Hastings old town. Delicious.

Playing with nail varnishes and choosing colours I would never have tried before. Life is short after all? and 42 is the new 32?

Hanging washing on the line once this week and admiring Alice's pretty cotton PJ's matching her hanging basket she planted afew weeks ago.

Rooms with a view

Watching lettuces drown grow with all the rain we have had this week

Trying not to be as lonely as a cloud {these beauties were made by my stunning friend Bronwen}

How clever is she

Sewing an A-line skirt from my beautiful South African shweshwe fabric which I buy when I am out there

Helping our growing up girl pack for her PGL 4 day school trip to the Isle of Wight this weekend {Rose, her hippo is her sleeping companion/cuddly, no other will do)

Eating more comfort food ~ goats cheese, spinach and roasted veg on toasted granary, yum
Not sure about you but food is my go-to comfort thingy, nothing else will do :o)

Aaahhhh yes and some simple 'no concentrating too much' sock knitting with Noro silk garden sock yarn

Thanks ever so much for visiting and your comments are so welcome. I have a 101 plans for being creative this weekend whilst Alice is away and Andy is resting. I need to finish off this baby blanket for next Wednesday and the knitted rabbit too as Alice's teacher goes on maternity leave. I want to paint, bake this cake, knit, make this, package up my give-away which poor Stephanie has been so patiently waiting for, watch a movie or two, cycle along the coast weather permitting, pick flowers, sleep, eat and just stop for a while.


What are you up to?*
Hope it's a relaxing one
See you all soon
Penelope 
xox

*ps. Doing NOTHING is my favourite answer to this question by the way, it's my favourite waste of time x