CELEBRATIONS So the festive season has started – in case you hadn’t noticed. There was a “pop up” Christmas Shop open on the High Street at the start of November. A life-size figure of Santa positioned at the entrance blares out Christmas songs on a repeat loop. Have I been inside the shop? Of course not! I prefer to make my own Xmas cards and wrapping paper and I bring my decorations out of storage each year to re-use.
CRAFT FAIRS Every year there is a flurry of Craft Fairs and I always feel so guilty as I browse each stall of carefully made items only to pass by. This year I did buy one thing: a microwave cosy. This is a padded fabric “dish” in which to place my bowl of porridge or soup when I heat them in the microwave. I have used it every day since.
PRICING Those who sell their wares at Craft Fairs generally have to pay for their table, so I always wonder if their endeavours make much profit. And “how much” is a fair price? Chatting with a group of friends we mulled over the subject. It takes me three evenings to knit wrist-warmers and I need to buy the yarn. Even the cheapest acrylic can cost around £3-50 a ball. And how do you cost the time taken making the item? We decided that, were we to be marketting wrist-warmers,then £15 seemed a fair price. When we checked on Google, most prices were above £15. Then we noticed a site called “Temu”. What? £3-28? That is just crazy! It does not even cover the cost of the yarn.”Oh!” announced a member of the group, “I buy all my craft supplies on Temu. They are so cheap”. Her remarks made me shudder. I appreciate a bargain but I refuse to buy stuff produced at a sweat shop where workers spend long hours and are paid a pittance. “Ah, yes” she replied . “But if we did not buy their products they would have no job at all.” Mmmmm!
CROCHET My granddaughter has found a pattern for a knitted hood-cum-scarf. The pattern uses rows of treble crochet alternated with rows of double crochet. I followed the original pattern using three colours then decided to make another one in two colours which I liked much better.
SNAIL MAIL A letter just plopped on my mat. Posted yesterday up near Aberdeen it was full of news from a good friend and had taken les than 24 hirs to make its way here. It is such a joy to sit with a cup of tea catching up with all her news. Yes, of courses she could have “WhatsApp’ed” me – but that is not the same. Not the same at all.
WALKING It is so much harder to keep up my steps now that it gets dark soon after 4pm. Yes, of course I should go out earlier – but it take me ages to get going. Last evening I walked down my street on the road itself because the street lights do a jolly good job job of lighting up the road surface, while leaving the pavements in darkness. It was “bin day”, with random rubbish boxes littering the pavement, lurking unseen and waiting to trip unwary pedestrians.
REFLECTING Tomorrow is the last day of November. Only three and a half weeks until Christmas. Am I ready? Of course not. In spite of my best intentions, Christmas always manages to creep up on me and leave me wondering how I am going to fit everything in. What do I want for Christmas? At the top of my wish list is one thing. I want to be with my Family, sitting companionably with a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie, contemplating their sparkling Christmas Tree.

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